Alien Retribution Read online

  “Do not worry. I will take excellent care of Elodie.”

  Zoey smiled up at Rastian then reached out and patted his arm. The thin man’s expression showed no obvious change but Boris sensed he was pleased.

  “Maybe I should bring the two of you along. It doesn’t seem I’m getting the anniversary of my dreams.”

  An anniversary was a foreign concept to him, but now he understood that it was a celebration of mating. It was not unreasonable for Zoey to wish some time to herself with her mate. Although, the Emperor and Empress of Zerconia could not go anywhere completely alone.

  She sighed then smiled. “Listen to me, moaning about getting to go on holiday. I can eat, drink, and shop to my heart’s content. What have I got to complain about?”

  She glanced over at Dex who was speaking to Koran, his second-in-charge who would remain behind while they were on Maalika.

  Personally, Boris believed Dex was right to bring so many warriors with them. He had the most precious thing in the universe to protect—his mate. If he had a mate, he would...no, best he did not go there. He would never mate. Females were too far fragile, they could so easily be harmed or killed, and to have a child...

  As he looked at Elodie, he felt that peculiar stab of sorrow when he thought of a child of his own. A family was not for him. He could not risk it. Could not care for someone who could easily be taken from him. It was bad enough how much he cared for Zoey. There was no way he could have a mate.

  “He is protecting you,” Rastian told her. “Even though Maalika is a friendly planet, there are many who would seek to harm the Emperor and Empress of Zerconia. If you were taken, do you not believe that Dex would do anything to get you back?”

  She was silent for a moment. Then she sighed and glanced up at Rastian. “Guess you’re right. I can always rely on you to be the voice of reason, can’t I? Giz is my partner in crime,”—she put her hand on the small creature’s head—“And Boris is my protective shadow.”

  He raised his eyebrows at that. She grinned. “Or should that be avenging angel? I was really surprised to hear how Zillion’s blasters all disappeared causing him to cry like a baby.”

  Cry like a baby? He hadn’t heard that part.

  “He cried?” Rastian asked, almost looking joyful. It seemed that a lot people had come up against Zillion.

  She shrugged. “The story might have been exaggerated. Still, I went to sleep with a smile on my face that night. Guess someone was watching over me.”

  She snuck a look up at him. She knew? He thought he had been rather circumspect. How had she guessed it was him?

  “I don’t know what Dex was thinking when he decided Zillion should come with us.” She scowled as Zillion boarded the ship.

  “Zoey, we are boarding now,” Dex called out before heading up the ramp and into the ship.

  Zoey sighed then gave Elodie a final kiss goodbye before handing her to Rastian. “There’s something going on with him. I wish he’d tell me what it was. Maybe then we wouldn’t be taking half the damn planet with us on a romantic holiday.”

  It was only ten warriors, one pilot, a healer, himself, Dex and Zoey. However, Boris had grown used to her exaggerations. He thought the way she spoke was amusing. And anyone who disagreed generally met with an unlucky accident. It was amazing what people said in front of him. Either they didn’t see him, because he was just considered a bodyguard, or perhaps they thought that because he did not speak that he also did not listen, but any who spoke ill of her earned his wrath.

  Not that they knew who sought revenge.

  Most thought they had just fell victim to unfortunate mishaps. Like the Zerconian female who had called Zoey a brainless fool. She’d suffered a regrettable dress malfunction while shopping at the market a few days later. He grimaced. He could still hear her screams of outrage and embarrassment.

  As they watched Rastian and Elodie walk away, Zoey turned to him and shook her head. “I’m not sure how you did it, but I know it was you, Boris. It was very bad of you.” She clicked her tongue but her eyes held a wicked glint of laughter. She leaned closer. “Thank you.” She sent him a wink.

  He should have known she wouldn’t be annoyed. Zoey had a well-developed sense of right and wrong. She also had a vicious streak.

  It was one of the things he admired most about her.

  She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “When I think about it, many of the people who insult me end up having some sort of accident. I’m guessing you know nothing about those either?”

