oath forger Read online

  Table of Contents

  OATH FORGER (2) Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  WARLORD Chapter One

  OATH FORGER (2)

  Book 2 of 5

  By Nia Mars

  There's a saying on Earth: "Fake it till you make it." Sadly, I'm no longer on Earth. My motto is: "Fake it till you get caught."

  I'm trying to settle into being the Oath Forger, trying to resist the advances of the five most powerful kings in the galaxy (it's going about as well as you'd think), expecting my lies to catch up with me at any second.

  Except, the freaking space pirates catch up with me first.

  Acknowledgments: With my sincere gratitude to Jenifer Knox for the editing and advice. Also, many thanks to the Home Team, the friends and family who always have my back. This book couldn’t have been born without you.

  Dedication: The Oath Forger series is dedicated to all the wonderful readers willing to give Ava a chance. Thank you!!!

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entire coincidental.

  Copyright 2018 Nia Mars. All rights reserved. Published in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of the author.

  niamars.com

  ISBN: 1-940627-24-9

  ISBN-13: 978-1-940627-24-3

  Chapter One

  I AM SITTING on the grass in a real live garden, in an actual palace—my palace!—surrounded by four of the most gorgeous and powerful men in the universe who are hanging on my every word. I can’t decide if it’s a dream come true, or if I’m living in the middle of a nightmare.

  Kidnapped from Earth. Taken to an alien planet.

  I fidget with the neck of my hospital tunic, catch myself, and stop my nervous fingers. I’m used to being a nameless face, one among a hundred thousand survivors in the underground Dallas Colony on Earth.

  On Earth, I’m Ava Smith, a twenty-three-year old scavenger. A nobody. I couldn’t even keep my two-person family together. I left my little sister to fend for herself when I was kidnapped by pirates.

  Here... My brain can’t catch up with the fact that I’m in Merim, the capital of the Interstellar Federation, and I’m—supposedly—an Oath Forger, which is a title of great power and honor.

  And an obligation.

  It’s the ‘obligation’ part that makes me want to spring to my feet and run. I’m expected to bring peace to the galaxy, after a hundred years of interstellar war. Not only that, but I’m expected to bring this peace by accepting five kreks, the most powerful leaders of the galaxy. By bonding with these powerful kings. By having their children and joining their bloodlines.

  ALL of them. Yeah.

  Except, I’m only pretending to be an Oath Forger. I’m hoping to get away with my deception long enough so the kreks swear an oath to peace. Because if there’s peace in the Federation, the Federation armies can finally focus on the space pirates who are currently destroying Earth.

  “I’ll do it,” I say before I can chicken out.

  The look on the men’s faces is a mix of hope, eagerness, satisfaction, and scorching lust.

  “But.” I hold up a finger, proud of myself that it’s not shaking. “I have some serious conditions.”

  As the men watch me with expectation, my bravado evaporates. Oh God. Did I really say that I’d do this? Out loud? Fully committed? A million frantic thoughts bang around in my head like trapped bats in a tunnel. I grab onto one—a possible lifeline.

  “If we are going to talk about this, shouldn’t Roax be here?”

  As I wait for the answer, I’m so nervous, it’s like there’s an earthquake inside my body, making my organs tremble. Yes, let’s wait for Roax. We don’t have to rush this discussion. It’s awkward enough, so I definitely wouldn’t want to have it twice.

  Roax is the fifth krek—the term loosely translates as president, king, warlord. Roax is Krek of Won and the head of the Kered Alliance. He’s the only one of The Five not currently present.

  I’ve just met three of the four Kreks in front of me. I’ve never met Roax. So, let’s not rush things. Right?

  “Several messages have been sent to him,” Tiam, the Krek of Nezid and the head of the Ternel Alliance, says, his metallic silver hair spilling down his shoulders, his gray eyes soft as he looks at me. “Technically, we don’t need him to get started.”

  “He’ll be here soon enough,” Koah adds in a tone that tells me he hates the guts right out of that prospect. He is the Krek of Nador and the head of the Worben Alliance. He’s made it no secret that he’d rather have me all to himself.

  Koah is a few inches shorter than Tiam, but wider in the shoulders, with an insane amount of muscle. He might be king, but he’s built like a gladiator. He has thick indigo hair that reaches the middle of his back and is held together with a length of black leather cord at his nape. His eyes match his hair. If we’re in the same room, those eyes never leave me.

  Actually, that’s pretty much true for all four of the men.

  Koah is definitely the alpha of the group. He tends to order instead of ask, tends to take what he wants. But that’s not why he’s the only one who’s kissed me so far, the only one who’s had his tongue in my mouth and his hands on my body in an intimate way.

  Truth is, out of the four men in the garden, I’m most attracted to Koah. Maybe because I’ve known him the longest. He was the one who found me after alien pirates abducted me from Earth. We spent several days on his ship while he brought me to Merim. I know that he’s a good leader, and his crew respects him. I know he would risk his life for me and for the people who work under him. He is fiercely loyal, and he’s fiercely protective. Also, I swear he produces enough testosterone to power a spaceship...if spaceships ran on sexual energy.

