Her Alien Protector

by Siren Allen

  Lark stopped in front of his cell. She scanned the area and what she found left her speechless. He was gone. Shit. Lark slammed her hand against the bars, ignoring the throbbing pain that immediately followed.

  “Guards.” A second later she heard their boots slamming against the cobblestone floor. They raced to her side.

  “What is it?” One guard asked.

  “What’s wrong with this picture?” Lark asked him.

  Both guards stared into the cell.

  “Shit,” they uttered in unison.

  “Double shit,” Lark yelled, before slamming her hand against the bars again. “Lock this place down and I want the video from this cell, now.”

  The guards rushed to do her bidding. Lark continued staring into the empty cell. She’d come here to apologize, thinking she’d wrongfully accused him of sabotaging her. She wasn’t wrong. He was behind this. And when she found him, she was going to put a wooden bullet in his heart.

  “Hey, Lark.”

  Lark glanced over her shoulder to find Aron, Liam and Fief heading in her direction. Why was Aron here? Liam and Fief were supposed to be contacting two guards for her. What the hell was going on?

  Aron stared over his shoulder at the two guards who were supposed to be rushing to their station to call a lock down. Instead they were just standing there, awaiting orders from… Aron. What the hell?

  “Call the lock down and then join us,” Aron said to the two males. “It’s time.” The two guards smiled and stared at Lark. She swallowed as their heated gazes traveled up and down her form.

  This was not good.

  The Kuiper Belt

  Planet Qoaran

  “Move Nik.”

  Nikolus could feel someone pushing at him. He turned, fangs free, growling.

  “Oh stop,” Dhara shoved at him again. “Move, let me help her.”

  “You cannot,” he whispered. “She’s dead. I knew this would happen.” He spoke low so his guards would not hear him. “It’s the prophecy. I should’ve sent her home and not tried to figure out that dam codex.”

  “No,” Dhara said, still trying to shove him to the side. “You should’ve given her a room in the castle and not put her in the dungeon. Move, Nik, please. I can help her.”

  He stared up at his sister. He could feel the tears in his eyes. They would not fall. He wouldn’t let them. He would not cry over a female he didn’t know. A female who never should’ve showed up here in the first place.

  “Oh Nik,” Dhara wiped his eyes. “I’m so sorry for the words I uttered when I was but a little one.”

  There was no reason for his sister to be sorry. She was a seer. She couldn’t control the prophecies that poured from her lips. His sister ceased trying to move him and instead walked to the other side of the bed. She placed her fingers at Luna’s neck.

  Luna, a beautiful name for a beautiful creature. He’d never told her that. All he’d done was growl at her and imprison her. He’d even drank for her, nearly scaring her to death. In his defense, he hadn’t been able to stop himself.

  That only angered him more, making him want to lash out at her. How dare she be so beautiful, so perfect for him? It was agony. She was a gift he could never open, a treat he could never enjoy. And for that, he’d punished her. This was his fault.

  “She’s not dead, you idiot.”

  Nik blinked, eyes zeroing in on his sister. “Say that again.”

  “She’s not dead, Nik.”

  “Look at her.” He gestured at his mate. “There is no heart beat, there is no movement. Her skin is gray.”

  “There is a pulse, I feel it. It’s faint, but there. Nik, I think your mate is hibernating.”

  “She is no animal.”

  “Animals aren’t the only creatures that hibernate.”

  “But her guards, they died, froze to death. Why didn’t they hibernate?”

  “Her guards didn’t have this around their necks.” Dhara lifted the pendant around Luna’s neck.

  “What does a necklace have to do with this?”

  “I can feel its power. Someone sent her on her trip with a protection spell. Your mate must know a powerful witch.”

  Hope stirred inside of him. “So, are you saying I did not kill her?”

  “Yes, that is exactly what I am saying.” Dhara lifted the blanket and rubbed its fur, causing it to vibrate. It immediately began to grow warm. A low growl hummed from the Dak-blanket.

