The Segonian, page 1
THE SEGONIAN
Copyright © 2020 by Dianne Duvall
Published by Dianne Duvall, 2021
www.DianneDuvall.com
Editor: Anne Victory
E-book ISBN: 978-1-7345556-4-6
Print ISBN: 978-1-7345556-5-3
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
No part of this copyrighted work may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
THE SEGONIAN
Aldebarian Alliance: Book 2
New York Times bestselling author Dianne Duvall brings readers the second stand-alone novel in a thrilling new sci-fi romance series full of action, humor, and happily-ever-afters.
Eliana’s life has never been what one might term ordinary. At least, it hasn’t been for a very long time. As a powerful Immortal Guardian, she spends her nights hunting and slaying psychotic vampires that most of humanity doesn’t even realize exist. Then an opportunity arises that instantly makes her extraordinary existence seem downright boring. The leader of the Immortal Guardians asks her to guard a group of mortals who are embarking upon a voyage across the galaxy to the planet Lasara. How could she possibly say no?
In no time at all, Eliana is hurtling through space on board a Lasaran battleship and getting to know not one but two alien races. It’s the most exciting adventure of her long life… until the ship is unexpectedly attacked. Amid the chaos and destruction that follow, she valiantly helps everyone she can before an explosion renders her unconscious. When Eliana awakens, she finds herself alone, floating in space, clad only in a spacesuit, with no ship in sight. Alone—that is—except for the warm, deep voice that carries over the comm in her helmet.
Commander Dagon and the crew of the Segonian battleship Ranasura respond to a distress call from their Lasaran allies and join a massive Alliance-wide search-and-rescue mission. He quickly achieves communication with a lone Earthling female and races toward her. Every time they speak, his fascination with her grows and he becomes more desperate to reach her before her oxygen supply runs out. Her strength, bravery, and humor entice him, even more so when she defies all odds and they meet in person.
As he and Eliana embark upon a quest to find her missing friends, a bond swiftly grows between them that deepens with every laugh and smile and tender touch they share. But they are not the only ones searching for Earthling survivors. When Eliana herself becomes the hunted and their enemies begin to close in, can the two of them fight their way to victory, or will their enemies take everything?
Titles by Dianne Duvall
Aldebarian Alliance
THE LASARAN
“Full of adventure, sizzling passion, romance, and yes kick-ass fighting. This book is simply captivating.”
— Book Dragon
Immortal Guardians
DARKNESS DAWNS
“A strong start in what looks to be a thrilling and chilling new paranormal series. Fantastic!”
—RT Book Reviews
NIGHT REIGNS
“Crackles with energy, originality, and a memorable take-no-prisoners heroine.”
— Publishers Weekly
PHANTOM SHADOWS
“Done so well that I truly want to live in her world regardless of the threat of vampires!"
— Smexy Books
IN STILL DARKNESS
“Readers will appreciate the rich characterizations and the kick-butt action … as Richart d'Alençon, a 200-year-old Guardian, woos charming Jenna McBride with warmth and passion.”
— Publishers Weekly
DARKNESS RISES
“Featuring a fascinating take on vampires, Darkness Rises is a thrilling, action-packed, suspenseful, funny, steamy paranormal romance readers won't be able to put down.”
— Affaire de Coeur Magazine
NIGHT UNBOUND
“Hello epic kick-ass forbidden love story! Night Unbound is simply A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!”
— Saints and Sinners Books
PHANTOM EMBRACE
“Duvall's hauntingly beautiful novella, set in the world of the Immortal Guardians, portrays the deep love between two people who can never touch, with a wonderfully unexpected ending.”
—Publishers Weekly
SHADOWS STRIKE
“Full of awesome characters, snappy dialogue, exciting action, steamy sex, sneaky shudder-worthy villains and delightful humor.”
— A Voracious Reader
BLADE OF DARKNESS
“Between the banter, the steamy scenes, and all the twists and turns, I was engrossed from start to finish.”
— Little Shop of Readers
AWAKEN THE DARKNESS
“This series is earth-shattering awesome and Dianne has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Each of the stories … has been heart-stopping, intense, humorous and powerfully romantic.”
— Reading Between the Wines Book Club
DEATH OF DARKNESS
“Teeming with passion, humor, action and suspense … a perfectly paced paranormal urban fantasy paired with a timeless romance.”
— Reading Between the Wines Book Club
BROKEN DAWN
“I loved the chemistry and banter between these two. I swooned and laughed… I loved it all.”
— Caffeinated Reviewer
The Gifted Ones
A SORCERESS OF HIS OWN
“Full of danger, intrigue and passion… an addicting and exciting new series. I'm hooked!”
—Reading in Pajamas
RENDEZVOUS WITH YESTERDAY
"I loved this book! It had pretty much all of my favorite things—medieval times, a kick-ass heroine, a protective hero, magic, and a dash of mayhem."
