by Zara Zenia
“Really?” Kylin’s eyes flashed with amazement and delight. His demeanor changed from gloomy to wondrous joy in an instant.
“Yes.” I nodded with enthusiasm. “Not only that, but I am starting to believe that you might not be so bad after all.” I laughed at how ridiculous I probably sounded to him. It wasn’t my intention to offend him.
Kylin chuckled. He was handsome and assertive, smooth with confidence. “I never had the intention to string you along or anything.” He took my comments all in stride. He was just as new to this as I was.
“I know.” I nodded. “Thank you for that.”
“You’re very welcome.” He beamed and continued to squeeze my hand between his enormous ones.
“Another thing,” I added. “I suppose it worked out to your advantage that I had already boarded the space shuttle with the intention to maintain an open mind and an open heart.” I had already packed a hefty suitcase with the intention of sticking around for a while.
“Yes.” He laughed. “That is also a good point to factor in.” He seemed thrilled with my confession.
His eyes gleamed and he was handsome, brooding, and genuinely passionate with a flare of kindness splashed in. He seemed pure, inside and out.
“There are certainly worse surprises than ending up married to a hot alien prince.” I laughed at the irony of my life right now. At least I had luck partially on my side.
An appealing grin stretched and spread across Kylin’s lips. “You think I’m hot?” He was glowing at my inadvertent compliment.
My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Well . . .” I trailed off because I was suddenly feeling shy.
“You do!” He did a little jump into the air, a gesture that increased and skyrocketed his already adorable traits.
“You are handsome, yes. I admit it.” I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea and think that I was only interested in him because he was a prince.
I had been taught to appreciate diversity, which was one of the reasons I was sitting here in the first place.
I certainly wasn’t a gold digger or a person out for wealth and fame, and I wanted to make that abundantly clear to Kylin. I respected him and was attracted to him through his kindness toward me.
Not that I had to worry about it, because he surely didn’t seem concerned with that subject, at least not right now. He was a guy. They didn’t read into stuff as much or over-analyze every detail of life.
One thing I could establish as a commonality we shared right now was the fact that we both wanted to find Chad and get payback for the hurt he’d inflicted on us both. He was going to pay. My loathing of my brother had been building up for years, and now it had hit the peak of no return.
What a jerk Chad was. I couldn’t believe that my own flesh and blood could treat me like that. He made a life-altering decision when he’d made me sign those papers. He was laughing at me before the ink had even had a chance to dry on the pages.
How could I have been so blind, so stupid to fall into his trap? Probably because he made it seem as alluring as possible. I was gullible, sure. My biggest flaw was how trusting I was. Never again. I would put my shield up from now on.
That’s what made it a successful trick for him, the fact that he’d made it believable and something that he already knew in his mind would make it hard for me to resist or say no to. He knew exactly how to manipulate me.
Only Chad had one calamitous flaw that he didn’t factor in or consider when it came to living out his plan to make it failsafe. He was on the run. No doubt, he was nervously sweating wherever he was hiding.
Once Kylin and I met, we would obviously realize that something wasn’t quite right and that we weren’t in line for the same goals.
That’s when Chad’s little joke fell apart, but not before he’d documented the whole ordeal on camera for his dumb ass, pathetic show. I didn’t know if he still had his holocam set with him to upload it to his feed for all of his moronic fans to fawn over.
That was when my emotions took over and nearly drowned me. I was so upset and frustrated.
“I’m so sorry.” I shook my head with grief. “This is all my fault.” I hung my head with anguish and disgrace as culpability drained me. I had led us into this trap without even realizing it.
“What do you have to apologize for?” Kylin rubbed my back in a consoling manner. His touch felt so good against my body.
I shook my head, lacking for words at the moment as the tears began to flow in humiliation. I choked back sobs that I wasn’t sure would hold behind the cracking dam of my emotions.
“Hey,” he whispered softly. “It’s okay. Really, it is.” His words weren’t enough to pacify me.
“No, it’s not,” I argued, borderline wailing at this point. I threw my hands up in the air dramatically.
“What has you so upset all of a sudden?” His eyes searched mine, scoping for answers to his questions.
“I should have known better.” I sniffed and wiped my eyes. Kylin reached into his pocket and withdrew a tissue and handed it to me.
I thanked him gratefully. “If I had trusted my instincts, I would have known that it was highly probable that Chad would try to hoodwink me somehow. I’m sorry you have to suffer for my mistakes.”
“I’m not suffering.” Kylin shook his dead in denial. Of course he wasn’t. He had gotten what he’d aimed to receive in the first place, a bride.
“Well, that brings me to my next point.” I smiled at him through my blotchy, teary face. “If fate’s cards are played right, there might be a silver lining here.”
“Yeah?” Kylin’s eyes brightened with optimism. He was the glass half full kind of person, I was beginning to realize.
“I’m really starting to like you, and I’m excited for the prospect and opportunity to get to know you,” I admitted. I could be in worse company.
“I really like you too,” Kylin agreed with an adorable ear to ear grin.
