Kollin (The Azziarin Series Book 3) Read online

  He leaned close and took a deep breath through his nose. Was he sniffing her? He closed his eyes for a moment before locking eyes with her once again. “Don’t worry, female, I will not allow anyone to harm you.” He spoke as if trying to reassure or comfort her. She knew he was just being nice, so she closed her eyes for a moment and let her arousal drain away before looking at him once again.

  “Thank you,” she squeaked out, hoping she understood the meaning of his words. He held her gaze for a mere second before nodding and heading back to the chair.

  The door swished open, and the other female came rushing in, yelling something…

  Kollin

  “Go! Go! Go!” the Siccia yelled as she rushed in and took the empty seat next to Kollin.

  He tried to clear the fog from his lust-filled brain. He had smelled arousal from the—from his mate. That still sounded foreign on his lips. “What did you do?” he asked as he took the controls, hovering the shuttlecraft.

  The female grinned. “We’ve got three standard minutes before their ship blows, and a lot of angry Tureis are on my tail!”

  Just as Kollin started the sequence that would open the cargo bay doors, phaser fire struck the shuttlecraft.

  “Sish!” Kollin cursed as he impatiently waited for the doors too open wide enough for them to squeeze through. The shields seemed to be holding for now, but the shuttlecraft wasn’t made to withstand a lot of fire. It was for transport only.

  Rapid phaser fire pounded the side of the shuttlecraft once again, and the sensors blared a warning. Glancing at the screen, Kollin knew the shields were crumbling. “Come on,” he said as the cargo bay door opened slowly. It was almost…

  “Go!” the Siccia yelled.

  Kollin didn’t hesitate, expertly maneuvering the shuttlecraft away from the Tureis’ ship.

  “Maximum speed if you want to clear the explosion!”

  “It won’t go any faster. They must have damaged the engines!” Kollin snapped.

  They had almost reached a safe distance when the exploding ship sent the shuttlecraft spiraling out of control. He grabbed the chair and held on the best he could. After one final violent lurch, the shuttlecraft resumed its course. Kollin glanced at the Siccia female and then turned to his mate, who lay face-down on the metal floor.

  Rushing to her, he scooped her off the floor and hugged her to his chest.

  “Shit, that hurt!” Krista said while rubbing her aching head. “I thought you’d be able to fly this thing a little better than that.”

  Kollin chuckled as he sat down on the bench with her in his arms. He reached for a blanket so she could cover up. He hadn’t missed how she tried to hide herself from everyone, and he didn’t enjoy knowing that anyone could look at her. He frowned at the thought. Why should he care? He had just met her. His feelings confused him. Yes, he would care for and protect her, that was his job. He was contemplating his thoughts and emotions when the Siccia spoke.

  “Where is she from?” she asked, nodding at his—mate. There, he’d thought it. He couldn’t change the fact, so he might as well get used to the idea, even though it still made him angry that they had stolen his choice from him, but it wasn’t the female’s fault.

  “Since I can understand her, she must be from the Dreama Sector,” Kollin replied. Krista grabbed the blanket and crawled off his lap. “What is your name?” he asked Krista.

  She just stared at him with her unusual dark eyes. “What?”

  “Your name. I asked your name.” He was trying to be patient, but when she ignored him and looked at the Siccia, he felt his anger starting to rise again.

  “I don’t think she wants to talk to you.” The other female laughed.

  Kollin shot her a warning look before he asked her, “What’s your name, and how did the Tureis catch a Siccia mercenary?”

  She laughed, ignoring his mood. “I am called Usla.”

  “The Siccia princess?” he asked with surprise.

  “Unfortunately, yes.” She turned to the controls to check on the damaged engines. “Father refused to let me leave the planet, but I was determined to prove my worth. Against his wishes, I joined one of the mission teams and made a stupid mistake.” She shrugged, dismissing her failure. “I’m sure they are searching for me. They wouldn’t dare head home and face my father without me.”

  “Your skills are good.”

  “My skills are perfect,” she shot back. “Like I said, I made a stupid mistake.”

  “Great, you two are having a nice chat and I’m freaking out. We are on a space ship—a space ship!” Krista shrieked in a panicked tone, even though her voice was no louder than a whisper.

  “You’re okay. I won’t let anything happen to you.” Kollin reached over and held her hand as he tried to reassure her. She glanced down at his hand with confusion on her face before looking at him, and then the other… Usla.

  “How many species of aliens can there possibly be? The ones on Earth, and two more here. I guess we were wrong thinking we’re alone in the universe. Alan won’t believe this.”

  He almost missed the sadness that washed over her face, and it made him want to comfort her for some reason. “There are hundreds, maybe thousands of different species,” he answered softly.

  Confused about why she wouldn’t talk to him, he finally asked, “Can you understand me?” Krista just stared at him blankly, clearly not understanding anything he said. “Well, sish!” he cursed before scowling

  “Let me get this straight. I can’t understand her, she can’t understand us, but you can understand both of us.” Usla laughed. “What a mess.”

  “You have no idea,” Kollin muttered under his breath. Glancing at Usla, he could tell she was all ears and waiting for the rest. He sighed and then said, “The Tureis decided to start a breeding program, so they made her my mate. How do I tell her that?” he ground out in an angry tone.

