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  Iska

  My Single Alien, Volume 4

  Arcadia Shield

  Published by Arcadia Shield, 2018.

  While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

  ISKA

  First edition. June 8, 2018.

  Copyright © 2018 Arcadia Shield.

  Written by Arcadia Shield.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  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 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

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  Are you ready for more sci-fi romance? | Other books by Arcadia Shield: | Vortex Alien Warriors – hot alien and human romance

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  My Single Alien

  Chapter 1

  There was nothing more perfect than killing an angry ogre.

  Avril Anwell swung her plasma blade in a practiced arc over her head. The grizzled ogre’s green blood spattered on the forest floor as she sliced off his arm.

  You go, girl.

  That’s got to sting.

  Give him everything he deserves.

  If you beat this ogre, I’m taking you to dinner.

  Avril grinned as she glanced at the comments scrawling down the right-hand corner of her virtual reality headset. She loved that she had so many fans when playing the role of Warrior Princess in these games. It was so different to the real world. It was why Avril spent so much time in here. People accepted her. They adored her when she was the Warrior Princess.

  Her next move was deliberately theatrical as she spun on the heels of her knee-high black boots, taking the plasma blade with her. It smashed into the ogre and sliced off his head.

  Comments flooded into her virtual reality feed, and a thousand points were automatically added to her score.

  Avril smiled to herself as she stashed her plasma blade and smoothed the short red fitted dress she wore. It might clash with her copper and blonde streaked hair, but this color made her feel powerful. She’d designed the dress herself. It was butt-skimmingly short, but she’d added titanium breast plating and reinforced arm and ankle guards to give it the vibe that she was not to be messed with.

  Not that you got hurt in a holo suite game, but when you added virtual reality, everything seemed so real, and it reassured her she was protected. Plus, the outfit made her feel sexy.

  Her everyday outfits on the Prodigy space station were jumpsuits, the same as every human who worked here. She’d never been able to pull off the look and always felt swamped in them. In here, this was her real world, and Avril could express herself and not feel judged by what she wore.

  Well, she only felt judged when she talked about her role-playing with others outside the game. Everyone considered her a geek, even her friends. She tried not to care, but it hurt when people thought her hobby was a joke and teased her about being in love with an orc.

  In here, Avril was her true self. She could be a warrior, and everybody loved her. That’s what this was all about. Keep on winning, keep on fighting, and prove to everybody how incredible she was. Every kill she made, every point she gathered, took her closer to her ultimate goal: to win the holo suite championship and be crowned a winner.

  “A new player has requested entry into your game,” the holo suite computer announced.

  Avril tilted her head. There were few fighters she let in her games. Not many were good enough to compete alongside her. “Who is it?”

  “Fang.”

  A smile slid across Avril’s face. They’d played many times over the last few months. Fang was a ruthless fighter and did whatever he needed to gain points. He knew his way around a weapon or two, and she enjoyed his company. More than that, Fang was aggressively flirty, and in her role of a warrior princess, she loved that.

  “Let him in.”

  Anyone who wanted to enter her game needed permission. This was Avril’s game. She’d started playing on the second day she arrived on Prodigy. Terrified of everyone and everything on the station, she’d needed a refuge and a place she felt safe.

  When she’d discovered the role-playing games in an immersive virtual reality holo suite environment, she thought she’d died and gone to heaven. Avril came here every day in her warrior princess outfit, clipped on her virtual reality headset, and became the person she really wanted to be.

  “Nice kill,” Fang said through their shared gaming comm link. His holo suite image always wore the same clothing, head to toe black. From the large, scuffed black boots on his feet to the mask that covered his face, there was not an inch of skin showing. Everything fit his broad frame perfectly.

  Avril enjoyed admiring those muscles as they fought alongside each other. Not that Fang would look like that in real life. For all she knew, he could be a five-foot Rolon with bad breath and a squint. Still, it was good to fantasize that he could be some hot warrior in real life.

  Not that Avril considered herself a beauty. Her red hair with its odd clashing blonde lines—all natural, pale skin, and green eyes were not popular among aliens. She’d had a fantasy about coming to Prodigy and finding a gorgeous alien who would adore her quirky looks. Instead, they’d been just like human guys; they thought she looked quirky.

  She’d even had one guy who’d dated her because he wanted to check off his list that he’d banged a redhead. After that revelation, there had been no more dates and no banging.

  Her warrior princess image kept the red hair, but it was flame-colored, dead straight, and hung down her back to her waist, nothing like her real hair that she fought with every day to look half-decent.

  Avril ran an appreciative glance over Fang. “It was nothing. He was slow.”

  “It looked impressive from where I watched.”

  “There’ll be more of them if you fancy playing with an ogre. They always travel in packs.”

  “No doubt. That’s why I’m here. I couldn’t bear to see that gorgeous body of yours torn apart by a pack of sex-starved ogres.”

