A Baby for the Alien Prince: Celestial Mates (The Alva) Read online

  A Baby for the Alien Prince

  Celestial Mates

  Miranda Martin

  Contents

  Blurb

  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

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Red Hot Preview: Dragon’s Baby

  Blurb

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  Take a Human female as a mate on the off chance of saving his race? Absurd.

  At least that's what Prince Elorshin Do'ana thinks. It's true, the Alvan race is dying. There have been no new births in years and if they don't do something, their entire race is doomed. However, Elorshin doesn't want to bind himself to a mate that can't fully share in the fated bond that all Alvan crave. Forced into a marriage by a House more powerful than his own, Prince Elorshin doesn't think he will ever know happiness, that is until he meets his bright, luscious bride.

  Margot Whelan wants two things, one of which she will never have. Love and a baby. The second can't happen, not as long as she's on Earth. Population control is too strict. When she sees an advertisement for the Celestial Mates Dating Agency she decides to take the chance. After all, what future does she have on an overpopulated Earth? She agrees to marry the hot, seven foot tall, indigo alien with sparkling emerald eyes and oddly sexy fangs.

  He struggles with the war between what his body craves and what his heart needs. Somehow, Margot must get past the language barrier and forge the connection Elorshin so desperately desires. A love that Houses will go to war for.

  A Baby for the Alien Prince is a stand alone novel in the Celestial Mates Shared Universe. It is a science fiction romance story with a stubborn alien and an equally stubborn human female, plenty of action-packed adventure, and hot, steamy alien romance!

  Copyright © 2017 Miranda Martin

  All rights reserved.

  Created with Vellum

  Chapter One

  Elorshin

  As I near House Viir, I shed my remaining outer clothing.

  The drastic change in temperature renders my heavy leathers impractical.

  After my carriage passes the cavern entrance with its bright, protective lights, I leave it with the stable-hand. It will be simpler and more discreet to wind through the bustling marketplace on foot.

  Even so, the people give me long looks as I pass, the more neutral gray and heavier weight of my clothing clearly marks me as a member of a Minor House. The brighter, lighter, and more expensive colorful clothing the people wear here seems frivolous to my eye. Though they are more practical, suited to the warmer clime near the core-well.

  I ignore the haughty stares.

  I know who I am and these people are no better.

  Their circumstance of birth changes nothing, though they would like to believe it does.

  When I reach the House Mansion, made of a rare, tan stone and larger than my own, a servant is waiting to greet me.

  He bows politely enough and asks me to follow.

  I proceed through the heavy doors painted a bright scarlet and into the spacious interior. Wealth is on full display here too, in the rich color of the tapestries, the intricate, delicate carvings strategically etched into the furniture, and the large fireplaces. There is not a speck of dust in sight.

  But I note this only in passing, my mind focused on the reason I am here.

  Even though my body is tense, I keep my face calm and stoic.

  An unexpected meeting with the Prince of a Major House is reason enough for concern. But I dare not refuse to meet with Prince Naefaren Viir when he calls. While I might be a Prince in my own right, Do'ana is a Minor House and so allied to House Viir for its very survival. The alliance is not an equal one, not when only a Major House has direct access to the all important core-well.

  So while feeling as if I am at the beck and call of Prince Naefaren rankles, I must always think of what is best for the people under my care.

  It is a harsh truth, but life is full of them.

  Thus my presence here.

  Pride has no place in decisions I must make for the well being of House Do'ana.

  The servant ushers me into Prince Naefaren's study, a room just as overtly opulent as the rest of his home. I prefer the more soothing, natural tones of my own House Mansion. They are more honest.

  When I enter, Prince Naefaren is sitting behind his large, gleaming desk but he rises in greeting. His skin is a lighter hue of blue than my own, his hair a deep shade of purple. The strands partially cover his long, pointed ears, only the tips fully visible. His clothing denotes that he is a Prince of a Major House. His lightweight, gold embroidered robe ties tightly at his waist with a belt. The cut of the finely woven cloth fits his muscled body perfectly.

  He is every bit as opulent in his dress and manner as the surrounding room. Prosperity is evident in the plush, jewel toned rugs covering the floor, the painted paper covering the walls around the lattice windows, and the sheen of the cushions on the chairs. Even the tray of delicate food laid out for the meeting underscores the vast difference between us though our titles might be the same.

  None of this is unexpected.

  What is unusual, however, is the presence of another person.

  The other is obviously not Alvan, their pale features and hair set them well apart. The cut of their pastel colored, long gown is different from anything Alvan and the way they carry themself is not quite right. Studying the delicate features of their face, I question whether they are male or female. The clothing further obscures the body, making it even more difficult to ascertain the truth.

