The Alien’s Obsession by Zoey Draven

 

Chapter One

“An incident has occurred,” Kirov, Ambassador of Luxiria, told his Prime Leader the moment he entered the command center.

Vaxa’an regarded him with eyes of stone, his jaw stiffening, as he strode to the war room, Kirov following next to him.

His Prime Leader had just returned from Lopixa, Vikan’s outpost. And judging from the fact that Vaxa’an returned alone, without the human female that Vikan had stolen away, Kirov knew what it meant.

Another human female had awakened a Luxirian’s Instinct. His warrior brother, his fellow Ambassador, his friend Vikan had just been gifted a luxiva, a mate, from the Fates.

Kirov didn’t know how to feel about this knowledge, so he kept his mind focused on the task at hand: informing their Prime Leader of the incident that had happened in his absence. An incident that Vaxa’an would be furious over.

“I wish to see my female, Kirov. Make it quick,” Vaxa’an replied. Vaxa’an had a human female of his own, a pregnant one. And as with any mated Luxirian who had been away from his luxiva, who had not mated her in a couple spans, it was best to keep a wide berth, for they were easy to enrage.

His usually level-headed friend seemed on the brink and Kirov questioned whether he should tell Vaxa’an right then or perhaps wait until he had a mating session with his female first, to calm and center him after his journey to Lopixa.

Nix, he knew. The news needed to be shared.

The doors to the war room opened and Kirov nodded at Cruxan, another of Vaxa’an’s Ambassadors. The other male was waiting, his arms braced across his wide chest, his expression grim. They were two of five of Vaxa’an’s Ambassadors.

The remaining two, Kirov couldn’t help but think, searing envy arrowing through his body. The other three, Lihvan, Rixavox, and now Vikan, had found their fated mates in the human females.

“Tell me,” Vaxa’an ordered once the three males were alone, sequestered in the war room, away from the ears of the warriors stationed at the command center.

Kirov always preferred directness, so he said, “The crystal is missing.”

“What?” Vaxa’an hissed, his pupils flaring even in the low light.

That Luxirian crystal was the only crystal large enough to power a vessel to the Fourth Quadrant, where the remaining human females were from. In order to return them to their home planet called Earth…they needed that crystal.

The females had been scheduled to depart from Luxiria the moment Vaxa’an had returned to the Golden City.

Now, that precious and rare fuel was missing.

Cruxan spoke, “There were seven warriors on duty last night, all of which denied any knowledge concerning its theft.”

“We need to find that crystal,” Vaxa’an growled, his eyes hardening. “Without it…”

The Prime Leader shook his head, a rough sound of frustration tearing from his throat.

Vaxa’an took a long breath, staring past the both of them for a moment before saying, “I fear that I have handled this situation poorly with the human females.”

Kirov shared a look with Cruxan.

Cruxan said, “We all agreed, the elder council too, that it would be best for the females to remain sequestered and out of sight during their time here.”

Vaxa’an didn’t respond for a moment, but seemed to be battling a decision in his mind. Kirov didn’t envy Vaxa’an his position, the pressure of being Prime Leader to a warrior race. And while Kirov had his own duties, had his own outpost in the east to oversee and run, it paled in comparison to what Vaxa’an dealt with every single span.

Finally, Vaxa’an said, “Vikan has won his human female over. Her name is Taylor. She chooses to stay with him, here on Luxiria. She will not be returning to Earth with the others.”

Kirov’s lips tightened. Just as he’d suspected. That ugly feeling in his chest threatened to rear its head, so he kept it tamped down. Tightly.

“While I was in Lopixa, she told me my treatment of the remaining females has been poor. My luxiva has also said she disagrees with the way we have kept them sequestered. Taylor said the females are frightened, restless.”

Kirov’s muscles tightened. Luxirian males loathed the idea of harming females and he could hear the pain in Vaxa’an’s own voice, as sharply as he felt it in the discomfort of his chest.

