Zhoryan leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. He exhaled. “You’ve been ordered to move to Chronos Station, on the edge of the second sector, to be our Ambassador to Hurlia.”
Kroga groaned and leaned back. “But there isn’t a Hurlian Ambassador.”
“I know. We aren’t allies with the Hurlians. That will be your cover. I need to you there as head of our intelligence gathering concerning the Hurlians, and the encroachment of the mafia in that sector. This is best done in proximity to their home world. We will give you the title of Hurlian Ambassador as cover.”
“I am mated,” he growled.
“That is why I am here, in person. Melachine and your offspring are of my line. I want you to know I would never send any of you on a risky mission that would put you in jeopardy. Chronos Station is a location that is accepted by The House of Ulmath as an appropriate setting to raise offspring of royal pigment.”
Kroga snorted. “You’ve already asked them for permission?”
Zhoryan grinned. “Of course.”
“Why us? Why can’t you instead send—"
“No,” Zhoryan cut in. “No. There is no one else for this mission with your skills. This is sensitive. You and Melachine together are the best. We need to gather information and yet be prepared to ward off disputes. You are our top spy and she’s our best diplomat. Your mate is an amazing negotiator.”
Kroga smiled, pleased to hear this warrior praise his Bride. He nodded. “She is an amazing negotiator. Remember how she talked down the Creekans during the Kugian incident?”
Zhoryan took a sip of his drink. “Yes. Do you know they teach that now at the Academy as a formal example of perfect Xylan diplomacy? My personal favorite though, was when she managed to stop the Margol riot on Omega station. Remotely. From her birthing chamber!”
Kroga chuckled. “Oh, I remember,” he said, reminiscing over that moment, watching his mate use her patience and wisdom to save all the beings on a distant space station from senseless bloodshed. Not even Xylan enjoyed senseless bloodshed. And then when the vid shut off, she leaned back in her chair and went back to timing her contractions and eventually birthing their second son, Kayzon.
“Does she know that you’re an Imperial spy?”
“No.” At least he didn’t think she did. Sometimes he wasn’t sure…
“We appreciate how deep undercover you are. Your mate might figure things out though when you’re on Chronos Station and lines might become blurred. If so, you are cleared to give her information on a need to know basis.”
He lifted his chin. “Since my mating you’ve promised to keep me off the field.”
“And I have. This position continues to fulfill that promise. You and your immediate line will live a comfortable life on Chronos Station. You will be in charge of our intel in that sector, directing the field missions of our network of spies. You will be reporting directly to the Imperial Warlord of Sector Two.”
Kroga paused and looked down at his drink. He knew what Melachine’s number one question would be. He glanced back up. “You feel this is safe?” he asked. “You would raise your own offspring in this environment?”
Zhoryan nodded. “I would. Chronos Station has a full community of royal pigment. There are temples, more than one holo deck and the atmospheric conditions mimic planetary conditions on Chronos. It is fully armored, with a docking and supply station for the Imperial Military. Basically, it is a forward base fully integrated with civilians, therefore given a very high level of security.”
“You really need us there?” he asked.
“Yes, we do. This order is coming straight from High Command.”
“Hmm,” he rumbled. “I’ll do it. And I’ll convince her to go too.”
Zhoryan blew out a breath. He placed his glass the side table, stood and offered his claw. “Thank you. You know, the two of you make a good team. She softens your edges.”
Kroga grunted his agreement. He stood too and shook Zhoryan’s claw.
“I have to leave.” Zhoryan smiled ruefully. “I must return and let them know your answer, immediately. They’re waiting to hear my full debriefing.”
And then the other male left.
A few minutes later Melachine slid open the door and stuck her head in. “Is he gone?”
Kroga gazed up at his beautiful Bride. The mother of his offspring. The manager of his line. His best friend and life partner. He stood and crossed the room, unable to keep any distance between them.
She crossed the threshold, the door sliding closed behind her. “I can’t believe he didn’t want to talk to me too! What was that all about?”
He tugged her close and looked down into her trusting gaze. “We’re moving,” he announced.
“Wh… what?” she sputtered.
His arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her in, his nose in her hair, inhaling her scent. “We’re moving,” he repeated gently, “to Chronos Station. All four of us will live there and you and I will be co-Ambassadors to Hurlia. The High Command is specifically asking for our assistance.”
“But—"
He covered her objections with his lips on hers, kissing her thoroughly.
Then he lifted his head and looked into her dazed and troubled expression, gazing at the female he loved above all else.
He didn’t know exactly what the future held, but he told her the truth blazing in his two hearts: “I love you Melachine, and I promise this move will be good for us. I will always do whatever is necessary to protect you and our sons and to keep our family safe and happy. All three of you are my hearts. My hearts…”
THE END
Glossary
A glossary of characters and terms found in the Alien Bounty Hunter Series:
Rayzor’s One
Rayzor of Twelve: Former Bounty Hunter. Oldest son of Kroga and Melachine. Mated to Rebecca of One. Banished for ten years from Chronos and his line dispersed. Paying for the sins of his father.
Rebecca of One (Becca): Rayzor’s Bride. Human abducted from the original planet by Rayzor of Twelve. Happily lives on a remote farm in Zamarian Prime with husband and son. Quickly turning their farm into a thriving artisanal business, selling high-quality “real” vegetables and cheese (not produced in a food dispenser) to customers and specialty chefs throughout the four sectors.
Rayzor of Thirteen: Rayzor and Rebecca’s son.
Judge Rankin of Ninety-Six: One of the Judges on-call, managing off-planet disputes in the far reaches of the four sectors that are based upon the Scales of Xylan Law.
Junio of Twenty-Seven: Speaker for Bounty Hunter Union & Guild in all cases involving the Scales of Xylan Law. Fired by the new Bounty Hunter Guild after the shaming “humanoid” incident involving Rayzor’s Bride.
Joyzal’s Prize
Joyzal of Six: Xylan Margol dissatisfied with his lowly status on Chronos. Left his home world to become a Bounty Hunter. Obsessed with maintaining his number one status on the Bounty Hunter Leaderboards. Recent member of the Bounty Hunter Guild. Mated to Jacole of Two. Rayzor’s best friend and competitor. Melachine’s adoptive son. Took in Melachine as the Manager of his line after Kroga’s treason and the banishment of her own line. He kept this a secret from both Melachine and Rayzor for ten years, for their own safety.
Jacole of Two (her great-grandmother was also named Jacole): Abducted from the original planet by slavers. Rescued by Joyzal during a Bounty Hunter mission. Mated to Joyzal of Seventeen. Loves 80’s music. Mother of baby Joy. Became a Bounty Hunter with her husband and also joined the Bounty Hunter Guild. She is often mistaken for a Xylan female of royal pigment.
Melachine (in present time): Joyzal’s adoptive mother. Jacole’s friend and beloved mother-in-law. Grandmother to Rayzor of Thirteen. Mated to the traitor, Kroga of Seventy-Five. Mother of Rayzor and Kayzon. Hasn’t seen her husband or sons in ten years due to her husband’s treason and the subsequent banishment and disbursement of her line.
Lizard lady: Creekan species, which to J
acole appears “lizard-like.” Jacole’s prison-mate and best friend in captivity.
Bird lady: Another badass friend in captivity aboard the slaver. “Bird lady” is Moltovan, which is a matriarchal species. There are twice as many males as females on their planet, therefore all mated couplings involve two males and one female.
Kayzon’s Wish
Kayzon of Twenty-Six: Bounty Hunter. Xylan Ambassador to New Earth. Devout practitioner of the multigod religion. Mated to Kia of One. Second son to Melachine and Kroga. Was banished at the age of fifteen and adopted by a family of lesser caste. His adopted line treated him harshly due to jealousy and the fact that he was the son of the infamous Kroga of Seventy-Five, the warrior who sold secrets to the Hurlians and sparked the Cordovian War. Mated to Kia of One, father of their daughter, Kay of Forty-Two.
Kia of One: Daughter of Mariah and Dago Cho. Born on New Earth. Part human, part Gravian—hence the fact that she’s stronger than most humans. Mated to Kayzon. Became a Bounty Hunter and works with her husband, also assists with Kayzon’s Ambassador duties. Mother to Kay of Forty-Two.
