Claimed By The Alien Warrior Oszul Read online

  Claimed By The Alien Warrior Oszul

  A Sci-Fi Alien Warrior Romance - The Vada Wars Book 3

  Zara Zenia

  Eden Ember

  Illustrated by

  Natasha Snow

  Edited by

  Elizabeth A Lance

  Copyright © 2020 by Zara Zenia, Eden Ember

  All rights reserved.

  Cover design by Natasha Snow Designs

  Edited by Elizabeth A Lance

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental. The characters are all productions of the authors’ imagination.

  Contents

  VIP Reader Club

  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

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Epilogue

  About Zara Zenia

  About Eden Ember

  Also by Zara Zenia

  Also by Eden Ember

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  Blurb

  When the hot-headed Hjott warrior Oszul Xard is sent on a mission to find the mission Rigel spaceship, he and Qetesh agent Treasure Humphrey butt heads. Oszul soon realizes he has more than professional feelings for the beautiful Terran and finds the mission at risk because of his urges to claim her as his fated mate.

  Qetesh Agent Treasure works with Premier Vorta on Jatra when he sends her off on the mission with the sexy Hjott warrior. She happily accepts the mission glad for an adventure while being paired with the hot Hjott. Treasure and Oszul butt heads as he tries to put her in her place as inferior. She doesn’t take it very well when she realizes Oszul is patronizing her. She plans to go her own way once they land on Prorr.

  Oszul handles the situation as a brute and causes strife with Treasure. He’s bound to his commission as a Hjott warrior and his growing feelings for her. They find themselves in grave danger when Treasure disappears. He must come to terms with his duty to Jatra and his increasing feelings for Treasure.

  Can Oszul finish the mission and help protect Jatra while he fights for his blossoming feelings towards Treasure and fight the urge to claim her as his mate?

  Chapter 1

  Oszul

  Oszul was the commander of the Hjott military. For such a proud warrior race, this was an extremely prestigious position. He was a powerful warrior and expert tactical commander. The people of Jatra, where the Hjott species primarily lived, were used to war. They had many enemies. It was no small task to survive in such a hostile galaxy. But they managed to do more than just survive. They thrived and prospered.

  Yes, being the head of the Hjott military was a demanding job. Oszul was tough, in body and mind. There were still some things he yearned for that the military life just couldn't provide. He was without a mate. Like many other males of his people, there was just no one for him to pair with.

  Despite his physical prowess, he had faced off against his friend Kedun and lost. As a result, he not been chosen the become a scout. That honor went to the winner of a one-on-one arm fight. Although it had been remarkably close, Kedun had narrowly managed to win. Oszul was far from a sore loser, and the combat had been very closely matched. They'd battled it out for around an hour or so, not that he had been checking the time.

  And there were no hard feelings between the two. Oszul and Kedun had been friends and fought side by side. It was common for Hjott men to duel together. It was a bonding experience just as much as it was a fight.

  Since Kedun had won, he'd been sent away to work as a scout. Oszul remained on duty with King Thras. After the attack on the palace, and consequent kidnapping of Princess Pari, the king's family needed protection. They remained hidden even after the princess had been rescued by the king himself.

  Oszul found his placement tedious. There was not much to do while protecting the royal family. They were in hiding, after all. Only the absolute minimum of people knew where to find them. Those who knew were highly trusted by the king himself.

  It was another dull day for Oszul. He had found himself almost hoping that something would happen, just so he and his men would have something exciting to do. When his comm device lit up at his desk, he jumped to answer it. Kedun's face showed up on the video display.

  "Why, Kedun, my old nemesis," Oszul joked. He was of course good friends with the other Hjott warrior.

  "Are you still sore about that beating I gave you in front of the king? Don't hold a grudge just because I was given the scouting placement. While you're stuck inside on guard duty."

  "Very funny, as always. It's good to see you, despite your still grating sense of humor. I hear your mission was a great success. How are you now?"

  "Oh, I'm better than you might expect. We'll be returning to Jatra soon. Just coming into orbit now actually. I thought I would let you be the first among my peers to know some glorious news: I found my fated mate."

  "Do you mean, your uxormea ... your true mate? Who is it?"

  "Yes, my uxormea burst forth. My mate is a Terran woman named Aryn Hillee. She's one of the Qetesh agents who was sent from Terra. Quite formidable too."

