Claimed by the Omega_A Sci-Fi Alien Romance

by Kallista Dane

  “I understand, my lord. It is my honor to serve.”

  “Tell me, brother, is there something I can do for you before you go? Some gift I can give you? I’ve heard it said you enjoy sampling the wide-ranging erotic skills of a Tesserian Trio. I can have one brought here for you.”

  “That is generous of you, my lord. In my younger days, I’d have accepted eagerly. But now I’m not sure my body could survive a display of their talents.” Kadan grinned at him. “Since you have offered, there is one request I would make. When I am not training with my men, I ask that you assign me to guard duty for one of the alien females until I depart on my Quest.” He jerked his head toward Maia. “That one.”

  Niall followed his glance and then raised an eyebrow. “Guard duty? And who will I appoint to guard her from you?” He laughed heartily and gave Kadan a conspiratorial wink. “Done. These females may only have two tits, but they’re spectacular. And my medical staff tells me their bodies respond positively to some intriguing forms of stimulation. I’ll go you one better and have her seated next to you at dinner tonight. At that secluded table over in the corner.”

  “Thank you, my lord.”

  Niall drew him in for a warm hug. “We will speak again before I depart.”

  He moved on, greeting each soldier in attendance as if the feast had been arranged solely for him, setting the alien females at ease with a smile and a sincere compliment as he was introduced to each of them. Kadan watched him work the room with pride. They’d trained together, earned the title of Omega Warriors, and fought side by side before he took the throne. Niall was fierce and unyielding in battle, yet he’d proved to be a fair and compassionate ruler. The Worlds of the Seven Stars were fortunate to have him as their leader.

  Knowing he’d have Maia’s companionship at dinner relieved his urgency to be with her and he amused himself by observing her as he made the rounds of the small gala. There was no shortage of other men seeking her attention. She treated them all with the same kindness, taking time to chat with each one. She seemed equally at ease when she met Seneschal Niall, not at all intimidated by his rank.

  Several times he caught her staring at him as he moved through the crowd but she quickly looked away. Once he cocked an eyebrow at her, and a flush came to her cheeks, making him wonder if she truly could read the wicked thoughts pouring through his mind.

  The Seneschal’s remarks about the medical staff’s observations played over and over in his head, feeding the flames of his lust-driven imagination. He’d never seen a cleansing chamber but horny soldiers loved nothing more than to exchange filthy stories when they weren’t training to beat someone’s brains out. He’d heard plenty of rumors going around the outpost about what the alien females had been subjected to before being released from quarantine, as well as wild tales about their shameless responses.

  No doubt if this evening’s guests knew what was being said about them, they’d be far less friendly and open with the soldiers around them.

  He might very well have to guard her after all.

  * * *

  When dinner was announced, the Seneschal sent a member of his personal military squad to escort each woman to her place in the hall. Maia saw Rowan take the seat beside their host, a sign of honor befitting her position as commander. One by one, the other women were shown to their tables. Each the center of attention of an eager group of Anterean soldiers, safe with a royal chaperone at her side.

  When an officer wearing the distinctive uniform appeared in front of her, silently extending his arm palm up, she laid her hand on it and allowed him to lead her through the room. To her surprise, he bypassed a table full of men with two empty seats and headed for a far corner.

  Maia’s heart leaped into her throat when she saw the small table’s sole occupant. The officer bowed and backed away, leaving them alone.

  Kadan stood.

  “My lady.” He pulled out her chair.

  She stood there, frozen. On Earth she was a tall woman with generous curves, but standing this close to him she felt petite, barely reaching his shoulders. She hadn’t been able to stop staring at him all evening. Minister Breen pointed him out to her, explaining that in honor of the Seneschal, tonight Kadan wore the formal battle gear of an Omega Warrior. The minister needn’t have bothered. She felt his presence the moment he arrived.

  He’d been standing motionless in the doorway. Huge, bare-chested, with a long cape made from the hide of some strange animal tossed over his shoulders. His chest was packed with sleek muscle. She was seized with the wild craving to run her hands over it, trace the muscles rippling under his smooth skin, all the way down to the short half-tunic slung low on his hips. The garment was made of a strange metallic fabric in a deep bronze color that nearly matched his skin tone.

  Wide gold cuffs around his neck and wrists emphasized the power in his shoulders and arms. Gods be praised, he was breathtaking. Her eyes were caught by the light reflecting off the hilt of a dagger protruding from a sheath lying along his left thigh. They strayed to the bulge near it under his tunic. To her dismay, he happened to look her way right at that moment and caught her staring straight at his crotch. He raised one eyebrow and she’d felt herself blush.

  Kadan cleared his throat and Maia snapped back to the present. He stood there in silence, head cocked slightly, with his hand on the back of her chair. She realized with a start he was waiting for her to sit down. She took her place, fussing with her long skirt, then toying with unfamiliar items on the table before her. Anything to avoid meeting the gaze she felt trained on her.

  He let the silence build until she couldn’t stand it any longer.

  “Since we will be dining together, please tell me—how does one address an Omega Warrior?” she asked, searching for a safe topic.

