Counterfeit mate stargaz.., p.1
Counterfeit Mate: Stargazer Alien Space Cruise Brides #5, page 1
COUNTERFEIT MATE
STARGAZER ALIEN SPACE CRUISE BRIDES #5
TASHA BLACK
13TH STORY PRESS
Copyright © 2022 by 13th Story Press
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
13th Story Press
PO Box 506
Swarthmore, PA 19081
13thStoryPress@gmail.com
CONTENTS
Tasha Black Starter Library
About Counterfeit Mate
Counterfeit Mate
1. Lilac
2. Lilac
3. Lilac
4. Rowan
5. Lilac
6. Rowan
7. Lilac
8. Lilac
9. Rowan
10. Lilac
11. Rowan
12. Lilac
13. Lilac
14. Rowan
15. Lilac
16. Lilac
17. Lilac
18. Rowan
19. Lilac
20. Lilac
21. Lilac
22. Lilac
23. Lilac
24. Lilac
25. Lilac
26. Rowan
27. Lilac
28. Lilac
Tasha Black Starter Library
About the Author
One Percent Club
TASHA BLACK STARTER LIBRARY
Packed with steamy shifters, mischievous magic, billionaire superheroes, and plenty of HEAT, the Tasha Black Starter Library is the perfect way to dive into Tasha's unique brand of Romance with Bite!
Get your FREE books now at tashablack.com!
ABOUT COUNTERFEIT MATE
She pretends to be his princess, but she doesn’t need a crown to rule his heart.
Lilac of the Seventh House dedicated her life to healing people, until she was tasked with helping her sister prepare to marry an alien prince to secure peace for their planet. When a suspicious spacecraft accident separates them just before the wedding, her sister goes missing. Now it is up to Lilac to meet the prince and beg him to help her find Hyacinth. It should be simple enough. But when Lilac is presented to His Royal Highness, Rowan of Drath, the big alien’s masculine beauty leaves her speechless.
Rowan of Drath has spent a lifetime cultivating his reputation as a playboy. It’s the only way to convince the kingdom to let him marry a noble girl from an unacknowledged planet so his brilliant younger brother can take his place in the line of succession. But when he meets Lilac, he is tempted to do something actually scandalous for the first time. Though his intended bride’s sister is stunningly beautiful, it is her fierce determination to protect the one she loves that makes him feel like he’s coming home every time she is near. All his years of pretending haven’t been enough to prepare him for the real thing.
Convinced of foul play, and determined to deny their instant chemistry, the two concoct a plan to investigate Hyacinth’s disappearance. If Lilac pretends to be her missing sister, they’re sure they can flush out the responsible party and rescue the real promised princess before it’s too late. They just have to keep their wits about them, and their hands to themselves…
Can they find the princess without losing their hearts?
COUNTERFEIT MATE
1
LILAC
Lilac of the Seventh House swept her younger sister around a hologram projection of a luxurious Drathian ballroom, trying to convince herself that everything was going to be okay.
Lilac had paused her studies at the Healing Academy in order to spend the last six rotations with Hyacinth, helping her prepare for her upcoming nuptials.
It wasn’t just any wedding, after all.
Hyacinth had been training for three years to marry a prince of Drath. The allegiance that would bind their two planets would also save Hyacinth and Lilac’s peaceful home world of Pacifica from the military advances of the Armada.
Normally, building interplanetary relations might take generations. But a wedding could happen in a few short years, if a suitable match could be found and trained.
So, Hyacinth worked hard at her studies with her cultural instructor, learning the traditions of Drath. She was smart, kind, and agreeable. On the surface, she was the perfect bride.
But there was something off in her performance today. Or maybe that was just the problem. It shouldn’t seem like a performance at all. It needed to be genuine if it was going to impress the Prince. And right now, Hyacinth seemed like she was just going through the motions.
Lilac watched as they danced some more, trying to put her finger on the problem. Her little sister’s movements were perfectly graceful as they spun and whirled together. She even wore a pleasant smile, as was customary for a member of the royal family during a Drathian Ball.
But that smile didn’t reach her eyes. In fact, her eyes were almost sad, like there was something else she would rather be doing.
Lilac glanced over at Hyacinth’s cultural instructor, Magister Locke. Surely, he would stop the hologram simulation and find a way to correct her.
But Magister Locke only leaned against the wall studying them, his trademark frown marring the allure of his tall, dark figure. But his tail gave a telltale flick, and she knew he saw what she did. Hyacinth’s performance was off.
Lilac reminded herself that Hyacinth had always been a little shy. Maybe it was just the idea of the wedding that was throwing her out of balance. It was set to happen on a huge luxury cruiser in just a few days, in front of a gathering of intergalactic dignitaries. That was enough to make any person nervous.
