Page 21 of Fated to the Alien Hero (Warriors of Tavikh #7)

Alik

It is good to be back on Bohna. Not that I don’t enjoy the trips to Tavikh, especially because we get the much needed kanet plant my males so desperately need, but being away from home for long isn’t good for us. We are tied to our planet in deeper ways than most realize.

“It’s beautiful,” Eloise, the human female, stands in the bridge and stares out the windows at the planet we’re approaching.

The obvious awe she has is the same I feel every time we return from a trip. Bohna is stunning with its crystal clear blue waters and white, snow-capped mountains.

“Thank you.”

At her side is her Tavikhi mate, who still hasn’t gotten used to being on board the Onyx . Despite the flat expression on Zedam’s face, his dilated feline-like pupils, clenched fists, and the rapidly beating heart I can hear give away his trepidation. This is the first time one of the Tavikhi warriors has traveled to Bohna. It’s the first time one of them has traveled anywhere beyond their own planet.

If one of my ancestor’s ships hadn’t been shot down and crashed onto Tavikh, we might not have ever known they existed. We might not have ever known that the plant that saves our lives existed. It is why we come here. Why we trade with a primitive race of warriors. I don’t believe Zander would change the terms of our agreement if he knew how desperately we needed the kanet, but it wasn’t a secret we were willing to share with anyone.

“Sire, we will be touching down momentarily. The queen is waiting.”

Fuck. I shoot a death glare at Rennik and he winces. I’ll send him to the training room with Horek. Have them run through a few fight simulations until he remembers not to use my title in front of anyone who is not Bohnari.

“Queen? Sire?” Eloise arches her eyebrow and smirks. “I didn’t realize you were royalty. Should we have been bowing all this time?”

Zedam’s gaze bounces between us. The translators we traded years ago has the capacity for adapting and learning new languages as they’re spoken, but I’m not sure if the humans spoke much of royal hierarchy in every day conversation.

“It is not something we make widely known, so future discretion would be appreciated. To you and anyone else, I’m merely Alik.”

Eloise tips her head and she switches from amused to serious. “Understood.”

Zedam fists his chest in the gesture of respect and honor the Tavikhi utilize. “You have my vow no one will learn of this from me as well.”

I nod my thanks and turn to stare out the viewing windows again. My mother, while I love her dearly, does not agree with my plan. I do not agree with my plan, but it’s the only one I can think of to save our people.

We navigate smoothly through the lower atmosphere and after breaking through the clouds, the capital city of Preska comes into full view. It never fails to take my breath away. Various shades of teal and copper compose nearly everything from the leaves on the trees to the paved streets that snake along the ground.

Eloise and Zedam must feel the same way, because they both take several steps forward as though they need to get a closer look. I’ve never been to Earth, but from the way London described it, there are parts that are similar to Preska. Towering buildings spread out across the land, but while her planet has destroyed nearly all of nature, ours flourishes. Trees grow freely and there are gardens after gardens filled with the most colorful and lush flowers and plants.

Snow-capped mountains border one side while a deadly rainforest extends out beyond the city walls on the other side. Halfway up the vast climb of the granite slope, built on a plateau, resides the palace. The sun reflects off the glass windows, forming a kaleidoscope of colors.

Within the palace courtyard is my mother’s garden. No doubt that’s where she waits. It’s her sanctuary and the place she spends most of her time tending the flowers and meditating.

At last, we touch down on the landing pad outside the palace walls. I turn to Zedam and Eloise.

“Rennik will take you inside and help you get settled. I’ll have someone bring you some refreshments. I must greet my mother first, and then I’ll come for you and we can head to our communications room.”

“Thanks for your generous hospitality,” Eloise says.

I dip my head and wait until Rennik has escorted them off the bridge. Everyone else has already made their way to the cargo hold as well as their designated areas to ensure the ship receives its proper care. The weight of responsibility is heavy on my shoulders and I heave out a deep sigh once I confirm I’m alone.

To my fellow males, I’m the leader. The strong one. The crown prince of Bohna. It’s never been a position I wanted, but it’s mine nonetheless. Knowing my mother waits, I can’t linger any longer. I, too, make my way off the bridge and navigate the ship that is familiar to me as the palace where I grew up.

The scent of metal and fuel is a heady one, but I prefer the clean, slightly salty air I breathe outside. I’ve barely made it out of the ship and onto the landing pad when a severe cramp hits. I stumble with the intensity of it and count the seconds until it passes. They’re getting worse. From my pocket, I withdraw my small, personal stash of kanet powder and snort it, ignoring how fast I’ve been going through it.

