The Minister's Manipulation: (An Alpha Alien Romance Novel)

by Liza Probz

  “Fuck,” he ground out, almost losing his control and coming in his flight suit.

  He spread kisses all over her throat, giving a little nip to the place where her neck met her shoulders. Her fingers tightened on his shoulders, her nails digging in, making him even more aroused.

  “Kat,” he whispered in her ear as he nibbled the lobe. “I need you. I’ve never needed a human woman like this.”

  Suddenly she stiffened under him. “Stop,” she whispered.

  Jeffrey looked into her eyes. “What is it?”

  “We shouldn’t be doing this,” she said, looking away and covering her breasts with her arms.

  He couldn’t understand what had happened to change the mood so drastically. No, I can salvage this. I can’t stop, not now, not with my cock aching to claim her, to spill itself into her perfect heat.

  He brought his hands up to cup her face again. “Why stop now? I know you enjoyed what just happened. Let me make you feel even better.”

  Jeffrey moved in to kiss her but she twisted her head away so he went back to kissing her neck.

  “Please,” she whimpered. He took that to mean she wanted more, so he licked down to her breast again, capturing a nipple in his mouth as he pressed himself into the valley of her thighs.

  “I said stop,” she demanded, pushing against his shoulders.

  “We can’t stop,” he groaned. “You feel too good. And I know you want more.”

  “Stop, human.”

  Her tone made him lift his head and look into her eyes again. They were filled with moisture.

  “What is it, Kat?”

  “Don’t call me that.”

  How had everything gone so wrong? “Talk to me,” he said, stroking a hand across her cheek.

  “Stop touching me and let me up. Now.”

  “But-“

  The shock came out of nowhere. One moment he held her in a loving embrace, the next he was shot through with a thousand volts.

  She pushed, and Jeffrey tumbled off the table, twitching on the floor as the energy ran its course.

  When he could open his eyes again, he saw the alien female jump off the table and begin straightening her clothing. Her skin was changing, the purple fading, the light green creeping back.

  “What...what happened,” he said, letting out a groan. “Why did you shock me?”

  “I told you to stop. You wouldn’t listen.”

  “You could have just talked to me,” he replied, trying to keep his voice level. The pain from her bioelectric warning was great, but her rejection hurt worse.

  She stood there, staring at him. He stared back, wondering how everything had gotten so fucked up.

  Suddenly there was a sound at the entrance. The membrane was opening.

  In walked Major Ontarii, and Jeffrey’s blood turned to ice.

  “Ah, I see we’ve resorted to violence to get our answers,” the major said as he moved into the room. “Good.”

  Kat’Chinna glanced at him, and Jeffrey noticed the riot of emotions that crossed her face in the second before she could compose herself. Anger. Fear. And…embarrassment?

  Rage flashed through him. She was embarrassed at what they’d just done. Why?

  Because you’re a primitive human, remember? His inner voice gave vent to his frustration. You don’t deserve to touch her pristine body with your brutish hands.

  Fuck that.

  He shifted into a seated position, then made to rise.

  “Stay where you are, human,” the major ordered, pinning him with a glare. Then he turned to his second. “Report.”

  Kat’Chinna swallowed. “He says his mission was ordered by NASA HQ.”

  “And?” The major wasn’t impressed.

  “And…that’s all I know.”

  Her cheeks flushed with some color, darker than green. Was it shame?

  Major Ontarii grimaced. “I see.” He jerked his head at Jeffrey. “Continue.”

  “Sir?” Kat looked confused.

  “Continue your interrogation. I will observe.”

  “I…I don’t understand.”

  “What’s the matter, Lieutenant. Lost your nerve? Or was I wrong about what was going on in here?”

  “No,” she hurried to say. “I was interrogating him.”

  “Well then continue.”

  Kat’Chinna drew closer to her commanding officer. “I don’t think there’s anything else to get out of him, Sir.” Her eyes were wide, belying her unease even as her words sounded steady.

  “So you have lost your nerve,” Major Ontarii said, shaking his head. “A pity. I expected more from my senior officer.

