by Luna Hunter
“Your yali? Truly? How did you know?”
“I just did. I can’t explain it. It’s like… you know how a compass always points north? In that moment, the compass of my heart pointed right at her.”
“You’re sure you’re not talking about your cock?” Kozus snorts. “I didn’t know you were a warrior poet.”
“I won’t say my body didn’t respond as well, because fuck, it certainly did.”
“So how was she?” Kozus says with a cocky grin.
“What? You think I mated with her right there in my cruiser? My future Xeer, taken so unceremoniously?”
“I’m just saying, if I ever find my yali, I’m going to be balls deep inside of her within an hour, and that’s a promise.
“You talk big for a man who hasn’t ever taken a date to the Academy’s Ball.”
“Hey, I just haven’t found the one. I’m saving all of that energy.”
“Sure. You’re all talk, Kozus.”
“You’ll see.”
“I’d rather not. Maybe they mate in public in Kar where you’re from, but I don’t need to see it. We’ve got a little more class in Nyrr.”
“Depending on what way the wind is blowing, you might just hear it,” Kozus smirks.
I missed this, just talking nonsense with my friend. It’ll all change when we’re both crowned Xeer of our respective nations. I savor the moment while it lasts.
“Do you want to meet her?” I ask.
“Yes, I’m dying to see what alien female’s got you so worked up. Does she have two heads? Three breasts? Four pussies?”
“You’re uncorrectable, Kozus. How are you so proper in public, and so lewd in private?”
“It’s a gift.”
“I wouldn’t call it that. What would you even do with four pussies anyway?”
Kozus shrugs his massive shoulders. “One for your cock, one for your mouth, and two for you hands.”
He mimics making love to such a creature, and all I can do is shake my head and try not to laugh. Best not to encourage him.
“Don’t make those gestures when my yali arrives, understood? I don’t need you scaring her.”
“Trust me, you’re a thousand times more scary than I can ever be, Malak.”
“…I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
“That’s for the best.”
I push a button on my comm that directly connects me to Akil Pay.
“Send Emma Fairheart of Earth to my quarters right now.”
5
Emma
Meanwhile…
Three gorgeous alien females lead me through the massive spaceship. They tower over me, and my gaze is drawn to their long, graceful limbs. I feel like a potato with legs compared to their majesty.
Their skin is a deep blue, their hair long and braided, their ears long and pointy. The long arms that peek out of their robes are completely covered in ink. The girls whisper amongst themselves as I try to take it all in. The hallways are long, the architecture vaguely gothic. I have to remember all of this for when I send a message to Earth.
If I ever get to send a message back home. At this moment I’m in deep trouble.
No, when. Let’s not give up hope. There’s a beacon in the back of my ship, powerful enough to reach New Seattle from just about anywhere in the known universe. I can’t give up now. If I stopped at the first sign of trouble, I wouldn’t have made it far in life.
Yeah, kidnapped by aliens. Is that supposed to be a good thing?
Hush, brain. Yeah, my current situation is sub-optimal. I’ll admit that. But I’ve just got to keep my eyes and ears open, and sooner or later, an opportunity will present itself. It always does.
We wander past countless statues of Aegir in heroic poses, and tapestries depicting great battles. An art major’s wet dream I imagine, but art has never been my strong suit. No, I’m more at home tinkering with an engine. If you ask me to describe this artwork, I’ll stare at you blankly and shuffle quietly towards the exit.
The girls stop in front of a massive door. They all bow, avoiding eye contact, and gesture for me to enter.
“Why do I have to go first?”
More patient though simultaneously urgent gesturing.
“No, you go first.”
“It is not… the way,” one of the girls whispers quietly.
“You know what? Fuck the way. I’m not going in there until you tell me what’s on the other side of that door. I’ve had enough surprises today.”
The girls all gasp in unison. “It’s your quarters,” the same girl stammers.
“What’s your name?” I ask.
“Ezra, m’am.”
“Ezra, open the door, please.”
She nods and pushes the big door open for me. It reveals a spacious room, with a big plush bed in the center, and mirrors and lamps everywhere. It’s the most lush place I’ve ever seen in my life. Only fairytales come close.
“Can someone please tell me what the hell’s going on?” I ask the girls. “My head feels like a whirlwind right now.”
The Aegir women exchange a few glances, but they keep avoiding my gaze. It’s like I’m cursed or something.
“Hey, I’m talking to you!” I say, exasperated.
“We’re not supposed to talk to other females,” Ezra whispers.
“Ezra, be quiet,” the older girl hisses.
“And ignore a direct command? That’s also against the rules, Gada, and you know it,” Ezra replies.
“I don’t give a hoot what you’re supposed to do,” I say. “I’m asking you a question, please, just answer me. I’m losing my flipping mind here.”
“The small one is to be our new Xeer, we must obey,” Ezra says. “If she wants us to talk, we must talk.”
“That’s right, I, uh, command you to talk,” I say. That came out wrong. Oh well. “What is this place?”
“This is the female Xeer’s room.”
“What about this ship?”
