The Stars For Valentine’s Day (The Journeyman's Way) Read online

  The Journeyman’s Way

  Copyright © 2015 by Trinity Blacio

  Published by Trinity Blacio

  Copyright 2014 Cover Art by Insatiable Designs

  Editing and Formatting Services by Wizards in Publishing

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by fines and federal imprisonment

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Terms

  Alerassa: a team of trained men who deal with hazardous situations. They go to said planet to help clean up or destroy things that have been left on alien planets.

  Bearer: woman mate who would carry their children, mates, wives

  Jeebus: a planet of outlaws- dangerous in the Kaloolon system.

  Kaloolon System: where knight is from, his planet Ybuwyn Planet.

  Kara: Meaning ten days their week.

  Mizule: Instrument- blanket like that covers a person and heals them.

  Plakill: word used for leader.

  Printure: leaders over all galaxies.

  Seven Depths: where the Journeymen’s headquarters are and the men’s apartments.

  Simlone: non-threatening rope creature.

  Skizze: weapon on ship that can disintegrate a ship in seconds, leaving nothing behind. Only the Journeymen have it, and they are carefully watched.

  Sprils: little needle-like things that attach to the female’s wall inside her pussy, does not hurt. They insert themselves inside the skin giving the female a part of her mates DNA, allowing for breeding and surviving.

  Tribop: man who burns flesh to eat.

  Vatacore: believed wiped out, a very dangerous creature. Once introduced to a world it could destroy any world.

  Voyflen: Meaning cock.

  Book 1

  The Stars for Valentine’s Day

  Shantel wanted a quiet Valentine’s Week. Instead, her life was invaded by monsters, vines that were alive, and alien cops. One second she was alone, the next surrounded by three hot alien cops who offered her the stars.

  The Journeyman’s Way

  Book 1

  The Stars for Valentine’s Day

  By

  Trinity Blacio

  Chapter One

  It will be Valentine’s Day when a Journeyman will lose his way.

  His heart’s desire will be gone where only I will set his one and only afire.

  Knight repeated the phrase over and over in his head as they headed to the one solar system they had been warned to stay away from. He glanced over at his partner, Saber Rougereaper. Right now Saber was speaking with their Plakill or what Earthlings would call leader, Bane Dreadfinder.

  It had taken quite an effort, but Bane had gotten permission from the fates and Printure to move their hunt toward Earth. “Any word on why we were targeted from the tribop?”

  Saber shook his head and looked up from the controls. “No, and from what Bane gathered we’d better find the next victim before he does.” Saber’s stripes darkened on his face, neck, and bare chest. The only time his species displayed this was when they were either sexually excited or furious. The latter seemed likely from the way his claws shredded the third set of maps.

  “If you keep shredding things, we’re going to have to purchase another bot to just keep up with you. Now what has you so upset?” Knight reached over and rubbed his arm. Used to calming his chosen, Knight waited, squeezing his shoulders, letting him know he was there for him.

  “Plakill believes our hunted one is aiming for our bearer, that this is a personal vendetta against us for some reason.” Once more Saber’s claws came out, and the last remaining pieces of the maps were confetti.

  His words did not fully register till a flash image sent him back against his seat. A woman with dark-brown hair and big brown eyes sat at a table. She was busy making some sort of paper project. Even though she smiled every once in a while, lifting up the craft she was making, there was a deep sadness in her eyes. She’d lower her instrument and just sit there for a few seconds. She glanced to the right.

  A fist landed on her cheek and sent her flying backward. A man stepped up to the table and flipped it over. But this wasn’t a man. The bright-red mark going up his arm gave him away. This was the one they hunted. And it would find their woman soon if they didn’t get to her first.

  ***

  “What, what did you see?” Saber cradled Knight’s head in his lap. “Your eyes went deep red.” They were on the sleeping platform in their private quarters—Saber had moved him while he was in the vision. And rage consumed him.

  “I saw her, and Bane was right. She is our bearer.” Knight reached down and grabbed hold of his voyflen, stroking it, thankful Saber had known he would need him. But he wasn’t the only one who needed a release. Saber’s voyflen was just as hard under his head.

  “Show me,” Saber demanded and took hold of his voyflen, taking over stroking his cock with a firm grip. Where Knight was plakill of the ship, Saber controlled every aspect of their sexual life unless Raven, the male cyborg, their third, stepped in then both of them submitted to his ruling.

  But even Raven would have recognized Saber’s need and allowed him to take over when they were together. The male of their species was sexually always demanding, no matter if it was with the same sex.

  Knight reached over and placed Saber’s hands on one of many pillows on their sleeping platform, before releasing the image to him through their blood link. He for sure didn’t want claws buried in his voyflen.

