Renegade Orion: A Scifi Alien Shifter Romance (Shifter Kings of Kartak Book 2) Read online

  Renegade Orion

  A Scifi Alien Shifter Romance

  Delores Diamond

  Delores Diamond

  Contents

  Copyright

  Contact Information

  1. Rhea

  2. Orion

  3. Rhea

  4. Orion

  5. Rhea

  6. Orion

  7. Rhea

  8. Orion

  9. Rhea

  10. Orion

  11. Rhea

  12. Orion

  13. Rhea

  14. Orion

  15. Rhea

  16. Orion

  17. Rhea

  Epilogue

  Mailing List

  Also by Delores Diamond

  Copyright © 2016 by Delores Diamond

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  1

  Rhea

  The Sojourn shudders as it touches down on Kartak. I barely feel the shock in my heavily cushioned seat. A moment later, Maya is by my side, unbuckling me from my seat.

  I keep a cool expression as she works the dozen straps holding my body in place. I’m still not used to being waited on by a full-service crew, but I have to keep up the impression that this is right and natural.

  “Thank you, Maya,” I say. I take her extended hands as she helps me to my feet.

  “Yes, your Royal Highness.” She drops back from me and bows her head respectfully. I remember the first time I refused her help in getting out of this very seat. The incident left her nearly broken down crying. She takes my unwillingness to let her do everything short of eating for me as a sign of disapproval.

  Captain Mikael announces that all went well with the landing. It's definitely gone better than my last one on Kartak. Hopefully that’s a good sign. If I can land safely, instead of crashing, maybe I’ll have a fated mate waiting for me outside with an easy cure for my sterility.

  “Thank you for the smooth piloting, Captain Mikael,” I say. “It’s nice to know I won’t need my charmed ruby slippers to get back on the Astrid.”

  He laughs out of courtesy at my joke. I know there’s no chance he’s seen that flik, but I can tell he's genuinely proud as he bows before me. “Thank you, your Royal Highness.”

  I respond with a regal nod. Bringing Mikael into my House was the best decision I’ve made since its founding. I had to hire the rescue pilot who not only responded to my distress signal but also managed to evade the defense systems that shot down the Recluse on my first visit to Kartak.

  “Are you sure you won’t be joining us in Haven?” I ask him. “I have a feeling Queen Astrid will have prepared a great feast in our honor.”

  “No, your Royal Highness,” he says. “Unless you require me to join you, I should remain behind with the ship and prepare it for your departure. I would not wish to be unprepared, should you require an emergency evacuation. From everything you have told me about your time here, I fear that is not an unlikely scenario.”

  “Very well, Captain,” I say. “I will inform you as soon as I am ready to depart.”

  “Yes, your Royal Highness,” he chimes.

  Haven has changed a lot in the two years since I was last here. For one, there are a lot more people in the street. All kinds of people, from the blue-skinned Tulani to the green, scaled lizardmen to the thin, red skinners.

  There’s a lot of construction going on in the old ruins. And a lot of the old ruins have had their damage repaired. But there’s only so much raw material left on Kartak. Metal is especially rare, and it shows. All the better for setting up trade.

  I smile as I see a human woman with a swollen belly walking hand-in-hand with her Tulani mate. By the laws of the Mercantile Empire, it was within my rights to control the travels of any humans to Kartak. I had allowed those humans brave enough to face the dangers of Kartak free passage, in the hopes that the Tulani would be able to find their fated mates amongst their numbers. Distracted from my surroundings, I walk straight into a wall and fall down on my butt.

  I look up from the ground and see that I didn’t run into a wall, but a massive Tulani. His legs are thick as stone columns, and covered in tight-scaled leather. I feel myself blushing as my eyes pass over a massive bulge between his thighs. Astrid wasn’t kidding about these people. I tear my eyes away from his crotch and let them travel up his torso. He’s wearing a thin, light-colored shirt that clings to his muscles from his sweat. I can see the outlines of his tight abs and broad chest.

  I finally manage to look him in the eyes and find him looking back at me with a cocky smile. I blush, knowing he caught me staring at him. He has a square jaw, large golden eyes, the Tulani feline nose, and one of his long ears is missing a wedge of flesh.

  He reaches out to me, extending a helping hand as Maya drops to my side to fuss over me. I wave her away and take his hand. As our fingers touch, I feel a strange tingling on my skin and I feel the heat of a full blush rising from my breasts to my cheeks. His hand is strong and rough, but he lifts me from my feet with a delicate touch.

  My Merchant Marines rush to my side, hands ready by their rifles. I motion for them to stop, pleased that they are trained well enough to have remembered their instructions. We’re on friendly ground. There is no threat to me in Haven.

  “I apologize for my clumsiness,” he says in the Tulani’s gruff language.

  I straighten my shoulder and try to regain my regal pose. “No need to apologize.” My voice comes out squeaky. It always does that when I’m embarrassed. But I enjoy the look of surprise on his face when I respond to him in his own language. It was worth the two years of practice just to see his reaction. It gets that smug grin off his face pretty quick.

