Queen Of Twilight Read online

  Queen of Twilight

  Octavia Kore

  Contents

  BLURB

  Untitled

  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

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Epilogue

  Untitled

  Untitled

  Queen of Twilight

  A Dauur Mate novel

  By: Octavia Kore

  Copyright © 2020 by Octavia Kore

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information and retrieval system without express written permission from the Author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  BLURB

  Abducted from Earth and dropped on an alien planet, Inoxia finds herself the accidental guardian of a six year old girl. As a single woman in her thirties whose only worries are the plants in her greenhouse this is a monumental challenge. The two of them aren’t alone for long when two hulking, neon aliens with quills on their heads and color changing eyes happen upon them.

  As a Darkborn Dauur, Aquilian has spent his life being seen as a curse by his people. The fact that he is also a twin doesn’t help matters at all. With the deck stacked against him, he spends most of his time in the forest where there are no judgemental eyes. While on the hunt for a rare medicinal bloom, Aquilian finds himself trapped within a dome with some of the ugliest creatures he has ever met. Even worse is the fact that one of them happens to be his mate.

  Although Ettrian is a Lightborn Dauur, he hasn’t always lived an easy life. Growing up as a twin in a society that believes them to be unlucky, the male has had his share of stares and gossip. When he is abducted from the forest and taken to an alien lab to be tested on, Ettrian is told to do something unthinkable. After being reunited with his twin, the male is shocked to find that Aquilian has located their mate. The only problem? She is the most hideous creature he has ever laid eyes on.

  With everything around them coming undone, can this unconventional family pull together to create their own happily ever after?

  Disclaimer:

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. This work of fiction is intended for adult audiences only and may be triggering for some. Strong language is used. Proceed at your own discretion.

  Dedications:

  Thank you Julie Vance for editing our baby<3 It means the world.

  We’d also like to send out big hugs to Sj Sanders, our mentor and Calista Skye who listened to us (mostly Hayley) even when she (Hayley) was annoying and were our biggest supporters!

  Thank you Caitlin Cross for alpha reading and being awesome even when Hayley word vomits.

  Thank you to all of you for letting us bounce ideas off of you and encouraging us to never give up.

  And to our significant others, thank you for supporting our dreams, giving us inspiration, and loving us no matter how weird we are. We love you.

  Chapter 1

  Inoxia

  This is the worst May Day celebration I have ever been to and it has only just begun. I snatch up another wildflower from the baskets in front of me, weaving its stem into the crown made from twisted branches we tied together earlier in the day. Anything to try not to notice the man that just walked around the field the town held the festival in like he owned it. Trent. He’s my ex and achieved that status for very good reasons.

  “Is that who I think it is?” My mother leans into me, whispering like we’re two school girls gossiping behind the bleachers. I watch as Trent grabs the ass of a woman passing him and my lip curls in disgust. “What a jerk,” she comments.

  “I’m just glad I got away when I could.”

  “Dodged a bullet with that one for sure.”

  We had been together for two years before I worked up the courage to end it. I swore an oath to myself and any beings that were listening that I would never allow him back into my life. His sweet laced lies had ruined me for so long and seeing him after all this time apart did nothing but make me wonder what I had ever seen in him. Lucky for me, Trent seems to be avoiding my little area. It is the same one I work every year with my mother, the make-your-own-flower-crown station.

  “Now twist this one right here,” I tell the boy in front of me distractedly as I point to the stem he has in his hand.

  “Like this?” he asks, holding it out proudly to me. It could be better, sure, but considering he is probably only five I nod my head yes enthusiastically and continue on to the next child.

  Flowers and plants in general are my specialty. I’ve spent my whole life underfoot while my parents were running their own greenhouse, starting the seedlings, repotting, watching them mature into beautiful plants that eventually left to new homes. Plants make me feel at home and they simply seem to respond to me, reacting to my moods and giving comfort when I need it most. In fact, I have grown every single wildflower the children sitting across from me were weaving into their own crowns. Looking out into the crowd of milling locals and curious tourists, I’m thrilled to see the fruits of my labors adorning their heads or pinned to their clothing in celebration of the town’s May Day festival.

  “Thank you miss Xia!” the boy says excitedly before running after his parents. “Look mom!”

  “That looks great sweetie!” She tells him, patting his head.

