The Alien's Prize (A SciFi Alien Warrior Romance) (Warriors of Luxiria Book 1)

by Zoey Draven

  “I am the Prime Leader,” he said, feeling his chest swell with pride.

  “The Prime Leader. What does that mean? You’re like…the captain of the ship or something?”

  Vaxa’an leaned forward, pushing into her space, and his female’s breath hitched, her eyes flickering down to his lips although he didn’t know why. His nostrils flared and he gritted his teeth when he smelled the faint traces of her arousal. It was light enough that the others would not sense it yet, but his Instinct didn’t like the idea that they would know eventually. He wanted no other male to scent his female except him.

  “Leave us,” he rasped in his language to the other men, knowing they were done eating. Immediately, they stood from their tables and left the meal deck, the doors whooshing closed behind them.

  Kat frowned at him but then gasped when he plucked her from her seat and placed her in his lap, her shapely thighs straddling his waist.

  “Hey, put me back!” she said, struggling against his hold. His cock reacted, engorging with even more blood, and he pushed into her, his hips moving with a mind of their own before he forced himself to cease. When she felt his stiffened cock, she stilled.

  Vaxa’an slid his palms up from her hips, marveling at how small her body was in comparison to his. He brushed the sides of her breasts, watching her nipples stiffen to points beneath his tunic. He rumbled in satisfaction. The Fates had blessed him with a fine, lush mate, indeed.

  “I am the leader to our people,” he said, leaning forward to scent her exposed neck. He was rewarded with a breathy sigh and he was pleased, thinking that he was already forgiven for their argument earlier. When another dizzying wave of her arousal hit his senses, he growled, his Instinct urging him to bend her over the table and mate her now.

  Vaxa’an pushed a hand up her exposed thigh until he reached the seam of her cunt. His mouth watered, wanting another taste of her perfect vaxix. Every span, he vowed. He needed a taste of her every span or surely he’d lose his mind.

  Kat trembled when his fingers found her wetness, and he sought out the small little bud she’d called her ‘clit.’ She liked it when he touched her there.

  “Ohh,” she breathed softly when he nudged it, drawing moisture from her slit as lubricant. His female softened for him and he smiled, beyond pleased that she was a sensual creature, one that appreciated physical pleasure. For all of her stubborn words, she seemed to forget herself whenever he touched her. He wondered if he could use that to his advantage when convincing her that she would stay with him on Luxiria.

  As if she could hear his thoughts, she began shaking her head, her cheeks flushed that enticing color. Kat pulled his hand away from her cunt and pressed it against his chest.

  “No,” she said, her voice wavering a bit, her strange eyes slightly glassy. “No, Vaxa. We need to talk. No touching. Put me back in my seat. Right now.”

  His brow bone shot up. “You do not wish to orgasm?”

  “Not right now,” she snapped. “Put me in my seat.”

  Vaxa’an leaned back in his chair, studying her, but he was in no rush to do as she’d commanded him. She needed to learn that he was the one in charge. “You will stay here,” he said. Her eyes narrowed and he blew out a breath, sensing a needless fight. “But we will talk. I will not touch your vaxix. You have my word.”

  A compromise. It tasted almost as bitter as a defeat, but the pleasure of having his female perched in his lap made it all worth it. Besides, he had a feeling that there would be a lot of compromises in their future…he had better get used to them early.

  His female processed his words, the scent of her cunt still lingering in his nostrils, firing his blood, spurring on his Instinct.

  “Fine,” she said, shifting her thighs. Immediately, he regretted his words. How could she expect him not to touch her? She inhaled, as if trying to calm herself. “Now, what do you mean you’re the ‘leader of your people.’”

  Vaxa’an huffed out a breath. Leaning forward, he placed his palm on the silver pad installed on the table. He ordered two servings of the first meal, wondering how much sustenance his female required. A moment later, a compartment opened on the metal table and two heaping plates of food appeared. They were travel rations, having already been prepared, and simply heated on board the ship. Vaxa’an reached beyond Kat to pull them close and plucked off a piece of meat.