  “Once the Dak has raised her temperature she will begin to awaken. May we please have her relocated to a room in the castle? You owe her that much.”

  Nik nodded, throat too constricted for him to speak.

  “Are you going to order the guards to do it or should I?”

  He nodded again. He was almost back focused.

  “Oh, you big baby.” His sister stood up. “You want her. You should just keep her. Stop trying to send her away.”

  “But the prophecy…”

  “Let me worry about that. I will figure out a way around it. Until then, be nicer to her and pray to the stars that she forgives you for all you’ve done to her. Poor girl.” Dhara stormed off.

  Nik kept his gaze on the woman called Luna, his mate, his destiny. The woman he was meant to destroy. His sister’s voice called to him from the doorway.

  “I will give you a minute alone with her before I have the guards take her to her new room.”

  “Dhara, have Canon send a transmission to Joston’s craft. Let them know that Luna’s home is in danger. Also let them know that she is safe and will be returning to her home once I receive word that there is no threat there.”

  “But, Nik, she’s your mate.”

  Nik shook his head. “I cannot have a mate.”

  “Nik…”

  “Please, just have Canon send the transmission.”

  “Okay, but know this, I will do everything in my power to fix this for you. You deserve her, you deserve a family. Nik, do you hear me?”

  Nik nodded, not ready to stare away from his mate. His mate. He smiled. For now he could think of her as that. Later, he would continue working on her codex to find out why her guards had brought her here.

  Her landing here was no mistake. Her ship had been programmed to arrive here, her guards had confessed that to him when he’d tortured and compelled them. They’d also confessed that they were traitors working to help overthrow Luna’s home.

  Nik hoped his missive reached his warriors there soon. Raynor, Joston and Kane would be able to help protect Luna’s planet. They had to, because if they didn’t, his mate would not have a home to return to. She had to return home.

  Only death awaited her here.

  Chapter Eleven

  You can do this, Lola told herself as she walked down the corridors of B block.

  Once again no guards had been seated behind the monitors. Where the hell were they? Had Lark been lying to her? Did they have something going on that she didn’t know about? She passed by cells filled with prisoners that hadn’t yet agreed to the enhancements. As a rule, they were given ten solar flares to make up their mind, after that, they were sent to Mercury.

  As she passed their cells they made cat calls at her, even the females. Lola ignored them. There was only one prisoner she was interested in, Joston. Her face heated, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

  He was a fine specimen, from a purely scientific point of view. His skin was pale like the moon of Earth and his body looked like it was carved from granite, well, the parts of his body she could see.

  Like Raynor, Joston had worn a black coat with black pants and a black shirt. Also like Raynor, she’d sent Joston through the sterilization mist and was awarded with a great view. The water had soaked his clothes causing them to cling to him.

  The outline of his abs through his shirt had been impressive. And though she’d tried not to stare at it, she couldn’t miss the other outline… lower on his body… the one that made her blush all over.

  Stop it, she chastised herself
. Crushing on a vampire was not what the new Lola would do. The new Lola was all about her job and her family. She didn’t have time for anything else. Even if she did, she wouldn’t waste that time on a vampire.

  When she finally mated she wanted it to be with someone kind, perhaps one of the medical directors or doctors. She wanted someone who made a difference to those he encountered. Not someone who lived off of those he encountered.

  She found Joston in his cell, standing at the bars with his hands wrapped around the steel rods, like he’d been expecting her. Hands trembling, Lola stopped a few feet away, thankful that she put him in a cell far away from the others. She didn’t want the other prisoners to see her blushing over a vampire.

  “Vampire,” Lola cleared her throat. “I have some questions for you.”

  “I think you have more than just questions for me.”

  “N-no, um I don’t.”

  “Female, I can smell your arousal. Come closer. Let me help you with that.” His expression was serious, but he had to be joking. Right?

