Demanded by the Alien

by Sabrina Kade

  I shiver. He would give up so much. Would I be willing to do the same for Layla? It was so easy earlier because sometimes, deep down, in the latest parts of the night, I worried she wouldn’t Choose me. But now, with the chance of having her at last, am I ready to give up everything I’ve ever known from the fatherland?

  Azan hisses softly under his breath, bringing my attention back to him. “I see that I have given you much to think about. We should head back before the air grows too chilly for easy travel.”

  I nod wordlessly, mind still churning with Azan’s words.

  Giving up everything and creating a family. With Layla.

  Never. Going. Home.

  I know what I want, but one matter still plagues me, and I clasp Azan tightly around the shoulder before he pulls too far ahead of me.

  “Brother?” I ask.

  “Yes?”

  “What is a bay-bee?”

  He bursts out into laughter, not even muffled by his mask.

  ***

  I take in a trembling breath a few passings later, staring into empty space. Azan is beside me, but I can tell he is antsy to return to his mate. But he wants to support me. Prince Korben mentioned that if he’s going to allow me to go near Layla again, he wants to speak to me personally. I hate how nervous I am at the idea of being in that little space with him. Prince Korben was always more of an entity, not someone I could actually see and touch. That is why my brother is not nervous. He has worked with him long enough that he is not easily intimidated. Prince Korben asks my brother to call him Korben and drop the prince! What an irrational idea. I would never be comfortable enough with Prince Korben to do so.

  “Is there anything you think I should say? Anything you think would appeal to him?” I take in another shaky breath. I have been preparing for days. I thought hard about what I wanted.

  Layla.

  I thought about how much I would give up being with her and raise a family.

  Everything.

  And then I consider what I’d lose being with her.

  Nothing.

  Coming to this conclusion was easier than expected, but that’s only the first part of the equation. Now, I have to convince Prince Korben that all these things are true and receive permission to approach her. I am so excited to see Layla’s soft face once again, but if I cannot show Prince Korben that I am a true believer, he will not allow me the opportunity to take her as a mate officially.

  I try to fight past that wave of annoyance that says she has already said I am her mate. Focusing on the past will do nothing to improve my future. And my future involves Layla. I must swallow my pride and face the facts that if I want Layla, I am going to have to prove to Prince Korben that I deserve her.

  Hujun removes the curtain from the inside and fixes me with an annoyed look. I’ve never been a favorite of Hujun, but that is merely another fact I must not focus on.

  “He’s ready for you,” he rumbles, flicking his attention up toward Azan and then at me. “Just you.”

  Azan holds up his hands. “Not staying. Only providing support for my little brother.” He claps me once the back. “Speak from your heart, Dolan. You will be fine. Prince Korben has already been made aware of our conversation near the dilewiler territory. He wants to hear the words from you.”

  I shakily nod as Hujun lumbers past. “I should check on Ellis.”

  “Still sick?” Azan asks.

  “Another day scrubbing floors.” He says nothing else before rounding a corner, and Azan spins away from me to catch up with him.

  “You will be fine,” he calls over his shoulder.

  Once he’s gone, I’m patting on the wall right outside Prince Korben’s private lair. He says for me to come in, and I’m relieved when I discover that his full-chested mate isn’t there. She is attractive enough for a human, but ugly compared to my Layla. I wouldn’t want to say anything that would hurt my chances of claiming my mate. This conversation needs to go perfectly.

  Otherwise, I am afraid of what I will do to keep Layla by my side.

  Shockingly, Prince Korben is seated on the floor with legs crossed when I enter the lair. He glances up, offers an unreadable smile and brandishes around the space in front of him. I fight the urge to slam my palm against my chest as a gesture of servitude, instead taking a seat across from him in the same position. Prince Korben doesn’t say anything at first, and I all but squirm, cloaked in the silence. He’s waiting to see if I’ll contain myself. I don’t want to speak first, but the silence prickles up and down my spine.

  I must wait for Prince Korben to speak.

  At last, his voice fills the tiny room.

  “Azan tells me that you and he had a conversation about the female Layla.” He says her name so perfectly my heart aches. I thought I was the only one who could say her name so perfectly. Prince Korben’s mate probably taught him the proper way to say all the female’s names. It would only make sense since he is in charge. I sit up straighter, respecting this fact as he continues. “Now, you must not be upset to hear this, Dolan, but your past encounters with Layla have not been reported for being positive. Do you respect my concerns?”

  “Yes, Prince Korben.”

  “Korben, please.”

  I shake my head hard. “No. I will not call you that. You are my prince.”

  “We are no longer on the fatherland.”

  “Your ideals carry weight here. On Hethdiss, you are my prince.”

  Prince Korben falls momentarily silent at this declaration. I want to believe it’s a good sign. Perhaps, I will not have to say much for him to understand how much I have changed. How much I want Layla. How much I now respect females. Human females. One human female in particular. I try to pay attention and not think about Layla’s thighs and ample bottom when Prince Korben continues his story, or rather, his earlier issues with me. The statements I have made. The things I have done. My weaknesses.

  And though I want to argue, I am happy when the story shifts in a different direction.

