1. Taylor

Chapter 1

Taylor

“ O h hells, the strap on my shoe is broken.”

The last minutes before any mission are always chaotic, but today seems especially frenetic. I lean on my suitcase and bend down, trying to fix the back of my cute, kitten-heeled shoe. This is my first lead mission and I’m trying to make a good impression on this mysterious planet I’m traveling to called—I glance at my tablet—Tarvos.

I woke up at the crack of dawn, ready to leave headquarters on Gravian for a project on Tarvos, this remote planet I’ve never been to before. Supposedly, everything was planned long ago to the last nanco. But three different “fires” needed to be put out before I even left my quarters this morning. I helped an assistant with a last-minute project. Then my boss needed my input to figure out a dispute between two new interns.

And now not only is my shoe broken but I’ve also got a chipped fingernail.

Dammit.

What a mess. I can’t change shoes because I’m already in the lobby of the damn transporter station and I don’t have anything else with me beside hiking boots and slippers. Ugh. I take a moment and manage to secure the tiny buckle on the sling back. It’s looser now but it’ll do. Then I resume my walk through the station, a little more slowly than before.

I’m a Librarian who specializes in restoring old, intergalactic textual materials for future generations in the four sectors. And it’s always a thrill, going to a new location to save another cache of print books, tablets or scrolls from deterioration.

And this is my first real lead position. I've been all over the four sectors the last six years, on so many missions I’ve lost count, but I was always part of the team, and only recently upgraded to second in charge. My mentor wanted me to apply for this lead project and so, I put in my bid. There were so many other amazing applicants, I’m still a little giddy over the fact I was chosen.

My tablet vibrates in my hand. I look down and see it’s a call from the Head Librarian of Antiquities. I tap on my screen and pause in a hallway to listen to her diatribe. She needs help with the guest list for a fundraiser. Jeez, do they realize I’ll be gone in minutes? I’m starting to think I should turn off my tablet or I’ll never get out of here.

Finally, I’m able to drag my red suitcase toward the correct transporter room.

“I’m here, I’m here!” I yell, rushing through the sliding doors. “I’m so sorry I’m running late.”

A young Gravian male, dressed in a bright purple uniform, who looks like my own species but is ten times stronger than any human from New Earth, easily picks up my suitcase as if it were light as air. He places it on a separate disk. “Perfect timing, human. We were waiting for you.”

“Thank you,” I pant.

I stand on the disk next to my bright suitcase, pushing back my long brown, wavy hair from my face and over my shoulders, adjusting my glasses. My outfit still looks good and reasonably neat—the white pencil skirt and teal blouse remain wrinkle- free. My comfortable shapewear is holding up nicely, keeping my thighs from rubbing together and my stomach and any rolls smoothed out.

The attendant goes over the rules, letting me know what to expect. I listen patiently, but I’ve heard this a zillion times and know the drill.

Finally, we’re ready and the sequence starts.

The giddy rush of the transporter disk never gets old. A giggle escapes my lips because there’s always a tickle in my belly as my body dissipates. It all happens so fast I don’t even have time to think. I’m turned into a stream of atoms, suddenly sent across the four sectors in the blink of an eye, reforming onto another disk on an entirely different disk in a faraway transporter station, which is waiting for my arrival.

It’s amazing. I love it when I get to travel this way.

Transporter trips are extremely expensive and not often used by lower-level librarian team members. Some missions make more sense to board a transport, but this project only requires me and not a whole team with heavy equipment, so I was allowed a transporter disk this time.

My eyes blink open and I patiently wait for the transporter blindness to clear. It’s always like this.

“Welcome to Tarvos, human,” a pleasant voice, that I’m guessing is from a Hyrrokin female, greets me. “Your luggage has also arrived. Your vision will return in a few nanco.”

And now I’m interested to find out what this Hyrrokin species from Tarvos looks like. Do they have scales and claws like most other species in the four sectors?

I don’t know much about the Hyrrokin or the planet I’m arriving on because I enjoy going in cold to new locations, getting to know the locals from clues I find as I meet them. My universal translator was long ago installed in the back of my brain. I’m known for being quick on my feet and acclimating quickly to new species and planets. It’s always a thrill, making first contact with new cultures.

I do know this is a peaceful, civilized planet with a robust system of laws and peacekeepers. There is little crime, and the main cities are known for their clean public areas. Hence, there was no need for me to arrive with a security detail. I’m arriving alone because this planet is considered equally as safe as Gravian.

My contact on this project is a male named Sten Sandstone.

The cache of ancient print books and tablets I’ve been tasked to rescue were found in a cave on this male’s property and he is now funding this restoration project. He is, in fact, financing this entire operation, which is impressive. This means he oversees the wider local undertaking and will essentially be my “boss” while I’m working on Tarvos. These ancient texts are supposedly from his own family ancestry and the ancestry of the beings in the area, which is wonderful.

I’m happy to be the Librarian who will restore these objects for them and make the text available within the intergalactic library system.

