Healed By The Stars: An Alien Reverse Harem Standalone Romance (SOS Space Station) Read online

  Healed By The Stars

  Jade Waltz

  Copyright © 2021 Jade Waltz

  Healed By The Stars is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  All rights reserved.

  Published by: Jade Waltz

  First Edition: July 2021

  Formatting services provided by Purple Fall Publishing

  Husband,

  Thank you for supporting me with this crazy adventure.

  You understood I needed a channel to express myself and to put the stories in my head into words.

  I love you.

  Jason,

  Thank you for everything.

  If it weren't for you, I would be some lost girl still looking for some help.

  Readers,

  To all the alien lovers who would wear a "Take Me!" shirt when aliens come to abduct us - this is for you.

  This book is the beginning of an expansive universe.

  I hope you all will take this incredible journey along with me.

  ~Jade Waltz

  Contents

  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 One

  Elya

  “Thank you for coming on short notice. I owe you both.”

  “It was nothing.” I shook my head, untied my apron, and pulled it over my head. Then, dangling it over my arm, I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and smiled. “I knew you needed the help. Besides, we never turn down a way to get extra digis.”

  Nami pursed her lips and frowned as she stared at me in silence. It was a habit of hers, something she did whenever she forced herself to hold her tongue instead of voicing her opinion. My boss tried her best to look out for us, but she had always prevented herself from overstepping her boundaries regarding our living situation.

  She was strict about making sure there was a clear divide between work and home life. It was something I appreciated and would forever be indebted to her for, especially when it came to raising my daughter.

  “You know you don’t have to move, right?” Nami hedged, her voice soft with care as her piercing icy-blue eyes flicked between Caia and me. “You are welcome to stay as long as you like.”

  I sighed, already knowing where this conversation was headed. A part of me regretted telling her our future plans because the topic came up daily.

  “Nami, you know that we can’t,” I stressed as I wrapped my arm around my daughter and pulled her close. “We need to get out of here—”

  “I know.” She held up her hand to silence me and sighed. “It’s just... you both are the best workers I’ve ever had, even after all these years. I don’t want to lose you. You are like family.”

  “We feel the same. You’ve been not only the best boss but friend anyone could ask for,” I murmured and peered at my daughter, squeezing her gently. “But I have to do what’s best for Caia.”

  “And I can’t prevent you from doing what’s right.” She typed onto her wristband and extended her hand out to us, her wrist up. “Know that both of you are welcome to return anytime you want. My door is always open for either of you whenever you need it.”

  “Thank you.” Nodding, I placed my wristband onto hers, and an audible ding rang as it displayed an amount more significant than our day’s wages. Gasping, I brought my wrist closer to my face to examine the amount to make sure exhaustion hadn’t hit me and I’d read it wrong—only to discover that I hadn’t.

  “This is too much!” I muttered, shaking my head in denial that what I saw was correct. Then, glancing at my grinning boss, who was more like a mother to me, I extended my hand to her. “I can’t take this.”

  “Mom.” Caia huffed, grabbing my arm with both hands. “She did it on purpose. Just accept a gift for once and thank her.”

  “Listen to your daughter, Elya,” Nami teased, crossing her arms as she leaned against her office desk. “You earned it. Don’t try to return it because I won’t accept it.”

  I didn’t fail to see how she had hidden her wrists under her armpits, blocking them from sight. Then, glancing at the metallic ceiling, I let out a deep sigh in defeat.

  “You both always team up against me.”

  “It’s for your own good,” Caia pointed out as she grabbed my arm, forcing me to lower it. “You always overthink things. Stop giving Lady Nami a hard time and let her treat us for once.”

  Side-eyeing my bossy daughter, I took in her annoyed silver-slitted gaze.

  If it weren’t for the fact that she referred to me as her mother, no one would’ve known we were related. Her glossy black hair and her facial features were the only two traits of mine that she had acquired. Everything else was all him.

  Her emerald skin and golden swirled tattoos.

  Her height—at age fifteen, she was already a head taller than me.

  And the fact that she had a pair of curved horns on her head, a row of spines down the middle of her back, and a tail that she loved to poke me with whenever I wasn’t looking.

  It was a miracle she was even born.

  I didn’t regret that the Stars had gifted her to me, but raising a daughter who wasn’t my own species, alone, without her sire or fathers, or the support one should have, was a challenge.

  “Fine,” I drew out, shoulders dropping. “You both win.”

  “See?” Caia tilted her head. “Was that hard?”

  “No—”

  “—You just hate gifts.” Caia rolled her eyes. “We get it, Mom, but sometimes it’s just better for you to learn to accept what’s given to you for once.”

