by Zara Zenia
I stared at the billowing steam coming from some of the volcano peaks around us, knowing it was the result of geothermal energy coming from the planet because I remembered when Kylin explained that to me when I first arrived.
“It’s so quiet and lazy out here. You would never know how high-tech your race is based on the terrain I’m staring at now,’ I admitted.
I giggled at the irony, knowing that Mixians were one of the top species with access to interstellar travel and trade. They were ahead of the game from so many other planets in the galaxy.
“It’s great to come out here and gather your thoughts,” Kylin admitted with a pacifying demeanor.
“It’s romantic.” I sighed.
The words rolled off my tongue before I could halt them. Heat flushed my cheeks with both stimulation and discomfiture for disclosing something so private in the deepest depths of my thoughts.
I was afraid to glance over at Kylin. I knew he’d be elated by my confession, but that didn’t stop me from feeling embarrassed. I wasn’t used to being so forthcoming with my emotions.
Kylin’s rejoinder was to grin keenly at me. “Yes, it is,” he whispered in a sultry tone.
I met his gaze and my stomach tickled with something that resembled desire, although I wasn’t sure how to process these new feelings just yet. We still needed to get to know each other. The window of opportunity was opened.
“Come on.” He reached for my hand again and pulled me toward the car.
“We are leaving already?” I asked, feeling slightly disappointed. “I thought we were going exploring.” I glanced back at the terrain behind my shoulder.
“We can come back another day.” He smiled over his shoulder as he opened the car door for me once again.
“Do you promise?” I asked. I had no idea why he was cutting our trip short. I wanted to see the compounds.
“Yes, I promise.” Kylin cast a warm smile in my direction as he moved out of the way to let me inside the car.
“Oh, okay.” I climbed inside and stared out the window at the foreign land I wanted desperately to appreciate and call my new home. There was still so much to see and do.
We left the area, but Kylin and I remained intertwined with his hand cradling over mine. He was warm, and I needed his strength to overcome the raging anxiety in my mind. There were too many variables floating around out there. I had a fear of the unknown.
I must have drifted off to sleep from the lull of the mostly silent ride home because when I opened my eyes again, we were back at the palace. I was surprised because the trip had only seemed to take a few minutes.
“We are back home?” I stretched my sore muscles and blinked my sleepy, tired eyes. It would take me a few minutes to overcome my groggy state of mind.
“Yes, I wanted to show you the Briin.” Kylin helped me get out of the car, and we began walking toward the side of his palace grounds, near the fences in the back of the property.
“What is the Briin?” I asked. This was a term I wasn’t familiar with or had studied before leaving Earth for Mixis. I was just happy that there was more he wanted to show me today.
“The Briin serves many purposes to the Mixian race,” Kylin stated vaguely as we wandered across the path leading to what appeared to be some type of hive or brown hut.
“We are going in there?” I pointed at the object, feeling slightly alarmed and extremely uneasy. I hated insects and they made my skin crawl.
“Don’t worry.” Kylin took my hand again. “I control the hive. They obey me and will not harm anyone in my presence.”
So, my observations were correct. It was a hive, only triple, quadruple the size of one you’d see back home on Earth, so I was filled with fright and fear of what kind of insect could be skulking inside its walls.
I had no choice but to just try and believe him, even though I fully expected to be swarmed within seconds of his opening the damned thing.
As soon as he stepped inside, I shrieked with terror and jumped back a few steps. I was so shaky that I actually fell to the ground.
A plume of dirt and dust fell around me, and I coughed, sputtering as I stood up and wiped off my jeans. I tried to quickly recover from my overdramatic reaction.
“It’s okay, really,” Kylin said in a reassuring tone as he helped me to my feet again. He smiled at me, concerned for my health. I had to tell him I was okay so that he would let go of his grip on me.
After I regained my balance, I stared at him. “What . . . what are they?” I sputtered and craned my neck to peer in shock at the giant insects swarming around. I was curious, but not enough to get too close.
“These are the Briin.” He pointed and grinned proudly.
Upon further inspection, I noticed that the Briin resembled beetles and wasps. They had irridescent double wings that made a humming sound as they flew over our heads. I stood frozen in place, afraid to make any sudden or jerky movements. I didn’t want to anger them.
They had armored, two-foot-long bodies with claws, sharp jaws, and stingers that looked deadly and poisonous. I was quivering inside with pure fright at just the sight of them.
“What are they doing here? On your property?” I asked with revulsion as I grimaced and wrapped my arms around my chest.
“They act as messengers, personal guards, servants, and watch-animals. They can also be used as gatherers. They can summon warriors from afar in the event of an emergency,” Kylin explained.
“So . . . they belong to you?” I shook my head, trying to understand, but my skin crawled.
“Exactly.” Kylin nodded his head with a smile to boot. I wasn’t sold.
“See that female over there?” He pointed to the center of the hive.
“Yeah . . .?” I responded, although I had no clue how to decipher their genders. I also wasn’t entirely sure about what exactly I was looking at.
