The Lasaran (Aldebarian Alliance Book 1)

by Dianne Duvall

  Just family at one of their private retreats.

  Still holding Abby, he crossed to Lisa. “Ready?”

  “Hell no.”

  He laughed. “Let’s go.”

  Lisa’s heart pounded as the ramp lowered. Ari’k and the royal guard descended first, ever vigilant in their determination to protect them.

  When she hesitated to follow, Taelon settled his free hand on her lower back and gave her a little nudge.

  Crisp clean air greeted her, a cool breeze lifting her hair and dragging it back from her face. It smells so good, she thought. Much better than the polluted air on Earth or the recycled air on the ships. Bright sunlight fell upon her as they left the cover of the transport. She squinted, unused to it after being on one ship or another out in space for half a year. But her eyes soon adjusted and widened as she took in her surroundings.

  A beautiful sea-green ocean on her left stretched toward a distant horizon, the water amazingly clear. The last time she had managed a trip to the beach in Texas, the water had been a murky brown you couldn’t see through and littered with little pieces of plastic debris that had scraped her calves and ankles when she’d walked through the shallows.

  The sand on this beach was so pale it was almost white. Little gray birds scuttled across it on short black legs, poking their beaks into the sand and gulping down whatever tasty morsels they found.

  “Look up,” Taelon told her, a smile in his voice.

  She tilted her head back and squinted up. The sky boasted a single sun and was the same blue it was on Earth. She had expected that since the two planets possessed very similar atmospheres. What she had not expected was to see two planets where she would ordinarily only see a distant moon. Two planets that looked inhabitable with green continents and blue oceans.

  “Planets,” she whispered with wonder.

  “Those aren’t planets. They’re two of the moons we’ve terraformed.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “Those are moons? That’s amazing!” Still adjusting to the brightness of the sun, she lowered her gaze and took in the rest of her new world.

  The white beach sand stretched across and shook hands with the lush green grass on which the transport had landed. Straight ahead, the sand met dense forest. While the trees’ leaves were a familiar green, some sported bright yellow flowers, others vibrant purple. And the bark…

  She stared. The smooth bark of some of the trees appeared to be painted with haphazard strokes of yellow, green, and blue. One even had splashes of red.

  She looked up at Taelon. “You paint the tree bark?” Was it a cultural thing?

  His grin widened. “No. That’s the natural color of the bark. It peels away in thick strips we use to make a variety of things. Jewelry. Colorful figurines. Games pieces. Toys for the few children we have. Baskets. Planters. We also extract the pigment from the bark to use as natural dyes for fabric.”

  Coolest trees ever. To her right, Lisa found rolling hills carpeted with masses of flowers of multiple colors that gradually grew into more forest that led to snowcapped mountains.

  “We’re fortunate,” Taelon murmured. “We’ve arrived during the season you would call spring, so everything is blooming and you can experience the full beauty of Lasara.”

  In the center of the closest hill rested a large beige two-story home. The architecture differed from what she was accustomed to, nearly blending in with the tress, but the basic structure was familiar.

  “What do you think?” Taelon asked.

  “It’s beautiful,” she breathed. “All of it.”

  He pressed a kiss to her temple. “I hoped you’d like it.”

  A throat cleared somewhere in the distance. “Can we come out now?” a male called. “Father is having a srul of a time holding Mother back.”

  “Language!” a woman snapped.

  Taelon laughed. “Yes.”

  Several adults stepped from a patch of forest down the beach.

  Lisa looked up at Taelon and raised her brows.

  “My family,” he said with a grin. “I asked them not to all converge upon you the moment we stepped off the ship so you could take a moment to see your new home.”

  Anxiety returned with a vengeance as she watched them approach.

  Three males she recognized as his brothers—Duras, Gefen, and Levik—strode toward them with broad grins. She had spoken with them many times over the ship’s comms and marveled anew at how much they resembled Taelon. Levik could practically pass as his twin.

  A petite woman shouldered the brothers aside and hurried past them.

