Chapter Five
Taryn sipped her wine and asked her friend, “So? I’m still waiting for your honest opinion.”
Taryn and Nova sat on the floor inside Taryn’s quarters. They had started the practice of wine and floor sitting as teenagers and had carried on the tradition. It was the only time Taryn could be honest and open without everyone watching her.
Nova tapped her chin. “It’s much more feasible than trying to ransom the prince in exchange for the ship, especially since we have no idea how to control that thing.” Nova took a drink. “Although we’d need to keep the other warriors here until an alliance is finalized as an incentive for the Kelderans to accept your proposal.”
“I was hoping you’d say it was a ridiculous idea.”
“Oh, come on. The almighty prince isn’t hard on the eyes, even if he does try your patience. According to Zelig, you just need him to kiss you to initiate the whole destined bride process. While having a child is the final stage in Kelderan marriage, a kiss is binding enough that he’d have to look after you for a week. The next step is having unprotected sex once, and then he’ll have to protect you for the next two years.”
“That runs the risk of pregnancy, and if he acts like a barbarian now, I can only imagine what he’ll be like if I get pregnant with his child.”
Nova leaned forward. “Ah, but you see, he’ll have to put up with you. It’s the law. That means if he makes your life hell, you can do the same.”
“Isn’t there some sort of law against that? The Kelderans don’t exactly seem to grant equal rights to women.”
“Zelig didn’t mention that. But since Kason is a prince, his father probably doesn’t want to create a scandal, especially if what you said about a possible civil war is true. I imagine you can have the run of the palace, as long as the public doesn’t catch wind of it.”
“I hate your logical thinking.” Nova winked and Taryn sighed. “But in all honesty, just the thought of leaving Jasvar makes my eye twitch. Spending time in space with a bunch of aliens who view females as lesser? I’m not sure I can stop myself from gelding one or three of them.”
Nova snorted. “I’d love to see you press a dagger against the almighty balls of a Kelderan warrior. They wouldn’t know what hit them.”
“Be serious, Nova.”
“Fine, fine. Although, don’t rule out the very real threat of being surrounded by strangers who mistrust you. Kason will be the key to your survival, although relying on someone else to take care of you isn’t exactly your strong point. Establishing your place with the other warriors and crew will mean not belittling Kason in front of the others. You could try fluttering your eyelashes a little. That might help.”
Her friend batted her eyelashes and Taryn threw a pillow at Nova, who easily dodged it. “If it were only fluttering my eyelashes, I could manage that. Unfortunately, I need to kiss him and then have sex within a week to keep his protection and the possibility of an alliance alive.”
Rolling her eyes, Nova leaned against the nearest pillow. “You don’t need to sound as if sex with the hot, muscled alien is such a bad thing.”
“Yes, he’s attractive. But by doing this, I’m giving up my future, Nova. I’ll do it, of course, as it’s my job as Jasvar’s leader. But a small part of me is sad I’ll never have a family of my own.”
“You might, you never know.”
She shook her head. “I don’t imagine things ending well for me and the prince, even if I end up pregnant. As soon as he realizes I won’t morph into a compliant wife, he’ll probably keep his distance or try to keep me under lock and key. Even if he doesn’t, there’s still the issue of me negotiating a deal and making it back to Jasvar at all.”
“Of course they’ll bring you back. If the Kelderans agree to share the planet and to respect our laws when they’re in our settlements, they’ll need you here to make sure it happens.”
Taryn drank some more wine. “I guess we have their honor to thank for not just killing us outright.”
“According to Zelig, they only kill women who murder first.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to be careful with my dagger and not nick an artery.”
Nova snorted. “There’s the Taryn I know and love. Stop with all the doubting. This is probably the easiest solution we can come up with. Scratch that, I know it is. I’ve run through every scenario and this one requires the least amount of luck.” Nova raised her glass toward Taryn. “And all because of our great leader.”
“If it gives us long-term survival, then the sacrifice is worth it, especially if the Kelderan scientists can find a way to combat the doom virus.”
Setting down her wine glass, Nova planted her feet on the ground and propped her chin on her knees. “Although there’s a much more important question—will a virgin be able to handle the almighty prince’s cock?”
Taryn sputtered her wine and barely prevented herself from choking. “Please tell me you haven’t been peeking at the warriors’ penises.”