  I hold his gaze as I gather my courage again, little by little. “I will try, to the best of my ability, to fulfill the obligations of the Oath Forger.”

  My heart skips a beat as the weight of what I’m promising presses down on me. I need to negotiate a deal I can live with.

  “I can’t promise, however, that I’ll accept all of you.” I carry my gaze around. “You will have to agree to respect that.”

  I’m pretty sure I can accept Koah. And that’s enough for now, for me at least. First step first. Once I get there, I’ll figure out the second step. Right now, I can only promise to try my best.

  The four men before me look at me with the kind of admiration I’m not used to. I can feel their relief and pleasure at my words.

  “We will always respect your decisions,” Tiam promises, and the others solemnly nod in agreement.

  I pause to make sure they’re paying attention and not just daydreaming about some big happy orgy.

  “Also,” I tell them, “you will stop this crazy war among your five Alliances right now and start working together on bringing down the pirates. More specifically, reining in the pirate faction that is attacking Earth. I have a sister there. Whatever I do here, I’m doing it for Lily. The safety of Earth is very important to me. So from this moment on, I expect it to be very important to you.”

  Uthan reacts first. “Th
e pirates will have to be dealt with completely and permanently, but as a primary measure, we can work on pushing them back from Earth right now.”

  He’s the Krek of Dier and the head of the Gefel Alliance. He’s built like a warrior, like the others, but the similarities end there. His head is completely shaved. His eyebrows are pierced, two rows of little golden loops glinting in the sun every time he moves. He has a generous mouth and a wide nose. The sunlight plays on his mottled skin, a kind of golden color that does not exist on Earth.

  The more I watch him, the more I realize that there’s a mystical quality about him, although I can’t put my finger on it. He reminds me of those ancient genie-in-the-bottle tales. Lily loves reading those. Probably because the genies of old could control sandstorms, and sandstorms are one of the biggest banes of our existence these days on Earth.

  Does Uthan grant wishes like the genies of old? His amber gaze heats as he watches me watching him.

  I hold up my index finger to remind myself that I have one more thing to say. “Also, I need you all to understand that at one point, I will want to return to Earth.”

  Koah bristles, his shoulders stiffening. His eyes say he’ll lock me in my room first. Tiam watches me as if I’m a puzzle, as if he’s working on a solution to fix this problem called Ava Smith. Dason looks crushed and heartbroken.

  Uthan asks, “Permanently?”

  Suddenly, I understand what that means. I would never see these men again. They have to be here to govern. Up until this moment, my answer would have been an unconditional yes. Now I respond with, “I want to make sure that my sister is all right. That she’s safe and happy.”

  “Koah should go and lead the war effort to push back the pirates from Earth,” Tiam says without moving his silver-gray gaze from me. “He’s already spent more time with you than any of us.”

  Next to him, Dason smiles a boyish smile that shines with hopefulness. “It’s only fair.”

  Koah is on his feet, his long indigo locks flying as he swirls to face Tiam, growling like a beast. He is barely-contained violence personified.

  Uthan moves between Koah and Tiam before they can clash. “You are going to make her regret that she agreed.”

  In the heated moment, his tone is so reasonable, such a contrast, that the other two men listen. Tendons still swollen in necks, veins still popped out in temples, Koah and Tiam pull back. They don’t sit down, however.

  While those two keep eyeing each other, I give Uthan a grateful smile, which he accepts with a barely perceptible nod, his gaze warm with understanding, and something else, something I’m not ready to acknowledge.

  I do appreciate his peacemaking. I don’t think Dason could have done it. Tiam and Koah wouldn’t have paid any attention to Dason, they would have flattened him between them. Dason, Krek of Besnec, head of the Etir Alliance, is the youngest krek, at least a couple of years younger than me. I don’t think he’s much older than twenty.

  Koah finally turns his back on Tiam and shakes off the tension from his shoulders. Then he strides over to me and takes my face between his large hands, ignoring when the others bristle.

  My heart speeds at the thought of him leaving. I don’t want to lose him. And I don’t want to stay here with three men I’ve just met.

  His indigo gaze burns into mine. “I will go and fight the pirates for you. I would do anything for you, my Ava. But I won’t lie, I hate the thought of leaving you with them.”

  He’s going to Earth to make it safer. Take me with you, is on the tip of my tongue. But that’s not what I agreed to. I promised to stay and try to forge their alliance.

  “Thank you.”

  His intent gaze drops to my lips. But then, after a long, tension-laden moment, he steps away. I don’t know if I’m glad or disappointed that he didn’t kiss me. I should be glad. I’m pretty sure that if he took my lips, right here in front of the others, blood would have been spilled.

  Holding my gaze, he gives a brisk nod, as if he’s making up his mind about a number of things. I can’t even begin to guess what they are.

  “I’d better go then and begin preparations.” He fixes the others with a hard look before he strides away.

  I offer the remaining three men a tentative smile. “Would you mind if I spent some time in the garden alone?”

