Seduced by the Alien Warrior

by Hope Hart

Dexar’s hand strokes my butt, and I snuggle closer.

  “Are your legs okay?”

  I feel his head move as he nods. “The salve is potent. And you? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  My muscles are sore, but not from the explosion. As my face heats, I bury it in his chest and shake my head. He laughs.

  Time for a change of subject.

  “What’s it like being the qatai?”

  Dexar shrugs, his hand moving up to stroke along my lower back. “I always knew I would rule. My father was from a small tribe that was conquered by a much larger tribe. He lost both his parents and his siblings that day and almost died himself. He vowed that he would create a tribe that was so big no one would ever think to take it from him.”

  “And he raised you to think the same way.”

  It’s all making sense now. Why Dexar has grown his tribe to be so large. Nevada once called Dexar obsessive with his need to grow his army.

  “Yes. The people in my tribe know that everything I have done, every territory I have claimed, is to make us stronger. My future mate will not have to fear for her life. Will never watch our children be slaughtered by invaders.”

  Dexar’s voice is grim, but I can’t help but focus on his words. His future mate. I judged Dexar as an arrogant playboy, but since I’ve been here, I’ve seen a side of him that I never expected to see. Sure, he’s still arrogant, and I’m sure he’s still a playboy, but one day, when he does take a mate, I have no doubt that he’ll be loyal to her. He’ll protect her and keep her safe, along with any children they have.

  I bite my lip. It’s a good thing I’m planning to get back to Earth. ’Cause there’s no way I could watch him take a mate. My hands clench at the thought.

  “Are your parents still alive?”

  “My father died in his sleep. My mother is still alive.” His voice is warm. “When she hears about what happened today, she will likely march in here and give me a piece of her mind.”

  Dexar shifts, obviously uncomfortable.

  “You need some medication for the pain,” I say.

  He shakes his head. “Distract me. Tell me things about you. What did you do on your planet?”

  I smile. “It’s kind of ironic actually. I’m an astronautical engineer. My team focused on spacecraft design. When the Arcav invaded, we were attempting to figure out how their ships worked so we could replicate them. And then I ended up transported by alien spaceship and sold before crash-landing on this planet.”

  “This is why you want to get back to your ship.”

  I nod, and I’m practically holding my breath as he’s silent for a long moment. Thankfully, he changes the subject.

  “And your parents?”

  I clear my throat. “Um. I never knew my parents. I was abandoned on a church doorstep when I was just a few hours old.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  I shrug, avoiding his gaze. “I was found by a priest and put into foster care. You’d think I would’ve lucked out—I mean, babies are usually in high demand. But nope.”

  “Your parents abandoned you?” Dexar’s voice is incredulous, and I squirm in embarrassment. It’s not often that I tell anyone about my childhood, and I’m not quite sure why I’ve decided that now is the time to tell Dexar. It’s difficult enough to tell a fellow human how I was left in a cardboard box, wrapped in a towel. But on this planet, children are precious and family is everything. How can Dexar possibly understand?

  I swallow around the lump in my throat.

  “I don’t know if it was a joint decision or if my mother was a scared teenage girl who was hiding a pregnancy. I don’t know if she was forced to give her baby up or if she simply couldn’t deal with it. Either way, no one wanted me.”

  Dexar leans down and presses a kiss to my head. I blink back tears at the tenderness.

  “I want you,” he says.

  Dexar

  I leave Alexis sleeping in my bed, where she belongs. It takes me a long moment before I can turn and walk away. My legs are feeling much better thanks to the salve Elliz and the other healers create for these types of injuries.

  Tumbling Alexis…

  There is nothing like it. Never has my body burned, almost insatiable with longing. Prior to this, females have been enjoyable distractions. But Alexis…

  She is everything.

  I walk to the large tashiv that serves as our prison. The air is cool this morning, and tribe members are keeping their voices to low murmurs, likely shocked at such an attack.

  Brix strides toward me, and we both study the tashiv.

