Falling for the Alien Prince

by Hannah Davenport

  “How far is your house?”

  “Austin, be quiet! I’m trying to ask him a question.”

  “Me too!”

  “Wait your turn!”

  My head began to hurt. When the boy started to speak yet again, I held up a hand. “Halt!”

  All three froze.

  “I have a solar board to take us to Tizun Territory. As for Millie…” My eyes drifted to Jenna, who was listening intently. “Jyan happened.”

  Her mouth gaped before she could cover it with her hand. “Oh, God!”

  We spent the rest of the trip in silence.

  Once we landed, I led the three of them to my office. Gar and Venge stood at the window, awaiting my return. This would be…amusing.

  “Austin, Cara, this is Venge and Gar.”

  Austin walked straight over to Venge. “Which one is you?”

  Venge’s scared eyes shot to mine. I wanted to laugh. and he knew it. Looking at the little boy, he replied, “I am Venge.”

  “Like penge?”

  Cara had to chime in of course. “Austin, that’s not even a word.”

  “Is too.”

  “No, it’s not. Anyway, it’s Venge like in ‘vengeance.’”

  Austin stared at Venge. “Are you a superhero?”

  “No, he’s an alien. Remember? Tizuns are aliens?”

  “He might be a superhero too.”

  As I lightly touched Jenna’s arm to gain her attention, I tried not to look at the horrified looks on my men’s faces, lest I burst into hysterical laughter.

  Leading Jenna to our room, she crossed her arms. “That wasn’t very nice of you.”

  “No, but it was a little humorous.”

  “A little bit.” She cracked a smile. “And it gives me a break.” Her smile faded and after a heartbeat, she asked, “How bad is Millie?”

  “Her face is severely bruised and swollen. She is not healing.”

  “How long has she been like that?”

  “Almost a day.”

  “Wait.” She grabbed my arm, forcing me to a halt. “A day?” I nodded. “Murda…she won’t heal for several weeks.”

  I was taken aback. “Why so long?”

  “That’s just the way Humans are.”

  My hearts beat wildly realizing Millie would be injured for so long. I needed to consult with Strikr; perhaps he would have some ideas about how to help her.

  23

  Millicent

  As I lay with my eyes closed, voices drifted in from the other room. One was Murda, and the other…well it sounded like Jenna!

  I’m dreaming, I told myself, and sorrow pierced my heart.

  If only I could see her, tell her how sorry I was for everything, let her know that I was okay… Even knowing what I knew now, I would still have taken Murda to her house. But maybe I could’ve handled it a little differently. He was so alien that even I kept him at arm’s length in the beginning. And I knew of Cara’s financial…hobbies. She wouldn’t let any opportunity pass.

  A soft knock. Murda stuck his head in. I smiled. “Hey.” My face felt somewhat better.

  Either that or I’m just getting used to the pain, I thought wryly.

  “Hi.” He smiled, his eyes roaming my face. “I brought you some company.”

  “You did?” I held my hand out and he immediately crossed the room, latching onto it. Sitting on the side of the bed, his eyes softened before he kissed my forehead.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked, worry etched in his eyes.

  “Still sore, but better than before. I think.” I reached up and cupped his face. He turned into my hand and kissed my palm. Wanting to reassure him, I put on another smile. “I’m fine. Promise.”

  “I am going to talk with Strikr, see if we can speed the healing process. In the meantime, there’s someone here who wants to see you.”

  My eyes slid past Murda’s shoulder and landed on Jenna standing in the doorway, her jaw nearly on the floor. “Where are Cara and Austin?”

  “Here,” Murda replied. “They’re currently terrorizing Venge and Gar.”

  I covered my face gently. “Oh, God! How could you do that to them?”

  “It will be a learning Human experience.”

  Jenna walked further into the room. “Hey there,” she said, trying to brave a smile, but sadness tinged her voice.

  “I will be back. Enjoy your visit.” Murda tenderly kissed my lips, then left the room.

  Jenna’s eyes trailed after him before she took his place beside me. “Millicent…what happened?”

