by Lauren Wood
Earth could easily fight the good fight, but against this type of alien force it would’ve been for nothing. James was thankful that he had enforced his own will, although most of it was bled into his conscience by the alien part of Reina. She was unique, but she wasn’t going to be unique for too much longer.
“I’m watching you in action and I’m really impressed by how easily you move the ship like the grace of a cat.” She fired on two other scout ships and had been given return fire that strafed the hull and left one of her engines incapacitated.
“I need both of you to hold on to something. I’m going to turn off the gravitational pull, so that I can do a G force twist.” She barely got the words out of her mouth, when she turned to find both Jessica and James in their seat like good little soldiers.
The force in which James had taken her the last time was something that Reina could feel all the way down to her toes. Her half breed existence was unknown, but it was about to become a fact of life for her people.
“I’ve gotten word that they have begun their attack on the negotiations. There have been casualties and one marine has died as a result. We need to get to the mother ship.”
“I’ve been working on a cure for the poison and I think that I found a way. It can be instituted into the water and I’ve sent word to the CDC about what to do. We’ve been talking back and forth on the Internet and they have since started to institute a regimen into the diets of all those that have allergies. There still may be some deaths, but it won’t be anywhere near the millions that were predicted. I think that you might find a couple of dozen or even less than that that will fall victim to the poison in their system. It all depends on how long it has had time to incubate in their bodies.” Jessica felt a sense of relief, but being in danger was also making her blood pump just a little bit quicker.
“I’ve underestimated you, Jessica and I don’t think that I will make that mistake again. I’m glad that we are on the same side, even though it wasn’t exactly for the same reasons.” Reina could feel the swimming presence of his seed and it had already adhered to the walls of her sexual ovum. She did feel new life and was sure that things were going to progress quickly. Her alien DNA was helping to push things along. She would probably make it about six months by human standards. Her belly had already filled out and she was feeling uncomfortable, but also slightly energetic by the new life that was feeding into her adrenaline. “I’ve never had any need for children before, but this is different. It was my idea, but James was the one that wasn’t about to take no for an answer. I had reservations, but my mind and his were linked and we became a force to be reckoned with.
“I know that this goes against your better judgment, Reina, but we have no choice. My people have detained the delegation. They are adamant that they are not part of the problem, but the president is taking my advice. She won’t be able to hold them for long, unless of course your government decides to intervene.” James watched, as they approached the mother ship. It was huge and being this close had certainly made him well aware of the fact that they were fighting a losing battle.
“The ship is practically impenetrable. The only way that I’m going to make any sort of dent is to fire on anything that is venting. Those vents are still shielded, but not nearly as much as the rest of the hull.” She avoided the shots from their own weapons and was playing some sort of video game with deadly consequences. She fired on the ship, but she needed somebody else to be in the other seat. Reina turned to see that James had been a man of his word and had decided to put his own unique talents to good use. “I don’t want to do this, but without any form of formal surrender, I don’t see that they’re going to leave me any other way to survive. I’m going to have to blow up the mother ship and hope to god that it doesn’t bring about a retaliation of the likes that this planet will never be able to survive.”
“You look like a woman that has lost her best friend. If you need to take a step back, I’ll be more than happy to take the reins.” James could see that Reina’s alien other half was trying to insert itself. He could understand how hard it was for her to struggle between two worlds. It was already built into her DNA and was probably the reason why she was hell bent on trying to make a difference.
Reina had never had that compulsion to lift a finger against her own people when it came to other worlds that were in jeopardy. This was the only one that made her go against everything that she believed in. The chance at peace seemed unattainable.
“I can’t wait forever. We either do this now, or we risk being obliterated.” She started her attack on the right side of the ship and began to fire with the help of James on anything that looked like a vent. The explosions that ensued began to cripple the mother ship and make it practically defenseless against any sort of attack. “It’s not going to take much more and we’ve been lucky that they haven’t found a way to target us more successfully.” I don’t like this, but it’s necessary for the evolution of my people on both fronts. That feeling of being taken by James and being given the prodigy of his genes is something that I will never forget. I know that we will survive, but it comes at a high price. I’m not sure that I can pay that price without feeling like I have done something drastically wrong.”
“Transport ship numbers 17. This is the emissary. I have received your test results and I’ve confirmed with our own doctors that this is no joke. We have decided to leave this planet in peace, but in the process Reina is no longer permitted to come anywhere near our planet. The Nexus will abide by the codicil that has been part of our heritage forever. Stand down and let us leave, before you take this any further than what you already have.” The words coming through the speaker surprised all three of them, but they stopped in hopes that this was not some sort of trick to lower their guard.
Reina could see that there was hope on the horizon. She decided that discretion was the better part of valor. “We hear you, emissary and with a heavy heart, I will say my goodbyes. Do not make the mistake of coming back here again. We both know that the codicil is irreversible. If for any reason that you doubt my claim, then take the fact that I am pregnant with a hybrid baby of my own, as proof that this planet is now off limits to your kind of barbarism.”
