Rhal Part 1 (Scifi Alien Serial Romance) (The Ujal) (3 page)

One threat put to rest; he focused on Sudal and backhanded the male. Had Sudal been Rhal’s equal, he would have warranted a warrior’s attack. A recalcitrant near-youngling did not. He was slapped.

The single slap sent Sudal spinning, but Rhal did not allow him to fall. No, he had the joy of slamming his challenger to the metal grate himself. He gripped Sudal’s baggy black shirt and shoved his opponent to the ground. He knelt on the male, knee crushing his chest while his hand encircled the young Ujal’s throat.

“
I
am the male who dispensed five Ujal with two strikes. Who are
you
?” Rhal tightened his grip; the face he stared into turning a dark red on its way to purple. His opponent’s gaze flicked around the transition bay as he tried to locate the others. If he worked as hard to hone his skills as he did in flouting Rhal’s rules, he wouldn’t have to visually confirm he was alone.

Looking around was not something Rhal found necessary. He knew their locations from sound alone. Yes, noise filled the air of the bay now—gasps and murmurs of the workers reaching him—but he easily focused on the males’ breathing, the rapid beats of their hearts and the way each swallowed hard. “Focus on me. They won’t help you and your friend in the sea is having difficulty with the
clothing
your group insists on wearing.” He leaned down until his lips were a hairsbreadth from the male’s ear. “You should listen because your life depends on it. When I give an order, you follow it. From this day forward, if you do not, you die. Am I clear?”

It’d been so long since he killed something—someone—he wasn’t sure if he remembered how, but he did not have to reveal this uneasiness to the male.

“Yes,” he wheezed.

“Excuse me?” His tone was low yet bland, no hint of his growing anger filling his words.

“Yes, sir.”

Rhal grunted and rose to his feet, shoving his opponent. The push had Sudal sliding toward water as well. “Get out of my sight. Return to Tau. All of you. I no longer want you on UST.” This land-based station was not the place for them. Not now. They needed to return to Tau—the Ujal city that rested beneath the Gulf of Mexico. One of the cowering males reached for the bottom of his shirt as if to remove it and Rhal bared his teeth at the man. “The clothing stays. You were so concerned about being covered during your training on land, and now you will suffer the discomfort. Think of fighting while trapped in the fabric, think of your enemy using it to hold you down while he cuts off your head.”

The man released his shirt and slid past Rhal, his gaze on the grating and not anywhere near him.

Fear. His best friend and favorite enemy.

Sudal rolled to his feet. At least he had a certain agility even if he lacked forethought and intelligence. “I will tell—”

Rhal cut him off. “If you tell Tave, he will brush you off like the annoying younger brother you are. If you decide to tell your father, let him know that Rhal fa Adar sends his respects and condolences.”

Confusion filled the young man’s features. “What? You can’t speak my brother’s name as if he were your
friend
. He is the crown prince—”

“Of Ujal and the ruler of all Earth-based Ujal settlements. I am aware,” he drawled. “But he is also a worthy male who trusts the men he surrounds himself with. I am one of those men. As for your father—”

“He is the king, and you
will
speak of him with respect,” Sudal hissed and stepped forward.

“I respect
him
.” Rhal swallowed past the lie. “It’s you I do not care for. And he needs to understand I am sorry he was saddled with such an ignorant and incapable son as you.”

“You
dare
!”

Rhal more than dared. The boy was an idiot and would get someone killed.

“
Sudal!
” Tave’s voice sliced through the dock and Rhal fought the desire to pummel the young boy. Sudal flinched and then slowly turned toward a rapidly approaching Tave. “What is going—”

Sudal pointed at Rhal. “He—”

Ah, blame games already. Not the way for Sudal to endear himself to his brother. Tave was a strong and worthy male, one who judged on actions and heart, not words. Respect, dedication, loyalty… those came from the heart.

“Silence,” Tave hissed. “I don’t want to hear a word. Return to Tau immediately.”

“But—”

Tave pressed forward, his chest bumping against his younger brother’s. Pink scales flushed across Sudal’s body, revealing his fear. The stench clung to him like a second skin and Rhal had to fight the urge to sneer.