  “The men under my command call me sir. Those who know me well simply call me Kadan. I hope you will too.” His voice deepened, took on a note of intimacy. “Except for the times you address me as ‘my lord.’”

  At his words, the image flashed into her mind, as vivid as if it were taking place right there and then.

  She was on her knees in front of him, naked. One of his huge hands fisted in her hair, holding her head in place, while his other hand was wrapped around a huge erection. “You’ve given me so much pleasure tonight,” she heard herself saying. “Please, my lord, may I suck your cock?”

  Maia blinked and the image disappeared. He flashed her a wicked smile.

  She was shaken. Confused. These visions of the two of them together were different than any glimpses she’d had before into the lives of others. In the past, she’d always carefully prepared herself. Praying and meditating, calling on the gods for guidance and direction before attempting a connection that could aid her in healing. Once she began, she normally received shadowy, indistinct images from her subjects. Sometimes she picked up random thoughts or snatches of conversations they’d had with others, along with the flashes of joy or pain that accompanied them.

  But the images she’d been seeing when she was with Kadan were different. Shockingly different. She heard every word they said to each other, felt the hot waves of lust pouring over her. She’d seen him clearly too just now, magnificent in his nakedness. Slowly stroking his engorged cock as he towered over her. The head reddish-purple, a drop of pre-cum swelling up. She longed to lick it off with her tongue and hear him groan. Her pussy had clenched and spasmed, her nipples tightened. She could still feel his fingers in her hair.

  “Is something amiss, my lady?”

  He was staring at her again, with a look of concern on his face. He must be doing it somehow. Sending these blatantly erotic images into her head. But the wicked smile was gone and his tone held just the right note of innocence to make her doubt herself. Had he really made the comment about calling him ‘my lord’? Or did that happen in her fantasy?

  She didn’t know where the visions were coming from. Only that they were more real than anything she’d ever been able to tap into
before, even after years of honing her skill.

  “Please, call me Maia.” She deliberately put the walls in place, the ones that shielded her from the thoughts and feelings of those she healed. “And no, nothing is wrong,” she went on, pasting a polite smile on her face. “It’s still a little overwhelming at times finding myself here… in a place no one on Earth knew existed.”

  “On the contrary, Maia. Your world and mine have touched before,” Kadan replied. “Since your ship was rescued, a search of our memory banks has shown that thousands of years ago, my people explored your planet during one of our routine interstellar scouting missions. Records show we found a number of different tribes, all primitive. Our leaders at the time decided your species needed time to evolve into higher beings and ceased further contact.”

  “Your people came to Earth?” Maia stared at him in shock.

  “The scan of your ship’s onboard guidance system allowed us to trace your route back to the point of origin. That’s how we found the records of prior contact.” His voice took on a low timbre that sent a shiver through her belly. “Despite their differences back then, some of our men found themselves strongly attracted to the females of your species.” He grinned. “Apparently the females returned their ardor. Even mated with them.”

  He leaned in, as if sharing a secret. “That piece of information was not stored in our databanks. The technicians who performed the medical examinations on you and your companions came to that conclusion when they found numerous examples of genetic material in the cells of your bodies that match what we have in ours. Records from those scouting missions show that tests performed on your species at first encounter did not show the same results.”

  Under the table she felt the heat of his hand. Slowly, sensuously running its way up her leg. “It seems I am not the only Anterean male to find a human female irresistible.”

  He began asking her questions. About her family, her interests. Casual dinner conversation between people who have just met. All the while his fingers slid higher under her skirt. Teasing and tantalizing, up the inside of her thigh. His expression, his tone of voice were so innocent she began to doubt her own senses. Was it happening? Or was this yet another of those imaginary erotic encounters superimposing itself on reality?

  Don’t just sit there. Make him stop! One part of her, the prim and proper Maia, was screaming inside her head. Embarrassment kept her frozen in place. That and a reluctance to make a scene. Calling attention to what was happening would be almost as humiliating as crying out, only to discover that her overactive libido had imagined the whole thing.

  But if she was honest with herself, that wasn’t why she hesitated. The other part of her, the wild and wanton slut who came out in all their fantasy encounters, wanted this to be real. Wanted him to go on. Slide his hand higher until it reached her core. Then plunge one of his long fingers inside her right there under the table, while his eyes commanded her to stay still. Submit to him. Continue chatting politely while he fingered her slit.

  The thought made her pussy clench, drenching her with slick fluid. She felt the tip of his finger roam higher, exploring the damp heat. At the same time he flashed her a very real, unmistakably naughty grin.

  Chapter Seven

  His smile hit her like a bucket of cold water. Dear heaven, it was real. All of it. She’d been behaving like a slut, letting this arrogant alien feel her up in public.

  “Are you mad?” she hissed, shoving his hand away. “Let go of me!”

  She slid her chair as far away from his as possible. “Be grateful I don’t want to create an interplanetary incident. Otherwise I’d be shrieking at the top of my lungs right now.”

  If she hadn’t been so angry, she’d have laughed at the look of shocked surprise on his face.

  “Why do you protest? Were you not enjoying it? I know you are attracted to me.” His eyes devoured her. “I have seen it.”

