Astrid

 

 

 

I HUFFED, IMAGINING the many varied and unpleasant ways I could make sure no woman looked at Zane like that ever again. A good gouging of the eyeballs would make a nice start.

Zane glanced sideways at me then laughed out loud, the sound jarring in the mostly hushed surrounds.

I whirled on him, surprised with myself at the vivid violence I’d just pictured. “What?”

“You’re really that jealous?”

“Huh?”

“Clawing the females’ eyes out?” His voice dropped to a low timbre.

“You can read my mind?”

“I get flashes of images.”

Oh, this just gets better and better.

I stared at him in astonishment for a moment before taking the hand he offered me. “Just take me where we’re going already.”

Not a minute later, after more titters and more whispers and taking more turns in the corridors, we finally left the populace behind and entered a private, heavily guarded area.

“The royal chambers,” Zane announced before two colossal doors slid open.

“Prairie! Our guests are here,” a deep male voice bellowed.

Prairie? That was the name Zane had mentioned in the desert.

A woman slightly shorter than me bustled forward. A human woman.

“Zane! Took you long enough.” She rushed into his arms, but this time I felt no ill will at all. “But I bet I can guess why.”

With clover green eyes twinkling in amusement, the redhead turned to me. “Astrid. Damn girl. They told me you were gorgeous, but I think they downplayed it. I just might have a little envy goin’ on. And you’re smart as shit too, scientist and all.”

Her breezy attitude made her instantly likeable, and she pumped my hand ferociously. Prairie . . . the name fit somehow, the kinky red hair, the voluptuous beauty. She was gowned similarly to me, but she wore a giant pink gemstone around her neck and a honking big ring on her hand.

“Having dinner in here your first night was all my idea. They can be a little overwhelming in the beginning since they just don’t get how freakin’ weird all this is.”

At her words, a male appeared. He was, simply put, daunting. Long black hair, fierce forest green eyes. He was even larger than Zane, which was saying something.

“I mean this dude here threw me in at the deep end,” Prairie thumbed over her shoulder at the massive man, “parading me practically naked to a huge feast.”

Zane chuckled before cutting in. “Prairie’s what you’d call my sister-in-law if we were on Earth.”

“I’m what you’d call a straight-up pain in the ass.” Then she asked me, “So, did you get a load of Zane’s BOGO yet?”

Beside her, the man who must’ve been her mate drew his bottom lip between his teeth.

Buy One Get One? Oh, she’s talking about Zane’s delicious double dicks I just jerked off. I’d gotten two loads of his BOGO, and I lusted for even more. This attraction between us had to be chemical—pheromones or something. He was suddenly irresistible, and I felt an insatiable need for him.

It was more than just his appearance that, admittedly, was HOT HOT HOT . . .

When a full grin lifted the corners of Zane’s mouth, I wondered what he’d seen in his mind that time.

Meanwhile the huge man cleared his throat, obviously unaccustomed to being ignored.

“Yeah, yeah. All right.” Zane motioned me forward. “And this, Astrid, is my brother, Xyib*eepthxnin—”

Prairie interrupted, “You can save yourself a lot of trouble and just call him X—”

“The King of Zenithia.”

Mother of Christ, the king? I thought I should curtsy or something, but as soon as I started to dip down, Prairie grasped my elbow. “Oh no, sistah. Don’t you even dare stroke his ego more.”

Magnar, who followed into the room with two other similarly outfitted warrior-types, snickered.

X glared at him.

Magnar raised both hands. “Hey, your woman said it, not me.”

I spun to Prairie. “So that makes you . . . the queen. A human queen?”

“Yep. Mega perks there.” She winked impishly, flashing the giant pink rock on her finger. “And mad bling. I mean, I can just pawn it when I get back to Earth.”

“Meehri.” X growled, eyes simmering with passion as he regarded his tiny queen.

“Hush now. You know I’m just playing.” Up on her tiptoes, she melded her body to his.

Their kiss was long and lush, a heated exchange that made my tummy tighten. My eyes found Zane’s longing look, and I wanted to crush myself against him, feel his tongue stroke inside my mouth.

A nearly feral look sharpened his features, and his cocks pushed at the front of his leather pants. He was ready to pounce. But Prairie pushed away from X, and with a swivel of her hips, she led me away from all the towering men, farther into the chambers.

“By the way, don’t be scared of X. He’s just a big teddy bear, who tends to glower a lot.”

I glanced back at the big teddy bear. His eyes were glued to Prairie’s posterior with an intensity that could melt clothes from flesh.