  “It must really look bad if you just called me Millicent.”

  “No, no, it’s not that bad.”

  I shot her a grin. “Liar.” There were so many things I wanted to say… “I’m sorry. I took advantage of you and I really am sorry for that.”

  “You didn’t. I might have overreacted.”

  “No, he threatened Cara. You did what a mother should do.”

  “I never should have included you when I asked him to leave. I’ve regretted it every day since.” A beat of awkward silence passed, and then a familiar twinkle appeared in her eyes. “Soooo…what’s up with you and him?”

  She nodded toward the door.

  “Well, I married him.” And then I turned my head to the side and waited for the barrage of questions to batter me.

  “Wait…you…wait what?” Her eyes were round as saucers.

  “Yeah. It started out as a solution to my problems.”

  “Um, I saw the way he kissed you. It’s more than a solution.”

  “Right.” A gentle smiled played on my lips. “Somewhere along the way I fell for him.”

  “What about David?” Her worried eyes stayed riveted on mine.

  “He’s dead. I killed him.”

  Her jaw dropped. “Jyan?”

  “Also dead, from another Andore who doesn’t like their policy of rape and murder. Plus, I killed Raun.” Her forehead wrinkled in confusion, so I elaborated: “The Andore that killed my family.”

  Her head dropped into her hands. “I can’t believe I missed so much and that I made you go through that alone. I’m so sorry!”

  I reached out and gently grabbed her wrist, tugging it to make her look at me. “It’s okay. Really.”

  She nodded, sniffed, then wiped a stray tear from her cheek. “So, are you going to live here from now on?”

  I nodded. “We’re finding our way together.” I tried to sit up. Jenna leapt to her feet to help. “Can you find a mirror? I want to see the damage.”

  She grimaced. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

  “Oh crap! I must look terrible.” My hand went to my cheek. “I feel terrible. If this swelling would just go down, I think it would be a lot better.”

  “Did you try ice?”

  “No, I don’t think so… To be honest, I don’t remember much.”

  “That’s probably a good thing.” She patted my hand. “I’ll see if I can find you one.”

  After a few minutes of rummaging through drawers, she came back with a square piece of shiny metal. “This is all I found, but it’s reflective.”

  “I’ll take it. Thanks.”

  Looking at the unfamiliar face, black and dark blue circled my swollen eye socket. The other side wasn’t nearly as bad. Distinctive fingerprints outlined both sides of my jaws.

  “Is there a bruise on my back?” I asked, turning and lifting my shirt so Jenna could see.

  “It looks like a boot print.”

  “It hurts.” I could tell she was still sad about putting me out. But none of this was her fault. “Hey, tell me what I missed.”

  “Not much. Oh! Like two days after you left, Susie told me she and Bob are expecting.”

  “Really? I didn’t think they wanted kids right now.”

  “I know. I guess that’s what happens when birth control is limited and the pull-out method doesn’t actually work.” We both chuckled. “Haley’s been coming over for morning coffee, and you know Jaso
n and Austin. They’re inseparable.”

  “I’m glad he has a friend.”

  “Oh shit! In our rush to leave, I forgot to tell Haley. She’ll be worried to death!”

  “I’ll be fine. You don’t have to stay.”

  “You’re not getting rid of me that quick. We’ll stay for a day or two and then head back.”

  “If you’re sure.” I tried to smother a yawn, but it slipped through nonetheless.

  “You’re tired. Get some sleep, and I’ll see you in a little while.”

  “Will you be okay here?” She knew what I meant.

  “There’s a lot of scary aliens walking around, that’s for sure. But we’ll manage well enough.” She stood. “Get some rest.”

  As Jenna walked out, I embraced the warm fuzzy feeling of everything being right in my world for the time being, and drifted off to sleep.

  ______________

  The bed dipped as someone climbed under the covers with me. I smiled, knowing it was Murda. I blinked open my eyes and snuggled into his side. “What are you doing here?”

  “I saw Jenna and the kids giving Sutar a hard time in the kitchen. I think he’s about ready to leave them to the cooking.”

