The Bound Prince

by Michelle M. Pillow

  When the lasers turned off indicating she was clean, she pulled on the clothes she’d set out, lightweight charcoal pants and a matching cotton shirt. Then, pushing open the door, she expected to see Falke waiting for her. He wasn’t on the bed. When she looked around the room, he wasn’t there either.

  “Huh,” Sam said, wondering where he could have gone.

  Falke eyed Sam’s ‘crew’. Needless to say, they’d been very surprised when he showed up in their recreation room without their captain. When asked, he just shrugged and said, “She wanted to bathe and made me leave.”

  It wasn’t exactly accurate. She’d not kicked him out of the room, but merely the bathroom as he’d tried to stay in there after his ‘bath’ to help Sam with hers. He couldn’t help that just the thought of her naked body made him hard.

  “Shouldn’t we be reaching my planet soon?” Falke asked. They had fallen into light conversation, making manly jokes and comments as they felt each other out. At his question, their faces fell.

  “Ah,” Lucien began, looking helplessly at Rick and Evan. Evan was the most standoffish toward him, and Falke suspected it was because he had feelings for Sam. The times he’d seen them together though, it didn’t appear she returned them.

  “We’re not going back to your planet. We can’t.” Viktor cleared his throat, sitting forward.

  Falke’s brow furrowed in disapproval, a look usually reserved for disciplining men on the training field.

  “We’re out of fuel,” Viktor said.

  “And money,” Rick added.

  “We have enough to get to Torgan for the Scavenger Hunt, and that’s about it.”

  “Scavenger Hunt?” Falke asked, remembering they’d mentioned it a few times around him.

  “It’s a contest,” Rick answered. “About a year ago, we were given this list of items, and the team that shows up with the most impressive items from the list wins. We have them all—”

  “Did have them all,” Lucien exerted. “You were the last item... or so we thought. For some reason we thought you were a...wild beast. I swear none of us are drinking again anytime soon.”

  “And if you had your wild beast, you think you could win?” Falke asked curiously. The men all nodded. “What’s the prize?”

  “Lots and lots of space credits,” Viktor said, sighing. “Enough to set us all up for a long time.”

  “I plan on blowing my cut in one month, on renting out the Galaxy Playmate mansion and having my way with every single beauty in the place.” Rick grinned, leaning back. His hands threaded behind his head, and he sighed with a dreamy look of pleasure on his face.

  Falke laughed. He was pretty sure every living humanoid knew of the Galaxy Playmates. Even some of his men had crushes on them. The men had petitioned his father several times to allow the dancers to come, but for some reason King Attor had always said no.

  “Hum,” was all Falke said. “So how did you all come to be here? I mean on this ship.”

  The guys exchanged looks.

  “You mean on the ship with Sam, don’t you?” Evan said, borderline pleasant.

  “Yes,” Falke answered, unashamed. “On this ship with Sam.”

  “Sam’s special,” Evan answered. “Let’s just leave it at that, okay?”

  Falke merely nodded, showing no outward emotion. Even the friendly Rick looked reluctant to speak about it. He respected their genuine loyalty to her, even if it didn’t help him discover more about her. But, Falke was old enough to know that given time, everything that should, would come to pass. He was a patient man. As long as it was his arms Sam melted in, he could wait for her to trust him with her secrets.

  Thinking of her body pressed to his, he let a thoughtful expression move over his usually impassive face. When he glanced around, he saw all eyes were on him, studying him. He could practically feel their anxiety and would bet anything they wanted to ask about his intentions with Sam.

  “So,” Lucien began, drawing out the word a long time. “Are you upset that we can’t get you back right away?”

  Falke thought about that. Upset that he’d get to spend more time with Sam before going home? No, he really wasn’t upset. “I would like to tell my family what happened, so they don’t worry.”

  “Oh, yeah, of course. As long as the captain says it’s all right,” Lucien said. Falke hid his smile.

