Desire: Ten sizzling, romantic tales for Valentine’s Day!

by Opal Carew

  In the space of a few short weeks, I had found a whole new life. I had gone from a plain, overworked paralegal to a captive to a queen, and it all started because I was…

  Abducted.

  Maybe the Alien Mate Index wasn’t so bad after all.

  Epilogue

  The End…or is it?

  Sarden

  * * *

  “I don’t like this. I don’t like it one damn bit.” I was pacing the floor of my war room—the same one my grandfather had used when I was a child. Back then I used to hide under the desk and observe affairs of state, fascinated by the way my grandfather, who was then the Rae, was running Eloim. Now the war room was my own to plot and plan in.

  The first order of business had been to clean house, and get rid of all those that had been loyal to Hurxx and had known about his plot to sell Sellah into slavery. The second order had been to take care of Tazaxx and the pirates who had worked with him. The pirates were currently in a triple max lockdown for life and Tazaxx had been reduced to nothing but muddy water. How? By flooding his mansion on Giedi Prime.

  The team I had sent had plugged all the windows and doors and filled the mansion to the ceiling with pale purple cleansing fluid—the same kind we used in our Cleansing Pools. The pure, antiseptic liquid acted like poison on the slimy bastard, melting him and dispersing everything that made him sentient. By the time the seals on the windows and doors were opened, nothing was left of him but a gush of dirty water that couldn’t hurt anyone.

  It was most satisfying, especially since I was able to release his “treasures” to their native planets and relocate those who couldn’t go home for whatever reason. Tazaxxx would never collect females like playing cards again and his yearly auction was ended for good.

  After all that was taken care of, I turned my attention to the third order of business, which was the derelict ship Count Doloroso had left behind. We’d been in too much of a hurry to do anything about it right after Grav had killed the evil, crazy bastard. But I didn’t like the idea of it floating around abandoned, filled with all the Assimilation equipment I’d sold him.

  There was only one problem—when the salvage team I’d sent to recover the ship got to the coordinates I gave them, they found Doloroso’s ship was gone. Completely vanished.

  Of course, it was possible that someone else had found the ship and taken it. But space is a big place—looking for an empty vessel without a beacon to guide you is like looking for a junter in a craggle pile. Or as Zoe would say, a needle in a haystack. So the odds of someone just stumbling upon it were slight.

  So then, where did it go?

  “Somebody took it,” Grav suggested. He had been hanging around, helping me set my house in order since I had taken over as Rae of Eloim, though I didn’t expect him to stay much longer. His vow as a Protector meant he’d be looking for a new client soon—a female that needed his aid. I could tell that he was getting itchy and restless without a ward to protect.

  “I guess someone might have just stumbled upon it,” I said, frowning. “Still, it just doesn’t feel…right.”

  “What doesn’t feel right?”

  Zoe came into the war room, wearing the latest in Eloim fashion—a tight green sheath of a dress that showed off her lush curves and fur-topped, high heeled slippers.

  I felt my shaft stir at the way the green dress hugged her full breasts and hips and thanked the Goddess again that Zoe had agreed to stay and rule with me. She was so beautiful I couldn’t get enough of her—even though we made love several times a night and sometimes in the middle of the day as well. I knew it was the first flush of bonding which, as Zoe pointed out, was more like a physical addiction than a regular love affair—at least on her planet. But I didn’t care about any of that—I just knew I wanted her almost all the time. And thank the Goddess, she wanted me too.

  “You look gorgeous,” I growled, pulling her to me to nibble her neck. Her flaming red hair looked beautiful contrasted with the emerald green gown. Thanks to our permanent link, I could now see color all the time—even when I wasn’t with her. It was amazing what a big difference such a little change could make. I caught myself staring at ordinary, mundane objects now, just because I was able to see their true shades for the first time.

  “And you look handsome,” Zoe purred, smiling up at me. “But what’s wrong?”

