Alien Knight Steals The Bride Read online

  Torrin crept closer, almost within touching distance of the nearest guard, his pain-wracked body protesting every movement. His breath escaped in shallow, arduous puffs; a sign of weakness he was unable to control as his ribs dug into his lungs. Pain lanced through him. It would have been so much easier to give in to death, to allow himself an end to the agony, but he’d held on day after agonizing day. Now he had to do more than hold on, vowing not to leave her in this place.

  The woman pulled uselessly on the shackles around her wrists. Attached to a two-foot length of chain secured at the guard’s waist, she bravely kicked the second guard on her left who was easily three times her size. The guard swung his hand and cuffed her on the cheek. She went sprawling to the floor, only kept from crashing into the wall behind her by the sudden tension in the chain. With an evil laugh and a hard yank on the chain, the brutish guard dragged the woman forward again. Torrin could see that a fresh bruise was already discoloring her swelling eye and cheekbone. Anger at her mistreatment hardened his resolve as nothing else could. Torrin eyed the guard who had struck her. The evil bastard was going to pay for every bruise he inflicted. Every tear she shed.

  The Blue Targo screamed eerily, causing the guards to laugh even harder. They turned their attention to the Targo, enjoying poking and prodding the hairy blue giant until the woman kicked the guard closest to the Targo in the groin. He could have told her that wouldn’t do any good, but he gave her credit for sheer bravado. The Targo could have ended the reptilian guard with one poisoned bite, so what was holding the creature back? Torrin hesitated. What was he missing? Why hadn’t the Targo attacked?

  Amused by the female’s struggles, the guards chortled and yanked on her chain again. As she slid across the floor a third time, Torrin used the distraction to his advantage. He could no longer afford to wait. Surprise was everything. He only hoped whatever was keeping the Targo from attacking the small human would keep the giant from trying to kill him as well.

  He was a killer. A Lumerian Knight. King Dagan’s secret weapon: assassin and spy. He went where others feared to go. He’d done what was needed to protect his king, his people, and those he loved. He paid a high price; the lines of right and wrong blurring as he completed mission after mission, until honor and duty were all that remained of his youthful ideals. He didn’t hurt women. He didn’t harm the innocent. The undeserving. He lived by that simple code. She was all of those things. Rage bubbled and simmered to life in his wounded soul until it burned hotter than the sun.

  With deadly precision, using the stolen laser knife from the guard he’d killed only minutes earlier, he burst from his hiding place, executing the first guard before the giant reptile had time to react. The remaining guards turned from the woman at the sound. They were big and fast, but Torrin was faster. With lightning quick strokes, he plunged the laser through the second guard’s eye, killing him instantly. The third guard dropped the woman’s chains, ready to fight. Without slowing, Torrin yelled to her, “Run!”

  Before Torrin could kill the third guard, the eight-foot blue Targo, who’d been watching silently, opened its mouth, razor sharp teeth dripping with poisonous saliva, and tore the head from the third guard. They eyed one another, predator to predator. Torrin was the first to speak. “Freedom first.”

  The Targo nodded, the guard’s blood dripping from its mouth. As one, they turned toward the running human and took off after her, dispatching a dozen more Vilitos on their way to the ship. The time for stealth was long gone. This was a race for their lives.

  They were almost to the cargo ship the woman was racing toward when she stumbled over a pile of repair parts and fell. Torrin clenched his jaw to hold back a moan of pain as he scooped her up and carried her the remainder of the way. He strained to climb the loading ramp, the wound on his side bleeding profusely. She weighed next to nothing, but in his condition, even the slightest pressure or movement forced him to relive every vivid moment of his previous encounters with the brutal guards. The room spun and he swayed dangerously far to the side before catching his balance, hanging on to consciousness by a thread. He staggered through the entrance of the cargo ship, the Targo hot on his heels.

  The Targo screamed in pain as it jumped into the craft. The stench of burning fur and flesh hung heavily in the air. A Vilitos guard fired continuously as the door slid closed. Torrin shoved the human to the side, out of harm’s way, taking the blast meant for her.

