* * *
Riley drew in a deep, calming breath to steady her nerves in preparation to meet her five new "mates." She was shaking like a leaf on the inside, but she had learned a long, long time ago not to let it show. She put her hands back on her hips, drew in another deep, steady breath, and tossed her heavy mane of blond hair over her shoulder before turning around to face the five males again.
At five feet ten inches tall, she was a big woman. When you added in the fact that she was a solid size sixteen on a good day with double-D cup breasts, she was Xena on steroids. She had learned to live with her big-boned stature a long time ago. She didn’t have much choice since she practically towered over everyone she’d ever met between the ages of four and eighteen while she was growing up. She had reached puberty early and had to live through all the Amazon and she-giant jokes that any sensitive young girl would have to endure. Only other sensitive young girls didn’t have Grandma Pearl raising them. Grandma Pearl showed Riley how to punch anyone who made fun of her in the nose. When the fourth school’s social worker threatened Pearl that Children’s Services would take Riley and Tina away from her, Pearl showed Riley how to use her mouth as the weapon of choice after that. Riley had excelled at that much better than she had the physical forms of retaliation. Over the years she had plenty of opportunity to perfect her talent, as her grandma called it.
Releasing the breath she had been holding, Riley smiled brilliantly at the five alien males staring at her. "Well, boys, it looks like Auntie Riley is going to have to set some ground rules while we are together," she said, looking at each one of the males carefully to assess how she was going to handle them.
Alien number one was about three and a half feet tall, had two heads, and looked like a combination of a lizard and ET. He was cute in his own special way. Each head had large, black eyes that moved nervously back and forth between her and the other four men. He was a dark green with areas of tan, black, and red on him running in long lines down his body. He was wearing a small leather vest and cloth, plaid-colored pants with child-size boots to match. He must have decided she posed less of a threat than the other males because he emitted a weak squeak and scurried for a corner of the room. She also decided he looked like a "Fred."
Her eyes moved to the next alien creature. He—she was assuming it was a he since the Stickman called him one—was almost eight feet tall. He towered over all of them, including the other three males standing next to him, but he just wasn’t all that scary. He reminded Riley of the big tub of Jell-O in the movie Monsters vs. Aliens. He was green instead of blue, but he had "Bob" written all over his wiggling body. He even left a light liquid that she hoped wasn’t radioactive or anything behind him. He appeared to be wearing some type of robe over most of his body. She didn’t even want to think what might be under it. It was his eyes that gave her the feeling he wouldn’t hurt her. They were big, round, and the color of peach gumdrops with tiny black pupils in the center. He was emitting a low humming noise that struck her as if he was terrified. She wasn’t sure what he was so scared of. So far, she felt like everything was going pretty damn good considering she had been kidnapped by aliens. At least Daddy and Dudley Dip-shit back in New Mexico couldn’t find her here.
Her eyes finally moved over the last three males. She felt like she needed an old fashioned fan like the women in the movies used to fan themselves to keep cool, because she could definitely feel the heat increase when she looked at them. The first one was hot! He had his long hair pulled back at the nape of his neck. It was a long, golden blond with different shades coursing through it. He had patterns on his chest and left arm that looked like spots and was wearing a black vest, black pants, and black boots. Against his lighter color they really stood out. His dark golden brown eyes remained focused on her as she assessed him. He looked more curious about her than "interested." Riley was thankful for that because she had a feeling that her mouth and her one physical ability to bop someone on the nose wouldn’t stop him for long if he decided to sink those sharp teeth of his into her.
Alien number four was the same height as the first one. She figured based on her own height they were probably about six feet four inches or so. It should have been nice to finally meet some guys she actually had to look up to except for the fact they were aliens! Alien number four was looking at her with the same curiosity as number three had. He had more of a reddish-brown-colored hair and a darker tan. His hair was short and had stripes of darker reds and browns running through it. His eyes were a light greenish-tan color with specks of dark green in them. He was dressed in the same type of clothing as the other guy. Riley assumed it must be a uniform of some sort. It was kind of like a biker outfit that the guys back home dressed up in on Sundays when they put their three-piece suits up for the weekend. Only she got the feeling these guys dressed like this all the time, and this wasn’t a costume to just look bad for a day. She got the impression from all the muscles on the guys that they were bad all the time.
