by Rie Warren
“Well hell. I’m not used to looking like this.”
“You are stunning, meehri.” I drew my fingertip around the sensuous curve of her belly and the sinuous swell of her hips.
She watched as I adorned myself—the leather pants from tazek hide, the heavy metal gauntlets covering my forearms, a chestplate, and an array of small square stone trinkets attached to the braids that hung from my temples.
“Fuck me,” Prairie breathed out with a low whistle when I faced her.
Bending toward her, I traced her lips with my tongue before plunging deeply inside to stroke her plush heat while I cupped her ass.
When I broke the kiss, my engorged cock nearly split the lacings on my pants. There was no hiding the long rigid girth.
Damn, if his kiss can melt my insides, what’s his dick gonna do to me?
Her heated thought spilled across my mind, and she realized it when I grinned wickedly.
CHAPTER SIX
X
STAMPING HER FOOT, Prairie propped her hands on her hips. “All right. Time to teach me that mind-block thing.”
“You just have to build a wall around your thoughts.” I frowned. “But I’d prefer it if you let me see inside sometimes.”
Perfect. I’ve made it my life’s work to build walls in order to protect myself.
I ingested that interesting morsel of information she may not have realized she doled out so easily.
When we stepped into the corridor, Dex, Jedrek, and Magnar stood at attention in their full warrior gear.
“These are my Valkrane soldiers.” The men were also my closest cohorts, and I listened to their thoughts clamor as they met my future queen for the first time. “They’re at your disposal, whatever you should wish if I’m busy, but I urge you to come to me first,” I added with a possessive growl before introducing the trio by name.
“Finally.” Prairie’s smile brightened my hearts. “Names I can pronounce.”
She tossed a little wave at my most fierce combatants like they were cute little . . . kamsters.
Then she pointed at the knife sheathed at Jedrek’s waist. “Oooh. I want one of those.”
“Give her the dagger,” I ordered when Jedrek lifted a brow in my direction.
“Sweet. Thanks, Jed!” Prairie exclaimed after he handed the sharp blade over, and the other men chuckled at the nickname she’d just bestowed upon the battle-hardened soldier.
Jed, the name of one of the Beverly Hillbillies.
I watched as she slid the sleek weapon into the jeweled chain at her waist, patting the hilt appreciatively.
“You know, aside from being freakishly huge and the eye thingy and the tats that keep changing—yeah, I noticed that shit, X—you all seem surprisingly normal.”
Jedrek’s brow hitched higher.
She didn’t know about the fangs yet.
She adjusted the knife one last time—her motions sending her breasts swinging. Thankfully, my men averted their eyes from her lustrous curves. I’d never felt such possessiveness in all my centuries, couldn’t have cared less about sharing females. Never wanted one completely to myself.
But Prairie. She was solely mine.
The Valkrane escorted us through the grand hall, Prairie’s head twisting left and right while I kept a hand around her waist.
“This is the palace? Where are all the marble busts, and old paintings, gold dripping down the walls?”
“This is the second palace. I built it after the first one burned down during an attack from the Canubii a hundred and fifty years ago. I have more modern tastes.”
“One hundred and fifty years ago? You built it? Shut the front door!”
“You said that before when I mentioned my age. What do you mean?”
“STFU.” She rolled her eyes.
“Shut the fuck up,” Dex supplied, coughing into his fist.
“What he said,” Prairie gave the warrior the thumbs-up. “And who did you say attacked the original palace?”
“The dog people from the planet Canius.”
The second palace had all clean lines, many crystal-clear walls, pristine lighting, faceted windows that looked like prisms.
“My father died in the attack,” I added in a lower tone.
Up ahead, Magnar’s shoulders tensed. He knew I never talked about the death.
Prairie halted, turning to me. “My parents are . . . dead to me too. I’m sorry, X.”
“As am I,” I murmured, bewitched by her gentle smile. “But you’ll meet my mother tonight, and my sister.”
“Meeting the fam already? But this is just our first date.” Her quickly shifting personality caught me off guard again.