  I didn’t want to scare her but the bond between us meant it was difficult to hide anything. Sometimes we caught each other’s emotions—sometimes we even got thoughts. But mostly we could tell if the other was holding anything back.

  “Doloroso’s ship has disappeared,” I said reluctantly. “I sent a salvage crew back to collect it but it’s gone. Vanished.”

  “We think someone stole it,” Grav put in.

  But Zoe was shaking her head, her face so pale that every freckle on her pert nose stood out in high relief.

  “No…nobody took it,” she whispered. “It’s Doloroso—he’s still alive.”

  “That’s fuckin’ impossible,” Grav growled. “I killed that bastard myself after he hurt you, Lady Zoe. You saw it yourself.”

  The way his shoulders bunched and his big hands clenched into fists made me think he was reliving the incident. The kill should have been mine by rights—after all, Zoe was my female to protect and avenge. But I knew Grav couldn’t stand to see a female hurt. I wondered again what had happened to my old friend to make him so protective of the opposite sex.

  “I know you killed him—but that doesn’t matter. He came back—somehow he came back! Don’t you see?” She ran a hand through her long, red hair and started pacing. “He was talking about ‘downloading’ himself into another body. What if he found a way to do that?”

  “Zoe,” I said, trying to calm her. “I know you said he claimed to be one of the Assimilated but believe me, they were all wiped out fifty cycles ago. The Majoran empress made sure of that.”

  “What if she missed one? What if he’s on his way right now?” she demanded, her eyes wide with worry.

  She was so upset, I could feel her terror through our link. Wanting to reassure her, I pulled her in for a hug.

  “It’s all right,” I murmured. “It’s going to be all right, sweetheart. He can’t get to you here—you’re safe.”

  “It’s not me I’m worried about!” she protested. “You said—and Doloroso said too—that my best friends were probably La-ti-zals, like I am! And that’s what he needs for his crazy plan—a girl that’s from a closed planet who’s a La-ti-zal. Charlotte and Leah both fit that description!”

  “He can’t get to them either,” I promised. “You know I sent a courier to pay their contract price in full. The Commercians can’t sell them, no matter how much he offers.”

  “What if he doesn’t offer a price?” she demanded. “What if he just beams down and…and takes them?”

  She pulled out of my embrace and went to her desk (she had one beside mine since we shared everything) to get her crystal memory cube. She had used a remembrance sieve to download her memories of her friends onto the cube. Now she pressed the button and I saw the three of them—Zoe and two other females—laughing and eating the confection she called “cheesecake.” Or was it cakecheese? I always got it mixed up, though she had tried to teach me.

  “Leah and Charlotte could be in trouble right now and it would be all my fault,” she whispered, stroking the cube as she watched the happy scene. “All my fault.”

  I looked at the cube and sighed. Her two friends were lovely—though not as gorgeous as my new mate. (Of course, I might be a little prejudiced in Zoe’s favor since I love her to fucking distraction.) One of them had blonde waves pulled back from her face and the other had long, silky hair that fell past her shoulders in a sleek brown waterfall.

  Grav came forward to look too and I saw his eyebrows go up when he saw the other two Pure Ones.

  “Fuckin’ gorgeous,” he murmured. “Especially the little morada.”

  “The what?” Zo
e looked up at him, frowning.

  Grav gestured to the brown haired girl. “That’s what my people call a female with long hair. It’s rare on Brax and considered very beautiful.”

  “Oh. That’s my friend, Leah,” Zoe said. “She works with Autistic children. She’s so nice.” Her face darkened. “Too nice for her own good, really. That’s how she ended up with her controlling jerk of a fiancé, Gerald.”

  “Oh, is she promised to another male?” Grav looked disappointed, then he shrugged. “Figures. She is a Pure One, and a La-ti-zal. It’s not very fuckin’ surprising she’s spoken for.”

  “She doesn’t know she’s a Pure One or a La-ti-zal,” Zoe told him. “We don’t know about any of that stuff on Earth, remember? And my own La-ti-zal powers didn’t even manifest until I got out into space. So that won’t help either one of them. Not that being able to pick locks would help anyway, since neither one of them is a burglar.”

