Her Alien Warrior Prince Page 12

  “I'd love to see those mines someday. I'll bet they're beautiful, with all those clusters of magic jewels.”

  I smirked. “I can promise you, the reality of the mines is far less engrossing than what you might imagine. They're dark, dirty, dangerous places, filled with loud equipment for burrowing and processing the gems.”

  Carly pursed her lips. “In that case, I guess I'll skip it. If they're such nasty places to work, why would anyone want to? I mean, it can't just be that they need the money… you said poverty isn't really a thing on this planet.”

  “Miners, even low-level ones, are given great respect and deference in our society,” I explained. “They are honored almost as highly as our warriors, due to their willingness to endanger themselves for the benefit of our economy.” I paused, then added stiffly, “I am sorry that we quarreled earlier. My behavior was… inappropriate, under the circumstances. I've been under a tremendous amount of pressure of late, and it's put a strain on my temper. Which is, admittedly, a bit volatile to begin with.”

  “My, what a charming apology,” Carly said with a grin. “That can't have been easy for you.”

  I chuckled. “No, I suppose not. In fairness, as Blood Ruler, I'm not often required to make apologies.”

  “Well, you're forgiven,” Carly chirped, leaning forward to give me a kiss on the forehead. “And for the record, Akzun, you don't have any reason to be jealous where I'm concerned. You're the only Space Dracula for me.”

  I let out a hearty laugh. “I'm delighted to hear it. You seemed… quite friendly with Lun when I saw you together.”

  “Yeah, Lun's a cool guy. Funny, too. Mostly, I was just happy to be around flying machines again, you know? I miss it a lot. Getting up to my elbows in hot metal and grease, tinkering around, getting them in the air again. Hell, I missed it even before I got beamed up by a UFO.”

  I frowned. “You helped build space-faring vessels on Earth?”

  “No, I came from the lower classes.” She sighed. “We weren't allowed to get the kind of education it would have taken to learn how to work on spaceships. I was an airplane mechanic. Do you know what airplanes are?”

  “Certainly. Primitive vehicles fueled by combustible chemicals, which are used for air travel despite being limited to your planet's lower atmosphere.”

  Carly nodded. “That about sums it up, I guess. I always saw them as more than that, though. To me, there was a certain beauty, a poetry to them.”

  “Really? How so?”

  She thought it over for a moment. “A lot of reasons. Part of it was the joy, the anticipation, the adventure of traveling to another place. I was too poor to ever do that myself, but it was nice to know that my small contribution could help make it happen for other people. It felt like a gift I could give to the world, something that made me special.”

  “Based on our interactions – and the loveliness of your countenance – I find it extremely difficult to believe you've ever had any trouble feeling special.”

  Carly giggled. “Yeah? Well, if you really think so, you should visit Earth more often. On second thought, no, you probably shouldn't… they've seen too many monster movies there, they'd probably come after you with torches and pitchforks.”

  I touched her newly healed arm gently. “I don't always understand the precise meaning of the things you say, Carly, but I enjoy the way you say them.”

  “Why, Blood Ruler, keep this up and I'll start to believe you're trying to seduce me,” she said with a flirtatious wink.

  Not wanting to give in to her baiting, but finding that I wanted to learn more about her, I asked, “Did you… always want to work on air-planes?”

  “Yeah, I suppose I did. My dad used to raise pigeons on the roof, and I loved the way they flew through the air. When I was a kid, I'd stay up there, watching them for hours. Wishing I could fly like they did.” She paused, then said, “Like you do, ha. One time when I was six, I made a pair of wings for myself out of cardboard, with lots of paper feathers glued to them. I stood out in the front yard, flapping my arms, frustrated, wondering why it wasn't working. My dad laughed, then took me up to the pigeon coops to give me a closer look at the shape of their wings.”

  I grinned. “And what did you discover?”

