by Livia Bourne
Alpha’s Capture
Caged Alphas Series
Livia Bourne
Copyright © 2019 by Livia Bourne
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover Design by Laura Hidalgo at Spell Binding Design
First Electronic Edition - June 2019
eBook ISBN: 978-1-947559-14-1
For Jennifer, Addison, and Myra. Thanks for the kick in the ass I needed to give this a try. I can only hope readers have as much fun reading it as I did writing it. Love you ladies!
A special shout out to Laura Hidalgo from Spell Binding Design. Not only does she make kick-ass covers, but she nailed my new Livia Bourne branding on the first shot. Amazing! I love it hard.
Contents
Chapter 1 - Khalil
Chapter 2 - Zahara
Chapter 3 - Khalil
Chapter 4 - Zahara
Chapter 5 - Onyx
Chapter 6 - Zahara
Chapter 7 - Khalil
The Caged Alpha Series Will Continue!
About Livia Bourne
Chapter 1 - Khalil
There was nothing better than the gentle hum of a ship’s powerful engine to coax a star fleet warrior to sleep. Having spent the bulk of his life in the stars, rather than on the ground, Khalil Khan always slept better on a fleet vessel—even this fancy luxury model that was meant to carry dignitaries instead of Alpha warriors like himself and his crew.
He was just about to sleep when the communicator connected to his wrist vibrated, flashing alert on the small display.
“This had better be good. I had just got to sleep,” he answered gruffly.
“You need to return to the bridge.”
The stern command came from the only other male on the ship that could speak to his commander in that tone.
Thrash.
“You aren’t on duty tonight.”
“I’m always on duty. Just like you. Need to show you something.”
The bastard had the nerve to end the communication as abruptly as he’d started it. The only reason the huge warrior wasn’t wasting away in a confinement facility was he had proven his loyalty to Khalil in the most personal of ways. As a result, he’d earned a trusted place on Khalil’s elite team despite his questionable parentage.
As commanding officer aboard the Viper, he felt out of place in the expansive suite of rooms that made up his quarters. Still, he wouldn’t complain about the plush bedding or the personal chef’s rich meals he’d enjoyed for the last ten sols.
Transporting the princess did have some advantages.
He pushed to his feet, thankful he’d piled his uniform on the nearby platform as he’d disrobed. His instincts had him on edge as he rushed to pull on the blast-resistant uniform of a Gradonian Alpha.
He was both honored and annoyed at being chosen to escort Princess Audra to and from her recent peacekeeping mission to Androndas. His elite team of warriors would be better used closer to the battlefront, not taking leisurely flights in luxury. He warned the Alphas in his command daily not to get used to the comforts.
Regardless, Khalil was taking the safety of the princess and her entourage seriously. Their flight plan had them skirting the dangerous Trakonian quadrant, and his warriors were on high alert. The next two sols would be the most dangerous of their voyage. He had hoped tonight might be the last decent night’s sleep he’d get until they touched down in Gradon’s Bluff. With his second officer’s call, that hope was now moot.
After securing his stunner in his shoulder holster, Khalil rushed to the portal. Thrash was not an alarmist. If he’d found something of concern, it warranted the commander’s attention.
He paused as he rounded the corridor corner, taking a moment to inspect the junior warrior on duty standing guard outside the suite belonging to the princess and her entourage. Havrin was the newest member of his team and, as such, often worked off-hour shifts.
Despite the late hour, the Alpha warrior stood alert. When he saw Khalil approaching, he acknowledged his commanding officer with their squadron’s sign of respect—his right hand crossed over his chest, elbow high in perfect form. He held position until acknowledged.
“At ease, warrior. Report,” Khalil prompted, his own salute completed.
“All is well, sir. The princess has retired. But…” The guard’s voice trailed off, as if he wanted to say more.
“Say it, soldier. I don’t have time to delay,” Khalil spat.
The guard looked left and right down the corridor before meeting his commanding officer in the eye and completing his report.
“The princess is retired, but her personal assistant left the quarters some time ago and has not returned yet. I am not comfortable with the female roaming the vessel at this hour.”
“Malaka!” Khalil cursed. “Did I not give strict instructions that no one from her majesty’s group was to wander off without an escort?” Anger mingled with uneasy concern as he probed further. “Exactly which member of her detail disobeyed me?”
He hoped it wasn’t who he thought it was. Princess Audra was a beautiful and strong Alpha female, but the petite beta who traveled with the royal everywhere she went was equal measures of vulnerability and tenaciousness, particularly where her important companion was concerned.
“I do not know her name, sir, but she is the female with the”—he paused, searching for the right word—“the shimmering hair.”
Damn Zahara Sterling. He’d given her clear instructions not to wander alone. On a ship of Alpha men who rarely saw, let alone interacted with, sexually enticing female betas, he was concerned one of the men might be drawn in by her unique smell—or her striking beauty—or her mesmerizing eyes.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts of the vision of the attractive female. “Which way did she go?”
