by Maia Starr
“What do you know about King Korta?” I demanded, slamming my fist into the table. If there was anything she knew, it could save the lives of my people and hers as well. She had to tell me.
“God, I’m not going to tell you anything if you’re going to be such a brute about it!” Melinda exclaimed, rising from her seat and glaring at me from across the table.
“Apologies to you,” I said tersely. “But I am under a lot of pressure right now, and every bit of information can help.”
“Why do you need to know about the Vellreq anyway?” Melinda asked. “Is something happening?”
I cringed. I couldn’t let the human know of the dangers that were surrounding us. If she had any clue that she had been used as the card to initiate war against the Vellreq, she might not be able to handle it. Being abducted at all was difficult enough.
“I am just curious. There are many threats to the universe, the Vellreq being among the top tier. Of course, you would know that, wouldn’t you? Being engaged to one?”
Melinda snorted. “I’m not engaged to anybody. My father practically sold me like a pig at an auction.”
I was sincerely disturbed to hear that. Although females often occupied a lower rung on the power hierarchy, the Thressl’n truly revered them. They were considered sacred bringers of life, and without them, our mighty race would be nothing.
Unfortunately, because of the corrupt Thressl’n throughout history, who were infamous for attempting to cheat fate by ridding themselves of daughters for a greater chance at posterity and power, the females of our planet were beginning to feel underappreciated and had come to resent the females from Earth that had been brought to Jenal’k to make up for the disparity between males and females. I would have to find a way to make it up to them if we survived the war that was brewing.
“As I said before, apologies to you. The Vellreq are a vicious breed, Melinda. In a way, I had thought you might be relieved to be rid of your initial captors.”
“And just sing a song of gratitude to be bodily removed from my own planet and captured by another race of well-meaning but completely misogynistic aliens? I don’t think so!”
Melinda stormed out of the dining hall, and I looked from her to my plate of food. It was still hot, and the reality was I was quite hungry. But somehow, I couldn’t fathom eating knowing that she was so upset.
“Melinda, wait!” I called. I stood and followed her out of the dining room. Earth females were more trouble than they were worth, I decided. But somehow, regardless of her crude behavior, defiance, and infuriating tendency to talk back to me, she had a power over me that nobody else ever had. And I was determined to do whatever I possibly could to see to it that she was mine.
Even if that meant bearing the brunt of her baffling emotions.
***
“Go away!” Melinda exclaimed, her head buried into the huge pillows of the bed. Oddly enough, the one I had placed there for safe keeping, tailored by my grandmother, seemed to be missing. Perhaps it was being laundered.
“I am not going anywhere,” I said with a heavy sigh. “I know this is not an easy transition for you, and I have been quite consumed by my work, so I have not made things any easier. Let us go, then, to a special place that will not bore you. Perhaps a change of scenery will help you feel a little bit better. I do not wish you harm, female…erm…Melinda.”
Melinda lifted her head miserably and looked at me with a disbelieving expression on her face.
“Where do you plan to take me? I was hoping I could just go with Peko or something.”
“Peko does not know how to navigate the area I intend to take you to. It is dangerous for the Thressl’n to travel that way unless they are adapted to the temperature.”
“What are you talking about?” Melinda asked, real puzzlement creasing her beautiful features. I couldn’t believe what was coming out of my mouth. I was swamped with work and hadn’t eaten in two meals now. How could I possibly continue pushing my responsibilities aside for this female just to make her happy?
But that was exactly what I was doing. The sight of her restlessness, anger, and fear was growing tiresome. I wanted to show her the truth of myself. But not in a place where others might see it. No, I would take her to the place I had spent most of my happiest times as a boy. We would go to the rivers of Mount Zennith.
“I’m sure that as the daughter of one of Earth’s Prime Ministers, you understand there are few places safe to travel among the populace. I am the Supreme Leader. I would be hounded by questions and conversations I am not ready to have outside the public domain, and so would you. Instead, I shall take you to a special place that was discovered as a comforting, beautiful safe-haven for a supreme leader in training.”
Melinda was quiet, listening to my proposition carefully.
“Where is it? How should I dress?”
“Your human attire should be fine. It is not like the Red Deserts. We will go beyond that point.”
“All right…”
Melinda stood from the bed and walked slowly toward me. It pained me that she was unsure about me when all I wanted to do was show her the reality of my life. That I was not the monster everybody thought that I was. I had been trained to play a villain all of my life. The guardians of the scrolls had told me from day one that the masses need a powerhead that they could easily loathe during bad times, and love during the good. I was not to make friends, or even show myself as vulnerable, likable, or emotional in the least.
Because of it, I hadn’t made friends, and everybody always saw me as an insufferable, arrogant man. It had never bothered me before. My only goal was to protect my people, whatever the cost. But now, when Melinda’s eyes narrowed as she perceived me the way everybody else seemed to, I felt an urgent need to correct her. I was not a bad man. I did not want to be cruel to her.
“This way,” I said, leading her through the winding corridors of the palace until we reached the underground garage where my private hovercrafts were parked. The glass was tinted so that nobody could see inside, but the outside looked as plain as any other hovercraft you might encounter. It was how I made my private escapes during those times when I needed a break from the strenuous tension of leading a planet full of Thressl’n.