A laugh burst out of me, and the warriors looked back, watching curiously.
In all my years, no one had amused me as much as Prairie.
At the entrance of the Great Hall, I drew her closer to me before stepping inside and onto the high platform.
Jedrek, Dex, and Magnar flanked us, joined by Zane, who took his place as rightful prince.
Prairie pulled in a breath, which made her breasts tremble, her nipples pop inside the jewel-fringed top. Below us, all rose to their feet in one immediate surge, and silence hovered in the air.
“Oh. Here’s the grandeur,” Prairie deadpanned, but I could tell she was awed by the vastness of the room, the opulence of the court, the warriors of the Valkrane lining the walls.
“Our royalness, the King of Zenithia, and his most sacred presumptive Queen, Prairie!”
A wild chorus of shouts and applause greeted us.
“Totally over the top, wouldn’t you say?” Prairie murmured, but her eyes were alight with excitement. “And presumptive queen? I’m just here for a weeklong vacation, remember?”
Despite her reminder she’d only agreed to a week on Zenithia, she was clearly impressed. Perhaps I had a chance at winning her over after all.
We navigated down the steps, which floated into appearance seconds before we descended the platform. The crowd parted, their whispered words and silent thoughts spinning over me until I shut them out:
The Earth woman.
She has no right to claim our king.
She’s ripe as a rubek berry.
At my table at the forefront of the banquet hall, I helped Prairie into her seat, glad she was unaware of the comments aimed at her. Although I had to agree with her body being ripe as a rubek berry. Leaning over her before I took my throne, I stroked my fingers through the bejeweled fringe at the sides of her breasts.
After I sat, the rest of the court took their places, and food and drink were served in abundance. I looked forward to a night of feasting followed by feisty sex with my little red-haired mate.
Zane approached, one dark brow raised sardonically as he took in the royal gem around Prairie’s throat.
He bent low beside her, genuflecting probably to garner her favor since all he’d done earlier was salivate over her naked body.
After taking a drink of amber liquor, Prairie smiled at him. “Hey. How’s it hanging, Zane?”
“Double hard, Prairie.” He gave as good as he got before wandering to the other end of the room, searching—most likely—for his latest conquest.
Conquests for which he was nearly as famous as I.
“Does he really have two cocks?” Prairie whispered.
“You should have interest in no other cock but mine.” I emptied my goblet, and it was refilled immediately.
“What? I might like to hit that.”
I could tell she was just getting warmed up by the impish glint in her eyes.
“Don’t even joke about it, female.”
“Oh, God. Is this where you go all barbarian overlord on me?”
“Zenithians are not barbarians.” I motioned for more platters to be delivered to our table; Jedrek, Magnar, and Dex joining us as the volume of voices grew in the Great Hall.
As soon as Dex dropped into a seat, he glanced at me. “Heads up—”
“Tha
t’s what Zane said,” Prairie interrupted him, and I couldn’t stop the laugh erupting from my throat.
I slung an arm over the back of her smaller throne, dragging my fingers up her bare arm. “What is it, Dex?”
“Kerta headed this way.”
Kerta’s waist-long black hair was drawn back in a series of severe plaits, and she wore a chestplate and gauntlets like me. Her stomach was bare, and her skirt of hammered metal plates was more armor than decoration. Her skin shimmered with a series of body markings that began on her arms, and her eyes changed from golden topaz to turquoise, more striking because of the delicate tattoos around her left eye.
Prairie sat up straighter and in the flash of a moment she perfected the haughty look. Not sure I like this Kerta chick one single bit.
Capturing the thread of Prairie’s thought, I assured her, “Kerta’s my sister.”
“And you guys don’t do the incest thing, right? Because I’ve heard allllll about you aristocratic types.”
“That’s a hard no,” I winked, repeating what she’d said to me earlier.
“Good. Because I’d hate to break her face.”
Kerta was as much a warrior as any of my men, one of the many female Zenithians who took the ancient art of warfare as her calling.
