Alien Warrior (Zerconian Warriors Book 1) (3 page)

“I will forgive you for not realizing the honor given to you by becoming my mate and for not thanking me for the pleasure I am going to gift you as you are unaware of our ways. But once you have had your schooling back on Zerconia, I shall expect you to be an obedient and grateful mate. You will obey me in all things.”

“Good luck with that, buddy. Jesus, Scotty, beam me up already!” she moaned. The heat from his body was wreaking havoc with her control. Her hands itched with the need to touch him. This was so wrong. So wrong. Was it possible to have Stockholm syndrome after being in your kidnapper’s presence for less than an hour?

“My mate will not talk in riddles. She will not talk about things I do not understand. She will not continue to yell and fight me. And she will certainly not do anything to place herself in harm or risk herself in any way.”

“And where is this paragon?”

He looked confused. “What?”

“Where is this mate of yours? Because she sure isn’t me. Listen up. I am not someone you want for a mate. You obviously want someone submissive and obedient. I don’t have an obedient bone in my body. I am never going to jump every time you snap your fingers. So why don’t we just forget the last hour ever happened, hmm? Just take me back outside and I’ll be on my way. Then you can go find some nice Zerconian woman, who will be, I’m sure, truly grateful for the pleasure you can give her.”

But I want that pleasure.

She tried to ignore the voice in her head.

His gaze narrowed. “Why would I give you up? I have been searching for you for over sixty years, ever since I reached manhood. There is only one soul mate for each Zerconian. Sometimes they never find the other half of them and eventually go mad with loneliness. And you expect me to let you leave? To allow you to return to your people when they placed you in danger? Who had so little care for your safety?”

Oh hell, when he put it like that …

“I would stand in front of any danger to protect you. I would shelter you with my dying body, were it necessary. Your every need, I will fulfill. Your every wish becomes my desire. I will live for you, because of you.”

Oh wow. She watched him, riveted. It was like a scene from a movie. Only she was living it.

“I will never let you go.”

His mouth crushed hers. At first, she was so overwhelmed she couldn’t breathe. Fire snapped and sizzled at her nerve endings. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, drowning out all other sounds. His tongue plundered through her lips, squashing any lingering protest.

She melted, her body growing limp with overwhelming lust. What would it hurt just to sleep with him, just once? While she was waiting to be rescued, she could be ravished.

Hadn’t she just been saying she needed an orgasm?

Dex sat, straddling her hips. With one smooth movement, he ripped the shirt she wore down the middle.

“Hey!” she cried out. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“It was ugly and it hid you from my view.”

“That was no reason to rip it! I need to wear that.”

“No, you will never wear such ugly clothing again. I will dress you in fine silks that will drape your body like a glove. What is this?”

He tapped her breast disapprovingly.

“It’s a breast. Don’t your women have them?” she snarked. Then she sobered. Maybe his women didn’t have them. She searched her memory. Damn it, why hadn’t she kept up with her studies?

“Slack, Zoey, real slack,” she muttered.

“Quiet,” he ordered.

“Hey, lay off the orders. Dominance in the bedroom does not rock my socks.”

“Rock your what?” He frowned with confusion.

She sighed. “This conversation is really killing the mood.” She wished that was true. But in reality, her hunger for him was growing with every minute that passed. She could feel his heavy erection against her belly and her pussy clenched, wanting him inside her. “It means getting all bossy doesn’t turn me on, it doesn’t make me want you.”

“You want me,” he said confidently. “I can smell your need.”

Oh shit. He was kidding, right? Except he wasn’t exactly the joking type.

“And of course our females have breasts. I meant this thing covering them. What is it?”

“It’s a bra. It holds them up. Otherwise, they’d be sagging on the ground. Plus it keeps them from flopping around all over the place when I run. Not that I do much running.”

He frowned, shaking his head. “I don’t like it. Take it off.”

“What did I just say about ordering me around? Hey, wait!” She grabbed his hands as he reached for her bra.

“Take it off or I will rip it off. I must touch all of you.” There was urgency in his gaze that scared her.

“Umm, you’re looking a bit out of control,” she said nervously as she tried to scoot out from under him. “Why don’t we just chill out for a bit? Maybe have a cup of tea and a cookie?”

He pulled at the bra until it ripped.

“Wait! Wait! I need to sit up, the clasp is behind me.” She managed to sit. Reaching back, she undid the bra. It took a few tries with the way her hands shook.

He drew the tie out of her hair which fell around her in a wave of curls.