“I may or may not have spied on a few of the scientists shortly after their capture ten years ago. Let’s just say that if Zelig wasn’t happily married, I would’ve gone after him myself.”
If she were acting the part of the leader, Taryn would’ve changed the subject. But since it was just her and Nova, she whispered, “The Kelderans don’t have barbs or anything weird, do they? I know a few of the alien species do, and it’s supposed to feel good, but I’m not sure I can handle it.”
Nova tsked. “And here I thought you might be a bit adventurous in bed.”
“Nova,” she hissed.
Her friend winked. “Hey, I’m still holding out for a unique alien myself. Although if this plan goes through and we share the planet with Kelderans, I guess I’ll have to settle for long cocks as the Kelderans don’t have any extra bells and whistles in that department. If you give me a play-by-play of your time with Kason, then I might make a bigger effort to nab one of my own.”
Taryn grunted. “If it happens at all, I expect it to be short and to the point. That seems to be his highness’s style.”
“Speaking of his highness, I think you should break the news before the serum completely wears off. That way, you’ll know for sure if he thinks it’ll work.”
Standing up, Taryn placed her glass on the side table. “You’re right. I guess I should change into something a little more convincing.”
Nova studied her a second before saying, “No, keep your nightgown on. If you stand in front of a light, it’ll show him a little of what he could have if he said yes.”
“Nova, that’s not how I do things. Besides, he was intrigued with my summer hunting outfit. I’ll use that again.”
“All joking aside, just be careful.”
“Of course. As humiliating and shocking as it may be to have the guards witness my proposal, I’ll have them watch me from behind the glass.”
“And me. I’m going to be there too.”
Even though Nova would tease her endlessly later, she would be glad of her best friend’s presence. “Right, then let’s hurry. We have maybe an hour left before the potion wears off and then we’ll never know what he truly thinks.”
~~~
Kason lay strapped to a bed and was torn between wanting to punish the human leader and to rip off her clothes and take her from behind.
Grunting, he blamed his sexual desires on the strange drug they’d administered. He’d resisted a potential destined bride before without blinking an eye and yet, the female’s eyes and curves kept flashing inside his mind. Her confidence in the skimpy outfit from before was oddly appealing.
Then he remembered how he’d been interrogated and strapped to the bed and all positive thoughts of the female fled. His main goal was to find a way to escape. Even though he’d shared more about his people than he wanted, he had a feeling the Jasvarians weren’t capable of space travel. He’d confirm it before leaving, but if they were planet-bound, they posed no real threat.
Besides, he intended to find a way to capture all the human descendants and still take the planet as his own. A Kelderan civil war wouldn’t erupt on his watch. It was his duty to ensure that when his brother, Keltor, ascended the throne, the planet was in one piece.
Footsteps sounded outside his door, and Kason wished he could tell them to leave him alone. However, the door opened, and the light from the hall outlined the form of Taryn Demara in her alluring outfit. It wasn’t hard for him to imagine the female leading a charge against some threat and he wondered how many other female warriors the planet possessed. Not that he expected any of them to be as delectable as their leader.
Focusing on his anger at being drugged, he kept his lust in check and barked out, “What do you want?”
She opened something in her hands, and a soft glow filled the room, highlighting the fullness of her lips and the confident tilt of her chin. Her demeanor was vastly different from any Kelderan female he’d met, with the possibility of his unruly sister, Kalahn. He put his sister’s defiance down to being spoiled by their father after their mother’s death.
The human moved to stand next to his bed. The light danced across her exposed abdomen and the sudden urge to lick her skin coursed through his body.
Thankfully she spoke before his thoughts could deteriorate any further. “I have a proposal of how we both can get what we want.”
“And how do you know what I want? That wasn’t one of your questions.”
“I won’t apologize for the interrogation. I expect you would’ve done the same with an unknown entity.”
She was correct, not that he’d admit it. “I suspect I’ll reject your idea, but what is it?”
Smiling, she placed a hand on her hip. The movement caused light to fall on the tops of her breasts. They weren’t too big or small. They’d fit nicely in his palms.
Resisting a frown, he focused on the human’s reply, “It may not be as disgusting as you think, given how you look at me.” He kept his face expressionless and Taryn snorted. “You’ll have to do more than that to fool me, Prince.”
“Hurry up and tell me the plan.”
She shrugged. “You’re going to take me to Keldera to negotiate an alliance between our people and we can share the planet.”
“And why would I do that when I can just take the planet by force?”
