A Son for the Alien Warrior (Treasured by the Alien Book 2)

by Honey Phillips

  By the time the second evening approached, she was pacing the small room anxiously. When she heard the door panel start to open, she made a dive for her hiding place.

  “You should be more careful. What if I had been someone else?” Kwaret’s voice was so hoarse it was almost unrecognizable.

  She whirled thankfully to greet him and stopped with a horrified gasp. He had quite obviously been beaten. One eye was swollen half shut, a livid bruise darkened the white skin across his cheekbone, and one wrist was in a bandage.

  “What happened?”

  He sighed wearily, then gingerly sat in the small chair he had brought into the room. It was the only time he had ever sat in her presence.

  “There was an issue with one of the captives. I tried to intervene, but I think I caused more harm than good.”

  Damn. A pang of guilt swept through her. She had been so busy thinking about her sister and nephew, and how she was going to find them and how she was going to get them back to Earth, that she hadn’t stopped to consider the other women and children on board. Kwaret had assured her that they would be returned to Earth as soon as they were intercepted, and she had dismissed them from her mind.

  “What sort of an issue?”

  He shook his head, looking both baffled and oddly admiring.

  “One of the females—the single female without a child—convinced the other two females to try and escape. They attacked Kragan when he brought food.”

  “Oh my goodness. I assume they didn’t succeed?”

  “They succeeded well enough to have him open the cell.”

  “But what were they going to do then? I doubt any of us could drive the ship.”

  The admiring look grew stronger. “Jade, the female behind all this, pointed his own weapon at Kragan. She demanded that the ship turn around or she would shoot him.”

  Mariah laughed at the image, then sobered rapidly. Obviously, it had not ended well. “What happened?”

  “She underestimated the value that Commander Kadica puts on the lives of his crew members. He shot the male. He was going to shoot her as well when I tried to intervene.”

  “Oh no. Did he shoot her?”

  Kwaret winced. “No. I managed to remind him that she was a valuable product. This is the result of my audacity.”

  “I’m so sorry. And the woman? What happened to her?”

  “She has been fitted with a shock collar.” Sadness crossed Kwaret’s face. “She did not take it well and tried to fight. She is now unconscious.”

  Mariah found herself admiring the other woman’s bravery, even as she shuddered at the story. She suspected that she would not have had the same courage.

  “And the other women?”

  “They ceased all resistance as soon as the male was shot.”

  “They didn’t stand up for her?” she asked indignantly.

  “It would have been a useless effort, and they had infants to protect.”

  Silence fell over the small room and Kwaret leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed.

  “Why are you doing this? Not you personally I mean, but your people,” she finally blurted out. She had been thinking about the situation over the past few days and it seemed like a lot of effort to go to another planet just to abduct a few women and children.

  “Vedeck is one of a number of star systems that fall under the leadership of the Confederated Planets government. However, our entire civilization was severely damaged by a plague that raged for almost twenty years before it was brought under control. The plague took billions and billions of lives, but females suffered the worst. Now we have a number of systems that are short on females and therefore on children. There are many desperate people who are willing to do whatever it takes to find a mate, to have a child.”

  She stared at him in stunned horror, as she tried to wrap her mind around the idea that so many individuals had fallen prey to this disease.

  “And your government allows this? Permits stealing women and children?”

  “Absolutely not—that is, if you are referring to the Confederated Planets government. If… when we are intercepted, everyone on board will be imprisoned for life.” He sighed and slumped down in the chair, looking defeated. “But my people, the Vedeckians, are more concerned with profit than with rules. There was a preliminary expedition last year. Three commanders volunteered. I served under Commander Khaen, who was the leader of the group. I know he demanded tribute from the other commanders, and I believe that your sister and nephew, along with another child, were his tribute from Commander Kadica.”

  “And you said Commander Khaen is dead?”

  “Yes. We were intercepted by a Cire ship and taken into custody. Commander Khaen made an unsuccessful attempt to overtake that ship and perished. But I wanted to bring an end to the entire business. I managed to work my way onto this ship in anticipation that they would try again and that I would be able to shut them down as well.”

  “What about the third commander?”

  He started to shrug, then winced. “No one knows. He has not been heard from since then.”

  “The two that were in here a few days ago, they said this was a trial. That there would be more.” Dread filled her at the thought of more innocent women and children being taken by these aliens to be sold. While she could sympathize with what must be a number of desperate races, there was no justification for stealing other individuals.

  “Yes, that is why the ship needs to be intercepted and prevented from returning to Vedeck.”

  “Earlier, you said if we were intercepted,” she said slowly.

  He avoided her gaze for a long moment, then finally sighed.

  “I have a transmitter that I was to use to alert the Cire ship if this occurred again. They are supposed to be monitoring for the signal, but I am concerned because I have not received a response. It has been many months since I was taken into this crew. I hope they have not stopped waiting for my signal.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. “What if they have? How am I going to find Judith and Charlie?” The other problem struck her as she spoke. “And what’s going to happen to me?”

