Aloitus Cloch’h (Supreme Leader of the Thressl’n)
“Supreme Leader Aloitus!” Zerk’k Arkti’s voice said urgently from my communications device. “The Vellreq’s ships were spotted heading this way. Commander Wyl’es is setting up the first strike as we speak.”
“Gods,” I exclaimed, standing rigidly from my desk. It was time to evacuate the people.
“Get the innocents loaded on the ships. The drills have been going successfully. Then go see if Commander Wyl’es needs help.”
“Yes, sir,” Zerk’k said.
Soon, I heard the alarms going off in the town and crowds of elderly Thressl’n females and males were being herded to the ships that had been parked nearby. The young children were helping them to the ships, as calm and collected as they had been during the drills. It made my hearts soar with pride to see my people reacting calmly in the face of disaster.
But it had all been planned, from bottom to top. Everything but my complicated feelings for the Earth female.
Soon, the ships had launched successfully, heading straight to the Kalron’s territory in the galaxy, and I headed straight for the weapons chamber to get into my fighter.
“Laike,” I exclaimed. “What is the status on our weapon?”
There was silence from the other end of my communications device for a moment before Laike’s voice finally replied. “I am working on making it fully operational, sir.”
That wasn’t the news I had wanted to hear.
“The Vellreq are on their way,” I said as calmly as I could. “Please, do your best.”
“Yes, sir.”
I powered up my fighter and rose from the field, my hearts pounding hard. I could already hear the ravages of war in the sky above me, and headed high, holding my breath through the turbulence of Jenal’k’s atmosphere. This might well be the last time I saw my people, my planet. But I couldn’t let that deter me. There was so much at stake.
It didn’t take me long to see the huge Vellreq ship leading the masses of ships toward Jenal’k. The ugly symbol, a jagged gray world sliced in half, was held high as a crest on the flags as the ship made its slow progression toward Jenal’k.
The Commander of the Fleet had been instructed to let the Vellreq ship pass into Jenal’k, to be dealt with by myself and myself alone. I wanted to ensure the safety of my crew. If the fight was to be brought to Jenal’k and the worst case scenario was to happen, there would be no survivors.
“Welcome to Jenal’k!” I said sarcastically into the intercom. The Vellreq would certainly pick up the frequency. I led them deep into the area of the Red Desert that had been prepared for the ultimate strike. The Kalron had volunteered their services for ground combat, along with many hardy Thressl’n men. But I couldn’t risk losing my most valuable men, and had instructed them to flee if they were in undue danger.
Soon, the sky was alight with different colored laser beams, their frequencies making the air around my ship crackle. I expertly dodged them as the Vellreq ship lazily made its way to the field, completely undeterred by the amount of fire it had walked into.
“You will pay for this, Aloitus, Leader of the Thressl’n.”
I was chilled by the sound of Korta’s voice through my communications bangle. Somehow, they had tapped into the frequency.
But I couldn’t let it shake me.
“Ready yourselves!” I shouted, abandoning use of my communications bangle and shouting loudly. “Do exactly as we practiced!”
More loud booms filled the sky, and I gasped as an explosion of sparks rained over the field. I closed my eyes, begging the Fates to spare my men.
The doorways of the Vellreq ships began to open, deploying organized groups of the large, cruel looking creatures. Their ugly, bark-like skin was painted with bright white symbols, and soon they began charging.
“Let’s go!” I shouted, raising my fighter ship into the air and releasing fire upon the Vellreq.
I managed a few casualties, but the shields they were using were unbelievably powerful. Once the foot troops had been deployed, fighters like mine were released, and I held my breath.
“Steady!” I shouted.
“The shield is up!” Laike exclaimed through my communications bangle. Through my tension, a tendril of relief surged through.
“Great!” I told him. “I trust your discretion!”
“Of course,” Laike said, cutting out once again.
A sudden rumble shook the whole of Jenal’k, and everybody looked up at the sky, eyes wide with curiosity as a clear surge of energy began to crackle above our heads. Another explosion in the sky rained sparks below, but the shield stopped them short of falling onto us. It was an incredible sight.
“It’s working!” I told Laike.
“I know,” Laike replied. A sudden blue streak of light ripped a line through the sky. “Everything is operational.”
A powerful explosion burst forward from the blue light, and several Vellreq ships fell from the sky and clattered against the shield, slipping down it and ricocheting back into space.
The Vellreq paled, fear clear on their faces. I grinned, suddenly confident in my plan for the first time since I’d brought the human female to Jenal’k. It was time to show the Vellreq who was in charge around here and save the universe.
