Her Alien Captor: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Alien Pirates Of Cania Book 1)

by Zara Zenia

  “Please, Melody. I swear to you that I won’t let Egeon lay a single finger on you if you’ll help me get my mother to safety.”

  Melody gritted her teeth together and thought about it.

  As much as she hated it, part of her wanted to help Devron. Not just because his mom was innocent in all of this, not only because they all had a common enemy in Egeon Nor, but because it was Devron who needed help. As much as she hated him—and she did, in a lot of ways—Melody could feel herself growing fond of the guy and wondering what their relationship would be like without the imprint.

  She realized she wanted to help him because on some weird, fucked-up level, she considered him a friend.

  Don’t forget where friends got you last time, she chastised herself. But it wasn’t going to do any good. She’d already made up her mind.

  “I can help you get your mom out,” she finally said, hoping she wasn’t making a huge mistake as bitterness burned the back of her tongue and she forced herself to continue. “But you’ll have to do something for me.”

  Devron scowled. “I already told you there’s no way to reverse or break the bond.”

  “I know,” she said, shaking her head. “That’s not what I’m talking about.”

  “What, then?”

  “Peace of mind,” she said, heart beating a little faster. He was going to think her insane. So be it. These were her terms. Take them or leave them.

  “What are you talking about?” Devron growled, clearly losing his patience.

  “Nor,” Melody answered. “This problem isn’t going to go away. He’s not going to take the hit to his ego of your stealing me or my imprinting on someone else, and even if we manage to get your mom out without him getting his hands on me—”

  “He won’t.”

  “Even if we manage that, he’s never going to stop coming after me. I’ll never be able to live a stress-free life or stop looking over my shoulder again. I already know he has the means to track me down on Earth and abduct me without anyone being the wiser, and it doesn’t seem like there are any space cops to protect me from being murdered.”

  “Melody, what are you getting at?” he asked, starting to get impatient.

  Melody took a deep breath and steadied herself to drop the bomb. “I’ll help you get your mom out,” she said, “but you have to help me kill Nor.”

  25

  “You must be out of your mind,” Devron raged, pacing back and forth in front of her. She had gone insane. Kill a nobleman? And not just any nobleman, but Egeon Nor, one of the most prominent Omega hunters and trainers on Cania, if not the most prominent.

  Suffice to say, his death wouldn’t go unnoticed. And despite what Melody thought about ‘space police’, there were forces on Cania that would retaliate if Nor were to meet an untimely demise.

  “I’m not,” she said firmly. “Those are my terms. I’m never going to be able to sleep soundly while he’s alive and plotting my downfall. I’m surprised you think you could.”

  Devron’s hands balled into fists, nails biting into his palms. Why did she always have to make everything so difficult? Was it too much to ask for an Omega that made sense?

  Does she not? A voice in his head whispered through the shadows. It only enraged him more. She had a point, though, and he had to concede it. As long as Nor lived, neither of them could rest easy. He wouldn’t stop until they’d both paid for making him look a fool.

  Having it pointed out by his Omega rubbed Devron the wrong way, though. She was too clever for his own good. He didn’t want to kill Nor any more than he’d wanted to force the imprint on her, but just as it had in that instance, it was beginning to look like he wasn’t going to have much choice.

  “Even if I wanted to—and I’m not saying I do—it’s not going to be as easy as just . . . killing him. He’s got guards, an armed fortress. He has friends in high places, and probably a top-notch security system. You can get out of there alive or you can kill him, but I don’t think you can do both,” Devron said, sinking down onto the couch and dropping his elbows to his knees. He wasn’t blocking Melody’s exit anymore, but he also didn’t think she’d make a break for it with him there to witness it. She wouldn’t get far without a head start, and she wouldn’t have a head start without sneaking off.

  “That’s a really defeatist way to look at things,” she said, looking down on him with a strange look. Her lip was curled, her eyes narrowed, and she stepped forward. “If we’re gonna have a chance in hell of pulling this off, I’m gonna need you to be way more optimistic.”