  For some reason, hearing him admit out loud that he’d been having the same visions made her even angrier. “You think you can project dirty sex fantasies into my mind and I’ll just spread my legs? I have news for you. We humans are not a ‘primitive species’ any more. There won’t be any conquering of this female by a superior race.”

  “I have offended you?”

  “You’re damn right you have. Do Anterean women allow strangers to grope them?”

  “Certainly not.”

  “So you thought ‘What the hell. She’s an alien. I can do whatever I want. Who’s going to stop me?’”

  “But they said that you liked…” He stopped suddenly.

  Comprehension dawned. She uttered a stream of curses under her breath. “Those horny bastards.” Her eyes narrowed. “Exactly what did the ‘medical technicians’ tell you?”

  He backpedaled like any male who knows he’s in trouble but doesn’t understand what it is he’s done wrong. “Nothing specific. Only that you seemed to… uh… derive pleasure from certain types of stimulation. Apparently you indicated that you had not experienced those sensations for a very long time.”

  She was flooded with shame. They’d been gossiping about her with Kadan. Probably describing in full detail how her pleasure centers lit up as they teased and tormented her. How she’d orgasmed over and over when they filled her pussy and ass, then aimed pulsing jets from the hose at her clit.

  Maia wanted to disappear. Crawl under the table and slink away. Instead, she sat up straight and drew together her remaining shreds of dignity. “Based on what they said, you figured I’d be grateful to have your hands all over me?”

  “Forgive me, Maia. I meant no disrespect. Perhaps I acted in haste, knowing we are destined to mate. The gods decreed it and the Oracle has spoken their will.”

  His deep voice sent a wild shiver coursing through her. His next words turned it into a surge of lust. “I have touched you, tasted you. Claimed you. Surely you’ve seen it, felt it too. The look that comes over your face at times… it is as though our minds are already one. Our bodies must follow.”

  The dark intensity in his gaze set her heart thudding against her ribs, smashing the walls she’d built. He was right. She’d felt it too. All of it, especially now when she was so close to him. More than simple attraction. This desperate need to have him thrusting inside her, iron hard, driving her to climax.

  Fear hit her like a sledgehammer. No. I can’t give him that kind of control over my mind. I won’t lose myself again to a man. It took every ounce of her strength to pull away from the connection.

  “You are mistaken. I have seen no such thing.” Lying did not come easily to Maia. Instead of sounding calm and factual, her words came across with a hostility she regretted as soon as she heard it.

  “Your gods may have spoken. But your gods are not my gods and they do not rule my life.” She pushed back her chair. “Please excuse me. The events of the last few days have been more exhausting than I realized. I must bid you goodnight. Will you make my apologies to our host?”

  She almost ran from the room, unable to take the hurt in his eyes for another moment.

  * * *

  Kadan threw himself into training for the mission, taking his anger and frustration out on the men under his command. They headed into Prya’s wilderness to make camp, away from all distractions. He was called away to attend several meetings with Seneschal Niall and his fellow warriors, but the rest of the time he worked tirelessly. Kadan drove them hard and drove himself even harder. The men fought mock battles from dawn to dusk. Victors won the dubious prize of sparring with him. Sometimes he faced them one on one. Other times he took on four or five until he either defeated them all or collapsed with exhaustion. With every clang of his sword he damned the Oracle to the darkest hell for her cruel trick.

  But angry as he was at the gods and their messenger, he was even more angry with himself. He’d been a fool to believe the fantasy they wove, that this life could hold even a glimmer of happiness after what he’d done. The only thing that kept him from drin
king himself into a stupor every night was the knowledge that his men looked to him as a role model. How could he ask them to follow him, to risk their lives on this Quest, if he gave in to weakness? They’d lose all respect for him if he showed up at daybreak with his hands unsteady and his mind still in a fog.

  He never allowed himself even a single mug of ale. Neither did he join them after hours around the campfire for games of chance or raucous sessions swapping lies about their female conquests. Instead he sat alone, staring into the fire for hours, with such a fierce expression on his face no one dared approach him.

  The gods still sent their visions, but he ruthlessly purged them from his mind each time. There was no truth in them. Maia denied they had a connection. She’d flatly told him she felt no attraction to him.

  In the past, if a female spurned his advances, he’d have taken it as a challenge and pursued her even harder. Used all his powers of seduction until she was writhing in his arms, begging him to take her. But not this time. His mission was far too important.

  She’d be a distraction and a complication. He had no room in his life for either. There was a reason he’d never taken a mate, he reminded himself. It required commitment and he was already committed to the brotherhood. The Omega Warriors. Following his oath, serving the needs of his people, would always come first. He’d been forced to choose where his loyalty lay in the past and the choice he made still haunted him.

  Though he wouldn’t admit it, even to himself, Kadan knew that under his anger was fear. That’s why he hadn’t tried harder to woo her. In all his visions, when he claimed the female, she laid claim on him too. To his heart. The feelings he had for his imaginary lover in those dreams were so intense, he questioned whether he could be strong enough to cast them aside when he was with the real woman. Sacrifice her if he must for the Quest to succeed.