Earth is under attack from a race of monstrous aliens who want nothing more than the total destruction of humanity. Lilly and her younger sister are caught right in the middle of it and are facing certain death…until the gorgeous warrior king Bor arrives from another planet and saves them. His mission is to protect all humans, but now he only has eyes for Lilly. Will his duty stand in the way of love, or will he sacrifice everything for her?
Age Rating: 18+
Lilly’s King by Natalie Le Roux is now available to read on the Galatea app! Read the first two chapters below, or download Galatea for the full experience.
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1
Earth is under attack from a race of monstrous aliens who want nothing more than the total destruction of humanity. Lilly and her younger sister are caught right in the middle of it and are facing certain death…until the gorgeous warrior king Bor arrives from another planet and saves them. His mission is to protect all humans, but now he only has eyes for Lilly. Will his duty stand in the way of love, or will he sacrifice everything for her?
Age Rating: 18+
Original Author: Natalie Le Roux
Blaring alarms rang out through the largest galactic observatory in the universe.
The Eye has watched over hundreds of primitive civilizations across the vast expanse, studying the progress, evolution, and downfall of hundreds of species through hundreds of thousands of years.
Right now, the alarms warned of an attack on one of the primitive worlds, watched by the greatest minds the universe had to offer.
“What is it?” Kurmar demanded from above his half-circle of floating holographic screens.
“Planet six-one-six-zero-nine, Commander Kurmar,” One of the four-eyed females called from the front, her long fingers brushing frantically over the controls.
“Have they finally destroyed themselves?” His voice came out much harsher than he wanted, but the anger and fear of one of his favorite worlds starting a war with itself, once again, were too great.
Kurmar had watched the strange species for years, enjoying the depth of emotion they showed, all while being disgusted and fearful of the darker things they were capable of.
“No, Commander,” Zunta called, her four eyes scanning all the screens around her. “They are under attack.”
Fear gripped Kurmar at the thought of the hundreds of lives he had gotten far more attached to than he should have. It was one of the worst things a watcher could do.
Getting attached to certain inhabitants of a race they watched and recorded always ended the same. He had dismissed many watchers over his three hundred years as the commander for that very reason.
But his fascination for the race he spent hours observing late at night drove him to his feet.
“By who?” he growled, causing many heads to turn his way.
When Zunta didn’t reply, he marched down to her platform, gripping the back of her seat with a white-knuckled grip. “By who?” he demanded again.
She glanced up at him with pity in her wide, oil-black eyes. Zunta was the only one of the thousands of watchers that knew his secret.
To his surprise, she had kept it for over two hundred years, never once questioning why he wanted the feed from the primitive world to be sent to his private observatory.
“It’s the spinners, Commander.”
A cold spear of dread pierced his chest at the name. Fear gripped him for a moment as the faces of the thousands of innocent beings flashed in his mind.
Spinners were the deadliest beings in the universe. They killed without cause, destroying everything living they came into contact with.
Feasting on the flesh of anything with a pulse, they ravished the planet until all life was dead, then moved on to the next world.
When a soft hand landed on his clenched fist, he snapped out of the vivid memories of the last time they watched the spinners destroy a world.
“We cannot let them do this again, Commander,” Zunta whispered, her endless black eyes pleading for him to do the right thing.
“We are watchers, Zunta,” he growled. “We are to watch and not interfere.”
She shot to her feet so fast that Kurmar had to take a step back to look up at her angry eyes towering over him by at least two feet.
“What good is it for us to watch if we cannot help them?” Her high-pitched voice screamed through the massive observatory, drawing stares at them.
“Calm yourself, Zunta,” Kurmar ordered, not wanting to get on the bad side of this Orsinite.
When angry, the Orsinites could be deadly with the loud, high pitch of their voice. If she wanted to, Zunta could kill every watcher in the room in seconds.
She glared at him. “We must do something, Commander. I will not sit by and watch as another race is wiped out by a race that should not exist in the first place.”
She had a point. The monstrous beasts made quick work of the worlds they attacked.
All efforts to find and kill the hive leader had failed, leaving all the planets under the Eye’s watchful gaze at risk.
