“Uh oh,” Tabir said. “That’s my wife.”
I gaped at the silvery vehicle. What was going on? Why was Idira here already? Wasn’t she supposed to be here in the morning?
Well, technically, it’s been morning since after midnight…
He shook his head, appearing like a long-suffering husband. “Trust her. Well, I suppose I better come in, too. I hope you people have some adequate food.”
We ventured into the ship, heading off to our separate rooms. The Athim guards escorted Tabir to the kitchen area, and I headed to the bedroom. Modric wasn’t there. I hoped that to be a good sign, that he was up and about, recovered from the sickness.
I sat on the bed, wondering about what I’d seen and heard. Modric and Idira had history. Idira had approached the spaceship, and Natira returned early as well. Had she arrived at the same time? Before? After? Had Idira been planning to visit Modric alone? All sorts of notions teased through my mine. They’ve had sexual history. What if… what if this Idira had been planning to catch up on it?
The jealousy writhed inside. Modric’s absence became less of a good thing, and more of a worry.
Lying here accomplished nothing. I got up with the intention of searching for Modric. Hoping my paranoia was unfounded.
As I walked to the command room, where I last saw them poring over their scanners to plan against their attackers, I noticed the door to the library was wide open. As we passed the door, I looked in and found Natira writhing on top of a blonde Goddess. They were locked in a passionate kiss.
Chapter 11
I gaped, for a moment unable to move, or speak. Natira and that woman, Idira, were most certainly naked. Doing sexy naked things. The blonde human moaned beneath the Athim, her legs splayed out, and Natira’s hand danced between her legs.
Hastily attempting to back out didn’t work. Natira’s attention flicked to me, though the blonde remained paralyzed in pleasure, her eyes squeezed shut. Natira gave me a sultry wink, and my cheeks reddened. I stalked off, wanting to erase what I’d just seen. I finally found Modric in the command room, looking strangely huddled up on himself as he examined something in his hands. It reminded me of an iPad.
“Hello,” he said in a subdued voice.
“Hey,” I replied. “Um… are you aware…?”
“Yes. I know what my sister’s doing.” His eyes appeared flinty. “You know that Idira and I have some history? I’m sure Nadira mentioned something.” When I nodded, he continued. “It was part of the reason Idira and I broke up. Idira showed a lot more interest in her. Since Idira is the ruler here… we knew she’d want a favor. Either from me or Nadira. Turns out the favor is still Nadira.” He clenched his fingers hard over the tablet in his hands. “I’m glad my sister’s doing it. I would have been… uncomfortable.”
“Wait,” I said. “You needed to do a sexual favor for Idira to land here?”
“Yes.”
Holy crap, I thought. That was a thing. “And you were thinking… it would have to be you?”
“Yes. She might have wanted to humiliate me and anyone I happened to be dating at the time. And of course, if I had a wife… even better.” His smile became thin. “Thankfully, my sister can be very persuasive when she wants to be.”
I didn’t know what to think about the situation. Natira’s comments earlier about needing herself and Modric to be healthy took on an ominous tone. So that was what she meant. Healthy for sex.
Should I be grateful that Natira filled the role? Or angry that it might not have been Natira that I saw there, but Modric? Modric between someone else’s legs. Modric pleasuring someone else. The jealousy that hit inside was astonishing.
It took another ten minutes or so of awkward silence, before Natira and Idira sauntered into the room, both looking very rumpled and sex-happy.
“Thank you for the wonderful accommodation,” Idira drawled in her cool, light voice. She spoke perfect English. I couldn’t quite tell the accent, but she had to be at least somewhere from Europe. Since they started trading humans first. “Much appreciated. But I’m sure my asshole husband is waiting downstairs. Is he outside still?”
“No. He’s inside being fed.”
