Maybe I wouldn't call security just yet.

  Her com, a clunky Earth model, sat perched on the side of the tub. I tilted my head to look at the screen. With a press of my digit I shut off the music to her earbuds and waited.

  She stirred, her eyelids fluttering open. Her gaze was bleary, unfocused, but the color of her eyes drew my attention. A deep hazel, the irises rimmed in a dark brown.

  I wasn't prepared for her unholy scream that iced my blood and killed my ears. They flattened against my skull and I gnashed my teeth, an unfortunate growl escaping me.

  She shrieked as she wildly clawed at the sides of the tub, vainly attempting to shield herself. She didn't have enough limbs to do both.

  "Who are you?!" she shouted, her voice echoing off the walls and face panic-stricken. "Get out! HELP!"

  "Excuse me? This is my room!" The walls seemed to shake with the force of my words, and I regretted it as soon as the human flinched.

  I'd scared her.

  She reanimated and snatched a towel off the stool beside the tub, holding it to her body as she scrambled out, water splashing against the floor with every wet, barefoot step she took.

  "I'm calling security!"

  The end of my tail twitched side to side. Now I was annoyed.

  "Good. They can escort you out while you explain to them how you broke into my room."

  She stopped mid step and whirled around. "This is my room! I should know. I booked it."

  I dragged a hand down my face. I didn't need this drama. All I wanted to do was take a shower and relax before meeting the team for some food.

  Instead I was dealing with an unhinged human fan.

  "Listen," I calmly replied, trying to deescalate the situation, "we can forget this issue and you can leave peacefully. I won't bring it up with security and we can both move on with our night. I'll even autograph something for you if you wish."

  Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, her plump, pink-beige lips parting as if she couldn't understand—or believe—what I just said.

  That was right before her gaze dipped down to my groin.

  My very aroused groin that strained against my pant leg.

  My cock twitched with interest, oblivious to the situation at hand. All it understood was a female—with entrancing curves, even if delusional—was staring at it and had been fully naked in my tub.

  "I'm so done with this job," she mumbled under her breath, momentarily squeezed her eyes shut, and hurried into the bedroom.

  I followed.

  It was clear I'd been distracted earlier, otherwise I would've smelled her scent all over this room like I did now. I'd grown accustomed to stale scents of previous guests in these places but now that I'd caught her fragrance, it was undeniably clear.

  "Do you have proof you booked this room?" I asked, indulging her delusion as she opened the closet embedded into the wall. She had all her items in there, which would explain why I hadn't noticed anything amiss initially.

  She paused, her tone stating she thought I was an idiot. "I know I booked this room. I have the confirmation and everything."

  I plunked down on the bed, taking the opportunity to lay flat on my back and enjoy the softness of the mattress. My spine rippled, the fur on my arms and legs shifting. The tension in my muscles released.

  "Could you please get off my bed!"

  "I think you mean my bed."

  "Could you at least put on a shirt or something?"

  I threaded my fingers behind my head, and exhaled a long, leisurely sigh. "I'll be shirtless in my room if I wish. If you're uncomfortable feel free to leave."

  "Oh my god," she whispered, struggling to dress herself without letting the towel drop. I didn't know why she was hanging on to her false sense of modesty—I'd already seen every bare inch of her.

  "I'm going to raise so much hell about this place," she grated, talking to herself. "Double booked the room, did they? I know your scheme, you greedy bastards, and now everyone else will too. This girl is not the one!"

  Double booked?

  That hadn't crossed my mind. I stared at the ceiling, running through the possibilities in my head. What if this human wasn't a deluded fan and this had all been a real mistake?

  What if the press got hold of this story? They could frame it in so many ways, wild ways, that wouldn't necessarily be truthful, as the press was known to do.

  I could imagine the headlines and the never-ending panic calls from Lykree as my fan ratings tanked and my sponsors withdrew. With it being the middle of the season, it could severely screw with my chances of renewing my contract with the team.

  And then I wouldn't have to worry about Lykree hounding me to join the dating competition. I'd never have to worry about joining anything ever again.

  Because I'd be sponsorless.

  Jobless.

  A noda player without a team.

  It would ruin any chance at a future with the Galactic Giants.

  I shot upright, my brain racing with worst case scenarios.

  My hearts seemed to beat out of sync in my chest before I counted to three and calmed myself down.

  "Let's say there was a mistake," I hedged, rubbing my palm over my mane to settle the fur. "Is there a way we can solve this? Preferably quietly?"

  She'd just finished pulling on her white shirt, but it was thin enough that I could see her damp nipples standing at attention.

  Focus.

  "You want to work something out?"

  By the sound of her voice, it was apparent she didn't trust me.

  I inclined my head. A silent yes.

  "Alright." She crossed her arms over her chest. "You can get me another room. And pay for it. A bigger one," she added. "For the mental and emotional trauma I've experienced. That I'm still experiencing," she arced her arm toward me, "because you won't put on a fucking shirt."

  I looked down at my body, unsure why my chest would bother her. If I didn't have pants on that might be something to complain about, but a shirt? Were all humans this prudish?

  Or maybe she was simply stressed. I supposed if she were being truthful, and she thought I was an intruder, this situation would be upsetting.