  Oszul felt a pang of jealously. That was quickly overridden by his innate distrust of Terrans. He had no reason to think badly of them, especially since the king's mate was a Terran. However, he still thought they were just a strange and hence unsafe race. "Ah, I see. Really, a Terran?"

  "Are you happy for me?"

  "Of course I am. Congratulations, friend." Another call came in and he had to take it. He said goodbye to Kedun after congratulating him again. It was Premier Vorta calling them forth for a royal meeting at the palace. Oszul wasted no time readying himself and heading there right away.

  When they arrived, the acting leader of the planet Jatra was seated on the royal throne. The usual consort of high ranking officers and government officials was not present. There was usually a crowd of other citizens who had earned the right to attend for whatever reasons. This time, there were only a few individuals present. Apart from the guards, who stood at the entrance with their weapons at the ready. There was always the chance someone might try to attack the palace. It had happened recently, and everyone was still in a state of high alert because of that.

  Oszul came in
without ceremony and bowed his head to the Premier. He took his place with the others present. Premier Vorta gave a debriefing on the mission that Kedun and Aryn had carried out. "As you know, the Terran Qetesh agents sent to us have proved invaluable. I understand that there has been some distrust among our people. As the acting ruler of Jatra, I insist that this stops immediately. If it wasn't enough for you to take my word—now we have undeniable evidence. Terrans and Hjotts are destined to work together. There is much we can gain from this mutual bond.

  "Bond is a light word for it," muttered Oszul. He wasn't heard by anyone else that he knew of. He did not like the idea of this partnership. And mating with the aliens just seemed so, well ... alien. They had a shortage of their own women, since death during childbirth was so common for them. They were also very physically weak compared to the males. It was a sad fate for them. It was also a lonely one for the husbands, and children, they left behind. Adult males were destined to be alone for the majority, never being given the opportunity to find their mate. Those who were lucky enough to pair up with a Hjott female knew they would soon enough be alone again.

  "Now, moving onto the recently successful. Dariux, who was once a prisoner on Dathee, has been given a full pardon. King Thras himself has invited Dariux back to Jatra. He will be leading a mission to search for the Rigel and those who took it." The Premier paused to allow what he'd said to sink in.

  Vorta then continued to speak with a commanding voice. "Dariux has been commissioned to the ice planet of Vurt. There he is searching the harsh, frozen mountains for Aulius and Terud bases."

  "Are you certain they have bases there?" Oszul asked. He was a little irked by the notion of having to work with Terrans still, let alone mate with them. This had made him feel more objectionable than usual.

  "Yes, my friend. Please hold your questions until I have finished," replied Premier Vorta patiently. "I would like to ask for volunteers among the Qetesh agents to join this mission."

  "I volunteer," came a delicate but confident voice from among the Terran women.

  Oszul looked over to see who had said it. There stood a woman, not quite six feet tall. She had a deep tan to her skin, and vibrant brown hair that was curly. There were golden highlights in her hair. Oszul wasn't sure if they were natural or artificially dyed there. He didn't know enough about the Terrans to know all the natural colors their hair came in.

  An image flashed through his mind of running his fingers through those curls sensually. Oszul shook his head to snap himself out of it. But he couldn't bring himself to stop looking at her as she stepped forward. Those eyes were the deepest blue, dark like the night sky. In contrast to her medium-tan skin, they were just mesmerizing.

  "Is this acceptable to you, Aryn?" Premier Vorta asked the volunteer woman's superior officer. This was followed with a nod of approval from Aryn. "Very well then," continued the Premier. Next, they selected two more of these Terran women for the mission, along with eight Hjotts.

  Oszul watched silently in disbelief as the group was chosen. Three of these humans were going to accompany them. Why? They didn't need them. He could easily manage the mission without their help. All the Terrans would do was serve as a distraction: no, a hindrance.

  Chapter 2

  Treasure

  Treasure had been cooped up with Premier Vorta for far too long. He was a nice enough man, and a fair ruler. That didn't compensate for his being stuffy and boring. She was thrilled about the opportunity to go on a real mission that meant something. She could finally utilize her Qetesh training and kick some bad guy butt.

  The little fact that the team was being led by a sexy Hjott warrior? Well ... that wasn't exactly going to deter her from wanting to go. Had she raised her hand to volunteer just because Oszul was leading the team? No, of course not. It would be entirely unprofessional and against her extensive training to do that. Going along with the powerful alien as her new boss was just icing on the proverbial cake. A very muscular and take-charge cake that she honestly wouldn't mind sinking her teeth into.