  The major moved closer to Jeffrey. “It seems you’ve compromised my lieutenant. That means I’ll have to take over.”

  A sudden kick hit Jeffrey in the stomach, doubling him over.

  “I’m not as kind as my second officer. I don’t have any more time to waste. Give me the information I want, or I’ll bring you more pain.”

  “I don’t know what you—“

  Another kick, this one with more force, hit him on the side. Jeffrey slumped over. The pain was intense, causing his vision to waver.

  “Wait, Major! I really believe he doesn’t know what’s going on with his crew. He’s told me everything—“

  “And you believe him?” Major Ontarii growled, turning to his officer. “You trust this human, and not the readings we received on his ship? You trust him, and not your C.O.?”

  “That’s not what I’m saying!” Kat’Chinna shouted, but Major Ontarii turned his back on her. He squatted, grabbing Jeffrey by the hair to pull him back into a seated position.

  “Talk, human,” he ordered, then hit him once in the face.

  A line of blood dripped from his mouth. I wouldn’t doubt if he knocked a few teeth loose with that one.

  The major’s fist came in again but this time Jeffrey blocked, knocking it away with his forearm. He struggled to break Major Ontarii’s grip on him, but the alien pulled harder on his hair, stretching his neck.

  “Give it up, human,” the major said, wrapping a huge hand around Jeffrey’s throat and starting to squeeze. “You will talk, or you will die.”

  “Is this how you treat your prisoners?” Jeffrey said, using part of his precious reserve of air. “I wouldn’t have expected such brutality from a so-called advanced race.”

  “We do what we must to protect our planet,” Major Ontarii answered, squeezing harder.

  Jeffrey struggled with all his might, using both hands to try to pry Major Ontarii’s fingers away from his throat.

  “To protect your planet, or to fool these Zantharians into thinking you’re one of them?”

  Major Ontarii’s face was plastered by a feral grin. “Oh, is that the game you’re playing? Trying to convince my lieutenant that I’m the real enemy? It’s not going to work.”

  “I think you’re helping to prove my point right now,” Jeffrey countered. His neck was on fire, his oxygen reserves at a low. He decided to change his tactics.

  Removing both hands from their task of trying to dislodge Major Ontarii’s grip on his neck, he locked his fingers and swung his hands at the side of Major Ontarii’s head.

  The blow landed, and the major’s head fell back, the shock causing him to loosen his grip.

  Jeffrey pulled away and scooted backward until his back hit the wall. His gaze shot to Kat’s face. She stood there, paralyzed with confusion.

  He couldn’t fault her indecision. Major Ontarii had been her commanding officer for years, and he had obviously earned her loyalty in that time. How could a couple hours with a human compete with years of training and trust?

  Still, he knew what those hours had meant to him. He was half in love with the alien female. He could still taste her on his lips. He’d never wanted anyone as bad as he wanted her, and he didn’t know if he ever would want anyone more.

  Had their time really meant so little to her? Jeffrey hoped not.

  Then the time for thin
king was over. Major Ontarii stood, moving forward with menace written large on his features. “You’ll pay for that, human.”

  “Major Ontarii, wait,” Kat’Chinna said, stepping up and putting a hand on the major’s shoulder. “The human brought up some interesting points while we were talking. He thinks our ship may have been infiltrated already. Hareema could be on board as we speak.”

  Major Ontarii stared at her, then burst out laughing. “Well, I see the prisoner was able to get into your head during the interrogation. I thought that’s what you were supposed to be doing to him.”

  Kat’s eyes fell to the floor, her head hanging down. Come on kid, don’t give up so easily. He tried to meet her eyes, to send some strength to her, but she wouldn’t look in his direction.

  “The fact that he tried to convince you that we’d been taken over by the enemy proves to me that he is a Hareema collaborator. And if he won’t talk, there’s only one thing to do.”

