Mated to the Alien Beast: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Fated Mates of Adonia Book 1)

by Ivy Sparks

  I gagged, handing the cup back to Zoe and nearly puking everything on the floor. The taste lingered on my tongue. They should really make some sort of chaser for that, I wanted to say, but didn’t know if Zoe would understand what I meant by “chaser.”

  I hoped the food wasn’t similar or otherwise I’d die of starvation.

  “Come now,” Zoe said, her elbow wrapping around mine and gently tugging me toward the wardrobe. “Let’s get you dressed for dinner. Can’t keep Master Vorian waiting.”

  My eyes widened. He was waiting for me, was he?

  After choosing a low-backed black sheath dress for me, Zoe led me into an adjoining room with a large tub at the center of it. It was already filled with steaming blue water, black and purple petals floating on its surface. The water was perfumed in oils Zoe spooned into the tub. She ushered me in, the heated water relaxing my muscles for a few moments. I grabbed the towel on the rim, hardwired to rush through my bathing before the water ran out, or turned ice cold.

  Zoe’s hands stopped me and she smiled. “Relax, miss,” she said, taking the towel while gently pressing my head back against the edge of the tub. She massaged different soaps and products into my hair, each one smelling sweet and dreamy. I must have spent at least half an hour in that tub before Zoe helped me into a towel, drying me off before helping me into my dress for the evening.

  I felt like a child, yet I wasn’t going to complain.

  “You’re so thin,” Zoe said, pulling the fabric around my body, which hung off my tiny shoulders.

  I batted her hands away. “It’s not by choice,” I muttered, sitting down in front of the vanity.

  “I have never been to the Orion,” Zoe continued, towel drying my hair before wrapping it around my shoulders. My hair stuck up in tufts, reminding me of a rooster I saw in a children’s book once. “There’s so much mystery around it. Why do the people stay inside? Are they allergic to the light? Will the air make them melt? What do they eat? Are they locked inside and can’t find the key?”

  I burst into laughter, clutching my stomach. I laughed so hard tears came to my eyes. “You think we lost the key?”

  Zoe shrugged, powdering my face. Her ears tinged red. “It was only one possibility I heard.”

  I wiped the tears from my eyes. “No, no. Our frail little bodies can’t handle the atmospheric pressure and oxygen levels. You Adonians are much, much stronger than we are.”

  Zoe nodded. “I suspected as much when Master Vorian brought you in. He was so worried.”

  She used a brush to paint my lips red like hers. As I looked over her shoulders, I wondered again about her wings—or lack thereof. Was it rude to ask about it? I decided to ask anyway, as Zoe didn’t seem like the sensitive type. “Why don’t you have wings? Are Adonian females unable to fly?”

  Zoe’s hands were combing through my hair. They paused at my question before continuing to style my bangs forward. “I am not a full Adonian.” I watched her through the mirror, seeing her jaw clench and her eyes narrow in a wince. “I am half Lorinian.”

  “Lorinian?” I never heard of them. Adonians were our only concern. They had the technology we needed to survive, they were the ones to approach our species when the first generation of humans arrived. According to the Orion, there were no other races on Adonia.

  Zoe smiled, continuing to run her hands through my hair in the back. “Yes. They live mostly in the forests of Lanua. It’s where I get these,” she said, tugging at her long ears.

  “I’ve never heard of the Lorinians,” I said, sounding stupid to my ears.

  Zoe scoffed. “You wouldn’t.” She frowned, shaking her head.

  “Do they—”

  “We should hurry,” Zoe interrupted, turning away from the mirror. “You wouldn’t want to keep Master Vorian waiting.”

  Zoe led me through long winding hallways. They spiraled upwards, the ceilings high, probably for those who could fly. My thighs burned as we walked. Going up so many stairs wasn’t really a thing on the Orion, since there were only a few levels. The base was built for about two hundred residents, which meant over the years it had become extremely crowded and hard to move inside, not to mention the food and water rationing on top of that. My stomach gurgled at the thought of food and I nearly groaned. How much farther was it?

