Queen Maker's Bride (Alien SciFi Romance) (Celestial Mates Book 6)

by C. J. Scarlett

  “Our queens demand luxury. As drones, we are all too happy to provide it. Even for one as bereft of kindness as Kabelda.”

  “Your dislike of her is evident in the way you articulate her name.”

  “It pleases me to not have to call her my queen any longer.”

  “I like that you feel comfortable speaking your mind. It is a masculine quality that Earth women find arousing.”

  Turning away embarrassed, he replied sincerely, “I feel very much at ease in your presence. It’s strange to speak so casually with a queen.”

  “How’s about you call some drones in here and we begin gathering up these stones?”

  “Are you certain you wish them to enjoy such a privilege? If you change your mind later, they will be greatly disappointed.”

  “As far as I’m concerned it’s not a privilege, it’s their birthright as Maruvians.”

  Speaking into his com, the room began to fill with drones. She watched with fascination as they picked the walls clean.

  “I have instructed them to ensure every male selects a stone and the rest are to be stored until you decide what to with them.”

  Holding up the stone still in her hand, she looked at it. “These stones are highly coveted among the species that inhabit this region of space. One stone this size could be sold for enough credits to feed this entire ship for a solar cycle.”

  “Yet you give them so freely.”

  “Only to our drones, Raec. I will not give away much needed resources we’d need to survive.”

  “We are now surviving together? I was given to understand that you were leaving us at some point.”

  Trailing a fingernail gently over his chest, she purred, “Give me a reason to stay.”

  “What do I have that one such as you might value?”

  His mating scent was back with vengeance, reminding her exactly what he had to offer. “I want more of what we did in the bath.”

  “The human kiss your sister spoke of? This I would be pleased to do for you.” A huge smile ate up his face as he moved closer.

  “You have very sharp teeth.”

  “Thank you, my queen.”

  “That’s a compliment for Maruvian males?”

  “Yes, it certainly is.”

  “You don’t have mating parts.”

  Laughing he taught her about birds and bees, Maruvian style. “I most certainly do. Maruvian males are broken into two broad categories, ones with wings and ones with dicks. Queen makers are unique in that we are doubly endowed.”

  Running his hand down the growing bulge in his lower stomach, a seam appeared. With no preamble, he pulled out very nice sized rod. Staring at him with her mouth hanging open, she couldn’t quite believe how attractive it was. Every instinct told her she should think him weird, but she didn’t. Her eyes skated up his muscular torso to his face. “I didn’t think Maruvian males had such equipment.”

  “Every Maruvian either gets a dick or a pair of wings. I was gifted with them both, for your pleasure.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I know it doesn’t make any sense but that’s just how we are.”

  “So every single drone I meet has a either an awesome set of wings or nice junk?”

  “Except queen makers. We have both and that is what makes us so coveted as breeders. We give both pleasure and young to our queens.”

  “How lucky am I?”

  Smiling slightly he pinned her with a hot stare. “You consider yourself lucky to have me?”

  “Any woman would, baby.”

  “I wish to mate you in midair.”

  “God, the things you learn about people. Mind if I get the party started?”

  His gaze turned heated. Grasping her hand, he wrapped it around his rod in a gesture so human it almost made her laugh.

  Dipping his head, he ghosted his lips over hers. Her jaded drone was warming up to the idea of taking the lead awfully fast. She knew exactly why he wanted them to fuck while flying. It would put him in control of the whole experience. It made her hot for him in a way she hadn’t anticipated.

  His wings came out behind her, pulling her to his body as his arms encircled her waist. Instead of flapping his wings to lift them off the ground, he pulled her gown off and lifted her with his wings. Gazing up at her naked body, he whispered reverently, “You are most beautiful sight my eyes have ever seen.”

  Smiling down at him, she let the warm compliment wash over her. Splaying each leg on either side of his head, he breathed in her scent greedily before speaking. “Your pheromone wash is intoxicating. I’m certain that is what brought me into my own.”

