Rescued by the Alien Prince: Celestial Mates (The Alva)

by Miranda Martn

  "May we be of some assistance, my Princess?" the slightly taller one asks politely.

  "Yes, thank you. I need to go to House Ti'ana. On urgent business."

  They look at each other, frowning. Obviously, they weren't expecting an actual request on my part.

  "House Ti'ana?" the shorter one repeats, a question in his voice.

  "Yes."

  They look at each other again.

  "Perhaps I could go inform Prince Naefaren and he could accompany—"

  "No," I interrupt, the idea of them needing to check in with Naefaren before I can go somewhere really hits a nerve in my current state. "We're going right now." I climb onto the carriage. "If you would rather not take me, please give me directions on how to reach House Ti'ana and I will go myself." I pick up the reins and try to look like I know what I'm doing.

  I'm totally bluffing but they don't know that.

  They look at each other again, this time alarmed. As one unit, they climb onto the carriage.

  "There is no need to go by yourself."

  "We will be honored to take you to House Ti'ana."

  "Thank you," I say, relieved that I didn't have to slink back into the House Mansion with my tail between my legs. That would have really topped everything off.

  One of them takes the reins and then we're moving, the juntta's multiple legs moving in spindly coordination to propel us forward. As we pass through the marketplace, I wave back at the people who bow and curtsy to me, still feeling like an impostor. That's never going to be normal.

  I don't think I ever want it to be. It really chafes at my democratic beliefs, but I'm also not naive or arrogant enough to believe I can change the society here so drastically.

  At the gate, the stationed guards call out a greeting which my guards return. They don't say anything else as we pass through the border wall, but I have a feeling that wouldn't have been the case had I been trying to leave on my own. That's one of the biggest adjustments I have to make, not being able to travel and move around freely will take some getting used to.

  As we drive through the brightly lit tunnel and come out the other side into a dimly lit cavern, I'm glad I didn't leave on my own. I would have no idea how to navigate out here. After a few twists and turns, I'm even more glad to not be alone. The guards are alert and scanning the area as we travel, obviously on the lookout for threats.

  I'm not the only one to breathe out a sigh of relief as the brightly lit tunnel leading to House Ti'ana comes into sight. After we pass through, there’s the same flat space between the tunnel and the border wall, floodlights covering the area in bright light. At the gates, we’re haled by the guards there but nobody stops us as we pass through.

  Inside, the people and the marketplace are also similar to House Viir's, though the smell of the food is a little different, as is the cut of the clothes. We arrive at the courtyard in front of the House Mansion and the guards hop down. I follow suit, not wasting any time making a beeline for the front door.

  I stop a couple of feet away to stare. The door is painted with a complicated design that I'm sure took forever but the combination of bright colors is truly...horrifying.

  The door opens before I can get over my fascination and knock. A maid looks out inquiringly.

  "May I help you?" she asks, glancing at the guards behind me.

  "Yes. May I please speak with Princess Clara, if she is available? I am...Princess Ling."

  Wow, that felt even weirder to say but I figure giving a title would get me through easier.

  "Yes, of course," the maid says, dropping a curtsy. "You may wait in the sitting room inside while I go inform her of your arrival."

  "Thank you."

  The sitting room she leads us to is also pretty bright, but nothing can hold a candle to the impact of those front doors. While I'm waiting I consider the rudeness of simply showing up at someone's home. But it’s not like I can just pick up a phone and call her either.

  As I'm wondering if the Alvan people might have some kind of pigeon-like animal that could be trained to carry messages, Clara hurries into the room, a plump baby on her hip.

  "Oh!" I exclaim, jumping to my feet. "Oh, he's beautiful!"

  "We like to think so," she says with a smile, handing him over when I hold my arms out.

  He comes easily, gurgling with happiness as he pushes his plump little hands into my hair. I stare into his hazel eyes set in a cherubic, light purple face and immediately fall in love.

  "Oh, you're just adorable, aren't you?" I coo, cuddling him close.

