Alien Lover (Zerconian Warriors Book 2) (5 page)

“Hello, mother, father.” Dex bowed low as a holographic image of his parents appeared. They nodded back, the expression on their faces calm and collected.

“How are you, our son?” his father asked. Dex hadn’t seen a lot of his father growing up. Raising a child fell to the females of his race. Males only stepped in once the child was older, if he were male.

“I am well.”

The ship was close to a small wormhole that allowed for real-time communication with Zerconia.

“Is Dante available?” They were about thirty-five hours away from Edreinia, and he wished to consult with Dante first.

“He is on his way,” his father told him.

“You wished to speak to an elder, son?” his mother queried.

“Yes. Were you able to arrange a meeting?”

His father nodded. “Shall I call Elder Ansalam in?”

“Is all well, my son?” his mother asked.

Should he tell them? It wasn’t a secret. “The bond with my mate has not developed as it should. It is weak, and I wish to consult an elder to see if their wisdom and experience could provide me with any insight as to why that might be.”

His mother pursued her lips. “Could it be that she is not really your mate?”

Immediately, he bristled with temper. Zoey was
his
.

“There is no doubt,” he replied, keeping his voice to a soft growl.

His father placed a warning hand on his mother’s arm. She closed her mouth and nodded.

“I am sure you know best, my son,” she admitted in a tight voice.

The door to his office opened and he turned with a frown. He had given orders that he not be disturbed.

Zoey bounded into the room, racing towards him. Behind her, Giz followed. Boris stepped in and stood by the door. Dex spotted Macon and Jaxan outside the door before it closed.

“Dex! Here you are! I wanted to talk to you.” She threw herself into his arms. He caught her as she wrapped her arms around him.

“Macon said you didn’t want to be disturbed, but I figured you would have locked the door if that was the case. Oh, hello.” Turning, she waved at his parents who stared at her in shock.

Dex untangled her, setting her gently aside.

“Am I interrupting?” There was a look of uncertainty on her face.

“Zoey, may I introduce the Emperor and Empress of Zerconia. My father, Ronaldan and mother, Liula.”

“Nice to finally meet you,” she said cheerfully.

His parents stared at her. Finally, his father gave a small bow. “It is good to meet you, mate of my son.”

Zoey’s smile had dimmed at their cool reception and anger stirred inside him. He had anticipated that his mating might be difficult for his parents to accept, but he still expected them to welcome Zoey.

His mother said nothing at all.

“Mother?” he prompted.

“You are smaller than I had imagined,” she finally said. “Perhaps the reason the bond has not formed is due to your mate’s fragility.”

“Mother!” he reprimanded, even as his father turned to her with a quelling look.

“We will leave you, my son,” his father said. “The elder will arrive soon.”

Zoey stood silently beside him as their image disappeared. “So, that went well.”

He couldn’t allow her to think that. “I am afraid it did not, my own.”

“We need to work on your sarcasm radar.” She smiled up at him, a hint of sadness in her gaze that he hated to see. “I don’t think your mother is going to greet me with open arms and cookies.”

There was a flickering then a holographic image of an elderly, Zerconian male appeared. “Your Royal Highness.” He bowed low.

“Please rise, Elder Ansalam,” Dex said respectfully. “I appreciate your time.”

“I am thankful for the ability to serve. While my body may be weak, my mind is still sharp. How might I assist?”

He hadn’t anticipated discussing this in front of Zoey. But he didn’t know when another opportunity to consult an elder would eventuate.

“Elder Ansalam, might I introduce you to my mate, Zoey.”

The elder’s eyes widened as he stared at Zoey, who gave a little wave.

“She is not Zerconian.”

“No, she is human. But she is my mate.”

Ansalam was silent for a long moment. “That is interesting.”

He knew what the elder meant. If Zerconians could mate with human females, it could prevent many of their males from a slow decline into madness. Zerconian males needed their mates to anchor them.

“But there is a problem with our bond. It has not formed properly.”

He frowned. “Explain.”

Dex thought for a moment about how best to explain it. “The bond is present. I can feel Zoey, but I cannot sense her emotions or wellbeing. Most of the time it feels as though I am operating blind.”

“And for you, milady?” Ansalam turned to Zoey.

She frowned. “It’s the same for me. Sometimes I can sense Dex—like when he was badly injured on Lyona, I could feel his pain. But most of the time I can’t really feel the bond.”

Ansalam nodded. “As far as I know, there has never been a mating between a Zerconian and someone of another race. But there have been instances where the bond has not formed properly between mates.”

Relief filled him. “What caused it? How do we fix it?”

Ansalam sighed. “A bond needs both mates to be completely at peace with their joining to fully form. Generally, the bond easily forms due to both mates knowing what to expect and embracing the bond rather than fighting it.”

“I do not believe either of us is fighting the bond.” He glanced down at Zoey. Perhaps he wasn’t, but Zoey may well be.

“Maybe not consciously, but subconsciously one or both of you could be resisting the bond. Any worries, doubts, or feelings of uncertainty could be affecting the bond forming. Until both of you fully embrace it and each other, it will remain weak.

“Give it time. It will come. This is new to you both. But be aware that a weak bond can make you both more insecure about your relationship.”

“Like a self-filling prophecy?” Zoey asked. “Doubt makes the bond weak and a weak bond makes us doubt more?”

Ansalam gave her a surprised nod. “Yes, that is one way to look at it. I believe you have someone waiting to speak to you. I shall leave you unless there is another way I can serve?”

Dex shook his head. “That is all. Thank you.”

