by Calinda B
Her thoughts kept turning back to the sexy captain and that devastating kiss. Had he been as affected as she? Was he thinking of her while he ran the ship and did who-knew-what? She’d known him less than a few hours, but she missed him.
She almost… pined for him. Such an odd concept for a woman who’d thought she would live the rest of her life alone. She wanted to be with him and she didn’t care that he was an alien or part of the enemy army. Lust—or could it actually be love, so quickly?—didn’t care about such things.
All she knew was that she missed him and wanted to be with him. After only a single kiss it was like she’d become addicted to his presence, his touch, his taste.
On the third day of her confinement, the captain sent a message with her silent server, along with some clothing for her. She’d been able to freshen her flight suit using the sanitary chamber’s cleansing unit, but she was getting a little tired of only having one set of clothing.
The outfit he sent her was confusing at first, until she realized it was female attire in the jit’suku style she’d seen in images on the comp. She wondered where it had come from. Had some warrior on this ship been tasked with making women’s clothes in her size? One thing was certain—she would never have fit in any spare uniform parts from jit’suku stores. The men she’d seen on board were all at least a half a foot taller than her, if not more. And they were all broad shouldered and built on the huge side.
She would be swimming in uniform shirts or pants meant for them. All in all, she was glad of the new clothes that didn’t make her look like a child playing dress up, even if the style was different from what she was used to. There were wide legged pants in very soft fabric that were covered by a tunic of sorts. A jacket that tied at each hip, layered over the pants, with a wide sash completed the outfit. There weren’t any shoes to go with it, so she continued to wear her boots. It looked a bit strange, but she couldn’t very well go barefoot, and the long legs of the pants covered tops of her boots so only the tips of her feet showed.
Not too bad, she thought, twirling in front of the mirror in the bed chamber. She looked better than she had in a long time. The soft fabric emphasized her figure and the curves her flight uniform had hidden. She didn’t look like an androgynous pilot anymore. No, now she was definitely revealed as a woman, with all the usual curves and bumps.
She looked forward to seeing what the captain thought of her new style. She knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help herself. She hadn’t been so impressed with a man since her first boyfriend back in high school. She felt as giddy as the teenager she had once been, though she knew she shouldn’t.
The man was an alien. An enemy. She’d been shot out of her fighter on his orders.
He’d been appalled after the fact, which counted in his favor. But he was still the captain of an enemy craft engaged in conquest of the Milky Way. She was sworn to prevent him from doing that. The conflict made her heart hurt.
Somehow, this strange man had wormed his way into her thoughts at every opportunity, though he hadn’t made any overt attempt to do so. One kiss and she was hooked. Addicted to him. She knew she was doing this to herself. Her fascination with the man was not normal. She’d tried repeatedly to stop thinking about him, but it was no use. Her heart seemed to be fixated on the captain and she had to follow along to see where it would lead her.
The note that accompanied the clothing asked her to be ready after lunch. It was worded politely, hand written in a bold cursive that she had to believe was the captain’s own handwriting. Val. He’d told her to call him Val. She’d thought a lot about that in the past two days. His family name was Fedroval, so maybe Val was a nickname for that? Or could his given name be something that shortened to Val? She’d have to ask him, if she got the chance.
She wanted to know ever little intimate detail about him. She had it bad. She was downright obsessed. Any minute now she’d be drawing little hearts and doodling their names inside.
Disgusted with herself, she checked her appearance one more time. It was about as good as it was going to get.
Promptly after lunch, a chime sounded near the door alerting her, as it had for the past day and a half, that someone had come to take the empty tray. She looked toward the door, but when it slid open, the silent guard was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Val filled the doorway with his presence, his gaze holding hers as he walked into the room.
He stalked toward her, speaking not a word. His gaze took in her new outfit with obvious approval before returning to face, her eyes, holding her attention as he walked across the room and took her in his arms.
There was no hesitation in his movement. No question but that he had a right to embrace her. His head dipped and his lips claimed hers. She didn’t protest. She wanted his kiss as much as he appeared to want it. She’d thirsted for him over the past day and a half, waiting for this. This moment, when he would kiss her again. Hold her as if he would never let her go. Make the two of them complete… together.
The thoughts raced through her mind. She’d never thought such things about a man before. She hadn’t known she had such a romantic imagination. Maybe this alien was bringing things out of her that had remained hidden with the other men she’d known. And maybe her fascination with him wasn’t all one-sided. Judging by the hard feel of him against her, it most definitely was not.
Val reveled in the kiss of his true mate, glad to know the positive response to his nij’ta he had perceived a day and a half ago had not been a desperate attempt at self-delusion. No. This was the real thing. This surprising human woman was his true mate.
Now he only had to convince her of that fact.
He’d spent the last day and a half pulling every string he knew how to pull. He’d contacted the High Priest of the Zenai Brotherhood. If anyone would know the legality and sanctity of mating outside his species, it would be the High Priest. What he had learned had given Val the first hope he’d had in years.