“Your hair is most unusual. It reminds me of the desert.”

“Your desert is red?” She liked to refer to her hair as strawberry blonde, but really it was just red.

He ran his fingers through the strands, studying it. “Mesmerizing.”

Gently, he pushed her onto her back again, devouring her with his gaze. The intensity in his eyes made her catch her breath. She really didn’t think she was ready for this. They didn’t know each other and yet he thought they were some kind of soul mates. Either he used that line when he wanted to get a woman into bed or he was missing a few screws upstairs.

“Umm, Dex? You’re kind of scaring me.”

His eyes had grown amber. She remembered this from her studies. Their eyes turned different colors with strong emotions. What the hell did amber signify? He studied her for a long moment then closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were once again dark brown.

“I apologize. I promise I would never harm you.”

“You know, it’s no wonder your women don’t speak back to you if you go around ripping their clothes off and forcing them to have sex with you.”

“Force?” He drew back, his face growing cold. “You believe I’m forcing you?”

Well, yeah. Okay, probably not entirely true. She wasn’t exactly fighting him.

“Not force, exactly. There’s something odd going on here. I don’t fall into bed with men I don’t know.” She rubbed her forehead. “Something weird has come over me.”

He rolled away, sitting at the edge of the mattress with his back to her. She had the sudden urge to reach over and touch him. To offer some sort of comfort.

But she barely knew him. He’d kidnapped her, not the other way around. She didn’t owe him anything.

“Dex?”

“It’s the mating pull. Our bodies want us to join together, to finish the mating ritual.” He stood and walked away, turning back briefly at the door. “I have never forced myself on anyone and I would certainly never do that to my mate.”

She sat up, staring at him in shock.

“Wait? Where are you going?” she asked, alarmed as the door opened.

He turned back to look at her. “I need some time to think. This is not the way I thought my mating would happen.”

“Well, buddy. It hasn’t exactly been a picnic for me either!”

He frowned. “Picnic?”

She waved her hand. “Never mind. The point is that you can’t just leave me here! I need to return to the compound.”

“No. You will stay here. You are my mate. Even though we both may regret it.”

He strode out and the door closed swiftly behind him.

“Hey! Hey!” she yelled.

What right did he have to throw a tantrum and run off? If anyone was going to throw a fit around here, it should be her.

Except, what was the point when there was no one around to watch? She slammed her palm against her forehead. “Turn your brain on, Zoey. Time to get out of here.”

She pulled the two sides of her shirt around her, thankful that it was large enough to still cover her. Then she slid her way over to the side of the mattress or masic, whatever it was called.

“Fuck!” The damn thing had risen higher. She couldn’t jump down from this height without hurting herself. Nervously, she peered up at the ceiling. What if it kept rising until it squashed her against the ceiling?

There had to be some way to move it.

“Go down,” she ordered. No movement. “Please?”

It hovered in place.

Oh crap, she was in so much trouble.

Dex patched his communicator through to the command center as he stormed along the passage. He needed a way to release some of the tension riding him.

“Yes, sir?”

“I want a status report on the engine repairs,” he demanded.

“I’ll get that for you right away, sir.”

It didn’t take long for a reply.

“Sir, Chief Engineer Rizing reports that we will be fully functional in half a rising.”

Great, the sooner he left this planet, the better. Maybe once Zoey was away from here and had given up on any idea of leaving him then things would settle down between them.

Dex growled and slammed his fist into a wall. A fury-driven beast had engulfed him, leaving him with just two outlets.

Sex or violence.

He couldn’t have the former. Not without forcing his mate. He growled. How dare she suggest that? Only the lowest of life forms would force another to have sex with them. Dex had honor, he had principles.

Chest heaving as he tried to calm his temper, he leaned against the wall, ignoring his throbbing knuckles. He turned his communicator to his private channel.

“Dex?” Thor asked. “Is everything all right?”

“I want you and Koran to meet me in the training room. Now.” If he couldn’t find release in his mate’s arms, then he’d use up some of pent-up tension beating on his cousin and best friend.

***

Dex stared down at his moaning cousin, who was lying on the mat in a heap of misery. He panted heavily, sweat coating his body. But it wasn’t enough. He could still feel her skin against his, her scent still lingered on his body. His lips still tingled from their kiss.

His body screamed with the need to take her. Own her.

“More,” he growled.

“Enough, Dex,” Koran said. “You’ve half killed Thor.”

Dex gestured at Koran. “Your turn then.”

His bodyguard held up his hand. “One of us has to stay intact around here.”

