Zyen: Science Fiction Romance (Enigma Series Book 10) Read online

  Zyen

  By Ditter Kellen

  www.ditterkellen.com

  Copyright © by Ditter Kellen

  All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without prior written permission from Ditter Kellen. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  Image/art disclaimer: Licensed material is being used for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted in the licensed material is a model.

  Published in the United States of America.

  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 are entirely coincidental.

  Warning

  This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. This e-book is for sale to adults ONLY as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my dear friend Carmen MacDonald. She’s an amazing woman, and a trustworthy friend. I love you, Carms, and I hope you enjoy your happily ever after…

  Acknowledgements

  I’d like to say thank you, to a beautiful group of women that hold my hand and cheer me on, on a daily basis… My tribe. They have no idea how special they are, or just how much they have come to mean to me. I love you all so much, and I appreciate everything you do.

  Cathe Greene… Where to begin. You’ve been with me for a long time. You’ve become a sister to me, and I love you more than I can say. Thank you for listening to me while I rant, and laughing with me when I succeed. I never want to lose you.

  Amy Bingham… You’re one of the strongest women I know. I appreciate all you do to ensure that I have the time to write. You go above and beyond, and I love you to pieces. You’ve become a dear friend that I will always treasure.

  Johnny Mack – my incredible narrator and editor. I’ve learned a lot from you, and I couldn’t imagine anyone else being the voice of my characters. Not only have you been a great sounding board, confidant, and business partner, but you’ve been a great friend. Thank you for that.

  Alas, my phenomenal husband. I couldn’t do any of this without you. Thank you for the unending support and love you’ve given through my crazy writing schedule. You’re the strongest man I know, and I’ll love you until the day I die.

  Chapter One

  Zyen swam through the waterfall that lead to the Pool of Life after a short but satisfying hunt in The Gulf of Mexico. With his stomach now full, and the fresh blood of a shark flowing through his veins, he felt better than he had in days; which was saying a lot considering he’d turned his back on his king.

  Kryten would no doubt retaliate, Zyen silently admitted as he sluiced through the warm waters of Aukrabah’s south entrance. And Zyen knew precisely how that retaliation would go down. Whether Klause realized it or not, Kryten had an army of warriors that outnumbered the Florida Bracadytes two to one.

  Preoccupied with thoughts of his Arkadian home, Zyen nearly missed the pair of legs dangling in the water in front of him.

  One of the Bracadyte children must have gone to the pool for a swim, he surmised, giving the child a wide berth. Yet, the closer he got to the side of the pool, the more he realized the legs dangling before him didn’t belong to a child at all.

  And then a splash rippled through the water, followed by a mop of long, dark hair, fanning out from the half-nude body of a female.

  It took Zyen a moment to realize that the shapely pair of legs and perfectly rounded breasts frolicking in front of him belonged to the tiny Cuban female known as Carmen.

  Unable to look away, Zyen stilled, drinking in the small but perfect form of Carmen until his sex hardened painfully inside his sharkskin shorts. His heart began to pound from anger or lust, he wasn’t sure.

  Zyen had always prided himself in his ability to abstain; to walk away from temptation with his head held high and his honor intact. Yet, there he stood, hidden in the pool’s shadows, staring hungrily at the tiny human before him.

  As with their female counterparts, the Arkadian males that were born into nobility were expected to refrain from sexual contact until they were properly mated. Of course, not all the males were inclined to comply, and instead, visited the widows of Arkadia as the Southern Bracadytes were known to do. But not Zyen. He’d taken his position seriously as the king’s second-in-command; or he had until a week ago when he’d turned his back on his king and left with Kaspyn.

  Carmen dove toward the bottom of the pool, pulling Zyen out of his reflecting.

  He watched her tiny form move through the water with a grace that belied her small size. She swam with determination, confidence, and strength.

  Zyen’s shaft hardened even more. He couldn’t seem to take his gaze from her…no matter how much his mind screamed for him to do so.

  She suddenly flipped over, pressed her feet to the side of a boulder, and kicked off.

  Her long, dark hair billowed out around her for a moment before she expertly swam to the top.

  Zyen kept to the shadows while she climbed from the pool wearing what could only be described as two scraps of material that barely covered her feminine parts. His sex twitched in response.

  How could his body possibly respond to hers? She had to be the smallest female he’d ever beheld. Arkadian children were bigger than her.

  After giving her a few minutes to dress and leave, Zyen climbed from the pool, grabbed a towel from the shelf in the wall, and angrily strode toward the hall that would lead him back to his room.

  Zyen had always thought himself enamored with the king’s only daughter. He’d grown up assuming that one day he would mate with the princess. But he’d never grown erect in Kaspyn’s presence like he had while watching Carmen. Not even close.

  What was happening to him? He’d always despised the land walker; was taught from birth that humans were the enemy and were not to be trusted. Yet he trusted Thrasher.