  “My sire was the Prime Leader, as was his sire, and the sire that came before, and so on. When my sire passed from this world and into the next, I took his place as leader. I am not just the ‘captain’ of this ship, luxiva. I am the ‘captain’ of my species.”

  “So,” she whispered, “I landed myself royalty.”

  He frowned, pressing the chunk of meat to her full lips. It pleased him to feed her, to provide for her. “I do not know what that means, female. Now eat.”

  “I can feed myself,” she murmured.

  “I know,” he said. “But it is my desire to take care of you.”

  She held his gaze for a moment longer—he would give anything to have a look inside her mind, to determine exactly what she was thinking behind those green eyes—and then she slowly opened her lips.

  Vaxa’an felt like he’d won in the Pit all over again as he placed the food on her small pink tongue. Satisfaction surged within him as he watched her chew.

  “They are just travel rations,” he felt the need to say. “On Luxiria, the food is better. Fresher. This is nothing compared to what you will have.”

  “You and I both know I will not be going to Luxiria, Vaxa,” she said.

  Vaxa’an lips twitched. “We shall see about that, female.” He held out another bite for her and changed the subject. “Do you like it?”

  “What kind of meat is this?” she asked instead of answering.

  “It is…” he started, but then realized there was no translation in her language. “It is trixava. A mammal that lives on the plains of the Ravrax’tor. It is not far from our home. We will go there soon.”

  His female sighed and Vaxa’an smiled. She eyed his lips again and then looked away. “You are persistent. I’ll give you that.”

  “As are you, luxiva. I believe we are well-matched. I like that you stand up to me.”

  “I suppose, as Prime Leader, not many people do,” she noted. “It’s a novelty for you.”

  “Novelty,” he repeated, drawing a blank. The Krevorags seemed to have missed a word in their upload, had probably missed thousands now that he thought about it. Even with the implant he had much to learn. “What does this word mean?”

  “New,” she said. “Something different. Doesn’t that thing in your head tell you what it means?”

  “There is no ‘thing’ in my head,” he said, stealing a bite for himself. He was starved. He hadn’t eaten since before his fight at the Pit last span, had opted to skip the last meal for his female’s company. Luxirians needed a lot of food throughout the day. They took pleasure in their meal times. “It was like…an upload, I believe you call it. A stream of code. We have a way of transferring this code to our brain, where it is processed just like everything else.”

  She made a face he couldn’t understand. “Sounds like it hurts.”

  “It is not pleasant,” he admitted. He tilted his head at her, “But it is very convenient. And sometimes, necessary.”

  Kat caught his eyes and held and he didn’t break her gaze. He wondered if she too felt the pull, the call of something more between them. It couldn’t just be his Instinct that felt it. Life mates were completely compatible on all levels. If only he could convince her that he would make her happy, that she would never want for anything again, that he would give her offspring, a home, whatever she desired.

  “How far are we from Earth?” she asked.

  His lips pressed together. “I do not know.”

  “How can you not know?”

  “Because Earth is rumored to be in the Fourth Quadrant. No Luxirian has ever ventured there.” He paused, an idea emergi
ng. Perhaps he could use this to his advantage. “We do not have the technology to travel there. Or else we would have already. I have never seen Earth. Nor will I in my lifetime.”

  Kat’s face fell and it felt like a vice was gripping his heart, preparing to pop it as he had done with the Nusseer in the Pit. A lie. Luxirians could travel anywhere in the galaxy. At least, anywhere that was already known. But perhaps, this would deter her from trying to find a way home. Perhaps this would give him time to convince her to stay with him. He could show her his planet, his home. He could show her a new destiny, one that she had never even imagined, but one that she was meant for.

  “What?” she asked, her voice suddenly small.

  “Our ships run on a limited power cell,” he lied further. His Instinct struggled against the untruths and he clenched his jaw. “The energy it would take to travel to the Fourth Quadrant…it is not possible with our current vessels.”