  “I will protect you to the best of my ability,” he promised. “We are currently headed to Driguera. There is a port there with a somewhat… questionable reputation. Commander Kadica plans to auction off the troublesome female.”

  “You can’t let him do that!”

  “I know. If I can’t reach my contacts, I will have no choice but to call in the Patrol.” He did not seem happy about the idea.

  “Is that bad?”

  “They will arrest the entire crew and I doubt that I will gain much leniency because I called them.” He squinted at her with his working eye. “And they will erase the memories of all of the humans and return them to Earth. Including you.”

  Chapter Five

  “But Captain…” Maldost whined as he trailed reluctantly behind Cestov through the crowded streets of the underground market on Driguera.

  “Stop complaining. You knew when you brought the slonga on board that she required specific nutrients.”

  “I did. And I thought I had secured enough supplies.”

  “Just like you thought that she was a male?” he said dryly.

  Maldost’s ears went down. “You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?”

  “No. Which is one of the reasons that you are buying supplies using your own credits.”

  They both knew that Cestov would never let the slonga or her calves starve, but he intended this as a lesson for the younger male. He had already arranged to have his navigator procure additional bedding.

  Maldost followed him in abashed silence as they turned down a narrow alley lined with a variety of food stalls. The aromas were overwhelming, ranging from tantalizing to unspeakably foul. The stalls were stacked high with skewers of unidentifiable fried substances, fruits of every description, piles of baked goods, and hundreds of other types of food. A cacophony of voices hawked their war
es. As usual, his crew member bounced back quickly from the reprimand.

  “We should stop and have a meal while we’re here,” Maldost suggested hopefully, casting a longing gaze at a stall selling strips of some kind of dried meat.

  Cestov sighed. “Maldost, this is not a recreational trip. We need to get the supplies, get back to the Wanderer, and get off Driguera. The last thing we need is for the Patrol to decide to make one of their periodic raids on this place while we have the slonga on board.”

  “We could just get something to take with us—”

  “I beg your pardon, sir. May I have a word?”

  Cestov scowled at the Vedeckian addressing him. The tall white-skinned male was a member of a species he despised with all his heart. They called themselves traders also, but they had no scruples and gave the entire profession a bad name. The male was accompanied by a small figure completely covered in a dark cloak and he wondered who had been unlucky enough to fall into the Vedeckian’s clutches.

  “I have no time for you, Vedeckian,” he growled and started to move on.

  To his shock, the male had the audacity to grab his arm. He snatched the Vedeckian’s hand, squeezing the narrow bones together.

  “You forget yourself.”

  He heard a soft gasp from the cloaked figure and something about the sound caught his attention but before he could investigate, his captive spoke again.

  “Please, sir. You must listen—I need you to call for assistance from another Cire ship.”

  “You want me to call a Cire ship?” The unexpected request made him drop the male’s hand. Most of his people had remained on Ciresia despite the plague. Could his brother simply have moved on to another ship? And yet… “You know we have no use for your kind.”

  “I have been working with other Cires to stop an illegal trade operation,” the Vedeckian lowered his voice to a barely perceptible whisper, “transporting females.”

  He stepped back, stunned and disgusted by the very idea. To treat a precious female as an object to be bought and sold? Maldost growled, a low rumbling sound that echoed his own anger, and another soft noise came from the cloaked figure.

  “Why should I believe you?” He frowned suspiciously at the other male.

  “I know you have no reason to do so, but there are females who need assistance and you are my only hope unless I call in the Patrol.”

  This was exactly the type of quixotic quest that would appeal to his brother.

  “What is the name of the Cire captain?” he demanded.

  “The former captain was Hrebec Nak’Charen, but he has retired on Trevelor.”

  Another mention of the planet. If the captain had retired there, it was even more likely that a Cire colony existed. He tried to suppress the surge of hope. It would not be the first time he had been disappointed.

  “And the current captain?”

  “Captain Armad? He is not Cire, but a large part of the crew is still of your race. Will you help me?”

  He had every intention of contacting the ship to see if his brother was on board, but to request aid for the Vedeckian? A part of him wanted to shrug and tell him to call in the authorities, but how could he know if the Vedeckian would actually take such a step? He also had a measure of sympathy for the male’s reluctance to call in the Patrol. While they did an excellent job of enforcing law and order, they tended to see every situation in black and white and rarely considered any nuances. It didn’t help matters that he would also be in trouble if they arrived before he could exit the port.

  “What exactly do you want me to do?” he asked.

  “Could we perhaps find somewhere less crowded to discuss the matter?” The Vedeckian cast a nervous glance around the crowded street.

  Perhaps he had a point. They had not yet attracted a crowd, but more than one interested glance had been sent in their direction.

  “Very well. Maldost, it appears you are going to get your wish after all. We will use one of the upstairs rooms at the Tavern of the Four Winds.” He turned back to the Vedeckian. “You know the place?”

