Born to Be Mine

by Lexa Luthor

  "Ja. Is that a problem?"

  After a shrug, Charlie said, "It just caught me off guard. I had expected an Alpha, not a Carnec."

  Kal responded with a throaty sound. "I thought it would be better if a Carnec worked with you."

  "Just because we do," Charlie said, a tease in her voice. She grinned at Kal's narrowed gaze and said, "We do work well together, mostly."

  With a huff, Kal said, "You are too stubborn at times."

  "Me?" Charlie waved the spork in her lover's direction. "You're the Alpha."

  "And you think you are one," Kal fired back, her eyes wild with fire.

  Charlie didn't react to Kal's ire and just placed a hand over her chest. "You mean I'm not? Vuk!"

  Kal's lip curled and showed her canines in warning. "Are you mocking me again?"

  Charlie grumbled after her bantering fell flat. She set the plate on the table and placed both hands on Kal's taut bicep. "I think I'm making fun of myself, not you." Already the muscle started to smooth over in response. "I like to tease when I feel comfortable with someone. Don't ever take it seriously."

  Kal sighed and lowered her head closer to Charlie's temple. "I'm still learning your nature." She trailed her lips lower and nipped exposed flesh under Charlie's jaw. After earning a hiss, she whispered, "You do have an Alpha's spirit."

  "Hopefully that's a good thing," Charlie murmured.

  Kal pulled away and said, "Ja."

  Charlie squeezed her lover's relaxed muscle, then picked up the plate again. She decided on a different topic and asked, "How did the meeting go with the engineers for the monorail?"

  Kal tilted her head and studied her lover, a curious light in her features. "It went well."

  Charlie nodded and considered such a massive project that would benefit the planet. "Do you think you'll move forward with it?"

  "Ja, but only after I learn more about the Sworne."

  Pausing between bites, Charlie lowered the knife and spork to the clay plate. "If they're coming here, what will you do?"

  "Prepare for war." Kal finished the steak, then ate the last morsel of bread and put the dirty plate on the tray.

  Charlie blew out a breath and stared at the uneaten food on her plate. Her stomach churned from the worrisome conversation. "How?" She played with the light brown grain called lurr that she'd liked ever since coming to Kander. "Their technology way surpasses anything here on Kander." She set the plate on the empty tray and said, "Their tech was ahead of ours back on Earth."

  "But your people defeated them," Kal said.

  "I wouldn't say we exactly defeated them." Charlie toyed with the linen napkin in her lap before folding it up. "It was more like we turned their tech back on them." She shook her head and whispered, "I don't think destroying our home planet equates winning."

  "Earth was not your home planet."

  Charlie faltered and blinked after Kal's dry statement, then jerked to life. "What?" She put the napkin on the tray and turned toward her. "What do you mean?"

  Kal sighed and stared at the space between them, seeming to put her thoughts together. "Remember I said Earthlings are changing because they've been here?"

  "Ja." Charlie touched her lover's knee and asked, "But what does that have to do with Earth?"

  "Your people were designed to adapt to other worlds." Kal canted her head and studied Charlie for a tick. "When the first Earthlings died on Kander, they were buried and decomposed into Kander's ground. Kalatas was able to learn about your people."

  Charlie sat still and tried to process the new information.

  Kal developed a slight frown and said, "In every race's blood, there is a language."

  Swallowing, Charlie whispered, "DNA. It's like coding."

  "Ja." Kal released a soft rumble. "Parts of Earthlings' coding was engineered by someone other than a god."

  Charlie sank into the divan until her back touched the large pillows behind her. "This is so heavy."

  "Part of that engineering was the ability for Earthlings to adapt to new worlds very rapidly."

  Charlie shook her head and asked, "But why?"

  "I am unsure," Kal replied.

  Sitting in silence, Charlie struggled to grasp the truth behind her people's possible origins. "Does Kalatas know for sure that we're not from Earth originally and were engineered later?"

  "It is a slim possibility," Kal said. "Perhaps there were Earthlings that originated from the planet. But typically a race carries a signature of their god."

  "We don't have one," Charlie whispered, rubbing her brow.