“I appreciate your support through all of this.” I gave him a warm smile. I genuinely needed him to help keep my head level.
“I just want you to be happy.” He shrugged humbly.
“Why are you being so nice to me?” I didn’t understand it. “We are strangers.” His kindness was going above and beyond anything I deserved.
“Strangers who have the chance to turn our circumstances around for good, for a better outcome,” he reminded me with a twinkle in his gorgeous eyes.
“I suppose you are right about that.” I chuckled meekly. Was he ever wrong?
Kylin reached over and took both of my hands in his, cradling them for a few seconds. The warmth of his skin on mine gave me the sensation of being protected by a strong, handsome alien prince with hair color similar to mine, which was the exact situation I was in.
“I have to say that your explanation comes at a perfect time.”
“Why is that?” I released his hand to wipe my eyes again with the tissue.
“Well . . .” He sighed. “It both calms and charms me. I have to admit that your telling me you’re attracted to me gives me a boost of confidence.” He stared right through me.
“It should.” I nodded adamantly.
“If you give me the chance,” he said and stared deep into my eyes. The way he looked at me made me shiver with pleasure. “I promise to court you properly.”
“You mean, like take me out on dates and stuff?” My voice was high with eager anticipation. I wanted to know what it was like to go out on a date with a prince. My imagination ran wild.
“Yes, if you want.” He nodded.
“That sounds really cool,” I admitted.
“I am willing to show you how much of a true gentleman I can be, if you give me the chance.” His eyes flared with sincerity. He was trying so diligently to impress me, and I had to admit that his plan was working.
“I can see myself doing that,” I revealed.
“You are so beautiful.” Kylin stared at me with wonderment and longing. His statement
came out of the blue, but I appreciated it immensely.
“Thank you,” I whispered. I was enthralled in the moment.
I was captivated by his positive attention, and it reinforced in my mind that I was a worthy person who deserved someone to love her. He made me feel that way about myself, like I was the sun that lit up his world.
I had spent too much of my life worrying about taking care of Chad. Now that he was basically out of the picture, I had more time to reflect and focus my attention on something more worthwhile for my benefit.
I had time to focus on me, and my own needs. It was time to reach my ultimate level of happiness instead of putting myself on the back burner.
“I have an idea,” Kylin said and grinned with enthusiasm. His eyes twinkled with mischief.
“What?” I couldn’t help but smile back at him. His light and positivity were contagious and I wanted them to infect me forever.
“It’s more of a proposition,” he revealed.
“Okay.” I grinned as suspense rose in my belly. He was teasing me on purpose.
“How about we get to know each other, spending as much time with one another over the next six months as we can? Then, at the end of that six months, if you are not interested in establishing a life here with me, I will release you from your contract.”
“You would really do that for me?” I was taken aback by his profound gesture to appease me. It sounded like the best deal I could ever imagine receiving.
“Yes.” He nodded firmly. “I want you to have the opportunity to come to the decision on your own. You can make the choice.”
My heart swelled with compassion for this remarkable man. “Thank you. That is a very nice proposal.” He was well on his way to winning my heart.
Kylin gave me a heartfelt smile and I felt compelled to embrace him in a hug. He smelled good, like spicy cologne. I took a deep breath and allowed his scent to fill my nostrils.
He pulled away after a few seconds, his face reflecting heated anger that made my heart race and my cheeks burn. I didn’t understand where this personality flip had come from, out of nowhere.
“What is it?” I asked with apprehension and wariness.
“I’m still furious with your brother.” His jaw clenched.
I sighed with relief. “You and me both.” I chuckled in agreement. He wasn’t angry with me, and that’s all that mattered.
“I wish to punish him.” His eyes glazed over with stone. He was not playing games anymore.
I studied him for a few moments, then found my mind automatically charging my head to nod. I was agreeing with him and would support him, no matter what.
“Okay.” I agreed. “Do what you feel is necessary.” There was no looking back now.
Chapter 8
Kylin
I told Georgia I had to take care of some business and left her in the room. She appeared sad with a dejected look spread across her face, but I did my best to achieve trust with her. I tried to reassure her that I wouldn’t be long.
“I’ll be back as quickly as I can,” I told her with a reassuring smile.
“What am I supposed to do here?’ She gave me an apprehensive look and warily glanced around the room.
I shrugged. “You can walk around the palace grounds,” I suggested, hoping that would appease her, at least for now.
“Okay,” she said as if she didn’t really want to participate in those activities but that she might run with it if sheer boredom took over.
I gave her a hug after asking permission first, then raced from the room.
I was on a mission.
I had to find out where Chad was hiding out. I couldn’t wait around for my royal guards to find him. It was taking far too long, and everyone was looking to me for answers that I couldn’t provide.
Firstly, I was embarrassed that it had gone this far. He should have already been captured days ago. I didn’t like the fact that Chad was making me look like a fool . . . yet again.
Chad should already be in the custody of my royal guards, and if I didn’t find him soon, natives to Mixis would undoubtedly begin to hold misgivings regarding my ability to rule them appropriately.