  Seeing the kids excited to create crowns is half the fun. It's one of my favorite times of the year. Tradition says this day was meant to divide the year in two, separating the light half and dark half. It ushered in the spring and summer months and brought new life into the world. While I can’t say that the festival we have here is completely traditional, it drew a lot of people into the area and more people meant more sales for the greenhouse. After the war with the Grutex when they invaded Earth; and then the one between the Grutex and the Venium, sales weren’t the easiest thing to come by. Believe it or not, people weren’t worried about religious celebrations or festivals much anymore. Most were just trying to get over loved ones that had been lost or rebuilding lives that had been torn apart. There are a few radical religious groups, but those are few and far between. Being in the business of flowers is wonderful here and I’m grateful that my parents have passed down their green thumbs to me.

  Warm sunlight spills over my skin and I reposition myself so I am under the shade of the small, portable canopy I set up early this morning. With skin as pale as mine, I’m not going to risk being exposed longer than I needed to be. I have my Scottish grandparents to thank for that and all the rest of my features. Long, curly red hair, eyes as green as the grass I’m sitting on, and freckles that dusted my nose, cheeks, and forehead. Yep, I was the poster child for Scottish an
cestry.

  “Miss Xia! Look at my crown!”

  I look up from my work to see one of the little girls I’m teaching, Kareen, holding up a mass of wildflowers that have been haphazardly tucked into the woven headdress. Kareen is one of the children from the local orphanage who has taken an interest in everything to do with plants. She is the first one into the greenhouse anytime they take a day trip and the last one into the vehicle when it comes time to leave.

  I admit that when it came to the little girl I had a massive soft spot. Before stuff went bad with Trent I was considering adopting her and had even begun the long process, but then he had to go and ruin all of that. Adopting as a single woman or man was basically impossible at this point. The moment I’d told the agency about our split they had politely rejected my paperwork and told me I was welcome to try again once I’d “found a nice man to settle down with”.

  I guess I could have spoken with other agencies, but Kareen had stolen my heart and I couldn’t imagine trying for anyone else. The rejection hasn’t stopped us from spending time together and I soak up any moment with her that I’m given. She owns my heart completely. The second she spotted me today, she ran over and threw herself into my legs, wrapping her little arms around my body and staring up at me with big, adoring blue eyes. Cuteness overload!

  “It looks great, Kareen! You did an amazing job, baby!” The girl grins and plops the crown atop her mop of curly blonde hair. It tilts down the left side of her head and my heart squeezes at how sweet this moment is.

  Whoa, there ovaries. Calm down.

  As the hours pass, I slowly work through my supplies, showing kids and adults of all ages the magic of creating something one of a kind with their own hands. Each person leaves me with a big smile and a treasure to show off. It's already midday by the time I start loading up my empty baskets, piling them into the little wagon I hauled my goods out here in earlier.

  “Hey, Xia!” My childhood friend Mina is weaving her way through people, hand held high in the air in an attempt to catch my attention. She smiles brightly as she breaks free, coming around my folding tables to get a look at what I’m doing. Although I’m not exactly the tallest woman I know, Mina makes me feel like a giant. She is a solid five feet of pure joy and positive energy and I don’t know what I’d do without her in my life. “Good, you’re almost packed. I was worried I’d have to drag you away from your floral headgear demonstrations.”

  A laugh bubbles up from my chest as I watch her rustle through a selection of ribbon still on the table. “Crowns, Mina. Flower crowns.” She waves away my words before tossing the basket into the wagon.

  “Same difference. Let’s get going before all the good spots at the pole are taken by out-of-towners and sticky-fingered six-year-olds!”

  “There are no bad spots on the May Pole.” I snicker. “And I’m not sure I want to participate this year.”

  Mina’s head snaps around, hazel eyes going wide as she stares at me. “I’m positive I didn’t hear you say that Inoxia Freebairn.”

  “I’m positive it came out of my mouth.”

  “It’s our tradition. One dance around the May Pole for a prosperous spring. It isn’t like we’re looking to take the crown.”

  I sigh in resignation as the last of my things go into the wagon. “Fine, ok. One dance and then we get to go back to my apartment and watch cheesy sci-fi movies until our eyes cross.”

  “Deal!” Her excitement was palpable as she claps her hands and jumps up and down.

  The faster we get through the dance, the faster we can leave. The faster we leave, the less I worry about potential interactions with my ex.

  There is a cheer from the crowd that has gathered around the stage as the pretty flower crown is placed on my head and the sash is attached at my side. Who’s got two green thumbs and just got crowned May Queen? This girl, unfortunately. I glare daggers at Mina who shrugs and smiles like a fool as she watches the scene from the ground below me. Normally, the town chooses an upstanding teenager to take the title. She gets escorted around town like royalty for the next couple days by various public figures, is given a scholarship, and then gets sent on her way until next year when she returns to crown the new queen.

