Destined For The Alien King (Lords of Astria) (4 page)

Jessie scurried out of the bed, pulling her clothes back on, and sat near the window. Out of the far corner, she could see a small ship, blasting Ameer’s ship with laser-like beams. She could tell they were nearing the edge of the galaxy from the proximity to what had to be Pluto.

The smaller ship continued to fire, but it was met with a massive blast from Ameer’s ship. With a sigh of relief, she turned away from the fight, but she noticed objects moving toward them from the other side of the window.

There were a dozen of the smaller craft. Ameer’s vessel was larger, but a dozen enemy firing at the same time didn’t seem like great odds. Lasers fired from Ameer’s ship into the fray, and they were met with a volley from the enemy.

The ship quaked and rocked. She could hear a groaning sound coming from above her. Terrified, she backed away from the window as a small ship zoomed past. The lights flickered and went out before dimmer backup lights replaced them.

This was not happening. She couldn’t die like this, having never made love to Ameer. She blinked rapidly. Was making love to Ameer so important to her?

Something in her heart broke open, and she felt a flush of feeling she hadn’t realized was there. Ameer always called her his
setina
, his soulmate. She hadn’t been sure if he was hers. Now, faced with death, feelings swirled in her heart, belly, and brain, telling her that maybe, just maybe, he
was
her special someone.

Plastered against the opposite wall, she watched the battle unfold. Ameer’s ship was able to take out most of the smaller craft. Those left behind shot through space toward a larger object looming in the distance.

The stars and planets in her view seemed to collapse in on themselves and disappeared in a blinding white light. Jessie screamed but the sound was lost on her ears. A moment later, the view outside her window was an orange red planet, peacefully orbiting its sun.

She slid down the wall, ready to piss herself as she panted, trying to catch her breath.
What was that?
Her door slid open and Ameer stood over her, his formidable height imposing at this angle.

“Why are you on the floor?” he asked her, his eyes grazing over her exposed thighs.

“I…I…What was that?” she asked. He reached down to help her stand, and he wrapped his arms around her when she found her feet.

He petted her hair and made soothing noises before he explained what had happened. “Those were Dark Nebula fighter ships. They shouldn’t be in your solar system. I will have words with the Federation of Astria concerning this matter. But that isn’t something for you to worry about. We are home now, my
setina
. We can prepare for our bonding ceremony and you can meet my mother.”

“Oh joy,” she said, panic rising in her chest. “I get to meet your mother.”

“You will love each other. I am sure of it.”

“What about?” she said, running her hand down his chest. She batted her eyelashes and cocked her head to the side as she gazed up at him.

“There is no time now,
setina
. I must inform the Council of the presence of Dark Nebula warships in the human solar system, and you must prepare yourself to become queen of Uthar.”

“Am I seriously going to be queen?”

“Yes, my beloved. You will be queen. That is, of course, unless you want me to take you home.” His last word fell into a low growl.

“No… I want to stay,” she whispered, feeling coy and stupid. She dipped her face into his chest and took a long breath of his scent. “I don’t think I’m ready to be queen of an alien planet.”

He put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away to look into her eyes. “You have nothing to worry about. The people of Uthar will love you. They will be overjoyed their king found his
setina
. Now, I wish we had more time, but I must report to the Council. I will have Chazar beam down with you.”

He kissed her forehead and then led her out of the room. The medic met her in the hallway and guided her to the teleportation bay where she’d first arrived. It had only been two days, but it felt like a lifetime.

She stood with Chazar on the teleportation deck, and a technician beamed them down. The next thing she saw was a room in what had to be a grand palace. Golden pillars, entwined with blooming vegetation, rose up three stories high into a domed ceiling that let in the light of the clear blue sky.

She could smell the fragrant scent of exotic flowers. When she looked down the stairs below her, she saw a congregation of men and women wearing elaborate togas, printed in swirling, colorful patterns.

A gorgeous, older woman approached, climbing the steps with grace Jessie didn’t believe she could ever have. The woman held out her arms and took Jessie’s hands when she came to stand in front of her.

“You must be the Earth woman,” she said. “I am Undine, Queen Mother of Uthar.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jessie Ferris. Bank Teller of Ohio,” she said, shifting awkwardly on her heels.

“Come, Jessie Ferris. You must tell me of your journey.”

Undine led Jessie through the crowd, up an elevator, and into a private chamber decorated with exquisite, delicate furniture that reminded her of a Middle Eastern style. The view outside the window showed a towering city intermixed with lush vegetation and gardens. Beyond the walls of the city, she could see endless dunes, reaching far into the horizon.

She turned back to Undine as the older woman pulled a toga out of a closet. “This is the bonding robe of the queen. I wore it when I married Ameer’s father. And my mother-in-law wore it before me. Of course, it will have to be adjusted for your… small stature.”

“It’s gorgeous,” Jessie said, running her hand over the white and gold fabric.

“I want to make it clear that I do not approve of this union. I know you do not accept my son as your
setina
. It is highly irregular that a bride should resist her mate. Earth is such a backward planet, not even part of the Federation. How you will rule as queen is anyone’s guess. But I cannot stop the marriage now. His mating thrall is already upon him. He will die if he does not mate with you.”

Jessie gulped. She’d expected there to be friction with her mother-in-law, but not outright hostility. Maybe she should go back to Earth after all.

“I never asked for this,” she whispered, backing away.

“Indeed, you take no responsibility for your destined mate or the rule of his world. Do you resist him even now?”

“No. I want to be his mate.” She looked down at the floor and wrung her hands, guilt pouring down her spine.

“Have you felt the
setina
connection? Be honest,” the queen mother demanded.