  “But—but we can find a ship that has the power,” she cried out. “Those, those aliens that took me…can’t you use one of their ships?”

  Vaxa’an swallowed. “It is possible,” he said slowly. “But unlikely. The Krevorags do not have trading ties with us. They like precious metals, crystals. They are motivated by greed.”

  “Then pay them,” she pleaded, gazing up at him. “Please, Vaxa,” she whispered. “Pay them. You said you had money. If you do, then please do this for me. I belong on Earth, my home. I just want to go back.”

  No, luxiva, he thought, dripping in guilt, hardly able to meet her gaze. You belong with me.

  “For me to do this, I request one lunar cycle from you,” he rumbled.

  “What do you mean?”

  “One lunar cycle where you live on Luxiria, where you assimilate into life…as my mate. I want you to give it a chance. In exchange, if after one lunar cycle you still wish to return home,” Vaxa’an’s heart squeezed, “then I will organize safe passage back to Earth for you.”

  He didn’t know if he really meant it or not. He could not bear the thought of parting with her…but the Luxirian in him would demand that he honor their agreement if she asked it of him.

  “Really?” she breathed, eyes wide. “One lunar cycle…one month, you mean?”

  “Tev,” he said, nodding. Yes. “Are these agreeable terms?”

  Her whole body relaxed, like a huge weight had just been lifted off of her.

  “You won’t do…maybe a week or two instead?”

  “No. One lunar cycle.”

  Kat blew out a breath, meeting his gaze. “Okay…okay. It’s a deal.”

  EIGHT

  Okay…so she’d agreed to stay with him for a whole month.

  As he fed her another chunk of meat—which she had to admit was delicious, even though he’d said it was simply “travel rations”—Kate figured that she could do a lot worse than spending a month with an alien who just so happened to like licking her pussy until she screamed.

  Definitely could do a lot worse, she thought, flushing, shifting on his lap. Sure, he had strange skin and black horns that stiffened when he was aroused and odd cat-like eyes. But he hadn’t hurt her. He hadn’t forced her to have sex with him. He gave pleasure instead of taking it. He’d said it was “his desire” to take care of her. She couldn’t deny the butterflies that erupted in her stomach at those words, a very human reaction in response to a very alien male.

  A month did seem like a long time, but if there was one thing she’d learned in the last day, it was that he was just as stubborn as she was. He wouldn’t take anything less than a month…and so she’d agreed. It was her only chance of getting back home…eventually.

  Besides, she could take the time to experience something completely out of this world. Literally. A once in a lifetime opportunity to live on a freaking alien planet. No one on Earth could say they’d done that.

  And yes, she had her reservations, like what if his people—she tried to ignore the fact that he’d claimed to be the leader of his race…she’d process that at another time—didn’t accept humans? Had they ever seen a human before? How did they live? What would she do on that planet for a whole month?

  And what if a lunar cycle to him was like…ten years her time?

  Kate shook her head. One step at a time. She was heading in the right direction. She just needed to stay present and try not to worry about what would come next.

  Because the fact of the matter was…she strangely trusted him to protect her. She felt safe with him and completely unthreatened. In her heart, she knew that he wouldn’t let anything harm her, which was a scary thought in itself. She absolutely, one hundred percent, could not become attached to this alien. She’d just booked a one-way ticket back to Earth. If she developed feelings for him, it would only make it harder to leave.

  But one thing he’d said left her wary.

  “What did you mean live with you as your mate?” she asked, watching his jaw move as he chewed a piece of meat.

  “You already agreed to my terms,” he pointed out.

  She became even more suspicious. He’d tossed that word around, mate, before. She figured sex was involved, but did it mean something more in his culture?

  “Tell me,” she demanded.

  He continued to chew, never breaking eye contact. She could tell he didn’t like to be ordered around. She figured that, if what he said was true and he was the leader to his people, he was the one who always did the ordering. For some reason…she found that sexy.