  “We recently signed a peace treaty, so it is a good time for a vacation,” Falke continued. “Had you taken me a year ago, I would’ve slaughtered you for it.”

  The crew let loose a round of nervous laughter. They had no doubt the man was capable of such a thing. Falke sat back in his chair. One by one the men smiled at him, though Evan’s expression was more gauging than polite, and Dev merely curled his lip briefly, which Falke determined might not have been a smile, but a twitch. The conversation turned to his home and to war stories and not once did anyone mention the one thing that was on their minds, Captain Samantha Dorsey.

  Sam leaned against the wall, listening to the men talk. She didn’t go in to interrupt, somehow pleased that they were all getting along. She tried to convince herself that it was for the best if the prince liked them, which was true, but not the whole truth. It was important that her friends liked her new...what was he to her anyway? Boyfriend? No, it seemed too soon for intimate titles. Lover, she decided. Falke was just her lover.

  She found herself standing out in the hall much longer than she intended to. Eavesdropping wasn’t her thing, normally, but as she heard Falke’s rich voice talking about his homeland and his family, she couldn’t help listening. Her mind devoured everything it could about him.

  He had four brothers. She couldn’t catch all their names, but heard Reid, King Kirill, and Quinn. It seemed his planet suffered from blue radiation that caused the birth of female children to be very rare occurrences. Maybe one in a thousand births was a Qurilixian female. Over the generations, the radiation altered the men’s genetics to produce only strong, large male, warrior heirs. Sam thought of Falke and couldn’t imagine a whole kingdom filled with men just like him.

  Rick had been the most horrified at that fact, claiming he could never grow up in a place barren of women. At that, Falke told him of his father’s great harem, filled with hundreds of beauties. Sam felt her cheeks flame. She was slightly jealous of the idea that Falke would someday have the same things, not that she was in any position to be jealous. Rick proclaimed that’s where he’d like to stay, should they ever visit the palace.

  “Just toss me in with the grieving widows and throw away the key. If it kills me, know I died a happy, well-sated man!” were his exact words.

  The love Falke had for his life, and his family was palpable. If ever she dared to dream that he’d leave it behind to float through space with her, she didn’t think so anymore. This was a man who belonged in his homeland. Even if he would say yes, she’d never ask it of him. Her hand reached up and wound around her bicep, holding it firmly.

  Hearing footsteps, Sam darted into action and moved down the hall, not wishing to get caught. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Dev and stopped. He came up to her. Then, without speaking, he picked up her arm and looked at her markings. New lines had grown around it, swirling around a center diamond pattern.

  “It’s done then?” he asked.

  Sam couldn’t meet his eyes. Slowly, she nodded. “Don’t tell the others. Not yet.”

  Dev agreed with a single tilt of his head. “Does the prince know?”

  Sam shook her head in denial. “No.”

  “Will you tell him?” Dev asked, his voice low. Sam gazed up into his pitch black eyes. She didn’t see his red skin anymore. She just saw Devil, her friend. Devil wasn’t his real name, but a nickname she’d given him because his real name was nearly twenty-five syllables long and in a difficult language. After a while, Devil became Dev.

  “No,” she whispered at last. Dev nodded in acceptance, and no more words were needed. He held out his arm, and she took it. Walkin
g her to her room in silence, he dropped her off by her door, leaned his head against her briefly, and left her alone.

  14

  Sam sat quietly on her couch, trying to watch the old Earth movies without much luck when Falke came back. Looking up, she couldn’t help the soft smile that came over her face. Just seeing him made her giddy with pleasure.

  “Why did you not come in?” he asked, no pretense in him. “You didn’t have to listen from the hallway.”

  Sam instantly turned pink. He’d known she was there? Did that mean the rest…?

  “No,” he said, as if reading her mind. “The others didn’t know you were there.”

  “Then? What gave me away?” she asked. There was no use in denying what he already knew for certain.