My vision begins to clear and three different beings in the room begin to take shape, two move about and one stands nearby. They are all taller than me and their skin looks…red? Finally, their appearance comes in sharp and clear and…a squeak of fear escapes my lips.

I take a step back. “What? What is happening?” I blubber. Fear and anxiety rushing through my entire body. My hands clench and I swallow hard.

I’ve arrived on a planet where all the beings look like Satan?

How did I not know this?

All three of them have red skin and black horns on either side of their foreheads. The horns aren’t the problem, it’s the nightmarish aspect of their features. Barbed tails jab in the air behind them and smoke wafts from their nostrils.

Not once did I check on the Hyrrokin species because never did I expect this.

Ugh.

This is my exact trigger point. Some beings are afraid of reptiles. And some humans are afraid of clowns from the original planet. Other beings are afraid of insects. And some freak out over the idea of ghosts. I’ve always been scared of the image of demons.

A face with long fangs that looks like my darkest nightmares comes closer and I scream like a little girl.

“Oh no!” a voice cries out. “This human is suffering from Hyrrokin-fright syndrome. Help her.”

The door opens and an even bigger, scarier beast stomps inside the room. “I meant to arrive earlier to pick up…” he rages and then turns toward me. “What is this?” he hisses with a forked tongue. A hint of fire escapes from between his fangs and his face contorts into a vision of pure evil.

I scream again because this bloodcurdling monster is striding right for me. I take another step back and that’s when the heel of my broken shoe gets caught in a ridge and I’m wobbling. Oh no. My foot comes completely loose from the shoe and then I’m not simply stumbling I’m falling to the ground. Another scream flies out of my mouth.

I’m flat out on the metal of the transporter platform. And it hurts like hell.

The shape rushes forward and scoops me up and into his arms, as if I were as light as air.

I faint into the arms of the devil.

Later, I wake up propped against a plush chair. “What? What’s happening?” I mutter.

“Here, take this.” A red, silver-clawed hand reaches out to give me a cup of water along with my beloved prescription glasses.

A whimper escapes my lips. Oh, my gods, that’s right. I’ve arrived on Tarvos and these Hyrrokin look like Satan.

Calm. Remain calm.

This is not a primitive planet but instead very civilized. Yes, their appearance pushes all my trigger points, but this does not mean I am in jeopardy. They will not cause me any harm.

Right?

I gladly take the water and slide on my glasses. This is when I finally notice the small bandages on my arms, legs and hands.

“We gave you a pain injection. Soon I will take you to the med lab for proper healing.”

Embarrassment floods through me. Hard. I gulp down all the water and use the back of my hand to wipe at my mouth. Then I hand over the empty cup.

I fainted at the sight of these beings. And then I fell, hit the platform and got hurt.

My cheeks heat up. I cannot believe I acted that way. I'm a professional. It's not like I haven't met other species before. I literally went to an intergalactic high school where I befriended a variety of species and then to university off planet, on Gravian. I’ve traveled all over the four sectors for my job, but I've never met or heard of the Hyrrokin species. Maybe I’d heard stories that there was a species that looked like demons, but it was just a rumor.

I’m supposed to represent the antiquities council. I am the Hyrrokin’s first contact with the rescue Librarians from the council, and I arrive and scream at the sight of them, fall and get hurt. Dammit. What a mess. I knew this was a peaceful planet and they were on the list of languages for the universal translator. An advanced species that was part of the four sectors. This is all I needed to know. I’d never heard of Tarvos or the Hyrrokin before, but I felt it didn’t matter. Peaceful and advanced. This was all I needed to make this project work. Right?

I did not account for the effect of their frightening appearance on the most primitive parts of my brain.

The huge, hulking male sitting next to me turns to question the staff. “Who is this female?”

I take a deep breath, trying to shake off the rest of my shock over my circumstances. Time to get back to work. I force myself to sit up straight and look at all of them directly, trying to curb my fear.

“She is the human who was set to arrive at this time from Gravian.”

I have no idea who this Hyrrokin is seated beside me, but I know he’s male because he isn’t wearing a shirt. There’s another Hyrrokin across the room who is obviously female because she wears a tube top and I can see the curve of her breasts underneath.

The huge male looks down at me. His tall black horns glint from the overhead lights. “I was told a Gravian male was arriving. Are you the Librarian’s assistant? I assume we have to wait longer for the actual Librarian, because you are the assistant.”

I take another breath, trying to calm my racing heart because the flash of fangs and the glint of his horns is still terrifying. He looks like he’s about to cackle and burn the place down. “No.” I try to explain. “I'm…”

The male crosses his massive arms. “The Librarian should have arrived first. Is there some sort of breakdown in communication?”

The fog of terror that’s been clogging my brain finally dissipates and I realize this is Sten Sandstone, here to meet me and pick me up. And I fainted at the sight of him and fell into his arms. Jeez. What a terrific first impression. “No, there wasn’t a breakdown because…”

“I thought there was only going to be one of you. Why did they send an assistant?”

“They didn’t. I'm not the…”

He stands and steps away from me to start talking to someone else in the room, completely ignoring my response.

