Alien Warrior's Baby (Scifi Alien Romance) (Zoran Warriors Book 2) (3 page)

“
D
rop the weapon
!”

The loud, angry shouts rouse me from my sleep. The fog in my mind lifts quickly as I figure out where I am. It all comes back to me in a flash. Explosion. Life saved by alien general. Crash-landing. And now I can add armed stand-off to that list.
What a day.

“I’m not going to repeat myself! Drop the weapon!”

There’s human voices outside. Panicked, trembling, voices.

I peek outside the shuttle to see General Tyr with his sword drawn, surrounded by half a dozen humans, dressed all in black, with their guns pointed straight at him.

The soldiers are not wearing any identifiable badges or stripes, which strikes me as odd. I’ve never seen an outfit like this before.

“You are under arrest for the unprovoked attack on the
Vonnegut
and the kidnapping of Kaitlyn Hunt,” one of the soldiers bellows. “Lay down your weapon and you will not be harmed.”

“Are you mad?” Tyr growls. “I saved her life. And it’s my men who were attacked.”

He wields the sword menacingly, waving it around. The men seem hesitant, and for good reason. The Zorans are feared throughout the galaxy for their battle prowess, and as a general, Tyr is among the most dangerous men in the galaxy. I wonder if their bullets can even penetrate his armor.

“There she is!” one of the soldiers shouts, and he points his weapon directly at me. A moment later he pulls the trigger, and I feel the bullet grazing my cheek. I throw myself back into the shuttle, my hands flying up to my face.

The bullet missed me by a fraction of an inch.

A moment ago they said they were rescuing me – why on Earth did that soldier fire on me?

Outside it’s pandemonium. I hear Tyr roar, the stomach-churning
rat-tat-tat
of guns firing, and piercing, bloodcurdling screams.

Then, everything is suddenly silent.

My heart is pounding in my throat and all the color has drained from my face. My chest heaves with every breath, and my clothes stick to my skin. My knuckles are white from being clenched so tightly.

I’m afraid to go outside, but I have to see if Tyr is alright.

I pull myself up, fear gripping my heart tightly, but I force myself forward, one step at a time. Right as I’m about to cross the threshold of the door, Tyr stumbles into the shuttle.

He’s absolutely covered in blood. Bullet-holes riddle his armor, and he limps towards me, a concerned look in those smoldering, irresistible eyes of his.

“Are you alright?” he asks, his voice throaty and low. “Are you hit?”

I can’t believe he’s worried about
me
, considering the state he’s in.

“I’m fine, I’m fine!” I say, wrapping my arm around his shoulder as I help carry him inside. “Are you?”

“Yes,” he groans, but I don’t believe a word of it. He sits down, and I rummage through the shuttle, desperately searching for a med-kit.

“Down there,” he points.

I open a hatch and find a small kit. With my hands still trembling I take out a cloth and wipe the blood off of Tyr’s face. He tries to push me away, but I shush him.

“Let me help you,” I say. “You’re wounded.”

“I’m not,” he growls.

Are all Zorans this stubborn?

“Let me clean these wounds for you. I insist. It’s the least I can do after you saved my life – for the second time.”

“…fine,” Tyr says. He relaxes his shoulders as he gives in to my demand. I remove his armor, revealing his broad, muscled chest. Intricate tattoos cover his arms. My heart flutters once more – but this time not in fear. He sits in silence, his eyes closed as I wash the blood from his bronzed body.

I’m surprised – and relieved – to find he’s almost unharmed. There’s one bullet lodged into his shoulder, but his armor stopped all other shots. That means that all that blood must belong to…

“They can’t harm you,” he says, as if he can read my mind. “Not anymore. Not while I’m around. Not ever.”

His autumn-colored eyes flicker compassionately, and I believe him. Despite the attack, despite the danger we’re in, I believe him. I can see he’ll do anything to save me.

I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve this, but I’m glad to have him by my side.

“Do you have any idea why those men were after you?”

I shake my head as I run the cloth across his neck, the tips of my fingers grazing his smooth skin. “Not a clue.”

“Do you have any enemies?”

I can’t help but snort. “I’m not important enough to have enemies.”

“It seems you are.”

I pause for a second. “Do you… think the attack on the
Vonnegut
was meant… for me?” It’s hard to even say that out loud. The thought that all those men died
for me
makes me sick.

