“You look gorgeous,” I growled, pulling her to me to nibble her neck. Her flaming red hair looked beautiful contrasted with the emerald green gown. Thanks to our permanent link, I could now see color all the time—even when I wasn’t with her. It was amazing what a big difference such a little change could make. I caught myself staring at ordinary, mundane objects now, just because I was able to see their true shades for the first time.
“And you look handsome,” Zoe purred, smiling up at me. “But what’s wrong?”
I didn’t want to scare her but the bond between us meant it was difficult to hide anything. Sometimes we caught each other’s emotions—sometimes we even got thoughts. But mostly we could tell if the other was holding anything back.
“Doloroso’s ship has disappeared,” I said reluctantly. “I sent a salvage crew back to collect it but it’s gone. Vanished.”
“We think someone stole it,” Grav put in.
But Zoe was shaking her head, her face so pale that every freckle on her pert nose stood out in high relief.
“No…nobody took it,” she whispered. “It’s Doloroso—he’s still alive.”
“That’s fuckin’ impossible,” Grav growled. “I killed that bastard myself after he hurt you, Lady Zoe. You saw it yourself.”
The way his shoulders bunched and his big hands clenched into fists made me think he was reliving the incident. The kill should have been mine by rights—after all, Zoe was my female to protect and avenge. But I knew Grav couldn’t stand to see a female hurt. I wondered again what had happened to my old friend to make him so protective of the opposite sex.
“I know you killed him—but that doesn’t matter. He came back—somehow he came back! Don’t you see?” She ran a hand through her long, red hair and started pacing. “He was talking about ‘downloading’ himself into another body. What if he found a way to do that?”
“Zoe,” I said, trying to calm her. “I know you said he claimed to be one of the Assimilated but believe me, they were all wiped out fifty cycles ago. The Majoran empress made sure of that.”
“What if she missed one? What if he’s on his way right now?” she demanded, her eyes wide with worry.
She was so upset, I could feel her terror through our link. Wanting to reassure her, I pulled her in for a hug.
“It’s all right,” I murmured. “It’s going to be all right, sweetheart. He can’t get to you here—you’re safe.”
“It’s not me I’m worried about!” she protested. “You said—and Doloroso said too—that my best friends were probably La-ti-zals, like I am! And that’s what he needs for his crazy plan—a girl that’s from a closed planet who’s a La-ti-zal. Charlotte and Leah both fit that description!”
“He can’t get to them either,” I promised. “You know I sent a courier to pay their contract price in full. The Commercians can’t sell them, no matter how much he offers.”
“What if he doesn’t offer a price?” she demanded. “What if he just beams down and…and takes them?”
She pulled out of my embrace and went to her desk (she had one beside mine since we shared everything) to get her crystal memory cube. She had used a remembrance sieve to download her memories of her friends onto the cube. Now she pressed the button and I saw the three of them—Zoe and two other females—laughing and eating the confection she called “cheesecake.” Or was it cakecheese? I always got it mixed up, though she had tried to teach me.
“Leah and Charlotte could be in trouble right now and it would be all my fault,” she whispered, stroking the cube as she watched the happy scene. “All my fault.”
I looked at the cube and sighed. Her two friends were lovely—though not as gorgeous as my new mate. (Of course, I might be a little prejudiced in Zoe’s favor since I love her to fucking distraction.) One of them had blonde waves pulled back from her face and the other had long, silky hair that fell past her shoulders in a sleek brown waterfall.
Grav came forward to look too and I saw his eyebrows go up when he saw the other two Pure Ones.
“Fuckin’ gorgeous,” he murmured. “Especially the little morada.”
“The what?” Zoe looked up at him, frowning.
Grav gestured to the brown haired girl. “That’s what my people call a female with long hair. It’s rare on Brax and considered very beautiful.”
“Oh. That’s my friend, Leah,” Zoe said. “She works with Autistic children. She’s so nice.” Her face darkened. “Too nice for her own good, really. That’s how she ended up with her controlling jerk of a fiancé, Gerald.”
“Oh, is she promised to another male?” Grav looked disappointed, then he shrugged. “Figures. She is a Pure One, and a La-ti-zal. It’s not very fuckin’ surprising she’s spoken for.”
“She doesn’t know she’s a Pure One or a La-ti-zal,” Zoe told him. “We don’t know about any of that stuff on Earth, remember? And my own La-ti-zal powers didn’t even manifest until I got out into space. So that won’t help either one of them. Not that being able to pick locks would help anyway, since neither one of them is a burglar.”
“Your powers didn’t manifest because the atmosphere of your planet was inhibiting them, I think,” I said. “And not all La-ti-zals have the same powers. You’re an Opener, Zoe.”
“An Opener?” She frowned at me.
“Yes, I’ve been talking to one of the wise women in the temple of the Goddess about it and that is what she named you. Think about it—you opened the Force Locks, which were keyed to Vorn DNA. Then you opened the door on Gallana which was meant only for one of Majoran heritage. You also opened the jewel which contained the substance holding the Stars captive to Hurxx’s will. And don’t forget the most important part…”
“Which is?” She raised an eyebrow at me.
