3013: MATED (3013: The Series)

by Roma, Laurie

  The two warriors in the middle ignored their surroundings, never once looking away from her. Both of their gazes were like a physical caress over her skin and her body heated in response. The intensity of their focus made her feel vital and alive. Christ, her reaction to them was completely inappropriate, but she couldn’t help but imagine seeing their impressive bodies without clothing, sliding against hers.

  Focus, Donovan.

  “Perhaps we should say we come in peace,” the golden-eyed brother on the right said with a sardonic smile.

  Jax muttered a curse then called out to the soldiers to stand down. His voice hardened with the whip of command as he repeated the order then waited until the soldiers surrounding them warily backed away. Alexis felt rather than saw Jax standing beside her. Always the commander, Jax moved a few steps in front of her, putting himself in the position to defend her if the need arose. She watched one of the giants in the middle frown at Jax as he put a comforting hand on her arm.

  “I am Xavier of the house of Tesera and this is my brother Galan,” the frowning warrior with black hair and silver eyes said in a rich, deep voice. “And this is Thorn and Brydan of the house of Volis. We are Dragon Warriors from Arcadia.”

  All four of the giants struck a fist over their hearts in greeting.

  Jax repeated the gesture. “Welcome to Earth. I’m Commander Jax Spartan. We weren’t expecting you for another three or four days.”

  “We traveled faster than expected,” Thorn said as he raised a brow in challenge. “This will not be a problem, will it?”

  “No, not at all,” Jax assured them. “We’re very happy that you have come for a visit, and let me be the first to officially welcome you to Earth. I apologize that this is a little less formal than we usually greet our guests. We had a welcoming party arranged to meet you upon your arrival.”

  “We prefer this,” Galan assured him. “Our visit should not cause you any trouble or any additional work.”

  “No trouble at all,” Jax said, playing the diplomat. It always amazed Alexis how well he could slip into the role when she knew how much he hated it. Still, someone had to do it, and she was glad he was with her to greet these imposing males.

  “Is this your mate?” Xavier asked, his voice a low rumble of sound.

  Alexis stilled instantly. Something about the tone of his voice carried a warning of some kind…something that put her instantly on alert. Jax frowned at them and shook his head, releasing her arm as he did so as if he had forgotten that he had been touching her.

  “No, this is Liaison Officer Alexis Donovan. She is the attaché scheduled to be your guide while you’re on Earth, but—”

  “Alexis.” The way Thorn seemed to purr her name made her entire body heat up with desire. He focused those glowing golden eyes of his on her, and she felt like she was melting from the warmth she saw there. “We are honored to have one as beautiful as you to show us your world. I am sure we will be well cared for in your capable hands.”

  “I…ah. Thank you. The honor is all mine.” Alexis cleared her throat then tried to speak again without sounding like an idiot. She looked around. “Where is your transpo?”

  “We did not bring one. From the coordinates you provided we were able to transport ourselves down. We were told to arrive at Dock C, so here we are,” Brydan said with a smile that showed a hint of his fangs.

  Damn, even the sight of those sharp teeth was arousing.

  “Right then.”

  Alexis had done extensive reading about the Arcadian culture. They didn’t have much information on them, but what was known she had been fascinated by reading. Her heartbeat sped up as all four of them focused their glowing eyes on her again, and she struggled not to fidget under their scrutiny.

  These visitors were from a far-off planet called Arcadia. She knew that long ago the males on their planet used to all be born in trios, but over the last several hundred years that had become very rare. Most males were now born as twins, while only a select grouping of couples were gifted with a male and female twin set. Others gave birth to a single female child, who was treasured greatly.

  Born of magic, these Dragon Warriors were immortal shifters. Able to call forth their dragon spirit, they could shift into their dragon form at will and were pretty much indestructible. There were a very few ways that a Dragon Warrior could be killed. An example of that had been during the Alien Wars when they had come to help Earth destroy the Xyphir invaders, although no one was exactly sure how since anyone who had witnessed the event had probably died as well. The Dragon Warriors had suffered losses, but only a fraction compared to the number of human casualties that had been recorded.

  Jax frowned down at her. “Are you sure about this?”

  Xavier’s glowing eyes flared with heat. “I hope you are not suggesting your officer is not safe with us, Commander Spartan,” he growled. “We vow no harm shall come to her while she is in our care.”

  Alexis straightened to her full height and couldn’t help but narrow her eyes at the men surrounding her. She wasn’t pleased that Jax had questioned her in front of the visitors, nor did she like the way Xavier seemed to think they would be taking care of her when it was supposed to be the other way around. “As the Liaison Officer in charge while you’re visiting our planet, I promise you’ll be safe while in my care.”

  All four males smiled at her words, giving her a jittery feeling in her belly. She saw amusement flash in their glowing eyes and was confused by the warmth she felt pouring from them that seemed to directed toward her.

  Christ, they were really, really sexy for aliens…with fangs.

  “Excellent,” Brydan said, practically purring the word. “We would like for you to show us our living quarters now.”

