The New King: An Alien War Romance (Galactic Order Book 5)

by Erin Raegan

  Rydvyra stood beside me as I rinsed the last marble bowl, then she dried it. “I would love to visit you, Mohna.” She turned to me with a smile. “I very much enjoyed learning how to make a kuhpkahyk. Perhaps you would want to show me more Earth foods? I would love to show you a few of mine.”

  I bit my lip. “I would really like that.”

  Learning more about the foods here would be cool. Isin’s repertoire was pretty limited to this part of the world, but Rydvyra had told me how she liked to travel and how varied the foods were all around Home World. She also knew recipes they’d picked up from other species.

  She said the castle used to serve all kinds of dishes but Aryx hadn’t been a fan of finer dining and so that had stopped when he took the throne. Uthyf seemed the opposite, and I didn’t think he’d mind if Rydvyra helped me spruce up the menus.

  We chatted for a little while, then everyone went their seperate ways, agreeing to meet in the morning and bring the cupcakes down to the booth Uthyf had asked to be made available.

  Uthyf met us downstairs and escorted us into the barren streets. He looked tired and a little preoccupied but greeted us warmly.

  From there, we were loaded into the small flyer and traveled about a mile farther into the city. This time when we landed, it wasn’t on the ground but on a balcony attached to a long, wide building on the side of a mountain. I had heard of these homes, caves that had been widened. Peyton lived in one. I gently shook Lydia and Roxanne awake, and we stepped off the ship behind Uthyf.

  The cave home was just as colorful as his room at the castle. So very different from the décor I was used to seeing. Lydia and Roxanne looked around in awe at the high ceilings and bright tapestries. There were no stuffed alien heads like in his room but I didn’t doubt they were hiding somewhere in the home.

  “This is where I stay when visiting Ilyndahdus,” Uthyf said as he showed us each to a room.

  “Why is your rooms so different from everywhere else?” I asked, fingering a shimmery tapestry depicting some kind of crazy alien space battle in my room.

  Uthyf looked at the tapestry thoughtfully. “As a youngling, I traveled. It is rare as a Dahk to leave Home World when not in battle. But after serving in my father’s army, I was starved for worlds outside my own.”

  “So these are like souvenirs from the places you went?” What had that been like? Traveling the galaxy, meeting aliens, seeing worlds all over. I couldn’t comprehend it. The danger or the beauty.

  Uthyf nodded, watching my hand as I ran it over the stitching of a fish-like monster attacking an army of insect-like aliens. It was a horrifying picture, but also weirdly beautiful.

  I pulled at a lock of my hair and peeked at him over my shoulder. “And the heads? In your rooms at the castle?”

  Uthyf chuckled and looked down at his feet, almost shyly. It was kind of cute. I bit my lip and looked away from him. “I am a warrior at heart. I traveled to explore but that does not mean I did not meet enemies on my adventures.”

  I nodded, swallowing heavily. It was peaceful with him like this. Talking to him. There was something here that scared me but not enough to avoid it. It felt invigorating. Being near him was dangerous but exciting. Like jumping out of a plane. I was too scared to jump but knew if I did it would be the most exciting experience of my life.

  “If they bother you, I can have them removed.” He said gently, quietly.

  “They don’t bother me,” I whispered, avoiding his eyes. Not anymore they didn’t. I suddenly wanted to go back and inspect each head. Imagining his adventures. I didn’t what that said about me. My grandfather, the hunter, would be proud. My mother likely horrified.

  We were quiet as we looked at the tapestries on the walls. We looked at each other, then quickly away.

  I didn’t know what to do with this Uthyf. It was hard to see him as a king, as the hard-ass I had always viewed him as when he was like this with me. It was new and I liked it. But I didn’t know what to do with that.

  Uthyf cleared his throat and looked back at the door. “Sleep well, Mohna.”

