Pursued: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Fated Mates of the Kalixian Warriors Book 10)

by Presley Hall

  “As you can see, I’ve succeeded where others have failed. I’ve brought you your prize. And now, I hope, I can collect my reward?”

  My voice is even, betraying none of my nervousness, but my heart is racing. The two guards are huge, each easily Zatir’s size, and I have no idea how well Kildred might be able to defend himself. We’ll have to do this fast and clean, and we’ll only get one chance.

  “He’s huge,” Kildred drawls, leaning back in his chair with his legs spread apart, biting at his gold fingernails as he appraises Zatir. “Bigger than I thought. So much space to play with.” He sneers at my mate. “And not in any way you’ll enjoy. No, I’m going to carve you from limb to limb. Do you know what this space trash has been doing to me these past years?”

  He looks at me as he says that last part, and I shrug, still playing the part of a bounty hunter.

  “Something bad enough to warrant such a high bounty, I suppose.”

  “He’s been destroying my supply lines! Taking out my ships. I’m going to take a strip of flesh for every ship he’s destroyed, every crate of cargo lost. I’m going to feed him his own balls. Yes, yes, I think that’s a good idea.” Kildred rubs his hands together, his eyes glittering with malice. “I’ll cut them off, grind them to a paste and feed them back to him. Do you know there’s a medication that can keep a victim alive through almost anything? Keep their heart beating until it’s literally severed?”

  He laughs again, throwing his head back as he cackles, and I know this is our moment. Kildred is so lost in his fantasies of torture, practically lustful with it, that he’s not paying attention. And his guards, although still aware, are glancing nervously at their master. If we’re going to make our move, it’s now or never.

  Kildred rises from his throne, taking a step toward us, his glittering eyes fixed on Zatir as he runs his tongue over those dark blue lips.

  I let go of Zatir, the signal that we came up with for the moment we decided to attack, and with one swift motion, he snaps the cuffs, breaking loose and diving for one of the blasters holstered on my thigh. I draw mine at the same time, almost as smoothly as if I’ve done this before.

  But what I haven’t done before, what I’ve never done, is shoot someone.

  I swing my weapon toward Kildred as Zatir lunges at the guards, shooting over my head at the first one and diving for the second. At the same time, I fire at Kildred—

  —and miss.

  Dammit!

  The bolt goes wide, arcing over Kildred’s head and striking the gold-inlaid frieze behind his throne. He screeches with fury, his eyes turning dark and angry, and then he darts toward me, his teeth bared.

  The old me would have run. She would have second-guessed every decision she’d made to get her to this point, and then have bolted. Hell, the old me wouldn’t even be here. She would’ve been too scared to suggest such a risky, daring plan to Zatir.

  But I’m not the frightened girl I once was. I’m braver than that, and stronger. So I hold my ground as Kildred charges toward me, steady my arm, and fire again—this time directly at his head.

  This time, I don’t miss.

  He has just a moment to realize what’s happened. An expression of pure shock rushes over his face as the bolt strikes him in the forehead, and then he crumples to the smooth floor. A tiny tendril of smoke rises from the singed hole just above his eyes.

  The second guard hits the floor as well, struck by another shot from the blaster Zatir grabbed from me.

  “Go, go!” my mate yells. “We have to get out of here, quickly!”

  He takes my hand, and the two of us wheel around to make a mad dash for the doorway, each still holding a weapon. We have to escape the sprawling compound before anyone discovers what we’ve done.

  But before we can slip out of the room, another guard bursts through the door, running in the direction of the shots he undoubtedly heard.

  28

  Nadia

  My blood runs cold as the massive guard catches sight of us. He skids to a halt just inside the room, his blaster raised.

  “Stop there!” he shouts, and we freeze in front of the open doors of Kildred’s hall, the dead bodies in there for anyone to see.

  He looks similar to the guards in Kildred’s hall, a species as big as Zatir. All he has to do is call for backup, and we’ll be completely screwed. I have a lot of faith in Zatir’s ability to fight, but how many guards can he take on with only me to help? That’s why we made this plan in the first place—to try to avoid having to face them all.

