Chapter Three
Kadan groaned. Just what he needed on this Quest. The distraction of a runaway ship full of female aliens. He’d been monitoring the vessel since they found it, listening to their communications with each other from the bridge ever since the first pod opened. It had taken awhile but the bio-engineered translator implanted behind his left ear finally kicked in, deciphering the strange language. It was an archaic tongue, unlike anything currently in use among the inhabitants of the worlds he traveled.
He’d hate to be in the leader’s shoes, trying to keep them from overreacting to their current circumstances. In his experience, females were females, having common traits no matter what alien race they belonged to. Emotional, needy, sometimes irrational. Placing more emphasis on feelings than on action.
He used to think they were weaker, too, until he got his ass kicked by an angry Laterian barmaid he’d had a brief relationship with when he showed up at her place unannounced after six months. He’d been away on a mission, unable to contact her, he explained. Then he made the mistake of answering her next question honestly. He admitted he probably wouldn’t have thought to send his virtual presence, even if he could. She’d come at him, fists and feet flying, knocked him cold, then revived him and fucked him nearly senseless before throwing him out and warning him never to come back. Females. There was no pleasing them.
The Oracle could have warned him that he’d find the ship. But then, she was female too. Probably laughing her ass off at him right now, like she did when he slipped on the ice in front of the entrance to her temple on top of that cursed mountain.
Now that the aliens were awake, he and two of his crew members were preparing to board the craft. Silently, he motioned to the men to follow him, shaking his head at the alarmed voices coming through his headset. Their commander had just informed them their original destination no longer existed. How could they expect to hear each other when they all insisted on talking at once?
Though he’d been careful not to raise any alarms, apparently one of the females had sensed their approach. Perhaps she had enhanced auditory capability. She’d just warned their leader that the craft was about to be boarded.
Teo and Raaz took up their positions on either side of the airlock, weapons at their sides. Listening to their relentless chattering, it was unlikely that the females would mount an attack when he and his men entered, but he hadn’t lived this long by ignoring the possibility of danger from any encounter with unknown beings.
The airlock engaged, hissing as it equalized pressure. He felt a sharp pain in his ears and swallowed as the door slid open to the craft’s docking station.
Empty. He’d expected no less, since his sensors showed the females were all gathered in the ship’s gravibed bay. They moved swiftly down deserted corridors, lights automatically coming on ahead of them as they went. He stopped at an intersection, motioning his men to stay behind him as he turned left.
They passed the control room, where the two motionless cyborgs still sat at the console. Though he’d monitored the commander’s discussion and heard about their destruction, it saddened him to see them. Kadan had several dear friends who were cyborgs, comrades in arms. They were loyal to a fault and fearless as the most hallowed warriors. Though technology made them nearly immortal, if their main circuitry was destroyed, the very essence that gave them sentient life would cease to exist. The machine could be repaired but it would be nothing more than an empty shell, needing to be programmed to perform the simplest of tasks. The soul inside would be gone.
He’d have to see to a proper Ending ceremony for the cyborgs. Assemble an honor guard and send their remains out into deep space. It was the least he could do for fellow soldiers killed while on a mission, no matter where they hailed from.
He rounded a corner. Twin doors slid open.
The ship’s passengers were grouped together in the middle of the room, with one female standing apart from the others. This must be the commander. Rowan, they called her.
She whirled around when the doors opened, putting herself between him and the other women. Shorter than the average Anterean female, she barely came to his shoulder. Though she must have been frightened, she showed no fear. Standing firm, with what he guessed was a weapon at her side. Not pointed at them. She wouldn’t want to greet potential rescuers with a threat. But by her stance and her unflinching gaze as she stared back at him it was clear she was ready to defend her passengers, with her life if necessary.
Cool brown eyes. Dark hair pulled back severely into some sort of coil. He let his gaze travel down her body. She wore a silver-white one-piece garment, molded to her frame. Based on their scan of the life forms aboard, he’d been prepared for an alien race with similar characteristics to his own. But it was a pleasant surprise to see the physical attributes of females in her species mirrored those of the females in his. Curves in all the right places. He stopped himself from giving her an appreciative grin just in time, but gods be praised, she did have truly impressive tits. Two of them, by the looks of it.
He brought his attention back to her face just in time to catch her glancing at his crotch. Was that the ghost of a smile on her face? Kadan revised his opinion of alien females, at least this one. No wonder they’d put her in charge. She certainly didn’t appear needy or irrational. Certainly not frightened.
“Greetings,” he began. “I am Kadan, Omega Warrior of Anteres. Welcome to the World of the Seven Stars.” He inclined his head at their leader, then turned his attention to the others in her group one by one.
A dark-skinned beauty in a metallic gold skin-tight top with a matching scrap of fabric tied around her hips met his eyes with a cold gaze. He tried not to stare at her scantily clad form. Nearly as tall as he was, with sleek muscle definition in her upper body, and powerful legs and thighs, she stood in a stance he recognized. Battle-ready, with both feet firmly planted. Ready to spring into action. Coiled energy radiated from her, even at rest. Their world had female warriors?
He relaxed his posture a fraction, made himself more open as he’d been taught to do when meeting one of his kingdom’s alien allies for the first time, so she wouldn’t perceive any threat. Though he didn’t see any sign of a weapon on her, he had a feeling this female wouldn’t hesitate to try to kick his ass.
Kadan went on, sizing up the others while continuing to deliver the formal greeting he’d memorized for first encounters with newly discovered life forms. Next to the warrior, a still figure, calm and composed. Dressed in shimmering red and purple robes that flowed over her slender form, covering her from head to toe. With one hand, she held the edge of a veil over her face, leaving only a pair of dark-rimmed eyes visible. Her other hand was being crushed in a death grip by the shorter female at her side. That one had a halo of wild yellow curls framing her head.
Next to them, another female wearing a one-piece garment similar to the one the commander had on. Chin up, arms defiantly folded across her skinny chest.
Off to one side, a female of indeterminate age. Her face was unlined, but she had pure white hair, like an Elder, tinged with blue from the glow emanating off the long tunic she wore. His eyes moved on.
The soft green gown worn by the last woman reminded him of a meadow he’d played in as a boy. But the body it covered awoke every grownup fiber of his being. Lush and full, with soft curves instead of hard muscle or delicate skin and bone like some of the others. The kind of body a man could curl up with on a cold night. The kind of body guaranteed to heat his blood.
Cut low in front, the garment hugged breasts begging to be fondled. It skimmed the curves of her hips, then fell softly until it nearly brushed the ground. She wore a brilliant purple stone on a gold chain around her neck, nestled between those luscious tits. She reached up, brushed a lock of auburn hair away from her face. His eyes followed the motion, caught the flash of matching purple gemstones dangling from her ears.
The words he’d memorized died in his throat as his eyes met hers. The room blurred. Everyone else faded away.
He knew those eyes. Those deep turquoise pools. He’d stared into them as he plunged his cock into her sweet heat. Saw them glaze over when she screamed his name as she exploded in his arms. Watched them widen when he pumped his seed into her. He’d even kissed the tears from them when she sobbed and begged him not to go.
His cock surged, straining for release as erotic scenes flashed into his head. Kadan bit off an oath, struggling to maintain his composure. Damn that bitch of an Oracle. She’d known how it would happen all along and never even warned him.
Impossible as it might be, he knew this woman. This alien from a strange world. Knew the sound of her laugh, the scent of her skin. Gods help him, he even knew the feel of her mouth around his cock. It was the woman Fate had chosen to join him on his Quest.