by Zara Zenia
“This disrespect won’t be tolerated on my planet, much less my palace,” I warned and glared at them.
Chad dared to scoff at my order directed cleanly at him. He crossed his arms defensively like a sullen child who was being reprimanded for stealing candy or something.
“Come on, dude, we are just having a little fun here. You can’t dictate our lives. We aren’t civilians or natives on Mixis.”
“Chad!” Katie whispered. “Don’t anger the beast any further,” she hissed through clenched teeth, which infuriated me to monumental scopes of darkness. I hated the way she’d referred to me as a beast.
“Disrespect on my planet won’t be tolerated,” I reminded them once again. “I wouldn’t go on your planet and mock someone like you are so harshly doing right now, in my own house.”
“Yeah, it’s a free country where we live.” Chad rolled his eyes and elbowed his girlfriend. “Can you believe this guy?”
He started chuckling. I wanted to pick him up by the neck and throw him through the window.
Katie merely gulped and stared at me, then immediately flicked her eyes to the marbled floor of my palace foyer. She was a smarter person than her sidekick and idiot of a boyfriend. She looked scared and threatened. She wouldn’t make eye contact with me.
Chad really tested the waters and boundaries of my patience. His ugly face jeered at me as he smirked with a pompous, callous attitude. He didn’t know when to quit. Unfortunately for him, nobody had ever made him live through the consequences of his actions.
“I have guards who can take you away at once,” I warned. I wouldn’t hesitate to use them to throw them in my dungeons.
“You can’t do anything to me, dude.” He continued to laugh, tormenting me as his girlfriend watched on with dread and horror. “I’m an American. Do you know what that is, alien boy? I’m in news media of the free world. If you capture me, your whole race will chastise you.”
I bit my tongue and clenched my fists, determined not to throw this sack of shit through the floor. I hated the fact that I was fluent in English and understood every word he was saying, boiling my blood with hatred for him.
“Watch me,” I growled. I was ready to engulf us in a war if it came down to that. I wouldn’t stand for this atrocious act any longer. He had to be punished for his crimes. It was absolutely necessary.
I whistled my distress call over a speaker clipped to my belt. This feature came in handy if I was in trouble or in requirement of service of some kind. I didn’t have to use it very often, but now seemed like as good a time as any.
My special police force of guards would run to my aid immediately, no questions asked. They were trained for combat. They were loyal to me. Most importantly, they would never hesitate to be ready to place their lives on the line to fold for me.
“What’s that, your Lassie call?” Chad laughed, snickered, and gestured for Katie to continue filming, pressing her when she apprehensively glanced between me and the sobbing Georgia.
“What is Lassie? I’m unfamiliar.” I shook my head and waited, anticipating the influx of guards who would soon rush the room and seize this insect at once. Chad never got a chance to answer, because his clock was ticking.
Just as I anticipated, four men in metal sheet armor came barreling into the room. They were yielding their stun guns as if they couldn’t wait to use them. They were excited for the opportunity to present itself for them to attack.
I decided I’d appease them. I hadn’t called in the troops for nothing, after all.
“Grab him!” I shifted my finger and pointed it directly at Chad, who at first froze in fright. His face drained of color and became stark white as his mouth gaped open in alarm.
“That will be the last time you ever doubt me,” I roared at him as he tried to bolt out the door.
He would be no match for my guards. Chad was utterly terrified, and now it was my turn to shift the tables and place the humor of humiliation right at him.
I worried for a split second, because there was a crowd forming outside the palace walls on the lawn. I didn’t know why they were there, but I had a feeling that Chad had something to do with it.
Chad ducked and dodged through the guards and the crowd, side-swiping his body left and right with a fleeting attempt at escape and departure. He was fast, I would give him that. He was fighting for his life.
He was no match for my royal police, however, and at last, they gripped him with furious power and threw him to the ground in order to hold him steady. He wiggled and fought them, spitting in their faces as he thrashed in the dirt.
I watched with pleasure as they perched their Tasers to snag him with a bolt to subdue him, but at the last second, the unthinkable happened and dread flooded me. It was as if everything were happening in slow motion and the happy ending of closure shattered right in front of my eyes.
They lost their latch on Chad and he scurried to a standing position, scampering away like a slimy and devious rat. I couldn’t believe that he had escaped them. He had fought hard and won. My confidence in the situation plummeted with a hurtling pace.
It was then that I noticed that Georgia was sobbing. Her voice was raised a few decibels since the last time I’d checked on her. Her cries and wails were of frustration and despair. If only she knew how similarly I felt at that same moment.
I spun on my heels to focus all of my efforts on her, focusing on a new goal of calming her down with reassuring and soothing phrases I thought she might want to hear. Chad might have fled the scene for the moment, but my guards would find him.
She was lost in the zone of anguish at the moment, and it was hard to part her clouded vision. I whispered in her ear, trying to sooth her as much as possible. I was failing miserably because I wasn’t used to dealing with a hysterical woman.
Then, Katie shoved me aside with her own attempt at pacifying the distraught Georgia. I couldn’t even attempt to understand how she could ever have the nerve to try to console Georgia. Maybe I would be surprised. She was a woman, after all.