  Treasure was heading over to talk to her best friend, Aryn. The meeting had gone better than she'd expected. She just had to let out her excitement with someone who would be able to understand why she was looking forward to the mission so much.

  "Come in," said Aryn after Treasure knocked on the door of her quarters.

  "Can I talk to you about the mission?"

  "Of course. Take a seat," Aryn replied, motioning to a pair of modest chairs over by a small table. There was a little pot on the table and some small cups. "I was just about to have a cup of this local tea I was given after the mission."

  "Was that adorable tea set a gift from your new mate?" Treasure smiled.

  "Maybe it was," replied Aryn. "You seem quite interested in the Hjotts. Is there anything you want to talk about?"

  "Oh, I don't know ... Would that be unprofessional?"

  "Please, Treasure, we're best friends. Anything that gets said within the confines of this room now are between just the two of us. That is, unless you tell me about some evil plot to blow up the building or something. Then, I'm afraid that I will be obligated to tattle." She was teasing and had a slight, smirk on her face now.

  "You're such a comedian," Treasure said with a laugh. She let the laughter fall from her voice and sighed. "I have to tell you something, and I don't want you to take this the wrong way. I might be a tiny bit jealous about you coming back from the mission as a claimed mate to a hunky Hjott."

  "Aww, you were worried about telling me that? I'll let you in on a little secret, okay?" Aryn mocked looking around to make sure that no one was listening, then she edged closer. She whispered, "I know."

  "Don't make fun of me." Treasure frowned. She felt like she was being teased by an older sibling or something. It was putting her on the defense and bringing out a childish side in her. That was a stark juxtaposition to the trained military woman she had become since enlisting with the Qetesh. It was always a good idea to keep that inner child though, she figured.

  Still pouting, Treasure said, "While you were off on an exciting mission with your new mate, I've been trapped here with the Premier."

  "What's wrong with him? I thought you wanted to get to know the Hjott men better. He's a powerful man, and good one from what I know. Everyone respects him very much, especially the king."

  "He is nice, but also so dull. He's a politician, not the kind of guy I can connect with. You surely must understand that. I want a fighting man."

  "Is that why you were the first of our group to volunteer? So you can get some alone time with the Hjott warriors?"

  "Yes. Well, no. That was one reason. But I would have volunteered anyway. I want to go on the mission for all the right reasons, I promise you that. Oszul leading the mission was just a little extra bonus."

  "Ahh, so you have eyes for the military commander. That makes a lot of sense. Well, you'll have plenty of time to get to know him. I just have to warn you about them. What happened with Kedun and me seems to be an exceptional occurrence. They're not all as kind and free thinking. A lot of them just don't like us humans. Most of them seem to have a very warped way of thinking about women too. They don't have a lot of women around, so—"

  "I know, I know. Their women often die young or during childbirth. It's so sad. Doesn't it make you want to reach out to them though?"

  "Of course it does. That was one of the things that drew me to Kedun in the first place. Just remember that they're not all like him. You can't expect them to enjoy your company. Be careful, okay? Professional. Especially with someone as high ranking as Oszul."

  Treasure inhaled deeply and released a drawn out breath while she thought for a moment. "You have my word, not just as my friend. As my commanding officer too. It doesn't matter anyway. Oszul seems to hate us."

  "I did see him staring at you, if that makes you feel better."

  "Yeah, with disgust," Treasure replied defeatedly. "You must have noticed how unimpressed he was
about Qetesh going on his mission."

  "I wouldn't be so sure about that. I will admit, he did not seem happy to be going on this mission with us. That look he gave you though, I'd call that something like the beginning of a crush."

  "You're just teasing me," Treasure said. "I don't want to talk about it anymore anyway. How about we try this tea from your new lover boy?"

  "My, you are salty about this, aren't you?" Aryn started to pour the gently steaming tea into the small cups. This was done without ceremony, but the simple, elegant design of the tea pot and cups made it seem special. "Don't be jealous. A gorgeous young warrior like you is sure to have her pick of these Hjott men. In time, when they come around and start realizing as a group how amazing us human women are."

  "You seem to have come around yourself," Treasure commented. "Thanks." She picked up the inviting tea and took a deep breath of the escaping aromas. Tentatively, she took a small sip, being careful not to burn herself. It was just the right temperature for drinking. "Mmm, this is good. I can see even hulking alien warriors are capable of having refined tastes."