  "Not that I'm not happy to see you," Clara says wryly, sitting down with a sigh. "But is something wrong?"

  I look away from the armful of cuteness to focus on Clara's worried face. Sighing, I sit with the baby in my lap, letting him play with the ends of my hair.

  "I had a fight with Naefaren. Well, maybe that's not quite accurate," I admit. "More like, he decided he knew what was best for me and now I'm really angry. I don't know how to deal with this in a way that won't ruin everything. I thought...maybe I could pick your brain? Since you have more experience?"

  "Ah," Clara says, nodding. "There’s definitely a learning curve when you're with an Alvan guy. What exactly happened?"

  "He won't have sex with me," I say bluntly.

  "Hmm." Clara is completely unfazed as she taps her mouth with her finger. "Did you tell him you were coming here?"

  "No," I admit. "I was too angry. I just grabbed a couple of guards and left."

  She winces a little, sighing. "I understand. But Ling, you have to understand that traveling here isn't safe." She sighs, leaning forward, her forearms braced on her thighs. "You should have told Naefaren you were leaving. He's going to be worried, and with good reason."

  "You're right. I let my emotions get the best of me. But it's just so frustrating, you know?"

  "Oh, I know," Clara agrees. "Did he say why he wouldn't?"

  "He said I didn't know the full ramifications of the Paritella. That he didn't want me to feel trapped by it, or regret my decision later."

  Clara nods, her eyes on me. "You're probably not going to want to hear this, but he's not entirely wrong."

  I give her a look.

  "Hear me out here, I knew what the Paritella was and it still hit me like a ton of bricks when it snapped into place. There's no real preparation for that. But here's the kicker, whether or not you are Naefaren's Pari, his true mate, once you have sex with him, he's tied to you forever. That means, if you decide you'd rather go back to Earth and you leave him, it's not like he can just shrug it off and find someone else." She gives me a moment to digest that. "Are you sure this is what you want? Because bonding with him like that and then leaving..." she sits back, shaking her head. "It wouldn't be right."

  I adjust the baby, carefully pulling my hair out of his hands as he yanks with a little too much enthusiasm.

  "I'm not leaving. Or changing my mind," I say quietly, meeting her gaze head on. "And if there's no real preparation for the Paritella, I'm just as prepared as Naefaren is, right?"

  Clara's smile is slow, her eyes twinkling. "That's certainly one way to look at it." She crosses her arms, cocking her head to the side as she regards me. "If I were you, I'd go back and tell Naefaren how I feel. Don't let him brush you off. And, when in doubt, pull the wiles card."

  "The wiles card?"

  "Feminine wiles," she clarifies, wagging her eyebrows at me. "Works like a charm."

  I laugh, shaking my head. "Hasn't seemed to work so far," I say ruefully. "But I'll take it under advisement." With a decisive nod, I stand and hand over the baby after one more snuggle. "Time to go back and assert myself."

  "Atta girl," Clara says. "Go get that dick!"

  I turn to look at her.

  She grins back. "Sorry. Go get your man!"

  "I don't think there's any way to cheer me on that sounds good," I mutter.

  "Hmm. How about good luck?"

  "That works."

  I wave a
hand at her and leave the House Mansion, finding my guards waiting for me by the carriage where I left them.

  "We can go back now," I say, hopping onto the carriage. "Thank you for waiting."

  "Of course," they both say in unison, climbing onto the carriage with me.

  I consider what to say and how to say it the whole way back to House Viir. Though there’s a point in the middle when an odd sound groans from the darkness and I'm pulled out of my musings. Rather than investigating, the guard holding the reins clenches his jaw and urges the juntta to go faster and I am more than fine with that.

  Clara's admonishment about traveling not being safe runs through my mind again. Probably this wasn't the smartest move to make but talking to her really helped me clarify things, so I can't really regret it either. When we get back, I fully intend on cornering Naefaren and having my say.