Kay of Forty-two: Daughter of Kia and Kayzon.
Janet: Kia’s sister—two years younger. Part human, part Gravian.
Harmony: Kia’s little sister. Part human, part Gravian.
Mariah: Kia’s mother. Human born on New Earth, married to Dago Cho. Dedicated to working with the Gravians to bring safety and prosperity to New Earth.
Dago Cho: Kia’s father. Priest of the Twelfth Ward and the Thirtieth Line of Multigod of Gravian. Gravian who originally arrived on New Earth as a young man to complete two years of required missionary work. He fell in love with Mariah and chose to stay and commit his life to protecting New Earth from the Hurlains.
Zhoryan of Eighty-Two: Xylan Imperial Warlord of Sector One.
Syrin’s Mate
Syrin of Twenty-Three: President of the Bounty Hunter Guild. Mated to Sara of One. Xylan Berserker who can only be calmed by the scent of his mate.
Sara of One: A human from New Earth. Unfairly accused of a crime she did not commit and thrown into Detention Center Zeta: 149. Syrin’s Bride. System’s Analyst for the Bounty Hunter Guild.
Trax: A Creekan Bounty Hunter. Part of the Bounty Hunter Guild. Syrin’s best friend and also close friend of Rengeli.
Rengeli: A Green-horn Bounty Hunter. Part of the Bounty Hunter Guild. Friend to Trax and Syrin. Trax and Rengeli share a cell together on Detention Center Zeta: 149, next door to Sara and Syrin’s cell.
Kroga of Seventy-Five (present time): The most wanted being in the four sectors. A traitor who sold Xylan secrets to the Hurlians which started the Cordovian War. Escaped from Military custody and ten years later, still wreaks havoc across the four sectors. Wanted by the Bounty Hunters. Recently kidnapped his Bride, Melachine, from the Cargo Bay of the Guild’s ship and disappeared without a trace.
Peerans: A species that most other beings in the four sectors avoid. If Peerans are mentioned in conversation, the response is, “Those asshole Cannibals!” The word “Peeran” is basically a curse word in the four sectors.
Reftakian: A winged humanoid species.
Surellian: Red-skinned species with four arms and green eyes. Very war-like and militaristic. They are well-known for the highly profitable “Zeta prisons” they run throughout the four sectors.
Kroga’s Bride
Melachine (as a young Bride): Second daughter to the Champion and Manager of the ancient and powerful House of Ulmath. Kroga’s Bride. Famous for her skills as an effective negotiator.
Kroga (prior to treason): Member of the Imperial Military (secret Imperial Spy). Xylan Ambassador to Hurlia. Mated to Melachine of Eighteen.
Yeriana: Oldest daughter to the Champion and Manager of the House of Ulmath. Famous physician who cured a dreaded Xylan childhood illness. Bride to the President of the Imperial Military Academy. Sister and best friend to Melachine. Aunt to Rayzor and Kayzon.
Rabline of Thirty-Eight: Melachine, Yeriana and Tayzon’s mother. The manager of the House of Ulmath.
Trayvor: Brother to Yeriana and Melachine. Heir to the Champion of the House of Ulmath.
Warriors’ Claim (The Swirl Book 2)
Trish: Cyborg human female. Born on New Earth. Kidnapped as a child by Hurlians who took her to the Citadel to perform experiments, eventually turning her into a Cyborg. Used as sexual respite by the Citadel’s Hurlian programmers and trained to become the eventual personal bodyguard of the President of Hurlia. Escaped from the Citadel with her three Cyborg brothers and relocated to The Swirl.
Wyric: Eldest brother, therefore by custom the lead Triumvirate. Former Champion of the Xylan Mafia. Mated to Trish of One.
Bex: Former Xylan mafia enforcer. Part of the Xylan Triumvirate mated to Trish of One.
Zaxon: Former head of security for the Xylan mafia. Part of the Xylan Triumvirate mated to Trish of One.
**Good News! Warriors’ Claim connects back with Alien Bounty Hunters storyline. How? Sorry, my lips are sealed. Shh, no spoilers!:))
Xylan Terms
Cabul: The collection of ceremonial and personal weapons all Xylan have in their households.