A thunderous boom sounded without warning, pulling Lilac out of her thoughts, and nearly knocking the air from her lungs.
The whole room shook so hard that the hologram jostled, sending it out of alignment with the dimensions of the actual room, and causing the scene to nightmarishly distort.
Hyacinth stumbled out of Lilac’s arms.
Somehow, Magister Locke was right there to catch her, even though he’d been on the other side of the room only a second ago. He murmured something to Hyacinth and lifted her to his chest as if she were weightless.
Thank the Great Mother that her sister’s teacher was strong, and trained in martial arts, as well as cultural matters. Lilac worried a lot less when she knew her sister was in such capable hands. Even if she sometimes worried about what else those hands might be capable of.
A siren pierced the air as Lilac and Hyacinth’s guard, a Drathian named Jonphar, sprinted into the room and began gesturing for them to go. His mouth was moving, but the sirens made it impossible to hear what he was saying.
Lilac went to him, as did Locke, who still held her terrified sister in his arms. Jonphar had been sent by the royal family to watch over the sisters and make sure they arrived safely at the wedding. Lilac had thought it a bit much, but it looked like he was going to be earning his keep after all. And Lilac found herself thankful to have him nearby. He was just the kind of no-nonsense person she’d want to follow in an emergency.
The burly guard slammed his hand on the door sensor, and it slid open.
The hallway outside was a study in chaos.
People screamed and ran toward the main hub, where the escape pods were located.
Jonphar shouted to Magister Locke that the pods were just ahead.
But the shuttle lurched again, sending him into a nearby pillar.
Lilac was thrown to her knees as well, but managed to scramble up again before she was trampled.
The guard screamed in pain, his shoulder obviously dislocated, based on the way the arm hung, limp and lower than his other one.
Lilac ran to him. Being gifted with the Great Mother’s training as a healer meant she was obligated to help any friend in need, even if her own life was at risk. It was a duty she took very seriously.
“Go, go, go,” he shouted to her, gesturing with his good arm, his face taut with pain.
“Hold still,” she told him crisply, grabbing the bad arm by the wrist and holding it straight to line it up.
“What are you doing?” he screamed.
She gave a swift shove and felt the shoulder lock back into place as Jonphar yelled out a choice curse.
“You can thank me later,” she told him. “Let’s go.”
They ran past the dining space, where cells of colorful beverages had spilled out of the replicators. They were bouncing and rolling around the floors, exploding into fragrant puddles as people stepped on them.
A man with wide, terrified eyes shouted for his wife. Behind him, a crew member held her bloodied arm to her chest as she ran doggedly for the escape pods.
By the time they reached the pods, many of them had already jettisoned away. She spotted Locke carrying Hyacinth into one and breathed out a sigh of relief as the door closed behind them. The pods were only designed for two people, so she couldn’t have traveled with her sister, who was a promised princess and needed protection. Lilac once again found herself thankful that Hyacinth would be in good hands for their journey.
Jonphar pointed to a sensor for one of the pods and Lilac placed her palm on it, letting out another breath when it slid open.
The press of people trying to get to the pods was intense. She was grateful that VIP pods were sensor protected. Hopefully when the passengers were all off there would be ample pods left for the crew.
She stepped into the pod, relieved to see it appeared to be well-maintained with seats for two and full back-up equipment, even though pods were pre-programmed to find the nearest safe space and land without passenger interference.
Jonphar stepped in after her and touched the sensor.
When the door slid shut behind them, the sirens and screams from outside disappeared, plunging them into silence.
Jonphar leaned against the door, sagging in obvious relief, which she shared. He actually smiled for a second, which was a first for him. She knew it was considered a little less than professional by his guild.
But they had been in serious danger, and he had just seen both his charges safely ensconced in escape pods. He had every reason for his happiness to show through for an instant.
They strapped in quickly and Jonphar activated the pod. It rattled down the internal rails within the shuttle and then a quick jet of fuel launched them into open space.
Though a rear-facing portal might have existed on the pod, Lilac didn’t try to locate or open it.
Her sister’s pod had left before hers, and Lilac was out now, too.
She preferred to believe the rest of the pods would deploy in time. It was better than watching the shuttle break into pieces with passengers and crew still onboard.
Lilac had to keep her head right since she didn’t know where they were headed, or what might be required of her to get herself and her sister back on track once they got there.
Only a few short minutes ago, she’d been concerned about her sister’s dancing. Now, they were hurtling through the void of space, headed to only the Great Mother knew where.
It certainly put things into perspective.
2
LILAC
A few blessedly uneventful hours later, Lilac allowed Jonphar to escort her off the pod and into the receiving bay of the largest ship she had ever encountered.
