by Hope Hart
“Stop staring,” she murmurs, and I hush her, running my tongue over her scar.
She squirms and sighs, and her needy sounds make me even harder as I take one of her nipples in my mouth. She buries her hand in my hair, holding me to her.
As if I want to be anywhere else.
Beneath Vivian’s cool, calm exterior is the passion I knew was there the moment I laid eyes on her. And I’m the only one who gets to see it.
I wrestle with the possessiveness that attempts to rise at the thought, even as I’m still tonguing her nipple. I move to her other breast, playing with it until it’s as hard and red as its twin.
“Beautiful,” I growl. I lean up and kiss her, thrusting my tongue into her mouth. Her eyes begin to flutter shut, but she opens them at my growl. I want her to see who she is kissing. To know that while she is on this planet, no other male will make her feel this way.
I leave her mouth to retrace my steps down her neck, lingering at her breasts. I reach for one of the stockings I divested her of last night, and within moments, I have her hands tied to the wooden post above her head.
“Whoa,” she says, tugging at her wrists. “What exactly do you think you’re doing?”
I smile at her. “Relax, lovely. I simply don’t want your hands getting in the way.
She stares at me, opening her mouth as if to protest, but her face is a picture of hopeless lust as I return my attention to her breasts, and she clamps her mouth shut.
“I thought so,” I murmur.
I pinch at her nipples, enjoying the way she squirms and moans beneath me. I slip one hand down, a groan leaving my own throat at her wetness. I thrust one finger inside her, roughly pinching her nipple hard enough to make her yelp, but she clamps down around my finger, her wetness bathing my hand.
I laugh at her blush. “I wondered if you would enjoy such things, lovely.”
I pinch her nipples, alternating pressure and switching between them until she’s begging me.
That’s more like it.
When I can wait no longer, I slide inside her, gritting my teeth as I fight not to lose control. She feels incredible around me, and I could spend all day and all night making her gasp my name.
I stroke the wonder that is the little bud between her thighs, a growl leaving my throat as she tosses her head, angling her hips for me to get deeper.
So I do.
I plunge inside her, thrusting again and again. This female steals my control, and I won’t last, but I also won’t fall over the edge without her.
I stroke her clit, plucking at her nipple, and then I pinch it.
“Come,” I say, and she does, cursing like a dockworker as she writhes beneath me.
I choke out a laugh, but pleasure explodes up my spine as she takes me with her, and I come so hard that black dots appear in front of my eyes.
I gasp out a few curses of my own as I slump over her, careful not to crush her with my weight. When I’ve recovered enough to move, I untie her hands and roll, taking her with me, until she’s slumped over my chest, still trembling with the aftereffects of her own pleasure.
“I find I would like one of these ‘pictures’ of you,” I say, something close to jealousy winding its way from my stomach into my chest. “I dislike the thought of others being able to stare at your likeness whenever they please, while I will be left with nothing when you leave.”
She glances up at me, her eyes wide, and I curse my mouth.
“What have you learned about the parts you need?” I ask, changing the subject.
She’s still staring at me, and she clears her throat. “The problem is the control chip,” she murmurs. “Alexis says we probably won’t have access to all the ship’s systems without it.”
I nod. “You may want to ask around at the marketplace. Let it be known this is what you’re looking for, and you may be surprised at who can provide it.”
She studies my face for a long moment and then finally nods.
I have no doubt she will be approached. As soon as my enemies know what she is most desperate for, they are guaranteed to offer it to her. Evil people will always search for weakness, discovering what it is their target wants most and using it to purchase their loyalty.
That thought, combined with whatever possessive impulse made me admit to jealousy of those who have her “pictures,” makes me gently roll her off my chest.
“I need to go,” I say. “I have a meeting.”
Not a lie, and my mood turns blacker at the thought. I get dressed while Vivian watches me silently, her blue-green gaze thoughtful. Her cousin has the same eyes; however, hers are often narrowed suspiciously. When the two are together, their eyes are almost identical—usually lit with mischief and crinkled with suppressed laughter.
Not for the first time, I wish my parents had given me a sibling. Someone to talk to, to strategize with. I snort at the thought. With my luck, it would likely be one more person attempting to have me killed so they could take the throne.
“I will see you later,” I say, my body hardening yet again at the thought. I have never felt this level of lust for a female, and it is…disconcerting.
Vivian nods, her expression still thoughtful, and I leave, making my way toward my own rooms.
Here, I have a large meeting room, which I use for more intimate meetings with a few of my closest and most trusted advisers. Korzyn is waiting for me, and he shakes his head when he sees me. Likely, his palace spies have already reported that I slept in a female’s rooms last night.
Something I have never done.
Korzyn frowns. “You took the human female to your bed.”
I give him a warning look, and he narrows his eyes back at me. I sigh.
“Well, technically, I took her to her bed. Does this truly surprise you, Korzyn?”
His frown turns into a deep scowl. “These human females seem to be uniquely created precisely to lower the defenses of Braxian males. My sources say it has happened time and time again. Smart, fearsome warriors across Agron have fallen to their…charms.”
