I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m trying my best. I don’t exactly know what’s available.”
He stuck his nose in the air. “There’s hardly anything available. This isn’t a leisure craft.”
“Well, in my time, if people didn’t have any money or there wasn’t anything to do we just stayed home. Snuggle together on the couch. Watch TV maybe.”
Whore got an evil glint in his eyes. “Yes. You should snuggle together. I’ll tell him it was your idea.” He started to go.
I popped up after him. “Hey! Snuggle doesn’t mean sex!”
“Be silent.” He left and closed the door.
“Bleh!” I collapsed back into my bed.
I felt like Whore had set a trap for me. I’d be springing it that evening—whenever Elentinus and I got together. I fretted over it all day. I didn’t even bother trying to learn more from the Domestics. My mind felt too harried to focus. I was glad when Whore finally came to get me for my date that evening. I couldn’t stand the wait.
“Why are you always in that side lounge downstairs?”
“It’s comfortable.”
“I never know where you’re going to be. You should just stay in your room.”
“I don’t want to stay cooped up in that cell all day.”
Whore grumbled.
We got into the elevator.
“Hor-Denay—why are you such a miserable person? I haven’t done anything to deserve the way you treat me.”
He spoke without looking at me. “You’re a nuisance that we didn’t need to deal with right now.”
“That’s not my fault.” I followed him out of the elevator. “You kidnapped me, remember?”
“I could treat you far worse. You’ve no idea how good you have it. You’re a typical spoiled Earth woman to complain about these choice circumstances. You haven’t even tasted the sting of your collar.”
“Because I don’t deserve it. I’ve been a model prisoner.”
Whore stopped in front of Elentinus’ door with me. His eyes narrowed to slits. “I told you what you have to do to be my friend.”
“I’m holding you to that.” I made my eyes just as stern as his. “Because what you want is going to happen sooner or later.”
Whore laughed. It gave me a shudder.
“It’s happening tonight.” He pressed the button beside the door.
I hugged myself. I wanted to brush him off like before, but he sounded eerily sure of himself.
“Enter.”
Whore let me go in alone. I tried to shake off my cowering before I descended the steps. Elentinus was standing next to the table the same as before. I saw there were place settings for dinner again. I walked up to my chair.
“Oh, we’re having dinner again?”
“I know you haven’t eaten, my dear.”
I’d had no appetite all day because of Whore’s shenanigans.
Elentinus pulled out my chair. “Hor offered a suggestion for tonight, but I found it unacceptable.”
I sat down and smiled with relief. “Dinner will be just fine. I like talking to you.”
Elentinus squeezed my hand. “I enjoy your company a great deal.” He caressed the back of my hand with his index finger. “I was looking forward to being with you. In fact, you’re proving quite a distraction to my work.”
I felt myself blush. His voice was too soft and sultry for it to sound like a complaint. I watched his fingers trace over my hand with my lips parted. Just that little caress made me feel heady. I was at a loss for words.
Fortunately the Domestic came with our food. It kind of looked like matzo ball soup.
“I love soup,” I said (like a dope).
Elentinus laughed. He broke into his matzo ball with the crescent utensil. Yellow goo spilled out into the broth. Now I could smell how delicious it was. I made a yummy sound.
“This won’t be an exact reprise of last night,” Elentinus said. “I’ve come up with a game for us after we eat.”
“Oh, nice.” I tasted the soup, and then wiped my mouth on a napkin. “Last night I told you everything about me. Tonight is your turn.”
Elentinus lifted back his head and gave an exasperated smile. “I suppose that’s…only fair.”
He rubbed his hand down the side of his face and then cupped his chin. I sat staring at him. I bet my eyes gleamed. I was dying to hear all about him.
“My father was the druid Maun, who sat in the second holiest seat. I don’t know who my mother was. I was removed from her womb after conception to be gestated artificially.”
My lips parted. So Elentinus had started out just like one of those babies I’d be having. I found that encouraging.