  “The one named Layla means a lot to you, Dolan. Azan has expressed this to me many times. My concern is that you will slip up again. I want Hethdiss to be a place where females are safe, Dolan. I want to believe you are aligned with my ideals. Do you believe you are?”

  I nod. “There is nothing I want more than for Layla to feel safe and happy, Prince Korben. What I said when we returned from the waterfalls, was not appropriate. If I truly felt the need to say it, it should have been said in private, not in front of my brothers. Layla is not my property. I should have never made her feel that she is not allowed to speak with unmated males… no matter how much it bothers me. I was also foolish to say she is lucky to have me when, in fact, I am the lucky one. The luckier one. The luckiest one of all if she takes me back.”

  “Takes you back?” Prince Korben arches an eyebrow, and when he sees my bewildered expression, he almost chuckles. It’s odd to see one of the top leaders from the fatherland laugh, but of course, I don’t mention this. I’m trying desperately to stay on his good side. “Has Layla passed a message to you that she does not wish to be your mate any longer?”

  I frown. “Well, no. Was a message supposed to be passed?” My heart twinges at the idea, but I should be prepared for this. If she’s rejected me again, I will win her over again. I remain confident that I can be a good mate for her.

  Prince Korben shakes his head. “No. I was wondering if you knew something that I did not. Layla has mentioned to the others that she is willing to hear what you have to say.” He almost chuckles again. “I must say, she has found this whole thing blown quite out of proportion.”

  Finally. At least someone agrees with me on that.

  “But really,” Prince Korben continues, “when it comes to ideals, I must be careful not to come across as too lenient. We cannot risk another dividing. Iriel alone is driving me crazy…” he trails off with a delicate clearing of his throat, and it’s obvious that he’s said too much. Luckily, this puts me at a slight a
dvantage. “As it is, Layla wants to speak to you. And I hope I am not making a wrong decision by saying that you may speak to her again. Exer and his female have already been made known of this. They will not give you any trouble if you try to approach her.”

  I dare to smile. I’m cautious, though. I don’t want to appear too eager.

  “Please understand, Dolan. I did not keep Layla away from you because I sought to be cruel.”

  “I know this, Prince Korben.”

  “Yes,” he says with another strangled sound that can only be described as laughter, “I suppose you do. So, you do wish Layla to Choose you then? And yes, you say that she already has, but this will become public information. You Choose her?”

  “Yes.”

  “She Chooses you?”

  “Yes.”

  “You are aware that human females cannot squeeze us, yes?”

  “I am aware.” I laugh at the idea of Layla squeezing me, but then the image shifts into something a bit too erotic as the Layla in my fantasy slides down closer to my cock. I clear the clouds of my excitement and try to focus. “I care about her. I do not care how I must claim her, but—”

  “Wait,” Prince Korben interrupts. “You have not claimed her? Not claimed her body?”

  “She has sucked upon my cock, but—”

  “But you have not given her your seed. She is not carrying a bay-bee?”

  I am ashamed. “I have not. She is not. The time has not been right.”

  Prince Korben hums. I can’t help but worry that he’s going to change his mind. Perhaps he thought of only letting me approach her again because she’s already carrying my sprog. Maybe now Prince Korben will say that any male can try to get her to Choose them. Perhaps—

  “I am impressed, Dolan.”

  I freeze, blinking several times. I think I hiss in surprise. “Impressed?”

  He nods. “Yes. I did not know that you did not pleasure the human female. I thought that was something you would have done right away to claim her. But you waited. Is this because the human was not ready?”

  I nod. “She was not.”

  “And you listened.”

  “Of course! I am not going to steal pleasure from her!” The idea of forcing myself on Layla brings bile to my throat. “When I pleasure Layla, it will be because she wants pleasure from me. Otherwise, I do not view the time as right, Prince Korben.”

  He nods, silent.

  Prince Korben is impressed. With me. For waiting. For believing in him. For following his beliefs. I am humbled and beyond excited, and I dare to stand.

  “So, does this mean… I may speak to her again?”

  He nods. “Yes. Exer and the female will not stop you.”

  This time I can’t resist. I slap my chest heavily with an open palm as a sign of my gratitude and humbled nature. “Thank you, Prince Korben. Thank you.”

  “Thank you, Dolan.”

  My eyes widen. “For?”

  “For understanding, at last, why we are here.”

  My nostrils flare at his kind words. They are simple and should not strike me so deeply, but I cannot help it. This male is still my prince. He is my brother’s employer. He’s the one who looked past my brother’s mask. Coming here today, I thought there would be more of a fight. I thought Prince Korben would never forgive me.

  But I can still claim Layla. She has already claimed me, and now I can make it official. Not only do I know this, but Prince Korben has accepted it as well. And therefore, he has accepted me. As I prepare to seek out Layla, a concern still weighs heavily on my mind. A concern that if I should be so lucky will be a concern of mine as well.

  “Your female will give birth soon, yes?”

  Prince Korben’s eyes widen. “Say again?”

  “Your Chosen. She is with sprog. The time for he or she to be born is close. Are you nervous for her?”

