Alien Warrior's Baby (Scifi Alien Romance) (Zoran Warriors Book 2) (7 page)

I
wake
up the next morn with Kaitlyn’s naked ass pressed against me. I kiss her neck, drinking in her scent, and she pushes back against me. A moment later I’m inside of her, and we continue right where we left off last night.

Hell of a way to start the day.

I get up for a glass up water, and the house is quiet. Almost eerily so.

“Mark? You in?” I ask.

No response.

I walk into the living room, where Mark’s desk-com is flashing incessantly. An urgent message, it seems. I turn the screen on, and instantly drop the glass of water, shattering it on the hardwood floor.

“Kaitlyn,” I yell. “You’re going to want to see this.”

She glides into the room, the sheets wrapped around her naked frame like a toga, her hair all messy and tangled. She looks perfect, and I want to do nothing more than carry her back to bed, but unfortunately, that’s no longer an option.

“What’s wrong?” she asks when she sees my frown.

I tap a button and the holo-message plays.

The holographic images of Senator Gorgi and Bennet Davenport fill the room, with three prisoners kneeling in front of them. Kaitlyn clasps her hands in front of her mouth when she recognizes them.

From left to right, it’s Mark, Emma, and Karen.

They’ve got all three of them, somehow.

“Oh my god,” Kaitlyn gasps, “how?”

“Tyr, ” Gorgi says in his slithering voice. “You’ve had quite a run, but the game is over. Come here and surrender, or your friends here will discover what the infamous Suncleaver tastes like.”

He waves a golden sword in his hand –
my
sword.

“You have 6 hours.”

The message cuts out, leaving us standing in darkness.

“That’s it then,” I say. I head back into the bedroom to strap my armor back on, when Kaitlyn stops me, pushing her hands against my naked chest.

“What are you doing?!”

“Surrendering,” I say.

“B-but,” she stammers. “You can’t!”

“Enough people have died for me already.”

Kaitlyn swallows the lump in her throat, a frantic look in her brown eyes. It kills me to see her like this.

“No, but… I thought you’d have a plan, or something!” Kaitlyn pleads.

I kiss the top of Kaitlyn’s head. “I’m happy you think so highly of me, but right now, we’re outmaneuvered. Saving Emma, Karen and Mark’s life is the most important thing right now.”

“What about me?”

“It’s me he wants,” I say. “I’ll make sure you’re unharmed.”

She fights back her tears, understanding the gravity of our situation.

“Okay,” she says. “If you think this is the right course of action.”

“I do.”

“Then I’m going with you.”

“You can’t—”

“You said you wouldn’t leave my side, so I’m not leaving yours,” she says defiantly. “Where you go, I go!”

She glares at me, her hand on her hips, a white sheet the only thing covering her naked form. There’s no changing her mind, and that’s one of the many things I love about her.

“Okay,” I relent.

Kaitlyn doesn’t even protest when I suggest we take Mark’s self-built ship, and I know how much she hates flying. That’s going to be quite an issue for a General’s mate… but that’s a problem for another time.

I punch in the co-ordinates for Gorgi’s hideout – an Arctic research station. The most inhospitable place on Earth. The two of us are quiet during our flight, our minds set on the meeting to come.

I
do
have a plan, but I haven’t shared it with Kaitlyn. I couldn’t. If she wasn’t hopeless, Gorgi could smell it on her, and he wouldn’t let down his defenses.

I just hope my men get the message in time.

* * *

“
W
ell
, well, well,” Gorgi says.

He’s smiling wide, baring his fangs, his lizard-like green skin hanging loosely off his small frame.

“Look at you now. The proud General Tyr, Slayer of the Emperor, Scourge of the High Command, Traitor of his people. Not so capable now, are we?”

“The only traitor in this room is you,” I growl. “Well, and him, too,” I nod towards Bennet Davenport.

The thin human smiles coldly, pushing a lock of dark hair out of his face.

“We simply understand politics,” Gorgi hisses. “Unlike you grunts. Sometimes, sacrifices need to be made. For the greater good.”

