Honeymoon for the Alpha Read online

  HONEYMOON FOR THE ALPHA

  A Badari Warriors Novella

  VERONICA SCOTT

  Honeymoon for the Alpha:

  A Badari Warriors Novella

  * * *

  by

  Veronica Scott

  Copyright 2020 by Jean D. Walker

  * * *

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, places, characters, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  * * *

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  * * *

  Cover Art by Fiona Jayde

  To my daughters Valerie and Elizabeth, my brother David, and my best friend Daniel for all their encouragement and support!

  CONTENTS

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Also by Veronica Scott

  About the Author

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Julie C and The E-book Formatting Fairies!

  CHAPTER ONE

  When Aydarr walked into the cave he shared with his mate Jill, there was no sign of her, which was hardly surprising given the late hour of the night and the fact she’d spent the day training cadets and cubs in field exercises on the new obstacle course deep in the forest. He assumed she’d gone to bed quite a while ago and he couldn’t blame her. There was also no sign of her ancient alien Artificial Intelligence MARL.

  MARL had his own small room in the Alpha’s cave suite, which represented a compromise since Aydarr hadn’t wanted him in their private space at all and MARL insisted on remaining at Jill’s side at all times. Fortunately Jill saw things the way her mate did, believing humans needed privacy. Grudgingly MARL had agreed to spend his nights and other downtime in the special room constructed for him. The pack depended on him to keep their sanctuary valley safe from Khagrish incursion, to obtain and analyze enemy data and to provide power for operations so there was a thin line to be walked here. Aydarr was glad it was his even tempered mate who had to handle the delicate relationship rather than himself.

  He paused at their dining table, eyeing the barely touched remains of what had obviously been quite a feast, prepared and sent over to their quarters by Sandara, the valley’s human chef. Dipping a finger in a rich sauce, now cold and rather unappealing, Aydarr took a taste. Many of his favorite dishes were arranged on the table. With a sinking feeling, he remembered Jill had made him promise to get home in time for dinner when she’d left their admin offices.

  Of course he’d promised and of course he’d then gotten drawn into a deep discussion with Daegan, another Alpha and the promise was forgotten. He had to grin, surveying the table. Instead of putting the food away for later, Jill had left it out to confront him. An unmistakable message from his unsubtle mate. She must have been genuinely angry to waste so much food. He’d broken too many of these promises lately, after taking Daegan and his huge pack into the valley and numerous other challenges.

  Better get this over with. Squaring his shoulders, he marched into the bedroom.

  Jill was asleep, her black hair tousled on the pillow. Curled up on her side, she seemed to be having a deep dream.

  Undressing quietly, he slipped into the bed behind her, spooning her small frame with his much larger Badari body and holding her close to his heart.

  Jill yawned and snuggled into him. “Meetings finally over? Is it dawn yet?”

  “I’m sorry I missed dinner after all,” he said. “Were you angry?”

  There was a spurt of quickly suppressed laughter. “What do you think?” Opening her eyes, she rolled onto her back so she could see him. “Yes. And no. As best as MARL and I could figure out, today was our anniversary, so I was going to surprise you with your favorite meal. I’d been planning it for a week. “

  “Anniversary?” He’d heard the term used among humans and with a sinking sensation in his gut he guessed he’d missed an important occasion.

  “A human thing,” she said. “It’s been one planetary year since you and I met. We think. Close enough to the exact date anyway.”

  He nuzzled her neck, breathing deeply of her scent, which always aroused and comforted him. Being mated was a blessing he’d never expected to achieve and he thanked the goddess daily for sending Jill to him. Maybe he needed to say these things to his mate more often as well. Yet their mate bond was serene, warm, untroubled. “I’m new to these concepts but I don’t ever want to make you sad or upset.”

  “I know.” Jill turned all the way to him. “I probably shouldn’t have tried to surprise you, which is why I can’t stay mad. What happened?”

  He ran one hand through his hair. “We finished the planning for the next lab takedown in plenty of time but then Daegan needed to talk after the others left. He’s having trouble with a few of his men. Similar to what we went through—freedom is a wonderful thing but it brings new pressures and problems and not everyone is adapting well to this environment.”

  “I wish I’d been there.” Frowning a little, Jill was matter of fact. He heard no resentment in her voice over his decision to delay returning home to their cave in favor of letting the younger Alpha discuss his problems.

  Grateful to have such an understanding mate, he squeezed her shoulder. “So do I but you know he’s used to relying only on himself and he doesn’t open up much, so I felt like I needed to listen.”

  “Absolutely.” Jill sat up, stretching. “I think it’s a positive sign he brought his concerns up. Being mated to a human is a good thing for him too. Flo has a lot of common sense and she understands life in the valley.”

  “He’s also worried some of the men, if not all of them may have more tweaks to their DNA than we’d believed. He’s concerned that might be causing the new health issues he’s seeing.” Frustrated, Aydarr ran his hand over his eyes and sighed. “And here we are, talking pack business in bed. Again. I’m sorry.”

