The Game Warden's Mate: An Alien Abduction Romance (The Hunt Book 1)

by A. M. Griffin

  The last hunter finished his speech and stepped into line with the others.

  “Esme, have you made a decision?” Bradliix asked.

  Yes, she had. She’d made it last night. It was one of the most significant decisions in her life.

  But first, there was something she had to do. She needed to erase any fears she had in order to make a fresh new start. Esme took her time to look at each hunter. She made certain to peer into their eyes. As she did, she told herself she would no longer grant any of them space in her head, and she had nothing to fear from them again.

  After she had set eyes on all of them, she took a deep breath to compose herself.

  “Esme?” Bradliix called.

  She pulled her gaze away from the hunters and looked at Bradliix. He stood next to Xrez with a glass tablet in his hands, ready to type what she said next. She dared not look at Xrez for fear of losing her nerve.

  She nodded once at Bradliix then turned back to the hunters. She cleared her throat. “I will take a mate today,” she told them in a strong voice.

  Without warning, Xrez left Bradliix’s side. The hunters murmured in confusion and shuffled away from him as he stalked silently from the room. Before she could wrap her head around the situation, he was gone. Esme stared at the empty doorway slack-jawed.

  She frowned and turned her confused look on Bradliix.

  Bradliix gave her a sad look. “You may continue. I’m recording for our files.”

  “B-but…”

  “Any hunter in the room is available if you choose,” Bradliix said, trying to set her back on track. “Or you can reject them all.”

  Xrez had left.

  “Can I…” Esme stared at the empty doorway again.

  “You can,” Bradliix said after breathing a sigh of relief.

  As Esme ran from the room, she heard Bradliix say to the hunters, “Thank you for participating. Please follow your guide to the exit. We hope to see you all in the next round.”

  Esme ran down the hallway. Her steps weren’t as soft as Xrez’s. They were heavy as she ran, pounding clumsily. Piper’s claws made clacking noises as she ran beside her.

  “Xrez!”

  She didn’t know which direction he’d gone or what hallway to follow, but that didn’t stop her from screaming his name as she searched the corridors. She turned down a hallway and skidded to a halt, coming against a dead end then backtracked and took another hall.

  “Xrez!”

  She passed a door. It didn’t look like the other non-descript entrances. This one had painted markings arranged in an unusual design. Esme double backed and stopped in front of it and held her breath as she pushed the console to gain entry.

  The door slid open revealing an office. Shelves that held artifacts and artwork covered an entire wall. A round table with seating for five was in what she assumed was the meeting area. And in the middle of the room was a U-shaped desk made of material she didn’t rightly recognize.

  Sitting behind it was the love of her life.

  Xrez stared up at her. Confusion pained his face. His red eyes were telling of what he’d been doing before she’d interrupted him.

  “You left,” she said between heavy breaths.

  “I couldn’t…” He shook his head. “I couldn’t watch you pick a mate.”

  “Bradliix told me that I could choose any hunter in the room and technically, you presented yourself as a hunter.”

  “I did,” he said slowly.

  She gave him a short nod. “Then I choose you.”

  He stared at her in stunned silence.

  Nervousness overcame her. What if he no longer wanted her? What if she’d missed her chance? But she couldn’t back down now.

  Esme took a step forward. “That’s if you still want me.” She rubbed a nervous hand across Piper’s head. “And her too. We come as a package.”

  And as fast as he’d left her ceremony, he moved even quicker to reach her. Before she could utter another word, he was in front of her. “Esme?” he asked as if needing confirmation.

  “I want you, Xrez.”

  “You had me from the very start.”

  His strong hands were on her arms, pulling her close and his mouth crashed down on hers.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Esme leaned over to whisper to Xrez. “Are they always this rude?”

  He closed his eyes briefly, reveling in the smell of the flowery scent of her hair.

