Mated to the Alien Pirate: Celestial Mates

by Leslie Chase

  No matter how much I wanted to tear her clothes off.

  She bit her lip, eyes flicking over me as I watched her. Tracing the lines of my body, watching me react to her. A soft gasp escaped her mouth as she tore her eyes away, and I wondered if she felt the same pull I did.

  No time for this distraction, I told myself firmly. Get to work.

  “I am Captain Arrax, master of this ship,” I told her. Best to establish my authority quickly, make certain she knew who I was. A shadow flitted across her expression, as though she recognized my name, but that didn’t make sense. Not unless she really was a spy. “Who are you and what is your business aboard the Jester’s Last Laugh?”

  “I’m Marcie Cole,” she answered, speaking slowly and carefully. Giving herself time to think of a good answer, I judged. “I’m just a passenger, nothing exciting. No one valuable.”

  It didn’t sound like a lie, but a good lie never did. She looked up at me, the bright green of her eyes pleading, and I wanted to believe. It was hard to doubt her.

  I turned her name over in my mind. Marcie, an exotic sound. Or was it one word, Marciecole? It didn’t matter, either way it sounded like the sweetest music to me.

  “Why are you traveling to Atreon?” I demanded, trying to pull my mind back to business. To anything other than that intolerable attraction. “Who are you working for?”

  “No one,” she said. Even afraid, her voice was beautiful. I wondered what her laugh would sound like. “I’m not here to work, I’m here…”

  She trailed off, looked at my face then away again. “I’m on vacation,” she finished. A lie, or at least not the whole truth.

  I growled. “No one comes to Atreon for a vacation. No one ever did, even before the takeover. Now? It’s not safe for a pirate crew, let alone a female traveling alone. Try again.”

  Her brow furrowed and she ran a hand through her wonderful hair. My fingers ached to touch it, to feel that softness for myself. Marcie’s mouth worked as she tried out words and I wondered what lies she was going to tell me next; she wasn’t ready for the truth, not yet.

  Before she found the courage to speak, my drone chimed with an incoming message. I snarled my irritation and accepted the call.

  “Cargo’s secure, Captain,” Raxa reported. “We’re ready to leave whenever you give the word.”

  Just my luck. The one time I’d prefer them to work slowly my crew discovers efficiency. Keeping my irritation hidden, I replied, “I’ll be on the bridge shortly. Tell Wir to lay in a course.”

  “Aye, Captain,” Raxa replied. Was there a hint of amusement in her voice? Probably. Half the crew had seen me on my way to my cabin with a female slung over my shoulder and no doubt they’d all jumped to the obvious conclusion.

  I looked at Marcie and half-wished they were right.

  “We will speak more when the ship is safely away,” I told her, turning to the door. “You will stay here until then. Do not venture outside, or I cannot guarantee your safety.”

  The human hissed something her translator didn’t need to convert — I knew a curse when I heard one. But her agreement didn’t matter. The cabin door wouldn’t open for her, or for anyone apart from me, so she’d be safe.

  Safe until I had time to finish this conversation and find out why she’d chosen to travel to the dead colony where my life as a pirate had begun.

  Outside my cabin, crewmen gave me knowing smirks. I glared but said nothing. Let them think what they wanted, if it amused them. I had more important things to deal with.

  The hold of the Atreon’s Revenge was a mess, like the rest of her. The crew had dumped the Jester’s meager cargo there, and as I walked past I heard Zarr directing his squad to lock it in place, ready for maneuvers. Good. As much of a threat as he was, he remained one of the people I could trust to make sure the ship was safe.

  Probably because he intends it to be his ship someday, I reminded myself. The reason didn’t matter, though, as long as he did his job.

  “Captain,” Zarr called out as I reached the ladder up to the bridge. His footsteps clattered on the decking behind me and I let him catch up. “Captain, what’s our next stop? My squad needs a break, see, and I promised I’d ask when we’ll have liberty next?”

  Silence behind him told me the rest of the cargo crew were listening to this, and I suppressed a sigh as I turned to him.