I barely had time to take in the foreign opulence of the room, dominated by a pulsing pink obelisk that seemed to be made of the same stone as Prairie’s jewels, before she guided me to a seating arrangement.

“How long have you been on Zenithia?” I asked, eager for information from one of my kind.

“Oh, about four months. But you know that space-time continuum thing.”

I did know about the space-time continuum theory, but I’d never actually experienced it. It made me wonder how much time had passed on Earth during the few hours I’d been here. And if my parents realized I was gone yet.

“Don’t you miss home?”

“Pffft. There was nothing back there for me. Well, except my Ducati. But here the boys, and girls, have some flashy rides. What about you?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Now that sounds like a Facebook status.”

I smiled shyly, shaking my head. “Nothing like that. At least, I wasn’t romantically involved with anyone when I . . . met Zane anyway.”

“He didn’t stalk you, did he? I promise he’s not really a creeper. He’s actually very sweet.”

I laughed. “No, he didn’t stalk me. He just told me he was the Prince of Zenithia, and I was meant to be his mate. Which really should’ve set off—”

“Alarm bells?” She interrupted, hooting her own laughter.

I nodded. “Something like that.”

“Don’t worry. I had the same reaction to X. He’s just so sexy. And convincing.” She scooted closer to me. “Aside from being freakishly huge—all over—Zenithians aren’t so different from us. You’ll get used to the ceremonies and the feasts and the orgies.”

“Orgies!”

“X doesn’t let me participate.” She pouted.

Trying to digest everything she said, I glanced at Zane then back to Prairie.

“And don’t get me wrong. You’re definitely not in Kansas anymore. Wait until you see your first unix!”

“Unix?”

“Girl. Let me put it this way. A freaking phoenix crossed with a unicorn.”

“No way.” The possibility of such an animal shot a thrill right through me.

As if sensing my curiosity, Prairie leaned toward me. “Oh, hey, did Zane mention aging slows here?”

So maybe Mr. Hobbs wasn’t a crackpot at all. “Noooo.”

“Yeah. I’m sixty-nine.”

I possibly looked like I was about to pass out, because Prairie broke into peals of laughter.

“I’m kidding.” She shoulder-bumped me. “I’m twenty-four. But X is way way way in the senior citizen range. 300, it ain’t just a movie. Zane’s definitely not a youngster either.”

More shock piled on, and I peered at Zane, in the prime of his life . . . how old was he really?

“Oh him? He’s just a young’un at two hundred and fifty-nine.” She curled closer. “Regardless of their age, their stamina never quits.”

I’d already noted that.

A tray bearing glasses and a tall pitcher made of some alloy I didn’t recognize was placed before us.

“You’ve got to taste this.” After pouring a drink, Prairie passed me a large goblet.

“What is it?” I studied the amber colored liquid before sniffing it.

“Just pure deliciousness in a glass.”

I took one small experimental sip. The liquor smoothly coated my tongue before rolling down my throat. The alcohol tasted like cognac with fruity afternotes and absolutely no burn.

“It’s potent as hell, so unless you plan on getting trollied tonight, pace yourself.” She rubbed the small mound of her belly under her draped gown, drawing my attention to the dome I should’ve noticed earlier. “I’m off the stuff for now, so you can drink for me too.”

I nearly dropped the heavy glass. “You’re pregnant! Is it—”

“That poor schmuck’s.” Prairie pointed at X who stood in a circle of men, proudly grinning at her.

Even from across the room, he appeared to have heard her, unless . . .

“Can he see images, like Zane?”

“X? I wish it was that simple with him.” She snorted. “He can hear thoughts. All the thoughts, from everyone unless they consciously block him out or he does. You know,” she shrugged, “the king thing. He can project as well, communicate without saying a word.”

I was even more intrigued. Aristocratic human-alien offspring with a father who could communicate telepathically? This world was even more incredible than I’d thought.

Zane’s captivating eyes speared me when I glanced toward the males again, his gaze marking me as his like he’d branded me with his cum earlier.

I should’ve been thinking about my parents, worried about them especially after they’d already unexpectedly lost Cozmo. Yet the prospect of having free access to a human woman carrying a half-alien baby was too enticing. Finally proving the theory of extraterrestrial life was too seductive.

Zane is too seductive.

I gulped, tearing my gaze from him, wondering how much he’d seen from my thoughts . . .

“Has a human female ever given birth to an alien baby before?”

“Not with a Zenithian. Looks like I’m your test subject, huh?” Prairie dangled another carrot right before my eyes.