Cold Attraction

by Zoe Ashwood

  Cold Attraction

  A SciFi Alien Romance

  Zoe Ashwood

  Copyright © 2019 by Zoe Ashwood

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Edited by Emmy Ellis (StudioENP)

  Proofread by Lori Parks (LesCourt Author Services)

  Cover by Elle Thorpe (Images for Authors)

  Created with Vellum

  For my husband, who

  discussed alien planets with me.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Zoe Ashwood

  1

  Adriana

  “All crew report to positions. Countdown to landing: seventeen minutes.”

  The loud tinny voice echoed through the speakers, startling Adriana into a twitch. Since she was in the process of applying cherry-red lipstick, this meant she now had a smudge of color drawn outside her lip line. Cursing under her breath, she wiped it all off and reapplied. Then she studied her reflection in the mirror and decided it would have to do for now.

  No way was she missing landing on an alien planet because she was obsessing over lipstick.

  Now, some people might say that putting on makeup before disembarking on a world where no human had ever walked before was an unnecessary affectation. But those people didn’t see the sneer that Captain Taron ad Naals gave her the last time she saw him in the ship’s corridor. She would look fabulous and put-together for their next meeting.

  Not that it was easy to look fabulous when wearing two layers of thermal clothes, snow pants, snow boots, and a thick down parka. Adriana was concerned about fitting through doorways with this much gear on. But since they were entering Rendian atmosphere at the time of their late autumn, this was the only way for humans to survive. Daytime temperatures were way below freezing, they’d been told, and nights got even colder.

  It would be an experience to write home about. Literally. She intended to compose an article about the alien society and publish it the moment she returned to Earth in three months. It would be the making of her academic career. She might even get a book deal out of it.

  That should be enough to impress Mom and Dad. The thought was insidious and unwelcome—and the therapist she’d been required to see during her preparation for this mission had urged her to stop making decisions based on her parents’ wishes. She was an independent woman, one of the best scholars in her field. This was the chance of a lifetime, and she would make the most of it.

  She swiped her electronic cuff over the control panel, and the door of her cramped cabin slid noiselessly to the side, revealing the controlled chaos beyond. Humans and Rendians alike were moving toward the bridge, and she joined the stream, waddling along, already sweating under all the layers.

  The large chamber at the front of the spaceship was crammed with working crew members and observers, the latter pressed up against the spherical glass to enjoy the view.

  And oh, what a view it was.

  Rendu, a planet slightly smaller than Earth, was approaching rapidly, growing larger by the second. Its atmosphere was shrouded in clouds, with only flashes of white peeking through.

  Adriana’s breath caught, and she drifted toward the glass in a sort of trance, until she placed her palm flat on the cold surface separating her from deep space. Up until this moment, the trip from Earth had seemed like a dream, a fantastical journey through the stars, especially since they’d traveled at superluminal speed. But now their destination was near, she felt the weight of responsibility. They were entering a new world. How would they ever be able to document it all in three months before their return to Earth?

  “Adriana!” At a low hiss from her right, she tore her gaze away from the planet and glanced over to find her two colleagues waving her to join them.

  Like her, Mika and Hanne were part of the ten-person unit that had been given permission to visit Rendu for an exploratory mission. A zoologist and an astrophysicist, they’d become her friends during the months of grueling physical preparations, during nights spent studying everything they knew about the faraway planet.

  Now they were staring at her like she’d lost her mind.

  “What the hell are you wearing?” Mika asked, blunt as ever, her Japanese translating seamlessly through the incredibly handy translation devices the aliens had handed out like candy as soon as they’d arrived on Earth.

  It was then that Adriana noticed she was the only one wrapped in winter gear while the rest of the passengers and crew were in light uniforms and casual clothes.

  “But I thought—” She narrowed her eyes at Ben, the doctor who was responsible for keeping the human crew healthy. “I was told to prepare for extreme conditions.”

  Ben elbowed the Rendian on his left. They both looked at her and sniggered.

  She gave Ben the finger and turned back to her friends. “I’m going to kill him.”

  Of course, Captain Naals chose that moment to stride onto the Bridge. He never simply walked—he was too intense for that. His height alone was enough to dwarf most human men Adriana had seen, and his broad shoulders bore distinctive spikes. Mika and Ben had discussed the Rendian physiology at length, theorizing whether those spikes—and the ones running down the aliens’ spines—were bone or horn, but hadn’t come close enough to any of the crew members to really check. And the crew always wore the light slate-gray uniforms, so it wasn’t as though they put their bodies on display for the humans to study.

