by Luna Hunter
I grab her shoulder and pull her back towards me.
“Never say that again,” I growl. “Never. You belong here, by my side.”
“I’m a different species, Malak.”
“Why does that matter? You are my yali. Human, Aegir, Yktil, Zeila — none of that matters. What matters is in here.”
I grab her hand and place it against my heart. Her touch is warm, pleasant, and soothing.
“The connection we have, Emma, that is real. I know you feel it too.”
“You… you aren’t giving up on me?” She asks.
“No. Never.”
“But I screwed up.”
“I’ve screwed up a thousand times, Emma, in a thousand ways. One miscalculation changes nothing. And you were not the one who pulled out the knife. You were not the one who sat by helplessly as a woman was brutally attacked. No. You defended yourself valiantly. And I’m sure you would have done the same for someone else.”
“Why are you defending me? You don’t have to save me from myself, you know.”
“Saving is in my nature.”
“What about those men?” Emma says. “Even if you forgive me, they are still…”
“In the dungeon. Yes. What do you think should happen to them?”
“I… I think they should be forgiven. I think… they deserve a second chance as well.”
Emma sucks in a breath, waiting anxiously for my reaction.
It is as I thought. And hoped. Emma Fairheart of Earth will be a forgiving leader. My heart made the right choice. She’s passionate, good kind. All the things Nyrr needs desperately. She couldn’t be more different from most Aegir aristocrats, who watch blood sports for fun, who don’t think twice about condemning a man to death for petty crimes.
If she can look the men who did nothing to save her in the eye and forgive them, then she’s truly an angel. Infinitely more patient and forgiving than I am.
I’ve sent enough men to their deaths. I’ve killed men who look just like me, but who were born in Egos, in Yagna, in the Deadsea. Due to some old fuck pushing pieces around on their warboards, I had to call those men my enemies, instead of my brothers. I’ve vowed never to be that type of leader.
These cowards stretch the very limits of my patience — that’s why it fills me with such joy that Emma hasn’t lost her heart in this dark world I call home.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay. Do you want to go and tell them that?”
“Y-yes sure!”
“Let’s go then,” I say.
“Hold on while I get dressed!”
“Sure.”
I watch her stand up and wander over to her closet. I’m pleased to see that the oversized shirt is the only thing she’s wearing, the cheeks of her ass just barely peeking out from down below. Emma turns to me and pulls her shirt down.
“Are you not going to wait outside?”
“I’m exactly where I should be.”
“Typical.” She shakes her head, but I detect a faint smile on her perfect lips.
I have to surpress the urge to reach out and grasp those firm, perfect cheeks of hers and make her mine right here on this bed. First, we must attend to the poor saps in the dungeon.
But when all of that business is over…
I am making her mine once and for all.
19
Emma
It’s hard to focus on picking out a proper dress when Malak is looking right at me with that brooding gaze of his. I know exactly what’s on his mind. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out, when that big bulge of his is visible from outer space.
I’ve gotten a glimpse of his royal staff once before.
Now, if I’m perfectly honest with myself, I just want to sink to my knees, pull that zipper down and thank him properly for saving my life once again.
Damn it. I promised myself I’d figure out a way to escape before my body had enough and surrendered itself.
Okay, that’s not really fair. I’ve got to stop blaming my body. In fact, I’ve got to stop coming up with excuses all together.
I like Malak. A lot. There, I admitted it. The cat’s out of the bag.
He’s a fearsome protector when he needs to be. Big, strong, bold, a true leader and warrior. But at the same time, he’s also kind, gentle, warm, affectionate, forgiving. And just hot as hell to boot. He’s freaking perfect.
Why did it take me so long to see it? Is it because of his immense height? His blue skin? Did his horns throw me off?
Or am I just too stubborn to admit I’ve found something real for once?
I’ve got to tell him about my mission, about the beacon that’s in the back of my ship, just waiting for a message to be sent back to Earth. I’ve got be as honest with him as he’s been with me.
Aegon is inhospitable, sure, but humans could live here…
It’ll have to wait for now.
I slip a dress on. “Can you zip me up?”
Malak’s hands are on my back in an instant. His warm touch feels so great that I can’t help but moan. Is that his warm breath I feel on the back of my neck?
“Follow me,” he growls.
I wish he were leading me to his chambers… but no, first I must face the consequences of last night.
To the dungeon we must go.
Malak leads me all the way down to the cellars. It’s cold, dark and damp in here.
“Open the cell,” he commands.
“But your grace, it’s not safe,” the guardsman replies. One quick glare later and he averts his eyes. “Of course, Your Highness.”
The cell door opens, and a dozen eyes look up at me. These men are dirty, tired, and scared. I’ve thought long and hard about what I want to say to these men… and to Malak.
What I’ve seen of Nyrr has shocked me. The Aegir are technologically advanced, but I can’t say the same for their culture. Perhaps it’s not my place to judge, as an outsider… but if I’m going to be Malak’s queen, then there will have to be some changes.
