Born to Be Mine

by Lexa Luthor

  The locke dropped its tall ears, then crept out of the cage and tested its paws on the fallen leaves. It sniffed the ground, as if ensuring it was real. Taking more steps, it unfurled from the cage and stretched its body; it peered over its shoulder and held its gaze on her.

  Charlie noticed a reflective sheen to the locke's solid white eyes, which soothed the worry she felt for the locke's future. She parted her lips, but she was silent and entranced by the animal's ferocious yet beautiful nature.

  Without another glance, the locke bolted off and easily vanished as its gray coat blended in with nature.

  For a moment, Charlie stayed there and searched the woods for any sign of the locke, but it was gone. She sighed, picked up the cage, and returned to her friends. "It's gone," she said when everyone looked at her. Raine squeezed Charlie's shoulder in silent support.

  During the walk to work, Charlie stayed by herself and handled different messages on her techbit, including one from Starr that showed a copy of the bounty. Much to her chagrin, Magnar was included on the bounty. Nearing the city, she reminded Raine that she wanted to go to the Great Tower to take care of a few things before work. Her most important task was to call Victor and begin setting the trap.

  Again, the city was quiet in the morning, and the smell of firewood, horse, and hints of food lingered in the air. Once past the Great Gate, Charlie separated from the group and continued to the Great Tower, Andren in tow. At the front entrance, Andren departed from Charlie's side and went to the barrack so she could speak with her commanding officer.

  The Great Tower was quiet inside, other than the occasional guard, who either greeted or ignored her. She decided to try Kal's quarters first, but she wasn't there; then she went up a level to the fifty-second floor. Stepping off the lift, she noticed the last door was open again. Too curious, she wandered down to it but paused upon hearing those all-too-familiar determined grunts. She hesitated as a spark of jealousy burned inside her when her imagination went wild with images of Kal fucking someone else.

  Clenching her teeth, she rounded the doorframe and entered the room, blinded by the sunlight that swallowed her. She blinked a few times before her eyes adjusted to the brightness, then took in the large room's contents. Opposite the door was a glass wall that offered a gorgeous view of Tarrak. Spread throughout the room were various exercise machines and muscle-building contraptions. Different ropes hung from the ceiling, and one very thick pair of ropes attached to metal rings that were anchored to the stone wall.

  To her right, Kal was flat on her back on the floor with her legs extended and feet pressed against a metal tray attached to a rail. Square discs were piled on each other on a tray that moved up and down as Kal used her legs to push and lower it. However, she hesitated and twisted her head around after she took a deep breath.

  Heat flooded Charlie's face while she stood there in awe. She had expected many things but not a workout room. Her memory jogged back to her brief conversation about Kal working hard to build her muscular body. It didn't occur to her that Kal also had to maintain her physique.

  You're such an idiot. Of course she has to keep training.

  Kal lowered the weighted tray until it hit the stopper. She rolled and stood, revealing her exposed body that shined in the sunlight. She wore a black breast wrap with shoulder straps and tight black shorts that hugged her upper thighs. Her only other attire was black leather straps on her wrist and leather shoes. As she approached, her glowing muscles flexed and curled with each step.

  Charlie's eyes traced every contour and line until her attention centered on the apparent swelling between Kal's thighs. Earlier she had been cold, but now the room felt like an oven, and she fought with her jacket's zipper. She heard her heart drumming in her ears when Kal stood in front of her, filling her view. Charlie's smile was weak and her voice hoarse when she greeted her lover. "Turen."

  "Turen." Kal rested her hands on her hips, a different stance for her. "You are early." Droplets of sweat trickled over her skin, rolled down, and reflected the light against her tan flesh. Her raven hair was tied up, and it was the first time Charlie had seen it that way. "Charlie," she growled and cut through the staring.

  "Ja?" Charlie shook her head to rid herself of the drooling look on her face and whispered, "Perka gi." She scanned the workout room again and said, "I didn't realize you had a place like this."

  Kal half turned on her heels and looked at the space too. "Ja." She turned back to Charlie and said, "This used to be the office, and the other room was for exercise."