***
The battle was bloody and intense, and I saw many great Thressl’n men fall. Every once in a while, a well-aimed streak of white light would erupt from the shield over our heads and strike a Vellreq where he stood, and the Thressl’n and Kalron warriors would cheer.
While it was heartening, I was beginning to grow anxious. I had seen no sign of King Korta since the battle had begun. Without facing and defeating him, the Vellreq would likely continue on in their horrific conquest. It was his cruelty that had turned the Vellreq into the monsters they had become, and if we allowed him to escape, there would be no telling what might happen.
“Looks like I win after all,” Korta’s voice said suddenly into my communications device.
“Aloitus!”
My hearts hammered in my chest. Melinda had shrieked into the communications device just before Korta cackled and cut off reception. He had her. How had he gotten hold of her?
“Hold the front lines!” I demanded.
The troops tightened their ranks, and I sped away in my fighter, rushing toward the last place I had seen Melinda. The caverns of the Old Ones.
I spotted King Korta immediately. He towered above the thin, reed-like trees that were just beginning to grow between the Red Deserts and the caverns, dragging a small figure in his large hands. My blood turned to ice. Melinda.
“You’re going to regret this, Korta!” I exclaimed, jumping out of my fighter. I couldn’t risk the beams hitting Melinda.
I landed on Korta’s shoulders, slamming the butt of my weapon in Korta’s face. He laughed and flicked me off his shoulder as if I were a mere bug.
I scrambled to my feet and shot at his back with my laser, and he sighed heavily and turned around to face me.
“You took my human, Aloitus. And now I am going to take your life.”
He shoved Melinda aside, and she fell heavily to the ground with a cry of pain. Rage boiled in my chest, and I lunged at Korta, and was again stricken away. He was a strong, heartless creature, and I fell painfully to my back. But I had to protect Melinda.
“Aloitus!” she shrieked as Korta lifted her again, slinging her small body over his shoulder.
I narrowed my eyes and ran toward Korta, discarding my useless weapon. The only way I could fight him was with superior technology. But still, I would try.
Korta roared in fury as I ran in front of him and ducked down, tripping him with my body. His bulky, clumsy body fell to the ground with a thud, and I grabbed Melinda’s hand and pulled her to her feet, lifting her easily and running with all my might toward the caverns of the Old Ones.
“Protect her!” I shouted. “Get her out of here!”
The Old Ones clamored around, pulling Melinda away from me, to the far part of the cavern.
“We evacuated her!” G’larah exclaimed.
I studied the high priestess, unable to hide my irritation. “Well, apparently not well enough.”
“What is the meaning of this?” G’larah exclaimed to Melinda. Melinda looked down at the ground, her brow furrowed.
“I will not abandon Aloitus,” she said, turning her eyes onto me. My hearts thudded as we gazed at each other from across the room. “I love you.”
I was awe-struck by the admission.
“Please, protect her!” I shouted.
I ran down the corridor and toward the room where the most ancient, secret weapon was located. I could not fight Korta on my own, but with the help of the Old Ones, I would be able to go down with a fight.
I waited until I heard Melinda’s shouting disappear down the long corridor before I choked the words I had been dreading out into the communications bangle. “Evacuate. Everybody please, evacuate Jenal’k. It was an honor to serve as your leader. Zerk’k Arkti will take care of you all now. Please, I repeat. Evacuate.”
The sky was chaos as the ships began to launch, taking as many soldiers with them as they could carry. Melinda was on one of those ships, I knew, and I closed my eyes, overwhelmed with pain at the thought of never seeing her beautiful face again.
But there was no choice. Hand-to-hand combat with the Vellreq king was impossible, and none of our weapons seemed capable of penetrating his armor. The other Vellreq were just as strong, and report after report of Thressl’n death was reaching my bangle. I tore it off my arm and threw it in the back of the cave. It was time to end this once and for all.
I quickly typed in the sequence to the bomb that had been embedded in the core of Jenal’k since the early days of the Old Ones after a premonition had encouraged them to build it for the ultimate case of self-defense. I would do anything to serve my people and protect the one I loved. And that was all there was to it.
Suddenly, the ground began to quake around me, and I bolted out of the caves. I was going to fight Korta to the death, and go down fighting my hearts out.
Korta was surprised when I jumped out in front of him, but grinned maliciously.
“Where is the female?” he demanded. “I want her to see you die.”
“You will never harm her again,” I said. Although I was afraid, I knew that this was the end for both of us, and I found that unbelievably satisfying.
