Alien Love by Lily Marie Read Free Book Online

“Give me one hour, then take them in. Hopefully I will be meeting you at the lab. If not, send them out and find me in the city.”
    “Keep yourself safe.”
    Kiele smiled, then slipped around the back of the house, taking a less traveled street out of the suburban neighborhood. There had to be a more accessible entrance to the underwater city, and he had a feeling he knew where it was.
    No one gave him more than a brief glance when he boarded the public transport, which told him the local T’An made regular appearances aboveground. Walking into the planet’s famous spa would not be unusual, and exactly what he planned to do.
    He strode past the artificial palm trees, admiring the workmanship. There were similar trees on his home planet, and at times like this, he missed them, missed spending more time there. Perhaps, when this was done, he could take Anji home, plan their future.
    He knew, from the research their scientists and doctors had done since the T’An first encountered humans, that they were able to conceive. The few mixed couples he had known over the last few years proved this, the females of both species bearing healthy, strong, intelligent children.
    Kiele had always wanted a family; now he wanted it with Anji. Her joy, and her good heart would make her a loving mother. An image of her, heavy with their child, filled his mind. She would be beautiful, more beautiful than she was now. He shook his head, a smile tugging at his mouth.
    He was completely, hopelessly, in love with her.
    The wide glass doors of the spa slid open at his approach and he walked inside, the scent of water surrounding him. A reptilian Karth stood at the reception desk, the overhead lights reflecting off her rich green scales.
    “Welcome to Taurea Spa.” Her soft voice slid over his skin, and he was surprised that she spoke his language. “I am C’luthla.”
    He nodded. “Kiele.”
    “How may I serve you, Kiele?”
    “I have an appointment in the city. I understand there is an entrance here.”
    “Of course.” She stepped out from behind the counter and headed for a door on the far side of the massive lobby. “This way, please.”
    He followed her, entered a hallway, and halted when the barrel of a pistol pressed into his back.
    “Welcome, Commander Suun. We have been waiting for your return.”

Six
     
    “He did what ?” Anji stood on tiptoe to get in Orlen’s face, so scared and furious she wanted to punch something. Or someone. Orlen would do just fine. “How could you let him go on his own? Damn it—they’ll be waiting for him!”
    She spun, headed for the front door. Pern stepped in her path, his right arm in a sling. “The Commander understood the risks. He is the only possible choice.”
    “Why?”
    Orlen moved to her. “Because by now, the leaders of the city here will have been informed by their faction, and will know who he is.”
    She looked from one stubborn, closed face to the other. “And you’re not going to tell me.”
    “It is his place—”
    “Who the hell is he, Orlen?”
    Orlen sighed, and scrubbed his face. “His family is one of the First.”
    Anji sucked in her breath, staring at him. The First—holy shit. They were like royalty, the families who could trace their ancestors back to the evolution from air breather to water breather. The descendants of the First were rumored to have more of everything the T’An possessed—more healing ability, more strength, longer life. And more money. Hell, most of the money that ran the T’An empire belonged to the First.
    That explained his fast recovery.
    She slid her hand into the pocket of her borrowed trousers, gripping the laser screwdriver like a talisman. “They’ll use him,” she whispered. “To save their own necks.”
    “Kiele knew that. He counted on them taking him down to those responsible for the lab.”
    Dread wrapped around her heart. “Why?”
    “Because Kiele knows Dr. Sonia, the scientist behind the experiments, and one of