I have no idea how he’s going to react — but I don’t see any other choice.
“Your grace!”
One of the men calls out for me. He drops down to his knees and bows as deeply as possible, kissing the floor in front of me.
“Forgive me, please, I was drunk, which I know is not an excuse, I have always loved and supported the royal family, please, I have children, please…”
The man begs for his life.
“Don’t lie,” I say softly. “You haven’t always loved the royal family. What is your job, sir?”
“I’m a fishgutter, m’am.”
“And do you make enough drahir to support your family? To feed your children?”
The man visibly hesitates.
“Answer the question, sir. Honestly.”
“I do not,” he whispers. “My wife has to work as well. Our neighbor watches the kids…”
“Why were you in the pub then? Shouldn’t that money go your family?”
“It should, yes,” he says. His head hangs low in shame. “I drink to forget. My youngest has come down with a rash, but we cannot afford a healer. I know I shouldn’t drink, but…”
“But you are simply human. Sorry, Aegir. And who can blame you? You work hard, your wife does as well, and still you barely scrape on by while your youngest is sick… wanting to wind down with a drink is completely understandable. Within reason, of course.”
“Uhm.”
The man hesitates. This is not what he expected. And I’m just getting started.
“Let’s be frank, sir. What has the royal family ever done for you? This majestic castle overlooks the city, while you live in poverty. Does that not make you angry?”
There are a few gasps in the audience. My heart is racing like mad, for what I’m about to say will sound like treason. I just pray Malak will let me make my point.
“No… they… you… keep us safe, protect our borders… we are very grateful…”
&nbs
p; “You are lying,” I say. “And for that, I forgive you. Tell me: If you expressed the sentiment I just raised, any other royal family would have you executed, correct? Malak?”
“…yes,” he says, after a moment of silence. “If you doubted the validity of their authority… the Egos would have you quartered. The Yagna would have you skinned alive.
“I am not like that,” I say to the men. “I am not from here. Under the leadership of me and Malak, things are going to change.”
I turn to Malak with a look of fierceness and pride. At least, that’s what I’m going for. I’ve seen how big the gulf is here, between rich and poor, and if Malak truly cares about me, if I’m truly his yali… then he’ll back me up on this.
Because no tyrant could be my fated mate.
I just pray I’ve read the brooding prince right, and I haven’t made a fatal miscalculation…
“Under our rule, things will be different,” I repeat. “There will be equality. There will be prosperity, and there will be freedom. Isn’t that right… my yali?”
Malak is silent. My heart is pounding like mad.
A hint of a smirk appears on that strong jaw of his. A small gesture, but it warms my heart.
“Of course,” he says, and a weight falls from my shoulders. “It is our duty to make sure all Aegir are fed, that they are healthy, and that they are safe. I will make sure of that. We will give everyone in Nyrr the life that they deserve.”
“How does that sound?” I ask the men.
They are visibly confused. The one kneeling on the floor is speechless. No doubt he still fears that this is some cruel prank. No one speaks.
“You are all free to go. Think about what I said when you’re at home, with your families.”
More silence.
“Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously!” I step out of the way and point at the door. “Go! You are pardoned. Freed. What do you want, a stamped decree? My word should be good enough, I think. Go on. Get. And please don’t blow all of your drahir on ale from now on. We’ll do what we can, but you also need to make the right choices.”
“Yes, yes your grace! Thank you, thank you!”
The men rush out, bowing deeply. The guards are visibly confused, but know better than to raise any objections. I turn to Malak, my heart thumping in my throat.
What is his reaction going to be?
Is he going to punish me for this?
20
Emma
“You are full of surprises, human.”
Malak closes the door of his quarters behind me and crosses his strong, veiny arms across his wide chest. I sit down on the edge of his bed and run my fingers across the silky smooth sheets.
“You said you didn’t want to be a royal. And yet, that was the most moving, regal speech I’ve seen in a long time.”
“Someone wise once told me you’ve got to play the hand you’re dealt. So I figured I might as well make the best of it,” I answer.
Malak’s large frame blocks the door, his hands now resting on his hips as he looks me up and down. Heat rises inside of me, but I cannot look away.
“You’ve put me in an impossible position, human,” he says. “I could never disagree with you in front of those men, and you knew that.”
“I hoped so, yes.”
“Court politics are second nature to you. You will make an excellent Xeer.”
“But did you agree with what I said? Or did you want to disagree with me?”
He saunters towards me, that brooding look of his fixed on me.
“The other royal families will hate us.”
“Good. We don’t need them.”
Malak kneels in front of me. He’s only a feet away from me now. I can sense his warmth, radiating out from him.
“If only it were so. Your ideas go against millennia of tradition. We are a warrior species, where the powerful thrive.”
“And the weak suffer,” I add defiantly. “Is that what you want?”
“No, it is not,” Malak answers. “You are… impressive, Emma. Strong. Defiant. Proud. There is so much strength in that tiny, human frame of yours.”
A strange compliment, but I’ll take it.
