Seized by the Alien: A Scifi Alien Romance (Fated Mates of the Titan Empire Book 3)

by Tammy Walsh

  “Who are those people?” Bianca said.

  “Some of the locals from town,” I said. “Now and then, skirmishes take place across the empire with an alien race called the Changelings. They’ve been attacking us for years but have never been so direct before. I think they might be gearing up for a larger attack soon.”

  “Is there anything you can do to stop them?” Bianca said.

  “No one can. Except for the emperor.”

  “The emperor?”

  It was easy to forget she knew little about our culture. If there was one thing to know about Titan heritage, it was the importance of the emperor in our lives. His portrait hung on the wall of every home in the empire. We were taught from a young age to respect and revere him above all others.

  “He’s the Titan supreme leader,” I said. “He alone can bring the most powerful Titan families together and unite us against the Changelings. But many don’t believe the Changelings are dangerous. I think it’s a mistake to underestimate them.”

  “So why are those people planting crops on your land?”

  “Times are hard,” I said. “Sometimes there’s a food shortage or the people lose their jobs and struggle to find enough food. So, I gave them permission to use my land. They can farm as much as they like and keep whatever they grow or sell it on at a profit. I only ask they give me five percent of their harvest.”

  “Why five percent? You could charge a lot more than that.”

  “I don’t need more,” I said. “Five percent is more than we need. I give whatever we don’t use to my staff. They share it with their friends and family. And because five percent isn’t much, those who farm the crops don’t feel it’s too much of a burden to share. I don’t need to hire anyone to make sure they pay it. They keep an eye on each other and do it for me. None of them want to bring a good thing like this to an end.”

  When I glanced over at Bianca. She was staring at me. She was slow to realize I noticed her and hastily looked away.

  There had been a look in her eye. Respect? Surprise? Perhaps a bit of both.

  “You didn’t think I’m capable of charity?” I said.

  “No, it’s not that,” Bianca said. “It’s just… People rarely surprise me. I’m pretty good at reading them and I thought… Well, I didn’t think you would ever do something like this. You’re a good Titan.”

  I would have been embarrassed to hear those words from someone else, but coming from her, it made me sit a little taller in the saddle.

  “It’s nothing,” I said. “They’re the ones who have to do the hard work. I respect those willing to help themselves. Sometimes we need a helping hand now and then.”

  Bianca grinned.

  “That’s more like it,” she said. “That sounds more like the hard-nosed businessman I know.”

  “You don’t know me.”

  “No. Not yet.”

  Her eyes drilled into me with meaning. She clucked out the corner of her mouth and drove the arjath down the hillside.

  Had I just seen and heard what I thought I had?

  She doesn’t know me… Yet.

  Did that mean she planned on getting to know me? And if so, how deep was she willing to go?

  I gulped at the word “deep.” It reminded me too vividly of my imaginings last night. I was only glad I was perched on the back of the arjath. The saddle gave me ample cover.

  But Bianca was already halfway down the hillside, hurrying toward the farming townsfolk.

  “No!” I said. “Wait!”

  She was already gone, Cleb hot on her heels.

  Oh no, I thought. This was going to be embarrassing…

  I trotted down the incline but had no intention of catching up to Bianca. I tugged my hat down over my eyes to conceal most of my face. The last thing I needed was to be recognized. By the time I reached them, they had already dismounted and were approaching the locals. The arjaths grazed nearby.

  “Hello,” a local woman with a pair of kids hugging her legs said.

  Cleb, like me, seemed a little timid around the strangers. It wasn’t that they were dangerous—they were anything but. I just didn’t want to be recognized.

  “We heard you were doing some farming,” Bianca said. “Do you need a hand?”

  “We wouldn’t want you messing up your fine clothes,” the woman said.

  “This?” Bianca said. “It’s just a dress. It’s not even mine. I grew up on a farm. I could help you if you’d like.”

  “I’m afraid we’re about done,” the woman said. “Maybe if you come by a little earlier next time.”

  She shared a toothy and not unpleasant grin.

  “Oh, all right then,” Bianca said, a little disappointed. “No problem.”

  The locals were afraid. Sometimes brigands or smugglers came down and stole their produce or worse. I had my guards make random sweeps across the areas where the locals farmed but the land was too broad to keep an eye on all the time.

  “You shouldn’t be disappointed,” I said to Bianca as we walked away. “They’re a little skittish around strangers, that’s all.”

  “It’s okay,” Bianca said. “I just thought it would be nice for Cleb to get to know some of the locals. Remind him the world is a big place. The galaxy too, for that matter.”

  She took Cleb’s hand and led him back toward the arjaths.

  I sighed. She really did want to help Cleb learn. Who was I to stand in her way?

  Oh, man. I’m going to hate this…

  I took off my hat and straightened up my suit and jacket. It was rumpled and a little stained from my earlier fall. The locals hadn’t turned around at my approach, so I cleared my throat and played nervously with the hat between my hands.

  It took a moment for the farmers to recognize me. The first one to do so was a middle-aged man with two missing front teeth.

