by Tasha Black
Juno hugged herself a little, thinking about all the happy faces when they saw fabrics for fresh clothing and food for the wet season.
And he hadn’t done it to impress her. He’d done it without telling her. He’d been able to think outside his own life to imagine what her people might need.
“He seems like a really special guy, Juno,” Rose said, echoing her thoughts.
“He is,” Juno said.
“He also thinks they might have a job for me on the cruise ship if I want to stay on for a while,” Rose told her with a grin. “Is there really a big Agro farm?”
“Huge,” Juno told her. “And it could definitely use some help. What a great idea for him to arrange that. We can work together until we get to Agwithia.”
“You’re going to work?” Rose asked.
“Well, I’m not going to sit on my butt counting golden coins, if that’s what you’re implying,” Juno laughed. “I’ll need something to do until we get back to his planet.”
“Then you’re going with him,” Rose said a little sadly.
“He’s going to be king,” Juno said. “And his first act will be to sign a treaty with Terra-4 and bring the first wave of our citizens to Agwithia. It’s everything I could have hoped to accomplish when I left the neighborhood.”
“And you’re sure you love him?” Rose sounded uncharacteristically worried.
“Yes,” Juno said emphatically. “I love him so much it almost hurts.”
“It’s amazing the way it all worked out,” Rose said. “I really hope they accept our people.”
“I think they will,” Juno said thoughtfully.
“Anything would be better than starving and being pushed around by Cerulean soldiers,” Rose growled.
The blue soldiers on Terra-4 were there to collect taxes and hassle the poor. Juno had never understood why the system would even send Cerulean soldiers to a place where the people were too poor to rebel.
“Juno,” Vaxyn called to her. “It’s time for your make-up.”
“Wow, fancy,” Rose said, grinning at her.
“See you later?” Juno asked.
“You better believe it,” Rose said.
The feed clicked off and BFF-67 buzzed around excitedly.
Juno closed her eyes and tried to memorize this feeling of happiness. In just an hour her dreams would begin coming true.
26
Zane
Zane stood at the first clearing of the forest.
A tiny group of friends formed a circle around him.
The founders of the ship were all there. Anna held her toddler, Tolstoy, in her arms, though he looked plenty big enough to walk. Leo stood beside them, ready to carry out the ceremony. Raina held Nick’s hand while he held the hand of their son, Tesla. Peter and Angel each held one of little Tchai’s chubby hands.
Vaxyn was there too, glimmering faintly in the dappled light through the trees, one appendage draped around the shoulders of a solemn-faced Maltaffian in a purple robe.
And Juno’s friend Rose completed the circle in her new tunic, made to match the ones Juno liked so much.
Rose was doing a terrible job of pretending not to be checking out the irrigation system of the forest.
Zane liked Rose already. She was smart and funny and reminded him of his mate. He hoped she would be happy on the ship. He was pretty sure she would enjoy getting her hands dirty in Agro if she was this interested in the forest.
But, selfishly, he hoped she didn’t like it too much on the ship. It would be ideal if Rose chose to come to Agwithia with them and help lay the groundwork for the migration. She would be good at it - he could already tell. And having her there would make Juno happy.
Music began to play through the hidden speakers in the trees and his breath caught in his throat.
Juno was coming.
The well-wishers outside the glass of the forest craned their necks to try to catch sight of her.
But there was no movement near the entry doors.
“Surprise!”
Juno’s voice came from behind him.
He turned to see her emerging from one of the rougher trails in the forest, a Cerulean guard following her. He recognized the man as Rex, the head of the ship’s private security force. The crew of the Stargazer II was obviously taking no chances when it came to Juno’s safety. He knew Rex was a good man and a fine soldier, and he made a mental note to thank him personally after the ceremony.
But right now, he only had eyes for Juno.
She was so beautiful, that it almost hurt to look at her.
She wore a lovely gown in a fabric that looked so soft he longed to touch it, and her hair was loose, dark waves brushing past her shoulders.
But it was the expression of mischief and excitement in her beautiful bi-colored eyes that made him wild with happiness.
“I thought I’d circumvent the fanfare by sneaking in from Agro,” she told the little gathering.
The roar from outside the dome belied her words.
“I don’t know if you’re capable of circumventing fanfare,” he told her.
“Well, whose fault is that?” she teased.
He smiled at her, unable to think of a comeback. He was just too happy.
“You brought my best friend,” she whispered, her expression suddenly serious. “That was… amazing.”
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
“It’s easy when you have the credits,” he said feeling a little embarrassed.
“It’s not easy,” she said. “It’s easy to spend credits, but it’s not easy to show you care. It’s not easy to be thoughtful of another person, of another population, when you have never known hunger or need yourself.”
So she knew about the provisions he had sent.
“Who tipped you off? Was it that chatty BFF drone of yours?” he teased.
“Not this time,” BFF-67 sang, whizzing over to Rose.