  It is rare that this structure is used for anything other than the occasional discipline for warriors who have challenged each other after too much noptri.

  Today, though, it holds the traitor who thought to kill my Lexi in front of me.

  “What do we know?” I ask.

  Brix glances behind me, and I gesture to my guards, who move away, out of earshot.

  “Orcan is the traitor, qatai.”

  My heart stops, and I stare at Brix. For a moment, I wonder if he is joking, but his eyes hold no humor.

  They hold nothing but cold retribution.

  Orcan has been one of my advisers for years. This seems impossible.

  “Are you sure?”

  “He has confessed, qatai. He was seen close to the kradi just a few moments before it went up in flames.”

  Perhaps he confessed under torture. Just because he was in the area doesn’t necessarily mean—

  “He was carrying a tresla pod,” Brix continues. “The only reason we thought to question him is because the Krinir boy recognized the pod and asked Zarix if we were preparing for an attack.”

  “Javir,” I murmur, still attempting to accept this reality.

  “Javir. Apparently, the tresla pods were used to fight off the Voildi during the attack on Tecar’s camp. The boy grew concerned, wondering if we were about to be invaded. He asked Zarix, and when the kradi exploded, Zarix insisted we question Orcan.”

  “A mere coincidence,” I murmur, and Brix nods.

  “Without the boy noticing the pod, there would be nothing tying Orcan to the explosion and no reason to question him.”

  “Why did he do it?” This is what I can’t understand.

  “He was one of the warriors who left Lafa’s tribe. While he swore allegiance to us, he has obviously been passing information to Lafa. For years.”

  I growl at the thought. It makes sense now—why Orcan refused to agree that Lafa could be working with the Voildi.

  “And now Lafa is dead,” I say.

  “Yes. But he knew about what the arrival of the human females would mean. As soon as he learned that they were here, he must have focused on attaining them himself. Since Varic was his second-in-command, it’s likely that Lafa shared this plan with him.”

  “And Orcan decided that neither I nor Varic should have Alexis.”

  Brix nods silently, casting me a slightly wary look. I’m shaking with rage, battling the urge to storm into the tashiv and slit Orcan’s throat.

  It takes me long moments before I am able to speak.

  “I cannot go in there,” I say. “I will kill him, and we need him alive, for now. Question him until you are sure you have everything he knows.”

  Brix nods. “Yes, qatai. May I make a suggestion?”

  “Yes.”

  “You mentioned that Alexis wishes to travel close to the dragon’s territory to look for signs of her friend.”

  I narrow my eyes at him. “This is correct.”

  “Have you considered that removing the female from this camp may be a good idea?”

  I hold back the harsh words that want to rip from my throat. I can protect Alexis in my camp. This is now her home. She should be safe here.

  But there have now been two attempts on her life.

  “If I could guarantee that we would not be attacked, I would consider it.”

  Brix opens his mouth, obviously confused, and I clar
ify, “If Alexis were to leave, I would go with her.”

  I’ve clearly stunned the warrior because his mouth gapes for a moment while he searches for a reply.

  “We have seen attempts on her life in this tribe. If Lafa can get to Orcan, he may have other traitors in this camp. Imagine if one of the warriors I send with Alexis is actually working for Varic.” My chest tightens, my hands clenching at the thought.

  Soon I will have to tell her why she is really here. And I don’t believe she will forgive me for keeping the truth from her.

  Chapter Eleven

  Alexis

  “You want to what?”

  Zarix raises an eyebrow, but his jaw juts out stubbornly. I grin at him. It looks like the big guy is coming precariously close to blushing.

  “Beth talks about the place she danced with such longing,” he says, his voice gruff. “I wish to recreate this for her here.”

  My heart. It’s melting.

  “That’s adorable. She’ll love it. So what do you need from me?”

  “I do not know what this will look like or what she needs. I was hoping you would.”

  I grin. “It just so happens that I can help.”

