Without having anything else to go on, I sat with my jaw clenched shut. Not that I would have said anything in front of the other two anyway…
I still hadn’t forgotten that the Andores had raided Jenna’s house. Did Jyan authorize those raids? Probably.
Murda stood and my eyes shot back to his. Turning his back to the room, he stepped behind his chair and faced the side wall. A secret door slid open and he stepped inside, disappearing into the darkness.
As much as I tried to act nonchalant, my mouth gaped slightly. Uncle David must have noticed.
“There’s an elevator to take him to the tunnel under the building, so he may remain unseen as he heads back to Tizun Territory,” he explained, his tone as condescending as ever.
“Why?” I asked, trying to ignore the dual stares of the colonel and Jyan.
David sighed and rubbed his forehead. It was the first time I realized how much effort these meetings took. “The other Humans are scared of him.”
“So you make him hide away?” I demanded, brows drawing close. My anger rose on Murda’s behalf; Uncle David forced Murda to stick to hidden passageways, and for what? To spare a few people’s feelings in the government building?
“Could you imagine the panic that would ensue with his appearance alone?” the colonel asked.
The prejudice toward Murda pissed me off.
“But…”
“Enough! He hasn’t complained, and this is none of your business!”
With the colonel’s ever-changing aura, I clamped my mouth shut. It didn’t ease my outrage, though. After talking with Murda for two nights, I was beginning to see things in a different light. Not only did the Andores taint Humanity’s opinions of the Tizuns, but my own uncle kept them hidden from everyone! Out of sight, out of mind…and unable to rebuke the rumors.
Uncle David relaxed back in his chair; Jyan interlaced long, slender fingers together. Why had I not noticed that his nailbeds were a translucent ivory which almost reached his first knuckle?
“So,” Uncle David began, “the reason I have asked you here.”
My muscles tensed as I waited for him to continue. Jyan sat equally quiet, yet, as I studied his relaxed features, it was obvious that he knew exactly what this was all about. Lucky him.
“The higher ups feel it is in our best interest to have an unbreakable alliance with our new neighbors,” the colonel continued.
Shifting my gaze to him, I snapped, “You already have an alliance.”
Not for the first time, unease raced up my spine, and I shivered internally, dread settling in my gut as I waited for him to drop the bomb on me that I could practically hear like an approaching missile.
“An unbreakable alliance,” he went on. “Our scientists have discovered that there is a chance…” At this, he smashed his lips together, but I wanted to know the rest. A chance at what? Not that I would ask.
“I’m getting ahead of myself,” Uncle David said. “A union between an Andore and Human would strengthen the relationship, making it an unbreakable alliance.”
Oh my God. He had to be talking about me. Why else would he demand my presence? Could he really demand that I marry someone?
NO! I screamed inside my head, heart skipping a beat before going into a full-on wild gallop. Could they hear it thumping away?
“That wouldn’t be unbreakable. Ever heard of divorce?” I asked flippantly.
Oh crap, did I really just ask that?
I shouldn’t have said it aloud but really, to call an alliance “unbreakable” …there was no such thing.
Uncle David leveled icy eyes on me. “The word ‘divorce’ no longer exists.”
Searching his steel gaze, I understood what he meant. Happiness didn’t matter and no matter what, it would be a lifetime-binding arrangement. Unless the unlucky bride killed the bridegroom. Now that was a happy thought.
Or herself, I mused darkly. But personally I’d prefer to kill the demon.
“Who?” I asked breathlessly.
Jyan rose from his chair and stalked around behind me. With one hand circling the base of my neck, he began a slow massage. His touch felt like fire ants running up my arms. I didn’t like it at all. Bending down, he whispered in my ear, “I will enjoy watching you writhe underneath me.” Then he lightly scraped his fingernail over my shoulder and down my arm.
All facades shoved aside, I exploded from the chair and backed away from him. My eyes darted frantically between the two men before landing on Uncle David. “You can’t do this to me!”
“Calm down, Millicent. I will give you time to get to know each other first.”
Shifting like a caged animal about to flee, I asked, “How much time?”
Uncle David nodded once to Jyan, obviously leaving it up to him. “I will let you speak with Colonel Petroff privately.”
With that, Jyan headed out the door.
As soon as it shut, I screamed at him. “Are you out of your fucking mind? I can’t marry him!”
His blood pressure visibly rose, his aura dark brown tinged with blood red. Slowly he stood, walking over with precision until we were almost face-to-face. At least he had to look up a little.
With one fat finger jabbed in my face, he sneered, “You listen here, you little bitch. You will either agree to this courtship and union, or I will give you to him right now. Do you know what that would mean?” I gave my head a quick shake. “You are his property and he can do whatever he wants, even give you over to his men as a plaything.”
The color and emotion drained from my face and a cold, calculating killer stood in front of him. Uncle David—now known only as the colonel—did know what the Andores were doing to the other women. And not only did he know, he seemed to approve.
“Why?” I asked calmly without inflection. “I’m your niece. Why would you do that?”
