by Kyle, Celia
Swipt laughs, rushes over and snatches up a pair of silk underwear that I would describe as a double “banana hammock.”
“What are you about?”
“Your shit is in my way.”
Looking him straight in the eye, I toss another pair of drawers on the floor. He cocks an eyebrow at me and waggles his finger in admonishment.
“I’d say someone is looking for another spanking.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time.” I kiss him on the tip of his nose playfully and then dig one of my own pair of underwear out of my carry-all bag. It’s a particularly sexy, lace number with little ribbons adorning the sides. His eyes go wide, and he stops complaining about me clearing out his wardrobe.
Once I’ve put all my things away, he reaches in, grabs several silken items of lingerie, and throws them on the bed. Then he goes over to sit on the bench, folds his arms over his chest, and speaks.
“Get dressed up for me.”
My heart starts beating faster, and I shoot him a teasing grin.
“I didn’t hear the magic word…”
I twirl my hair around my finger and arch my eyebrows twice in rapid succession.
Swipt smiles but then slams his fist down on the bench with shuddering force.
“Now.”
Not the magic word that I’d meant, but you know what? It works just fine.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Swipt
As I lie in bed with Ilya, sweat cooling on our bodies, I play idly with her auburn hair while she nestles up against my side. The smooth silken feel of her stockings against my skin feels nice. I’m glad I told her not to take them off when we went to bed.
This is nice, very nice. I’m in a place I never thought I would be. Never even dreamed was possible. Lying in bed with my fated mate, a woman I love more deeply than I can fully fathom.
As happy as I am about being with Ilya, it’s tempered by a melancholy sadness over the loss of Lokyer. Last night I dreamed he had never died, that it was all a hoax, and woke up thinking the dream was real. It was a heart-wrenching moment when I’d realized it was not.
At least, from now on, I won’t have to wake up to such things alone. Ilya and I are one, twins in spirit who have finally, irrevocably joined together.
It’s too bad Lokyer never found his fated mate. He had wanted to, so desperately. Maybe it would have been easier for him had the Frontier women not come on board the Ancestral Queen. Then, at least, it wouldn’t have been rubbed in his face in such a blatant way.
On the other hand…I’m glad Lokyer didn’t leave any of the women on board a widow. I can’t imagine my life without Ilya any longer. I don’t even want to. It seems like a truly horrific nightmare that she wouldn’t be at my side.
It’s cold comfort at best. I miss my best, oldest friend. Terribly. I know one thing for certain, though.
I’m going to find the people responsible for his death and pay them back with interest. Really high interest, worse than a pay day loan.
As time passes, my thought slow, and I start to drift off back to sleep. Just when I’m in that twilight state between slumber and waking, Solair calls down from the bridge.
“Swipt, report to the bridge. Ilya, report to engineering.”
We look at each other and share a laugh.
“Duty calls.” I shrug helplessly.
“Duty calls, booty calls, you’re a busy man.” Ilya chuckles and pats my cheek before rolling out of bed.
“Booty calls?”
“Human expression. There’s no exact galactic standard translation.” She grins as she slides on a pair of flimsy underwear, the same pair I’d removed with my teeth earlier. “It means you’re making an appointment for sex.”
“I got that from the context, but…booty?”
“Booty.” Ilya turns about, arching her back and thrusting her ill-concealed bottom at me. She slaps her own ass twice, hard enough to make it jiggle. “Booty means ass.”
“I see. You know, the Alzhon have a word for it—anagra—the sublime beauty of a woman’s curved body.”
“Not quite the same. Leave it to the Alzhons to make something sexy and fun into a dull sounding technical term.”
I begin to dress, arching an eyebrow at the fact that she’s putting on sexy underwear beneath her oil stained overalls.
“Why are you covering a magnificent chassis with a cheap tarp?”
“Oh, I just want you to think about what I’m wearing under these all day.” She winks. “Besides, sometimes a girl just wants to feel sexy. You don’t have a problem with that. Do you?”
“Not at all.” We kiss deeply and then go our separate ways. But my feeling of connection with her does not diminish with distance.
There’s a spring in my step as I rush up to the bridge. Grantian spins around in the pilot’s chair as I enter and swiftly rises to give me my regular seat.
“Reporting for duty, Cap’n.”
I snap off a crisp salute, and he scowls.
“Knock that off. We’re not fucking marines.”
“Sorry, Cap’n.” I sit down at my seat and start taking telemetry reports. “What’s going on? Everyone seems sort of tense, on edge.”
Solair gestures over at Fiona in the nav seat.
“Our new navigations officer is very close to decrypting the files we stole from Project Blue Dawn.”