  The brothers all laughed as they watched her.

  Slender, with red hair and a lovely face very similar to Amiriska’s, the queen of Lasara looked young enough to pass for their sister if one discounted the hint of gray at her temples. She wore a long dress that featured short sleeves, hugged her slender torso, and flared into a long skirt that reached her ankles. But the long skirt didn’t slow her down a bit as she barreled toward them with impressive speed.

  A muscular man with auburn hair that grayed at his temples jogged after her. “Adiransia, remember what Taelon said! Don’t frighten the poor girl!”

  Taelon’s mother waved a hand in dismissal.

  Lisa looked up at Taelon. “Let me take Abby.” His mother was probably eager to hold her son after being parted from him for so long.

  “Actually, it would be better if Ari’k held her.” He passed the baby to the stoic Yona warrior.

  “Why?”

  “You’ll see.”

  Moments later, his mother slammed into him full speed, nearly knocking him down.

  Laughing, Taelon stumbled back a step before regaining his balance and hugging her. “It’s good to see you, too, Mother.”

  She was small next to him, no more than five feet tall. “We nearly lost you.” Her voice was choked with tears. “Twice.”

  Lisa expected her to cling to Taelon for quite a long time.

  Instead, the queen released him, turned, and drew Lisa into an equally tight hug. “We nearly lost you, too. I’m so glad you all made it home safely.” There was no less emotion in her voice than when she’d spoken to her son.

  Stunned, Lisa hugged her back.

  The king caught up to them and pulled Taelon into a hearty hug. “Good to have you home, boy.”

  “Good to be home,” Taelon replied with a smile, clapping his father on the back.

  The king stepped back and turned to Lisa and the queen. His brow puckered. “Adiransia, don’t suffocate our daughter before I get a chance to greet her.”

  Lisa stared. Their daughter?

  The queen loosened her hold and stepped back, her nose pink, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  The king shook his head and offered her an indulgent smile before stepping forward and pulling Lisa into a gentle hug. When he stepped back, he cleared his throat. A hint of color entered his cheeks. “Taelon assured us that you would not be offended by such a personal greeting.”

  She smiled. “Not at all. Thank you.”

  The brothers arrived then and all claimed hearty hugs from Taelon before greeting Lisa with gentle hugs, embracing her as though they feared she might break if they held her too tight.

  Amusement banished much of her anxiety. All of them were very friendly and welcoming, displaying not even a hint of displeasure over Taelon marrying a woman from a planet they considered backward and barbaric and who was pretty far down the social ladder.

  Her spirit lightening, she took Abby from Ari’k and turned to her mother-in-law. “Would you like to meet your granddaughter?”

  The joy that filled every face warmed Lisa’s heart.

  Abby paid them little attention. She had spent almost her entire life aboard a ship with no bright sunshine, no breeze, no trees, and certainly no colorful birds flying overhead. When the wind brushed against her and ruffled her hair, she squinted her eyes, then giggled and waved her arms, looking around as if trying to determine who was blowin
g on her.

  Taelon’s mother held her, then his father, then his brothers.

  Taelon arched a brow at his mother. “I see fashion has changed in my absence. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you bare your arms before.”

  Apparently on Lasara, women’s garments usually covered them from their neck to their wrists and ankles. The men’s often did, too. Yet the queen’s dress bore short sleeves and a conservative V-shaped neckline.

  Pink crept into Adiransia’s cheeks as she tilted her chin up. “I’m starting a new trend.”

  The king chuckled as he reclaimed Abby. “She has scandalized the masses with her pale, perfect skin.”

  The queen swatted him on the shoulder, then moved to stand beside Lisa, looping an arm around her waist. “I noticed when we spoke to Lisa on the Akselian ship that our daughter likes to wear short sleeves. I wanted her to feel comfortable.”

  Like her husband, she used the word daughter. And the way she gave Lisa’s waist a little squeeze in a half hug reminded Lisa so much of her mother that tears sprang to her eyes. How often had her mom stood with her like this while bantering with and teasing her dad?