Her impression proved correct when she finally looked at alien number five. She had avoided looking at him in the hope he was somehow less intense than the first time she saw him standing on the platform in the "Choosing" room. If she thought he was hot from a distance, he was scorching up close! It took everything inside Riley not to reach out and touch him just to see if he burnt her fingers. Thankfully, Grandma Pearl’s wonderful teachings saved her from that impulsive behavior. Pearl drilled in to both her and Tina not to play with fire. Ever! Pearl explained that fire came in many different forms and most of them had two legs, one head that hung between them, and no brains to speak of. Riley thought her grandmother was like that because she and her daughter, Riley and Tina’s mom, had been left to fend on their own after the loves of their lives got them pregnant and left town. It didn’t take long for her to realize it happened to others, as well. Pearl pointed out to Riley and Tina just how often when their friends or just girls that lived in their neighborhood would ignore the signs. One by one, Riley saw the girls in her neighborhood fall for the "bad" boy only to be left at the first sign of another pretty face in the neighborhood, more often than not, with a baby to raise on their own. Riley decided at twelve that she was not going to be one of those girls. Of course, that was also the same time that the dirty old man who ran the grocery store on the corner propositioned her. No, she was going to have a ring on her finger before she said yes to anything. She wasn’t going to get stuck raising a kid on her own like her grandma had or her mom would have if she would have stuck around. As far as Riley was concerned, the guy could put up or shut up.
It’s funny, in a way, Riley thought. That’s about the only thing Tina and I ever agreed on without ending up in a major yelling match first.
Riley looked back at the huge male glaring at her. Alien number five is not just screaming bad-to-the-bone, but he has an international market on it, Riley thought before a giggle escaped her. Make that an intergalactic market, she corrected silently as she saw his face darken at her laugh.
He was the same height as the other two but seemed taller for some reason. Either way, he still towered over her by almost six inches. His black hair was cut short, almost military style. His upper chest was visible through the same black vest the other two were wearing. He had darker spots across his chest that looked almost like a leopard’s, not that she had ever seen a real leopard before. Riley let her eyes roam down the eye candy, appreciating the tight fit of his… Her eyes widened when she saw the very distinctive bulge in the front of his pants. Her eyes flew up to his in surprise, and she fought to draw in a breath.
Somebody is horny, she thought in dismay, staring into the intense, burning tawny eyes.
"Okay," Riley said, rubbing her hands together. "First rule. That is your side of the cave and this is mine. You stay on your side, and you remain in one piece. You come on my side, and I cut your dicks off and feed them to you for breakfast," she said with a small smile and raised eyebrows. "I claim dibs on the bathroom f
or exactly thirty minutes every morning, and one hour every night, alone," she added as she turned and walked over to where her suitcase had been dropped next to the bed.
She bent over to unzip one of the side pockets. A low, rumbling growl behind her had her reaching in quickly to grab the item she had been hoping to retrieve since she had first been taken. Her hand wrapped around the small, leather-covered device with a relieved sigh. She turned just as the huge male took a step toward where she was bent over. She looked up into the glittering eyes and swore silently. It looked like she was going to have to prove she would follow through on her instructions.
"Get back on your side of the room. Now!" Riley growled out, clutching the small device in her hand. "You stay! Bad alien. You are not to come on this side of the room!" she said fiercely, pointing her finger to the side where the other males stood.
"You are mine!" the huge male growled out as he took another menacing step toward her. "I claim you."
Riley’s temper flared at his outrageous claim. "Last warning. Get your ass back on your side of the room, or I’ll do it for you," she snarled back, straightening to her full height.