  “I felt you,” he said, crossing to her and dropping down on the couch. He automatically lifted his arm over her shoulders, as if was the most natural thing in the world to do so. His fingers rested absently along her upper arm.

  “Felt me?” she asked, chuckling. She didn’t pull away.

  “Perhaps I will explain to you someday.” Falke’s eyes turned to the small screen along the wall. Two humans, dressed strangely, were dancing with waving arms and making tapping noises with their feet as they sang. “This is film?”

  Sam wondered at his enigmatic words but didn’t pry. He’d probably seen her arm peek along the door frame when she wasn’t paying attention. “Yeah. I’m warning you, though. It’s addictive.”

  “So is kissing you,” he whispered, pressing his lips to her temple. When she would speak, he rushed, “What is it called? This film?”

  “Um, I’m not sure. It’s really old though, and the plot seems a little silly,” Sam admitted.

  “And, they must sing to talk? Is this an old Earth custom?” Falke asked, grimacing at the screen as the couple hit a high note. “I won’t sing for you.”

  Sam chuckled softly, “That’s very gallant of you.”

  “Take my word on it, it is.”

  “No, Earth custom wasn’t to sing like this. These films are called musicals. They’re used to tell stories in words and songs. That skinny guy was named Fred Astaire, and that blonde was named Ginger Rogers. They did a lot of this in the Earth 1900s.”

  “What else does this show?” Falke’s hand dropped to her shoulder.

  “Ah, anything really,” Sam shrugged. “There’s old comedy, action—”

  “Action,” Falke said decisively. “Show me the action one.”

  “All right,” she giggled even as she thought, typical. “Computer, show action movie. Anything.”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” the computer answered.

  “Ah, I’m sorry. Viktor was supposed to change that.” Sam began to pull up.

  “It’s fine. Now, shh. I want to see this action,” Falke said, staring forward in complete curiosity.

  “I told you it was addictive,” Sam whispered, just to keep talking.

  Falke pretended to frown and lifted his hand from her shoulder to wrap around her mouth, covering it. He didn’t look at her. “Hush.”

  Sam giggled as something big exploded on the screen. She sucked one of Falke’s fingers into her mouth. His breath inhaled sharply, and she wondered if it was caused by her, or the big manly blast and loud pumping music from the viewing screen.

  Falke’s eyes turned to her. His hand moved to play with her red-streaked hair. “Play like that will get you into trouble.”

  The coy look she shot him said, ‘so?’

  Falke moved his free hand to her stomach. Sam tensed. “After today, I think it would be good for you to recover. I have no wish to cause you harm. I know you must be sore here.”

  Sam felt tears stinging behind her eyes, which was stupid because she never cried. She choked them back and affected a pout. Falke leaned down and kissed her soundly. When her lips parted to deepen the kiss, he instantly pulled back. Taking her jaw, he turned her face to the screen, “Watch the action.”

  Sam grinned and settled herself against him, content to be held. Falke’s arm tightened around her. Before she realized what had happened, she was fast asleep in his arms.

  “We’re stopping at Ticaron,” Sam announced, looking at her crew in the dining hall the next morning. Their eyes were a mix of surprise and worry. She’d expected as much. “I’m going to see my father and ask him for the fuel money. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and we have too much riding on the Scavenger Hunt. We’re a wild beast short, and if we don’t win, we’ll be stranded on Torgan until we can make enough credits to get off. I, for one, don’t feel like getting a job there, nor do I feel like smuggling a load for some kingpin to get off the planet.”

  “You don’t have to do that, Sam,” Evan said softly. Dark circles wound under his eyes. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a few days. “Your father—”

  “It’s the best option. We owe it to Falke to get him home, and we need money. If we win, then we simply pay my father back and go about our merry way.” Sam went to the food simulator and asked for coffee. The machine dinged, and she took out a mug, sipping the hot brown liquid. It had taken her awhile to get used to the taste, but, as it was a human custom, she’d been determined. Now, she loved it.

