“But s-sir—”
“What is it, soldier?” Amon snarled. His lips drew back and he bared his fangs at the smaller male, his coils writhing with his mounting agitation.
“Really, Amon,” a soft, sultry voice purred, “must you frighten him so?”
Amon jerked his head upward, his eyes widening with surprise when Lady Calliope glided into his office. Her white scales gleamed underneath the artificial lights, each individual scale sparkling like a freshly fallen snowflake, her long, sinuous tail undulating with her graceful movements, her tongue flicking between her pale lips, her ruby eyes sparkling with amusement. Her crest and dorsal fin, a bright, vibrant blood-red, remained flat upon her back, her spines relaxed. There were small bioluminescent patches around her eyes and cheeks, on the tips of her spines and the tip of her tail that would only illuminate in the presence of her mate.
Irritation raced down the length of Amon’s dorsal fin and his spines tingled with the urge to flare up in threat; it required much more willpower than he wanted to admit to keep from hissing at the female.
“You may go,” Amon growled at the soldier.
Ignoring the sound of the electronic hiss of the door closing, Amon turned toward Calliope only to recoil at her nearness. She closed the distance between the two of them, pressing her upper body close to his, running one of her clawed hands up his chest, and entwined her tail with his. The boldness of her move should have caused him to extrude but only the faintest hint of arousal warmed his insides.
Now, she coiled around his upper body until their hips pressed together, her open and eager slit rubbing against his sheathe. Instinctively, Amon’s tongue flicked between his lips, tasting the scent of the female’s arousal. She smiled at him, her ruby eyes shining, before she noticed that he did not present himself to her or that he did not glow with his own bioluminescence.
“What is wrong?” she demanded; the sensual purr of moments ago now gone from her sultry voice.
“What are you doing here, Calliope?” he returned with a low, rumbling growl.
She smiled at him and ducked her head shyly but Amon knew that the beautiful she-serpent was not timid in nature.
“Why are you angry?” she asked him.
His dorsal fin flared slightly in agitation, the spines tingling with the venom he began to produce.
“I know you are aware of the regulations that follow an invasion, Calliope,” he snarled. “This solar system is under the immediate protection of the Interstellar Alliance. Only military personnel are permitted to enter Earth’s orbit and even those vessels are screened rigorously to ensure that no one on board harbours ill will towards the planet’s inhabitants.”
Earth needed time to recover from the brutal invasion, its people and resources greatly depleted after the war that ravaged the beautiful blue planet. Before the Ir’eils declared that Earth and its people belonged to them, the planet had several continents that circled the globe but, now, due to the war that ravaged it, Earth was greatly changed: both the north and south poles were covered in glacial ice about twice its original size. The oceans cooled by several degrees due to the weapons that both the Ir’eils and the Interstellar Alliance used to attack one another. Even now, there were several parts of the world that had flooded. The upper islands of Canada no longer existed, submerged under several tsunamis’ worth of water. Much of Greenland and the northern parts of Russia froze as the planet tried to stabilize itself.
Earthquakes shook the entire western Pacific coastline but, thankfully, no major volcanic eruptions happened along, what the humans called, the Ring of Fire. These earthquakes toppled cities. Shanghai. Sydney. Los Angeles. These once great coastal cities now lay in ruins, a reminder of the power of nature and humbling the planet’s inhabitants as well as those that served the Interstellar Alliance.
The Interstellar Alliance declared Earth and her solar system restricted to everyone without the proper paperwork. Only the mates of military personnel could even enter Earth’s atmosphere but that required a thorough check and confirmation of the mate and the mate’s ranking officer.
Calliope was not his mate.
She should not have been granted access to this solar system let alone Earth’s orbit. He silently vowed that someone would pay dearly for this oversight.
Her smile grew and then she laughed at him.
“You consider me a threat to the humans below?” she asked him, laughter ringing in her voice.
Amon glared at her.
“Who granted you access to this solar system? I want to know who granted you access to Earth’s orbit.”
Still smiling, Calliope leaned forward and flicked her tongue along Amon’s muzzle.
“His Lordship granted me access to Earth,” she said, her red eyes twinkling. “Now, are you satisfied?”
Amon drew back.
“Lord—” Amon clenched his jaw, refusing to even speak that male’s name. His eyes narrowed on Calliope. “What did you say to him?”
“That you and I are mates.”
Anger surged through Amon’s bloodstream.
For her to declare him as her mate before the Head of the Interstellar Alliance when she knew that this was not the truth could cost them both their lives. Although he disliked Lord Balon, he also greatly respected him because the other male proved himself to be quite ruthless when dealing with the politicians and leaders that allied themselves with the Interstellar Alliance. Lord Balon severely punished those who broke the laws that governed the Interstellar Alliance. One of those laws included entering restricted areas such as Earth’s solar system. If the Alliance were to leave Earth unguarded, its people would never be able to withstand a second invasion.
Another law included lying about a person’s mate status. If it was discovered that Calliope had lied about her status as his mate, both of them would be brought before Lord Balon.