—The Romance Reviews
by
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Dianne Duvall
www.DianneDuvall.com
Dianne Duvall Books Group
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Table of Contents
Titles by Dianne Duvall
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
From the Author
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Eliana smiled as she strode down a long corridor on the Kandovar. She had been aboard Prince Taelon’s spaceship for four months now and still found it hard to believe some days. Five months ago, she had been doing the same old same old back on Earth, spending her nights hunting and slaying psychotic vampires with no thoughts of aliens beyond the occasional sci-fi flick. Then Seth, the immensely powerful leader of the Immortal Guardians, called a meeting and put her in a room with four other female Immortal Guardians and ten female gifted ones. After his adopted daughter Ami joined the meeting, he proceeded to shock the hell out of them.
Eliana didn’t know Ami well. She’d heard the rumors—that Seth and his second-in-command and closest friend, David, had rescued the shy, petite redhead from a secret, government-funded research installation in which Ami had been tortured three or four years ago. Those rumors had mushroomed when Seth made it clear he loved Ami like a daughter and would rain fire and brimstone on anyone who tried to harm her. Then Ami herself had become legendary when she began to serve as Marcus Grayden’s Second, or guard, and helped him defeat thirty-four vampires in a battle those in the Immortal Guardians world still whispered about.
Two against thirty-four? No mortal had ever faced those numbers with the immortal he or she served.
Naturally, Eliana had been curious, so she’d had her sometimes hunting partner Rafe teleport her to North Carolina to meet Ami. Yet not once in any of her interactions with the soft-spoken woman had Eliana guessed the truth of who and what Ami was.
Ami was from another planet. She was an honest-to-goodness extraterrestrial!
A Lasaran princess who also served as ambassador, Amiriska had come to Earth, seeking an alliance and to warn Earth’s leaders that Gathendiens—the alien beings who had tried to exterminate her people—were on their way to Earth to exterminate theirs. Instead of doing what Eliana thought would be the logical response—saying Hell yes, we’d love to form an alliance with Lasara and will gladly accept any aid you care to offer—the idiots in charge had instead captured Ami, incarcerated her, and tortured her for six months until Seth and David found her.
“Dumbasses,” she muttered.
Ganix, the male Lasaran striding
“Earth’s leaders.”
“Ah. I concur.”
She grinned. It had worked out well though. Not for Earth. The Gathendien threat still loomed, thanks to the dumbasses. But Ami had fallen in love with Marcus and married the eight-hundred-year-old Immortal Guardian. Her brother Taelon had come looking for her and—after a rough and harrowing introduction to Earthlings—had fallen in love with a gifted one named Lisa. Then, at Ami’s urging, Seth had taken the first steps toward forming an alliance with the Lasaran people. An alliance that had landed Eliana, four of her immortal brethren, and ten gifted ones on the Lasaran battleship Kandovar four months ago.
Now they hurtled across the galaxy to find new homes on Ami’s homeworld.
Life could surprise the hell out of you sometimes.
“Hey,” Eliana said suddenly, “do you think one of the pilots on board would give me flying lessons?”
Ganix looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “No.”
“Why not? Women are as capable of piloting aircraft as men. And I want to learn how to fly one of those sleek black fighter craft.” Back on Earth she’d learned how to fly both a helicopter and small airplanes just to stave off boredom. Doing the same damned thing every night for hundreds of years tended to get old.
He shook his head. “You aren’t a member of the Lasaran military.”
“Is there such a thing as an honorary member?”
“No.”
“Do you think they’d make an exception?”
“No.”
Lasarans were very big on rules. The foot of space Ganix kept between them at all times was proof of that. On Lasara, men and women of childbearing age were not allowed to touch unless they were married, or bonded as the Lasarans called it. Eliana had thought it more of a general guideline rather than a hard-and-fast rule until she’d boarded the ship.
She supposed it shouldn’t bother her. She’d been raised in one of the earliest American colonies by a mother who had vehemently adhered to the stricter social canons of England. A mother who would’ve fit in quite well on Lasara, she thought with some amusement. But Eliana had grown accustomed to the lax rules of modern times. Before she’d left Earth, she had often hunted with fellow Immortal Guardian Nick Belanger. And since Nick had freely admitted that he only had eyes for his next-door neighbor, Eliana had felt free to hug him and express friendly affection without him misinterpreting it as a come-on.
She missed that.
Inwardly she shrugged. Oh well. She was moving to a planet where the people wouldn’t hate her, fear her, or seek to harm her simply because she was different. She thought the sacrifice worth it.
When she and Ganix swung around a corner, Eliana smiled.
Lisa strode toward her, five-month-old little Abby dangling from her front in a sling.
If Eliana thought it weird to be on an alien ship, how bizarre must it feel to be married to an alien prince and the mother of a gifted one/alien hybrid?
“Hi, Lisa!” she called, tossing her friend a jaunty wave.
Lisa grinned and waved back.
