Izzie and the Icebeast: A Scifi Alien Romance (Alien Abduction Book 9)

by Honey Phillips

  “Much of it was unpleasant,” he said discouragingly.

  “But not all. And…and you found your mate.”

  “Is that what this is about?” he asked.

  The young male hesitated, then nodded. “At least in part. There are so few females, and my lineage is nothing special. I have no cave with which to impress a female. I thought that if I found work here, I could earn enough to support a mate.”

  Baralt appreciated the fact that Petralt had been honest with him. “There is no guarantee that you will find a mate.”

  “I know. But at least I will have tried.”

  “Very well. You may stay with us while you look for employment.”

  Petralt’s eyes lit with pleasure. “Thank you. This will be a great start to my new life.”

  A week later, Baralt was beginning to regret his offer. Petralt had yet to find a job—or a mate—and grew increasingly despondent. It didn’t help that Isabel worried about the young warrior. She had finally persuaded Baralt to take the male out for a drink to “cheer him up.”

  Baralt didn’t want to go drinking—he wanted to stay home with his mate—but she had finally convinced him. And now Petralt had disappeared from the tavern.

  Damn it. Where had the young fool gone? He tossed a coin at the bartender, then headed out the back door. The alley was empty, the snow too trampled to identify any specific footprints. He tested the air, searching for any sign of Petralt’s scent, but then he heard a muffled cry from the next street. He raced around the corner and came to an abrupt halt.

  A terrible sense of familiarity washed over him. Just as on the night his brother died, a female crouched at the end of the alley, her mouth bleeding and her clothes torn. Petralt stood over her, claws extended, facing four xapx. A short, stocky race with dark fur, they didn’t possess Hothian speed. Individually they would not have been much of a challenge, but four were a different matter, especially if they were a fighting pod, trained since birth to work together.

  “I challenge you,” Petralt snarled, and Baralt’s blood ran cold.

  Akhalt’s voice echoed in his mind, saying the same words just before it all went so horribly wrong. For a moment, he was paralyzed by the memory, but then he saw one of the xapx reach for a weapon, and he roared.

  “No!” Not this time.

  He dove for the male drawing his weapon and caught his arm, breaking it with one sharp movement, then threw him into the wall with a resounding thud. Two of the others turned to him, obviously deeming him the greater threat, while the last one attacked Petralt. Praying that the young male could defend himself while he dealt with the other two, he concentrated on his attackers. One ducked left, and the other moved to the right in a coordinated attack, but he had faced xapx in the pits before, and he knew the one on the left would attack first.

  He pivoted, grabbing the male by the throat and using his body to block the other attacker as he extended his claws and sliced open the male’s stomach. A warm spray of blood coated his fur, and his opponent went limp. Dropping him to the ground, he caught the other male and rammed his head into the nearest wall, knocking him unconscious.

  Searching anxiously for Petralt, he found him standing over the limp body of the final xapx. His arm streamed blood, but he looked more shocked than hurt.

  “He drew a weapon,” Petralt said indignantly. “I challenged him, and he drew a weapon.”

  “We should probably talk about that, but I want to get you back to the house first.” He took a step toward the youngster and winced. Damn, his bad knee had been aggravated by the fight. He would be hobbling home.

  “In a minute.” Petralt bent down over the female. “Are you all right?”

  She looked up at him, her purple eyes huge and frightened, and Baralt suppressed a groan. She was Gliesh, a delicate, pretty race that did not belong on Hothrest. From the besotted way Petralt was staring at her, he wouldn’t agree with Baralt’s assessment.

  “I…” Her hand went to her injured mouth. “I will be fine. Thank you for coming to my rescue.”

  She shivered, and Petralt immediately picked up her pretty, flimsy cloak, then frowned as he placed it around her shoulders.

  “This will not keep you warm.”

  “I know, but Madam Kitula told me to wear it,” she said apologetically and gave him a rueful smile. “I have not been warm since I came to this planet.”

  Petralt looked appalled, quickly removing the cloak from the body at his feet. “Here. It’s not very clean, but it’s warm.”

  “But Madam Kitula…”

  “We can worry about her later. Right now you’re coming home with us so that Baralt’s mate can examine your injuries.”

  She was? Baralt suppressed another groan but didn’t object. He suspected that if he refused, Petralt would insist on remaining with the female and undoubtedly run into more trouble.

  The female still looked hesitant. “But…”

  “Later,” Petralt repeated firmly. “What’s your name?”

  “I am Mei.”

  “And I am Petralt. Would you allow me to assist you?”

  Mei gave him a shy smile, then nodded. Before Baralt could stop him, Petralt reached down and picked her up with his uninjured arm. Both Baralt and the female immediately objected, but Petralt gave a cocky grin.

  “It’s just a flesh wound. I’ll be fine.”

  Baralt suddenly remembered carrying Isabel out of the arena, his body bleeding and his knee about to collapse. He couldn’t deny the young warrior his own moment of triumph.

  “Then let’s go home.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Despite Petralt’s assurance, it was a long, slow walk home, and Baralt saw the youngster’s steps begin to falter. He would have offered to carry the female, but his own knee was stiffening with every step—and he did not want to carry any female other than his mate. Mei looked increasingly worried, but every time she offered to walk, Petralt refused.

