by Emma Dean
Adelina fingered a glittery black she knew she would be able to use for something. “Do you see something you like?” she asked the prince. “Do you have something to wear to my party?” She eyed him from under her eyelashes. He was so tall she could only see his trim waist and part of his chest. His hands were in his pockets and she admired the warm glow to his skin. It was brown instead of the golden tone of her own skin, but it was beautiful in its difference.
“I didn’t realize I was invited,” he stated, touching a white so pure it reminded her of the snow on Scyria.
She refrained from making a rude noise, but just barely. “Of course, you are. It is my party and I want you to be there, therefore you are invited.” Adelina pulled a bolt of amethyst purple and eyed it. The party was well within his week on Draga Terra, but she knew that inviting him was against her sister and father’s wishes, even if they hadn’t outright stated he could not attend.
It was a risk she was willing to take if she could get her father to uphold their agreement. “Would you pick one you like for me? I’m curious as to your tastes.” Adelina watched him look over the colors once more and knew she wondered about more than his taste in color and fabric. Something about his unique eyes drew her in like a predator’s trap. His scent eluded her, but it also appealed to her senses. It reminded her of cinnamon, but less like baked goods and more like the tree itself, sharp and defined.
Prince Nash tapped three different bolts and then stood back with a nod. He didn’t waste time either it seemed. Nash was efficient and didn’t dawdle, but would he in other activities?
Adelina scanned his three bolts with her simulcast, and then the three she had chosen with a note about the unique pattern still being woven. Then sent the cast with the information to the manager and turned to leave the factory. It seemed all was well with her assigned department.
There was something beautiful about the spiders none of her siblings seemed to see or understand. All of them felt similarly to Nash which was why Raena gladly gave her the most sacred and profitable department without argument. As a child, she used to watch the spider queens weave their webs for hours when she wanted to be alone. Not even Alpha had followed her into the Night Mountains.
Once they were out of the factory and back on the palace grounds, surrounded by tall palms with leaves the size of Adelina’s body and heavy with fragrant fruit, she let the silence settle comfortably between them. She needed to think of what questions she could ask without upsetting him or causing too much suspicion.
Nash’s arm brushed against hers and that spark flared inside of her once again. It wasn’t unbearable but her awareness sharpened. The sensation of the wind across her skin, the heat from his body, how he looked against the bright blue sky with a hint of green from the ever present second moon were suddenly enhanced.
Adelina was short and the top of her head barely reached Nash’s chest. She couldn’t help wondering what sex would be like with him, if the difference in their height would cause problems or not. She could always ride him; the difference wouldn’t matter then.
Nash glanced at her and she felt herself blush furiously. Adelina hated the embarrassment that followed. What was wrong with her? She didn’t know him well and she was already contemplating taking him to her bed?
Those broad shoulders and tapered waist suggested there was nothing wrong with her; she was simply reacting to the pure maleness of him.
“Were you being truthful when you said you would like to help me?” Nash asked, pulling her out of those dangerous thoughts.
Brushing a palm leaf from her path she looked up at the lost prince and nodded. “I would never say anything I did not mean.”
He stopped in the middle of the path with the large palms obscuring their view of the palace, the stables, and the forest. In turn, they were hidden from anyone’s prying eyes. “I need access to my equipment. I need to be able to check my transmissions. There might still be princes and princesses alive and in hiding who need me to rescue them. They could have access to their armies. I also need intel on the state of my galaxy, the planets, and the people.” Nash shrugged and looked up at the green moon. “Without knowing any of those things I cannot form a plan to regain my kingdom. Traditionally I would challenge the Neprijat King, but he does not follow our ways.”
Adelina squinted at him, curious about the ways of his people. She understood the mechanics and what she could read about it, but the methods seemed barbaric. “You truly fight every single eligible person to rule?” she asked.
Nash held out an arm for the first time that day and she gladly took it. He escorted her, incorrectly on the submissive side. “You should be on my right, you are more dominant and have a higher rank,” she whispered teasingly.
The lost prince gave her a look that made her legs suddenly feel unstable. “I am a displaced prince who has yet to prove I am truly the heir, thus you rank higher than I do. What makes you think I’m more dominant than you?”
Adelina didn’t want to tell him she’d already smelled him. “I simply know. Everyone is more dominant than I am.”
Nash raised an eyebrow but didn’t say any more on the matter, but he also didn’t change positions. “We do not have nobles such as you do,” he explained. “All those with the royal genes rule and are called ‘prince’ or ‘princess.’ Each prince and princess enters the arena when the previous ruler dies or retires and they fight until there is one victor. The victor and their family become the ruling family of the Khara galaxy and move to the palace on Khara Prime. The victor is either light, or dark. You would say submissive or dominant, but it is not quite the same thing. This is of course measured scientifically and they must choose the opposite as their spouse. There must always be balance.”
Adelina frowned. “You’ve had submissive, or rather light rulers?” she asked. “How did they keep control of the kingdom?”