Idira smirked. “I bet he is,” she said to no one in particular. She then seized Natira right in front of us and pulled the Athim into a passionate embrace. She then leaned into Natira and kissed her. I waited for Natira to turn away, but she grabbed a handful of Idira’s blonde hair and pulled her closer. They were making out as if Modric and I weren’t there. Modric looked away, his face clouding over with anger. Perhaps this was designed to aggravate Modric. Natira certainly didn’t seem to be complaining, and Idira… I got the impression she would enjoy tormenting someone.
Natira left with Idira, gently ushering her to her brother. I stared at Modric, before saying, “You really thought that woman would have sex with you?”
He appeared deeply uncomfortable as he nodded. “A few years ago, there was a long and tumultuous war on a planet called Xabu,” Modric began, forming what sounded like familiar words. I wondered how many times he’d told the story. “I was young, and it was my first mission on my own. While I was fighting there, some Xabu aliens had returned from a secret mission to Earth with humans in tow.”
“I thought the Hallons were the first to invade?” I asked. He shook his head.
“You see, everyone thought the Hallons were the first alien race to invade Earth. They were not. The Xabu actually invaded Sweden years prior, but it was kept under wraps by the Swedish government.”
I was shocked. Growing up, I had always heard stories of alien sightings, but I never thought any of them were true until the Hallons came to Washington, D.C. Modric continued to explain.
“One of the girls they brought back with them was Idira. She was the first human being that I had seen up close and I became obsessed with her…”
I interrupted him, sensing where this was going.
“This isn’t helping the situation,” I said, folding my arms across my chest. “I’m not sure I want to hear about what you two did.”
“I’m sorry, I’m just being honest,” he said. “I’ll never lie to you, Freya. Keep in mind, this was years ago, before I even knew you existed. You dated men before me, right? I remember you mentioning about someone you were interested in.”
I shook my head.
“I was never allowed to have a boyfriend,” I explained. “I pretty much went from single my entire life to married. Yes, there was someone I was interested in, but I had to wait until my father’s presidency ended.”
He bit his lip, processing the information I had just given him.
“I don’t understand,” he said. “You’re gorgeous. All of the men on Earth must have been fighting over you, no?”
I laughed.
“No, my sister, Anya, is an international supermodel. When she was around, no one looked at me.”
“Well, you and that man, Joaquin surely had a thing, right?” he asked, startling me. I didn’t realize he knew Joaquin’s name. “I saw the pictures of you in your bedroom after your mother’s funeral. I also saw the way he looked at you throughout our ceremony. If you two thought you were hiding your feelings for each other, you were wrong.”
I felt my cheeks turn red, in both embarrassment and guilt. I actually had not thought of Joaquin in a long time.
“Joaquin and I did develop feelings for one another,” I explained. “But we never had a real relationship, and we never had sex.”
“But you still had another man in your life,” Modric said, not accepting what I said as an excuse. “You can’t fault me for my past.”
He did have a point. I couldn’t fault him for what had happened before our marriage. “But what about the business with Natira?”
“That,” he said, “Annoys me even now. I caught her cheating on me with my sister. True, we were supposed to be breaking up… but…” he grimaced. “It took awhile for Natira and I to heal the rift between us.”
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“Okay,” I said, accepting it for now. “I want to hear the end of this story. But please… don’t go into detail about… whatever you and Idira did before this.”
Modric frowned and continued his tale.
“Like I said before, this was my first mission on my own. I was lonely and needed some company. Even though we were at war, I talked the Xabu into trading some goods for Idira. She became my companion on the planet during the war. She was actually very smart and helped me with some strategies. We were a good team.”
I raised my eyebrows at him.
“A few months later, we won the war and took over the planet. I had incorrectly thought that we would put our flag in the soil and move on to the next planet. However, my father had big plans for Xabu. He didn’t want anyone on it unless I was going to stay on it. There are many valuable natural resources on that planet and he was afraid the remaining Xabu friendlies would farm all of them as soon as we left. Are you still with me?”