“Please,” I jeered at Katie in blatant ridicule for her efforts. “There’s no way you’ll have the ability to subdue her. You are part of the problem here.” I scoffed as if she was doomed where she stood.
“Fuck off,” Katie shouted at me, apparently with the thought process that she would be immune to my backlash and repercussions. Well, little did she know that she was next on my short list. I glared back at her, trying to figure out if I wanted her thrown in the dungeons.
“Come on, Georgia, can’t you take a little joke? You knew all along that your brother was a prankster. Fuck, he’s even got his own television show for that specific type of humor. Surely, you can’t be that gullible.”
Katie spoke with harsh words that lashed at me, so I knew their effect would be worse on Georgia’s wounded emotions. She was not helping. She was adding to the hysteria.
“Instead of being condescending, maybe you should try being kind and sympathetic,” I brashly spoke to Katie with annoyance. She was just as bad as Chad was, maybe even more cruel with the brutal way she spoke to Georgia.
“What the fuck do you know, anyway?” She shot me a look of resentment and mutual dislike.
“I know how to treat others with genuine respect,” I quipped back with a hiss.
“Whatever.” Katie sighed with exasperation and quickly spun back around to talk to Georgia again.
“Listen, it was just a stupid joke for ratings.” This time, the inflection in her voice was softer and less abrasive than the first, but it still was borderline brash. She probably didn’t know how to dial up the sympathy any further than that.
Georgia continued to cry, although not as violently as before. “You both can go to hell,” she murmured under her breath through her sobs.
This retort made me smile, because Georgia was letting her fiery spirit be known. She wasn’t going to give up and throw in the towel after all. I didn’t want to see her cower under pressure. I wanted us t
o unite as a team to bring these two assholes to justice.
“Where do you think he’s gone off to?” Georgia ignored Katie and turned to face me, addressing me directly. She tried to squirm away from Katie as if she was utterly repulsed.
I took this subtle sigh of faith as a step in the right direction and as good a sign as any that I would be able to earn her trust after some time passed.
“He can’t get far,” I reassured her and straightened my shoulders. “My police team of guards is the envy in all the land. They’ll find him. That, I can absolutely guarantee you.”
“Envy in all the land?” I glanced at Katie, who scoffed, teasing me. “I mean, seriously, who the fuck talks like that?” She looked at Georgia, hoping to get agreement.
“Somebody with character, a real gentleman.” Georgia’s eyes flashed with irritation and my heart leapt with pride for her keen ability to jump in and come to my defense even though she didn’t know me that well.
“Like you know what that is, Georgia,” Katie countered with a roll of her eyes.
“As if you do!” Georgia quipped back, and the two females began to bicker back and forth, much like females on Mixis do from time to time. Perhaps arguments were universal on each planet. They were fully submerging themselves into a catfight that I had to stop before it got too out of control.
“Girls, please!” Once again, my voice shook the room and I held my arms up to attempt to silence them.
I wasn’t mad at Georgia, but I didn’t want her to take Katie’s bait. She was above all that. Katie was beneath her and trying to shoot Georgia down to her level. I noticed that Georgia still had tear-stained cheeks and she looked mentally and physically drained.
I called out for the remaining back-up guards to come to the front entrance to the palace. I had a better idea of how to shut Katie’s mouth.
“What are you doing?” Now Katie’s eyes darted between Georgia and me and became enormous with fear.
I could tell by her expression that fear encompassed her thought processes now as she nervously fidgeted. She must have sensed what fate was coming for her. Karma was high on her tail.
“Are you sending more guards to look for my boyfriend?” Her voice was high, near a shrieking level. I wasn’t sure if it was a plea for help or a demand. Either way, it was her problem, not mine.
“There are plenty of my men searching for him,” I said flatly. “Trust me, he won’t get away.” I smirked at her and relished every second of it.
Katie gulped nervously and looked to Georgia for help she assuredly wasn’t going to find. Georgia gave her a satisfied and smug glance back with a gleeful and relieved expression.
“Who’s going to save you now?” she taunted. “Not Chad. He’s on the run too!” Georgia roared with manic laughter.
Katie folded her arms defensively over her chest and heaved a dramatic sigh. She wasn’t ready to give up just yet, but her time was ending soon.
“You won’t get away with this.” She raised her voice with defiance, but I noticed her voice cracked with fear as if not even she believed what she was reciting.
“Watch me.” I grinned, getting entertainment out of the whole situation. “It seems as if karma has turned on its axis relatively quickly.”
My guards entered the room, as domineering as soldiers and ready for battle at any turn. They halted, waiting for instruction from me. I was their master and commander in chief, the prince of the palace. They would cut her throat if I ordered them to.
“Detain her,” I ordered and nodded my head toward Katie, who by now was screaming and sobbing her wan apologies. She had changed her tune in a split second and was now begging for mercy.
“Please, please don’t kill me!” She sobbed as huge crocodile tears dribbled down her flushed cheeks.
“They aren’t going to kill you.” I rolled my eyes at her stupidity.