  Never in his life had Devron heard of an Omega talking to an Alpha the way Melody spoke to him . . . but he didn’t hate it. As much as she infuriated him, as much as he frequently wanted to plaster his hand over her mouth and force her to listen to him for a change, Devron didn’t dislike her spirit.

  If anything, it was what kept drawing him to her over and over again. He’d always expected an Omega to be meek, quiet, and subservient. He expected her to be little more than scenery until the appropriate time. But Melody turned all those expectations on their heads. She made him want to delve deeper into her, who she was, what made her. He wanted to know what she thought about things, even when what she thought only ever enraged him.

  “And what, exactly, am I supposed to be optimistic about?” he asked, looking up to meet her dark eyes flecked with golden warmth.

  “Working together, for one?” she offered, hitting him right where she knew it would have the most impact.

  She was right.

  Devron was so tired of constantly butting heads with her that the prospect of working with her instead of against her sounded refreshing. Like a damn vacation. It didn’t hurt that he’d get to be near her without her trying to murder him, presumably. He’d given up on getting close to her in the same way as before, but he couldn’t deny how much he wanted to try.

  “I still haven’t agreed to this,” he said with a groan in his voice.

  “But you will,” Melody said confidently, sitting on the couch beside him. “Because you don’t have anything better, and you’re going to have a way better chance with my cooperation than without—if you’re serious about not letting me just get eaten by the wolves, that is,” she added with a pronounced swallow, eyes darting to him.

  “Trusting isn’t easy for you,” he said, a statement, not a question.

  “Gee, what gave you that idea?” Melody scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Not like anyone’s ever given me much of a reason to trust them.”

  “No one?” he asked skeptically.

  “Pretty much,” Melody answered with a half-shrug. It wasn’t the full truth, but there was no need to delve into her background at the moment. She didn’t need to arm him with any more ammunition that he could use against her later. Showing him that vulnerable side of herself, telling him about the only person in the world she really cared about . . . yeah, that wasn’t going to happen.

  “Have I given you reason to mistrust me?” he asked, sincerity so thick in his voice that it hurt. Could he seriously ask her that without a hint of irony?

  “We should probably figure out some kind of plan,” she said instead. “How are we going to trick him into giving up your mom?”

  Devron leaned back on the couch and stroked his chin thoughtfully. It was difficult to think of anything with her so close to him, her body radiating warmth and her spicy scent. It would take no effort at all to be touching her, covering her body with his. He suppressed the tidal wave of images that rushed through his mind and forced himself to focus.

  “Well, I suppose the first order of business is to confirm he has my mother. It could be a bluff.”

  “Good point,” Melody agreed. “And after that?”

  Devron made a face. “I’m hoping it doesn’t get that far.”

  She arched a brow in disbelief. “Seriously? You just told me how dangerous and powerful this guy is, and you want to rely on his bluffing?”

  Devron growled, thrusting his fing
ers through his hair. “Planning is not my strong suit. I’m better at improvising.”

  “Yeah, well, improvise learning to plan, because I don’t play things by ear,” Melody retorted. “Let’s start with this fortress of his. What do you know?”

  “Not much. I scouted his ship when I came for you. I knew if he made it to the planet, I’d never have a chance at getting in.”

  “That’s not helpful,” she murmured, head drooping forward.

  This was just like other jobs. She didn’t need to get all worked up about it. She needed to plan, to think clearly.

  That was hard to do when your life was on the line and you didn’t know if you could trust your partner to not betray you at the first chance. The longer they were at it, though, the more it became clear that Devron’s method was pretty much their only option. There wasn’t enough information for them to make a solid plan, and neither of them figured Nor would wait long for a response.

  Hours dragged on, and even though they didn’t want to reach out to Nor, neither of them appreciated waiting. At some point in the night, they passed out on the couch, both half-slumped in a sitting position, Melody leaning over enough that her shoulder was touching Devron’s.