  Major Ontarii approached, his face a mask of wrath. “You’re a danger to my ship, and to my entire race.” He aimed another kick at Jeffrey’s midsection, but by moving quickly, Jeffrey was able to grab the foot. He attempted to pull the alien off balance, but he was outweighed by almost a hundred pounds.

  The major growled and pulled his leg out of Jeffrey’s grip. “Insolent little shit,” he said, this time aiming for his chest.

  The kick landed, knocking the wind out of Jeffrey. One kick was followed by another, then another, until he was huddled in a ball on the floor, trying to protect his vital organs from the onslaught of pain.

  “Major!” Kat’s voice broke through the barrier of his agony. “Please, this isn’t how we treat our prisoners. According to the Intergalactic Convention, we—“

  “Save your rules and regulations for another time, Lieutenant. This prisoner poses a threat to every person on this ship. If you think I’m going to allow him to survive to wreak havoc on the home world, you’ve got another thing coming.”

  Major Ontarii squatted beside him, tugging his head out of the ball to rain more blows upon his face. “You’re gonna die here, human. You understand that, don’t you.”

  Jeffrey glared at him. “That might be true, but you’ll never accomplish your goal, Hareema.”

  As he said the words, he knew they were true. Kat’Chinna would never put her loyalty in a commander who would treat a prisoner, even if he were a threat to planetary security, in this fashion. Beating him to death in his own interrogation cell. That didn’t sound like the leader of the Zantharian fleet to him. It definitely didn’t sound like the man Kat had pledged herself to follow.

  Major Ontarii laughed in his face. “You humans have a good sense of humor. Too bad you won’t be able to tell your jokes for too much longer.”

  Major Ontarii hit him again, hard enough to cause Jeffrey’s head to bounce off the back wall. His vision wavered, and it took all of his control not to pass out.

  “Lieutenant, I want you to finish this creature. Use your bioelectricity to end it.”

  Kat’s eyes were round, her mouth twitching. “Sir?”

  “This isn’t the time for discussion!” Major Ontarii roared at her, his body shaking at being challenged. “I gave you an order!”

  “Can’t do it yourself, can you?” Jeffrey asked, his suspicions confirmed. “That either makes you a coward or a Hareema plant.”

  Major Ontarii’s scowl was fierce but Jeffrey continued, hoping he could convince Kat that he was right. “A plant couldn’t zap me with electricity, could he? A plant would pummel me to death because he didn’t have any bioelectricity of his own.”

  “Shut your mouth, human, or I’ll shut it for you,” Major Ontarii growled, launching a kick that connected with Jeffrey’s chin and caused his head to once again bounce off the wall. Consciousness was a fleeting friend as his world narrowed to a pinpoint of light.

  Chapter 9

  Kat’Chinna was torn. More torn that she’d ever been in her life. Her commanding officer was ordering her to kill the prisoner, a man she’d just allowed to make love to her with his hot mouth. Events were spiraling out of her control, and she knew she had only seconds to make a decision.

  The human’s words made sense, when she considered them, but at the same time, years of following the major’s orders made her hesitate. If she was wrong, if she disobeyed a direct order, her career was finished.

  But the real danger was bigger than her career. If she made the wrong choice now, her entire planet could be at risk.

  Kat watched as Major Ontarii brutally kicked the captive. She felt as if the blow had hit her instead of the human.

  Could she risk it all, now, to save a man she’d known for only hours? She’d always trusted her C.O. before without a doubt or hesitation. But would the Major Ontarii she knew behave in this savage?

  The major had always kept his cool before, in the face of any threat. Although he was strong and sure, he’d never been hotheaded. She’d seen him fight, had seen him take down opponents before. But there had never been any joy at their demise. Major Ontarii was doing his job, nothing more.

  This was different. The grin on her major’s face said that he was enjoying inflicting pain on his prisoner.

  Her emotions were rising beyond her careful control. Without warning, her bioelectricity surged over her skin in waves.

  “That’s it, Lieutenant,” she heard Major Ontarii say. “Finish this.”

