Alien Prince's Mate: An Auxem Novel

by Lisa Lace

  “I apologize for the intrusion, but we’re going to have to cut this short.”

  The audience gasped, rising from their seats as Cas led us down the center aisle. From behind the podium, Tate angrily looked around the room. When he finally saw us, his face turned a sickly white.

  We stopped at the foot of the stage steps. Reporters whispered amongst themselves, directing cameras to the center aisle. Jethro, who was behind Tate, took a step backward. His dark eyes looked narrow and sinister and his lips curled, showing his locked teeth.

  My eyes fell on the small red cube in his fist.

  “This can’t be happening.” As Tate grabbed the neck of his microphone, the room cringed at the piercing feedback. “Who let you in here?”

  “Cas, what are you doing? I didn’t authorize this. I order you to retreat at once!” Jethro barked out orders from behind Tate. He glared at the City Hall security team sweeping down the aisles, leading the audience and reporters to their feet and out of the auditorium.

  “I was hoping we could avoid a commotion, but you’ve left me no choice.” Cas extracted a blaster from his holster, aiming it at the prince with both hands. “Give up, Jethro.”

  I shifted my weight to my other leg and craned my neck to the right. The headgear covered my ears, amplifying the sound of my swallows and making them extra loud. I watched Jethro swiftly reach behind him and caught a glimpse of Indira’s face in the gap of the curtains. A slender hand slipped out, snatching the Doomstone.

  “Don’t make this harder than it has to be. Hand over the Doomstone and surrender now, and you can walk out of here with your dignity. The kingdom will have mercy on you.”

  Everything happened at once. Before I could warn Cas, Jethro reached into his coat and pulled out a white blaster that looked like it was made from ivory. He grabbed Tate by the collar, pressing the white barrel to Tate’s temple. Tate’s bodyguards erupted from all four corners of the stage, drawing their guns.

  “Drop your weapons!” Jethro yelled, the veins on his neck visibly throbbing. He turned to the bodyguards. “You lot, get off the stage.”

  Tate whimpered, one of his eyes squeezed shut and his raised hands wobbling. “You heard him. Get off the stage, you fuckfaces! Do what he says!”

  The bodyguards lowered their guns and shuffled away.

  “Brother, I’m begging you. Don’t do this.” Cas took a steady step forward, but he kept his weapon level. I could tell he was trying to keep his composure, but his voice was thick with emotion. “Put down your blaster and release him. I won’t even tell the kingdom about this.”

  “Or what, Cas? You call me brother, but you’re on the other side of the line.” Jethro taunted Cas, spitting in his direction. Jethro cocked his gun, the deranged grin on his face widening till his cheeks turned red and puffy. “If you do what I say, I just might spare this imbecile’s life.”

  For a moment, the room went fuzzy. I gasped, clutching the stuffed folding chair next to me. When Botu and Nala stepped forward to negotiate with the prince, I heard Cas’ voice in my head.

  “Michelle. Can you hear me?”

  The queasy feeling in my gut vanished as quickly as it had come.

  “What is this?” I breathed.

  “Don’t say anything. Just listen to me.”

  I clamped my mouth shut, breathing heavily. I heard Cas’ voice clearly, and his words weren’t muffled at all. I gaped at Cas, who was still standing with his back facing away from me, blaster pointed at Jethro. I didn’t understand how he was communicating with me.

  “I can explain later, but right now, just do what I say. Look for the stage controls and find a way to turn off one of the stage lights. I need a distraction.”

  I had no idea what was happening, but I was willing to try anything.

  “I don’t know if you can hear me, but Indira has the Doomstone. I saw her disappearing behind the curtains.”

  “I hear you,” I whispered. But could he hear me?

  Nodding to no one in particular, I dropped down to all fours and started crawling. I looked around as I navigated through the aisles, scratchy fibers of the carpet grazing against my palms. My restless eyes settled on the ropes and control panels on the east wall of the auditorium.

  “Jethro, let me go. If it’s credits you want, you’ll have them.”

  “I don’t need your filthy credits. Have you forgotten that I’m a prince?”