Kurmar knew there was only one thing he could do. As the commander of the observatory, he had a great deal of power and sway among the leaders of the Decagon.
A ten-species council that ruled over thousands of planets and billions of beings.
He let out a long sigh, lowering his eyes from Zunta. “You are right, my old friend. We cannot allow this to continue.”
Zunta relaxed, her pale white skin taking on the rosier color he knew her to have. She sat down in her seat and took in a long breath.
“What will you do?”
He met her eyes again and couldn’t miss the fear in them. He was not the only one that had grown fond of this race.
“I do not know yet. I will speak with the Decagon.”
Her eyes flashed with anger again, but even Zunta knew that, as watchers, they could not do anything to help.
Only if the Decagon agreed to send assistance would anything be done to help the small, fragile race they had watched for so long.
“Send me everything you have on the spinners. I will travel to the Decagon now.”
She nodded, and before she could turn back to her screens, Kurmar faded from his corporal form, taking on his true state, and drifted through space in the blink of an eye.
He solidified in the chambers of the council members, clearly taking them all by surprise.
“Commander Kurmar, what are you doing here?”
As the last of his form solidified, a ping from his internal communication sounded, telling him that Zunta had sent him the information he needed.
“Council members,” he began, not wasting time with pleasantries. “There is a situation that needs immediate attention.”
Council member Ark’Mirakam sat forward, his long tongue flicking out toward Kurmar. “What situation?”
Kurmar turned to face the serpinamian. “An attack by the spinners.”
“Where?” another council member demanded, getting to his feet.
“A planet far in the universe. It is one of the many we observe at the Eye.”
“Is it a planet under the Decagon?”
Kurmar took in a long breath, letting it out slowly to calm his nerves.
“No. It is primitive.”
Already he saw the answer that lay on the tip of every one of their lips.
Before they could answer, Kurmar said, “I have never requested assistance from the council before. I have done many of you favors, both in official capacities and private.
“I will not hide the desire I hold to assist this race, but I will hold each of you to the favor you owe me.”
He pinned each council member with a firm gaze, making his point clear. He would talk if they did not do something.
“What will you have us do?” Ark’Mirakam asked, easing back in his seat.
“Send the Torians.”
Those three spoken words had every one of the council members sitting back with shock, each of their eyes going wide.
Ark’Mirakam recovered first. “Commander Kurmar, do you know what you ask?”
“Yes!” Kurmar growled out, taking a step closer. “Nothing less will do.
“I do not only want the spinners dead, council members, but I want this race saved. They are on the verge of meeting the requirements of joining the Decagon.”
He hated lying to the council, but he was willing to do anything to save the race that had wormed its way into his heart.
“The Torians are not a force to toy with, Commander. Once the order is given, there will be no way to stop the warriors from finishing their task…at all costs.
“They are not known as the most brutal, deadly, and efficient force in the galaxy for no reason. Are you sure you wish to send such a powerful force to this primitive world?”
Kurmar didn’t hesitate. “Yes. Send them now, council members. No delay will be tolerated.”
Eyes narrowed at him for the demand, but he knew that each of them had secrets they did not want getting out. Secrets he knew and helped arrange for them.
With a heavy sigh, Ark’Mirakam sat forward, crossing his arms on the thick wooden table in front of him.
“Commander Kurmar, are you willing to use the sway you have over us for this? Once we send the Torian’s to this world, you will never again hold anything over us.”
“I know. All past favors will be voided once this race is saved. Saved, council members. Nothing less will do.”
He waited, watching each of them exchange a look.
Finally, they all gazed down at him and he bit back his smile.
“Very well, Commander. Your request will be granted. The Torians will be sent to this primitive world to save the inhabitants.”
“Give the order now, council. There is no time to wait.”
He watched a screen appear in front of one of the other council members.
He mentally sent all the information the Torians would need for this mission and hoped he hadn’t just made a fatal mistake.
Torian warriors were the most feared and violent force throughout the thousands of planets under the Decagon. Merciless, deadly, and with skills that shook even the most seasoned warriors.
The Torian warrior force was the last resort, called in for the most violent and dangerous tasks needed by the Decagon.
A soft ping from the screen drew his attention and Kurmar flinched at the harsh voice coming through.