“I was raised by a family on one of our oldest slave planets, Dornovonia. I had a Dornovonian brother the same age as me. My parents were humble. Doting. The Dak-Hiliah officials rewarded them on three occasions for how well they’d cared for me. Eventually I left to finish my education on the Dak-Hiliah home world. After my sixth year I summoned my Dornovonian brother to come and work as my servant. It was a…foolish mistake. He behaved as my equal, which insulted some of my peers. They ordered him to come to an isolated courtyard at night so they could take turns…raping him.”
I covered my mouth with my hand.
“I showed up in his stead and killed the lead boy.”
I was shocked (but not that shocked).
“He turned out to be the only child of Shindray, the druid in the holiest seat. I’d had no idea. I was brought before the ruling council itself to answer for my crime. Shindray was so despised, six out of seven council members voted for my clemency. I was not only set free, they made me viceroy of Dornovonia.”
“Wow.”
“I’d taken over for a weak leader who’d allowed a rebellion to form. I quelled it, and set up reforms to ensure there would be no further dissension. After fifteen years of service my world became the model by which all slave worlds were judged. Many other viceroys copied my charter word for word. Those who tried to modify it suffered failure precisely due to their modifications. I received the highest decorations possible for my governance, policies, and military deployments. A seat on the council opened up six years ago. Four fifths of our empire openly supported my taking that seat. Shindray granted the post to a far more obscure candidate. The druid suffered his most severe assassination attempt shortly after this. It left half his body paralyzed. Four years ago another seat on the council opened. Shindray awarded it to me.”
I was riveted. I held my crescent spoon thing in my bowl but didn’t take a bite.
“When I joined the council our chief concern was the conflict with Earth. We’d never had an adversary whom we needed to keep alive. I spearheaded the decision to withdraw our forces. A new tactic was needed to gain the humans’ surrender.” He spooned his soup. “The rest you know. Since I was the most integral in Earth’s surrender I was put in place as overseer until things stabilize enough for a viceroy.”
I started eating again. “You talked about slave planets. Your family was enslaved?”
“Dak-Hiliah slaves are the most privileged in the universe. They thrive better under our rule than most free worlds. Thousands of aliens willingly immigrate to slave worlds every year.”
“Huh.” It was a little mind-boggling, but not incomprehensible. Wasn’t I a slave now, too?
“What do you think of me now, my dear?”
“Well…my opinion of you hasn’t changed. Your history seems about right for who you are. There were a lot of things you talked about that I may or may not object to. I’m pretty vacuous on all that. My frame of reference is two thousand years out of date, and it only applied to Earth. I’m in no position to judge.”
Elentinus gave a broad smile. “How incredibly insightful.” He looked me up and down while continuing to smile. “I like you, Maritza. Your mind is keen, and there’s this tantalizing innocence about you. I find you silly sometimes, also. I had no idea that would appeal to me.”
He pushed his hand into my hair. “All I want to do is spend time with you.”
I peeked up at him. He was ravishing me with those sexy dark eyes.
“I never thought I’d feel this way.”
If some other guy opened up like that I might have been suspicious. Elentinus didn’t have to make with the sweet nothings. I was already his. The words felt sincere to me.
He kept stroking my hair, causing exquisite tingles through my scalp. I was dying for him to kiss me. He moved his hand away instead.
“It’s time to play our game.” He rose and extended his hand. “Come.”
I took his hand and let him lead me toward the back of the room. I realized we were headed for his bed. My stride faltered.
The curtains that normally blocked the alcove with his big round mattress were pinned back. I gave him a dubious look that he didn’t catch. Once we were in front of the bed I saw that there was a rectangular platter with six small vials on it. Three were red and three were a yellow/green chartreuse color. Elentinus sat beside the platter. He gestured for me to sit on the other side. I hesitated a moment, but then sat. I was probably overreacting.
“Three of these vials contain a sweet liquid. Two of them contain a sour liquid. In one vial there’s a drug.”