  He’d brought flowers home to her one day. He hadn’t known their origin and hadn’t paid attention to Bradliix as he’d rambled on about adding them for aesthetics to one of the arenas. All Xrez had thought was if Esme would like them. She had. She’d plucked the bouquet from his hand and made her way to the laboratory he’d had built in their new home.

  He hadn’t known what she’d been up to and when he pressed her she’d told him it was a surprise. After working diligently for days, she’d emerged with a small vial. His intelligent mate had captured the essence of his gift and used it as perfume, body oil and shampoo. She’d used her credits from winning The Hunt to start a business. The chemists under her employment created different scents and sold them across the galaxy in personal care products.

  He smiled to himself, remembering what they’d done to celebrate her new creation.

  “How long are they going to make us sit here before they acknowledge us?” she continued with a huff in her voice.

  His arm was draped across the back of her chair. To help calm her he ran his hand along her shoulder and arm, gently pulling her closer to him. “The last time I intruded on their meeting they made me wait for days. And to answer your first question, yes.”

  “I am not waiting here that long just to tell some stuffy old bureaucrats to shove it. Why can’t you tell them everything in a memo or something?”

  Xrez’s gaze fell on Trokkid. The bureaucrat glanced at Xrez, lifted one side of his mouth into a sneer and turned away. Xrez smiled, baring his teeth. “I want to see their faces when I deliver the news.”

  “As do I,” Bradliix said from his seat on the opposite side of Esme.

  Esme grumbled to herself and went back to reading the tablet on her lap. She’d been learning the universal language and studied while they waited. When they’d first arrived, she’d switched off the translator embedded behind her ear, but found that the bureaucrats talked too fast for her to follow along.

  He’d reminded her she’d only began learning the new language and it would take time. But true to her personality, Esme pushed herself. She’d told him that she’d longed to read a book and he didn’t doubt that she would be able to in no time at all.

  So much had changed since she’d chosen him as her mate. He vowed not to let Turolois or The Hunt consume him as it’d did his father. He didn’t go to Turolois daily. Instead, he, Esme and Piper split their time between Turolois and Pi Vesna. He’d built her a laboratory on both where she’d spent her time studying everything from microscopic ecdysozoa, animals and the plant life.

  Another change was that unlike his father, they planned to travel. In fact, Xrez had a vacation planned after they finished their business with the bureaucrats. He’d surprised Esme with a trip to a cluster of planets just outside of the solar system. One of those planets was known for shopping, and he’d planned to spare no expense.

  Their vacation also included visiting some of her friends that she’d gone through The Hunt with. She considered them part of her family now. She missed her family on Earth and talked about them often, but she also wanted to live the life her parents had wanted her to have. They’d wanted her to have a life full of excitement, adventure, and fulfillment. He was honored to be on this journey with her. They’d already petitioned the High Council for a child and he couldn’t wait to expand their family.

  Xrez ran his fingers through her hair, curling locks around his claws. The last time he’d visited the bureaucrats he’d been on edge and irritated. Now he was full of bliss and contentment. His change
in mood had a lot to do with his current company.

  He listened along as the bureaucrats continued their meeting and argued about the most mundane topics.

  Esme hunched over her tablet and recited the universal alphabet and pronunciations under her breath. Bradliix’s long fingers typed furiously on his tablet. He was keeping busy by drafting the amended contract for the hunters and prey. And Xrez relaxed, happy in the fact that this would be his last visit to the bureaucrats.

  It hadn’t taken days, but the wait was still longer than necessary. Nuls addressed Xrez with a scowl. “You’re here unannounced again, Dar’E. Are you making this a habit?”

  Xrez adjusted in his seat and sat up. At his movement Esme startled awake, she’d fallen asleep with her head resting on his shoulder, and Bradliix turned off and stowed his tablet.

  “I do apologize for the intrusion, but I thought it was necessary to discuss my news face-to-face. We don’t plan to stay long, and I can assure you that once we leave, we will not return.”