  Well, this year is apparently different. It’s a leap year so the committee has decided they need to crown an “unattached” woman. They have also decided to throw a May king into this whole mess and who should they decide on for that roll? Trent. He beams at me from his place on stage as the head of the festival committee gives her speech. He is wearing a loose-fitting, white button-up with a brown vest over the top and comfortable looking brown slacks. His booted foot taps out a rhythm as his gaze roves over me. A shiver runs up my spine and I wish I was anywhere but here. The woman at the microphone is going on and on about the role of the celebration and how fertility has always been a major part of May Day.

  My eyes dart to Trent and I thank whatever gods are out there that we never had children together. The head of the committee wraps up and Trent makes his way across the stage. I spin away, hoping to make it down the steps before he gets to me, but there are already people blocking my path. I’m a second away from jumping into the crowd of people below me and hoping someone cushions my fall when I feel a large, familiar hand wrap around my upper arm.

  “Xia.” The sound of my nickname coming from his mouth makes my skin crawl and my eyes narrow on his face. He had once been so handsome to me, dark brown eyes, jet black hair that curled around his ears, and a jawline so sharp you could cut yourself. The closer I look now, the more I can see the cruelty in his expression. “You look beautiful today.”

  I jerk my arm from his grip and feel myself flinch when he steps suddenly closer. “Stop, Trent.”

  His eyes wander over the people mingling around us before he brings them back to me, running them from my bare feet all the way up until they lock with mine. “I was hoping I’d get to see you here. You look good,” his tongue flicks out to swipe over his lips. “It’s been a little while, hasn’t it?”

  “Not long enough.” I murmur as I try to brush past him. He catches me around the waist, pulling me into his chest and leans down to brush his lips against the shell of my ear.

  “Come by the old house tonight and I’ll let you help me with a little fertility ritual of my own.” The lecherous curl of his lip makes my stomach drop and all of my senses go on high alert. Never again, I promised myself, never again was I going to let him get to me, let him hurt me the same way he had done before I had gotten out.

  As calmly as I can, I remove his hand from my body. “I’d rather chase parked cars.” His gaze turns hard causing my heart to jump in my chest. I turn and rush across the stage, crouching down to slip from the platform onto the soft earth. I don’t stop there though. Someone calls after me, but it hardly registers in my mind. Something inside of me has been triggered and it’s telling me to get as far from this man as I can. I realize as I’m running that I have no idea where I’m heading. I don’t know why I didn’t just find Mina and head home, but I can’t even force myself to turn back. The shade of the trees envelops me once I make it into the woodline, small twigs and thin branches snag my pretty dress, scraping at the skin on my legs, but I keep going.

  Rocks and other debris dig into my bare feet and I stumble, catching myself on a nearby tree. Blood pounds in my ears, drowning out all other noises. My lungs feel like they’re on fire. When was the last time I ran this far? Or at all? Never, honestly. When I finally catch my breath, I realize that the forest around me is silent. Eerily so. The hairs on the back of my neck and arms stand on end and I glance around me, searching for whatever it is that has me on edge.

  From my right comes a quiet buzzing noise. It races over me, growing louder and louder, like whatever is making the noise is getting closer. I push away from the tree, stumbling backward in an attempt to escape the mysterious threat. It is so loud now that I can’t hear anything else and just as I slam my hands against my ears to block it
out something crashes into my legs and my whole world goes silent and black.

  Chapter 2

  Aquilian

  Whispered words circulate around the bond in my mind and I try my hardest to block them out. I don’t have as much experience being around my tribe as Ettrian, my twin brother, does. Weaving through the massive trees that make up the village, my eyes locked on my destination, I push onward toward Safia’s den. The front of her tree opens with the slightest nudge of my mind, welcoming me inside like an old friend. The beautiful Darkborn Taenov turns around from where she is mixing herbs together, her eyes turning white in surprise.

  “Aquilian. I wasn’t expecting you.” her silver quills rattle softly, sending a vibration along my ilo as she speaks along the bond.

  “I need to talk to you.” With my head bowed slightly, I fan my quills out and vibrate in greeting.

  “Such formalities are not required here. Tell me what you need.” She sets her dried herbs down at the table and waits for me to continue.

  It took me days to work up the courage to come to her with this and I’m not going to back out now that I’m standing here. “I came to formally ask you to take Ettrian and I on as your mates.” I knew coming into this that I could, and most likely would, face rejection. There are very few who will even let me speak to them, let alone allow me the chance to propose a mating.