  “He explained how it wasn't just flapping that allowed them to soar like that. That it was something called the Bernoulli equation: Basically, an increase in velocity leads to a decrease in pressure, so the resulting liftoff is proportional to dynamic pressure and wing area.” She laughed. “Now that I think about it, based on the lesson it's a good thing I didn't make a second attempt by jumping off the roof.”

  “Still, your understanding of such concepts at a young age must have been quite impressive,” I pointed out. “Had you received an opportunity to continue your studies at a higher level, you might have been a member of the ruling classes, designing propulsion drives for long-range space flight.”

  “Right. Then I could've been one of the assholes responsible for selling people like me to people like you, right?” she said slyly.

  “As I said before, I have a duty to my people and my planet's economy. I have done what I can to effect reforms, and yes, I regret that I am forced to participate in a system that reduces capable women like you to helpless victims and livestock…”

  “Relax, Akzun, I'm just yanking your chain a little. I may not love it, but I certainly understand it. It's hard to change the way things are, even for a Blood Ruler.”

  “I am pleased that you comprehend my dilemma.”

  “No problem. Anyway,” she went on, “sometimes I'd look up at the planes flying overhead, and I'd wonder how the hell those big metal tubes could ever get off the ground. When I learned that they worked on the same principle as the pigeons’ wings, I decided I wanted to find out everything I could about them. So I became an airplane mechanic. Until I lost my job.”

  “How did that happen? Surely, with a mind such as yours, you performed your duties admirably.”

  “Damn right I did.” There was an edge to her voice.

  “Then why…?”

  “My supervisor didn't care how well I did my work. He just wanted to treat me like I was his personal plaything.”

  “Yes, I can see how that would be a problem, given how strong-willed you are,” I said with a chuckle. “What did you do to put off his advances?”

  “I told him to fuck off, and when he didn't get the message, I kicked him in the balls.”

  I burst out laughing. “In that case, I suppose I owe you a great debt of gratitude for not giving me the same treatment.”

  “Well, it didn't hurt that you're a lot more handsome than he was,” she answered with a grin. “Besides, just before we met, it was explained to me that not all species carry their genitals in the same place, so there was no guarantee it'd be as effective in your case.”

  “I see. And now that you're confident in the location of my… ‘balls,’ as you call them?”

  She made a great show of thinking it over. “I'm not particularly inclined to kick them. Not yet, anyway. As long as you stay in line.”

  I bowed. “Your forbearance is greatly appreciated.”

  “You're welcome.” She yawned. “Ugh, it feels like I haven't really rested at all since I first got here. Do you think the servants are done cleaning up the blood in my chamber yet?”

  “I am not sure. However,” I added, “I would like you to sleep in here with me tonight, so that I can watch over you.”

  I had no intention of letting her out of my sight. Not just because I wished to protect her, or because of the bloodlust that coursed through my veins, or even because she was my fated mate. The truth was, the more time I spent with her… the harder it was for me to be apart from her.

  She slipped under the sheets, and then shed her trousers, tossed them on the floor, and curled up next to me, nodding. “Thanks. I'd like that…”

  Then her voice trailed off, and she was asleep, her comforting warmth pressing ag
ainst my side.

  15

  Carly

  I have no idea how long I was conked out, but my sleep was deep and dreamless, and I woke up feeling incredibly refreshed. There were a few pale rays of purplish sunlight shining through the window – the first ones I'd seen since coming to Valkred.

  I yawned and stretched, rolling over to find Akzun looking at me. There was amusement and tenderness in his intense eyes… and desire, too.

  He reached out to stroke my cheek with his cold fingers. “Good morning. Are you rested?”

  “Yes, very. Thank you.” I giggled.

  He tilted his head to the side curiously. “Why do you laugh?”

  I shook my head. “Whether you're on Earth or in a galaxy far, far away, there's one absolute constant to the universe, it seems.”

  “Oh? What is that?”

  “When you wake up to find a guy looking at you the way you're looking at me right now,” I explained, climbing on top of him and straddling him playfully, “you can bet there's only one thing on his mind.”