I really didn’t understand. I might not like the colonel, hell, I loathed him. But I would never do something intentionally cruel to anyone, especially when they didn’t deserve it.
“I saw the way everyone looked at me, even my sister before she passed away. The sideways glances, the whispers. I was never a part of the family. Hell, to be honest, I never wanted to be. And you my dear…” His eyes roamed over my body in languid fashion, and a shiver of revulsion made the hairs on my arms stand up. “…are exquisite. I knew that Jyan would jump at the chance to have you.”
“He doesn’t know me.”
“Yes, you’re correct,” the colonel continued with a satisfactory sneer. “But I watched the way his eyes drunk you in. And as I took my seat, he nodded his agreement to the union.”
It took all my strength to remain rooted in place; all I wanted to do was cut his throat and run from the building screaming like a banshee. Instead, I straightened my shoulders and lifted my chin. When I slipped my hand into my pocket, my fingers wrapped around the call thing Murda had given me. But now, I had no idea if he’d even bother to help me. Who knew what he thought of me now? Finding me in the colonel’s office had probably sent his mind reeling. It did mine. But if I had to, I’d certainly give it a try and hoped he came, if only to seek answers.
To get out of this horrible predicament now, I needed to relax and think. We had a small window to “get to know each other;” I still had time to figure a way out of this horrid situation.
“What do you say?” The colonel crossed his arms, his mouth set in a firm line.
“It looks as if I don’t have a choice.”
His lips tipped into a cruel smile. “Smart girl.”
I hated him—hated him—at that moment, and more than I ever thought possible.
“Go on, Jyan is waiting for you.” He waved me out as if I was nothing more than an irritating distraction.
One more look at the man who used to be family—even if I didn’t claim him—before I turned on my heels and stalked away. One day I’d get the chance to turn the tables, and when I did, there would be no mercy for him.
Throwing open th
e heavy door, Jyan pushed away from the wall and straightened, a smug look on his face.
“Shall we go?”
I waved my hand for him to lead the way. Walking two steps behind him, I fought back the tears. Then I became angry with myself. Crying was for the weak, and I was no weakling.
As I followed Jyan down the hallway to the stairs, I didn’t miss the dreamy looks he got from other women as they passed us. It was almost comical. Anyone of them would be over-the-moon to marry Jyan, so why me?
But I already knew the answer. David would now have family ties to the Andores, giving him the upper hand. At least with the government officials. So this facade of a union would not only strengthen the alliance between the two races, it would strengthen David’s position as well.
Bastard!
As we stepped outside, the sun warmed my face. How could such a beautiful day become the second worst day of my life?
Following aimlessly like a good little dog, I finally asked, “Where are we going?”
6
Millicent
One good solid escape plan was all I needed. Just one. To be so close to Jyan set me on edge, and not in a good way. If I didn’t find a way out of this mess, I would be sleeping with the enemy. Literally.
This wedding is never going to happen! I told myself firmly. I’ll kill the bastard first.
“I want to show you my territory,” he replied, startling me; I’d forgotten I’d asked the question.
I fought the snide remarks, hesitated, then followed him to the solar board. An oval-shaped platform with an aluminum bar that could carry one to six people, depending on the size. Jyan opened the bar door and reluctantly, I stepped in and held on.
I never did like using those things. It felt unstable as we whipped over trees then dipped down, heading away from the familiar. Leaving Human Territory with this demon disguised as an angel scared the hell out of me.
When we finally arrived, the solar board lowered to the center of a town, where a square area of grass surrounded a large, ten-foot high, mostly naked statue of Jyan.
Climbing off, I may have gawked at all the Adonis lookalikes walking by.
How can one species be so damn good-looking, yet so evil? I wondered. Are they secretly shape shifters, transformed into the epitome of drop-dead alien gorgeous?
As I followed Jyan, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up in revulsion when his hand snaked around my shoulder and pulled me against his side. I did not want him touching me!
It took every bit of effort not to react.
Trying to ignore the hand wrapped around my bicep, I took a good look around. Behind tall buildings at least ten stories high, sat smaller round ones only reaching one and two stories. Gardens with varying types of vegetables, large trees, and an array of flowers filled the spaces in between. With the use of solar boards, there was no need for pavement. Only Humans still used cars at times, even though gas supplies were extremely limited.
Studying the men, not all had the dark aura like Jyan, which surprised me somewhat. I’d never seen an Andore with a light gray, until now. My view of their species softened a little, but just barely.
I’d always assumed they were all the same, especially after witnessing the…
I won’t go there, I thought, inhaling deeply. I can’t. Not while I’m in their territory.
Taking a slow breath in, I asked, “What is this place?”
Nodding left, he replied, “The large ivory-domed building is something like your government building.”
“You work there?”
“Something like that,” he answered cryptically.
Wanting him to explain further, I pressed on. “I don’t understand.”
“Work is not the word I would use.”
Torn from a desire to pressure him for information and a need to be finished with this, I reminded myself that the more information I had, the better.
“What word would you use?”
“Rule.”
“As in absolute?”
He hesitated for about half a second. “Yes. My word is law, as it is with most worlds.”
