Alien Revelation Read online

  “Brogan…”

  It was a whispered plea that he answered by tilting her chin up, and closing the last inches that separated their lips. He captured her surprise intake of breath with his mouth, and by the Gods, she felt too good. Her lips were the softest thing he’d ever kissed. He moved his gently, knowing that he shouldn’t be too aggressive. Instead, he relaxed into her, and enjoyed the intimacy of the moment.

  When he pulled back, she touched fingers to her own lips, as if he still lingered there. His extensive training had him automatically looking her up and down, noting the changes in her body. Her eyes were wide, pupils dilated, her heart rate had increased, and breathing was more rapid.

  “We shouldn’t have done that,” she whispered.

  “Oh, yeah, we should have.” His body was still humming from their kiss, his groin straining against the fabric of his pants.

  Onalee shook her head, her expression transforming from one of surprised arousal, to one of denial.

  “No, Brogan, I’m sorry, but we can’t. I can’t.”

  She turned and walked back towards the lake. He let her go.

  What the hell did I just do? Brogan mentally berated himself. Kissing a stranger, a guest, while on duty was definitely not something a Guard did. He’d chastised and punished others for less. But as wrong as it was, he couldn’t regret what he’d done. Onalee was like a siren. He didn’t think there was any way he could have resisted her. Everything about the female called to him. From her appearance, the way she moved, to her timidness. Brogan knew she’d be on his mind, and under his skin, for days.

  He smiled to himself. The idea didn’t bother him in the least.

  *****

  Onalee could still feel Brogan’s lips on hers, even after she’d rejoined the party. She’d never known a kiss could be like that. Even more disconcerting was the way the rest of her body reacted.

  Her breasts felt heavy, and ached, and there were tingles in other parts of her body. She had the urge to simultaneously run away, and back towards the handsome stranger. And that’s what he was: a stranger.

  How had she let that happen? What if someone had seen? What if Forkan found out? He was already disappointed with her because of earlier; this would have enraged him.

  She passed the small groups of people scattered over the grass, and walked right into the food tent, grabbing a full glass as she passed. The alcoholic drink was cold and sweet on her tongue. She downed the first, then grabbed another before sitting in a plush chair by herself. It faced the lake, and gave her a great view of the kids playing.

  Usually she would enjoy the chance to be included in an event like this. Not today. Today she had the urge to go back into the garden and seek him out. Brogan. He was like her dreams personified.

  Attractive… distractingly so… and huge; he was one of the largest males she’d ever seen. It wasn’t just his height, he was also broad. The portion of his arms that hadn’t been hidden by his shirt were bands of muscle. His chest was wide, and had encouraged her to touch it to see if he was as solid as he appeared. His chest dipped to a nice waist, then to legs that looked like tree trunks. He was yummy, and had awoken desires that Onalee had kept locked deep, deep down.

  Thank goodness no one had seen them. Forkan would have lost his ever-loving mind if he’d witnessed her embracing a male. Sometimes he got angry when she even talked to anyone near her age.

  As much as his behavior bothered her, she understood why: she was all Forkan had. He felt responsible for her—just like when she was that lonely, grieving teenager.

  Forkan always said, “What would I do without you, Lea?”

  Onalee sighed. Their reliance on each other was the same reason she’d never gone to school.

  In Arathian society, teenagers around the age of sixteen applied for upper-level schools, which usually meant they left home. When she’d turned sixteen and wanted to go into the medical field, like her parents before them, Forkan hadn’t allowed it. Now, at the age of twenty-five, thanks to her overprotective brother, and her need to appease him, she’d just experienced her first kiss—and holy crap, had it been amazing!

  She looked out over the lawn and saw many families. Mated trios and quartets, many with children, either adults themselves, teenagers, or adopted children of other races. They laughed, ate, and talked with one another. It was something that she wanted to be a part of, instead of always sitting alone.

