Zekke: A Scifi Alien Romance (The Azziarin Series Book 5) Read online

  She quickly stopped in front of him, gasping for breath. She kept checking over her shoulder, but they hadn’t followed her.

  Jamison placed a hand of each of her shoulders, trying to get a read on the situation. “Ava, what’s wrong?”

  Her hammering heart and labored breathing kept her from answering his question. She just shook her head instead.

  “Let’s head back. Everyone…move out.” Jamison placed one arm around Ava, helping her walk as they headed back to the bunker. With one last backward glance, Ava spotted fierce, ice-blue cat eyes staring at her.

  Zekke

  “Commander, watch out!” Zekke spun—a Turei stood behind him with a long knife raised above his head. Zekke drove his sword through his foe’s stomach with practiced, flawless effort. The Turei fell lifeless to the ground.

  He heard a noise and immediately identified the source. A small human stood frozen not far from them. Tilting his head up, he sniffed the air, and his shaft hardened instantly. Her scent was powerful. His fangs lengthened, and he wanted to curse the fates. This little female was his true mate. With his sharpened eyesight, he could see round blue eyes and luscious pink lips. Everything else was hidden from view, covered by a mask and clothes. She was smaller in stature than the other human females he’d met, and she had no visible curves. He closed his eyes in aggravation. He didn’t want a mate… he didn’t. Encountering her was an unfortunate accident.

  When he opened his eyes, he grinned as he watched her run away. With his eyes on her retreating back, he said to the rest of his team, “I’ll be right back” and then trotted after her. Every time she glanced over her shoulder, Zekke hid from her view. A game of cat and mouse.

  The female joined her team, and when one male put his arm around her, Zekke stepped out of hiding. A surge of jealousy hit him fast and hard. He crossed his arms, and his gaze bored into their retreating backs. That male was lucky he didn’t rip him apart. Planting his feet firmly in place, he refused to go after her. When she glanced back, their gazes locked, and Zekke hoped she could see and feel his anger. He spun and walked away.

  As he tracked back to his team, his mood took a dive. Finding his true mate was not in his plans, and it set him on edge. Seeing her with someone else made his blood boil, which didn’t make sense. Zekke hissed out in aggravation, “What a mess!”

  He needed to calm down before he got back to his team. They waited just around the corner, so he stopped dead in his tracks. His chest was heaving from anger and the need to claim what was his. He shook his head; she was not his. He didn’t even know what she looked like. “Agh!” he growled and kicked the rubble, sending it flying against the side of the building.

  When he turned the corner, his team was waiting for him. “Let’s go,” he said as he stalked by. They never said a word as they silently followed him. It was dark, and the air was colder now. Zekke shivered. This was not how he’d intended the mission to go. Rhett was right; he should have stayed on the ship.

  As they headed for the shuttlecraft, he spotted two Tureis up ahead. Zekke never slowed his steps. He just drew his phaser and fired, killing them both.

  Some of the shuttlecraft had headed back to the ship while others were landing to take their place. It was a bustle of activity. Zekke got to his shuttlecraft, but he didn’t board immediately. He turned and looked around at the planet again. The moon was bright, giving some light to the darkness. It was an uninviting planet. He couldn’t believe the female humans now living on Azziar actually missed this place. Everything was made from hard materials and what few trees he saw were small—smaller than the saplings back home.

  He felt a twinge of guilt for leaving his mate here, wondering if she and her team made it back safely. She is not my mate! he angrily thought before he climbed inside the shuttlecraft.

  Rhett met him in the cargo bay. “Commander.” He bowed slightly. Zekke glanced at him as he walked by. He wasn’t in the mood for idle chitchat. Everyone he passed in the corridor stepped out of his way; the scowl on his face warned them away.

  When the door to his quarters slid open, Zekke stalked over to the table and poured a mug of Fire’s Breath. Instead of sipping, he drank it straight down, trying to take the edge off his explosive mood. The memory of her in another male’s arms replayed over and over in his mind. “Sish!” he shouted as he slammed his fist on the table.