  By the time they reached the house, Petralt was on the verge of collapse, but he managed to carry Mei into the living room and gently put her down before his legs gave out and he collapsed at her side.

  “Baralt, is that you?” Isabel appeared at the top of the stairs, already dressed for bed in a silky robe that clung to her soft curves. “Oh my God, you’re bleeding. What happened?”

  “It’s not my blood,” he said quickly. “But Petralt has wounded his arm, and the female may be injured.”

  “What female? Oh.” Her eyes widened as she joined him at the bottom of the stairs and got a good look at the pretty, scantily dressed Mei, kneeling anxiously next to Petralt. “She doesn’t look injured.”

  “I think we were in time, but perhaps you could make sure? In case she was too ashamed to tell us.”

  “Oh no.” Sorrow filled her eyes. “That poor girl.”

  It took a fair amount of persuading to get Petralt to leave Mei long enough for Isabel to talk to her, but he managed in the end. While the females talked, Baralt examined Petralt’s wound. He had lost a considerable amount of blood, but the bullet had passed straight through his arm, and it wouldn’t take him long to heal. Baralt gave him a dose of sothiti and let him return to Mei.

  “Did she tell you anything?” he asked as Isabel rejoined him.

  “She says she’s fine. That Petralt arrived in time. Thank God all of you are all right. What happened?”

  “Petralt found a female to rescue.”

  Her eyes flew to his, and he knew she was remembering the incident with his brother. “Are you really all right?” she asked softly.

  “I am. We both survived.” He looked at Petralt, bent solicitously over Mei. “And I suspect that Petralt has found his mate.”

  Isabel looked a little doubtful. “She seems nice enough but isn’t it awfully quick?” she whispered.

  “It doesn’t take long for a warrior to recognize his mate.” He touched her cheek. “It may take her longer but she seems pleased by his attention.”

  �
�You’re right. In that case, I’m glad they found each other, even if this was a terrible way for it to happen.” She shook her head, then looked back at him. “What about the ones who attacked her?”

  “They are no longer a threat.” He sighed. “But there are always others.”

  “Why? Isn’t there any kind of law and order in Port Eyeja?”

  “I’m afraid not. It’s under Imperial rule.”

  “But the Empire has laws. According to what I read, no one is allowed to attack a female. You know, there’s even a whole section on the rights of slaves—not that either the Derians or Relkhei abided by them.”

  “Unfortunately, the Imperial Patrol has little interest in one small spaceport, so most crimes go unpunished.”

  “Why don’t the Hothians take over? I’m sure you could handle the situation.”

  “Our contract with the Empire states that we are forbidden to interfere.”

  “Forbidden to interfere with Imperial laws, yes—but are you forbidden to enforce them?”

  Her question made him pause, and he tilted his head, considering the idea. “I don’t believe anyone has ever approached it from that aspect before.”

  “Do you have a copy of the contract?”

  “No, but Njkall would.” The possibilities filled him with excitement. If they could make Port Eyeja a safe place… “I will contact him immediately.”

  “It’s official,” Baralt announced a few days later as he joined her in the kitchen.

  “What is?”

  “The Hothians are going to provide law enforcement—Imperial law enforcement—in Port Eyeja.” He hesitated. “I have agreed to lead them.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. “Won’t that be dangerous?”

  “Not as dangerous as being a fighter. Or hunting a paxha,” he said lightly.

  “You’re not helping!” She still remembered the way her heart had stopped when she saw the warrior being carried out of the underground caverns after the hunt.

  His face grew serious as he touched her cheek. “My aria, I have to do this. The job is going to appeal to the young males and they will not be prepared for life outside the caves. If I can save them from what happened to Akhalt, what almost happened to Petralt…”

  How could she argue when she knew how important it was to him to be able to prevent something like his brother’s death from happening again? She took a deep breath and ran her hands up his muscular chest to the broad width of his shoulders, taking comfort in his strength.

  “All right then.” She forced a smile. “At least maybe now you can shut down Madam Kitula.”

  The brothel owner had been to see them twice already, demanding Mei’s return, and Izzie had despised her more each time. It had only taken a short time in Mei’s company before Izzie had realized that the girl was as sweet as she appeared and totally unsuited for that line of work.

  “I’m afraid prostitution isn’t illegal.”

  “Selling your daughter to pay a debt should be,” she said indignantly. Mei’s father had done just that, which was how Mei had ended up in Port Eyeja.

  “It should,” he agreed, and she sighed.

  “What are we going to do? Petralt will never give her up, but Madam Kitula seems equally determined.”

  Laughter danced in his eyes. “Petralt has decided to take Mei back to the caves with him.”

  “Really? What happened to the excitement of the port and wanting to expand his horizons?”

  “I suspect finding a mate is excitement enough for him. I know it was for me.”

  She rewarded him with a kiss that got rapidly out of hand, and she was breathless by the time he finally lifted his head. For someone who had never kissed before, he had certainly mastered the art. From the gleam in his eyes, he intended to do more than just kiss her, but she was determined to get the full story first.