Again, he locked eyes with Cruxan. Out of all the Ambassadors, only Kirov and Cruxan had not been exposed to any of the human females. Vaxa’an had put them in the command center the moment they landed and only the males who had been on the rescue mission to save them from the Krevorags, whose Instincts had not awakened for them, were allowed to serve them and protect them.

Kirov would be lying if he said he wasn’t…curious. Insanely, maddeningly curious. He’d been curious since the moment he’d been born into this world and his single-mindedness made it especially hard not to assuage that curiosity.

But then he remembered his loyalty to Vaxa’an, to Luxiria. As an Ambassador, he would respect his Prime Leader’s decision.

Even then, he felt the tendrils of his mind wrapping around the need to see the females. The need to see if one of them was his.

He shook his head hard, fighting against that pull. Kirov had always been different. But his obsessions had catapulted Luxiria’s technology further than others thought possible. And the toll those obsessions took on him was worth that, to see his race accelerating, despite everything they’d endured.

Kirov said then, “We all know why this has happened. The males are hearing stories of fated mates, that the human females are awakening Instincts. This is something we should have foreseen. Males would want the remaining females to stay here, not return to Earth.”

“I did not expect my sworn warriors to betray my orders in this way,” Vaxa’an said, his horns straightening in frustration.

“Desperation leads to action,” Kirov said simply. “I must say…we do not know when we will recover the crystal, Vaxa’an. If we recover it. Perhaps it has already been destroyed by a desperate male. Because we do not know, we need to decide their accommodation until we do. As you said, I have heard reports from their guards that they are unhappy. Other arrangements need to be made.”

Vaxa’an puffed out another frustrated breath and looked between the both of them. “Tell me honestly, my friends, do you think I have been unfair and hypocritical in this matter? In keeping them hidden away, away from males whose Instincts would potentially awaken for them?” Vaxa’an looked to the door of the war room. “I am Luxirian. My main purpose in seeking out a female was for the purpose of breeding, of continuing our race. Instead, I found my luxiva. Is it my right to prevent another male from finding his own?”

Kirov’s jaw tightened and bitterness rose in him, surprising and cutting. Again, he tamped it down. Cruxan stood still beside him, unmoving.

Vaxa’an continued, “Should I simply let them out, let them see our planet, let them see our males, and decide for themselves? I thought I was protecting them, giving them a choice, but now I wonder if I have been giving them the wrong one. A mated Luxirian would treat them better than any human male possibly could. That I say with absolute certainty.”

“Give them that choice,” Cruxan advised. “That is the only way you will know for certain.”

“We can have one of the Ambassador dwellings at the top of the Golden City outfitted for them, if necessary,” Kirov said. “Vikan’s perhaps. It is still private and we would post guards, but it would be better than the quarters they’ve been in.”

Vaxa’an jerked his head in a nod and regarded the both of them. “And do you think I should allow them to be seen?”

The answer was on the tip of Kirov’s tongue, but he couldn’t decide if it was a selfish answer or not. Denying his initial reaction, he said, “No.”

Cruxan cut him a sharp look.

Vaxa’an said, “I confess, your answer surprises me, Kirov. I thought you would want to see if your own Instinct awakened for one.”

“What I desire and what is necessary conflict within me,” Kirov answered. He thought it only fair Vaxa’an knew. “I battle with it, every span. But like I said, desperation leads to action. We simply cannot predict what desperate males would do.”

“And you?” Vaxa’an asked, eyeing him. “Do I need to worry about you and your actions?”

Kirov thought about it, all too keenly aware that Cruxan was watching him too. “I will obey your initial orders, Vaxa’an,” Kirov finally told him. “I will not actively seek them out.”

Strangely enough, Kirov couldn’t decide whether Vaxa’an seemed relieved or disappointed in his words.

“However, my own dwelling in the Golden City resides on the higher terraces where I suggested they be housed,” Kirov continued carefully. “If I happen to catch sight of my female, if my Instinct does awaken for her…”

Longing so intense assaulted his body, tensing every single muscle.

