Aliens Of Jenalk: The Complete Series (Books 1-4)

by Maia Starr

  The doors opened and the entire audience stood up. Silence came over the vast, echoing arena. I walked with Thaedon as he held my hand high in the air. I felt like a bride being led down an aisle between all the people. There was a grand stage with two chairs set up. I swallowed hard. Did he expect me to sit at his side? This is crazy.

  I followed his lead. He kept walking, holding my hand tightly as though he knew that I did not want to go up there. I climbed the stairs with him. He placed me in front of the chair and nodded at me. I narrowed my eyes at him in disapproval of him not telling me this was what was going to happen. He gave me a big, sideways, mischievous grin.

  I sat down in the chair and he sat beside me. Then a leader of ceremony began to speak and recite the battle of Belvenreed. It was a battle that was fast becoming an epic tale. I looked down at the crowd before me and I saw the surprise that Thaedon had placed for me. Right there in the front row were the Loki sisters. They both had angry pouts on their faces and their arms crossed in anger. I smiled at them. I looked at Thaedon and he smiled at me. He knew that this was my opportunity for pay back. My presence at his side was giving the sisters their comeuppance for their mistreatment of me for so many years. They would now have to deal with seeing me at the side of their leader. It was the best revenge possible. I savored every second of it.

  After the honoring ceremony, things could not have been any better for me. I had become the mate of the master and I was falling hard for him. He had not yet told me he loved me and I wanted to tell him I did every day, but I could not. Then everything changed.

  I found out that I was pregnant. I had heard that it was possible for a human female to be impregnated by a Kalazaron, but it was rare. I was so happy I could burst. As soon as I found out, I went to Thaedon’s council chamber to tell him. I stood outside the door and heard my name, so I stopped.

  “Ella Capricio. You have had your fun with the human female. But it is time for you to keep her in a captive slave state and nothing else. You should find a Kalazaron female to make you a proper mate. It is expected of you,” a familiar voice said through the door. Hearing the words hurt me. I knew that Thaedon was constantly being lectured about me, but I thought after the ceremony where he made it clear that he wanted me by having me sit by his side on the stage that he would be left to his own devices on the matter. I was wrong.

  Then I heard Thaedon respond, “So you have said before, and I heard you the first time you said it loud and clear. Don’t you know that I know that I cannot be with a human because I’m the master?”

  I gasped and quickly covered my mouth to keep me from bursting into loud cries. I moved away from the door and ran back to the elevator. I made it back to the living quarters as fast as I could. I heard it from Thaedon himself. He could not be with me. It was not allowed. It was the worst timing, because I was carrying his child. I would have to keep it a secret. I would have to keep our baby a secret until I could figure out what to do.

  Chapter 10

  MASTER THAEDON KREE

  I was tired of hearing the same issue over and over, especially from Consulate Dalik Moscurn. I much preferred the company of his cousin, General Rendor Moscurn at the Belvenreed Outpost. Here the consulate was in my council chambers once more telling me that I could not be with Ella.

  “Ella Capricio. You have had your fun with the human female. But it is time for you to keep her in a captive slave state and nothing else. You should find a Kalazaron female to make you a proper mate. It is expected of you.”

  “So you have said before, and I heard you the first time you said it loud and clear. Don’t you know that I know that I cannot be with a human because I’m the master?”

  “No, you do not seem to know it.”

  “Because I don’t expect it. I have my advisor Huine Srit scouring the rules, and so far there is nothing that says a master cannot make a human female his true mate,” I said in response. I was so tired of hearing this from him. This hypocrite was in love with a human female and everyone knew the story of how hard it was for them to be together, but they prevailed. Now, he was trying to keep me from mine, simply on the grounds that I was the master. I would not have it.

  “It is not about the known rules. It is simply about what it right. What kind of model do you make to the female Kalazaron that you perhaps find them not to be as good as the human females? At least take a Kalazaron as a wife and keep the human slave as a lover. That is accepted.”

  “I won’t do that to Ella. I am disappointed with you, Consulate Moscurn. Must I have your human taken from you to remind you that you will do anything to keep her?”

  His face went stone cold. “Over my dead body,” he said in restrained anger.

  “That is what I thought. Now, if you have nothing else to discuss about matters of the day, then you are dismissed and I will hear no more of my personal life. That is my decision, and my decision only. If you have not realized by now, I do things like no other master has done in the past. Perhaps it is time for a change.”

  He walked out and I felt complete anger that my word as master was not being taken seriously when it came to Ella. What more would I have to do? I had proven myself in battles of intellect in the Stanis Trials. I had proven myself on the battlefield at the Belvenreed Outpost. Of course what I said would be done, but it was under scrutiny. I didn’t want to subject Ella to that. She deserved better. I deserved better.

