by Averi Hope
He pulled a neatly folded paper from the pocket of his frayed shirt and opened it gently. “I just got the notice.”
She hugged him again, crushing the paper between them. People said the gardener’s son was overreaching when he became her unofficial training partner in preparation for the academy. But she’d known better.
In her life, she’d come across many different people, and she knew he had it in him to be a great engineer on a spaceship. So, she’d made him her partner whenever she trained at the mansion, teaching him all she learned from her official tutors aboard the Allure.
Even knowing that he’d never be recruited for the academy, he’d focused on learning everything he needed to know to become a spaceship engineer. He’d have to join the 1 percent of people who arrived the week before sign-up to be tested. If he passed, he’d be given a full scholarship to attend. She’d spent the past three weeks wondering if he’d not only made it safely to Turonga, but also if he’d passed the test. The fact that he’d done both was almost miraculous.
That’ll show father!
“I’m so proud of you.” She squeezed his arms, then released him, shifting her bag. “Do you know what group you’ll be in?”
He avoided her gaze. “The Hawks.”
It took her a second to recover from her surprise. “That’s…that’s amazing!”
The Hawks were the most elite group of trainees. She’d been placed in it with ease, but from a young age she’d spent day in and day out on a Level 10 spaceship learning the ropes of her future career firsthand. The Hawks were groomed for such success from the time they were born. The fact that William had gotten into it…well, it was yet another miracle.
“Yeah,” he said. “It was a surprise to me, too.”
“Wow!” She pushed a strand of her long black hair out of her face. “Has a walk-on ever entered the Hawks before?”
He shrugged. “Not sure.”
“Well, we’ll have to celebrate for sure.” She tried to hide her shock with pleasure. “And now we’ll have at least our core classes together.”
He nodded, staring down at his feet.
A sound from behind made her turn around. The live ship had opened. The most incredible man she’d ever seen stepped out. His shirt was unbuttoned, showing off his impossibly muscular chest. Even his stomach was covered in hard, tanned muscles.
Something within her tightened. She didn’t know what a human was doing coming out of a Keltair ship, and she didn’t care.
He was big—bigger than any man she’d seen before. His dark hair, left a little shaggy, and his scruff of beard gave him the undeniable look of a man who knew what he wanted and simply took it. She bit her lip. Alpha males were a particular weakness of hers, and this man set off every alarm she had while he simultaneously drew her toward him. Like gravity.
His gaze snapped up to meet hers. The world melted away. Need flashed in his dark eyes. His jaw tensed. She could sense his physical response to her. It was an electric current running between them. He strode toward her purposely.
“Hello?” William stepped in front of her, trying to get her attention.
She almost pushed him out of the way. “Move.”
Anger flashed across his face. “Too busy checking out the eye candy to notice that Fleet Admiral Stowe is heading straight for you?”
It was like a face full of cold water. She looked behind her and, sure enough, her father was heading in her direction. No one else would’ve noticed the flicker of annoyance in his eyes, but she knew, and she had no intention of dealing with it.
“Let’s go.”
They hurried toward the academy building. She allowed herself one last chance to look back at Mr. Muscles. His eyes were locked on her as he stared around a Keltair who’d blocked his path.
Good. That was dangerous. She’d promised herself no more than a one-night stand or two to get herself through the academy. And that man didn’t fit the bill. He was the sort of guy she’d want to spend weeks on, exploring every inch of him. She’d want to know what turned him on. She’d want to bend him to her will and leave him begging for satisfaction.
She felt herself growing wet.
Shit. She was glad she’d brought her trusty vibrator, Turbo. Otherwise, this year was going to be the most frustrating one of her life. But she could manage, with Turbo’s help, just as long as she stayed as far away as possible from Mr. Muscles.
But for some reason, she was sure the real thing looked a hell of a lot better than something she’d have to leave charging by her bed each night.
Chapter Two
Caleb wanted his father, Gurgo, to get the hell out of the way. The woman he’d just seen wanted to be fucked as badly as he wanted to fuck her. He could sense her needs from across the shipyard, and damn if he didn’t want to satisfy them.
“Are you listening to me?” the large Keltair invaded his space, puffing his chest out in a show of dominance.
Caleb knew better than to back down. He let his gaze run from the two white horns sharpened to deadly points on his head down to his deep brown face. The silver eyes that stared back at him grew paler in anger.
“I heard you the first time.”
His father grasped his shoulders, squeezing them so hard Caleb had to fight to ignore the growing pain. “This human academy is a dangerous place to be. Do you understand me? You have grown into a man, but you are not yet ready to Bond with a female. This place cares nothing for your unique needs as a Keltair. They will throw you in with their wanton females and rely on your own control.”
Staring into his father’s eyes, he didn’t blink. “I have lain with too many females to count. I don’t fear them the way you do.”
His father spat on the ground. “Laying with them is different than being surrounded by them. Understand me well, son of my blood. If you form too close a relationship with any of them, I will have you removed to a Keltair training center. I will not risk you Bonding with a human who will toss you aside and leave you forever weakened, unable to Bond with another. Do you understand?”
