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Planet Etteria
Issneen, the Royal City
Still bored and now abandoned.
As soon as Macy reached the royal gardens, she lifted her face to the warm rays. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend she was on Earth. Not that life there had been all that pleasant. But she couldn’t ignore the two suns or the delicate pink of the sky for long. At least here, she wouldn’t starve to death.
Etteria.
As stunning as she could’ve imagined.
The palace of King Xeus loomed, an impressive white building with massive doors and long blue banners flapping in the breeze, their edges glimmering gold in the sunlight. She tried not to think over the last week of pampering onboard the Phoenix. Thank God for her gorgeous male friends, despite their lack of interest in her as a woman. Except for the Lysarans. To them, she was a means to an end.
So once again, she was alone. Not even Zoo was there for her, and she couldn’t expect him to be. It wasn’t fair on him.
Still, it hurt when Cyndi and Quin tried to include her in their changing lives. They were moving on, and Macy wasn’t. They had found love, and of course, she hadn’t. Plain Macy received no confessions of the heart. The Lysarans offered mind-blowing sex, and despite the temptation of it, it wasn’t enough for her. She blamed the romance novels she’d read growing up. Soulmates? Friends to lovers? Alien brides? She snorted, wishing she could write the publishers a few admonishments.
She released a pent-up breath trying to remember when true happiness had last filled her. On the Phoenix, with hope for a new life, she’d danced for her imaginary lover. The same damn non-existent love-of-her-life from Earth. The news vids had advertised sex-cyborgs, females only, and even they’d been gorgeous. Now if they’d had males, she would’ve saved to buy one. They’d guaranteed good sex for the rest of her dull life. But then, she might as well choose Bry-dar or...Sy-mar. No, Myn-ras was the safest. All three were the real thing. They just left her so drained. Surely someone had to know whether they feasted on emotions?
And now she had to meet another king, the ruler of the planet she’d hoped to call home. Meeting King Sy’mar had felt intimate. The Etterian palace was huge which had to mean a massive court, filled to the brim with attendees. All those eyes...watching her. Like they taught royal etiquette at school. Hell, they didn’t even cover business etiquette. Just Spanish, which she’d never use now. She snorted. No Español.
At the approaching voices behind her, she panicked, remembering too late that she’d promised Nuos she wouldn’t leave her prison. She dived through a metal gate and sprinted down a narrow path lined with blue bushes. The sea air thick with salt teased her. She ducked behind a blue bush. When the voices drifted past, she surveyed her surroundings filled with solid pathways. There was a secluded alcove by a white stone fountain with rippling clear water. A blue vine created privacy, shade, and promised to hide her from all the pathways shooting off the alcove. She made a mental note of its location.
She should’ve been smarter and smuggled food in her pockets. Tomorrow, she vowed then scowled. Tomorrow was the king. To avoid having to meet him, she’d need food. She shut off her mental-Gran, who admonished her for her future-rudeness. Macy didn’t care. What she needed was true companionship, and as matters stood, Etteria wasn’t the solution.
For Nuos and Azan, she was a duty. Neither of them would choose to spend time with her. They wanted to find their Dar Eths and not have to babysit her. Oyaz had taken her image, had spoken to the king, and yet, here she was, without an Eth. A weight settled in her core at how unwanted she was. A loose thread from an epic rescue she had played no part in? How many Etterian males were there, and not one was her soulmate? Rejected by an entire planet... That hurt.
She crumpled onto the stone bench and tried to hold back a sob. Crying solved nothing. And once she started, she wouldn’t be able to stop. What would they do if she cried in front of them? Their expressions would be priceless. She giggled, on the fringe of hysteria. Well, she didn’t have anyone on Earth either, except the stray dog. But meeting Quin and Cyndi had made her feel part of something more and bigger than her worthless existence. Her giggling dwindled into great wracking sobs.
“Why?” she wailed.
“Are you unwell, milady?” someone asked.