She had known when their shuttle malfunctioned, it was close to the Stargazer II, the luxury cruiser where Hyacinth’s wedding was to take place. But it had never occurred to her that the ship itself would be big enough to have its own general rescue beacon, or that it would literally come to them when the pods started pinging it.
Ironically, they were now arriving onboard ahead of schedule, in spite of what had happened to the shuttle craft.
She just needed to get through intake as quickly as possible, and then find her sister. Hyacinth would need comforting after their adventure, and it might be disastrous if Prince Rowan and his family got to her before Lilac did. Royals of Drath didn’t weep, and Lilac figured Hyacinth might not be able to help herself. Lilac was ready for a good cry herself.
The bay was crowded with passengers. A Vystian lady stood just ahead of them, tentacles flowing under her pink kerchief. Behind them, a Bergalian businessman ran a hand through his shaggy fur and impatiently checked his bracelet.
Though she scanned the crowd several times, Lilac didn’t see Hyacinth and Locke.
“She’ll be here,” Jonphar said flatly. “This was the closest safe haven.”
The line moved fairly quickly. Before long they were being approached by two Cerulean guards in their signature white uniforms.
“I have to stay with her,” Jonphar said, as the two gestured them to opposite interview posts.
“You can meet again in the lobby after intake,” one of the guards said. “She’ll be just fine.”
Jonphar frowned, his eyes on the stun-rods at the Ceruleans’ belts.
“Fine,” he bit out. “But if she screams, I’m coming for her.”
One of the guards rolled his eyes.
“Noted,” the other said without a trace of humor.
Lilac allowed herself to be led to a desk with a built-in sensor.
“Please sit,” the Cerulean said. “Place your hand on the glass.”
She did as she was told, and a light scanned her palm.
The Cerulean’s eyebrows lifted slightly, and he held up his bracelet to send a comm.
“Female of the Seventh House, Pacifica,” he said. “You wanted me to alert you when she arrived?”
Thank the Great Mother, Hyacinth was probably already waiting for her someplace, hopefully with no one but Locke by her side.
“Bring her to the small parlor on twelve,” someone responded almost immediately.
“Your interview is to be expedited,” the Cerulean explained as Lilac shot out of her chair. “Someone is awaiting your arrival.”
“Thank you,” Lilac breathed.
“Your guard will be released after his intake,” the Cerulean said carefully. “I can’t expedite him.”
“I’m fine,” she said, thinking it would probably be better to have at least a few minutes alone with her sister. “No guard needed. Tell him to get some rest. I will call for him if he is needed again.”
The Cerulean looked impressed.
She hid her smile, choosing to let him think she had serious fight training, rather than sharing that she was too worried about her sister’s well-being to be over-cautious about her own safety.
He led her out, through a pair of doors that looked to be made of intricately carved wood, into an opulent hallway.
The floors of the passage were covered in hand-knotted rugs, and the walls had more of that exquisite woodwork. But it was all wasted on Lilac, because she couldn’t take her eyes off what looked like a forest.
It couldn’t be. But there it was.
While the outside walls were floor after floor of carpeted hallways with doors leading off, the entire center of the ship was glassed in.
And behind the glass, was an actual forest.
Tall trees reached up toward the solar cells above. Lush, green foliage covered the ground. And a mist floated around inside, as if the thing had its own microclimate.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” the Cerulean asked with a smile. “I was blown away the first time I saw it, too.”
“I can’t believe we’re on a ship,” Lilac breathed. “It looks like a real forest.”
“It is a real forest,” he replied. “Or so I am told. Everything in there is alive, and there are misting and sun cycles, even seasonal adjustments to keep it all going. You should see it when there’s snow in there.”
“So, the ship has its own oxygen source,” she realized out loud.
“It has several,” he agreed. “But this is one of them. It’s also good for the mental health of the crew and anyone else who is here for an extended stay. Biological beings are calmed by plant life. It has been studied.”
She nodded, still staring at the knobby bark and shivering ferns behind the glass.
“Here we are,” the Cerulean said, pointing to a chute.
Lilac wasn’t especially fond of chutes, but she stepped on and he joined her. They shot upward until they were at the level of the treetops, then came to a bouncing halt.
The Cerulean knocked twice on a door made of dark wood.
It opened to reveal a droid on the other side.
“I’m supposed to wait out here,” the Cerulean said. “You’re to have privacy for the meeting.”
“Thank you,” Lilac told him, feeling relieved that she and Hyacinth wouldn’t have extra company.
She stepped inside, and the door slid shut behind her.
“Your presence is requested in the study,” the droid said.
It waited by the door, leaving her to step inside and find her own way.
