Mated to the Alien King (Lords of Astria) (3 page)

Chapter four

It's strange how the most extraordinary of things becomes 'normal'.

Abby and I learn to work our way around the ship. Most days Mal is with us, showing us around, telling us about his home, and answering all my questions the best he can. He introduces me to the IES, Information Exchange System. It seems to be their version of a library but it works off mental commands and creates full holographic images of what I’m studying.

I delve into this system and lose track of how long it's been since we left home. The Actabarian technology is advanced definitely but the fundamentals are the same as what I know from Earth. Their star drives look like they’re at most one or two steps ahead of what I was working on. Just a couple of leaps of logic and I would have created something similar. The door opens behind me but I don't bother to look away from the diagram I'm studying.

"Missy?" Mal's deep voice asks.

"Yeah?" I reply.

"Are you... happy?"

There’s something in his tone. I spin around to look. He's standing and waiting for an answer that I'm not sure I have. I frown.
Am I happy?
My heart rate and blood pressure increase. Curiosity gnaws at me and I realize I want to know what he looks like under those pants. How compatible are we? He's so big. Bigger than any normal man.
Would he be too big, down there, for me? Down there. God what am I, twelve?

"Where's Abby?" I ask instead of answering him.

"She's taken an interest in one of the crew. I saw them in the observation room."

He doesn't push. I like that. I like his patience. I like the way he indulges my own obsessiveness. When I have a problem I tend to put all my focus on it. That's driven away more potential husbands and almost all lovers I've ever had. Most men don't seem to be able to compete with my love for my work and it damages their ego. Mal indulges me.

"Define happy," I reply to his question at last.

His brow furrows. He's very attractive when he's deep in thought. I like the way his eyes are deep set and wide, his high forehead, it gives him an aura of thoughtfulness.

"Do you feel," he pauses "at peace?"

"Yes," I say realizing I do. "Yes I do."

"Good. We're about to dock with Stynissh Station. It's a trading post. I thought perhaps I could take you to the market. Give you a taste of the world."

"That'd be nice."

"Good. I've had some clothes delivered to your room for you and Abby. Your current outfit would stand out."

I look down at my jeans and shirt but shrug. When in Rome and all that.

"Sounds great."

"So what do you think of him?" Abby asks.

"Who?"

I hold the clothes that were sent up and try to figure out how to put them on. It seems more like it's intended to be a curtain than clothing. Abby looks over and laughs before coming over and helping me to slip the thing on. It's along the lines of a dress that leaves my back exposed which I don't like at all. It drapes over my shoulders, crosses over my breasts, then underneath them, then cinches at my waist and hangs to my ankles. The color is a shade of blue I've never seen before but I find it's quite flattering to my skin.

Abby stands back and whistles. "Damn!"

"Huh."

"So, what do you think of him?"

I arch an eyebrow knowing damn well who she's talking about but feeling particularly contrary today.

"What's this I hear about you and a crewman?"

She waves a hand. "This isn't about me. I asked first."

"He's nice."

"Nice? Like
really
nice?" She wiggles her eyebrows while making a circular motion with her hips.

"Abby!"

"Well? Inquiring minds want to know!" she laughs.

"I have no idea. Surely you haven't? I mean, are we even compatible?"

"Not yet but I fully intend to find out."

I shake my head at my sister then a low rumble passes through the deck under our feet. We must have made dock with the station. The lights flash once and then there's a knock at our door.

"Come in," I call.

The door opens and Mal is standing there along with another person I don't know. I see both of their eyes widen looking at Abby and I. A flush runs up my neck. Swallowing hard I walk towards Mal trying to push past the embarrassment of his open admiration.

"You are beautiful," he says in a soft whisper.

He reaches his hand out and I take it. My hand is so small in his but I find it comforting. The strength of him calls to the primal part of me. I smile as he leads us out of the ship and onto my first alien planet.

Chapter five

Outside the ship everything is an explosion of color and noise. I can't focus on any one thing. Aliens are everywhere. It's like one of the massive bazaars in a Middle Eastern city I visited once called Tehran. There are signs and masses of bodies but instead of humans packed elbow to elbow there are dozens and dozens of aliens of every shape and size imaginable.

The first ones I see several of are bird-like humanoids covered in colorful feathers that range in hue from purples to reds. They wear shawl looking things over robes and are adorned with pounds of jewelry.

Others look like they are evolved from lizards, still others from fish. Everywhere there is another new species. All of them seem to be basically bi-pedal and humanoid though.

The place is loud. Really loud. There are dozens of languages being shouted and each stall we pass has bizarre things for sale.

Several guards came off the ship with us forming a small bubble of space we can walk through. The Actabarans are larger than most of the other creatures in the market which makes it easy for them to clear a path for their Prince.