I raise one eyebrow. “Do you have a point?”
“In the Seinex Forest close to the barbarian tribes, there is an animal called a thixis. The animal is small and unable to fight. It would be the perfect prey except for a tiny, gaseous bulb located in its throat. When it opens its mouth and blows at a predator, that predator instantly becomes as docile as a tamed karja.”
I blink at him. “You are suggesting these human females are…poisoning the males here?”
“All I’m saying is it does not make any sense that these strange alien females have managed to overcome any natural Braxian resistance to outsiders.”
I hear a shuffle outside the door and open it, finding Sarissa waiting. She tilts her head, and from the way she waggles her eyebrows at me, it’s obvious she has heard everything he has said.
She steps inside. “I’m about to head to the marketplace,” she says. “I just wanted to thank you for your help so far.” She smiles sunnily at me, and I have a feeling she was in this part of the castle gathering information for her own needs.
I frown, but the female is already turning her attention to Korzyn. She smiles, showing him her teeth, and then presses one hand to her lips before pointing it in his direction and blowing.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Blowing him a kiss,” she murmurs. “It’s something of a tradition on Earth.”
Across the room, Korzyn steps back, narrowing his eyes at her. She winks at me and then struts out the door, swinging her hips as she leaves.
Korzyn raises one eyebrow at me, and I laugh.
“She is playing with you. You used to have a sense of humor.”
“I can no longer afford a sense of humor if I’m going to keep you alive. Nine guards lost in one revolution, Arix. One day, you will turn a corner, and there will be no one we can trust left to protect you when someone slits your throat.”
I sigh, throwing up my hands. “What would you have me do?”<
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“Be careful. Do not speak of anything you would not mind your enemies learning when you are close to these females. We know nothing about them.”
“Fine.”
We both turn at a knock on the door, and several of my advisers file in. Rachiv glances between Korzyn and me, likely noting the tension in the room, but I get straight to business as soon as everyone is seated around the large, circular table.
“Have you heard back from Rakiz about our offer?”
Tridi shakes his head. While he is not in my trusted circle, his blood relationship to me ensures his access to these meetings. Access that he always uses.
“Rakiz wants to talk in person. He says his people do not conduct business by messenger unless there is no other choice.”
“He is more than welcome to visit. We will have rooms made up for him and his mate.”
“He won’t leave, Your Majesty,” Rachiv speaks up. “His mate is with child and close to giving birth. He made it clear he won’t be leaving his tribe for some time.”
I grind my teeth at that. Rakiz has something I want, and I know I have many things he would like access to on this side of the water—my marketplace in particular. Even if my offer to the human females was due to my fascination with Vivian, the fact remains that I have made the first move by giving his tribe members—temporary as they may be—access to vendors from across this galaxy.
And yet the barbaric tribe king insists I go to him?
I open my mouth to refuse, but Korzyn slides me a look, and I slam it shut, grinding my teeth. In order for our plan to work, I need access to something very particular from across the water.
“According to my spies, the human females will have the part for their thruster fixed within days,” Korzyn says. “They will want to travel back to the tribe to give it to the other human females. Perhaps this would be a good opportunity to visit, while reminding the barbarian king that it is only due to your goodwill that the part is fixed.”
I grind my teeth some more, but it makes sense.
“Fine. Send a messenger with our response.”
Chapter Eight
Vivian
The last few days have passed in a blur of sex, sleep, and more sex. When Arix offered his terms, they sounded a lot like “be available when I need you,” so I made sure to do the opposite, making him look for me all over the castle if he wanted me.
According to Sarissa, this was a good opportunity to teach him that human females aren’t the type to roll over for arrogant kings.
Although, sometimes rolling over can have benefits. Especially when those benefits include coming so hard you practically forget your own name.
I blush at the thought of just how many times I “rolled over” for Arix last night.
Today, though, we’re heading back to the marketplace. According to Sarissa, there’s a high chance the guy who sells the part we need will be returning in the next few days.
I wince as Cauri pulls the comb through a knot in my hair, and she rolls her eyes, muttering about fragile human females.
Cauri was unimpressed when Arix left my rooms, scowling and declaring me a trollop. I pointed at the door and told her she could leave unless she was going to apologize for that remark. I may be scared of her—not that I’d ever admit such a thing to Sarissa—but that doesn’t mean she gets to slut-shame me.
Cauri gaped at me, stunned, but I stared at her, waiting her out. Finally, she muttered an apology, then ordered me into the bath so she could arrange for my sheets to be changed if the king was going to be visiting them again.
I ground my teeth until I worried there would be only nubs left.
God forbid Arix roll around in the same sheets he left his spunk in.
Thankfully, he kept his word, and last night, a servant brought a tonic with my dinner. Surprisingly, Cauri nodded in approval, muttering that I may be a trollop, but at least I’m not stupid.
I let that one go.
Unfortunately, now that she knows I’m banging the king, Cauri’s obsession with my appearance has reached new heights. The one good thing about the way she does my hair, however, is I no longer have flashbacks to my mother yanking on my blonde strands when I was a child. No, Cauri is worse than my mother ever was, so the dread in my stomach when I sit down at my pretty, carved vanity is entirely thanks to the maid.