I took both her hands in mine and kissed them.
“You opened my heart, which was shut tight with grief and pain and loss. You’re an Opener, Zoe. But there’s no guarantee your friends would be the same. One might be a Healer…or a Seer…or any number of other things.”
“Well, whatever they are, they’re in danger,” she said stubbornly. “I just know it! Don’t ask me how—I get a terrible feeling when I think of Count Creepy McGrabbyHands. I just know he’s not dead and I don’t want him anywhere near my friends.”
I stroked her cheek. “If it will make you feel any better, I’ll send someone to the Commercians’ station to watch over them for a time. I think we can assume that if Doloroso is still around, he’ll want to act fast to secure a new La-ti-zal.”
“The sooner we get to them the better,” Zoe agreed. “And can we send a message letting them know I’m all right? It’s been weeks since I left and I know they must be worried sick about me. I wanted to contact them earlier but things have been so crazy around here, between the coronation and everything else….”
“I’m afraid it’s been more like several of your solar months for them,” I told her. “As fast as my ship is—and it’s very fast—time moves differently when you’re traveling in space as opposed to being stuck on a planet.”
“Months?” Zoe’s eyes went wide. “They probably think I’m dead. I wish I could visit them myself. I miss them so much.”
“I know, sweetheart,” I murmured. “But you know the Star of Compassion can’t leave Eloim and you need to stay here for at least a full solar year to bond with it.”
“I know.” She reached up to touch the slender silver circlet she wore. “I’m already getting used to its little voice in my mind. It’s become my conscience—like wearing Jiminy Cricket on my head.”
I ignored her cultural reference, which passed me by as always, and offered a practical solution instead.
“Maybe whoever we find to watch over your friends can deliver a message that you’re well. You could record it on a crystal memory cube.” I frowned. “Of course, whoever goes will have to wear a mask and drink the saphor compound…unless we can come up with something better
to mask his appearance.”
“I’ll do it.”
We both looked up at Grav and I could feel Zoe’s surprise echoing my own.
“Are you sure?” she asked doubtfully. “I mean, even with a disguise, you’re a really big guy by Earth standards. You’d definitely stand out in a crowd.”
He shrugged. “All I have to do is deliver a memory cube and go right back up to the Commercians’ station. I think I can handle that.”
“And…you’ll watch over them? For at least a while?” Zoe asked, hesitantly. “I mean, I know the two of you think I’m crazy but I just really feel like Doloroso is still out there, somehow.”
“I’ll watch ‘em.” Grav offered her a wolfish grin. “It’s what I do—I’m a Protector.”
“Oh, thank you.” Zoe smiled up at him gratefully and pressed his hand. “I really appreciate it.”
“I do too,” I said, smiling at him. “Zoe’s friends couldn’t have a better guardian than you.”
Grav nodded. “I’ll go get my ship outfitted.” He looked at Zoe. “I guess you want me to go as soon as possible?”
“Yes. Yes, please. I’ll start recording the messages right away.” She pressed her lips together and I could feel her trembling. “And please let us know as soon as you get there and see them that they’re okay. All right?”
“Will do.” Grav nodded again and gave us a swift salute before walking out the door of the war room. I knew he would be on his way to Earth as soon as his ship was stocked and he had the cubes Zoe would be recording for her friends.
“There. Grav is going to watch over your friends for a while,” I told her. “Better?”
She nodded. “Much better. Although I won’t really feel good until we get word back from him that Charlotte and Leah are safe.”
“He’ll let us know,” I promised. “And Zoe—don’t worry. Everything is going to be all right.”
“Is it?” She bit her lip in a way that made me want to nibble it too. “I hope so, Sarden. But something tells me this isn’t over yet. Not by a long shot.”
“I hope you’re wrong about that, sweetheart.” I kissed her, stroking her hair and caressing her cheek.
“I hope so too,” she whispered and buried her face in my chest. “I hope so too, Sarden. Oh, God—I really do.”
What’s next for Zoe and her friends? Find out soon in Protected, Leah’s story, and then Descended, Charlotte’s tale, as the Alien Mate Index series continues.
And don’t forget—stay away from mirrors, spoons, toasters, and any or all reflective surfaces. Earth girls aren’t safe anymore and you never know if you might be the next one chosen from…the Alien Mate Index.
Hugs and Happy Reading to you all,
Evangeline, May 5, 2016
Author's note: If you have enjoyed Abducted, please take a moment to leave a review HERE. Good reviews are like gold for an author--they help other readers decide to take a chance on a new book or series. Also, they give me the warm fuzzies. : ) Thanks! Evangeline
And now, here's a Sneak Peek at Protected, book 2 in the Alien Mate Index, coming July 19, 2016
Allow me to introduce myself: I’m Grav N’gol. Half Braxian, half Vorn, and one hundred percent son-of-a-bitch. I’m a murderer, an ex-con…and a Protector.
Some people think a Protector is just a bodyguard for hire but it’s so much more than that—I’ll lay down my life for my ward if I have to, without hesitation.
Which means I’m damn picky about who I chose to ward.
Enter Leah Roth, a bewitching little Earth female with silky hair down to her full, curvy ass and big brown eyes a male could easily drown in.
