by Lara LaRue
What were the odds she’d walk in on the first erotic dream I had in my life? And it had been a strong one. My whole body tingled at the feeling of his mouth on my nipple and his hand stroking me. My whole center still ached with the need he’d created.
I closed my eyes and pictured him moving toward me again—his blue skin glistening in the moonlight as he stormed across the room. The warmth of his body pressed against mine in that too-small bed of Laura’s. Raevu’s gold eyes seeming to pierce into me just before he plunged into a kiss that made my lips quiver as I relived the experience.
I reached my hand up and traced my bottom lip with my finger. Was it my imagination, or did my lip feel swollen from his kisses? Damn. It had felt so real.
“How do I get back safely, Laura? I don’t know if I can trust the authorities.”
Laura tidied up her kitchen and wiped down her counters. The whole time she had on her thinking face. She always did her best thinking while she was cleaning. “I’m not sure, Eva. If this Cold guy is a cop or something like that, going to the local precinct is suicide. But the Juhlians are here for you. You can’t just stay here. You promised yourself to them.” She continued to clean her kitchen even after it was spotless. “What would I do? What would I do?” With her eyes closed, she wiped the same spot on her counter three times. I smiled at her distraction as she went on. “I would do the unexpected. Shout from the rooftops, holler in the streets. Draw as much attention as possible so the bad guys couldn’t sweep me under the rug.”
Laura dropped her towel and grabbed my hands. “That’s it. After last night’s press conference with President Maeda talking about how much we need this treaty, you need to show up in a public place like the broadcast station. Somewhere on camera so no one can hide you or sweep you away.” Her eyes were aflame and excited with her idea. “We need to sneak you to the broadcast station and get you on camera!”
Chapter 11
Raevu
“Who is Laura?” I asked T’ral as I stepped into our suite’s common space. It was stuffed with examples of our people’s art, displayed without any knowledge of the proper method to do so, like precious jewels thrown haphazardly.
“What is a Laura?” Baelon interjected.
“I had a dream last night of Eva. Someone named ‘Laura’ interrupted it and caused me to awake. Who is ‘Laura’ to Eva?” I demanded.
“Well, if you’re insisting… Though, it was a dream, sire.” T’ral consulted his data screen. “There is a Laura Evans. She is a human female and friend to Eva Knight. She has a daughter—age five and same age as Ivy Thompson’s youngest child. Otherwise, there is no connection. They did not attend the same schools. Never employed by the same companies.”
T’ral continued to study his data screen. “No, no connection other than age, gender, and the age of this child they each live with.”
Baelon scowled. “This is the problem with eunuchs. You don’t see emotional connections. There could easily be a connection between this female and Raevu’s just through the fact that Raevu’s female has taken care of the children.”
T’ral gave Baelon a flat stare. “I can see emotional connections just fine. I am merely not enslaved by them.”
I shook my head in warning at Baelon. He was obviously in a hostile mood today. “Let’s not take our tension over this situation out on each other.”
“Of course not, sire.” Baelon turned back to the monitor where he had been flipping through entertainment and news broadcasts. He stopped abruptly on one and sat up attentively. “That is us!”
T’ral and I turned to see what he was looking at. A photograph of us with President Maeda at yesterday’s press conference was up on the screen. Splashed across one corner was the title “Found!” in big, bold letters. The image switched to a close-up of a human male.
“Turn on the sound, Baelon,” I ordered.
“Exclusive! Ms. Knight has expressed her desire to stay here at the CNR Broadcast Station until the Peace Opportunity Program Ambassadors can collect her. Her tale is one of amazing courage and cleverness.”
The camera zoomed out to show the male sitting in a chair facing a woman with rich brown skin and black hair. Eva! I pivoted, stepping toward the door just as someone knocked on it. Derek Willoughby and Ken Maeda were standing outside my suite.
“Eva is on the television. I’m going to get her.” I started to push past them.
“Wait, Raevu, please,” Ken said.
I scowled at him. “There will be no waiting, Ken. She needs my help. I have to go to her now.”
“Yes, we will get her, but you are the king of your planet and indispensable. We can’t trust that this Humans for Humanity League or some other terrorist group will not to try to attack. Send warriors you trust to collect her. Derek here will take them to the broadcast station.” His voice was terribly reasonable, making me bristle slightly.
I began to growl my dissent, but T’ral answered before I could,
“Sire. That is a very good idea. Baelon and your men should go to ensure her safety. Your first meeting with your life mate should not be broadcasted to the entire planet. It should be a private moment between you two.” His smile was perfectly polite and reasonable.
I hated that he was right and did not appreciate the position T’ral had just placed me in by agreeing with Ken’s sensible strategy. T’ral forced me to think beyond my desires of the moment…to run out to claim Eva.
Baelon was already moving. “Let’s go,” he barked at Willoughby. Willoughby spun on his heel, and they left the suite.
I kept the news broadcast playing on the monitor. The reporter asked Eva why she had volunteered for the program, what her experience with it was, how she was treated when she was kidnapped. She deftly managed not to give him very many clear answers. In listening to her responses, I heard nothing new and nothing that could be said or used against her.
