A few mouths drop open wide.
“Who?” Laticia asks. “The other girls say that when he took them, he didn’t stop for anyone.”
I press my lips together feeling sorry for the women who weren’t as lucky as me.
“I’m not sure. I think the head honcho. He was tall and had violet eyes.” Recalling his eyes makes something in my stomach twist pleasurably. He’d been commanding and intimidating, but there had been warmth there too. And heat. So much heat. I’m surprised my panties still exist.
“Yes!”
A black-haired woman of Asian heritage in the crowd exclaims.
“That’s their leader.”
I consider the military uniforms in the room.
“He seems like a general or something.”
The same woman bites her bottom lip. I get the sense that she knows more than she’s telling. I pivot toward her.
“Do you know who he is?”
Her hands clasp together, uncomfortable.
“I’m not supposed to say.”
“Aika! We won’t tell!” A redhead next to her scowls. “I can’t believe you’ve been holding out. Who is he?”
Aika inhales deeply and scans the crowd. We all look at her expectedly.
“I only figured it out because I went to his room and he left something on the table,” she says finally.
“Like what?” Laticia asks.
“A crown, he’s their emperor. And the only one of them who can speak English. Which is why he could explain that to me and swear me to secrecy.”
The emperor? I gape. Everything I experienced flashes through my mind. It makes so much sense. And yet, I still can’t believe that I spoke to, and was protected by, the emperor of the yon race. The race that landed on Earth and is now taking over our world.
WTF?
“He didn’t do anything to you, did he?” Laticia asks.
I blink.
“No. He only helped me. He seemed decent.”
“Decent? Get your heads out of your asses, ladies,” The familiar bitter voice from before hisses. “They’re abducting us. They’re all pieces of shit.”
They’re no saints, but it’s clear to me that some of them are bigger pieces of shit than the others. And if I had to choose, I’d choose the emperor over Folgru every day of the damn week.
Suddenly there’s a call for lights out. The women break apart and scurry to the sides of the room. I’m not sure why until cots pop out of the walls. They’re claiming their beds.
“The one next to me is free,” Laticia says.
Grabbing my hand, she pulls me deeper into the cell.
“You probably need a good night’s sleep after everything you’ve been through.”
I can’t deny that, although I’m not sure I’ll be sleeping soon. The image of the emperor sticks in my mind. How he looked so amused by me. How he kissed me. It may have been to show dominance, but whatever. My entire body heats up thinking about that kiss.
I lay my head on a lumpy pillow and bring the scratchy blanket up to my face. I need privacy to mull things over. Once I’m settled, an idea I can’t shake enters my head. The emperor seemed interested in me. If the other women are right, I’ll eventually meet him one-on-one. A plan forms in my head.
Perhaps, if I play this right, I can convince him to give me back my freedom.
3.
Early the next morning, I whisper goodbye to Laticia right before I’m led out of the cell. This time a group of three guards and one yon officer escort me. I think I recall the emperor calling the one who appears to be an officer Tizax, but I’m too nervous to check. The aliens are silent as we walk, leaving my imagination to run amok.
What does the emperor want?
Is he going to reprimand me?
Kiss me again?
Or command me to do something else?
The last idea is accompanied by a dirty thought that shoots a shiver up my spine. I shake my head at my thought. What the hell is happening to me? I’ve never been one to want to be bossed around in bed. Yet I definitely dreamt about it last night, and I’m fantasizing about it now.
There’s something about the emperor that makes me want to let him take the lead. Maybe because he plays commander of the ship well.
And I wouldn’t mind swabbing his deck.
I groan internally.
Shut up brain, you’re mixing pirates with aliens and just being ridiculous.
“Stop,” the officer says when we reach a door. “Wait here.”
I grip my hands together in front of me, nerves and a strange sexual excitement mount.
The officer pokes his head into the room, says a few words that I can’t hear, and then looks at me.
“Inside.”
I slink into the room. As soon as I’m inside, I release a soft breath of wonder. I’m on a spaceship, but this room looks nothing like I imagine a room on a spaceship should.
It’s plush, reminding me of the desert. Not in the American Southwest sense. There are no skulls or cacti, but the colors are very similar.
Deep reds, burnt oranges, and warm browns fill the space, softening it to a degree that the rest of the metal ship lacks.
“Over here, female. Sit.”
The same gravelly, commanding tone as yesterday snaps me out of my wonder. My eyes find the emperor gazing out a window that is overlooking a landscape of trees.
Trees . . . I’ve been locked up for a day, but it feels like much longer. I’ve never thought of myself as a tree-hugger, but I’d do anything to hug a trunk right now.
“Female? Is your translation chip working?”
“Yes,” I say. “I just like your . . . area.”
The emperor nods and takes a seat across from the one he wishes for me to sit in. There’s food on the table between the chairs. This isn’t just an interrogation.
We’re having breakfast.
Well, I’ll be damned if he doesn’t know just how to play me like a fiddle.