Kirov growled and finished with, “If that does happen…nothing will keep me from her. Not even your orders, Prime Leader.”

Vaxa’an regarded him carefully with the same expression he wore whenever they had time to spar in the training rooms. Like he was calculating whether he could defeat him that span and if so, how.

Kirov returned his stare but Vaxa’an turned to Cruxan and asked, “And you?”

Cruxan’s grin was slow and languid. No doubt the same grin he used on the few available Luxirian females left when convincing them to warm his furs for the night.

“My answer is the same as Kirov’s,” the other Ambassador replied, his arms still crossed tightly over his chest. “I will respect your wishes in remaining apart from them. But I think we all know…sometimes the Fates have other paths for us. I will leave my fate in their hands.”

Vaxa’an blew out a sharp breath, taking a brief moment to collect his thoughts.

“I will go speak with the females now. Kirov, have a dwelling outfitted properly. Vikan’s old dwelling will suffice. It is the furthest from the others and he will not need it in the immediate future,” Vaxa’an said, though his lips tightened as he said it.

Betrayal never sat well with Vaxa’an. The fact that Vikan stole a human female right out of the command center—fated female or not—must sting, especially considering that all of them were as close as blood brothers.

“Cruxan,” Vaxa’an addressed.

“Yes?”

“Find that crystal,” their Prime Leader growled.

With that, Vaxa’an strode from the war room and down the corridor, in the direction of the quarters that housed the remaining human females.

Cruxan regarded Kirov when he turned to look at him.

“He took it better than expected,” Cruxan noted.

A buzzing in Kirov’s ears started up, now that his immediate task had been satisfied. His fingers twitched at his sides, his mind drifting back towards the room Vaxa’an was no doubt entering at that very moment.

Only a small glimpse and Kirov would know for certain.

Nix.

He clenched his fingers into his palms, feeling his claws cut into his thick flesh.

Cruxan grinned again. “It hurts, does it not?”

“What hurts?”

“Not knowing,” Cruxan said. “And you, Kirov…you are perhaps one of the only Luxirians who does not know what that feels like, genius as you are. You have lived your whole life knowing everything. Knowledge is easy for you to absorb. I confess that I like seeing you slum it like the rest of us down here.”

Kirov growled. Cruxan was one of his closest friends and he knew that he could count on him for anything, that he would be loyal until the end.

But Cruxan knew which buttons to push.

“Tell me honestly,” Kirov said. “Do you know who took the crystal?”

“I do not,” Cruxan said, his expression sobering. He ran a hand over one of his black horns that curled around his skull. “But I will not lie and say I am unhappy that it happened.”

Kirov’s jaw clenched and unclenched. Ever since the females had arrived, he’d made almost no progress on the specialized armor he was creating for their warriors. They were a distraction.

One he wanted to thoroughly investigate but couldn’t.

And it was driving him to madness.

Cruxan observed him carefully and advised, “Find a female tonight, Kirov. A Luxirian female. Let her release some of this tension. You’re wound tight. We all know what happens when you go too long like this.”

Kirov stilled, thinking over Cruxan’s suggestion. Perhaps a warm, eager female would do him well. He hadn’t mated one in over a lunar cycle and Luxirians were known to be carnal beings. Cruxan released his tensions nightly with a seemingly endless stream of females at his beck and call.

“I will consider that,” Kirov said.

“For all of our sakes, do,” Cruxan replied.

That buzzing was getting louder in his ears and he turned to the door of the war room. “I will see you in the training room tomorrow.”

He didn’t wait for Cruxan’s reply. Out in the long corridor, he took in a deep breath, but then straightened when he noticed the warriors posted along the hallway were watching him. Like he was a weapon about to go off.

Kirov couldn’t help turning his head down the corridor…to where the females were housed, as he often did whenever he was in the command center.

Temptation, in its purest form.

With a growl, he turned away, stalking towards the set of the doors that led to the outside.

Perhaps Cruxan was right.

He needed a female that night.