Breeding Altar: This is where all mating compatibility tests are performed. Lead by a multigod priest.
Clasping stone: The stone pairs place their elbows upon and
Gloves of the unmated: All Xylan who are unmated wear special gloves during this period of their life. Mating receptors are the most sensitive on the claws and fabric must be worn to avoid accidental skin on skin contact.
Forced testing: When a Xylan (male or female) initiates a claiming without the consent of the manager of that Xylan’s line, this is considered a forced testing/claiming. Forced testing is against the Scales of Xylan Law and punishable by death.
The Scales of Xylan Law: The Law that was handed down after the initial fires of Chronos that all Xylan hold dear and follow to the letter.
Honor Code: All Xylan are taught the Honor Code as young children. The Scales of Xylan Law define the rules that broker business, lawfulness and disputes. But the Honor Code defines the societal and personal values all Xylan live by and hold dear.
“I place your honor before mine”: When a Xylan offers to give up their own personal honor and place another’s honor before their own, this is the highest form of deference a Xylan can give. That Xylan is basically willing to die for the other being.
Compatibility test: According to custom (not law, not etiquette, this rule can be broken but rarely is changed) a male Xylan will approach the manager of a female’s line to request testing of compatibility. The manager and
Claiming: When a compatibility testing has proved positive, the couple then moves on to the formal claiming ceremony. If a female is noted by her mate to be in her “Breeding cycle” then the ceremony must be performed immediately for the comfort of the Bride. In order for a mating to be considered legal and binding according to the Scales of Xylan Law a male must spill his seed within the female’s core within the confines of the ceremony. Claimings are recorded for later viewing by friends and family at the post claiming breakfast. The more violent the claiming, the more honor bestowed upon the female. Broken bones and rending of flesh is considered a badge of honor.
Chronos: The main planet where the Xylan species began and lives.
Margol: The designation given to lighter-skinned Xylan. Xylan of Royal Pigment look down upon Margol. Xylan of Royal Pigment, and Margol do not test mating compatibility with each other, in order to keep the lines pure. Meanwhile, Xylan Margol think Xylan of Royal Pigment are snooty bastards and are proud of their heritage and standing. They consider themselves “true Xylan” and the backbone of their society. Xylan Margol are mainly those who live off-planet in mining, Ag outposts and the warriors who fill the Military. They are middle and lower caste on Chronos. Margol are the workers who make the planet run.
Honor ridges: Ridges at the forehead of Xylan. Often threaded with silver. The more si
lver in the ridges, the higher the status.
Royal pigment: Non-Margol pigmentation that is deep as ancient night. The highest level of status in Xylan society.
Xylan introductory etiquette: When a lesser species (meaning all non-Xylan) meet a Xylan for the first time, it is expected the non-Xylan will approach with deference. Xylan will only respond to beings who exhibit proper etiquette, with heads bowed and eyes averted, speaking in formal Xylan. If these rules are not upheld, therefore showing the primitive nature of the approaching being, the Xylan is not bound to reply.
Manager: The female who arranges mating compatibility testing, disputes contracts, and job offerings, etc. for the entire line.
Champion: The male who maintains the honor of the entire line, which often results in honor battles in the Chronos Dome. Also consults with the manager on the arranging of compatibility.
**My editor often tells me I need to standardize the spelling of my words, or that I need to decide whether something should always be either uppercase or lowercase. Case in point: in some books it’s “tranqed” and in others “tranq’d” because I can’t seem to decide, or let’s be truthful, I forgot I used to spell it that way as I went forward! Also, I can never decide upon if “Manager” should be lowercase or uppercase. I like Champion as uppercase because I use it elsewhere, as in Champion of the Mafia. But the word “manager” is a random upper/lowercase mess. “Bride” is sometimes lowercase and sometimes uppercase too. There’s more I’m sure. Ugh. So please allow for error in this and blame it all on me and not my eagle-eyed editor! (Btw her nickname is “Eagle” hence my favorite pun! Lol).
The Alien Bounty Hunters Complete Series: Books 1-8 Page 4