“Scared?” Dex snared.

Koran narrowed his gaze as he stepped forward. “What did you say to me?”

Dex smiled in satisfaction. “I said are you scared? Because you know I’ll beat you.”

Koran growled and Dex knew he had him.

“Koran, stop! He’s attempting to rile you. Keep away from him.” Thor groaned as he stood, holding his side. “I think you broke something.”

“You’ve grown soft,” Dex accused.

“And you are losing control of your mind,” Thor countered. “You can’t just kidnap her, Dex.”

“She’s my mate.”

“So you keep saying. But if she is your mate, why aren’t you with her right now? You’re supposed to stay with her for at least two risings to ensure the joining is completed.”

“She accused me of trying to force her.”

Koran and Thor froze, staring at him aghast. He walked over to a bench and grabbed a towel, drying himself off.

“She actually said that?” Thor asked.

To force a female was a crime punishable by death. The shame that would bring on his family would force them into hiding. It was unfathomable to him.

“See, this is my point,” Thor said, recovering. “She isn’t one of us. She doesn’t understand our ways. You need to let her go.”

“Unless she is his mate,” Koran countered.

Thor looked at him in shock. “What are you talking about? I thought we agreed that this was impossible and that we would talk him around?”

“That was until I saw him like this. I’m older than the two of you and I’ve watched others go through this. What if Dex is right and the female is his mate? Do you know what this could mean?”

Dex glanced over at Thor. “It could mean that your mate is an Earthling. All this time you could have been searching for them in the wrong place.”

Thor looked ill.

“And they could react the same way my mate has. With revulsion.”

Although that hadn’t been revulsion on her face after he’d kissed her. He’d noticed the way she’d softened against him, the way her scent had grown sweeter as her body readied itself for his possession.

Thor pinched the top of his nose. “Even if she is your mate, what is your plan, Dex? To hold her here until she agrees to join with you? What if that never happens? She knows nothing about us; she has to be terrified and you just left her.”

“She’s probably crying right now,” Koran agreed. “She’s a female and she is weaker and smaller even than our females. She needs a strong, guiding hand. You need to go in there and explain that you know what is best for her. Then take her. We need to know if she really is your mate.”

“And what of the other Earthers?” Dex asked. “Weren’t you worried about them retaliating?”

“They are nothing to fear,” Koran told him. “Our weapons are far superior.”

Dex looked at them both. “So you think she was just scared? She didn’t mean what she said?”

“I guarantee it,” Koran replied.

“You need to show her some leniency,” Thor advised. “After all, this has to be frightening. A new mate, a new culture. You may need to comfort her while she cries.” The three of them grimaced at the thought. “But once you get past the tears and explain how privileged she should feel to become your mate, she will be truly grateful.”

Dex wished he could be as confident. The female didn’t seem to comprehend an honor had been bestowed upon her. Women literally threw themselves at his feet to get him to notice them and this little Earther thought she could push him away?

He was the Crown Prince of Zerconia. One day he would be Emperor. Didn’t she realize how important he was?

“She should come to me,” he decided.

“What?” Thor looked at him in alarm.

“You are both right. Becoming my mate is an honor. I will explain that to her as she obviously didn’t understand. But then I shall wait for her to come to me and beg me to join with her.”

Yes, that was exactly what he would do.

***

She heard the door swish open just as she was about to jump.

“What the stars do you think you’re doing?” Dex roared. Suddenly he was beneath her, his arms clasped around her legs.

She peeked down to find Koran and Thor staring up at her in amazement.

“Trying to get down from this stupid, flying bed,” she snapped.

“Let go,” he ordered.

“No.”

“No? What are you planning to do then? Jump?”

“Maybe,” she replied, hating that she sounded like a sulky three-year-old, but unable to stop herself.

“Let go,” he repeated.

“No.”

There was a heavy smack on her ass and she screeched. More from shock than pain.

“Did you just smack me?” she yelled.

“Yes, and there is more where that came from. Let go.”

Oh, hell no. In fact, she might just try to scramble back up.

“Umm, Dex?” Happy said.

“Yes?” His voice was a deep growl. Yeah, she so wasn’t about to jump into his arms.

“Why don’t you just lower the masic?”

Dex growled, and then said something in his own language. The masic lowered itself until her feet touched the ground.

“Traitor,” she whispered to it.

Dex spun her around and she swallowed heavily as she got a good look at his thunderous face.

She held her hands up, taking a step away from him. “Now, why don’t we just all take a moment to calm down?”

