Verian Mates: The Complete Series (Books 1-4) Read online

  The Verian woman looked at me at first in surprise, and then in genuine glee.

  “Have you?” she asked, a wide smile creasing her face. She stepped forward and embraced me suddenly, an act that left me dumbfounded. The Verians were very much not huggers. This was certainly a blending of culture.

  “Zaine, come,” I said shakily, taking a look at our surroundings. There were several huts in the clearing, some of them styled in the Verian architecture, others in a more obviously human way. But they were arranged in a circle, and in between was a large fire pit where humans and Verians of all ages were sitting together, staring at us curiously.

  Zaine made his way to me, his face clearly telling me it was not okay to rush into danger that way, but when the human man came out to shake his hand, he smiled broadly, and all traces of his agitation melted away.

  “Welcome to you!” the human man said.

  “Come,” the Verian woman said, leading us to the fire. “We were just sitting down for a meal. You must be starved.”

  In truth, Zaine had done a great job of providing us with food along the way, but I was starving for something: the company of other humans.

  We followed the couple to the fire and sat down hand in hand, both of us feeling happier than we ever had before.

  “Here you are,” the Verian woman said, handing us each a plate of food.

  “Welcome to you!” the group chorused.

  “Thank you!”

  I grinned at Zaine, and he held me close, his eyes full of love. We were home.

  The End

  Book #2-Jaize

  (Verian Mates)

  By Stella Sky

  Chapter 1

  Commander Jaize Lorna

  “It would have been a beautiful baby girl,” Doctor Trelas said, shaking his head sadly. “I’m very sorry for your loss.”

  I could feel my heart constrict tightly, and I almost didn’t dare to look at my wife. This was the third child we’d lost in four years, and yet Malnia insisted on continuing to try.

  It was not an uncommon thing these days, to lose a child, and many speculated that it was something in the air that made the Verian babies susceptible to premature death. But Malnia was convinced that it had everything to do with me and blamed me mercilessly for the loss of our children.

  “Thank you, doctor,” Malnia said, her voice cool and composed. It was a tone that scared me. She was furious, not distraught, about the loss of her child. And I knew exactly where she was going to turn that vengeance when the doors were closed and the doctor was out of sight.

  “My condolences,” Doctor Trelas said with a deep bow. “I will have to take the child with me to prepare it for ceremony. Would you like a few moments?”

  I opened my mouth – I would have very much liked to hold my child close for the first and last time – but before I could speak, Malnia’s cold voice pierced through the room.

  “Please, just take her,” she said, casting an icy look upon me. “I’m tired of losing children.”

  I cringed, feeling somehow solely to blame for this tragedy. I couldn’t blame my wife for being upset, of course, but if it truly was my seed that prevented any of our children from being born with breath in their bodies, then why would the same thing be happening to so many other Verians on our planet? It seemed unfair of her to blame me, but with the tragedies she had been forced to endure because of my physical interest in her, it was hardly my place to defend myself.

  “Of course, Yula Lorna.”

  The doctor carried the child away, and I watched helplessly as he disappeared from my home with the youngest of my stillborn children bundled in his arms.

  “I would have liked to have seen her,” I said to Malnia.

  “What is the point anymore? Another tragedy? Another child we will never watch grow into an adult?” Malnia’s voice was quaking with rage. “I should never have let you touch me again!”

  “You wanted to try for another child,” I reminded my wife bitterly. “All of this was your own idea. You cannot possibly find blame in me.”

  Malnia’s dark eyes fixed upon me, and a chill went down my spine. “It is our duty as Verians to provide children. Our population crisis demands it. And you know how we dreamed of starting a family when we were married.”

  “That was six years ago,” I sighed. “We should know by now that it is nothing but heartache to continue trying.”

  Malnia’s face was stony, and I felt my soul shrivel beneath her gaze. “I will serve my people. You answer to my father as much as I do, so you should know very well that failure is not an option. Not even in what used to be private family affairs. We need an heir.”

  Malnia struggled to her feet, too proud to tell me to leave her be, and walked slowly, painfully, out the door. I watched her go, knowing better by now not to try to help her or tell her to lie back down in case she hurt herself. She was a stubborn Yula, raised by a man with a will of iron into a Yula who could bring any man to his knees. Sometimes I worried I might have forgotten what it was that I had seen in her. Time certainly had changed Malnia just as surely as it had changed the nature of our relationship. Perhaps we had only wanted to be together because, at the time, it was so forbidden.

  I sighed heavily and glanced down at my watch. Malnia’s father would be expecting a report from me soon. As the Yul of the house, I was supposed to be the one less affected by the tragic state of our stillborn children, but lately it had seemed more and more to me that Malnia was more bothered by what she perceived to be my lack of fertility than the lives of the children that we lost together.

  This thought left me feeling disturbed as I headed to the door and dressed myself for the gloomy trek. I wore the coat of my regimen – gold and silver – and the hood that covered my face as a sign of mourning.

