Chapter
One
KHATAK
My mission is already doomed.
The thought crashes through my mind the exact moment my overstuffed suitcase decides to betray me. The latch gives way with a pathetic click, and suddenly the pristine lobby of the Alien Hotel is being showered with my belongings.
A pair of ceremonial robes unfurls like a banner. My datapad skitters across the polished floor. And—oh gods, no—my undergarments tumble out in a horrifying cascade of fabric that seems determined to land in the most visible locations possible.
“No, no, no!” I drop to my knees, scrambling to gather everything before?—
A Drakoon guest with impressive golden wings sweeps past, one leathery appendage catching a pair of my shorts and launching them directly into a display of orange gourds. The vegetables—carved with leering faces for some inexplicable reason—roll across the floor with hollow thuds.
Perfect. Just perfect.
“Sorry, sorry!” I mutter to the Drakoon as he scowls heavily at me, his spiked eyebrows cast low in displeasure. Don’t stop and help the poor Volscian clearly having a bad day withexploding luggage, no… just get annoyed that I’m in your way, like I had the audacity to just simply exist.
I sigh. This is my life, and I really have to stop thinking it’ll change. People ignoring me, or treating me like I am lesser, simply because I am not as successful as my older brother.
But that’s all going to change. Today. I’m on a mission. A very important diplomatic mission to secure an alliance with Prince Rist that will finally—finally—prove to my parents that I’m not a complete disappointment.
Glancing around, I search for my missing items. The hotel lobby is decorated with bizarre white fabric shapes hanging from the ceiling—each with two holes cut out in place of eyes. What are those supposed to be? Are we meant to wear them? Some sort of ceremonial garb?
And there, hanging among the billowing fabric, is one of my socks.
“I’m so sorry,” I mutter to a translucent slime-being, reaching around it to retrieve my waylaid item. I’ve never interacted with a slime before, and something tells me I shouldn’t just reachthroughit despite the fact I can see right through. “I’ll just—excuse me?—“
The sock is caught on something. I tug harder.
With a rip, one of the white fabric shapes tears free from above and drapes over my head.
Through the material, I hear a sound—a soft snort quickly stifled, like someone’s caught themselves before laughing out loud at my predicament.
I yank the fabric off my horns and freeze.
She’s beautiful.
The female approaching me has dark brown hair pulled back in a neat ponytail, though a few rebellious strands frame her face. Her skin is a warm brown that seems to glow in the orange lighting strung throughout the lobby.
She’s a human.
Everyone’s heard of the species. The arrival of a dozen females, all exotic and hailing from a galaxy far, far away, caused quite a stir in both Federation and Volscian space.
I never ranked important enough to actually meet one. And that was before several human females mated kings and galactic leaders.
And now, one’s standing right in front of me. In my time gawking at her, mouth probably hanging open, she’s managed to walk right up to me. With our height difference, I have to tilt my head down, yet I don’t find the weight of my horns at this angle dragging me down annoyingly.
It’s true that the humans are entirely defenseless; no visible claws, scales or natural armor at all. Everything about her screams that she needs protection. My tail twitches with the urge to curl around her, to keep her safe from the chaos of the lobby. It’s no wonder it’s so crowded in here, with all the visiting aliens hoping to simply get a glance at such a beauty.
“Let me help you with that.” She kneels to help gather my scattered belongings. The only being to help me, and it’s someone far too good to be crawling about on the dirty floor. Especially for me.
“I can explain.” It tumbles out of my mouth.
I should say something suave. Something diplomatic.
“I overpacked.” That’s what I chose to say? Of all things? “I wasn’t sure what to bring, so I brought... everything. Which, in retrospect, was clearly a mistake.”