  Kat’Chinna wasn’t sure that she had the power to finish anything. The blast she’d hit Jeffrey with to end their dalliance had drained some of her reserves and it would take time to replenish them. Still, she had enough power to send a shock through someone.

  But whom? Kat risked a glance at the human. His eyes were closed, his mouth a tight white line.

  Could I do it? Could I kill him, to save my planet?

  Major Ontarii turned to her, his face filled with rage. “Fucking finish him!” he shouted.

  Kat could feel the energy filling her. It was time to make a choice.

  “I’ll have your uniform for this,” Major Ontarii said. “You’ll face a full court martial and will be lucky to come away with your life for such gross insubordination.”

  The major turned back to the helpless human, his fists balling. He leaned into the human, about to deliver the final blows that would end the confrontation once and for all.

  It was time to choose. Kat prayed that she made the right choice.

  Charging up her bioelectricity, she extended her hand and made a decision.

  The electricity arched from her hand and into the major, stopping him cold, filling him with bright white light.

  Major Ontarii groaned, his face spasming. Then his body began to change.

  Because she didn’t have her full powers, she could only send a medium-level charge through him. But it was enough for his shape to destabilize.

  Major Ontarii began to lose definition. Kat knew then that the commander of the Zantharian flagship had been replaced with a Hareema plant.

  She wondered if she had enough charge to finish him off. She pulled on all of her reserves, about to deliver the biggest blast she could.

  “Wait!”

  Her eyes flew to the human. Jeffrey was crawling toward her. “Hold that charge. Don’t blast him to oblivion yet.”

  “It’s protocol,” she answered. “Take out the threat immediately.”

  “You’ve got a damn Hareema prisoner. Doesn’t it make sense to take him prisoner and find out what he knows? Don’t waste this opportunity by following your foolish protocols.”

  Once again, the human’s words made sense. It was an opportunity to find out what the enemy knew. Even if he wouldn’t talk, Zantharian scientists could determine what advances the Hareema had made that had allowed them to slip past Zantharian defenses.

  She watched as the creature before her vibrated. Its form still resembled the major, but it was blurry. Like a reflection in a mirror coated with steam.

  Its mouth st
arted to move, and Kat had to strain to hear what it said.

  “It’s too late. There are more of us than you could ever imagine.”

  Kat recoiled, almost losing her hold on her bioelectricity.

  “What did he say to you?” Jeffrey asked, pulling himself to his feet beside her.

  “He said there were more of them.”

  “More,” Jeffrey said, standing as close as he could to the creature without getting shocked. “Here on the ship?”

  The Hareema laughed, the sound coming out more like a sick gurgle. “On the ship. On her world. On yours.”

  Jeffrey frowned. “Who are they?”

  The creature just laughed again, then doubled over, collapsing under the constant current. It seemed the time for talking was over.

  “I won’t be able to hold this forever,” she warned her human companion. “I wasted some of my reserves when I zapped you.”

  “It’s okay,” Jeffrey said, putting a hand to his side, no doubt at a tinge from one of the many bruises hidden by his flight suit. “Just hold it long enough for reinforcement to come.”

  He limped over to the console. “Tell me what buttons to push to call your soldiers.”

  Kat gave him instructions as she struggled to keep her energy focused on the Hareema. Jeffrey cursed over the console but at last a Zantharian face appeared.

  “Get your asses down here,” he shouted. “We’re under Hareema attack!”

  “What are you doing, prisoner?” the officer asked. “Where is Lieutenant Kat’Chinna?”

  “She’s keeping the goddamn Hareema occupied while I get help. So order your men down here immediately.”

  It didn’t seem as if the Zantharian officer was impressed. She could hear Jeffrey sputtering at him, but the officer still delayed.

  “Chief, send a team down here on the double,” she yelled, hoping he would hear her voice and respond. “We don’t have long before the Hareema escapes. Hurry!”

  “Fuck!” Jeffrey shouted.

  “What?” she said, unable to turn away from the prisoner to find out what was happening at the console.

  “The fucking screen went black,” he swore, slumping over the powered-down console.