Her Alien Captor: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Alien Pirates Of Cania Book 1)

by Zara Zenia

  Right alongside the feelings she was fostering for Devron.

  That was what made her the angriest of all, and she knew it. Even as she was cursing the Canians and their ways, she felt that familiar twinge awakening deep inside her. She felt the urge to be closer to Devron, to seek him out by following the throbbing ache between her legs.

  She hated how just thinking about him made his image flash before her eyes, her heart skipping a beat, throat tightening as she swore she could smell him nearby, teasing her, taunting her with what she shouldn’t want but desperately did.

  And she hated that when she looked back at Sina, it looked like the lizard woman knew about all the turmoil twisting inside her. The look in her russet eyes was knowing, understanding, and it only served to infuriate Melody more.

  “You’re no better,” Melody spat, satisfied with the way Sina recoiled in shock. Served her right for looking so damn smug about everything.

  “Pardon me?” Sina asked calmly. Her calm incensed Melody further, her slippery fingers tightening on the edge of the table as she leaned forward, practically hissing.

  “You heard me. You’re no better. You think you’re special. You think that you’re better than them, superior in your society, but you’re not. You sit by, profiting off their desperation, benefiting from the abduction and suffering of innocent women from all over the universe. You think you’re morally superior? Why don’t the Selithi try to put an end to this Frenzy? To the Alpha-Omega bullshit? You know it’s wrong. I can tell you’re uncomfortable with the whole thing, but it’s good for the Selithi, so it’s worth it, right? What are a few deaths but inconsequential casualties when you’re bettering your race, hmm?”

  Sina’s shocked expression filled Melody with a satisfaction she hadn’t felt in some time. It served the lizard right after all her high and mighty attitude, all her pretending to be helpful and generous, all while knowing Melody was being kept against her will.

  Melody wasn’t in the mood to indulge peoples’ lies anymore. Especially the ones they told to themselves.

  She failed to spot the hypocrisy.

  The longer Sina sat there in stunned silence, the less triumphant Melody felt. Sina had been kind and welcoming to her, and what was she supposed to do? Go against her whole people for an alien stranger?

  Melody knew her anger was misplaced. It was Devron who deserved it, but she couldn’t be mad at him. Not the way she wanted to be. She couldn’t hit him, she couldn’t run away from him, and even at the very moment she was cataloging all the ways she couldn’t defy him, her subconscious itched and squirmed about being so far.

  The Frenzy was almost over, the symptoms less severe than they’d been in the last few days, but Melody still felt the pull. She felt the pain, the need, the urgency. She wanted to give in to it more than she wanted anything else, but that alone pissed her off more.

  “I just want to go home,” she whispered, slumping forward, her knees buckling enough to send her back to the chair. Sina said nothing, but she didn’t move either. Somehow, just having someone there who knew what she was going through, even if she couldn’t empathize, was a help, a reminder that she didn’t have to be alone. She was just forcing herself to be because she couldn’t let herself get close to this alien when she was never going to be looked at as anything more than a cocker spaniel.

  “I should leave,” Melody said suddenly, standing again, the whole room spinning slightly as she did.

  She really wasn’t in any shape to be out and about, and she just knew Devron would be beyond angry if he found her missing before she got back.

  Her whole body shivered at the thought of his eyes going dark with anger, his arms folded across his chest, his mouth a thin, hard line. It was all too easy to picture the disappointment in his eyes, and even imagining it was enough to make Melody’s stomach twist with the urge to make it better, to crawl on her knees to him and ask for his forgiveness with his cock in her mouth.

  Her face flushed hot and red as she snapped back to the moment and locked eyes with Sina, her mouth going dry from embarrassment.

  “I . . . um . . . yeah,” she muttered, Sina still amused and mute.

  “Tell Devron I said hello,” Sina said, collecting their mugs as Melody scrambled backward to get out of Sina’s house before she made more of a fool of herself. The way the imprint spiked her lust, the way she pined for him and felt compelled to find her way back to him—it was exhausting. Infuriating.

  Irresistible.

  Whatever Melody tried to tell herself, this spike of hunger wasn’t Devron’s fault. She was angry—and he was tangentially the cause of that anger—but it was the conflict that kept driving her into his arms. She was pissed about the whole Omega thing, but when it came to Devron? Well, she wasn’t sure she could have found a better Alpha. He was kinder than most she’d met, understanding, willing to listen to her—sometimes—and sexy as sin. He kidnapped her from an undoubtedly miserable existence, didn’t force himself on her, and even cared for her when she was sick.

  She knew all of that. She wasn’t stupid. She couldn’t ignore how none of that lined up with her view of the callous, selfish slaver.

  And that knowledge was what made it so hard to push away the waves of desire when they crashed into her. Deep down, there was a part of Melody that wanted to let it all wash over her. She wanted to bask in it, to enjoy the way she wanted to follow his whims, body, mind, and soul. She’d always been on, always looking for cops, for other thieves, for tricks, scams, and backstabbers. Having someone else take the reins and be in charge for a while?

  Melody would never admit it out loud, but she kind of enjoyed it.

  Only in bed, though.