  Agony ripped through every cell in his body. He fell to one knee. I’ll be damned if she dies in here, too. He stiffened his spine, battling to stay alert when all his body wanted to do was lie down and rest. The small ship shook as the guards continued to blast the outside, determined not to let them escape. Torrin struggled for breath, his vision tunneling. “Navigation,” he croaked, “Emergency override. Engage auto takeoff.”

  “Oh my god!” The woman reached for him with shaking hands as the ship tilted and lifted. “Juliette. I’m Juliette Rosen. I’m a nurse. Where are you hit?”

  His took her hands in his to stop her from trying to do the impossible, which was to save him. Comforting. Soothing. Reassuring her even as he prepared himself for the end. “I’m Torrin. We’re out of time,” he wheezed. “You,” he rasped, slowly losing the battle for consciousness, “must pilot. A.I…. navigation online…”

  Before Juliette could respond, the blue Targo dropped to the floor next to them. “Oh no!” Juliette cried out.

  Chapter Two

  Caldorian Base, Earth

  Midnight

  Sasha stood next to her new husband, King Dagan, looking out at the city from the windows of the visiting dignitary’s suite. Their suite now, at least temporarily. Although royal, her husband had assumed command of the entire earth-based operation since Commander Bashall had been killed in the attack three weeks past. Dagan was hard-pressed to complete his duties to his people on Caldor and handle the day to day operations of a large base, but outside of his Lumerian Knights and his best friend, Cam, there was no one her husband trusted with the task. Especially since the attack.

  They’d rarely had any time alone since she’d awoken from a near death experience caused by the maju paste Dagan had put all over her body when he was claiming her. Neither one of them had known the paste would react as it had. She looked at the crystal bracelets adorning her wrists. She had to wear them at all times, as they functioned in a manner she was hard put to understand. The crystals somehow siphoned off the excess energy she was generating. The maju paste had transformed her. Changed her forever. She was now a virtual powerhouse. She had markings unlike any human. They were beautiful, she admitted to herself, but still not human.

  Dagan squeezed her gently, as if sensing her mood, and she responded with a comforting hand on his chest. His markings, always lit now because of the energy she was emitting, flared more brightly at her touch. She smiled, secretly pleased that all the women of his world would know by his markings that he was taken.

  Dagan growled in frustration. “So much destruction. Still so many unanswered questions.”

  “Come.” Sasha smiled gently, pulling him away from the window and the wreckage still being cleared on the outside. “I may be new to this whole queen business, but even I know that you can’t give anyone answers until you have them yourself.”

  She turned and glanced over her shoulder at the city. The smoldering remains of several buildings drew her eyes. “It could have been so much worse. We humans are strong. Resilient. We’ll rebuild. We always do.”

  “It’s thanks to you, little one, that there were so few casualties.” Dagan placed a kiss on the top of Sasha’s head. “Our people, and the people of Earth owe you a great debt. Your new abilities are unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.”

  Sasha gazed deeply into his eyes. “I love you and I’m growing to love the Caldorian people, but Earth is my home. I know you said we could stay here as if it was no big deal, but you can’t fool me. You’re a king, with many responsibilities. You shoul
d be on Caldor taking care of Caldorian interests. Your willingness to stay, at least for a little while, only makes me love you more.”

  “Earth is my responsibility, too. I made the agreement with the Council to come out here and guide your people into a successful intergalactic trading market. One of the provisions of that agreement was that Caldor would oversee planetary security. We failed and people died. I won’t fail again,” he said grimly.

  Sasha sighed. “You didn’t fail. We were betrayed, and I know you’re going to catch whoever was responsible. I have faith in you, and in the new security measures. Together, we will rebuild. Help the people of both worlds.”

  Sasha closed her eyes and smiled. She lifted a hand and waved it slowly back and forth. Although cloaked and undetectable to others, she could somehow sense when one of Dagan’s Knights came close.