  “Yes, of course,” Alexis said, remembering her place as their guide. She checked her wrist unit and saw that Jax’s aide had already forwarded her the itinerary for the Dragon Warriors’ stay, and the location of where they were to be staying. She looked over at Officer Ryans with a grateful smile which he returned with a slight blush.

  Feeling waves of anger coming from the visitors, Alexis turned to look up at the giants to find all four of them frowning at her. Thinking they were impatient to get to their quarters, she hurried to explain, “Officer Ryans just sent me the location where you will be staying. I can escort you there now.”

  She was relieved when they smiled at her again and the emotions pouring off of them seemed to calm. They were more difficult to read than humans, but for a moment their anger had been palpable, just as it had been when Jax had first introduced her. It confused her and threw her off balance, but she couldn’t worry about that now. She had a job to do.

  Turning to Jax, she saluted him. “Commander.”

  He returned the gesture then ordered, “You are to report in to me at the end of the day. Is that clear, Officer Donovan?”

  “Yes, sir.” She barely held back the urge to roll her eyes at him, but she could tell he knew what she was thinking when his lip curled in a slight smirk. She knew he just wanted to check in with her later to make sure she was okay, and she couldn’t be irritated at him for being a good friend. Turning back to the four male warriors she would be spending the next few weeks with, she made sure she had her game face on. “If you would please follow me…”

  “Wherever you lead, my lady,” Thorn said low enough that she wasn’t sure if she heard him correctly.

  Heading out of the landing bay, Alexis was acutely aware of the four large males that seemed to surround her like her own personal wall of protection as she led them out into the fresh, open air. The day was nearly perfect, with brilliant blue skies and puffy white clouds. She put on her sunshades and noted how all four males frowned at her as she did.

  “You will be staying at one of the suites in that building there,” she said, pointing to a tall tower of glass and steel across the large courtyard from them as they exited the building where the landing bays were located. As they walked, she
noticed many of the citizens and soldiers gawking at the Dragon Warriors by her side. “I apologize in advance if people stare at you. You are bigger than the men on our planet—”

  “We can see that. Have no fear, Lexie. You have nothing to apologize for. We are big…and we know it,” Brydan said with a wink.

  She couldn’t help when her body flushed under his attention and she had to force her gaze not to stray below his belt. Yeah, she bet they were big all over. Clearing her throat, she focused on walking without tripping on something. The four of them were putting off some potent sexual vibes and it was clouding her head with lust.

  “Things have changed greatly since we were last here,” Galan murmured softly as he looked around. “I forgot how pleasing your blue sky is to look at.”

  Alexis looked over at him in surprise. “You’ve been to Earth before?”

  “Aye. During what you call the alien wars.”

  She slowed down and came to a stop as she gaped at him. “But that was…”

  Brydan smiled down at her, his gold eyes glowing with amusement. “We are almost two hundred years old, beauty. We fought in your war against the Zyphir and lost many friends in the years it took to defeat the invaders.”

  “Oh, wow,” she whispered reverently. Impressed beyond belief, she couldn’t believe she was the liaison for real life heroes…living legends. These males were warriors who had come to Earth’s aid, and they had never asked for anything in return. It was a privilege to host them and she wouldn’t do anything to screw up this assignment. “On behalf of our planet, I would like to thank you for everything you did for us.”

  “No need. Truly. We always appreciate a good battle,” Brydan said jovially. “And we were pleased to be of service…especially if it meant you survived.”

  That was a strange way of putting it, and Alexis couldn’t help but think there was more to what he had said.

  “Those were dark days,” Thorn commented as he looked around. “But your people have come back from the ashes of the destruction and have risen again.”

  “We have,” Alexis agreed proudly as she started to walk again. She noticed that all four males kept their attention on her, even as they noted everything around them, including the number of people that watched them pass. “I’ve read about your race. Well, as much as I could, I guess. There isn’t a lot on file about you. I know you like to be called Dragon Warriors since you are travelers instead of Arcadians, right?”

  “Aye, it is easier to be known throughout the universe as such,” Galan explained, making Alexis smile. “It allows other cultures to know what we are, which can stop them from starting unnecessary trouble with us and cuts down on explanations.”

  “It also shows the distinction of who we are to our own people,” Xavier added. “Arcadians are those who live on our home world of Arcadia. As Dragon Warriors, although we may visit, our home is amongst the stars aboard our vessel, the Odyssey.”

  “You must love it, traveling to other worlds,” Alexis said wistfully.

  “We do, but it can be lonely. You have a desire to travel?” Thorn asked, his voice serious.

  “I do, but I can’t. My eyes are very sensitive and the harsh lighting on most space vessels hurts me.”

  “But if the light did not hurt you, would you want to travel?” Thorn insisted with an intensity she didn’t understand.

  Alexis thought fleetingly about her dream to travel the stars and smiled. “Yes, I suppose I would.”

  She led them onto the glide that took them up to the entrance of their temporary residence. “We use an implant similar to your own technology that converts languages so most citizens in the cities will be able to understand you. But if you run into anyone who doesn’t, please just let me know and I can translate for you.”