“Xyib*eepthxnin.” Kerta brushed her cheek against mine. “You return from Earth unharmed and with a new companion.”
“Kerta, this is Prairie. She’s more than a companion, so play nice.”
Prairie turned to my sister. “Oh hush now, X. She doesn’t need to play nice with me. I might not be a seven-foot-tall Glamazon, but I’m a tough chick too, you know?”
Kerta looked at Prairie’s outstretched hand for a couple heartbeats before grasping it. “I like this one, brother. Much more spirit than the bitches you usually bed.”
I snorted as she went around the table, tapping fists with Jedrek, Dex, and Magnar in turn.
“Badass.” Prairie took another drink of liquor. “I so wanna hang with her.”
The gathered mass hushed again when my mother appeared. Her formal robes befitted her standing amongst the race. Though still mostly black, her hair had stripes of silver shining through. Her eyes were violet, and the markings on her skin extended all the way down her back.
I stood to greet her, kissing both cheeks while she held herself apart from me, and everyone else in the hall went down to one knee in her presence.
“Prairie, I’d like you to meet my mother, the Queen Superior.”
Standing, Prairie’s petite stature and gorgeous red hair highlighted the difference between her and my species—one of the reasons I found her so captivating.
She took the hand my mother extended and shook it heartily, murmuring to me, “Already told you once I’m not kissing any rings.”
A small bubble of laughter escaped from my mother before her face returned to carefully nurtured coolness.
“Wait. So I’d only be like the second queen?” Prairie huffed a sigh. “This blows.”
A rare smile flitted across my mother’s lips and her purplish eyes sparkled. “I’d heard this one was feisty. Welcome, meenya.”
My eyes widened at mother’s choice of words. My daughter.
Jedrek, Magnar, and Dex stared too.
As soon as Mother swept back through the hall to retire to her quarters after the uncommon public appearance, the feast wound back up, the noise level rising as more and more liquor was consumed.
As the Earthlings would say, it was a rager.
“Well, I think that went okay, right?” Prairie fiddled with her glass.
“Impressive,” Magnar murmured.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Queen Superior smile before,” Jedrek agreed.
Bringing Prairie’s hand to my lips, I kissed her soft palm. “You’re perfect.”
Pleased, she smiled before drinking more of the fermented liquor liberally replenished in her cup. “Whew. This stuff’s strong. I should know since I’ve toked up pharmaceutical-grade pot before, and it never hit me like this.”
Meanwhile her sheer presence and completely unfiltered personality entranced me. Not to mention the way her breasts mounded beneath the strands of the top. I bet her creamy tits still glowed softly with the oil, that her nipples were hard points from being stimulated all evening. If my cock got any harder I’d bust right out of my pants.
I sat back in the throne, spreading my thighs wide to give more room to my engorged erection. A drizzle of sweat trailed down my temple to the cords of my throat.
Prairie’s eyes snapped to the track until it disappeared beneath my chestplate, then her gaze dropped to the thick hard roll of flesh straining against the laces lashing my leathers together at the crotch.
Ungh. I know what I wanna drink next. All the hot cum from that behemoth cock. Unbidden, her crude thoughts flew into my mind as she licked her lips.
I set my hand along the hidden girth, flexing into my fingers while an obscene grin tipped my mouth. Her gaze flew to mine, and she absolutely knew I’d heard her lurid desire.
She was only distracted when I began to fill her plate with the choicest cuts of meat and a small pile of glistening fresh fruits, candied and curried.
She speared a piece of rare meat, inspecting it. “I’m a vegetarian though. Didn’t you mind-read that?”
“No.” I scowled. “There are plenty of fruits and vegetables—”
“Kidding.” She tossed the morsel of meat into her mouth, winking.
My warriors smirked and chuckled at her antics, her humor once again taking hold of me almost as much as her undeniable sensuality.
“Mmm. Tastes like chicken. Lemme guess, roast tazek, right?”
That time we all roared with laughter, and I rolled my arm around her shoulder to keep her close by my side through the remainder of the courses.