  I smiled tiredly at him as he left and climbed right into bed tossing and turning. My thoughts raced through my mind. I couldn’t seem to find sleep. I was anxious about the next day and how the Dahk would react to our cupcakes, plus I was in a strange place. It didn’t help that this room had a balcony without doors. Balcony doors were a new addition in the castle, but this place had never housed a human so it didn’t have them. It was also brighter here than the castle. The stones outside glowed inside the dark room, lighting it. I tossed and turned and pulled the blankets over my head.

  I got out of the bed, sighing. Gryl was even wide awake, staring at the balcony. He watched me as I got closer.

  “I can’t sleep in here,” I said.

  “Too open?” He nodded toward the balcony.

  “Yeah.” I sighed and rubbed my eyes.

  “Come on.” He held out his arm toward the bedroom door, and Yeln followed us out.

  “Is Zybyl meeting up with you guys?” I asked. They had to get some sleep too.

  “He’s here. Arrived this eve.”

  “Why are you both up then?”

  Gryl grinned. “Same as you.”

  “Oh.” We walked along the short hall and down a flight of stairs. “Gryl, how did you guys get this job? Become a guard, I mean.”

  Gryl made a thoughtful sound. “All the king’s guard were once members of the army. Most of us chose to leave and protect our king.”

  “Do you like it?”

  He nodded. “It brings great honor to my father’s House.”

  “Even guarding a human?” My words sounded a little bitter, but not as much as they would have a week ago. Even a few days ago.

  Gryl chuckled. “I left the army to serve my king, but it was not all that urged me home.”

  “What else?”

  We stopped in a sitting room, and Gryl pointed at a satin-covered bench. “I wished to mate, to sire a son.”

  I plopped down and curled into a ball, settling my chin on my knees. “You want to start a family?”

  He nodded. “But it is not so easy. You know of Lieutenant Haytu and his many mates, his son Vyndor and his many mates, and so many others. But how many of the king’s guard leave the castle? How many house their mates in the king’s home?”

  My brows scrunched down, and I picked at my bottom lip. I couldn’t recall any of the many guards I had seen with a mate or talking about a mate. Definitely not Gryl or Yeln or Zybyl. They lived in the castle. Members of Uthyf’s House. In fact, they spent nearly all their time guarding me. God, that had to be boring day in and day out.

  Gryl sighed and looked at a small glowing toyl stone. “The king’s council are each blessed with many mates. As are others with a higher ranking. But for most, it is hard to find a mate. Our females look for wealth and security. I cannot provide what other Dahk can. If I were blessed with a mate, she would live with me in the castle. She would not have wealth and a large House. She would live a modest life. It is hard to find a female willing to settle.”

  Wow, that sounded familiar. The Dahk females weren’t so different from most women back home.

  “I wish for one mate, not many.” He continued in a soft voice. “I wish for a companion. If I was blessed with a babe, I would rejoice, but I would not look for another mate if mine could not give me a babe.”

  “You don’t want more than one mate?” I asked, shocked. How many mates you had was a symbol of status here. It was why Peyton and Bailey’s arrival had caused such a stir. Tahk and the others had lost respect by announcing they would never take another mate.

  Gryl smiled grimly. “I dishonor no one. My first father mated my mother and she was the only one. He did not have the wealth to lure another, and they are happy. Their affection for each other grows every sunring. Those who are raised in a large House expect to create one of their own. I was not, so I do not.”

  “Wow. When you find her, she�
�s going to be one lucky girl.”

  Gryl flushed, but his eyes dimmed. He looked so unbelievably sad. “I have searched for a long time and I have not found her. Dahk females are rare, and one who would look upon me as my mother does my father is even rarer.”

  I blinked away tears. Dahk like Haytu were sitting high with all their wives, while guys like Gryl would feel lucky with just one. I wondered how many Dahk on Home World felt the same way. I looked at him closely.

  “You want human women accepted here,” I stated.

  Gryl, like so many other guards at the castle, wanted a human mate. But I had misjudged them. They didn’t see us a prize or a kink. They saw us as a chance at happiness. If human women were accepted, maybe our species could come together and give the little guys a chance. It wasn’t just about finding a Pythe; it was about finding a mate. Whether she be Dahk or human. It didn’t matter to him so long as she cared for him.