  “Your powers didn’t manifest because the atmosphere of your planet was inhibiting them, I think,” I said. “And not all La-ti-zals have the same powers. You’re an Opener, Zoe.”

  “An Opener?” She frowned at me.

  “Yes, I’ve been talking to one of the wise women in the temple of the Goddess about it and that is what she named you. Think about it—you opened the Force Locks, which were keyed to Vorn DNA. Then you opened the door on Gallana which was meant only for one of Majoran heritage. You also opened the jewel which contained the substance holding the Stars captive to Hurxx’s will. And don’t forget the most important part…”

  “Which is?” She raised an eyebrow at me.

  I took both her hands in mine and kissed them.

  “You opened my heart, which was shut tight with grief and pain and loss. You’re an Opener, Zoe. But there’s no guarantee your friends would be the same. One might be a Healer…or a Seer…or any number of other things.”

  “Well, whatever they are, they’re in danger,” she said stubbornly. “I just know it! Don’t ask me how—I get a terrible feeling when I think of Count Creepy McGrabbyHands. I just know he’s not dead and I don’t want him anywhere near my friends.”

  I stroked her cheek. “If it will make you feel any better, I’ll send someone to the Commercians’ station to watch over them for a time. I think we can assume that if Doloroso is still around, he’ll want to act fast to secure a new La-ti-zal.”

  “The sooner we get to them the better,” Zoe agreed. “And can we send a message letting them know I’m all right? It’s been weeks since I left and I know they must be worried sick about me. I wanted to contact them earlier but things have been so crazy around here, between the coronation and everything else….”

  “I’m afraid it’s been more like several of your solar months for them,” I told her. “As fast as my ship is—and it’s very fast—time moves differently when you’re traveling in space as opposed to being stuck on a planet.”

  “Months?” Zoe’s eyes went wide. “They probably think I’m dead. I wish I could visit them myself. I miss them so much.”

  “I know, sweetheart,” I murmured. “But you know the Star of Compassion can’t leave Eloim and you need to stay here for at least a full solar year to bond with it.”

  “I know.” She reached up to touch the slender silver circlet she wore. “I’m already getting used to its little voice in my mind. It’s become my conscience—like wearing Jiminy Cricket on my head.”

  I ignored her cultural reference, which passed me by as always, and offered a practical solution instead.

  “Maybe whoever we find to watch over your friends can deliver a message that you’re well. You could record it on a crystal memory cube.” I frowned. “Of course, whoever goes will have to wear a mask and drink the saphor compound…unless we can come up with something better to mask his appearance.”

  “I’ll do it.”

  We both looked up at Grav and I could feel Zoe’s surprise echoing my own.

  “Are you sure?” she asked doubtfully. “I mean, even with a disguise, you’re a really big guy by Earth standards. You’d definitely stand out in a crowd.”

  He shrugged. “All I have to do is deliver a memory cube and go right back up to the Commercians’ station. I think I can handle that.”

  “And…you’ll watch over them? For at least a while?” Zoe asked, hesitantly. “I mean, I know the two of you think I’m crazy but I just really feel like Doloroso is still out there, somehow.”

  “I’ll watch ‘em.” Grav offered her a wolfish grin. “It’s what I do—I’m a Protector.”

  “Oh, thank you.” Zoe smiled up at him gratefully and pressed his hand. “I really appreciate it.”

  “I do too,” I said, smiling at him. “Zoe’s friends couldn’t have a better guardian than you.”

  Grav nodded. “I’ll go get my ship outfitted.” He looked at Zoe. “I guess you want me to go as soon as possible?”

  “Yes. Yes, please. I’ll start recording the messages right away.” She pressed her lips together and I could feel her trembling. “And please let us know as soon as you get there and see them that they’re okay. All right?”

  “Will do.” Grav nodded again and gave us a swift salute before walking out the door of the war room. I knew he would be on his way to Earth as soon as his ship was stocked and he had the cubes Zoe would be recording for her friends.