  Slinking deeper into the shadows, I walked furtively towards the controls. As the Keepers continued their futile attempts to persuade the prince into lowering his weapon, I counted the ropes attached to the stage lights. I grabbed the fourth rope, my goggles fogging up as I fumbled with the knot.

  “Someone please do something. He’s going to shoot!”

  The last tangle came loose in my hands. With my temples thumping with adrenaline, I let go of the rope. The thick cord slipped out of my hands and shot straight to the ceiling.

  The stage light furthest away from them plummeted to the ground, landing with a shattering crash. Everyone in the room jumped, including Jethro, who had reflexively jerked away from his hostage. The Keepers reacted immediately, springing into action. While Cas and Botu tackled the Prince head-on, Nala and the bodyguards swooped in on Tate and dragged him to safety.

  The rest of the Keepers slowly headed to the bottom of the stage. They created a living barrier around Cas and Botu as the pair dragged Jethro down the aisle and out of the auditorium. With everyone else clearing the room, I walked to the stage.

  “Good job out there, Michelle,” Nala smiled at me. She glanced at Tate, whose bodyguards were fussing over him. “He’ll be fine. He doesn’t seem hurt, just a little shaken up. But we’ll have medical take a look at him.”

  “Michelle. Was that you?” Tate pushed his guards away, stumbling toward me. “Can I get a minute alone with her?”

  “How are you feeling?”

  “I can’t believe what just happened,” Tate stuttered, eyes welling up with tears. “Michelle, you saved my life. I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “Would you do something for me, Tate?” I whispered, glancing down at my folded fingers.

  “Of course. Anything.”

  “I think it’s time to move on.”

  “Anything but that.”

  “It’s time we go our separate ways. I care about you. I gave you more than three years of my life. I want you to be happy, but you and I both know we won’t find happiness with each other.”

  “Michelle.” Tate rubbed his arms, his head hanging low. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I’m sorry about the way things turned out between us, but I’m not sorry any of it happened. If I’ve learned anything lately, it’s that everything happens for a reason.”

  “Michelle, I don’t know what to say.”

  “Goodbye. I wish you all the best. I really mean it.” I turned around and walked away.

  Chapter Twenty

  CAS

  After the chaos of the day, the evening was strangely beautiful. The full moon brightly glowed against the starry night sky. The fresh breeze felt nice and crisp against my skin. Keepers and hotel guests splashed around happily in the rooftop pool, only half of them aware of how close the planet came to being invaded by aliens. Funky music played from the speakers on the dance floor, which consisted of thirty-two large tiles that lit up and changed color intermittently. Next to the tiles, a bar was packed with other guests enjoying fuzzy brown fruit and drinks that came with loopy straws and useless miniature umbrellas.

  There was a joyful air of triumph across the open-air space. One of the Keepers had even convinced the DJ to play a few Yarian songs so they could teach their new friends traditional jigs. It appeared as if they were having genuine good old-fashioned fun. Some, I suspected, hadn’t even had a drop of liquor all night.

  As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t join them. My mind was preoccupied with other thoughts. I leaned against the guard rail. Dangling my arm over the edge,
I gazed out at the luminous skyscrapers dotting the skyline. Below me, cars weaved through traffic along the noisy streets.

  “Hey, stranger.”

  Michelle walked up to the guard rail, filling the space next to me. I turned away from the view. As gorgeous as the landscape was, it couldn’t compare to how she looked tonight. She wore a black bikini top and a floral cloth tied around her waist. Her long hair fell free around her shoulders, and she had tucked a small yellow flower behind her right ear. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the serene look on her beautiful face.

  “Hey, yourself.”

  “Are you enjoying the party?”

  “I am now. Jethro and Indira are in processing, and hopefully will be doing time in Luna Fatum, the best maximum security prison our side of the galaxy has to offer. We safely returned the Doomstone to Yaria, where it belongs. And the spaceship is now operational. We’re set to leave tomorrow. Everything is back to normal.”

  Michelle inched closer to me, wrapping a finger around my thumb. “So why do you look so miserable?”