  He frowns, and for a moment, I wonder if I’ve overstepped a line. It probably isn’t appropriate to ask a prince about his offspring, but I am so curious that I can’t hold my tongue. I believe Prince Korben will speak truthfully. My brother Azan wants everything to be so perfect, and while his mate appears healthy enough, I can’t imagine that it is easy for any female to carry a sprog in their womb. And there is next to no information about humans and their offspring. I am sure Prince Korben is excited, but my knees grow weak at the idea of anything happening to Layla.

  “Is she going to be okay?” I try again. “I am sorry if this question offends you. Please, send me away if—”

  “I am worried,” Prince Korben speaks over me, mulling over the rest of his response. I’m expecting Hujun to rush in and tell me to mind my own business, but the room is silent except for the soft, contemplative breathing of my prince. “Blythe, while durable in some ways, is not comfortable carrying young. Azan’s mate is almost as full as she is, and yet, she moves and walks and laughs and provides pleasure. The same cannot be said of Blythe. This entire process has left her weakened and tired. I worry that perhaps the mix of human and Sidyth is not as compatible as we initially thought. Or perhaps…”

  “Your female is weak?”

  He hisses, and I immediately apologize.

  “She is not weak,” he continues in a low, menacing tone. “Pregnancy is not for all females. On the fatherland, we had females who did not enjoy the process. Once the sprog is born, she will return to herself again.”

  “And if she does not?”

  I’m treading into dangerous waters, but luckily, Prince Korben allows me to. He sighs deeply. “Then I suppose I will have to deal with that if the situation presents itself.”

  “I apologize if I spoke out of turn.”

  “You may go now, Dolan. Find your Chosen. Claim her. Tonight. Tomorrow. Many passings from now. The bloody-haired one and Exer will no longer interfere with your advances.”

  I flatten my palm against my chest again, but right as I’m about to push the curtain aside with my free hand, Prince Korben speaks.

  “I am happy for you, Dolan, but know this. If she rejects you again, then I must strongly advise that you pursue her no longer.”

  I grip the fabric more tightly. “She will not reject me. My words were inappropriate, but Layla will forgive me.”

  “Females are not simple, Dolan. I advise you not to let your arrogance take front and center once again.”

  “I’m not.” I almost hiss, but I lock my lips together. I don’t want to mess this up. I am so close to having Layla once again. “I will apologize, Prince Korben. She will see that it is I who is the lucky one.”

  I expect him to beam at my words, but there is only silence at my back. His reaction stings, but I cannot bring myself to face him. I flee from his lair, happy to suck in a breath of cold, damp air for once. It stings but allows me to focus on something other than Prince Korben’s reaction to my leaving.

  I will not be broken.

  Layla is mine. And I am happy to have her.

  ***

  When I locate Layla in the Gathering Room, my heart thuds heavily against my chest. She is stunning, despite being surrounded by the bloody-haired female and Exer. There are a few others in the room, but they are faceless females and my brothers who enjoy their scent. I do not care if others see me. There is a nervousness in the room when I approach, and the bloody-haired female is the first to stand.

  “Don’t waste any time, do you?”

  Exer clasps her shoulder. “He has permission, See-Loan. Do not intervene.”

  “I’m not intervening,” Sloane snaps, “but that doesn’t mean I’m cool with it. Maybe Layla’s not cool with it either.” She points a short-clawed finger at me. “I heard what you said about Layla, Dolan. She took care of you when you were sick, and that’s how you thank her?” I grimace but allow the female to work through her anger.

  Though I cannot help that my anger rises as well. Scales splay from my neck, but if Sloane notices, she is not afraid.

  “I was always on your side; I just wanted y
ou to know that. I thought you’d be good for Layla, but if you’re going to say she’s lucky to have you, leave her alone. She doesn’t need more negativity in her life.”

  “See-Loan,” Exer tries again.

  “Can I say something?” My sweet Chosen’s voice pierces the air, and Sloane and Exer part so I have a clear view of Layla. She looks tired on this day. Her cheeks less full and her shoulders more hunched. She reminds me of myself when we were in the northern regions and seeing her in this state; I must fight the urge to sweep her into my arms, kiss her and tend to her in whatever way she pleases. I must be careful. Prince Korben says she cannot reject me again.

  I have Chosen her. She has Chosen me. But I still must claim her. I must make her mine.

  “Speak,” I say to Layla.

  Sloane snarls. “Don’t talk to her like that.”

  “I cannot ask my mate to speak when she has something to say?” I hiss.

  “Not like that!” she squeals.

  I start to advance, but Exer moves ahead, grabbing the bloody-haired one. “Calm yourself, brother,” he says in that overly detached voice of his. “Prince Korben said we could not stop you if you wanted to speak to Lay-lah, but you must keep your temper.”

  “She is my mate. I am not angry with her.”

  “You’re mad at me, huh?” Sloane snaps.

  “Perhaps, I am.”

  “Fuck off.”

  “Sloane!” Layla gasps, rushing toward the three of us. I expect her to come to me, but she grabs her friend and shakes her shoulders. “Come on. What’s gotten into you? You never curse.”