  He gave her what he hoped was an innocent look.

  She rolled her eyes. “Uh-huh, you’re as innocent as Jack the Ripper.”

  Jack the Ripper?

  “You know, the serial killer. We watched that movie about him a few weeks ago.”

  Oh yes. Zoey loved to watch old movies from Earth. He particularly liked the horror ones. They were most humorous. Being likened to Jack the Ripper wasn’t exactly flattering, though.

  “At least you didn’t jump them in a dark alley, I suppose.”

  If he could have gotten away with it, he would have. Unfortunately, crime in Zerconia was almost non-existent and he didn’t want to bring any unwanted attention his way. Or Zoey’s. So he just shrugged.

  “I suppose a proper empress would tell you off or warn you to stop.” She grinned. “Good thing I’m not a proper empress, huh?”

  He nearly smiled.

  No, a proper empress she definitely wasn’t.

  Thank the Gods.

  “Empress, the Emperor wishes for you to join him on-board,” Jaxan called out.

  “Come on, guys. Let’s get settled in for the ride.” She picked up Giz, carrying him up the ramp. The lazy animal snuggled into her and promptly fell asleep.

  Boris moved behind his charge’s back, keeping watch. Even though they were still on Zerconia, he never let his guard down. Zoey was his to take care of and the fools who underestimated his devotion to her didn’t realize how lucky they were to escape with their lives.

  And much as he admired Dex, if he did not change his ways soon, then Boris would take action.

  ***

  She had to do something.

  She couldn’t go on like this. She was hungry, dirty, and in pain. She held her throbbing hand against her stomach, trying to ignore the pain. She was down to her last few credits and those were stolen. Her stomach clenched. The guilt of taking something that didn’t belong to her ate at her. To think that the first twenty years of her life she hadn’t even known what it was like to want something she could not have. To go hungry, to be scared, to be filthy and cold.

  Well, that had all changed when her parents were murdered and dear Uncle Faru decided to use her as a pawn in his alliance with the evil one. She shuddered.

  Hands touching her. Hurting her. Hot breath against her skin.

  Pain. Degradation. Fear.

  A flooga bird screeched, bringing her back into the present. She wasn’t there anymore. She was safe. She snorted. Sort of. If one could call being homeless, without funds, and on the run from a bounty hunter safe.

  She looked up to see the huge bird circling above her and shivered. Flooga birds fed on dead carcasses. It was a bad omen to see one circling above you.

  It meant you were next.

  Well, she wasn’t dead yet.

  This was not the life she’d been prepared for. Her mother had taught her many life lessons, how to run a household, how to host a party, how to dress, how to walk, how to smile.

  Too bad she hadn’t taught her how to safely pick a pocket. Now, that was a skill that just might have been useful.

  Not much call for social niceties in the dark alleyways of Maalika. She shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position as she crouched next to a dumpster in the damp, dark alley. It smelled terrible, but at least she wasn’t completely out in the open.

  Now that was an important life lesson. How to protect yourself from the elements while on the run. She gasped as she bumped her sor
e hand. Pain engulfed her. She took in sharp, shallow breaths to stave off the nausea bubbling in her stomach. She glanced down at her injured hand, unable to see much in the encroaching darkness. Just how much damage had that gaagaa beast caused?

  When she’d returned to find it occupying her crate, she had attempted to fight it off, a really foolish mistake considering it was twice her size. It had slammed her against the alley wall, twisting her arm until she’d screamed. So she’d left the crate to the gaagaa beast and taken up shelter next to this odorous, awful dumpster.

  Probably a good thing she couldn’t see the full extent of the damage, considering she could do little about it right now. Wasn’t like she had access to a regeneration chamber.

  As a child, any little scratch and she’d ended up in her parents regen chamber. She’d barely known a moment’s pain in her life.

  Another life lesson learned on the run—how to ignore pain. She’d been punched, kicked, pinched, and had things thrown at her on a fairly regular basis. Her hair probably had more rubbish in it than in the dumpster behind her.