  I start to get an inkling that what I did was an even bigger deal than I realized when we reach the gates of House Viir. Guards are shouting and then one comes down and takes off for the House Mansion. That can't be good. By the time we make it through the marketplace and to the courtyard, Naefaren is waiting in the open doorway of the House Mansion, his feet braced shoulder width apart and arms crossed.

  His eyes lock on me, his jaw clenched.

  My guards go tense on either side.

  "Don’t worry. I’ll tell him I left you with no choice," I murmur.

  "Perhaps we should stay while you...talk."

  Oh. They're worried about me. I look over at Naefaren again and understand why.

  "Thank you, but I will be fine."

  Hopefully.

  The guards reluctantly hop off the carriage, one of them helping me down as well.

  Time to face the music. I walk up to Naefaren, meeting his furious gaze with my own. I don't expect him to immediately pull me into a tight hug. I let out a surprised gasp and he loosens his grip enough that I’m not being crushed. Pulling me inside, he closes the door.

  "Where did you go?" he demands, his voice tense.

  No beating around the bush.

  "House Ti'ana."

  He growls, picking me up and slinging me over his shoulder before he walks down the hall.

  "Put me down!" I whisper furiously, cognizant of the fact that servants are always around.

  He ignores me as he opens a door and walks us inside. He tosses me onto a bed but it isn't mine this time.

  "Why would you leave House Viir without informing me?" he growls, pacing in front of the bed. "Do you know how worried I was?"

  "I took guards with me," I retort, sitting up. Faced with his anger, I lose my resolve to be reasonable.

  "I did not know where you had gone or why!" he says in a low voice.

  "I went to speak with Clara! Because you cannot get it through your thick head that I might know what I want better than you do!"

  "And what is it that you want? You do not even fully know what you ask for!" he shouts, closing the distance between us and bracing his arms on either side of me.

  "There’s no way to satisfy you that I am ready!" I shout back, pushing at his chest but not moving him an inch. "I am not going anywhere! I am here to stay!"

  With a muttered oath, he slides a hand into the hair at the back of my head, holding me in place. His kiss is rough, passionate, and just a little out of control.

  I want more.

  I want everything.

  He breaks the kiss just as abruptly as he started it, the eye contact searing with him this close. "So be it," he says in a hoarse voice. "I will give you what you want." He uses my hair to tilt my head back farther, gently, so it doesn't hurt. But the possessiveness of it, the control, is clear. He kisses the side of my neck, rubbing his lips against the sensitive shell of my ear. "You have made your choice."

  He pushes me down on the bed, his heavy body coming down on top of mine. If that was supposed to be a threat, he missed the mark. Anticipation sings through me as I slide my hands up his back.

  Yes.

  His lips come down on mine once again.

  Yes.

  This is what I want.

  14

  Naefaren

  I kiss Ling, my control well and truly gone. I have never felt the kind of bone deep fear that arose in me when I found out Ling left and nobody knew where she went. That stomach churning terror told me what I already knew. Ling is mine. With or without the Paritella. There would be nobody else for me if she was gone.

  Pushed passed my limit, I eat at her mouth, my hands running over her body as I try to touch her all over at once but clothes are in the way. Ling helps me strip her tunic and then the trousers that Clara must have given her.

  I watch as she pulls off her breast band and the scrap of fabric over her hips, my mouth dry. Knowing we are not going to stop makes me want to speed up and slow down.

  "You too," she says, holding me back with a hand on my chest. "Everything. Take everything off."

  It is not a hardship to fulfill her request. I strip efficiently, my eyes on her face and her naked body, my cock as hard as stone. Like it always is around her.

  I stand for a moment, letting her look her fill, watching her swallow.

  "Wow," she says, her eyes trailing down my body, locking on the part of me that shows exactly how much I want her. "You are beautiful."

  I smile, placing a knee on the bed. "I am glad you think so."

  And then I have no more patience for the distance between us. Lowering my body over hers, I groan and she sighs as skin meets skin. This is where I belong. Where she belongs. Together, as close as we can be.