She stilled. Had Nuos and Azan found her?
“Why are you sad?” the familiar voice came through the blue vines.
At the thought of Nuos or Azan rounding the vine, she cried out, “Please don’t look at me.” She suspected her face was mottled like she’d been hanging upside down for at least an hour. Not that her non-crying face would be much of an improvement.
“I will not if you vow to talk to me,” the male said.
She tilted her head to listen. Why did he sound familiar? Nuos and Azan would’ve ignored her request for privacy. “All right, but promise that anything I tell you is between you and the fountain.”
“A vow easily made.” His sexy voice had her honing in on it again.
It would suck if she spilled the beans and it was Azan speaking to her. This stranger’s voice was so deep, it made her heart leap into her throat, or were her tears stuck there? She struggled to swallow, to clear her throat. By the way her body reacted, maybe her stranger was Lysaran. Shit, she hoped not.
~*~
Xeus wandered through his private garden at the same time every day. It was his one moment of solitude. Privacy meant he wasn’t harassed by insipid, spineless ambassadors with hidden agendas that were in no way for Etteria’s good.
Like Ambassador Tamra. Every year, she traveled from Galaza for an in-person meeting he held with each of his ambassadors, especially those in charge of critical aspects of Etterian life—farming kreso or omeika, the Fuyra or Ferusi mines, or the tourist destination of Galaza, the eastern beaches.
And as beautiful and bold as she was, her Etterian appearance tempting, he couldn’t bring himself to succumb. Her ceremonial gown had left nothing to the imagination, her scent enticing, yet he didn’t dare entertain her offer. He had considered taking a lover, but it was pointless and a burden more than any benefits he received from the union. Not to mention the Etterian female, especially Tamra, would hope he’d form a permanent union with her. Had he been a simple warrior, without status or power, they would never choose him, the male. Regardless, taking a lover without the Ethera would bring the void closer. And in his current state, he couldn’t risk it.
He shuddered at the thought of dying to the void. To bring shame to Etteria was unforgivable. He, above all, had to endure.
Nothing he did eased that loneliness except speaking to Macera. He ached to find her, to gaze upon her face, to lose himself in her bottomless eyes. She didn’t know who he was, what he meant to Etteria. To her, he was Zoo.
He grinned. And he was free, his schedule cleared. Raising a finger, he activated his O.D.I. to find a message waiting from her.
She was on Issneen...and miserable.
His chest cinched. He punched in a location finder, needing to see her.
Sobbing reached him, penetrating his focus. Crying wasn’t a sound he heard often. He paused and listened again. This was of true sorrow. He sat on the bench by the vines just as the female wailed...in Earth English. Anger coursed through him. How could his males leave a human woman so unprotected?
And the emotion, sorrow, was so unexpected, so potent, its sourness coated his tongue as it drenched the air around him. He wanted to comfort the woman, but he didn’t wish to startle her. Without thought, he pressed his palm to the blue leaves.
“Why are you crying?” The sobs paused. “Why are you sad?” If it was a tangible thing, like being in pain or missing a bond, this he could assist with.
“Please don’t look at me.”
The utter terror in her voice froze him. “I will not if you vow to talk to me,” he said, wanting to not frighten her. He settled back on the bench and unfolded his clenched fists. Something breathtaking gripped him. Yes, hope, that she’d share her concern, her reason for her unhappiness.
“All right. Promise that anything I tell you is between you and the fountain.”
He smiled at how a human woman could negotiate, even when crying. “A vow easily made.”
She spoke in a rush. “I just stood by and let Quin rescue us. I was useless, pointless. And now, Quin has Xan and Cyndi likes Iddan, and here I am, as alone as I was on Earth. Kidnapped, on another planet, having crossed galaxies, and yet, nothing’s changed.” She sobbed again, her breathing ragged. “They try to include me, but I know. They don’t want me there. Oyaz has gone. Illan is too busy for me. I’ve only my guards to talk to and that doesn’t count when they’re forced to be with me.” Self-directed anger saturated her voice. “And now I have to meet King Xeus. I’m not comfortable meeting royalty, especially when I don’t know what’s expected of me. If I could disappear, it would be so much easier... No one would miss me anyway...”