  I snatched my shirt off the floor and put it on. "Happy?"

  "Thanks," she uttered and shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

  We'd both been inconvenienced tonight, and while paying for a bigger suite when the tournament was being hosted would be outrageously expensive, it was better than the alternative. If spending some hefty credits meant avoiding a media frenzy that would jeopardize my career, it would be worth it.

  "A bigger suite?"

  She jerked her chin in a single nod.

  I snatched my com off the edge of the bed and prepared to contact the front desk. "I'll make the arrangements."

  5

  BIRDIE

  I stood there, eyeballing my intruder while trying to forget he'd just seen me in my birthday suit.

  I hadn't shaved my legs in a few days. They were in full-on sandpaper mode. Rough enough to chafe someone if they touched me.

  And no, I didn't know why I was thinking about my mildly hairy legs when there were bigger problems to tackle. Like why the hell this alien man claimed my room was his and why he was unbelievably fit.

  I took a deep breath.

  No, we aren't going to talk about his furry, muscled body, I warned myself, even as I let my gaze wander over his form while he was distracted with his call.

  We're also not going to talk about what was happening in his pants.

  I stayed on the other side of the room, next to the small, hefty looking sculpture sitting in the alcove along the wall. The security of being next to something I could grab, and do some decent bludgeoning with if need be, helped soothe my nerves that were hopping all over the place.

  His face was humanoid, except he had short, flesh-colored horns rising from the sides of his forehead, just above the edges of his brow.

  His eyes had double, dark violet irises, conjoined, and duplicate lavender pupils of a feline variety. Where a human sclera was white, his were black, making his irises even more mesmerizing. He probably had amazing sight, which meant he definitely saw my leg stubble.

  Again, my brain could stop fixating on my unshaven legs.

  His mane, the only thing it could be called, was wild. Mixtures of soft purple, jet black, and wisps of white sprouted from his crown. It framed his face, covered the back of his neck, and cascaded over his shoulders. Even grew along his throat and faded into his chest.

  His chest which was thankfully covered now that he'd put a shirt on.

  To say I'd been frightened when I opened my eyes to discover an exceptionally large, shirtless, brawny alien looming over me in that wonderful tub didn't do my panic justice.

  I'd pondered what I would do in a situation like that, thanks to all the thrillers I'd seen. And in those scenarios, I usually went G.I. Jane and got creative with a shampoo bottle.

  Not to state the obvious but, that hadn't happened in real life. The fact I hadn't slipped and broken my neck while scurrying out of the tub was nothing short of divine intervention.

  "I see," he said, drawing my attention to his mouth and his sharp, pearly teeth.

  Definitely a carnivore.

  I couldn't hear whatever was being said by the manager on the line, but it made the intruders' gaze flicker over me.

  What? I wanted to ask. I also wanted to put on a bra, but I wasn't leaving the weapon-statues side.

  "No that won't be necessary," he added while he examined one of his short black claws.

  What won't be necessary?

  His rounded left ear flicked backward, nearly hidden in his mane.

  "Which is?" he asked the manager, looking directly at me. I coached myself not to squirm. "Add it to the account. Yes."

  What's happening? I mouthed.

  He grunted. "I trust you'll be discreet about this?"

  I narrowed my eyes, trying to figure out why he cared about management's discretion. No one knew me on this planet and did it really matter? I was definitely going to put Odetah Rei Plaza in my report as a hotel to avoid at minimum while the city hosted large events, possibly completely.

  I couldn't imagine clients arriving, excited to start their honeymoon, only to end up with a stranger barging into their room and staking a claim.

  What a miserable start to married life that would be. And I doubted they'd recommend ABT to anyone after.

  He ended the call.

  "So what's my new room number?" I asked. "I'll be packed and out of here in ten minutes."

  His expression was grim when he rumbled, "Suite 1098 E."

  My brow wrinkled as I reached for my empty suitcase in the closet. "No, that's this suite. What's my new room number?"

  "There is no new room number."

  "Wait a second, you agreed—"

  "You're staying here." He stood, unfolding to his intimidating height, and I involuntarily took a step back. "There are no other rooms available."

  My stomach rolled over.

  "What do you mean, nothing's available?" My mind darted back and forth to half-cooked scenarios that only intensified my mounting panic. "Never mind the bigger room, I'll take a smaller one. I'll take any room. Call them back!"

  He scratched the edge of his brow with a claw. "There are no vacancies."

  "What about another hotel?"

  "There are no vacancies anywhere."

  My dry throat threatened to close off and I coughed when I tried to swallow. "How do you know? You didn't even call around!"

  "It's the Trifton Star tournament. Every hotel in Thalewa and the surrounding cities are fully rented. They checked."

  My breathing jumped into overdrive and it felt like there wasn't enough oxygen in the room. I gagged and covered my mouth. "I'm gonna be sick."

  "It's not ideal—"

  "Ideal?" I moaned and gulped down my rising bile. "This is a nightmare!"

  His hal-com chimed. He glanced at the screen and silenced it.

  "What if that's the manager calling back to tell you they found something?" I said behind my hand, just in case the bile returned.