  “Princesses are not supposed to get dirty,” she muttered. She remembered her mother telling her that as she’d scolded her for getting into a mud fight with the cook’s grandson. She smiled. She’d forgotten how fun that had been.

  This, not so much.

  There was no hot bath to be had around here.

  She’d grown up expecting to marry a handsome man with the right breeding who would rule her planet, since females could not rule, while she led the life she always had. One of indulgence and security, where she had never known a moment’s fear.

  She loved her parents but she now realized they had left her ill-equipped for life outside the walls of their luxurious palace.

  She laughed quietly. Now she’d kill just to have a roof over her head. She looked up as a crack of thunder sounded and shivered. Gray clouds filled the sky and she sighed. Wonderful. As if the Gods wished to kick her while she was down, it was about to rain.

  Her stomach growled, reminding her that she’d been unsuccessful in her attempt to procure food earlier. And by procure she meant steal. Unfortunately for her, she was a terrible thief.

  Another crack of thunder made her jump, jolting her wrist once more. Oh Gods, that hurt. She whimpered, curling into herself in an effort to hold back her scream.

  She looked up as that same flooga bird screeched, flying lower and lower. She stood, and reaching into the dumpster, pulled out a bottle and threw it at the animal.

  “I’m not dead yet, you-you eater of rotten flesh.”

  Okay, so that wasn’t very dignified. It was also pretty pathetic.

  A princess never debases herself by swearing.

  Well, she wasn’t much of a princess anymore. She sat carefully, keeping her arm close to her body.

  She couldn’t bring attention to herself. She never knew where Tazan and his men might be. She thought about the men she’d seen with him a few days ago. While she hadn’t gotten a good look at their faces, they were big and muscular and people had given them a wide berth. It had been bad enough when he’d sent the ulgy beast after her on Ulrika. She shuddered; the one time she’d gotten caught in its roar, she’d stunk for weeks. On the plus side, no one had bothered her. Unfortunately, it made moving around undetected nearly impossible.

  But now Tazan was sending warriors after her—three of them.

  She knew it was only a matter of time before they caught her. She swallowed. If that happened, then she wasn’t going to let them take her back to her uncle alive. She reached up with her good hand and wrapped it around her locket. Inside sat a pletha pill. Fast-working, painless, and deadly. All she had to do was place it in her mouth and she’d know no more.

  She wasn’t going back alive. She wasn’t going to allow her uncle to give her to the evil one again. Loyrul. Even his name made her feel ill. Not again. She still didn’t know how she had managed to escape him in the first place, she couldn’t manage a second time. She shuddered at the thought. No, securing that pletha pill was the smartest thing she could have done.

  She couldn’t keep doing this. She was tired and she was starving. It was only a matter of time before Tazan’s men caught her.

  Maybe the simplest thing would be to just end it all now, before they got hold of her. She sighed.

  She couldn’t give up.

  A princess never gives up. She holds her head up and smiles in the face of adversity.

  That flooga bird swung past and pooped. Right in her face.

  Yep, that seemed to be her life now. She held her head up and what happened? She got pooped on. Wonderful.

  She really did have the worst luck.

  Chapter Two

  “Stars!” Dex roared.

  Boris rushed into Dex and Zoey’s sleeping area without announcing himself, ready for battle. Dex had rented a large house on the outskirts of Maalika’s main city, Loven.

  Boris was glad they did not have to stay with the King. This gave them more privacy and made his job of guarding Zoey easier.

  As he entered the room, he immediately sought out Zoey, noting that she stood on the bed, dressed in a white top and dark pants. No blood stains. No bruises. No sign of trauma.

  Her hands were over her mouth though. Was she upset or scared or...when her gaze met his he could tell he had that all wrong. She appeared to be attempting to hold back her laughter. He turned to look at Dex, who was hopping on one leg around the bedroom, which was in a messy state, with clothes and shoes spread everywhere.

  Giz peeked out from behind her legs and he swore the fat creature smiled at him.