  I leaned down, kissing him passionately. His tongue sought mine out eagerly, and he put his hands on my hips, stroking my thighs and buttocks. God, his touch was amazing. Once he got started, I couldn't get enough of it.

  “Do you wish to open your mind to me again?”

  I thought about it, and then shook my head, remembering the mixed messages and unpleasant aftermath of our last lovemaking session. “Let's keep things physical this time, okay? Less complicated that way.”

  He nodded, but seemed vaguely disappointed. “Very well. If that is what you prefer.”

  “Hey, don't worry,” I said, planting a kiss on the tip of his nose. “There's plenty of other things I'm willing to open to you.”

  Akzun smiled, and it occurred to me how few times I'd seen that expression on him since meeting him. It seemed to light up his handsome features, making him less intimidating, more approachable and relatable. Come to think of it, that's probably why he doesn't do it much.

  I felt his hard cock between my legs, and it made my pussy wetter than it had ever been before. The first time had been… well, the first time. I hadn't known what to expect from sex with an alien – one who'd bought me as a slave, at that. I hadn't known whether I'd like the experience, whether I'd even be physically capable of enjoying it, given the differences in our anatomies. Fear had tainted the build-up, even though I hadn't fully acknowledged that to myself at the time.

  This time, though, I knew what I was in for, and I couldn't wait.

  I shucked off my shirt, threw it aside, then rubbed my pelvis against his, relishing the deep, throaty moan it elicited from him. His entire body was quivering – I could feel how much he wanted me, his desire coming off him in thick, sultry waves, like the heat of a fever.

  I put my hands behind my head. The gesture lifted my breasts slightly, and I liked the way his eyes focused on them hungrily.

  “Do you want me, Akzun?” I teased.

  “Yes.” His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.

  I went up on my knees, keeping my crotch tantalizingly out of reach from his. “Tell me how much.”

  He took a deep breath, lifting his hips, desperately trying to push against me again. “More than I've ever wanted anyone, Carly. More than I've ever wanted anything in my life.”

  “Good.” I lowered myself again, and oh, he was throbbing so hard! I could practically take his pulse just from the feel of his cock against my thigh. “Then I'm yours.”

  We were rubbing against each other so hard that my juices were almost churning into a lather. He reached up, crossing his powerful arms behind my back and pulling me down so we were face-to-face – just as, with the same motion, he plunged inside of me.

  “Oh, my God,” I breathed out slowly, loving the way his shaft felt between the lips of my pussy – the way he filled me up relentlessly, deeper and deeper, until he felt like a hard, thick, beautiful icicle piercing all the way to my core.

  He cradled my face in his cold hands, staring into my eyes, through them, into my heart. Our bodies rocked together, back and forth, his thrusts steadily becoming more insistent.

  “Are you truly mine, Carly?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then say it again,” he demanded.

  I opened my mouth, but at first, nothing would come out except a lusty sigh. It was as though my thoughts were radio signals, and his intensity was scrambling them before I could manage to shape them into anything coherent.

  Suddenly, he stopped thrusting, holding my face more tightly. “Tell me,” he growled through clenched teeth, “or I'll stop.”

  Then the words came tumbling from my lips. “I'm yours, Akzun, oh God, baby, I'm yours, I'm so fucking yours. Please, please, don't stop…”

  He grinned, plunging himself inside me again. “Good. Don't ever forget that you're mine.”

  “I won't, baby, I promise…”

  His palms were pressed against my back so hard I was sure they'd leave bruises there, but I didn't care. I wanted him to hold me as tightly as he could. I wanted to feel his need for me, to be locked in this embrace with him forever. His skin was blissfully chilly against mine, brisk and refreshing, quenching my bottomless thirst for him.

  Our hearts were quickening, their rhythms thrumming together until it felt like they were beating as one. I was so close, ready to go over the edge – and I could feel that he was, too.

  “Come for me,” I begged. “Please, I need to feel you.”

