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  “Like I said—let me carry them.”

  “No, I’ll get them! I’m not an old lady yet!” she exclaimed with asperity.

  I shrugged. “Suit yourself.” Then led her into the living room where Grav was sitting in all his blue, horned glory on the couch. “Mom, meet Grav. He’s going to be your new son-in-law.”

  “Hi there.” Grav smiled at her.

  “Good gracious!” said my mom and dropped the groceries again.

  The End…or is it?

  (Ha—just kidding. Of course it’s not. Keep reading…)

  Epilogue

  “So your mom got used to Grav?” Zoe asked, grinning at me over a plate full of Girls’ Night snacks.

  “She more than got used to him—she loves him.” I took another bite of hudu cake, which I had specifically requested this time. Zoe and I were back on Eloim catching up and I couldn’t have been happier about the way that things had worked out.

  “Even though he’s an alien?” Zoe asked, taking a bite of cake herself.

  “Even though,” I agreed. “You know my mom has always been very open minded. And she’s also a good judge of character—she never liked Gerald either. So once she got over the shock of finding out that there is alien life out there and that I had fallen in love with an alien, she was fine with Grav as long as he promised to treat me right. Which he swore up and down he would do—honestly, he charmed her socks off.”

  I grinned, remembering how well my mom and Grav had hit it off. She didn’t even mind it when he slipped and threw in a swear word from time to time. It was amazing how charming he could be when he put his mind to it.

  Zoe frowned. “What about Gerald, though? I would have thought that Grav would break his arms at least.”

  “He wanted to,” I said grimly. “But I talked him out of chasing him down the street in broad daylight. It didn’t matter though—Gerald got what he deserved.”

  “He did? How so?” She took a sip of bubble wine—a pale blue one this time that tasted faintly of melons and some kind of berries and cinnamon—and raised an eyebrow at me.

  “Well, Grav had taken his clothes because he didn’t have anything else to wear. So when Gerald escaped, he was nude.” I giggled. “My mom’s neighbor, Mrs. Kowalski called the police and reported a naked man running down the street. I heard later that when they caught up to him, he was babbling about a big blue alien from outer space who stole his clothes.”

  “Oh my!” Zoe giggled. “So what happened?”

  “Last I heard he lost his job and he was, uh, under observation at a psychiatric care facility,” I said, taking a sip of wine myself. “It seems like some people can handle the idea of aliens and some…well…” I shrugged. “They just can’t. And I think Gerald was one of those.”

  “Serves him right after the way he treated you,” Zoe said, frowning. “So now you guys are going to settle here on Eloim with me? You are, aren’t you? Please say you are!”

  “That’s what Grav wants,” I said. “In fact, he’s negotiating right now with the ruler of Thonolax with that goal in mind.”

  “What?” Zoe shook her head. “I don’t understand—why would he need the ruler of Thonolax’s permission for you guys to stay here on Eloim?”

  “Because he wants Teeny to stay with us.” I took another sip of wine and smiled. “We’ve gotten really close since we found her on Chndra—almost like a little family. And Grav wants to keep her with him to keep her safe—at least until she’s old enough to rule Thonolax herself. So he’s negotiating with her grandfather to bring her back to Eloim and keep her here until she’s of age.”

  “Oh, that would be just perfect!” Zoe clapped her hands in excitement, nearly spilling her wine. “She can use Selah’s old tutors—they’re still here, you know, on the palace staff even though Selah has gone away to get a higher degree. And she can hang out with us and we can have so much fun!”

  I smiled. “That’s what we’re hoping. Grav already talked to Sarden about it and he agreed to make Teeny a ward of the planet. And Teeny wants to come live with us so badly she was almost crying when I hugged her goodbye. All we need is her grandfather’s permission. But since Grav had consistently proved that he’s the only one who can keep her safe, I don’t think it will be a problem.”

  “I bet they’ll be back in no time,” Zoe said confidently. She sighed. “The only thing that could make it more perfect would be if Charlotte was here.”