  Avril laughed. “They wouldn’t stand a chance.”

  “They won’t with me by your side. I’ve always been a fan of your figure. I want to make sure it stays in one piece.”

  If this was a conversation Avril was having in the real world, she’d be stuttering and blushing like an idiot. She was a product of the foster system, an unwanted kid, who quickly learned that, if she kept quiet, she survived.

  In here, in her game, Avril felt invincible and sexy as hell. “Maybe you’d like to get to know my curves better?”

  “You let me know where and when. I’ve got a whole lot of moves you’ve never seen before.”

  “You want to fight me?”

  “No, I want to fuck you.”

  This did have Avril blushing. Fang was an incredible fighter and loved to flirt. He came with a side order of crude that she’d taken a while to get used to. She imagined he was some rough, dangerous soldier used t
o the banter of his squad mates. Someone who was battle-scarred in real life and who’d survived tough times. Someone who would never look twice at Avril if they passed in the corridor.

  “We’ve got incoming,” Fang said.

  Avril scanned the game arena. It was a lush forest, with plenty of hiding places and ambush sites. She’d fought alongside Fang for three months and considered him an ally, if not a friend. They worked well together and had similar fighting styles.

  She sometimes wondered about asking him to meet in real life but didn’t want to be disappointed when he didn’t turn out to be a gorgeous soldier with a liking for skinny redheads.

  That wasn’t strictly true. He’d be disappointed in her when they met. Her proud, confident character in the game was the opposite of how she really was.

  If her fans, who encouraged and congratulated her every time she made a kill, knew her true personality, they wouldn’t follow her. They’d laugh at her and consider her a geek.

  Avril didn’t mind that label. Holo suite role-playing wasn’t for everyone. It made her happy, and she wasn’t giving it up.

  When she wasn’t gaming or working, she practiced her moves in the workout studio on the station. She’d gotten pretty darn good at punching and kicking her way out of the clutches of an evil punch bag and had a strong core and a spot on high kick.

  Avril focused on the game as she looked for ogres. You could fight any creatures in these games, human, alien, beast, figures of fantasy, whatever you programed in.

  Ogres were big but blended in with the greens and browns of a forest environment. Fortunately, they were also as dumb as a brick and slow moving. You still didn’t want them to strike you with their fists or the large, crude clubs they used as weapons.

  If that occurred, you’d lose a third of your points and several hundred places in the rankings. Avril couldn’t afford for that to happen. She had her eyes on the ultimate prize, and nothing would get in her way of that.

  “Are you up for another round of ogre baiting?” Fang asked.

  Avril nodded as she spotted four ogres emerge from the trees. “Bring it on. I need a good workout.”

  “I know a few ways we can work up a sweat together that don’t involve green blood.”

  Avril chuckled. “I’m certain you do. I’m not sure you’d be able to keep up with me.”

  “I’d give it a shot.”

  “I’m very demanding.”

  Fang turned his head. “As am I.”

  Avril glanced at him. She had no clue what his expression was under that mask. Their flirting had ramped up since their first meeting. It felt amazing to be desired by somebody. It felt real to her. A part of her wished it was.

  “Are you ready to play, or do you want me to rip your clothes off?” Fang asked.

  “I thought you’d never ask.” Avril pulled her plasma blade out. It hummed with energy as the long, slender ice blue blade emerged from its hilt.

  “To losing your clothes?”

  “To playing.”

  Fang chuckled as they stalked toward the ogres.

  Fang used a more traditional long sword as his weapon of choice in the games. It looked almost medieval to Avril. It made her wonder if he might be human and had an interest in medieval weaponry.

  When she’d asked him about it, he’d laughed and said he simply liked long, sharp things that sliced off limbs easily.

  The thrill of the fight traced down Avril’s spine. She got a rush of adrenaline every time she started a battle. It was different from the fight training she did in her spare time. That helped her to burn off nervous energy and ensure she had some great moves in the games. In here, she was a fighter. A force to be reckoned with. A better version of herself.

  “Stay safe, Warrior Princess.”

  Avril grinned at Fang. “The only thing I protect is my spirit. So long as that never breaks, I’ll be fine. The rest will heal.”

  “Game interrupted.” The holo suite computer paused the action just as the ogres roared.

  Avril sighed. “Report problem.” Occasionally, games glitched. It happened when there was a fluctuation in the station’s power supply.

  “Unknown entity has entered the game.”

  Avril’s virtual reality headset was yanked off her head. She was spun around by the shoulder as the game dissolved and the ogres and Fang vanished.

  Horror slammed into her as she stared at her uninvited guest. It was Diadora Hardwick.

  “I’ve been looking for you for almost twenty minutes.” Diadora’s dark eyes narrowed, and her fingers dug into Avril’s bare shoulders.