  "Why did you switch them?"

  "I needed more space for training." Kal revealed a playful grin. "And the view is amazing."

  Charlie was ogling over her lover's muscular body and whispered, "It is."

  Kal narrowed her eyes after she realized Charlie's agreement wasn't about the window view. "Come with me." She directed Charlie through the maze of equipment.

  Charlie was plenty inclined to follow behind Kal, whose ass looked so perfect in the tight shorts. She restrained herself from grabbing a handful and digging her nails into the fullness. She cleared her throat and stood next to Kal by the line of windows. Beyond the glass was the city of Tarrak, which was coming to life in the morning hours. But this view was different than the one from Kal's balcony. Not far off stood the Temple of Kalatas followed by homes, another gate, farmland, and then the forest in the distance. "It is beautiful."

  "I have spent many hours thinking and planning in this room." Kal placed her palms against the glass and leaned into it. "Can you see the Hall of the Commanders?"

  Charlie followed Kal's pointing and smiled at the familiar structure. "Ja." She peered up at her lover bent forward against the glass. "How are you doing?"

  "Almost normal." Kal met Charlie's thoughtful gaze and said, "My rut is nearly done."

  Nibbling on her lip, Charlie sighed and whispered, "That sucks." She grinned at Kal's raised eyebrow. "Earthling slang for when we don't like something."

  Kal huffed and pushed off the glass. "Why are you here so early?"

  Charlie sensed that she wasn't put off by her presence, but curious. "I need to contact Victor. I didn't really want to do it around the others and needed a private spot." Part of her wanted to perform the transmission near Kal, even though she couldn't understand English.

  "You can do that here or in the office."

  Turning, Charlie searched the room for a spot that was neutral. She didn't want Victor to read into anything about her location. She found an area of the stone wall that had nothing of importance or any detail for Victor. There was only a wooden table with several chairs. "I'll do it over there." She unzipped her leather jacket the rest of the way and walked toward the far wall, near the burning fireplace.

  Kal followed and took a seat at the table while Charlie pulled out a chair. "Will he answer?"

  "Only one way to find out." Charlie pulled out the techbit and retrieved Victor's contact information from their first transmission. "Don't say anything or make any noise. My techbit has a pretty sensitive microphone." After Kal's nod, she took a deep breath and prepared to face Victor, who had a talent for getting under her skin. She tapped the button on the techbit, then propped up the device on the table. She cut her eyes to Kal, about to say something until Victor answered the call.

  "Hello, Charlie."

  Forcing her clenched jaw to relax, Charlie narrowed her eyes. "Victor." She swallowed and folded her arms as she leaned back in the chair and returned in English, "I don't have a lot of time for small talk since I have bounty hunters on my ass." She loathed his smug expression.

  "You were given an opportunity to return our property to us."

  "She's not fucking property," Charlie snarled and fisted her hands against her body.

  "She was bought and paid for," Victor said. "You stole her from us, killed multiple soldiers, and destroyed our QMT in the process. The Grand Marshal put a heavy price on your head for such crim
es."

  "Yeah five hundred thousand or more!" Charlie uncrossed her arms and tried ignoring Kal when she shifted too.

  "So you've heard." Victor's eyes were full of mirth, but then it was gone. "I warned you."

  "Remove the goddamn, fucking bounty!"

  Victor tilted his head, then leaned back in a chair. He appeared to be in his office again and had two tablets with him. "That is out of my control."

  Charlie seethed and grabbed the table's edge with both hands. "Remove the bounty or—"

  "Or what? You'll rally the mercenary coalition that you're no longer a member of?"

  Breathing harder each tick, Charlie struggled to remain in control even if she was intentionally overplaying her anger. She was unnerved that Victor knew her history with the mercenary coalition or at least was aware of it. Refocusing on her true mission, she asked, "What if I hand over Starr? Will the bounty be removed?"

  Victor tilted his head and sat in momentary silence before he said, "You are on Kander while she is not. I don't see how that's possible."

  "And if it's possible, can the bounty be removed?"