Mal leads us to a stall that’s filled with cloth. So many colors and textures on display I could spend hours cataloging them. Mal picks up a bolt that has a deep purple hue and runs it between his fingers before turning towards me.

"Do you like it?" he asks.

I run my fingers over it too and am amazed at how soft it is.

"Yeah," I say. "Man, that's soft."

Mal smiles then starts talking to the vendor in a language that is slightly guttural and very fast. They go back and forth, the vendor’s voice rising higher and higher as they negotiate. At last Mal motions to one of the guards who steps in, opens a bag on his side, and hands over a large card that looks like it has a reader screen on it. The merchant takes it, punches a couple of buttons, then hands it back. The guard takes it then takes the bolt of cloth. Mal leads us away.

"I will have that made into an outfit for you," he says smiling.

"Thank you," I say. "You really don't have to do that."

"Missy," he says. "I know you don't know me well but I know you. When the decree came down that a Lord of each planet would have to marry an Earth woman I knew it would fall to me. It is my duty for my people and I am the only unmarried Prince.

I chose you. We watched you for months. I hope, in time, you will come to feel about me as I do about you. We must marry, to fulfill my obligation and to protect Earth. There is no choice, however I will not force myself on you. I will only come unto you when I am invited."

Cold chills run up my spine.
No choice? Have to marry for Earth? Who does he think he is? Who does he think I am?

"Man that is SO romantic!" Abby chimes in.

She's literally wiping a tear from her eye. I frown at her as my anger builds. I like Mal. I'm definitely attracted to him. But marry him?

"What if I don't want to marry you? What if I want to go home?" I ask.

"I'm afraid that is not possible. We cannot send you back to Earth with everything you know now. Your people are not ready to join the broader universe. I'm sure you can imagine how they would react at finding proof they are not alone."

I want to argue with him. The desire burns inside me but I'm a scientist. I know he's right. The people of Earth would flip out. I can only imagine mass suicides, nuclear bombs, god knows what else. I want to stand up for my race but history tells me I'd be wrong. They're not ready.

"Marriage?" I ask.

"Missy, I don't have a choice. Our marriage binds Actabar to protect Earth. If we don't, the Dark Nebulans will take your planet as a foothold. Trust me, you don't want that."

He's right. I'd studied them as well as Actabarian science. The Dark Nebulans enslave planets, rape them of their resources, living and natural, then leave a blackened husk of a shell behind once they've drained it. They're incredible xenophobes, using any alien race they come across as slave labor until they destroyed them. They make Nazi Germany look like a child's fairy tale.

History is filled with loveless marriages, I just never imagined I'd be in one.
But would it be loveless? Is attraction enough to base love on?

Someone shouts behind us then there's an explosion.

The guards around us pull out their odd shaped cards I hadn't seen since the night Abby and I were abducted. There are flashes of light, then my ears are ringing, and I can't hear anything. Mal pushes me to the ground and I hit hard cracking my head. I'm dizzy.

I have to find Abby!

I see her standing next to the man she was with. He's trying to pull her down but running towards her is another man-like thing. His face looks like a lizard. It has a ridge around his brow that comes down along his jawline, his hair is black and slicked back and his skin looks silvery-blue. He's aiming something towards Mal but Abby's in the way.

"ABBY!" I yell trying to get back to my feet.

Mal spins around towards her. He's standing over the top of me in a crouch with his arms raised, fists closed. Abby turns towards us unknowingly putting herself directly in the attacker’s path.

NO!
Mal’s telepathic voice is a raging boom that I’m sure the entire bazaar feels.

Everything happens at once. The man with Abby is pulling her arm towards him. Mal leaps incredibly high. The attacker pulls back on the thing in his hands and I see a flash forming. Mal flips in the air and comes down between Abby and the attacker but he's twisting.

The flash from the thing hits Mal in the back and there's an explosion.

Over the ringing in my ears I hear Mal scream as blood and skin fly from his back. He lands in a pile on the far side of Abby.

A high pitched wail pierces the ringing of my ears and I realize it's me screaming. I crawl towards Mal. The scents of burnt flesh and copper blood fill my nostrils. His blood is red and pooling around him. As I reach him the guards pile onto the attacker.

Mal is facing me. His lips tremble and I see flecks of blood on them. He smiles as I reach him. My chest constricts, I can't get air or catch my breath. My heart is pounding as I reach out to touch his face. His skin is cool and so smooth. I was just getting to know him, I can't lose him now.

"Mal," I say tears flowing down my face.

"Is Abby okay?" he asks grimacing as he breathes.

I glance over and see she's fine. "Yes. Are you okay?"

"I think so," he says shuddering.

His eyes close and his breathing slows.

"Mal!" I grab his face screaming.

The guards pull me off of him as they lift him up. I fight wanting to be next to him. They rush him off as someone grabs me up easily and runs back to our ship.