I lower myself into my seat, all the while never taking my eyes off him. Which, I'll admit, is fucking hard. The emperor is hot as sin, yes, but he’s also intimidating. If anyone on this ship can make my life a living hell, it’s him.
But I try not to think of it that way. I spin my viewpoint, because the emperor can also make my life better. Seeing as I’m at my personal rock bottom I’ll do anything for the tiniest iota of improvement.
“I realize that humans eat three meals a day, so I had this brought in,” the emperor says. “Eat.”
I lean forward and breathe a breath of relief. I recognize everything on the platter. There are grapes, cheese, bread, and cold cut meats—including bacon, which is strange for a charcuterie board but what the hell, I don’t care.
Screw my arteries. I’ll take all the bacon I can get while I can get it.
I pluck a strip of bacon off the platter. Its fatty, porky goodness fills my nostrils, making me salivate.
“I apologize for my crewmate's behavior yesterday. He was not supposed to act in such a barbaric manner. There have been some developments among our kind lately. Situations that make males fret over finding a mate.”
“A mate? I wasn’t under the assumption that I’d be one of those. A whore, sure, but not a mate.”
I toss a grape into my mouth, noting how his eyes linger on my lips for a few seconds longer than normal.
“In truth, you might end up being either,” the emperor replies. “Still, there’s no reason to treat newly arrived females in such a way.”
I feel like he’s baiting me. After all, there’s no way I could have missed what Folgru said yesterday.
“Do you mean no one should treat a woman like that because you hadn’t met them yet . . . emperor?”
I tack on the title because I want him to know that I'm aware of who I’m dealing with.
His violet eyes widen for a second before he regains control. “I see that you’ve figured out who I am then. What a shame.”
“You have that ton
e of command.”
I’m careful not about to give Aika up. I pause because his lips quirk up at my observation, almost like he wants to say something.
When he doesn’t, I continue.
“Why would you want to keep that a secret, anyway? And should I call you just ‘emperor’, which is kinda weird. Or do you have a name to go after that title?”
He assesses me, as if he’s not sure that I can handle the truth. I arch an eyebrow, challenging him.
He bursts out laughing.
I warm, liking the sound. It’s actually relaxing my body, the sexy, deep timbre leaving his lips. Lips I want to be kissing again.
Fuck me on a stick. I’m into this yon, or at least my body wants him. I can’t help it, or explain the feeling, but it’s there. Hopefully, he feels equally attracted. If he does, I can work out the fantasy bubbling in my mind and perhaps earn my freedom. A double win. I love those.
I wait until his mirth runs out before speaking.
“I’m so pleased I could make you chuckle, but why don’t you do me a favor and let me in on the secret?”
He’s still smiling as he shakes his head.
“I knew there was something about you I liked.”
He leans forward and places his elbows on his knees. In doing so, his dark blue wings expand behind him. Their otherness reminds me that no matter how gorgeous this guy is, he’s not human.
And I’m not here willingly. I need to keep my wits about me if I’m to work this situation to my advantage.
“What’s your name?” he asks.
“I asked first,” I volley back.
“You may call me Emperor Quazar.”
He pauses and his nostrils flare slightly, like he’s smelling something in the air. Probably the bacon. Come to think of it, I want another piece, so I snap one up.
“I’m Elizabeth, but I prefer Liz,” I say and chomp on the piggy goodness.
“Liz.”
He says my name like it’s one of those long, exotic names like Alessandra or Giselle. Goosebumps raise on my arm just hearing it.
“Yeah, just Liz,” I say, trying to act unaffected and supremely interested in the bacon.
“Well, just Liz.” He winks and my mouth goes dry. “Are you sure you want to know what I’m thinking?”
His voice is lower now, like a growl.
My heart begins thundering harder. I’m ninety-five percent sure he’s turned on too. I need to work this advantage to my benefit. Realizing that silence is often far more powerful than speaking, I don’t reply, but give him a single, stoic nod.
“Very well.” One corner of his lips curls up. “I wish for you to be a part of my harem.”
There’s no way I can contain my shock at that one. My mouth falls open, and I lean back, replaying his request in my head. Finally, I determine that I must have misheard him.
“I’m sorry. Can you repeat that?”
He chuckles.
“I want you to be a part of my harem.”
“B—but aren’t yons monogamous? I’ve never heard of your kind having harems, only mates.”
At my last word, his face hardens, and he pulls away.
Sore subject. I think back to yesterday, remembering Folgru speaking about the emperor’s mate. He hadn’t been happy then either. Maybe she’s deceased? I decide not to bring it up again, because while the idea of being in a harem isn’t appealing, his invitation tells me I’m right. The emperor does find me attractive. As I’m attracted to him too, I’m fine with creating a relationship of sorts.
As long as I’m the only one with him. A factor that, considering he wants a harem, I’ll have to work on.
“Who else is in the harem?”
“No one yet,” the emperor admits. “You’re the first human I’ve found . . . intriguing enough to ask.”
His eyes spark, and I get the feeling that by intriguing he means feisty.
He wants feisty? I can give him that.
“What does it entail?”