  Linking her legs over his shoulders, she pulled his face where she wanted him to be.

  “No time for sexy compliments, baby. Your woman needs you.”

  “To be in the moment with a queen focused solely on his needs is every drone’s dream.”

  “I’m focused on you alright. How about you follow my good example?”

  He immediately buried his face between her legs murmuring under his breath. “I’ll bet you taste as good as you smell.”

  “Jesus, stop saying sexy things like that.”

  Without preamble, he kissed and licked her tender flesh. All the talk about being equals and not being treated like a queen went flying right out of her head when she found herself perched on his face with her back arched like a primitive goddess being worshiped by her god. There was something achingly erotic about their pose.

  Every sense of moral decency she’d been taught urged her to climb right down and keep it real. Yet, she was careful to stay exactly where she was, chanting breathlessly for more, more, more. Being in his strong arms, feeling his tongue moving across her flesh and his claws gently biting into her buttocks as he held her against his face tripped all the right switches for her.

  “Raec, I need you inside me.”

  Sitting, he slid her down into his lap. Pressing his forehead to hers, he whispered, “Never did I dream to hear those words from a queen.”

  Kissing him passionately, she could taste the dew from her body still clinging to his lips. So many things about this encounter sent her spiraling into a frenzy of need. “Please.”

  Pressing her close, he eased her down onto his rod. His powerful wings flapped and she felt the ground disappear from her feet again.

  Tossing her head back, she enjoyed the moment of hanging in midair with him. “Yes. You’re perfect, don’t stop.”

  “You like the pleasure I give?”

  “I love it. Move, I need you to move, baby.”

  A look of pure possessiveness jumped onto his face, and he pounded the hardest orgasm of her entire life out of her. Barely stopping to let her catch her breath, he picked up the pace again, running his thumb over her clit as well.

  She became aware of a steady torrent of words coming from her mouth. Unclear on exactly what she was saying, she saw his expression turn smug and possessive. Something about the look on his face sent her crashing into another orgasm, this time pulling him over the edge with her.

  As they fluttered softly to the ground, she realized he was seated fully inside her. “That was unbelievable, my queen.”

  She felt softness beneath her feet as he took to a laying position, curling around her in what felt like a protective pose. Looking around, she discovered they were on a sleeping platform of some sort. Pulling at a piece of cloth laying nearby, she covered them. Drifting off to sleep with his mating scent perfuming the room felt like coming home.

  Chapter 8

  ~ Hel ~

  Music Mix

  Hel woke up alone in the former queen’s chamber. Staring up at the view of outer space through the huge skylight, she couldn’t help but think she was way out of her normal comfort zone. Laying the lap of luxury, having sex with hot alien drones and planning military maneuvers would have seemed like a fantasy back when she was grateful just to be working doubles on the orbital space station.

  After having enjoyed su
ch pursuits, she found the prospect of going back to a regular life beneath her true skill set. Taking a deep breath she discovered her environment still smelled like sex with Raec. It was a fabulous scent and one she never wanted to do without in her life. It was strange to have such strong feelings for an alien she barely knew. He was sweet, funny, and accommodating. The thing they had in common was they both had experienced a pretty crappy life up until this point.

  “Shall I prepare you a bath, my queen?”

  Propping up on her elbows, she looked at one of the personal assistants. She couldn’t remember his name.

  He must have picked up on her confused expression because he answered her unspoken question. “My name is Sakor, my queen.”

  “I remember you. Where is Raec?”

  “He is seeing the last of the heart stones are distributed to the drones. Shall I call him to you?”

  Shaking her head, she slid out of bed. “Is that the bath?”

  “Yes. I will fetch you some clothing that fits.”

  “Great. I’m going to soak for a bit. Is there anything I should be aware of?”

  “Such as?”

  “There is only water in there, right? No amphibious creatures who nibble dead skin off your toes or anything like that?”