  “I don’t know. But at least the stupid Tureis didn’t think about the fact that you couldn’t impregnate both of us. I am certainly not your mate.”

  “They tried?” Kollin growled.

  “Of course. But in their stupidity, they could impregnate only one female.”

  Kollin didn’t worry about his mate carrying his young, it would almost be impossible. Azziarin females had their heat cycle once every two standard years.

  “Unless they were experimenting on you. Loader told me they knew that I had to mate to produce younglings.” He shook his head trying to puzzle out the situation. “Well, whatever they were trying, it’s all been destroyed now.”

  Chapter Six

  Kollin

  “Your thoughts?” Kollin asked Usla as they scanned their surroundings, checking for other ships. The Siccia always had a contingency plan.

  “We don’t have much power left, and I don’t want to be dead in space. I say we find a suitable planet to land on and activate the emergency beacon. Someone will come to our rescue, or their deaths,” she grinned.

  “My thoughts exactly. I need to find the Conqueror and kill some traitors.”

  “I wondered how the Tureis got their hands on you, Kollin.”

  “You know who I am?” The use of his name surprised Kollin. As the future leader of Azziar, Jakke was the one who was well-known throughout the galaxy.

  “Of course. Your reputation for fighting precedes you.” Usla glanced at his mate and then back to him. “For helping me escape, I will help you take back your ship.”

  Kollin wanted to refuse. He was confident he could retake it on his own, but as he glanced at his mate, he knew it would be much harder because she would be a target. As hard as it was to accept Usla’s offer of help, he nodded.

  Krista

  Krista sat with the blanket wrapped around her. Her arm ached. It was the same arm the alien had tightly gripped and now, after hitting the floor, she knew there would be bruises tomorrow. What the hell, it was dark all the time in space. She had no idea how to tell one day from the next. Maybe I should just th
ink of it as one long night.

  The two aliens talked with each other, which left her the third man out. Okay, the third alien out. She wanted to know what was happening, what they were planning to do with her, but that was impossible. She was just a third wheel, along for the ride. At least they were friendly, and that gave her a small comfort.

  With her back against the wall, she pulled the blanket tighter and closed her eyes. She wasn’t tired; she just wanted to escape and think of happier times.

  A light touch to her cheek startled her, making her eyes pop open in surprise. Concerned blue eyes stared into hers from a few inches away. She could drown in those soft eyes. They reminded her of Caribbean water over a white coral reef.

  She watched him sniff and then briefly close his eyes before he leaned back and held out his hand. Puzzled by the action, she took a chance and placed hers in his.

  His hand was odd-looking, with his five fingers clasping her four. His thumb was even shaped differently.

  With her hand in his, he stepped back, making her rise to her feet. He led her to an empty chair, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out what he wanted. When she sat down, he secured her harness which would prevent her from taking another fall. Thank God! That hurt. It was a little difficult due to the blanket that she refused to give up. They all needed clothes, but at least he was covered… barely.

  That thought had her eyes darting to the loincloth that covered his shaft, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he looked the same as human men. His thighs looked like muscled tree trunks, without a trace of fat anywhere. Powerful. As he turned to take his chair once again, her eyes latched onto his buns of steel. She giggled at the thought. How many times had she heard that saying? But she never really knew what it meant until now.

  When he turned sharply at her giggle, her eyes snapped to his, and she noticed the odd look on his beautiful face. He sniffed and then briefly closed his eyes once again before taking his chair.

  Krista watched as the two aliens worked over the lighted console. When she glanced out the front window, her eyes widened as she took in the approaching planet. Are we landing there? Unlike Earth, this one was red and brown on one side and mostly lavender on the other. It was odd to look at, even though excitement zipped through her body.

  The closer they came, more nervous energy filled her body. Krista had always enjoyed reading sci-fi books and watching Star Trek on television. No one back home would ever believe this!

  They headed toward the lavender side of the planet as Krista watched in amazement. When they drew closer to the surface, she could make out an array of colors. With all she’d been through, all she had endured, this was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to her.

  They expertly piloted the shuttlecraft to the planet. Krista expected some type of reentry turbulence, but nothing happened, which left her a little disappointed. It wasn’t anything like she’d seen on television.

  The handsome alien released his harness before helping her out of the chair. Both aliens drew some sort of gun or phaser before opening the hatch door.

  Krista followed them out, excited to look around. She sucked in a stunned breath with her first glance at the planet. A huge red sun warmed her upturned face. After so many cold days lying on a metal floor, this was heaven. She closed her eyes and soaked in the rays before turning her attention to the rest of her surroundings.

  It looked wild in nature as she peered at the tall brown, red and blue weeds that came up to her waist. Odd-looking, thorny trees grouped together as if they were guards warning trespassers not to enter. What kind of animals would live here, she wondered? Did they even have animals, or people?

  She glanced at the other two when they started talking but quickly ignored them. She turned her attention back to the planet.

  She squealed when the sexy alien scooped her up in his arms. She hadn’t been paying attention, and he took her by surprise. It took a couple of minutes, but she gave in and wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest. She couldn’t explain it, but she trusted him and it just felt… right.