I nodded to let him know that I had understood everything so far. He continued.
“I had no intentions of staying on Xabu,” he said. “The last thing I wanted was to be stuck on a planet. I wanted to conquer more planets, I wanted to see the universe. So, I did what my father asked of me. It was my job to move the Xabu friendlies to a much smaller planet that my father had previously conquered, Arilia.”
Arilia. The planet that we were currently on.
“I transported the handful of Xabu friendlies and Idira to this planet,” he continued. “While I had a great time with Idira, she was not Athim Princess material. We both knew this, but she took it much harder than I thought.”
“Of course she did,” I said, suddenly feeling a bit of sympathy for Idira.
“It was bad,” Modric continued. “We had a massive fight about it, but I told her if she stayed on Arilia, I would make her the ruler of the planet. It was a deal that benefitted both sides. We said our goodbyes... but before she left, she had that one last hit out at me by bedding my sister. That was the last I knew of her until… just now.” His lips twisted downward.
I didn’t like what I’d heard, but I understood that people had their pasts. I tried to imagine how I’d react if my sister slept with Joaquin, after the both of us decided we’d stay apart. I don’t think I’d forgive her so easily. The anger simmered inside at even the slightest hint that my sister would approach Joaquin. Or Modric.
“I need to sleep,” I said, as drowsiness began to creep up.
“Are you mad?” he asked.
“No. I just… want to think this over a bit. Don’t worry.” I gave him a tentative smile, and left, my head full of thoughts of Joaquin, Anya, Natira and Modric. All of them mixed up, leaving me confused to my emotional state.
Jealousy also implied something else.
Apparently, I was far more attracted to Modric than I previously wanted to admit.
Chapter 12
“And this is exactly why I don’t date men,” Natira said, finishing off an elaborate story about how dickish all the people she’d met were. Including her brother.
To be fair, there were some good points about it. “Athim men are the same as human men,” I said. “None of them think with their big heads, just their little heads.” My dad had a little head, come to think of it. He might have given off the perfect image outside, but inside… we knew he was arranging some high-class escorting services. It made what happened to my mother so much worse.
“I almost think Athim men are worse than human men. No offense,” Natira said. We were sitting on my bed, eating a mid-afternoon snack that the kitchen had prepared for us.
“None taken,” I said, popping a pretzel in my mouth. “You know, even though I know… you’re the one taking care of things,” I said, trying to be discreet about the sex she had with Idira, “I’m worried that this Idira will still try something with Modric. We’re meant to be having dinner tonight, all together. To discuss things. And I can’t get it out of my head what they used to do, you know?”
“I don’t blame you,” Natira said, lounging with sexual ease on my bed. Though I wasn’t attracted to women, I could… see the appeal of her. “Tell you what. How about we get you a killer outfit? Something to make both Modric and Idira stare at you? I’m sure that’ll put to rest any intentions that woman has.” She jumped up from the bed quickly and headed out of the bedroom. I was curious to see what outfit she had for me. I had seen her clothing choices. They were very risqué. But maybe that’s what I needed for tonight. Maybe I needed something risqué to show my dominance as Modric’s wife and an Athim Princess. Especially if I kept worrying about a past relationship, knowing I still hadn’t actually taken to bed Modric as of yet.
I was the one who asked for that, I reminded myself. Well, decisions could change, couldn’t they?
Minutes later, Natira appeared in the doorway with a tight, black, latex bodysuit. It was similar to the silver one she had worn the first day.
“I can’t wear that!” I said. She laughed as she closed the door behind her.
“You can, and you will,” she said.
“It’s a dinner, not a sexual encounter,” I rebutted.
“Maybe if you wear this, it can turn into a sexual encounter,” she said. “Please, just entertain the thought of it.”
I thought about it for a second, as requested. It was different than anything else I had ever worn before, and unfortunately, I knew that I would look good in it.
“I’ll wear this if you help me with my hair and makeup,” I bargained.
