Alien Prince's Mate: An Auxem Novel

by Lisa Lace

  I ripped out the rag from Akuza’s mouth. Coughing furiously, Akuza tilted his head back, welcoming the breaths of fresh air wholeheartedly. I sat down on the last step of the stairs, resting my arms on my knees.

  “I hear you’re the famous Akuza, the only son and heir to Lord Silas’ throne. You weren’t famous to me. Sorry about that.”

  Akuza was no longer weeping, but he turned his head away from me.

  “I’m going to take a wild guess.” I clasped my hands together and propped my chin up with my fingers as I studied him. “I see manicured nails and purely decorative rings. Your skin is pale, and you are clean-shaven. Fingers are soft but riddled with paper cuts, presumably from hours upon hours of page-turning. Questionable weapon handling ability and poor posture. Was this your first time in the field?”

  Silence.

  “I’m only pointing this out because I’ve been there before. I don’t know why I’m trying to comfort you, but we’ve all had a first time. I nearly wet myself when I had to draw my plasma pistol. For months, I prepared myself by spending all my free time at shooting ranges. I learned every trick in the book. I must have practiced shooting myself in the mirror about a thousand times. I thought I was hot stuff.”

  Akuza said nothing but I sensed he was hanging onto my every word.

  “Even so, the first time I needed to use it, I couldn’t. I froze and completely forgot how to work the pistol. It’s not complicated - point and shoot. Fortunately, I didn’t forget how to use my legs, and I was able to move out of there. It wasn’t my proudest moment, but it was a teachable one. I suppose, ultimately, it was the fear that got to me.”

  Akuza finally broke his silence. “I wasn’t afraid.” He looked back at me hatefully as a swollen eyelid drooped over one of his eyes.

  “Relax. There’s no need to be defensive about it. I’m nobody to you, right? I was just sharing my experience.”

  “I didn’t ask to hear it.” Akuza sniffed and blew hair out of his eyes.

  “Okay, then. There’s no need to be touchy either.”

  “Tell me, human. What do you want from me? If you seek money, I am certain my father will be willing to pay what you like for my safe return.”

  “He doesn’t want your credits.”

  “I didn’t ask what he wants. I asked what you want.” Akuza lifted his head, swallowing hard.

  I decided to answer truthfully. “Honestly, I couldn’t tell you. I’m just along for the ride.” Spotting the quiver in his lip, I decided to say more even though I wasn’t sure if my words were true. “I wouldn’t worry so much if I were you. He’s a little rough around the edges, but he’s a good guy. He said he wouldn’t hurt you if you cooperated with us. He’s the type to follow through on his word.”

  I hoped.

  “About the Urwanian. Axl, I heard you call him.” Akuza raised his hands to dab at his face, drying his damp cheeks. “He’s an acquirer, isn’t he? I’ve heard many stories about Magnum.”

  “Let me stop you right there.” I held up a hand, feeling a pang of trepidation. “You’re asking too many questions.”

  Akuza quieted down at once, bowing his head.

  “Are you thirsty?” I pulled out a thermos from my backpack. Pouring him a cup of water, I edged toward him and offered him the drink. Akuza’s thin lips were flaky, and his scratchy voice suggested dehydration, but he moved his head away from the beverage.

  “It’s totally safe. See?”

  I tipped the cup’s contents into my mouth before pouring him some more. This time, he grabbed the drink eagerly and downed the water in one gulp. The water that didn’t make it into his mouth sloppily dribbled down his chin. I handed him the thermos and returned to my seat on the last step of the stairs. I watched the Makroid prince chug down water like it was his first day of spring break. When he set down the thermos, he dabbed at his lips with the back of his hand.

  “Thank you.”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  The door swung open behind us. When Axl’s towering form appeared in the doorway, Akuza flinched and thrashed his legs across the ground, maneuvering himself behind the post. I rose to my feet and leaned against the wall, making room for Axl as he strode down the stairs.

  “What happened to his gag?”

  “I took it off.” I glanced at Akuza, who was peering at us from behind the post, clicking his teeth. “He was having problems breathing with that thing in his mouth.”

