Falling for the Alien Prince Read online

  Crouching, she washed her hands in the water, then headed to the metal bench and eased down.

  “I’m tired. It’s been a long night.” When I did not respond, she glanced up and asked, “Are you just going to stand there staring at me, or are you going to sit?”

  I never expected she would still welcome my company.

  Hesitantly, I eased over and sat next to her. But I remained cautious; she was, after all, a killer.

  “Thanks.” She sighed. “Were you really going to eat the frog?”

  “Yes.” When her mouth twisted in disgust, I laughed.

  “Why? Why would you do that?”

  “Humans insist that we eat meat called ham and bacon. It is tolerable, but barely.”

  “And you think frogs would taste better?”

  “Until I try one, I cannot say.”

  “Before eating a frog, why don’t you try a big juicy steak?”

  “What is that?”

  She glanced at me, shook her head and muttered, “Never mind.”

  “What are you doing out this early?” I asked.

  “You mean late?”

  “What are you doing out at the peak of night?”

  “Three o’clock. It’s around 3 o’clock in the morning. I came to wash the blood off. Thanks to you, I still have some on me.”

  I waved a hand toward the water. “I am not stopping you from finishing your task.”

  “No? You almost strangled me, then ripped my clothes off.”

  This conversation was beginning to grate on my nerves. “I should go.”

  She stretched her neck from side to side. “Why are you here to start with?”

  “I wanted some fresh air.”

  She squinted her eyes at me, staring in silence. Finally, she dismissed me. “Lie.”

  My spine stiffened. “It is not!”

  She raised an eyebrow. “If you say so.”

  Could she know? That was not a Human trait. Or was it? I had the overwhelming urge to ask, but would she tell me the truth? Probably not.

  “I needed fresh air, but I also wanted to see you again.”

  “There’s the truth.”

  “How can you tell that for sure?”

  She stared longingly at the water. “You’d be surprised what I know.”

  “Tell me,” I said softly, wanting her to reveal her secrets.

  She never looked at me, only stared at the pond. Her profile silhouette looked better with the gray shadows. How would she look in the light of day?

  Short black hair, slender but firm muscles that curved underneath her shirt. So different from Tizun females.

  I had given up on receiving an answer when she finally replied, her tone full of sadness: “Did you know that the Andores were here long before they made their first official appearance?”

  “No, I did not.” But it was their way.

  “They were. They raided my friend’s house yesterday. Or I guess I should say two days ago.”

  “In Andore Territory?”

  She scoffed. “No.”

  “Did you alert the Human government?”

  “No.” Her confused eyes slid my way. “Why are you still here?”

  “At the water?”

  She waved her hand dismissively. “No, Earth. Why are you still here?”

  “We activated a beacon and sent a message, but our people have yet to respond. We suspect that the signal is somehow being blocked.”

  “I’d say you’re right. Your technology is superior to the Andores, and the government is greedy enough to keep you here.”

  Our suspicions exactly, I thought with a mild shock at her insight.

  In exchange for our own territory, we gave them the holographic call chips to replace their modern, now useless cell phones. The chips looked like small bronze coins, chirping when someone called. To activate, the user only had to place the thumb across the chip, choose a recipient and a small holographic image projected from it. Their holographic technology was so advanced, it was as though the person stood right in front of the caller.

  “You believe the Humans would block the signal?”

  Her gaze raked over my face for a moment. “Yes, I do.”

  Venge and Gar had suspected as much too, and if that was true, then we needed to find a way to deactivate whatever was blocking the signal. I needed to speak with Strikr.

  She surprised me again when she suddenly asked, “Do you think Humans are ugly?”

  “Why do you ask that?”

  “It’s a rumor I heard once.”

  I chuckled. Not knowing if she could detect a lie, I did not want to ruin this budding mutual friendship. “I have not seen you in the light of day, so I could not say for certain.” When she began to speak, I held up a hand. “But I have seen Human males. The warm skin, full cheeks…it is difficult to look at.”