  She gave him a hug. “Don’t apologize. It’s what we do, it’s our most important function, to keep the Badari together and strong. We’re in the middle of a war for survival after all.”

  Rubbing her back, he nodded. “Yes to all of that but here it’s just the two of us.”

  Jill twined her arms around his neck. “Thank goodness. I can probably take your mind off of the pack for at least a few hours.” Her smile was mischievous.

  Conscious of all the blood in his body flowing to his groin, Aydarr laughed. “I’m sure you can, mate.”

  Taking possession of his lips, Jill drew him closer, to lie on top of her, although he was conscious of his much greater-than-human size and weight, so he supported himself to some extent. She was clad in one of his tee shirts, which he immediately sacrificed to the greater good, slicing it off with one talon. He exercised utmost caution not to nick Jill in the process and then between them they disposed of the remnants, leaving her exposed to his hungry gaze. Lowering his head, he took the rosy tip of one breast into his mouth, to suckle and tease, while she reached between them to stroke his aching cock.

  He was already aroused by her scent but took his time to make sure she was fully ready as well. After a year of being mated, Aydarr had a good idea what his mate liked, what touches made her writhe under him in pleasure and ask for more. Of course being Jill, she was an active participant, playing with his body and driving him to ecsta
sy as well. When she adjusted herself to a position where she could take him into her mouth, he lay back on the pillow with a groan and grabbed hard at the sheets. She was relentless in her attentions and he was all but helpless to resist.

  The irony of being the supreme and deadly Alpha, brought to his knees by one small human woman amused him and he delighted in the knowledge Jill was his mate to cherish. Finally he dared not delay a moment longer. “I need to be inside you,” he said, voice indicating the stress he was under from the effort he was exerting not to climax too soon.

  She gave the head of his shaft a final swipe with her skillful tongue and then lay on her back with a satisfied expression, eyes sparkling. “I’m more than ready for you.”

  Positioning himself between her thighs, he thrust carefully. Aided by her body’s arousal, he slid deep inside, sheathing himself in her warmth and pressure all along the ridges on his manhood. Restraint was impossible and he pumped in and out, going deeper with each movement. Jill locked her legs behind his thighs and kept up with him easily, her breath coming in pants, interspersed with soft pleading for him to give her more. Since he had the same passionate desire, Aydarr went deep, holding her tight and safe in his arms and they climaxed as one, the mate bond coruscating in his heart and mind. The sensations of the orgasm kept him immobile, taut as a bow string, sheathed in her body, fully one with his mate. Although conscious thought was an effort, he knew he’d never been happier.

  “I love you,” he whispered, smoothing her tangled hair away from her face so he could give her a tender kiss. “Don’t ever leave me.”

  “Never,” she said, hugging as much of him as she could. “I love you more than life itself, you know.”

  The knowledge was firmly rooted in his heart, amplified by the mate bond tying them together but as he lay hot, sweaty and satisfied in their bed, Jill close to his heart where she fit perfectly, he wondered if he needed to do more, something else to show her what she meant to him.

  A challenge to ponder in the light of day.

  * * *

  JILL WAS DONE for the day with tasks, meetings and all the minutiae of being second in command of the combined packs and went in search of her mate. He’s coming home with me on time tonight. She’d arranged a do-over of the special meal he’d missed the week before but now she’d accepted that she’d have to see to it personally he didn’t get caught up in last minute discussions. The element of surprise had been a fun idea but didn’t work out too well in light of the daily pressures on both of them. Jill was prepared to face anyone down to stake her claim on his time tonight, even another Alpha.

  Knocking on the door, she entered his office to find him at the window, staring off into the distance where the lake sparkled in the setting sun.

  “Ready to go?” she asked as she studied him. All Badari were handsome to human eyes, having been created to possess the attribute as a weapon of war, but in her opinion Aydarr was head and shoulders above the others in good looks. Of course he was the supreme Alpha, with the ability to dominate all the others locked into his DNA and radiated power even when he was at rest, like right now. She could go toe to toe with him because he loved her as fiercely as she loved him, although she and her mate were careful not to disagree in public, lest they confuse the hierarchical Badari.

  On occasion she took a deep breath of amazement that this man was hers. The relationship between herself and Aydarr was the most powerful bond she’d ever felt and being his full partner in running the packs, the valley and the war would have been terrifying if not for their mate bond. “Something wrong?”

  Reaching out to her, he shook his head. “A few minutes ago I signed off on a week’s leave for our newest bonded mates. Ethmirr and a newly arrived human. He swears he knew she was the one the moment he opened the cell door at the Khagrish lab to free her. She says she felt an attraction then too but it still took him weeks to court her and for her to fall in love with him.”

  Standing in front of him, within the circle of his arms, Jill said, “Versus the way we did it, or you did it anyway, naming me as your mate on what, the third day?”

  “To save your life if you’ll kindly recall.” His tone was affectionate. “If any of my soldiers acted the way I did, they’d be disciplined.”