  “I know,” I said frowning. “But when I finally got her on the phone again, she would hardly talk to me. I wanted to go see her but she said she’s really busy with her medical rotation and asked me to stay away.”

  “But I thought you told me before that she might be in danger,” Zoe objected. “That makes me worried!”

  “Grav and I were worried too, but he made contact with Captain Verrai—the head of the Imperial Guards I told you about, remember? The one who thinks Charlotte is supposed to be the next Empress?”

  “Yes—so what did he say?” Zoe asked eagerly.

  “That he was watching over her and not to worry,” I said.

  “Watching over her? What does that mean? Has he even talked to her yet?” Zoe demanded.

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. But by that time we had taken so long to get Teeny back to her grandfather, we couldn’t stay. Grav was only able to justify coming back to Eloim to drop me off because he needed a part for his hopper. That’s why he got it fixed and took off again with Teeny so quickly.”

  “And you really think that Charlotte is safe?” Zoe sounded concerned. “I mean, I’m concerned about her! Especially after what happened with the other Imperial Guards.”

  “What other Imperial Guards?” I asked, frowning. “You mean the ones that were with Captain Verrai?”

  “Yes—didn’t you hear? Sarden just told me this morning. They were supposed to take Count Doloroso’s ship back to Femme 1, which is also known as Majorah Prime, and turn it in to the proper authorities. But they never arrived.”

  “What?” I felt a cold chill go down my spine. “Are you sure about that?”

  “Sure as I can be.” Zoe shrugged uneasily. “There’s no ship and no warriors and nobody can find them. They’re just…gone.”

  “That’s awful!” I put my arms around myself, trying to stop the sudden rush of goose bumps that rippled over me.

  “Yeah, it’s not good, that’s for sure.” Zoe sighed. “So that’s why I’m so worried about Charlotte. I mean, aside from the assassination attempts by people who don’t want her on the throne, we also have to worry about the Creepy Count coming after her. And we don’t even know what he looks like this time.”

  “Well, Captain Verrai will be looking out for her,” I said comfortingly. “And the Commercians are watching too, through the AMI. I think she’ll be okay.”

  “I just wish we could contact her—but it’s so hard to get a reliable signal this far away!”

  “Who knows,” I said. “Maybe the next time we’ll see her will be at her coronation.”

  “Wouldn’t that be amazing?” Zoe grinned. “From your lips to the Goddess’ ears.”

  “So you believe in her now—the Goddess of Mercy, I mean?” I asked curiously. “Because I thought you weren’t religious. Not like me, anyway.”

  “Oh, like when your mean grandma used to take you to that Hellfire and Brimstone church and smack your hand if she thought your manners weren’t good enough?” Zoe grinned. “No, it’s nothing like that. But I do think this whole big universe is just too vast and varied and amazing to be just some accident. You know? And I’ve seen things…when it seems like nothing is going right and then, somehow, things just fall into place. There has to be a divine hand at work in all that.”

  “I agree,” I said thoughtfully. “And I know that Grav believes—he’s certain that the Goddess put us together and helped us seal our bond.”

  “Well, maybe he’s right,” Zoe said, smiling. “You k
now, Sarden told me that the Majorans believe that their Empress is the physical incarnation of the Goddess of Mercy herself? That’s why she’s called the Goddess Empress.”

  “Wow—can you imagine someone trying to convince Charlotte that she’s a Goddess?” I giggled.

  “I know—right?” Zoe laughed. “Practical, down-to-Earth Charlotte. She would never buy that. I tell you what, I don’t know this Captain Verrai of the Imperial Guards, but he’s certainly got his work cut out for him.”

  “You’re right about that.” I pictured Charlotte in my mind with her honey-blonde curls pulled up in a no-nonsense pony tail and her sharp green eyes, always scanning every situation for problems and solutions.

  “You know she told me once that she stopped believing in Santa when she was only four?” Zoe said. “I mean, can you imagine?”