“Except ours.”
“That is correct. Earth’s government has several people who need to approve any decision. It slows down process, and makes it difficult to get anything accomplished.”
I snorted, unladylike. “Now that I can agree with. However, it’s needed to keep balance.”
“Such as?”
“All that power in the hands of one person—maybe the wrong person—can be damaging to the world.”
There it was, I’d said it: nobody should have absolute power. It had been proven throughout history time and time again.
Jyan’s gaze slid my way, but he never changed facial expressions. I had a sneaking suspicion that he didn’t like my unladylike reaction or the way I felt about his rule. Not that I cared.
“And yet your Earth had several rulers and still managed to destroy almost everything.”
Okay, he has me there, I thought irritably. Still, maybe it’s okay for some people on other planets to have an absolute ruler… but not Jyan.
Never Jyan with his barbarian ways. We’d fought for equal rights centuries ago and in a few short years, he and his people had destroyed almost every advancement we’d ever made. Yes, the protector thing still irritated the hell out of me.
At least he doesn’t control the Human Territory, I thought. And this union between us will never happen. Never! This is merely a reconnaissance mission to garner as much info as possible. That’s all.
Two guards were posted at each door of a select few buildings. They stood at attention, firearms holstered on their left hips.
Eyes slid my way as we passed by. It surprised me to see how many of the Andores had a decent aura, unlike Jyan, who was constantly surrounded by black or occasionally charcoal.
Heading into a restaurant, Jyan pulled the chair out for me. I sat and he pushed it forward.
“What do you think so far?” he asked, his aura turning slightly lighter.
“It’s very nice here,” I admitted, stretching my neck both directions, cataloging as much information as possible.
“Thank you.”
Broaching the subject, I needed to know what his plans were. I mean, Jyan was a good-looking guy and any woman (besides me) would love to marry him. But this was no romance, and I knew it.
“About the union, why would you want to go through with it? I mean, you could have your choice of wives, why would you settle for me?”
His eyes sparkled with an intensity as he held my gaze, before traveling down my body. Heat flared in his eyes, making my stomach clench as I swallowed down the bile that burned my throat.
“What makes you think I am settling?”
Taking a sip of water, I swallowed, then lifted my chin. “You don’t know me.”
“That does not matter.”
“What if we don’t get along?”
“I love a good fight.” His eyes flashed and somehow, I knew he was talking about sex. “Tell me Millicent, have you had many lovers?” My cheeks flushed hot and he laughed. Not a pleasant laugh; it was more like…satisfaction. “No, I suppose not. I will enjoy breaking you in.”
Breaking me in? I don’t think so!
“Why me?” I almost demanded.
“The same reason Colonel Petroff wants this union to happen.”
Swallowing down more bile, I couldn’t make myself ask any more questions. To be honest, I didn’t want to know whatever his twisted mind had planned. It was irrelevant at this point.
After eating an incredible meal and making uncomfortable chitchat, he pulled my chair back and we continued the tour.
My mind kept straying back to Murda. Did he think I was a part of their plans and had been leading him on? Not that it mattered. I had my own agenda and it didn’t include men, marriage, or kids.
It focused solely on revenge.
We’d been walking around for about an hour, when I spotte
d him coming our way. My blood ran cold as my heart stuttered, before kicking up a notch.
I’d never forget his shaggy blond hair and the large broad shoulders—larger than most Andores—but it was those icy eyes that haunted my nightmares most, and shot fear straight down my spine.
Every step in my direction made my hands tremble slightly. I clasped them behind my back, trying not to shrink behind Jyan.
One foot away, feet planted firmly in front of Jyan, his gaze kept drifting toward me.
I knew him.
He knew me.
His shifty eyes confirmed that spark of recognition: he was trying to place me.
My mind automatically flew back to the night that this Andore destroyed my entire world.
Literally.
They hadn’t made contact with Earth officials yet, but there had been reports of strange humanoid men taking women. Most people, including me, ignored it. Let’s face it, people always made shit up. That had been proven time and time again throughout history.
And then I saw him for myself.
It was late one evening when I’d decided to visit Mom and Dad. The sun was setting, casting a light gray shadow over the smog-filled, mostly destroyed city. I topped a small hill and smiled when I spotted their tiny brick house way off in the distance.
And then…a scream. Not one of those, ‘Oh, you scared me’ screams; I’m talking about a terrified, ‘This is it, oh my God!’ scream.
I froze, then scanned the area before taking off at a dead sprint. My heart thumped in panic, sweat beaded my brow. I wasn’t much of a runner, and definitely not in shape at the time.
That’s when I saw him and hesitated, my steps faltering a little as I watched what I thought was just some random guy. He was forcibly trying to take a blonde-haired woman and my dad, the stand-up guy that he was, tried to help.
“Let her go!” he yelled as he marched toward the guy.
Mom stood off to the side, hugging my twelve year old-brother. I began walking briskly in their direction, when the kidnapper pulled out the longest fucking knife I’d ever seen and stabbed my dad with barely a glance.
Falling for the Alien Prince Page 5