They waited, until the scout ship from down below transferred the prisoners of the alien race back to the ship. Once that was done, both Reina and her two companions would return to the planet’s surface. They didn’t know what kind of welcome they would get, but they were heroes and that afforded them the opportunity to be treated as such. Reina touched her belly and knew that the child was going to be a new way to cement peace and prosperity. The Nexus would not be able to come back without the threat of being called before the tribunal.”
Reina discussed with her new friends James and Jessica the idea that they should be a family together. It wouldn’t be conventional and most people would turn away in disgust, but for them it was the family that they had always wanted. The baby would be born and with it a gene pool that would make sure that those alien races that aligned with the Nexus were made to stand down against earth. War was still common amongst the earthlings, but at least they were safe from alien invasion. For now.
THE END
DRAWN TO ONE MAN
Chapter One
Lydia leaned back and rolled her head from side to side to ease the ache in her shoulders. The letters were piled high on the desk, and she was making little progress. As the mastermind behind Hairy and Fluffy, a dating agency, she had the duty to create the perfect matches. The last meet and greet party turned into a high success. Most of her matches paired up together, and she’d managed to finally pair the elusive Cole Greyson with his mate. It had taken some extra effort to finally get Sasha at the party, but it was well worth the effort.
Maxwell Torrent was now at the top of her list. The alpha lion shifter had refused to settle down, and the lion community was growing uneasy. If he didn’t find his mate soon, they would have to replace him with the second-in-com
mand, and they weren’t keen on that idea. Maxwell was their favorite.
They’d turned to her to find his mate, but it wasn’t easy. As she sifted through the letters of women who wanted to be matched, she hadn’t found anyone that stood out. None were strong enough to withstand the lion’s domineering personality. Most wouldn’t last a night with Maxwell.
“Lydia Jones?”
She looked up to see a brunette standing in the doorway She was tall and curvy with an irritated look on her face. Lydia blinked. She hadn’t heard the bell on the door.
“That’s me. If you want to fill out an application, the paperwork is outside the door. We’re on a waiting list right now, but I might get you in at a fall party,” she said absently.
The brunette laughed. “Oh, no I’m not here for that. My name is Cassie Branders. I’m a reporter for The Weekly Report. My editor would like a human-interest piece on your dating service. Would you be able to do an interview for me?”
Lydia narrowed her eyes. She was keen on reading people, and the vibes coming off this woman were most interesting. “Cassie Branders from the Cassie Column?”
The writer smiled. “So you have heard of me!”
“Yes,” Lydia said slowly. “You tend to write rather strongly worded editorials. Why would you be slated for the human interest story?”
“You caught me,” Cassie said with a frown. “The last column I wrote hinted about the inequality of dating services, and the advertisers were not pleased. I didn’t mean for it to have such a negative response, so I offered to do an in-depth study on one dating service. You have a high success rate of couples meeting at your parties and sticking it out long after the wedding. I’d like to discuss your process.”
Lydia cocked her head. Cassie was known for her independence, her witty words, her talent, and her beauty. An idea started to form in her head. “Are you married or seeing anyone, Cassie?”
Cassie shook her head. “Married to the job, I’m afraid.”
“And have you ever been to one of my parties?”
Again, the lovely brunette shook her head. “It’s by invitation only, correct? I don’t do much dating.”
“I’m putting a party together for Friday evening. Why don’t you come to the party, and then we’ll do there?”
Cassie smiled. “That sounds great.” She offered her card. “Here is all my contact information. Would it be okay if I talked to the guests at the party? I’d like to know what they’re looking for.”
She was making it too easy for Lydia. She took the card and nodded. “I think that would be perfect.”
Cassie nodded and existed the office. Lydia pulled out the invitation and a blank envelope. With an air of satisfaction, she addressed the envelope to Maxwell Torrent. It was time to knock another big name off her list.
Cassie Branders was going to make the perfect lioness.
Chapter Two
Max’s stomach rumbled. He’d been forced to skip out on lunch when his assistant hadn’t showed up, and now that the workday was over, his stomach was demanding some attention.
The breeze rippled through his gold hair as he rolled the window down to grab his mail, and he was torn. Work had been hell, and he really wanted to put on his tennis shoes and do a few miles around the neighborhood, but running on an empty stomach tended to make him even more temperamental.
And Max was not a stand-up guy when his temper got the best of him.
So his shoved a frozen lasagna in the microwave and flipped through his mail while he waited. A black envelope with gold lettering caught his eye, and he frowned.
Hairy and Fluffy Dating Agency
What the hell? Max tossed it aside without bothering to open it. He’d heard of the agency of course. It was big in the shifter community, and rumor had it that they were good. But Max was far too busy to search for a mate. He had his own business to run not to mention a pride to oversee. Even though the pride was demanding that he finally settle down, there simply wasn’t enough time in the day.