“They are taking you to my detention center. You will stay there until we find your boyfriend and figure out what to do with you. Mocking and pranking is a very serious offense here on Mixis. Perhaps you should have thought that through in your research.”
I gave her a self-satisfied, smug glance as my guards carried her away, squealing like a pig in terror. Nobody could save her now. She was in my territory and would conform to my rules.
“What are they going to do to her?” Georgia asked after Katie was whisked away by the guards. She sounded curious but also concerned.
She looked frightened, and I wanted to reassure her that everything would work out in the end the way it was supposed to. She was so sweet. I wanted to protect her and make her feel better.
I slowly approached Georgia, wary to touch her because she seemed skittish from today’s events. She had a look of dread across her tired face, but to me, she was still beautiful.
“I meant what I said,” I told her firmly. “They won’t harm her. She’ll get a little scare, but that is all. We will detain her in a cell and probably extradite her back to Earth where she belongs.”
“As long as it’s far away from me.” Georgia huffed under her breath and shook her head.
“Come with me.” I held out a hand for Georgia to reach for, and to my surprise and delight, she took it.
I cradled her hand in mine and she felt warm, soft, and feminine. I longed for the embrace of a female companion, a mate to call my own. I hoped that we would have a bright future together once we put all this ridiculous drama behind us.
Companionship was right on the horizon, and all I had to do was try and earn her trust. We weren’t off to a great start, but it wasn’t for lack of trying.
She was a beautiful woman with tender skin, not to mention she smelled incredibly sexy. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and never let her go. She radiated pureness that I was drawn to like a magnet.
“Where are we going, might I ask?” Georgia trudged along in tow behind me as I attempted to keep my stride slight for her benefit.
“Back to my chambers.” I smiled at her over my shoulder.
“Why?” Now her voice sounded anxious as if she wanted to protest.
“Don’t worry, you just need some rest. I won’t hurt you either.” I stopped walking and turned to face her. “I promise.” I gave her a warm and kind smile that I hoped would be convincing.
She gave me a feeble attempt at a shy smile. “I suppose I don’t exactly have anywhere else to go, anyway,” she joked with a tiny chuckle.
“We can talk about everything later, or now, if you want,” I suggested.
“I just want them to find my brother so that justice can be served.” Her voice sounded exhausted and defeated.
“They will find him. I can promise you that.” I wouldn’t let her down, under any circumstances.
One thing I wanted Georgia to learn from her time with me was that I never breached a promise, and even though I’d only know her for a few hours, I would do anything to protect her. Over time, I hoped we would be able to put all this behind us and grow together as a couple.
Chapter 5
Georgia
It had been a few days since the prank of the century. Meanwhile, Chad remained at large. The guards for Kylin were diligently searching for him night and day. It was an extremely frustrating process for me, but I had no choice in the matter but to wait it out and hope for the best.
I warned Kylin that Chad had probably found a way to escape back to Earth, but he convinced me it would be impossible. According to him, the planetary interstellar police had tight control on securing every border around the planet. I had no choice but to take his word for it.
“Chad won’t be able to get past them. His efforts will be in vain.” Kylin stroked my cheek sympathetically.
I knew he was trying to cheer me up and visualize a glass half full kind of outcome. I wished his confidence would rub off on me a little.
“I hope you’re right. He is the world’s unsurpassed prankster, self-proclaimed, of course.” I smiled wanly. My brother was obnoxious, and I n
eeded karma to tag his ass as soon as possible.
“He will be no match for them.” Kylin begged me to trust him. His words were a temporary solution to my many layers of problems.
I suppose I had to give him the benefit of the doubt because he was duped, just as I had been. He was as much of a victim as me, but he wasn’t sniveling and whining about it like I was doing. I probably should try to piece myself back together.
We sat out on the terrace, enjoying coffee and breakfast made by the finest-quality chefs in all of Mixis, hired to prepare meals for Kylin at the palace. A girl could get used to this kind of royal treatment.
I was staring off into the horizon, my mind drifting like white fluffy clouds in the sky. Even through the craziness swirling around me, I was in some sort of trance-like state of peaceful solitude.
“Georgia?”
I turned to face Kylin as his voice broke my spell. “Hmm?”
“Why won’t you talk to me?” He looked hurt and confused.
I chuckled nervously. “Talk to you about what, exactly?” I wasn’t sure what he was getting at. We were still practically strangers.
He gave me a knowing glance. It was almost reflective of something, like he could read my emotions, but I hardly thought so and doubted his efforts. He didn’t know me, not yet, anyway. The fact that he was acting like he did was slightly unsettling.
“Come on, tell me what’s happening in that beautiful mind of yours. I know all of this is a momentous change for you, and if you let me into your soul, maybe I could help you process some of it.”
His expression was so genuine it made my heart leap in my chest. I heaved a dramatic sigh and shifted in my seat, leaning back against the cushion. Perhaps he wasn’t out to get in my pants after all. I tried to keep my cynical thoughts tucked away.
“I don’t know . . .” I trailed off. It was awkward trying to dive right into conversation with him, although I was trying my hardest. I was so distracted by Chad and his bullshit antics.