“This is Bor.” The cold, deep voice called.
“Lord Bor,” one of the female council members said, her voice holding the tremble that accompanied her fear. “This is Lucila of the Decagon Council.”
No answer came, but the connection was still there. Lucila swallowed. “By order of the Decagon, your services are needed on a top-secret mission of the highest importance and urgency.”
“Mine…or the Torians?”
“The Torians,” Kurmar growled, not wanting to waste any more time with the pointless back and forth.
A chuckle came in through the line, sending a wave of unease through Kurmar. It held no tones of humor or joy, rather the deadly edge of someone looking forward to a fight.
“What is the mission, council members?”
Lucila motioned for Kurmar to speak.
“Spinners have attacked a primitive world. You are to go to this world, kill all the spinners, and save the inhabitants of the planet.”
“Who are you?”
“I am Commander Kurmar, the head of the watchers at the Eye.”
“And you think you can give us commands.”
“The Decagon has given you a command, Bor! Your orders are clear, Warrior King. Go to this planet, kill the spinners, and save as many inhabitants as you and your warriors can.”
“And if we do not?”
Kurmar gritted his teeth, glancing at the council members.
Ark’Mirakam sat forward. “All funding for your division comes from this council, Lord Bor. As agreed, we will fund your division on the understanding that when needed, you and your warriors will assist the Decagon.”
After a moment of silence, Bor spoke again. “What world are we saving today?”
Kurmar didn’t miss the sarcasm in the male’s voice. For a moment, it reminded him of the race he had watched for so long.
“All the information needed has been sent to you, Lord Bor. Gather your warriors. Earth awaits your arrival.”
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2
A deep chuckle filled the space as the connection to the Decagon Council ended.
Bor looked up from the screen, meeting his second’s deep, dark brown eyes.
“You are amused, Korom?” Bor asked, feeling the tension melt from his shoulders.
Korom shook his head. “Funny, don’t you think? Only moments ago, you were saying we all needed a good fight to ease some of the tension growing in the warriors. Now, this call comes in.”
Bor chuckled at his second in command and lifelong friend. If anyone knew how to see the humor in a situation when many of the warriors would no doubt die, it was Korom.
Shaking his head at the male sprawled in the seat in front of his desk, Bor stood and moved to the drinks stand behind him.
“Pull up the information about the planet called Earth. The council has asked we save the inhabitants of this world. I want to know what we are dealing with.”
Korom didn’t hesitate in snapping to the order. That was one thing Bor appreciated about his second. He could make Bor laugh but was still one of the deadliest warriors in his entire army.
Even Bor had to appreciate the male’s tenacity to kill. He was not just skilled in the art of taking a life. Korom was a master at it. No other could take a life the way Korom did.
But as much as the male radiated deadly danger, he was also one of the most loyal and honorable males Bor had ever met.
Bor handed his friend a drink as he sat back down at his desk. It had been a while since the Decagon Council asked the Torian warriors for assistance.
But as the scared female council member had mentioned, all the funding the Torian warriors got to keep not just their home world safe, but all the planets under the Decagon rule, it would be very unwise to not do as they asked.
“It looks like this Earth is inhabited by a small race of male and female beings. They are not much different from us, brother,” Korom stated, lifting his drink to his lips.
Bor sipped the dark amber liquid, watching the information run over the screens.
Humans. That is what this race called itself. Small, frail, and weak. He growled low, his annoyance at helping yet another weak race flaring.
“They are not part of the Decagon Council’s rule. Why would the council get involved with a planet so primitive?” Korom asked, eyeing Bor with a raised brow.
“It is not the council that has asked for our assistance. It is the watcher, Commander Kurmar.”
“Watchers? They are only rumors…right?”
Bor shook his head. They’d had this conversation many times in the past. Stories of the watchers and the observatory called the Eye had spread through the universe for hundreds of years.
But to hear the male on the communication speak the words brought truth to the stories that bothered Bor more than it should.
“Not any longer. Commander Kurmar is the head watcher. The only place I have heard that title being used is when spoken of the Eye.”
A deep, dangerous growl came from Korom, making Bor jerk up to look at his friend.
The heavy, dark fog vibrating around his massive body spoke of the barely controlled rage the male felt for the ones that watched suffering and death and did nothing about it.