“The greater good of intergalactic war escapes me,” I say. “And I’m a general; I know much more about war than you ever will.”

The spherical room we’re in is entirely made of glass, providing a breath-taking view of the Arctic wastes. Outside a snowstorm rages, but it’s uncomfortably warm inside. I’m kneeling in front of him, Kaitlyn to my side, both our hands shackled. Gorgi thinks he has the upper hand. I want him to keep thinking that.

“Where are my friends?” I say. “That was the deal.”

“Consorting with humans, tsk tsk,” Gorgi says. “No offense, Bennet.”

Bennet shrugs, absent-mindedly playing with his silver gun.

“They’re safe.”

“I want to see them.”

“All in due time, General. Why the rush? The fun is only just starting.”

He runs his bony finger across the blade of Suncleaver, my trusted sword. Seeing him wield my clan’s weapon is offensive in too many ways to count.

“Is this the sword that slayed Emperor Qleiord?”

“You bet,” I growl.

And you’re next.

He stares at it in amazement, before placing the blade down on my shoulder.

“I could end your life right now,” he muses. “One stroke, and I could cut your head clean off.”

“You won’t,” I say. “First of all, you can barely lift the blade as it is. Second, you wouldn’t give me such a clean death.”

Gorgi smiles, licking his fangs. “Correct. Maybe you’re not quite as stupid as I thought. I have a much better use for you.”

The sliding door opens with a hiss, and four soldiers walk in, carrying a giant crate. I recognize the Zoran symbols instantly.

The Archer Cure.

“You recognize this?”

“You beast,” Kaitlyn spits suddenly. “Millions depend on that cure, and you’re turning it into a weapon?!”

“Ah,” Gorgi says. “It seems you two have been resourceful little bees, haven’t you? But yes, you are right. I’ve poisoned the ‘cure’. Millions will die, and humans will go to war with the Zoran. Bennet here will take his rightful place as leader of the Federation, while I will claim my rightful title as leader of the Zoran people.
Emperor Gorgi
. Has a nice ring to it, don’t you agree? Sometimes you need to give history a little push in the right direction. You understand, don’t you?”

“I understand you’re a psychopath,” Kaitlyn says. “You won’t get away with this.”

Gorgi laughs, a throaty, awful sound. “But I am! And now, you two are going to be part of history. You see, you’ll be the first live test subjects for the new and improved ‘cure’! If it works as intended, you’re in for a slow and gruesome death,” he cackles manically.

He opens the case and pulls out two syringes, a violet liquid inside of them.

“Prepare to die, my friends,” he says with a sickening smile.

A second later the glass dome shatters, shards flying every which way. The snowstorm instantly blows its way inside, the icy winds whipping me from every side, the thick flocks of snow hindering sight. Within the blink of an eye, it’s pandemonium.

A dozen Zorans drop in from above, every one of them armed to the teeth. I hear screams and guns rattling, but the sounds are quickly silenced as my highly-trained warriors disarm their opponents with lightning speed.

I stand up, tearing the shackles on my wrists clean off. I tell Kaitlyn to hide behind me, while senator Gorgi cowers in front of me, a look of horror on his face. He turns to flee, but he bumps into the broad, dark-blue chest of General Drax.

Drax.
Of course he couldn’t resist the urge to drop in personally. He never passes up a moment to try and outshine me. We’ve competed all our lives, and are as close as brothers.

Am I glad to see him!

“Going somewhere, Gorgi?” Drax asks.

He lifts my sword off the floor with a flick of his foot, catches it in the air, and throws it over Gorgi’s head towards me. I catch it by its handle, and the weight feels right.

It’s good to have Suncleaver back where it belongs: in my hands.

Gorgi bears his fangs. His gaze shifts between the two of us, but even a man as thick as he must realize his situation is hopeless. No one’s getting away from General Tyr and General Drax.

Drax puts him in chains, and we drag him into the research station, away from the blistering cold.

“Remind me how many times I’ve saved your ass now?” Drax asks me, a cocky smile on his face. “Is it three or four?”

“I could have done this without you,” I growl.