  Grief and gratitude both washing over her, Lisa turned to Adiransia and wrapped her up in a tight hug. Though she tried to blink them back, tears spilled over her lashes and dampened the queen’s shoulder.

  Adiransia patted her back. “Did I say something wrong?” she whispered.

  “No,” Taelon assured her. His big palm settled on Lisa’s back and slid up and down in a soothing caress. “Lisa’s mother died of an illness two years ago. She lost her father a year later and has no other family.”

  “Oh no,” the queen murmured, tightening her hold on Lisa. “But you do have other family,” she added. “You have us.”

  “Thank you.” Lisa straightened and wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m so embarrassed.”

  But the men looked far from uncomfortable. The king smiled kindly while Abby took turns patting his cheek and reaching up toward the birds that flew past.

  “Don’t be,” Duras said with a grin.

  Levik nodded. “If anyone should be embarrassed, it’s Taelon.”

  Gefen rubbed his hands together with glee. “And he will be. We have sooooo many humiliating stories to share with you.”

  “So many,” the others agreed.

  Taelon groaned.

  Lisa laughed.

  Smiling, he wrapped an arm around her and pressed a kiss to her temple. Are you okay? he asked telepathically.

  Better than okay, she replied.

  With her new family closing in around them—the brothers each vying to see who would be the first to share an embarrassing tale from Taelon’s past—Lisa strode toward the home in the distance, ready to begin her new life with her family on Lasara.

  FROM THE AUTHOR

  Thank you for reading The Lasaran. I hope you enjoyed Lisa and Taelon’s story.

  If you’re curious about my Immortal Guardians family and would like to know more about Amiriska, you can witness her early months on Earth in Darkness Dawns (Immortal Guardians: Book 1) and watch her come into her own as a warrior and fall in love with Marcus in Night Reigns (Immortal Guardians: Book 2).

  If you enjoyed this book, please consider rating or reviewing it at an online retailer of your choice. I appreciate your support so much and am always thrilled when I see that one of my books made a reader happy. Ratings and reviews are also an excellent way to recommend an author’s books, create word of mouth, and help other readers find new favorites.

  If you’d like to find out what happens next in the Aldebarian Alliance series, keep reading for a sneak peek into The Segonian, Aldebarian Alliance: Book 2.

  THE SEGONIAN

  Aldebarian Alliance

  Book 2

  Somewhere in the distance a voice spoke, dragging Eliana toward consciousness. She moaned as pain inundated her. The left side of her face and body burned as though flames seared it. Every time she drew in a breath, sharp spikes seemed to drive themselves into her rib cage.

  Clenching her teeth, she kept her eyelids squeezed shut and hoped the agony would pass.

  The voice spoke again. Male. His words incomprehensible.

  “What?” she whispered, trying to make sense of his speech.

  He addressed her once more, but she had no more luck deciphering his words.

  “What?” she muttered again. “I don’t…” Her thoughts remained muddled. “I don’t understand. Do you speak English? I can’t understand you.”

  A pause ensued. Then another male spoke, his voice deep and resonant. “This is Commander Dagon of the Ranasura. Our allies the Lasarans lost contact with the Kandovar and have enlisted our aid in searching for it. Are you from Earth?”

  “From Earth?” she repeated. “Earth as opposed to where?” Her mind and body finally adjusted to the pain enough for her to open her eyes. When she did, her heart slammed against her broken ribs and sheer terror swept through her. “Oh shit.”

  Endless dark space stretched before her, stars twinkling in the distance. She glanced down.

  “Oh shit!” And she was free floating through it in nothing but a baggy spacesuit and helmet. No ship. No escape pod. Just a freaking suit!

  Her breath quickened. “Where…?” She frantically looked around as much as she could and saw only a few jagged pieces of metal. “What the hell? What happened?”

  “You are one of the Earthlings who was on board the Kandovar? You are from Earth?”

  “Yes. I’m from Earth. What happened? Where the hell is the ship?”