“It is changing, my friend,” Bor said in a soft voice. “The watchers are getting involved with this world. Perhaps it is a sign of what is to come in the future.”
“I do not understand the need to watch over undeveloped worlds. For what? Knowledge? How much can those kisak learn from simply observing a race from so far away?”
Bor knew where the male’s rage came from. His planet had also suffered the unrelenting force of the spinners many years ago.
Only the watchers and the Decagon Council did not think them ready to join the other planets for many more years. It was only by fate that his friend sat before him now.
Abandoned on a freight vessel to die alone in the dark, Korom was saved by Bor’s father on a mission to find the pirates that had attacked and plundered the vessel, killing anyone that was on board.
Korom’s mother had hidden the infant child in the floor gratings, saving his life.
It was only after the vessel had drifted into Decagon territory that the Torians were sent to investigate.
“Questioning the reasons for the Eye and the dishonorable behavior of the watchers is not in the best interest of our people, my friend.
“Our world is finally thriving once again. If we allow ourselves to dwell on the past, it will never release us from its infuriating hold.
“I gave you my word many years ago, Korom, and I still stand by it. We will find the ones that killed your family, and you will have your revenge. For now, we have a new mission.”
***
Lilly stayed as still as possible underneath the massive truck parked on the side of the field. She tried to keep her breathing as quiet as possible, not wanting to make even the slightest sound.
A small group of the ugly ass aliens that had attacked Earth three weeks ago was moving in her direction. The cross between a lizard and a spider was something right out of a nightmare.
But, as Lilly learned over the last few weeks, they had one tiny disadvantage. They were completely blind. As long as she didn’t make a sound, they should move right past her.
At least, she hoped they would. If she had any hope of getting back to her sisters, she needed to escape this field and get back to the small town of Sikes, Louisiana.
It was only a pit stop for them, having traveled from Monroe over the weeks.
Her breath caught in her chest when the scraping sound of the claws drew closer.
Tilting her head to the side, Lilly held her breath as she watched the swarm move past her, heading in the direction she had just come from.
She had no idea why there were so many of them out here. From what she saw of the alien monsters, they liked to eat anything that moved or had a pulse.
There wasn’t much of that out in the sticks of Louisiana, so the massive numbers of the creatures confused her.
Hundreds of legs tore up the asphalt as they moved past the truck, making the heavy piece of machinery shake and groan with the force of their almost impenetrable bodies hitting it as they passed.
Lilly closed her eyes, taking in slow, silent breaths, and thought about her sisters waiting in the old farm house they had found the night before.
Her heart wrenched at the memory of how sick Violet was.
Her loud, wheezing coughs almost got them killed a few days ago, but thanks to Tulip’s fast thinking, they had managed to get out of the small gas station alive.
The only one of the four sisters that wasn’t doing too well with all this end-of-the-world stuff was Rose.
Not that any of them were reveling in it, but the spoiled young woman was used to a more luxurious lifestyle.
Lilly grinned at the memory of her sister having to relieve herself in the bushes for the first time.
The string of creative curses that came out of her perfectly painted red lips was enough to make any sailor proud.
Once the horde had passed, Lilly lay for a few moments longer, the backpack she had used to collect the medicine gripped tightly in her hand.
Her mind fought to think about all the medication she had found in the small pharmacy on the edge of town.
As a medical student, she should know what all of it was, but her field didn’t involve pharmaceuticals. She was a surgical intern with only one year of residency left.
Then the planet went to shit, and she and her sisters went on the run.
The one thing she would be eternally grateful for was that she had gone home to visit their father for his seventieth birthday.
All the girls had gone home to spend the weekend with their father. That was when the first ball of black terror fell from the sky.
No one could have expected the meteors to erupt into the horrid creatures that now devoured everything in their path.
With one last glance around her, Lilly moved as quietly as she could over the hard, damp ground.
She shuffled out from under the truck, scanning the area for the smallest of movements, before she got to her feet.
In the distance, she could see the dark swarm of the creatures rushing back to the town she had just picked clean of any supplies she could find.
With a silent rage of defiance, Lilly thrust up her middle finger at the departing mass, holding it up for a few seconds, then dropped her hand to her side.
