The Arcav Prince's Captive

by Hope Hart

  As they should.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Eve

  Other than the time Cheryl tried to blow us all up, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Varian this angry. Sure, I’m not his mate, but the thought that this attack could have been on Harlow while she’s pregnant with his child?

  Honestly, I’m surprised the Fecax are still breathing.

  His body is shaking with rage as he hauls me toward our ship. We landed at a private dock close to the palace, and I’ve never been happier to see an Arcav ship in my life.

  “I’m perfectly capable of walking, you know,” I tell him quietly.

  “The Fecax would expect me to carry you. Besides, if I put you down, Korva will just pick you up instead.”

  Jaret walks out, face stone as he sees me lying in Varian’s arms. He takes in the situation with a glance and glares at where the Fecax are following us from a distance.

  “Perhaps the Crown Prince could take our Queen to our healer,” Jaret says.

  Varian nods and then leans down, muttering in my ear.

  “Get to the healer before Harlow learns of this.”

  I nod and he transfers me to Korva’s arms. As soon as we’re out of sight and on the ship, I push against his hard chest.

  “I can walk now.”

  He ignores me, and I poke him in the jaw. His eyes are wild when he looks down at me and I sigh. No one’s home in Korva-land.

  He takes me straight to the medi-center, ignoring the gasps as he carries me down the corridor.

  “Fix her. Now.”

  I smile at Brin, who has had the misfortune of coming along for this trip.

  “I apologize for the oversized toddler currently hauling me around like luggage. Listen, your magic wand thingy will knock me out, and I’ve got shit to do. Is there something else you can do for me instead? Maybe just a few stitches?”

  Brin looks down his nose at me. “Do I tell you how to do your job?”

  “It was just a question,” I mutter as Korva places me on the small bed. I roll onto my stomach, at least I try to, but the bump makes it impossible.

  “You will need to take your dress off.”

  “Uh… I can’t.” There’s no way I’m showing Korva my bands right now.

  “Why not?”

  “I’m shy.”

  Brin turns to Korva. “You need to leave.”

  Korva lets out a long growl and sits me back up. He cuts open the back of my dress with his claw and pulls it apart.

  Brin tuts.

  “It’s not that bad,” I say. “I guess I should thank you for saving my life,” I mutter to Korva, who strokes a hand through my hair.

  “So… stitches?”

  Brin sniffs. “We do not sew skin with thread. What type of barbarian do you take me for?”

  I sigh. Brin reaches for his wand and I suck in a breath as he runs it over my wound a few times. The feeling of my skin knitting back together always makes me want to puke, and I swallow down bile as he finally nods and steps away.

  “It was not deep. You will have some bruising—”

  “And tenderness, yada yada. Got it, doc. Thanks for the patch-up.”

  I hop off the bed, head whirling. I’m definitely going to crash soon, but I need to see Harlow first.

  Korva follows me out, and then spins, pressing me against the wall.

  “I thought I was going to lose you,” he says, burying his head in my neck.

  “You didn’t. And also, I’m not yours to lose.” The thought makes me sigh, and I relax against him for a moment, taking a second to enjoy the feeling of his hard body against mine.

  “Thank you for what you did back there though.”

  Korva ignores that, nestling closer to me, and I frown a I realize he’s rubbing his horns gently against my skin. I freeze, unwilling to jerk away in case he accidentally stabs me with them. Arcav horns are wickedly sharp.

  “Um. What are you doing?”

  He swaps sides, and goosebumps break out along my arms as he scrapes along a particularly sensitive part of my neck.

  “You smell like my brother.”

  “You’re scent-marking me? What a dick!”

  I push him away, and he glares down at me before leaning down and taking my mouth. His kiss is desperate, his lips firm and warm, and for a tiny moment, I allow myself to relax against him, kissing him back.

  “Ahem.”

  I push against Korva’s chest, ignoring his snarl. Amanda’s watching us with amused eyes.