  I smirked. “I’ll bet.”

  He hesitated. “I spoke with Strikr. He believes that if I share my blood with you, you will heal faster.”

  I froze. “Like a transfusion?” My mind wouldn’t let me conceive of anything other than that.

  “No.”

  My stomach churned and almost started a revolt at the idea alone. “I don’t think I…”

  “You can and you will.”

  “FYI: when Humans drink blood, we throw up. We’re not vampires.”

  “And you know this how?”

  “Common knowledge.”

  “Thankfully, I don’t have Human blood. Strikr believes that since our blood mingled together and the glyph easily formed on your palm, you’ll easily tolerate it.”

  “You do know that Strikr is not a doctor, right?”

  “If it works, you should heal in a day or two instead of weeks.”

  Bile rose in my throat as acid burned my stomach. Murda used his teeth and scored his wrist. Blue blood welled up and dripped down his hand.

  I can’t do it.

  “Here,” he offered it up.

  Blowing out a deep breath, I tried to give myself a little pep talk.

  At least it’s blue and not red. Just think of blueberry juice. Not that I’ve ever had blueberry juice, but it sounds nice. Well, better than…

  He pressed his wrist to my lips. “Drink.”

  I wanted to tell him to stop ordering me around, but I couldn’t move my lips. If I did, I might accidentally drink some of it.

  Trying to back away, his hand went to the back of my neck and pressed me forward. Eventually, I had to swallow.

  Oh my!

  It tasted sweet on my tongue. Not real sweet, but definitely not salty. Completely tolerable and…kind of good.

  I latched on. The more I swallowed, the hotter my body grew. All the heat settled in my core, making my desire skyrocket. Without knowing what I was doing at first, my hips rocked with every pull of my mouth.

  Yeah, I took greedy gulps wanting to orgasm and ride the pleasure.

  “Enough,” he said, pulling his wrist away.

  “No, I’m almost there!” I whined, needing release.

  He leaned over two inches from my face. “You are injured. Give it a few days.”

  “Gah! But I don’t want to wait!”

  He chuckled, stroking my forehead. “You will live.”

  “How can you be so mean to me?” I whined in frustration. I never would’ve thought his blood would turn out to be an aphrodisiac! When he laughed, I huffed. “Fine, as long as you give me your blood next time. Wait…did I just say that?”

  “It is a sacrifice I am willing to make,” he teased, smirking.

  “Fine. Talk to me. Get my mind off of things.”

  He told me about Gar’s meeting with a new government official and how we would pick our own liaison. I knew he wanted to check the aura and band of emotions in certain situations. That worked for me.

  Venge had people searching for the Andore who had killed Jyan. Murda hoped that if Earth’s government chose another Andore leader, perhaps things might change. I hoped so, but I didn’t know if it would be that simple. The Andores might not want another species picking their new leader.

  The more he talked, the heavier my eyes became, until I drifted off to sleep again.

  ______________

  My eyes opened, the throbbing in my head felt better, and hmmm…so did my eye. I threw off the covers and pushed up to sitting. A wave of dizziness hit but dissipated after a minute or two. Standing, I tested the strength of my legs. A little wobbly, but not too bad, all things considered.

  Slowly, I headed to the shower. Nothing like hot soapy water and a good hair washing to make a person feel Human again.

  Standing under the spray as the water poured over my head, everything bombarded me at once.

  I killed Uncle David.

  My last living relative, and I killed him. Would Mom be mad at me if she was here? Jyan was also dead.

  I killed Raun.

  Tears poured from my eyes and a sob escaped. After all these years, it was finally over. Justice had been served.

  And yet, I still cried.

  With my back against the shower wall, I slid down to sitting and hung my head. Deep sobs tore from my throat. Four years—four years! —I’d been trying to deliver justice. For me, for all those poor women that were taken…

  I cried for each and every one of them.

  Soft hands lifted me to standing as Murda wrapped his arms around me. I had never wanted him to see me this weak. I never wanted anyone to see me like this, sobbing like a baby. But I couldn’t stop.

