Table of Contents
ARRIVAL
ALSO BY MICHELLE ROBBINS
AUTHOR’S NOTE
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
MICHELLE ROBBINS
AMBER QUILL PRESS, LLC
ARRIVAL
Life for Liam Sinclair used to be easy. Raves, work, sleep. Lather, rinse, repeat. Yet all of that changed with the arrival of the Urilqii...space aliens, technically, although they looked like everybody else. But if that wasn’t freaky enough, they arrived on Earth to thwart a global usurpation by beings they called The Targolt. Climate change, long-denied, was proof of the invasion.
Although at first Liam was as skeptical as everyone else, he couldn’t deny one fantastic truth—those space-faring alien dudes were hot, Hot, HOT! Still, despite their smiles and affable natures, despite the continual coverage of their actions by the media, the aliens have been strangely close-mouthed, even after many months on Earth. And Liam, like most humans, can’t help but wonder—what are they hiding?
He is about to find out.
First Sergeant Mike, a member of the Urilqii race, lost his love in the last battle with The Targolt and lives with the pain and guilt of surviving while his adored partner did not. But with Liam’s sudden arrival into his life and into his heart, will Mike be able to accept or even admit his growing feelings for the handsome human?
ALSO BY MICHELLE ROBBINS
Butterball
Marked
Stir Of Souls
ARRIVAL
BY
MICHELLE ROBBINS
AMBER QUILL PRESS, LLC
http://www.AmberQuill.com
ARRIVAL
AN AMBER QUILL PRESS BOOK
This book is a work of fiction.
All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously.
Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.
Amber Quill Press, LLC
http://www.AmberQuill.com
All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.
Copyright © 2015 by Michelle Robbins
ISBN 978-1-61124-726-8
“Sgt. Mike” Photograph © 2015 AJL Photo
Cover Art © 2015 Trace Edward Zaber
PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Sergeant S. Miles
The inspiration for, and model of, my “Mike.”
Thank you
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Mike’s story is about survivor’s guilt and the journey taken by our soldiers to forgive themselves and find the strength to claim their healing.
Please, let us remember not all of our returning veterans wear scars on their skin. These wounds of the soul are often the most damaging and crippling. Our warriors, on battlefields worldwide, are the best and finest of our country.
I implore readers of this book to think about Mike’s struggle and always honor and respect the choices of our service people, as well as the sacrifices they’ve endured due to this one brave and selfless choice.
CHAPTER 1
Earth, in the close future
New York City
The pounding fists against one of the conference room’s sideboards joined in with the din of shouting voices like the drum roll of thunder across Earth’s stormy skies. Interplanetary diplomacy wasn’t his strong suit, but First Sergeant Mike was certain this didn’t bode well for the discussion. Perched importantly on a puffy seat in front of him sat the Envoy, labeled “Mr. Robertson” by these community leaders.
He appeared calm.
Always the diplomat, Mike snorted, no matter how hot the zone.
Mike exchanged a fast glance and a shrug with the soldier standing beside him, Sergeant Steve, and was given an equally fast shrug in return. There wasn’t much either of them could do for Earth’s population. Until two days ago, denizens of this planet had thought themselves alone and dominant in the galaxy—then his people had arrived to shatter that preconception.
Huge changes, Mike admitted to himself. Earth was not alone, and life existed elsewhere in the universe. More unsettling for the dumbfounded residents was the fact Mike’s people, the Urilqii, had arrived on this pretty blue rock to face off against an ancient enemy that’d targeted Earth for annexation. As such, extinction threatened all air breathing species on this planet.
Mike knew those were not the kind of changes to which one easily adapted. Still, he had to draw on the reserves of his patience to suffer through the ongoing tedium of ongoing interspecies conferences. It would have been far more stressful for everyone had they arrived at a later date.
The fact Urilqii bore the same shape and gender alignment, and displayed significant aptitude with the resident language bases, helped ease the shock of their arrival. The fact that they’d appeared on armed, star-going ships, however, had not.
Fear stunk up the room, as did determination.
Mike identified and respected it. Much like the steel-eyed resolve he spotted among the dignitaries inside the chamber, he’d done whatever it took to keep his world safe. He knew the situation, and he knew their desperation.
The skin across his shoulders itched and he dragged himself back to the now. While lost in thought, he’d been pulled unwittingly into a contest of eyeball wrestling with the white-capped security personnel across from him. Marines they were called, and a quartet flanked the dignitary who sat in front of a red-striped, white-starred emblem.
He stared back at the Marine. Hard.
The guy’s eyes narrowed, demonstrating a willingness to step up.
Mike felt the same way. ::Guy’s gonna to get a mouth full of knuckles if he doesn’t ease up.::
The urge to relax filled his mind via the Envoy. ::At ease.:: It galled, but Mike lowered his gaze from the Marine and consoled himself with the fact the cabal’s mind-link would ensure his annoyance would be loud and clear. Steve covered a laugh with a cough.
“I will not accept this!”
The unexpected roar from the one Mike had dubbed Blowhard broke into his thoughts. He steeled his face to maintain his impassive expression. Did the guy think
