Protected: Alien Mate Index Book 2: (Alien Warrior BBW Paranormal Science fiction Romance) (The Alien Mate Index) by Evangeline Anderson Page A

jumping back in surprise as I stared at the viewer which had so lately been displaying my own features. Now it was showing me a complete stranger.
    The new face looked like an old man. He had wrinkled cheeks and thinning gray hair that barely covered his boney scalp. In fact, he looked like any senior citizen I might expect to see on Earth…except his skin was light green and his eyes were deep purple.
    “Hello?” he demanded in a high, quavering voice. “Hello, can you hear me? Please, this is an urgent message!”
    “Um…I hear you,” I said. “Are you calling for Grav?”
    “I am calling for the Protector of my granddaughter—Gravex N’gol,” he said. “I have to…have to tell him…” Suddenly he broke down. Putting his face in his hands, he sobbed, his boney shoulders shaking so hard I wished I could reach through the viewer and comfort him.
    “Sir?” I said tentatively. “Are…are you all right?”
    “I’m sorry.” He looked up, his purple eyes red from crying. “I just…I thought she’d be safe. I should have listened to Grav—I never should have dissolved his contract with her. And now it may be too late!”
    “What is it? What happened?”
    Grav must have heard the poor old man’s weeping because he suddenly appeared behind me, his face grim.
    “Principae Kiv’orop,” he said, frowning. “Why are you calling me on my private line?”
    “Oh, Gravex, please! You have to help me—it’s Teeny! She’s been taken again!”
    “What?” Grav demanded. “How did that happen? You swore to me you hired the best retinue of guards possible to take her to that damn finishing school on Gemina.”
    “I did and she got there safely,” the weeping man Grav had called Principae Kiv’orop moaned. “She was doing well in her studies and making friends with the other girls—so said Madam DuFrein, the director of the academy! But then…but then…”
    “What?” Grav was still frowning but there was anxiety in his white-on-black eyes. “What happened?”
    “There was a raid!” The old man started crying harder than ever. “The school authorities don’t know how the raiders got past the planet’s defenses but somehow they did.”
    “Who did they take? Was it slavers looking for eligible females?” Grav sounded like he knew exactly what he was talking about—as though this kind of thing was a common occurrence. I shivered at the thought.
    “No! They weren’t normal raiders—at least, they didn’t ask for ransom of any kind. And they only took Teeny—no one else.”
    Grav grunted thoughtfully. “Sounds politically motivated. “You think maybe it was paid for by one of the other ruling families? Someone else in line for the Thonolin throne?”
    “It’s possible but…I’m not sure.” The old man shook his head. “They said—Madam DuFrein said…”
    “Said what? Spit it out, man!”
    “Most of the raiders were T’varri.” He stopped for a moment to blow his nose on a bright green handkerchief.
    Grav nodded. “Well, I know that’s frightening but T’varri males are generally honorable. They won’t bother Teeny—she’s not of age. Their males demand complete submission from their females but not until they’re bonded. Teeny isn’t old enough to bond with anyone yet.”
    “It’s not the T’varri that worry me!” Kiv’orop said, swiping at his eyes. “One of Teeny’s teachers tried to stop them from taking her. As I said, most of the raiders were T’varri but some were wearing masks. Madam DuFrein said this teacher pulled one of their masks off and they saw…they saw…”
    He shook his head, another sob wracking his skinny frame. I wondered what in the world could have been under the mask.
    Grav waited patiently until the man got control of himself.
    “What did they see when the teacher pulled off the mask, Principae?” he asked quietly.
    “The masked raider was a Biter!” Kiv’orop burst out. “Do you hear me, a Biter!” And they have reason to believe