“I will harm you,” King Korta promised, unleashing a deep, ugly roar and running toward me, drawing out a long blade.
I dodged just in time and pulled my own out, ready to duel to the death. He roared in anger and whipped around to strike at me, but his body was large and cumbersome, and his movements slow. I struck at his legs with my blade, and he roared again, this time in pain.
The ground was rumbling again as the bomb began to detonate, and Korta looked down at the ground in confusion. I smiled at him, and his face fell with uncertainty. I glanced to the sky, where my men’s ships were launching to safety.
Another tremor shook the ground, and a sudden, deafening bang exploded in my ears. I dropped to the ground, blackness filling my eyes. Even as I sank into the darkness, I smiled. I had done what I’d intended. I had saved the universe.
***
“Aloitus.”
I grimaced as a brilliant white light flooded my eyelids. I must be dead, heading down the long tunnel of light to meet the Fates.
“Aloitus!”
Melinda’s voice echoed in my ears, and I looked for her face, but the light was just too bright. I closed my eyes again and grunted, trying to move my hand to feel her body against my fingers.
But my arm suddenly filled with agonizing pain, and Melinda’s beautiful voice chuckled.
“Be careful,” she whispered, clasping my hands with her own. Their warmth filled me with the purest joy I had ever felt, and again I attempted to open my eyes. This time, a dark blur eclipsed the light, and I began to make out the perfect features of Melinda’s face. “That’s it. Slowly.”
“Melinda? Did you die too?” I asked.
The whole room about me exploded in laughter, and I startled. Everybody quieted at once, and Melinda rubbed my shoulder soothingly.
“It’s all right,” she said gently. “You’re not dead.”
“How…how is that possible? What about Korta?”
“You won,” Melinda said. My eyes were beginning to adjust to the light, and I opened them wide, taking in the unbelievable sight of Melinda’s smiling face. Around the bed were the highest ranking officials of Jenal’k, and several of the Old Ones. It was rare to see them in such a brightly lit space.
“How is that possible?” I asked. “I was to die with my planet.”
“But Aloitus,” Laike intervened, stepping beside Melinda and beaming down at me. “The planet is alive!”
I gasped and sat up, ignoring the immense pain flooding my body.
“What?”
“It is true!” Zerk’k said, stepping to my bedside. “None of us thought it would be possible!”
“But it happened,” Commander Wyl’es said. “The air fleet held its own against the Vellreq army, with the help of Laike’s new weapon.”
“But that doesn’t explain what happened to Korta,” I said, struggling to remember.
“Fate intervened!” Laike said strongly, his face the most serious I had ever seen it. “Your blade pierced the deepest vein in his body.”
I furrowed my brow, and Melinda soothed my hair. The Leader of the Old Ones stepped forward and continued the explanation.
“It rendered him unable to move,” the Old One said, “just as the magnetic field within Jenal’k was activated. Laike’s weapon was able to lock onto him as a conductor as it attempted to feed from the magnetic pulse to charge its attacks. A powerful burst of energy channeled the force of the bomb through the channel of the laser of Laike’s weapon.”
“The explosion was enough to kill him. And knock the sense out of you,” Melinda said, laughing softly and stroking my face gently.
“It broke the shield though,” Laike said with a heavy sigh. “But it was beautiful! I will never doubt Fate again.”
I shook my head in disbelief and reached out for Melinda’s hands. She set them in mine, and I held her tightly.
“I thought I would never see you again,” I whispered.
“All right,” the Old One said quickly. “Let’s give the Supreme Leader a rest now. It has been quite a day.”
Everybody began to file out of the room, but when Melinda attempted to leave, I held her firmly in place.
“I love you too,” I said. I had regretted not saying it to her when she had been forced to leave, and now I finally had my chance to make it right. “I am sorry for being harsh with you. I was worried about all of this…but you are safe now. And if you wish, I will return you to Earth. The Vellreq will no longer be able to harm you.”
Melinda smiled down at me, cry glittering in her eyes, and I found myself captivated wholly by her beauty.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Melinda whispered, kissing my forehead gently. “I already thought I was going to lose you twice. I never want to lose you again.”
I studied her, reluctant to believe my ears.
“Really,” Melinda said seriously, looking deeply into my eyes. “I want to stay with you.”
I swallowed hard, overcome with joy. I held Melinda close to my body and laughed, kissing her sweet-smelling hair. I had my mate, and my people were safe. For the first time in my life, I felt truly happy.