It seemed that she had snuck away from her captors, but I didn’t believe it was that simple. Her kidnappers would not have left her alone unless they were confident they could recapture her. I wondered if they had attached some kind of tracking unit on to her. No. Eva was smart. Even if they had, it would be reckless for them to kidnap her while she was in public and on television.
“This is live, isn’t it?” I asked when there was a commotion on the screen. Startled cries could be heard off-camera. The reporter and Eva glanced around, probably to see what was causing the disturbance, and both sprang to their feet.
I moved closer to the monitor, as if I could throw myself between Eva and any danger coming her way. The terrorists must have dared a public assault on her. Baelon and my men strode into view. They dwarfed all the men around them, and except for her luscious curves, Eva almost looked like a child next to their brawn. They moved right up to her, ignoring a brunette yelling at Baelon to back away and leave Eva alone.
When they reached Eva, my warriors knelt, bowing their head. Quite clearly, I heard Baelon say, “My queen. We’ve come to escort you home safely.”
“Queen? Laura, is this some kind of joke?” I could tell by Eva’s voice that she was puzzled. I had gone from tense to fighting a smile as I saw her stunned expression.
The brunette, I assumed, Laura, looked just as confused. “Not mine, Eva.”
Baelon and my men stood in a smooth motion. They placed themselves strategically around Eva and began scanning the room for possible threats. I nodded in satisfaction at their efficiency.
“Raevu sent me, my lady.” Baelon remained very formal and stiff. The two women exchanged glances. Willoughby then appeared on the scene, trying to calm station personnel for their abrupt arrival.
I ordered, “T’ral, contact the ship. We leave for home at first light tomorrow.” My life mate was safe and in our custody. We were going home.
Chapter 12
Eva
“No!” I said as firmly as my tired voice would allow. “We are not leaving right away. That is not happening.” My fatigue was
creeping back, and my headache had returned with a vengeance. “I am absolutely sick of strange men trying to grab me and drag me places.” My ordeal had ended in total anticlimax, but I had been right about one thing, Cold was a Center security man. We knew that now because the crazed son of a bitch had actually tried to get into the broadcast station with his duty gun. One suspicious call to Center security quickly exposed Cold as not being there on Center business, and he was now in custody, along with his partners in crime, after he’d snitched on their location. It wasn’t the humiliating, painful punishment they deserved, but it would land them behind bars, and I would take that justice.
Baelon turned to face me squarely. “My lady, the king, who also happens to be your life mate, has decided that we need to leave right away for your safety. Therefore, we will leave for our home as soon as possible.”
“No, we won’t. I’m sick. I just had to rescue myself from a kidnapping because neither you nor Center security could manage it. And I’m not taking orders from anyone until I see my family and get some damn sleep.” I reached up with my hands and rubbed my temples as he stared at me awkwardly.
I had been able to ignore my flu-like symptoms while adrenaline had been pumping through my body, but now that I felt safe from my abductors, every symptom clamored to be noticed.
“It is tactically ill-advised for us to stay, given the terrorists who are still after you have not been captured.” He tried to reason, my defiance deflating some of his arrogance.
I glared at him. “I’m saying that I still have free will. I am not your property or your king’s. You will respect my rights. Including my right to quit this contract and walk away from all of you if you keep calling me to heel like a fucking dog.” I’d had enough and was completely at my limit. I was emotionally and physically exhausted. I locked eyes with the alien until he looked away.
“Well, you have spirit, Eva. I will give you that.” The huge man sighed, sounding strangely wistful. “But ultimately, it’s the king’s decision.”
I snorted. “If you go today, you will be leaving without me. Unless I’m dragged kicking and screaming onto that ship, we will not be leaving for several days.” As he opened his mouth to speak once again, I continued, “Baelon, you and I are not going to agree on this. I will speak to Raevu, the king and, according to you, my ‘life mate’ myself. He and I will have to come to some sort of compromise. If we are life mates, and I’m not terribly sure I believe all that, we’ll be compromising for the rest of our lives. We may as well start now.” I sighed and leaned back in the vehicle seat.
My tired mind whirled with too much information. This mark, the one that had suddenly appeared on my skin after I’d been injected with the alien DNA, was supposed to prove that I was the “soul mate” of their king? That type of shit only happened in fairy tales. Ridiculous. This mark has become a liability.
But on the other hand, I did sign up to help the Juhlian people, and in whatever capacity necessary. My word was my bond, and I would help them, but I needed time to rest. “Honestly, I don’t know why you would want to push me into space travel when I’m sick.”
The last comment seemed to shame him into silence because he was quiet for the rest of the drive.
“We are here, my lady,” Baelon finally said with a small smile. He opened the car door and climbed out, then reached back in to give me a hand.
I was appalled to discover I needed the assistance. Once out of the vehicle, I stood still for a moment until my head stopped swimming. He remained by my side, watching me carefully, seeming to realize that even with my strong will, I really was sick as hell right now. I nodded to Baelon to show I was ready, and we proceeded into the Center’s guest quarters. When I’d last been here, I’d been housed in a suite on the ground floor. Now, I didn’t know where they were taking me. All I knew was that I’d get there swiftly enough with this escort. People in the halls parted for us like a school of fish before sharks.