  “My father dozed off, so we have the chance to go upstairs again and come up with a – augh!”

  Axl tripped over my backpack, quickly catching himself before he hit the ground. I wildly threw out my hands, but I didn’t have a chance to grab anything. The pillar of Galzen shot out of the unzipped opening of the spinning backpack and slid across the floor, skidding to a halt in front of the prince.

  “Is that what I think it is?” Akuza’s unblinking gaze focused on the gleaming pillar. “You should have been more careful with it.”

  “Damn it!” Axl grabbed the pillar and shoved it back into my backpack. “What was that bag doing in the middle of the floor?!”

  “Don’t try to pin this on me, clumsy.” I slapped a hand on my forehead. “All you needed to do was look where you were walking.”

  “I guess it’s settled, then. We have to kill the prince.”

  Akuza looked like he was going to faint. I stuck out a hand in Akuza’s direction and clamped my fingers to my thumb, motioning for him to quit the whimpering.

  “Stop being so dramatic. He doesn’t mean it.” I glanced at Axl. “Do you? Why don’t we step outside for a minute and talk this over?”

  Axl glared at Akuza before storming up the stairs. I followed him out the cellar, down the hallway, and through the front door. As soon as the door closed, I flicked him hard on the forehead.

  “Nice going, genius. What do we do now? And no, before you bring it up again, we’re not going to kill him.”

  “He knows things now. What happens if he escapes and makes it back to Makroi?” Axl looked concerned. “It’s not a matter of if he’s going to talk. It’s a matter of when.”

  “Maybe we can turn him.” I tugged on my lip thoughtfully. “I don’t know. Whatever the case, the guy’s royalty. There will be repercussions if we execute him.”

  “I suppose you’re right.” Axl folded his arms. “Everyone else is at the temple for the night. I’ll send them a message in the morning. We can meet them at the palace and we will consult with the Empress. For tonight, I guess we have to watch Akuza by ourselves.”

  I nodded. “I’ll take the first shift. Come on, let’s get back inside.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  AXL

  “Stay still, Axl. We don’t want to scare it away.”

  My father wiggled across the grass using his elbows to propel him. I followed his example, arms jabbing into the fresh dirt as I crept up next to my father. He flashed me a grin and pressed a finger to his mouth.

  “Watch this. You won’t believe it.”

  He pursed his lips into the shape of an O and made a twittering noise with the back of his throat. A lomas bird looked back at us, spreading a crown of petal-like feathers under its round chin. My father laid his finger down on the grass, addressing the bird with another friendly twitter.

  “You try it. She might nip your finger for a second, but it will only tickle. She won’t draw blood.”

  I set my finger down next to his. It looked tiny next to an adult’s hand. My finger was only half the size of my father’s. The curious bird hopped over to us, dragging the bright blue tuft under its chin along our fingers. I looked back at my dad for affirmation.

  “That’s it, Axl. It’s getting a feel for your scent. Look. It likes you!”

  The bird stepped onto my finger and tilted its head, staring up at me with bright orange eyes. Giggling, I brushed the bird’s back and under its chin as it cooed appreciatively. My father sat up slowly and patted me on the shoulder.

  “Goo
d going. The two of you are becoming fast friends.”

  Balancing the bird on my finger, I pushed myself off the grass.

  “Maam! Look at this!”

  I cupped a finger around the bird and crawled onto the blanket spread out on the grass. My mother lowered her goblet of whippel fruit juice and lifted me onto her lap. As I snuggled up against her chest, I removed my hand and presented the bird.

  “Isn’t it pretty, Maam?”

  As she leaned in for a closer look, I could smell the sweet kobbler butter in her flowing, fair hair.

  “Very pretty, indeed.” She brushed off my dirty elbows and kissed me on the forehead.

  “Can we keep it? I promise to take good care of it. Oh, no!”

  The bird prepared to take flight. It batted its wings, but I reached out and clapped my hands over the tiny critter.

  “Don’t do that. You are hurting the bird.” My mother pulled my hands apart and set the bird free.

  “Why did you do that, Maam?” I sounded indignant and sulked as the bird flew off, soaring into the horizon. “I was just hugging it! I wasn’t going to hurt anything!”