  “First things first, Zarr, we need to get clear before any hunters turn up,” I said. “Don’t worry, you’ll have time in port as soon as we make enough profit to enjoy spending.”

  And I’ll put you off the ship with your share, I thought. Zarr was strong and dangerous warrior and an experienced pirate, and perhaps I should have wondered why he needed a berth rather than having his own ship when I took him on. No point second guessing my decision to take him on now, though. That mistake was in the past.

  “No doubt, Captain, no doubt,” he said, just a touch too loud. Speaking for an audience, not for me. “We’ll appreciate that, but don’t we have enough booty after the last two raids? My lads fought hard for their pay.”

  The faint whirr of the air recyclers filled the silence. Our gazes locked and around us, others listened. Zarr knew as well as I did that we hadn’t made enough to pay out our crew, but they still wanted leave. If he made me deny it to them, he’d have more ammunition for his takeover ambitions.

  I wouldn’t give him that unless I had to.

  “You’re right, everyone aboard’s done well,” I said. “Your breach squad, mine, Vissa and Trin in their fighters. Doctor Jorn, putting our injured back together. Miggs in the engine room, getting us in and out faster than the cartel can track us, and Wir plotting our course. Raxa, too, getting the data we need from our prize. We all need a break, and the Revenge needs a refit.”

  I clapped Zarr on the shoulder, just hard enough to make him wince. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten what you’ve done for us, Zarr. One more raid and we’ll have enough to pay everyone a bonus and fix up the ship.”

  His smile hardened and the muscles of his neck tensed, but he nodded rather than arguing. There were limits to how far dared to push this, and I expected him to turn away.

  Instead, he forced his smile wider and changed tack. “But we’ve got plenty of loot, Captain. If you’ll share it, that is?”

  I bit back my snarl. We kept all our plunder in the hold, and everyone could see how little there was right now. What was Zarr playing at? “We share fair aboard this ship. You know that.”

  “Sure, but you’re holding the human girl for yourself,” he said, his smile baring sharp teeth. “A pretty exotic like her, she’d go for a fine price at any slave market, long as she’s untouched.”

  A fury I’d never felt before filled me at the idea of Marcie on an auction block, and I snarled. My hand balled into a fist and I only just restrained my urge to put it through his smug face. “She is not a prize to bargain with.”

  Zarr’s eyes flicked down to my fist, back to my face. Seeing he’d hit a nerve, his smile spread. “Oh? Yours is she, Captain? That’s not how we’re supposed to split the spoils, but I won’t complain.”

  You devious snake, I will gut you, I thought. But not here, not now. Out loud, I repeated myself. “She’s not spoils, Zarr. She’s my guest until I work out why she’s here, that’s all. Get back to work.”

  I turned back to the ladder and pulled myself up toward the bridge, trying to work out why I’d responded so strongly. It wasn’t as simple as my hatred for slavery — this was personal.

  And it was a complication I didn’t need.

  5

  Marcie

  I sat down hard as soon as the door closed behind Arrax, sucking down deep breaths and trying to get control of myself. My body shook wildly and I wrapped my arms around myself.

  Kidnapped by pirates! That would be bad enough, but according to him my destination was too dangerous for anyone. And by now the Jester’s Last Laugh was out of reach. I felt the deck vibrate under me, the ship’s en
gines pushing us further and further away from my only home in space.

  Except that they’d been willing to ferry me to whatever hell-hole Atreon had become. Did that mean Falbad and his men were less trustworthy than the Celestial Mates Agency had thought?

  “I don’t know,” I said aloud, my voice echoing off the bare walls. There wasn’t much in the tiny cabin — a screen mounted on the wall, a wardrobe, and a desk with a chair. And some kind of weird bed, a metal frame without a mattress. I wondered how it worked; surely he didn’t just sleep on the metal?

  The thought of him in bed just led to thoughts of us in bed, and I bit my lip. Captain Arrax was undeniably sexy, but he’d also kidnapped me. I shut my eyes and counted to three before looking around again, keeping my eyes and mind off the bed.