  “I don’t think I’m ready to leave,” I answered bluntly. “I’ve come in contact with a good friend of mine recently, and she reminded me how much I used to enjoy taking risks. She’s not wrong. But when I leave tomorrow, there’s a good chance I might never see you again. And that’s a risk I’m not willing to take.”

  “To tell you the truth, I’m dreading tomorrow as much as you are.” Michelle turned away from the railing to face me. She took my hands, rubbing my fingers. “But what are you trying to say?”

  “You should come with me, Michelle.” I pulled her close, taking control of her hands.

  “Come with you?” Michelle’s mouth popped open. “You know I have work tomorrow, right? And I don’t think I have a visa for interstellar travel. I haven’t renewed it in years. It’s going to take at least three months to process, unless...”

  “Unless what?”

  “Unless we get married,” she said, giggling nervously.

  “I don’t see the issue. Marry me, Michelle.”

  “Excuse me?” Michelle gasped, her eyes wavering. “Cas, what are you saying?”

  “No matter how hard I try to deny things, I can’t run away from the truth. You’re my flaura, Michelle.” I pressed my forehead against her, breathing heavily. My voice was under control, but there was a sharp, sinking feeling in my stomach. It was like the sensation I had whenever the spaceship made a rough landing. “I may not be sure about a lot of things, but this feels right. I’ve never felt a connection with anyone like what happened between you and me at City Hall yesterday. If you don’t feel the same way, I’ll gladly walk away right now, and we can forget this conversation ever happened.”

  “Hush.” Michelle nodded and cleared her throat, looking up as she blotted the corners of her eyes with her fingers. “Of course I’ll marry you. I have no idea why I’m getting choked up like this. We can head over to TerraMates first thing tomorrow morning.”

  My chest swelled. I kissed Michelle, feeling her wet cheeks against my lips. When she pulled away from me, a single teardrop lingered on her eyelashes. She smiled shyly, running her tongue across her bottom lip.

  “I’m going to get us some drinks.” Michelle pecked me on the cheek, breaking free from my arms. “Bourbon, straight?”

  “Aye. That sounds perfect.”

  As Michelle left for the bar, I turned back to the railing. I rubbed the cool steel of the guardrail, peering out at the city skyline. My hands were trembling, but I didn’t know why.

  I felt a warm draft washing over me. All the music and party noise softened as if the volume had been turned down on the entire rooftop. And for a moment, time stopped passing.

  “I knew you could do it, Cas. I’m proud of you. Be good to each other, forever and always.”

  In an instant, the voice disappeared forever. I squinted at the star above the lightning rod of the tallest skyscraper. It could have been my imagination, but I thought it shone brighter than all the other stars. And it was pink, Twanda’s favorite color.

  I didn’t know where she was, but for the first time in years, I could rest easy.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  MICHELLE, 3 WEEKS LATER

  “Michelle, moya, are you ready?” Deloise smiled warmly at me. Wrinkles formed around her amicable green eyes. I stared at her extended arm and a breath trapped in my throat.

  It was time.

  “Yes, enya. I’m ready.”

  I slipped my arm under hers. Deloise faced forward and lifted the hem of her long, golden-yellow dress. She took the lead, ushering me toward a long white carpet stretched out across the grass. Nala and Zyrene appeared behind me, each moving to either side and trailing my pearl-white cloak.

  The simplicity of the ceremony before me was breathtaking. Queen Tazmin had offered to throw us a spectacular wedding at the palace, but Cas and I turned her down. When he asked me if we could hold a small ceremony in Luna Maris with a close-knit group of family and friends, I agreed.

  Beautiful balls of light were strung from one tree to another, illuminating the enclosed space like floating fireflies. A small band of musicians played as I walked down the carpet. There were heaps of delicious roasts and Yarian delicacies displayed on banquet tables. A six-foot swan sculpted out of ice guarded the food, an unexpected wedding gift from Tate. On either side of me, no more than twenty faces filled the chairs. A bonfire with green, blue, and purple flames sitting in front of the seats roared into the night sky.

  Beyond the fire stood a rustic arch made out of entwined branches and garlands of exotic Yarian flowers. A robed Splynter waited behind the arch with a small table filled with bowls of paint and wooden tools. To the right of the arch stood Cas in a sable-black robe.