He shoved his father’s hands away. “I do not need to be told the obvious or threatened like a youngling.”
They exchanged glares for one long instance before his father growled, “Enough! I must pay my respects.” His voice grew harsher. “Not for the last time I’m sure.”
He turned away, heading for the academy.
Caleb watched him go. Had there ever been a better father? Not many males would push aside their pride to help their son. Or fight so hard to allow him to train with the humans.
The man tried to hide his pain, but Caleb had been there the day his father had found his only child, brought to the edge of death for his human appearance among the Keltair kind. All his dreams had come crashing down for his son that day. Not many men could so easily accept that the world they belonged to was the very world that would destroy their child. Nor would many males have extracted such a slow and systematic revenge on those who had harmed his blood.
Caleb took a deep breath, pushing his thoughts aside, and looked back for the female. She was gone.
He closed his eyes and pictured her. Big breasts, a narrow waist, long legs. Her body pleased him in every way. Then, his thoughts strayed to her face. Had he ever seen eyes that color of green before? Never. They drew him in. He wanted to see how they widened with awe as he entered her. He’d grasp her fine mane of black hair and take her deeply.
A ship lifted off noisily beside him, and he clenched his fists. What a time to be growing hard with need. The woman wasn’t even present to please him!
Turning back to his live ship, he reached in and took his bag. Unconsciously, he ran his knuckles along the hard shell of its body. Rest. Grow. I shall be back.
The ship gave a soft hum of acknowledgment.
An Airspace Marshal waved his hands in front of Caleb’s face, gesturing for him to move to the path. Caleb wrapped one large hand around the side of his throat and drew him so close their br
eath mixed. The man gave a tiny squawk and shrank back.
These are humans, not Keltair. He chided himself.
Against his instincts, he loosed his grip on the man and let him wiggle free. “Continue as you were,” he said, then tried to give a reassuring smile.
The man shot away.
They already think that having a half-Keltair at the academy will be a problem. I need to show them that we’re not all war and death. That peace between our nations is plausible. I need to remember the time before my father took me, the days with Mother.
He decided right then and there that he would do better. It would be difficult, but he’d relearn what it was to interact the human way.
When he entered the academy, he was surprised by how large and grand it was. A Keltair would’ve called such a place a useless waste. When they trained, they selected the most dangerous terrains and pitted the males against each other. Mercy was for the weak, and only the strong survived. This place was…dainty. Pretty even.
He hoped he’d made the right choice in coming here. He gritted his teeth. It had to be. If he ever wanted to serve on a ship other than a Keltair war machine, he’d need to graduate from here. And even then, the prejudice against his Keltair half would limit his options.
Unless he proved himself a thousand times over.
He joined a line of students, waiting for their assignments.
A pretty redhead turned around. Her eyes widened and she spun back around. Not so subtly, she elbowed a petite blonde beside her. The other woman turned and, after the initial shock, let her mouth curve into a smile.
“Hello, I’m Summer.”
He sensed her need, but he felt no stirrings of passion. Which was strange. She was pretty enough, wasn’t she? “Hello.”
“You didn’t tell me your name,” she said, blinking her big lashes slowly.
Staring at her, he wondered if she would be quite so flirtatious when she learned of the alien blood running through his veins. No doubt, by the end of the day, everyone would have reviewed the files of their fellow classmates. Then, he would know for sure, if he was any better off among the humans than he was among the Keltairs.
“Caleb.”
“C…a…l…e…b.” She stretched out his name into four syllables, licking her lips. “I like it.”
An officer in black shouted for the next person in line, and the two women flushed with embarrassment.
“Maybe I’ll see you around,” Summer whispered, winked, and left.
He watched the two get their assignments with little interest. These women stirred nothing inside him. Unlike the dark-haired beauty. His muscles tightened. It was the strange woman’s fault. Once he buried himself inside her, he could move on to the next woman. Like he always did.
“Next!” the officer shouted.
He approached the man and noticed how his annoyed expression faltered. The officer took his papers and typed into his computer. Caleb knew the moment the man read that he was part Keltair when the officer’s lips curled.
“Your assignment is the Hawks. Top floor.” His disgust was poorly concealed. “They’re the best, and usually include our most talented recruits.”
Caleb leaned in as he took his papers. “Thank you.”
The man cringed.
As he walked away, Caleb felt a spark of pride. Not only hadn’t he grabbed the man’s head and smashed it against the desk, he’d been polite. After eleven years of being under his father’s care, he would slowly remember the ten-year-old boy who used to cook beside his mother in the kitchen. Who smiled and meant it. He would let the human side of himself finally come free, now that he knew that part of him wouldn’t get him killed.
His time in the academy would be wonderful. He’d find himself again. He’d interact with humans once more. Maybe even make some friends.
And I’ll track down the beautiful dark-haired woman and satisfy myself until the tension building inside me eases.