Macera? Pleasure ripped through Xeus, juxtaposed with the anger that had moments ago burned him. The beautiful tiny creature with the amazing voice, who would break into birdsong without warning? The very woman who haunted his nights? He drew in a deep breath, expanding his chest to sniff past her sorrow to the very essence of her. His heart pounded an erratic beat. He sighed at the unexpected warmth spreading there. She was sweet, spicy, earthy like the soil after rain, like the new buds of his hahyt flowers. He inhaled again and trembled. He’d wanted to burst into her chambers to ensure she was well, but to do so would’ve drawn attention to her. Yet none of that mattered against this longing to see her.
Now that he knew who she was, her sorrow pierced his chest, engulfed his heart, and left him shattered. He was trapped, unable to assuage the need driving him. She’d asked for more anonymity. He curled his fingers into a fist and gritted his teeth. Worse, he’d agreed to it again. Drawing in a slow breath, he shoved his frustration aside and focused on what she needed.
“I have seen the sec vids, ensa,” he said, his voice too hoarse, but he couldn’t soften it. “You did help. As an Etterian, I cannot lie to you. As a warrior, I admire courage, determination. You showed all those traits.”
“You know who I am?” she gasped. “Zoo?”
“Yes, ensa.”
As shown by her shadow, she leaped to her feet, took a step toward the edge of the vine then sank onto the bench again, clutching her face.
He gripped the stone, praying its strength would seep into him. “I know who you are, Macera. You are one of three human women who retook a Yithian slave ship.” At her groan, he frowned. The sound of it scoured his control, but its implication confused him. “Do you think Ladies Cyndi or Quinlan could have managed the escape without you?”
“Yes,” she whimpered.
“It is important to keep your warriors’ morale up, no matter the crisis. If you had not done this, there would not have been an attempt made.” He wished he could pull her into his arms, that she’d allow him the opportunity to offer her comfort.
“You think so?” Her voice was soft, husky.
He liked hearing it, so close, not distorted by vid audio, and within his reach. The void crushing his chest eased its hold, just as it had done when she’d first seen his face.
“Yes, as a strategist, all three of you doing your part was why it was successful. Now can you answer one of my questions?”
“Sure.” Joy saturated her voice.
“Why do you not want to meet the king? Is he a monster?” Her fear of him annoyed him. What could I have done to cause such emotion?
“Oh, no, I don’t think any Etterian can be a monster. I’m sure he’s a male like other males, has needs and wants like the Lysaran king.” Her sigh ripped through him, weakening his vow not to see her. “When I sing to a crowd, I lose myself in the music. I don’t see the people watching me, I don’t have to talk to them. What do I say to a king? To his sycophants? Why would they want to meet me, Macera Mitchell? Dull, unattractive me? And worst of all, I know, none of its sincere.”
Dull? Unattractive? He scowled. “Maker, you are beautiful,” he growled.
“Zoo, you’ve only seen my face.”
“I saw a sec vid of you, as I stated. They are not of superior quality. And yes, I have been blessed to gaze upon your face, ensa, and your exquisite eyes,” he said, admitting a little of his fascination.
“They’re just brown,” she said.
That she was dismissive of his words infuriated him. He wanted to grip her shoulders and shake her. “Your voice? Your sense of humor? Your birdsong? Are they brown too?” he demanded. “Lady Macera, an Etterian cannot lie. Doing so is against our code and honor. And if you feel you are being deceived, in court or anywhere else, you bring that matter to me. You comm me immediately.”
She chuckled, the joyful sound unexpected and a balm to his ears. Yet another unknown emotion warmed his chest. What was this human doing to him? Or was the void closer than he’d thought? Could he be feeling random emotions before the final plunge? Was he so desperate for salvation that any human woman would do?