  As I drew closer to the front, our eyes met. I gazed back at him with a quivering chin. My heart was fluttering like it did the very first time we crossed paths. I had never imagined I would end up here. Deloise handed me off to Cas at the end of the carpet.

  “Elizabeth Michelle Fletcher of Earth and Caspian Coore of Luna Maris, I ask you to step forward.”

  With fingers intertwined, we stepped under the arch. Splynter dipped his thumb into a bowl of red paint, smearing it on our foreheads. I raised my chin, breathing in the scent of crushed fruit wafting down from the cool paint. He repeated the sequence with a bowl of white and gold paint, covering our faces with Yarian symbols.

  When the Keeper closed his eyes and began reciting Yarian scripture, I seized my opportunity. I yanked on Cas’ hand lightly, calling his attention. He cocked his head to the left, looking down at me expectantly.

  “There’s something you need to know before we do this.” I took a deep breath. My stomach was tingling. “I’m pregnant.”

  “What?” Cas whispered. His mouth hung open for a moment before a huge grin erupted on his face. “Are you sure? I can’t believe it!”

  “One hundred percent. I found out this morning.”

  Cas gawked at me for a few more moments until Splynter’s good eye popped open, staring us down. We quickly turned back to face Splynter, becoming silent as he continued to read out loud. Though Cas said nothing, he squeezed my hand and held on tightly. He had already said everything I needed to hear.

  I could not have asked for anything more.

  Claimed by the Alien Warlord

  A TerraMates Novel

  Chapter One

  CHRISTINE

  A mountain of twisted scrap metal and spare parts teetered above my head. While most people would see nothing but a pile of stinking garbage, I saw an opportunity and hoped for treasure.

  I tightened the straps on my backpack. Activating the adhesive on my gloves, I found a precarious handhold and started climbing. Even though I wore a mask over my face, a faint hint of what smelled like rotting eggs seeped through the pores of the charcoal filters.

  Closing my mouth, I continued moving up toward the peak. I don’t know why I didn’t hear it. My ears mu
st have been overwhelmed with the echoes of my breath and jingling tools fastened around my thighs. When I reached the top, I deactivated the adhesive and grabbed onto a wing embedded in the wreckage.

  Seeing the movement shocked me. A small spherical robot emerged from behind an ancient laser cannon and charged in my direction. The rusty D-162 model was about as big as a golf ball, but I knew it was deadly despite its deceptive size. The series would self-destruct upon the detection of any intruders and was packed with enough explosives to eliminate anything within a hundred-foot radius.

  “Halt!” the bot screeched, stopping only inches from the tip of my nose. “Identify yourself.”

  I pulled out my intergalactic explorer’s license from a waist pouch and presented the card with a steady hand. The bot quieted down and backed away as a projector lens extended from the center of its tiny body. A red shaft of light shot out from the lens, sweeping back and forth across the card.

  “Scanning.” A blinking bulb on top of the bot turned yellow. “Name: Blackwood, Christine. Issued on Earth. Expires in one thousand, seven hundred forty-two days.”

  After a breathtaking pause, the light finally flashed green. “Access granted.” The unit turned around and concealed itself behind the weapon again.

  I lowered my shoulders, checking around me and wondering if anyone had seen my encounter. Slipping the license back into my pouch, I resumed my scavenger hunt. I pulled down my visor, which tainted everything in my vision green. Thanks to the screen, virtual bubbles appeared around the various objects in my path, overlaid with estimated values on the black market. I dropped to my knees and moved in the most promising direction. Along the way, I picked up lucrative objects for closer inspection.

  “I’ve got three of those. Someone seems to have peed on that, no, thank you. That’s a mummified rat. What’s this?”

  I wriggled out a box wedged between a deflated tire and half of a cracked viewport. The rectangular device had about a dozen knobs and came attached to a transmitter. Something had burned a gaping hole through the top, exposing its internal electronics. I peered through the hole, studying a dusty circuit board and accompanying cluster of half-eaten wires. A bubble around the transmitter turned white and spun as it tried to communicate with a base ship which was no longer listening for it.