An Alien Pirate for February (Alien Abduction of the Month), page 1
Copyright © 2023 by Lindy Moonhill
Cover by Maria Spada Book Cover Design
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.
Created with Vellum
Contents
Synopsis
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
Synopsis
A feisty immigrant housekeeper running from the mob…
* * *
For Valentina, mating with an alien isn’t a matter of the heart, it’s a matter of cold, hard cash. Having an alien’s baby will give her the needed funds to save her brother from a loan shark and get his goons off her back as well.
* * *
A cocky, self-centered space pirate forced to help…
* * *
Stealing ships from the wealthy and selling them for parts wasn’t how Captain Malgren expected to live his life, but it’s the only way he found to escape paying for his past mistakes.
* * *
When Valentina is abducted by enemy aliens, Captain Malgren is forced to intervene.
Sparks of attraction ignite between the alien pirate and the human female despite her fierce independence and his arrogant attitude.
* * *
A rescue mission gone wrong…
* * *
But can their budding relationship survive a crash landing, a deadly assassin, and Mal’s unfinished past? Or will the challenge prove too much and tear them apart before their love has a chance to begin? Get your next Alien Romance of the Month now!
* * *
This spicy Alien Abduction Romance is meant for mature audiences only.
While this series does progress from month-to-month, each book can be enjoyed as a separate standalone.
One
If Captain Malgren got out of this mission with his balls intact, he’d consider himself lucky. He swore under his breath as his small ship docked with the much larger transport. The official operation report for this transport listed it as shipping foodstuffs and other commodities. But the Rivians had gathered intel that this was also secretly a slave ship working undercover for the crime boss, Lord Krissayr. A shipment of human women en route for Rivia had been hijacked. Sources pointed to this ship as the place they were being kept until they could be auctioned off or delivered straight to Lord Krissayr himself.
Mal cursed his own stupidity for getting roped into this mess. Lord Kryissayr wasn’t someone to be trifled with. His reach encompassed black markets all throughout the known galaxies. No other mob boss in the universe was as feared, loathed, and admired as Lord Krissayr. He was a shrewd businessman and unscrupulous to the core. He rewarded those who obeyed him as much as he punished those who defied him. It was known all over the galaxy that Lord Krissayr wanted human females of his own after their discovery on the far side of the galaxy. However, Rivian armed forces heavily guarded the humans’ home planet of Earth. It seemed to Mal that the crime lord had finally wheedled his influence into their ranks somehow.
If he had been smarter, he wouldn’t be here right now, sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. If he wasn’t careful, it would be his neck on the line. Not for the first time, he cursed his ridiculous habit of taking souvenirs from his business ventures. He knew it was always a risk, and it had finally caught up with him.
He’d just landed on a small, nondescript trading colony to fuel up and possibly find some more crew members to replace two of his former crewmen, Glott and Zmorg. They’d proved less than loyal, and he’d had to leave them behind on their last mission. He didn’t expect his crew to be honest, but he did expect them to follow orders. He was just done fueling up and about to disconnect the hose bucklers when a green metal android took him by the arm. Tall, muscular and covered in green metallic scales, she looked just like a real, live Rivian female — creatures who were nearly extinct, as far as he knew. This robot was a marvelous reproduction — and she was smiling at him.
He looked down at her metallic hand on his forearm and gave her a cheeky smile. “Hey there, love. I think you may have mistaken me for someone else.”
“You are Captain Malgren of the Zebran Clan from the Hippotigran moon of Equus. You are the only child of Gildamare, chief of your people’s tribe. Your father is unknown, as you were sired during her time of captivity as a slave. And for several weeks, you have been in possession of a piece of my master’s heart.”
The android’s knowledge — not only who he was, but where he came from — shook him to the core. He tried to hide it the best he could.
“Seems like you know a lot about me, love, so you probably know I’m not one to be trifled with.” He placed his hand on his blaster. “I don’t know who your master is, but I’m touched to have garnered such admiration as to have a piece of her heart.”
“His heart,” the android corrected.
“His?”
“It’s on you right now.”
“Wait. What?”
The robot’s hand squeezed his arm with such might, it forced Captain Mal to the ground.
“What’s going on here?” he said, struggling in vain. “What’s this all about? I’m just a traveler stopping for fuel before peacefully making my way through the galaxy.”
The robot tilted her head to the side. “Is that how you describe piracy?”
“Piracy? What a despicable word.”
“It’s a despicable act, pirate.”
“I assure you, madam, I am no…”
The robot’s hand flashed beneath his leathren vest and snapped off the metal trinket from Mal’s neck faster than his eyes could see it happen. “Why look at that. It’s the part of my master’s heart you stole. He’ll be very glad to have it back.”