  Trying not to smile, he spoke solemnly. “Certainly not. Earth must be a truly fascinating place for you to ask such a question.”

  “Just double checking. You know the saying, measure twice, cut once.” Catching herself, she apologized. “Sorry, I forgot who I was talking to there for a minute. Naturally, you wouldn’t know the expression.”

  “Perhaps you need a morning stimulant.”

  Stopping in midstep, with water pooling around her legs, she eyed him suspiciously.

  Again intuiting her worry, he clarified. “Our people have a morning stimulant in droplet form. We add it to our food or drink to assist us in becoming more alert.”

  “We have that as well. It’s called Sim-caff. Put mine in a warm drink of some sort, will you, Sakor?”

  “As you wish, my beautiful queen.”

  Realizing that she was still standing naked in the bath, she quickly sat down. Almost laughing at her own stupidity, she remembered that they were assistants to a queen so they’d have seen a naked woman or two in their time. Really, the whole situation should feel more awkward than it did. Leaning back, she closed her eyes for a brief moment.

  Her mind drifted back to the night before. Just remembering Raec’s lovemaking left her feeling needy and wanting more.

  “It’s true what they say. Humans are pale and weak.”

  Popping her eyes open, she glared at the burly drone standing just inside the door. A chill crept up her spine when she saw what was in his twitching hand. An oversized, ugly serrated blade dripped crimson blood on the carpet. Glancing around, she played the only card at her disposal.

  Slowly coming to her feet, she grabbed a cloth and began drying herself off. Distracting him with her body was proving more effective than she would have thought. He stood mesmerized by the sight of her nakedness. Her mind raced with possibilities. Had he killed the guards who stood outside the door? Or Sakor as well? Worrying that they had crossed paths in the hall, she tried to come up with a plan. Few options came immediately to mind. Tying the cloth around her waist, she finger-combed her long hair, before twisting it up into a messy knot on the top her head.

  “It seems a shame to waste such a lovely pale body.”

  “I’m not just a pretty face. You know that, right?”

  His head snapped up from her still bare breasts to her face.

  Catching his eye, she continued, “On my home world, I was a soldier. My job was to keep the peace on the Galactic Council’s space station, orbiting Earth.”

  He was listening to her intently. As long as he was listening, he wasn’t killing.

  “Some days it was a breeze. Other days it kept me hopping. Have you ever tried to break up a Tardazian bare-knuckle boxing match. They really don’t have knuckles, since they’re gigantic squid, but they seem all arms and legs in a fight. I made the mistake of squeezing one a little too hard and his tentacle just fell off. It seems they’re a little like lizards and can release their tentacle to get away from an aggressor. It was all kinds of weird to see when you’re not expecting it.”

  “Stop talking, human. Your distractions will not work on me.”

  “That’s too bad. I like a little good conversation now and again.”

  The man’s head kept jerking to the side slightly, like he had nervous tick of some type.

  “My queen wants you dead.”

  “You know the rules. She needs to challenge me in battle. I already beat her once, though. I think she’s afraid of me. That’s why she sent you to do her dirty work.”

  The man jerked again.

  Taking a step closer to get a better look at him, she spoke coldly. “Kabelda is weak and unworthy of being your queen.”

  More jerking ensued. That’s when she saw it. A tiny disk attached to his neck was glowing under the collar of his shirt. It must be a transponder of some sort.

  “Your former queen is a coward and therefore unfit to rule. You know this.”

  “I don’t… I… I am commanded to act.”

  “Throw the blade away. It’s stained with the blood of your brethren.”

  Looking down at the blade for the first time since entering the room, his face contorted into a mask of pain. “I didn’t want too… I must.” Snapping his mouth shut, he twitched again, caught in what appeared to be a terrible internal conflict.

  “Throw the knife away. You don’t need it.”