  The Fire’s Breath didn’t help. Every time he thought of her, his shaft hardened, making the standard black jumpsuit miserably uncomfortable. He shucked it off and donned a pair of loose pants. When he looked up, he caught his reflection in the mirror. His eyes zeroed in on the scars that marred his chest and side. Trophy scars, the day he got them forever etched into his brain.

  Everyone had mourned the death of his mother. The family changed forever, especially his father. The once lively king became a solemn, quiet male. Even his brothers had spread out to mourn in their own way. Risshi, the one closest to his mother, headed to the beach. Of all his siblings, Risshi most reminded Zekke of their mother. His features, his mannerisms… he even had their mother’s personality. Kattlyn was a close second.

  When Jakke and the others took on border control and trade missions, Zekke had hunted down the Turei ship responsible for his mother’s death. Simply destroying the Tureis was not good enough. The Triumph damaged their ship until it was a floating hunk of bolts. They’d boarded the disabled vessel, and Zekke had faced the captain. He’d taken his time, inflicting as much pain as possible before plunging the knife deep into his chest. Zekke had held his gaze while his life force faded away, pulled the knife out of his chest, and wiped the blood on the captain’s own shirt.

  His eyes rested on the scars. They were a reminder of the victorious fight, and he’d refused to let the healer erase the evidence. None of his brothers knew that he had killed the one responsible for their mother’s death.

  Zekke pulled open a dresser drawer and grabbed a box. Removing the lid, he stared at the knife that lay within, the one he’d used on the captain. No other weapon would ever mean more to him. If was a simple weapon. No fancy woodwork on the hilt, a straight-edged blade. It was a common knife, but to him it was worth more than the finest sword.

  He put the lid back on the box and carefully placed it back in the drawer, then slammed it shut. Why was he even thinking about this? He’d never taken the knife out before, just kept it safe, carrying it with him wherever he went. A sinking suspicion filled his mind. He knew the answer even if he refused to say it aloud. He’d left the female on the planet with the Tureis, left her vulnerable. Guilt filled his soul. What if the Tureis killed her, too?

  He pushed those thoughts aside and poured another mug of Fire’s Breath. He needed a shower, a good hot meal, and some rest.

  After his second mug, his shaft was still hard. He turned on the hot water and stripped out of his clothes. The hot spray felt good on his tired muscles. With one hand on the wall, Zekke took his shaft with the other one, working it vigorously up and down. He didn’t know what his mate looked like, but her scent still tickled his nose. The smell would be forever etched into his brain. It didn’t take long until he jetted his release. Resting his forehead against the wall, he silently cursed. It had helped some, but his shaft was still hard.

  ****

  The next morning, after a restless night’s sleep, Zekke tossed the covers aside and got out of bed. Dreams of her kept playing in his head every time he drifted off to sleep. He hastily donned his black jumpsuit and headed to the dining hall for first meal.

  Rhett was already there. Zekke grabbed a tray and sat in his usual spot.

  “Commander,” Rhett acknowledged.

  “Any problems I should know about?” Zekke asked in a stern voice without looking at him.

  “No,” Rhett said slowly, no doubt wondering what was wrong.

  Tullan sat down across from the two of them.

  “What was the planet like?” Rhett asked as he glanced at Tullan. It was obvious that n
o answers would be coming from the commander.

  “Just like any other Turei-infested planet. Everything destroyed,” he replied and then shoved a bite of food into his mouth.

  “Did it look anything like Azziar?”

  “No. And with only one pale yellow sun, it was extremely cold down there.”

  Zekke could feel his anger rise. He didn’t want to talk about the mission and didn’t want to hear them talk about it, either. All he could think about was intense blue eyes staring at him… and he’d let her go.

  Rhett turned back to Tullan and asked, “Was it like any of the other planets we’ve visited?”

  Zekke stood abruptly, startling the two males sitting at the table. He discarded his tray and swiftly left the dining hall.

  “What’s wrong with him?” Tullan asked.

  Rhett stared suspiciously at the empty dining hall door. “I don’t know.”