I know this gig is only temporary—I haven’t even given her my oath. I’m just supposed to make sure she’s okay and then report back.
So how did she end up on my ship, traveling with me on a top-secret mission?
And why do I feel like I’m falling for her?
It doesn’t matter, even if I am. I have a secret in my past—a bloody one that would turn even the kindest and most forgiving heart against me. I have to put distance between the luscious little Earth female and myself, no matter how I long to possess her.
From my past and from my true nature, Leah must be Protected at all costs.
Protected
Prologue
Location: Aboard Assimilation ship EOC-2789, the private vessel of Count Doloroso.
Time: .05 solar seconds following the departure of invaders who absconded with the Earth female, Zoe McKinley, a known Pure One and La-ti-zal, marked for impregnation of the first organic Assimilated.
The echoes of the invaders boots had scarcely faded from the corridors of the Assimilation ship when a panel in the control room slid aside and a small, silver insect came buzzing out. It paused for a moment to ascertain that the invaders were truly gone, then continued its flight down to the medical suite. It hovered for a moment over the fallen body of its last host, the pink, featureless face twisted almost completely backwards with the blow that had broken its neck.
The nano-chip inside the silver insect hummed. A waste. But this body had almost outlived its usefulness anyway. It had been chosen for its durability and the great wealth of its previous occupant—both of which had been almost exhausted. The Assimilation had been hoping to make it last until another of the correct kind became available. Only a body of one of the Twelve Peoples, those grown from seeds scattered by the Ancient Ones, had long term compatibility with an Assimilation mind.
But though no such organic body was available, there were a few “burner bodies” stored in the stasis booths located in the hold. The silver insect buzzed its way towards the hold and the large doors slid open soundlessly to admit it.
In front of the first stasis booth, the insect hovered, waiting patiently as the organic unit inside was brought slowly back from the suspended animation it had been held in for the last fifty cycles.
Soon enough it came stumbling out of the booth, its black, compound eyes blinking stupidly, it’s long ears twitching as it tried to ascertain its situation. It had green skin and a small, wrinkled blue hole for a mouth—a Grubbian. They were a species of traders and merchants, practical to use as temporary organic units since they were ubiquitous to the entire galaxy and so never attracted attention.
The silver insect gave the Grubbian no time to get its bearings. Before it had taken two steps, the insect struck. Sinking the silver barbed stinger located at the end of its metallic abdomen deep into the greenish, pebbled skin at the base of the target’s neck, it injected its payload.
“Ah!” The Grubbian cried out and flailed wildly—but only for an instant. As the nanobytes injected by the silver insect reached its bloodstream, it came under the control of the Assimilation. Its brain function was circumvented as new thoughts raced through the neural synapses. Soon the Grubbian’s personality was nothing but a distant memory—it had, in effect, ceased to exist.
It had been Assimilated.
The being lately known as Count Doloroso smiled and stretched his new arms. It was good to be in a fresh body, even if this one was only temporary. Of course, this body wouldn’t do for the planned impregnation of the La-ti-zal he had marked as the mother of the new race of organic Assimilated. He would have to find another and neither of the two in the stasis stalls would do. They were both of outside races, those not descended from the Ancient Ones.
He frowned. Of course, it would do him no good to have the correct body, if he had no female to impregnate. Zoe was gone, in the company of two large and very capable males. She would be nearly impossible to recover.
Reluctantly, Doloroso decided she was a lost cause. He would have to turn his attention to finding another female to take her place.
Luckily, he had an idea of where her home planet was located. And he had two names to work with—the names of her friends who she had told him to leave alone.
“Charlotte and Leah,” he mused, his vo
ice hissing from the small, puckered blue hole of his new, temporary mouth. “Hold on, my future wives. As soon as I find the correct body to wear, I’ll be coming for you…”
Chapter One
Part One: Things Unseen
Grav
I’m not a nice guy.
I’m a murderer and an ex-con and an all around son-of-a-bitch, ask anybody who knows me.
But I’m also a Protector.
I took an oath to guard the females I take as wards with my life, and I take that oath very fucking seriously. That’s why, when I see someone I’ve sworn to protect in danger, I take immediate action, even if the female I’m acting for doesn’t know I’m assigned to protect her.
Of course, it helps if she knows I’m watching out for her—helps if she knows she can trust me. Because, unfortunately, I’m not the kind of male females trust on sight.
I’m one ugly bastard, is what I’m trying to say.
Half Braxian and half Vorn—the two most hated and feared of the Twelve Peoples the Ancient Ones seeded the galaxy with. I’m not smooth like an Eloim or pretty to look at like a Majoran. I have bluish-gray skin, black curling horns, and white-on-black eyes that can see every spectrum of light.
And don’t forget my prison tats.
But it doesn’t matter what I look like—I get the job done. And at the moment, my job was getting planetside to save one of the Earth females who had been put under my protection.
Only she didn’t know me—didn’t know I was watching her. And she sure as hell didn’t know I was trustworthy. I mean, what would you say if a seven foot tall blue alien with horns and freaky-as-shit eyes showed up at your door?