  At their nod, she turned to face forward on the glide. Grateful for the momentary respite from their intense gazes, she froze in place as she felt a gentle touch as if one of the men behind her had run his hand over her ponytail. The weight was gone before she could turn and she figured she must have imagined it.

  Closing her eyes, she tried to regain control of her body when all she wanted to do was turn around and throw herself in the arms of one of them. Hell, it didn’t matter which one. She was extremely attracted to all four, and that unnerved her. They were pure temptation with their gorgeous, big bodies and handsome faces. It was going to kill her not to give into the lust raging through her body, but she had to keep herself in check.

  Since meeting the four alien warriors she had become one big mass of hormones. Never had she been so instantly attracted to anyone, let alone four men at once. They were forbidden, totally off limits. She had a personal rule not to get involved with anyone she was working with, plus it would go against every professional standard of her rank, as well as causing potential intergalactic implications if she gave into her urges.

  She knew she should probably hand this assignment over to someone else, and had been fully prepared to do so…until she saw them. After she saw them she knew she wouldn’t be handing the assignment over to anyone else. Something about the strong warriors drew her, making her want to spend more time with them, even if it was torture for her self-control.

  No, these males were not for her, but damned if she couldn’t appreciate the eye candy.

  Stepping off the glide, she used the code that had been given to her to gain entry into the building. She led them onto the lift and pressed in another series of numbers on the panel that would take them directly to the suite that had been prepared for their use.

  Being surrounded by the four massive bodies in the elevator made it impossible for Alexis to ignore their potent appeal. Thankfully, it only took a matter of seconds to rise up the floors, and when the doors opened she walked out into the spacious suite that was well suited for such large males.

  This particular suite had been enlarged with higher ceilings than usual and sturdier furnishings to suit visitors like the Dragon Warriors. The suite ran the entire floor of the building and had eight full bedrooms and a large central gathering area with a full kitchen off to the side. This particular suite also had a large garden out on the balcony as well as a small pool for them to enjoy.

  She took off her sunshades and surveyed the room, pleased that everything was in order. She always loved staying at one of the visitor suites since they were so much nicer than her own living quarters. Still, some of the visitors she had hosted had made it almost impossible to enjoy her time in the suites, but she had a feeling these four wouldn’t give her that kind of problem.

  Christ, with the way she was feeling, she was more likely to lock the doors…with them inside the suite with her. Mentally scolding herself again, she reminded herself to do her job. “Well, here are your temporary living quarters. I hope it’s—”

  Her words were cut off as she turned to find Xavier standing right behind her, his glowing silver eyes piercing into her as she tilted her head back. She was frozen in place as he slowly reached out and took the sunshades from her shaking hand.

  “You fear me?”

  “I…no, I don’t. It’s just that I didn’t expect you to be standing behind me.” Yeah, fear was definitely not what she was feeling with him so close to her.

  He seemed to study her and her eyes widened as he reached up and gently pushed a strand of her hair off of her face that had come loose from her ponytail. “I do not like these,” he said holding up her sunshades.

  Confusion had her brow furrowing. “You don’t?”

  “Nay, they hide your beautiful eyes from our view, but I understand they protect you so I will not destroy them.”

  She frowned at that. Taking them back, she slipped her sunshades into her pocket to protect them in case he changed his mind. No fucking way was she going to let him destroy her sunshades. She was ready to blast him with censure, but was distracted when he smiled down at her, flashing his fangs as he did.

  “I am curious about something…” Xavier said, stepp
ing even closer so she had to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact with him.

  She tried to calm her rapidly beating heart as she fought the urge to step back. His closeness didn’t frighten her, but she was afraid she might jump him if he got any closer. Her hands trembled with the desire to touch him. His scent was intoxicating and his powerful body made her want to rub herself against him. Shaking off the feeling, she tried to smile at him. “Please, feel free to ask whatever you want. I will answer whatever I can for you while you are visiting. That’s why I’m here.”

  The others moved as one so they were effectively blocking her in, making her eyes widen and her pulse speed up. Excitement mixed with apprehension as she felt Thorn at her back while the others stood at her sides. She’d never felt so small and feminine before, and became all too aware that she was alone with four of the largest males she had ever seen.

  Her heart thudded in her chest and her knees grew weak as their emotions swamped her with lust too powerful to ignore. She felt her pussy weep in response, spilling the proof her of desire for them as an embarrassed blush heated her cheeks.

  Suddenly, taking this assignment didn’t seem like a very good idea.

  Alexis watched as they inhaled deep, drawing in her scent and she knew they smelled her arousal. She’d read enough about them to know about their enhanced sense of smell and her embarrassment changed to pure mortification.

  Yep, she was fucked…and not in a good way.

  “Calm, little one,” Xavier murmured as he lifted a large hand and gently stroked over the star tattoo next to her right eye. “What is this mark you wear? We have noticed females with this and others who wear a different symbol.”

  Nothing he could have asked could have killed the lust she was feeling quicker than the reminder of her personal shame. Her jaw clenched against the pain as she struggled to calm the emotions swirling around inside her. “It is the symbol that marks me a flawed woman,” she explained, her voice void of all emotion.