“No,” Tyr says resolutely. He grabs the side of my waist, his eyes burning into mine. “It’s not your fault. None of this is your fault, Kaitlyn. We’ll find those responsible, and we’ll bring them to justice.”

I nod. Hearing him say my name reassures me somehow. “I have to remove the bullets.”

“Later,” Tyr growls. “We don’t have time. There might be more coming.”

“But—”

“Later,” he cuts me off. He rips the Central News badge from my chest and crushes it in the palm of his hand. After that he straps his armor back on, stands up, and extends his hand towards me.

“At least let me give you a painkiller,” I try.

Tyr shakes his head. “No. The pain will keep me sharp.”

He takes my hand and pulls me to my feet, stopping me right before we leave the shuttle.

“You might want to look away,” he warns.

“I’m a reporter,” I answer. “I’m used to bodies.”

“Your choice.”

We step outside, and unfortunately I’m not as prepared as I thought I was. The sight makes my stomach churn, and I cover my mouth with my hand. Tyr guides me through, pulling me towards their hover-bikes.

“Oh no,” I say, freezing dead in my tracks. “I’m not getting on one of those deathtraps.”

“You don’t have a choice,” Tyr answers. He gets on, and though I loathe those flying motorcycles, I have to admit he looks good; thickly muscled legs straddling the mechanical beast, his strong hands gripping the handles. The bike was not made for a user well over 7 feet tall, but far from looking comical, he looks…
hot
.

“Hop on.”

I wait for a second, crossing my arms over my chest. When I started out at Central News I interned at the traffic department, and I’ve reported on more hover-bike crashes than I care to remember. I know
exactly
how dangerous those things are.

But waiting here for another squad of goons doesn’t sound very appealing either.

Begrudgingly I hop on, wrapping my arms tightly around Tyr’s chest.

“You better know how to fly this thing,” I warn him.

“I have no idea,” he says, and a second later he kick starts the engine. The mechanical beast hovers in the air, the roar of the engine drowning out my curses.

The bike zips forward with an incredible burst of speed. I hold onto Tyr as hard as I can, swearing like a sailor as we glide over the desert landscape going nearly a hundred miles an hour.

“I’m a fast learner,” Tyr yells over the booming sound. He’s
enjoying
this wild ride.

I gaze up at the night’s sky to take my mind off the rock formations we’re whizzing past at dazzling speeds. I see the full moon, and the shape of the
Vonnegut
as it passes. It looks so peaceful and serene, as always, as if today never happened.

As I let the stars sink in, I start to notice familiar patterns. Constellations that I haven’t thought about since my childhood appear bright as ever on the night’s sky.

I recognize this place. I’ve been here before!

“I know where we are!” I exclaim.

Tyr slows down the hover-bike somewhat so we can talk.

“If we keep going west, we should soon arrive in New Reno.”

“Are you certain?” He asks.

“Definitely. My cousin Emma lives there. My father used to take me out here to stargaze. You can’t see the stars in the crowded cities, of course. Too much artificial light.”

To think I never liked those trips. I wanted nothing more than to hop back on the web and stare at my com-screen all day.
Thanks for saving my life, pops
.

Tyr follows the path I instructed, and soon the lights of New Reno greet us. He kills the engine and we glide forward silently. My cousin Emma lives on the outskirts of the city, together with my aunt Karen, on a massive ranch.

Most people have moved into the mega-cities, but my stubborn aunt Karen loves the sweltering heat of the Nevada desert. As a result, the area is a good as deserted, and that’s good news for us, because I wouldn’t know how to smuggle a hulking Zoran General into town undetected.

We park the bike in front of their farmhouse. I’m surprised their lights at still on – it must be the dead of night by now – but at least I’m not about to wake them. I tell Tyr to take a step to the side, into the darkness. The last thing I want to do is give Karen a heart attack when she opens the door to find a massive Zoran towering over her!

I take a deep breath and I knock on the door.

Moments later the swing open. Emma stands in the doorway, wearing a pair of overalls, her long blonde hair all in one long braid. Her eyes open wide when she sees it’s me.

“Kate! Oh my god!” she says, throwing her arms around me. She squeezes me tightly. “I’m so glad you’re safe!”

“Hi Emma,” I say, hugging her back. “Is Karen home?”