“You will leave. Now. Or I will allow Rhal to do what he so desperately wishes, and that is to separate your ignorant head from your insignificant body.”

The idea held merit. Perhaps Sudal could remain.

Unfortunately, Sudal had more than one brain cell, and he chose to leave. He spun and strode toward the sea. He did not pause to remove his constricting clothing and merely jumped into the salted waters. If he was smart, he would return to Tau as ordered.

“Idiot,” Tave murmured.

“Yes.” There was no denying the truth.

“What did he do now?” His prince sighed and rubbed his forehead.

“Wore human uniforms instead of what UST has on hand for Ujal warriors.”

Tave shook his head. “All this for human clothing?”

He shrugged. “They don’t realize how lucky they are. Half were born on Earth and then there is Sudal encouraging them to break the rules. They don’t know the traditional training uniform is nothing more than two flaps of leather.” The humans called them loincloths. For Rhal, they were the only clothing he’d known until he was made a companion to Tave.

“Would you have killed him?” Tave’s voice was soft, inquisitive without being accusing. Tave knew some of Rhal’s history, but not all. No one knew it all. But there was one who was aware of more than most.
Cara…

He took a moment to answer, to consider his words carefully before responding. He’d been trained for years, suffered broken bones and beatings to learn how to kill without leaving a trace. To end a life without stirring the air or upsetting a single current in the seas. He was a honed animal that presented a benign face while filled with the cancer of his past.

Would he have killed Sudal for the offense?

“I don’t know.” He had no other truth.

Tave sighed. “Then I thank you for sparing him.”

“I should not be training these males, Tave. You know this. Especially not after…” After losing Cara. No, he had pushed her away. He did not lose her; he discarded her, and it was something he’d live with the rest of his days.

“You have knowledge, painfully learned, but knowledge still.” He felt the heavy weight of Tave’s gaze, but he ignored the intent stare. “I need you to share what you’ve learned.”

Share the sweat? The blood? The deathly looks that haunted his dreams?

“I may snap.” He felt the urges already, his temper riding a fine line between a pretense of normalcy and the true darkness inside him. He managed to remain in control with Cara filling his free time, but now…

“And you may not.”

“I’m dangerous.”

“And yet it’s not you I fear but those who threaten our lives here,” Tave countered. “The letters and protests from the fanatics are increasing with the announcement of my mating to Rina and the news of our hatchling. I fear what will happen when they hear of the arrival of Vados and Maris’ youngling. But do I worry about you? Never.”

Stupid of him, but Rhal did not voice his opinion. The prince would do as he always did—whatever he desired.

Rhal looked past Tave and glanced at the clock on the wall. “Tell them to return tomorrow wearing the correct coverings or I
will
cause them damage.”

Tave grunted. “Only you give me orders.”

“Only you don’t fear me.”

Tave followed Rhal’s gaze to the timepiece. “No, there is another.”

Yes, there was another. One who didn’t hesitate to argue with him, to verbally spar with him day in and day out without one hint of unease. One who arrived every morning at UST with a soft smile for him at exactly eight.

Cara Marte. Human. Beautiful. Curvaceous. Sweet. Heavenly.

No longer his. She used to have smiles for him. For a brief moment, he forgot he had shattered her. Rina told him he had broken Cara’s heart. At the same time, she threatened to remove his testicles should he not fix Cara. The principessa had yet to realize Rhal had no intention of speaking with Cara ever again.

That did not mean he wouldn’t wait for her arrival, watch her stride through UST, past the bay and on to her office. He’d had her moved in the last week, given an office with a window beneath the seas. He could watch her then, sink into the water’s depths and watch her work.

Watch her break down and cry.

The tears were like human bullets striking his heart.

But he would not change his mind. He would not relent.

“You rushed through your training this morning for no reason,” his prince continued. “She is submitting an application to the Population Ministry and IMA. Rina accompanies her.”

The air rushed from his lungs, leaving him desperate for oxygen as surprise ran through him. He’d never experienced the emotion, the sudden flood of adrenaline—was it from fear?—stealing his voice. Rhal feared nothing.

“What?” he wheezed.