  “Was that supposed to be a joke? Because I didn’t find it funny.”

  “I don’t joke. And there’s nothing humorous about your arousal.”

  Lola swallowed. He was serious. He could smell her. How embarrassing. “I-I’m not aroused.” Darn it, she hated stuttering. She took a deep breath, trying to stop her heart from racing. He was forcing her to lie. She would punish herself for that later.

  “You lie, female. We will never lie to each other,” he told her. “That is rule number one.”

  “Rule number one, what are you talking about?”

  “Rule number two,” he ignored her question. “You will never have your witch friend use magic on me again. I do not like it. I do not like witches.”

  “Tough,” Lola shrugged. “I d-don’t care what you like.” Was that a lie? No that was a truth. The new Lola no longer felt sympathy for prisoners like him. Though technically, he wasn’t a prisoner.

  “Rule number three.” He brought his face closer to the bars. “You will care.”

  Time out. Lola felt like she’d just stepped into a black hole. What the heck was going on here?

  “You can’t make me care,” she told him. That only got her another one of his grins as a response. “Seriously,” Lola tried to get him to understand. “That’s not how things work here. I don’t know how it’s done where you’re from, but…”

  “Rule number four,” he cut in. “You will not talk so much.”

  He… did he… Lola could feel her eyes glowing. Did he basically just tell her to shut up? He stared at her, his expression turning to one of awe.

  “Your eyes,” he whispered. “I.. they’re… I like them.”

  And just like that, she was back to blushing, anger diminished. She had a problem.

  “Rule number five…”

  “Seriously.” Lola rolled her eyes.

  “Rule number five, your eyes will always glow like this when you’re around me.”

  “That rule makes no sense.”

  “It does, I said it. It makes all the sense. I want to see your eyes like that, all the time.”

  “I can’t control it.”

  “What do I have to do to make them do that?”

  “You don’t have to do anything. They only glow when I’m really angry, or really aroused…” Lola shut her mouth before she could embarrass herself further. She couldn’t believe she’d just told him that.

  He nodded, not noticing how distressed she was. “Then your eyes will definitely glow around me. I plan to keep you aroused.”

  No grin, he spoke those words like he really meant them.

  “Whatever,” Lola shook her head. “Your rules are pointless. I don’t plan to follow any of them. I’m here to question you. You will answer my questions truthfully or…”

  “Of course I will answer your questions truthfully. Do you not recall rule number one.”

  He was trying to confuse her. That had to be it.

  He sighed, eyes narrowing. “I will tell you rule number one again, and this will be the final time. We will not lie to each other. Remember the rules. I will not constantly remind you of them.”

  Unable to help herself, she asked. “What is it with you and rules?”

  “Without rules there is no order and without order there is chaos.”

  Lola blinked. Did he just quote Stansky, Earth’s greatest astronomer? Her heart raced faster, hands trembled.

  “Your eyes,” he whispered. “They are doing it again.”

  Lola closed her eyes.

  “No, don’t do that. Rule number six, never shut me out…”

  “Oh shut up,” she yelled, trying to control her desires. This wasn’t like her. She worked on bodies all day. Why did this one particular alien make her want to rub against him? Lola opened her eyes.

  “I have to go.” She turned.

  “Don’t you dare leave me? Rule number seven, you will never leave…”

  Lola whirled around. “Rule number one, my rule number one, you do not own me. Therefore, you do not get to tell me…”

  “Yet.” His black eyes swirled.

  “What?”

  “Yet. I do not own you yet.”

  “Ever. You will never ever own me. In fact, according to my sister, I own you.”

  “Correct.”

  “That’s right… wait, what did you say?”

  “You own me.”

  Heat bloomed over her flesh. “Excuse me?”

  Frowning he said, “I do not like repeating myself. Rule number eight, you will listen carefully to all my words. You will understand them the first time. Do you understand this?”