  "If your people did, it has long been lost by the engineering."

  Charlie blinked away the sting in her eyes after learning her people were a by-product. "So that's why we're adapting to Kander?" After Kal's nod, she sat up and cleared her throat. "What if a group of Gyrs decided to settle on Kander? Can they…?" She hesitated when Kal shook her head.

  "If a race doesn't have the adaption ability, then they will die off." Kal placed her hand against her chest and said, "Just as if all my people left Kander, they would die out as a race."

  "Or if they lost Kander," Charlie whispered in realization. Kalmar couldn't risk losing their one planet, not like Earthlings had done. Popping up from the divan, she went over to the warm fire and stood in front of it, staring into the consuming flames. "We're a bunch of fucking freaks without a real home," she whispered and folded her arms. She shut her eyes when Kal stood behind her.

  "Your people are special."

  Charlie huffed and glared at the fire.

  "To adapt to a new world and continue life is an amazing ability." Kal leaned down and took deep breaths. "To live outside the hands of your god is unheard of in the galaxy."

  Charlie turned and gazed up at her lover. "Is that why Kalatas is fascinated with us?"

  "Ja, it's one reason." Kal traced a finger along Charlie's jaw and continued searching for something in Charlie's gaze. "I did not mean to upset you."

  Charlie allowed her shoulders to fall, then collected Kal's larger hand into her own. "I'd rather know the truth." She shook off the conversation and squeezed Kal's hand. "Tah for dinner."

  "Did you get enough?"

  "Ja." Charlie was full but not uncomfortable. The meal itself was excellent, and she made a mental note to one day thank Lurain or whoever made the food. Folding her arms, she said, "I'm ready for my payment."

  Kal's chest vibrated with a heavy rumble, and she ordered, "This way."

  Chapter 9

  The ride up the two floors felt like hours while Charlie fidgeted in the elevator. With her back to Kal, she waited to be taken up to the highest level and thoroughly fucked by the Alpha. Each of her last nights on Kander were shared with Kal, like an unspoken tradition between them. She nibbled on her lip when Kal's front pressed into her back.

  The lift hitched at the top and released the gate, which Charlie opened up. She was first off but stepped aside and allowed Kal to lead the way. The few lit torches guided them to the open doors of the throne room.

  Alping, she corrected herself. But she loved the idea of being fucked in the room where Kal ruled over her people. The alping room was alive with firelight and warmth. A fire trough similar to the one in the temple lined the alping room's walls, wrapping around from one end to the other. A gigantic fireplace roared on each side.

  Kal closed the double doors, which groaned in protest and returned a soft boom once sealed shut. She went to her right and bent over, hands wrapping around a long wooden beam.

  Charlie turned and hesitated to help her lover, who was much stronger than her. She doubted she could do anything, considering the sheer size of the beam. In awe, she watched Kal lower the timber between four metal hooks on the doors. Once the beam settled into place, Charlie realized she couldn't leave without Kal's blessing. There were no other exits from the alping room besides jumping out a window. When Kal faced her, Charlie trembled at the predatory smile
.

  "I will stoke the fires," Kal said, starting toward the one on the right.

  Charlie wiped her palms on her pants and went to the left. She needed a distraction from her pending future and started tossing firewood into the flames. From the amount of wood piled up, they could stay in the alping room for a full day. The crackling from the twin fireplaces echoed through the large, empty space.

  Turning around, Charlie's wandering eyes looked from the opposite fireplace to the gorgeous marble throne on top of a white dais. Her gaze traveled up the three steps and settled on the statuesque High Commander seated on the white throne.

  Kal had both arms on the throne's wide rests and her fingers curled underneath. Her dark, long coat was open and spilled over the white throne, matching the black veins in the bright stone. One leg remained pressed against the chair while the other stretched out. She didn't move until Charlie started to walk over, her head tilting to one side.

  Charlie found the same spot where she had stood the first day she met Kal. Facing the throne, she folded her arms and eyed the dark ruler seated high above the floor. She parted her lips, but her words fell short when Kal held up a hand. Charlie's heart started to race again after the realization that they were slipping into roles. With her head down, she took a deep breath and hammered down her nerves, not truly prepared for tonight. She peered up and studied the High Commander, who was the most powerful being on the planet. Tonight she was getting both the Alpha and the ruler. I asked for it, she reminded herself.