***
Recovery seemed to take ages, but within a few revolutions my arm was nearly back to normal, and the Old One had cleared me to return back to the palace.
Peko and the rest of the staff hovered about me obnoxiously, worried about my injuries, but Melinda was able to gently steer them to more useful tasks.
“Is it good to be home?” she asked after she had helped me change into my sleeping clothes and settle into bed.
“I’m not sure yet,” I admitted with a small laugh. “I don’t enjoy all this attention.”
Melinda grinned and climbed into bed with me, laying her head on my good shoulder. “Not all attention is good.”
“Indeed not,” I said, turning to study her beautiful face. She smiled at me, and I kissed her tenderly. We had been through so much, but soon, the ceremony was to take place, officially declaring her as my bride.
I was shocked by the sudden pulse of heat that woke within my loins, and Melinda closed her eyes as if basking in my body. It intensified my longing for her, and I held her close, my hands exploring every inch of her soft, supple body.
Melinda gasped softly against me, climbing on top of me carefully so that I could feel the heat of her middle press gently against the hard mound of my groin. Shots of bliss electrified me deeply, and I held her close to my body, basking in the pleasure of her nearness.
Melinda’s clear eyes bore into mine, and she kissed me suddenly, her soft, supple lips tugging my own and her beautiful body moving on top of me with gentle deliberation, rousing my desire and sending a rush of blood to my already stimulated member.
She smiled at me when she felt my body reacting to her movements, and carefully pulled her shirt off from over her head and untied the rope that held my bedclothes closed.
Melinda gasped quietly at the sight of my body, breathless and ready for her. Her soft hands roamed up and down my torso, and I closed my eyes as the pleasure engulfed me.
The heat of her middle suddenly overwhelmed me, and I moaned deeply, tendrils of pleasure creeping up through my abdomen. Melinda’s soft body pressed gently against me as our mouths met again and again, each time with more passion than the last. Her hands gripped mine, and I began to rock my hips gently, pushing myself deeper inside her.
Melinda gasped softly, a deep red flush coloring her cheeks attractively. She lowered long-lashed eyelids over her eyes and allowed me to hold her in place as I began to thrust gently inside of her, a hot surge of ecstasy filling us both with every slight movement. I caught one of her soft breasts in my mouth as we continued our dance, my tongue massaging it until I could feel her trembling with pleasure against me.
I closed my eyes, overwhelmed with rapture as I disappeared inside of Melinda’s body again and again. She moaned softly as I massaged her to the brink of climax, our bodies entwined and writhing as the pleasure overpowered us.
Melinda lowered her lips onto my neck and massaged it with her tongue, sending deep thrills down my body and igniting a deep fire within my abdomen. I was beginning to feel an urgent desire to release myself, to plant a seed within her and truly begin the revitalization of the Thressl’n race. But we were not wed yet. Would it be wise?
I gazed into Melinda’s eyes and gripped her hair, bringing her lips to mine. When we pulled apart, both of us panting as our bodies continued to gratify themselves, I smiled at her.
“I want us to have children,” I said. “It is the only way to continue the race of people. You gave me the will to live. To fight this. Even with all the distractions of your body. You should be the first to birth a child of the new realm. You are going to be my bride. Do you accept?”
Melinda’s flushed face broke out into a gentle, beautiful smile. “I accept.”
Her lips fell against mine, and a gasp of pleasure escaped them. I roared softly as a shocking wave of desire began to animate my body. Despite my injury, I flipped Melinda onto her back and climbed on top of her. Melinda’s breasts rose and fell as she panted in surprise and anticipation, and soon I plunged deep inside of her once again.
Melinda’s soft voice groaned as again and again I brought her to the brink of pleasure, only to pull away just when I knew I could cause her to overflow. I wanted to soak in every moment of her beautiful body beneath me, the moments before she was officially my wife and the mother of the first child of the new realm.
Suddenly, her eyes met mine, and a serious look of need crossed her face. It was cruel to make her wait, and knowing of her desperation was enough to send a jolt of longing, electrifying my entire body.
I unleashed my full strength upon her then, my hips powerful against Melinda’s as I indulged her desires, until finally I could feel her begin to quake and contract around me. The blissful friction of our bodies brought me to a deep state of rapture, and I growled as our orgasms began to synch up. A sudden, powerful wave of hot desire rushed out of me, exploding inside of Melinda. She gripped my shoulders, bracing herself against the power of her own orgasm, and we held each other tightly as Fate decreed the siring of the first born child of the New Realm.
THE END (P.S. See next page for more bonus books!)