  She laughed. It started low then turned into a loud, boisterous musical sound. When the laughter faded, she looked me in the eyes. “Thank you.”

  “And me? What do you see when you look at me?”

  “With your sunken cheeks and ash-colored skin, I’d say you’re sickly and need to eat more.”

  A huge grin spread across my face. Talking to an honest Human—perhaps the only one I had ever met—gave me a little faith for their race, or at least in this one female. I liked her.

  Hoping she would answer my one burning question, I locked eyes with her. “Why are you not afraid of me? Why do you think I am not a cold-blooded killer?”

  She chuckled. “If I hadn’t stopped you, you would’ve been a cold-blooded frog killer.” We both smiled, enjoying the moment. When it faded, she added, “I was born with certain abilities. I just know.”

  That really did not answer my question. Perhaps in time I could gain her trust.

  I relished the surrounding silence as we listened to the music of the darkness. As much as I knew I should be on alert, I found myself relaxing in her presence.

  “Tell me something.”

  “What would you like to know?”

  “Anything.”

  She sounded so lonely, my hearts ached. How had she gotten to this point among her own people?

  “I am the eldest of three brothers. Rau is the middle brother. The youngest is Kina.”

  “Do you get along?”

  I laughed. “Not even a little.”

  “Really?”

  “Our culture is one of structure and hierarchy. I am the eldest.”

  “So, they’re jealous?”

  “No.”

  “Okay, you’ve lost me then.”

  “It is difficult to explain. Tell me something about you.”

  She hesitated. “There’s not really much to tell. I’m more of a loner, never staying in one place too long.”

  “And you have daggers covered in blood.”

  She laughed. “And there’s that.”

  We talked another hour about nothing, or at least nothing important. No military secrets were exchanged, it was a humbling experience. And I didn’t do humble. Ever.

  Friendships between males and females were almost unheard of among my kind, so this was a unique experience—one that I surprisingly liked.

  Sitting in comfortable silence, her next words startled me: “I can see your color.” Catching my eyes, she continued, “I have only told one other person that, so if you repeat it, I’ll swear you’re lying.”

  “My color?”

  She mumbled, “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” then briefly chewed on her lower lip. “Every heart has a general color. The darker the color, the more evil the person is. Within the scale of white to black, there are bands of color. With each emotion, the bands flare brighter.”

  “Such as when I tell a lie?”

  She nodded. “Well, sometimes. There are people who tell lies so often, it’s hard to discern the difference. You apparently rarely lie, so…” She shrugged. “It’s easy to read. That’s also how I know that you are not opposed to killing, but on
ly with a good purpose.”

  “That is why you are not afraid.”

  She nodded. My hearts leapt in my chest, but I kept my expression neutral. If her people knew she had this talent, they would enslave and force her to do their bidding. Something shifted inside. Knowing how they could use her made my protectiveness flare, which never happened, least of all for someone from a different species. My mother, my brothers…but never a stranger. And she was a stranger.

  Reaching into my pocket, I turned the small device over and over in my fingers. I debated—hesitated—told myself not to do it. But something about her honesty called to me. Even if she would never admit weakness, I knew she was vulnerable in some ways.

  Catching her eyes, I opened my palm for her to take the small, cylinder-shaped device.

  “What is this?” she asked, plucking it from my hand.

  “It is hard to explain it in your language.” She lifted her eyes to mine. “If you have need of me for any reason, press”—I flipped the top up and showed her the button—"here.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.” I wrapped my hand around hers and the device she now held. “But only if it is an emergency. Do you understand?”

  Her eyebrows pulled close, eyes darting to our hands and back to my face. “Yes, I understand. But why would you give me this?”

  I felt almost as confused by the gesture as she now looked; she was Human, after all.

  “Perhaps it is merely a gesture of good faith,” I replied, leaving out that she had trusted me with her secret, and now I feared for her safety.

  She nodded, then slid it into her front left pocket. “Thank you.”

