Stolen for the Alien Prince

by Leslie Chase

  "Do I look like an idiot to you?" She grinned as she said it. "Come on, I'm not that desperate to get myself caught helping you. You and everyone who's after you will be long gone before I try and connect that to the network. I want to live to spend my ill-gotten fortune."

  I decided that I liked this strange woman, and I hoped that she could make her fortune off us without getting into trouble. Stepping forward I pressed my hand into the hologram, feeling the weird prickling sensation as it scanned me. For a moment I held my breath, afraid that this was the moment where something spotted my lie. But no, the screen turned green and Yennifer nodded.

  "Tell you what, though," she said. "I'll throw in some hot food for you, Your Highness. No need for you to be less comfortable than you have to be,"

  "Oh, that would be wonderful," I said, and then quickly added, "as long as you can get it out here without getting spotted."

  She laughed and whistled. A strange creature appeared in the doorway. It looked something like a lizard but moved like a dog, standing waist high on her. "Don't worry, my pets know exactly who's around the yard. How'd you think I spotted you coming in?"

  "I thought I'd distracted them," Xendar said, and I caught an edge of embarrassment to his words. "They shouldn't have seen us."

  "You'd be surprised how many people think that," Yennifer said, petting the creature. "But Raal here is smarter than you'd expect. Smart enough to let a burglar think he's gotten away with it."

  I extended my hand to the animal cautiously, and it edged closer, sniffing at me. For a moment I thought it was just like a dog, and then its forked tongue darted out to taste my wrist. I gasped but managed to stay still, and it gave off a satisfied hiss. I assumed that was a good sign.

  "Who's a good... thing," I trailed off a little uncertainly, and Yennifer chuckled.

  "Not the kind of pet you're used to, huh? They may not be pretty, but Raal does a great job keeping people from taking advantage of me."

  "I bet he does," I said with a smile. "He looks like he can be scary."

  "You've got to be scary sometimes, living in a place like this. It's not like your palaces and pleasure planets." She paused at that and then flushed slightly. "Uh, sorry. I'm not used to talking to a princess."

  Maybe I should have pretended to take offense, but there was no way I was going to be angry with our savior. Shaking my head, I grinned at Yennifer wishing that I could tell her that I understood. There just wasn't any way to explain, though, so I didn't try.

  "Please don't worry about it," I told her instead. "I'm in your debt as it is, I won't get upset about how you talk to me."

  "You're not what I expected from a princess," Yennifer said. I wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not, but she didn't seem to be suspicious. "I'll be back with the food."

  She dropped into another curtsy and turned away. Raal gave me another interested sniff and then turned to trot after her.

  Xendar and I watched her go for a moment and then he swung the door shut again. Sighing with relief, I sat back against the cold metal wall. Xendar didn't seem to be relaxing though.

  "Come on, that was better than we'd hoped for. Wasn't it?" I asked.

  He was still staring at the door suspiciously. "We're at her mercy completely. If we stay here she can sell us out at any time, just as soon as she figures out who'll pay the most. And with your authorization on record, she can prove that she has us."

  Oh. I gulped, realizing that he was right. It certainly made trusting Yennifer a lot harder when she could make a fortune selling out...

  Is that what it's like being a princess? Constantly worried that the people around you are scheming to use you for their own ends, that any kindness is just an attempt to win your friendship so that you'll cooperate? I shivered, and for the first time, I had some sympathy for Princess Immorata. My life might not have been perfect, but I didn't have to worry about my friends just wanting to know me for my influence or my wealth.

  But now that I was in her shoes, I wasn't about to live my life in fear of betrayal. Raising my chin and taking a deep breath, I put my hand on his arm and squeezed gently.

  "We trust her," I said firmly. "She's not going to sell us out, and if I'm wrong about her we'll deal with that when it comes."

  Xendar looked down at me, his expression hard. For a moment I thought he wasn't going to listen, that he'd reject my words as too soft, too trusting. But then he nodded and exhaled, and I felt the tension leave his muscles.

