Alphas, Airships, and Assassins

by Frost Kay

  The mirth passed, leaving fatigue so heavy it felt like someone had attached weights to her eyelids. But sleep meant vulnerability, and she didn’t want to think about the possibility of anyone sneaking up on her while she slept.

  Absentmindedly, she twisted each cuff as she eyed the smooth doors facing her. What lay behind them? Did she really want to know?

  She tugged at the restraints but only managed to remove more skin. Allie cursed and forced her palms to rest against the bedding on either side of her legs.

  Allie frowned down at her lap.

  From the moment she met Sloven, she knew there was more to him than met the eye. Craziness seeped from his person like bad body odor on a crowded transport. It sucked being kidnapped and chained to a bed, but at least she was alone. And that was a blessing in and of itself.

  She wiggled backward, until she was cushioned by the pillows, and reclined. It might be a while until someone came for her. She might as well make use of the bed and figure out how in the worlds she’d ended up in this situation.

  You being here isn’t a surprise.

  The team’s plan had been a good one, but Allie honestly hadn’t believed it would work. If Sloven had been able to get into her apartment while in prison, what other things could he have had in place, too? Her stomach flipped as Sid’s abused form rose in her mind. She closed her eyes, trying to fight the nausea that swirled in her belly. Goodness, she hoped he was okay.

  Sloven had told her Sid was alive, but she didn’t trust a word that came from the king’s lying trap. Allie doubted he even knew how to tell the truth, much less recognize it. Liars were a dime a dozen, but the ones who believed their own lies were the scariest. They lacked touch with the world around them and had an uncanny way of convincing others that the words they spoke were truth.

  What she really wanted to know was how in the worlds he had escaped the prison. She’d never seen such a secure place, and, yet, he’d been the one to drug her. Allie’s brows furrowed.

  Someone could have used a distorter.

  She brushed that thought away. Sloven had wanted her to see his face right before she blacked out. His brand of vanity was unique. So, it came back down to him escaping prison. She didn’t doubt that he had powerful allies. Her lips pursed. And just as powerful enemies. No one could get to him in the prison, but if he escaped…

  Shifting onto her side, she stared at another plain gray wall, wishing there was a window or something to tell her what time of day it was and how much time had passed. Had it been hours or days? Allie wiggled and assessed her body once more. Her lower back was sore. The only time it ached was when she stayed in bed too long. If she’d been a betting woman, she would guess she’d been out of it for some time, a minimum of ten hours.

  Every woman’s deep-seated fear of being raped and vulnerable to a male forced itself into her mind once again. Allie pushed past the fear and went over the reasons she knew she was okay. Her clothing wasn’t disturbed or torn, and certain parts of her body weren’t hurting. In addition to those two things, as much as she didn’t want to admit it, Allie understood certain parts of the king’s personality.

  Did he enjoy conquest? Yes.

  But did he want to triumph over an unconscious woman? She highly doubted it.

  He struck her as a man who wanted to make himself a master over all things. He would have wanted to seduce and have her be part of the act.

  Queasiness filled her. She tucked her legs under her cream dress and hugged a pillow to her chest, her fingers clenching the silky material. All she wanted to do was wrap herself in the heavy comforter beneath her, but she didn’t want anything that could be used to trap her further.

  Allie forced herself to think about other concerns.

  What about her team? Were they all right? Did Sloven capture them too, or was she just a special snowflake?

  Time passed slowly as she mulled over question after question in an attempt to keep her mind busy.

  No one entered.

  Allie found herself drowsing.

  She pinched herself, but after the twentieth pinch, it didn’t seem to matter.

  Her eyelids shut, and she surrendered to sleep.

  22

  Gag Me with a Spork

  Allie’s stomach growled loudly, and she crossed her legs tighter.

  Holy bananas, she needed to pee so bad.

  She glared at the door and tried to focus on something other than her complaining stomach and bladder. Heck, she even purposely tried to fall asleep, so they weren’t as bothersome.

  Her belly grumbled again.

  You have no one to blame but yourself.

  “Shut up,” she muttered to the empty room.

  She knew this was going to happen.

  Karma was a brilliant actress and had played Allie so well that it was eerie, but deep in her bones, Allie knew it wouldn’t work. She had hoped it would, but she wasn’t naïve of the king’s machinations. One didn’t become the conqueror of a galaxy without having his hands in every shady pie.

  So, she’d hatched her own plan.

  One where Sloven would come to her.

  She’d had Sid leak the information of her true whereabouts.

  A dangerous move? Yeah, it was.

  But Sid should have been able to get Karma to safety and alert the team of her true location.

  Well, hopefully.

  It seemed pretty half-baked now that she was imprisoned. And had no earthly clue where she was.

  And she really had to pee.

  Her brows furrowed as she jiggled her foot in agitation. The million-dollar question was, though, why did he really want her? Sure, he was a creep with a god complex, had horrible taste in art, and had an unhealthy interest in her cycle. She’d overanalyzed each of her altercations with him, time and time again. Every time he made a sexual comment, it wasn’t quite right.