  We are so fucked.

  The guard advances toward us, and my heart sinks with every step he takes. As he approaches, he looks over our heads, to where Kildred’s body is crumpled in front of his ridiculous throne. I can see him appraising the scene, taking in what’s happened here.

  Is he going to kill us now or clap us in cuffs? I wonder, my teeth clenched so tightly my jaw aches. I can feel the same tension in Zatir, and I know he’s trying to decide what the better plan of action is—to wait, or to start fighting now.

  And then the guard lowers his blaster.

  “Go,” he says, his voice sharp. “I’ll cause a distraction while you run. Go straight to the hangar. There’s a fleet of ships there. The smallest one is red and black. It was Kildred’s personal craft. The code to activate it is LM-192-VR. You’ll be able to access all of its functions then.” He looks between the two of us, jerking his chin in the direction of the hallway behind us. “Quickly! Run!”

  I stare at him, completely stunned. “Why—”

  “Kildred claimed my sister as a concubine.” His lips curl in disgust. “I became a guard here to try to keep her safe, to watch her as well as I could. Now, thanks to you, I can get her out of this place for good.” He looks behind him, and I pick up the faint sound of running footsteps, a sure sign that more guards are coming. “Now! You have to go!”

  Zatir grabs my hand. “Thank you,” he says quickly, nodding at the guard, then pulls me toward him. “Run, Nadia!”

  I’m jolted out of my momentary shock, and neither of us wastes a second after that. We flee down the hall, in the direction of the hangar that we saw when we scoped out the compound earlier. I repeat the code under my breath over and over again in a desperate attempt to remember it.

  That guard, whatever his name was, just handed us the key to our freedom. I send up a silent prayer to whatever gods or forces of fate might be listening that he and his sister will be okay.

  The hangar isn’t far. I rattle off the code to Zatir as he enters it quickly, and we both rush on board. The ship is small, even more so than Zatir’s craft, but it looks expensive—the fanciest, highest tech I’ve ever seen. When the AI comes online, asking “Kildred” for coordinates, Zatir gives it instructions to head toward Kalix. A moment later, the ship’s engine kicks on, humming loudly as we’re propelled forward, and I realize the code really did what the guard said it would. The ship is as good as ours now.

  “This has got to be the nicest deshing ship I’ve ever piloted.”

  Zatir whistles under his breath as we take off, and I grin. At least one good thing came out of all of this—besides freeing the Manea Colony from Kildred’s clutches, that is. My mate’s old beat-up ship has been replaced by a new toy, and he looks positively thrilled as he pilots us away from the asteroid, like someone who’s been given a new sports car.

  I look back toward the colony as it fades into the distance, hoping that the people on that asteroid belt will be better off now. Kildred was a slimy, cruel, terrible leader, and I can only imagine how many will celebrate now that he’s dead and gone.

  As I sink into my seat next to Zatir, the full import of what’s happened over the past days hits me. I thought I was going on a joyride in space with the man who wanted to be my mate—a sort of alien date—but it turned into so much more. It turned into a mission where both of us managed to make a real difference to a huge number of people.

  When the asteroid belt is no longer
visible in the distance, and no ships have followed us, I let out a long breath. We’re safe now, at last. Joy fills me, an almost wild thrill.

  We made it. We’re alive, and we’re going back to Kalix together, mated and looking forward to our future together. We lived through the attack on Kildred, against all odds.

  As if he’s thinking the same thing, Zatir reaches for me, pulling me out of my seat and onto his lap. I straddle his hips as his hands grip my waist, and I have a sudden memory of the last time we were like this, before the initial attack, when he first took me up in his ship.

  So many things have changed since then. And I’m grateful for all of them.

  Zatir tugs off my helmet, allowing my dark hair to fall free. He tosses it aside and kisses me fiercely and hungrily, his lips hard and possessive on mine. I can feel the thickness of his cock through the tight material of my bodysuit, and he pulls me tighter against him, every line of his upper body molding against mine.

  He breaks the kiss after a moment, tugging my head back a little so that he can look into my eyes. His are glowing amber, burning with lust for me.

