She pulled a long dress out of her closet, but couldn’t figure out how to put it on where the material wouldn’t fall like a big blanket. There was a knock at the door.
“Coming.” She opened the door and peeked out, seeing an older woman with golden eyes staring back at her. “Hi.”
The woman smiled softly. “May I come in? I have your breakfast.”
She nodded and opened the door wider, allowing the woman to enter. She had on a dress in the same soft material Bella found in her closet, but it was twined around her body in a way Bella would never be able to do.
“I’ll just put this on the table,” the woman said, heading straight for the corner of the room, next to the window. She placed the tray on the dark wooden top and turned to Bella. “My name is Teva. If you need anything, just call my name, and the room will summon me.”
She blinked. “The room? This room?”
Teva grinned. “Yes. This room has artificial intelligence that connects with my quarters or the kitchen. It will find me.”
Bella shuddered. “That sounds like a bad Liam Neeson movie: The room is alive. It will find you. And it will kill you.”
Teva laughed. “If I my daughter wasn’t so in love with those movies, I wouldn’t have known what you were speaking of, but when we went to Earth, it was one of the things she loved and made us stream for her.”
She laughed. “Can I ask you to help me with this dress?” She glanced down at the material hanging on her like a sheet. “I’m not doing something right.”
Teva smirked. “You didn’t wrap it correctly.”
She didn’t know what the hell that meant, but she opened her arms wide at Teva’s instructions and allowed the woman to move the material across her chest like a tube top, taking away her ability to wear a bra. She twined it loosely around her midriff and then wrapped it around her waist into a long, flowy skirt. She did something so the material tied up at the curve of her ass.
Once Teva was done, Bella turned to the long mirror by the bathroom and gasped. She’d never have figured it out. She felt almost naked in the dress. To make matters worse, it was see-through.
“Um, Teva,” she started, and watched as the dress changed color to a sapphire blue that made her look amazing. The area around her breasts darkened, and the material became thick like a bra, keeping her nipples concealed. “Let me guess. The material is intelligent too?”
She nodded. “This color looks beautiful on you. I’m glad it is the one you chose.”
“I chose it?”
“Yes. The material changes to your desired color preference. When you looked at yourself in the mirror, you thought about it being this blue. It also padded around your breast area to keep you from feeling uncomfortable.” Teva smiled wide. “I’ll let you eat. If you need me, call.”
She wanted to ask more questions but realized the woman probably had more important things to do than discuss Bella’s intelligent dress and how the hell it knew to cover up her nips. That was some serious intelligence right there. What earth could do with nipple-covering dresses.
She twirled in front of the mirror. Her hair fell in long spiral curls that somehow didn’t frizz like they normally did when she washed it. Whatever they had in their shampoo was a thousand times better than what she had at home. She slid her hand down her side and smiled. Such a pretty dress. Thankfully, she had a pair of black flip-flops that would go great. It was either that or a pair of sneakers. Those wouldn’t look as nice.
She hummed toward the table and sat to eat. Next, she’d check out the rest of the place. She saw gardens out her window and wanted to see the native flowers.
* * *
THIRTEEN
Bella could lie to herself and say she hadn’t been looking out for Trey, but why bother? She’d been looking around the castle to see if she saw him and even went as far as passing by the library, but it was empty. She sighed and continued through hallways until she came upon an open room. It was massive.
A woman stood talking to others. The moment she noticed Bella, she stopped, a frown forming on her face, and headed straight for her.
“Who are you?”
Bella raised a brow and folded her arms over her chest. “Hello to you, too.”
“I asked you a question.”
“I realize that, but since you were rude, I don’t feel the need to answer it.” Normally she wasn’t this easily aggravated, but the way the woman stared at her—like she was a peasant or something—annoyed her. “Maybe if you told me your name, I’d be more inclined to tell you mine.”
At least five inches taller than Bella, the blond woman had golden eyes that flashed with anger. She curled her lip in disdain. She was young, possibly in her late teens, early twenties, which meant Bella was at least fifteen years the girl’s senior. “My name is Nadeeya. I am the king’s cousin.”
“I’m Bella. Gerri’s assistant.” The other woman’s eyes narrowed farther. Her porcelain skin grew dark with an angry blush.
“You’re human,” she said, like that was a crime.
“Really? I had no idea. Thanks for clarifying that for me. Seeing as I’m probably the only human on this planet, it’s so good to know.” Bella smirked.
“I don’t tolerate insolence,” Nadeeya hissed.
“Maybe you should try not being insolent. Practice what you preach. Grow up in manners before you try acting like an adult. The first step is learning how to speak to people.”
“You stupid—”
“Bella!” She heard someone yell. She turned to her right, and the man from Gerri’s video, Karel, was a few steps away from her. “So good to see you in person.”
“Hello.” She grinned. “Nice to see you in life size.”
Karel nodded, offering her his hand. She shook it, and he stepped next to her, forcing Nadeeya to move away from Bella. Karel glanced at Nadeeya, his lips forming into a tight line. “You’ve met Alyx’s guest, I see.”