  "Remove your jacket and weapons," Kal ordered in a thunderous voice that bounced off the stone walls.

  Charlie's eyelids fluttered a few times, and a groan passed through her. She unzipped the leather jacket and tossed it to her right, then unhooked her utility belt with the holstered lectra gun and sheathed knife. With a careful toss, she put the weapons onto her jacket. She fished out the Grasshopper and repeated the same technique, not wanting to damage any of them. Her arms exposed, a chill ran down Charlie's skin, leaving behind goose bumps. She crossed her arms again and waited for her lover's next move. Her clit pulsed with anticipation and desire. For a nineth, she had fantasized about Kal taking her in the alping room.

  Kal shifted in the seat, and her piercing gaze never left Charlie. "Remove your shirt next."

  Breathing harder, Charlie reached for the hem of her beloved T-shirt but paused and tested the High Commander. "Don't you want to take off your jacket?" Her stomach twisted into a knot when her lover snarled in warning.

  "Now."

  Charlie gasped and lifted the shirt up, deciding her best option was to go slowly. If Kal was going to sit and watch, then Charlie would make a show of it. Once free of her shirt, she tossed it near the leather jacket and combed her tussled hair with her fingers. She hooked her hands through the empty belt loops. "What next?" She parted her legs a little and watched Kal's eyes travel the length of her body.

  "Boots."

  During her normal routine, Charlie would prop up her feet to take off her boots. But tonight, she peered down at them as if noticing them for the first time. "Boots," she muttered and nodded. Kal's low rumbles continued mixing with the pops from the fireplaces. Charlie loved every Alpha sound, both the menacing and the comforting ones.

  After another few ticks, Charlie mapped out her plan and turned around until her back was to Kal. She kept her head twisted and swept the hair out of her face so Kal could see she was still playing along. Bending over, she untied the first boot at a painstaking pace and kept her ass up for Kal's pleasure. Kal's soft rumbles thundered the longer Charlie took to remove her boots and socks.

  Once done, Charlie threw the footwear aside and turned back to Kal with her hands again tangled in the belt loops. Her body was growing warmer, and her skin charged with need. Her hard nipples brushed against the black bra, aching to be freed of the confines. But first, Kal ordered her to take off the jeans, which she peeled away.

  Charlie stood before the High Commander in her matching black underwear and bra yet found herself warm enough. The boycut underwear was damp and agitated her with each passing tick. She prayed for Kal to tell her to take them off, but instead she beckoned Charlie closer. With every step to the dais, she was certain her legs would collapse. But she wasn't alone in her anticipation, as Kal was digging her nails into the throne's arms and a significant bulge had formed between her legs.

  At least I'm not the only one that's fucking wired. Charlie tried to withhold her smirk, but it tugged at her lips. "Ja, Kal?" She heard the slight tremble in her tone.

  "Now take off the rest."

  Charlie reached for the back of her bra, undoing the hooks. Biting her lip, she allowed the loose item to slide down her arms before she threw it to the right and watched it land on a step.

  Kal glanced over at it, an eyebrow arcing up at the silent message in Charlie's defiance. She clenched her jaw but snarled anyway. She looked back at Charlie, who twisted her fingers in the black underwear.

  At last, the boy shorts were stripped away, creeping down her thighs and allowing the cool air to brush against her heated sex. Charlie groaned after stepping out of them, as she'd needed to be free of them awhile ago. She noticed Kal was leaning forward and breathing heavily, drinking in Charlie's arousal. Biting her lip, she flung the soaked underwear onto the dais and grew smug when they landed at Kal's feet.

  Kal's low growl rolled for about a minute before she peered up from the underwear. With a straighter back, she stared at Charlie while her chest continued rising and falling with deep breaths. Each passing tick, her green eyes became darker and hungrier.

  Charlie was certain Kal would break any moment, rush her, and rut into her. But her hopes were dashed when Kal leaned back into the chair and calmed.