  Uthan nods. “As you wish, Ava.”

  Tiam gives a small bow. “I’m sorry about the...tensions.”

  Dason pushes to his feet with a forlorn expression.

  They walk away, casting back frequent glances. I keep a smile on my face to reassure them.

  When I’m finally alone, the tension inside me deflates. I look around again at the garden. Wow.

  I’m not sure if I’m ever going to get used to this much verdant nature. Looking out from the bedroom, through the glass, the garden was impressive, but almost like video on a large screen. The grass tickling the bottom of my feet at the moment is a whole new reality.

  I end up sitting on a rock by the pond. It’s more water than I’ve ever seen in one place. On Earth, the Dallas area is pretty much a desert. I have scavenged fairly far, but I have never seen anything except sand and ruins. I know that there are still a handful of lakes left in other states, but I think they’re all so poisoned with pollution that they’re no good to people. And, of course, the entire Northeast is radioactive.

  We have rain, but it mostly comes with violent, deadly storms. Still, we could collect it, used to collect it, but with the arrival of alien pirates, putting collection pans on top of the colony is no longer possible. It’d be suicide, like putting up a giant sign: PEOPLE LIVE HERE.

  We have wells on the colony’s lowest, darkest level; giant pipes sunk deep into the ground below. Going for water is an adventure and a half.

  I’m sitting next to a fishpond on Merim. It’s surreal. I dip my foot into the water to prove to myself that I’m not dreaming, not hallucinating. God, the way the water feels on my naked skin, so soft and cool... It’s heaven. It’s like being caressed with feathers.

  Here at the edge of the pond, the water is only a foot or so deep. If anyone could resist the temptation, she’s a stronger woman than I am. I roll up my pants to above my knees and slip in.

  Eek! Ah. Mud squishes between my toes and I hop around until I get used to it. Oh, that’s weird.

  I spend at least an hour playing in the water and talking to the fish. Fish are so much stranger in real life than on video. They’re so quick! And skittish. They won’t let me pet them. While I do my best to lure them to me, I try to come up with a plan for how to work the whole ‘accepting The Five’ thing. I need some kind of strategy for how best to approach this task.

  I suppose the first step is to get to know each man better. And, at the same time, I need to make sure they don’t find out that I’m only faking being the Oath Forger. Because if they find out... Oh, hell, let’s just not even put that thought out into the universe.

  Chapter Two

  LATER THAT EVENING, as I settle into bed, I’m still thinking about the water. I’m going to visit that pond every single day that I’m here.

  When the bedroom door opens, I turn, thinking it’s Taly, my personal assistant. Earlier in the day I was assigned four, but I couldn’t cope with the idea, so I negotiated it down to just one. Instead of Taly, however, it’s the kreks who come filing in: Koah, Tiam, Uthan, and Dason.

  I’m not going to lie, for a moment there, I’m pretty dazed at the sight of so much masculine perfection. Then I realize that instead of their usual, color-coded uniforms, they’re wearing comfortably loose clothing. Pajamas?

  I blink. Are they for real? Do they really think... Oh. My. God. My heart races. With outrage. Definitely. Any tingles I feel are tingles of annoyance.

  I clutch at the bedsheet. “Out!”

  They stare at me, disappointed expressions all over the place.

  “No co-sleeping.” In case I need to make that clear. Which, obviously, I do.

  “You slept
with Koah on his ship,” Dason points out, his tone carrying a world of hurt.

  “The choice was to sleep either with him or his crew. Out. Please.”

  They make a great show of their disagreement, moving as slowly as possible.

  Koah stays just inside the door. He’s silent for a moment as he watches me. The warlord is strategizing.

  “I could die in the fighting,” he says, deadpan.

  I have to appreciate the effort. I bite back a smile. “Nice try.”

  He looks at me as if I’m what he most wants in this world. It’s a very effective look.

  “Truth is,” he tells me on a masculine sigh, “I got so used to you next to me, I’m not sure I can sleep without you, my Ava.”

  Truth is I feel the same. The room is immense. So is the bed. I miss my cozy nook at the Dallas Colony that made me feel enclosed and safe. I even miss Koah’s room on the ship. I want the comfort of his warmth next to me.

  He could die in the fighting.

  I lift the edge of the blanket, careful not to flash him too much naked leg—my nightgown reaches only to mid-thigh. The frothy white fabric is as soft as a dream, but it could do with a little more substance.

  A blink later, the door is locked behind Koah, and he’s next to me, getting into bed with a wide smile on his rugged face, a smile so carnal it makes my heart leap.

  I lie back against my pillow. He turns on his side and props himself up on an elbow. Little by little, his smile disappears, replaced by concern. “Will you accept them while I’m gone?”

  I can tell he’s truly worried about this. “If I accept anyone, it’s going to be the one who gets the pirates away from Earth.”

  A triumphant growl escapes him as he pulls me into his arms.

  When he lies back, taking me with him, I leave my head resting on his shoulder. For a moment, I don’t know where to put my hand. Then I place it in the middle of his wide chest.