Auctioned to the Alpha: A SciFi Alien Mail Order Bride Romance (TerraMates Book 5) (10 page)

Arleda tossed her head back in laughter as she gave Thiago's arm a squeeze. "Oh Thi-ger, don't be silly. Let's not give your new friend any incorrect impressions."

The three jumped back in shock as Hercules lunged at Arleda. Thiago jammed his arm between the angry creature's snapping pincers. Eden sprang forward and wrapped her arms around one of Hercules' legs. Her attempt to hold him back failed when she started gasping in pain. She released Hercules as the creature's hair began to dig into her wounds.

"Come on, Hercules," said Arleda, the smile on her face fading. She took a few steps back, raising a hand slowly. "You remember me, don't you, boy?"

"Hercules, heel," Thiago commanded, clicking his tongue comfortingly. He wiped the slime of his pet's drool on the side of his pants, his face scrunching up in disgust. "Damn it, Herc. Look at this mess."

"I don't know why Herc is misbehaving. I've never seen him randomly attack like that," noted Eden aloud. Feeling the heat of Arleda's gaze, she added helpfully, "My sister and I used to have an iguana when we were kids. They shed a lot when they're growing, and they can get cranky. Maybe that's why old Herc is upset." She paused. "I don't know what I'm saying."

"You could be right," said Arleda, the sweet smile on her face making a reappearance. "That's okay. I'm sure Hercules didn't mean it. You're sorry, aren't you, boy?"

"Maybe it's the vile boisenflower perfume you insist on swimming in every morning," said Thiago. He unpacked a small container from his satchel and opened it, flinging a slab of meat into the distance. The creature instantly perked up, nearly sliding off-balance on its eight feet before chasing after the treat.

Arleda stuck her tongue out. She gestured with her thumb and pointer finger, the local equivalent of flipping the bird at Thiago.

Eden wasn't sure why, but she felt a brush of jealousy at the history between the two. She cleared her throat as she drummed her fingertips against each other. Trying her best to portray careless nonchalance, she commented, "You two seem to know each other well."

Arleda batted her long lashes as she winked in Thiago's direction. "We're well-acquainted, aren't we, Thiago?"

"She dabbles in bounty hunting too. We used to do missions together and split the reward," he explained.

"I'd say I did more than that. Admit it, we made a pretty good team, didn't we?" Arleda insisted. She peeked at Eden, crinkling her nose. "Of course, that was quite some time ago."

"You weren't half bad," said Thiago flatly.

He placed two looped fingers in his mouth and whistled for Hercules. The creature trotted back to his owner, licking off the blood from its mouth. "I guess we should pack up and hit the road. I assume you've completed training for the day?"

"Yeah," said Eden, nodding fervently. "I think I've achieved my adrenaline fix, thank you very much. Arleda, is your ship close by?"

"Are you still driving around that hoverbike?" asked Thiago, peering around at his surroundings.

Eden couldn't believe it. Not only was Arleda built like a voluptuous comic book heroine, she apparently kicked ass like one, too. She imagined Arleda on a glinting speedster bike, gliding through a backdrop of heavenly skies as her perfect hair whipped back in the wind.

"I finally decided to sell my old girl," said Arleda, unfurling her bottom lip. She sighed for effect. "I made sure to find her a good home. I have a ship of my own now. It had been acting up much more recently, so I decided to take it to the repair shop at Runic Central, but of course, with my luck, it broke down. Now it's completely dead. I've tried everything, but that thing isn't budging."

"Oh no," said Eden. "Where did it break down?"

"Not too far from here. I was out here looking for help when I found you."

"I can head back to my ship and call a towing company."

"You could also hitch a ride with us," Eden blurted. Her heart raced, and she couldn't shake the feeling that she might be inviting trouble. But Arleda saved her life, and Eden felt grateful. She didn't want to leave Arleda stranded. Besides, Thiago and Eden's exclusivity was only sanctified through a shady intergalactic operation involving TerraMates and an underground auction house.

Wasn't it?

"I don't know if that's such a good idea," Thiago muttered, scratching the back of his head.

"That's very kind of you to offer, Eden," said Arleda. Something about the tone of her voice told Eden she wasn't entirely sincere. "I don't want to put anyone out."