In the past, he’d been interested. His former days were filled with women and dreams of a mate and a family, but eventually, all of his flings ended the same. None of them could handle him at his worse, and sometimes, his worse was all he had to offer.
The microwaved beeped, and Max devoured the cardboard tasting meal. Something tugged at his peripheral, and his eyes slid over to the counter.
With a low grown, he snagged the envelope and ripped it open with far more aggression than was necessary.
You are cordially invited to a meet and greet Friday evening. Shifters and carefully sifted human applicants will be there in hopes of finding their true love. Eighty percent of shifters find their mates. Are you ready for yours?
He rolled his eyes. Nonsense. He certainly did not need to find his mate in a room of pumped up testosterone and alphas or alpha wannabees. That’s just a recipe for disaster.
As he tossed the card aside, he flipped over, and he noticed a message on the back.
Maxwell, your pride encourages you to attend.
His eyes widened. The barstool hit the floor as he lunged to his phone. It only took two seconds for his father to pick up. “Before you say anything,” Charles said mildly.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Max hissed. “Is this a threat?”
His father had obviously been waiting for the phone call. “Maxwell, the stipulations for being an alpha are clear. You have to mate. You’re pushing thirty-five and the pride is getting nervous. If you don’t take a wife soon, they’re going to be forced to place Jerome as alpha, and nobody wants that.”
Max gripped the phone. His father wasn’t wrong. The Torrent family had been the alphas of the local tribe for several generations, and it would continue as long as the pride was happy and the alpha took a mate and continued the line. If an alpha died without an heir, the strongest male took over, and while Jerome was the strongest, he was also the most temperamental and unpredictable. It was a recipe for disaster.
“But a Hairy and Fluffy party?” he said as his anger escaped him. He leaned against the counter and dropped his head. “That’s degrading.”
“It’s hardly degrading. That agency has the best reputation in the shifter community. I know you’re busy. They do all the work for you. Just give it a shot.”
Charles had been a great leader, and had he not fallen ill several years ago, he would still be alpha. But the community feared he would not make it, so Max, as the oldest son, took over. Charles recovered, and he had no issues with his son taking over. Max wanted to earn the pride’s respect like his father had earned it.
He wanted his father to proud of him as well.
“Fine,” he muttered. “I’ll go. But we’re going to have some words about personal space at the next meeting,” he snapped.
“Good luck with that,” Charles snorted.
Max hung up the phone and sighed. Shrugging his shoulders to ease the tension, he stripped out of his business clothes and put on his jogging gear. He had quite a bit of frustrations to burn before he tried to take on the dating agency.
Even the pounding of his heels hitting the ground didn’t do anything to release the anxiety he had about potentially meeting his mate. It made him anxious to think that he was meant to be with one person. What if he got it wrong and he picked the wrong woman? What if his woman didn’t like him?
So he ran harder and farther, but before he could completely escape the situation, he turned back around to take a shower and get ready for the damn party.
Chapter Three
Cassie checked everything in her bag. She had her recorder for longer interviews, her notebook, a couple of pens, and her camera. She stepped into her strappy sandals and hung her press badge around her neck. She didn’t want any of the shifters to get any ideas.
“Why are you taking the badge?” her friend asked with a mouth full of ice cream. In her third trimester, Sara was usually found munching on something.
“Because I’m writin
g an article,” Cassie said as she rolled her eyes.
“But you’re single,” Sara said.
“Uh huh.”
“And you haven’t gotten laid in over a year.”
Cassie narrowed her eyes. “Your point?”
“My point is that there are going to be many hunky men at that party. So ditch the press badge and relax. Even if you don’t find Mr. Right, you can still enjoy Mr. Incredible One Night Stand.”
“I didn’t pick the assignment, Sara. You did,” Cassie pointed out.
Her friend and editor smiled. “You were the one who said dating agencies set women back to an age where looks and profits were all that mattered in a marriage. I’m just trying to save your column. But more than that, I also wanted you to see how wrong you are. Dale and I met through a dating agency. Just because you’re not getting any doesn’t mean you have to hate on the people that are.”
“I’m not hating on you. I’m hating on the agencies that profit from people’s ridiculous desire to find love. What are you doing in my house anyways?” Cassie said irritably.
“I wanted cookies and cream, and you always have at least two gallons in your freezer. And I also wanted to make sure you didn’t leave this house dressed in armor.” She pointed to Cassie’s outfit. “Ditch the blazer.”
“It’s work, Sara. It’s work for you. Shouldn’t you want me to keep it professional?”
“You’re my friend as well as my reporter. Besides, how can you truly get the feel for the party if you’re only there as an observer? Go undercover. Find out what the men and women are really like.”
Cassie snorted. “Nice try. The badge and the blazer stay. Don’t eat all my ice cream,” she said as she shouldered her bag.
“Cassie!’ The warning tone in Sara’s voice made Cassie wince. “I’ve known you for a long time. You have to let someone in at some point,” she said softly.