  Onalee had long ago admitted to herself that she was lonely. Her only companions were Lena, and her menagerie of birds. That’s right, I’m the crazy bird lady, she begrudgingly admitted to herself. I wonder if Brogan would have been so quick to kiss me if he knew I spent my days in an aviary?

  The aviary was her sanctuary. It was a room completely enclosed in clear material, that was full of plants and home to birds of all sizes. Many of them had been poached from other worlds and brought to Arath. They were unable to survive in the wilderness with the large winged frivolians that preyed on them. She’d saved each one of them through an agency, and offered them a safe place on their world. Her birds were her life—her way of caring for others… especially since she didn’t have mates or children of her own.

  Once Forkan finds a cure, I can seek mates, she reminded herself. He’d promised that once he wasn’t so occupied with work, he’d help her. He was hopeful that they’d find a cure sometime in the next year. It was only a matter of time.

  That will be me soon, she told herself as she watched the happy families. If not, then I’ll have to find the courage to confront him.

  Onalee’s musings were interrupted by Jayda’s voice, which called out over the lawn, drawing everyone’s attention.

  “Would you all please gather around? We have an announcement to make.”

  Onalee exited the tent and joined the others, who were making a semi-circle around the royal trio. They stood on a small platform so that everyone could see them.

  “First of all, we want to thank you again for coming. It’s been nice to see and visit with everyone in a less-formal environment. The Council building in Talavera is nice, but I hope you’d agree that this is a little better.”

  People chuckled and nodded.

  “There’s another reason we asked you all here: Lukas, Deian, and I have an announcement to make.”

  Silence descended on the crowd as everyone held their breath.

  “I’m pregnant,” Jayda told them with a smile.

  Her mates put their arms around her from either side. Deian looked ecstatic, while Lukas grinned. It was the closest to excited Onalee had ever seen the stoic male.

  Gasps came from the crowd, before shouts and clapping filled the lawn. Onalee tucked her purse under her arm and joined in.

  The news was amazing! It meant that the royal line would endure. Obviously Lukas was the biological father, but it didn’t matter that the infant was only half Arathian… it gave their race hope!

  When the noise died down, Jayda continued.

  “I’m about two months along now, and have been checked over by several Arathian doctors, and even an Earther doctor, who flew here all the way from Aeonas to make sure I’m progressing normally. They all concur that the baby and I are doing just fine. If Lacy Woods’s pregnancy is anything to go by, we’ll be expecting a baby boy in roughly five more months.”

  Lacy was the only other female to carry and give birth to an Arathian/Earther child, so hers was the only reference they had.

  “We will make the news public soon, but we wanted you all to know first,” Lukas added.

  The trio were quickly ensconced in congratulations, hugs, handshakes, and pats on the back.

  Onalee stayed where she was and watched. She was thrilled for the trio, but the news caused a pang in her heart.

  That’ll be me soon, she reminded herself once again, as she watch the mated threesome share in their happy moment.

  CHAPTER 5

  Conall was just stepping out of the shower after swimming laps in their pool, w
hen a disembodied voice called from a hidden speaker.

  “Excuse me, Conall?” LINK asked.

  Conall tried to not startle at the nearby voice. It was always strange to have LINK suddenly start speaking to him.

  “Yes, LINK,” he answered as he rubbed a towel over his wet skin.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt, but there’s an autotransport pulling up outside. Everyone else is indisposed. Are you able to greet them?”

  Crap. “Alright,” he answered, as he headed for his closet. He dressed in the first things he could find, and headed towards the front doors still running the towel through his hair.

  “Who’s here?” he asked LINK as he walked.

  “I am unsure. If you’d like, I can run the vehicle’s identification through the Arathian Database?”

  Conall shook his head. “That’s alright, LINK. I’m nearly outside. We’ll find out who they are soon enough.”

  The front doors opened automatically as Conall crossed the entryway. He threw his towel onto a nearby chair and stepped outside into the glare of the sun. He was forced to shield his eyes with a palm, and squinted to see the transport that had just pulled to a stop in their circular driveway.