“I have no idea how that got — ”
The robot twisted her arm, and Mal yelped from the sudden pain. Fuel station onlookers merely walked away with a quickness in their step. None of them were going to stick their necks out for him. And he couldn’t blame them. He would do the same if their roles were reversed.
“King Ja’rynn of Rivia and his best friend, the former Captain of the Royal Guard — who also happens to be my master — have an opportunity for you.”
“An opportunity?” His arm was quickly growing numb. “I’m all ears.”
“Let’s take this conversation inside your ship. There are too many eyes and ears here.”
“It would be my pleasure.”
The android released Mal’s arm, and he rubbed the soreness away. The android was much stronger than he would have guessed. He led the way to his small shuttle, and the door slid closed behind them. “You were saying something about an opportunity?”
“Yes. An opportunity to pay back the expense of the Rivian space cruiser you hijacked and stole for parts. To do this, you will work for the Rivian government as an undercover spy, searching for kidnapped human Earth females.”
“I’m sorry, you want me to do what?”
“A ship carrying human females was attacked recently on its way to Rivia. The crew members were all left for dead, yet the human females were all missing. Sources indicate the females were abducted on behalf of Lord Krissayr, one of the universe’s most notorious crime bosses.”
“Yes, I’m familiar… Why do you think I’ll be able to help?”
“You have resources and experience that would be valuable in rescuing the Earth women.”
“And why should I?”
“King Ja’rynn and my master, Captain Drax’ryl, made it quite clear that refusal to assist in this matter would mean bringing you back to Rivia for trial. If found guilty, you can expect to live your remaining years in a prison camp.”
“And if I go on this mission?”
“If you are successful on this mission, you will be absolved of all crimes against Rivia and free to live your life, hopefully pirating-free.”
“And how do you know I’m not going to just run away the first chance I get?” he asked, genuinely curious. “The universe is an awfully big place.”
“For two reasons. First, this piece of my master’s heart that you stole comes from a very particular Rivian alloy, easily traced from light-years away.” The robot’s hand shot out again, this time pressing against his neck, and he felt a prick against his skin. “I’ve inserted a tiny sliver of the alloy deep within the muscle tissue of your neck. The only way to remove it is by beheading.”
Mal rubbed his neck. “I don’t expect I’ll be doing that anytime soon. What’s the second reason you think I won’t run?”
“Because I’m coming with you. Very nice to formally meet you, Captain Mal. You can call me Andi.”
* * *
Now, here he was sneaking onto one of Lord Krissayr’s transport ships, attempting to save some human fem
“You are painfully slow, pirate,” Andi said in his earpiece. “Pick up the pace a little.”
Mal rolled his eyes. The robot had been with him for nearly three days now, and saying she was driving him crazy was an understatement. She had way more personality than any robot should be allowed to have.
“Keep your comments helpful, or shut it. I’m doing my best not to get caught. The ship is crawling with Zyranthians. They’re not the brightest beings in the universe, but I don’t want a horde of them chasing me down. Have you located the humans yet?”
“Unknown life signs are emanating from the northwest quadrant of the ship. It’s probably them.”
“Probably?"
“All other life signs are accounted for. Including the two Luciverians onboard.”
Damn. “You’re sure about that?” He hated Luciverians. They were some of the most lethal assassins in the universe. Their presence was a big red “X” marking the spot. Luciverians were deadly and very expensive to employ. They almost always worked alone, so the fact that two of them were aboard meant this shoddy-looking transport was hiding some very high-end commodities. The human females, no doubt. They were definitely in the right place.
“Okay, I’m going to take a look. Make sure all power on board my shuttle continues to supply the cloaking device. We don’t want to announce that they have company.”
“Thanks for explaining my job to me. Again. For the third time. How about you get the females and get back here and try not to get caught.”
Mal sighed and rubbed his eyes. He couldn’t wait to be off this ship and rid of the android. He waited for another set of Zyranthian guards to pass and began making his way down the hall toward the northwest quadrant. Andi monitored the lifeforms signals, warning him when some were coming close and he did his best to hide. Luckily for him, the Zyranthians weren’t all that observant, and since they were working in pairs they were too engrossed in their conversation to notice anything amiss. The Luciverians would not be nearly as imperceptive, so he prayed they stayed on the other side of the ship.
“You’re close,” Andi’s voice said in his ear. “Take the next left and you should be there.”
He followed the android’s instructions and found himself outside the door to a storeroom where the human females were being kept. The door was locked, but it wasn't beyond his skill set to break. In fact, this lock was quite rudimentary. It should take only a minute or two…
“Um… I have some bad news,” Andi’s voice whispered through his earpiece.