  “I heard what happened and wanted to see if you were okay. From where I’m standing, you’re more than okay.” She winks at me and I groan.

  “Has Harlow heard?”

  “Nah, but she will soon. Maybe you should come and break it to her yourself.”

  I nod, finally wiggling out of Korva’s arms. I’m an idiot. I’m never going to get over this guy if I have to see him every damn day.

  “I will see you soon,” he tells me ominously, and I narrow my eyes at him.

  “I don’t think so.”

  He simply smiles, and there’s something about the predatory look in his eyes that I really don’t like. I sniff and follow Amanda back to Harlow and Varian’s quarters.

  “Please, tell me someone has wine nearby,” I say as I walk in. “And for the love of God, can someone please get this giant diamond off my head.”

  “Heavy is the head that wears the crown,” Harlow grins at me, relief obvious on her face.

  Amanda puts a glass in my hand while Minerva gets to work untangling my hair from the crown.

  “You’re a saint,” I tell her and she smiles at me.

  Minerva gestures for me to turn my head and Harlow lets out an ear-piercing shriek.

  “What the fuck happened to you?”

  I meet Amanda’s eyes. “She saw the back of my dress, didn’t she?”

  She nods, grinning.

  “We had a slight hiccup.”

  “A hiccup?” Harlow’s eyes fill with tears. “You’ve got blood all over the back of that dress. Were you stabbed?”

  “There may have been a knife involved, but there was no stabbing.” I explain what happened, finally sipping my wine as I slump on the sofa and put my feet up.

  “Jesus, how many weapons are you carrying?”

  Amanda’s mouth drops open as the slit in my dress reveals both my thigh and ankle holsters.

  “Not as many as I’d like, believe me.”

  Varian walks in and takes one look at Harlow, who still has tears in her eyes as she rubs her belly. Her face is pale, and she looks drawn and exhausted.

  “We,” Varian says lowly, “are going home.”

  Eve

  I wake to a hand clamping over my mouth. I erupt into motion, my fist swinging, but the figure jerks their head back.

  “Time to go, my little captive.”

  Korva?

  “I’ll kill you!”

  My words are muffled against his hand but he probably gets the gist, because his eyes are hard as he moves his face closer, capturing my hands in his other wrist.

  “It’s a good thing you sleep so deeply after a healing. I had no desire to feel one of your knives in my throat.”

  He moves his hand from my mouth, and I haul in a breath to scream, but before I can even get enough air, he’s slapping his hand back over my mouth.

  “Uh-uh,” he says. “I had to make many arrangements for this opportunity. One of them includes spending time in my brother’s presence. So, trust me when I say that screaming won’t help you. Instead, maybe you should begin admitting how you feel about me, my stubborn little prisoner.”

  The man has completely lost his mind.

  He ties my wrists, and I shriek in outrage. Korva wouldn’t ever hurt me, but I’m suddenly completely helpless as he slings me over one of his shoulders like I’m a bag of potatoes.

  I struggle, using my elbows as I hang upside down. I attempt to bite him, and he simply chuckles as I fight uselessly against him, playful
ly slapping one giant hand on my ass as he walks toward the door.

  “I’m going to cut off your dick and shove it down your throat,” I growl.

  He just laughs. “I believe you will have use for that part of me.”

  “You’re insane!”

  I don’t know where he’s taking me, but I’m guessing its back to his room. You can bet your ass that someone’s going to go straight there when they can’t find me in my own room tomorrow. They’ll come and let me out and then he’ll be sorry.

  I crane my neck, desperate to find someone to help as Korva stalks down the corridor.

  We pass his room and my heart beats even faster. He’s heading downstairs, away from the control center and the many people who will be awake at this time of night.

  “Korva?” A deep voice. Hopefully someone who can help.

  “Help!” I shriek, hoping to draw attention to the fact that it’s me, Everly, a member of the goddamned guard who is currently being kidnapped by the Arcav voted most likely to go completely insane.

  I feel Korva tense.

  “If you wish to live, you will step aside.”