  Zyen had fought alongside Anthony Vaughn, Thrasher, and Brant, he’d come to respect them. And Oz…yeah, Oz was a different matter altogether. Though he looked human, Zyen knew that the Cuban had Bracadyte blood in his veins.

  And what of Gryke? Zyen wondered, wringing the excess water from his hair. That strange Bracadyte with the hair on his face was definitely part-human.

  “Oh!” Carmen gasped, as Zyen rounded the corner and nearly ran into her. “You scared me.”

  He gazed down at her without blinking, thankful she was fully dressed. “You should not be out walking the halls of Aukrabah alone.”

  Something shifted in her eyes. She took a step back. “Oz assured me that the Bracadyte males wouldn’t harm me.”

  “It is not the Bracadytes that you should concern yourself with. If a human male had happened upon you in the state of undress you were recently in, the outcome might not have been the same. Perhaps you should remember that when you return to Cuba.”

  She took another step back. “You were watching me?”

  Zyen’s jaw tightened in anger. “I did not watch you. I had recently returned from a hunting trip to find you barely clothed and frolicking in the Pool of Life
.”

  Though her skin had a brown hue to it, Zyen could see the pink tinge that appeared on her cheeks.

  “Yet you didn’t make your appearance known,” she accused, her voice barely audible. “And I thought it was called the Pool of Enlightenment.”

  More anger reared its head. He shouldn’t have to explain anything to her, he thought in irritation. Yet, there he stood, doing that very thing. “I thought you were a child at first, and I did not want to frighten you. The entrance itself is known as a Place of Enlightenment, so I suppose the pool could be referred to that as well.”

  Her arms came up to cross over her chest, and she lowered her gaze. Zyen could feel the nervous tension she exuded.

  She looked so small and helpless standing before his much larger form. Her head barely reached his ribcage. “I apologize if I have frightened you.”

  Disbelief slammed into Zyen the second the words left his mouth. He’d just apologized to a female. And not just any female, but a human one.

  He suddenly stepped around her, eager to put some distance between them. Not only had he exhibited weakness in front of her, but his erection had returned with a vengeance.

  Chapter Two

  Carmen stood completely still while the giant Arkadian stormed off down the hall and disappeared into his apartment.

  She swallowed nervously and pushed away from the wall. Zyen had seen her in her underwear.

  Carmen should have never gone by herself to the Pool of Enlightenment. Had she been back home in Cuba, she would have known better than to be so careless. But she’d been assured that Aukrabah was different, that it didn’t house the low life scum that prowled the streets of Cuba.

  She hurried to Oz and Maria’s room, stopping outside in the hall to call through the curtain. “May I come in?”

  “Of course,” Oz answered almost immediately.

  Carmen stepped into the apartment, her gaze immediately going to Maria, who stood over a makeshift stove. “How are you feeling?”

  “Much better.” Maria sent her a smile over her shoulder. “How was your swim?”

  Carmen wondered how much to tell Maria about her strange experience with Zyen. She decided to leave out the part about him seeing her in her underwear. “It was nice.”

  Taking a seat at the table where Oz sat sipping on a cup of coffee, Carmen met his gaze. “How well do you know Zyen?”

  Oz set down his cup and leaned back in his chair. “I know that he’s an asshole. Why do you ask?”

  Why was she asking? Carmen wasn’t sure, but she’d opened that proverbial can of worms, so she might as well continue on. “No reason. I just ran into him out in the hall. He doesn’t seem to like me very much.”

  “He doesn’t like anyone, Carms. Especially humans. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Just steer clear of him and everything will be fine.”

  Carmen nodded as if accepting Oz’s explanation, only her mouth didn’t seem to get the memo. “But you said that the Bracadyte males don’t hurt females.”

  Oz’s eyes narrowed. “They don’t. At least not the southern band of Bracadytes. I know exactly jack-shit about the Arkadians. If I had to venture a guess, I’d say they hold to the same standards. But I don’t know that for certain.”

  “Has something happened that you’re not telling us about?” Maria turned from her position in front of the stove.

  Carmen shook her head. “Nothing happened. Zyen just makes me a little nervous.”

  Maria laughed. “Well, he’s over seven feet tall. I’m pretty sure he makes everyone nervous to some degree. Besides, we’ll be returning home soon anyway and you won’t have to see him again.”

  For some reason, the thought of never seeing Zyen again didn’t give Carmen the comforting effect it should. She returned her attention to Oz. “When are we going home?”

  “In a couple of days. The CDC has shipped a large batch of vaccine to Cuba. With the pardon in place, and the Cuban people receiving vaccinations, we will be in the clear to rebuild the hotel without any interference.”

  Carmen thought about that for a moment. “So, Howell and Kerik are really dead?”

  Oz blew out a relieved breath. “Yes, thank Frick. I saw Vaughn put a bullet in Howell’s forehead. And speaking of foreheads, Kaspyn folded Kerik’s in like a beer can at a redneck convention. And all without touching him. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “Not even from Zaureth?” Carmen had heard tales about the Bracadyte healer’s gifts.