“Towards the recreation room, sir.”
“Very well. Stay alert, and report back to me when female Sterling returns to her quarters. Once she returns, she is not to depart without an escort again.”
“Yes sir. Captain Onyx briefed me on our proximity to the enemy quadrant as I started my shift. I am to report anything unusual to him on the bridge.”
Khalil was already in motion as he gave his departing comment. “Very well. As you were.”
The Commander weaved his way through the residential level corridors, his long strides taking him towards the slider just ahead that led to the ship’s common recreation area. He was almost to the portal when the slider opened and the petite female he sought walked out, turning directly into his path.
Her strikingly vibrant eyes widened as she recognized him. The flash of fear he saw there satisfied him. If she could read his mind, she’d understand how very afraid of him she should be.
Prior to this interaction, he’d only thought about stripping her of her flowing frock, bending her over the nearest piece of furniture, and burying his neglected cock deep in her sheath in one thrust. She was the kind of female an Alpha like him wouldn’t be able to resist knotting.
Tonight, due to her disobedience, he added the vision of stripping her bare and tying her down first so she could take ten lashes with his punishment loop just before he thrust inside her. He suspected she would scream so beautifully.
Khalil came to a halt in the middle of the corridor, making it impossible for her to pass. He could see indecision on her flushing face as she debated turning and running the other way.
“You defied me.”
Her answer was delayed as she searched for an acceptable answer. Little
did she know there was no acceptable answer. The only thing that would be saving her from feeling the sting of his punishment loop on her bare skin was her civilian status.
“I was hungry, and… I needed to do some research on the vid-link in the communication pod.”
“Evening meal was provided earlier and you have a vid-screen in your suite. There was no reason for your disobedience.”
A flash of anger made her bright eyes an impossibly deeper blue as she retorted, “I am not your pet. Nor am I under your command.”
Zahara tried to step around him, but he reached to grab her upper arms, halting her in her tracks. “The hell you’re not.” Their bodies were flush against each other as he towered over her, several heads higher than she was. He waited for her to crane her neck back enough to look him in his eyes. “Everything on the Viper is under my command.”
Khalil detected her breaths becoming short as her dainty nose flared with anger. Instead of intimidating him, her misplaced anger only made his Alpha blood flood to his cock. His body was long past due for a visit to the female companion center.
“Let me pass. I am returning to my chambers.”
“Where you should have never left.”
Zahara lifted her chin as she bravely confronted him. “Why are you so worried about my safety onboard your vessel? Do you not have control over the Alphas in your command? Are they feral, ready to mount any female that is in their presence?”
He squeezed her arms harder.
“Do not challenge me. My men are honorable, but they have also been away from the… female comforts… of home for a long time.”
She had begun wiggling in his grip, attempting to get away from the growing erection he did not bother to hide from her. If he frightened her, all the better. Maybe next time she would obey him. Or better yet, maybe the next time he’d actually be able to show her exactly who was in charge.
He waited to see the flicker of fear take up residence in her heated gaze before he extended his arms, pushing their bodies apart, but not releasing her… yet.
“Now, I will escort you to your chambers where you will remain until the morning meal. I expect to be obeyed. If you choose to ignore my directions in the future, you will discover how I reinforce my command.”
She lifted her chin before challenging him. “What will you do? Lock me in my room?”
He made her wait for his answer, amping up her anxiety until she trembled under his fingers. “Perhaps, but only after I have first laid you bare across the presentation bolster in my own chamber to deliver the lashes you have earned from my punishment loop. I find providing welts on a naughty female’s anatomy works wonders for achieving compliance.”
“Barbarian. Are you sure you are not part of the Trakonian bloodline instead of your second mate?”
That she continued to speak back to him under the circumstances was unacceptable. He yanked her back into his arms, noting the surprise on her facial features.
“Leave Thrash out of this discussion.”
It took all of his inner strength to finally release her, letting her stumble back from him far enough that he missed the warmth of her.
Shaking his own head in an attempt to shake her from his thoughts, he knew it was better to part ways, striding off in the direction of the elevator, delivering his parting comment over his shoulder.
“Return to your chambers now, Zahara. Your bottom will thank you later.”
Khalil kept his long strides even as he made his exit. He paused as he came to the primary lift of the four-story transport ship, waiting until his own breathing had returned to normal. It had been some time since a beta female had captured his interest as Zahara Sterling had.
Remembering Thrash and Onyx were waiting for him in the control room, he pressed the button to the bridge, leaning forward and supplying his retinal print to the advanced security system that ran the elevators and everything else of importance onboard.