The Juhlian warriors that Raevu had sent to fetch me from the broadcast station were all huge males. Well over six feet tall, broad in the shoulders, ribs, and hips, they made all the human males we passed seem almost scrawny and lanky in comparison. And their skin fascinated me. It was blue, almost like a blueberry. They wore military uniforms and seemed to radiate an aura of “you don’t want to mess with me.” I tried to imagine a large army of such intimidating warriors and couldn’t.
They had fallen into a formation around me, which meant I was surrounded by a mobile wall of muscles. I was quite sure that if even one of these males had been with me, the Humans for Humanity League never would have been able to take me. With all of the Juhlian warriors at hand, I felt as secure as a baby in its mother’s arms. But I still looked around nervously, painfully aware that if one of the terrorists who had taken me worked for the Center, they all could. I wondered what their story was, especially Cleve.
Cleve, who, from the way they had talked, probably had a sister who was part of the program—a test subject, like me. Something terrible must have happened to her. And from my experience with the program, I had no doubt that the government had covered it up. Now, I wondered if the other subjects had really quit or had never left the lab alive.
Silently, we marched through the lobby and to the elevators. Inside, and away from prying eyes, I let myself lean on Baelon for the ride up to the top floor. He offered his arm stoically, no longer seeming frustrated with me.
I let my mind drift to Raevu. My dream the night before had been so erotic and sensual. Just thinking about it, I shivered deliciously. Raevu, in my dream, had been so gentle and attentive when he had come to me in my bed. He’d aroused me with his kisses and knowledgeable strokes against my body.
My eyes fluttered closed, just remembering the feel of his hot blue skin under my hands. I’d never touched a man like that in my entire life, yet, with him, I’d been bold. I’d shown no hesitation when I had invited him to join me in bed and touch me. And, oh…the way his mouth had burned trails down my neck to my nipples was just so unreal. I swallowed hard, recalling how I took his large, rock-hard cock into my hand, stroking it while he touched me intimately.
My eyes snapped open.
In my dream, he seemed so patient and gentle. I hoped he was just as open-minded in reality because I couldn’t leave Earth right now. I needed rest. Time to adjust to my new future that would apparently be forged on his planet. He had to understand there were things I’d need to finish before I could leave my home…Earth…for good.
We stepped off the elevator, stopping briefly while two of the warriors checked for danger before one knocked on the suite’s door. He didn’t wait for an answer but opened it and did a quick scan inside before motioning us forward.
Once we were in the suite, I stared in amazement. It was ten times the size of my suite downstairs. The alien warriors relaxed their vigil, fanning out behind me.
Now, I could easily look around the space. My attention zeroed in on one figure who had risen from a conference table and was moving in my direction…toward me.
It was Raevu.
He was taller even than Baelon and just as powerfully built as every one of the Juhlian warriors he’d sent to fetch me. His blue skin contrasted against the business suit he wore. But it was his aura that made me stare; he was the poster child for an alpha male and bore an air of command.
I swallowed hard. This would our first in-person meeting.
His gold eyes locked on to me as he strode like a deadly, sleek but glorious panther.
Nothing about the alien was soft. His eyes were hard and glinted in his angular face. The jawline I’d caressed in my dream was firm and fixed. The alien in my dream I felt I’d known and trusted. This man was a stranger that looked menacing and unyielding.
He reached for me. I stepped back, right into the wall that was Baelon’s chest.
Raevu stopped abruptly, within arm’s reach, and examined me quizzically. “Eva? You look just as you did in my dream.”
> My eyes widened. How did he know about the dream?
“Are you well?” he inquired.
His voice resonated deep within my belly. I swallowed and held my head high. “Yes, I am…mostly. Baelon says you have plans to leave Earth immediately?”
Raevu folded his muscular arms in front of him, studying me. “Yes. The mismanagement within the program has endangered your life, and all of your kidnappers have not been captured. For your security and safety, I want you in an environment that I control. Juhl is the safest place for you. Second safest is our ship.”
An enormous sneeze exploded out of me. The antihistamine I’d snorted at Laura’s was wearing off, and the ruckus I’d made startled the Juhlians. I shook my head. “Raevu, we can’t leave right away.”
His eyebrow lifted imperiously. “Why not?”
I lifted my chin. “For one, I am very sick, probably contagious. I’m also injured and exhausted from the kidnapping. And I need some damn rest before I am whisked off anywhere. Next, the only clothes I have are the ones I am wearing, and if everyone on your planet is male and tall, there’s nothing that will fit me. And last but not least, I have loved ones here I need to say good-bye to if I am leaving Earth forever.” At the last point, my voice cracked a bit, with tears welling up in my eyes.
Damnit! Do not cry, Eva.
I blinked furiously, still holding up my chin stubbornly and refusing to let my tears fall. I didn’t know this commanding and flinty alien, and all my fears of the unknown bubbled up inside me, threatening to emotionally overwhelm me. What the fuck was going on with me? I’m never this emotional or insecure.