  Was Malnia mourning our children? Or was she simply angry that she had married a Yul who could not bear her children? What was it, exactly, that she expected of me? Perhaps I would never know.

  ***

  “Jaize! It’s about time!”

  The second in command stood upright at his desk as I entered his office. As usual, it smelled like the relics of the planet Earth that were displayed upon his walls. Like dirt.

  “Greetings, Commander Karhal.”

  Malnia’s father frowned and studied me closely. “I judge by your tone that it is not good news.”

  “I would have guessed that you would judge by my hood.”

  “Well, you’re meant to wear that out of grief for a good while after the loss of any child,” the commander said, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. “It could have been on account of the last that was lost. Anyway, how is my Yula doing?”

  “The same as she was the last time.”

  The commander nodded. “She’s a fighter.”

  “That’s the truth.”

  I hoped that my bitterness wouldn’t show in my voice, and whether it did or not, the commander mercifully ignored it.

  “Well, I have some news that might cheer you up. I have a mission for you. It should be enough to take your mind off of the events of today.”

  “A mission, sir?” I asked.

  “We’ve heard rumors of a nuclear weapon on Earth that may be powerful enough to wipe out an entire fleet of our men. They’ve been searching, and we can’t stop sending troops in at this point. The battle has reached a critical stage. We need you to go down in stealth mode and locate the weapon. Disable it before it takes down more good men.”

  “Of course, Yul Karhal. When will I be deployed?”

  “Right now, if you wish. I can send the news to Malnia so you two can say a proper good bye.”

  I frowned. “I don’t think she’s in the mood to talk right now, but please send her my best. I can leave right away.”

  Commander Karhal nodded, and I sensed an unkind mirth in his eyes. “Trouble with the Yula?”

  I knew the man had been angry that I’d bedded and wed his daughter. Being my boss, it had been quite the sc
andal at the time, but he liked to pretend that he was over his resentment toward me. Clearly, though, he wasn’t, and it seemed funny that the two of us could try to get along. He was my superior, and my father in law, and that was the end of it.

  “Things are as good as they can be, considering the circumstances. I know you and your wife were fortunate enough never to lose a child, so I don’t expect for you to understand.”

  Karhal grinned. “It takes a lesser man than I to spawn children that cannot thrive outside their mother’s womb. That is true.”

  Hot rage flooded me, but as much as I wanted to lash out at him, it would do no good. He was just as stubborn as his daughter, if not more so, and would never admit to his mistakes. It’s part of what had gotten him to the position of second in command.

  I was well on my way to succeeding him; at some point it would become an inevitability, but because of the demand for his mechanical expertise, I hoped the day was far in the future. He was great at putting himself first, and although I had been noted as a great leader, there were some elements of heartlessness that were required in positions of power that I just didn’t personally have.

  “I’d like to leave now, Commander,” I said, ignoring the statement. It was just that kind of thinking that had caused my wife to despise the very ground I walked upon. She believed I wasn’t masculine enough to produce her a viable heir.

  I knew, however, that there were rumors spread by some of the top scientists of Helna that our bodies were being compromised by diseases somehow spread by human means as a purposeful way to prevent our reproduction and ultimately win the war. It was a dirty trick, one that, if successful, would mean the end of our species once and for all. But if the humans were capable of such forward thinking and ingenuity, I had to admit, I found it impressive.

  Still, as impressive as it might be, there was another aspect to this disease that few were speaking about. Perhaps because it was still so new, most men were ashamed to admit they had it. Mostly because there was a significant loss of strength associated with it. Not only did our children die in the wombs of Verian mothers, but our bodies were compromised as well. We became weak in every sense of the word. And it was terrible.

  Malnia didn’t know it, but I had been volunteering myself for study at the laboratory near the prison where captive humans were kept. They were researching the trajectory of the disease after one of the prison wardens had nearly died from its effects. Since then, they’d been looking for other men to speak out about their condition so a cure might be found once and for all.

  Unfortunately, in the case of the warden, few knew his fate, as he took a captive and sped off toward Earth, clearly delirious, but the scientists were sure they would come up with a cure soon enough.

  If Malnia knew that I had the frightening disease, and that my occasional dizziness was also associated with other things, such as profound loss of coordination and musculature, I was convinced that she would want to leave me right then and there. Only the laws of our people would keep us united. It was bad enough as it was without giving her any more ammunition to use against me.

  Our marriage had only gotten insufferable after the loss of our first couple of children, and now, it seemed that every time she looked at me, all she could see were the opportunities she’d wasted by marrying me. I could practically hear her thinking, “I should have listened to my father.”

  And maybe she should have. It could have done both of us a lot of good.

  I tried to push the thoughts away and headed to my ship. Since it was a stealth mission, I would go alone, and only myself and the Commander would know about it until I got back. Of course, my wife would also have a clue as to my whereabouts, but the specifics of the mission would be lost on her. To be completely successful, the fewer who knew of my whereabouts, the better.