Instantly I’m more alert. My heart thuds in my chest at the prospect of revenge. Revenge for Lokyer. I’m no soldier. I’m a pirate. So when the time comes to enact my vengeance, nothing says it’s going to be a straight up, fair and square fight.
I have no problem shooting them in their backs.
Fiona glances over at me and frowns.
“Solair is exaggerating a bit. I’m not exactly close, but I am making progress. Maybe by the end of today, or in an hour at the most optimistic, I might have something solid.”
I nod my understanding and thank her for managing my expectations. Business returns to normal on the bridge for a time. Little conversation is made unless it directly pertains to ship’s operations.
Fiona gasps, and we all turn toward her eagerly. Has she deciphered the many files so quickly? But one look at her face—which has gone white as snow—tells us that it’s not good news.
“Fiona?” Solair rises from his seat and straightens his coat before going to her side. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a specter.”
“I wish.” Fiona taps buttons on her datapad. “Perhaps I should put this on the main viewing monitor.”
“Proceed.”
She transfers the stream, and our monitor lights up with a GNN broadcast. The human anchor has the typically dry, flat delivery of his ilk. But the things he is saying are simply shocking.
“…guilty of several acts of terror across both IHC and Trident Alliance Space. If you are just joining us, this is a GNN News Alert. Dangerous terror suspects have been spotted in frontier space. If you have any information regarding any of these individuals or this ship, please contact your local IHC enforcement center.”
“Oh my god.” Varia walks toward the screen, her mouth gaping open. Then she turns toward Solair. “It’s you.”
Sure enough, Solair’s grinning golden visage is up on the screen with his name listed in big bold letters. A moment later the image fades, replaced by Grantian.
Then the real kicker. They plaster my beautiful mug up there and call me a man who “aids and abets known terrorists.” The nerve.
“Oh boy.” Solair scratches the base of his horns. “Looks like things just got a whole lot more interesting for the Ancestral Queen and her crew.”
“Speaking of the Queen.” Fiona points at the screen and an image of our ship appears.
“Fuck.”
I swivel in my seat and gesture toward Fiona.
“Well, we should have expected as much, being as we destroyed one of their battle ships. Fiona, if you’ll please get back to your previous task? Lokyer deserves to
be avenged.”
She nods grimly and returns to her pad.
Soon, I’ll know the people who caused the death of my friend.
Soon.
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Did you enjoy Charmed by the Alien Pirate? Not quite ready to let go of Ilya and Swipt just yet? We couldn’t let them go either so we wrote a fun bonus scene for you guys and you can get it FREE here: https://bookbit.ly/kilgari3bonus/
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About the Authors
Celia Kyle
Ex-dance teacher, former accountant and erstwhile collectible doll salesperson, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Celia Kyle now writes paranormal romances. It goes without saying that there’s always a happily-ever-after for her characters, even if there are a few road bumps along the way. Today she lives in central Florida and writes full-time with the support of her loving husband and two finicky cats.
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Athena Storm
Athena Storm is the pen name for two authors who fell in love with writing science fiction romance as they fell in love with each other.
She's the Athena. And he's the Storm. Athena hopes that one day it won't be a boyfriend/girlfriend writing duo, but a husband/wife team. But she's not pressuring at all. Not one bit.
Science fiction is the biggest love for the writing duo, and they've been doing the writing for quite some time now, building a universe that readers can get lost and explore in. Filled with big bad alien warriors, sassy human women who give as well as they get, hilarious situations, and enough steam to melt stars!
The duo have created the Athenaverse, where all books in all series are tied together. You can start anywhere but once you do, you'll want to explore them all!
When they get married, they plan to continue writing science fiction romance forever. But again, no pressure on the marrying part. Not at all. (Not like writing Happily Ever After ALL Day won't give you any ideas on its own, right?)
Sign up for Athena’s newsletter!
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Join the Athenaverse
Also by Athena Storm
Reaper’s Pet Series:
Caged Mate
Caged Prey
Standalones In Athenaverse:
Mercy’s End
Bride to Beasts Series:
Zuvok
Zerberu
Vyker
Soldiers of Hope Series:
Hope In A Time Of War
Marauder Mates Series:
Sorta Seized By The Alien
Totally Taken By The Alien
Untamed
Beauty and The Alien
Conquered Mates (An Athenaverse Collaboration with Tara Starr):
Warlord’s Property
Alpha’s Prey
Brute’s Challenge
Alien Torturer’s Pet
Champions of Ataxia Series:
Gladiator to Mate You
Hating You Mating You
Scent of My Mate
Warriors of the Alliance Series:
Yaal
Duric
Copyright © 2020 by Celia Kyle & Athena Storm
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.