  “I do not recall seeing you when I was last here,” I say, extending my hand to him. My House sigil glitters in the bright moonlight on my finger. “I am Princess Rhea Tarkon.”

  He grunts and takes my hand in his. “I am called Orion,” he says. “I bear no title.”

  He lowers his head and gives my hand a sniff, followed by a long lick. I feel goosebumps run up my arms and warmth spread inside my thighs. He stares into my eyes with his golden ones, and I wish I knew the Tulani well enough to understand his expression. I sense mischief in his smile.

  “How dare you show such disrespect to a Merchant Princess!” Maya interjects. She moves to impose herself between us, but I wave her back.

  “It is quite alright, Maya.” I say. “I am certain he means no disrespect. We are amongst an alien culture and cannot expect everyone to know our ways.” Though I don’t recall that lick being one of them.

  “Yes, your Royal Highness.” She bows her head and steps back behind me. I feel bad for correcting her. I will have to remember to reward her for her diligence in protecting my honor. I know she must feel like she’s disappointed me by not remembering my instructions.

  At that moment, I see Bakal approaching us and reluctantly take my hand back from Orion. He lets his fingers linger on mine for a moment before releasing his grip. I hope he can’t tell how disappointed I am when he
does, but his smirk tells me otherwise. I smile at him and turn to Bakal, letting the King’s Second Warrior lead me inside. It takes all my willpower to not glance back.

  I’ve seen Astrid change over the jumpfeed for the last two years, but it’s something else to see her in person. She looks so much stronger now, her hair bleached platinum by the desert sun. Her skin glows with a golden tan. She wears a loose-flowing dress that covers her swollen belly. She’ll have her second child soon. Leo stands tall beside her, his powerful arm wrapped protectively around her shoulder.

  I’m still pale from spending all my time in space. I lack her confidence and beauty and have no child to love. All I am is a sad imitation of a princess compared to a true queen.

  I curse myself for feeling jealous of her. I strain to dispel the fantasy of Orion standing by my side, his big arms wrapped around my pregnant belly. What’s wrong with me? Why is he still in my thoughts? I need to get a hold of myself. There are much more important matters at hand.

  I get myself under control by the time we pass through the throng of supplicants and Bakal introduces me. “My King and Queen,” he intones. “I present to you, Rhea of House Tarkon, Merchant Princess of the Mercantile Empire.”

  Leo and Astrid rise from their plain wooden seats as my ship’s caster drone floats near the ceiling, beaming a live feed of the ceremony back to the Astrid. In the Empire, their thrones would seem cheap and far below the station of royalty, but on Kartak wood is a luxury rare enough to kill for.

  “The Tulani Clan welcomes you, Princess Rhea, to Haven,” Astrid says, her voice booming across the grand hall. “My shade is your shade, and my water is your water.”

  I straighten my spine and pull back my shoulders, ignoring the discomfort of normal gravity. “As the Keeper of the Trade Franchise with Kartak, I bring greetings from the Mercantile Empire, and I thank you for your welcome,” I respond. It’s hard not to feel silly going through these formalities with the same friend I’ve shopped with for sex toys. “I come seeking trade and prosperity for all.”

  Astrid gestures to the empty seat beside her. “Then step forth, rest your weary feet, and hear the offers of your supplicants.”

  I step forth onto the dais and take the seat next to my friend. As the first of many traders steps forth with their offer, I can’t help but have my eyes drawn to Orion, his head standing tall over the crowd.

  After the first round of offers, Astrid and I withdraw to her private chambers to talk. Leo knows her well enough to take his leave without being asked. They're so intuitive about each other it's amazing.

  Finally alone, I give her a long hug. “I’m so happy to see you, Astrid!” I can feel my eyes welling up with tears of joy. “I missed you so much.”

  “I missed you too, Rhea.” She lets go of me and leans back to get a good look at me. “You look amazing. What did you do first when you got back to the Empire? Found your House or buy a full closet of clothes?”

  I laugh and wipe my happy tears from my eyes. “Both, I guess? And a separate closet full of shoes, of course.”

  “I noticed!” She looks down at my jeweled sandals. “Those look gorgeous.”

  “Thanks!” I say and stretch out my legs to put the sandals on full display. “But you should see the bill for the extra fuel to haul around all that extra weight.”

  Astrid laughs. She’s always willing to humor my bad jokes. It’s one of the reasons I love her.

  “I wanted to keep your gift a secret, but you know how bad I am at that. I brought you a pallet full of shoes,” I say. “I know Kartak isn’t known for its high fashion, so I figured that could be our first export. The beginning of the great House Tarkon trading empire!”

  Suddenly, Astrid grabs my hands, pulls me in closer and lowers her voice with a teasing smile. “That sounds amazing, but first, tell me about that Tulani I saw you eye-fucking on the way in.”

  “What?” I blush furiously. “You saw that? I mean, I wasn’t eye-fucking him! I was just...looking.”

  Astrid laughs. “Yeah, just looking. How long did you sit there on your ass staring at his crotch?”