  “Now that we’re safe…” He drags out the words, his voice a deep growl that sends a shock of desire straight down to my clit. “I’m going to make good on my promise.”

  “What promise?” I whisper, my voice trembling. I feel flushed and hot, every part of me aching for his touch.

  “I’m going to make you scream my name.”

  “Oh—”

  The whispered exclamation is hardly out of my mouth before he kisses me again.

  As our lips collide, he finds the closure at the back of my bodysuit and undoes it with quick, nimble fingers. His other hand goes to my belt, and I hear the clacking sound of it and the blasters dropping to the floor as he gets it loose.

  “You look gorgeous in this,” he murmurs huskily as he pulls the tight fabric down over my shoulders. “But right now I want it off.”

  He has me out of it in a matter of moments, the black fabric and vest and everything else I was wearing strewn around the floor so that I’m naked in his lap.

  I straddle him again, skin to skin. He pushes his loincloth aside so that his cock is pressed between my thighs, nestled against my flushed and hot body. His hips arch against me, but he doesn’t move to enter me. Instead he reaches down, parting my folds with his fingers so that his shaft is rubbing between them, my clit pulsing against the velvety skin. He grasps my hips, nuzzling his mouth softly against mine as he begins to rock against me.

  “Make yourself come on my cock,” he whispers. “Ride me, Nadia, just like this, until you come. And then I’ll let you have all of this inside of you.”

  A gasp of half surprise and half pleasure falls from my lips as I realize that there’s a whole world of things I don’t know about sex, a myriad of incredible feelings that he can introduce me to.

  I had never thought of doing this, but as I start to move, grinding my hips against his thick, rigid shaft clasped between my legs, I suddenly can’t imagine stopping. It feels so good, my arousal spreading over him until he’s as slick and wet with it as I am. My clit throbs with pleasure as it rubs against his shaft, and his swollen crown nudges my entrance with each roll of my hips, teasing me to the point of madness as I feel my orgasm rising.

  Zatir spurs me on, kissing me hard as he plays with my breasts, cupping each small curve in the palm of his hands as he toys with my hardened nipples, tugging and pinching and rolling them until I can feel each touch like an electric dart straight to my core.

  He feels my inner thighs tremble, my hips jerking as I start to lose control, and he grips the back of my head and my hip, steadying me as he kisses me hard, holding me down on his cock as he bucks against me.

  “That’s it, come on my cock,” he groans, his lips brushing against mine. One calloused hand slides around to grab my ass, squeezing and massaging.

  The pleasure hits me all at once. It goes through me in waves, and my hips buck against him as I kiss him wildly, wanting more and more even as I come hard against his throbbing shaft. I have to have him inside me. I feel hollow and aching, despite the almost blinding pleasure.

  Reaching between us, I grab his slick shaft in my hand as I raise my hips and push him against my entrance. I look into his eyes as I do it, and Zatir grins.

  “That’s my mate.” His eyes gleam as he leans back so that I can angle his cock better. “You want me, don’t you?”

  “Yes,” I moan as I sink down. That first blissful inch of him slides into me as I flutter around him, the aftershocks of my orgasm still dancing over my skin.

  “Good,” he whispers, leaning up to kiss me, “Because I want you too. And you haven’t screamed my name yet.”

  He grasps my hips, pulling me down the length of his shaft in one smooth motion. I moan and cry out, a mixture of pleasure and shock as the still-unfamiliar sensation of how large he is rushes over me. He feels so thick, so good as he fills me. Zatir buries his hands in my hair as I begin to move, rocking against him as we find a rhythm together.

  It seems almost unbelievable in this moment, as I look down at Zatir’s glowing eyes, that I’ve found the man I’ll love forever. My perfect match. It’s a one-in-a-million chance that I’m here at all, making love to my alien mate on a spaceship, floating through the universe on our way back home to a strange and beautiful planet.

  But it’s real.

  Zatir is real. I can feel him, solid and hard, filling my body, and the emotion that I feel from him is real too.