  Dex growled and he turned his attention back to the Emperor, spotting the green, slimy creature trying to slide its way up his leg.

  Boris stepped forward. He should try to help.

  “Don’t touch it, Boris!” Zoey called out. “It’s a squishy bug. If your blood is warmer than Dex’s, it will latch onto you.”

  By now, Dex was sitting on the edge of the bed and forcibly trying to pull the gel-like thing off him.

  Dex paused to give Zoey a look over his shoulder. She shrugged. “Well, it’s true. And Boris is taking me shopping this morning. I don’t want to be stuck with one of your warriors, they’re always so impatient when I shop.”

  She jumped down from the bed.

  “I’ll find something to pry it off.” She grabbed a shoe with a high heel. “This should work.”

  Dex held up one hand as Boris stepped forward to interfere. “You shall stay far away, my own. I do not want it latching onto you.”

  Boris gave Zoey a firm look. She rolled her eyes but nodded and he knew she would keep her distance. “I don’t see what the big deal is, it just looks like a pile of slime.”

  “The big deal is that it will find the warmest part of me to settle into and set about laying its eggs,” Dex told her through gritted teeth.

  Her eyes widened. “You mean...inside you?”

  “There is a reason it is trying to climb my leg!”

  Zoey bit her lip. “I can see how it would be a bit of a bummer to have a squishy bug stuck up your butt.”

  Dex scowled. “Or other places.”

  “Honey, your cock is big but it ain’t that big. That thing ain’t getting inside it.”

  Dex gaped at her. “I was talking about my mouth.”

  “Oh, right, I knew that.” She grinned.

  “You are getting far too much enjoyment from this, my own.”

  “Sorry, I will adopt an appropriately somber expression.” She matched his frown.

  “Boris, summon whoever is keeping watch outside. They can help get it off,” Dex ordered.

  Boris nodded and hurried out to grab the two warriors keeping watch in the passage. He’d already been in the living area of Dex and Zoey’s suite, so he’d easily heard Dex yell out.

  Jaxan and Torex rushed inside. Jaxan immediately called for the healer, Racar when he saw the situation inside.

  Ten m
inutes later, Boris was standing next to Zoey across the room as the two warriors plus the healer attempted to pull the squishy bug, which was now at Dex’s knee, from the Emperor.

  “Am I a bad person for finding this so funny?” Zoey muttered to him.

  He looked down at her, amusement filled her face, her eyes sparkled, and there was color in her cheeks that hadn’t been there before. He’d been about to give her a stern look, after all if the squishy bug ended up inside Dex, there could be serious consequences, but he hadn’t seen her this happy in a long time.

  So he gave her a quick wink.

  She giggled. Luckily, Dex and his warriors were so involved in what they were doing, they didn’t hear or see their exchange.

  Finally, Racar, who was wielding a stinger, a long thin rod designed to give an electric shock that should temporarily disable the squishy bug, managed to get the stinger in the right place and zapped the bug. It fell lifelessly to the floor and he scooped it up into a containment bag.

  “Is it dead?” Zoey asked.

  “No, Empress, just paralyzed temporarily,” the healer assured her.

  “Oh, how come you didn’t just zap it straight away, then?” she asked.

  “Because you have to get the stinger in the right place, otherwise it would go straight through the slime and get the Emperor instead.”

  “And what will you do with it now?”

  “We’ll go out into an unpopulated part of Maalika and release it. I’m not sure how it ended up here. Where was it hiding, Emperor?” he asked.

  “In my shoe,” Dex said grimly as he turned to stare at Giz, who hid himself behind Zoey. “And I have a fair idea of how it got there.”

  Zoey reached back and patted Giz’s furry head. “Now, Dex, you can’t blame Giz for this. Where would he get one of those bugs from?”

  “He went out into the gardens last night, did he not? He could have gotten it then.”

  “You’re being paranoid, Dex.”

  “Really? Then he was not the one who put a chewed-up piece of meat under my pillow a few days ago? Or put that stink bug in my transporter as I was getting ready to leave for the academy a few weeks back?”