“I also have a question for you. Did you mean it when you called me… your yali? When you referred to our rule? Are you finally going to stop fighting this connection, and admit it?”
“Admit what?” I say evasively.
“Don’t use your court politics on me, female,” he growls. I can feel his warm breath on my skin, his manly scent surrounding me whole. His catlike pupils are studying me closely. “Answer the question.”
“Maybe,” I say. “At first I thought you were nothing but an arrogant, pompous royal jerk. It took me a while to see that beneath all of that muscle of yours beats a kind heart.”
“So I am your fated mate?”
“I never said that,” I say, averting my gaze — but he’s simply everywhere. Fuck me, he’s so damn big. I have to close my eyes if I don’t want to see him — but that just means I’ll be picturing him naked.
“You’re implying it.”
“Maybe.”
He places his strong hand on my cheek and forces me to look up at him. There’s that cocky grin on his face again, the one I’m starting to like more and more.
“Admit it,” he growls.
His thumb brushes my bottom lip, and a strong energy races through my body, unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. I bite down gently on his thumb.
“…Make me,” I say.
I don’t have to tell him twice.
Malak pushes me onto the soft bed, and a second later he’s on top of me, his forehead pressing against mine as he gazes into my eyes.
His body crushes mine — but in the best possible way. I’ve mostly seen his kind side, but there’s a warrior in there as well, and it’s coming out in full force now.
Good. I want to see every side of him.
And every inch as well, for that matter.
“Be careful what you wish for,” he says, pinning both my wrists down without a hint of effort.
“Or what? You’re all talk,” I say, daring him more and more. I want him to keep going, to make me pay, I want…
My heart thumps in my throat as I realize, consciously, what I really want.
I want him.
I want him to take me. That way, I won’t have to admit it to myself that I’m falling head over heels for this blue-skinned, savage-looking alien warrior-Xeer.
But I am. In fact, as I gaze into his mesmerizing eyes, I realize I’m way past falling.
I’ve been fighting it all this time, but in reality, I love this man deeply. I’ve just been too stubborn — or too afraid — to admit it.
I’m not going to do that anymore. Life is too short to play games.
As if he could read my mind, Malak leans down and kisses me. His lips are soft and gentle, and I melt right there and then as his tongue meets mine, every inch of my body on fire.
He lets my wrists go, and I wrap both my arms and my legs around his strong, powerful frame, both of us totally disappearing in this passionate kiss. I grab his dark hair, my fingers holding on tightly, like I’m afraid he’s going to drift away any moment now, the tips of my fingers brushing against his horns.
This is what I’ve been waiting for all my life. I’m not going to let go, not now, not ever.
Malak sits up, and my throat makes a little whiny sound, letting him know just how much I don’t want him to go.
“Be patient,” he smirks.
The alien warrior stands up and removes every article of clothing adorning his massive body, one by one. All I can do is watch breathlessly as my dream comes to life right in front of me, every new set of perfectly sculpted muscles coming into view giving me a fresh jolt of energy.
His pecs. His abs. His lower arms. His thighs. His blue butt.
It’s all so damn perfect. I want to freaking bite it.
Malak saves the best for last.
Only his boxers remain, though they are so tight that I can practically see it all already. Still, I want to see the real deal.
The cocky warrior places his hands on his hips, as if he knows damn well how good looking he is.
I can’t even be mad this time. Because it’s one hundred percent true.
“I believe I made a promise to you,” he says, his voice a low growl that makes my panties moist.
“What’s that?” I say, my eyes flashing up to his for only a brief moment. There’s just too much to take in.
“I promised you that I’d make you beg for it. You said you’d never do that. Now, who’s right?”
I roll my eyes, but on the inside, I can barely wait another moment. All this teasing is driving me mad. Exactly what he wants.
“You really want to talk about old bets now?” I say, sitting up straight so I can take a good look at him. His tight boxers are a mere foot away. All I’d need to do is reach out…
He places his hand on my shoulder and gently, yet firmly, draws me closer to him.
“I just want you to admit it.”
“What do you want me to say?” I ask, looking up at him. “Oh, my Xeer, I cannot wait to see your big, magnificent, royal cock?”
A tingle runs down my spine. I was trying to mock him, but honestly, it did feel kinda good to say it like that…
Malak smirks. Damn it, he’s so cocky, so arrogant, so damn… hot.
“Like that, yes,” he says. “Try again, but with conviction this time. Convince me.”
“And then what?”
“Then I’ll give you exactly what you’re asking for.”
I lick my lips. “Fine,” I say, wiggling in my seat. Here it goes.
“Oh, my great warrior-Xeer, please grace me with the presence of your royal cock. How’s that?”
“Perfect. Pull my boxers down.”
I don’t even pretend I’m hesitant — I grab his boxers and yank them down like a Labrador diving towards a prized treat.
His massive blue manhood springs out, practically slapping me in the face. I’m mere inches away from his greatness, and all I can do is stare and drink in every throbbing vein, every pulsing inch of him.