“What do you think it entails?”
He licks his lips, and my heart goes into overdrive.
Sweet baby Jesus. I never knew I could find blue lips so hot.
“Sex, obviously.” I try to act like my heart isn’t about to fling itself out of my chest at any second. “But what else? There have to be some perks for me, right?”
He chuckles. “One perk of which is that you won’t be subjected to mating with Folgru.”
I stiffen, and his face softens.
“I apologize. That was crude and unnecessary.”
He clears his throat, uncomfortable. On my end, however, the discomfort has vanished in the blink of an eye.
The emperor of the yons, an alien race that has invaded Earth, actually felt bad about what he just said. Under that cool, chiseled exterior he has a heart, and a desire to bed me.
Fuck yes, I can work with this.
“I agree. And thank you for acknowledging that. I don’t want to see Folgru again, but surely there are more perks than just that? A personal quarters? One with bathing facilities. Can I have a female companion with me? For safety purposes?”
He muses it over for a moment before nodding.
“If you agree, I see no reason why you shouldn’t have your own chambers on the ship. Once we arrive on Ittux you’ll be at the palace. But I cannot allow you a female companion in your room.”
“Why not?”
His gaze is serious when it locks with mine.
“My soldiers will eventually claim all the females. If one is staying in your room, she is unavailable. Also, I will want to visit your chambers whenever I wish for pleasure.”
My stomach flutters at the idea of the yon above me, slipping inside me and . . .
I gulped, stopping my filthy mind from continuing.
Shut up hormones. I’m trying to make a deal here.
“Adjoining rooms then. Do you have them?”
“None connect.”
He pauses thoughtfully.
“However, I understand that humans are rather social and I do not want you falling into a depression from isolation. You may have rooms next to each other. Soldiers will guard both of you at all times. Only you, the other female, myself, and whoever claims your companion as his female will be able to enter the rooms.”
He leans back, as if he’s given me everything I could have ever wanted.
Shows how much he has to learn about me. I’m not even close to done yet.
“One more thing,” I say, noting his arched eyebrow. “I want to initiate the first time we’re intimate.”
He frowns.
“I promise I won’t make you wait years or anything, not even a month because I don’t think it would be realistic for you.”
I’m being serious, but it’s not just about his restraint. I couldn’t hold out that long, especially with how I’m reacting to him already.
“I only ask because if I initiate that means I’m comfortable with you. If I’m comfortable, I’ll be more fun.”
I’m being totally honest, even if I do have a tiny ulterior motive. I want to string out the desire for as long as possible. Make him want me, treasure me, maybe even love me.
My ultimate plan is to make sure that there is no harem. That I’m the emperor’s only lover, and once I think I’ve taken over his heart, I’ll make my big ask for freedom. Because really, what have I got to lose?
He’s still mulling it over, not looking pleased about the stipulation, so I press harder.
“I’m sure it’s the same with yon females. They’re better in bed if they trust you, right? And if I’m going to do this, be a part of your harem.” The word tastes sour on my tongue. “I damn well want to be good at it.”
Understanding dawns in his eyes and he nods.
“I will consider your final stipulation. For now, the room is yours.”
I’m about to protest when he lifts his hand.
“You may relocate there now and choose a friend to be your companion.
In two hours' time I wish to see you again so we might begin building trust between us.”
My mouth shuts. He hasn’t straight up said no, and he seems interested in having an emotional connection too. I’ll count that, getting to have my own room, and a friend nearby, as huge wins. I know when to push my luck and when to fold, at least temporarily.
“Great,” I say. “I’d love to see my room.”
The emperor snaps his fingers. The door opens, and a guard appears. “Take my mistress to the west wing of the ship. She’ll reside next to me, in room 1A34. The chamber on the opposite side of her quarters will be for a friend of her choosing. She will tell you which female to retrieve.”
When the guard nods, the emperor’s piercing violet gaze lands on me again.
“Be ready to meet again in two hours.”
4.
My chambers aren’t exactly what I was expecting. They’re smaller, with only one window, which I suppose is okay. It’s certainly safer, considering we’re going to be careening through space. But unlike the emperor’s desert inspired office, it’s bare as fuck in here.
Still, it’s light years better than the cell I’ve been sleeping in with dozens of other women. There will be no sour moods, unless it’s my own, bringing me down. Better yet, no snoring or mysterious night time farts. Hallelujah. That cell was becoming suffocating. And I can always make improvements.
I’ll take it.
I begin checking out the attached bathroom, also sparse and utilitarian, but totally functional. I’ve just finished exploring my little closest when a knock sounds at the door.
My eyebrows knit together.
Is the emperor already wanting to meet up? He said I had two hours.
I open the door and let out a little yelp as someone leaps at me
“Girl!”
Laticia tightens her arms around me.
“Thank you so much! I don’t know how you got that big hulking alien wrapped around your little finger, but whatever you did, I’m grateful for it.”
I laugh.
“To be honest, I’m not really sure what I did either, but if it got us here I’m not arguing or complaining.”
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