  The large door opened, and a man stepped out. He turned and offered his hand to another person.

  At first glance, Conall knew that they were both Arathian (the dark coloring was always a dead giveaway). He only gave the male a glance before the female emerged gracefully from the transport, and Conall’s eyes locked onto her.

  The first thing he saw were her long, tan legs. His eyes traveled up in a slow perusal. Rounded hips, slender waist, bust; every inch of her was beautiful, even though he couldn’t see her face past the intense sunlight shining into his eyes.

  The male called out a greeting, and Conall automatically raised his hand in reply. Who were these people? The male held out his arm to her, and she took it.

  Were they mated? Of course they were. A female like that wouldn’t stay single for long on a planet where males outnumbered them four-to-one.

  As they neared, Conall could make out more of her features, and the clearer she became, the more he liked what he saw. She was absolutely stunning. Her eyes were a pale green, hair fell in a wave of ebony down her back. Her lips were plump, her smile radiant… Radiant?

  Since when have I ever used that word? Conall mentally chastised himself as he held out his hand in greeting.

  “Conall MacLeod, pleased to meet you.”

  Both Arathians looked at his outstretched hand quizzically, until recognition dawned on the male’s expression.

  “This is an Earther greeting, yes?” he asked. He grasped Conall’s hand firmly for a moment before letting go. “I am pleased to meet you as well. I am Forkan Cormikan, and this is Onalee Cormikan. We’re good friends of the royal Princess and Princes, and were told that you had arrived on Arath. We wanted to come by and welcome you.”

  “That’s very kind of you,” Conall answered, a bit disappointed that the woman hadn’t also shaken his hand. Instead, she’d bowed her head, and kept a polite smile in place. He shook off the disappointment that he had no business feeling.

  “I’m sorry my whole family isn’t here to greet you, but they’re off doing… various things,” Conall told them.

  He looked around a bit uncomfortably. This didn’t feel like his home yet, but inviting them in was clearly the polite thing to do.

  “Would you like to come inside? I’m sure I can round everyone up.”

  “That would be nice. We’re looking forward to meeting your entire family,” Forkan replied with a smile.

  Conall gestured to the door, and they all moved forward. He turned to lead them inside and guide them towards the family room, which (thankfully) was one of the spaces that Clare had made sure was fit for company. This time he was grateful for his mother’s need to nest.

  “LINK, will you please alert everyone that we have guests,” Conall instructed the AI.

  “Yes, Conall.”

  He gestured to the plush seating in the living room. Forkan and Onalee took seats on the smaller lounger, while Conall sat across from them in one of the armchairs.

  “Was that the infamous AI I’ve been hearing so much about?” Forkan asked as his eyes traveled the room, taking in the space.

  “Aye, it is.”

  “He sounds different than the version I heard while I was attending a briefing with General De’Ryke of the Defense.”

  Conall shrugged his shoulders. “To be honest, I don’t know much about Karo’s projects. I think this version is the same one that runs his own home and business, but I’m not sure.”

  “So you don’t know Karo well then?” Forkan asked.

  “I know him well enough. We were on the same ship together for two weeks while we traveled from Earth to Arath. That’s a lot of empty time to get to know someone. But he’s still the closest to Reus, obviously, since they’ve known each other for most of their lives.”

  Forkan nodded. “I see. Is Reus here today?”

  Forkan’s questions seemed odd to Conall. He glanced at Onalee to see if she noticed, but she was politely listening to their conversation with a pleasant expression.

  Does she ever talk? he wondered.

  “I think so,” Conall answered Forkan evasively. “If he is, I’m sure LINK will grab him for you. Is there something specific you need to talk to him about?”

  Forkan waved him off. “Oh no, I just want to introduce myself, especially since we have mutual friends.”