  Was there heat and interest behind his words and actions? Yes, but there was something more. It was like he was playing a part. She snorted. He was playing a game, for sure, but was that all it really was? She had to be missing something. The pieces didn’t add up.

  Allie laughed without humor. How in the worlds did she get mixed up in this situation in the first place? She was just a simple country girl who brewed terrible booze but could mix a crazy good drink. Since she’d stepped onto the bloody airship, her life had been turned on its head.

  Her gaze strayed back to her roughed-up wrists and the blue metal that encircled them. Why would he use Indigo Alloy to make cuffs? The metal handcuffs and chain were worth more than her family’s moonshine empire, if she had to guess.

  Did he have that much money that he could use it in such a frivolous way?

  A soft hiss caused Allie to jerk upright. She rose to her feet and snatched a pillow from the bed. She mentally scoffed at herself. What was a pillow going to do against an alien? Nothing, but it made her feel better.

  The double doors slid away from each other, and the monster that had been occupying her thoughts for who knows how long strolled through the doors like he owned the place. Well, she guessed he did.

  Her lips thinned as he released a megawatt smile that was way too handsome for such a nasty person. He didn’t say anything as the doors closed with another soft hiss. The air filled with tension as they stared at each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move.

  Sloven ran a hand through his deep red hair and leaned back against the doors with lazy abandon as if he had all the time in the world. He propped one shiny black shoe against the door, the picture of casualness as he stared her down with his unnerving red eyes.

  Allie held his gaze and refused to back down despite how much she wanted to hide from him. He already thought she was a weak little Human, so she wouldn’t give him any more reasons to think of her as his prey. She would not fall prey to the lunatic across the room from her.

  The quiet stretched out between them, and Allie tried not to shift uncomfortably or blurt something ri
diculous. She’d always been prone to babble to fill dead silences, but their silence had become a battle of wills and there was no way she would break first.

  Sloven smirked at her, and a shiver-inducing chuckle broke their stalemate. He shook his head, his hair falling across his forehead, making him look boyish, which was absurd. The king was the opposite of boyish.

  “And here I was expecting screams and female wails, and – yet – nothing. You always manage to surprise me, Allie Sai. And that’s something that rarely happens anymore.”

  He paused, looking at her expectantly.

  If he thought she was going to answer him, he was mistaken.

  Sloven rubbed a hand over his lips while studying her. “My men have told me that you’ve been a very obedient captive. No drama or hurting yourself.” His gaze slid to her abused wrists. “Well, not critically at least. What have you been plotting in that mind of yours?”

  She shrugged one shoulder.

  He chuckled again, as if absolutely delighted with her obstinance. “I find that hard to believe.” He shook a finger at her like she was a naughty schoolgirl. “You always have something up your sleeve. While I enjoy your devious mind, I really dislike the silence.”

  Devious.

  She’d never thought of herself as devious. Wily? Sure.

  “Are you going to answer me?” he murmured, a hint of annoyance in his tone.

  Needling him a little was expected, but she didn’t want to truly anger him, just ruffle his feathers a bit.

  “What good would screaming have done?” she asked, shifting on the bed.

  “What good indeed?” Sloven agreed. “I’ve never enjoyed those who whine about their problems instead of moving on. Why lament a situation you can’t possibly change?”

  Allie hugged the pillow to her chest, her chains rattling unsettlingly next to her. “Let’s not waste time.” She sighed. “Why am I here?”

  “As much as I enjoy your antics, you’ve proven that I can’t very well trust you to behave outside of my supervision.” His eyes narrowed, and he gave her a disapproving frown. “I hate being disobeyed and you’ve repeatedly ignored my instructions.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “Surprise, surprise.”

  “Such attitude,” he tsked.

  She curbed her sarcasm. As her mama would say, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. And, right now, she really needed some honey.

  “I’m not trying to purposely offend you,” she offered with as much honesty as possible. “But you have to admit, you’ve been a bit heavy-handed.” Sloven grunted, and she continued. “You have me here now, so what do you plan on doing with me?” Allie gestured toward the wall to the left, the two chains jingling merrily. “Surely, you didn’t go through all the trouble to bring me here if I wouldn’t be serving some kind of purpose?”

  “Fishing for information?”

  “Wouldn’t you?”

  “What if I did plan on keeping you here?”

  “I may be Human, but I promise I have better skills than just being ornamental.” She threw in a wink for good measure, even though her stomach was twisted in knots.

  He laughed outright at that, his face transforming into something totally wholesome and lovely.

  Downright unfair. The devil shouldn’t be allowed to look innocent.

  “Always so curious,” he commented and pushed away from the door, his movements slow as he approached the end of the bed, his black suit seeming to suck all the light from the area surrounding him. “There used to be this old Earth saying that I was particularly fond of.”

  Allie tensed and fought not to cringe backward into the headboard.

  He paused and ran his hand over the smooth comforter before his eyes flicked back to hers. Slowly, his gaze slid over her body, but it held no heat. He cocked his head as if he was trying to figure her out. Now, Allie understood what a bug felt like underneath a microscope.

