Harper
Space wasn't what I expected.
At first, the isolation hit me hard. Other than Maddie, a few other humans and the handful of crew members who spoke English, I was surrounded by incomprehensible alien chatter. Then the cutest little Doogie Howser-ish alien doctor named George slipped a translator chip into my ear. The procedure lasted mere seconds—a sharp pinch followed by warmth that tingled through my skull. The moment I could understand everyone, the moment I heard how genuinely welcoming they all were, something in my chest loosened. I was home.
The spaceship looked like something ripped from a sci-fi movie, only better. Sleeker. More real. Corridors curved in shades of gray and white, the walls embedded with lights that pulsed like living things, like they were breathing alongside us. Holographic displays materialized at the slightest touch, and beneath my feet, the engines hummed—a vibration so subtle I felt more than heard it. The human women on board—Captain Adtovar's mate Maddie and a few others en route to some planet called Tau Ceti—had transformed the sterile environment into something warmer. They'd draped jewel-toned fabrics over cold surfaces, tucked potted plants into corners, and somehow filled the recycled air with scents that reminded me of lavender and vanilla. It felt cozier. It felt possible.
Xabat's quarters screamed bachelor pad. Dark metals everywhere, furniture so sparse I could count the pieces on one hand, and not a single soft or decorative thing in sight. But I'd fix that soon enough.
I'd learned that all the people Declan imprisoned on his island had made it home safely in the week since we'd boarded theHistoria. Ana and Sebastian were safe. I'd made sure to get every detail about their missing sister Merri—small, dark-haired, wore large glasses, brilliant mind—and promised I would find her. I meant it.
What kept me up at night was Declan. The bastard was still out there. Not a single Trogvyk shuttle had left Earth's atmosphere, which meant he was still planetside, still breathing, still plotting. With most of Earth's population blissfully ignorant that aliens even existed, dispatching a proper task force to hunt him down would risk everything. The cuddwisg cloaking device worked for small-scale operations—it had worked for Xabat—but alien weaponry was leagues beyond anything Earth possessed, and infinitely harder to hide from curious eyes.
On my seventh day aboard theHistoria, the summons came. Xabat and I were ordered to report to Captain Adtovar's private office after dinner. It was time to meet with the Alliance Prime.
When we arrived, I found myself quite relieved to discover the meeting was a group effort. Captain Adtovar stood near his desk, and beside him was Maddie—his human mate, a gorgeous woman with a headful of curls, cocoa-colored skin, and the beginnings of a baby bump that made my heart squeeze with unexpected emotion. Cristox lounged against the long table in the center of the room, reminding me of the Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz, except infinitely sexier. And then there was Rickon, who could have stepped out of every Renaissance depiction of the devil I'd ever seen, save for his gorgeous copperskin and easy smile that put me at ease despite the formal nature of our meeting.
Adtovar’s office was a study in contrasts that somehow worked perfectly. A massive onyx desk dominated one corner, the surface polished to such a mirror shine I could see my reflection in it. An expansive conference table surrounded by twelve high-backed chairs occupied the center. Maddie had clearly left her mark. While the walls were appointed in shades of white and light gray, and the floor constructed of pale gray metal that should have felt cold and sterile, vibrant tapestries lined the walls in rich crimsons, deep blues, and warm golds. They depicted scenes I couldn't quite decipher but found beautiful nonetheless. It reminded me of practically every conference room I'd ever been in back on Earth, except for one breathtaking difference: the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that could transform into display screens on command, but currently offered an unobstructed view of the star-studded cosmos beyond. I had to force myself to stop staring.
We would be conducting the meeting via holo-comm—like a video call on steroids, Maddie had explained to me earlier—since the leader of the planetary Alliance currently resided at the council seat on planet Calpa.
When the Prime's image materialized before us, I forgot how to breathe.
She was definitely not what I'd expected.
For one thing, she was gorgeous. Impossibly tall and lithe, she moved with a dancer's grace. Her pale golden pelt caught the light like the finest suede. Thick dark hair had been woven into an intricate crown of braids that wrapped around her head like something out of a fairy tale. But her eyes—God, her eyes were her most arresting feature. Bright, molten-gold irises set against a deep cobalt-blue sclera that reminded me of Earth's oceans at twilight. Utterly breathtaking. She wore flowing robesof rich purple, teal, and crimson that draped elegantly across her frame. The colors indicated her position in the Alliance, or so I'd been told.