  The knock on the door startled them both awake.

  “Shit,” Melody groaned, her whole body stiff from sleeping on the couch—and not sleeping much, to boot. She hated that her body was instantly alight with warm tingles just from waking up so close to him, enveloped in his warmth. She jerked away from him quickly, internally cursing at her traitorous body.

  “Agreed,” Devron said with a loud groan of his own. He stretched and twisted, his trim body lovely to watch first thing in the morning, if you asked Melody. She couldn’t look away even if she wanted to. And she didn’t. He’d certainly enjoyed ogling her throughout their time together. What was the harm in evening the score a little?

  She needed the distraction from what was coming.

  The knock came again, and Devron muttered another curse.

  “I’m coming,” he growled, stomping over to the door and yanking it open.

  Just like yesterday, there was a pair of Selithi guardsmen flanking a cowering Canian messenger.

  “Impatient bastard, isn’t he?” Devron said first.

  The messenger looked affronted by it but regained his composure fairly quickly, all things considered.

  “M–master Nor expects your response,” the man said in his squeaky voice.

  “I demand proof of my mother’s whereabouts and safety,” Devron said, folding his arms and staring down at the other man, mustering all the intimidation he could.

  Oddly, it seemed to have the opposite effect. The guy—probably used to abuse from Nor, so this was nothing—straightened himself up and matched Devron’s gaze.

  “Of course,” he said stiffly. He reached into a pocket, making the guards tense toward him before he pulled out a thin tablet screen. In moments, the screen lit up, and a person appeared onscreen. Devron’s mother, Melody assumed. The first Canian woman she’d ever seen.

  She had the same bright, silvery eyes as Devron, and they were currently wide, panicked, her skin such a pure white it was nearly blue. If Melody didn’t know better, though, she would have guessed that the woman was Devron’s sister, not his mother. She actually looked like a younger version of him, without the lines around her eyes or creasing her forehead.

  Perhaps it was the Frenzy that had aged him so much? Melody had no idea what normal aging was like in Canians, or how old Devron was, for that matter.

  “Devron?” the woman onscreen asked. Her voice was firm, not as frightened as Melody would have expected.

  “Mom? Are you okay? Where are you?” Devron reached for the screen, snatching it away from the messenger who didn’t put up a fight.

  “I’m fine . . .” she said, eyes darting around, “more or less. He’s got me captive. Egeon Nor—the slaver?”

  “I know who he is, Mom.” Devron sighed, his shoulders sagging under the weight of the truth. His mother had no idea that he was the reason she was captive, and he was going to have to be the one to tell her.

  “What is going on? He said this has something to do with you. Dev, I told you not to mess with noblemen. I told you they’re all—”

  “Mom, I know,” Devron cut in with a growl. “I didn’t deal with him. I stole from him.”

  “You . . .” His mother’s jaw dropped, eyes wide and unblinking. “You did what? What could possibly be worth putting your neck on the line, stealing from Nor? What did you take?”

  “An Omega,” Devron answered, trying to cover the answer with a cough, but he wasn’t fooling anyone.

  “You did . . . blazing stars, Devron. I knew the Frenzy bothered you, but I had no idea—”

  “Well, it was a stupid idea, and it’s been a disaster from the beginning.”

  “Explains how he knew it was you, though,” his mother said, making Devron pause, his gaze snapping back to her.

  “What? How?”

  She pressed her lips together and her eyes darted off screen again. Devron desperately wanted to know what she was looking at, what was just off-camera that kept her so worried. Was Nor feeding her lines? Threatening her? Or was she watching to make sure she wasn’t overheard?

  The last seemed ridiculous, considering the line of communication.

  “Imprints don’t just work with any Alpha. The cocktail is DNA-tailored. Only a direct descendant of Nor’s could have imprinted his Omega in his place.”