  His back arched sharply and he climaxed, a cool gush to put out the fire raging through me. I shook and spasmed, screamed and slammed against him, my orgasm blossoming up my spine and into my brain like a series of explosions.

  Then we were side by side on the sheets, holding each other and nuzzling happily.

  “Hey, it's daytime,” I pointed out. “Aren't you going to shrivel up or burst into flames in the sun or something? Do you need to, like, go sleep in a coffin in the dungeons or something?”

  He laughed. “I don't make a habit of sleeping down there, no. And it seems as though you keep forgetting that the stories of so-called vampires on your world have little to do with the realities of my race.”

  “Still, it makes me wonder,” I mused. “How long have the Valkred been visiting Earth? Stealing blood slaves, all that?”

  Akzun gave it some thought. “We've only started formally visiting your world relatively recently – within the past hundred years or so. On the other hand, the practice of periodically abducting human blood slaves goes back almost as far as the earliest recorded history of our Modern Age. Given the voyages of our first deep-space explorers, I suppose it's entirely possible that we first came upon your planet… oh, several thousand years ago, perhaps.”

  “See, that would make sense,” I continued, “because it'd probably explain how vampire legends first started on Earth, and why every culture has them, in one form or another. So tell me, when was The Tale of Cyrus and Skorpona written?”

  He blinked at me, surprised. “I assume Zark provided you with that particular book, to help you pass the time while I was away?”

  I nodded.

  “Ha. That was rather clever of him. It was a favorite of mine when I was a small child. And no doubt you recognized certain… parallels, between that story and our situation?”

  “Kind of hard not to, right?”

  “He probably meant it as a form of encouragement for you, in his own strange way. Not to mention a joke on me. Just because something has been written in a work of fiction, though, doesn't mean it's not still taboo in real life,” he pointed out.

  “True. But at least it means it's not unheard of, either. So, what shall we do today? No, wait… I guess I'm probably on my own again for a while, right? You've got war stuff to deal with.”

  “Torqa and Zark are trying to find the traitors in our midst before M'ruvev's deadline elapses. Likewise, I am currently waiting for my own inquiries in this matter to bear fruit. Until
they do, there's nothing I can do personally at this point, so I believe I shall spend my time with you instead, if you would find that agreeable. Or would you prefer to browse other novels by the same author? I do not think they would be to your taste… the story of Cyrus and Skorpona was the only work of hers that was not a tragedy.”

  “Hmm. Yeah, no, not in the mood for tragedies today,” I said with a giggle. “I'd love to spend the day with you. What did you have in mind? Besides the obvious, of course.” I bumped my hips against his side a few times suggestively.

  Akzun stroked my hair, brushing a strand of it from my face. “You've spoken of your love for flying machines. Would you care to pilot my ship?”

  My eyes widened. “That would be awesome! I didn't get to spend too much time crawling around in your shuttle, but the controls seemed relatively simple. I'm pretty sure I could –”

  “No, no, not the shuttle,” he said with a grin. “My ship. The Angel's Wrath.”

  I couldn't believe it. “Wow. I mean… wow. You'd really trust me to do that?”

  “Not without my supervision, of course.” He chuckled. “We wouldn't want you accidentally bombing the capitol city. Or choosing the wrong setting on the propulsion drive and finding yourself in Mana territory, or stranded at the galactic rim. But yes, Carly, I would trust you with my ship. In many ways, I've already trusted you with far more than that.”

  “Then let's do it!” I hopped out of bed, grabbing my clothes and pulling them on. “I can't wait!”

  “Can't wait for what, human?” an all-too-familiar voice asked coldly.

  I turned and saw Torqa standing in the doorway with a sour expression.

  “Certainly, you can't seriously believe that Akzun intends to allow you to pilot the flagship of the Valkred fleet,” she went on, sauntering in and circling the bed slowly. “What a foolish notion. He was joking, naturally. He would never grant you access to that vessel's secure databanks or weapons systems. No, he was amusing himself at your expense, surely.”