“Of course she is. Mom! Guess who it is!”

My aunt comes shuffling out of the living room and she clasps her hands in front of her mouth the moment she sees me. “You poor girl,” she mutters as she embraces me. “I don’t believe it. I don’t believe a word of it.”

Now
I’m
starting to get confused.

“What are you talking about?”

“The news,” Karen says. “You’re on the news.”

She grabs my hand and tries to pull me in, but I stop.

“I have… something to tell you,” I say. “Please don’t freak out. I’d you like you to meet… Tyr.”

Tyr takes a step forward, out of the darkness and into the porchlight. The warm light bounces off his bronzed skin, making it seem like he shimmers with gold.

Emma’s and Karen’s eyes grow to the size of saucers, and for a second I fear my aunt might faint. I reach out and grab her to stop her from falling right over.

“Th-that’s—” she stammers.

“This is Tyr, and he’s my friend,” I tell them. “He’s Zoran, and he saved my life. Twice.”

Emma’s shocked expression quickly turns into an excited grin.

“A
real
Zoran! He’s so big,” she gasps. “Much bigger than I ever imagined. Can I touch him?”

“He’s not a
pet
,” I say, rolling my eyes, but Tyr reaches out and opens his palm for her. My cousin runs her fingers across his smooth skin, his hand twice the size of hers.

“Whoa,” she mutters under her breath.

“A pleasure to meet you,” Tyr says, his low voice startling my family members. “I take it you’re Kaitlyn’s kin?”

Emma nods, her eyes drinking in my guardian’s frame, shamelessly scanning him from head to toe. “Yes. I’m Emma, her cousin, and this flabbergasted old lady is my mom, Karen. Mom, say hi to the alien. And close your mouth. It’s not polite to stare like that, geez.”

Karen looks like she’s seeing water burn. Her eyes are big, her mouth hanging wide open, and I can’t help but grin at her expression. Shocked doesn’t begin to describe it.

“Impossible,” she stammers. “Impossible.”

“Let’s go inside,” I offer. “It’s getting kinda chilly out here.”

“Of course!” Emma guides us in into the living room while Karen makes us a cup of old-fashioned tea in the kitchen.

As soon as we walk into the living room Emma shuts off the holo-feed. A worried look flashes across her eyes when she sees me raising my eyebrows.

“In a moment,” she says. “After tea.”

My aunt has never been one for
insta-meals
and
repli-food
. She likes to prepare food the old-fashioned way, and soon I hear the nostalgic sound of a whistling kettle.

Moments later we’re all enjoying a hot drink, and crowding my aunt’s old-fashioned living room. Tyr sits next to me on the couch, his immense frame dominating the room, even when he’s sitting down. I have so much to tell Emma, I don’t even know where to begin. For the moment I want to enjoy the normality of having a cup of tea with relatives for just a moment longer, before I have to confront the reality that someone’s after us both.

“This is a rare treat, you know,” I tell Tyr. “Nowadays you can’t buy tea like this anymore. Not the real kind. Not without shelling out thousands of credits, at least.”

Karen nods, filled with pride. “My grandfather stocked up piles and piles of it in the basement, back before everything went south. Properly stored, it’ll never spoil!”

Tyr nods. “Is this one of your clan’s treasures?

Emma smirks. “I guess you could call it that, sure.”

“Then I thank you,” Tyr says solemnly, bowing his head, “for sharing this with me.”

“What is your clan’s treasure?” Emma asks.

Tyr rises from his seat and, with one smooth motion, pulls his golden blade from its sheath.

Karen and Emma cower as he waves his sword around, the metal gliding through the night’s air. I fear Karen might have a heart attack with the way she jumps.

“This is Suncleaver,” he says. “It’s been in my clan for generations.”

He lays the blade down flat on his palms, showing off the many runes that cover the length of the blade.

“This is the symbol of my clan,” he says, pointing to an intricate circle pattern. “And this one represents the continent where I’m from.”

“What about this one?” Emma says, pointing at an indecipherable hieroglyph.

“That one is most recent,” Tyr says. “I had it placed to remind myself of the duty I have to serve the truth, and shield the weak. I had it placed after I slayed the Emperor for his betrayal to our kind.”

The room is dead silent, and Emma exchanges a bewildered look with me when he isn’t looking.