“She is called Nixie,” Kylin explained. “She’s the queen, and I control her and this hive. Normally, she’s locked in a chamber in my office quarters, but I let her out once a week in order to allow her to interact with her hive.” His expression was serious as he inspected the hive.
“Oh, wow,” I said with amazement. I was not feeling as timid as I was when we first came out here.
“I like to keep her with me when she’s not laying eggs so that I can control the hive.”
“Is she laying now?” I stared at her after my eyes finally found her.
“Yes.” He nodded.
I glanced up at him while trying not to seem too disgusted. I felt horrible, because he was obviously fond of them as if they were his pets. Insects just weren’t my style.
“Can we leave now?” I asked and chuckled nervously. I felt like my skin was crawling although I didn’t want to offend him or these insects. I wondered in horror if they could understand what I was saying.
We trudged our way back up to the castle where there were some Dolarians waiting for Kylin. They were cute and funny, with more charm than the average Mixian. I was surprised to learn that they could coexist here with the Mixians as two different species.
They could be annoying, and I could tell by the tense tone Kylin used when greeting them that he didn’t like them on his grounds. He was able to tolerate them, but only slightly.
They were there to discuss water prices and the negotiations. They seemed heated in conversation with Kylin, or at least from what I could decipher as I stood awkwardly off to the side and eavesdropped.
Once the Dolarians left, I asked Kylin if everything was okay. I was slightly rattled, especially because the insects were still nearby.
“Everything is fine.” He grinned back at me with a forced smile, and I could tell that most certainly, everything was not fine.
I didn’t know much about the Dolarians other than the fact that they were another species on a neighboring planet, but they often ventured this way because of their proximity to Mixis. Apparently, they had some kind of trading system with the Mixians.
&nbs
p; When we went inside the palace, I needed to lie down. That was enough adventuring for me for one day. I just rejoiced in the fact that I was far enough away from the Briin indoors. I would have to make sure all the windows and doors were locked tightly to keep them at bay. I didn’t care if Kylin told me that they wouldn’t harm me. Those things gave me the creeps.
Chapter 10
Kylin
Georgia’s soft and silent tears shook her body and moved the bed. That’s how I knew she was crying, even if she thought it was subtle.
Her sorrow broke my heart because I felt helpless. I didn’t know how to make her feel better, but I knew time was running out to locate and punish her brother.
We had been having fun lately, but I knew the stress was weighing heavy on her shoulders. No matter how excessively I tried to distract her, it seemed like a lost cause. She wouldn’t rest until he was found.
I couldn’t help overhearing her sobs because I was lying right next to her. I needed to comfort her, but at the same time, I didn’t want to startle or frighten her. I knew she was trying to be quiet so I wouldn’t hear her, but my senses were already prickling.
If I gave her the space to regroup and process her feelings over the past week, maybe she would come to me on her own. I didn’t want to make her feel suffocated.
No, that wouldn’t work. She needed consoling, now, in the moment.
“Georgia.” I dared to whisper her name through the night air. My whisper clung to the sheets like a sigh.
She immediately halted her sobs, just as I knew she would when she became aware that I was listening. She sniffed and cleared her throat.
“It’s okay.” I pressed a palm lightly to her dainty, feminine shoulder. I wanted her to know I wouldn’t hurt or humiliate her.
“Everything is falling apart.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes with her hand, but she didn’t turn around to look at me. At least she was talking to me, so I took that to be a good sign.
“Karma always finds a way to come back around,” I reminded her. That much was true and universal to all the planets with living beings on them. I didn’t know if anything I said comforted her, but I still had to try.
“I thought you were sleeping?” Georgia cleared her throat again. She didn’t sound upset with me, which was a relief.
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to pry.” I propped myself up on my shoulder. I wanted to rub my hands all over her body, but I had to restrain myself.
Georgia rolled over to finally make eye contact with me. The tears on her cheeks glistened under the moonlight, and I gently wiped them away with my thumb.
“It’s okay,” Georgia whispered and attempted to flash me a feeble smile. “I’m not mad or anything.”
“What can I do to take your pain away?” I asked gently.
“I just wish my brother wasn’t such a big jerk.” She sighed and rolled over on her back, staring up at the ceiling with a pouting expression.
I could hear the wheels turning in her mind. “I did everything for him after our parents died. This is the way he repays me? Why would he want to hurt someone who loved him so deeply?” Her voice caught in her throat and she whimpered.
I wasn’t the best consoler of women who were suffering, but I would try my best. Her voice cracked again, and she began to cry faintly.
“It’s okay, Georgia,” I whispered in a soothing tone and rubbed her soft, delicate arm.
“Thank you for all your support.” She sniffed. “I couldn’t get through this without you.” Her shoulders shook and trembled with her sobs.
“Luckily, you will never have to. I’ll always protect you the best I can, Georgia.” I said it with genuine inflection. We had met under false pretenses, but I was a firm believer that fate and destiny had brought us together.
“My brother is such a fucking idiot.” She chuckled bitterly at the irony. “I don’t know how we can even be related. It’s an embarrassment, honestly.”