  “Yes, but we must hurry.”

  That soft sound caught his attention again and he looked down to see that his tail was tugging gently at the cloak of the Vedeckian’s companion. What the hell? He sternly brought it back under control, resisting the impulse to apologize.

  “Lead the way. We will follow a step or two behind.”

  The Vedeckian gave an abrupt nod and he and his companion moved up the street. Cestov felt an odd reluctance to let the cloaked figure out of his sight and he followed perhaps less discreetly than was advisable, even as his excitement increased. Two possible leads on his brother—this was more than he’d had in years.

  “Captain, what are you doing?” Maldost asked. “You don’t really trust that male, do you? You know you can’t trust a Vedeckian.”

  “Normally, I would agree with you, but he seemed… different. I believe that he is sincere. And what reason would he have to lie?” The tall figure ahead of them moved with surprising speed and Cestov increased his pace, still unwilling to let the cloaked figure get too far away. “And if he is telling the truth, I am honor-bound to help.”

  “Well, yes, of course.” Maldost lowered his voice. “You don’t really think they are trading in females, do you?”

  “Would you put anything past the Vedeckians?” he asked grimly.

  The male and his companion disappeared into the tavern and he increased his speed again. At least the male had had the sense to choose the rear entry. He ducked through the same door just as the host, a portly Drigueran, came back down the stairs.

  “I am expected,” he said shortly.

  “Yes, of course. However, you do understand there is a fee for the discretion of the house?” The Drigueran leered at him and Cestov couldn’t help wondering exactly what he thought was going to occur in the upstairs room.

  He handed over a small amount of credits, then a second handful. “Bring us two meals and two mugs of ale as well.”

  The Drigueran looked at the credits and his eyes turned greedy but then he took another look at the two of them and simply bowed his head. “I will make the arrangements. Top of the stairs, third door on the right.”

  Unexpectedly eager, Cestov took the stairs two at a time. The dingy hallway did not look promising, but he had been here before and knew that the private dining rooms were more luxurious than one would expect.

  Now that they were away from the street and the constant bombardment of food odors, he caught a tantalizing hint of fragrance, something delicate and floral that he had never encountered before. He wondered if he would be able to discover the source once his meeting was concluded, but as he pushed open the third door, he realized that the delightful scent had increased.

  As he expected, the room was lushly decorated with heavily carved wall panels in dark crimson and matching padded benches surrounding a low central table, but his attention focused on the Vedeckian and his cloaked companion. He caught a hint of a soft voice as the concealed figure whispered urgently to the other male and he instinctively drew closer.

  As soon as he was within arm’s reach, his tail once again tugged at the cloak before he could stop it.

  “Would you stop doing that?”

  The low soft voice was unquestionably feminine, and he stared in bemused wonder as she threw back the hood of her cloak. A mass of long pale hair tumbled out and big blue eyes stared up at him indignantly. Pale golden skin, completely defenseless, covered a soft round face with a funny little nose and an impossibly lush pink mouth. All of the blood in his body went straight to his shaft.

  Chapter Six

  Mariah stared up at the big alien whose tail—his tail—had been tugging at her cloak. She had never imagined anyone remotely like him. Textured skin in shades of deep green covered almost reptilian features with a flat nose and a broad, thin mouth. Dark, wide-set eyes focused intently on her face. Instead of hair, he had darker ridges covering his head that c
ontinued down onto his shoulders—his very broad shoulders. The tight black shirt and pants he was wearing did nothing to conceal an extraordinarily impressive set of muscles. She should have been intimidated, but something about him instinctively made her feel safe.

  “Damn, I’ve never seen anyone like you before.”

  The words came from her alien’s companion and she reluctantly dragged her gaze away from him to look at the second male. He was as tall as her alien but completely different. His body was covered with light shaggy fur that thinned out over his face and hands, but he bore a distinct resemblance to some kind of bear. He had stepped forward eagerly as he spoke, and she shrank back as he extended a huge clawed hand towards her. Before she could object, her alien grabbed the bear’s arm and snatched it back with a growl.

  “Maldost, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  Maldost’s ears went down and he whined, looking so abashed that her fear disappeared. He reminded her suddenly of a very large puppy.

  “It’s all right,” she said. “I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm.”

  His ears perked up, but her alien interrupted before he could speak.

  “Perhaps not, but he does not understand how to behave around females.”

  “And you do?” The words popped out before she thought about what she was saying or how provocative they would sound. It didn’t help that her voice had gone low and husky.

  “I know to treat them with great care,” he said solemnly, but there was a heat in his gaze that caused an answering stir in her own body as she had a sudden image of exactly what type of care she wanted from him.

  What in the world was wrong with her? She forced herself to look at Kwaret instead. This was his plan, after all.

  They had landed in the port only a few hours ago. Kwaret had still not received an answer to his signal and was grimly considering calling the Patrol. He left her in the lab while he went to check and see if the route off the ship was clear. He came hurrying back a few minutes later.