  The wall panels were scuffed and scarred, some missing entirely. Through the gaps I saw wiring patched with tape. This ship was in worse condition than the Jester, and if this was the captain’s cabin then they weren’t exactly swimming in cash.

  Pirates. They probably spent it all on booze and whores every time they hit port, not saving a penny for the ship they depended on. Except that didn’t feel right, not with Captain Arrax in charge. He seemed too focused to waste his crew’s resources.

  Marcie. Stop it. You only think that because you’re attracted to him. I shook my head, fumbling for my phone. Sure, he’s gorgeous, but so was Finn back in college, and remember what an asshole he turned out to be?

  My first serious boyfriend, and the reason I was single now, Finn had taught me a lot about trusting men. He’d been there after every class, with his smoldering good looks and a ready smile… until he got what he wanted. The morning after, he’d moved onto his next target, leaving me with a heart full of regret and an inbox full of abuse.

  Not worth it. I wouldn’t open myself up to that again, no matter how hot the alien was. Especially with clear warning signs like being a pirate captain and kidnapping me. No. No chance.

  Repeating that to myself over and over, I unlocked my phone and opened the Celestial Mates file again. Looked at the name of my prospective mate, the man who was supposed to be waiting for me on Atreon Station. Double checking my memory, making sure I hadn’t just made up the connection.

  No such luck. There he was, the supposed love of my life, picked by an infallible machine. I ground my teeth, took a deep breath, and examined the close up of his face.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and rubbed my temples, fighting a headache. This shouldn’t be possible, but I’d been right first time.

  Captain Arrax, the pirate who’d snatched me, and Arrax vo’Kinto Belvic were undeniably the same man. Oh, he’d changed since the pictures had been taken. His face was leaner now, harder. The set of his jaw, beneath his new and sexy beard, was firmer. He had a new fire in his eyes, both angry and sad.

  But there was no question. The mine supervisor I’d intended to meet was the same man as the pirate who’d abducted me. I’d almost hoped that I’d been wrong — it would be simpler that way.

  “Should I tell him?” I asked aloud, as though my phone held the answer. No reply, but I shook my head anyway. “Nope. No telling him till you know what’s going on. And what you want to do about it.”

  I didn’t want to spill any secrets I didn’t have to. They were the only leverage I had left, and besides, I didn’t know how he’d take it. I’d taken a big enough chance going to see a strange man all alone, but that had been to get away from violent criminals. Relying on a pirate’s good will and sense of restraint? Nope.

  Still, it gave me a little hope. This was the man the Celestial Mates had matched me with, and that might be a good sign even if he had turned to piracy. Not a reason to trust him, but at least there was hope. I’d have to get to know him to find out, though.

  So how do I do that?

  Before I had time to think about it, the door slid open again and I quickly locked the phone screen. Arrax stood in the doorway, carrying a tray of food.

  I glowered at him, putting my phone away, but my stomach rumbled. Traitor.

  “You need to eat,” he said, putting the tray down. Two bowls, filled with some kind of lumpy soup. Not appetizing at all, but it was food. He gestured for me to choose one.

  Reassuring me about poison or drugs? I almost laughed at that idea. Who knew what drugs he had access to that would only affect humans? On the other hand, like he’d said before, why would he bother with tricks like that? He had me in his power.

  That was a terrible reason to trust him, but it worked. I grabbed the nearest bowl and ate a spoonful of surprisingly tasty soup. The lumps were something like pork, I thought, though not quite, and there were vegetables I didn’t recognize mixed with it.

  Arrax ate from the other bowl, smiling at my surprise.

  “We took an agriworld shipment not long ago,” he explained. “Not much profit in it, but better eating than you get on most ships.”

  “So somewhere people are starving because you stole their food shipment?” Great, Marcie. Nice. Antagonize the pirate who’s feeding you. I wanted to kick myself, but the words were out now.

  To my surprise he looked thoughtful rather than getting angry.

  “No, this is luxury food,” he said. “The rich people who would have bought this aren’t going hungry, they’re just eating something a little less satisfying. Those who’re on the verge of starvation eat nutrient paste from recyclers, the same as my crew would when we don’t have fresh food to fall back on.”

