Hell, maybe I’d even throw on a suit and we could have a little human ceremony if it made her happy. Lord knows my shifters always appreciated the opportunity to throw a good party, and they’d warmed up to her almost immediately after we made it clear we were together.
Once she got over her initial wariness and worries that they hated her, she adored them all as well. It was hilarious watching some of my toughest shifters turn into awkward cubs when she was around, but I’m glad they had her back when her father visited our territory. I’d made it clear that the rest of the time, he could live under Talin’s watchful eye.
“Well, got an interesting report about ten minutes before you showed up. Late.” Nyria’s glare didn’t waver.
“West?” I sat up fast. No one had heard much from him other than the occasional phone call every few days assuring me he was safe, but about a wek ago, even those calls had stopped completely.
“Nope. He’s probably banging his mate too much to remember the rest of us, same as you. Shifter pack clear across the country called us to let us know that a small group of cubs on a mini camping trip were ambushed by wizards.”
I felt the blood drain from my face. “Are they okay?”
“Shockingly, yes. They’d been well-trained and they scattered like the wind. But one of the cubs stumbled on something she’d never seen before, something that the pack had only heard stories about.”
“The necklace?” I was reaching for the phone already, itching to talk to their alpha to learn whatever he knew.
“Nope.” Nyria paused. “She found a statue. A stone statue with gems for eyes.” She handed me a post-it note, looking troubled. “He didn’t want to tell me what was going on, said it was for your ears only, but something big is happening. I can feel it.”
“A good thing we know how to kill wizards better than they know how to kill us,” I murmured. “Let me call the alpha back, and we’ll get to the bottom of this one way or another. But you have my word that I will do whatever it takes to keep this pack safe.”
Nyria just nodded, quietly closing the door behind her as she left.
I picked up the phone, and reached the other alpha immediately. Sure enough, Nyria’s instincts had been right on the ball.
War was coming.
A Christmas Most Alien
Sadie Carter
Chapter One
Santa’s head flopped to the side, making him look like he’d overindulged on the eggnog. Then it bounced back with renewed vigor, over-correcting and flipping the other way.
Rich frowned as he sat watching Santa’s too-cheerful face flop back and forth. Right, then left.
How could a man who’d spent his entire life living in the freezing cold with a bunch of elves be that damn happy? Sure, everyone loved him but who cared about that? Rich snorted.
Love. Stupid emotion.
Power. Wealth. Admiration. Those were things he understood. But love? Helping others for no reason other than personal satisfaction? Giving without taking?
What the fuck was that all about?
People weren’t really like that. Oh, there were some selfless, truly nice people. His cousin, Alice, was one. But most people were selfish bastards who looked out for number one.
Those were the type of people he could relate to. Hell, he could be their spokesman. Because if he knew how to do one thing well, it was to be a selfish bastard. And he wasn’t going to apologize for it. If it meant getting his way, then that’s just what he had to do. He wouldn’t be where he was now if he hadn’t been an asshole sometimes. Okay, most of the time. But it was paying off because soon he would have everything he’d ever wanted. He would overthrow that asshole Duncan and take the position that was rightfully his.
Head-Councillor of the Earth Council.
Finally, he would get revenge for his father’s death and rule Earth.
Life couldn’t get much better than that.
What did he care if it was two weeks until Christmas and he was alone on a spaceship in the middle of nowhere? No family, no friends, no one to celebrate with.
“Fuck, like I give a shit about Christmas?” he muttered to himself. He usually worked through the holidays anyway.
Picking up a stress ball, he tossed it from hand to hand as he glared at the bobble-headed Santa Alice had given him. She’d been upset with him for leaving Zerconia without taking anyone as back-up. But he’d needed to get away from Zerconia quickly. Bad enough he had to see his sister and cousin succumb to the dubious appeal of one of those overgrown ape-like Zerconian warriors, but watching Sophie find a mate had been more than he could take.
Not that he’d ever thought he would have a relationship with Sophie. She was too sweet and gentle for him. No, she deserved much, much better. Although he wasn’t certain that better was that giant Toriq. He had about as much personality as a block of cheese. But he was her mate. Zerconians took that seriously. They mated for life.
Personally, Rich thought that sounded like a death sentence. He didn’t buy into that mate-for-life, protect-the-little-woman, happy-ever-after bullshit. Mated to the same person forever? Nope, not for him.
Not even if that person was Sophie.
The bobble-headed Santa rocked back and forth, mocking him with its cheerful smile. He snarled then threw the stress ball at Santa, knocking him off his perch on the edge of the desk. Now that was the best use of that stress ball he’d ever had. Maybe he should throw it at things that annoyed him more often.
The sudden blaring of the warning siren made him sit up in a hurry, all thoughts of Zerconia and Sophie fleeing.
“Computer, what’s wrong?” he asked urgently.
“Malfunction. Losing power rapidly.”
“What? What sort of fucking malfunction? I paid good money for this heap of metal, there shouldn’t be a goddamn malfunction.”
Unless that bastard, Rufus, ripped him off. This is what he got for buying a ship in a hurry. He hadn’t done a proper background check on the idiot he’d bought this ship from. He’d been too eager to get away from Zerconia to spare the time.
“Can’t you fix whatever the fuck is wrong?”
“Negative.” It rattled off all this shit he didn’t understand.
“Computer, what is the solution?” he interrupted its spiel.
“We must land. Immediately.” A 3D map appeared in front of him. “There are three planets we can reach. But only Tiran can sustain your lifeform. Do you wish to head there?”
“No, let’s go to one of the other planets,” he said with heavy sarcasm.
“Which one?”
He sighed. “That was sarcasm. Head towards Tiran.”
“Affirmative,” the mechanical voice told him.
The ship shuddered and dipped to the right. He had to grab hold of the desk to remain standing. Were they even going to make it?
“Computer, connect me to Logan.”
“Rich?” Logan’s deep voice came through the speakers just as the ship shook again. Logan had worked for him for years. He was a security specialist and a damn good investigator. Thanks to him and his team Rich now had evidence that High-Councillor Duncan had been embezzling funds for years.
Rich gritted his teeth, feeling his tension rise. This was not what he needed. “Logan, I may not have much time. My ship has a malfunction; we’re about to crash land on Tiran.” He quickly gave the coordinates.
“Got it. It’s going to take us at least five days to reach you. Probably more like a week.”
“Understood,” he said grimly. “Just get here as quickly as you can.”
“Keep—” The communication broke off.
“Computer?” he queried.
“All power has been diverted to the engine. Brace yourself for impact.”
Well, fuck.
***
“It has been a good hunt,” Amira stated.
Laylla nodded solemnly. “There is much meat to feed the village now.” She looked back at her fellow hunters. No deaths, only a few injuries and one dead stampa beast. It was a very good hunt. Now they just had to travel back to the village with their kills.
“Are you looking forward to the ceremony?” Amira asked. “You could have forgone the hunt to stay behind and prepare.”
Look forward to the ceremony? Laylla wrinkled her nose. She would rather roll in the dead carcass of a stampa beast and parade naked through the village than take part in the ceremony.