  I made my way back to the living quarters. I’d had enough of being the master for the day. I walked in and found Ella sitting at the vast wall of windows, staring off in the distance with distinct sadness on her face.

  “What is it? You seem very upset,” I said as I put my hand on her shoulder.

  “What do you think I would be doing if I were at the Outpost still? I was actually happy there. Being here is very… complex.”

  “What do you mean? Are you saying you don’t want to be here? Where is this coming from?” I was confused. Where the hell was this coming from? First I had to get it from the Consulate, now I was getting it from Ella herself.

  “It was just something I was thinking about.”

  “No, I’m not going to take that for an answer. Something else is happening. Tell me,” I said, squatting down next to her. Tears fell from her eyes and she was silent.

  “Tell me. I can’t help if you don’t tell me,” I said in anger. She got up and ran to the bedroom and shut me out. I was frustrated.

  “Master Kree,” the intercom radio buzzed in.

  I walked to the panel and answered, “Yes this is Master Kree.”

  “Fraon Loki is requesting an audience with you.”

  “Send him to my council chamber.”

  I pulled on my cloak and left the living quarters. What the hell did the ass want? He had been the cause of Ella’s mistreatment and I had a mind to punish him for it, but I could not. Being cruel to a human was not grounds for punishment. I walked in and he had a smug look on his face.

  “What is it, Loki?” I asked.

  “I have news. I am going to appeal the transfer of ownership over the human female.”

  “What?!” I roared.

  “Appeal. I have grounds to do it. My brother and I had not exactly settled the transfer yet when you took her from him. So he had no right to give her to you. The transfer should have been with me.”

  “Fine, then I will have new documents marked up for transfer of ownership from you to me. I am able to do this as master; you do understand that?” I narrowed my eyes at him. Anyone threatening to take Ella from me would get my complete wrath.

  “Yes, I am aware. Are you aware that an appeal can take years, mixed up in the courts? While that appeal is in progress, it is customary for the property to be in the custody of the original owner while it is sorted out. That could be a couple of years of Ella with us while it is sorted.”

  I did not know if this was true. I would have to have Huine Srit look into it that very second. But Fraon Loki was there because he want
ed something.

  “What do you want Loki?”

  “I will give you ownership of the human girl in trade,” he responded.

  “In trade for what?”

  “I do not think I got what this human female is really valued at. You seem to place a very high value on her.”

  “How much do you want? Tell me and get out.”

  “It is not how much, but WHAT I want. You have taken my slave and you can have her if you will marry one of my daughters as your true Kalazaron mate. Otherwise I will appeal and the slave will be given back into my ownership until it is decided. The courts are slow especially when they are run by my friends.”

  “But I’m the master!”

  “Yes, a master that is already being questioned for your rogue ways. You wouldn’t want to do more to have the public question your grasp on the position.”

  “Get out!” I shouted. He left with a huge grin on his face.

  “Send Huine Srit up here, now!” I yelled into the communication radio.

  Chapter 11

  ELLA CAPRICIO

  I went to the market for an escape. I needed to be away from Thaedon for a while because I was holding a secret. I was going to let that secret out at any moment if he kept pressing me. But after I overheard him say he could not be with me, I knew that I had to come up with a plan. If he did not want me in his life any longer, then I needed to find somewhere that I was accepted so that I could have this baby in peace. One thought crossed my mind, and that was Belvenreed.

  I had been happy there for a couple of days, and I was given freedom. I trusted Dr. Lavender Prost and the other human females and knew that I could possibly talk Thaedon into putting me into the ownership of General Rendor Moscurn. I knew that Rendor would not want real ownership of me and would let me be content to live at the Outpost and work in the reconstructionist building. It broke my heart to think I would be without Thaedon, but I had to think ahead now that I knew he had plans to marry a real Kalazaron.

  “Well look what we have here. If it isn’t the ugly human female, Ella,” I heard a familiar voice that ran chills up my spine.

  I turned to see Soko Loki standing there with Maris Loki in the market. I would not run. I would face them. They didn’t own me anymore, and I had no reason to hold back my tongue.

  “Leave me alone, you jealous, awful creatures,” I said as I turned to walk away.

  “How dare you speak to your owners like that. You know what the punishment will be. What should we do Soko? Cut off her hair?” Maris said.

  “Yes, and maybe cut her face too,” Soko laughed.

  “I do not belong to you anymore,” I narrowed my eyes at them.

  Soko gasped at Maris as she said, “Oh, Maris, I don’t think she knows yet. I guess her sex toy has not told her yet.”

  “Told me what?” I said feeling my stomach turn.

  “Father went to him and told him that the transfer of ownership was not final yet. We had it looked into. You officially still belong to us and if father puts in for an appeal, you will be back living with us at our quarters.”