  Adriana had touched Captain Naals’ spikes once and could confirm they were probably bone, even though she only felt them through his uniform, but that would mean admitting to having been in close proximity with the captain, so she’d kept it to herself. She didn’t know what her teammates would think of her if she revealed what had happened.

  Taron ad Naals crossed the distance from the door to his captain’s chair, folding himself into the throne-like seat with grace that was at odds with his impressively built body. His every movement spoke of restraint and authority, and his form was one honed by years of training. Accepting a command tablet from an officer, he scanned whatever data needed his approval and murmured something in reply.

  Adriana imagined the low rasp of his voice and shivered despite being hopelessly overheated in all those clothes.

  Captain Naals’ frosty gaze zeroed in on her, and his light-blue eyes narrowed. Adriana had the sudden urge to run over and sit on his lap so she could run her fingers through his long white hair, and barely stopped herself. She didn’t know whether the captain sensed her need, but his pale lips pressed into a thin line. Then he simply looked away.

  Ouch.

  Adriana swallowed the lump of hurt that constricted her throat, determined not to let him ruin this once-in-a-lifetime experience for her. She wouldn’t think about him, even if the thought of t
he kiss they’d shared still had her heart racing.

  Kiss, singular. She needed to remember that. He’d kissed her once, and she could have sworn he’d been just as passionate about it as her, but he hadn’t spoken a word to her since.

  The last thing she wanted was to alert her crew members that she was moping because of his rejection. She squared her shoulders, turned her back on him, and wedged herself between her friends.

  Taking both their hands, she released a shuddering sigh and was grateful when they both squeezed her fingers.

  “This is it, ladies. We’re not on Earth anymore.”

  2

  Taron

  His human was ignoring him. She’d put on her winter clothing, and he had to suppress the twitch that threatened to curl his lips when he caught sight of her. Would she roll around like a ball if he tipped her to the side? At least he wouldn’t have to worry about her getting lost in the snow—with her lime-green coat, she’d be visible for miles in the barren landscape.

  He wished he could get to know her better. He wished he could peel off those clothes and revel in the gorgeous body hiding beneath them.

  He’d start by kissing her again, then lick all the parts of her that made her moan. He’d never seen such dark hair, and he knew instinctively she’d respond to him immediately if he speared his fingers into that thick, shiny mass. Her brown eyes would go round and wide, and her lips would part… She’d open up to him like she had the day before everything turned to shit.

  He’d had to stay away from her, even though he’d developed a strange feeling inside his chest that worsened the farther away he was from her. Granted, he couldn’t go very far on his ship—he was aware of her whereabouts all the time—but he needed to put some distance between them the moment they landed in the capital.

  He couldn’t afford distractions, not when his nation might be on the verge of a civil war.

  Pulling himself out of the daydream with a sigh, he signaled to his lieutenant to prepare the ship for landing. The news they’d received halfway through their trip back to Rendu had rattled the crew members; their faces were drawn with worry, and they were all eager to return home and check their loved ones were safe.

  The spaceship pierced the cloud cover, the entrance into the planet’s atmosphere seamless and smooth. From the humans’ astonished expressions, he understood that they’d expected something much more violent. But after hundreds of similar trips, he and his crew knew how to handle this old beauty. And he might have spoken to his crew earlier, asking them to make an extra effort for the human crew. No need to scare them further—their faces were slack-jawed with awe and astonishment as they stared out toward the city of Volarun.

  Pride rushed through him at the sight, and he tried putting himself in their shoes. How could they not admire the tall obsidian spires of the fortress rising from the snow-covered plains? Or the massive horseshoe ridge of the Dozois mountains that sheltered the capital from the worst of the ice storms?

  But his heart was heavy when they approached. Worry had kept him up for most of the nights since receiving the short missive, its pared-down contents relaying a chilling scenario: King dead. Regent Gilmar has Queen Z.

  The message had been sent through the Volarun’s main communication satellite, the massive bird orbiting Rendu being the only piece of machinery able to penetrate the depths of deep space and contact ships light-years away, even if the memos needed to be short.

  It was the last word they’d received from Rendu, and Taron expected the worst. If his brothers couldn’t even respond to his increasingly urgent messages, the situation in the capital had to be dire. The missive he’d received suggested that Gilmar had had a hand in ensuring the king’s death. If that was so, he would murder the bastard the moment he arrived at the palace. Outrage threatened to overwhelm him, so he drew a deep breath to keep his anger from showing on his face.

  He hadn’t made an announcement to the humans yet, so everyone, including Adriana, was flying in blind. And Taron wasn’t certain he could ensure the humans’ safety if the monarch who’d authorized their entry to the planet was deceased. The thought twisted his insides, and he glanced at Adriana again. If they were boarded at landing, he’d have to move quickly to get to her before—

  “The tower is not responding, sir,” his junior lieutenant informed him in an undertone. “What are your orders?”