  Memory slowly returned. She remembered being on the Lasaran ship. She had been serving as one of the guards for the gifted ones who were traveling to Lasara. The journey was supposed to take thirteen months or thereabouts. She’d spent the first four immersing herself in Lasaran culture. It had been amazing. Then alarms had suddenly blared and the ship had begun to shake.

  “Can you tell me where you are?” the man asked.

  “No. Where’s the ship? What happened? Are you Lasaran or Yona?”

  “I am Segonian. We are allies of the Lasarans and received a distress call indicating one of their ships was attacked while passing through a qhov’rum.”

  A qhov’rum. Right. That was the wormhole-like tunnel that had been propelling them toward Lasara. “Where are they? Are they okay?” And how the hell had she gotten separated from everyone else?

  “The Lasaran sovereign fears the ship was destroyed. The last data it transmitted indicated that escape pods were being deployed. But none have yet been recovered because they were flung out of the qhov’rum at different increments, scattering them across vast sectors of space. All allies of the Lasarans are currently searching for survivors.”

  Eliana stared through her clear visor. No escape pods surrounded her. “I don’t see anything.”

  “We can lock onto your location if you activate the beacon in your escape pod.”

  “What escape pod?” she cried. “There is no escape pod. It’s just me, floating here in a suit!” She didn’t care for the strident note that entered her voice but couldn’t help it. Panic was riding her hard.

  A heavy pause ensued.

  “You aren’t in an escape pod?” he asked, his voice grim.

  “No.”

  Rapid speech erupted, multiple males, conversing in another language.

  The Lasarans had given each of the gifted ones and Immortal Guardians from Earth a universal translator implant that would enable them to decipher most alien languages. But Eliana’s body had rejected it, so she’d had to wear one in her ear like an earbud.

  She must have lost it in the chaos of the attack, because she couldn’t understand a word these men were saying. “Hello?” she called, interrupting them.

  The commander cleared his throat. “I wished to check the accuracy of my language translator. You are not in a pod? You are only protected by a suit?”

  “Yes.”

  “And neither the sh
ip nor any pods are within your view?”

  “Right. There’s nothing.” Although her helmet did limit her view. “Hold on. Let me see if I can twist around and get a better—” As soon as she swiveled her hips in an attempt to turn around, agony shot through her right side, all the way up into her chest. “Ah! Shit!”

  Resting a hand on her side, she held her breath and clenched her teeth.

  “Earthling?” he said sharply. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes.” Maybe the pain would ease if she remained still.

  “You are injured?”

  “I’m fine,” she gritted. But she could feel warm moisture creeping down her right arm, down her side, down her hip, and recognized the signs of bleeding.

  “Earthling—”

  “Eliana,” she corrected. “My name is Eliana.” Even in her current, terrifying circumstances, being called Earthling was just too weird.

  “Are you injured, Eliana?”

  “Yes.”

  “How badly?”

  She glanced down. “I don’t know. I can’t exactly open my suit and take a look, but—judging by the feel of it—I’ve had worse.” Hunting and slaying psychotic vampires on a nightly basis could sometimes result in injuries that would prove fatal to ordinary humans. As an Immortal Guardian, however, she could usually recover from such in anywhere from minutes to a few hours… if she had a goodly supply of blood on hand.

  He spoke softly to someone in that foreign language.

  “What’s happening? I can’t understand you,” she said.

  “Because you have no beacon, we will have to determine your location by tracing your comm signal. Once we do that, we can come to you, but it will take time.”

  “Okay.”

  “How much oxygen do you have left?”

  “I don’t know. How do I find out?”

  “On the left forearm of your suit, there is a flap you can pull back. Can you open it?”

  Though the rest of the suit was baggy, the gloves that covered her hands were made of a stretchy material that reminded her of spandex and weren’t too huge on her. She found a little flap on her left sleeve and pulled. It drew back as though stuck with Velcro, revealing an electronic screen about the size of a cell phone, bracketed by multicolored buttons. “Okay. Now what?”