Amon’s dorsal fin flared up to its full, impressive height. His spines gleamed with the venom that coated the serrated tips. Anger surged through his veins, the loose coils of his tail now twisting into tight knots, and he could not hold himself back from hissing at her.
Calliope drew away from him, a soft gasp escaping her parted lips.
It was rare for Amon to lose control of his temper although he was known throughout the Interstellar Alliance for being quick to anger. This was different. He was openly displaying his displeasure and, as the General of the Interstellar Alliance’s entire star fleet, he was supposed to remain calm, cool and collected at all times.
“You’re actually angry with me,” she whispered, her ruby eyes wide with surprise.
“Of course, I am,” he snapped, flashing his fangs at her. “Do you realize what you have done, Calliope?”
“We may not be mates yet, Amon,” she said, her voice soft, “but it wasn’t a lie.”
Amon twisted away from her, his coils writhing agitatedly, his dorsal fin flared to its full extent, his fangs bared in a grimace.
“If you and I were mates,” he snarled at her, “I would have danced for you.”
She recoiled and, this time, her fin flared to its full length.
“That was uncalled for, Amon.”
“It is the truth,” he said coldly. “Calliope, while I do care about you, you are not my mate.”
“Why?” she demanded, her voice rising now. “Why do you deny my claim? I have told you many times that I care about you and want you for my mate. I know you have not lain with other females, Amon, so that is not the reason you keep refusing me. What is it? Is it because I am outcast and will never produce my own bioluminescence?”
“You know that has nothing to do with this!”
She glared at him.
He glared at her.
“I’ve brought you something,” she said, breaking eye contact when she lowered her head and reached for something inside a small satchel that rested on the back of her hip. “It’s a gift.”
He watched her silently, a single brow ridge lifted i
n curiosity.
“A gift,” he rumbled.
“Yes, a gift,” she murmured. “A gift from home.”
She placed a glass ornament in the palm of his hand, and he stared down in awe at the asa - an extremely rare flower that only bloomed once every five solar cycles and in the very deepest trench on his home planet of Songal. The blossom floated gently within the glass sphere, small bubbles clinging to its pale violet petals. Dark blue dots the colour of freshly cut sapphires appeared when each delicate petal curved towards the bell of the plant, its three purple stamens curling in downward swirls. While the most common way of discovering one’s mate was to produce bioluminescence and dance together, there was another, much rarer method that also indicated if a couple were destined to be mates. The asa would glow for the mated pair, responding to their pheromones, the colour unique to each bonded mate and the strength of its light reflecting the desire of that of their mate.
Both of them stared down at the asa, waiting for the beautiful flower to glow.
It did not even flicker.
Amon carefully placed the ornament on his desk, the clear glass casting a shimmer of colour on the floor as the sun’s rays streaming through his window struck it just right.
“I am sorry, dear Calliope,” he murmured, lifting a hand to tenderly caress her cheek. He hated the flash of pain that he glimpsed in her eyes and the way that her shoulders rounded in defeat.
There was a slight knock on the door.
He drew back from Calliope to glare menacingly at the door where the Oraed stood trembling.
“What is it?” he snarled.
“S-sir,” the soldier stammered. “Commander Ska’arzal is here to speak with you, s-sir.”
“It seems this will have to wait until later, my dear Calliope,” Amon growled. “I have business to attend to.”
Calliope hesitated but, when Amon narrowed his eyes at her, she inclined her head regally.
“I will speak with you later, then, Amon.”
Amon inclined his head, watching her leave.
He turned to the soldier.
“Send him in.”
With a salute, the soldier turned and quickly exited the General’s office.
A few moments later, Commander Malekith Ska’arzal strode through the doorway, his lion-like tail flicking agitatedly behind him, the stinger on the tip gleaming lethally in the artificial light. Malekith stood well over six feet tall, his opalescent horns adding an additional foot to his height, his white hair pulled back at the nape of his neck in a loose plait, his pale blue eyes immediately landing upon General Amon. His lips curled downwards in a small frown.
“Is everything all right, Amon?” Malekith asked. His inhumanly pale blue eyes roved over Amon anxiously. His frown deepened. “I have only ever seen you display your fin once and that was nearly 15 years ago.”
Knowing that Malekith would wait patiently for his answer, Amon took his time drawing his large tail into loose coils underneath him. Closing his eyes, his chest heaving, he inhaled through his nose, counted slowly to 100, his dorsal fin relaxing marginally with each number he surpassed until it lay flat upon his back, and then released his breath. Opening his eyes, he found Malekith watching him.
“Calliope wishes me to claim her as my mate.”
“And you do not wish to claim her?”
Amon stared directly at Malekith; the other male held his gaze steadily, no challenge evident in his body language.
“Calliope is not my mate.”
“How do you know this?”
Amon hesitated. The ways of his people were not known to the Interstellar Alliance and he wished to keep it that way.
“Amon,” Malekith said, a hint of annoyance lacing his voice, “you and I have been friends for almost 20 solar cycles. Do you really think I would betray your trust?”
The tip of his tail twitching, Amon lowered his gaze.
“I do not have the urge to dance for her.”
