Tempted by the Alien Barbarian: Warriors or Warden, #6

By Sierra York

Twins, Abby and Arya have always had a special connection. When they prove to be unable to be computer-matched to mates The Powers That Be, try to force them to marry men who are under their control. Desperate for a way out, they negotiate their way off the planet by hitching a ride with two handsome strangers. 
With most of his brothers having taken wives, Shn is starting to feel the chill of loneliness. So when, on the brink of war with Earth, Shn and Thm are sent on a recon mission to the closed planet he realizes it might be his opportunity to find a mate of his own. Can love grow between a woman and her rescuer? Or will Shn spend the rest of his life wanting a woman he can never have?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sierra York
• Release date: Sep 13, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386790099

Book preview

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

Chapter One

Shn took a deep breath and attempted to push the door to his parent’s pod open. It bounced, taking him by surprise. Shaking it off, he pushed harder and as the door opened further he realized he’d hit someone with it. Sor— he started but was drowned out by his brother’s voice.

What the—! Ryn muttered as he tried to regain his balance.

Shit. Sorry. Shn stood sheepishly in the open door.

Ncl unlocked her legs from Ryn’s waist, and he set her back on her feet.

Shn looked past his brother into a beautiful face framed with fiery red hair and blushing lavender cheeks. He let his breath out in a huff. When his father had summoned him, he thought he’d been prepared for the worst...finding his brother shacked up hadn’t even been on his list of possibilities.  He shook his head. Not you too.

Ryn placed a gentle kiss on Ncl’s forehead before turning to his brother. What? You’re a pain in the ass, he told Shn.

Last I saw you, you were on your way off the planet and not telling anyone where you were headed. Shn tipped his head toward Ncl.

A huge smile broke out across Ryn’s face as he picked up two bags off the floor. Yeah. I got sidetracked, he answered, looking at his wife rather than his brother. He turned back to Shn. Are you actually going to come in and shut the door?

Shn took a step into the house but left the door cracked.

Ryn shook his head. Always only half paying attention.

I heard you, dick. But Thm was right behind me so there’s no point in shutting the door. One of us with a handle print on their ass is enough for an evening.

As if saying his name had made him appear, Thm walked in and shut the door behind him. Hey Ryn, he said. Before Ryn could respond, Thm had locked eyes onto Ncl.

Shn noticed immediately the moment that Ryn saw the brightening in his eldest brother’s eyes. Shn took a breath and started to move, but Ryn’s voice cut through the air. Don’t even think about it.

Thm turned back to Ryn. Who’s the skirt?

Ryn stood in front of Ncl, his shoulders set and his stance widened, a primal response to his territory being threatened. Mine, he managed to growl.

Thm slapped a hand on Shn’s back. Look, little brother is getting all puffy-chested. Isn’t he cute?

Ryn’s growl got deeper, stirring an uncomfortable tension in the air. Shn watched as Ncl stepped forward and put her hands on her husband’s waist before peeking over his shoulder. Hi. I’m Ncl.

Thm and Shn settled on her face and quieted their laughter. Nice to meet you, they told her in unison.

Shn acknowledged Ncl’s nod, and watched her lean in to whisper in his brother’s ear. Can we please go upstairs now?

The sound of Ncl’s voice seemed to pulled Ryn from the dark place his jealousy had taken him. He spun quickly around, dropping the bags he’d been holding, scooping up his wife, and sprinting up the stairs with her cradled to his chest as Shn fell back into laughing fits by the front door with Thm.

***

Thm hadn’t been home in a really long time. Shn was nervous that something big had to be happening for him to have actually shown up. Each room on the way to their father’s office was empty...which made his brain auto-focus on the fact that each of his brothers was probably warming their beds in their own pods with their females while he and Thm dealt with business. Suddenly he felt a pit in his stomach and an ache in his chest. This wasn’t going to be good.

Shn didn’t have much time to dwell. They arrived at the heavy office door, and Thm had barely rapped his fist against it before it swung open to reveal their father sitting behind his giant desk.

Shn stepped into the room after his brother and greeted his father as the door shut behind them. Father.

Boys. It is wonderful to have you home. It has been far too long since we’ve had all of our sons under the same roof. The king eyes narrowed on his eldest son.

Thm. Shn. Why don’t you both have a seat so we can have a brief recap before I go into why I pulled you from your marshal duties.

Shn looked at his brother for reassurance. It had been like that since they were little. Thm was the eldest; therefore he ran the show. He had never been the biggest or the fastest, or even the best fighter. He hadn’t needed to be. There was a presence about him, a calm but fierce manner with which he carried himself. Shn always assumed it was something that just happened with eldest sons. They needed to be able to lead.  Thm would be the next king after all. So when he saw his own worry reflected in his brother’s eyes it did nothing to settle his fears or his stomach.

Fear bubbling in his gut and nerves assaulting his muscles, Shn slowly made his way to one of the two chairs in front of their father’s desk and sat down as gracefully as he could muster. He heard Thm fall into the chair beside him as he trained his focus on the king.

And at that moment Shn realized that that was exactly what his father was, a king and a good one. He was a leader. He had everyone’s best interest at heart. It wasn’t just concern for his own bloodline or even his ego that had caused him to not give into the people of Warden’s request for peace with the Mcys. It was that he had to maintain