Drax smirks. “Yeah, you were doing real hot before I dropped in. Letting your enemy poison you, now that’s a bold strategy!”

I hug my azure-colored friend. Our banter is all good-natured. “It’s good to see you, man.”

“Good to see you, too, Tyr. Really.”

“Don’t tell me you were worried about me?” I say teasingly.

“You dropped off the grid completely,” Drax says. “You could have been dead.”

I shrug. “Just come minor altercations, nothing I couldn’t handle.”

He looks at the dented state of my armor. “Doesn’t look so minor to me.”

“Tyr, he’s getting away!”

Kaitlyn’s screams pulls my attention away. Bennet Davenport rushes past, pushing Kaitlyn to the side. I swing for him, but he dodges my blow. I chase him down the many narrow, winding halls of the station. There’s nowhere for him to run, so I know exactly where’s he headed.

His hostages.

“Let her go!” Kaitlyn screams behind me. Bennet has the silver barrel of his gun pressed against Emma’s temple, while Karen and Mark cower in the corner of the cell.

“Not another step,” Bennet says. “I’m getting out of here.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” I say. “Give up, Bennet. You lost.”

“Never,” he spits.

“Take me instead.”

I turn my head towards Mark. He stands up, his lips pulled into a thin line, his eyes narrowed.

“Take me, Bennet.”

Bennet aims his gun at Mark instead. “Not another step,” he warns, but Mark takes a step forward, and then another.

“Do it,” Mark says. “Do it, Bennet! Shoot me, you coward! Or haven’t you got the stones? Gorgi isn’t here to do your dirty work anymore.”

“I mean it!” Bennet shouts, his voice breaking, his eyes red. “Stop right there! I’ve killed before!”

“Then do it again.”

Kaitlyn wants to intervene, but I stop her by placing my hand on her waist. There’s more going on here than meets the eye.

Mark takes another step forward. The barrel of Bennet’s gun is now touching his chest. All Bennet has to do now is squeeze the trigger to end the man’s life… but something holds him back.

“Just as I thought,” Mark says, his eyes filled with tears. “Father was right about you. You’re a coward. Always have been.”

With a lightning-quick punch, Mark knocks Bennet out cold. He falls over backwards, hitting the ground with a smack.

Emma rushes forwards into Kaitlyn’s arms, who hugs her tightly, the both of them crying. Karen quickly joins the duo, and I have to admit, the sight moves me as well.

“I’m so sorry,” Kaitlyn says through her sobs. “I’m so sorry! He can’t hurt you now.”

“It’s okay,” Emma says, her head resting on her cousin’s shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m fine. They didn’t hurt us.”

Mark rubs his knuckles as he looks at the unconscious Bennet, his face as cold as ice.

“Thank you,” I say, placing my hand on his shoulder. “You’ve a brave man.”

“My pleasure,” Mark says. “I should have done that years ago.”

“What do you mean?”

Mark runs a hand through his dark hair, a tortured look on his face. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“Oh my god,” Kaitlyn gasps. “You’re Caspian Davenport!”

A wry grin adorns Mark’s face “Guilty as charged.”

I raise my eyebrows in surprise, and Kaitlyn explains. “Caspian is Bennet’s younger brother. He disappeared from the limelight half a decade ago, stating he wanted to live a normal life… and you’ve been my shuttle pilot this whole time!”

Mark laughs, a bit of color returning to his cheeks. “Yeah. I had a feeling Bennet was involved in all this. Call it intuition. Please don’t hold my brother’s actions against me, or my family… he doesn’t speak for anyone but himself.”

I nod. “Of course I won’t. You’re a hero.”

I lead Emma, Karen and Mark back out of the dark underbelly of the research station, up towards the light. My men are waiting for them there with blankets and hot drinks, while Bennet is placed in chains and thrown in a cell with Gorgi.

Kaitlyn jumps into my arms, planting her warm lips against mine.

“We did it,” she whispers to me. “We really did it.”

I kiss her back, all my worries slipping away.
We did it.

Nothing’s ever going to keep us apart now.