  "It wasn't the manager."

  We stood there in silence and I could've sworn the air had grown thinner, the room was shrinking, and my blood was thrumming in my ears.

  "How long did you book this suite?" he asked, distracting me.

  "A month," I mumbled. "I'm supposed to be here a month."

  "For...?"

  I didn't have to explain myself to this alien man, yet I found the conversation was reining my brain in. "Work. I'm here for work."

  "What do you do for work?"

  My eyes dropped to his tail. It was slim, covered in short lilac fur, and it was extremely long. Long enough it wrapped around his muscular left leg several times and still had enough to tap against his ankle.

  Did I want to give this person more information about me? We were strangers, even if he'd unfortunately seen me naked. And my hairy legs.

  I didn't even know his name.

  "What are we going to do?" I could feel myself getting twisted up again. "I mean, I don't know you, you don't know me—"

  "I'm Omen."

  My eyes bugged. Even his name was a dark warning.

  "And you're Birdie."

  "How'd you know?"

  "The manager told me."

  "Oh, right." I rubbed my forehead.

  "Now we know each other."

  I side-eyed him.

  "We're both here for work," he continued, interrupting my inevitable spiral. "This is just a place to sleep." My gaze darted to the lone bed, then back to him. "So why can't we share the room?"

  "I..."

  I didn't like the sound of that. There was only one bed. And while this was technically a work assignment, I'd also planned to treat it as my vacation.

  Was it a vacation if I had to share my suite with a stranger? People in hostels did it all the time, but this wasn't that.

  "I need to make a call," I blurted and bolted around him. I slammed the bathroom door shut, locking myself inside.

  My phone was drowning in a sudsy puddle of water and I snatched it up, my eyes wide as I prayed it wasn't ruined. "No, no, no," I chanted as I used my shirt to dry it off.

  I tapped the screen and it blinked awake. My shoulders sagged and I blew out a relieved breath. With tremoring fingers I searched my contacts for Gloria and anxiously waited as each ring went unanswered.

  The local time back home was just after noon, so why wasn't she picking up?

  It went to voicemail and I tried again.

  She finally answered. "Hello?"

  "Gloria!" I exclaimed, my voice unfortunately inching toward a hysterical pitch. "I've got a huge problem!"

  After I relayed the details, she took her sweet time responding. "Okay..." she drawled, "so you have a roommate. What's the issue?"

  I glared at the phone. "I just told you the issue. I have no idea who this person is!"

  "Listen," she sighed, as if me having a stranger in my hotel room was just as uneventful as the office printer getting jammed again, "I can bring you home, but I'm only going to send you back in a few weeks once this tournament business is over. Until then, I'll put you on assignment in Greece."

  Greece?

  That would be a minimum fifteen hour flight, and over open water, never mind the chaotic layovers.

  Fuck my life.

  This couldn't get any worse. It was like my boss didn't even know me after all these years.

  "Or," Gloria went on, "you can suck it up, get the assignment done, and maybe enjoy yourself while you're there."

  A headache started just behind my eye, like a thick, hot needle being drilled into my skull. I ran my fingers over my face, regretting the decision that led me to this point.

  If I'd been able to say no to Monica, I never would've attended her wedding where everything went wrong, and I could've continued blissfully living my mundane life at my desk in Ohio.

  But here I was, on an alien planet, faced with an uncomfortable decision to make.

  "Well," Gloria prodded. "What's it to be?"

  6

  Three days later...

  OMEN

  "You played like beast shit today," Coach Poe railed at me, his rage filling the room and turning his carapace orange. "Except beast shit would fertilize the field and be useful!"

  We'd barely scraped in a last point to put us in the lead before the end horn blew. Whenever it was a close call like today, with a final score of seventy-three to seventy-two, Coach went nuclear afterward.

  Today, I was the focus of his attention. My game had been abysmal. It was a surprise Coach hadn't kicked me off the field in the first half.

  "I know, Coach. Won't happen again."

  His voice boomed when he bellowed, "Get that kink out of your tail or it'll be Yuro on the field next game!"

  I glanced over at the reserve victu. His red mandibles clicked with interest, taunting me with his subtle mockery. My blood boiled.

  Smug bastard.

  It took all of my strength not to snap my teeth when I answered, "Understood, Coach."

  I hit the shower, letting the scorching water drench my fur. I tried to focus on the plays in my head, where I could improve so the next game wasn't a disaster, while I tried to block out all thoughts of her—my human roommate.

  I clenched my fists and suppressed a growl when my back popped, the physical manifestation of my endless nights on the couch and my desperate need for a real bed.

  I'd insisted Birdie should have the bedroom, even though she tried to negotiate taking turns, but I'd declined. What a stupid decision on my part.

  It'd been three days of cohabitation—or absolute hell. They were interchangeable at this point.

  Her bone-rattling snores, thunderous and relentless, were pushing me over the edge. I was going insane.

  We weren't even in the same room, but I felt like the walls vibrated, echoing that nightmarish sound through the entire suite.

  Fuck, it was loud.

  I didn't believe it at first. Something so thunderous coming from a creature of such slight stature was bizarre.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17