  Lifting the blade, he seemed to be trying to let it go. Instead, his other hand came to his head and he punched himself in the temple. Shit, the situation as going bad fast. Rushing to a desk, she rifled through the drawers, hoping to find a weapon or something to use against the confused warrior. Coming up empty handed, she watched him finally break. Taking a deep breath he moved towards her, mumbling something. “Queens command, drones obey.” This woman had them all programed.

  Just before he got to her, there was a commotion at the door and several drones came pouring into the room.

  Hel darted out of the intruder’s way and made a run for the far side of the room. Several shots later, and the man was lying motionless on the ground.

  “I wish you hadn’t killed him.”

  A deep voice responded. “We did not. Queens command, drones obey. You said no more killing. We stunned him.”

  Running across the room, she fell to her knees beside the hulking man. Tearing at his collar, she exposed the blinking disk.

  Suddenly Raec was at her side. “It is a cerebral control transponder. His actions were not his own.”

  “Thank God, you’re here.”

  “I should not have left you alone this morning, my queen.”

  Placing a hand on his arm, she stated soothingly, “You did nothing wrong.”

  Vraden ran into the room. “I came as soon as I heard. His name is Haden. He is one of our fiercest fighters.”

  Raec added miserably, “He is also one of our most loyal and honorable drones.”

  “We need to get this removed.”

  “Don’t touch it,” Vraden cautioned. “We’ll need to put him in stasis and work only with the small area the device is attached to. These devices are prone to explode if removed improperly.”

  “Let’s get moving before he wakes up again.”

  Hel watched as they loaded him onto a hover board.

  She heard Alexis arguing with the guards. Shoving past them, she rushed into the room and to her sister’s side. Grabbing her with both hands, Alexis pulled her into a bear hug. The brazen display of emotion must have been socking to the drones, because the shifted uncomfortably as they looked from one woman to the other.

  “God, I heard about the killing and I panicked.”

  Feeing the air get sucked from the room, Hel pulled back slightly.
“Who got killed?

  Vraden shifted uncomfortably. “He attacked four guards. Only one survived. They fought hard to protect you, my queen.”

  “What of Sakor? He left moments before Haden entered with blood dripping off his weapon.”

  “It pains me to say, he is in very serious condition. It is unclear if he will survive.”

  “I wish to see them.”

  “Follow me.”

  “Is it possible to scan for the mind control devices?”

  “We have already done so and discovered them on four other drones.”

  “I don’t understand. She must have placed them before Raec came into his own. How could she have known something was amiss?”

  Wrapping a protective wing around her, Raec responded, “Kabelda was very clever. She was always one step ahead of us, outmaneuvering us at every turn. We will increase our guard and I will never leave you side. You safety is our primary concern.”

  “I’m not terrified. I’m mad. Have your drones tear apart that suite of hers. I’m betting we’ll find our answers in there.”

  Speaking into his com, Vraden gave orders to strip and search her lavish quarters. Raec guided her past him and into the medical bay. A dozen healers were working on several men. Four with blinking disks on their necks were hanging in stasis pads along the wall.

  “This is a total cluster muck.”

  Shooting Alexis a dark look, she noticed that her favorite drone had her under his wing as well. Drale was taking no chances with her safety. Alexis had one small hand protectively over his chest and seemed cuddled to his side. Frowning, she wondered if they were developing more than a friendship with one another.

  “Sakor is here, my queen.” Raec motioned to a hovering platform off to the right. The healers working on him were just finishing up. Upon her approach, one immediately gave report. “Haden pierced him with his blade in a particularly sensitive place. Maruvians have aquaglyceroporin membranes that run under our primary dermal layer. This tiny network of membranes facilitates the transfer of sorbitol throughout our bodies. It is critical to help us regulate our body tempters in extreme weather conditions. The organ responsible for maintaining this system is Scaragyla. Sakor’s was damaged. Quite possibly it is beyond repair. He lost a lot of body fluids and if he recovers, he will only function adequately in a narrow band of temperatures.”