Shaft, p.1
Shaft, page 1
PRAISE FOR CANDICE GILMER, AUTHOR
Candice Gilmer is hilarious. She just is funny
FRIEND FROM WORK
I can’t put her books down, like ever. Even in the tub
THAT ONE FAN
She’s great. Just great. Now, where’s the coffee and donuts you promised me?
THE BRIBED FELLOW AUTHOR
SHAFT
INTERGALACTIC DATING AGENCY
MOST WANTED ALIEN BRIDES
BOOK FIVE
CANDICE GILMER, AUTHOR
FLIRTATION PUBLISHING
CONTENTS
Is she ready for her red alien?
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
Intergalactic Dating Agency
Read on for the Next Book
Claim
Intergalactic Dating Agency
The Temptress’s Cyborg
Dear Reader
About the Author
Other Books by Candice Gilmer
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, 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, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Flirtation Publishing
Wichita, KS
Shaft
Most Wanted Alien Brides: Intergalactic Dating Agency
Book 5
Copyright © 2022 by Candice Gilmer
Cover by The Book Brander
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
IS SHE READY FOR HER RED ALIEN?
In an impossible position, Olmed must find himself a mate, and look for a thief. He’s the perfect one for the job, since he already was a criminal against the Kantenan worlds.
As a distraction, he goes to the Intergalactic Dating Agency’s newest offices and let them find him the perfect mate. Hopefully, there was an escape clause because Olmed was solving this mystery, with or without a mate.
Tori wasn’t doing this. Whatever this was, nope, she wasn’t about it. The park wasn’t her idea. She was dumping her ex and moving on. Then Jana disappeared in a flash of light.
Without thinking, Tori and Polly run after her. Now she’s on the other side of the galaxy with this giant, red-horned mate who looks like something out of a movie, and she’s supposed to mate with him?
She’d rather smash his face in. Then it gets worse. A lot worse.
Can they handle it together?
Or will it tear them apart?
PROLOGUE
In the distance, the smell of the citricite refinery filled Olmed's nose. Even here, inside the hearing chamber, it was still in the air. A distinct odor that permeated the Kantenan world. The ore, a valuable commodity in the galaxy, was only able to be mined in certain areas, and the Kantenans maintained control of it.
Their entire culture revolved around the citricite, both as a resource and a sign of power.
The very chamber had trimmings of the orange-white stone sparkling throughout the room.
A soft shift in the noise echoed as he walked out to the platform to hear the verdict of the council.
Kantenans watched him. Deciding if he should be punished. Interesting that so many of his people were there to see what the decision would be. If his life mattered in the great Kantenan way.
He stood straight and reverent. He needed to show some respect for the ruling.
It might earn him some leniency.
But what was the point, truly? His people had left him behind, and he did not really care what they wanted to do now.
Those observing the sentencing spoke in hushed voices. Their personal judgments were made. Now it was time for the council to make theirs.
The council took their seats in the semicircle. His gaze ran over the ones deciding his fate. Fellow Kantenans privileged with a higher place in this world and thereby determining the place of others.
And punishing criminals.
"You understand the consequences of your actions?" the main judge asked him.
Olmed didn't know the speaker's family name. He didn't care. It didn't matter. He just wanted to get this over with and move forward.
The councilman’s horns jutted out from his head almost like flames. It seemed fitting.
Olmed didn’t bother answering. There was no point. It would not change the coming moments.
"Answer, Olmed."
"Why?"
"You were spoken to. Reply."
"Why?" Olmed asked.
"Is there a purpose to this obstinate behavior?" another on the council asked.
Olmed glanced at her.
She raised her chin, as if she dared him to speak to her.
Not worth my time, Olmed mused. He turned back to the leader of the council. "Your decisions are made. I cannot sway you. Choose the punishment and let me accept it."
"This is the fourth time you've been before us. You claim your innocence--"
"And you do not listen," Olmed pointed out.
The observers grew silent, the hall so quiet one could hear the breathing of the council members.
"Lies do not become the Kantenans. We exist to a higher standard. One that allows for…"
Olmed tuned out. He didn't want or need to hear the lecture. He had heard it before. He knew doctrine. The Kantenan way of life. It never changed.
As long as one was believable. Truth was a construct, but it was also a tool. If one could wield it in their own way, one could pave their path.
Raw, unrefined truth, though, was not as believable.
Unfortunately.
His gaze ran over the council. He knew where this was going. The same as the other times.
He would be given punishment, and he would do as required. An assignment of unimportance or something that no one else wanted to do. Last time it was--
"You will board the ship."