Rose held out her hand and watched in wonder as the little robot folded herself into a bird shape to land on her palm.
“Juno doesn’t like surprises,” Rose said, when she realized everyone was looking at her.
Zane laughed and then Juno laughed, too.
“Are you ready?” Leo asked from his place at the front of the gathering.
“Yes,” Juno said.
“Very ready,” Zane agreed.
The ceremony began, but the words Leo spoke all seemed to blur together as his beautiful mate placed her hands in his and gazed up at him with a happy smile.
He was vaguely aware of the sighs and words of encouragement from their friends.
At one point he thought he sensed some strange tension between Rose and the Cerulean guard, Rex, who stood discreetly off in the trees. It wasn’t surprising, given the fraught history between their races. He hoped Rose would give the big blue soldier a chance to prove his goodness.
When little Tesla sang out, “we will,” at the top of his lungs in response to one of Leo’s requests for their friends to help them honor their bond, everyone laughed.
But mostly, Zane was aware only of Juno.
At last Leo asked the magical questions that would join them forever.
“I do,” Juno responded, her voice bell-clear.
“I do,” Zane echoed her.
He couldn’t hear the rest over the crashing of his heart.
When she tilted up her chin, he pulled her into his arms and crushed his mouth to hers.
“I love you, Juno,” he whispered as he pulled back slightly to look at her. “I will protect you, cherish you and follow you to the ends of the universe.”
“Me too,” she said. “But first let’s party with our friends.”
“I guess if I have to share you, it may as well be with these guys,” he confided, looking out at the unlikely group who were turning out to be the main confidantes of the crown of Agwithia.
Juno was smiling as she looked out at them, too.
It began to occur to him that being king might not be so b
ad after all.
“Wait,” he told her. “There’s one more thing.”
She turned back to him, her eyes shining.
He reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out something cold and hard to the touch. It glittered as he held it out to her.
“The crown,” she breathed.
“Your crown,” he told her.
“But... you sold it,” she said.
“I bought it from you myself,” he admitted. “And it’s my pleasure to return it now. We’ll have to be more careful with it now that it’s real.”
“It wasn’t real before?” she asked.
“It was real,” he said. “But you were only pretending to be a princess. I don’t know if you’ve thought about this, but until I take the throne and make you a queen, you really are Princess Juno.”
She grinned as he placed it on her head. “Whoever said fairytales don’t come true?”
“I certainly never said it,” he replied, pulling her in for one last kiss before they began their new life together.
Thanks for reading Crowned Mate!
Want to see what happens when Serena Scott, a sexy, savvy ambassador, comes aboard the Stargazer II?
Serena is coming off a bad breakup, and decides to throw caution to the wind for a very out-of-character night of passion with a hunky Maltaffian before she sets out on what was supposed to be her honeymoon cruise.
She thinks her situation is sticky when her fling, Ozmarck, turns out to be her new bodyguard. But she has no idea how complicated it’s about to get when she learns her night of passion had some unexpected consequences!
Will she be able to find happiness with the first man to see her for who she truly is, or will she throw it all away to secure her political career?
Find out in Cosmic Mate: Stargazer Alien Space Cruise Brides #2!
Keep reading for a sample, or grab your copy now:
https://www.tashablack.com/sascb.html
Cosmic Mate - SAMPLE
1
Serena
Serena Scott resisted the urge to smooth her bun and adjust her glasses for the camera.
As it happened, her hair was down, her glasses were tucked away in her travel bag, and there were no cameras anywhere in sight.
She only wore the glasses for show anyway. Her PR people told her they played down her youthful features and made her look smarter to voters.
But tonight, she actually wanted to look her age, and maybe even act her age, for once.
Tonight, she had nothing to lose.
“Pretty lady,” someone yelled over the music.
She turned to find a tall Bergalian smiling at her rakishly and holding out a furry paw.
“Want to dance?” His voice was deep but smooth.
Her mind instinctively played out the optics of being seen dancing with a Bergalian. They were in favor of sentient rights, but their views on space pollution were problematic at best.
“Yes,” she said quickly, reminding herself that she was here as a person, not as an ambassador. No one here on Bissmeee would care who she danced with, or even know who she was.
Frankly, she was doing her best to forget who she was herself for one night.
The Bergalian gently took her hand and led her into the press of bodies on the dance floor. Serena smiled up at him and he grinned back.
Then he began flinging his body heedlessly around in a way that seemed about as related to dancing as scribbling might be related to painting watercolors.
Serena watched him for a moment in total disbelief, and then he tugged at her hand, pulling her into a spin.
He smiled widely as she spun helplessly in to his side and then out again like a character in an antique cello-film.
He managed to step on her foot before spinning her out a second time, causing her to go slightly off balance and bump into a Cameliunak lady in a fancy dress.
“Excuse me,” the woman trumpeted indignantly.