“You’re going to drive?” Melinda exclaimed, amusement and delight in her voice. I smiled at her, surprised to see her cheeks flush red.
“Yes. Is that not the custom on Earth?” I asked.
“My father has everybody drive him everywhere. Ever since he got into politics, he’s hired people to escort him anywhere he needs to go.”
“Really?” I asked, puzzled. “Does he not value his independence?”
Melinda snorted, a funny, surprising sound that brought a bubble of laughter to my chest. It was difficult to suppress it. I was not supposed to show any emotion to others. Especially not a human. They were considered the lowest of the low. The only person I was to show myself to was my mate. What would the Thressl’n think if I took this female as my mate publicly? It would be chaos.
“My dad doesn’t value much except money,” Melinda said, completely oblivious to my internal struggle. “It’s really hard for him to think about anything except himself and his own comfort.”
“I see,” I said, unable to filter the disapproval from my voice. And how could I? I spent every waking hour doing everything I could to protect others. Even if I had to look unlikable and selfish, my truest mission was to serve my people. It was not the kind of job that allowed me time to wallow in my own petty desires.
“Yeah,” Melinda said quietly.
We fell silent as Melinda became entranced by the beautiful view of the Thressl’n settlement in the Red Deserts. It made me proud to see the astonished look on her face. There truly were few sights more remarkable than the smallest sun setting mid-day over the Red Deserts.
Tendrils of colors snaked through the sand and buildings, bringing all of the colors natural to the planet Jenal’k shimmering to light. Bei
ngs from all over the galaxy came to view the sight but once in their lives, and tourism was a great source of funding. One I had unfortunately been forced to dip into to take on the Vellreq once and for all.
I glanced from the sight below us to Melinda, whose face was completely at peace for the first time since I had laid eyes on her. She was absolutely the most stunning creature I had ever seen. Whether my people approved or not, I knew deep in my heart of hearts, I would have her as my own. And soon.
Chapter 5
Melinda Jefferson (Daughter of the Prime Minister)
The brilliant suns in the skies of Jenal’k were breathtaking; particularly as the smallest and brightest of them began to set. It left a beautiful red glow over the landscape that made the whole world seem unbelievably beautiful. The sand lit up like a diamond in colors I had never even seen before. I couldn’t help but appreciate every little hill and crevice in the landscape as Aloitus quietly drove the hovercraft above the sandy plains below.
By the time the littlest sun had disappeared from sight, casting a purple glow from the east that was easily dissipated by the brightness of the bigger suns, we were zooming over a lush green meadow that was quickly becoming more and more mountainous terrain. Directly below the craft was a large clearing, with small white tents that were spaced far apart on the compound. Little pink figures were being herded by little teal figures, and I suddenly realized that it was a camp full of human women.
“What’s that?” I asked, pointing down at the women. “What are they doing to them?”
“Those are the human women that were brought to Jenal’k. We are getting them acclimated to the world here. When they are ready, they will be able to go home with a mate.”
“You brought them here to breed?” I asked, disgusted. Is that what I had been brought to do? Despicable!
“It was that or fall victim to the Vellreq. It is the lesser of two evils. And it’s not like they’re being forced into it. There is a courting process.”
I mulled this over briefly as we passed above the heads of the other women. They seemed all right, but as far as I could tell, they were still slaves who had been kidnapped and stolen away to a planet that was not their home.
“And what about me?” I asked, frowning. “You just took me from my home to yours.”
Aloitus was silent and continued staring ahead as he drove. I sighed. At least he wasn’t actively trying to get me into bed with him. He seemed too busy for that. At least for now. What would happen if he ever had free time on his hands?
Although the thought should have disgusted me, for some reason a surge of heat pulsed through my body. Aloitus was an astonishingly attractive man. Would it really be so bad to have him as a mate?
I was appalled at myself for the thought. Of course, it would be bad! It was every type of wrong in the book. Just because he wasn’t the worst captor I’d had in the past year didn’t mean that he was the kind of person I should be opening myself up to, even if it was just physical pleasure.
I hadn’t been allowed to date very much growing up. Being the daughter of a politician meant that I was always under strict surveillance. Anything I did wrong could have reflected badly upon my father’s career, so he always had strict rules for me to abide by. The strictest was no dating.
It had left me very curious, and although I’d had a few secret boyfriends that I was smart enough to keep the tabloids off the trail of, I still had never had a good sexual experience with a man I trusted. Most of the men I’d been with had only seemed interested in gratifying themselves, and I’d lost interest in trying.
That is, until I had seen Aloitus ascending toward me from the sky. Now it seemed I couldn’t get him out of my head. As much as he irritated me, I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. There was just something about him that I craved. Even in the dead of night, knowing I shouldn’t be allowing myself to harbor such feelings, I was unfortunately powerless to stop them.
“We will land here,” Aloitus said, his lyrical voice breaking into my thoughts. “I think you will enjoy this place as I have.”
