Read Protected: Alien Mate Index Book 2: (Alien Warrior BBW Paranormal Science fiction Romance) (The Alien Mate Index) for Free Online Page B

concerned,” I said, trying to smile.
    “As it reduces the value of the merchandise,” Char’noth continued, pretty much killing any warm and fuzzy feelings I’d started to have towards the three foot tall worm guy.
    “Don’t get your tail twisted in a knot,” Grav told him. “Those marks on her face don’t have anything to do with your damn transport process.”
    “Well, then how did she acquire—” Char’noth began.
    “You don’t need to know,” Grav said, briskly. I gave him a grateful look and he nodded at me. “The main thing is we need to get you cleaned up and changed into, uh…” His cheeks went dull purple and I realized he was blushing. “Uh, into anything at all, I guess,” he finished.
    “What happened to my clothes, anyway?” I asked. “And yours?”
    “The transport beam only supports living, organic flesh,” the worm answered for him. “Unless it is reconfigured to transport non-living objects. But it cannot do both at once.”
    “Is the beam going to take us to Zoe?” I asked Grav.
    He barked a laugh. “Hardly. That kind of thing is only for short distances—the range is only a million solar miles or so.”
    “Oh, of course,” I murmured. “ Only a million miles or so.”
    “That’s right.” He grinned amiably, showing very sharp-looking white teeth. “I guess that sounds like a lot to you, huh? But it’s really hardly anything—the universe is vast. Which is why most of us usually stay in our home galaxy.”
    “The Milky Way, you mean?” I said.
    “Is that what you Earthlings call it? We call it the Goddess’s cloak—because of the way it's spread out, all glittering with stars.”
    “The Goddess?” I said blankly.
    “Yeah. The Goddess of Mercy who created all of this and then created the Ancient Ones. She gave them the seeds of life and told them to sow them on planets capable of supporting life in her image. Those became the Twelve Peoples. The Vorn, the Braxians, the Ma jor ans, the Eloim, the Denarins, the—”
    “But what about Earth?” I interrupted, frowning. “Where does Earth fit into this…this religion of yours? “Are we made in the, uh Goddess’s image? Are we one of the…the Twelve Peoples?”
    He frowned. “Actually, people from your planet are closer to the Goddess’s image than any of the Twelve. You see, Earth has been a closed planet—locked against invaders like Char’noth there,” he gestured to the blue worm, “For millennia. You’re what we call ‘Pure Ones.’”
    “Pure Ones?” I asked. “I don’t understand.”
    “You have the original DNA of the Ancient Ones,” Grav explained. “You haven’t mixed with any of the other sentient species in the galaxy. That makes you special—unique.”
    I thought of what he had said to Gerald. Something about how I was unique but he had used a special word for it. What was it now?
    “You called me something else,” I said. “A Lana…lata…”
    “A La-ti-zal,” Grav said, nodding. “Means you have latent powers bestowed by the Ancient Ones. It’s one reason Count Doloroso wanted you.”
    “Count who? The one Zoe was talking about in her message?”
    “Uh-huh.” He nodded. “But it doesn’t look he’s been anywhere near this planet and the Commercians are keeping their word not to sell you or your friend, so I think it’s safe to take you back to Eloim and Lady Zoe.”
    “Wait…what?” I said. “Who is selling who? I didn’t understand half of what you just said.”
    “You don’t need to.” Grav got to his feet and offered me a hand. “Come on. Eloim is a long trip, even with a faster-than-light hyper-drive. Let’s get started.”
    “So if we’re not getting beamed there, then how—?”
    “We’re taking my ship. Remember I told you I had one?” he asked. “It’s docked with this station right now but as soon as we’re inside we’ll uncouple and be on our way, back to Eloim.” He held out his hand to me again. “Come on. Sitting on that cold