  “Where are they going to live? Didn’t you tell me he didn’t have a family cave?”

  “He doesn’t. I invited him to share ours—if it’s all right with you, of course.”

  “That’s a wonderful idea. There’s plenty of space, and we’re hardly there. It doesn’t seem like Zemma is going back anytime soon either.”

  The tribe had not been as accepting of Strax as they had been of Izzie. Perhaps it was because of the already limited number of females, but Zemma’s announcement that she intended to mate with Strax had been met with cool disapproval.

  When Njkall had promised to speak on her behalf, Zemma had simply shrugged. “I hope that will change with time. At least they haven’t banned us. For right now, we’re going to live in Port Eyeja anyway.”

  With a little help from Baralt, Zemma was officially opening a small jewelry shop. She and Strax would be living above it.

  “As long as I still have my family,” Zemma had continued, “I don’t care what the rest of the tribe thinks.”

  “You will always have us,” Izzie had assured her.

  Now she gave an exaggerated sigh. “Petralt’s moving out. Zemma’s moving out. It’s just going to be the two of us. All alone in this big house. Whatever are we going to do?”

  Baralt’s eyes gleamed. “There are some advantages to having the house to ourselves.”

  “There are?” she asked innocently. “I can’t think of any.”

  “If I need to see my mate’s beauty, there is no one around to stop me.”

  He reached out and flicked a claw across the top of her blouse. The fabric fluttered to the ground, leaving her breasts exposed, her nipples tight with excitement. His gaze traveled over her, leaving a trail of heat behind.

  She stroked a provocative finger along her lower lip. “Did you just want to look at me?”

  “Oh no. I intend to kiss and lick and worship every inch of you. And no one else will hear you when you cry out my name, when you beg me for more, when you bathe my kotra in your sweetness.”

  A trickle of liquid heat slid down her thigh. He wasn’t even touching her, and her body was on fire with longing.

  “You’d better get started,” she whispered. “That might take a while.”

  “All day,” he agreed. “Or even all year. The rest of our lives, even. I love you, Isabel.”

  “I love you too.” She put her hand on his chest, loving the familiar feel of silky fur over firm muscle. “Thank you for saving me.”

  “You saved me too. You brought me home.” He touched her cheek. “You are my home.”

  And then his eyes heated, and he swept her into his arms before he proceeded to make every one of his promises come true.

  Epilogue

  Three months later…

  Baralt didn’t bother to call out when he entered their home—he already knew where he would find Isabel. As he suspected, she was in what had used to be his office, working on the plans for the luxury winter resort the tribe had decided to build. Njkall was overseeing the actual construction, while she came up with the plans and decided on the most appealing options for their future guests. The two of them worked well together. Baralt knew that the older warrior had developed a fatherly affection for Isabel and that relationship had helped her move past her father’s abandonment.

  His own job was going equally well. Although some of the less legitimate establishments had not been pleased, most of the merchants fully supported their efforts. He also found he enjoyed the time he spent with the young warriors on his team, despite their sometimes…impulsive tendencies. But neither the law nor the resort mattered right now.

  “My aria, I have something to tell you.”

  “Yes?” she said absently, still focused on the document on her tablet. “Do you think we should put a roof over the hot springs or leave them open?”

  With a sigh, he took the device out of her hand, picked her up, and then sat down with her on his lap. As always, her closeness awakened his kotra, and her eyes widened as she felt him grow beneath her.

  “That feels more like you have something to show me.” She wiggled against him, and he
almost gave in to temptation, but he had important news.

  “The Derian ship is no more.”

  “The Derian ship—you mean the one that took me from Earth?” Her eyes darkened as they always did at the memory of her time with the slavers. It was one of the reasons that he had asked Varga to track them down.

  “Yes. The crew is dead.”

  “I’m glad,” she said fiercely. “Thank you, Baralt.”

  She reached up to kiss him, but he held her gently in place. “There’s more.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Varga found records indicating that a third human female was also taken.” They knew that Hanna, the female Njkall had recently encountered, had been on board the same ship. They hadn’t known there was yet another female.

  Her eyes widened. “Another one? Oh no. What happened to her?”

  “We don’t know yet. Varga has gone after her. He will find her and bring her here to us.”

  “But it’s been so long. I can’t even imagine how I would have survived if I hadn’t met you.”

  The horrible thought made his arms tighten around her, but his voice was confident. “You would have kept fighting, and you would have survived.”

  “And you’re sure Varga can find her?”

  “I’m sure. He is a very determined male.”

  “Maybe she found someone kind,” she said hopefully.

  “Perhaps.” The universe was a harsh place, but sometimes things worked out.

  “I’ve been thinking,” she said slowly, her fingers playing with the fur on his chest.

  “Those words strike dread into the heart of every male.”

  “Nothing bad, I promise. In fact, I think you might like the idea.”

  “What idea?”

  “If things stay on schedule, your birth control implant will expire about the same time that construction is completed on the resort.”

  His heart pounded. “Yes?”

  “And I thought maybe we could see if cross-species mating between Hothians and humans is successful.”