  The spiral path led to a large room enclosed with glass overlooking the valleys. The clouds, faintly tinted with blue and purple hues, surrounded us. It looked and felt as if we were floating in the heavens of Adonia. The tiled floors were glossy black and in the middle of the room was a matching long, glossy black table with two cushioned chairs on either side.

  The table was filled with an assortment of food. There was a bowl filled with a neon blue pudding substance. A platter rested on the table filled with spreads of varying green and pink colors with slices of what looked like bread, only the loaves were charcoal black. Two pitchers held black liquid, with large teal goblets sitting on either side.

  Zoe pulled out a chair and nodded toward it, waiting for me to sit before sliding me in. A small bowl of what looked to be a green soup sat before me. I sniffed it, hesitating briefly when the memory of the tea made my nose wrinkle.

  However, it didn’t smell like sour earth, but more like a subtle sweetness. I tried to think of what it might taste like, but I wasn’t able to place it. I didn’t eat many sweet things on the Orion. Fruit was expensive, and chocolate was a delicacy reserved for visiting politicians.

  “Master Vorian will be here shortly,” Zoe said, bowing low before turning on her heel.

  The sun was setting, the red glowing orb disappearing behind the clouds, its exit replaced by the glittering stars twinkling above the rolling clouds.

  Maybe I had died and gone to heaven. Who knew a place so beautiful existed outside the Orion? All those classes on the terrain, disease, and the violent creatures had masked the beauty with fear and the certainty of death if we left the Orion. It instilled in me fear of a world the Orion never even attempted to understand.

  How could we allow ourselves to remain trapped there? Why didn’t the Orion leaders work harder to mass produce a drug so we could safely leave, and why did Vorian have such medicine in his own castle? I touched the earpiece. Why did he have this? What was the point in having these things for races born on Adonia?

  “I hope you haven’t been waiting long,” came a low voice.

  I turned at the sound, seeing Vorian leaning against the door. He was dressed in a high collared black dress shirt. The fabric was structured around his muscled form, the collar unbuttoned at his neck, revealing a hint of skin. The fabric was detailed in neon blue threading which glowed in the dim lighting. He kicked the door closed with his boot, then sauntered toward me, pushing away dark locks from his sapphire eyes, which locked onto my gaze.

  If I wasn’t already sitting, I think my legs would’ve given out.

  Didn’t ladies stand when a prince entered the room? Or was it the other way around? I tried to think back to fairy tales I once read, but my mind drew a blank. Thinking I would show some form of etiquette, I decided standing would be a good option. I knocked the chair back and jumped when I heard it clang against the ground behind me. I grimaced, my shoulders hunching toward my ears.

  I must’ve looked like a peasant, scrambling to push the chair back up, wiping at the floor, hoping I didn’t leave a scratch on the tiles. When I turned, my gaze met blue eyes, his warm hand on top of mine, taking the chair from my grasp. My breath left me, my heart pounded in my ears. His chiseled cheekbones, his parted sexy lips, they were all I saw.

  I really must have died, that was the only way to explain this.

  His gaze flickered to my lips briefly before taking the chair and setting it right.

  “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, wringing my hands.

  “Not at all,” he said, gesturing toward the chair. I walked around and sat in it, biting my lip when he pushed me forward. “I hope you found your quarters adequate.” Vorian sa
t in his place at the other side of the table, pouring a black liquid into his cup before taking a sip.

  “It’s fine.” Fine? It was the size of my apartment on the Orion.

  “Good.” He smiled, yet the look reminded me more of a grimace, the spark not meeting his eyes and his mouth fighting against his fangs. One fang was slightly poking out of his mouth. He swirled the liquid around in his glass, then turned his gaze toward the windows.

  Silence swallowed us. I searched for anything to talk about. Thank you for saving me, was one idea, or my sister really appreciated all that money. Yet, bringing up the fact that I was sold didn’t seem like the greatest conversation starter.

  Possibly the weather then? No, that was dumb.

  “So, uh…” I began, searching for something to ask. “Are you speaking English right now, or is it this translator earpiece?”

