Captured By her Alien Mate by Ava York
Riley
The blade sagged ever so slightly from my neck. I knew Mofat was staring at Kator, because I could see Kator’s glare blazing back. Their mutual uncertainty over the chanting and its meaning had created a stalemate.
But stalemates had to end sometime. It was up to me to do it sooner than later.
I slammed my head back, kicking off the ground as hard as I could. I felt my skull connect with his jaw and felt his sword arm drop.
I’d made myself an opening.
I whirled and chopped the edge of my hand into his forearm. Mofat howled as the blade clanged to the floor. Then I grabbed the rank piece of shit by the shoulders and kneed him in the solar plexus. Hard.
Breath whooshed from the guy’s decrepit lungs and he doubled over. After that, it was a piece of cake to knock him to the ground. I almost had to laugh, in a horrible kind of way. Who knew I’d ever take so much grim pleasure from kicking an old person.
I caught a blur of gold out of the corner of my eye, and then Kator was at my side. He booted the sword down the hallway and seized the groaning king by his collar.
“You’re a hell of a woman, Riley Evans,” he said to me.
Our eyes met, and an intense rush of love went through me. I’d have beaten the crap out of that king just for all the nasty shit he’d threatened, but the best part was helping Kator. He deserved to destroy this dirt bag if that’s what he wanted.
“Let’s finish this.” Kator shook Mofat, rattling the geezer’s teeth. He took a few steps down the hall, dragging the king with him. Light filled the hallway as he kicked a side door open.
I ran after them, to emerge onto a balcony overlooking the palace’s gates. Being so close to the throne room, it was clearly there for the king to address his public. That wasn’t what Kator had in mind, though.
Ignoring the crowd chanting his name at the gate, my love walked to the edge. Thrusting Mofat over the balustrade, he dangled the bastard high in the air. Kator’s face was set, his features grimmer than I’d ever seen.
I guessed that’s how anyone about to kill their father would look.
“Please, Kator. I’ve given you so much.” Mofat’s eyes bulged with fear, and his dark grey scales had become pallid and ashen. He was shaking. “If I’d known you were my son sooner, I’d never had let it get to this point.”
“Yeah, if you’d known, you would’ve murdered me before I could cause any trouble,” growled Kator. “Don’t bother begging, Mofat. I’m still going to let your skull smash to the ground.”
“No,” gasped Mofat. “I’m old, I know I made mistakes, but let me live and I’ll name you my heir! As you should’ve been this whole time, Kator!”
Kator laughed, an awful brittle sound that hurt to hear. I went to him and laid a palm on his back. I didn’t want to distract him. I only hoped he was doing the right thing for himself. I couldn’t bear for him to regret this.
He looked down at me, and when his gaze found mine, something washed over his face. The snarl disappeared, to be replaced by a somber calm. He let out a small, almost amused sigh.
“I don’t want you to see this,” he said. “I don’t want my mate to see that I’m capable of ending my own father’s life. Which means… I don’t want to be capable of it.”
He dragged Mofat back onto the balcony and dropped him. The king huddled, trembling and sobbing for breath.
“With you by my side, I have to be a better man now.” Kator shook his head, wonder coming into his eyes. “And it doesn’t matter anymore. I know the truth, and that’s all I needed.” He looked down at Mofat’s quivering form. “This trash has no hold on me. Not anymore.”
“Kator—” I began to speak, my heart overflowing with love and pride.
Yet all I managed was his name, before a raucous stomping exploded onto the balcony. A group of guards rushed at us, and Kator drew his sword.
“Fuck!” I cursed loudly, wishing I hadn’t left my blaster where Mofat made me drop it. I spun to face the new attack anyway.
For some reason, Kator hesitated. I followed his gaze to the face of one particular soldier and caught my breath. It was Vokar, in the gear of an Aetamian soldier. He winked at Kator, then at me.
Before I could even begin to process that, disguised Vokar dropped to his knees.