The holo-comm followed her as she moved from gazing out a massive arched window, to an uncluttered white desk that fronted it. I couldn't help but gape at what lay beyond the glass—a landscape that belonged in every fantasy novel I'd ever devoured. Rolling emerald hills dotted with crystalline structures that caught the light like diamonds, distant mountains wreathed in violet mist, and pale pink clouds suspended in a lavender sky. It was almost too beautiful to be real. On one side of her desk, a short, pale green male in a dark green robe scribbled furiously on a handheld device. On her other side sat a handsome man of the same species as Adtovar, with a regal bearing and gorgeous pearlescent horns. Duke Ako as he was introduced.
Captain Adtovar's voice cut through my awestruck reverie when the holo-comm stabilized, the image sharpening into crystal clarity. "Lady Prime, Duke Ako," he began, her tone formal yet warm. "You know my War Chief, Xabat, Intelligence Officer Cristox, and First Mate Rickon?"
"Of course." The Lady Prime inclined her head with the kind of refined elegance that made me feel like a clumsy child by comparison, her braided crown catching the light. Duke Ako gave a nod as well, his expression unreadable.
"And may I present Harper Quinn of Earth," Adtovar continued. She paused, and I felt the weight of what was coming before she even said it. "Xabat's mate."
The Prime's golden eyes flashed wide for a heartbeat—genuine surprise breaking through that carefully maintained composure—but she gathered herself so quickly, I almost wondered if I'd imagined it. "It is my pleasure, Harper Quinn of Earth."
"I'm pleased to meet you," I managed, fighting back the ridiculous urge to leap out of my chair and curtsy like some character offBridgerton.
"I am told you have had dealings with a human male called Declan Hewes." She adjusted the datapad lying before her with those impossibly long, graceful fingers, her gaze dropping to scan its contents.
The name alone made my stomach clench. "I wouldn't call it dealings," I snorted, unable to keep the bitterness from seeping into my voice. "Until he kidnapped me, I'd only ever met him once, at my late husband's Medal of Honor ceremony. He asked me out, which I thought was tacky given the circumstances, and I declined." Maddie's snort from somewhere behind me told me she agreed with my assessment.
"And you had no other contact with him?" The Prime's golden eyes lifted to meet mine with an intensity that made me feel as though she could see straight through me, past my skin and bones to every secret I'd ever possessed.
"Not until he kidnapped me." My jaw tightened at the memory, muscles bunching with tension I couldn't quite release.
The Prime's gaze bounced from me to Xabat to Adtovar and back to me, assessing, calculating, weighing something I couldn't quite grasp. "And the reason he gave for your kidnapping?"
"He said he didn't like to be told no." My skin tingled with remembered agitation, goosebumps rising along my arms despite the comfortable temperature of the room. "Declan Hewes is well known as a man of... varied appetites." I opted for the PC version, choosing my words carefully even as darker truths clawed at my throat. Rumors had circulated a few years ago that he owned a hotel in Asia, where any manner of depravity might be purchased for the right price. No one had ever made any charges stick, but I remembered a member ofa European royal family being quietly tucked away after news broke of his involvement, the scandal buried under layers of money and legal threats.
"And his words about the Consortium?" The Prime's voice carried a sharp edge now, her golden eyes narrowing to slits of molten metal.
I glanced at Xabat, seeking reassurance, and he gave me an encouraging nod that steadied my racing heart. "Declan said hewasthe Consortium," I began, my throat tightening around the words like they were barbed wire. "He claimed he would soon control the Alliance just as he controlled Earth." Another violent shiver raced down my spine as I remembered the absolute certainty in his voice, the casual arrogance with which he'd delivered his threats like they were simple statements of fact. "He said he'd convinced the world that he was a visionary and that he always got what he wanted."
The Lady Prime's nostrils flared as she sucked in a sharp breath. I watched her elegant features twist—that composed mask she wore so perfectly cracking just enough to reveal the anger simmering beneath like magma under a thin crust of earth.
"He doesn't really control Earth's governments, does he?" The question escaped before I could stop it, though the sinking feeling in my gut already whispered that I wouldn't like the answer.