“I’ll come right to you, my alcove guardian, I promise.”
Her teasing spread his smile wide, splitting his cheeks. This was Macera’s true character—joyful and playful.
“Why are you in the gardens? Also hiding away?”
Her innocent question struck true, and he jerked back. He drew in a sharp breath. “Yes. I too am lonely. I find the gardens bring me some relief. Flowers do not make demands of me or monitor my every move or second guess each decision I make.” His eyebrows shot up at his response and the truth of it. Was that how he felt?
“It sounds like you work too hard,” she said. “Maybe work is your purpose? I don’t have one, you see. Having a purpose is the reason to climb out of bed in the mornings.” Her chuckle was self-deprecating. He didn’t like the sound of the false joy that didn’t reach her soul. “I haven’t had a purpose for a long time.” She fell silent for a few minutes. “If you’re in such an authoritative position, maybe you’re too lenient with those idiots who dare to challenge you. The people who gave you the power trust you to do the right thing, make the big decisions and, above all, uphold your core values.”
He shook his head. She was right. They did challenge him, and he’d let them get away with it. As an alpha male, he shouldn’t have. He needed to be more commanding.
“So, be firm and decisive?” he teased, surprised that he still could and that he felt the need to.
Her answering giggle delighted him. “One or two of those idiots in the palace dungeons or peeling vegetables will teach them manners.”
He laughed. It was coarse and unused. His chest warmed. It felt good not to guard his emotions, reactions, and the gate sealing the void within him. “If only we had dungeons,” he said with a ‘deep’ sigh.
“Earth has so many. Send them there.”
“Alodon’s balls, can you imagine how much trouble they would cause?”
Her laughter was full-bodied and rich with emotion. “Then you’re on your own on this.” Her shadow rose. “Thank you for taking the time to talk to me. I’m feeling much better, Zoo.”
“My pleasure, ensa. I will take your advice to heart.”
“I’m happy if I’ve been helpful.” She turned to go but hesitated, “Will you be here tomorrow?” Her hopeful tone pleased him. Feeling anything joyful, pleased him.
“Yes.” And he would be. “I will be here tomorrow even if you do meet the king.”
“Shit, forgot about that,” she said.
He grinned, he couldn’t help himself. It seemed she invoked responses within him that he’d thought had died.
“I better find my guards. I broke my promise. Why do I need protection, Zoo, when nobody knows I exist?”
Her footsteps had faded, but his scowl lingered. Not know she existed? She believed she was worthless. Anger burned. He wished he could force her to see how he saw her.
Cales approaching footsteps drew Xeus from his thoughts. He spared his battle-bond a glance.
“And what, do tell, are you doing?” Cales clasped his hands behind him.
“Regarding what?”
He gestured to the alcove. “Talking to a human woman through the vine?”
“She was crying. I offered comfort.” He rose to march down the pathway to his office. Had he told Cales from the start, what would his battle-bond have said?
“Well, it seems like she offered you comfort. I have not seen you this calm in a while, my king.”
Xeus frowned, not at Cales falling in stride beside him, but that his conflict had been so obvious.
“Only to me,” Cales answered without Xeus having to ask—their bond was stronger than any blood-bond’s. Cales was his usual perceptive self. “What was she like?”
Xeus rubbed his chest where a hot ache had taken up residence. “Like the other human women we have met.”
“Yes, but this one brought you peace.”
Macera did that and more. “Peace and wisdom, Cales.”
“Are you meeting with her tomorrow?”
And he’d comm her later, like he always did. “Cancel the introductions to the court. If meeting me intimidates her, the other human women might be, as well. Perhaps revisit protocol on this.”
“If the court questions this?”
“Tell them one single word of discontent and they will find themselves peeling poazo in the palace’s kitchens.” And to this he strode away, chuckling to himself. Peeling poazo? A fitting punishment.
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