“My liege, Kator,” he intoned, as the other soldiers ground to a halt, confusion radiating from them. “The populace finally knows the truth of corrupt King Mofat’s regime. The king’s advisors have finally revealed everything. The people know now that Mofat crushes them with taxes to perpetuate this damn war year after year, just to sate his own ego.”
My jaw dropped. The chanting at the gate had turned to wild cheering, and I realized it was because they saw my mate standing tall and strong above them.
“Aetam wants and deserves a better ruler,” continued Vokar. “The news has broken that you are Mofat’s son and have a claim to the throne.” He straightened, now addressing the gathered crowd too. “We have had enough of a bloodthirsty king!”
His audience screamed their agreement, so loud that the palace gates rattled.
“We want a leader who cares for the wellbeing of the people,” said Vokar, now to Kator. “Will you rise to the challenge, Kator of the Royal House of Aetam?”
Kator stared at Vokar, speechless. I was starting to piece it all together, but slowly. The thing I didn’t understand was how the Aetamians knew Kator was Mofat’s son. He himself only found out a few days ago. It couldn’t have been common knowledge, not enough for the people to storm the gates yelling his name…
“Shouldn’t Mofat be replaced by who he named heir?” A soldier spoke into the silence, insolence saturating his words. “Hulat is the next in line for the throne.”
“Hulat’s dead,” said Kator, his tone matter of fact. The bluntness startled the soldiers, including the one who spoke, who took a step back.
“Then you are uncontested, my liege,” said Vokar. “These miraculous events have brought you the crown, and the people clamor for you to accept it.”
A smile danced around our disguised friend’s lips, and I finally figured it out. Instead of joining the fight, Vokar had rushed off to activate the sleeper cell agents I’d heard so much about. With their help, he had the truth of Kator’s bloodline spread through the city like wildfire. There likely wasn’t a soul in Aetam who didn’t know the truth of his parentage.
Vokar had pulled off a coup.
I stifled a laugh. I knew Vokar was clever, but this was a whole other level of machination. He shot me a look, and I nodded to him. I was definitely impressed.
“We are all your subjects, if you will have us.” Vokar looked around him, seeing that a few soldiers had begun to kneel while others milled around, their uncertainty apparent. “On your knees before your rightful king,” he barked.
Exchanging glances, they all silently went to their knees. Some of them looked at Kator with beseeching faces. Others bowed their helmeted heads in respect.
“I ask again,” boomed Vokar, raising his voice to include the assembled citizens at the gate. “Will you rise to this challenge, my king?”
I smiled a little, thinking of how much Vokar’s actual king, Dojak, would enjoy this. The assassin certainly had a flare for the dramatic.
Kator’s eyes caught mine, and I saw the question in them. My smile blossomed, knowing that my mate wouldn’t make this momentous decision without me.
It mattered so much that Kator would want to know my opinion, but it wasn’t even a question. I knew Kator would make an incredible king. He was noble, kind, hard-working, compassionate, clever, and more principled than anyone I’d ever met.
While I’d never planned on being a queen, he couldn’t let that stop him. I’d get Sofia to show me the ropes, give me a crash course in how to be dignified and stuff. And no matter what, I’d still find time to spar with the warriors.
The important thing was, Aetam would be lucky to have Kator as its ruler.
I wanted to tell him that, but I couldn’t in front of these soldiers. He had to look as strong as possible in that moment if he was going to accept a kingship.
So, I just nodded, holding Kator’s gaze.
He gave me a brilliant smile, looking like, somehow, he knew everything I was thinking. He turned to Vokar, and the knot of soldiers.
“Kator of Aetam,” said Vokar once more, shouting my love’s name to the heavens. “Do you agree to lead your people?”
“Yes,” Kator said, simply. Then he spun and walked to the balcony, leaning out towards his city. He took a deep breath, and his voice boomed across the crowd. “With honor and pride, I accept the crown of the Kingdom of Aetam!”