  "Tell me how slick you are," Kal ordered, her voice booming through the alping room.

  "Pretty fucking slick," Charlie promised, her hands resting on her hips.

  Kal snarled and showed her canines. "Touch yourself first, then tell me."

  Charlie lost an ounce of her bravado, hesitant to do anything close to masturbating in front of someone. However, the fierceness in Kal's features made her clamp down on her fears. She moved her right hand and dragged a couple of fingertips through the wet heat, groaning at the sensation. "Like I said, fucking slick." She began to withdraw her hand.

  "I didn't say to stop."

  Swallowing, Charlie returned her hand and continued to play with her throbbing clit. She was unsure how much strength she had left to remain on her feet for her lover.

  "How tight are you?"

  Charlie gasped at the thought of going inside herself rather than Kal doing it. But she followed the command and slid two fingers past her entrance, whimpering at both the sensation and need for Kal. "Fucking tight," Charlie said, a growl coming out at the end. She clenched her teeth and asked, "You want to do something about it?"

  "Joh." Kal's lip twisted up, and she said, "But you will."

  Charlie withdrew her fingers and narrowed her eyes. "I didn't agree to this." She wasn't quite prepared to masturbate in front of Kal and needed a minute to accept it. She had never done such a thing for any past lovers, but Kal was different to her. Their sexual relationship always pushed new boundaries, and Charlie loved it. And if she was rewarded with a good fuck, then she would give Kal what she wanted first.

  "Then agree to it now or our deal is off." Kal balled her hands onto the arm rest and seemed to will Charlie to defy her.

  "The deal was for you to—"

  "Last chance," Kal said, a warning flashing across her features.

  Charlie snapped her jaw shut and allowed the tension to build between them. She suspected Kal knew she would agree, in fact had already given into the new arrangement. But she still loved to battle with Kal, whose Alpha nature excited Charlie beyond measure. As a kid she'd stayed clear of Alphas and believed they were dangerous. She hadn't been wrong at the time, but as an adult she was fall
ing for this Alpha's dominance.

  "What do you want me to do?" Charlie asked, shaking all over when Kal flashed a wolfish smile.

  "Fuck yourself." Kal relaxed into the throne, spread her outstretched legs farther, and ordered, "Now."

  Charlie sucked in a deep breath and worked up her courage to masturbate for her lover. She was already nude and on display for Kal, something she wouldn't do for others. If she was going to hold up her part, then she would make it easier on herself rather than stand there. "All right," she whispered and rubbed her clit, enjoying the sensation and needing it to ease her into her pending fate. Gazing down, she watched her fingertips circle and rub, then slide lower into the slickness.

  "Get on your knees," Kal commanded.

  Charlie peered up at Kal and sensed it was more power play over her, but she dropped to one knee and then the other. She kept her legs spread open enough and continued massaging her clit, working it with persistence. Her fingers glided over the swollen nub, sent shocks through her limbs, and made her pant harder. For a moment, Charlie had her eyes closed until she nudged her fingertips lower and hit the perfect spot against her clit.

  "Vuk!" she cursed and toppled forward, her left hand catching her. She shook from the weak climax and continued to play with her clit, prolonging the small orgasm. Charlie pulled her hand away, holding up her body and sensing her need was worse, not better. Lifting her head, she studied her lover, who was waiting for her to continue.

  Grinding her teeth, Charlie ached to have the Alpha come undone and take her. She had been spoiled by the earlier rut and how it had taken away Kal's self-control at the time. She gathered her strength and rose up, sitting back on her heels. Reaching between her legs, she toyed with her clit and watched Kal's face, which was dark and had beads of sweat forming on her brow. They were both affected by Charlie's brief climax and wanted more.

  Rolling onto her hip, she continued giving Kal what she wanted right now. Charlie brought her legs forward and sat on her ass, adjusting to the cool stone under her. When she lay down, she gasped from the chill that felt great against her heated skin. Snaking her hand down, she rubbed her clit and opened her legs just enough for Kal to see firsthand. Every one of her lover's growls caused her stomach to twist in excitement.