  Chapter Five

  Ava

  When Ava saw the fierce blue eyes staring at her, she shuddered with the force of his anger. Why was he angry? She stepped away from Jamison, and he dropped his arm from around her shoulder. She was a big girl and didn’t need any help.

  “Are we not patrolling tonight?” she asked as they headed back to the bunker, just outside the city. Looking carefully at her squad, she noted that they all looked haggard.

  “No. We’ve been out half the day looking for you. We’ll start again tomorrow night.”

  Ava felt guilty. They’d been out looking for her as she lay asleep on the roof. They must have taken only short naps.

  “I’m sorry,” she said quietly, but he didn’t respond.

  When they arrived back at the bunker, she headed to her room and grabbed some clean clothes. The hot spray from the shower felt wonderful to her chilled bones. As she stood under the water, letting it run down her back, Ava closed her eyes. Her thoughts turned back to the alien with those fierce blue eyes. He was tall, well over seven feet of rugged muscles. At the time, she’d been too stunned—scared—to do anything but run. Now that he dominated her thoughts, though, she found him wildly sexy in an untamed way.

  The way her body reacted to him hadn’t escaped her attention. Warm desire flooded her core, and she could feel the dampness of her panties. How could he have caused her body to react that way? He was an alien. Albeit a sexy, muscled, scary alien.

  Pouring some shampoo into her hand, she washed her short hair before scrubbing her lean body. After turning off the water, Ava grabbed a towel and quickly dried. She donned a pair of BDU pants and a green tee before pulling a sweatshirt over her head. Now she was warm.

  Everyone was sitting around the table when she rounded the corner. She grabbed an MRE and took a seat next to Andrews.

  “Glad you’re back, Thompson,” Haskell said with a grin. She glanced at him and smirked.

  “Yeah, Sarge—what happened?” Andrews asked.

  Everyone stared at her, waiting for an answer. She shrugged. “I got separated from you guys and spent the day on the roof of a ten-story building.”

  Jamison’s eyes narrowed as he zeroed in on her arm when she reached for a bottle of water. “What’s wrong with your arm?” he asked.

  “I got grazed with phaser fire.” Her arm still hurt; she’d meant to dress it after the shower.

  He came over and kneeled next to her chair. “Let me see.” He took her wrist with one hand and gently started to push her sleeve up.

  Ava twisted her face in annoyance and jerked her wrist out of his hand. “It’s fine, barely a cut. After I eat, I’ll put some cream on it.” His head snapped up with her tone. He nodded, and understanding shone from his eyes. She didn’t want him to treat her like a fragile female, and he needed to cut it out. The last thing she wanted or needed was to lose the hard-earned respect of her squad.

  Indecision plagued her as she thought of the white-haired aliens. She needed to tell her comrades that they were back—it was her job, her duty. They needed the most up-to-date information to remain safe. She would tell them, but she’d keep her interaction with the leader out of it. The last thing she wanted was five protective men treating her like a girl.

  “I saw the white-haired aliens tonight,” she said in a low, nonchalant voice.

  “No shit!” Matthews exclaimed.

  When she looked up, all eyes were staring incredulously at her. “They had just killed several gray aliens.”

  “So, they are helping us,” Jamison mused.

  She shrugged. “It seemed that way.”

  “Did you get a good look at them?” Haskell asked, curiosity shining in his bright eyes.

  Only one of them, but Ava refused to divulge that piece of info. She was hardly going to describe in detail how sexy that one had been. Instead, she said, “Not really. They were all big with white hair. I did notice the dead gray aliens lying at their feet, though.” That wasn’t a lie. They were all giants compared to her five-feet-six, and all the gray aliens were dead.

  “That’s what I’m talking about!” Andrews grinned as he smacked the table with excitement.

  Everyone else began talking, but Ava kept thinking about the newcomer alien. There was just something about him that drew her to him, and she couldn’t get him off her mind.

  “Hey, girl, you made it back!” Ava looked up to a grinning Kim standing next to her.

  She grinned back. “You know it.” The two fist-bumped before Kim grabbed an MRE. Ava watched as the two teams mingled together. “I guess we’re all in for the night?”