The hovercraft began landing softly in the lush forest surrounding us, into a patch of dirt that seemed a well-worn parking lot for one. Aloitus pressed a sequence of buttons, and the doors of the hovercraft opened, letting in the sweet smell of the jungle. It was unbelievably uplifting, and I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.
“That smells good,” I said softly.
“Yes,” Aloitus agreed, hopping cheerfully out of the hovercraft. He quickly rounded the craft until he was at my doorway and offered his hand up to me.
I peered down at him as I took it, shocked by how different he seemed already. It was as if this place had brought out a different side of the man, and he was feeling comfortable and lively. The loose smile suited him, and I found myself lost once again in his rich beauty.
I cried out in surprise when he seemed tired of waiting for me to hop down from the craft and lifted me easily, his strong, huge hands wrapping themselves around my waist and sending jolts of forbidden pleasure through my loins. He was unbelievably strong, and I was set down gently beside the craft. Aloitus hummed to himself as he closed the doors to the hovercraft.
“It is this way. Follow me and stay close. It can be dangerous here.”
Dangerous? How?
But Aloitus was already walking forward briskly, and I had to jog to catch up. I wished he would slow down so I could take some time to enjoy my surroundings. I had always loved being out in natural areas, and the jungles of Jenal’k were unlike anything I had ever seen before.
Aloitus looked over his shoulder at me, his purple eyes twinkling. “You are going to like this.”
I couldn’t help but be endeared to him as he led the way, his powerful body stepping over obstacles and holding large leaves and branches out of my way. He was actually quite a gentleman when he set his mind to it, and the desire that I tried so hard to repress came back to me in powerful, unexpected waves.
Suddenly, Aloitus grew rigid and stopped.
“What are you—”
“Shh!” he hissed.
At first, I was hurt and angered by it, but before I could give him a piece of my mind, a dark shadow fell over us, and Aloitus sighed.
“You better hope skipping third meal was worth it,” Aloitus mumbled.
Suddenly his strong hands were on me again, and I was being whipped through the air. I cried out in surprise and fear when I saw that, in the spot where I had been standing, there was now a giant thorn buried in the ground that was nearly as tall as I was.
“What the hell…”
But Aloitus didn’t answer. He flung me behind his body and glared up into the sky at what appeared to be a giant flower-like monster. It towered above us, its head as high as the tallest trees in the forest, and Aloitus frowned deeply, drawing his weapon. It looked like a gun at first, but when he powered it on, a long beam of bright white light shone from it, and Aloitus charged at the creature.
It threw another thorn down at Aloitus, but he dodged masterfully, his broad, powerful body moving with the finesse of a panther. I was mesmerized by the scene. I had never seen a man so capable. If he could move like this in battle, imagine what he might be able to do elsewhere!
I was shocked out of the thought by the sound of Aloitus’ voice. He had cried out in pain, and I was horrified to see his arm wrapped in what looked like a vine controlled by the creature towering above us. He had dropped his weapon and was tugging his arm, fighting helplessly to free himself.
I couldn’t bear to see him in pain, and without thinking, I ran to him and picked up the weapon that had been cast to the ground. I didn’t know how to work it, but I handed it to Aloitus.
His purple eyes widened in surprise, gratitude, and what looked like fear.
“Get away before you are injured! Go hide in the shade; this is a being that seeks the power of the suns. It will avoid you there.”
I hesitated. I didn’t want to go until I kne
w Aloitus would be all right. He seemed to sense this and gritted his teeth, slicing the creature’s vine and freeing himself. A high pitched whistling noise filled the air, and the creature lashed out again at Aloitus.
“I said hide!” Aloitus demanded, before tearing his gaze from mine and running straight for the creature. But I was too horrified. I didn’t want to see him injured.
To my surprise, the whistling sound intensified as Aloitus plunged his laser deep into the center of the creature’s stalk, and began running up it, dragging the blade behind him. It was being torn in half as Aloitus ran, climbing it like a tree until he reached the top.
I watched in horror and amazement as Aloitus managed to get on the creature’s shoulders, plunging his blade deep into its neck. A strangled whistling sound was emitted as it collapsed to the ground, and Aloitus held tightly to its terrifying head as it fell forward.
“Look out!” Aloitus called, riding the creature down to the ground. I scrambled out of the way just as it landed beside me, and Aloitus climbed off and grinned. “Are you all right?”
I nodded dumbly, and Aloitus put his weapon away.
“Those guys are pretty destructive. They’re an invasive species from a planet not too far from here. They like to incubate here as seeds, but they completely destroy the foliage. It is partly due to them that the Red Deserts are so vast, though that is a good thing for our people as we prefer the warmer climate. But there are other creatures who are native to Jenal’k that need the jungles to survive. Everybody’s home here is important.”
As Aloitus continued to walk ahead of me, I felt the last of my self-control wavering. He was so handsome and considerate. And, he had just saved my life. My body was on fire, and I wanted him more than I had ever wanted anything in my life. The feeling was scary but thrilling, and I gripped Aloitus by the hand.
He turned to me, startled, and then his face softened and his four fingers closed gently around mine. “Come,” he said. “We are nearly there.”
***