“I know you are hurting and struggling to understand why he did this to you,” I told her. “Maybe we will come to terms with it sooner than you think.” I hoped we could move beyond this sooner rather than later.
“I hope you are right.” Georgia took her hand and squeezed mine. As long as she was willing to have faith in me, that was all that mattered.
My cock hardened under the sheets, and I wanted desperately to make love to her. The idea of being able to push my pulsing cock into her wet, throbbing pussy made my imagination run wild.
She smelled delicious, feminine, and pure. She was so gorgeous and sensual. It didn’t help my sexual needs that she was lying beside me so sexily.
“What if we never find him?” She looked at me and her expression was one of sheer dread. She was looking to me for safety and answers that I couldn’t predict.
“You can’t think that way.” I shook my head and smiled at her while I brushed the hair off her cheek. It was my job to convince her to let go of her doubts and fears.
“You don’t know him like I do.” She scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. She exhaled dramatically and squeezed her eyes shut.
“I know that he’s foolish.” I shrugged with a lighthearted chuckle.
Georgia looked at me and paused to study my features. “You are right about that.” She finally laughed.
“Trust me, his judgment day will come.” I leaned over to give her a hug, but mainly, my intention was to feel her soft, warm body pressed against me and to breathe in the divine scent of her hair.
“The prank cuts deep,” she said. Her voice was laced with fury that I understood. Her anger was raw and lashed out at the world around us.
“He won’t be able to get away with making a mockery of my kingdom.” My voice was powerfully assertive even in the quiet darkness.
“He always gets away with it,” Georgia argued with bitter contempt.
“His streak is coming to an end. He is a spineless little rat with total disregard for other people’s feelings.” I knew karma would come back around to sting him. It was only a matter of time now.
I hated to speak so ill of Georgia’s brother, but I knew by now that we were on the same page with that. He was her flesh and blood. I knew it must be hard for her to have such animosity geared toward him.
“So, Katie had no opinions to divulge about his whereabouts?” Georgia gave me a frustrated, yet hopeful glance as she brought up the mention of the pixie girl again.
I shook my head. “I haven’t gotten anywhere with her. I know she wants to be released from the dungeon, so she’s willing to help. I’m just afraid she’s as clueless as we are.” I hated to be the bearer of bad news. Meanwhile, Katie was rotting and taking up space in my dungeons.
“Chad had a way of manipulating her into thinking she was part of the plan and the journey, even though in reality, he was just using her,” Georgia confessed. It seemed as if she had a twinge of compassion for Katie.
“I have a feeling that she’s using her time in that dark, damp place to finally process the fact that she probably wasn’t really loved by Chad,” I offered as a way to make her feel better.
“Well I’m not innocent in falling for his trap either,” Georgia reminded me. ‘I’m just as guilty for being dense and gullible.” Her expression was stoic.
“Hey, it’s not your fault.” I stroked her cheek. “Stop beating yourself up over it,” I whispered into her ear and relished in the prickle of chill bumps I felt against the surface of her skin.
“You don’t understand,” she wailed and threw her hands up in the air. So much for that attempt at seducing her.
“What is it?” I begged, wanting desperately to get inside her mind to analyze a way to make her feel better. I wanted to fuck her, but she wasn’t on the same wavelength.
“It’s like . . .” She trailed off and then began again. “It’s like being stabbed in the back. Betrayed by someone you worked so hard to love and take care of.” I could hear the immeasurable hurt in her voice.
Geor
gia’s voice was a faint whisper by now of heartbreak and shattering defeat. I had to do something to get her out of this funk.
I sat up. “If I have anything to do with this, we will get justice.” My voice was firm, and something changed in Georgia’s eyes.
It was almost as if a spark had ignited and she was finally gaining understanding of my potential to be a desirable mate for her. I had to step up to the plate and become the hero. It was now or never. Her respect was important to me.
“We can do this together,” she attested with more confidence and edge in her voice. She wanted to be a team.
“Yes, we can.” I gave her a giddy smile. I wanted to kiss her decadent, full lips and run my hands through her silky red hair. I wanted to touch her all over and rub her pussy between her legs.
“Do you think that I will be chastised as a human on this planet?” Georgia gave me a fearful glance.
“Why would you think that?” I asked with perplexity. I remembered that she had asked me this very same question a few days ago.
Georgia shrugged. “You know, the Mixis people are already natured with quick and brash tempers if they feel like they’ve been treated with misfortune. I’m an American Earth woman coming onto their planet, wreaking havoc.”
“You are not doing anything of the sort,” I assured her. “It’s Chad who is unwelcome. He has disobeyed the laws.” I mentally wondered how he was getting food to stay alive, that is if he was alive.
“You are the beloved crown prince though,” she argued.
“Yes, but the difference between you and Chad is that I’m attesting to your goodness. I will make it known to the world that you had nothing to do with this revolting prank.”
“Chad has offended your people, and you,” she whispered humbly, as if she took the blame for his wrongdoings.
“You do not need to worry your pretty little head about that,” I consoled her. “Chad’s accountability falls on him and only him.”