“Mm,” Malekith murmured. “I had heard some aquatic species danced for their mates, but I was not sure about yours.”
“Yes,” Amon growled, “we dance for our mates but the females reciprocate the dance, mirroring a male’s movements and flashing bioluminescence. While I care greatly for Calliope, I have never felt the urge to dance before her.”
Malekith arched an eyebrow at him curiously, lifting a hand to stroke his jaw thoughtfully.
“Is dancing required to form a mating?” he asked.
“I have never heard of a mated pair not dancing together,” Amon said quietly. “It is instinctual for us.”
“You know,” Malekith began gently, “it is possible to form a close bond with a female that is not necessarily your mate. It is evident that Calliope cares deeply for you, Amon, and you and I both know that only a mate would be allowed to enter Earth’s orbit.”
Amon’s dorsal fin snapped up.
“She informed Lord Balon that we are mates.”
Malekith’s head snapped forward, his pale blue eyes beginning to blaze with red flecks.
“She wouldn’t dare.”
Amon silently inclined his head.
Malekith swore.
“That is why she was allowed to enter Earth’s orbit.”
“I do not envy you, my friend,” Malekith said solemnly.
“Me neither,” Amon muttered. “But, enough of this. I know you’re not here for idle chatter, Malekith. What is it?”
Malekith hesitated.
That hesitation caused Amon to straighten, his eyes narrowing, his tongue flicking rapidly between his lips, sampling the air. The Commander’s tail twitched, his pupils contracting into thin slits at the sign of the other male’s agitation.
“I have learned some disturbing news about the Ir’eils,” he began.
Amon’s tongue flicked between his teeth again.
“Go on.”
“As you know, the Ir’eil Mothership entered Earth airspace and declared that the planet was now under its protection” – Malekith’s lips drew back to reveal the lethal fangs at the sides of his mouth as he grimaced – “and the people of Earth belonged to them.”
The tip of Amon’s tail twitched with exasperation. He was far less patient than his friend.
“What we failed to realize, what I did not know until very recently, is that the Ir’eils were abducting humans during the war.”
A soft feral hiss escaped Amon’s parted lips and his electric blue eyes flashed, the dorsal fin that ran the length of his body flaring up, the spines beginning to produce venom.
“How is this possible?” he snarled.
“We were at war,” Malekith returned, his deep voice rumbling with his own displeasure. “Billions of humans died, Amon. Even now, nine months after its end, we are just beginning to understand the scope of the lives lost and the ramifications of using the Interstellar Alliance’s technology within Earth’s atmosphere.”
Amon sank back on his coils, his tongue flicking between his lips, and rubbed at the centre of his forehead, closing his eyes against the headache that began to pound there.
This is just what I need, he thought wearily.
“Amon?”
Amon opened his eyes wearily to meet Malekith’s concerned gaze.
“Are you well, my friend?”
“Do you realize what this means, Mal?” Amon asked softly.
The Commander nodded.
“Do we know who was taken?”
Malekith turned and began to pace the width of Amon’s office.
“When I first learned about the abduction cases, I started searching for missing humans but so many people died during the war that many are unaccounted for.”
The headache pounding behind Amon’s eyes grew in strength.
“Do we know if they are aboard the Mothership?”
Malekith paused mid-stride, turning to stare out the window that faced the planet Earth.
“The Mothership retreated once our ships entered Earth’s orbit,”
Malekith murmured, “but that does not mean it was not carrying humans aboard as they fled.”
“No one has reported a description of any slaves that are human,” Amon said.
Malekith snarled.
Earlier that solar cycle, over the winter solstice holiday, Malekith finally claimed his human mate and learned that her ex-boyfriend, who was secretly an Ir’eil, wanted to sell her as a slave. For Malekith, this was personal.
“We cannot allow the Ir’eils to abduct people that are under the protection of the Interstellar Alliance,” Malekith hissed, his fangs flashing.
“I agree,” Amon said, “but most of the Alliance is pooling its resources to protect Earth and its solar system and I cannot go. I must attend to my duties here and I do believe that one of us should stand with them during the memorial of the fallen that is being held in a few days.”.”
Malekith’s eyes blazed.
“What are you saying?”
“I cannot spare a battleship to search the galaxies for an Ir’eil drone ship.”
Malekith bared his teeth at Amon but the General held up a hand to stall his friend’s protest.
“You command your own fleet within the Alliance, Malekith,” he said. “Take your mate and those loyal to you on the Nebula and find these missing humans.”
Malekith stiffened.
“Is that an order, General Amon?”
Amon nodded.
“It is, Commander.”
Malekith offered him a formal salute.
“Then I will do as you say and be on my way.”
Malekith turned and headed for the door but before he left, he paused.
“Amon?”
“What is it, Malekith?”
“You look tired, my friend. Have you considered taking a few days off? I hear that Earth’s waters are beautiful this time of year.”
And without another word, Malekith exited Amon’s office.
Amon stared after him, wondering, When was the last time I took a vacation?
He tried to remember.
Perhaps, he thought, watching the doors slide closed behind his friend, perhaps a break is in order.
Blooming Desire Page 38