  Saber’s little noises turned to a growl and the pillow was no more, the material flying all over their sleeping platform.

  “We will find her first!” Saber picked Knight up and flipped him onto his stomach then moved behind him. His voyflen would be leaking the secretion needed to penetrate him as he had done so many times before. “You will lead us to our woman and she will not be harmed.”

  Knight snarled as well, his fangs growing as he turned and glared at his mate. “Have I ever failed as plakill?”

  In one thrust, Saber was inside him. Their connection in place, Knight groaned, feeling everything his mate did. “No, you have never failed, but this mission is more important than any other.”

  Saber leaned over his body, his clawed fingers next to Knight’s. He scraped his fangs over his dark skin, avoiding his hidden ducts. Saber took a deep breath, his nose against his neck, drawing in the mating scent his kind released.

  Where Saber’s skin was striped, like the hybrid cat he was, Knight’s was dark as the space around them except for his palms that were the color humans called gray.

  “We will learn all their customs before
we reach this planet—their sexual desires and any other pleasures our woman would enjoy. She’ll want for nothing, and we’ll pleasure her to the point that her past lovers will be but a distant memory,” Knight growled.

  Saber rose up grabbing his hips pounding into him at the same time the sex toy next to their platform came to life and latched onto Knight’s voyflen.

  “Saber,” Knight snapped, hitting the sex bot and shoving it away from his body. Only to have Raven scare the crap out of him when he reached under and grabbed onto him. The cyborg always had a habit of showing up out of nowhere.

  “Allow me,” Raven said. His larger-than-normal fingers squeezed and pumped him. “We have a message coming in. We can’t wait for your release, and you need to let it go.” Raven’s calm tone held an order.

  Not giving him the time to choose, Raven sent an electrical impulse into his voyflen and Knight’s seed shot out, spilling onto the platform and over Raven’s hand while Saber’s warm seed filled his ass. Avoiding the mess he had made, Knight dropped sideways into the pile of covers and glared at Raven as Saber fell next to him. “That wasn’t needed.”

  Raven turned and moved towards the doorway, never asking anything for himself. “Yes it was. Now you’ll be able to think clearly when Bane calls.

  Knight jumped off the bed and strolled out to the instrument panel, clicking on the link to Bane. “Yes, plakill.”

  “Your woman is in the vicinity of what is called Kansas City—that is all the fates would give. You will have to track her from there. Unless your other can find her.” Bane grumbled and Knight grinned and glanced over at Raven who shook his head.

  “I’m afraid when it comes to personal matters I’m blank.” Raven turned and left the control room.

  ***

  Saber joined Knight in the control room again, giving him his Journeyman’s protective suit. “I take it she is still refusing to see you? How long has it been, weeks?”

  “If Earth women are as difficult as this one is, you will have your job cut out for you. Already Wolf is ready to storm in there and capture our woman. I’ve held him back for now. We sure don’t need her sisters coming after our men.” Bane grumbled about his partner.

  “They wouldn’t dare! We’ll be family,” Wolf yelled right before the connection cut.

  Knight moved to his seat as they entered the zero. For the next three hours, no communication would travel through this hole. He checked the instrument panels and everything was in place. Soon they would be nearing Earth. It was time to learn the rest of their customs.

  Saber took his seat next to him at the control panel and connected to the hard drive, as did he. “Earth,” Knight ordered and waited but two seconds before the information poured into their minds.

  ***

  Shantel Brooks bent down and tried to work out the kink in her back. After cutting out and making over fifty paper hearts for her best friend’s classes, she was tired and depressed. Valentine’s Day was coming up once more and here she was, alone again. At thirty, Shantel was ready to give up on love. Maybe she could just go for a quick fuck with a one-night stand. If only she could find someone who preferred a little padding on a woman.

  She glanced out of the living-room window and shivered, closing the blinds. For the past week, Shantel had had the feeling of being watched and not in a good way either. She always listened to her sixth sense, inherited from her mother. Lately, it had been screaming at her.

  Six o’clock in the morning. Shantel didn’t know why she’d gotten up so early, but something had her wide awake, giving her a chance to finish the hearts. In two hours she would be on her way to Copperhood Inn & Spa tucked in the Catskill Mountains. A week away from everything so she wouldn’t think how depressing her life had become since her mother died two years ago. Her best friend, Zandra, was the only light right now in her life.

  She walked around her one-bedroom apartment and took note of how empty it seemed.

  “Maybe it’s time for a move?” she mumbled.

  “Oh, you’re going to move, but I’m afraid it’s not where you’re thinking, human.” She jumped and spun around. Her heart seemed to be in her stomach and a chill ran up her spine.