Rolling her eyes, she set her glowing basket on the small table next to his bed. “You seem to forget I have you in captivity.” He grunted, and she searched his eyes before continuing, “But think about it—you find a planet for your people to live on, prevent civil war, reach out to Earth about an alliance and you get a destined bride to boot. What do you think of that?”
If not for the truth serum, he would’ve said the idea was ridiculous. And yet, the thought of taking Taryn to bed and making her scream in pleasure wasn’t abhorrent.
Quite the contrary, his instinct screamed to agree to her plan.
Then logic returned to his brain. “There’s just one problem. If I take you as a bride, I must give up my command. I will no longer make decisions about your people or what to do with Jasvar.” He chose his next words carefully so as to be truthful but misleading. “Once I’m safe aboard the ship and the truth is discovered, my successor could decide to storm the planet by force.”
“Just because we don’t have the same fancy technology as you doesn’t mean we don’t have ways to defend ourselves. I’m confident we could defeat you again. Besides, we don’t have to make it known right away. You seem like the type of guy who can keep a secret.”
“Perhaps.”
The lack of uncertainty in her eyes made Kason wonder what else she had planned. For a female, she was turning out to be an interesting adversary.
Taryn spoke up again. “So? What is your honest opinion about my proposal? I rather think it makes you out to be a hero for your people. I’m sure that will help your brother, come succession time.”
“You were paying attention earlier.”
She raised her brows. “You don’t have to sound so surprised. Just because I lack a penis doesn’t mean I can’t listen and think for myself.”
“Say we try your plan. You will have to adapt to Kelderan customs rather quickly. No bride of mine will be wearing an outfit like that.”
“I’ll promise not to stab anyone, but I’m not about to completely change my ways to fit your idea of normal. There need to be compromises for us both to make things work.” She leaned down and it took everything he had to keep his gaze on her face. “However, all of your warriors will stay in captivity here until you return me to Jasvar.”
Rather than waste time threatening her, he merely stated, “Then you’re not stupid.”
Anger flashed in her eyes and she leaned down until her mouth was only a few inches from his. “Call me stupid again and I’ll stop asking and start taking.”
As the female’s hot breath caressed his lips and her scent filled his nose, Kason’s decades of control slipped. “Stupid female.”
“Then you leave me no choice.”
Taryn kissed him.
~~~
Forcing Kason’s hand had never been part of her plan, but as he taunted her on purpose and she leaned close, all she could think about was the alien’s warm, full lips a scant few inches from hers. His masculine scent only made her wonder what his mouth tasted like.
When she gave him one last chance to act civil and at least pretend he wanted to discuss the future, the prince, of course, pushed her further. She wouldn’t back down. After all, she needed Kason to take her to Keldera.
Not that she wasn’t a little curious for herself, too. Taryn leaned down and kissed him.
At first Kason stilled, but once she lightly nibbled his bottom lip, he opened his mouth and sought out her tongue.
He wasted no time stroking hers before exploring the inside of her mouth. His taste was unlike anything she’d experienced before; a mixture of spicy and sweet and definitely not human. She wondered if his skin would taste the same.
Placing her hands on his solid chest, she broke the kiss. However, before she could move to Kason’s neck, he murmured, “Devious female.”
His words were like a slap to the face. Digging her nails into his chest, she looked him dead in the eye and mustered every bit of steel she possessed. “You brought this on yourself. The next step is yours. I can either force one of your pilots to message your ship and let them know you’ve found your bride. Or, you can agree to my terms, I’ll release you, we can keep the bride part a secret, and you can radio your people, provided I’m in the room with you. Either way, you’re stuck with me for at least a week, and I know you can’t hurt me.”
“If you’re so sure of that, then release my bonds.”
She tsked. “There’s a lot you could do without hurting me, Prince.”
“I prefer Kason.”
His tone signaled that maybe the alien prince didn’t want to be a prince at all.
Tucking that piece of information away for later, she added, “Fine, Kason. What do you want to do?”
“It will take a few days just to get to Keldera and maybe a few more to set up negotiations. It will take more than a week. What makes you think I won’t disavow you and toss you to my soldiers after that?”
Taryn frowned. “Honestly? I don’t know if you would or not. But it’s a risk I’m willing to take if it means my people have a chance at survival.”
Kason studied her a second before replying, “With all the talk of saving your people, no one has said why you need saving in the first place. Tell me the problem and I’ll give you my answer about the next step.”