  Vorian smiled. “I’m always speaking English in your presence. But I’m pleased you think my English is good enough that it could be the device’s output.”

  “What’s it for then, if everyone here seems to speak English so perfectly?”

  “Zoe’s not so fluent. I’m sure it’s been translating her for you. Few Adonians speak English, actually, so it’s wise to keep it on just in case. It’s mostly those of us who are in business who speak several languages. The royals do too.”

  I nodded. That all made sense.

  “Have you tried the zalik?” he asked.

  “Zalik?” I blinked, showing my confusion, before looking around myself, wondering if I completely missed something. Why wasn’t the translator device putting that word in terms I understood? Maybe there was no human equivalent. Was the disgusting tea thing zalik? Because that wasn’t enjoyable…

  Vorian lifted the bowl of green pudding. I looked down at my own untouched bowl. “No.” I shook my head. “Not yet. I’m unsure what I can eat.” Nor how it would taste.

  “It should be fine for your human tastes,” he said, and I wondered if Adonians were able to read minds. “It’s similar to your soup, but sweet, like…” he tapped his chin, “like your ice cream.”

  Ice cream? “I don’t know what ice cream tastes like.” I saw it in old magazines and movies Lyra and I watched together when we were having a girls’ night, but actually taste it? Not possible on the Orion.

  Vorian’s eyes widened. I would have laughed at the boyish surprise and curiosity I found there if I were brave enough. “Never?” he asked.

  “Never.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “You’d like it. And you’ll like zalik.” He nodded toward the bowl.

  I lifted the blue-tinted metal spoon by its spiraled handle, swirling it in the zalik before taking the smallest of bites, hoping for my stomach’s sake that I wouldn’t regret it. The liquid tasted like it smelled, sweet. The texture was amazingly creamy.

  I closed my eyes in delight, and said, “Ah.”

  In fact, the taste was infectious, my stomach begged for more. I filled my spoon with the next bite, and the next, until finally I just picked up the bowl and drained the contents into my mouth, wiping away the residue from my chin with my arm like I was some beggar girl.

  The sound of Vorian chuckling brought me back to where I was, the dress I was in, the fanciness of the situation. My cheeks burned and I wished I could just crawl under the table and disappear.

  “Was it good?” Vorian lifted an inquisitive brow.

  I made a face and shook my head. “Absolutely disgusting.”

  Vorian chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement, his fangs exposed. “You can eat whatever you want, whenever you want, and as much as you want.”

  I cocked my head, my eyes narrowing on him. “Are you trying to fatten me up?”

  Vorian leaned back in his chair. “If I answered yes, would you be angry?”

  I shrugged. “Depends on the reasoning.”

  “The reasoning?”

  I took a piece of the charcoal black bread, feeling more daring. “Yeah,” I said, spreading a pink cream on the piece. “If, say, you were feeding me in order to eat me later, then yes. I would be upset.”

  I looked up to see his eyes wide with absolute horror. I couldn’t help myself. His expression was priceless. I burst into laughter.

  “I would never do that,” he nearly shouted, downing the contents of his goblet before pouring more. “I sure hope you humans don’t think of Adonians in that way.”

  “We don’t know for sure. We rarely have the pleasure of interacting with your kind.” I then shoved the food into my mouth, relishing the taste. It was slightly salty with some sort of meat component, but creamy like cream cheese. The charcoal piece was similar to bread. I looked up at him as I was about to take a second slice. “You’re not eating?” I watched him sip his drink, and wondered what was in his goblet.

  Vorian shook his head. “I already ate.”

  “Where?”

  “At work.”

  The silence took over once more, becoming so quiet I could hear myself chewing. Did he work often? Well, that was a dumb question. A man with his means must’ve worked all day. Did that mean I’d be alone in this castle for hours on end? What would I even do all day? Maybe I could talk to Zoe. But without Lyra to take care of, the Orion to fix, the boys to fight with, what would I do? I searched my mind again for another conversation piece, deciding to settle on the most obvious.