  “We didn’t know,” Jill said. “We didn’t even know what we didn’t know. We were the first and we had to figure it all out on the fly. There was a lot going on, remember?”

  “What an understatement.” Aydarr chuckled.

  His mood didn’t seem to be improving despite his amusement so she probed delicately. “Is there a problem with Ethmirr’s situation? I would think granting the claimed mate leave would be a happy way to end the day. We want the pack to pair up and create a stable situation with mates and families. Or am I misinformed?”

  “No, he’s a fine soldier, from Jamokan’s canid-descent pack. The woman comes well recommended. I’m pleased for them.” Almost absent mindedly he hugged her. “We got one night, in a cell, remember?”

  Jill turned to face him. “It was a special night though. We seized the opportunity the goddess gave us and claimed each other, even in the midst of the horror and the tragedy. Our mate bond is the most important thing in the world to me.”

  “And to me. Sometimes I can’t help but be a bit envious of the others who came after, who can take time to savor the newness and the special feeling.” Now he kissed her, making a visible effort to switch gears and take on a lighter mood. “I assume the delicious dinner is waiting?”

  “Sandara isn’t going to send it to the cave until I let her know we’re both on our way. She gave me hell for wasting all the food the last time.” Jill couldn’t quell the laughter rumbling up from her gut. The chef had blown a gasket all right but then calmed down just as fast and promised to create an even more special meal for the second attempt. “I’ll be washing dishes in the dining hall for a week though if we don’t eat this dinner to the last crumb. I had to beg and bargain for a second chance.”

  “Well, let us go then. We can’t risk the wrath of the notoriously fiery chef.” The skin around his eyes crinkled with good humor. “Sometimes I think she believes she actually rules the valley.”

  Hand in hand they left the admin building. Jill warded off several people who wanted to talk to them, saying, “He’s all mine tonight unless the Khagrish show up in the sky over the lake.”

  “I will ensure they don’t,” MARL said from his spot behind them, where he drifted along, flashing mostly blue tones this evening. “As I always do. It is one of my mission parameters.”

  “And we’re grateful,” Jill said. “I definitely want peace and quiet to reign during my dinner with my mate tonight and anything else we may decide to do thereafter.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Aydarr was in a good mood for the next several days after their belated anniversary dinner and the romantic evening which had followed. But on the third morning, Jill awoke before dawn to find him standing beside the bed, dressed, eyes glowing slightly. He had an air of repressed excitement and she guessed the unusual emotion had traveled through the mate bond to awaken her. Yawning, she sat up. “What’s going on?”

  Aydarr held out his hand. “Will you come with me today?”

  “Of course, any time anywhere.” Jill let him pull her from the bed and after a long kiss, she started dressing, matching her attire to his with utility pants, the black tee shirt and boots. “Are we going out to a Khagrish lab?”

  “In a manner of speaking.” Grinning like a boy, he added, “I have a surprise.”

  Intrigued, not gleaning any clues from the mate bond, she agreed to whatever he had on the agenda for the day. She grabbed a fistful of survival bars and nutrient drinks from their kitchenette and headed out, away from the cave. The fact he was leading her to the landing field only heightened her curiosity.

  When they arrived, Aydarr led her to a small flyer parked off to the side. It was a personal craft, possibly designed for a Khagrish
security officer, big enough to hold four people at the most. There was light armament but the ship was built for speed and had racy red stripes along the fuselage and wings. To the Khagrish red signified the highest ranking individuals.

  “Ooh, nice.” Jill did a leisurely 360 degree survey of the craft’s exterior, taking note of all the design features as she paced. “Where did this come from?”

  A gleam in his eye, Aydarr seemed pleased by her reaction. “We captured it at the last lab we overran. Don’t you remember?”

  “I recall Gabe boasting about a new toy but I don’t think I realized it was this flyer. I was kind of busy with other issues.” She looked it over from nose to tail and ran her hand along the racy red stripe. “And now it’s yours?”

  Nodding, he pressed the tab to open the hatch and led her inside. MARL drifted behind them but paused in the open door. Aydarr beckoned to him. “Remember our agreement.”

  “I never forget anything.” Surface entirely purple, MARL moved forward, taking a position above one of the seats. The hatch closed smoothly behind him.

  Aydarr was headed to the cockpit so Jill hurried to catch him. “You’ve been making agreements with my AI behind my back?”

  “We can discuss that later.” He slid into the pilot’s chair and pointed at the co-pilot’s seat. “Join me?”

  Her mate was avoiding the question, which was unlike him but Jill was distracted by the fact there wasn’t a pilot on board. “I didn’t know you were checked out on these.”

  “We were all taught in the simulators. I’d actually flown a few short hops when we were out on missions as prisoners but Flo’s been burnishing my skills a bit.”

  “And she certified you?”

  Aydarr gave her what she called the “Alpha Look. “I don’t require a tick mark next to my name in the record to take out a flyer. There are benefits to being Alpha.”