I eyed him. His face and tone seemed too serious for a game.
“The drug will intoxicate you in a very pleasant way. It will also leave you helpless.”
My eyes widened. “It…it’s a roofie?”
“I don’t know what that is.”
“It’s a drug that makes girls black out so they can be raped.”
Elentinus grimaced at the word rape, and then locked eyes with me again. “No, my dear. You won’t black out. You’ll be quite conscious of everything that happens to you.”
I blinked a few times.
“The game is simple. Select a vial and drink it. If you pick a sweet vial, you win. If you pick a sour vial, you must pick again. If you pick the drug, I win.”
“What kind of game is this, Lord Elentinus?”
He lowered his eyes and slowly moved his hand over to cover mine. “Hor told me you’re ovulating, Maritza.”
I felt the blood drain out of my face.
Elentinus’ lips parted. He took my hand in both of his. “Does this terrify you?”
I rubbed my free hand over my face. “No. No, it’s fine. I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”
“If you’ll come to hate me for this, then I’d rather stop.”
I swallowed. “I’m not going to hate you for it.” I really meant it, too. But then the thought of being helpless wormed its way into my head. “If I lose though…you…you’ll…”
He rubbed my hand. “I’ll be gentle, my dear.”
The words caused a pang in my middle. I was still scared, but his promise sounded so sweet. I took a deep breath.
“If I win you need to let me walk away!”
Yeah, right. I pretty much knew how this night was going to end.
He made his soft laugh. “Of course.” His hands withdrew from mine. “Let me make it easier.” He took one of the chartreuse vials and moved it ahead of the others. “This is the vial that I want you to pick.”
I gasped. “That’s not fair. You can’t just tell me which one to pick.”
“It’s not a command. It’s a suggestion. You’re still free to pick whichever vial you want.”
I was flabbergasted. “You just showed me which one has the drug in it.”
“Have I? Or is it a trick?”
I leaned my forehead in my hand. “Oh my God.” I righted and took another deep breath. “Okay, sweet I win, sour I pick again, and drug I lose.”
My hand hovered over the red vial on the far left. I looked at Elentinus’ face. He stared into my eyes with no expression. I moved it over the next one to see if that got a reaction. Nothing. Same with the third one. When I my hand hovered over his vial he smiled with one side of his mouth. The smile remained when I tested the last two, but only because he’d figured out my strategy. I sighed and picked up the first red vial.
“Drink it in one gulp, my dear. Tip your head all the way back.”
I uncorked it and obeyed.
“Good girl.” He sounded a little too triumphant.
I was confused, however. Was the vial empty? No—I could feel myself swallowing something. There was no taste.
“Oh, crap.”
Elentinus took the empty vial out of my hand, placed it on the tray, and set the tray on the floor. Then he rose and started to take off his shoulder adornments.
In a matter of seconds I felt like I’d downed three shots of vodka. The room started spinning. I had to lean on one arm to steady myself.
He climbed back beside me and caressed the side of my face. “Relax, my dear.”
My head started to feel heavy. It wobbled as I tried to hold it up. “That was…the drug?” I don’t know why I had to ask.
“Yes.” He put his hands on both sides of my face and kissed my lips softly. “They were all drugged.”
I became plaintive. “What?”
His face was still serious. “I’m sorry, my dear. I couldn’t play fair.” He reached back and unhooked my dress.
By the time he pulled off my dress and got my shoes off my body had gone limp. This was more than just drunkenness. I felt a ticklish euphoria reverberating all through my skin. Every place his hand brushed against wonderfully amplified the feeling. My head was caught in a drunken buzz tornado. I was dizzy, bubbly, weak—completely at ease.
I had no control, and that seemed to be the theme of my life now. I fully realized I couldn’t have said no to him, with or without the drug. You know what, though? I’d come to trust this guy, evil alien captor though he was. I would have given in to his wishes without any tears if he’d just been up front with me. He didn’t need to take it in this direction.
Then again, I might just have been a sore loser.
