The Alien Prince’s Omega by Lorelei M. Hart
Kagin
I had travelledthrough the vortex countless times, but never alone. First Father was usually with me, plus a team of bodyguards. Once I came of age, I had conducted diplomatic missions without either of my parents. But arriving on another planet with no guards alert for danger or them canvassing the perimeter before allowing me to follow them was a first.
Jamming my feet on a hard surface, I crouched low, wishing I had a weapon. I had no need of one at home, though my bodyguards were armed. The only one I possessed was an ancient carved piece of metal presented to me during a ceremony when I reached maturity. It had been passed down through the generations of kings, and its sharp edge could cut through stone. The weapon hung on the wall in our great room, a reminder of our past, present, and future glory.
The darkened sky and artificial light blazing from tall posts beside the road showed me it was evening. Slivers of not silvery but colorless beams had me glance upward, and I gasped. It was true. There was only one moon. My heart ached thinking of how lonely it must be. The palace library had no record of what had happened to its mate and I mourned its loss.
Loud voices, sobbing, and a vehicle pulling up caught my attention. Someone stepped out, a bag in his hand, his features clouded in darkness. Vibrations radiated over my skin and my body quivered, accompanied by a low hum. My member swelled. It is him! My rupling. My future was assured and I would not live out the rest of my destiny alone—unlike the Earth’s moon—or worse, matched to another.
But with his face shrouded, I could not approach him.
And it was then that the solitary moon shone on him, the weak light illuminating all of him from top to toe. Both my hearts were full and beat loudly, but he did not look my way. I straightened my pants and the tunic which reached my knees and fingered the soft fabric that kept me warm in the cold months and cool when the suns stayed long in the sky.
I took a step toward him and halted. He spoke to another, their heads close together. Rage built inside me. What if the soothsayer had made a mistake? Or she had tricked me in making me leave Thulnara? I may have endangered our family and all who lived on our planet.
But the Earthling was my destiny. Every part of me, including my member, pulsed with heat. He was the one I had been searching for. And yet he was deep in conversation with the second Earthling. If after breaking the rules and traveling a long distance, this man was not meant for me, I would crumble and my hearts might freeze.
I leaned on a wall and hunched over deep in thought, but my body jerked up, tense and alert, when my intended mate spoke, his voice sending tiny bumps prickling over my skin. My love. I am here.
He knelt on the hard surface and bent his head. It was then I noticed an animal lying in front of him. He was caring for the beast, talking and brushing a hand over its head. A kind and gentle Earthling. How lucky am I?
After adjusting my tunic, I prepared to meet him but almost forgot the glamour, the illusion that allowed me to appear much as Earthlings did, except for my skin. The glamour faded the color, but left me with a bluish tinge around the edges.
On Thulnara, I appeared as everyone else did. From the front I was humanoid, but my back was covered in scales, a remnant of our distant ancestors. On Earth, the glamour presented me as human, and I activated it from the pulse point behind my ear.
My fated mate would not need the translator. He would understand every word I said. Other Earthings would not. I was hoping to introduce myself and return with him to Thulnara before my absence was reported to my parents.
But as I strode toward him, he turned. He recognized me, my scent. I outstretched my arms, ready to welcome him, but he jumped in the vehicle and drove away. The other Earthlings peered at me before departing, and I was left alone, my arms out in front of me.
He had rejected me. A fate worse than never finding your true mate. He didn’t want me. Was my smile lopsided, did the glamour not work as it was supposed to? Perhaps he had mated before I arrived. But as I stood wondering if I could follow him, a car came around the corner, its beams trained on me. As I was about to step out of its way, it swerved, making a loud screeching noise, and ran into a wide, empty space.
Him.He came back! I ran to the vehicle as he stepped out, a hand to his head.
“Kagin.” His eyes ran over my clothing, and I was sure he was envious. Do not worry, rupling. The palace tailors will outfit you in the finest tunic.
“Sorry.”
“I am Kagin.”
“Oh. I’m Hanson.”
Hanson. My mate has not only a face but a name. He pressed his fingers over his eyes. Was I supposed to do the same?
“You know, standing in the middle of the road at night isn’t the smartest thing,” he said.
I grinned at him, my heart almost thumping out of my chest.
“Do you live near here?” he asked.
“In another galaxy.”
“Is that what the kids say these days? I’m an old fuddy duddy, I guess. You’re on vacation, right?”
I sniffed him. “Maybe.” I had learned that word from my grandparents’ notes. I supposed traveling a long distance was a vacation. I was giddy he understood me. He was my one true mate.
He peered into the darkness and then put his head to the side. “Can’t believe I’m saying this.”
“You can, Hanson.”
“Ummm… if you don’t have a place to stay, you can come home with me.”
“Just for a while.” Until we leave.