Reluctantly, he broke the kiss, knowing the time had come to speak his heart to the woman of his dreams. Would she be as receptive to mating with him as she was to his kiss? The High Priest had reminded him that the Goddess worked in mysterious ways.
Her faint protest as he pulled away from her luscious lips renewed his hope.
“There are matters we must discuss,” he whispered against her lips, finding it hard to let her go completely.
It was she who moved back, going to the couch and dropping onto it with her arms folded. She’d gone from receptive to combative in a flash and Val admitted to himself that he was worried.
“What did I say to make you wary?” He moved over to the couch and seated himself sideways, facing her.
“When someone says ‘we need to talk’ it usually means trouble.” She turned her gaze to him and he perceived hurt in the depths of her eyes. Hurt he had put there. Val couldn’t help but reach out and take her into his arms, holding her against him as he spoke. He couldn’t bear to see the hurt in her eyes.
“You’re not in trouble. I might be, but you’re not, sweet one.” He kissed the crown of her head, loving the feel of her in his embrace. “I have kept away until I was certain we could be together.”
She drew back, surprise replacing the hurt in her expression. “What?”
“I realize you are not used to our ways, but you had to feel the magic in our first kiss. It was the nij’ta, though I didn’t mean to kiss you. I couldn’t help myself. Your kiss proved we were meant to be.”
“Is that what that was?” Her words were soft, as if she were unsure.
“I’m not sure if it’s the same for humans is it is for us, but I knew the instant I kissed you that you were meant to be mine. You’re my perfect mate, Lisbet Duncan of Earth. Crazy as that may seem.” He knew he was smiling but he still couldn’t quite believe it himself. “I’d given up ever finding you. The one woman destined to share my life. I sank my efforts into building this ship and dedicated myself to my people’s cause of conquest. Wit
hout a wife or a future, I had no other recourse. But now that I’ve found you, everything’s changed.”
“Just like that?” She sounded as incredulous as he still felt.
“Just like that,” he agreed, dipping to place a quick kiss on her lips. Sparks seemed to fly whenever they touched and he reveled in the response only she could evoke in him. “We’re out of the Milky Way and on our way back to my home planet of Solaris Delta. It is my right and duty as Liege of Fedroval to quit the battle now that I have found my perfect mate.”
“Wait a minute. You’re taking me home? To your home? Don’t I have any say in this?”
Her anger set him back. He moved away, facing her as they sat on the couch. “Do you wish to part from me? Do you believe you can—what is that human word?—divorce me so easily?”
“We’re not married,” she said, causing pain to lance through his heart.
“In the eyes of my people, you are already mine, Lisbet. I would have you come willingly, but if necessary, I will give you little freedom and no opportunity to desert me.”
“I’m your prisoner?” Her beautiful green eyes went wide with dismay.
“Only if you want to be. I’d rather have you as my bride. My loving wife. The mother of my children, if we are so blessed.”
She sat back, air puffing out of her as if in shock. “This is a lot to take in.”
“Don’t you want to be with me?” He knew he sounded desperate, but he couldn’t help the way he was feeling. He had to do everything in his power to convince her.
She looked at him and he saw the uncertainty in her eyes. “This has all happened so fast.”
He tried a different tack. “Do you believe in a power higher than our own? I believe most humans call it God.”
“I believe God is female.” Her brows knit, trying to follow his jump in conversation, no doubt.
“You do?” He grinned again. This was a good sign. One might even say a sign from the divine. “Jit’suku believe in the Goddess. It was She who allowed us to find out destined mates by means of the nij’ta. It was She who guided me to you, I now believe. I have conferred with the High Priest of the Zenai Brotherhood, an order dedicated to Her service, and I’ve learned there is some precedent for human women being the true mates of jit’suku warriors. Now that our races have come into contact with each other, ours is not the first such pairing, though it is the highest ranking. Still, those who came before us will ease our way.”
“Other human women have been taken to the jit’suku galaxy as brides?”
“Yes, and I will invite those who have had trouble with their mate’s clans to join ours. Such things have been done in the past and since House Fedroval has suffered such great losses in the recent past, we are well able to support a few more families under our banner. It would also allow you to have friends from your home galaxy nearby.”
“Is that why you’re doing this? Are you that hard up for a wife that you’ll take any foreigner who happens along? I remember what you told me about being the last of your line. You said no proper jit’suku woman would have you. Is that why you’ve come to me with this proposal?” She looked angry and he had to make her understand.
“No, my love. If you were jit’suku you would know, one cannot fake the nij’ta. I never expected to find a mate. I’d given up. And then there you were. Now I’m being to understand why the Goddess led me on such a difficult path. She was leading me to you, Lisbet. Only to you. Always to you.”