  Which was another reason it was so hard to rebuff him when he advanced on her.

  And she knew with the Frenzy going on, with her being well enough to be out of bed, that he’d advance on her the moment he saw her.

  So was she asking for it when she left Sina’s and went back to their place?

  Yes. Yes, she was.

  The worst part was that she couldn’t even manage to be ashamed about it this time. She’d spent all that time in bed, his gentle hand only touching her to wipe fever sweat from her skin or apply the medicinal cream from the doctor. She’d been too weak to say anything, to do anything, even as she felt the echoes of his Frenzy pulling her further into fitful, restless exhaustion.

  She’d spent too long with temptation dangling right in front of her that she couldn’t ignore it anymore. She had to have him, even if it meant swallowing her pride for a little while.

  Devron was busy cleaning in the kitchen when Melody returned, and she paused for a moment, wondering if he’d even noticed she was gone. He was just as gorgeous from behind as he was from the front, his body long and lean, the ridges of his shoulder blades visible through the thin fabric of his black shirt. It fit him well enough to hug the contour of his body, doing nothing to hide the narrowing at his waist, the slim hips, and the strong buttocks that worked overtime when he was thrusting inside her.

  Melody heard a strange sound, like a growling, and when Devron stopped his cleaning and turned to look over his shoulder with a brow arched, she realized it was her.

  “You’re back,” he said calmly. Much more calmly than she would have expected after she’d gone missing like that.

  “I needed fresh air,” she lied, the story concocted before she’d even walked through the door.

  Devron’s mouth was firm and thin, just how she’d imagined it, but he nodded stiffly, not arguing with her.

  “Feeling better, then?” he asked, eyes traveling down from her face to skim over the rest of her body.

  Melody shivered under his gaze. It was like he was touching her everywhere he looked, his eyes teasing her with invisible fingers.

  “Much,” she answered, voice strained from her dry throat. “What about you?” she asked, licking her lips. She cleared her throat and took another step forward. “And the Frenzy?” she prom
pted.

  Devron’s eyes darkened predictably in that dangerous way that made Melody know she should be wary. She never did what she was supposed to.

  “Not quite over,” he said, moving toward her almost as if she were controlling this encounter. She wanted nothing more than to fall into his arms at that moment, but it was a display of weakness she wouldn’t allow herself to show.

  They stood only inches apart, but with Devron not touching her, it might as well have been miles to Melody. She swallowed, her throat tight, her heart hammering against her ribcage. She just wanted him to step forward, to touch her, to kiss her, to get on with this thing, but he was hesitating.

  Why?

  Had he already grown bored of her? It was going to be a long lifetime of the two of them stuck together if that was the case.

  “You’re trembling,” he murmured. “Perhaps you’re not feeling as well as you thought?”

  Melody growled again, the sound forcing its way past her lips before she even had a chance to stop it.

  “I’m fine,” she said, not really surprised by the hint of desperation in her voice.

  It was a long, quiet moment before he nodded. Melody held her breath the whole time, wondering if he’d turn her away again, wondering if this was some kind of sick game like Nor played to make her so eager and willing that she’d beg him for release.

  Those games would never work on Melody, and she suspected her Alpha knew that.

  “Don’t scare me like that again,” he said, pulling her into a kiss that quickly erased the question on the tip of Melody’s tongue.

  20

  Their basest desires sated, the two parted and stayed on the bed—together, but not touching. Generally, Devron made a point to draw Melody into his arms, to caress and kiss her, to make her understand how cherished she was.

  It didn’t seem to make a difference to her at all, though. What was the point? Why was he still expending so much effort for this woman when she would never accept him?

  Though she didn’t know it, he’d heard what she said to Sina. He knew how she felt about being trapped with him, forced to endure his advances unless she wanted to die.

  How was he supposed to tell her that he wasn’t a fan of the arrangement any more than she was?

  He’d never given it much thought before. There was a way things were, and it was the way they’d always been, for as long as Devron had known. He’d never even considered an alternative.

  Then Melody came into his life and turned everything on its head. She made him reconsider what an Omega’s role really was, what they’d been doing as a society to these women.

  She made him question things he’d rather not question.

  Those questions inevitably brought answers, though. He realized he didn’t want a slave any more than Melody wanted an owner, but what else could he do? If he gave her any amount of freedom, she insisted on taking advantage of it, running off and getting herself into danger.

  Melody thought he was trying to control her for his sake, but it was for hers. She had no idea what would happen to a human on Cania. She was one of possibly two dozen on a planet of millions of beings. She’d stick out by a mile with her dark hair and warm complexion, and then . . .

  Devron shuddered at the thought. Escaped Omegas didn’t last long. They were punished, harshly, publicly, ruthlessly.

  She didn’t know, because there was no point in adding to the prison. She felt trapped enough already, without any way out. He wanted to protect her. She belonged to him, no matter what she said about the bond. She did.

  Devron didn’t want a slave, but he did want an Omega. A mate—a partner, as Gaddis pointed out when admonishing Devron. The Selithi male had called the Alpha-Omega bond barbaric and crude—while he was crawling around on four of his six legs, mind you—and said he’d expect better of his friend after getting to know him.