  There’s no more second-guessing anymore, no more wondering. We were made for this—for each other. And nothing in the universe can ever change that.

  He grips my ass in his hands, rocking me against him as his hips roll up to meet me, gazing deeply into my eyes as he thrusts into me again and again. I can feel another orgasm growing, and as he moves one hand between us, teasing my still-sensitive clit with his fingertips, I know that it’ll come at any moment.

  The fingers of his other hand tease between the cheeks of my ass, pressing against me there, and my eyes fly open wide.

  Zatir smiles at me wickedly, that cocky, arrogant grin that turns me on so much, and he grasps my hip with his other hand, moving me up and down his length as if I weigh nothing at all.

  “I told you I would claim you everywhere,” he says hoarsely, his voice full of desire. “I’ve had you here…” He releases my hip, settling me down onto him again as he brushes a fingertip over my mouth. “And I’ve had you here.” His hand slides between my legs, teasing over my clit and around my entrance where I’m stretched around him, my flesh straining at the fullness of. “But not here.” His hand on my ass delves deeper, the tip of his finger penetrating me.

  “Holy shit, Zatir,” I whisper it as I rock against him, my blood heating at the thought of him claiming me like that. With any other man, I might be afraid, but I know this man would never hurt me. And I want him to have all of me. I want to belong to him in every possible way, and the thought of him claiming that final virgin place, of making me his completely, sends my pleasure over the breaking point yet again.

  “Oh. Fuck!”

  A gasping moan spills from my lips, my body clenching around him as I come hard again, grinding down onto him. His finger slides into me between my cheeks, thrusting gently in preparation for what he’s about to do, and it spurs on my orgasm, drawing out the sensations until I’m coming all over again.

  I’m almost dizzy from pleasure by the time he frees his hand, grasping my hips and lifting me off his shaft. He leans me forward as he spreads my arousal over my tight back hole, his fingers stroking and teasing me until I’m gasping again, grinding my hips against him with the need for him to fill me again, anywhere. I feel hollow, empty, and I want him to come too. I can feel the tension in his body, feel how hard he is as his straining shaft nudges between my cheeks.

  “I’ll be gentle,” he promises, caressing my face as he kisses me lightly. “But I want to have you e
verywhere, Nadia. I want to come for you, when I’ve claimed you in every possible way.”

  “Yes,” I whisper, nodding. “Yes, please!”

  “And,” he adds, grinning at me as I feel his tip press against my tight entrance, “I still want you to scream my name.”

  I gasp when I feel him start to slide into me. He goes slowly, holding himself back with effort, as slowly as he did when he took my virginity for the first time. It hurts for a moment, the burning sensation making me wince as his thick shaft begins to pierce me fully, but he reaches between my legs, stroking my clit and kissing me so that I forget about the pain.

  And then, slowly, it turns to pleasure.

  Oh, god.

  My body is overloading on sensations, especially when Zatir slides two fingers into my core, his thumb pressed against my clit. The pleasure of his touch pushes me higher and higher. My body is already primed and sensitive from my previous orgasms, and I don’t realize until he pulls me flush against him that he’s buried his cock entirely in my ass, every inch of his thick length inside of me.

  It feels incredible.

  He grasps my hip, kissing me as he keeps working me with his other hand, and I’ve never felt such complete, entire pleasure. His lips are on mine, his hand rubbing my clit, his fingers inside me, and his cock buried deeply in my ass. My breasts press against his chest as he begins to move, and it’s as if every part of my body is doused in flame until I feel consumed by it.

  “I’m going to come.” My words are a choked whisper, and Zatir groans.

  “Oh gods, yes.” His forehead presses against mine as he kisses me fiercely, his tongue plunging into my mouth. “Come for me, Nadia.”

  I’m so close. I feel completely intertwined with him, our bodies rocking and straining together in the chair as he thrusts harder, my entire being so consumed with pleasure that there’s no thought of pain anymore, even as his thrusts speed up.

  Shocks of pure sensation pulse through me like electric waves as his thumb moves faster on my clit. I scream when it happens, the force of it overtaking me completely.