  “Please,” she added, unconsciously shifting towards him.

  “You will be sharing my sleeping platform, female.”

  Kate blinked. “Okay,” she said slowly, drawing the word out.

  “We will be mating regularly. Luxirians like to mate at least three times a span.”

  “Okay,” she said again. Except this time, her voice sounded a little more breathless. Three times? He needed it three times a day? At least?

  She should be appalled, right? She should be running to the door after hearing him say they would be having sex. But she’d already suspected that. In fact, judging by the way her body warmed and his nostrils flared, she guessed that she was more than on board with that.

  What is wrong with me? she wondered, cheeks flushing. It was humiliating enough that Vaxa could tell when she was aroused.

  “And we will go through the traditional mating ceremony, the ravraxia. We will ask the Fates to bless our union.”

  “Wait…what?” she asked, the sound of a record screeching in her head. “That—a ceremony? I’m not marrying you.”

  “Marrying?” he asked, something she recognized as a puzzled expression coming over his features.

  “Yes! When two people legally bind themselves together, promising to spend their lives together.”

  “And this marrying…it is forever?”

  She paused. “Well…no. People can get divorced.”

  “Divorced?”

  “They can separate, leave each other, go about their lives. They can get married again to someone else if they want to.”

  He frowned. “Then no. The ravraxia is not this marrying. Your marrying sounds more like Breeding pairs.”

  “Umm…”

  “Marrying can end,” he said. “Mates are forever if the Fates bless us. We blood bond.”

  “Blood bond?”

  “Tev,” he said, nodding.

  “I’m not blood bonding with you!” she cried, pushing at his chest, trying to get off his lap. She didn’t even know what it meant, but it sounded painful.

  “You will,” he informed her, calmly. “You agreed to my terms.”

  “Yes, but—but, I didn’t know about the blood! Besides, I’ll be leaving in a month, in case you forgot. You don’t want to blood bond with me. I won’t be here for very long.”

  “You will be my mate for a month. My mate,” he said. “If you want me to pay the Krevorags, then you will assimilate into my life. You will become mine fully for one lunar cycle. And I will become your
s fully. I will not compromise on this, female.”

  She stared at him, feeling an intensity radiating off him like a heat wave. “This is…important to you?” she questioned slowly.

  “Tev, Kat,” he said, pressing her closer. His voice was nothing more than a growling rasp and he said, “If you wish to leave me after a cycle, then at least I know I will have had you for a short time.”

  Kate’s lips parted and she swallowed thickly. Those damn butterflies were starting up again in her belly and she found her gaze straying to his lips. What would it be like to kiss him? Did his kind even kiss?

  Stop, she said to herself. Don’t go there.

  A month would go by in the blink of an eye. What did it matter really, in the grand scheme of things, if she did as he asked? She’d been kidnapped by aliens and forced into this situation…but if she did this for him, then he would help her find her way home. That was what mattered.

  At the very least, she could get some amazing sex out of this, right?

  “Okay,” she whispered, blowing out a short breath. “I will.”

  His features didn’t change at all, but his fingers pressed into her hips just a little bit more. Then, without saying a word, he lifted another piece of food to her lips. His eyes flashed gold again when her tongue brushed his fingers.

  Perhaps, she was a sex slave, she mused. Or would be. He was paying for her passage home, but only if she mated with him, completely mated with him, according to his customs. What she hadn’t expected, however, was to want to. Besides the insane attraction between them, she was curious…not only about the sex, but about him, about his way of life. A whole new world had literally just been opened for her.

  She’d always told herself that eventually she’d do something crazy and completely unlike her, like quitting her job to travel around the world for a year, or finally moving to a new city in a new state, where she knew no one, to start fresh. But year after year, she stayed in the apartment she’d fought tooth and nail for from her cheating ex-boyfriend and every day, she commuted to her dream job that was seeming less and less like her dream job.