Grr. I purse my lips and decide to try and stand up. I gather the straps of my broken shoes through my fingers and prop myself up with the back of the chair. This works easier than expected and it’s true I’m pain free. Then I grab for my red suitcase, and that’s when I notice my left ankle isn’t completely stable. I can walk, not perfectly, but this will do. I limp, barefoot, for the door.

Darn it, I looked so good when I first arrived and now there’s a smear of grease on my white skirt and a tear in my pretty blouse. Luckily my glasses are still intact.

This situation sucks, but I plan on still making the best of it. I have a mission to complete and I’ve got to get started.

“Where are you going?” a deep voice complains. “We're finding out right now when your boss, the Librarian, will arrive. I assume he will be here soon.”

I turn back. “There is no one else arriving.”

“Is there some sort of problem? Are we not starting today?”

I exhale and keep heading for the door, concentrating on pulling along my suitcase. “There is no one else arriving. It's just me.”

“What?” Sten Sandstone marches forward to join me in the doorway. “Are you here on some sort of preliminary scouting mission and no one told me?”

I lift my chin and lean against the closed door, trying to ignore the wide, red muscled chest and his claws and fangs. “No, I am the mission.”

He still looks confused. “What is your name, female?”

“I am Taylor Dumas.”

He looks me up and down, his gaze lingering on my torso.

My whole body heats up. “…And I am the Librarian appointed for this mission by the antiquities council.”

He snorts, a bit of gray smoke wafting from the nostrils of his crooked nose. “You are the assistant.”

“No.” Apparently his tiny brain cannot compute the idea that a woman would be heading this project. “No, you just assumed I was the assistant. I am the Librarian.”

“But you're human”—he waves a claw-tipped hand—“and you're young. You faint at the sight of my species.”

I exhale. Well, at least his dismissal isn’t because I'm an overweight woman. It's still bad that he thinks I can’t do this, but at least it's not for the reasons I first assumed. “I was born and raised on New Earth, but I won a scholarship to the Intergalactic High School at Gravian.”

He lets out a grunt and opens the door for me. We both step outside into the hallway and he closes the door behind the two of us. Luckily, we are alone because there’s much more I want to say.

I lean on the handle of my suitcase and continue to speak, giving him my academic credentials because I'm used to being treated this way. I think it's something about the pigment and texture of my human skin and the lack of scales that must make me seem younger than normal. “I am a mature adult according to my species,” I explain. “And I won this position because I have three different degrees in library sciences and I trained under the new head of the antiquities council.”

A growl rumbles in his chest. “I wanted this position to go to someone else whom I believe is also highly qualified.”

I shake my head. I’ve come across this type of thinking many times on other planets. The locals want control over all aspects of the project, which is understandable. My job is to show him that we can save his objects better than they could themselves. And that I will treat his cache with respect.

“It's not right,” he rages, “that someone, who isn't even of my species, who arrives and screams at the sight of us, is going to oversee some of our most ancient objects. How do I know you'll treat everything here with respect?”

“Because I am a professional who has restored textual antiquities all over the four sectors. I will carefully do the same for you.” I tell him. “Remember I was chosen by the antiquities council from a large group of applicants.”

“Yes.” He rolls his eyes. “The council.”

I blink, shocked that someone would reference the venerated council in such a way. “I do not need to be Hyrrokin to complete this job.”

He takes a step closer. “I am angered that a human was chosen to run this project.”

I look up to meet his dark gaze. “I can tell.”

I’m not as scared of him as I was at the beginning. Sten Sandstone looks hellish, but I’ve quickly learned that he smells good. And his deep voice is almost soothing. This male is a whole head taller than me. The top of my own head reaches his wide shoulders. And I have to admit that I can’t keep my eyes off his bare, red-muscled chest. My gaze keeps straying lower and it’s difficult to keep my eyes on his face.

What is wrong with me? I’ve never acted this distracted towards another client on any other mission. The silver buckle on his heavy black belt is almost hypnotizing. My eyes keep wanting to stray to his crotch. This is terrible. He’s mated with a family.

Stop it, Taylor. Stop it.

I force my eyes to remain on his face because anything else is just…yucky. I must remain professional and treat this male and his family with respect, no matter the random thoughts of attraction that might enter my mind.

This is going to be the most difficult mission of my career—getting past both fear for this species in general and my attraction for the being who is my local contact. Ugh. Why did my first lead position have to be the most challenging?

Black smoke billows from his nostrils and his massive, red, muscular chest puffs with irritation. The barbed tail flicks in the air behind him. “And I wanted a friend in this position. A male I can trust.”

My eyes narrow and now I’m the one who is irritated. “A male? You don’t like me because I’m a woman?”

“This is not the reason. You are not qualified because you weren’t born and raised on this planet.”

“You don’t like me because I’m not Hyrrokin and I’m a woman?”

“Yes. No. I don’t personally dislike you, but you are not qualified for such an important position.”

I crook an eyebrow and cross my arms. Then I wince because the bandage on my arm rubs against my pretty blouse.