  “You know that your father will demand something from you in return,” Evan said. He stared at her, and Sam frowned.

  “I’ll just have to convince him otherwise,” Sam answered. Though, she knew it was easier said than done. “This isn’t up for discussion. I’m not the same person I was when I left. I don’t have to be the compliant daughter. He’ll see that. So, we’re going. If anything, we’ll get off this ship for a night and eat a really big meal.”

  Slowly, all the men nodded and turned back to their breakfast. None of them seemed too happy with the idea, but Sam was glad they weren’t arguing with her. Afterward, Evan stayed behind as the others went to do their jobs about the ship.

  Sam glanced at him over her third cup of coffee, and asked, “What is it?”

  “We’re friends, right?” Evan studied her face for an answer.

  “Of course,” Sam sighed, setting the mug down. Her hands reached over to cover his. “Why would—”

  Evan cleared his throat, looking over her shoulder. Sam turned toward the open door and saw Falke. He looked from Sam to Evan and then back again. His face was blank, but that was nothing new. Slowly, the prince stepped forward, his eyes on Evan as he leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

  Sam blinked in surprise. Evan nodded at the prince and moved to leave. “I’ll talk to you later, Sam.”

  “All right,” she called before turning to look up at Falke. She couldn’t help but notice his possessive action was more for Evan’s benefit than for hers. She decided to let it slide, as long as it didn’t become a habit. If any pissing contests started on the ship, she’d banish them all away from her and settle it like that. But, since she liked having Falke in her quarters, she really hoped the situation would resolve itself.

  “I don’t like waking without you,” Falke said, his voice serious.

  “I’m sorry,” Sam said, a little sarcastically. “I woke up and wanted some coffee.”

  Falke studied her for a moment and then looked at her cup. “I didn’t mean that like it sounded.”

  “Good,” she stated. “Because it sounded a little too possessive.”

  Falke looked at Sam. She had the purple streak back in her choppy cut hair, and he was secretly glad. He liked the color better than the red. It matched her beautiful violet eyes. At her words, his heart squeezed in his chest. She didn’t want him being possessive about her. He wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

  “May I?” Falke asked, nodding toward her cup.

  Sam smiled. It was a mischievous look that brightened up her entire face. “Go ahead, but you won’t like it.”

  “How do you know?” Falke asked, his eyes dipping to her lush mouth. He wanted to kiss her.

  “It’s an acquired taste,” she answered.


  “If you like it, it can’t be all that bad,” Falke said gallantly. Her brow rose, and she waved at the mug. He smiled slightly, lifted it to his lips, took a little sip, and then gagged. Spitting the liquid into the cup, he grimaced. “I was wrong. It’s bad.”

  Sam chuckled and shot him a smug look that cried, ‘Told you!’

  “I want to contact my brothers,” Falke said. “They’ll be worried about me. We just signed a peace treaty with the Draig, our ancient enemies, and I don’t want them starting a war because they believe the Draig have done me harm.”

  Sam looked as if she’d say no.

  “Our wars are very deadly,” Falke continued. The concern in him was palpable. “Many innocents could die.”

  “I’ll talk to Lucien,” Sam answered, nodding slowly in agreement. “He should be able to establish a connection. Do you know their frequency?”

  Falke nodded once.

  “Good,” Sam said, not sounding enthusiastic about it. She stood and moved to the food simulator. “Now, how about some breakfast? What can I get you?”

  “We’ll reach Ticaron tomorrow,” Rick said, when Sam stopped by the cockpit looking for Evan. She felt her stomach knot up. “You sure about this?”

  Falke was with Lucien trying to establish a signal back home. She’d wanted to stay and listen, but didn’t want to be obvious. Instead, she told Lucien to keep his ears open for anything strange in the conversation. She’d also told him to make sure the conversation was grainy and cut out a lot. She wanted to trust Falke, but she’d not be responsible if he decided to give his fellow warriors their destination. They didn’t need a star fleet on their butts the entire way to Torgan.