  “There. Grav is going to watch over your friends for a while,” I told her. “Better?”

  She nodded. “Much better. Although I won’t really feel good until we get word back from him that Charlotte and Leah are safe.”

  “He’ll let us know,” I promised. “And Zoe—don’t worry. Everything is going to be all right.”

  “Is it?” She bit her lip in a way that made me want to nibble it too. “I hope so, Sarden. But something tells me this isn’t over yet. Not by a long shot.”

  “I hope you’re wrong about that, sweetheart.” I kissed her, stroking her hair and caressing her cheek.

  “I hope so too,” she whispered and buried her face in my chest. “I hope so too, Sarden. Oh, God—I really do.”

  What’s next for Zoe and her friends? Find out soon in Protected, Leah’s story, and then Descended, Charlotte’s tale, as the Alien Mate Index series continues.

  And don’t forget—stay away from mirrors, spoons, toasters, and any or all reflective surfaces. Earth girls aren’t safe anymore and you never know if you might be the next one chosen from…the Alien Mate Index.

  * * *

  Hugs and Happy Reading to you all,

  Evangeline, May 5, 2016

  Author's note: If you have enjoyed Abducted, please take a moment to leave a review HERE. Good reviews are like gold for an author--they help other readers decide to take a chance on a new book or series. Also, they give me the warm fuzzies. : )

  Thanks! Evangeline

  Excerpt - Protected

  And now, here's a Sneak Peek at Protected, book 2 in the Alien Mate Index.

  Allow me to introduce myself: I’m Grav N’gol. Half Braxian, half Vorn, and one hundred percent son-of-a-bitch. I’m a murderer, an ex-con…and a Protector.

  Some people think a Protector is just a bodyguard for hire but it’s so much more than that—I’ll lay down my life for my ward if I have to, without hesitation.

  Which means I’m damn picky about who I chose to ward.

  Enter Leah Roth, a bewitching little Earth female with silky hair down to her full, curvy ass and big brown eyes a male could easily drown in.

  I know this gig is only temporary—I haven’t even given her my oath. I’m just supposed to make sure she’s okay and then report back.

  So how did she end up on my ship, traveling with me on a top-secret mission?

  And why do I feel like I’m falling for her?

  It doesn’t matter, even if I am. I have a secret in my past—a bloody one that would turn even the kindest and most forgiving heart against me. I have to put distance between the luscious little Earth f
emale and myself, no matter how I long to possess her.

  From my past and from my true nature, Leah must be Protected at all costs.

  Protected

  * * *

  Prologue

  Location: Aboard Assimilation ship EOC-2789, the private vessel of Count Doloroso.

  Time: .05 solar seconds following the departure of invaders who absconded with the Earth female, Zoe McKinley, a known Pure One and La-ti-zal, marked for impregnation of the first organic Assimilated.

  * * *

  The echoes of the invaders boots had scarcely faded from the corridors of the Assimilation ship when a panel in the control room slid aside and a small, silver insect came buzzing out. It paused for a moment to ascertain that the invaders were truly gone, then continued its flight down to the medical suite. It hovered for a moment over the fallen body of its last host, the pink, featureless face twisted almost completely backwards with the blow that had broken its neck.

  The nano-chip inside the silver insect hummed. A waste. But this body had almost outlived its usefulness anyway. It had been chosen for its durability and the great wealth of its previous occupant—both of which had been almost exhausted. The Assimilation had been hoping to make it last until another of the correct kind became available. Only a body of one of the Twelve Peoples, those grown from seeds scattered by the Ancient Ones, had long term compatibility with an Assimilation mind.

  But though no such organic body was available, there were a few “burner bodies” stored in the stasis booths located in the hold. The silver insect buzzed its way towards the hold and the large doors slid open soundlessly to admit it.

  In front of the first stasis booth, the insect hovered, waiting patiently as the organic unit inside was brought slowly back from the suspended animation it had been held in for the last fifty cycles.