  “That’s Charlotte, all right,” I remarked. “She always says that if something sounds too good to be true it probably is.” I frowned. “Come to think of it, I hope I didn’t upset her by using the Commercians to contact her back when I first left Earth. That was probably a pretty big pill for her to swallow.”

  “Why?” Zoe asked. “She’s got a scientific mind. You know all the experts have said there is probably extraterrestrial life out there.” She winked at me. “They just didn’t say it would be so sexy.”

  “Zoe!” I said, exasperated. “Do you have to brag on your sex life when my man is out of town? Or in this case, off the planet?”

  “Sorry.” She grinned unrepentantly. “It’s just really good with Sarden. But the point is, Charlotte should be fine.”

  I sighed. “Well, I know the Commercians certainly charged us for contacting her—they made Grav pay through the nose! So they must have made her understand. I just hope we’ll get a chance to go back and talk to her in person soon.”

  “We will—or you will anyway. I’ve still got the Star to think of.” She patted her head gently where the pink and purple jewel winked in her slender crown.

  “I have to get Teeny settled in here first,” I said. “I want to do right by her. I felt so bad about how things ended with Taggard—the little boy I was helping in Virginia. I was able to contact his dads before I left and say goodbye to all of them but I got the feeling that they still missed me.”

  “Of course they missed you—you’re amazing.” Zoe leaned over to give me a hug. “An amazing friend and you’re going to make an amazing mom for Teeny. And for any babies of your own that you and Grav decide to have.”

  “Oh, my—I think it’s a little early to think about that, don’t you?” I said, frowning. “Right now I’m just thinking about Charlotte.”

  Zoe smiled. “You trust this Captain Verrai, right?”

  I thought of his serious eyes and his vow to protect Charlotte and nodded.

  “Yes. Yes, I do. I think he’ll do anything it takes to keep her safe.”

  “Well then…Charlotte has a good protector. So she’ll be okay.”

  “I hope so,” I said, feeling a twinge of unease. “From your lips, to the Goddess of Mercy’s ears,” I added, repeating Zoe’s words back to her.

  “Exactly.” She laughed and hugged me again. “Cheer up, hon—everything is going to be just fine.”

  But even as I hugged her back, I wasn’t sure. Wasn’t sure at all…

  *If you have enjoyed Protected, please take a moment to leave a quick review HERE. Reviews are like gold for an author--they help other readers find her work and decide to take a chance on something new and different. Plus they give me warm fuzzies. Thanks for being such an awesome reader!

  Hugs, Evangeline

  And now, read on for a sneak peek of Alien Mate Index

  book 3, Descended, coming out this August.

  Hi, I'm Charlotte Walker, straight A student, surgical intern, and Empress of the galaxy.

  Wow, that escalated quickly, right? But it's true--at least according to the muscular giant with multicolored eyes and golden skin who turned up in my ER the other night. He says his name is Kristoff Verrai and he's the Captain of the Goddess-Empress's Imperial Guard.

  The Goddess-Empress being me.

  See, I'm supposedly the new Incarnation of the royal and divine being who rules all sentient life in the Milky Way. Seriously, I can't even get my laundry done half the time and now I'm supposed to be the Queen of Everything? Who made up this system, anyway?

  Now I'm dodging assassin-droids and competing with would-be imposters while I try to stop myself from falling for my gorgeous Guard. But because I'm a Royal and he's a commoner, I'll never be allowed to have him as my Consort.

  It hardly seems fair. But then, neither does the fact that I'm Descended from the old Empress and destined to rule the galaxy.

  What am I going to do?

  Descended: Book 3 of the Alien Mate Index Series

  Prologue

  Location: Aboard Assimilation ship EOC-2789, the private vessel of Count Doloroso. In orbit around the planet humans call “Mars”.

  Time: Several solar days following the death of Doloroso’s human host body and the subsequent acquisition of his new Majoran host body.

  The new body was working out splendidly. Count Doloroso—for so he still preferred to refer to himself, despite his numerous recent physical changes— stretched his muscular arms with delight. He still couldn’t get over how much better he felt in the Majoran host than he had in the human one.