  “You are bigger and stronger than the bird is.” My mother calmly handed me a cookie from the basket. “If you squeeze too tightly, it won’t be able to breathe. You could hurt it because you don’t know your strength. You have to be gentle.”

  “I’m sorry, Maam. I didn’t want to harm the bird. But why did you release it?”

  “It belongs in the wild, with nature. Father Zamos created all creatures to live unfettered and free. Look at how lovely that bird was. Its beauty is too much to contain to yourself.”

  “Listen to your mother.” My father joined us on the blanket, sitting down next to Maam and pecking her on the lips. I stuck out my tongue at them, shielding my eyes.

  “What’s the matter?” My father’s grin widened, and his eyes started to twinkle. “Now that you’ve seen your first lomas bird, I think it is time for you to study a pair of sweet lovebirds.”

  “No, thank you!” I wrinkled my nose as my parents gave each another big kiss on the lips.

  “I think Axl’s jealous.” My mother joined forces with my father in the attempt to kill me from embarrassment and tickled me under the arms. “Come on, Lanson. Get him!”

  Before I could protest, they tackled me from both sides, smothering me with wet kisses.

  “I surrender!” Laughing manically, I wriggled free and tumbled back onto the grass. A tide of warmth washed over me. I ran with it, embracing the feeling. Drawing a deep, soothing breath, I felt my body growing lighter as my aura began to escape me.

  “Ah, shoot.”

  My eyes snapped open and adjusted to the light. All the cupboards in the kitchen were open. A shadowy figure stood over the bottom drawer of the ice box, sweeping chipped shards of ice under the unit. I glanced at the rocking chair next to me. My father was still fast asleep and his mouth hung open.

  “Christine?” I lifted myself off the floor. “What are you doing?”

  She shut the ice box drawer. “Do you always sleep in a lotus position? It seems a little uncomfortable.”

  “I wasn’t sleeping. And you’re not answering my question.”

  “That guy has been talking my ear off for two hours down there.” Christine rolled her eyes. “He says he’s hungry.”

  “So what?”

  “So I’m trying to feed him. Am I supposed to let him starve?”

  “Perhaps you misunderstand the situation. We are not running a bed and breakfast. We are kidnapping someone. Get back downstairs and tell him there’s no room service here.”

  “You can tell him yourself.”

  Behind us, my father stirred in his rocking chair, smacking his lips in his sleep.

  “Let’s take this upstairs.”

  I led her up to the second floor and into my bedroom, shutting the door behind me. Christine took the opportunity to look at everything in the room while holding her hands on her hips. She circled slowly around my bed and past hovering lamps, peering at a double-tiered altar set up in the corner of the room.

  “Why do you keep fighting me?”

  Christine looked back at me, narrowing her eyes fiercely. “If you weren’t unreasonable, we wouldn’t have a problem.”

  “I’m perfectly reasonable.”

  “You heard me.” Christine put her legs apart, gazing up at me through slits in her eyes. “It’s bad enough that we’re holding someone captive. The guy is unarmed and vulnerable. He appears to be caught up in something bigger than himself. Would it kill you to treat him with a bit of decency?”

  “We can’t all be bleeding hearts.” I matched her heated gaze. “One of us has to get things done around here. Why are you defending him? He had a gun pointed at you. He could have killed you.”

  “But he didn’t,” Christine pointed out defiantly.

  “He’s a Makroid. Even worse, he’s royalty.” Rage swelled inside me at the thought of those bastards.

  “Whatever he is, he’s terrified of you. Why don’t you try a different approach and see if you can get something useful out of him? At least I’m making some progress. You’re welcome, by the way.”

  “I never asked for any of that. All I wanted was someone to watch him. If you can’t follow simple instructions, we’re going to have a problem.”

  The brush of a wing against my ear made me jump. I turned on one of the lamps, looking around the room. I didn’t see anything except for the two of us.

  “Did you hear that?”

  Christine shook her head. “I’ve had it with your stupid instructions. Here’s a tip. I don’t work for you!” Christine tossed her hands in the air and pushed her hair back aggressively. “How’s this for not following simple instructions?”