  Gryl nodded. “I am honored to guard you and provide you safety, Mohna, do not ever feel that it brings me dishonor. If my mate is out there, waiting for me, and she is human, then I must prepare my world for her arrival.”

  “You want to go to Earth?”

  He nodded again. I looked at Yeln, since he was so closely listening. He nodded too, flushing. Oh boy, if Dahk like Gryl and Yeln showed up looking to woo women, the men of Earth were in serious trouble.

  “Any human woman would be lucky to have you,” I told them, and I meant it.

  Some women looked for money or power, but most of us wanted safety, happiness. Someone who made our heart pound. Gryl was already devoted to his mate and he hadn’t even met her yet. He would have to pry off girls left and right if he showed up on Earth talking like this and looking as ridiculously muscled as he did. He was an alien, yeah, but that cat was out of the bag back home. It wouldn’t take much time for most women to see how seriously hot an alien could be.

  Gryl grinned and patted the bench by my leg. “Rest here, Mohna. I will not sleep this eve. You are safe.”

  I lay down and stared off into the hallway. I stiffened.

  Uthyf was there, in the shadows, and he was watching me. How long had he been snooping? How much had he heard? Would he look down on Gryl and Yeln for wanting a human?

  I watched him as he watched me for a long time until my eyes drifted shut, never once saying anything.

  Then he followed me into my dreams.

  12

  Mona

  I slapped Gryl’s hand for the millionth time and growled at him. He chuckled and licked his fingers. That was the third cupcake he’d ruined.

  Uthyf stood outside of our booth and greeted every Dahk who came to try a cupcake. There weren’t many. I was pretty sure the twelve Dahk we had gotten had only come over because Uthyf was there.

  I pulled my hair back from my face and twisted it into a knot, holding it there. It wasn’t exactly hot, but it was pleasantly warm and I loved it. Still, my hair was sweaty—mostly from nerves. Our cupcakes were pretty and the Dahk certainly stared at them, but none of them wanted to try any.

  Lydia was pouting on a stool, her chin in her hand. She had been so excited this morning when she ran down the stairs and announced she was doing our hair. I had three tiny braids holding back the front of my hair, and Roxanne’s was in a fancy up-do. Uthyf had given us each a brand-new gown with fancy threading in a shimmery fabric. For the first time in a while, I felt pretty. I hadn’t been able to wait to give away our cupcakes.

  But it had been two hours and no one was biting. So much time and effort had gone into them, and it hurt that no one seemed to want to try one. Even our helpers seemed disappointed. Though our guards had no problem stealing some when we weren’t looking.

  Uthyf looked at me over his shoulder again. He had been doing that a lot today. Ever since I had come down in my new gown with my braided hair. He hadn’t said anything, but I knew by the way his eyes flared that he liked how I looked. It made me hot all over, and a little nervous.

  Roxanne sighed and scowled at the Dahk passing our booth. “This is dumb. What are we going to do with all these cupcakes?”

  “Dump them,” Lydia muttered morosely. Gryl and Lohr shot her an appalled look.

  “I think it’s us,” I said. The Dahk were curious enough to walk by, but the moment they spotted us, they moved on. They wanted nothing to do with human cakes. I really, really wanted the Dahk to try them. I would hate it if we had to throw them out. “Maybe if we left, they would try them?”

  Uthyf made a sound in the back of his throat. “No.”

  “I want to see what everyone else is trading. Let’s leave them here and go look around.” I stepped away from the booth and walked to Uthyf. Maybe the cupcakes would be gone when we got back. “Please?”

  The Dahk in the booth beside us watched me warily. I smiled at him and looked at all the meat he was cooking. It was on sticks and glazed with something that smelled so good, my stomach was growling.

  Uthyf scowled at me. I took a hesitant step toward the next booth, and when Uthyf didn’t stop me, I took another. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the meat booth.

  “Hi.” I smiled.

  The Dahk looked at my mouth and wrinkled his brow.