It was strange how each race descended from the ancient humans developed their own method to ensure balance and to try and reign in their natural chaos as much as possible, though the Drakesthai were said to be nothing but chaos. Hai galaxy was closer to the Corinth sun, but the edge of their galaxy butted up against Draga. They were an extremely private race she had never met, or even had contact with.
Nash looked at her again. “Yes, we have had light rulers. The light has always attracted the dark. The dark seeks the light to balance out their instincts. In return they are fierce warriors, protectors, and intensely loyal. Conversely dark rulers attract those who serve. The light serves the purposes of the Crown and once the ruler has been established as the strongest warrior no other dark contestants have reason to question their place.”
Adelina chewed on her lip as she thought. It was a disgusting habit she’d broken herself of cycles ago, but it helped her concentrate. Had the Draga galaxy ever had a submissive king or queen? Could a submissive also be a fierce warrior strong enough to beat a dominant warrior? Could that even be possible?
She supposed one didn’t need to be dominant to have skill as a warrior. But to lead an entire galaxy? She shuddered at the idea. Adelina could never hold so many dominant leashes. If what Nash said was true for her people as well, she wouldn’t have to. The dominants closest to her would hold the leashes for her. “Thank the goddess I never have to be queen,” she said with a laugh.
Nash only shrugged and they continued down the path and came out into the beginning of the cultivated gardens.
She had come to a decision. “I can get you the access you need, and if I can’t as princess without endangering myself I can get it through other means,” Adelina said softly. She smiled shyly and placed her other hand over Nash’s as well, pressing into him ever so slightly. Anyone looking at them would think she whispered something sweet and flirtatious.
He looked down at her in surprise. “How would you manage that?”
“I have my ways.” Adelina needed to send a cast to Giselle. It looked like they were going out into the city that night
to call in a favor. As princess she couldn’t order the access or ask for it herself without raising suspicions. As Lina the jeweler, she could accomplish a lot more. “It might not be right away, but I’ll get the information you need.”
She looked up into his eyes. Adelina studied those confusing depths of green, red, and yellow. Nash’s eyes sparkled in the sunlight and she felt dazzled. They told her nothing. If she were making a mistake she would never know it. “Swear I am not committing treason,” she whispered, placing both hands on his biceps and leaning in slightly. The scent of cinnamon grew stronger and Adelina had to remind herself this was a game. She couldn’t ruin it by running her hands under his shirt to feel the strong muscles of his abdomen.
Nash smiled and instantly the spark flared into a flame that settled deep in her belly. Her clit pulsed in time with her heartbeat as the feeling inside grew of its own accord. He briefly touched a curl and let his hands lightly fall on her waist. They made a pretty picture together. “I would never put you in that position. We were friends once,” he said, echoing her words.
Slowly she let out a shuddering breath as she yanked back on her self-control. Adelina felt the familiar stirrings that told her she would quickly do something she wasn’t ready for if she didn’t back off. Nash was such a wonderful male specimen though. She wondered what he looked like under his shirt. What did that wonderfully dark tattoo form?
A rough fingertip raised her chin, forcing her eyes from his chest to his face. The smile there made the pulse between her legs pound harder and she gasped. Adelina was a slave to the sensations. The dominance in his eyes was so gentle she wanted to give him everything. Her hands gripped his arms tighter as she fought off the tingling running over her skin like fire. Her nails dug into him and she couldn’t tear her gaze away from his.
Nash studied her with narrowed eyes. “Are you all right?” he asked. The genuine care in his voice triggered the darker side she hadn’t known she possessed until recently.
Did she have real feelings for this prince, or did she simply want him for his beauty? “Will you spar with me?” she asked through gritted teeth. “I could use some exercise.” Thank the three-faced goddess they did not have courtesans in the Khara galaxy so Nash would not be familiar with their ways.
The look on his face changed from one of concern to one of wary confusion. Nash looked her up and down. “I’m not sure that would be a good idea. I do not wish to hurt you.”
Adelina hissed in a breath and clamped down on his arms with her nails, hard enough to pierce through layers of skin. “I promise you; that isn’t the reason why it would not be a good idea.” She whirled around and made her way to the palace gymnasium. At least it was cool in there. Adelina didn’t check to see if Nash followed her.
She knew he would, if only out of curiosity.
Adelina changed into her exercise gear in the luxurious washroom and relished the feel of her bare feet on the tile. They would spar until the raw sensations were gone and she was exhausted enough to feel confident of her control once again. Now that she knew what to keep an eye out for it was easier to brace herself and resist.
There was just something about Nash that called to the very core of her and it was more difficult to hold back than she had anticipated. Perhaps it was the way he held himself, the barely restrained violence she could feel simmering under his skin in combination with the gentleness he always showed her. Adelina wanted to unlace those leather pants and place her mouth around his cock more than she would have thought possible. She wanted to know if she could take him in her mouth or if she would have to use her hands as well. The use of her tongue would only drive him mad. It would never release him the way he needed. To be inside her was the only way to truly possess her and Adelina wanted it.
She rolled her neck and closed her eyes. These thoughts weren’t helping.
Would Nadyah be there the first time to show her how to please him?
