The Princess and her Bounty Hunter: Alien Romance (Fated to the Alien: The Psychic Matchmaker Book 2) Read Free

ship’s nose, and kept it off the ground for a further hundred feet. Then it hit the ground. Spray shot up around her, but they bounced, going on another twenty feet before they hit the soggy ground once more.
    Not so much spray, but that didn’t hide the truth: the ground was too wet for the ship to land on and for her to do the necessary repairs. As she fought to keep going, the trees on the edge of the grassland grew closer. If she could just make it that far.
    Her arms ached, her back ached, her hands were frozen around the control stick, but still she fought. She was her mother’s daughter, born of the old world but brought up in the new. Fighting was in her blood, and she fought on, until at last she had to let the ship slide across the ground, before it broke up with the impact of each bounce.
    When at last the world stopped moving, she sat back in her seat, slowly flexing her fingers, making them work, making them release the only control she’d had on her future. Which was now no more than a stick of metal attached to a steering system that was dead. Just like the whole ship was dead.
    “Enough.” Tiana undid her seat belt and climbed out of her seat. The ship might be dead, but she wasn’t. The tilting of the ship told her the ground wasn’t firm underneath it. It also made walking difficult, especially coupled with the exhaustion that threatened her as the adrenaline rush she had experienced slipped away.
    The way she staggered from side to side must make her look as though she had drunk too much abslon . The fuzziness in her head was almost enough to confirm it, but she knew where she was, and what danger she was in. She had to get herself moving, and assess her situation.
    Tiana made her way to the ship’s stores, and opened all the doors. Taking down three large containers, she filled them with as much food as she could, adding survival gear, water purification tablets and a blanket being of the most importance, before sealing the lids on tightly, in the hope that they would stay dry once she left the ship. Her plan was to reach the trees on the edge of the bog and set up some kind of second camp. From there she could come back and assess the ship, its damaged engines and likelihood of repair.
    Only a momentary feeling of desperation was allowed into her head before she pushed it aside. She was not going to die here.
    Taking the supplies, she placed them next to the escape exit, but didn’t pull it open. She had to be ready; the ship might have already sunk enough that was soon as the door was blown, water would flood in. Only one way to find out . She pulled the lever. There was a hiss of air, followed by the smell of rotting vegetation, then the door swung open, and she assessed her chances of ever making it off this planet.
    They were not good.

Chapter Three – Mak
    “Misha’Ha,” the girl exclaimed, and he could hear the worry in her voice, even though it was barely a whisper. “We must leave. There is a bounty hunter here. He knows your name.”
    “I am not leaving,” Misha’Ha replied calmly. “That’s him, I presume. What did you give him?” Footsteps came closer. He kept still, his breathing shallow and even.
    “ Donaetea . I wanted him to sleep. I hope I haven’t killed him.”
    “He’s still breathing. The effects last around eight hours, we need to get him out of here. If the authorities find out you gave it him without his knowledge, there will be trouble.” The footsteps stopped. “Although he does have to drink it for it to take effect.”
    “You are very perceptive,” Mak said sitting up. “I’m not big on tea.” He got up, towering above the two women, and handing the full cup back to the girl. Who promptly took it off him and then threw it back in his face. Only Misha’Ha’s hand stopped her throwing the cup too.
    “It’s our best china, Driole, and we haven’t paid for it yet.” She loosed the girl’s hand and came closer to Mak. “What do you want,