  I leaned back in my chair. “So what exactly were you doing in the blue light district?”

  Vorian’s gaze returned to me. “I was there for a meeting. My associate and I have been trying to find a possible vendor for our technology. Someone who could sell it on the Orion. But the quality of businessmen on the Orion leaves much to be desired.” He set the goblet down, leaning forward, his elbows on the table.

  I remembered Mom scolding me whenever I rested my elbows on the table. The memory made me smile. “Why bother with a middleman then?”

  “Humans are suspicious of us, and most customers will only buy from one of their own kind. I would like to provide technology to you humans, but I worry it’ll be hoarded by those at the very top. Other Adonian producers have tried the same—tried to sell your kind amenities and comforts, but the products always ended up in the hands of the few. It seems there’s a lot of disparity on the Orion, which would make even donating technology a pointless endeavor. Still, Valk insists we keep trying to make deals, even if they always inevitably fall through.”

  Now that would explain a lot. Like why the Adonians seemed to never make any efforts to help us. So it turned out they had tried, but the top brass of the Orion hoarded the resources all for themselves.

  How else had the people of the Orion been fleeced?

  “I’m glad my sister’s getting out of there,” I said. She was always the first thing on my mind, and to know she was leaving a place where she’d never have the opportunity to ascend made my heart feel lighter.

  “She is?” Vorian asked.

  Now that I thought about it, I never told him why I needed all that money for my sister. “Yes. She was accepted into Artemis. It’s this—”

  “It’s the space station orbiting Adonia. I know.”

  I paused, a surge of questions overwhelming me. Another time, I told myself. “Well, she was accepted into the academy there, and I didn’t have the money to pay for the tuition.”

  His eyes widened as it dawned on him. “So you decided to make the money in the blue light district.”

  I nodded, feeling my skin flush red in shame. I did it all for the right reasons, but still, I hated that I had to.

  Vorian ripped off a piece of meat from the large carcass in front of us and shoved it into his mouth. My eyes lingered on his fangs. “It’s a damn shame,” he began, “that a woman like you had no other choice but to do work like that.” He frowned, as if a thought crossed his mind. “What about your parents? Why didn’t they—”

  “Do your parents live here on Adonia?” I asked, preferring the spotlight be on h
im for a little bit, sick of talking about myself. I looked around, wondering if his parents lived in this very castle. Everyone on the Orion remained with their families. There simply wasn’t any space.

  “No,” Vorian answered, his eyes faraway. “My mother died when I was just a boy, and my father died in the war about five years ago.”

  “War?” What war? And it was only five years ago? Where were we?

  “My father was the general of the king’s army. So I had quite the strict upbringing.”

  I looked away. “My father left when I was fifteen. I think I would have preferred the strict upbringing.”

  “And your mother?”

  “Died. There was a pandemic that broke out on the Orion a few years after he left. My sister and I got horribly sick, yet somehow we survived. But…” My eyes teared up, so I forced my face to be expressionless. “She didn’t.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “It happened long ago.”

  “Ellie,” he began, his head hung low as his eyes focused on the window before returning back to me. He shifted in his chair, his wings twitching slightly. “I want you to know, you are not a prisoner here. You may go wherever you like. Zoe will help with anything you need. And,” his wings twitched again as his gaze darted away from mine, “I would like to request your presence at the royal ball in four day’s time.”

  A royal ball? Images of Beauty and the Beast flashed through my mind. “I will tell you now: Yellow isn’t my color.”

  He looked rather confused, and I had to admit, it was cute seeing him so flustered. “You… You don’t have to wear yellow…”

  “And I don’t know how to dance.”

  “We don’t have to dance.”

  “And no scaring me out of the castle, where I’m to be met by a pack of wolves.”

  His grip on his silverware tightened. “Wolves? What are wolves?”

  “I’m just saying, this is starting to remind me of a fairy tale. I guess you Adonians wouldn’t be too familiar with our silly stories, huh?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I promise you it will be nothing more than a royal ball. And I would never, ever try to scare you.”