Adelina curled her fingers inward, pressing her sharp nails into her tender skin until she felt the telltale sting. The scent of blood filled the air and the pain released some of the painful tingling of pleasure and desire. She took a slow, deep breath and refocused her thoughts.
Exercise and work until she was exhausted. That, she could manage.
Adelina stepped into the palace gymnasium and the feel of the cushioned, springboard floor relaxed her further. She was here to spar, to learn, and to gain some insight into the lost prince. Escorting him had been her idea and she was going to make sure there was nothing about him that could threaten her family, that her choice to help him was indeed the right one.
The second her foot entered the large sparring circle she bowed to the waiting prince and waited for him to do the same. Adelina would uphold her family’s honor and help him go back home. He was adrift and bereft of the one place he could call his among a different culture and essential strangers.
Feet spread into position and knees bent. Palms flat against each other as she said a silent prayer to Katsia, goddess of war and cunning. She slid through the prayer into the first position, hands slightly curled into claws facing outwards. She was small, but stronger than she appeared. Her eyes opened and met the prince’s. Here in the circle there was no submissive and no dominant. There was only the strongest, most fierce warrior. A ripple settled over her as it did every time she shed the part of her that was Princess Adelina, one layer closer to her true self.
The small smile on Nash’s face instantly dropped. She didn’t know what change he saw in her, but suddenly his demeanor was all business.
“It is tradition for the challenger to allow the challenged to attack first,” Adelina stated. Her words echoed against the empty gymnasium. The white marble columns gave an airy feel to the massive place, but she was glad no one was there to witness them spar.
Nash attacked so hard and so fast she didn’t even see him move. Adelina trusted her instincts and slid. Her extended leg remained to trip him up if he was not quick enough. Nash followed as she dipped, swayed, and danced out of his path. She did not have to be strong to wear down her opponent with exhaustion.
The prince thought he had her back up against the figurative wall of the circle and he grinned, sweat dripping from his forehead. Adelina dove through his legs, the wide stance a disadvantage when it came to speed. She somersaulted and jumped up. The air around her shifted and she dropped into a push up position. The heel of his boot brushed her hair. With a quick roll and a flip she was back on her feet, facing him.
Nash’s smile lit up his whole face and the reason they sparred in the first place hit her like a punch to the gut. Adelina was breathless and trembling. She just barely missed his strike with an outward spin. Fourth position to eighth, she told herself. The elaborate jump was more for show, but Nash had extremely high kicks and a moving target was more difficult to hit.
A spinning jump placed her behind Nash, a move she had only mastered a few months before. With a dance move that would make her mistress weep with joy, Adelina swept her foot out in a wide half-circle, catching him at the ankles. It was precisely when he stepped to turn and the strike threw him off balance.
Without hesitation, she struck palm up and hit precisely where his diaphragm should be. Nash coughed and stepped back in surprise. With a laugh, he grabbed her still out-stretched wrist and pulled her forward. Adelina was off balance and suddenly in his arms. He looked down at her with a grin that made her stomach flutter and she could feel the hard muscles against her soft curves. She stared at him for a nanosecond too long, enjoying the way he felt against her. Adelina blinked and knew she was in trouble.
Without thought she struggled to free herself. There was no finesse, no beauty or grace. Adelina simply had to get away from his intoxicating scent before she did something stupid.
“You’ve got fire, little cat!” Nash exclaimed. “I am glad you proved me wrong, but I am still stronger than you are. The gravity on my planet is denser.”
“Fire,” she
muttered, thinking of the roaring inferno he’d lit inside her. “You could call it that.” Her heel came down hard on his instep and he yelped, releasing her in surprise and pain. Once she was a safe distance from him she glared at Nash. “I do not know what cats you have on your planet, but they are not little here.”
“Will you ride with me?” Prince Nash asked, taking a step towards her. The smile on his face was gone and his eyes sparkled.
“You wish to ride the galinas?” she asked, stepping back. “Do you remember what happened the last time you tried? One nearly gutted you.”
Nash followed her step for step until her back was against a column and Adelina had nowhere else to run. “I want to see you ride,” he said, voice deep and guttural.
An image of her riding him flashed across her mind and the tingling was back in full force. Oh how she wanted to play. How Adelina wanted to tell him he could see her ride his cock only if he begged for it.
Her fingernails bit the flesh of her palms again. Nash’s eyes flashed green and his nostrils flared. He grabbed her wrist and inspected the welling blood in her palm. “I thought I smelled the blood of a royal. Explain this to me,” he demanded, shaking her hand. His whole body was tensed, ready for war.
“Explain what, Prince Nash?”
His aapoak eyes sparked fire at her and he brought her hand up to his mouth and she watched with wide eyes, too shocked to stop him. Nash licked the blood from her palm slowly, gently, and with enough passion in his eyes to make her wonder how his tongue might feel on her elsewhere.
“Don’t play games with me little princess. I do not appreciate you hurting yourself. Tell me what is wrong or this sparring session is over.”
Adelina’s mouth dropped open. Never had she had someone quite so aware of her before. She shook her head. “I can’t.” There was no way to explain to him what was wrong without bringing up speculations about her genetics.