“This is the Black Arc, the prized vessel of the Xeerdom of Nyrr.”
“Right, and that’s…”
Ezra cocks her head, a puzzled look on her face. “That’s the Xeerdom that you will rule, my grace,” she says softly.
Even these girls are in on it. I may have to face the fact that I’m not being pranked or asphyxiating on my spaceship. No, this is really happening.
The world dazzles around me and I collapse on the big, plushy bed, holding my head in my hands. “I’m no Xeer. This is all one big mistake.”
“You will do well, miss,” Ezra says. “I know you will.”
“Enough chatting, we must dust this room,” Gada says. “If Lord Araval sees the room in this state, it’ll be a lashing for sure!”
I look up in shock. “Sorry, a lashing? I must’ve misheard.”
Ezra shakes her pretty blue head and chuckles. “A lashing is the best we could wish for,” she says.
“You’re kidding me.”
“I would never, your grace.”
“Then explain yourself,” I demand.
“What do you mean?”
“I know absolutely nothing about you Aegir, and yet, I’m expected to be a Xeer? Whatever that even means? You two are my assistants, correct? That’s what that old Aegir said, Akil something?”
“Akil Pay,” Gada corrects me.
“Right. Well, I could definitely use some assisting right now. Tell me everything. Your history, your culture, your customs. Everything.”
The two girls exchange a look. It’s starting to get on my nerves — I can talk to them, but that doesn’t mean I understand anything about them.
“Very well,” Ezra says as she sits down on the edge of the bed.
“Ezra, we can’t!”
“Gada, we must.”
Gada follows suit, reluctantly.
They speak, and I listen. And what I hear shocks me to my very core. The Aegir are a warrior-based society. Their spaceships are the only thing that’s modern about them, bec
ause their values are ancient.
“They punish you? Physically?” I call out in horror.
The girls exchange another look, and then they slide their dress off their shoulders, giving me a glimpse of their muscled backs.
Which are completely covered in scars.
I prayed we left all of that centuries ago, but the present is staring me in the face. What kind of backwards, archaic world is Malak taking me to?!
At that moment the door opens, and a tall, mean-looking Aegir walks in. My assistants scramble to make themselves presentable.
“Prince Malak has requested your presence, your grace,” the man says, simultaneously giving the two girls a dirty glance. He can barely get the words past his stiff, thin lips. It’s clear from every pore of his being that this man doesn’t like me. That he feels my mere presence is besmirching this room.
I glare back at him as hard as I can. The whip attached to his belt hasn’t escaped my attention. This must be the cretin responsible for the lashes.
“Lord Araval, I assue?”
“You assume correctly, your grace.”
“Lead the way,” I say coolly.
I’m going to give that so-called prince an earful. If he thinks I’m going to just play his obedient little wifey, he’s got another thing coming.
“Wait, your grace,” Ezra says. “You asked me to fit you a new dress, remember?”
“Hm?” I ask. “I don’t remember…”
Ezra gives me a look that stops me dead in my tracks.
“Right. I did. Lord Araval, wait outside for me. And shut the door.”
The lord growls and closes the door. I’m glad there’s a barrier between us, because he gives me the creeps.
“Thank you, your grace. Your outfit is rather—auch!”
Gada elbows her in the ribs.
“What were you going to say?” I ask.
“N-nothing, your grace, you look radiant!”
“Come on, what did we just talk about? Don’t give me that polite you are so pretty crap. I’m an adult woman, I can take it. What were you going to say?”
She avoids my gaze, and Gada clears her throat. “Perhaps you want to take a look for yourself, your grace.”
“Call me Emma, please. All these pleasantries are getting on my nerves,” I say as I walk over to one of the full-length mirrors. “Now, what were you… oh… my…. god. That bastard!”
Heat rushes up to my cheeks in record pace. In fact, my whole body feels like it’s on fire. He let me walk around looking like this?! I can’t believe him! Argh, what did I expect?! I saw how the dun armor looked on him, how the jet-black material highlighted his every muscle, every inch of his frame… what did I think it would look like on me?!
Well, I didn’t expect this.
I didn’t expect to be practically naked. The material hugs my body tightly. Emphasis on tightly. Every fold, every crease, every thing is visible. My nipples jut out like two peaks. I could kinda tell from glancing down, but I didn’t think it was this noticeable.
And I’m just going to forget about the galaxy’s most epic camel toe right away. I don’t need the added stress of knowing everyone on board pretty much saw my business.
Fuck. I’ve never been so embarrassed.
“How do I take this bloody thing off?!” I bellow. “Anyone?!”
Gada hooks her hand in my collar and presses a minuscule button. Instantly, the dun armor turns back to liquid, dripping right down my naked body and coalescing on the floor back into its pebble form.
Leaving me butt naked in front of the two girls.
I’m too angry to even care. They practically saw everything anyway.
“Here, Emma,” Ezra says, holding a set of underwear, as Gada grabs a black lace dress.