  My eyes grew wide and I wanted to run from them in that second back to Belvenreed. But what they said next was really the worst of it.

  “Yes, but don’t worry; father has made a deal with the master. Master Kree can keep you as his human toy if he agrees to marry one of us,” Maris said.

  “Yes, so you see, you will still be slave to one of us; it is just a matter of if it will be in our old living quarters, or our new quarters as wife to the master,” Soko said.

  I could not stand it anymore. Tears flowed from my eyes and I ran from them. I heard them laughing as I ran. Was it true? It could not be. But I did over hear Thaedon say so myself that he could not have a human wife. This was such a mess, and I was the only one that knew I was pregnant. Now I would be forced to live with one of the sisters as my owner once more and watch her be romantically involved with the warrior that I loved. No, I could not last through such a life. I was strong, but not that strong. I ran back to the living quarters. I was going to pack what I could and find a way to escape before any of it could happen.

  Chapter 12

  MASTER THAEDON KREE

  “I am right. He cannot take her from me?” I asked Huine Srit.

  “No, after tags have been replaced, the slave is rightfully yours. He could file the appeal, but as the master you have the power to deny it as soon as it is filed. He has nothing,” Huine said.

  I sighed in relief. I needed to tell Ella. I had kept it from her but now I had other arrangements that would keep any Kalazaron from ever questioning her position in my life.

  “And the other arrangement? I am ready to do it tomorrow. Is everything in place?” I asked.

  “Yes, all is ready.”

  “We will be there tomorrow. I must go to her now.”

  I walked into the living quarters to find Ella packing a bag. I was confused and shocked and a little bit angry.

  "Ella, what are you doing? Are you trying to run?"

  She stopped and looked at me stunned. It was clear that she was not expecting me to come back to the living quarters this early in the day. Her face was stained with tears and her eyes were red, as though she had been crying for hours.

  "That is it. I have had enough. You are going to tell me what is going on. You have been acting strange for a while now. We were so happy after the Belvenreed Outpost. I know that something is wrong and you were keeping it from me. Where do you think you are going?"

  "What do you care? You cannot have me anyway. You cannot truly have me the way you can have a Kalazaron female. I heard you say so yourself in the council room. You cannot be with a human female; it is not right for the master to do so. I am better off at the Belvenreed Outpost where I can have some sort of freedom. You must let me go. I will not be owned by the Loki family again, especially if one of the sisters is your wife. You cannot put me through that, Thaedon. I beg you."

  She was shaking with fear. I pulled her into my arms and hugged her. "Ella, I would not do such a thing. Where did you hear of this?"

  "I ran into the Loki sisters in the market. They said their father had negotiated for one of them to marry you. I did not get the details, but they seemed to be saying the truth."

  I could have slapped those sisters for making my sweet Ella become so frantic and hurt.

  "It is true that their father approached me and tried to take you from me. He tried to negotiate a trade that I marry one of his daughters in order to gain full ownership of you. But my advisor looked into it; we now know that he can do no such thing. You are mine. And I mean to make it even more official tomorrow, if you will have me."

  "What do you mean?"

  "It is all set up tomorrow. We must do it in secret. I have been facing opposition about being your mate because I am master. But because I am master, I am going to do what I want. We will do it in secret, and then no one can do anything about it."

  "Do what in secret?" she asked me.

  "Ella, will you marry me? Will you be my wife? I love you so much. I cannot be without you."

  "Thaedon, do you really mean it?"

  "I do. The arrangements have all been made. We are to meet in the morning where the ceremony will take place in secret."

  "Yes. Yes, I will marry you."

  I kissed her. I kissed her passionately and deeply. I laid her on the bed. I moved my body over hers and rested my weight on her. She quickly pushed her hands against my chest in panic and said, "You must not put weight on my belly."

  "What? Ella, why not? Are you sick?" I asked her, searching her face and feeling worried. This was news to me.

  "No, not exactly. I am carrying your child, Thaedon."

  I was shocked into silence. I rolled off of her and lay beside her. I laid my hand on top of her stomach as she stared at me.

  "Say something, Thaedon. Please say something," she said to me.

  "It is unbelievable. Do you know how rare it is for this to ha
ppen?" I said to her as I was in complete shock that this was even possible. I had only heard of it happening once or twice before, and none of that was recorded. There had been rumors that it had happened at the Blue Mountain rebel base years before.

  "So I have heard. But it is true. I have known for some time, but I did not think that you wanted me. I did not think you wanted me as a proper wife, so I kept it a secret."

  It hurt me to hear her say those words. She had been dealing with this alone. "Ella, I want this. I am very happy. I have done many things that no other Kalazaron master has done before. Let us just add this to that list. You will be my wife and you will have my child. We shall be happy."