Chapter 2

Chapter

Two

Ruune

I sat at the ebony bar in the officer's lounge of the Boat, scrolling through the electronic messages from my cousin Griff. I hadn’t been planning to visit Earth when I’d made a stop at the Drexian space station, but now that I’d learned my cousin—and the future ruler of my home world— was there, I felt compelled to go.

The glossy surface of the long bar was cool beneath my blue fingers as I absently tapped out a rhythm and read Griff’s responses to my questions. The guy had actually gone and found himself a bride on Earth.

Good for him, I guessed. Someone had to carry on the royal lineage, and it sure as hell wasn't going to be me.

I ran a hand through my long, dark hair, pushing it back from my face. The lounge hummed with low conversation and occasional laughter, punctuated by the soft clink of glasses and the gentle hiss of the automatic doors sliding open and closed. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows that ran along one side of the room, the vast expanse of space stretched out before us, a tapestry of stars against inky blackness that reminded me that I hadn’t been on my home world in a long time.

"Another Cressidian gin?" the Allurian bartender asked, his green skin gleaming under the low lights.

I flashed him a grin, pushing my empty glass forward. “Absolutely. I don’t want to be sober when I arrive on Earth.”

The alien chuckled as he poured me another drink. The pink liquid swirled hypnotically in the glass, belying the alien drink’s potency. “I have heard worse plans.”

I raised my glass to him before taking a swig. The gin burned pleasantly as it slid down my throat, leaving a lingering taste of exotic fruits and a hint of something spicy. "You know, I'm going to miss your generous portions when I leave here.”

"I'm sure I will not be what you will miss the most.”

He wasn't wrong. I'd enjoyed my time on the Drexian space station, even with their odd Earth holiday celebration and constant cheery songs playing everywhere. The giant illuminated tree in the center of the Promenade had been a sight to behold, though I couldn't quite grasp its significance. But the real attractions had been the Earth women milling about.

Of course, they were all off-limits to me. Tribute brides for the Drexians were not meant for anyone else, even Valorians of royal lineage, and I wasn't about to violate my hosts' hospitality. I might be a playboy, but I did have some standards.

"Earth women," I mused aloud, swirling my drink and watching the vivid liquid create a miniature whirlpool. "They must be something special, if they've got the Drexians and my cousin captivated.”

Zork polished a glass and shrugged one meaty shoulder. “This entire station was created for them, not to mention the second one in deep space.”

I grinned wider. “I cannot wait to discover why firsthand.”

As I thought about my next destination, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of something. Regret? Longing? It had been so long since I'd been home, since I'd seen my family. Did they even miss me? A larger part of me suspected they didn't care at all.

"Planning to find yourself a bride, too?" a deep voice rumbled from behind me, pulling me from my melancholy thoughts.

I turned to see Captain Varden, the head of the station, settling onto the stool next to mine. His uniform was crisp and neat, a decorated sash draped across his broad chest. The scruff on his cheeks was more gray than black, and gray hairs peppered his temples.

I barked out a laugh, pushing aside my momentary bout of homesickness. "Not likely, Captain. I'm several Valorians down the line for the crown. I don’t need to worry about finding a suitable mate or producing heirs.”

Varden nodded to the bartender, who slid him a drink—something dark and steaming that smelled faintly of cinnamon. "So, just sampling the local flavor then?"

“Exactly right.” I managed to infuse my voice with the right amount of joviality. "Why limit myself to just one when there's a whole planet of beautiful women?"

The captain took a long sip of his drink, studying me with eyes that seemed to see right through my carefree facade. "And your family approves of this?”

I snorted into my gin, the sweet-spicy taste suddenly turning bitter on my tongue. "My family stopped approving of anything I do a long time ago. Third son, perpetual screw-up—it's a role I've grown quite comfortable with."

"Is that why you've spent so much time away from home?”

I shrugged, trying to keep my tone light even as I felt a familiar ache in my chest. "Well, that, and outrunning the occasional angry father or boyfriend. You know how it is."

The Drexian captain’s solemn expression told me he might not know how it was.

But the truth was, it went deeper than I pretended. No one needed me to make more Valorians. Hell, no one needed me at all. So why shouldn't I enjoy myself? Why shouldn't I sample all the alien females I could?

"I get why you Drexians started your Tribute Bride program," I continued, nodding to Varden. "You needed females and babies to keep the species going. But me? I'm free to enjoy all the perks of being a charming, handsome alien prince without any of the responsibility."

Varden's expression turned thoughtful, his dark eyes reflecting the soft glow of the low candles running the length of the bar. “Many Drexians have thought that before. Then they met human women.”

I raised an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued despite myself. “Do you have a human mate?”

He nodded, a soft smile playing on his lips. "She turned my world upside- down. Human women are like no other females I’ve encountered.”

"I'll drink to that," I said, raising my glass. But internally, I couldn't help but scoff a little. What did the captain know about females? I'd charmed them from one end of the galaxy to the other while he’d been the captain of a space station. I didn’t doubt he loved his mate, but how different could Earth women really be?

"Just be careful," Varden continued, his tone growing serious. "Human women aren't as easy to move on from as you might think."

I plastered on my most charming smile, even as a small part of me wondered if there might be some truth to his words. "I appreciate the advice, Captain."

Varden finished his drink and stood, clapping me on the shoulder. "Well, good luck on Earth, Ruune. I have a feeling you're in for quite an adventure."

As he walked away, I couldn't help but notice the amused smile playing on his lips. What was that about?

I shook off the thought, downing the rest of my gin. The sweet burn helped chase away the lingering melancholy as I nodded to the bartender. "I should go. I have a transport to board.”

The Allurian nodded. "Safe travels. Try not to break too many hearts."

I laughed as I stood, giving him a mock salute. "No promises, my friend. No promises."

As I made my way out of the lounge and toward the transport bay, a niggling thought wormed its way into my mind. Should I perhaps learn a bit more about Earth before visiting? Would there be customs I needed to understand? I usually briefed myself on a planet before arriving, but this trip hadn’t been planned.

I dismissed the idea almost as quickly as it had formed. How confusing could one planet be? And this island of Manhattan they kept mentioning—it was just a small part of Earth, right? There would not be flesh-eating bugs to swat away like there had been on Nerellia V or vortex pools to avoid like those on Morva Prime.

I boarded the transport, settling into my seat with a confident grin. Earth women, Manhattan, human holidays, I was sure I could handle it. After all, I was Ruune of Valoria, charmer of females across the galaxy. What could possibly go wrong?

As the transport hummed to life, my heart raced. I was going to see Griff, my closest cousin, who had always treated me like family, not some no-good outcast. He was the one person who seemed to see past my carefully crafted facade and into my soul. As much as I talked about meeting human females, it was Griff I was most excited to see.

I leaned back in my seat and the memory of Captain Varden's knowing smile played over and over in my mind as we hurtled toward Earth. I finally pushed it aside. He might have been tamed by a human woman, but that would never happen to me.

Right?