“She’s here with the matchmaker,” Nadeeya spat, her lip curling and displaying perfect, white teeth. “There’s no need for her. Alyx knows—”
“Enough!” Karel roared. Bella’s eyes widened. A vein throbbed in the side of his cheek. “What the king decides is none of your concern, Nadeeya. Remember that.” He turned to Bella with a smile. “Have you seen the garden yet?”
Whoa, boy. There was some serious tension in that castle. No matter what planet you were on, there was always going to be drama when you brought in bitchiness. “No, but I was about to go that way.”
“Allow me to escort you,” he said, motioning for her to move ahead of him and completely dismissing Nadeeya.
As they walked away, she glanced over her shoulder at the blonde. The woman stared at her with enough hatred to make her uneasy. “She got a problem with humans?”
Karel shook his head. “She’s got a problem with not getting her way. She’ll learn soon enough that Alyx has a mind of his own.”
“The Alion king,” Bella said. “In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight,” she singsonged. “I wonder if he looks anything like our lions.”
“Alyx does look like a larger, stronger, fiercer version of a lion on Earth. Three times their size. Faster. Angrier. And an all-around pain in the ass.”
Bella laughed as she walked. “You sound like someone who knows him well.”
Karel sighed. “Alyx and I grew up together. I’ve been his best friend and head of security for as long as I can remember.”
“Does that mean you’re a lion too?” she asked, curious.
“I am actually born of the Yagura tribe. Your humans call us jaguars.”
She gasped. “You’re a jaguar shifter?”
He nodded.
“I thought jaguars were solitary animals?” she asked, confused and interested to learn more.
“They are on your planet. Here, we have a high tolerance for living in groups. My parents and Alyx’s parents were best friends. Naturally we grew up together. We are best fr
iends. I became his right hand. His security chief.”
“Charlotte and I are like that,” she said, thinking of her best friend. Since they were little girls, they’d been there for each other. “She’s taking care of my cat while I’m here. She’d love to come visit…” She sighed. “She loves adventures. Maybe one of these days Gerri will give me permission to bring her along.” She glanced around the open courtyard that led into the garden. “This place is so magical. I love the fact everything is so colorful. The trees are purple. Purple! And your flowers are every color of the rainbow,” she gushed, glancing at the different flowers on their path. “Some of these are several colors. How’s that even possible?”
He laughed and shook his head. “I couldn’t tell you. This is how it’s always been.”
She followed him down a path that had taller plants with flowers the size of her head. “I’m usually allergic to certain flowers, but so far, I don’t feel anything bothering me.”
“Our atmosphere is a lot cleaner than yours. But if you experience any discomforts with allergies or illness, let us know, and we’ll be sure to get you something to make it better.”
Her curiosity over Trey was digging a hole in her brain, and she couldn’t stop herself from asking Karel about the lion. “Do you know who Trey is?”
Karel frowned for a second. Shit. Maybe she wasn’t supposed to ask. Dammit, but she wanted to know where the hell he was.
“I do know him. Have known him all my life,” he finally replied.
“Is he around?” She tried for casual, but knew it came off as nosy.
“Trey is...” Karel trailed off and sighed. “Right ahead of us.”
She searched ahead but didn’t see anyone. Suddenly, the giant marched out from between the trees. He zeroed in on them and sped up. Her heart did flip flops in her chest, and her temperature shot out of orbit from the single hot look he gave her.
“Bella,” he said, the sound of his deep, rumbly voice waking every hormone in her body.
Karel turned to face her. “It was lovely talking to you, Bella.”
She nodded, smiling at Karel. “Thanks for showing me around.”
“My pleasure,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll see you later for dinner.”
“Sure. See you later.” She watched him retreat and nod at Trey. That had to be some kind of guy code.
She turned to face Trey, and he didn’t waste time. He cupped her face in his hands and brought his head down for a kiss. She didn’t think to fight it. Hell, she wouldn’t want to. She rose to her tiptoes and plastered her body onto his. She curled her arms around his neck and gripped his hair between her fingers as if her life depended on it.
For long moments, nothing but their kiss existed—his lips on hers, his tongue rubbing over hers, taming the flames of passion melting her insides. He dropped his hands down her body, caressing her breasts and grabbing a handful of her ass to press her even closer to him in the process lifting her off her feet. The rumbling sound of his groan turned her already-slick pussy wetter.
She pulled back from him, breathing hard and licking her lips. “I didn’t have any wine today.”
He chuckled, giving her another kiss before he put her back on her feet. “Did Karel take you to see the waterfalls?”
She shook her head. “No. We’d only walked a short time before you showed up.”
“I’m glad,” he said caressing her cheek and grabbing her hand. “I want you to see how beautiful the falls are.” His eyes lit up in the bright gold she knew meant the lion was close to the surface. Tally had mentioned that enough times about her two men. “But I want to be the one to show it to you. It’s a special place.”
Dear god, she was falling faster than a speeding bullet for the giant. His voice alone made her knees shake. Now that she saw him again, more emotions clogged her heart. Yes, there was lust and passion, but there was also joy at being near him. There was a strange happiness knowing he wanted to spend time with her.