“I’m so sorry, ma’am,” Serena said as she flew past.
A deep chuckle came from the shadows, but she couldn’t locate who it belonged to. The Bergalian had pulled her close enough that his fur blocked most of her vision. He was wearing some kind of scented oil that was actually quite nice.
“Pretty lady,” he said again, leering down at her.
Her instinct was to pull back.
But Selena Scott’s instinct was always to pull back. She had spent a lifetime trying not to offend, not to make a mistake, not to be too loud or too aggressive, or too timid or too boring.
I got left at the altar.
All my constituents hate me.
Tonight, I’m going to do something excessive.
That had been her plan, at least. But she wasn’t actually sure she wanted that excessive something to be crash-dancing with a half-drunk Bergalian.
“Excuse me, sir, may I cut in?” The deep voice again, matching the laugh from the shadows.
The Bergalian was so surprised that he froze in place.
His sudden stillness almost sent Selena toppling.
Before she had a chance, she felt strong hands on her shoulders, steadying her.
“Be my guest,” the Bergalian said in a friendly way. “Come find me to dance again later, if you want,” he whispered to Selena.
She smiled at him, not really sure what to say.
He waved a gigantic arm in a furry arc and disappeared into the crowd.
Serena turned to see who held her.
Large brown eyes gazed down at her steadily from a face so chiseled it could have belonged to a statue. A pair of wickedly curved horns extended backward from his forehead.
An equally sculpted body was just barely hidden by a tight white t-shirt over low-slung leather breeches.
A familiar tattoo showed on his right forearm.
“A Maltaffian bodyguard,” she heard herself murmur too low for him to hear.
“Yeah, but I’m off-duty tonight,” he replied with a teasing half-smile.
Antitha’s Belt, he’s got shifter-level hearing.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, mortified. “I guess it’s been too long since I was off-planet.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he replied. “Can I get you a drink or are you committed to dying on the dance floor?”
“Gods no,” she replied. “When he asked me to dance, I didn’t quite realize what he had in mind.”
“But you didn’t try to stop him,” the Maltaffian said.
“I’m trying to be open-minded,” she replied, feeling stupid as soon as the words were out of her mouth.
But the Maltaffian just nodded. “I’m Oz.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said. “I’m Serena.”
She had forgotten to lie about her name.
But if he recognized her, he gave no indication. He merely nodded and offered her his arm.
They traveled to the bar together through a crowd of dancers from all over the galaxy. Serena had never seen so many races together at once without weapons or protest signs.
Frankly, it was giving her hope for her own troubled system.
“Sampler at my usual table,” Oz yelled to the bartender.
The humanoid inclined his head.
Oz led Serena further from the fray.
When they reached the curve of the outer wall, she realized there were cushions and floating tables in a series of shadowy recesses.
“After you,” Oz said, gesturing toward a small table with golden cushions.
Serena slid behind the table and lowered herself to one of the cushions.
“I didn’t even see these tables before,” she said.
“I enjoy my privacy,” Oz replied, stretching out on the cushion beside hers. “Besides, this is a great spot for people-watching.”
The table lowered itself to a perfect height for them, and Serena felt instantly cozy.
The big Maltaffian was right, the people-watching was incredible from this vantage point.
Her furry f
ormer dance partner had found himself a new match. The woman had a silvery veil covering what appeared to be a head covered in delicate tentacles. Her six tapered legs gave her a decided advantage at staying right-side up as the Bergalian flung her around the dance floor. After a particularly violent spin, she tilted her head back and laughed as the Bergalian gazed down at her in a decidedly love-struck way.
“You see, you were just four legs shy of being able to keep up with him,” Oz teased.
“They look amazing,” Serena said, shaking her head in disbelief.
“That’s what I like about this place,” Oz said.
“What?” she asked.
“Neutral ground,” he said simply. “As long as the Cerulean soldiers stay out, this place will be an intergalactic paradise.”
Serena bit her lip. This was supposed to be a break from politics. But Cerulean soldiers were half the reason she was going on her honeymoon alone.
She needed a break from the threats and fury on her home planet after she had supported legislation that essentially backed up everything Oz had just said.
Cerulean soldiers had no reason to occupy her sector. The bands of soldiers sowed fear and resentment wherever they went.
She had voted to limit Cerulean interference to cases where the soldiers were summoned or emergency forces were needed in general.
Her holo-box had exploded immediately with messages from outraged citizens. She suspected most of them were members of the gentry who viewed Cerulean occupation as protective of their interests.
Messages from the Cerulean labor unions had been less emotional, but more vaguely threatening.
Her security back home had been more than happy to have her trip off-planet continue as scheduled, even when her fiancé decided he’d rather head for the hills than marry a controversial public figure.
Now here she was, a woman of a certain age, her last likely prospect for marriage and children gone with the wind.
But somehow she felt quite happy, curled up on a cushion beside the horned guard, watching the universe dance past.