Later, a drizzle of rubek juice burst from her pursed lips as she bit into a pulpy section. The sweet liquid dripped into the deep V of her top, and I wanted to smash a handful of succulent rubeks all over her tits, coat her nipples in it, slicken her cunt with the fresh taste so I could drive my mouth against her, devour every single inch of her body.
Leaning over her, I licked the fruity essence from the naturally contoured clasp of her hot cleavage, groaning at the combination of her flavor and the taste of the red fruit. I knew Prairie would be just as juicy as the rubek she bit into.
I didn’t want to bite though.
I wanted to lick, suck, lap . . . okay, I wanted to bite as well.
She swallowed the last section, lids lowering, a flush on her cheeks, but when she glanced away, her eyes beaded like she was locking in on a target.
“All right. What’s with the chick over there with the resting bitch face who keeps glaring at me?”
Dex choked on his ale. Magnar roughly patted his back.
I knew I couldn’t head off this conversation, so I just sat back and waited for the explosions to happen.
“Her name’s Hippodylka,” Jedrek supplied.
“Yeah. I’m not touching that. I’ll just call her RBF.” Prairie narrowed her gaze at the warrior woman who scowled right back.
“She’s X’s former betrothed,” Dex added.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Prairie
RESTING BITCH FACE better take it down a notch, because I was just getting the hang of this Zenithian thing, and I didn’t wanna have to take my earrings off, or rather my giant amulet, just to stomp her face in.
Luckily I had Jed’s blade. I was pretty good with the knife-work too.
Turning away from the blonde-haired She-Ra-looking chick, I smiled sweetly at X. “Anything you want to add?”
He shook his head, shrugged his shoulders.
Typical male behavior. It didn’t matter if he was an alien or not.
“He decided he didn’t want to mate with a Zenithian.” Dex angled himself in my direction. “He’s scared of the females.”
I sensed X tensing, but I igno
red him. Who knew how many of The Great King’s former bed-buddies were in the Great Hall tonight. Unforeseen jealousy spiked through me, and I had to admit there was more than physical attraction brewing between us. When he’d mentioned his father’s death, loneliness haunted his eyes. And when he’d told me he’d never hurt me—that he’d healed the bruises left by my landlord’s rough handling—his concern touched me.
Undoubtedly, X was arrogant. Who could blame him? He was also sometimes gentle despite his brusque demeanor, concerned and protective. But I wasn’t ready to let him off the hook just yet.
Besides, Dex and his two soldier buddies were serious gangbang fantasy material. In fact, every “man” I’d seen or met had muscles up the wazoo, and I’d be willing to bet every single one of them was hung like an immortal as well.
I gave all my attention to Dex, Jed, and Magnar, each distinct in his own way. Dex stood close to X’s skyscraper-tall height, and he had flashing blue eyes that crinkled at the corners like he laughed a lot. He wore his long blond hair in a braid, a braid echoed by his burly beard tied off with trinkets similar to those X wore in his hair.
Jed’s face was harder, his jawline clean and cut sharp. He joked less, appeared ultra intense and hyper vigilant, and he was as seriously hard-bodied as the rest of them.
Magnar wore a coil of leather rolled on his hip, and I could only imagine what he used the whip on. With his playful grin combined with ovary-sploding looks, sign me up for a little Dungeons and Aliens.
Meanwhile X plied me with more of that trippy liquor and repeatedly cleared his throat when he wasn’t growling under his breath the more I showed him no attention.
The growling thing turned out to be kind of hot, even though I hadn’t been joking with my barbarian overlord comment earlier. No man controlled me, but I wouldn’t mind being fucked through a wall by a man who looked as lickable as X.
Eventually I turned back to the king—still not one hundred percent sure this wasn’t just a hallucinogenic fantasy. But I’d seen the Lex spaceship, viewed the palace, witnessed some of X’s extraterrestrial skills, which extended well beyond his panty-melting kissing ability. The holograms materializing with a flick of his fingers, the clothing he conjured from thin air . . . mmmm, the body-oiling.