“You could have broken your neck,” he stated, following her. “You could have badly hurt yourself.”

“Well, it’s your fault!” she cried.

He stilled. “What?”

“You left me up there! What was I supposed to do?”

Grumpy frowned at her. No surprise there. “Don’t you ever smile?” she snapped at him.

“Do not speak to Koran that way,” Dex growled. “You will speak to other warriors respectfully at all times else I will be forced to punish you.”

“Like hell! You just stay away from me. All of you. You know, all this talk of punishment is not helping your whole ‘I’m-your-mate-so-fuck-me’ case.”

“If you anger a warrior they could hurt you badly. It is my job to protect you.”

He sounded offended. Like
she
was the unreasonable one. Righteous indignation filled her. “What kind of bent logic is that? Punish me to protect me from being hurt. Don’t you see something wrong with that?”

“I don’t envy you having to tame her.” Grumpy shook his head with clear disapproval.

“No one is taming me.” She took a step towards Grumpy, glaring up at him. “You need a personality transplant.”

“And you need—”

“Koran!” Happy interrupted him. “We don’t have time for this and it’s not helping. Dex, you need to calm down. And female, you need to put this on.” He handed her a garment. “I borrowed it from one of our warriors. He bought it for his sister. Your people want to talk to you.”

Dex tried to bring his temper under control. He was losing his mind. He had trained hard, learning how to harness his temper, and a few hours after meeting his mate, his control had nearly completely unraveled.

“Have you got yourself under control?” Thor asked with a disapproving frown.

“Don’t look at me like that. It wasn’t your mate dangling in the air, about to drop to the ground.” Intense fear, unlike anything he’d felt before, had slammed into him as he’d walked into his quarters to find her dangling in the air.

He was still reeling with fear. He’d known he would care about his mate. He’d hoped to like her, maybe even love her as he got to know her better. But he’d never imagined that after knowing her such a short time he would feel so protective of her.

“Why the stars didn’t she just order the masic to lower itself?” Koran asked. The three of them were standing in the corridor outside his quarters, waiting for her to dress.

“I may have forgotten to tell her how,” he admitted. He’d been in a temper when he’d left and he hadn’t given a thought to her safety. He’d failed her and brought shame on himself. If anyone deserved punishment, it was he.

“I apologize for the way she spoke to you,” he said to Koran.

“Don’t be,” he replied with a rare smile. “Truly, your life is going to be very interesting with her.”

“She’ll settle down. Once she realizes the way a proper mate should behave.”

He hoped.

***

“Where are we going?” Zoey asked as she walked with Dex, Thor, and Koran down the corridor. Well,
they
walked. She had to run to keep up with their long legs. It didn’t help that the outfit they’d given her was far too long. It was an almost sheer wrap-around dress that barely concealed her privates. Someone actually bought this for their sister?

Dex had finally introduced Thor and Koran to her, although she’d always think of them as Happy and Grumpy.

Not that she’d tell them or Dex that. She guessed that might be considered disrespectful and all this talk of punishment was starting to worry her. If Dex decided to hit her, there wouldn’t be a lot she could do about it. She’d only had basic training at the academy before taking up this post on Solim, and Dex was twice her size.

He could do a lot of damage with one fist.

Dex stared down at her. “Your people are demanding to see you. We are taking you to them so that they can see you are unharmed.”

She’d thought she would feel more relieved. This was her chance to get away from Dex, she should be happy. Instead, there was an uneasy feeling in her gut. As though running away was the wrong decision, the wrong choice.

“We’re going to see them face-to-face?” she asked, breathing heavily. Wow, she really was out of shape.

“Yes.” Dex frowned. “What’s wrong? You’re breathing heavily.”

“Because the three of you forget that my legs are half the size of yours. It’s like running a freakin’ marathon.”

Immediately, the three of them slowed.

“Why didn’t you say something?” Dex asked. “Do you need to be carried?” There was real concern in his voice. When was the last time someone had been concerned about her? Yeah, he was a barbarian, with some weird ideas about how a female should act, and all this talk of punishment was wearing thin. But he also acted like he cared about her.

He’d been worried about her hurting herself as she dangled off the masic. Since her mother died, no one had really taken an interest in anything she did.

“I’m fine. They’re going to insist you let me go.”

Would he let her go? Did she actually want him to?

Of course she did. She really wanted to go back to her boring life on this crappy planet where her biggest excitement was pissing Pressad off.

But she couldn’t stay with Dex, even if she did have some weird sexual connection with him.