  Oz took a sip of his coffee. “I’ve never seen Zaureth cave a man’s head in before, but I know that he has the power to do it. Right after Kaspyn killed Kerik, I witnessed Zaureth rise up out of the Gulf like a sea god, commanding the water and the air around him. It had to be the most incredible site I’ve ever beheld.”

  Carmen glanced at Maria, who had paused in her cooking and was now facing Oz with her mouth hanging open. “What do you mean, he commanded the water and air?”

  “You should have seen it,” Oz spoke reverently. “A large wave rose up and crashed onto the shore with just a lift of Zaureth’s arms.“

  Carmen could only imagine the majestic scene in her mind. Though she was grateful to have been free of the fighting that went down on that beach, she would have loved to witness Zaureth’s power firsthand.

  She stood to go. “I’m going to take a bath and then lie down for an hour or so. I’ll be ready to leave when you are.”

  Oz pushed to his feet as well and followed her to the door. “I meant what I said. I would steer clear of the Arkadian. He has anger issues that make even Gryke seem tame.”

  Carmen pulled back the curtain ad stepped into the hallway. “I don’t think you have to worry about Zyen where I’m concerned. He can barely stand to be in my presence.”

  “Don’t be too sure about that.” A strange light shone from Oz’s eyes. “I disliked Maria at one time also. And you see how that ended up.”

  Carmen inwardly shuddered. The thought of being mated as Oz and Maria were fairly turned her stomach. It wasn’t being mated that sickened her so, but the intimacy that went along with it. “I’ll see you later.”

  Once inside her room, Carmen gathered a change of clothes and made her way to the bath house. Several Bracadyte females were lounging about in different stages of undress when Carmen arrived. They looked up as she stepped into the room, curiosity burning in their eyes.

  Carmen slowed her steps, deciding on coming back at a later time.

  “It is not necessary to leave.” A pretty young Bracadyte stood from her place on a bench along the nearest wall. “You are welcome to join us.”

  Hesitating, Carmen studied the dark-haired female. “Are you sure?”

  “Of course.”

  Uncomfortable disrobing in front of the others, Carmen thanked the girl and eased closer to the edge of the pool. She gave them her back and quickly divested herself of her clothes before hurrying into the heated depths of the water.

  She could feel their gazes on her as she made her way to the opposite side and scooped up the strawberry scented shampoo that rested there.

  Dunking her head, Carmen smeared some of the delicious smelling shampoo on her hair and scrubbed the Gulf water free.

  The Bracadyte female who’d greeted her at the door strolled to the pool’s edge, dropped her robe, and entered the water next to Carmen. “I am Rauneca.”

  Carmen had never seen a more perfect form in all her life. She felt small and awkward next to the other female.

  “I’m Carmen,” she responded before rinsing her hair and plucking up the sweet-smelling soap.

  Rauneca grinned. “You are shy like Abbie used to be. She would cover her breasts with her palms if the bath house had occupants.” A chuckle escaped. “I will never understand why human females hide their bodies from other females. We all possess the same parts.”

  Carmen’s gaze flicked to Rauneca’s much larger breasts. “Similar…but nowhere near the same.”

  Rauneca’s he
ad cocked to the side. “They are the same. Your body is much smaller than a Bracadyte’s. Therefore, my breasts would be too large for your chest. It is the same with our males. And a Bracadyte female’s body is more sexually compatible with our males than the human female bodies are.”

  How had they gone from comparing their own differences to discussing Bracadyte sex? Carmen wasn’t sure, but she preferred to change the subject. She opened her mouth to do just that when Rauneca’s next words stopped her.

  “Take you for instance. You have a child-sized body. You could never mate with a Bracadyte male. The pain of it would be too great for you.”

  Carmen squeezed her eyes shut, flashes of horrific memories flooding her mind at once; being held down by two men as the one known as Hernando ripped her clothes from her body. The smell of his breath, the oiliness of his unkept dirty-blond hair.

  “Are you ill?” Rauneca’s voice sounded as if it came from a great distance. “Carmen?”

  With a shudder, Carmen returned the soap to the side of the pool and swam toward the steps. The panic attack she felt seeping into her chest threatened to choke her. She needed to get out of there, and fast.

  Snatching up her clothes, Carmen grabbed a towel from a shelf on her way out, wrapped it around her, and staggered toward the door. Her breathing grew more difficult by the second, and her chest began to burn.

  Carmen ran.

  Chapter Three

  Zyen emerged from the food pantry and rounded the corner toward his living quarters. His arms were loaded down with everything from a box of something known as macaroni and cheese, to a loaf of bread and a few other items that had caught his eye.

  So engrossed in thoughts of his impending meal, Zyen almost didn’t notice the slight body of Carmen huddled up in the hall ahead of him.