  Victor was silent and stared for a long moment before he said, "The Grand Marshal would want proof that you have her."

  Charlie gave a grunt, then dragged her fingers through her hair. "I think it'll be easy to capture her since she's with Magnar, who also has a short bounty on her head."

  "Show me you have her in your possession, then we can talk again." Victor revealed a toothy smile.

  Still fuming, Charlie reached toward the screen and ordered, "Put a hold on the bounty."

  Victor grinned at her. "I think not." His smirk widened each tick until he reminded Charlie of an ugly villain in the comic books. "Until then, I'll be waiting. Good luck."

  Charlie opened her mouth, but the transmission ended. "Bastard!" She flipped the techbit and peered over at Kal, who had taut features.

  "That seemed to go well," Kal said, a rumble in her chest.

  "Well enough." Charlie folded her arms on the table and leaned against it. "He seems to be taking the bait at least." She grinned and considered her plan, which was getting the ship and meeting up with Starr. "Now we wait for that ship to arrive. It should be here on the seventh of the nineth."

  Kal nodded and leaned back in the chair, a thoughtful look on her face. "Victor's English was different from yours."

  Charlie was surprised that Kal noticed the difference between their accents. "Ja." She tucked the techbit in her leather jacket. "There were thousands of languages on Earth. Victor's native language on Earth wasn't English, but he learned it. So when he speaks in English, his native tongue shows through with how he pronounces stuff." She considered their earlier conversation and said, "His English is actually pretty good compared to some of the other Serrato soldiers I heard."

  Kal was silent for a moment and tilted her head. "Kander has only ever had one language." She then stood up and went over to one of the machines. "He agreed to remove the bounty if you brought him Starr?" She picked up a cup from the floor and drank from it.

  "Kind of." Charlie slouched against the chair and watched her lover come back. "He wanted proof first that I had Starr."

  Sitting down, Kal swallowed more from the tall, clay cup. "Have you heard from her?"

  "Ja. They're less than two days out, but they won't come here. They'll hide out at another location until I can meet them." Charlie was quiet and held Kal's steady gaze. "I talked to Raine last night about Melissa Hoyt."

  Kal canted her head and folded her arms, which caused her biceps to stand out.

  Charlie swallowed and kept her focus on Kal's face rather than let her eyes wander. "She thinks Hoyt is trustworthy and can get the information." She hesitated while thinking back on the former Air Force soldier. "Having Raine talk to her might be a good idea. We're already planning to go to New Earth soon."

  "If there is time for that," Kal said.

  Charlie blew out a breath and nodded. "Ja. I guess we can see what we get out of Victor about the Sworne." She faltered because her conversations and plans with Kal involved their working together more each time. As she closed her eyes, the conversation with Andren came back to her, and she whispered, "She knows." Lifting her head, Charlie saw her lover's curious stare. "Andren knows about us."

  "I am aware."

  Sighing and leaning against the table, Charlie rubbed her brow and continued discussing her brief conversation with Andren. "But I needed to know. I needed to find out if she was okay with it or if she was going to turn on us."

  "Andren is loyal and–"

  "I know." Charlie lowered her hands to her lap and frowned. "I know now. I just…."

  "You are scared."

  Charlie bristled but then agreed with the truth, even if it was hard. "I'm scared for you." She watched Kal set the clay container off to the side of the table. "Maybe of the future too and what this revolt could mean." They were circling back to the same unresolved topic, and she could see that Kal was unwavering and firm.

  "At the moment, it is not a revolt." Kal rested back in the chair. "It is movement by a rebellious group that has been slowly dying since I took power. They are still trying to rekindle the civil war, but they don't have enough support." She paused, then explained, "For the past few years they have been inactive to the point that I thought they were gone."

  "But they're not," Charlie said, feeling better that she was learning the details.

  "They are not," Kal agreed, "because I haven't found their leader."

  "Cut off the head of the snake," Charlie whispered before she sighed and slumped in the chair. "How did you find out they're active again?"

  "They're holding meetings and gatherings to build support, always in secret."

  Charlie bowed her head and studied her lover, who was agitated by the rebel group.