  Devron didn’t know whether to take it as a compliment or an insult, but he asked what the alternative would be.

  That was when Gaddis had chuckled his strange, hissing laughter that tickled Devron’s ears and shook his head, clapping one of his two free hands on Devron’s upper arm.

  He’d gestured around to the Selithi village and explained about their bonds, their partnerships. Two equal parts of a unit, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, areas where the other is more proficient.

  Sina was methodical and appraising, cultured, and observant. Gaddis was a man of action, willing to do what was necessary, even if it sometimes made his mate cringe.

  They were a team, though. Something that Devron had never considered a possibility for him, especially not with an Omega.

  But Melody? She wasn’t just any Omega.

  She was his Omega. His Melody. She was a force to be reckoned with, fierce and domineering despite the vulnerability he knew was lingering just below the surface. He’d caught glimpses of it here and there in their time together, and he was desperate to dig a little deeper, to pry further and see what he could discover about her. But that would require her cooperation, her willingness to be open with the man she’d be spending the rest of her life with.

  He certainly didn’t expect that to ever happen.

  “What’s wrong?” Melody asked, breaking the silence that had hung between them since the sounds of their passion had faded.

  “What?” Devron asked innocently.

  “You sighed,” Melody said, mimicking a heavy exhale. “So, what’s wrong?”

  “What makes you think it wasn’t a sigh of contentment?”

  Melody propped herself up on one elbow and turned to give Devron an appraising look.

  When he didn’t cave under her scrutiny, she shrugged.

  “Just thought maybe you were upset about something,” she said, sinking back to the mattress with a sigh of her own.

  “What could I possibly have to be upset about?” Devron asked. Perhaps enough questioning could lead him to Melody’s state of mind.

  Melody shrugged again. “I dunno. Maybe having sex with beautiful women really pisses you off.”

  Devron snorted. It was the last thing he’d expected her to say, so it did a remarkable job of breaking through the wall he’d been building up around himself.

  “That’s it, isn’t it?” she asked, and he could hear the smile in her voice even though they were both staring up at the ceiling. “Orgasming makes you angry. That would explain the grumpy faces you make—”

  “I do not make grumpy faces,” Devron countered on instinct. He looked over at Melody, and she was grinning from ear to ear, pleased with herself for having roped him in.

  “How would you know? Spend much time looking at your own face while you’re fucking?”

  Devron frowned but managed to resist folding his arms over his chest like a petulant child.

  “Well, you have no idea what the faces you make look like either,” he countered, even though it was a lame attempt. She was as gorgeous in the throes of passion as she was any other time.

  Melody snorted a laugh.

  “No?” she asked, causing him to turn to look at her. She dragged her teeth over her bottom lip, drawing it up sensuously as her eyes fluttered and rolled back in her head. Her lips parted on a silent, breathy moan, and it was an accurate enough depiction to have Devron’s cock stirring to life.

  “Oh, so you’re a goddess and I’m a goblin, is that it?” he asked, the image of her flushed face twisted in pleasure burned into his retinas.

  “Your words,” she answered with a saucy smirk that made his blood run hot anew.

  He wanted her. Of course he did. When didn’t he? But he didn’t want to take her. He didn’t want to claim her as his. They’d already established that she couldn’t go anywhere, that they were stuck together and they needed to make the most of the situation. At that point, it was up to Melody to come the rest of the way to him.

  Devron certainly wasn’t going to hold his breath while he waited. That seemed like a short road to suffocation.


  There was no denying she was a goddess, though, prone on the bed next to him, her body still naked other than the thin sheen of sweat that made her gleam like a bronze masterpiece in the low light. She trailed her fingers down the curve of her side and over the swell of her hip before dragging her palm flat over her thigh and then up, over her belly and between her breasts, commanding his eyes to follow the entire circuitous route.

  “Should we get a mirror so you can look for yourself this time?” she asked, eyes flicking up to meet his while her fingers dipped between her legs. She was practically begging him for another round, but he wasn’t sure he was up for it. He had too much on his mind, too many conflicting thoughts swirling together in a big messy jumble.

  Devron inhaled slowly, forcing himself into a state of calm before he reached for Melody’s wrist and pulled her hand away from the shadowy heaven between her legs.

  “You’re not through recovering,” he said, setting her hand to the side before he extracted himself from the bed. It was harder to leave her in that moment, with her big eyes looking up at him with confusion and rejection mixing, her dark hair slightly mussed and covering a portion of her face. She looked like a woman who’d been fucked and was begging for more, but Devron couldn’t be the one to give her what she wanted at that moment. Not this time.

  “What?” Melody finally asked, blinking as if she was certain she’d misheard him.

  Devron shook his head and pulled on his pants. “Get some rest, Melody. We don’t want you to relapse before we can finish your inoculations.”

  He felt her eyes still on his back as he left the room, and they were like daggers through his back, straight into his heart. She was hurting because of him. He’d been callous. He’d failed to explain to her what was happening. But how could he? They were in uncharted territory. An Alpha wasn’t meant to develop feelings for his Omega. He wasn’t supposed to provide her with freedom, choices, or a voice of her own.