  “Hey,” he said. “Hey, now. Wait a minute! You’re Mr. Traes! I never thought I’d ever get to meet you! Let me shake your hand, sir!”

  “Oh, thanks,” I said. “But there’s really no need—”

  He forcibly took my hand and slapped me on the back. Suddenly, another hand was there, and another friendly slap on the back. The women beamed at me and hugged me close.

  “I’m very sorry, your lordship,” the first woman said, doing her best to curtsy. “I didn’t know it was you, otherwise I would never have been so rude to you or your friend.”

  “Please,” I said. “I’m not a lord. Just call me Traes.”

  It didn’t matter what I said, they refused to go any less formal than Mr. Traes.

  They ushered me toward the crops they were growing.

  “Come see what we’ve grown!” they said. “Your soil is so dark and rich! It’s perfect for growing!”

  I pulled back.

  “If you want to show someone your crops, it should be my… friend,” I said, unable to think of another title for Bianca. I could think of plenty I wanted to call her but we weren’t at that stage in our relationship yet.

  I wrapped my arm around Bianca’s shoulders and placed a hand on Cleb’s head.

  “You said you grew up on a farm, Miss?” the woman said. “Then you’ll love what we’ve managed to grow on the good lord’s land…”

  Bianca shared a look with me as she melted into the crowd of locals. She held Cleb’s hand and encouraged him to talk with the local children, who seemed very happy to share their toys.

  She had a big impact on the locals, just as she had on my servants and Cleb. But nowhere did she have a bigger impact than on the heavy flutterings of my heart.

  The locals wouldn’t let us pick the fruit and vegetables they were growing or help plant new produce—they thought it was below our station for some reason—but they did show us the “special techniques” they used to grow rapidly. Most of it was foreign to me but Bianca looked in her element.

  I tried to imagine her on a farm somewhere and was surprised when I didn’t find it difficult. She wasn’t the girly type. I c
ould imagine her slipping on her gear and trudging out into muddy fields.

  The locals started a series of fires and placed cooking pots over them, and insisted we stay for a meal they cooked from scratch using their own freshly grown ingredients. They sent one boy back to their farm to collect some fresh meat. They couldn’t fail to miss the squeal Bianca emitted when they mentioned butchering one of the arjaths.

  We stayed until the sun began to set and the stars came out. Cleb played with the other children. After eating, they fell asleep, curled up in the dozing arjaths’ soft fur.

  “We should be getting back,” I said, getting to my feet. “We don’t want to leave too late.”

  It was already too late. But our hosts divided the men in two, and half returned with the families, and the others escorted us through the woods. I was grateful for their kindness.

  Once we reached the hard-packed earth of the path that wound through the last section of the forest, I knew my way. The men said goodbye and waved us off.

  Cleb was already pooped. Bianca held him steady in the thick fur of her arjath as we walked the remaining distance home.

  Home. It certainly felt that way with Bianca and Cleb living there with me.

  I led Cleb’s arjath by the reins. The arjaths’ feet made soft clip-clopping noises that would have sent me to sleep if I wasn’t so focused on Bianca. She kept smiling and glancing at me. How couldn’t I feel good with someone like her looking at me that way?

  “Thank you for letting the townspeople know who you were,” Bianca said. “I know it couldn’t have been easy for you to do that. Especially when you usually live like a hermit.”

  I laughed softly.

  “I saw how much you wanted to speak with them,” I said. “I just wanted you to be happy.”

  “I am happy,” she said. “So, how was your day without work?”

  She must have known how I would respond.

  “Terrible,” I said. “I imagine the whole company has collapsed and now I’m destitute.”

  “Would it matter if it had?” she said.

  I thought about it. I put a lot of time and effort into building the company. If I lost it… I realized I would get to enjoy building it all over again.

  “No,” I said, surprising myself.

  “Will you work tonight?” she said.

  I hadn’t thought about it. And that was another first. I hadn’t thought about work for the entire day. Even more surprising was realizing I didn’t want to.

  “I don’t think so,” I said. “Not today.”

  We pulled up in front of the house. Waev came out and collected Cleb, who lay drowsy and asleep in his arms.

  “Put him to bed without waking him,” Bianca said. “He’s too tired to do anything else.”

  Waev nodded and carried Cleb up the steps. I handed the reins of the arjaths to a pair of guards who would return them to the stables. I led Bianca up the stairs and into the house.

  It was quiet at that time of night. Entering the house like that, after being outside all day, I got to see it with fresh eyes. It was a beautiful building but it was also without life.

  A house did not make a home. The people inside it did.

  Bianca and I walked side by side in silence as we headed up the stairs. We shared a look and smiled at each other.

  I didn’t know what to say. Neither did she.

  And that was because there was nothing to say.

  I wanted to hold her, kiss her, taste, and feel her. Words were not enough.

  I wanted her. I made no bones about it. I wanted her more than I wanted anything my entire life. I was pretty sure she wanted me too.

  Would kissing her goodnight ruin the whole day?

  We reached her room. The walk felt very short, even with us dragging our feet to make it last longer.

  “Well, here we are,” I said.

  “Yep,” she said. “Here we are.”