“Deal!”
Later that day, I stood in front of the bathroom mirror with Natira by my side. Similar to the first day, she had transformed me into a sexual goddess. We decided to curl my red hair, but pull it up in a high ponytail. My makeup was done more dramatic than usual. Dark smoky eye makeup, a bit of blush, and a nude lipstick.
The bodysuit fit like a glove. The latex wrapped around my curves. There was a silver zipper on the front which Natira made me unzip down to my breasts. To finish the look, I wore black stilettos. I looked hot and was thankful that Natira had basically forced me into wearing it.
“Have you ever been with a girl?” Natira asked. I couldn’t tell if she was being serious or not, but she laughed.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “It was just a joke! But seriously, if you were into girls, I would be all over you. You look great, Freya.”
While I still found it strange to be hit on by my sister-in-law, I also thought of it as one of the highest compliments.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Are you ready to do this?” Natira asked.
I nodded. The boost of confidence that I got from both Natira and the outfit was the extra push that I needed.
“This whole day has just really sucked,” I admitted. “First, I found out that my husband, who hasn’t tried to get with me, is some sex-crazed alien. Then, his gorgeous ex-girlfriend shows up, and apparently the only thing that might have stopped him having sex with her is you. Meanwhile, I’m just over here waiting for him to make a move like the stupid virgin I am.”
Natira put down the hairspray can and looked at me. Her eyes widened with surprise.
“You’re a virgin?” she squealed. “Oh my god!”
I sheepishly nodded my head.
“I am,” I explained to her. “While I escaped from the White House a few times, I never ended up in anyone’s bed or vice versa. My lack of privacy growing up in the spotlight severely affected my sex life.”
“What about that dreamy bodyguard of yours?”
What the hell? Had everyone known about me and Joaquin? Natira noticed the look on my face.
“Modric had me do some intel on you,” she said. “I came across the ‘scandal’ in my findings.”
“Joaquin and I had a thing,” I explained. “But it never went anywhere. Not with a man like my father around.”
“Does Modric know that you’re a virgin?” she asked. I shook my head.<
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“No, we never discussed it,” I told her. “It never came up.”
“Oh shit, that boy is in trouble,” Natira laughed. I smiled, feeling like I was chatting with an old friend. While Natira and I did not start on the best of terms, she had quickly become my closest ally on the ship, even more than the other human girls. She finished fixing my hair and touching up my makeup.
“Perfect!” she announced, kissing her fingers like an Italian chef. “It’s time to show Idira who really runs this show.”
A few minutes later I found myself in the dining area where Modric and I often ate before he grew sick. I was surprised to see that the small, circular table was set for only two people. Wasn’t Idira supposed to be here? Candles were the only source of light in the room. Soft music played in the background and a bouquet of exotic flowers sat on top of table. As I walked inside of the room, Modric entered from a side door.
My heart skipped a beat. While I found him gorgeous on a daily basis, he had really stepped up his game for this dinner. He had on a royal red suit jacket that complimented his blue skin tone, paired with black pants and black shoes. His hair was slicked back. He looked amazing.
He motioned for me to sit down, pulling out my chair. I floated towards the table, unsure of what was going on, but liking where it was headed. After he sat me down, he took his seat across the table.
“You look absolutely stunning,” he said. “Ravaging.”
Ravaging. The word turned me on.
“Where is she?” I finally found my voice.
“I canceled,” he confessed as he sipped his wine. “Idira wasn’t happy,” he said, though he appeared pleased at this fact. Political mind games, I guessed. “She’ll have another chance to see me… and my sister.”
Silence fell between us for a moment. “These flowers are beautiful,” I blurted out. I wasn’t sure what to say, but turning his attention to the flowers seemed to be the next best thing.
“They thrive on this planet,” Modric explained. “I can get you more, if you would like. Whatever you like, Freya, just ask.”
Sold To The Athim Prince Page 7