  But in truth, I was nervous about being on Earth alone. Most of the time, stealth pilots were given a partner to keep in touch with to prevent disaster from befalling the mission, but unfortunately, the combination of the disease and the war meant that fewer and fewer able-bodied Verians were able to make it out onto the field. Most of the men were needed on the front lines. I would just have to go on my own.

  ***

  As usual, the trip to Earth was uneventful, if even a little bit boring. I had made the trek dozens of times before, and always with the same impression. Space was vast and unpleasant, and I would just as soon stay at home than endanger my ever-weaker body to the elements of an unknown terrain.

  Maybe if I had some backup, it wouldn’t have felt quite so menacing, but since I was alone, every little thing that jumped out at me had me spooked. I was used to being the strongest among my peers, and knowing there was anything that could slow me down was highly vexing. Getting rid of this disease once and for all was my primary concern. But before I could get back to the lab, where research would continue, I would have to face my limitations once more; and I would do it right in the heat of battle.

  I steered the ship carefully through the turbulence of Earth’s atmosphere. Thankfully, it was much kinder than the turbulence of my own planet. Yet another reason the Verians hoped to colonize the planet once and for all.

  When I finally landed, near Zone 36 of Earth, I took a deep breath. Regardless of where my people ended up settling down, I had to admit that Earth had a comforting feeling to it. Helna had become so barren over the centuries that it seemed impossible that such a lush, beautiful forest of life could exist anywhere else in the universe. It had been fortunate that we’d stumbled upon Earth. But when we weren’t met with friendly beings, and instead with immense hostility, the war for ownership over these resources began to rage.

  I crept from my ship, walking as slowly as I could toward the barriers of Zone 36. It was deep in the labyrinths of this settlement that the brilliant scientists of Earth were said to reside, constantly searching for the next weapon that might end my people. It was deep underground that the weapon was thought to be hiding, but our intel had uncovered that it would be unearthed soon in order to take down the next round of Verian bombers.

  “Halt!”

  I cringed at the shrill, tweedy sounding human voice that reached my ears from across the field. I was sure I had been spotted but sighed in relief when I saw a human female in a black bundle of clothing running toward the trees.

  “I’ve got to find him, Thomas! Don’t even try to stop me!”

  Who could she possibly be looking for? Most humans refused to venture outside the walls of their zones. It would take a female of great bravery and determination to step foot outside the safety of her home and right onto the battlefield. My wife certainly never would have considered it.

  The guard shook his head, his weapon raised and pointed at the woman, but when it was clear that she wasn’t going to turn back, he lowered it and watched her, his face drawn.

  So, they hadn’t seen me. That was a stroke of luck. Though I should hardly have been surprised – I was the best at what I did.

  I quickly forgot the human and continued on my quest around the perimeters of Zone 36, until I reached the coordinates where the bomb was set to launch. If I stayed put, I would be able to intercept the weapon as it was prepared for launch. That way, the platoon of troops coming in to attack Earth would arrive safely and improve our chances of victory in the war. There was nothing more important than ensuring the continuation of the Verian people.

  I waited until nightfall, shifting uncomfortably as I waited in the brush with my weapon poised. Finally, I heard a whirring, mechanical sound and saw a red beam of light, about as small as the head of a pin, shine into the night sky.

  Without thinking twice, I rushed into the area, my diffuser raised high above my head. I aimed the diffuser at the weapon and fired, and soon the sky was lit up with the brilliant purple energy as superior Verian technology began to counteract the nuclear power that could mean an end to our troops.

  “What the hell is going on?!” one of the commanders exclai
med. I dodged out of sight before anybody could see me and left the men to their own puzzled guesses.

  Suddenly, the loudspeakers erupted in a booming voice, and an Earth male shouted, “We have an intruder! Code 13 Blue! You know what to look for!”

  I grunted in pain when a fist unexpectedly hit my stomach, and I fell backward against a tree. All of the air was knocked out of me, and I struggled to my feet, my hand immediately reaching for my weapon.

  But it was gone.

  “Got him!”

  I struggled against several pairs of arms that grabbed me, but it was futile. The disease I was suffering from made it impossible to fight. Even just two months ago I would have been able to hold my own against all five of these Earthlings, but now, I was helpless, and I had nobody to blame but myself.

  ***

  “It’s okay. Don’t move.”

  I winced as I tried to flutter my eyes open, and gasped in a combination of fear and astonishment. A human was standing above me, her dazzling brown eyes studying me closely.

  “It looks like you’re going to need a splint. But don’t worry. I can help you.”

  I furrowed my brow. Why would she be willing to help me? My people were coming to Earth right at that moment to harvest resources and clear the way for our ultimate usurpation. In just a matter of a few generations, humans would forget that they were ever the natives of this lucrative land and would feel content simply serving their Verian overlords.

  “What are you – argh!”

  I tried sitting up, but I felt as if I were going to burst into flames. The men at the base had done a good job with me. In fact, I was fairly certain that they’d believed me to be dead, considering the fact that the Verians breathe more shallowly than humans and thus it probably appeared that I had met my untimely demise. Apparently, they’d considered their job finished from there and left me to rot in the battlefield.