As Eliana and Ganix drew near, Ganix stopped and bowed. “Your Highness.”
Amusement trickled through Eliana, nearly sparking a laugh as she watched Lisa’s expression flicker. Clearly, she still wasn’t comfortable with either the title or the genuflection.
Lisa smiled. “Hi, Ganix. Eliana.”
Abby kicked her feet.
Ganix’s curious teal eyes fastened on her.
Thanks to a bioweapon the Gathendiens had unleashed on Lasara decades ago, the Lasaran birth rate had dropped so low that most of the men and women on board had never seen a baby in person. The awe and hope and curiosity the little one always sparked was truly heartbreaking to behold.
Ganix’s gaze remained on the prince’s heir.
Lisa stopped. “Would you like to say hi to Abby?”
He nodded. “Hello, Princess Abby.” He even offered her a bow.
Abby chortled and kicked her legs harder, then flung a hand out toward him and gripped a fistful of his hair.
“Oops!” Lisa sent him an apologetic look and hastily disengaged her daughter’s grip. “Sorry about that.”
He straightened with a smile. “Prince Taelon is right. She is strong.”
“Very much so,” she agreed. “Would you like to hold her?”
Ganix kept his hands at his sides. “Touching an unbonded female is forbidden.”
Eliana had heard the same thing every time she had inadvertently brushed against or bumped elbows with a male since boarding the ship.
Lisa sent him a gentle smile. “Surely that only applies to females who are of childbearing age. Not children.”
He looked uncertain but steadfastly kept his distance.
Poor guy. The longing in his eyes was undeniable. Children were so rare on his world. She knew he’d never held a baby before and obviously wanted to but worried over propriety.
“Oh no,” she exclaimed with false dismay, deciding to help him out. “The crazy Earth woman doesn’t know the rules.” Taking Ganix’s hand, she moved it close to Abby.
Abby instantly wrapped a fist around his index finger.
Ganix’s eyes widened.
Eliana released him. “Oh no,” she said again. “Princess Abby has grabbed the innocent Ganix’s finger and won’t let go. Surely he dare not offend her and spark a royal tantrum by prying her little fingers loose.”
Ganix’s face flushed, but he didn’t let go.
Lisa laughed and met her gaze. “You’re so bad.”
She grinned. “I know.”
Ganix smoothed his thumb across Abby’s little hand. “She’s so soft!” he said reverently.
Abby tugged his finger hard.
He grinned. “She is strong.”
Abby bounced and kicked and waved her fists, jerking his hand around.
He laughed, his joy unmistakable, then glanced beyond Lisa.
Eliana followed his gaze.
Taelon—one of four Lasaran princes, commander of the Kandovar, and Lisa’s utterly devoted husband—strode toward them.
Dismay flickered across Ganix’s features as he gently tried to extricate his finger.
Abby would have none of it and merely held on tighter.
Lisa glanced over her shoulder, then sent Ganix a reassuring smile. “It’s okay. He won’t be angry.”
Eliana didn’t think he would be either. Taelon’s attention was firmly fixed on his wife’s bottom. Desire flared to life in his emerald eyes. He probably hadn’t even noticed what was transpiring in front of her.
Unable to free his finger, Ganix orchestrated an awkward bow as Taelon joined them. “Prince Taelon.”
Taelon tore his gaze away from his wife and smiled. “Ganix. Eliana.” His glance fell to his daughter. “I see she’s gained another conquest.”
As soon as she heard her daddy’s voice, Abby squealed. Releasing Ganix’s finger, she turned her head and held out her arms.
“There’s my girl.” Affection lit his handsome features and filled his voice as he addressed his daughter.
Too cute.
Taelon caught one of his daughter’s flailing hands and brought it to his lips. “Are you tormenting Chief Engineer Ganix?” he asked sweetly. “Hmm? I saw you trying to tug his finger off.”
She bounced in the sling and babbled baby talk.
Eliana bit back a laugh when color flooded Ganix’s face once more.
Taelon smiled as he straightened. “At ease. She isn’t of childbearing age. As long as you obtain permission first, you may play with her.”
Ganix bowed. “Thank you, Prince Taelon.”
Eliana nudged him with her shoulder. “I told you it would be fine. I saw Ari’k holding her earlier.”
Ganix jumped at the brief contact and stepped away, glancing swiftly at Taelon to see if he would decry the casual touch.
Taelon ignored it.
Eliana laughed as she addressed the prince and Lisa. “That was freaking hilarious, by the way. Ari’k did not know what to do with a squirming baby.”
There were two species of aliens aboard the Kandovar—Lasaran and Yona. Ari’k was the highest-ranking Yona soldier on the ship. Those tall, stoic warriors fascinated Eliana. Boasting big muscled bodies and tan skin with a distinct grayish hue, their sole purpose was to protect the royal prince and his ship. The Yona never expressed emotion. At all. And they had no idea what to do with a baby when handed one.