Olmed blinked.
Ship? What ship?
"Considering your past actions, we have not taken this verdict lightly, and our choices were limited.” The councilman sighed. For a moment, their eyes met, and Olmed wondered what else he had to say.
This was not the same, Olmed realized.
“It is the decision of this body that you are no longer Kantenan, and you are not welcome on this planet's soil. "
Olmed stared at the central councilman. "You banish me."
Soft gasps came from the room.
His gut roiled, and he hoped his mother was not aware of this. It would destroy her. She'd been through enough.
The lead council member hit his hand on the table, bringing silence to the room. "The people do not need your disruptions and chaos. Our society has no use for you. You have one standard hour to get off this planet, or you will be killed."
At least they were giving him an hour to get out, rather than killing him where everyone would see.
"So, you release me on the galaxy?" Olmed asked. An interesting choice if they thought he was a liar and a thief.
"You are no longer Kantenan. We do not want or need you here," the council leader repeated. "Go before we change our decision."
Olmed didn’t speak as he turned to walk out. Guards led him through the crowds without any contact, though it wasn’t a challenge.
All the observers gave him a wide berth.
As if his rebellious nature would infect them. As if just touching him would make them want to tear down society and break as many laws as possible.
As if he were the only Kantenan to—
He wasn’t Kantenan anymore, was he?
Just another homeless humanoid, he supposed. One guard pulled the door open, and he stepped out of the chamber into the hallway.
It could be worth it. He glanced at the roof, seeing the buzzing camera that filmed him walking through. He looked straight at it and nodded. He hoped his mother would see it, and would know he meant that for her. To assure her that he would be well.
He had little faith, but he didn't want his mother to think he was fearful.
She would have told him to be strong.
So, he was.
Even in the wake of this. Not a soul around him showed any sympathy. If anything, those eyes on him were all cold and dead. Some spouted curses and other nasty words at him as he moved through, but none had the strength of character to get in his face and say those things.
The biggest problem with the Kantenans, as far as he was concerned. Hid behind their protections and didn’t dare venture beyond their doctrine.
He had to tell himself this would be for the best. He could head to a space port—Disguised Serenity being the closest—and find work. From there, he’d…
He would figure something out.
The hall curved, and more doors opened to the outside. He expected the guards to hurl him out there, but they didn't; instead two led him to a side hallway that was too small for the crowd.
As soon as he entered, the buzzing camera disappeared.
All except for a Kantenan with long horns that pointed st raight off his head. He leaned against the wall, waiting. As Olmed got closer, he stood straighter and walked toward him.
Immediately, Olmed recognized him. They'd met a few times in the past, but never in a way that one would want to share.
A Gol-Vett did not socialize with the likes of Olmed.
Olmed glared at him. "What do you want?"
"I can secure you transport,” Dhomhes said, smiling that devious grin he had.
"At what cost?"
"The generosity of my heart," he said.
"Dhomhes, you have never done anything out of the generosity of your heart," Olmed said. "You're lucky I don't add you to my list of offenses."
"If I thought you were serious, I would not be here," Dhomhes said.
"What do you want, Dhomhes?"
"I have a friend in the Mining Guild. They always need strong workers. And they don't ask questions." He handed Olmed a data card.
"Why is a Gol-Vett helping me? Won't it get you kicked out of your royal society?"
Dhomhes shrugged. "Sometimes, the likes of you can be very beneficial to someone like me."
Olmed considered turning him down, but time was ticking. He had mere minutes to get off Kantenan.
He looked at the data card.
The Mining Guild was as good as any place to start over.
Not be just another bolt in the conveyor here.
1
EIGHT MONTHS LATER
Olmed swung his ax. It clattered against the ore that filled the cave, and he sent the rocks tumbling into his catcher. Another swipe, and he filled his catcher.
He turned to put it on the trolley. In the process, he bumped into another miner's load, knocking his bundle of ore over.
"What is wrong with you?" the miner screamed at him.
Olmed glared back at him. His horns throbbed, ready to fight.
Wait, he told himself. Don’t engage. Not yet.
"You don't scare me, Kantenan," the other miner snarled. "You shouldn't even be here."
Olmed stood his ground. "You know things?"
"I know a waste of flesh when I see one," the miner said. "This is a job. You don't get to glide through here."
Olmed stepped toward him.
About that time, a green tail wrapped around the other miner.
"Be calm, Holok."
Erzo, a Charro with green skin and a long tail, pulled Holok away from Olmed.
"Let go of me," Holok snapped back at Erzo. "This doesn't concern you."