Zoey sighed as he disappeared. “Not sure that helped, but at least we know we’re not the only ones.”

Yes. While he had never heard of anyone having an issue with their bond, he did not doubt the elder’s word. Perhaps others had kept quiet about their troubles to avoid interference while the bond formed.

“Zoey, I must speak to Dante alone.”

“About this plan to rescue your warriors that you won’t tell me. I just want to remind you that I do have a degree in risk analysis. If you tell me the plan, I can help.”

“Thank you, my own. But this is warrior business. Best you remain out of it.”

“But I’ll worry more if you keep me in the dark.”

He scowled. “Worry implies that you do not trust I can take care of myself. Do you doubt my abilities?”

“Of course not!”

“Then you will leave so that I might talk to Dante alone, as I had planned.”

The hurt on her face gave him a twinge of guilt, but his mind was filled with plans and questions for Dante. Right now, he needed Zoey to do as she was bid.

“My apologies, Your Royal Highness. Please, continue.” Zoey backed away towards the door, bowing every few steps until his patience reached its limit.

Just before she left, she muttered, “Jackass.”

He pretended he didn’t hear.

***

Dex moved down the corridor to his quarters. As he approached, Boris and Macon stepped forward. At first, Dex had been wary of having Boris around his mate. But since that first day, Boris had shown no signs of aggression.

Just to be certain, Dex had assigned Macon and Jaxan to watch him. All of their reports had been favorable, even Macon’s.

As long as he didn’t sense a threat to Zoey, Boris remained calm and unobtrusive. Very unobtrusive. He had the uncanny ability to disappear into the background.

As he stepped up to the door, both Boris and Macon left.

Dex walked into the room, moving quietly so he wouldn’t wake Zoey. He stripped, then strode over to the masic, which was floating in the middle of the room. Before he could get into bed, he lifted Giz down and placed him in his own bed.

Giz had a habit of climbing into bed with Zoey when Dex wasn’t around. There were times when he wondered if he was destined to never be alone with his mate again. Everywhere he turned, he was tripping over someone she’d rescued or who had taken a liking to her. Even Jaxan followed her around with a look of devotion on his face.

Perhaps he needed to have a talk with the younger warrior. Make sure he remembered just who Zoey belonged to. And to ensure he remembered that his first priority was her safety.

Perhaps he should take Jaxan to Edreinia with him. It was going to be a dangerous mission, but Jaxan could use the experience.

Dex sat on the masic and stared down at his mate. Stars, he loved her. He couldn’t believe how much he adored and cherished her. How much time he spent thinking about her.

All he wanted was for her to be happy and safe. Even if that meant turning his life upside down. What would he do if she couldn’t manage her role as the Crown Princess?

Whenever he had thought about his mate, he had always assumed she would be Zerconian. That she would be aware of her duties, the expectations that would be placed on her.

Once he’d mated Zoey, he’d been determined that she should change. That she should be the one to compromise, to leave her life behind and immerse herself in his culture.

But the more time he spent with her, the more he realized that her happiness came before his own.

Now wasn’t the time for such decisions, though. Tomorrow they would reach the airspace just outside of Edreinia and he needed to get some rest. Soon he would have his warriors back. Then he could concentrate on his mate.

***

Zoey rolled over in her sleep, coming awake suddenly as a nightmare shook her very soul. Gasping quietly, she held her hand over her thundering heart, trying to calm herself.

Oh God. Oh God.

“Zoey? Are you all right?” Dex rolled towards her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Sorry. Go back to sleep.”

“You are gasping for breath.”

“Just a nightmare.” Where she had lost him. He’d been held in a deep cave, forced to fight against this huge, faceless giant.

“Do you wish to talk about it?”

The way you talk to me?
Immediately, she regretted the snarky thought. It wasn’t Dex’s fault he was so closed off. Even though she wished he could confide in her the way he did Koran.

If you acted the way a proper Zerconian mate would then maybe he would open up to you. Then you wouldn’t worry about him leaving you.

“No. It was silly.”

He shifted, rolling her on top of him. His warmth surrounded her, comforting her.

“Are we getting close to Edreinian airspace?” she asked after a few moments of basking in the feel of him. As the last of her fear dissipated, her body stirred, reacting to his closeness.

He ran his hands up and down her back. At first soothing and soft then harder, with more purpose, squeezing her ass.

“We’ll be there in a few hours.”

“And you’re going to lead a team of warriors in to retrieve your men?”

“Yes.”

Honestly, getting information out of him was like getting her to exercise.

Damn near impossible.

“Spread your legs,” he demanded.

Breath hitching in her throat, Zoey parted her legs and straddled his hips. His hard shaft was hot against her slit. Dex slid her up his body so he could kiss her, his mouth scorching against hers.

He moved away, kissing down her neck.

“Dex? You will be careful, won’t you?” He always seemed so strong. So indestructible. But she couldn’t shake the lingering fear from her nightmare.

He rolled them over so she lay on her back, then crouched over her. “I told you earlier that worrying was an insult.”

Leaning down, he nuzzled at her breast. Zoey drew in a sharp breath as need shot through her.

“I can’t help worrying, Dex.”

“I have been on far more dangerous missions. There is nothing to worry about. I am an accomplished warrior.”

There was a hint of insult in his voice. As though she’d disparaged his abilities.

“I know. It’s just that I love you. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you.” Just the thought of not having him with her was enough to make her stomach clench with fear.

“You will not lose me.” He moved down her body, kissing and nipping at intervals.