  “Is that Eve?”

  It’s Vazta. Also a member of the guard. Good. He won’t let Korva away with this

  “Yes, it’s me! Stun this giant, kidnapping motherfucker!”

  Vazta chuckles. “In that case, I wish you luck.”

  That son of a bitch.

  Korva keeps walking, and I give another muffled scream, pushing my hands against Korva’s back to lift my head as we pass Vazta. I stare him in the eyes and the asshole has the nerve to wink at me.

  He obviously believes this is some kind of payback. I lift my tied hands and shoot him the finger even as his grin widens.

  He. Is. Dead.

  Dead.

  We’re in the dock, and my heart sinks as I realize there’s no one around. This is unusual enough that Korva must’ve either paid some people off or made some deals. Either way, I start fighting harder as Korva walks toward one of the smaller ships.

  My heart beats like a drum in my chest. I don’t want to be alone with him. It hurts too much. Somehow, Korva made me care. He made me want him, made me crave him.

  And now he’s actually kidnapping me.

  Me.

  Chapter Twenty

  Eve

  Korva ties me to the copilot’s seat in the control center. I growl in rage, but he simply leans down and nuzzles my face.

  “Don’t go anywhere,” he tells me, voice smug as he backs away.

  I watch helplessly as his hands dance over the various buttons. He gives the AI system a few instructions, and the computer responds in a throaty voice. The doors to the dock open, and within a few moments, we’re flying away from the main ship.

  Korva hits a few more buttons and then turns to me, obviously satisfied that we’re not about to crash into anything. He turns and studies me and I glare at him.

  He frowns down at me, obviously waiting for me to lose it at him, but I won’t give him the satisfaction.

  “Will you not speak to me, Eve?” His voice is uncertain, eyes dark, and I ignore the pang of sadness that shoots through me.

  “What would you like me to say? Have you completely lost your mind?”

  His face hardens. “You would not talk to me. I warned you.”

  “What do you want from me, Korva? We’re over, I told you.”

  “We will never be over.”

  Stubborn male.

  He’s brushing tears off my cheeks before I’m even aware that I’m crying.

  “Shh, my Eve. Don’t cry.”

  “You b-broke my heart. And now you’re making me cry like a little bitch!” I yank my head away from his hand and he simply moves closer, brushing my hair off my face.

  His expression is tortured, brows low as he sinks to his knees in front of me.

  “Please take me back.”

  He slowly shakes his head and more hot tears slip down my cheeks.

  I love him. And unlike the love I once felt for Liam, there’s nothing romantic or pleasant, or tender about it. It’s possessive and violent. It makes me want to hit things- often him. It makes me desperate and grumpy and sad.

  It hurts.

  When I’m with Korva, it’s hard to breathe. When I’m away from him, it’s even worse. He’s done this to me— turned me into a woman I swore I’d never be again, only worse. Unlike when I broke up with Liam, I don’t hate Korva. Even if I sometimes wish I could.

  “I am sorry if I frightened you.”

  I frown at him. “You didn’t frighten me. You infuriated me. What kind of man kidnaps a woman in the middle of the night?”

  The ghost of a smile crosses his face.

  “A caveman.”

  I narrow my eyes and he sighs.

  “I just need to talk to you. All I want is to explain myself. If you still want to leave once I’m finished, I will take you back.”

  I sigh, closing my eyes. “Fine.”

  “When I lost Daliz, it destroyed me for two centuries. I did not think I would survive. I did not want to survive. I became a shell of myself, and I changed the future of two planets.”

  I look away. “I can’t hear about how much you love her, Korva. I get it.”

  He shakes my shoulders, forcing my gaze back to him.

  “I am not explaining this properly. I loved Daliz with my whole heart. But what I felt for her is a shadow of what I feel for you. I had already decided to destroy my work before you visited that day in the lab. But I didn’t believe I deserved a female like you after everything I have done.” He drops his eyes and my heart beats even louder in my chest.

  I clear my throat and my voice comes out shaky. “And what do you believe now?”