  Melody’s shock behind him registered more than his mother’s words. Devron blinked, the tablet in his hand shaking as his grip began to fail. Surely, he hadn’t heard that correctly. Surely, his mother didn’t just tell him . . .

  “What are you saying?” He felt stupid for asking, but he needed her to say it, to confirm it.

  It couldn’t be real.

  Devron’s mother pressed her lips together tightly, her eyes shimmering with tears. His heart dropped through the ground.

  “Egeon Nor is your biological father,” she said, her tinny voice almost unrecognizable through the tablet speakers. Or maybe that was just his own brain rebelling, shutting her out, refusing to listen. “If he knew she was imprinted, there’s only one person who could have done it besides him.”

  Devron didn’t know what to say or how to react to that. It was the last thing he’d expected to find out during that call, but he wasn’t sure it changed anything. He and Melody had agreed to take Nor down, and Devron was only more convinced that it needed to happen after learning this new information.

  “I’m coming for you soon,” he promised his mother before passing the tablet back to the messenger. “Tell Nor I want her unharmed. If he hurts a single hair on her—”

  “I will relay the message,” the guy said with a bow that seemed more mockery than respect.

  Devron didn’t let it bother him, though. He had bigger fish to fry. He didn’t know how he was going to do it, but with Melody at his side and enough determination, he was sure he’d find a way.

  He had to.

  26

  “So, we’re really doing this?” Melody asked as she buckled her seatbelt in the passenger seat of the terrestrial vehicle they’d borrowed from one of Sina’s supervisors with the promise to bring it back in one piece.

  Melody was dubious about that promise, but it was so far off her radar of worries that it wasn’t even a consideration.

  “What’s changed?” Devron growled, his own seatbelt clicking violently.

  Melody was still trying to get over how generous the Selithi had been with them. She thought Devron should be more suspicious of the unending hospitality, but that was possibly her own jaded sense of self-preservation.

  She swallowed, her mouth dry, her throat scratchy.

  “How do I know you’re not just going to trade me outright to Nor for your mother? Why should I believe you at all?”

  Devron’s hand was on the button that Melody assumed was the igni
tion, but he didn’t press it, instead letting out a heavy sigh as he slowly rolled his gaze around to her.

  “You don’t know, Melody. But what choice do you have? Are you going to fight me now? Nor knows where you are, and as kind as you may think the Selithi have been to you, Omegas aren’t welcome into their society alone. That would invite too much trouble from the Canian side, and frankly, you’re not worth it, not to anyone else but me. So you’re going to have to have a little faith here, and you might as well put it in the guy who’s been trying to do right by you all this damned time.”

  If Melody thought her throat was tight before, it was nothing compared to the softball-sized lump that felt wedged in it after that. After a couple of failed attempts, she managed to swallow and nodded.

  “Fine, let’s go,” she said, her voice a hoarse whisper as she fought back the hot sting of tears.

  Why did he always have to point out how hopeless her situation was? Did it really matter if she had a nice jailer if she was still in prison?

  “I think you’d like my mother,” Devron said out of the blue once the craft was successfully hovering on-track to Nor’s compound. Melody didn’t say anything, but Devron didn’t expect her to. She did arch a brow, which was more than he’d hoped to get out of her. At least she was listening.

  “You both have a certain . . . abruptness,” he said, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.

  Melody scowled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It’s not an insult, Melody. I love my mother dearly.”

  That relaxed her some. She sank back into the oversized seat and stared out the window at the passing lush jungle foliage. It’d be a lovely scenic ride if she didn’t feel like it was a trip to the gallows.

  “She had a difficult life,” he said, and even without looking at him, Melody could hear the unfiltered affection Devron felt for his mother. “We’re miners,” he said. “There are thousands—tens of thousands—of asteroids close enough to be mined by ships not equipped for distance travel. It’s not an easy way to get by, but we made it work the best we could. I grew up on a ship. Never even set foot on the surface till I was an adult—”