  He never said a word, just held me as I cried.

  When the tears finally abated, I stepped back and swiped my nose. “Sorry.” I couldn’t look at him.

  One clawed finger lifted my chin. “There is no reason to apologize.”

  Staring into his eyes, I got the impression that he understood. I nodded once then reached for a washcloth, but he beat me to it. No words were spoken as he gently washed my back and arms, taking tender care. It made me want to cry again.

  When he was done, he whisked me into his arms and sat me down on the closed commode seat. After towel drying my hair and body, I dressed in baggy sweatpants and a tee shirt. Certainly not my usual attire, and no daggers. Not today.

  Murda brushed stray strands of black hair behind my right ear as he held my gaze. We didn’t exchange any words, only actions—touches and glances.

  Holding out his hand, I placed mine in his. I needed food and a good cup of coffee. And then later, maybe a stiff drink.

  Murda

  Grief and pain were good companions, but I knew eventually Millie would succumb to both. It was only a matter of time. No one could endure the horrors she had without breaking at some point. And it would not make her weak, certainly not in my eyes.

  Nearing our apartment, I heard the sobs before reaching the door. My hearts ached when I found her on the floor of the bathroom shower, water washing her tears down the drain.

  I held her while she released her pent-up emotions. And then I helped her wash. After she dressed, I held out my hand, offering comfort. She took it without hesitation.

  I knew that food would make her feel better. That, and seeing the other Humans.

  Poor Sutar, Gar and Venge had showed the Humans to the kitchen. They rummaged through cabinets, taking inventory and then turned on Sutar. The one—Cara—demanded to know why we had so much food while other Humans were going without. Sutar actually stuttered under her scrutiny.

  Back in my office, after they had taken the family to the kitchen, Gar and Venge sat scrubbing their faces.

  “How could you leave them with us?” Gar had asked.

 
; “What are you smiling at?” I glanced down; Millie had an intrigued look on her face.

  “Just remembering the look on Gar’s and Venge’s faces after they had spent time with the children.”

  She shook her head, grinning. After a beat of silence, she continued, “Thanks for everything. I feel much better.”

  “Good.”

  Silence fell when we entered the dining hall. Millie stiffened, then relaxed her shoulders. Leading her over, I held out the chair for her.

  Gar, Venge, and Strikr kept sneaking peeks at Millie until Gar finally asked, “How are you?”

  She inhaled deeply, then smiled. “Good. No, actually… I’m great.” He appeared skeptical so she added, “Jyan is dead. Raun is dead, the colonel…” She shrugged, leading them to believe he was unimportant.

  Gar shot her a genuine smile. “We are glad you are back.”

  “Me too.”

  “Millie!” Austin ran in from the kitchen. Ignoring her wounds, he climbed into her lap and threw his arms around her neck. Leaning back, he peered at her face and narrowed his eyes. Whispering loudly, but thinking we could not hear, he asked, “Did he do that to you?”

  “Who?”

  Even I saw the little Human’s eyes dart my way. Millie caught my incredulous look, humor dancing in her eyes.

  “No,” she whispered just as loudly. “He’s pretty nice.”

  I almost spit my water out.

  I had been called many things, but “nice” had never been one of them.

  Jenna and Cara carried in food; Sutar and a few others followed, carrying more trays. Cara reached Gar, who was seated beside Millie, and bumped her hip against his shoulder. “Scoot down, will ya?”

  Gar grumbled, but everyone moved down a spot. Cara shook her head. “Better scoot down three seats, Jenna and Austin need to sit too.”

  With everyone finally seated and food passed around, the Humans didn’t hesitate to dig in. No one spoke until Cara laid down her utensils and addressed Millie.

  “Nobody will say it, but you look like shit. What the hell happened to you?”

  “Cara! Language!” Jenna chastised.

  “It wouldn’t him.” Austin hid his finger with one hand while pointing at me. “She told me so.”

  “If it was him,” Cara began, “I’d leave his ass.”