Not something I’d ever pick out myself, but it’ll do. I’m fairly certain they don’t have a set of jeans and a hoodie lying around anyways. I’m too tired to even argue with the two girls, and I let them dress me up. It takes them a moment to fix the dress properly, because I’m not as tall as these Aegir women, but Gada’s a magician with a needle and she’s got the dress fixed up in no time.
An embarrassing couple of minutes later I’m fully dressed, and I yank the door open. Lord Araval nearly tumbles over, eaves dropping no doubt, but he quickly straightens his cloak and clears his throat.
“Lead the way,” I say, steam rising from my ears. “I’ve got a thing or two to say to this prince of yours.”
6
Malak
Emma practically storms into my room with a huge scowl on her pretty, human face. Kozus lowers his horns in a polite greeting, but she’s got her furious gaze fixed on me and me alone.
The dress that’s hugging her human frame is exquisite. She looks like true royalty, like a proper Xeer. I do miss seeing her every curve, though. That dun look suited her well.
“A pleasure to meet you, Emma Fairheart of Earth,” Kozus says.
“You’ve got some nerve, you know that?!” Emma thunders, ignoring Kozus completely. Her face is red, her finger jabbing in my direction. “Making me wear that stupid suit!”
“What are you talking about?” I say calmly.
“Don’t you play dumb with me, Malak. You know damn well what I’m talking about.”
Kozus chuckles lightly. “I think I should leave you two lovebirds to it.” He nods at me and departs.
This is not how I imagined this meeting would go, but with Emma, it’s always a surprise what you’re going to get. I rise up and walk over to my future mate. “Calm down,” I say. “That armor is worth a fortune. And you looked great in it, by the way.”
“It’s humiliating!” Emma cries. “But that’s not even important right now. Those girls, the assistants?”
“What about them?”
“They are covered in scars, Malak! That guy that brought me here, Lord Araval or whatever — he whips them. So I want to know; is that normal in your Xeerdom? Is that the type of leader you are? If I’m not obedient enough, are you going to have me whipped too?!”
The way she dares speak to me… it’s unheard of. And to my own surprise, I quite like it. She’s feisty, aggressive, not afraid of me.
Which she should be. She’s small and weak. I ought to yank her over my desk, hike that dress up and spank her ass red for daring to take that tone with me.
I save her life, and offer her a life of wealth, and this is her first reaction? A scolding?
Fascinating beings. I wonder if all human females are like her.
Her anger comes from a good place. She cares about her assistants. Treats them like equals. I have chosen my mate well.
“I will not whip you,” I say. “But I will spank you if you keep raising your voice.”
Emma’s ears turn red, but her demeanor doesn’t change. “So what about that Araval character?”
“He will be fired and banished from Nyrr straight away. His behavior will not be tolerated,” I growl.
“O-okay. Good,” Emma says.
“Now take a seat.”
I pour her a glass of Kozus’s starfruit wine. There is much she must learn about my world, much that will shock her.
“You are kind, Emma,” I say as I sip my wine. “You will find that a rare quality in any Aegir. That is why I need you by my side. I need a mate to be crowned Xeer. You will be that mate.”
“I… this is all going rather fast,” Emma says, avoiding my inquisitive gaze. “I barely know you. And yet you’re asking for my hand?”
“Not asking. Telling.”
Her nervous smile disappears. “No man tells me what to do. I’m not going to be your little princess, if that’s what you’re thinking. I don’t care how big or strong or mean you can be. I’m just not.”
“You feel it too, Emma, why do you fight it so? I can smell it.”
“S-smell?” She stammers.
“Your wetness. The scent is so strong, it nearly overpowers me.”
“W-w-wetness?!”
Emma’s blushing hard now, her face nearly giving off the same amount of heat as her sex.
“How dare you?! That’s just not true!”
“Check for yourself then.”
“What?!”
“Go ahead,” I gesture. “Pull down your panties right now. You will find them drenched. I stake my future crown on it.”
She’s too flustered to say something witty and sassy now.
“You are my soulmate, Emma Fairheart of Earth. My yali. If you do not believe me now, that’s fine. I will win you over, and you’ll end up screaming my name; you’ll end up begging for it. You can’t deny nature.”
“You’re a pig.” She looks me right in the eye, anger fighting with lust inside of her. “No man has ever talked to me like that.”
“And do you like it?”
“You’re unbelievable!”
Emma storms out of the room. Without answering my question, I note. Her alluring fragrance still lingers in the air, and I squeeze my throbbing bulge.
Soon. Soon, she will end this charade, and she will be mine.
In the meantime… I will savor the chase.
But first, there is some pressing business I must attend to.
“Lord Araval?” I call out, my voice as cold as ice. “Meet me in my office.”
7
Emma
Malak is unbelievable. The way he talks to me… He’s so forward. So arrogant. Like he knows my body better than I do!
I speed back to my room, lock the door behind me, and yank the dress off as fast as I can. I need to take a shower, to unwind, to relax for a moment and let all of this sink in.
When I pull down my panties, I can no longer deny it.
Damn that cocky asshole.
I am freaking soaked.
Fuck.
Let’s ignore it. Yes, if I touch myself now, he’ll win. And there’s no way that alien brute is winning. I won’t have it.