His fingers paused. He was nearly through the sequencing countdown. Just a few more digits to go and he’d have the lock open.
“What bad news?”
“It looks like a Luciverian is on patrol. You should find a better hiding place.”
“A better hiding place?” He looked down the hall. Once he stepped back from the door, he was completely in the open. There was no hiding place. He’d have to backtrack toward his ship. “How long?”
“About twenty seconds.”
Twenty seconds! Oh, for the love of… He’d have to stop the sequencing. One look at the lock and they’d know someone was trying to break in. The only way to cover his tracks was to finish breaking the lock and resetting it. For fek’s sake…
Mal’s fingers moved at top speed, and within a few seconds the lock was free. The door swished open and Mal pressed the reset button before stepping through. The door beeped once and swished close behind him.
Although the lights were on in the small cell, he didn’t see the fist punching him in the stomach until it was too late. Then another slammed into his side, and a third into his back. A barrage of fists pelted at him, catching him off-guard and he bent over in surprise. That was the wrong thing to do, because the next punch was to his jaw, and this one hurt. A lot.
“Ay, mierda!” a feminine voice cried out. “Shit. Stupid alien’s jaw is so hard, I think I broke my knuckles.” Mal looked up to see a small, voluptuous, dark-haired female shaking her hand in front of her chest.
Her eyes were dark and angry, her mouth puckered out in an "O” shape against rich, terra cotta colored skin, its brownish orange hues so different from the black and white stripes of his own. She wore a red tunic that clung nicely to her ample chest and flared out around round hips. Her tight black leggings showed off her curvy legs before disappearing into black, militaristic boots. He briefly imagined his hands exploring those curves, and his cock jumped with a spark of desire.
“Let’s get him!” another female cried out.
Mal held his hands up in front of him in surrender. “Wait! Please! I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to rescue you.”
“Rescue us?” the female with the hurt hand said, massaging her bruised fist.
“Yes, but for right now, we have to remain silent. There’s a guard coming down the hall. You do not want him to find me here.”
There were three females in the small room, and they clustered together to talk among themselves. The beautiful brown one kept looking up at Mal as they whispered, and each time his stomach did a strange little flip he wasn’t accustomed to.
The sound of boots pausing at the door caused the women to quiet and look up expectantly, worry in their eyes. Mal put a finger to his lips and the short, dark-haired woman nodded, putting a finger to her own. A ridiculous notion entered Mal’s mind that he would love to be the finger resting against those plump, reddish-brown lips. He shook his head to fling the strange thought away. Now wasn’t the time for that sort of thinking.
The footsteps receded, and the group of women let out a collective sigh as if they’d all been holding their breath together.
“Who are you?” the female asked. She clearly seemed to be the leader of the small group, though she was the smallest of the bunch. She barely came up to the other women’s shoulders, and only to his midsection.
“My name is Captain Malgren, but you can call me Mal. I see you were fitted with translation nanites since you understand me.”
“Yeah, the Rivians put those on us when we left Earth. You’re not Rivian, though.”
“He looks like a zebra,” one of the other females said. This one also had dark hair, but straight as an arrow. Her fair skin was the color of starlight.
“A hot, muscular zebra with a beard,” the other woman said with a grin, this one with short black hair in tight, springy curls. Her skin was the darkest of all three, a rich hue of deep brown.
Malgren looked the women over. How strange that their hair and skin tones would be so different. Even their eyes were different shapes. The two taller ones with smaller, slightly slanted corners and the short one with big, brown orbs surrounded with thick eyelashes. Yet, they were all clearly human. He wondered briefly if all Earthan women were different sizes and shapes. Although species differed in the known galaxies, most individuals of the same species shared the same overall traits. Earthans seemed quite different, just between the three of them here.
“What is a zebra?” he asked. That word did not translate. “And why would I be hot? The temperature is fairly cool on board.”
The women smirked at him, and Malgren had the distinct feeling he’d said something funny, or at least strange. “Now you know my name. What should I call you?”
The darkest and tallest of the three spoke up. “I’m April. This is my sister, Midori,” she said, nodding to the medium-sized one with pale skin. “And this is our friend, Val.” Val. The short, voluptuous one that caused stirring in his loins.
“Valentina, actually. Valentina Amor February Flores, but you can call me Val.”
Malgren bowed low before them, his eyes never leaving Val’s face. He wanted to ask her more, but right then, he needed to get the three of them out of there and onto his ship. Maybe then he could discuss it further, preferably with her sweet, round body pressed up comfortably to his.