  “I’m sorry,” Avril stuttered. “Were we supposed to meet?” She would not have forgotten a meeting with Diadora. She’d have been tossing and turning all-night worrying about it.

  Diadora oversaw all activities at the agency Avril worked for, My Single Alien. She barely spoke to her, for which Avril was grateful. Diadora terrified her.

  “You’re late.”

  Avril’s eyes widened. “What for?”

  Diadora sighed. “Your training with our new intake of aliens.”

  Avril shook her head. “The training’s not happening until the afternoon. I have it scheduled.”

  “It is the afternoon.”

  Avril took a step back. “It can’t be. I’ve only been in the game for an hour.”

  “What time did you come in here?”

  “Right after breakfast,” Avril said. “I had a free morning, so I scheduled some time off.”

  “You’ve been playing your ridiculous game for six hours.”

  Avril’s jaw dropped. She’d been known to get carried away in games and forget the time. Back on Earth, in her comfy gaming seat and with a ready supply of snacks on hand, she’d regularly pulled all-night gaming sessions when she had a light work day the next day. Not that that happened often working for My Single Alien. There were always more aliens arriving to be inducted so they could get their hands on a human mate.

  “Come with me.” Diadora dragged Avril to the door of the holo suite booth.

  “Wait! I need to change.” She looked down at her ridiculously short dress.

  “There’s no time to get changed. We have a training room full of waiting Sachrins.”

  “I can’t teach them in this.” Panic flared in Avril’s chest.

  “You have to. It’s not acceptable they’re kept waiting any longer.” Diadora glared at Avril until she reluctantly left the holo suite.

  She kept her head down as she walked along the curved corridors of the station.

  Avril heard muttered comments and felt the stares of humans and aliens as she passed them. This was humiliating. She couldn’t believe she’d lost track of time.

  But the game had been so incredible, and she’d been on fire with her fighting. Avril had finally made progress on a tough level she hadn’t been able to get past for a week.

  She gained a small amount of comfort knowing her game was backed up and her points stored. She’d lost nothing by being ripped out in the middle of a session.

  Fang might wonder if something was wrong, though. Avril never ducked out on him just before a fight. He might think she was a coward. She’d explain the next time they played together but would keep it vague. All aliens knew about My Single Alien. He might come looking for her if he knew where she worked in real life.

  Diadora stopped by the training room door and pushed it open. “Don’t make me come and find you again.”

  Avril’s cheeks flushed. “Of course not. That was a one-off. It will never happen again. I am sorry.” She stepped into the room.

  Diadora closed the door behind Avril. Her hand went to cover her chest as she took in a room full of excited-looking Sachrins. Their tentacles were already extended toward her in eager anticipation of seeing so much human flesh on display.

  She suppressed a sigh and forced a professional smile on her face. This would be a long and difficult afternoon.

  Chapter 2

  Iska
rolled his shoulders and kicked his black-booted feet onto the table. The rented room he sat in was basic. It had a small lounge that doubled as a place to sleep and a tiny shower cubicle. It was all he needed.

  He’d been hanging out in the virtual reality holo game again, waiting to see if his warrior princess would come back.

  He smirked to himself. She wasn’t his, but he wanted her to be. She was all sass and smart comments. And she used a plasma blade like a pro. In the real world, she must be a warrior. No one had moves like that without serious training.

  She’d vanished so quickly from the game that Iska had figured something had gone wrong. Warrior Princess had never done that before. After waiting to see if she’d return, Iska had killed the ogres and earned himself some points.

  It had been a fun way to pass the time, but it wasn’t so much fun without her by his side. His elusive, cocky warrior princess. It helped that her gaming image was so easy on the eye. Warrior Princess dressed to thrill, and Iska got excited every time he saw her online.

  When she hadn’t returned, he’d left the game. Iska had a remote access plug-in from his room, so he didn’t need to enter the gaming suite on the station. But he’d gone back every hour or so just to make sure everything was okay.

  He shouldn’t be concerned. It was just a dumb game, but he didn’t like to think of anything bad happening to the person operating Warrior Princess.

  Iska shook his head and idly stroked his fingers through the short, pale fur on his arms. In real life, she wouldn’t be anything like the warrior she portrayed in the game. Everyone in these games were nerds and losers.

  He snorted a laugh. He guessed he had to include himself in that category, but Iska didn’t go into a game to be someone different. He went because he loved to fight and hunt. It was hard to do that in the real world without getting noticed. In the game, Iska could play out his fantasies in the safety of the game restraints—no real blood was ever spilled. When he’d discovered how complex and involved Warrior Princesses’ games were, he’d wanted in on the action.

  He’d observed her climb up the ranks of the games ever since he’d arrived on the station three months ago. She was someone to watch out for, a predator in her own right, just like him. It was always good to know who your competition was, especially in his line of work.