  The stranger acknowledges me with a nod when I glance over, not speaking.

  "My thanks for meeting with me Prince Elorshin," Naefaren begins.

  "Of course," I murmur, keeping my voice carefully neutral. He knows well enough I dare not refuse. But I do not let this thought seep into my expression.

  He nods, his eyes focused on mine. "I am sure you would like to know why I called you here. Forgive me for delving into the heart of the matter so quickly." He takes a breath and leans back in his chair. "As you know, our females have been plagued with an ever increasing inability to conceive. These are desperate times. I, among others, have concluded we cannot wait any longer to address this issue. All other avenues attempted have failed. It is well past time to explore... different possibilities."

  It's a well known fact that birth rates have been declining. I cannot argue that we may have reached an untenable point in the Alvan people's existence. I cannot see any reason for him to begin in this manner unless I am here for a related issue. How, I am not quite sure, but my stomach is a tight knot. I nod, deciding to remain silent until I know the full implications.

  I doubt very much that I will enjoy them.

  "We must find a solution," he continues, leaning forward, his golden eyes intense as they bore into mine. "And I believe it might lie with off world females. That is why I am tasking you with taking an off-world bride."

  It takes my mind a moment to absorb the shoc
king nature of this revelation.

  As it does, my body reacts.

  My stomach sinks as my heartbeat increases, my hands clench on the armrests of the delicate chair and the wood makes a soft cracking sound.

  This is not an entirely novel idea. Prince Daetoris of the rival House Ki'lar has already attempted this with his people and according to the rumors, it is not going well. Not at all.

  "Prince Daetoris has already attempted taking off world brides," I say after collecting my thoughts in silence. "The results have been nothing short of disastrous. The females hate the underground, the forever night, and the Paritella connection refuses to manifest, despite multiple attempts. I understand the impetus of such a drastic decision, but I cannot see how this could be a sound idea."

  I know he will not be receptive to my criticism, but this is my life he is attempting to meddle in. My future.

  And thus House Do'ana's future.

  I cannot remain silent.

  I watch as his eyes narrow.

  "I understand your concerns. But failure on their part does not mean we will fail. We need to exhaust all options before simply deciding there is no viable one. And we cannot wait idly for a miracle to occur."

  I clench my jaw, balling my hands into fists as I ruthlessly control the surge of anger and helplessness that seeks to overtake me.

  "And by we, you mean me. I see you are not willing to take the risk yourself."

  And I can see why he would not.

  Alvan only mate once, with our fated mates, our Pari.

  And once I share my seed with a female, even if my bride is not my Pari, she would be my mate for life. There is no second chance at the bond once the physical deed is done.

  An empty union without the bond of the Paritella is not what I envisioned for myself.

  I watch as Naefaren's nostrils flare and his face tightens with anger.

  "I am sure it is unnecessary for me to remind you who controls House Do'ana's access to the core-well." He watches me as he allows that statement to settle in the quiet of the room before continuing. I force myself to remain seated. "It would be most unfortunate for you and the people of your House to lose that access."

  The thinly veiled threat is ugly.

  Without the core-well, we would die.

  My entire House.

  The protective lights would go out and the darkness would engulf us. The beasts lurking at the edges of the light would overrun us. There isn't enough strength of arms to stand against them without the lights.

  I know my emotions are no longer even partially hidden. I wrestle with my desire to leap over the desk and show him what a Prince from a Minor House is capable of, but that will accomplish nothing. Another will just take his place and cut off House Do'ana, leaving my people to die in retribution.

  Naefaren nods slowly as he sees my thoughts and emotions cross my face. The anger, the helplessness, and finally, the painful acceptance of the situation I find myself in.

  "I see we understand each other." He gestures to the off-worlder sitting in the corner of the room. "That is a why I have contacted Celestial Mates. They will find an appropriate bride for you. And you will give her your bite, you will take her as your own."

  He is correct.

  I will take her as my own.

  And condemn myself to a marriage that will be but as a shade of what it should have been.

  Chapter Two

  Margot

  As I join the masses waiting for the elevator, I get pushed to the side and almost lose my balance but I stick out my elbows to steady myself. Falling in the stream of people entering the elevator would be a death sentence. Being trampled isn't high on my list of things to do today.

  I try to breathe shallowly. We're packed together so tight it's very apparent that hygiene isn't everyone's top priority. The miasma of so many unwashed bodies smashed together makes the air almost heavy, a soup difficult to inhale.

  It’s dim, the underground as air heavy and humid as always. It's also loud, the sounds of the crowd bounces off the walls and the echoes only amplify it.