"All right, then don't."

"You won't be!" Eden reassured her, shooting Thiago a deathly glare. She spoke through gritted teeth. "What Thiago meant to say was, we would be glad to tow your ship. It's the least we can do."

"It's the least
you
can do," Thiago pointed out, staring blankly at Eden. Noting the vein bulging out of Eden's temple, he swiftly changed his tune. "Sure. Whatever! Show me your ship, and we'll get it hooked onto the back of mine. "

"Wonderful! I think I've got an inflatable hovering pad lying around somewhere," said Arleda gleefully. She turned to Thiago, smiling brightly. "Oh Thi-ger, I'll need your help fastening my craft to yours."

"Lead the way. I'll be right behind you."

"Don't keep her waiting, Thi-ger," Eden grumbled under her breath. She bitterly crushed a piece of gravel under her remaining boot.

"What was that?"

"I didn't say anything," Eden said innocently, her cheeks blushing furiously. "I'll get myself washed up. Herc and I will meet you guys back at your ship. "

"Right. We won't be long," said Thiago slowly. As he walked away from her, there was an inkling of a smile lingering on his lips.

"Come on, Hercules, let's go. I need a shower to wash off this stink," said Eden as Hercules settled next to her. She stroked the top of his furry head as the creature nuzzled lovingly against her side. "What were you thinking, scaring Arleda like that? That wasn't very nice of you."

Hercules blubbered in resentment as if to defend himself.

"Whatever you say, Mr. Grumpy," said Eden sternly. She nudged him with her knee, easing the creature off the ground. "Come on now, let's get out of here."

Eden paused, catching a glimpse of Arleda and Thiago out of the corner of her eye. She watched a giggling Arleda touch Thiago gently on the arm. The distance between the pair was steadily shrinking. A twist of dread brewed in the pit of her stomach. Eden averted her spying eyes and began moving back to Thiago's spaceship.

Perhaps asking Thiago's ex-flame to tag along wasn't a great idea after all.

"Your ship hasn't changed at all since the last time I was here, and that was almost two years ago," Arleda mused, stroking her chin. "Would you like me to set you up with an interior designer? You can have Jacqua's information. The man is a miracle. He'll know what to do to fix this place up."

"I'm not interested, but thanks," said Thiago from the passenger's seat.

He pulled back the green lever next to his steering controls. Mirrors from either side of the ship disengaged, mechanically setting themselves into position. He peered into each mirror, wanting to make sure Arleda's luxurious ship was still firmly attached to the hover pad latched to the back of his spaceship. Hearing the familiar sound of Arleda bustling about behind him as she loudly began to rearrange his furniture, his grip tightened on the wheel.

"Arleda," said Thiago loudly, hoping to distract her. He checked out Arleda's ship through the mirrors again. It was a luxurious triple-decker vessel with top-of-the-line lights and shields with sleek stripes the color of ruby and onyx. The ship had weapons, too; there was a large turret on the roof and four archer missile launchers fused to the sides. It was a terrifying combination of violence and femininity. "That ship of yours is quite the looker. How much did she cost?"

"Isn't it grand?" Arleda agreed, beaming in admiration. "You better be extra careful with her. That's my baby you've got back there! It didn't come cheap, but I finally decided something. After all these years on the road, I wasted too much time breaking my back and eliminating one bad guy at a time. I'd never taken any time to do anything for myself, so I decided I deserved a treat."

Thiago snickered but instantly clammed up and looked behind himself when Arleda fell silent. She narrowed her eyes in Thiago's direction. The tiny diamond hoop around her left nostril jiggled as they flared.

"Do you find something funny, Thiago?"

"Not at all," said Thiago. His face lost all emotion as he nodded at her to continue. "Sorry. What were you were saying?"

"I decided to splurge. It put a five million credit hole in my pocket, but it is well worth it if you ask me."

"Five million what?" Thiago repeated. He was flabbergasted. Thiago's eyes flashed as he turned to question her. "Are you talking about a different type of credit?"

"Full-fledged, intergalactically accepted credits. Of course!" replied Arleda without missing a beat.

"Well then – in that case, good for you."