With a long breath to calm her nerves, Lilly spun around and moved fast toward the farmhouse only a mile away.
She needed to get to Violet and the others. Her baby sister needed the medication desperately, and none of them had eaten in over two days.
With all the death happening around them, Lilly expected to find an abundance of food in every house.
But, as fate or some other sick force would have it, the creatures either ate anything that was not in a can or simply covered it in the disgusting slime that dripped from their mouths.
As she ran up to the house, eyes scanning the open fields around her, Lilly couldn’t help the smile that spread on her face. She had made it.
She pushed open the door, not saying a word as she moved to the back room. Rose met her at the door to what once was a lovely country living room.
“Did you find anything?” Rose whispered, her eyes hopeful.
Lilly nodded with a wide smile, slipping the bag off her back.
Tulip came up to her, giving her a tight hug, and Lilly didn’t miss the glint of tears in her younger sister’s eyes.
“What took you so long?” Tulip asked in a quiet voice, her small, stick-thin frame shivering.
“I had to wait for a horde of those things to pass. I don’t know what’s got them all riled up, but they were in a hell of a hurry to get somewhere.”
Rose’s eyes narrowed, and Lilly could already see the words forming in her sister by gazing into her eyes. She stopped her before she could speak.
“I had no choice, Rose. I’m fine. I found meds for Violet and food for all of us.”
That stopped the reprimand she could see building in her sister. With a wink, Lilly leaned down and pulled the four cans of beef stew she had found, as well as a small bag of rice out of her bag.
It was enough to feed them for at least three days if they were careful with the portions. She pulled out the three boxes of medication and stood.
“I need to get these to Violet. Rose, you and Tulip prepare dinner. We will stay here one more night, but we need to move. Those things were heading somewhere and there were a lot of them.
“I don’t like it. There could be more, and I really don’t want to hang around here to find out.”
Rose nodded, taking the cans from Lilly, and motioned to Tulip to go with her.
Lilly entered the room, where Violet lay on a sofa. She was so pale, her skin a sickly shade of gray, and the thin layer of sweat on her skin worried Lilly.
She knelt by the baby of the siblings and placed a hand on her forehead. She was burning. A rush of panic-filled Lilly at the thought that even as a doctor, she could not help her little sister.
The problem was, Violet had picked an apple from a tree on the way out of Monroe. An apple that had the slime of the creatures all over it.
It had dried in the mid-August Louisiana sun, but that didn’t stop her from getting violently sick and weak.
Tears burned her eyes at the realization that she had no idea what she was dealing with here. For all she knew, none of the medication she found could help the sweet, loving sixteen-year-old.
Shaking off the fear of losing another member of her family, Lilly pulled out the medication and scanned the labels. A box of antibiotics, a box of pain medication, and a box of birth control. Great.
In her haste to get out of the pharmacy, she didn’t take the time to read the labels.
She had shoved the two boxes into her bag, almost leaving the pharmacy, until she ducked down to hide from a creature and spotted the antibiotics underneath the shelf.
Violet’s eyes fluttered open, her deep blue eyes looking blindly up at the ceiling. All the sisters had the same genetics. They were all dark-haired, with striking blue eyes.
Something their father had been extremely proud of all their lives.
“Hey,” Lilly whispered, stroking Violet’s cheek, “I have some meds for you. Can you sit up?”
Violet gave her a weak nod, but choked and began coughing as soon as she tried to move. Panic flashed in Lilly at the loud sound filling the silent house.
Violet turned her face into the pillow, muffling the sound as best she could as her body racked from the coughing.
After a few minutes, Violet eased back, her eyes closing again, and Lilly blinked back tears at the sight of blood on the pillow next to Violet’s head.
“Oh God, no,” Lilly mumbled to herself, stroking her little sister’s hair back from her face.
“I will not let you die, Vi. I swear, I will do whatever it takes, but you are not going to die. You hear me?”
Violet moaned, her eyes remaining closed. Lilly let a tear fall, a helpless, defeated feeling creeping into her body. There was nowhere left to run.
Nowhere to hide from the creatures, and her body and mind were slowly beginning to give up on the fight that was still to come.
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