  Dagan gazed lovingly at his queen, addressing the empty room with amusement, “You may as well show yourself. She knows you’re here.”

  Sasha laughed delightedly as Falden, leader of the Lumerian Knights, appeared no more than a single hairsbreadth away from her outstretched hand, his black spectral cloaking armor flickering in and out of sight in shadowy camouflage patterns. Falden’s face was devoid of emotion as the new marking on his temple, created by his connection to Sasha, flared to life.

  He nodded his head briefly in respect. “Your Majesties.”

  “Any news?” Dagan asked gruffly, getting right to the heart of the matter. People were missing. Humans. Caldorians. They’d sent their best trackers to locate and shadow the enemy ships.

  Falden’s lips thinned, the only sign of his emotions. “We found the traitor. He wasn’t alone. That’s all we have for now. Vander is having a chat with him.”

  “I don’t understand why anyone would want to attack us when our planet, and our technology, is so far behind everyone else.” She pressed against Dagan, leaning in for comfort.

  He squeezed her gently and kissed the top of her head. “You’re so gentle. Beautiful inside and out. You don’t need to hear this. Perhaps you should go lie down for a bit. You’re still not fully recovered. I can check on you when we’re done.”

  “No,” she refused and straightened her spine. “They attacked my planet. These are my people they threaten as well as yours. I’ll stay.”

  Dagan nodded, love and pride shining in his eyes, before turning his attention back to his fiercest warrior.

  Falden’s stony countenance revealed nothing, yet his next words painted a grim picture. “We also thought we had a lead on Torrin’s location, but my best trackers keep coming up empty.”

  “Perhaps,” added Dagan thoughtfully, “the Vilitos are stepping up their plans for something else. Something bigger. We know someone in the Council has been shielding them.”

  “Or it’s the Council actually orchestrating the whole thing, not just turning a blind eye to it,” Falden added.

  “Wait.” Sasha’s blue eyes swirled with blue fire, barely contained within the storm brewing inside her. “The Council? They’re responsible for this?” Fury churned in her gut. “Why would you work for them if you know how bad they are? Why let Earth get involved? Encourage us to trust them?” The crystals that had grown near her hairline sparkled and flashed like a thousand tiny diamonds in the light. The hairs on the back of her neck raised. Her hair danced with electricity.

  Falden raised his hands, palms facing out. “Your majesty. We meant you no harm. Let me explain before you roast me.”

  Sasha glared. “I’m listening.”

  Before explaining, Falden turned to Dagan, his own eyes glaring accusingly as he growled to the king, “I thought you said she stopped removing those crystals.”

  Dagan turned toward Sasha, his brows raised in question.

  “What?” Sasha grumbled, much of her anger receding along with the fire in her eyes. She was quick to anger and even quicker to forgive. She trusted Dagan. Falden, too. There had to be a good explanation for what they’d done. She’d just been surprised. She would have to be more careful now that she was producing so much energy. Keep a tighter rein over her emotions. “I’d never ‘roast’ either one of you,” she said with a small smile, “but I had to give your men a few crystals. Their swords don’t work properly without them. Besides, I still have so many left, a few here and there don’t seem to make much difference, especially since I’ve been working on those control exercises Falden gave me. So, please continue with your explanation and stop fussing over me.”

  Both men shook their heads. Falden sighed. “Very well. There are thousands of representatives on the Council, each one representing a different planet. The Council was designed for the benefit of all. For years, we have suspected that someone on the Council has been making deals outside of the Council’s best interests. Deals on the blood market.”

  Dagan continued when Falden paused for breath. “I decided sending my people out here, agreeing to provide security for Earth, would be the best way to protect your planet. Not everyone on the Council wants Earth to have a seat at the table.”

  Sasha listened intently, completely engrossed in the story. “Why not? We’re no threat. Our technologies can’t compete with theirs.”

  “But you have other things some of them want,” Falden disagreed. “Resources.”