  When I was eight, I was moved to a foster family that seemed promising. Julie—the mom—had always wanted a “little girl” for her to dress up. The problem? By that age, I’d lost the cheerful innocence that most young girls have. I hated dressing up, and the woman was continually embarrassed by my refusal to play by her rules. I had no idea what those rules were, but I knew I was failing. The one bright spot was the dance classes she insisted I take. I had no real skill, but I loved learning the different positions.

  Six months later, Julie gave up. She and Brian, my foster dad, decided they didn’t really want me after all. There were no more dance classes.

  We’re standing close to the mishua pen, which I’m not technically supposed to be near, but Zarix found me staring at the smoking ruin of my research kradi. He gave me a sympathetic look and then asked if I could help him with something.

  Of course I was intrigued.

  “Okay. First, you’ll need a space that’s large enough for a proper dance floor. Do you have that?”

  “How large does it need to be?”

  I point at the kradi where the mishua food is kept. “I’m guessing you’ll want it to be at least that big. Beth is a ballet dancer, which means lots of leaping and twirling. You need space for that.”

  Zarix narrows his eyes at the kradi thoughtfully. “I believe I have something that could work.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “I am owed a large space in Dexar’s kradi. Do you think Beth would like that?”

  He’s nervous. I smile at him. “Beth will be stoked at how thoughtful you are. But yes, it sounds great. She’ll be away from prying eyes, but if she wants to, she can invite people in to see her dance.”

  “Perhaps she would like to teach others to dance one day.”

  I nod. “Yeah, I can imagine she’d love that. Okay, so you’ve got the space. You need the floor to be soft enough that she can land on it without damaging her joints, but it needs to be completely flat. The floor beneath Dexar’s kradi seems pretty good, but you’ll need to check this with Beth once you’ve surprised her. You’ll need a barre too,” I muse.

  “A barre.”

  Zarix’s brow furrows, and I tear a small piece of paper from the stack in my hands. I lean on the wall enclosing the mishua and attempt a rough sketch of a dance studio.

  “See this long thing here? It’ll need to run along one of the walls. It needs to be strong enough that she can use it to warm up and stretch.”

  Zarix nods. “And what is this?”

  “That’s a mirror. Dancers need to be able to see themselves as they move.”

  “Anything else?”

  I shrug. “I don’t think so, but I’m not a dancer. If you can get these things sorted, Beth will be ecstatic.”

  He grins, and I blink at him. Zarix is a serious guy, but when he’s around Beth or Javir, his grumpy facade cracks. Obviously, the idea of Beth being pleased with him is enough for him to loosen up a bit.

  “Thank you, Alexis,” he says. “Is there any way I can repay you?”

  I shake my head. “Just make Beth happy.”

  “I will,” he nods solemnly, his eyes serious. “I promise. Let me know if you need anything.”

  I smile, and he wanders off to get to work, leaving me staring at the mishua. Three warriors are currently dealing with a mishua who does not seem happy about the giant cart they’re attempting to hook up to her. The mishua snorts, and one of the warriors steps forward, talking to her sternly. The cart is being loaded with food and other goods for trade with another tribe.

  I barely hold back a laugh as the mishua lowers her head threateningly. Zarix glances into the pen as he walks past and jumps over the wall. He strides toward the mishua and says a few words to her, and she instantly quits misbehaving.

  Zarix is a good guy. I’m glad Beth is so happy here. And Nevada, and Ellie. But my heart hurts at the reminder that I’m once again on the outside looking in.

  I learned young that the happily ever afters I saw on bad Lifetime movies are not for people like me. Expecting anything else is just a way to get your hopes crushed.

  Dexar’s face flashes in front of my eyes, and I turn away from the weapons kradi, making my way along the path toward our rooms. Dexar has shown no inclination to allow me to move back to my own rooms, and truthfully, I haven’t protested all that much.

  As much as he insists on “his way or the highway,” Dexar treats me well. If anything, we fit together in a way I never imagined when he smiled at me from his throne just a few weeks ago.