  Trokkid focused on Esme. “Is that a human? Did you bring us one to inspect? I’ve never seen one in the flesh before.” Trokkid motioned Esme forward. “Bring her to me. I’ve been waiting to touch her since she entered.”

  To her credit, Esme didn’t shy away from Trokkid. Xrez remembered when he’d first met Esme, she’d been scared of everyone who hadn’t looked like her. In all fairness, she’d had reason to be fearful of aliens, most of the ones she’d met had been out to harm her. But she’d come a long way from the person she’d once been.

  Esme sat up straight and stretched her neck from side to side. “If he tries to touch me I’m breaking his fingers,” she told Xrez.

  Xrez smirked. “My mate doesn’t want to be touched, Trokkid, and seeing how she won The Hunt with a kill count, I would suggest you didn’t try.”

  Nuls opened his eyes wide. “I recognize her. We watched her fall over a cliff and die.”

  “I fell into some water.” Esme lifted a shoulder. They’d talked about how she might be recognized and also the need to keep Bradliix saving her a secret. “I can swim.”

  Mirze frowned as she watched Esme. “The arrancar attacked you. Your injuries should’ve been life-threatening.”

  “What can I say? Humans are more resilient than you guys give us credit for.”

  “But—”

  Sego interrupted Nuls with a wave through the air, gesturing for Xrez to hurry up. “The human isn’t important to us, Dar’E. We have important matters at hand. If you’ve come to address the terms of our demand I can assure you that the modification was agreed upon by all members, those in attendance as well as those not. We are not amending anything.” Sego smiled a smile that Xrez was all too happy to wipe from his face. “We told you the terms weren’t negotiable when we sent you the information file, and we have no qualms with telling you that face-to-face.”

  Thruzon snorted out a laugh.

  Xrez didn’t let Sego’s speech rile him. It only made him happier.

  Mirze gave the bureaucrats a scolding look. The others stopped their snickering but the smiles were still splattered across their faces. “Xrez, although I do enjoy our talks, I must insist that you make an appointment. The next time you visit unexpectantly, I will not allow you in chambers. The consideration afforded to you this and the last visit was out of respect for your father.” She sat back and gave him a chiding look. “Speak your business so we can attend to ours.”

  Xrez inclined his head. Out of all the bureaucrats he’d had to deal with, Mirze was the only one he didn’t mind. Probably because she’d always treated his father with respect.

  “I’ll be brief. My family and this council have had an arrangement for many generations. I wanted to personally thank you all for your cooperation. Without it I could surmise that Turolois wouldn’t be the planet it is today, and The Hunt wouldn’t have grown as a successful business. Bradliix has confirmed the credit transfer this morning. It will be your last deposit.”

  Thruzon leaned on the table. His eyes narrowed as he glared at Xrez. “Explain yourself and remember, what you say next will affect your future.”

  Trokkid tapped on his comlink, Xrez was sure he was checking his account. “This isn’t the amount we agreed upon.” Then he frowned and looked up. “And what do you mean this is our last deposit? Explain yourself.”

  Xrez stood, and as he did, Esme and Bradliix joined him. “I will no longer need your services. Thank you for your past involvement, but our business relationship is over.” He gave the stunned bureaucrats a bow of his head. “I hope the Ancients bless you and your families.” He turned to leave.

  Trokkid erupted from his seat. “What is the meaning of this? What game do you play, Dar’E? I can assure you that we are not in the mood. Our vengeance will be swift, and the cost of inconveniencing us will be high.”

  “I assure you, I play no games. Our business relationship is over.”

  Thruzon intertwined his fingers and smirked. “Calm down, Trokkid. All we’ll have to do is make an anonymous call to the Galactic Federation about the illegal gaming facility on Turolois.” His eyes gleamed as he leaned toward Xrez. “You see, when your father tried this tactic, we told the Federation about an illegal activity in this sector. We never provided the authorities with specific information. We only wanted to send your father a message. But you.” Trokkid chuckled to himself. “I would happily bring you to heel to put you in your place. The authorities will swarm your planet before your shuttle leaves this airspace. Admit it. You need our protection.”