“I don’t know. We don’t have anything like it on Earth.”

“Nonsense. Even when other members of the Federation mate with Utharians, they feel it. There must be something wrong with you.”

“Maybe there is,” Jessie said, lifting her chin. She was tired of being berated for her race. It wasn’t like she could do anything about it. “Nevertheless, I am Ameer’s chosen queen. Do you want me to tell him how you spoke to me when he returns?”

“Ameer knows my opinion,” she said, her robes swishing away as she stepped to the doorway. “I will leave you to your preparation. The bonding ceremony is in two hours. I will send in your ladies to assist you. Be ready.”

The queen mother made her exit with a haughty flourish, and Jessie rolled her eyes so hard they hurt. She had to talk to Ameer.

Half a dozen young Utharian women hurried through her door and began preparing her for her wedding. They bathed her in a huge basin and massaged her with scented oils and fragrant soaps. When they were done, she felt cleaner and more relaxed than she had in ages. After getting out of the bath, they patted her dry and ran a laser wand over her hair that dried it instantly.

They wrapped her in a dressing robe and began to prepare her hair and face. When the ladies were done, they left her to her quiet meditation. Jessie sat on a padded chair looking out the window over the vast city below. She sighed and leaned her head against her hand.

The queen mother’s disapproval didn’t make this any easier. If she weren’t already so attached to Ameer and knew that he would die without mating with her, she would ask to be taken back to Earth.

Something was growing inside her, a kind of tingling feeling in her heart. It was like all the things that Ameer said about being soulmates was true, and she was beginning to feel it. If only his mother didn’t hate her so much.

Lost in thought, she didn’t notice when the door slid open. When she looked up, she found Ameer standing beside her. He was dressed in a long black robe, his head encircled with a silver crown. He looked more handsome than ever, his dark eyes sparkling in the sunlight that streamed into her room.

“You look lovely,” he said.

“You aren’t supposed to see the bride before the wedding.”

“Is that an Earth custom?” he asked.

“Yes it’s an Earth custom. Don’t you have that custom on Uthar?” she said, stepping toward him.

“No. I’ve never heard of such a thing,” he said, reaching out to her and taking her hands in his.

“It’s supposed to be bad luck. But maybe that doesn’t apply on a different planet,” she said, giggling.

“I don’t mind, if you don’t,” he said kissing the top of her head. She sank into his arms, basking in the warmth and strength of his powerful body against hers. She took a deep breath, the smell of him sending a surge of desire through her body.

“I spoke with the Council and their sending ships to intervene with the Dark Nebula vessels that attacked us. They shouldn’t be in that quadrant. Their aggression is an act of war,” he said.

“Are they going to attack Earth?” she asked, afraid for her planet. She may never get to go back but she definitely didn’t want her home to be destroyed by some freak alien enemy that she’d never heard of before yesterday. All will be well,
setina
,” he said stepping away from her and looking down at her wedding apparel.

“This is the most glorious day of my life,” he said, taking a deep breath.

“Mine, too, I guess,” she said, looking away. “I have something to tell you, and I don’t want it to upset you. I talked to your mother, and it’s pretty obvious that she doesn’t like me. Do you think you made the right choice? Is there any way that you could find someone else, someone more appropriate? I don’t think I can handle being queen of Uthar. I didn’t even know there was intelligent life in the universe until yesterday. That doesn’t exactly qualify me to be the queen of an alien world,” she said.

He enfolded her in his arms and held her close. “No, my darling
setina
. You are the one and only woman for me in the entire universe. You will be a wonderful queen. If you were not meant to be queen of Uthar, I would not have the sense that you are my soulmate. That is the way of things. My mother’s actions were incorrect. I will speak with her after our bonding would. After we wed, you will be the queen as long as you take breath. You will bear me many sons and daughters. And we will rule Uthar with integrity and strength.”

“That sounds really nice, but I have a hard time believing it could be true.”

“You will see, Jessie Ferris. Let us go, now. The ceremony is prepared, and we will be bonded, as is right and correct.”

He led her through the palace and into a grand hall. Multitudes of Utharians looked on as music played, and Jessie and Ameer marched down the aisle. They came to a priestess on a golden dais and knelt before her. The ceremony began, and they spoke their vows.

An intense feeling sparked inside of Jessie. Her heart seemed to throb and crack open. The sensation sent sparks of desire coursing through her. She was alive with a sweet awareness she had never experienced before. With blinding certainty, she knew that Ameer truly was her soulmate.

He would make her happy, happier than she could have ever imagined being. She gasped out loud as the priestess said her final blessings, without understanding that the ceremony had come to a close. They stood and turned to face the audience. The people began clapping and cheering for the new couple as Jessie and Ameer walked down the aisle and into the banquet room.

Ameer led her to the banquet table, and they sat together as entertainers sang and danced and servants brought them delicious food. She took a sip of wine, still lightheaded from her emotional revelation. She leaned toward Ameer and whispered in his ear.

“I can feel it now, Ameer. I can really feel it. I can’t believe how much I love you. My soul is on fire with joy that I found you.” Tears began to well in her eyes and dripped down her face. Ameer brought her into his arms and kissed her deeply. Another shout rang out from the crowd. They broke their kiss, her face rising with heat.

“When can we go to our room?” she asked, with a sly smile.

“Very soon,
setina
. Very soon.” The banquet went on but Jessie could barely eat, so overcome with the intensity of her love and longing for Ameer. Finally, after the speeches were done, they were excused to their chamber. The sun had gone down, and two silver moons rose over the city. Ameer closed the door behind them, his eyes dark with longing.