  But ultimately, we’re from divergent worlds. I snort. Literally. But even if you disregard the whole Earth versus Agron thing, Dexar and I couldn’t be more different.

  I’m the underdog. The foster kid who had to study night and day so I could get a scholarship, which still didn’t cover enough of my college expenses for me to quit my full-time job. Dexar was raised knowing he’d rule over thousands of people and taught from a young age that he was special.

  What do a scrappy foster kid and an alien king have in common?

  Nothing.

  Dexar is sitting at the table when I arrive, ready for lunch.

  “How are your legs?” I ask.

  “Fine.”

  I stare him down, and he sighs.

  “They feel much better, Alexis. Now, how about you tell me what you were doing near the weapons kradi today?”

  I glower at him. “Spies, Your Majesty?”

  “Just concerned tribe members.”

  I roll my eyes. “I was talking to Zarix. He’s planning a surprise for Beth, and he needed my help.”

  A flash of jealousy crosses his face, and I raise an eyebrow. He seems to grapple with it and then finally nods, passing me back my plate, which is heavy on the greens I like and light on the root vegetable I don’t. I attempt to ignore the warm feeling rising in my chest. This guy misses nothing.

  I’ve been avoiding Dexar for the past few days. Sex with him was incredible, but lying next to him and opening up to him about my childhood? That was dangerous. And listening to him talk about why he’s so committed to growing his tribe? That was stupid.

  If I’m going to have sex with Dexar—which, let’s face it, I sure as hell am—it needs to be just sex. No snuggling and talking after.

  My heart can’t risk it.

  “So,” I say, reaching for my cup. “We never finished our discussion about the favor you owe me.”

  Dexar narrows his eyes, and I grin.

  “When are Beth and Zarix going to be mated anyway?”

  “They wish to wait until the other human females have been found,” he says.

  My grin widens. “I hate to say ‘I told you so.’” He snorts, and I wink at him. “As per our agreement, you have to give me something that I want. And I want to go explore
the area near the dragon’s territory.”

  He raises one eyebrow, but I can see the refusal on his face. I grit my teeth.

  “You know this isn’t going to happen,” he tells me, and I narrow my eyes at him.

  “Our agreement is that I wouldn’t leave the tribe for good,” I say. “You said nothing about leaving and then returning.”

  “There have been two attempts on your life here at camp. You think I’m going to allow you to leave when you could be attacked at any moment?”

  “So come with me,” I say. “Unless you’re scared.”

  He stares at me, eyes narrowing in offense. “Scared?”

  I hold back my grin. “Yeah, scared to leave the comfort of this kradi.”

  He snorts, and I continue.

  “You, Your Majesty, are spoiled. You probably couldn’t survive a few nights in the wild without all the bowing and scraping of your court. What would you possibly do if you didn’t have a servant to tuck you in every night?”

  He frowns in confusion and grits his teeth as the device in his ear obviously translates for him. Then his lips curl in a slow grin as he gives me a heated look.

  “I would have you ‘tuck me in,’ of course.”

  I huff out a breath. “You’re not funny,” I say even as my lips tremble.

  “I would like nothing more than to disappear with you away from all this,” he says suddenly, and his voice is serious, his eyes intent.

  I squirm, glancing away. “But?”

  “But I won’t risk your life.”

  I open my mouth, and he holds up a hand.

  “Do you trust me?”

  I hesitate, and his face shuts down, eyes becoming blank.

  “Hold on,” I say. “Give me a moment.”

  He nods, his expression once again bored, but I didn’t miss the flash of hurt in his eyes. He takes a bite, watching me as I think.

  “I trust you to keep your word,” I say finally. “But you’re sneaky, Dexar. You’re way more experienced at these kinds of bargains than I am.”

  His eyes lighten slightly, although his face is still hard. “I have no doubt you can keep up, Lexi.” His voice is low, and from the way he runs his gaze over my body, he’s remembering how well I kept up a few nights ago.