  Chapter Seven

  Kollin

  Kollin looked around the hostile planet. It looked calm, but he knew the dangers that lurked just beyond the trees. He couldn’t explain how he knew it was hostile, but he felt it with every fiber of his being. Even the weeds looked as though they waited for unsuspecting prey.

  “Do you feel that?” Usla asked as she stood at his side with her arms crossed.

  “Yes,” he answered, his sharp eyes taking in the surroundings while looking for signs that they were not alone. “We can’t stay here,” he glanced back at his fragile mate. “We need to search for food.”

  “There is plenty here.” Kollin’s eyes shot to Usla; she shrugged. “I’ve heard of this place. Extremely hot days, freezing nights. I’ve even heard that the storms are violent and that only the fiercest creatures weather them and still survive.” She looked over to the horizon and finished, “We need to find a cave, hopefully one that has water.”

  “Have your people been here before?”

  “Once, a long time ago.”

  He scooped the female up and cradled her against his chest. It startled him when she wrapped her slender arms around his neck and laid her head against him. He was humbled at the thought of her trust in him and couldn’t help hugging her a little tighter.

  “I’ll activate the emergency beacon. If my people intercept, they’ll scan all caves first,” said Usla.

  When Kollin quirked an eyebrow, she shrugged. She did that a lot, he noticed. “What? That is the basic rule of training. Seek out shelter and make sure it is defensible. That’s where my people will look, and I have no doubt they are looking.”

  Kollin didn’t think the same was true in his case. Communications had been blocked, and his father and brothers still thought he was in the Dreama Sector fighting an unwinnable war.

  He glanced over his shoulder and noted Usla quickly gathering useful supplies from the shuttle and stuffing them into a worn leather carrier. When finished, she joined him on the ramp holding a hand-held scanner.

  “I think there is a cave that way,” she said while looking at the scanner and then pointing beyond the trees.

  “Let’s go.”

  As they trekked through the weeds over the unrelenting terrain, Kollin knew that his feet sported gashes, as did Usla’s. He looked at his mate and somehow knew she wouldn’t have handled it. Her skin felt more delicate, more fragile than his or Usla’s.

  They walked in silence, the two of them constantly scanning for predators or other threats. They dodged a nasty plant with teeth that snapped as they passed by.

  “There’s another trap up ahead,” Kollin said as he stepped to the left. He’d never been on a planet that had so many carnivorous plants. They’d yet to see any animals.

  It took a while but they finally made it to the cave. “This is it,” Usla said as she peered at the scanner.

  He placed his mate down on a rock and then grabbed his phaser, needing to make sure the cave was empty before he carried her in.

  Walking in, he got his first look around the massive cavern. He checked dark corners and two other smaller tunnels that branched off. Pleased to find it empty, he headed back outside and retrieved his mate who still sat on the rock.

  “What do you think?” Usla asked as she followed him in.

  “I think it’s easily defensible. We can block the two small tunnels, and the front entrance is small enough to keep really large predators out.”

  She nodded and then went to work gathering rocks and piling them up, effectively blocking the small tunnel entrances. Kollin admired her knowledge and endurance, even if it went against everything he believed. The Azziarin females stayed home and reared young and were never allowed to serve on a ship.

  When Usla finished the task, she announced, “I’m going to find food.”

  “Not alone, it’s too dangerous.”

&n
bsp; She pierced him with a glare, but he ignored it. “We don’t know the dangers of this planet, so either I go with you, or I go alone.”

  She didn’t look happy, but Kollin didn’t care. He would not sit back and let a female hunt alone. It went against everything he’d been taught. He certainly wouldn’t let a princess go out alone.

  His mate hadn’t moved from the rock floor where he’d set her down. He knew she wouldn’t understand, but he tried anyway.

  “Stay here while we look for food.” His voice was soothing as he held up his hand and shoved his palm close to her face. Hopefully she understood the stay command. Not wanting to leave her helpless, he handed her a phaser. Without speaking, he showed her how it worked. She caught on quickly.

  “We’ll be back soon.” He held her gaze, willing her to understand before he grabbed another phaser and knife and followed Usla out the cave entrance.

  Krista

  She knew it was stupid, but she couldn’t help the unwanted jealously that seeped into her battered heart. She felt connected to Kollin, and to watch as the other female did so much while she was helpless, well, it grated on her nerves.

  He had given her a phaser before he left, and he gave her step-by-step instructions. Okay, she hadn’t known how to use it and was grateful for his guidance. Krista sighed loudly as she sat huddled under the blanket she refused to let go of.

  “Enough of this!” she said as she dropped the blanket and jumped to her feet. She twisted her face in annoyance and sighed loudly. She hated being naked, especially in front of the sexy alien. It hadn’t escaped her attention that the other female didn’t care at all. Of course, she looked more like a walking stick, or maybe a muscular walking stick.

  Krista eyed the blanket lying on the rock floor before she grinned and yanked it up. Using her teeth, she ripped it enough to tear a little strip off. When she had two, she tied one around her breasts and the other around her waist. Then she felt better.