  “You are welcome, Human.”

  She glanced at the rising sun. “I must go.”

  I looked over my shoulder and grimaced. I had never intended to be gone so long. “So must I.” Briefly studying her pink glowing skin in the morning rays, I grinned. “In the light, you are as ugly as the males.”

  She laughed, her face transforming to pure delight. “Go home, eat an extra meal or two, and try to put on some weight.”

  I chuckled. She might be ugly, but I enjoyed her company. “Goodbye.”

  We both stood.

  “See ya later.” I watched as she headed the opposite direction. Halfway to the tree, she glanced over her shoulder and shot me a cheeky grin.

  I turned and walked away.

  5

  Millicent

  I hadn’t slept much, thinking most of the night about my encounters with the Tizun. It occurred to me that I’d forgotten to ask his name, but maybe it was better that way. I found it easy to be in his company, the silence comfortable. When we did talk, it felt more like talking with a good friend. Except when I thought he would kill, or rape me. I hated him a little at that moment.

  Looking at the emergency call button, (I didn’t know what else to call it) I turned it over in my hand. I stared at the strange device; I’d never expected a gift like that, and still didn’t understand why he’d given it to me. It had to be because I’d opened up to him, told him my secret.

  Not that it was that big of a secret, but when I was younger, both kids my own age and adults alike shied away from me. Especially the adults. They would stare at me like I could see inside their souls and weed out every little secret. Of course, it didn’t work that way. Not that they believed that.

  Thinking back to when I finally made it home this morning, Jenna greeted me with a sharp, accusing gaze. And then I told her about running into him, and about our conversation. I even showed her the little device he’d given me.

  “I can’t believe you don’t even know his name,” Jenna had said.

  Even now, I smiled. I didn’t even find him attractive and yet…I did.

  _________

  Dressed in black and gray pin-stripe pants, a black camisole and gray jacket, I paired the classy outfit with black six-inch heels. My five-foot-five frame now seemed more intimidating, and best all, I would tower over Uncle David.

  Nearing the government building, my palms grew a little sweaty. I hated—hated—playing the niece of Colonel David Petroff. He felt like a stranger pulling my puppet strings. He didn’t know I had secretly brought a pair of scissors, playing my own game and underscoring his.

  Walking inside, smiles and pleasantries greeted me. “Hello Ms. Castillo,” “Hi Millicent, you look nice”—they just went on and on. I smiled, murmuring thank you’s as I headed for Uncle David’s office. This couldn’t be good.

  Taking my time, I looked around. High-vaulted ceilings with murals painted across the top.

  Why would anyone look at the ceiling and expect to see half-naked women with wings? I asked myself, bewildered and appalled.

  As I took the white marble stairs, I touched the thick, rich dark wooden curved rail. Everything here screamed money. Endless money.

  Another step; I wondered if Uncle David knew that even with all this elaborate stuff, he’d still lost. He had lost his family and all their respect. He’d lost my respect a long time ago. I didn’t even consider him family any longer.

  Making it to the top, I started down the long hall of wooden doors, following the white tiled floor. The air smelled of nothing. Sterile. No blooming flowers, no trees…just faint cleaner.

  Standing in front of his heavy wooden door, I took my time and read the golden plate: Colonel David Petroff, Alien Liaison.

  I lifted my hand to knock. Before I got the chance, the door swung open. Uncle David grinned, which gave me the creeps.

  “Millicent, come in!” he said, oozing a false charm. “We’ve been expecting you.”

  I stepped inside and froze. My eyes landed on Jyan, the leader of the Andores. He was handsome enough with his blond, perfectly styled hair, and bright blue eyes. Beautiful even—except for the black aura surrounding him. Then I shifted my eyes and fought hard not to react. The Tizun, the one I knew all too well, steadily held my gaze.

  Why is he here? Is he a spy and set me up all along? I wondered in horror, then shoved the thought away firmly. No. It couldn’t be. His aura…he’s a good person. But what the hell is going on?