  Taron scanned the sky port’s many platforms, some empty and others carrying spacecraft of various shapes and sizes. “There.” Pointing to an empty platform as far away as possible from the tower command center, he muttered, “Have the crew prepare for a hostile situation. Armor up, spears charged for stunning only.” If they were going into battle, he would not be sending his crew in unprepared.

  The junior lieutenant’s eyes widened. “Yes, sir.”

  With one last glance at Adriana, he tapped a command into his electronic cuff, and the soft fabric of his captain’s uniform took on a metallic sheen. The integrated armor molded itself to his body like a second skin, the collar creeping up his neck to protect all vital parts. He wouldn’t put on his helmet until after landing, but barring a direct hit to the head, he was now more or less invulnerable.

  The problem was, their potential attackers had access to all the same gear. And they had the numbers on their side. If only he knew what they were getting into…

  A gasp startled him from his thoughts. Adriana was looking straight at him, her red lips parted in shock. He cursed inwardly; her gaze slid down his body—but not in a way he enjoyed. She’d noticed something had changed. He shook his head at her, warning her not to speak, but he really should have known better than to expect her obedience.

  The woman opened her mouth, and her clear voice cut through the hushed chatter on the Bridge. “What is going on?”

  3

  Adriana

  All heads turned toward her, and then, when they saw where she was staring, snapped to watch Captain Naals. Instinctively, she moved closer to the rest of their group and felt her crew’s presence behind her.

  The captain was wearing some sort of armor when minutes ago, his uniform had seemed perfectly ordinary. A closer examination of his officers revealed that they’d all donned similar protection—or at least she assumed that was what the shiny metallic coating was all about.

  “Why are you putting on armor?” Hanne asked.

  Adriana grabbed her hand and then took Mika’s, too, for good measure.

  “And why is that guy over there holding a spear?” Mika added.

  Their hands squeezed hers, and a tremor shook her body. This didn’t look good.

  “Nothing to worry about.” The woman on the captain’s right, a slender Rendian beauty with the lieutenant’s marks on her shoulder, spread her arms slightly in what was probably supposed to be a calming gesture. Instead, the blue glint of light on her armor only made her look more inhuman. “Just standard procedure.”

  “Why don’t we get armor, then?” Adriana stepped forward, releasing her friends’ hands and immediately regretted it, fidgeting under the captain’s cool stare. “Will the landing be dangerous?”

  “We will protect you.” His voice allowed no argument, but he hadn’t exactly answered her question.

  “What do we need protection from?” She thought she saw his jaw clench at her insistence. “And why weren’t we informed of this?”

  “Because you’re under my command.” Those words, if spoken in a different tone, would have had her squirming in anticipation. But not now. Now, she was worried about her safety. Some deep part of her wanted to believe him when he said he would protect her—them, protect them, as in all the human crew, not just her, how selfish was she? But rationally, their armor and the strange, restless energy coursing through the room did nothing to calm her fears.

  “With all due respect, Captain, we would like to be informed about any such developments in the future.”

  “You, madam, need to respect the chain of command and understa
nd that we would not intentionally put you in danger,” he shot back, his white, straight eyebrows furrowing in a scowl. “Now stand down and let us handle this situation so we can all come out of it alive.”

  Her colleagues muttered around her, their faces anxious as they turned back toward the glass wall. She kept her gaze pinned on the captain, though, watched him as he issued commands to his well-trained crew. The entire team moved like a machine, every member certain of their place on the Stargazer, the sleek ship that brought them to this planet.

  What should have been a joyous moment, an epic pinpoint in human history, had become fraught with fear. Damn him, damn him for not being open with them. She’d thought they were developing a relationship of some sort—perhaps ‘friendship’ was a strong word, but she respected him, especially after she saw how his crew obeyed him. She’d hoped to earn his respect, but that didn’t seem to be on the program for today.

  If she was being completely honest, she’d been in danger of developing a massive crush on the tall alien with his fathomless blue eyes and a reluctant, gorgeous smile. He made her want things she hadn’t wanted for years. He stirred something inside her, some inner well of longing that no other man had touched before.

  But he’d cut her off completely after their ill-advised kiss, and all her hopes of seeing what was underneath that gray uniform vanished into thin air. She’d only had time to touch his cold skin once, to feel the power in his coiled muscles, to brush her fingertips over his back and shoulders, marveling at how different he was from her, how hard and solid against her softness. Then his communication device had blared to life, interrupting her, and he’d zipped up his shirt, disappearing from her room. And he hadn’t returned.