  Standing in her living room was something out of anyone’s horror movie, but that wasn’t what had her gagging. She stumbled back, covering her mouth and nose with her nightshirt. “What the fuck are you and what is that stench?” Shantel shouted before she thought. Her mother always had said her mouth ran before her brain kicked in. Today was no different.

  The thing in front of her started to spit and snap. “You’ll pay for that. I’ll enjoy you seeing you burnt crispy. You do have a lot of extra meat.”

  “Meat!” Her brain finally focused as she raced for the door. But she didn’t get very far before some kind of rope wrapped around her ankle and yanked her leg out from under her. She slammed her face into the hardwood floor, the air knocked from her lungs.

  Her skin burned as the vine-like thing twisted up her body, tying her up like a calf in a roundup. Something foul, like a smelly rag, filled her mouth and kept her from screaming. When had that happened? Had she blacked out for a few seconds?

  She struggled, but the ropes holding her only tightened. That whole saying about her life flashing before her eyes rang true.

  She closed her eyes, tears squeezing out between the lids. There was no hope, she was going to die. Nobody would come to her rescue—she had no way to let anyone know she needed rescuing.

  She snapped her eyes open at a sharp pain in time for the monster to kick her in the side a second time, most likely breaking a rib or two. He pulled out a long, strange metal thing with a jagged edge and started to cut away her clothes, yanking them from under the ropes. In seconds, he had her naked. The rope seemed to tighten more and dig into her bare, vulnerable flesh. “I’ve heard human skin is a special treat,” it growled. “Maybe I’ll save some and share with my brother, but then again he never shared with me.”

  He pinched her skin until she swore he was going to rip the piece off her, when all of a sudden he released her and jumped up, facing away from her. What happened to distract it? It faced the door, but nobody was going to show up at this hour. The pain was so great, Shantel fought to stay conscious. If she passed out, she was a goner for sure.

  Once more, the thing sputtered and seemed to get pissed, casting quick glares toward her every few seconds. She held her breath, waiting for some kind of deathblow, but the thing continued to watch the door, and then suddenly vanished before her eyes. The front door burst open, and two of the biggest men she had ever seen stormed in. They searched her apartment, clutching strange objects as if they were weapons.

  As they moved closer, she noticed one actually had striped skin while the other had fangs protruding from his mouth. Yep, Shantel had to be dreaming or she was in some totally deep donkey doo doo here and not one person to help her.

  “He’s gone!” The striped one came to kneel next to her. “We don’t want to hurt you, but I’m afraid releasing you is going to cause you pain. The material wrapped around you is an actual creature. It’s alive. Already, it has started to dig into your thin skin. I’m sorry we didn’t get here in time, bearer of our children.” His words were nonsense filtering through the pain and terror. He sprayed liquid over the binding and her skin. “Not only will this kill the thing that holds you. It will help heal your delicate skin. Uh oh. Knight, look what it’s doing….”

  The spray cooled the pain for a moment and Shantel drew in a breath of relief and released it on a scream. “It’s peeling my skin off!” And in a way, it was. The thing holding her started to loosen and drop to the floor, taking with it some of her skin. Her stomach rolled and Shantel pushed up only to fall back onto the floor, writhing in agony. She struggled to lift her head and her upper body enough so she wouldn’t choke, losing the breakfast she had eaten earlier.

  “Easy there, little human, we have you.” The striped man wi
ped her mouth with some strangely textured cloth he pulled out of his uniform.

  “I’m afraid this tribop is different. Judging by the stench, he waited until the last minute to leave. Most of their kind wouldn’t take the risk we’d get a chance at them,” the other strange man stated, pacing back and forth.

  “We can’t leave her or court her according to her customs now. It would be too risky. I’ll have her belongings transferred to the ship and take her to the medical room to heal.” The striped one knelt in front of her again. “Sleep, little human, and know you are safe now.”

  He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, supporting her, and everything swirled and went black. “But am I safe from you?” she whispered.

  Chapter Two

  Knight scanned the small unit where their woman had lived, promising himself she would have much more when they returned to their quarters on Seven Depths. Even the lowest form of life on their planet had better homes than this. Not to mention the place was so dark and empty.

  He glanced at the hearts in a box. Picking one up he smiled, remembering the list of things humans celebrated. Hearts Day, no that wasn’t it, Valentine’s Day. Closing up the box, he sent it to her friend using his portable transmitter. Including a note on why she had to leave. Hoping this Zandra would not worry about their woman.

  With everything cleaned up, Knight transported back to their ship. He made his way to the medical room where Saber would be with Shantel. The liquid antidote Saber had sprayed on her had not only started the healing, but put her to sleep, as well.