It’s almost ironic that Cauri’s disapproving frown reminds me so much of my mother.
When I hit puberty, it quickly became evident I wasn’t going to be modeling for Chanel anytime in the future unless I had a breast reduction.
My mother bemoaned the fact I was curvier than her—eyeballing every scrap of food I put in my mouth and blaming my father’s side of the family for my genes.
I actually considered it—the breast reduction. But ultimately, choosing not to go under the knife was a giant fuck-you to my mother who had been having yearly “tune-ups” since before I was born.
So I’m never going to be on the cover of Vogue. I have my own career, which mostly includes lingerie and swimsuit modeling. And if I occasionally wonder what it would’ve been like if I’d stood up to my mother and chosen my own career path…
That’s no one’s business but mine.
“Aren’t you ready yet?”
I jolt in my seat, making Cauri curse at me. Sarissa catches my eye in the mirror, smirking, and I narrow my eyes at her.
“Almost.”
“She doesn’t need to look like she’s going to a ball,” Sarissa tells Cauri. “We’re only going to the marketplace.”
Cauri sniffs, sliding a jeweled pin into my hair. “Need I remind you that you are both—”
“Representing the king.” Sarissa nods. “So our appearance is of utmost importance.”
She says it solemnly, but her lips twitch, and Cauri frowns at her, her gaze lingering on Sarissa’s hair, which is in a simple braid.
“Obviously, you haven’t taken this advice seriously,” she murmurs.
Sarissa nods. “I’m not the best at taking advice. Just ask my cousin. Come on, surely she’s ready now?”
Cauri sighs, poking one last pin along my scalp. I grit my teeth, well aware that complaining will just make the torture last longer.
“Fine,” Cauri says with a huff, and I raise my eyebrows. Sarissa has succeeded, while my complaints seem to only piss her off.
“Have you considered switching with Hesa?” I ask Cauri. “I think you’d enjoy fixing Sarissa up every day.”
Sarissa smirks, and Cauri narrows her eyes at me. “Someone has to keep you in line,” she says, turning to walk away. “Wear the gray shoes,” she orders over her shoulder.
I linger over my shoe choices, Sarissa watching as I pick up a black pair, hesitating. Finally, I go for the gray shoes, ignoring Sarissa’s snort.
“They look best with the dress.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’m not afraid of her.”
“Then why are you whispering?”
“In case she’s still around. Duh.”
The guards are waiting outside our rooms, and they murmur amongst themselves as we get into the hydro and travel down the river. The sun is still low in the sky, the air fresh, and we compete with other hydros for space as we head toward the marketplace.
“Let’s see if the replacement part has arrived first, and then we can look around,” Sarissa says. I nod, and we follow the path through the trees, both of us pausing as we take in the large marketplace.
Sarissa links her arm through mine. “Whatever happens, I’m glad I got to experience this stuff with you, V.”
I grin at her, my eyes suddenly hot. There’s no way Sarissa would be this open on Earth. An alien abduction has taught both of us that life is short.
“I’m glad too.”
Sarissa smiles at me and moves toward the marketplace, but I stop her.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“What happened when I disappeared? Did
they file a missing persons report? Did they even notice?”
Sarissa’s expression turns agonized, and I stare at her.
“They didn’t, did they?”
“I did,” she whispers. “I went to the police when I didn’t hear from you. Your mom insisted you were probably partying overseas somewhere, and refused to get involved.”
I laugh, but it comes out like a sob. “A missing daughter would be a scandal.”
Sarissa sighs. “The police were looking for you, V. Your phone, wallet, and everything else were in your apartment. None of your credit cards had been used, so it was obvious you hadn’t run from your life. But there was no sign of a struggle. I hired a private investigator, and I was using every contact I had to find you.” Her smile is sad. “But then I woke up on that ship.”
Other than our brief chat the other day when she admitted to promising the other women they’d have their revenge, Sarissa still hasn’t talked about what she and the others went through on that ship.
While our group of women were only on the Dokhalls’ ship for a day or so, it sounds like they were stuck in their cage for much longer. Every time I ask about her abduction, Sarissa gets a distant look in her eyes and clams up. All I know is one of the women died, and Sarissa barely held the other women together.
“Do you think you were taken because you were looking for me?”
She shrugs. “Two months after you were taken, I went to the Arcav.”
My mouth drops open. “You what?”
“I’d been researching. Other women were disappearing—young, middle-class women who would be missed. But it was the same as your disappearance—no struggle, all their personal belongings at home. I approached the Arcav, and they had begun looking into it. And then I was taken.”
“The Grivath knew you had alerted the Arcav. It’s no coincidence that we were both taken. This is my fault. I’m sorry, Rissa.”
She grabs my shoulders. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s not your fault. It’s the Grivath’s and the Dokhalls’, and we’re going to make them pay.”
I let out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding. “Okay.”
“Now let’s go see a man about a spaceship.”