  I didn’t expect what happened next. Christine pounced and suddenly her supple lips were pressed up against me. Something about feeling the heat of her body awoke a sexual passion inside of me. I seized the back of her neck and kissed her with hunger, fueled by my conflicting emotions of rage and an insatiable need to possess her.

  As our tongues danced, my hand traveled down the small of her back. I could feel her weakening in my arms. At the same time, my cock grew hard, begging to be released from its cage.

  “Wait a second.” Christine pulled away from me and gasped. “Should we be doing this?”

  I slammed her against the back of the door and nibbled her ear, sliding a hand between her legs. “You started it.” My voice in her ear sounded hoarse. I liked that she squirmed when I teased her by rubbing her small, warm pussy through her pants. “You tell me.”

  I felt around for the knob of her clit, pinching it between my fingers as I watched every expression on her beautifully contorting face. She gave me a clear answer. Wiggling out of my grasp, she reached back and unzipped her clothes, stepping out of her bodysuit. Her bountiful breasts spilled out with a jiggle, plump nipples stiff from the cold air. Her winding, feminine curves were more sensual than I had envisioned.

  Shedding my top, I fell on my knees and dove into the thick, soft bush between her legs. I inhaled her musky scent and ravaged her, sucking and probing with my tongue until delicious juices oozed down my chin. She tasted so good and fertile that a need to taste every drop overcame me.

  As I slowly moved up, swirling my tongue around the sensitive button above her folds, I could see sweet rapture unfold on Christine’s face. She grabbed a handful of my hair, digging her nails into my scalp. Her breasts bounced and shivered along with the rest of her body. She needed me inside of her.

  “It looks like you’re ready.”

  I got back on my feet and undid my trousers. When my cock emerged, there was a momentary flash of fear in Christine’s eyes. She wrapped her fingers around it, stroking my shaft as she wet her lips. It was as if she was calibrating me, checking to make sure I could fit inside of her.

  The swollen head of my cock pulsed in her hands and craved for release. I grabbed her ass and wrapped
her thighs around me, bracing us against the door. Her soft cry of surprise only inflamed my desire.

  She stared at me with sultry eyes, perspiration pooling in the edge of her collarbone. Holding her gaze, she spat into her hand and gently stroked my erection. I took back control, squeezing my cock into her folds. My knees went weak as the warm, constricting warmth engulfed me.

  “Oh, fuck.”

  I clasped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes rolled backward and showed the whites of her eyes. “Shh.”

  Using my palm to muffle her moans, I rammed in and out of her, filling her deeper with each thrust. I could hear the fucking as well as feel it. The squelches of our gliding friction grew loud. I felt myself building up, and my cock throbbed deep inside of her.

  She knew I was close. She clung to my neck and ground harder against me, daring me to come inside her. As I reached between her legs, teasing her clitoris, the air let out of our bodies at the same time. I arched my head back, groaning as I fell out of her body.

  We fell to the floor, two sweaty, naked bodies lying next to each other. I slowly sat against the door, wiping the sweat off my face as I caught my breath. Beside me, Christine rolled her glistening body toward me and lay her head on my lap.

  I stroked her hair, transfixed by the vision of creamy white streaks painted across the canvas of her stomach and thighs.

  Chapter Twenty

  CHRISTINE

  The earthy aroma of ginger tea eased me out of a deep slumber. Slowly, I opened my eyes and stretched my arms over my head, uncurling from the corner of the sofa. I turned my head to the right to find myself face-to-face with a pair of giant amber eyes.

  “Gah!” I lurched backward, grabbing hold of the armrest before I fell off the edge of my seat. “I’m sorry, sir. You startled me.”

  Axl’s father sat on his rocking chair, peering straight at me through the magnifying spectacles of his unique headgear. With a stony look on his face, he began to rock back and forth, flattening his lips into a straight line. I quickly sat up straight, pushing back my shoulders and folding my hands on my lap.

  “It’s a lovely day out, isn’t it?” I gave conversation another shot, but my grin faltered at the lack of reciprocation.