  “I’m Mona.” I waved awkwardly, hoping he wasn’t staring at the scars on my face. They were light but I knew they were visible. Most days they didn’t bother me. But I was already a strange human. A scarred strange human was worse.

  Gryl quickly translated my introduction and I understood he was among those who hadn’t gotten his translator updated. It made me uncomfortable, but I couldn’t assume that was because he hated us. Maybe he hadn’t been able to yet.

  He lifted his hand and hesitantly waved back. Then Lydia skidded to a stop beside me as if she had been running. She panted and introduced herself too.

  The Dahk pointed at several of his meats.

  “What do you have to trade?”

  I looked down and patted my hips. “Oh.”

  A deep purple hand moved past my shoulder and set a cupcake on the male’s booth. I looked over my shoulder. Uthyf stood behind me, staring at the male with challenge in his eyes. The male swallowed heavily and looked between the three of us. Hesitantly, he picked up the cupcake and sniffed it.

  I held my breath. When he took a bite, his brow scrunched and his lips pinched. Lydia grabbed my arm and dug her nails into the skin, but I didn’t even flinch.

  He swallowed, then a wide grin spread across his mouth. He crowed and took another bite, devouring the cupcake. Then he was handing us sticks of meat and nodding happily. “A fine trade.”

  I smiled and slid a chunk of meat off the stick with my teeth, groaning. My eyes rolled in the back of my head. It was unbelievable. Uthyf needed this guy to come cook at the castle. Not that Isin would allow it. The male grinned, and we walked back to our booth. Lydia shared her stick with Roxanne while I loaded up a tray of cupcakes.

  “What are you doing?” Roxanne asked.

  I grinned. “We’re trading.”

  Lydia smiled and filled a tray of her own. I passed mine to Gryl and filled another. Uthyf watched me with a small smile until I shoved a tray in his arms. Haytu came up and grabbed Lydia’s.

  “Impressive,” Haytu murmured, watching the meat trader.

  The male was gesturing to a group of Dahk wildly and pointing at us.

  Uthyf didn’t utter a word of protest as I moved down the street to another booth. We looked a little funny, considering a group of over twenty guards followed us.

  Dahk stopped and stared and waved at Uthyf, but I was on a mission. One by one, we visited the booths and handed out cupcakes. As the trays emptied of cupcakes, they filled up with things the traders gave back. One or two Dahk didn’t try our cakes, but most, after a little hesitation, took a bite. Most likely intimidated by their king. But in the end, they told us how great they were and handed over meats and cheeses and fruits. One female gave me several silver beads for my hair, even g
oing so far as to slide one on my braid. Lydia got a beautiful shawl, and Roxanne received the most amazing bouquet of flowers.

  And the food. There was so much of it, and it was all amazing. Guards took our trays back to our booth and returned with them full of cupcakes. It wasn’t long before the passing Dahk were stopping to grab one right off our trays.

  I was never far from Uthyf or Gryl’s side—and he was as tense as Uthyf as they got closer—but Uthyf didn’t stop them or us. He let us talk with the Dahk and mingle. I was loving every second of it. Which was new for me. But I wasn’t going to question it. For the first time in a long time I was having fun.

  One little male dahkling, no taller than my knee, followed us for a while, tugging on my skirts for cake. I was hesitant to give him more than one, but his mother smiled at me and nodded, so I kept him with me. He helped me hand out some of them. When his mother finally called him away, his fingers and mouth were coated in frosting. He swiped some on her lips, and she laughed and smiled at me.

  I had one cake left on my tray when a booth out of the corner of my eye stopped me. A young male had rows and rows of finely carved marble statues. Uthyf caught me looking and walked over. I followed him.

  “My king.” The male bowed and smiled, flushing. “My lady.”

  My cheeks heated, and I fingered a small statue at the edge of his booth. It was a beautiful replica of the castle, so detailed it took my breath away.

  The male plucked it from the counter and held it out to me. “For you.”

  I smiled and handed him the cupcake. It seemed wholly inadequate. He must have spent days on the statue. “I wish I had something more for you.”