Within nanoseconds, he was stepping off into the open, and nearly empty, command center. He’d ordered the bulk of their team to get rest in preparation for the most dangerous portion of the mission the next day. Only a handful of warriors remained on alert, guiding the ship through the lunar nebula they’d pass just before skirting the hostile Trakonian territory.
Thrash and Onyx, his number one and two on the team, waited for him at the circular navigation table. They were too engrossed in discussion to see his approach, giving him time to marvel at how different the men were.
Onyx was immaculate, quiet, and calculating. He excelled at strategic planning and never wavered in the face of adversity, keeping calm and working the problem. He was almost logical to a fault.
In contrast, Thrash was all passion and fire. Two heads taller and wider than any other Alpha in the fleet, he stood out wherever he went—not only because of his size, but many couldn’t help but stare at the dozens of battle scars that covered his face and body.
Still, Khalil knew it was the small horns protruding from his friend’s skull that frightened onlookers the most. While dwarfed in size compared to a full-blooded Trakonian Alpha, the presence of the nubs announced the small amount of Trakonian blood flowing in the soldier’s veins. Blood that had nearly got him jailed and almost killed before his skills were put to use for the Gradonian security forces. Had it not been for Khalil’s father, General Khan, stepping in to rescue Thrash, he would surely be dead or in confinement.
“What is so important that we must discuss it at this hour?” Khalil prompted as he took the seat next to Onyx.
Thrash thrust his arm out, pushing a small round marble-like trinket across the table towards his commander.
“You got me up to examine jewels?”
Onyx’s cool gaze met his as he answered. “The scanner is not able to identify the substance.”
“That is highly unusual, but I hardly believe it is grounds for alarm.”
“The Zodiac scanner has a one-hundred percent performance rating for galactic identification. This is the first time I’ve seen it fail. Ever.” While Onyx had spoken in an even tone earlier, Khalil recognized the elevated stress within Thrash’s voice as he’d answered.
“What do you think it is?” he questioned, trusting the seasoned warriors’ instincts.
The men’s eyes met as Thrash answered. “I am not certain, but it was found by the ship’s medical officer who has been traveling with the princess for some time now.”
“Avincent? He has been the King’s primary science advisor for several solar rotations, has he not?” Khalil asked, trying to understand his friend’s point.
“He has, and as such, he has top-priority clearance to the investigation of the biologicals we confiscated in our victory over the Trakonians in the Gulch last solar turn.”
“Are you suggesting what I think you are?”
It was Onyx that answered his question. “We are not suggesting anything. There are not enough facts to draw a conclusion at this time,” he added, throwing a cautionary glance at Thrash.
“Malaka!” Thrash cursed. “We may not know what it means yet, but we need to move this into the containment vault until we return to Gradon’s Bluff and can examine it further.”
Khalil nodded as he cautioned the hotheaded officer. “Remain calm and tell me the results of your interrogation of the medical officer.”
Something close to a smile lightened the face of the large Alpha, recognizing Khalil’s understanding of his nature. “He claims to have never seen anything like it before, but he also acted with subversion. He is hiding something.”
“I was not hiding anything. If you’d waited a nanosecond before waking the commander, I could have completed my analysis.”
Khalil looked up to see the medical officer approaching the navigation table, still dressed in the blue uniform of his profession.
Thrash shot to his feet, taking a defensive stance against the Alpha doctor. “How did you gain access to the bridge?”
Despite being treated
like an interloper, the younger male smiled, clearly unaffected by Thrash’s presence. “I have access to all areas of the transport. In fact, that is how I was able to find these two additional samples.”
The doctor thrust his hand out, displaying two additional marbles. The only difference between the three samples was the varied colors.
“How did you find these so quickly?” Thrash accused, adding “Or did you bring them on board with you?”
“I already told you I did not. I did, however, complete a scan of the vessel looking for additional samples based on the original. I may not know what they are, but I am fairly certain these are the only three onboard the ship.”
Khalil lifted one of the small objects, examining it and finding it difficult to achieve Thrash’s level of alarm at the otherwise benign looking trinkets.
“I hardly think we should be concerned with this tonight.” He reached to hand the sample back to the doctor as he added, “Let’s secure the samples in the confinement chamber until were return to Gradon’s Bluff. The scientists there can assist us with identification.”
He turned to depart, expecting his instructions to be followed, but the doctor took a step sideways to block Khalil’s departure.
“I don’t think that is advisable. We should not wait to identify the substance.”
Losing his patience, he pressed. “And why not? What harm do you think these baubles might cause?”
A low humming sound filled the room before the doctor could answer his question. The four alphas exchanged looks before glancing around the room, each trying to find the source of the new sound. It was as if the humming was echoing off the walls of the enclosed bridge, growing louder with each passing nanosecond.
“System check!” Khalil shouted to the navigation officer across the room.
“Already on it, sir!” the officer shouted as he pressed the many buttons and screens on the flight deck.