  “I had a great day today,” I said.

  “I did too.”

  “If you’re planning on going somewhere with Cleb at some point, let me know,” I said. “I’ll try to make some space in my hectic schedule.”

  “Okay.”

  Another pause.

  This was it. I was going to kiss her. Right now.

  The moment came…

  And then it went.

  “I guess I should let you get some sleep,” I said.

  “I guess,” Bianca said.

  “Night.”

  “Night.”

  I turned to leave and immediately paused. I turned back to her.

  To hell with the moment passing.

  I stepped up to her and scooped her up in my arms. I pressed my lips against hers. She tasted even sweeter than I imagined. She made a soft sighing sound and bit her bottom lip. We went in for round two. This time I pressed my body against hers and let my hands roam.

  She didn’t stop me.

  I swelled in my pants and ground against her. The door did not yield and made her feel every last inch of pressure.

  Forceful, hungry.

  Desperate.

  Our lips parted but our bodies remained up close and personal.

  “Taking you into my room will probably ruin the day,” Bianca said, unable to take her eyes off mine.

  “Definitely,” I said. “I shouldn’t go anywhere near you. If I did, we would both regret it.”

  “Definitely.”

  She reached back and pressed the door handle down. I knocked the door open and shut it behind us. We kissed as I steered her toward the bed.

  Just a day ago, we argued and I never thought she would look at me as anything other than the monster she believed me to be. I’d dreamed of her that night, imagining her in my arms, and now here she was, in the flesh.

  What a difference a day could make.

  We stumbled into the coffee table and the vase at its center fell over. Water spilled across the tabletop and dribbled onto the floor.

  “Don’t worry about,” I said. “It’s just water.”

  But she couldn’t help herself, and quickly picked the vase up. Then plucked a bunch of tissues from the box and placed them on the puddle.

  “There,” she said. “Now I can relax.”

  We got back to making out, taking one slow step at a time toward the bed.

  “I think we should turn the lights on,” Bianca said.

  “Good idea,” I said. “I want to see you.”

  The lights nearly blinded us after the pitch blackness. We undressed each other one item at a time.

  I lifted her dress off over her head as she removed my jacket. I took her bag from her arm and dropped it on the floor as she grabbed the front of my shirt and tore it open. The buttons bounced off her voluptuous body.

  I took half a step back to admire her gorgeous curves. She crossed her arms, feeling a little self-conscious.

  “Don’t,” I said, holding her arms and opening them out wide. “You’re beautiful.”

  “You’re not so bad yourself,” she said and ran her hands over my toned physique. Suddenly, the hard work I’d put into my exercise regime paid off.

  I laid her down on the bed and tasted her lips, her cheeks, her chin. She made a cute giggling noise when I tickled her.

  I nibbled at the nape of her neck. She ran her hands through my hair and helped guide me down to her breasts. I took her nipples in my mouth and flicked them with my tongue. I rubbed and gently caressed her other breast with my fingers while my tongue worked the other one. I sucked the nipple into my mouth but her breast was too big for me.

  Then I worked down her toned stomach, tonguing her as I went.

  This was so much better than the dream I had the night before. She smelled better, looked better, and the feel of her skin against mine was unlike anything I could have imagined. Each touch drew a spark. We didn’t need the lights on. We made our own.

  I lowered my lips to her slit but I didn’t lick her yet. I kissed up her inner thigh and worked my way back dow
n. She shivered as I repeated the movement up her other leg.

  “Tease,” she whispered breathlessly.

  Then I went to work.

  She relaxed back and fisted my hair. I raised her hood and flicked at the tiny ball underneath. She groaned, her eyes shut, and pinched her breasts. Her hips bucked and rubbed against my face. I felt her grow wet against my lips. I slipped a finger inside her, gently coaxing her. Her legs wrapped around my head. She gasped and covered her mouth as I tore the orgasm from her.

  I slowed as her body relaxed. Then I increased the pace again, working her back up to full speed. I rubbed her quickly on the outside, making small circles that stimulated her further. She threw her head back as she came again.

  Then she sat up on her elbows and looked me in the eye. The look said everything. She wanted me. She wanted me right now.

  I considered working her over again, but from my position between her legs, splayed wide open, and her breasts, perfect and pert, and that devilish look in her eye…

  I couldn’t resist. I had to have her now.

  I rose onto my knees but she shook her head and slid to one side. She gently but firmly pushed me back onto the bed and climbed on top.

  “My turn,” she said.

  This was it. A reconstruction of the moment that pushed me over the edge yesterday into sweet oblivion, stemming from that moment that turned me on while we were having our argument about Cleb.

  She took charge.

  And I loved it.

  She straddled me and left dabs of wetness on my chest. She moved down my body, writhing like she was riding a sand serpent until she felt my cock against her ass, throbbing, yearning.

  “Do you want me to ride you?” she said sweetly.

  I nodded.

  “I can’t hear you,” she said, stroking me with her hand.

  I was an amateur teaser. She was the queen.

  My queen.

  “Yes,” I said hoarsely.

  “What?”

  “Yes. I want you to ride me.”