  "You're right, Princess," he said softly. "It's not as though I have anywhere else for us to run to anyway. This is our best bet."

  The suspicion hadn't left him completely, though, and he was still on edge. To be fair, so was I. Tempting as going back to what we'd been doing was, I knew that we were both going to be too distracted.

  Probably that was for the best. Pretending to be his princess to survive was a dishonesty I was coming to terms with, but sleeping with him under false pretenses? That was a lot worse, and I was glad that we'd been interrupted before we'd gone too far.

  Mostly glad, anyway. Part of me wished that the hunters had given us a few more hours before they tracked us down. The feel of Xendar's alien muscles moving under my palm didn't make things any easier, either. I shivered and pulled back my hand, trying to resist the feelings that flooded my body, the warmth that spread through me.

  The spines on his arms rippled, and I was getting to know his body language well enough to recognize his arousal in that. Damn it.

  "We should get some rest," I said, firmly putting off anything else for the time being. I thought he might object and was a little disappointed when he nodded instead. It was frustrating as hell, and him agreeing with me didn't help.

  This was going to be a long night.

  14

  Xendar

  Waiting for Yennifer's return was uncomfortable and frustrating. My princess and I sat as far apart as we could manage, but the magnetic pull between us was getting impossible to ignore. I knew that she was right, though. Even if we both wanted to mate — and we did! — the risk was too great. I'd nearly been distracted enough to miss the gray's approach before.

  Satisfying our bodies' needs could wait until we were in space, alone, and unhunted. It would have to. No matter how much I craved her sweet touch, I would not risk her coming to harm just to satisfy that need.

  Telling myself that didn't make it any easier to wait though, not when we were in a confined space and I could smell her, hear the sound of her breath, almost taste her. I didn't have to look at her beauty to have my senses filled with her.

  "Tell me about your home," she said quietly. "Something, anything. Distract me."

  So she was having the same trouble I was. I could hear the need in her voice, and it fanned the flame of desire in my hearts. She had a good idea, though. Talking might help, and it certainly couldn't make things harder.

  "Achera is the most beautiful place in the galaxy," I told her, leaning back against the wall and closing my eyes. I could almost see it, mountains so high they pierced the atmosphere, the firestreams running down them to burst into steam where they met the sea. "A hard planet, dangerous, but beautiful all the same."

  I told her about the forests of my homeland, the crimson trees that I'd hunted amongst. The armored frae on which I'd honed my skills, dangerous beasts three times an Acheran's size and built of muscle. The stories made me itch for home, and I so badly wanted to show it to her. Let her see some of the beauty that hardship forged, rather than the soft decadence of her upbringing.

  My mate listened carefully, and I could somehow feel her smile even though her back was turned. "It sounds wonderful. So different from everything I know, but exciting too. I wish..."

  Her words trailed off into silence. There was a sadness to them, as though she doubted that she'd ever see Achera. I frowned. "Don't worry, my love. I will see you safely there, and you will live in a palace fit for a queen."

  She answered with a heavy, unhappy si
gh, and I knew I hadn't reassured her. What more could I say, though? It was true that we were in danger, but that hadn't changed — and she didn't seem frightened by our prospects. I didn't know what I could do to make her feel any better. Could it be that she missed her home? Thinking back to the decadence of the Shadow of a Forgotten Love and all the statues of herself that had decorated it, I realized just how unlike her home Achera must sound.

  That wouldn't do. As much as I had mocked the vanity of those statues, if they made her happy I would carve her face onto a mountain. Whatever she needed to feel at home. But despite all those images of her, Princess Immorata hadn't seemed that self-obsessed while we'd traveled together. Between the ship I'd met her on and the person I'd come to know, something didn't add up.

  "Perhaps if you tell me something about where you grew up?" I asked. "I would like to know where you come from, my mate. What I can do to make your new home the equal of the old."