  “Yep. It doesn’t happen often. Maybe we can get some girl time,” Kim said while waggling her eyebrows.

  Ava chuckled. “That’d be awesome.”

  As Ava waited for Kim to eat, she watched the guys as they sat around laughing at one another’s antics. Some shared a drink while they talked about different missions they’d been on. This had been family her for the last year. The ones she counted on… trusted to have her back.

  “Are you ready?” Kim asked.

  “Yes.” Ava pushed up from the chair, and the two of them headed to their room.

  “So what happened?” Kim asked in a serious tone. They sat on their cots facing each other.

  “We were ambushed. I went one direction, and they went the other. I decided to wait—and rest—on the roof of a ten-story building.”

  “I’ll never admit it to the guys, but I was worried. I’m glad you’re back.”

  “I’d never admit it to them, either, but I was terrified. They had me surrounded and almost got me.” Ava pulled her arm from the sleeve of her sweatshirt. The wound was painful, but she played it off as nothing in front of her squad.

  “Oh, shit, Ava!” Kim jumped up. She grabbed some antibiotic cream and some clean gauze to bandage the arm.

  The wound looked red, swollen and angry. “I know, but it could’ve been much worse.”

  Kim applied the cold antiseptic ointment and then covered it with a white bandage, saying “It could always be worse. You could be dead.”

  When she finished, Ava smiled as her friend sat back down on her cot. “Thanks.”

  “You are welcome.” After a brief silence, Kim admitted, “Jamison was a mess. He never went to sleep; he just spent the morning pacing. He gave his squad a short time to eat and nap, and that was it. They’ve been out most of the day looking for you.”

  Ava grimaced. She’d caused a lot of trouble.

  “Do the two of you have a thing?” Kim asked, eyes boring into hers. “It’s okay if you do. Really.”

  “No. We did at one time but decided we worked better as friends.”

  “Friends with benefits?”

  Ava didn’t need to answer; the blush that raced up her neck and face told Kim everything she wanted to know.

  “So, how is he? You know, how is he in the sack?”

  With a sheepish smile, not wanting to be overheard, Ava whispered, “Good enough to keep sleeping with him even after we stopped ‘dating’.”

  “I kne
w it!”

  “Shut up,” Ava said in a friendly bit of banter.

  When the two of them stopped laughing, Kim asked, “Did I overhear you say that the white-haired aliens were back?”

  “Yep,” Ava said as she twisted her hands together nervously.

  Kim noticed the change immediately. “Okay, girl. Spill it.”

  One side of Ava’s mouth tipped upward. Being the only two women here, she and Kim were great friends. Although she didn’t tell Kim everything, she told her most. “One of them stared at me. I couldn’t look away, and now I can’t stop thinking about him.”

  Kim giggled. “Was he sexy?”

  Ava chuckled at Kim’s enthusiasm. “Yes,” she admitted, “and all man… or alien.” The two girls laughed together.

  “Do tell!” Kim sat there facing her, excitement flaring in her eyes.

  “I only saw him for a minute or so. I was stunned when I rounded the corner and saw him standing there. He looked like a fierce warrior standing over his prey. His face looked strong, as if it were made of chiseled stone. He wore a black jumpsuit that looked like it was vacuum-sealed on his ripped body, but the most intense thing about him was his eyes. They were ferocious, and I swear,” Ava shook her head and swallowed, “they were deadly cold, and when he looked at me, I could see heat rising in them.”

  “What do you mean?” Kim asked with a puzzled look.

  “I mean…” Ava blew out a breath, “by the look in his eyes, he wanted me.”

  “You mean to have sex?” she exclaimed. “Ooh…that would be interesting.”

  “Interesting—and a bit scary. He was freaking huge!” The two girls giggled. “I don’t understand why, though; I was covered from head to toe. For all he knew, I could be a man.”

  “Maybe he’s gay,” Kim said absently.

  Ava shook her head. “I doubt it. Maybe he has some kind of power we don’t know about.”