  Lola nodded, only because she was ready to get past all this talking and have him repeat himself.

  “I said you own me. I am yours, for eternity, Lola with the pretty eyes.”

  This guy really had a way with words. Lola had never blushed so much in her life. The things he said and they way he delivered them made her tingle in places that shouldn’t be tingling right now.

  Lola took a deep breath. The device she was holding in her hands trembled. She stared down at it. Wait, her hands were trembling. Nerves, maybe. Being near a deadly creature who wants to own you would make anyone nervous.

  “You’re shaking,” he pointed out the obvious. “But I do not smell fear.”

  There he goes with the sniffing again.

  “I only smell arousal. You’re curious about me, aren’t you, Lola with the pretty eyes?”

  To lie or not to lie.

  “The old Lola would’ve been curious about you,” she told the truth.

  His brows drew together. “The old Lola?”

  “Yes, the one who cared about everyone and wanted to make the world a better place. The new Lola is here to do her job and she will not be distracted by you.” Lola sat her device on the ground, careful not to come too close to the vampire.

  “Rule number nine, you will remain the old Lola. The new Lola sounds boring and unfeeling.”

  Lola switched the device on. “The new Lola understands she has a job to do and must do it.” Lola stared at him.

  This part was going to hurt. Since he wasn’t a willing participant in her little truth expedition, he probably wouldn’t agree to allowing her to stick the needle in his vein. The only other way to get the needle into him was to shoot it in him. A sad smile streaked across her face.

  “Sorry.” Lola raised the gun.

  “What are you doing?” he gripped the bars tightly.

  “The new Lola does what she has to.” Lola pulled the trigger.

  The needle pierced his neck. Joston grabbed the needle and tried to pull it out.

  “Don’t touch it.” She reached for him then pulled her hands back. “It has barbs. They lodge into your skin. Just relax. It will hurt less if you relax.”

  “Rule number ten, when you hurt me, I hurt you back. You’ve hurt me three times now.”

  “Three?”

&nbs
p; Joston snatched the needle out of his neck. Dark red blood bubbled from the wound and flowed down his throat. Lola stumbled backward, fear flooding her system.

  “Yes three.” He grabbed the bars and began to pull and they were actually bending, opening.

  Device forgotten, Lola turned and ran. She could hear him calling after her.

  “There’s nowhere you can hide, pretty eyes. I will always find you.”

  Chapter Twelve

  The Destroyer was free.

  He’d earned the name, The Destroyer, due to the many battles he’d fought and won. The enemy never saw him coming, literally. Raynor strode down the corridor of the dungeon. None of the guards noticed him.

  Cloaked, he could only be seen if he wanted to be. It was a power that had aided him many times. Today, it would aid him in finding out who wanted his mate and her planet enslaved.

  He reached the empty officers’ station at B block. No guards. What the hell was going on around here? What type of place left their prisoners unguarded? Unease threaded through him.

  The guards, were they the ones behind this? Had Lark’s own people turned against her? A low growl rumbled through his chest. He would kill them all if they harmed one hair on her head. He had to find her.

  Raynor turned to leave, and then stopped. He tilted his head to the right and sniffed. Vampires. Joston. And someone else. He sniffed again. Lola. Still invisible, Raynor turned and followed the scent, walking past rows of cells filled with prisoners.

  He ignored them and strode forward until he came to empty cells. Still he walked following the scent. He slowed. Footsteps were racing his way. Lola. He stepped to the side as she ran past him.

  The prisoners she passed called out to her, asking her why she was running. A second later he saw why. Joston came roaring pass him. The vampire slowed for a second, sensing Raynor.

  “Raynor, stay here, we must talk. After I capture my mate.”

  Raynor smiled as Joston passed him. Finding his mate hadn’t dulled Joston’s senses one bit. Raynor wondered if the male had started issuing rules to Lola yet. Joston felt everyone should follow the rules and never step out of line.