  "They're also threatening, attacking, and kidnapping Earthlings in Kardos." Kal shook with a displeased rumble. "They appear well funded."

  "Do they have a name? Is that Alpha Prime?"

  Kal's lips curled, revealing her canines. "Ja."

  Charlie couldn't hold back a snort. "Is Alpha Prime the best they could come up with?" However, it was clear that the rebel group's name agitated Kal, who was the planet's ruler or the real Alpha Prime. She cleared her throat and said, "All it takes is a wrong move, then you have them."

  "Just as they're hoping with me."

  Charlie's mind skipped to their secretive affair, which would add fuel to the fire and spark the revolt that Alpha Prime wanted. "Ja, but you are the ruler, not them." Andren's reminder echoed in her head about people following Kal because she harnessed Kalatas's spirit. "You are Kal."

  For a moment, Kal remained quiet, then released a heavy breath before she glanced at the burning fire to Charlie's right. "I am Kal, but even I have a weakness." Her eyes trailed back to Charlie, lingering with something unreadable.

  Charlie softened and shook her head after Kal's meaning struck a chord. "It's not me." She grabbed the techbit, tucked it away, and stood from the chair. She neared her lover, who had to tilt her head back for once. "It's not us." Her voice was strong, grounding them both. But when Kal rose up, Charlie held her next breath and watched the Alpha loom over her. Her clit pulsed in reaction to the power and dominance emitting from Kal.

  "Does Raine expect you back soon?" Kal's voice was heady and sent a shock through Charlie.

  Gasping, Charlie managed a faint headshake and fisted her hands at her side to restrain herself. "J-joh." Already she felt the wetness between her thighs and knew it was exciting Kal's Alpha.

  "Take off your clothes," Kal ordered.

  Charlie faltered and glanced about the room, unsure of their privacy. Was there even a place for them to shower? Or would they have to sneak down to Kal's quarters to clean and get rid of their mixed scents? A soft growl forced her attention back to her lover.

  "Now."

  From
the first time together, Charlie trusted Kal, and today was the same. She shrugged off her jacket and placed it on the chair behind her, then started to strip away the layers. Kal stood with her arms folded and full attention on Charlie, who became more flushed with each passing tick. Her skin was burning by the time she pulled off her soaked underwear—her last article of clothing. As soon as she tossed it, strong hands picked her up and placed her on the table top, nearly knocking the clay cup over. Charlie moaned and spread her legs, knowing her scent was wrapping around the Alpha.

  Kal stepped into the inviting space and bent forward, breathing in Charlie's smell. "I don't have a lot of time."

  Charlie smirked and peered up at her lover. "I don't mind rushed." She pressed her hands flat against Kal's firm stomach, whimpering at the muscles fitting into her palms. "But the throne room is above us."

  Growling, Kal bit Charlie's neck and earned a sharp hiss. "It's called an alping," she whispered and growled.

  Squeezing her eyes shut, Charlie managed to register the Kalmarese word, then clawed the hard flesh under her blunt nails and started to pant after Kal released her neck. Slight dizziness washed over her, but large hands on her hips kept her anchored. Then Kal soothed the pain with her tongue, licking the throbbing pulse point. Charlie groaned at the sensation and trailed her hand down lower. Once past Kal's shorts, she wrapped her fingers around the hard shaft and squeezed it.

  Kal dragged her teeth along Charlie's vein, higher to an inviting ear. Her rumbles turned into throaty thunder as Charlie played with her cock.

  Charlie scraped her nails down her lover's stomach muscles but slipped her other hand into the back of Kal's shorts. She clawed a handful of Kal's ass that she'd craved earlier. With her other hand, she continued to massage and squeeze the hard length. "Vuk," she whispered and moaned after the needy sensation sparked in her gut, making her clit throb. "Sumner, krafka," she begged.

  Kal snarled and nipped an ear, then picked up Charlie from the table.

  With a yelp, Charlie hooked her arms and legs around her lover's large frame but whined at losing her hold on Kal's cock. Her soaking clit pushed against Kal's washboard stomach muscles, and she started to grind her hips.