  I giggle. “Ok, maybe I stared a bit. You think he noticed?” I ask. “Oh, Peter. I hope not. I’m supposed to act regal now. I can’t go around staring at alien crotches everywhere I go.”

  “I think he was too busy staring at your tits to notice.” Astrid stares directly into my cleavage, her mouth beaming, and I feel my face glowing red again. “It’s not like you are trying to hide them,” she says. “That’s a hell of an outfit you’re wearing, Rhea.”

  “Hey!” I pull the straps on my dress back onto my shoulder and adjust my cleavage. “This is the fashion right now. And Kartak is hot as hell, if you haven’t noticed. I’m dressed for the weather.”

  “Did you at least get his name?” she asks.

  “Yeah. His name’s Orion.” My voice comes out husky. I need to get myself under control.

  “I don’t think I know him. He must be new here.”

  She pours us both a glass of brown liquor. It smells sharp and has a bite to match, but you don’t need to drink much to feel its effects.

  “So, I know you couldn’t talk over the jumpfeed in case we were being spied on. Time to tell me everything. Have you found your, what did you call it? Man in white, or something?”

  I drink my entire cup in a big gulp and hand it back to Astrid for a refill. I wasn’t looking forward to this part of our catching up, but it was inevitable. “My white knight,” I say.

  “Oh, right.” She hands me back another cup, this time filled up the whole way. “Well, did you?”

  I take another sip of the harsh liquor. I can already feel the effects of the first cup. “No,” I say curtly.

  I look away from her to hide my sudden sadness. I wish she’d waited a little longer before asking me about my love life. Let me pretend I’m happy for a bit longer. I wish I had a strong shoulder to cry on.

  “What is it, Rhea?” She squeezes my knee. “Are you ok?”

  “No. Nothing’s okay, Astrid,” I say. I want to be strong like her. I don’t want to sniffle or cry, but I can’t stop myself. “I have to put on a good face for the people watching me, but it’s hard. The system is rigged against us, Astrid. They want the commoners to think we can become one of them if we just work hard. But it’s all a setup to keep us working for them!”

  She strokes my hair as I cry into her shoulder. I’m embarrassed, but it feels good to finally have a friend I can be open with.

  “It’s been so hard this last year,” I say. “It was amazing at first. The artifacts I took back had so much value. I sold enough to buy my House and a station two jumps from Kartak. I bought myself a new battlecruiser, too.”

  I look up at her and wipe the tears from my face, mustering a smile. “I named her the Astrid.”

  “Oh, Peter! Really?”

  I knew that made her happy. Her reaction lets me forget my own troubles for a moment.

  “Yeah,” I say. “She’s amazing. The Astrid is no old rust bucket. But it’s not built for atmospheric flight. Otherwise, I’d have come down to the surface with it. I’ll take you up for a tour before I leave.”

  “I’d love that,” she gushes. “I can’t believe you named your ship after me. That means so much to me.”

  “You saved my life,” I say. “I wouldn’t be here without you, much less have struck it rich… and now I’m back to ask you for favors again.”

  “You know I’m happy to help you. I put the word out that you were looking for any of the ancient tech, broken or not, in exchange for raw materials. You’ve only seen a small number of what’s on offer. The city is full of traders looking for a chance to trade their wares.”

  “Do you think Orion is one of the traders?”

  “Why? You want to inspect his goods?” Astrid laughs.

  I laugh, trying to hide how right Astrid is. “I was just curious.”

  “Okay.” Astrid stops laughing and takes my hand. “Anything
you need, just ask. I’m here for you.”

  I nod and squeeze her hand. “I know. You’re already helping me extract the wealth I need to pay my franchise tax, but, I don’t think there’s anything you can do to help me with my other problem. The laws of the Mercantile Empire say that a Prince must have a natural-born heir no later than three years after receiving his title.”

  “Oh….” Astrid’s eyes drop. She knows what this means.

  “Yeah.” I say. “I can’t have a child. And if I don’t have a child, they’ll assign me an heir. Some highborn second child from one of the Mercantile Houses on the Guild Council.”

  I take another big gulp of my drink. “And when that happens, it’ll be only a matter of time before I’m assassinated.”

  2

  Orion

  I feel suffocated, pressed in the mass of bodies awaiting an audience. I watch over the heads of the crowd as the Merchant Princess and her servant negotiate deals with these pathetic traders.

  If it were up to me, I would have forced our way to the front of the pack and gotten this over with. All this waiting is giving me too much time to think about Rhea.

  I have already sized up her guards. They will not pose a threat to us. Their reaction time is pathetically slow. They did not even realize my stepping into her way wasn't an accident. If I had meant to harm her then, I could have cut the four of them down before they could have fired a single shot. Even her servant reacted more quickly, but she is no threat to me.

  None of this is surprising. It is a rare pleasure when I meet my match in battle. The woman, though, might be a match for me in other ways.

  I did not expect to react as I did to her. I was struck dumb, staring at her breasts. The way they turned pink when she saw me appreciating them... she is soft and delicate, like a desert blossom. The feel of her small touch on my fingers awakened my cock. Her innocent smile put a lump in the back of my throat.