“I must be crazy,” she muttered as if to herself, but he heard her. She faced him squarely and spoke in a clear voice. “I can’t get you out of my mind, Val. I don’t know what you’ve done to me, but I’m crazy about you and if you think we can make a go of this, I’ll agree to be your wife.”
“Thank the Goddess,” he whispered as he dragged her into his arms for their first kiss as declared mates.
A kiss that would have led to so much more if he hadn’t had an interplanetary call standing by. He drew back and stood, holding out one hand to help her up. She accepted him eagerly and he was amazed again by the blessing the Goddess had bestowed on him to allow him to find such a mate when he’d thought all was lost.
“We have a few formalities to take care of before we can celebrate in true mate style.”
He led her out of her quarters and to the bridge where they would stand together in front of the com station. Their images and words would be broadcast to all within the ship and a special few on Solaris Prime and many others on Solaris Delta. There would be many witnesses as the Liege of House Fedroval—King of Solaris Delta—officially introduced his queen.
More from Bianca D’Arc
Bianca D’Arc has run a laboratory, climbed the corporate ladder in the shark-infested streets of Manhattan, studied and taught martial arts, and earned the right to put a whole bunch of letters after her name, but she’s always enjoyed writing more than any of her other pursuits. She grew up and still lives on Long Island, where she keeps busy with an extensive garden, several aquariums full of very demanding fish, and writing her favorite genres of paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi romance.
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Other Titles by Bianca D’Arc
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Jit’Suku Chronicles: Arcana
King of Swords
King of Cups
King of Clubs
Brotherhood of Blood
One & Only
Rare Vintage
Phantom Desires
Sweeter Than Wine
Forever Valentine
Wolf Hills
Wolf Quest
Tales of the Were
Lords of the Were
Inferno
Tales of the Were: The Others
Rocky
Slade
Tales of the Were: Redstone Clan
Grif
Red
Magnus
Bobcat
Matt
String of Fate
Cat’s Cradle
King’s Throne
Jacob’s Ladder
Dragon Knights
Maiden Flight
The Dragon Healer
Border Lair
Master at Arms
The Ice Dragon
Prince of Spies
Wings of Change
FireDrake
Dragon Storm
Keeper of the Flame
Resonance Mates
Hara’s Legacy
Davin’s Quest
Jaci’s Experiment
Grady’s Awakening
Harry’s Sacrifice
Gifts of the Ancients
Warrior’s Heart
StarLords
Hidden Talent
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I Dream of Dragons Vol. 1
Brotherhood of Blood
Caught by Cupid
Guardians of the Dark
Half Past Dead
Once Bitten, Twice Dead
A Darker Shade of Dead
The Beast Within
Dead Alert
King of Swords - Arcana, Book 1
David is a newly retired special ops soldier, looking to find his way in the unfamiliar civilian world. His first step is to visit an old friend, the owner of a bar called The Rabbit Hole on a distant space station. While there, he meets an intriguing woman who holds the keys to his future
Adele has a special ability, handed down through her mother's line. Adele can sometimes see the future. She doesn't know exactly why she's been drawn to the space station where her aunt deals cards in a bar that caters to station workers and ex-military. She only knows that she needs to be there. When she meets David, sparks of desire fly between them and she begins to suspect that he is part of the reason she traveled halfway across the galaxy.
Pirates gas the inhabitants of
the station while Adele and David are safe inside a transport tube and it's up to them to repell the invaders. But what good can one retired soldier and a civilian do against a ship full of alien pirates? Both will discover there's more to each other than meets the eye as they do their best to overcome the alien threat and retake the station.
Rocky
On the run from her husband's killers, there is only one man who can help her now... her Rock.
Maggie is on the run from those who killed her husband nine months ago. She knows the only one who can help her is Rocco, a grizzly shifter she knew in her youth. She arrives on his doorstep in labor with twins. Magical, shapeshifting, bear cub twins destined to lead the next generation of werecreatures in North America.
Rocky is devastated by the news of his Clan brother's death, but he cannot deny the attraction that has never waned for the small human woman who stole his heart a long time ago. Rocky absented himself from her life when she chose to marry his childhood friend, but the years haven't changed the way he feels for her.
And now there are two young lives to protect. Rocky will do everything in his power to end the threat to the small family and claim them for himself. He knows he is the perfect Alpha to teach the cubs as they grow into their power... if their mother will let him love her as he has always longed to do.
Liking It Ruff
Mina Carter
Some girls don’t play nice…
Licensed Bounty Hunter and mercenary, Naz, has always been a wild one.After all, chasing criminals across the known galaxy is bound to knock a few cogs loose. No crew, no partner, she works hard and plays hard.Tannick Ruff, Alpha weredog and all round SOB, can see the potential in Naz as a hunter. She might just be tough enough, and crazy enough, to join his crew. The fact that he’s been itching to get inside her for months has absolutely nothing to do with it…