  His eyes darken. “I still do not believe I deserve you. But I love you, so I am taking you anyway. I cannot imagine a day where I do not get to see your beautiful face or listen to the strange words that come from your smart mouth. I want to wake up next to you every day. Will you be mine?”

  I let out a trembling breath. I guess it’s time for my big reveal.

  “Untie me.”

  He reaches behind me, slicing a claw through the bonds at my wrists. I bring them to my lap and take a deep breath. Korva’s still staring at me as if waiting for my answer, and I slowly roll up my sleeves, bringing my wrists up to his eye level.

  Korva roars as he sees the mating bands on my wrists.

  “Who has mated you?”

  He grabs me by the shoulders and hauls me to my feet. A sound leaves his chest, and it sounds like a cross between a howl of mourning and a growl of fury.

  “Korva—”

  “Tell me!”

  “Why? What are you going to do?”

  “Kill him!”

  I roll my eyes, even as his claws extend, and a thrill of fear shoots through me. Korva is in a killing rage.

  “You don’t get to just kill an Arcav,” I explain, waiting to see if he’ll get it. I wasn’t happy about the mating bands, but God knows how he’ll react.

  “You’re mine,” he snarls, and I nod. Maybe his reaction won’t be so bad.

  “That’s right,” I say. “I’ve only been with you, Korva.”

  He steps back, instantly shaking his head and I sigh. The guy who just declared I was his, can’t actually handle the fact that I actually am his. The inside of his brain must be like Macy’s on Black Friday.

  “Impossible,” he croaks.

  “You changed our DNA, Korva. Is it so hard to believe that you’d have a second chance?”

  He’s shaking his head and I sigh.

  “Fine. I guess I’ll just go back to Arcavia and spend some time with the Arcav until I figure out who my mate could be.”

  He’s snarling, in my face before I blink.

  “Never.”

  He’s silent for a long moment, staring at me.

  “Do you know what this means for our people? Those Arcav who have been locked away, destined to live a
half-life…”

  I nod. “They could have another shot. Since you changed the DNA of humans to make it possible for us to mate you guys, there’s a chance that they could have another mate out there. And for the ones who’ve gone centuries without finding a mate…”

  “They may now have hope.” Korva’s voice is awed, and I grin up at him. Then his eyes darken and he’s moving, swallowing my gasp as he takes my mouth in a deep, searching kiss.

  I blink, and he’s pulling off my sweatpants. The threadbare t-shirt I usually wear to bed is pulled over my head next, and I peer up at him, suddenly naked.

  “Korva—”

  He drops to his knees, staring up at me, and I can’t help but blush. I’m standing in the control center of a spaceship in the middle of space and I’m naked as the day I was born.

  I can’t lie though, something about the look of devotion in his eyes just flat-out does it for me, and butterflies dance in my stomach as he gives me a half-smile.

  “I love you,” he says.

  I blink back tears. “God, how do you always make me cry. I love you too, crazy-man.”

  His smile widens, and then he gets to his feet. He lifts me into his arms, carrying me down the corridor until he finds a room that he deems acceptable.

  He places me on the bed like I’m something precious and breakable, and for the first time in what feels like weeks, the tension I’ve been carrying around releases.

  Korva loves me. He chose me. Me.

  He seems to read my mind because he brushes gentle kisses over my mouth.

  “Yours,” he reminds me, and I release a shaky breath.

  Only one man can make me feel like this, all insecure and needy.

  I smile up at him, and then he’s kissing his way down my body, tickling and nipping at me, laughing at my cursing and high-pitched giggles. I reach out and attempt to hold his head in place as his tongue dances along a particularly sensitive spot, and he growls against me before I hear something rip.

  His clothes are gone in seconds, and I frown as I hear the sound of more ripping, before he takes one of my wrists, gently kissing the sensitive skin.

  It takes me by complete surprise when he loops fabric around that wrist, swooping up my other hand and tying my wrists together within seconds.