Vox grinned showing off his pearly white sharp teeth. "I’d like to see you try," he smirked, taking another step toward her until he was within arm’s reach of the female he knew was his mate.
Riley smiled, and a sparkle of devious delight glittered in her eyes as she looked up at the huge male towering over her. "Oh, darling, you really shouldn’t have said that," she said right before she pressed the device she was holding against his chest and pressed the button on the small Taser.
Vox’s eyes widened briefly before a curse tore through him as his body jerked. His chest burned as the explosive shock jolted him backward where he collapsed on the hard stone floor. His body twitched as his muscles reacted to the powerful shot of electricity that it received. His jaw clenched tightly as he fought the painful effects, but it was useless. He had absolutely no control over his muscles. It was ten times more painful than the shocks from his collar or from the stunning rods he had received from the Antrox. He forced his eyes to follow the female as she put her hands back on her hips and tossed her head back with a glare at his men who were growling at her. Tor and Lodar snarled in rage as they grabbed him by his arms and pulled him away from the female who was standing back near the bed, hissing at them and snapping her teeth. His eyes flickered to hers, and he saw the brief flash of fear before she concealed it.
Chapter 3
"How are you feeling?" Lodar asked quietly.
Vox grimaced as he rubbed his chest. Twin burn marks stung as his hand moved over them. His eyes followed the female as she worked to hang a curtain wall with the items the Antrox guard brought in almost thirty minutes before. She was humming under her breath a tune he had never heard before. It had taken him almost an hour to recover the full use of his limbs without feeling like he was going to fall on his face. He tugged at the collar around his neck and cursed when he felt the small shock. His muscles reacted to it instantly as they were still a little twitchy from the heavy jolt they had received a short while ago.
"Pissed!" Vox growled out in a low voice as his eyes followed the movement of the female as she bent over again. "Guall’s balls, if she bends over one more time," he swore as he felt his cock rubbing painfully against the front of his pants. "She is my mate," he muttered in a low voice to both his men.
Tor and Lodar looked at Vox in astonishment before turning to look curiously at the figure of the female trying to build a wall with blankets in the narrow room. After she had touched Vox and knocked him on his ass, she had the Gelatian move the bed closer to the wall. She proceeded to pull a piece of white rock out of the huge bag she had draped across her body. The bag had all types of different stones and images on it, and it had taken her several long minutes to find what she was looking for. After she found it, she had gotten down on her hands and knees and drawn a uneven heavy white line down the middle of the room.
She had looked so proud of herself when she finished that none of them, save Vox who was still lying on the floor twitching, knew what to say. She had proceeded to tell them who she was, and that they were to stay on their side of the line or she would rip their heads off and shove it up their asses. What was incredible was she had said it while giving them a beautiful, dimpled smile. Tor and Lodar had looked at each other and finally had to turn their backs to her so she wouldn’t see them laughing silently. The thought that a line drawn in white would keep a Sarafin warrior from crossing it if they wanted to was more than they could handle without laughing, at least until they looked at Vox who was still sprawled out in a twitching mess on the floor. Moments later, an Antrox guard delivered the items she had requested with a confused frown. She had blown the guard a kiss after she grabbed the items and deposited them on the bed. The guard paled as he glanced down where Vox was lying on the floor, jerking. He left quickly after that.
"Oh, Bob, honey, can you be a sweetheart and help me for a moment again?" The husky voice called out from where she stood balanced precariously on a large rock. "Fred, baby, just hold the line for a few more minutes. I think I’ve got it this time."
"She is called Riley St. Claire from Denver, Colorado—wherever that is," Tor said in amusement as he watched her almost fall off the rock again. "She is…a most unusual creature."
"Do you know what she is besides being a hair up my cat’s ass?" Vox snorted before he looked at Lodar who was anxiously watching as the female teetered for a moment before regaining her balance.