  Xrez had to work hard to suppress his laughter. “You know what? That’s exactly what the other game wardens believed as well. And why they cowered under your threats.” He turned toward Bradliix. “Would you like to do the honor?”

  “I would be delighted,” Bradliix started. “After your last communication, demanding a partnership in The Hunt, we decided a change was needed. We reviewed our business model and focused on changing the aspects that were clearly outdated, were troublesome to sustain and the least cost-effective. Identifying issues was easy. The rules of The Hunt hadn’t had a formal update since its inception. This tied directly to the antiquated business model.

  “We also determined that maintaining secrecy played a factor in us not being able to meet our full potential. We have state of the art gaming compounds that are second to none to any in this galaxy, yet we cannot boast, brag or advertise. We’re missing out on easy revenue sources that we could capitalize on. With keeping all this in mind, we re-vamped not only The Hunt but Turolois.” He turned to Esme. “How did you put it?”

  One side of Esme’s mouth lifted into a smile. She met the bureaucrats’ eye-for-eye. “We’re going legit.”

  “Ah, yes. I have to remember that saying. I rather like it.” Bradliix turned to address the bureaucrats. “We are now a legitimate business.”

  Sego snorted loudly and glanced at the others. “Stealing unsuspecting individuals and forcing them to survive on a hostile planet while being hunted does not constitute as a legitimate enterprise, Xrez. You had the promising’s of being a better game warden than your father, but I can see now that I was sadly mistaken.”

  “Part of going legit means we’re no longer accepting victims taken from their homes. Every game participant is under contract and is on Turolois of her or his free will,” Bradliix said.

  “For those of you who are having a hard time keeping up, that means we no longer need your protection,” Xrez added.

  The bureaucrats exchanged stunned glances.

  “You’re a fool to come here and tell us this preposterous lie. The Hunt has operated on the same concept for generations. Did you truly think we would believe it?”

  Xrez shrugged. “I don’t care what you believe anymore. Our business relationship is over.”

  Sego narrowed his eyes. “We had a deal. I don’t care if you decided to close The Hunt and open a spa on Turolois! We’re now partners, and we expect rightful compensation!” />
  Xrez indicated to Bradliix. “Actually, he’s my partner. After all, while I had the idea of going legitimate, it was Bradliix who found a way to make it happen. Without Bradliix my family would’ve been at the behest of this council for the unforeseeable future. Making him an equal partner was the least I could do.”

  “Since you are adamant of not paying us our fair share, I don’t see a reason to keep your secret. It doesn’t matter what you are today or what you are tomorrow, because yesterday you were the sole owner of an illegal business. Not only that, you have willfully engaged in the seizure and capture of a protected species which is punishable by death.” Trokkid gave a toothy unfriendly grin toward Esme. “And you’ve brought the proof with you. How convenient for us.”

  “Do you think that any investigation the Federation launches will be limited to me only? I’ll, of course, cooperate to the fullest extent of my ability which means I’ll provide them a list of all my accomplices with detailed messages, files, and transactions.”

  Nuls sputtered. “The Federation would never believe we had anything to do with you or knowledge regarding anything about The Hunt.”

  Xrez tilted his head to the side. He’d expected it to come down to this and luckily he was prepared. “Bradliix, please play the recording.”

  Bradliix tapped on his tablet and projected the recording of Xrez’s last visit. In the scene the bureaucrats sat around the table they currently occupied. Everything was the same except for their clothing.

  Nuls addressed Xrez, “We turned a blind eye when you took the lower lifeforms as prey, as you call them, but we’ve heard some disturbing news we’ve since substantiated. This round of The Hunt is comprised of humans. The entire lot.”

  “Humans!” Sego huffed. “Who would think of such a thing?”

  “My father.”

  “We knew Osazo suffered from the pertinax virus that he’d refused to cure and would soon lose his mind, but this?”