  My question filled the air with tension, which surprised me. It didn't seem out of place to me. Had I brushed against some rule of human etiquette? It seemed unlikely, but something in what I'd said made her freeze up. Immorata turned slowly, carefully, and I felt her eyes on me.

  Something was wrong. I knew it. But I had no idea what. For a long, stretched-out moment she said nothing.

  "I'd rather not talk about the Empire," she said eventually. "It's something I'm leaving behind, and I want to put it in my past. Let's just say that whatever you're imagining my upbringing was like, you're probably not very close to the mark."

  Was that guilt in her voice? It sounded like it, but I had no idea what she could possibly be guilty about here. Turning her answer over in my mind, I examined it carefully. It said almost nothing, but it would have been a perfectly reasonable response if she hadn't taken so long over it. As it was, I was certain that she was covering something up.

  The awkwardness of the moment was broken by Yennifer's return, and I was grateful for the reprieve. Something told me that whatever I'd stumbled on with that question wasn't going to be sorted out by putting pressure on Immorata. It would take some time and care to work out what was going on there.

  In the meantime, Yennifer had food. And blankets. And news.

  "News of the bounty on your head is all over town, Your Highness," the mechanic said. "It's all anyone's talking about. Looks like Captain Keshiir and the grays are just going to wait at the spaceport for someone to bring you in now. No one's going to get you off planet without getting caught, after all."

  I grunted, chewing on the jerky she'd brought me. I'd missed food that I could get my teeth into, the mush we'd eaten in the truck was nutritious but bland. For the princess, Yennifer had gone to the effort of making up a plate with some kind of salad and a meat dish I wasn't familiar with. I could have been offended: I was, after all, a prince too. But Acheran royalty is a good deal more practical than the human kind and I was more amused than anything.

  "Won't some of them rather be rewarded for rescuing me?" Immorata asked after swallowing her mouthful and taking a swig from the flask of wine that Yennifer had brought with her.

  "Not likely," Yennifer said. "Not a lot of people here with any affection for your imperial mother, Your Highness. And it would mean sneaking you past the hunters, when they could turn you over for enough of a reward to settle down somewhere for life. I know the people here, they're desperate. Not the types to risk a certain fortune in the hope of winning a bigger one."

  "Aside from you," I put in. Yennifer shrugged and grinned.

  "Well, I'm already stuck on your side," she said. "And I've still got a little fondness for home. I'm only here because of a little misunderstanding with the Imperial Police about supertuning some getaway ships for the mob. You can get that fixed for me so I can go home, right?"

  The princess's face paled just slightly at that and she glanced at me before answering.

  "I'm sure I can... have a word with someone." She didn't sound confident about it, and I wondered why. It didn't sound like a big deal, not to someone with her influence. Perhaps these things worked differently for humans, but on Achera someone who saved a member of the ruling family would be able to name their own reward. Letting go of a few minor warrants shouldn't be difficult at all. Yennifer gave me a look, equally confused.

  The Silent Empire was ruled absolutely by the Empress, and in her absence her children held her power. If a princess called for amnesty, surely that would be all it took to spare Yennifer? Unless... was Immorata out of favor somehow? I knew that there were factions amongst the humans who hungered for war, just as there were on Achera. Probably more powerful ones, given the balance of power between our peoples. We might be the greatest warriors in the galaxy, but the sheer size of the Silent Empire was enough to give any sensible general pause.

  Perhaps my princess's marriage to me put her out of favor with powerful factions at court. I resolved to get to the bottom of that — if it was true, I would be doubly certain to make her new home as welcoming as I could. My mate deserved a place where she was comfortable and accepted.

  For that matter, Yennifer deserved a reward for her aid, whatever the political difficulties in the Empire might be. I faced her and bowed.

  "I have not properly introduced myself," I said. "I am Prince Xendar, son of Kaldor, third in line to the royal throne of Achera and protector of its people. And I swear, by the fires of Achera and the honor of my royal house that you have my gratitude and that of my family. We shall see that you are well looked after for your service to my mate."