  Sliding my hands under her body, I hold her to me as I flip us so she is on top. I want to be able to touch her more easily.

  She lays her lips on mine. The kiss is deep, intense, as if neither of us ever wants it to stop. I slide my hands down the smooth expanse of her back, down to her luscious backside, kneading the soft flesh.

  But I soon become impatient with this position as well.

  Breaking the kiss, I roll Ling onto her side and turn so her back is to my front, hooking one of her legs and sliding it back over my hip so she is partially turned and open, vulnerable to my touches.

  I nibble on the side of her neck as I slide my hand up her front, cupping and kneading her breasts in turn. She moans as I give the firm tips a pinch, her body attempting to squirm closer to my touch.

  I bite down gently on the curve of her shoulder as I slide my hand lower over the smooth skin of her stomach and right down to her center, where she is already damp with need.

  My cock jerks in response.

  She hums in the back of her throat as I slide my fingers between her slick lips, exploring every fold, keeping the pressure light, almost skimming until she is arching her hips, clearly wanting more.

  I give her a little more.

  Circling the little nub at the top of her cleft, I reach down with my other hand to spear her with two fingers, sinking them in deep. She cries out, her neck arching back until her head is resting on my shoulder. I rub my face against the side of hers, sliding my fingers in and out of her tight sheath as I rub her more directly. Her body undulates against mine, calling out to me.

  Not yet.

  She needs to be more ready. I worry at how tight she is around just two fingers. I am not a small male, she may have trouble taking me without preparation.

  I keep up the stimulation and it does not take long for her to reach her peak. I grit my teeth as she moans, clenching down on my fingers, her body tight as a strung bow as her orgasm pulses through her. I insert another finger as she starts to come down, stretching her for me.

  "I need you inside me," she says, reaching back to cup my face.

  I kiss her palm as I gently pinch her ultra sensitive nub. "Not yet," I mutter, hoping I do not die in the process of readying her.

  She makes a protesting sound, but soon she is panting once again, her body twisting with another impending climax. I bite my lip, holding on to the thin t
hread of control with every ounce of my strength.

  Almost there.

  She comes silently this time, her body almost fighting me as she clenches down rhythmically once again, her skin slick with sweat as it slides against mine.

  As she nears the end, I slowly slide my fingers out and just as slowly slide my weeping cock in, squeezing my way into her still tight depths. She makes a small sound, her hand coming back to grip my thigh, her nails digging into my skin. I continue to push in, slowly and inexorably making room for myself inside her.

  I pull back out a little, keeping my breaths slow and steady in an attempt to avoid cutting this first time short.

  I want it to last.

  "Does it hurt?" I ask, not wanting to cause her any pain.

  She shakes her head, her eyes opening halfway, her cheeks flushed. "No," she says, pushing her hips back towards me. "Keep going."

  I nod, letting out a relieved breath. Bracing her hip, I push the rest of the way in, groaning as my length is squeezed tightly, the warmth and wetness almost too much. I stay seated as deeply in her as I can be and try to step back from the edge.

  It takes a few heartbeats to find my control.

  Cupping her breast with one hand, I use the other to place a finger at the top of her furrow. Then I begin to thrust, the movement rubbing her against that finger right where she needs it. Our breaths and the sound of flesh meeting flesh fills the room, the noises unmistakable.

  Carnal.

  But I have worn my patience thin. I cannot stop myself from increasing my pace, wanting to mark her with my body, imprint her with my seed. The primal urges rise up in an undeniable wave.

  Snarling, I clamp my mouth at the curve where her neck meets her shoulder, my hips pistoning, her body shaking as it absorbs the impact of mine.

  She grows wetter around me, her whimpers taking on an almost desperate cadence as she pushes back against my thrusts, her sheath rippling around me as she nears her third climax.

  I know I will not be able to halt my own.

  Not if she squeezes down on me, caught in her own peak.

  I rub at her, grinding against her, wanting her to reach her pleasure once more.