Chapter Three
The auditorium was jammed full of recruits for orientation. Light shone through windows high above, illuminating the whole room in a gentle glow. On stage, the teachers sat in awkwardly placed chairs, some chatting with one another, others scanning the students themselves.
William’s leg bumped Erin’s as it shook nervously, his new uniform resting in his lap. “What do you think is taking so long?”
She shrugged, not really caring, and tried to move her leg farther from his. Unfortunately, the little desks were practically on top of each other, so her leg would either be against his or the stranger on the opposite side of her.
Oh well. This was orientation day. No one cared how comfortable the chairs were or how well everyone would fit in the room. A certain amount of chaos was to be expected.
Most of the students probably felt the same way William did, nervous and excited. But she’d visited nearly every planet in the Alliance and nothing really fazed her anymore. She’d seen kings and queens being crowned. She’d shaken the hands of ambassadors. And on the Allure, she’d been on the bridge witnessing countless battles and odd situations alike.
The academy was exciting because it meant the beginning of her freedom, but it was really little more than a stepping stone to get where she really wanted to be. Captain Erin Stowe.
She never got sick of imagining what her future would bring.
Looking toward the doorway, her breath caught in her throat. The ridiculously hot man she’d seen in the shipyard entered the room. His eyes scanned everyone quickly before he walked to the back of the room and leaned against the wall. The handful of overprotective parents near him shifted to give him more room.
What an arrogant son of a bitch. His entire demeanor radiated “I own this room and everyone in it.”
She looked away, her heart beating rapidly. Trouble, trouble, trouble. That’s exactly what you don’t need. One night with him, and you’d be throwing away your career to chase some man around the galaxy like Mother.
The thought chilled her to the core.
Her focus remained trained on the stage for a painfully long time before Dean Sufters and her father walked in side by side, followed by two Keltairs. One of them, she was sure was the alien she’d seen in the shipyard earlier that day. The other, she recognized immediately as Professor Irtun. He often advised her father on diplomatic relationships with the Keltair nation, and now he would be her combat instructor. Both had smooth dark brown skin and twin horns on their heads, although the professor’s were far larger.
Of all the teachers at the academy, he was likely the only one who would recognize her. The rest hadn’t seen her since she was a child. I hope he keeps my identity to himself if he does.
When the students caught sight of her father, murmurs of excitement rose. By the time he reached the stage, the people around her had erupted into applause. To her annoyance, everyone around her stood, until students and teachers alike were standing and cheering for her father.
She stayed seated, kicking at the duffel bag by her feet. If I’d been a little earlier, I could’ve already been to my room and put my stuff away.
The guy next to her leaned down. “Oh my freaking God, it’s Fleet Admiral Stowe! My parents are never going to believe this.”
He waited for her enthusiastic response. “Uh, yeah. Pretty amazing.”
Frowning, he stood straighter and applauded harder.
“Students and teachers,” her father’s rich voice drowned out the sound of the clapping and, within a moment, everyone was seated and quiet. “It is a great honor that I get to address this year’s new recruits.” And suddenly, his gaze met hers. “I have high hopes for all of you. Do not disappoint me.”
He turned to the teachers behind him, shaking some hands, and returning the salutes of a few others. Heading back down the stairs, he cast her one last glance, then disappeared out the doors.
She released the breath she was holding. He was gone. She was…free.
Orientation went by in a blur, a
nd shortly thereafter, she was squeezed into an elevator with a dozen other students. Shoved in the back, she tried to hide her annoyance as one overly friendly guy held the door open for one after another person. The guy in front of her shifted even closer, practically pressed up against her.
She was about to shout for the idiot to let the doors close when Mr. Cocky himself squeezed in. The words died on her lips. People cleared from around him, squeezing into one another, and finally, the doors closed.
As they stopped at each floor, a student or two would step out. When they got to the eleventh floor, a pretty blonde stepped out, casting an appraising glance back at the massive man before the doors closed once more. It took her a second to accept that they were both heading for the twelfth floor, and another second to accept that they were alone together.
He looked back at her, then did a double take, his dark eyes widening. “You?”
She stiffened, tossing her hair over one shoulder. “Did you need something?”
He crossed the space between them and placed one arm above her, leaning in. Her gaze traveled from the buttons of his shirt, which strained across his broad chest, to his chiseled face. Time stood still.
Every part of him screamed male. He smelled of rich spices and green life. Warmth radiated from his flesh, and his gaze held a possessiveness she longed to explore.
“I’m Caleb Fallow,” he said. Each word held a rolling accent that sent the hairs on her arms standing on end. He lowered his mouth toward her own.
The ding of the elevator had her ducking beneath his arm and out the door.
“Where are you going?” he yelled after her, but she didn’t slow.
I can’t be like Mother. I’ve got to focus.
Halfway down the constantly curving hall, she found her room number. Her fingers shook as she typed in the code to open the doors.
“What’s your name?” he asked, suddenly at her side.
She jumped, but forced her face to remain calm. “What’s it to you?”
The doors to her new room slid open, and she turned to him feigning absolute confidence, but he spoke before she could say any more.