None of those things showed up in any of her previous relationships. After what amounted to a day, she was ready to think long-term with a man she barely knew. She remembered her cousin Tally and how she’d explained falling for Theron and Connor. “It was love at first sight,” she’d said to Bella.
At the time, Bella had laughed it off as her cousin being drunk on good sex. Really, with two hot-as-heck shifters, how could she not be? But now? Could it be true? Love at first sight? Did it exist?
Her heart screamed it did, she was experiencing it herself. But her brain, the much more logical side of her, said no—this was just a side effect of being in a new, wonderful place with a man who made her see more stars than the fireworks during the Fourth of July.
“You’ve gone quiet on me,” Trey said. He guided her down a path between the trees.
“Sorry.” She smiled, leaning into him instinctively. “I was just wondering how it’s going for Gerri finding the king a wife.”
“She’s currently busy trying to control two wolves who want a mate of their own,” he smirked.
“You sound happy about that. Don’t you want the king to find a wife?”
“The king can find his own wife.”
She blurted a laugh. “Not from what Gerri said. According to her, he’s hardheaded.”
“He’s not. Knowing what he doesn’t want doesn’t make him hardheaded.”
“That’s true. That just means he knows what he’s looking for. But he didn’t find what he was looking for without her help. Maybe now he’ll realize getting someone to help isn’t the end of the world.”
He stopped mid-stride and smiled down at her. Tiny flutters took hold of her chest. “You’re right. A man needs to accept his mate’s help, even if he thinks he knows what he’s doing.”
She smiled wide. “Exactly. You should have a talk with the king. He needs to learn how to share with whoever he picks for a wife. Sharing and communicating help relationships thrive.”
“Maybe I will,” he said, glancing back to the path with a frown. “Come, ym Neevk. We’re almost there.”
She sighed, smiling at the endearment. She still hadn’t found out what it meant, but she loved hearing him say it.
FOURTEEN
Alyx fought down the beast inside him like never before. Every second he spent next to Bella was another second his animal wanted to mate her, to stamp his mark on her and show everyone she was his.
As they neared the falls, he couldn’t help but think of his parents. They’d left the castle to live hours away in the Untamed Forest. Reserved for those seeking solace, the Untamed Forest wasn’t inhabited by the realm.
When his parents stepped down from the throne, he’d taken control, but he still visited with them regularly. He’d have to visit once he and Bella mated. He knew it wouldn’t be long before she gave him a child.
He scented her breeding cycle approaching. Once she was with his offspring, he wouldn’t have her traveling the rough terrain of the Untamed Forest.
They approached the rock covering the view to the falls. He guided her around the boulder, and she gasped.
“Oh, wow.”
He loved the way her face lit up full of wonder. His chest compressed when she gave him a soft, happy grin.
“Do you like it?”
“It’s... It’s amazing,” she whispered, nodding slowly.
He glanced at the falls, looking at them through Bella’s eyes. Three cascades of sparkling blue water fell in steps into a pool no more than twenty feet away. Masses of flowers and birds surrounded the falls in a picture-perfect image.
“Is the water cold?”
“No. That’s the thing about these falls. They’re naturally heated. Not like your hot springs, but the water itself heats up as it falls into the pool.”
She slipped out of her flip-flops and picked up the bottom of her dress, showing off red-tipped toenails. “I have to put my feet in.”
He helped her sit on top of a flat rock where she could soak her feet in t
he pool. She glanced up at him with an impish smile. “Come, sit.”
He hadn’t expected this. Sitting by the falls with Bella was more than nice. It felt right.
“Here,” she said, making a come-hither motion with her hands. “Let me help you get those boots off.”
He frowned. “Why?”
She laughed. “You should see your face. Don’t you ever soak your feet?”
No. He’d never had time to soak in the pool and sit around with anyone before, not unless he was in his lion’s body. His skin was usually the body busy running a planet and keeping different tribes from going to war.
“I can do it,” he said, slipping out of the shoes that adjusted to his feet. He moved closer to Bella, sliding his toes in the warm water and sighing.
“Feels good, doesn’t it?” she said, leaning her head into his chest.
Good? It was perfect. To have Bella in his arms and know she was the woman he wanted was better than any other feeling he’d ever experienced in his life. “I know it’s soon, but how are you liking this place?”
She lifted her head and met his gaze. “It’s beautiful. I bet my best friend, Charlotte, would love it.”
“Are you very close to your friends? Family?” He worried now that he hadn’t taken into consideration the fact she’d have to leave it all behind to be with him. Everything she knew would be reduced to a few trips throughout her life as queen.
“I’m super close to Charlotte and my cousins, Tally and Nita. But Tally is mated to wolves, and Nita to a bear, so I don’t see them as often. Plus, Nita is having a baby, so she’s tired and stuff.” She sighed and started drawing circles on his palm with her finger. “I miss them, but they have their own lives. I still have Charlotte. She’s my best friend.”
“People are nice here,” he said in a pathetic attempt to make his world sound more to her liking.
She gave a dry laugh. “Yeah. Okay. One out of the four people I’ve met so far is a bitch. Can I tell you the odds of that happening are just like Earth?”
The Alion King: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Paranormal Dating Agency Book 6) Page 6