  Conall wasn’t exactly sure why, but Forkan struck him strangely. He wanted to keep him talking so that he could put his finger on it. He adjusted his posture into one of relaxation to keep the male at ease.

  “Oh yeah, who’s that?”

  Forkan sat back too, crossed his ankle over a knee, and spread his arm along the back of the sofa behind Onalee. She stayed exactly as she was, sitting up straight with her hands clasped in her lap, her ankles crossed.

  Conall tried not to look at her. It wasn’t right to stare at someone’s wife, but in all honesty… she was distracting. She had something on her arms: a golden decoration that glimmered. Outside it’d been dazzling. Inside it was muted, but still impressive. Were they tattoos? He wanted to get a better look at them; to hold out her arm, and trace the designs with a finger. The only downfall of her appearance was the unfortunate pink dress she wore.

  Forkan averted his attention. “As I said before, I’m very close to the Arathian royal family, who count Karo and Aevum as good friends. Since Karo and Reus are practically brothers, I thought it imperative that I get to know Reus. And his mate, of course.”

  Conall’s reply was a tight smile. He wasn’t sure he wanted his sister near this man. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but Forkan rubbed him the wrong way. The conversation halted for a moment before Forkan asked another question.

  “How many members of your family moved here with you?”

  “Six: me, my mother and father, my sister, her husband, and my son.”

  “You have a son?” The question came from Onalee, and gave Conall the perfect excuse to turn his attention her way.

  “Oh, aye. He’s nearly eleven years old.”

  “Is he excited to be living here?” she asked.

  Conall nodded emphatically. “I’ve never seen him this excited.”

  She smiled broadly. “I’m so glad to hear it.”

  Conall heard voices nearing the room, and stood in preparation for the invasion of family. Clare and Artair were first, her talking about some sort of landscaping fiasco; followed by Ashlyn and Reus, hand-in-hand. Oliver brought up the rear, but he may have been the loudest of the bunch as he told Ashlyn what he and Reus had been working on.

  Within moments, the room was filled with greetings, handshakes, questions, and answers. Conall backed out of the intensity, and was surprised when Onalee joined him on the periphery. She stood at his side looking at the group of people, her hands clasped in front of her
; every inch the lady. A smell enveloped him—a mixture of flowers and spice. He breathed deeply, bringing the scent into his lungs. He didn’t know if it was perfume or her natural smell, but it was enticing.

  “Is that Oliver?” She gestured towards his son.

  “Aye,” Conall replied tightly, trying to not drag more air into his lungs than absolutely necessary. He shouldn’t be coveting the smell of another man’s wife.

  “Such a handsome child,” she observed. “He shares your vibrant hair color.”

  “He does, the poor lad.” Conall’s fingers ran through his red hair in an unconscious gesture of unease. He’d never liked his hair. It was like a flaming beacon, with him everywhere he went.

  Onalee’s brows creased, and she turned to fully face him.

  “Why do you say that? I’ve never seen anyone with such a shade before. It’s rather intriguing.”

  “You think?” Why did it please him so much that she liked his hair?

  Her smile broadened. “Yes. I hope you don’t mind me saying so.”

  “I don’t,” he replied, and barely stopped himself from asking her what else she liked about him.

  She turned back towards the group, but didn’t move to rejoin the family. They all still stood around Forkan, who was making them laugh with some anecdote. Conall felt no need to join them.

  “How do you like living here so far?” Onalee asked. “I’ve never seen your planet, but I assume that this must be quite the change from Earth.”

  He nodded in agreement. “It is, but I like it here just fine. It’s a nice planet. At least, the part that I’ve seen is nice.”

  “Have you been to any of the cities yet?”

  Conall shook his head. “No. We came straight here. I think Karo and Aevum didn’t want to overwhelm us with too much too quickly.”

  She chuckled, and Conall brightened at the sound. He immediately wanted to hear her make it again.

  “That was probably wise of them,” she observed. “The big cities can be rather intense, especially Talavera, the capital.”

  “Do you go there often?”