I was livid, yes, but more baffled and perplexed than anything. Where the fuck was this human rat? He had really crawled under a rock, but I was determined to hunt him out.
I vowed to myself that my quest would not end until my efforts had been upheld. I would not allow Chad to win this battle. Soon enough, the tables would turn on him.
Victory was mine to seize. He had to be somewhere. I knew he couldn’t have fled the planet. I had all the best in the world searching for him in droves of teams. I wanted to be Georgia’s hero. I wanted her to kiss me with enough passion to rock me to the core and make me tremble.
After a while, they would smoke him out, I was certain. It didn’t do me any favors to lack confidence in the men out there searching for Chad, and I certainly didn’t want to start that negative thinking now. They needed to know I believed in them for morale purposes.
One thought crossed my mind, though, and it was pressing. What if the idiot had escaped into the Mixian jungles, thinking it was a clever idea to flee into them and discover a place to tuck away and hide?
His fate would surely be met with peril if he was foolish enough to even attempt a strategy such as that. It was dangerous out there, even for someone who was familiar with the forest that was full of treacherous paths and aggressive beasts.
There were many passive predators that existed in the jungle, lurking behind the shadows and ready to pounce on anything that moved and breathed within their reach.
He might be sitting in the belly of one of those animals as I thought about it, swallowed whole or eaten alive. Georgia wouldn’t exactly get her justice in the way she wanted, but the problem would be naturally eliminated.
That would explain his disappearance and the guards’ lack of ability to find him to date. My heart pounded as I thought about Chad being ripped to shreds out there in our threatening Mixian jungles.
I couldn’t imagine having to go back to Georgia and explain to her that her brother had been mauled to death and shredded to bits by a strange creature, a beast in the night. I’m sure that even as angry as she was, she would be appalled by that kind of brutal death, even if it was to her jerk of a brother.
Although we both wanted justice to be served on a silver platter to Chad, I didn’t want his demise to fall under the category of fatal destruction. I wanted to be able to look him in the eye as I enforced my punishment on him.
I walked to my office on the bottom floor of the palace. I took a deep breath and heaved a sigh as I closed and locked the set of double doors behind me.
I had to get to the bottom of this problem. I didn’t know where to lead my guards in order to sniff Chad’s location out, but I knew where I could at least begin the search.
I walked over to my desk and plopped down in front of my computer with the large screen that I used to discuss international and interstellar business with other leaders around the galaxy. It was my link to the outside world.
I hit the call button for Ambassador Jordan, who was in charge of leading the Earth’s portion. The screen illuminated in blue, lighting up the room while I waited to see if the call would be put through.
After a few seconds, I saw the mousy-looking Earth girl with the black glasses and dark hair answer the call.
“Good afternoon, Ambassador Jordan’s office.” She droned in a bored voice and didn’t make eye contact with me.
I cleared my throat. “Hello, this is Crown Prince Kylin of the planet Mixis.” I spoke in an assertive tone. I was all business.
“Hello.” She glanced at me before looking back to her computer. She wore a headset that covered her mouth and attached at her ear. Clearly, I hadn’t made a remarkable impression on her.
“I need to speak with Ambassador Jordan, please,” I requested in a polite voice with a smile. You could catch more flies with honey.
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The secretary coughed. “Do you have an appointment already? I have his schedule pulled up, but I don’t see you on here.” She narrowed her eyes in on her own screen as if she was diligently searching for a mistake on the calendar.
“I don’t have an appointment, but it’s urgent,” I pleaded with impatience. I was the prince of Mixis. She needed to adhere to my request.
“Hmm.” The girl pondered my demand as she drew a finger up to her chin. “I can see if he’s available.”
“I know his private line, and I can use it if he tries to dodge me,” I warned the girl. I was becoming a little snarly now.
She gave me a strange and apathetic look. “Okay, hold on.”
The screen snapped back to its usual blue color and I drummed my fingers against the edge of my desk while I waited for the call to be put through.
I fidgeted and sighed with exasperation, ready to give up and end the call. I was extremely close to clicking out of the line when the Ambassador’s face popped up on the screen.
“Prince Kylin, always a pleasure.” Jordan’s facial expression did not reflect that he was pleased to hear from me and that he swiftly wished to end the call. I could see right through his phony façade.
“Same to you,” I gave him a polite nod, gesturing in greeting. There was no use in droning on with mindless small talk. I was ready to cut to the chase.
“What can I help you with?” His voice was laced with annoyance.
“I need your help.” I humbly spoke the truth. I was willing and ready to admit it.
“With what?” He raised a wary eyebrow as if he did not, in turn, trust me.
It was not unusual for the ambassador and me to run into heated debates with one another, which naturally left tempers flaring and high most of the time. No matter how cordial and civilized we tried to remain toward each other, we were oil and water.
I inhaled a deep breath, ready for my explanation of the most recent events. “I need your assistance in locating a man named Chad Wallace. He’s a twenty-three-year-old male who normally resides on Earth. He is kind of sloppy looking. He has red hair and a lanky build.”
