Page 1 of Grulen

PROLOGUE

AlldatesmentioneduseEarth’s calendar.

The Svesti, an alien warrior race, have guarded Earth’s region of space from the Zuvgran since the early 1900s.Ruled by an Emperor, the Zuvgran invade worlds, kill the elderly, the very young, and some of the males.Those left living become unwilling slaves or subjects for medical experiments.The Zuvgran strip conquered worlds of their natural resources and move on.They attack anyone believed weaker, so ships or colonies are unsafe as well.

Zuvgran who disagree with the Emperor’s expansionist policies or the pervasive cruelty to other species find ways to escape or aid others.Unfortunately, there are far too few of them and they are without the resources to do more.

In the early 2000s, the Zuvgran released a devastating virus on Costonia, the Svesti home world.The virus killed eighty percent of the Svesti females, as well as all female young, and rendered the remainder infertile.It’s now 2037 and Svesti scientists discover the first biologically compatible beings—human females.

Ruled by a King and a Council representing their twelve Houses, the Svesti also worship a deity called the Goddess.The Svesti culture mixes old world gentility with superior technology.With their toned bodies clad in tight black pants and leather, most Svesti males tend toward overprotectiveness and a fierce sense of loyalty.

A divided Svesti Council creates discord on Costonia.Some want to invade Earth and take whatever females they want, while others believe any young born of a Svesti-human couple would no longer be Svesti.However, King Traxen Sovex wants to open up negotiations with Earth to receive willing human females for breeding or troth contracts.

A troth contract is similar to a short-term marriage.A breeding contract, now called a birthing contract, is specifically for the bearing of Svesti young.True mating, where the Svesti experience the biological urge to bite their partner and mate for life, supersedes both contracts.Fated mate bonds, where it is believed the Goddess blessed a couple by gifting them the one being in the universe who is their other half, were last recorded over a century ago.Upon meeting the first human females, the bonds begin to spark again and offer hope of lasting love and companionship for the Svesti.

King Sovex sent Commander Vared Durek of theInvictus, a space cruiser holding 3,000 warriors, to Earth and initiate first contact.Durek’s long-time best friends serve on theInvictusas well—Lieutenant Karid Wurvez, head tactical officer; Lieutenant Devik Tolvex, head security officer; and Healer Ash’n Rivezt, head healer.

Durek initiated first contact with six countries based the size of their territory or influence after initial research of Earth revealed humans continue to be fragmented in their joint leadership.Each country convinced or ordered one woman to take the two-month trip to Costonia, live there and gather information for fourteen months, then return home.True to human nature, Earth’s leaders instructed the women to focus on Svesti military capabilities, weaponry, and technology.

Earth’s leaders allowed the Svesti to believe the women volunteered to be part of a Choosing at the King’s Court, where they would choose a male for a breeding or troth contract.The women discovered the truth while traveling in space and didn’t take the news well.Despite the rocky beginning and being unwittingly manipulated by Earth’s leaders, the Svesti and the human females found common ground and proceeded to work together.

Talia Sullivan, the American President’s secretly appointed Ambassador, worked with the Svesti on a fair treaty.During their travel to Costonia, Commander Durek, his trusted friends, and the women realized a Svesti traitor traveled onboard theInvictusand communicated with a Svesti noble on the home world.In a temporary alliance with the Zuvgran, these traitors attempted to kill human fertility via another virus.What the traitors didn’t know was that the Zuvgran constructed the virus to also kill Svesti male fertility.Fortunately, with the help of the human physician and botanist/biochemist, Natasha Petrov and Lin Chang respectively, the Svesti developed a vaccine to protect humans and Svesti before the virus spread and both races suffered a slow genocidal attack.

About a month and a half into the trip, Durek received word from theDefiant, the ship they left to protect the space near Earth, that Earth’s leaders publicly proclaimed the Svesti kidnapped the six women.Those same leaders called for increased military funding and gave the appearance of gearing up for war.

Talia developed an idea to get the correct information to Earth.King Sovex approved the plan and allocated resources.When all was said and done, King Sovex named Durek and Talia the Svesti Co-Ambassadors to Earth.

Despite the ongoing efforts of the loyal Svesti and women, the traitors remain unidentified.Based on information they did know, Durek sent Wurvez and another warrior, Grulen Jevax, on a secret mission.

Along the way, theInvictusreceived a distress call about a mine collapse on Talonka Six.While there assisting, Natasha met a Svesti-Zuvgran hybrid, Ronan d’Olorg, and became aware of a measles variant spreading across planets.Ronan and his adopted Zuvgran father, Largon d’Ayen, rescue Zuvgran hybrid younglings and help relocate to hidden colonies those few Zuvgran who wish to escape the Emperor’s cruelty.King Sovex offered temporary sanctuary on Costonia for the hybrid younglings and his assistance in finding a permanent safe location so they can all be together.

The Zuvgran captured Natasha and Ronan on their return from distributing vaccines to the hidden colonies.The pair discovered Wurvez already imprisoned at the same location.The Svesti rescued all of them shortly thereafter and they rejoined theInvictus, which now carried the hybrid younglings and their caretakers.The group subsequently arrived safely at Costonia.Four of the human females formed fated mate bonds before reaching the planet.

The Zuvgran destroyed Jevax’s ship not long after Wurvez became a prisoner, and his status remained a mystery…until now.

- Wavy

Chapter 1

Twenty-nine years earlier

November 22, 2008 (Earth calendar)

Nestune (village on Costonia)

Twelve-year old Grulen Jevax stared dry-eyed at the newly turned soil.After weeks of screaming agony, the bodies of his mother and five sisters lay eerily silent.A virulent virus swept through their village and every female suffered terrible pain before succumbing to death.His family was the most recent to be laid to rest.The weight of his father’s hand rested on his thin shoulder as they gazed upon the caskets of his older siblings—Yopa, Fliva, and Riba, his mother, and his little sisters, Muri and Hadili, for the last time.He already missed the scent of the female that gave him life.Everything about her, from the warmth of her embrace to the steadfast support when he was sad, embodied love and safety to him.I’ll never hear their voices and laughter or feel their hugs again.

A broken rumble emanated from his father’s chest.Grulen looked up at the reddish bronze male who appeared to have aged three decades in a month and noted tears in the brown eyes so like his own.I’ve never seen my sire cry before this virus.I stopped crying a week ago.I just can’t anymore.

Remembering his father’s sobbing prayers to the Goddess to spare the females and let him bear their pain pinched Grulen’s heart.Hearing a decorated warrior repeatedly plead for those he loved broke something in his young soul.The only mercy is they no longer suffered.Goddess, please take good care of all our females.They did not deserve this.

His father’s fingers squeezed Grulen’s shoulder.

“It’s time, my son.”

Taking a shovel from his father, Grulen nodded.Mounds of dirt thunked on the wooden boxes as they worked in silence.An occasional grunt of exertion punctuated the quiet.Even the birds refrained from song as if in respect for the solemnity of their grief and toil.When the graves were full, they cleaned the area and carefully planted the favorite flowers of each family member over their final resting places.His nose twitched at the irony of the smell of life covering the death below.The vibrant colors assaulted Grulen’s eyes, and his vision blurred.Guess I do have more tears left in me.

Years later, the memories of the broken village males trying to move beyond the devastation to provide and care for the surviving younglings while dealing with their own grief stayed strong in Grulen’s mind.It seemed like forever before Grulen’s father began to genuinely smile and stand tall again.

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