Thiago turned back to face the windshield. He kept his eyes straight in front of him as the spaceship glided through the clouds and burnt sienna haze of the sunset. Although he tried not to show any emotion, something didn't feel right. Warning bells were ringing in his head.

He had only been with Arleda for a short time, but for the six months they decided to join forces and work together, he'd gotten a taste of Arleda's deep-seated gambling addiction. Although he'd caught onto her vice soon after their partnership began, he initially refrained from interfering because she was a terrific fighter.

Like Thiago, she had grown up without her parents. The difference between the two was that she had no recollection of them at all. After she bounced around from one foster home to another, each with living conditions and harsh environments more deplorable than the next, she finally ended up on the streets.

A Thymore alien named Demitri took Arleda under his wing when she was twelve years old. A disgraced monk from one of the most famous monasteries on the planet, Demitri banded a group of homeless street urchins together into an organized gang. The children scoured shops and broke into residences for food and valuables under their leader's direction. The group stayed together for years until Demitri's sudden and unexplained disappearance.

With no manipulative glue to hold the children together, they disbanded. At the time, Arleda was seventeen. Armed with years of monastic martial arts training and street smarts honed to near-perfection, she set out to take on the world by herself.

Arleda had some of the quickest reflexes Thiago had ever seen. She had pinned him down on multiple occasions when they regularly trained together. But when Arleda began showing up late to their missions from late-night card games at underground casinos, half-awake and grumpy from another substantial loss, Thiago grew weary of her. When she failed up to show up for the third mission in a row, and he found her barely lucid and immersed in an all-night card game, it was enough for him.

He made the logical decision of cutting ties with her before she could drag him down. He hadn't thought about her since then, but as Arleda had mentioned, nearly two years had passed. Thiago wanted to keep things civil with Arleda for the sake of Eden. He should make an effort to give her the benefit of the doubt. Two years were long enough for people to change. Maybe Arleda truly had a change of heart, and she was prepared to leave the past behind her.

Arleda lifted her nose in the air, sniffing defensively. "I don't think I like the accusatory tone in your voice. Am I detecting a hint of jealousy?"

"There's no tone, Arleda. I don't know what you mean."

"If you must know, our break-up turned out to be the best thing that's ever happened to me. For one thing, I'm getting a hundred percent of my bounty rewards." She signed. "I tried to be classy and raise myself above petty bickering, but you know what I think?"

"I most certainly do not. Do I look like a mind reader to you?"

"I think it bothers you to see me succeed."

"Don't be ridiculous, Arleda. You're welcome to think what you'd like, but I'm genuinely happy to see you back on your feet again."

"Oh, Thi-ger," Arleda drawled. She slunk up to him, walking her fingers along the curves of his ear. Thiago's shoulders stiffened as he felt the contours of her breasts gently pressed against his back. He leaned away from her as she continued. "You know, I could always tell when you're lying."

"What's going on, guys?"

Eden strolled through the doorway of the cockpit as she wrung out her muted copper hair with a towel. Feeling refreshed after a much-needed shower, she had dumped her shredded clothes, and currently wore a crisp tangerine jumpsuit. Thiago's eyes darted to the indoor mirror Eden had installed a few days ago, settling on her reflection. He observed a drop in Eden's jumpsuit zipper, revealing a dimple of her cleavage. He smiled to himself as his eyes moving back to the windshield.

"I'm sorry," said Eden. Her voice was slightly shaky. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Oh, no," said Arleda, her full, pearly-white grin returning. She sauntered away from Thiago's side. "We were merely reminiscing, weren't we, Thiago?"

"Whatever you say."

"Sounds like fun," said Eden. She gave up her attempt to keep the towel knotted in place around her head and sighed. "I wish you had something to dry my hair around here. Are you hungry? I was on my way to put something in the oven to eat."

"Not me, thanks. But what's that I hear? Thiago, have you been forcing Eden to live with your grotesque man-products? You poor thing," said Arleda, holding a hand to her chest sympathetically. She strode over to a chrome trunk she had brought on board.

Arleda popped it open. A soft whirring sound emitted from the container as three tiers rose to the top. Eden's eyes lit up. Arleda had packed it with an incredible selection of neatly presented beauty products. Sparkling compact powders and eyeshadow palettes swirled in beautiful containers.