  Yennifer grinned at me and bowed back, a halting uncertain gesture that was more genuine for being unpracticed.

  "Never thought I'd be breaking bread with a couple of royals," she said with a shake of her head. "Life never stops being surprising, huh? But if you want to show your gratitude you'd better start getting the parts you need together while it's quiet out there. Keshiir's searching the town, and it's not that big. He'll be back here eventually, so let's try and get you gone before then."

  I nodded agreement, finishing my meal and standing. Bowing before my princess, I took her hand and kissed it, enjoying the flush that spread across her cheeks as my lips touched her skin. "I shall not be far, my mate. Call if you have need of me. While I hunt the parts I need, you can enjoy your fellow human's company."

  Immorata stiffened and snatched her hand back from mine, making me frown. Was there something about Yennifer that upset her?

  "Wouldn't it go faster if you both went?" she asked. "I mean no offense to you, Yennifer, but I'd rather be out of here as soon as possible."

  Yennifer just laughed. "You're quite right, Your Highness. Gossiping about home would be fun, but better to be safe and quick."

  Together, the two of us stepped out of the cabin into the rain, leaving the princess to curl up under the fresh blankets. As we made our way into the junkyard I gave the mechanic a questioning look. She shrugged.

  "Probably just doesn't have any idea how to talk to a commoner," she suggested, though it didn't sound like she was convinced. I certainly wasn't, but I didn't have a better suggestion, so I shrugged back.

  Together, we set to work looking for the parts we'd need. It was going to be a long night, if we were lucky.

  15

  Hope

  Dawn woke me, the strange daylight of this planet peeking in through the cracks in the wall. This time there was no confusion, which at least spared me the horrible realization of where I was. I wasn't sure I'd even slept, not really, and the reality of my predicament hadn't left me during the night. The light just drew me back to full wakefulness, the painful ache of exhaustion still clouding my mind as I took stock.

  I lay, nested in borrowed blankets, in the wreck of an alien spaceship. Xendar lay beside me, steaming slightly — his internal heat meant that he had no need for the covers.

  I looked down at his sleeping form, so peaceful despite the way he was engineered for war. His strong face looked calm, and the needle-sha
rp spines on his arms rippled slowly in the rhythm of his breathing. It was hard to remember that those could tear through flesh and armor with ease.

  Yennifer had left some bread and a bottle of water for breakfast, and I settled down to eat. I needed to keep up my strength, I told myself. That, and I needed some distraction from the sexy hunk sleeping behind me. The temptation to snuggle up against him was strong, and I knew where that was likely to lead. Being in the same room as Xendar was a constant test of my resolve, and I had no intention of failing it now.

  By the time I'd finished eating, my alien prince was stirring behind me. I turned and brought him half a loaf of bread and what was left in the water jug. His eyes flickered open and a smile crossed his lips, making them look even more kissable. Damn it.

  Backing away before he could pull me in with the intensity of his gaze and the siren call of his muscles, I distracted myself by peeking out of the door. The rain had passed, leaving the scrap yard a muddy field littered with junk. Hopefully some of it was useful, because I really couldn't take being stuck in here with Xendar for much longer.

  And how much will getting out of here help? I asked myself, forcing myself to face the truth. If we escaped Erdush together, we'd still be in a small spaceship for the rest of the journey. Trapped together, with no space to get away from him. And then, if everything went well, we'd be at his home. Where I'd be expected to marry him and be his mate.

  At some point, my resolve would falter. Either I came clean with him first, or I embraced the lie. The trouble was that neither of those options was okay, but the longer I left the choice the worse things looked.

  I didn't have to make the decision today, though. Getting off this trap of a planet first would be a lot safer. Xendar, for all his monstrous appearance and fierce warrior nature, wouldn't kill me if he found out I'd lied to him, I was pretty sure.