  This body was young and strong and virile and best of all, it wasn’t orange. Well, not unless he wanted it to be. For Majorans were chromatacromes, able to change their hair and skin and eye color at will. It was the perfect disguise—really, he couldn’t understand why he hadn’t taken a Majoran as a host before.

  It had been extremely lucky, his old host body dying just as a perfect new host was available right on his own ship. The little silver drone that carried his essence and injected it into new sentient host bodies had only had to fly a few feet to sting one of the Imperial Guards on the neck. No one had even noticed when he took over—the transition had been exceedingly smooth.

  As for the other Imperial Guards who had been aboard the ship, he had managed to lure them down to the stasis booths in the belly of the ship. One by one he had tricked them into entering the empty booths and one by one he had frozen them in suspended animation. Now he had enough hosts to last him for years! Count Doloroso felt positively rich.

  Of course there was still one problem, Doloroso admitted as he paced back and forth in the control area of his ship—he still lacked a La-ti-zal to utilize in his new breeding program. How could he begin production of a whole new race of organic Assimilated if he couldn’t get a La-ti-zal female to impregnate?

  There was the one, of course—the last one of Zoe’s friends who was one of those females blessed by the Ancient Ones. But how could he get to her? Especially now that the Majoran captain of the Imperial Guard was watching over her? That was the question that had been occupying him for days as he orbited Mars, out of range of detection from his enemies.

  A sudden thought made him stop pacing.

  Then again, who said he had to get to her and take her away from Earth himself?

  A slow smile curved his new lips. The Majoran captain would do that for him. Because he believed that Charlotte—that was her name, correct?—was the new incarnation of the Goddess Empress. And so he would take her away from Earth and head for Femme 1, where the throne and palace of the Empress was located.

  Doloroso had a long history with the Empress—the old one, that was. She had been a La-ti-zal and a Seer—one who was granted visions of the future by the meddling Goddess of the Twelve Peoples.

  Due to her unfair advantage, the old Empress had been able to wipe out his entire race. He alone had survived to try and propagate his species, that of sentient machines inhabiting living hosts. The Assimilation had once been a mighty force to be reckoned with and yet the Goddess Empress had brought them low and all b
ut wiped them out.

  What if he returned the favor?

  Doloroso’s smile became a wide, evil grin. If he could get his hands on the new Empress, what amazing things could he accomplish? He could impregnate her with his seed, yes, but the possibilities went far beyond a single pregnancy. He could hold her for ransom and demand anything he wanted—he could even demand that every La-ti-zal in the galaxy be brought to him for his personal use and delectation. He could have a whole harem of La-ti-zal brood mares—all impregnated with his seed—all incubating organic Assimilated fetuses!

  Doloroso rubbed his new, strong hands together in delight. Oh yes, he had plans for the new Empress. And he wouldn’t even have to go to the trouble of going down to Earth to find her. Captain Verrai would bring her right to him…on Femme 1.

  Quickly, he went to set a course for the Majoran capital planet. He would have to make excuses, of course, for his delay and the “loss” of the other Imperial Guards, but those little details could easily be explained. There was much to put into place, many preparations to make in order to be ready.

  He was determined that this time, he would not fail. The Assimilation would rise again and every sentient being in the galaxy would speak its name with fear and awe and wonder.

  The Last Day would become the First.

  Chapter One

  Charlotte

  I slipped into a supply closet at the North Florida Regional Medical Center hospital where I was doing my surgical rotation and crammed myself into a corner, breathing hard.

  He’ll never find me here! I’ll be safe here, I told myself. Yet how many other times had I told myself the same thing, only to find that I was wrong?

  I took a quick scan of the closet and breathed a sigh of relief. Stacks and stacks of fresh sheets and towels, sterile trays for various procedures, bags of saline—it was all good. I didn’t see any shiny, reflective surfaces here. There was no way he could find me.