  The tall elevator doors open and the crowd moves forward as one. I'm pushed in, just squeezing inside with fifty other people. An automatic scanner checks us for the necessary permits for the trip above ground. We jostle for position, trying to ensure that nothing important gets caught in the closing doors. There used to be sensors to ensure nobody lost a limb, but they were taken out because overflow from the crowds kept the doors from ever closing.

  I'm so sick of living underground with no room to turn around. I know I'm lucky that my job allows me to go above ground, something most people down here will never experience.

  They will never feel sunlight on their face or a breeze of fresh air.

  Or what it's like to have space and quiet around you.

  Space in which to walk around without bumping into somebody, air that isn't warm and humid and full of the scent of humanity.

  But they might almost be lucky they'll never experience that. I know how terrible my life is, how terrible all our lives are, because I have something to compare it to.

  Becoming a maid for the elite on the surface opened my eyes.

  I remember when I was first hired and took the elevator up to the surface. The sun was so bright I thought something had gone wrong with my eyes.

  Intellectually, I knew the wealthy lived differently from us. I even knew they lived in buildings called skyscrapers. But knowing and seeing are two very different things.

  And the skyscrapers. I had no idea how massive they actually are.

  There aren't any buildings underground, there are floors. Each uniform, the same as the next, without variation or change. The idea of buildings that stretch into the sky was a fantasy until I actually saw it.

  On the surface the buildings are so high I get dizzy if I look up. But despite their massive size, they're almost delicate. Built mostly of transparent glass that lets the light in.

  And the air cars.

  Watching them zip through the spaces between buildings made me want one so badly. Imagine getting into one and flying off to wherever without having to squeeze into a rundown subway system and without having to worry about a breakdown making you miss the connecting train.

  It sounds like utter freedom.

  I snap back to the present as someone elbows me painfully in the ribs.

  Back to the reality of the slowly rising tin can of people.

  But today might be the day I escape the slow march to death of this place.

  The lottery drawing is tonight.

  I might secure a spot one of the generation ships that are being sent to various habitable planets. The planets are far enough away I would never actually see them. I'd live my entire life on the ship.

  But I'll be able to have a baby.

  It would mean spending my entire life in the darkness of space, in an enclosed ship, not that different from the underground.

  But I don't care. I would be able to have a family of my own.

  They would reverse the sterilization procedure the government requires for everyone born underground on Earth.

  And my children would live in a place that isn't overpopulated, where other people don't tell them what they can and cannot do with their own bodies. Where they can have a family without being granted special permission.

  My great grandchildren would live above ground, have their own homes, and their own space.

  They would all live lives even better than the wealthy do in their metal and glass towers.

  I get jostled again and my shoulder bangs into the dented side of the packed elevator.

  A bright glimmer of light catches my attention and my eyes fall on something small on the ground near my foot. I push it to the side of the elevator with my shoe, flipping it so it's pushed up against the side and I can slide it up to where my fingertips reach it.

  It's a vid card.

  The murmur of the crowd is too loud, I have to bring the card c
loser to my face so I can hear what it's saying,

  A heart flashes across the tiny screen, followed by a moving shot through the darkness of space, stars and planets flash by.

  "Celestial Mates – Bringing Love Across Time and Space!"

  The elevator doors open and I pocket the small piece of tech without thinking, walking out onto the narrow sidewalk with the rest of the crowd. I need to hurry if I don't want to be late. People have been fired for less. There's such a demand for these surface jobs they can find someone new almost immediately.

  I blink to help my eyes adjust to the bright light, but I'm already moving down the sidewalk at a fast clip.

  It's Monday, so I have to take care of the building in the northeast corner of the fifty-fourth quadrant. Most of it is office space, but the top few floors are residences.

  Stopping in front of the double doors that lead into the building, I stand still so that the optical face recognition system can scan me.

  The doors open and I step into the alcove, not yet inside the building.

  The security guard stationed there stares at me suspiciously, but I don't take it personal. I'm used to it at this point.

  He scans me for any weapons.

  "What's your business here?" he asks.

  He already knows. I'm here every week but I don't let those thoughts show in my face. "Maid service."

  He nods curtly and inputs a code to open the doors that lead into the lobby.

  "You will be searched before you leave."

  No shit.

  The lobby of the building is almost like a different planet.

  The sound of water tinkling from the hologram fountain permeates the space, fake green plants are set up in various locations to mimic natural beauty that doesn't actually exist anymore. The floor is a gleaming pink and white marble with gray threads running through it.

  There is a spacious sitting area with a fireplace that is always lit. The furniture is covered in silk, with a delicate watercolor pattern.