  “Why not just trade for them?” she asked. “Isn’t that the point of Earth joining the intergalactic market?”

  “Because trading for these particular resources on your planet was deemed illegal eons ago, and until your planet was officially recognized as part of the Intergalactic Trading community, pilfering from your planet was much easier and carried minimal consequences if they were caught doing it.”

  “Eons?” Sasha put a hand over her thundering heart. “Did you say eons? What do they want? What have they taken?”

  “It varies by planet. Some want raw materials. Minerals and such. Others are interested in products rich in fibrin.”

  “Fibrin? I’ve never heard of it.”

  “Fibrinogen is a protein present in the blood plasma of all vertebrates. Without going into detail, fibrin is responsible for blood clotting. Now that your scientists have perfected a process for pathogen-reduced cryogenic blood with concentrated fibrin, they’ll want it even more. The healing effects of this particular cryo-blood are phenomenal. Nearly instantaneous. There are people from other planets who would pay a very high price for it.”

  Sasha nodded, her heart in her throat. “They want our minerals and our blood but you’re here to stop them?”

  “Yes,” both men affirmed.

  A single tear slid down her cheek. “Thank you.”

  Dagan wrapped her in his arms, and Falden bowed slightly from the waist.

  Falden grimaced. “And now I fear the Yielding may have unleashed another threat to the people of Earth. The ceremony not only transformed Sasha, it transformed the way the Council members view Earth and its people.

  Dagan tensed. “The Yielding saved us both, and consequently many others who would have perished in the attack. You saved us. I am forever grateful. We have no regrets. We will catch those responsible. I have assigned units from the base as well as the Lumerian Knights to take care of that.”

  “I have complete confidence in our ability to protect this base. My concern is for the two of you and finding Torrin and Sevron. Our job would be made easier if you were to return to Caldor. Immediately. Today.”

  “She’s not ready to leave, Lumerian. I told you not to push her,” rumbled Dagan angrily.

  “I think I understand,” Sasha interjected, squeezing Dagan’s arm lovingly before turning fully toward Falden and straightening her shoulders. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot. You mean, now that I’ve been changed, now that I have these gifts”—she gently rubbed the band across her forehead where she knew the crystal-like skin sparkle, “there will be others who want to control me. Use me.”

  “Yes. Others. Vermin who will do anything to capture you. Experiment
on you.” Falden’s eyes narrowed. “Dissect you to find out how a human is able to generate and wield such power. Why you now have markings. News travels fast, my queen. It’s only a matter of time before someone decides to come after you.”

  “Then make sure we’re ready for it,” Dagan commanded. “You and I both know that when Commander Bashall died, Torrin most likely did, as well.” Dagan pounded his fist in frustration on the nearby table. “I still can’t believe Torrin never told us he was a twin, or how you didn’t know about it. I thought you looked into his background?” Dagan rolled his shoulders in frustration. “I didn’t know Sevron, but Torrin has been with us for years. Until I see his body, we have to keep looking. For both of them.”

  “We’re still going through the wreckage. We must find Commander Bashall’s remains. We never stopped searching for Torrin. No matter how long it takes, they both must be found. If they’re dead, my Lumerian brethren and I will be forced to act. Come out of hiding to exact retribution.” Falden’s ice blue eyes held deadly promise.

  “What are you saying?” Dagan asked with confusion. “What are you not saying? I’m as concerned as you, but they’re not Lumerian. He’s one of ours. Justice wll be served. Why come out of hiding now?”

  “We are loyal to you. I ask out of respect that you do not attempt to interfere in Lumerian business.” Falden’s jaw ticked. Veins stood out in his neck. His cold blue gaze unflinchingly met Dagan’s.

  Time dragged as Falden carefully considered his next words. A confession two thousand years in the making. “We went to extreme lengths to hide all Lumerians with royal blood. Even Torrin and Sevron have been kept unaware of their true lineage. They are very young by Lumerian standards and have yet to reach their full potential.”