  He finished his soup and put down the bowl with a careful click. “And that includes most of the farmers who grew this food. I won’t shed a tear that the men who exploit them don’t get their luxuries.”

  The anger I’d expected was there, but it wasn’t aimed at me. That almost made it more frightening. A burning rage coiled inside this man’s soul, waiting for a target.

  I didn’t want to be in his way when he lost his carefully cultivated control.

  “So, Marcie Cole, why are you really here?” He turned his attention back into the room, and I shrank away. He eased himself back as though a few extra inches would make me feel safe.

  “It’s like I told you,” I said, swallowing and putting down my bowl. The base magnetized, locking it to the desk, and I stared at it rather than him. “I’m a tourist, okay? I wanted to see far away planets, and this was about as far as I could get anyone to take me.”

  His growl filled the room, a powerful vibration that made me shiver. Arrax’s stillness unnerved me, kept me off balance. I’d almost have preferred a roaring rage, at least then I’d know where I stood.

  “No one ever came to Atreon for tourism,” he said. “Not then, and certainly not now.”

  “What happened to it?” I asked, more to play for time than anything else. He sucked in a sharp breath, the sound a man makes when in sudden pain, and I wondered what had hurt him so badly.

  What had turned a mining supervisor into a pirate captain?

  “Nothing good,” he said after a pause that seemed to last an eternity. “And nothing you need to hear about. What matters is that there is no longer anything there for you, and if the Jester’s crew was truly going to deliver you there and leave you, then either you are a good deal more dangerous than you look or they are no friends of yours.”

  He snarled those last words, eyes narrowed and teeth showing, and I shivered. Not in fear — his anger wasn’t for me, it was for those who’d have taken advantage of me. And that aura of protectiveness sent a tingling sensation through me, making me flush and bite my lip.

  Arrax was my captor, I tried to remind myself. But he was also the man the Celestial Mates thought I’d get on best with in all the universe, and the way he wanted to protect me made me think they might have been right.

  They’d definitely picked a man who pushed all my buttons, maybe they’d been right about us matching in other ways too.

  “Is that why you took me off the Jester?” I asked, probing cautiously and watching Arrax
out of the corner of my eye. “Because my destination wasn’t safe?”

  “No,” he answered, a touch too fast for me to believe it. “Because I think you’re a spy. Because I think the corporations have sent you, or the gangs have, and you’re up to something. Atreon is—”

  He shut his mouth with a snap, and I waited. When he didn’t continue, I turned to him and tried to smile, relaxing as much as possible. Did he really think someone had sent me, or was that an excuse? It sounded ridiculous.

  “I’m not a spy, I’m not anything important,” I told him. “I’m just a normal human from Earth, a little nothing-planet.”

  He watched me, lips closed into a tight line, and didn’t look convinced.

  Did I dare tell him the truth? No. I’d told Finn my secrets, trusting him, and a day later he’d spread them around the school just because it amused him to be a dick. Maybe Arrax was a better man, maybe not, but if he found out that the Antarans were looking for me … well, he needed the money. The sad state of his ship would have told me as much, even if I hadn’t heard the conversation between him and his crewman on the way over.

  A sexy man isn’t always a good man. That was a lesson I’d learned the hard way, but perhaps I owed Finn for that now. As badly as he’d hurt me, at least I’d learned from him.

  Arrax still watched me, waiting. I clasped my hands in my lap, bit my lip again, and tried again. Telling the truth was too risky; I didn’t have a good lie to tell instead. The only option was to hope he would believe me, even though he had no reason to.

  “I’ve got my reasons for leaving Earth, okay? And I can’t go back for a while. No one sent me, I’m not working for anyone, I just needed to get away. You have to trust me on that. Please?”

  I blinked away a tear, hating how rough my voice sounded. I was alone, helpless, and in a pirate’s power. The place I’d been traveling to, the sanctuary I’d hoped for, didn’t exist. That was enough to make anyone cry, right? It wasn’t a sign of weakness.