  “I know. I’m trying to get better,” I stressed, glancing at them both. “It’s just hard.”

  “Take this as another step to recovery,” Nami replied softly with an apologetic expression. “And maybe one day you can have happiness.”

  “Caia is my happiness.” I grinned at my daughter. “She is all I need.”

  “Maybe I need to remind you that whenever I break your rules,” Caia teased, tapping my butt with her tail. “You can no longer be mad at me when I do something wrong.”

  “Even our favorite bakery can make a bad batch once in a while,” I countered, narrowing my eyes. “Perhaps I can have your dessert next time we go there whenever you decide to act up.”

  “You wouldn’t dare!” she hissed, mouth agape.

  “I know how much you love Dhara’s bakery.” Then, smirking, I rubbed my stomach. “I was planning on treating us with a pair of to-go meals from there after we were done working this shift.”

  “Why are we standing here?” She grabbed my hand and yanked me toward the door. “Let’s go!”

  “Have fun, you two,” Nami chuckled, waving her fingers goodbye. “Make sure you place your dir
ty aprons in the sanitizer, so the system can have your uniform ready for you in your locker when you return.”

  “I am treating my daughter for dinner, and maybe if she behaves, she can have her dessert.” I winked at Nami as Caia gasped. “And then, I am planning to return to the apartment. Do you know if there will be any deliveries we should be aware of?”

  “None tonight.” Nami picked up her tablet and pressed the vidscreen; its bright display highlighted her face. “We don’t appear to have one until after tomorrow’s midday meal.”

  “Thank the Stars,” Caia breathed. “We can finally sleep in for once.”

  “We will receive the shipment whenever it comes and put it away before coming down for our shift.”

  “Sounds good.” Nami peered up from her tablet. “I’ll leave some leftovers in the cooling unit for you two for whenever you wake up and get hungry. I know it’s been a long time since either of you had the opportunity to sleep in. Now get out of here and relax! Tomorrow isn’t that far away, and the station never rests.”

  Chapter Two

  Ajamu

  “What do you mean there isn’t any work?”

  “I’ve tried every merchant willing to speak with me,” Eynar replied, frustration clear in his voice. “Either they have their own mercenaries that they trust to protect their deliverables, or they aren’t looking to take a chance to hire us.”

  “Because that ishing prince framed and banished us,” I spat, cursing the male who’d put us in this position. “Instead of killing us, he knew what he was doing. I would bet he even sent a galactic message warning others not to work with us so that he can make sure we suffer.”

  Glancing at my crew—my triad brothers—I didn’t miss the anger and pain they failed to hide in their gaze. Instantly, I deflated as the weight of our situation kicked in, hating myself for replying to my brother so harshly for no reason.

  “I’m sorry.” I sighed, opening my arms in an apologetic gesture. “I shouldn’t take out my frustrations on either of you, especially since all of us are going through the same thing together.”

  “It’s okay, boss,” Karvyan assured, crossing his arms as he leaned against a support beam. “We know not to take anything you say to our hearts. It stings knowing the frax has gotten away with everything that he’s done over the years. If the queen knew better, she would’ve thrown him in jail a long time ago. But now, she’s lost two of her sons to her remaining deranged one, leaving her royal line without a successor.”

  “Unless the missing princess is found,” Eynar pointed out, scratching the back of his head as he studied his tablet. “No one knows what happened to the royal triad’s pregnant mate. Some suspect her sudden disappearance caused Prince Rokye’s downfall.”

  “No, the prince showed signs of aggression and jealousy early on.” Karvyan frowned. “I studied his health records thoroughly, along with his triad brothers. But to claim his whole staff was part of an attempt to destroy his sacred spear—the last remaining piece of his triad—only to break our triad spears before banishing everyone wasn’t something I could’ve fathomed.”

  “And now there are dozens of triads without spears to present to their future mates.” Growling, I turned to where our spear hung on display on the wall, split in half for the universe to see. “All because no one kept a spoiled prince in check.”

  “We will get through this.” Karvyan kicked himself from the beam and placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it. “Have faith in the Stars. They have bigger plans for us.”

  “Hopefully, their plans involve digis,” Eynar muttered, studying his tablet. “Because we have no inventory, little energy in our banks, and no leads for a trade deal. We aren’t going to last that much longer docked here. Not with the daily fees they charge us. We need a plan—and fast—before we become stranded and have to sell our ship because we can’t afford to manage it.”