"No, I’ve never seen a female like that before," Lodar ground out through clenched teeth as she wobbled again. "Most species I know have some sort of instinct for self-preservation. This one seems to be lacking that particular trait. She has fallen off that rock three times now, and it is a miracle she hasn’t broken her neck!"
Vox gritted his teeth. He was well aware of how many times she had fallen. Tor caught her once—barely—Lodar the second time, and she’d landed on the Tiliqua she kept calling Fred the last time. He had not been able to catch her because he still couldn’t even stand without falling on his own face, thanks to her. Now even his jaw was sore from grinding his teeth every time she almost fell, bent over, or just thrust her—He groaned again as his cock jerked in response to her bending over and affectionately patting Fred on one of his heads.
"You are just such a sweetheart," she cooed. "Bob, you cute bowl of key lime Jell-O, can you hook the other end of the rope on the wall like you did on this side?"
The huge body of the Gelatian started to move toward Riley to take the rope she was holding out but stopped when Vox emitted a low, dangerous snarl. The huge being trembled in terror. Its head turned back and forth between Riley and Vox. Vox rose stiffly and glared at the creature in warning.
"My lord," Bob choked out. "The female—She—" the creature stuttered out before his voice faded.
"Oh, just ignore him, you scrumptious dessert. He’s all growl and no howl," Riley said before she giggled. "Oh, that was so good! Do you get it? All growl, no howl? Damn, sometimes I’m just good."
"Sarafin warriors do not howl," Vox said through clenched teeth as he took a step toward the female. "Female, if you ever shock me again I’ll turn you over my knee and spank your big ass until it is as red as the Brighton dwarf star."
Riley turned and wobbled dangerously for a second on the rock where she was standing. She glared at the huge figure threatening her. She was as tall as he was now. She reached her hand down along her side, easing the small cylinder she had taken out of her luggage and slipped into the pocket of her skirt into her hand. Her eyes glittered dangerously, and her lips pulled back but it was not into a smile.
Oh, like hell he did not just say I have a big ass, Riley thought viciously.
Her lips pinched together into a pucker before relaxing. "As you said earlier, Saraprick," she replied in a quiet, sarcastic voice. "I’d like to see you try."
Vox smiled at the
challenge. He was going to enjoy getting his hands on her luscious body finally! He was going to finish the curtain wall, bend her over, and take her hard and fast.
"And as you said, you really shouldn’t have said that!" He purred out as he walked slowly toward her.
"Vox," Tor murmured from behind his friend and leader. "I don’t think that is a good idea," he said, getting a bad feeling from the look in the female’s eyes.
She did not look like she was worried. In fact, she looked like she was out for blood—Vox’s blood if he had to guess.
"She doesn’t have her weapon on her," Vox responded, nodding to where the small Taser lay on the bed. "She’ll be purring like a kitten once I’ve claimed her." Vox smiled as his eyes glittered possessively. "That’s what you need, isn’t it, little cat? A good fucking."
Riley’s face flushed at the dark promise in the huge male’s voice. "I am so going to enjoy putting your ass on the ground again!" she hissed out, trying not to give in to the desire to turn tail and run.
The problem with running was there was nowhere to go in the small room. The second problem was that she had learned a long, long time ago if you didn’t stand up to a bully when you had a chance, you might never be given another one. She gripped the cylinder, waiting until he took another step closer to her.
"Last chance, big boy," Riley warned softly. "Step back over the white line and leave me alone, or I’ll have to put you down again."
Vox almost paused at the soft warning he heard in her voice. There was a trace of steel that told him she wasn’t going to run. She would stand and fight him tooth for tooth, claw for claw. His eyes stared deeply into hers, and he saw a resolution in them. She would not back down. His pride in her grew at her fierce determination to face him even though he could see the slight trembling in her hand as she pushed a long strand of white blond curls behind her ear. She was a worthy mate for a king.
Captured Boxed Set: 9 Alpha Bad-Boys Who Will Capture Your Heart Page 85