  As all three of them stared at me, my heart galloped in my chest. Instinctively, I knew things had changed.

  “Millicent,” Uncle David practically purred, “come in and have a seat.”

  I tore my gaze away from the Tizun and took the ten steps needed to reach the chair furthest from everyone, the one that didn’t belong in the room, but had been placed there specifically for me. The steel against my thighs gave a little comfort, but not much.

  “Now, where were we?” Uncle David continued, then swung his gaze toward the Tizun. “You claim your people had nothing to do with it?”

  The Tizan nodded, remaining tight-lipped but relaxed, even though I saw the subtle tensing of his shoulders. His eyes strayed my direction and lingered.

  “Lies!” Jyan spat, his aura fluctuating from black to a deep purple. I flinched ever so slightly.

  Jyan would easily kill everyone in the room and think nothing of it. He was on edge, angry—dangerous as he shot laser daggers at the Tizun.

  The Tizun didn’t flinch, not even a little as he held my gaze. His confidence lured me into a sense of safety, even though Jyan appeared bigger, stronger, with muscles visibly rippling underneath a silken, light blue button-down shirt. Except for his exaggerated sharp-angled lips combined with an almost angelic appearance, he looked far more Human than alien.

  That was part of the Andore allure; their stunning beauty made it easy to miss their cunningness. They were the master deceivers that most people fell for.

  “Murda?” Colonel Petroff raised an eyebrow quizzically.

  Murda—that must be the name of the Tizun—who sat statue-still except for a few slow, methodical movements. Really studying him under the soft glow, his scar was dark gray, jagged and thick, and ran down from the hairline, across his nose, stopping at his chin. Long, wheat-colored hair flowed down his back, secured at
the nape. Silver- tipped claws interlaced on his lap, and as my gaze slowly traveled up, my eyes locked with almond-shaped, brimstone eyes.

  My breath hitched as his eyes burned into mine. He’d caught me giving him the once-over, cataloging everything I couldn’t see in the darkness. I couldn’t decide if he was hideous or handsome; one thing was for sure however— he definitely seemed exotic and dangerous.

  Slowly, he pulled his gaze from mine and faced the Colonel. “I have already told you that my men had nothing to do with the killings near Andore territory.” Slowly looking at Jyan, he added, “You should question your men.”

  Jyan exploded from the chair, legs scraping against the expensive marble floor as he rounded on Murda, hands balled into fists at his side. “You dare accuse my men?”

  Colonel Petroff leapt to his feet, hands held up, palms open and forward. “Calm down! I’m sure that’s not what he meant.”

  Jyan’s shoulders lifted with each flare of his nostrils as he stared at Murda. I sensed he was struggling to calm himself. Giving him an out and trying to diffuse the situation somewhat, I ignored both Jyan and Murda and addressed Uncle David.

  “Did you summon me for a reason?” I tried to sound bored. It wasn’t entirely an act; I really didn’t want to witness their discussion, especially since I was the killer Jyan sought. Plus, I worried what Murda would think of me sitting here in the alien liaison’s office.

  He also knows about your bloody daggers, I reminded myself uneasily, schooling my expression to remain blasé.

  The colonel dragged his gaze from the two men and grimaced. Jyan snapped his head around and peered down at me. Something inside him relaxed as his eyes widened slightly; he’d probably forgotten I was there. He took two steps back and dropped down into the leather chair. Uncle David also sat back down. The tension in the room eased, even though mine skyrocketed.

  Trying to tamp down the violent air, I had inadvertently made myself the center of attention.

  Shit!

  Uncle David drummed his fingers on the desk, then directed his attention toward Murda. “That will be all today.”

  Without the slightest movement, Murda held Uncle David’s gaze before his eyes rolled toward Jyan, then landed on me. Did he think I was a part of whatever this was? Them accusing him of murder? Or did he realize I had killed those men? He had smelled blood on my hands and found my bloody daggers...