Page 57 of Alien Prince Fake Fiancé

Cam sighed and glanced behind him to make sure the door to the medical room was closed. “There have been three incidents this past year resulting in the deaths of Dark Ones. The fire that involved C'Bor and his human wife was thefirst,” he said, stressing the last word meaningfully.

First of three? What? “And that thing’s mate died?” Ashlyn blinked, trying to understand. C'Bor's human wife was Juliette. She was mated to a Lumerian, so that checked out. Ashlyn already knew the secret about the maju paste and how it affected humans. She hadn't heard about any 'incidents' involving 'Dark Ones', though.

Was that surprising when she'd spent the last year avoiding talking about all things alien? “Zade told me 'Dark Ones' were interdimensional, or some weird thing, that they were almost impossible to kill.”

“He spoke true,” Bren confirmed, rejoining the conversation. “Bone Crusher's mate could have been killed during any of those incidents. There was no evidence that Lumerians were involved. The likelihood that anyone else could destroy a 'Dark One', however, is slim.”

Ashlyn frowned. If anyone could kill one of those creepy things, she'd bet on Lumerians, too, so why did she feel like she was missing something?Think, damn it! Juliette was one of the human women transformed by maju paste, right? She gotpowers. How many other human women have somehow ended up getting exposed to the paste and transformed? Two? Three? Isthat what Cam is trying to tell me? Three humans––threeincidents? Oooohhh....Fuuuuuckkkk. Lumerians are involved, but so are theirhumanmates?!

“How—” Ashlyn stepped away and returned to Zade’s side, taking his hand in hers. “Never mind. I don’t care. The Saltrec people can help Zade. I just know they can. They have to. I can’t lose him.”

“Of course they can. Everything’s going to be okay.” Rachel assured her. “And if they can’t, we’ve still got Sasha.”

Ashlyn nodded, grateful both her sister, and Sasha—who happened to be an amazing healer—would be on Caldor with her.

She brushed back a lock of hair from Zade’s brow, disturbed by the coldness of his skin. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. “Hang on, my love,” she whispered. “Help is coming.”

Ashlyn's heartraced in her chest as she stared out the window of the tiny transport ship descending toward the docking station. She had never been away from Earth, never traveled in a spaceship, let alone gone to a distant planet.

Caldor was ten times the size of Earth, and one of the most technologically advanced planets in the Intergalactic Trade community. Her fear for Zade dampened her awe of the vast, rugged landscapes dotted with towering mountains and deep valleys as they traveled across the land, bathed in the light of three moons. They’d skimmed high above modern, bustling cities full of alien architecture, vast empty stretches of deserts, oceans, and icy tundra. She’s watched as hovercraft zipped in and out of the spaceports with the ease and frequency of human cars weaving in and out of traffic on a busy highway. None of it mattered.

She turned her gaze away from the window, her thoughts never far from Zade. They’d been traveling through space for three days and he showed no signs of waking.

Rachel sat beside her, gripping her hand tightly. "We’re almost there. Hang in there. He’s going to be okay," she whispered, her voice lacking conviction.

Cam stood behind Rachel, his features devoid of emotion. "If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to check in on Lee one more time before we land. The nanny is threatening to get rid of his sling if he doesn’t stop throwing his toys out of the playpen.” He turned toward Ashlyn. “Try to stay positive, the Saltrec elder will know what to do.”

Ashlyn could hear the sadness hidden beneath his calm exterior as he bent down to give Rachel a tender kiss before heading back to their temporary quarters.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay on the ship with Lee?” Ashlyn asked. “It’s enough that you’re here with me. Honestly.”

“No way, sister. Start to finish, I’m in it.”

“Cam is amazing, you know. And he’s a great dad.”

“I know,” Rachel smirked. “Come on. I think we’ve arrived. Time to layer up. We’re past the edge of the Northern Sector. Cam says it’s cold as fuck out there and metamaterial is practically useless.”

“Time to go native?”

“If by native you mean astronaut suits, then heck, yeah, let’s do it. I’ve always wanted to wear one of those things.”

“Actually, I was thinking more like extra layers. Hats, coats, and gloves. We’re not going hiking in Antarctica, are we?”

“From what Cam’s told me, we might wish we were.” Arm in arm, they made their way toward the docking bay.

As the sealon the hatch door released, a gust of icy wind howled through the opening. Ashlyn's fingers trembled as she donned the fitted mask, the biting wind and swirling gusts of snow gnawing at her exposed skin.

Once fitted, the mask covered her entire face except for her eyes, which she covered with the special goggles she’d been given. Both were designed to withstand the most brutal conditions Caldor had to offer. Small, strategically placed vents managed airflow and reduced condensation buildup inside the mask, with removable filters around the nose and mouth to aid in warming the outside air to prevent her from breathing in tiny ice particles that could freeze her lungs and kill her within minutes.

She’d been tutored on how to use the mask in preparation for the two hour ride into the village located far into the glacial mountain range towering majestically in front of them. She glanced at her sister, Rachel’s masked and goggled face mirroring her apprehension as they prepared for the final leg of their journey.

"Ready?" Ashlyn asked, her voice muffled but audible through the integrated comms system. A nod of affirmation from Rachel, and with a collective deep breath, they stepped out into the howling gale, the world transformed into a surreal blend of blinding white and relentless cold.

Just beyond the door, Sasha and Dagan waited, outfitted similarly in heavy duty winter snowsuits and masks.

Ashlyn started to run down the length of the hatch door before it had completely settled, eager to embrace her friend.

Even through the masks, Ashlyn could see her friend’s blue eyes were full of worry. No words were needed as they hugged, rocking back and forth.

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