by Roxie Ray
“We could announce the news now?” Quatix asked, and I could see how eager he was.
“Can we wait just a little longer, my darling?” I asked. “It’s still so early.”
Quatix nodded willingly. “Of course — whenever you’re ready, we will make the announcement.”
I squeezed his hand and leaned against his chest, staring out at the sea of creatures that had gathered to celebrate our wedding.
“Are you sure you want to go through with the procession tonight?” Quatix asked.
Terrox had been the one to explain that little ritual to me. Quatix and I would ride our Svetcors through the streets of the city to greet the people and accept their blessings on our marriage. Despite how tired I was, I was really looking forward to it.
“Yes.” I nodded. “It’s important for the people to see their king and queen, especially at a time like this. Chaos is waiting to break out somewhere in the galaxy. We could be at war any second, and we need to grab these moments of happiness where we can.”
Quatix smiled. “Spoken like a true queen.”
I bowed my head down. “I hope I will make you proud, my king,” I said softly, knowing that Quatix would feel the intensity of my love through our soul bond.
Quatix’s eyes grew soft and tender. I could feel how much my words meant to him. He smiled and drew me in as close to him as it was possible to get.
“Don’t you know already?” he whispered to me. “You already have.”
28
Quatix
“Give me your hand,” Rosa said.
She reached out impatiently and grabbed my hand before I could offer it to her. Then she placed my palm on the small swell of her belly. She had only just started to show, so I was amazed when I felt a decisive little fluttering against her stomach.
“It can’t be,” I said in amazement. “He’s kicking already?”
Rosa laughed. “Isn’t it wonderful?” She nodded. “He’s a strong one.”
It had been almost a month since the wedding, and a few days since we had made the official announcement. Now all of Svante knew that a prince was on the way. Rosa was convinced that she was carrying a princess, and her blind optimism had rubbed off on me a little. It would be lovely to have a daughter, but I tried not to get too stuck on that dream.
I waited a little, but the fluttering had stopped. I bent my head down and kissed Rosa’s stomach, before kissing her lips. In many different ways, this woman had transformed me, but I was gratified to know that I had transformed her, too. We had taken each other’s weaknesses and turned them into strength.
I was kissing Rosa, tugging at the sleeves of her sheer blue gown, when a sharp rap came on the doors of our private chambers. I growled lowly.
“Ignore it,” I said.
But the knocks became louder and more persistent.
“It sounds important, my darling,” Rosa said, and I see concern etched across her face.
My annoyance fell away when I sensed Terrox on the other side of the door. I got to my feet and rushed to let him in. When I opened the door, Terrox was wearing a somber expression that bordered on panic. Vuks and Comadin flanked him, both wearing ominous expressions, as well.
“What is it?” I asked, waving them all inside.
They followed me into the main solar, just as Rosa appeared from the door that led to our bed. Her hair fell carelessly over one shoulder, and I noticed how her hand lay draped over her stomach protectively.
“There has been a Gnosee sighting,” Vuks said.
“Where?” Rosa asked, before I could.
Vuks and Terrox exchanged a glance.
“Where?” I demanded impatiently.
“Earth,” Comadin replied.
I turned to Rosa immediately. She had paled visibly, but she moved forward with all the grace of a warrior.
“The Gnosees could unleash all manner of atrocities on Earth,” Rosa said. “Gnosees and humans are a bad combination.”
“Which is exactly why Bis’er must have decided to set one loose there,” Comadin said.
“That is not the reason,” I said, gritting my teeth. “He’s trying to sow chaos on the deal we have with the Earthlings.”
Rosa gasped. “The bride program.”
I turned to Terrox. “When are you scheduled to make your next visit to earth?”
“Not for another moon,” Terrox replied.
“A month?” Rosa repeated. “That’s… that’s too long. Anything could happen in that time, especially with the Gnosees on the loose.”
“She’s right.” I nodded. “You’ll have to move up the trip. In fact, I think you should leave immediately. You need to get to Earth and try and do damage control. We can’t afford to lose the bride program. If we do, it will compromise the future of our people and our planet.”
“We should go, too,” Rosa said, grabbing my hand.
“No,” I said, my tone brooking no compromise. “You are pregnant, and this mission will be fraught with danger. There is no way you’re making a trip to Earth.”
“But —”
“No,” I said, before she could even finish her sentence. “I will not be swayed on this decision. Terrox can handle this. He was going to Earth anyway to secure himself a bride.”
“I doubt I will be able to now,” Terrox said sourly. “Our alliance with the humans might be at an end.”
“Don’t say that,” Rosa insisted, raising her voice as her eyes flashed with fire. “You can fix this Terrox, I know you can. We can’t let Bis’er win.”
“No, we cannot,” I agreed, drawing faith from my wife’s insurmountable strength. I turned to Terrox and saw him straighten up immediately.
“The Gnosee might be loose on Earth, but we can still stop it from doing more damage. Go to Earth immediately and make sure our deal with the Earthlings remains intact. We cannot lose this alliance, Terrox. It’s a matter of our planet’s future.”
Terrox’s dark red hair shimmered as he nodded in compliance. His crimson eyes were filled with staunch determination, and his red-orange scales seemed to glow a little brighter as he bowed to Rosa and I.
“My King, my Queen,” Terrox replied. “I will not let you down.”
Get Ready for book 2 of the Protectors Of Svante, The Protector’s Mate!
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The Protector’s Mate
Get Ready for book 2 of the Protectors Of Svante, The Protector’s Mate!
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A Bride For The Alien King
Protectors Of Svante: Book 1
Roxie Ray
© 2019
Disclaimer
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and events are all fictitious for the reader’s pleasure. Any similarities to real people, places, events, living or dead are all coincidental.
This book contains sexually explicit content that is intended for ADULTS ONLY (+18).