  “Curiosity killed the cat,” he continued.

  She blinked, attempting to comprehend his words.

  Curiosity killed the cat… The old nursery rhyme.

  “True,” she forced out, shifting her weight to mirror his body. “But everyone forgets the second half: satisfaction brought it back.”

  Sloven sighed and moved around the side of the bed. He tipped his head back to stare up at her. “A peculiar phrase to be sure, something that I need to really understand.”

  Allie shrugged a shoulder. “I guess you’d have to be Human.”

  He nodded and held his hand out to her. “Be a dear and sit down. Staring up at you like this is putting a crick in my neck.”

  She so did not want to take his hand. All she wanted to do was run from the room and find a nice closet to hide in. But his politely phrased request wasn’t so much a suggestion but a command. So far, he’d been playing nicely, so she’d take her cues from him.

  Allie stepped closer and placed her fingers in his warm palm and allowed him to help her sit. Her lips thinned for a moment when he didn’t release her hand and instead sat on the bed next to her, his weight causing her to tip in his direction. Her mouth dried when he ran his thumb over the back of her hand, tracing the slopes of her knuckles.

  Please stop touching me.

  Swallowing hard, she relaxed her muscles and kept from jerking away.

  Barely.

  But again, she reminded herself, there was no use in angering the alien. Her gaze darted to the scars that ran up her arms. She already experienced too much of his rage as it was and she had a job to do. Sloven’s shenanigans needed to end.

  Allie wasn’t arrogant enough to believe she could take him down by herself. He’d lived longer than she had, and many times over, but that was also her advantage. With age came wisdom, but it usually also had its pitfalls: pride and arrogance.

  And Sloven? He had both in spades.

  He’d never believe she was capable of taking him down. And, from his behavior in the past, he believed women were only around for one thing—breeding babies—and that was her advantage. Females from the beginning of time had always been a distraction for males. The king wouldn’t believe her if she acted like she liked him. But if she pretended to warm up to him gradually, she might just pull one over him.

  “I’m surprised to see you,” she blurted.

  Sloven arched a red brow. “Oh?”

  “The last time we met, you were in prison, chained to a desk.” Where you belong.

  His finger traced the cuff. “It seems our positions have been reversed.”

  Unfortunately.

  “I am so unlucky,” she grumbled.

  “Or maybe you happen to be exactly where you should be,” he countered.

  “And where is here, exactly?”

  “Safe for the time being.”

  Sloven continued to caress her palm, tracing the patterned swirls. It disturbed Allie how small and dainty her hand appeared inside his massive paw. It would be so easy for him to break her, to—

  She cut the thought off. There was no need to get all dark and angsty. It would do no good.

  “Safe for whom?” Allie questioned softly, her drawl coming out a little thicker because of her fear.

  “You and I.”

  “There isn’t a you and I.”

  He smiled at her like she was an indulgent child and ignored her comment. “You know it was only a matter of time until I got out of prison,” he said.

  “So, you’re telling me you were let out for good behavior?” She rolled her eyes. “I’m not that gullible. There’s no way that even you could get away with all of your crimes. There’s too much evidence stacked against you. So that leads to only one logical conclusion. You escaped, and, if that’s the case, you won’t ever be safe. You’ll be running for the rest of your life.”

  “If that were true, you’d be right,” he admitted. “But who’s to say I’m not still in prison?”

  Her body locked up. Was someone else impersonating the king? No, she couldn’t imagine anyone doing
that. Plus, there was nothing off in his behavior.

  Karma played you very convincingly.

  He was just playing games.

  Sloven’s hand tightened on her fingers as she tried to pull away.

  “You’re toying with me,” she accused him.

  “A little.” He smiled impishly and then reached out to tap her forehead with his finger. “Watching you trying to puzzle everything out is fascinating. I’m curious how that mind of yours works.”

  “Curiosity killed the cat,” she said weakly.

  “So it did.” He sobered. “You have all the pieces, Allie Sai. Take a little time and think really hard. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

  They lapsed into silence, and her belly took that opportunity to snarl. She placed her hand over it, embarrassed. Why it was embarrassing, she didn’t know.

  Sloven grinned. “You finally hungry?”

  She didn’t know if this was a test or not, but she decided if he wanted to hurt her he would have already, so she opted for honesty. “I’m starving and… I need a bathroom.”

  He considered her for a moment then slid off the bed, turning toward the door. Her heart dropped to her feet as he walked away from her.

  Apparently, she’d misjudged the situation.

  Damn it.

  He placed his palm against the door, and the chains fell from the cuffs and slithered back into the wall. She scrambled off the bed and eyed the wall’s surface. What other horrors were tucked inside that thing?

  A door materialized in the blank wall to her left, revealing a stark, white bathroom. She hesitated for one second, before rushing into the bathroom, her bladder screaming at all the pressure.

  “And Allie?”

  She paused and peeked around the door jam.

  Sloven smirked at her. “Don’t take too long, darling, or I’ll have to fetch you.”

  With that threat in mind, she slid the bathroom door shut as quickly as possible and scampered to the toilet.

  23

  Money Talks