"If it's in my mine, then yes, it concerns me," Erzo said. Shifting his tail, he slammed Holok into the wall before he released him.
Holok stood, shaking his head. "What did you--"
"Enough," Erzo said. "Fight is over."
“You don’t tell me what to do, Charro,” Holok snapped, even though he was still rubbing his head. “I’ll report you for abuse! Miner's Needs will hear about this!”
“You do that,” Erzo said. “Be sure they bring up the recordings too and see how you purposely shoved your basket into the Kantenan just to get a rise out of him.”
Olmed gritted his teeth.
"I did no such thing," Holok fired back.
"Shall I bring up the recordings?" Erzo asked, his tail weaving back and forth behind him.
"You don't know." Holok pointed at Olmed. "You haven't seen the last of me. I know all about you."
Olmed blinked. "Evidently not."
Erzo glanced at Olmed. "You okay?"
"He is runt. I would have handled it."
"He is," Erzo said. "But he can make a lot of noise." He looked up at him, being a half a head shorter than Olmed. "You don't need noise, or so I've heard."
So that was how it would be. At least that, Olmed understood.
"I take care of myself."
Erzo nodded. “Never hurts to know others.”
Olmed nodded.
He turned to pick up an empty catcher when from nowhere, he was slammed into by a chunk of ore.
The pain hit.
Then the fury. His spinal bones extended, creating ridges on his shoulders and back, and ripping through his working tunics.
Olmed spun around.
Holok and three friends laughed. For a moment. Then they saw the battle ridges sticking out.
Olmed launched at them.
The other miners in the area gave them as wide a berth as possible, but it didn’t take long.
Strike.
Punch.
Kick.
Slam.
Olmed had the friends on the ground. Before Holok could get away, Olmed grabbed the front of Holok’s uniform. He raised him off his feet, so the little humanoid was eye-level.
Holok trembled.
“Leave. Me. Alone.”
“We don’t want you—”
Olmed pulled him closer.
Growled.
Holok struggled.
Olmed let go. “Don’t screw with me,” he snarled.
Holok took off, running right past Erzo.
Who sat there, on his tail, nonchalantly watching.
“Thought you were my friend,” Olmed said.
Erzo shrugged. “You had it under control.”
From around the corner, another miner, Phares, came over. “What happened?”
Olmed opened his mouth to speak.
“Holok was being a dung stone, and the new guy, Olmed, took care of it,” Erzo said, as though it happened every day.
Phares looked Olmed over. “You okay?”
Olmed nodded. “Where do I go for punishment?”
Phares glanced back down the tunnel, where Holok had taken off. “Don’t worry about it. Holok was due to get his rear kicked.”
Not exactly how Olmed had expected this to go, but he would take it.
"You are upset." Fwan, the head of Miner's Needs, stared down at Olmed, not intimidated by Olmed's horns or red skin. Fwan’s chair sat a little higher than Olmed’s, giving him a towering appearance.
This added to the fact that Fwan was not easily intimidated anyway, due to his skin that could melt into shadows if he wanted to.
Olmed’s appearance kept others at a distance most of the time. The few who spoke to him regularly were Phares and Erzo, but even then, he did not think they were great buddies.
A buddy wasn’t anything Olmed thought he’d ever have.
"I am fine," Olmed replied.
"You got into another fight in the mines."
"Miners are troll dung." Unfortunately, Holok’s recent incident was not his only attempt to drag Olmed into a fight. Mostly to prove that he could take Olmed; at least that was what Olmed assumed. Why he kept coming back and trying to fight didn’t make sense.
But miners tended to be their own kind of stupid.
"Not my miners."
"Then you haven't been paying attention," Olmed replied, more to himself than to Fwan.
Fwan, of course, heard it. "Neither have you."
The last eight months had been challenging. Not like it had been on Kantenan, but enough that Olmed was still watching over his shoulder. He had no contact with Kantenan or his family.
He didn’t know if his mother knew what had happened, and that only added to the frustration that seemed to live under his skin.
He attempted to focus on positive things. Unlike on Kantenan, the Mining Guild had potential for advancement and growth. He didn’t have to stay in the mines digging ore.
Occasionally, he was brought into Phares’s specialty group of miners, who secured the tunnels when they needed extra help.
He guessed that Erzo, who was one of these specialists, had something to do with it, but Olmed wasn’t complaining. It was still work, and it kept him away from Holok and his circle.
Kept the fights to a minimum.
This latest meeting with Miner’s Needs may not have a positive outcome, however. The fight the other day had been pretty bad.