The Intergalactic Mating Agency? Population Ministry?

“They took adequate guards for the trip and Rina stated she was supporting her
BFF
in her time of need.”

“I don’t…”
Understand.

“Rina stated Cara is ready to take a mate, and you have made it clear that…”

That I won’t take a mate.

Tave’s voice was soft and kind, and his expression was one of pity.

He hated pity.

He shook his head and stepped away from the prince, unable to stand the closeness. “Then I wish her well in her search.”

“Rhal—”

“Good day, Highness.” He tilted his head in a shallow nod and strode past the male, unable to withstand the piteous expression for a moment longer.

If Cara wanted a male who would bring her joy and hatchlings, he wished her well because it would not be him.

No matter how much he wished it to be so.

No. Matter. How. Much.

* * *

Cara wondered if the directors at the Population Ministry and Intergalactic Mating Agency were smoking crack. And really, as shitty as she’d been feeling, she didn’t have the patience for crack smoking men. Her head hurt, her body ached, and tiny trembles continued to wrack her body.

Who knew breaking up with a guy could give a gal the flu, right?

With a sigh, she stared at the question displayed on the data pad and read it again.

If a Qulorian holds an orange and races through the stars past Belor, what color are his eyes?

She frowned.

If a Qulorian holds an orange and races through the stars past Belor, what color are his eyes?

What did that even mean? Oh. Right. She was supposed to answer the question. Huh. Yeah, not happening. For what felt like the hundredth time, she tapped the
pass
button. Looking at the small counter in the upper right-hand corner of the tablet, she realized she’s skipped fifty-seven out of seventy-five questions.

She was a failure as a prospective mate. Fail. Ure. She couldn’t even complete a multiple-choice test!

Well, she was damn sure gonna answer the last eighteen. She was. She had this under control.

When a blue Speezak meets a purple Otave, what time is it?

Cara blinked. And blinked again, her mind short-circuiting and telling her it was
done
with the bullshit. She flipped through the last handful of questions, randomly choosing from the list of answers.
A, C, D, D, B, A. And a few more and done!

She pushed to her feet and moved to the door that would lead her into the hallway. Rina leaned against the wall, a guard on each side and another two a few feet away. She knew if she continued left or right, there’d be yet another set of males. Rina’s mate Tave—Crown Prince of Ujal—did not play when it came to protecting his mate.

“All set?” Rina grinned, her nearly white eyes sparkling with happiness.

A spear of jealousy at her friend’s joy struck her, but she pushed it away. It wasn’t Rina’s fault she’d found a mate among the Ujal. Or that by mating him she was now part Ujal herself. White scales glistened beneath the pale surface of her skin, and Cara ached to enjoy the same sensations.

And she had just the male in mind. At least, she had until she realized he wanted nothing to do with her. That he’d lied to her. That he’d… Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked them back. She was done crying over Rhal. He’d made his choice, and now she was making hers. Coming to IMA and the Population Ministry was step one.

“Yup, I’m ready to go. I gotta turn this in to the proctor,” she waved the data pad, “and then we can grab some brunch. I’ll meet you out front?” Because she really didn’t want Rina standing around when the proctor reviewed her answers and told her she was a failure as a match. Who really wanted an audience of her best friend and the woman’s
dozen
guards hanging around for that?

“Nah, we’ll come with and wait.” Rina nudged her with her shoulder. “I get to see what the whole process is like since I sorta missed out on that.”

Right. Rina was matched pre-insane testing protocols. It used to be a droplet of blood or other genetic material and done. For Rina and Tave, it’d actually been their mothers who had submitted samples—hair for Rina and a scale for Tave. Now there was
testing
. Gah, she thought she’d left that all behind her in an aborted attempt at college.

“No, really, it’s okay—”

A half-growl followed by two rapid grunts and a click of a tongue came from her right and slightly behind Cara. She immediately stuttered to a stop to face off against the massive Ujal. This guy was huge, broader than Tave but while the prince was hard muscle, this guy had a little bit of pudge on his middle.
Too many trips to the candy aisle and not enough training.
Rhal had complained about the guards more than once. Earth food made them slow and gain weight. He’d also told her…