Page 21 of Matched to the Alien King
As I drew closer, it looked like words were scratched on it, most likely with a white rock.
Earth Space Fleet is here.
Well, yes. I already knew that. They were the whole reason I couldn’t let the weapon be delivered here—because of their war against the Faid.
A sharp knock came from the other side of the door.
Wait. Earth Space Fleet washerehere? Did they somehow know what I really was?
Dread trickled down into the pit of my stomach. Slowly, I turned to Nera.
Oh. Fuuuuxx.
Chapter seven
Nera
WhenMaxxturnedtome with a big leaf in his hands and his purple eyes as wide as I’d ever seen them, I just about swallowed my own tongue.
But then he pointed to the front door and turned the leaf so I could read it.
Earth Space Fleet is here.
Wait, they were here? As in right now?
Forget about swallowing my tongue, and let’s skip right to my epitaph.Here lies Nera Cotrobin. She always knew this day would come because she didn’t forward that email to ten friends back in sixth grade and has regretted it ever since.
Holding my breath, I scooted toward the black-patterned satin curtains above the bed and parted them with my pinky finger.
Outside the front door, dressed from head to toe in Earth Space Fleet battle gear, stood Lieutenant Avery.
TheLieutenant Avery, the one I was supposed to deliver the package to. The one who’d cursed my mother when I told her I couldn’t land my spaceship.
“This is bad,” I hissed to Maxx as I scrambled off the bed and took most of the covers with me in an effort to keep myself covered. “This is so fucking bad, Maxx. We can’t be seen together.”
“Except by the billions of viewers onAlien Love Island?” He tilted his head slightly and cocked an eyebrow, a look that would be damn sexy at any other time, but now was just frustrating.
“I took you prisoner aboard my ship,” I hissed, searching the bungalow for my dress.
Ah, there it was, draped over the shopping cart with my friend the caterpillar inside happily crawling over his big leaf.
“Right, and then we were both kidnapped and brought here.” He nodded slowly. “I remember this because I was there too.”
“Yeah, but I don’t know if Avery knows that. She’s fighting a war here, somewhere, so I doubt there’s much time for reality TV. All I know is that I was supposed to deliver that mystery package to her, and I couldn’t get here. But now I’m here. Make sense?”
“Uh-huh.” His eyes narrowed. “So what are you proposing?”
I stepped into the dress, forgoing the bra for now since it did very little with this dress anyway. “That you hide in the closet so I can talk to her and find out what’s happening here.”
“Hide?” His eyes blew wide as he crossed his arms, making all his muscles flex and bulge. “You want me to hide like a coward?”
“No, I want you to hide like my secret lover while I get some information out of her.”
He ticked his gaze over my face, searching, and I could practically hear the buzzing of his thoughts even with near-deaf ears. “What will you tell her about the package you don’t have?”
“Easy. I’ll say I stashed it somewhere. Talking to her could help us figure out why the hell we’re here.” I waved him toward the closet. “Please?”
“Fine,” he said through gritted teeth and stepped into the large walk-in closet.