She could walk away and try to contact his ship on her own. Yet if she was going to board his ship and put her life at risk, then honesty may earn her some brownie points. “There’s a virus on this planet that attacks male embryos in the womb and causes miscarriages, which skews our population female. We’ve only managed to survive this long because of careful records and convincing alien males to stay on our planet. I want to find a way to stop this virus, but Jasvar lacks the technology to do so.”
“You’re originally humans from Earth, correct?” Taryn nodded and Kason continued, “Then why would they put you here with no technology or a way to fend for yourself? Were all of your ancestors originally criminals?”
“This isn’t a prison planet. The original reports all declared Jasvar a safe environment for a colony. No one could’ve known about the doom virus until a pregnant woman stayed on the planet long-term.”
“How long ago was the colony started?”
“Two hundred years ago.”
“You’ve been resourceful,” he stated.
“That almost sounds like a compliment.”
“More like honesty.”
For a split second, Taryn felt guilty for drugging Kason into telling the truth. But she quickly pushed it aside. She’d done what needed to be done, period. “So, what is your answer? Are you going to go along with my plan and cooperate?”
“None of my warriors have been harmed?” She shook her head. “Then I will contact my ship and set up the arrangement. However, if you want my protection for more than a week, you’re going to share your body with me in the next seven days, as is our custom.”
As his eyes perused her breasts, Taryn’s nipples tightened. She hated the fact Kason could see how his gaze affected her, but she pretended not to notice. “I’ve done a lot worse to get what I want.”
His heated gaze met hers. “Then we’ll see if you’re as confident and interesting in bed as you are with your clothes on.”
Clearing her throat, Taryn picked up the glow basket and retreated a few steps. If she weren’t careful, she might do something stupid, such as torture Kason’s body with her touch while he was tied up.
Yes, the alien prince definitely did something to her brain. Maybe he had strange pheromones that triggered horniness. “I’ll come back in the morning and we can contact your ship then. That way, I can prepare tonight and be ready to leave as soon as possible.”
“Just make sure to wear something less revealing. I may not have chosen you as my bride, but I will fight any male who tries to touch you now that you are mine. That will give away our secret, which will leave Jasvar at the mercy of my second-in-command.”
“I belong to no one, Prince. I’ll decide for myself what to wear.”
With that, Taryn exited the room. All she wanted to do was flee to her quarters to set things up for her departure, but a grinning Nova popped out of the observation room and said, “I think he likes you.”
Taryn never stopped walking. “I’d hardly call not wanting to kill me for kissing him as liking me.”
“Aw, but you see, the truth serum wore off about ten minutes ago.”
Her step faltered. “What? It should’ve lasted another fifteen minutes.”
“The time had been recorded wrong and one of the guards corrected it. Everything he said during the last half of your conversation was of his own free will. I think he may not kill you on his ship, especially if you ‘share your body’ with him, as he put it.”
“I’m not taking any chances. I need to prep Zorana on everything before I leave. I hope you and her can work together to run the planet in my absence.”
“I’ll try. She’s just stubborn, demanding, and so damn confident. In short, she’s like you without a sense of humor.”
“Why do you think I’ve been grooming her the past few years?”
“You could’ve picked me.”
“I love you, Nova, but while you’re a genius with strategy, you’re too emotional to lead the planet. It involves a lot of decisions that may cause some to hate you, and you wouldn’t like that.”
Nova sighed. “I know, and I don’t think I could handle the hatred. Still, I’ll do whatever it takes to help Zorana, but just know it’s temporary. I fully expect you to come back and save us all.”
“I hope so. After all, that’s my plan.”
Her friend elbowed her in the side. “Provided you don’t fall in love with an alien prince and decide to live happily ever after on a different planet.”
“Right, because Prince Charming is so hard to resist,” she drawled.
“At least give him a chance, Taryn. While you might be doing this to help Jasvar, I think a small part of you is doing it for yourself, too.”
“Look, Nova, I have a lot to do and not much time to do it. Talking about the prince will have to wait. We’ll have plenty of time once I return.”
“Just make sure that you do,” Nova stated.
“I plan on it.”
As Taryn waved good-bye to her friend and walked down the corridor, she pushed aside thoughts of her kiss with Kason and their upcoming naked time to focus on travel preparations. She’d find out soon enough if the prince had been truthful.