Aileen Erin - In Command

ISBN 9781943858743

Copyright 2021 by Ink Monster, LLC

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher

except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

A beeping woke me, but it wasnt enough to pull me fully from sleep. I rolled over, curling deeper into the sheets.

But then came footsteps. I slowly stopped my movements under the covers. I didnt want to alert whoever had come into my room, but I was aware that I might be in for a fight.

I held my breath, waiting as the footsteps came closer.

Waiting for the right moment.

Waiting for them to get a little closer.

Wait

Someone shook my shoulder.

Now.

I threw myself from the bed, hit a warm body, and quickly pinned it to the ground. Whoever was in my room thought they could catch me when I was asleep, but I never slept. Not deeply. Not when the threat of assassination was high.

I pressed my forearm across a neck and tried to see in the dark.

Damn it. What was the Aunare word for lights again?

Hands pushed at my arm, but I held it firmly in place. Whoever this was, they werent getting away.

Shit, babe. The voice was strangledfor obvious reasonsand strained, but familiar. Really familiar. Wake up.

Wait. I was an idiot. Lorne had switched his room comp to Earther English. Lights, twenty percent.

The lights eased on, stopping just above dim. The room came into view.

This used to be Lornes suite, but now it was ours. The lamp beside the bed gave off enough light to hurt my eyes for a second, and then I glanced at who I had pinned.

Shit. I immediately moved my arm and rolled away. What the hell, Roan? Why are you sneaking into my room?

You cant what the hell me. Thats my line. What the hell was that? He rubbed his neck. I think I might get a bruise right here. Is it red? Can you see?

He always said that, but Roan was incredibly hard to bruise. No. Its not red.

I was finally fully awake and realized my heart was racing. I rubbed my eyes, and I took a breath, trying to slow my heart a little. Everything was fine. I was fine. But Id nearly killed my best friend.

Sorry. I didnt know it was you.

He shot me a look that told me he was only moderately pissed off, which was good. Who else would it be?

SpaceTech spies? Jason Murtagh finally coming to finish the job? OrI dont knowanother guard that decided I was better dead than as their future queen? The list of people who want me to stop breathing is pretty long, my friend.

Roan laughed at me like assassins hadnt tried to kill me just a few days ago. Some of them my own guards. Ditto on the SpaceTech spies.

You mustve really been sleeping hard because none of those people you just listed wouldve bothered to ring your doorbell.

Oh.Right. Fair point.

I didnt hear it. Except I remembered the beeping. It had been woven in with my dreams and hadnt fully registered as my doorbell, but I couldnt say I didnt hear it. And even if I did hear a doorbell, ignoring it means go away. I was sleeping.

Roan sat up and grabbed his tablet from where hed dropped it. Or maybe Id knocked it from his hands. Whatever. I glanced at it, and the screen seemed fine, as did Roan. Thankfully. I wasnt sure what I would do if Id hurt him.

Other than throwing him into a healing pod and apologizing profusely.

You dont have time for sleeping in today. He stood and reached a hand down. Its my first official day as your assistant, and Im going to do my job.

I groaned, instantly regretting giving him said job. I thought we could mostly spend time hanging or training, but if he woke me up, then I guessed there was more to my life now.

I took in my best friend. He was wearing a button-down shirt and some nice pants. His active shoes were replaced with something nicer. Was that leather? His hair was in tiny, tight curls, instead of its usual poofy mess.

He grinned at me, his white teeth standing out against his darker skin. I look nice, right?

Man, your ego isnt hurting at all is it? But thats exactly what Id been thinking.

He looked really nice. The only jobs hed had on Earth required clothes that he could get dirty in. I guessed I hadnt really thought about what hed wear to this job, but clearly, hed thought about it a lot. He looked like a whole new Roan.

I took his hand, and he pulled me to my feet. Now that the threat was gone, I wanted to crawl back into bed but somehow restrained myself.

Mostly because Roan put himself between me and the bed. No, you cant get back in there. I just got you out, and you have an hour to get dressed and eat. I figured it used to take you ten to do both on Earth, but you gotta get pretty. I mean, I dont know if you can reach the level of my pretty today, but you should definitely give it a shot. And then we have to be out of here.

I ignored the fact that my best friend thought he was prettier than me and moved on to what he was really getting at. I rubbed my temples, trying to make myself think. I needed to be dressed up and out of here for something? But I couldnt remember anything. Whatever it was, it sounded like something I did not want to do. Anything that wasnt training wasnt my bag.

Id only been awake for minutes, and already I could tell this day was going to be a pain. I had to ask a question, and I didnt want the answer to it.

Why? I held my breath, hoping hed tell me quick, like ripping-off-a-bandage quick.

High Council meeting. Roan could read me like no other. The words were out fast as if that would make them sting less. They said they needed a four-hour block of your day.

Oh man. I really, really wished he hadnt woken me up. I couldve slept for another few hours and missed it.

Wait.

A four-hour block? Four hours? Are you serious right now? What could possibly take four hours?

Well, you did say we needed to declare war on SpaceTech. So, best guess, they want to talk to you about that, but theres no official set agenda. At least none that they shared with me.

I did want to declare war on SpaceTech, but if they wanted four hours, that meant they were going to fight me on it.

Kill me now.

Wheres Lorne? Because I wasnt going anywhere without him.

Hang on. He glanced down at his tablet. Fynea sent me a link to his cal so we could coordinate schedules if needed. Checking He tapped a few times. Okay. This says he had a call starting two hours ago.