I wind my way through the palace, nodding at the warriors and staff I pass until I push open the double doors leading to my mother’s gardens. The sweet and floral fragrances tickle my senses. My footsteps are silent on the stone path that lines the ground leading in scattered directions and allows access to every part of the courtyard.

The soft pitch of a voice reaches me and I can’t help but smile. I take a curving right, and there, seated on one of the stone benches in front of a swath of Calanthium flowers is my mother. At her feet is Beck, my devoted Phinnek pup. His ears perk and his nose twitches.

As if they both sense my presence, they turn. Joy lights up my mother’s face and Beck bounds to his feet and rushes me.

“Alik, my son.” She stands and presses her hands together against her lips.

Beck comes to an abrupt halt just before he runs into me and sits at attention. I brush my fingers over his head and scratch him. The coarse bristles of his fur is rough against my skin. A loud sigh of contentment escapes him and I continue walking into my mother’s embrace with Beck following on my heels.

“Hello, mother.”

“I am so glad you have returned.”

There’s a growing sadness at how frail she feels within my arms. We both know her time is coming soon although she denies it.

“It’s good to be home.”

She draws away and clasps my forearms. Her head tips back so she can meet my gaze. “Are you still determined to go through with this plan of yours?”

“You know I am.” While she is technically the queen, I am the true ruler on Bohna.

“And there is nothing I can do to convince you to give up this idea and think of something different?”

I brush the strands of faded hair off her forehead. When did her skin become so thin? “I have thought of so many different things, and none of them have worked. You know this.”

My mother sighs in defeat. She hates admitting I’m right. Not because she wants to see me fail, but because she wants the best for me and doesn’t want me to settle for less than everything. If she knew I had no intention of becoming a candidate myself, she’d fight me even harder.

“Promise me you will try,” she says quietly.

“Try what?”

“To find love.”

For a moment I hesitate until finally, I nod. “I promise.”

I can only hope she doesn’t hear the lie.

“Sorry I’ve kept you waiting.” I stride through the open doorway of the communications room where Eloise and Zedam are seated at the table.

“Your nene is well?” Zedam asks.

“She is, thank you. She is also anxious to meet you both at dinner tonight.”

“I’ve never met a queen before.” Eloise does a little dance in her chair and her eyes are alight with excitement, but then she sobers and glances down at the simple leather clothing she wears. She then turns her glare on me. “I’m way underdressed to be meeting an actual queen. Why didn’t you tell me? I would have tried to find, I don’t know, something , a little fancier to wear.”

“Relax Eloise.” I chuckle. “I promise you my mother doesn’t stand on formality. What you’re wearing is perfectly fine.”

She scoffs. “So says the man. Clearly you have no idea how women think.”

No, I don’t. Nor do I need or want to. While she is here to facilitate a meeting between me and Earth’s government, it is for my people’s benefit, not mine.

“Should we get started?”

Eloise side-eyes my attempt at changing the subject, but she nods. “Let’s do this.”

She gives me the frequency and call signal to enter. A few short beeps later, there’s static, and then a gray-haired woman wearing a dark jacket and red blouse appears on the view screen mounted within the wall in front of us. She stands behind a desk and leans forward with her palms flat on the surface of it.

“Who are you and how did you get through on this line?” Her icy glare penetrates mine.

“Madame President,” Eloise speaks up. “My name is Eloise Bannock. I’m a former communications crew member of the terraforming ship Helios 3.”

“That ship went down months ago,” she says.

“Yes, ma’am. We were attacked by space pirates. I—along with at least one of my colleagues—was able to safely eject using the escape pods. While I crash-landed on the habitable planet of Tavikh with a human colony already settled, my colleague Johnna Wolff landed on a neighboring planet. My Tavikhi mate Zedam and I travelled here today with a proposition from the leader of the Bohnari people.”

It is my turn.

“Greetings, Madame President. I am Alik of the Bohnari. It is an honor to meet you.” I will play nice if it gets me what I want.

The female on screen narrows her gaze. “What kind of proposition do you have for me?”

“A lucrative one.” Money will incentivize anything.

“Go on. I’m listening,” she says.

“A widespread sickness came through two generations ago. Since that time, no female Bohnari have been born. We are an advanced society, but our scientists and healers have not been able to find a cure for this.”

The female straightens. “If you’re that advanced, then how do you expect my scientists to find your cure. Especially considering we know nothing about your race.”

I shake my head. “It is not a cure I seek from you.”

“Then what is?”

“Brides.”

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed Astrid and Evren’s story!