My indignation evaporated in the here and now. I felt like I was getting drunker by the second.
He plucked me up like a limp cat and set me down further back on the bed. Did I still have my bra and panties on? I had to touch myself weakly to be sure. Yes, my last layer of resistance was still there. Elentinus was bare-chested now, though. (Did he have horns growing out of his shoulders this whole time?)
He climbed on top of me and started with deep, languorous kisses. His hands coursed over my nape and shoulders. Tingles spread all over my flesh, and my nipples inexplicably got hard. There were fluttery feelings in my middle that felt like my stomach had turned to water. I was lost to this world of tingly, fluttery bliss, and then his tongue slipped into my mouth. This made me open my eyes, but I melted away again in seconds. I didn’t know Dak-Hiliahs French kissed—but damn, he was good at it. He ravished my mouth and tongue so intimately. He made these urgent, powerful movements with his jaw that made heat course all through me.
His fingers traced down the side of my breast to the bottom of my bra. He slipped his hand under the fabric and palmed my bare breast. I winced at the onslaught of sensation in such a private area. He caressed gently, while still working his mouth over mine, and then he focused on my hard nipple with his index finger. Merciless teasing went on for half a minute. I had to break my mouth away from his to gasp. I was so sensitive now it felt like a layer of skin was missing. Every tweak of his finger made my lower area clench.
Elentinus pulled my bra off me and threw it aside. He fondled both my exposed breasts while giving soft, buttery kisses to my throat and collarbone. The tingling was making me squirm now. His hands moved to soothe over the goose bumps on my arms. At the same time he clamped his lips on the opposite nipple to the one he’d just tortured. He sucked and pulled slowly until it popped free from his mouth. Then he clamped on again to barrage it with his tongue.
“Ah!”
I was embarrassed by how wet I was getting. My hips were starting to writhe at this point. Elentinus focused his k
isses on my quivering torso. His hands worked lower to tickle over my flanks and hips. He took his time caressing me and then pushed a hand into the top of my girdle panties. My legs swung shut instinctively.
“Are you alright, my dear?”
His voice sounded like it came from a far away place to my drunken mind. When I realized what he’d whispered my eyes opened wide. He’d knocked me out of my euphoric trance. I would have never dared to squeeze my legs closed with him if I was sober. At the same time I was glad he’d paused to check on me.
“I’m…fine.” I let my thighs go slack.
Elentinus kissed my navel to show he believed me. He hitched both hands on my waistband and stripped me of my last garment. It was a two-part move: a tug down to expose my hairless groin and a fluid pull to get it off my legs. Even as drunk as I was, being naked in front of Elentinus made my toes curl. The way he paused to drink me in with his eyes gave me a shiver.
He placed gentle kisses on my stomach, which felt especially ticklish for some reason. I was trembling and twitching with little gasps. His hands were soothing my hips and legs now. Every caress bombarded me with wondrous tingles that lasted even after his hand moved on. My whole body wanted to be touched by him, and I was starting to get short of breath.
After thoroughly feeling up my thighs his right hand slid over my pelvis and between my legs. I struggled against the urge to clamp my thighs again. He was palming the entire mound of flesh, not breaching my slit, but just mashing the area up and down through my skin. I squeezed my eyes closed and grimaced. My clitoris had perked up into a hard little bulb. His hand pressed my flesh into it and caused it to achingly shift around. My thighs started quivering and the tingly ecstasy had my hole clenching. It only took half a minute for the whole area to be throbbing. My legs started squeezing his hand, but he kept the firm pressure moving up and down my mound. There was a tingling forming deeper inside me. I didn’t want him to stop, but at the same time I was going crazy with the barrage of sensations. His hand was already slick from my wetness.
Elentinus had to be trying to get me off just by rubbing my mound. His hand kept up a steady hard rhythm for several minutes. I started feeling rapturous prickly heat inside me. I lifted myself on my elbows.
The Complete Alien's Bride Page 6