  “We aren’t going to sell the Astral Horizon,” I hissed, whipping my tail in anger. “That is the last thing we can call our own, and I refuse to give the only thing we have to offer our future mate—”

  “If the Stars gift us one,” Eynar mumbled. “We have more pressing things to think about other than a nonexistent female. So what’s our plan going forward?”

  “Have we tried offering ourselves as guards to one of the station’s establishments?” Karvyan glanced at Eynar for confirmation. “Or were you only asking the wealthy merchants on the upper floors?”

  “We may have to venture to the lower floors if we are going to find work.”

  I frowned as my tail stiffened from the idea of having to find work in the space station’s slums. If we couldn’t find any in the nicer levels, we may need to take the chance with the lawless. Now that we’re banished from our home sol system, they may be more welcoming to us than ones they call ‘goodies’—the law-abiding rich folk.

  “There has to be something.” I gestured in the direction of the docking bay outside our storage bay’s door. “It’s a large space station full of opportunities. There has to be someone willing to hire us.”

  “I can offer my services to the station’s infirmary,” Karvyan offered. “I’m still registered with the Orion Intergalactic Medical Association, and my medical licenses are up to date. Healers are always needed, but unfortunately, if they accept me, that would mean that I will be required to remain stationed here until my contract with them is up.”

  “It would give us enough funds to pay for the docking fees and recharge our energy cells,” Eynar said, studying me. “And would leave us more time to find another income source.”

  “I don’t like splitting up. You know this.”

  Scanning our empty storage bay, I knew it couldn’t let what happened to our triad blind me from what was the right thing to do. Our triad’s future depended on getting enough digis to survive.

  Something that we’d never needed to do until now.

  Working in different locations within the palace had allowed us to share one of the nicer triad apartments in the local area. Moreover, we were often given the same shifts, which allowed us to keep a close bond with one another, unlike other triads that often worked at different times and locations due to their specialties. I was always thankful for having such a fortunate opportunity, especially since it was rare for the whole triad to find work at the palace.

  Little did we know the reason why they were so willing to hire us was that the royal triad princes had believed the staff before us were responsible for their mate’s disappearance.

  And now history had repeated itself, but instead of three princes, the one that remained did the firing.

  “We may not have a choice,” Karvyan hedged. “If they are willing to hire me, then I can keep our triad’s funds stable until you both find other work. On top of paying for our ship’s expenses, we have to eat. Starving ourselves isn’t going to help us find and keep a job, not when we will be too malnourished to work.”

  “How about Karvyan visits the infirmary while we scope out the middle floors?” Eynar suggested, hooking his tablet to his utility belt. “It’s nighttime in galactic standard, and we both know it’s prime time for deals and steals.”

  “Steals?” I raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t think we were going to trade goods.”

  “Not yet, at least.” Eynar winked. “I am hoping to check out the game rooms to see if the Stars will bless me with some winnings tonight.”

  “You are willing to gamble away our last digis?”

  Eynar shook his head. “Not until we hear news about Karvyan acquiring a position at the infirmary. We can search for any businesses hiring until we hear back from him.” He shrugged and flashed me a toothy smirk. “We both know that alcohol makes it easier to acquire any helpful information from the loose lips that love to play at night… and my hands may know their way around the tables.”

  “I’m not in the mood to get hit on by an elder wanting to relive her younger years,” I grumbled and winced from the memory of the kitche
n worker who tried to make my horns glow… but failed. Miserably. “Nor am I in the mood to visit a brothel while we are here.”

  “They are always looking for ex-warriors to protect their staff,” Eynar countered. “Plus, the rich love to visit the ones with the expensive entry fee.”

  He was right. They were always the faculties in need of guards who weren’t afraid to defend their property and staff. I was just scared that if each of us found a job on the station, it would result in us never leaving.

  Something about making the space station a permanent home felt wrong… as if we traded the freedom to fly amongst the stars to be trapped in one location.

  I had sworn to myself that I wouldn’t allow my triad to become a victim once again. I just hoped finding jobs at the space station wouldn’t make it our prison.

  Chapter Three

  Eynar

  “Perhaps it’s better if you stay outside while I enter the establishments.” I shot a glance at Ajamu, who stiffened. “You can be on the lookout while I speak with the managers.”

  “It’s not my fault that frax lost.” He scoffed. “Perhaps he shouldn’t challenge someone to test their strength if he was going to be a spoiled adolescent.”

  “We are trying to win them over… not beat them.” I smacked the back of his head with my tail. “We are lucky he didn’t call security on us.”

  Hissing, he bit the air where my tail traveled and made fake chewing noises toward it. “If he did, he would’ve taken a worse hit on his fragile pride.”