Kidnapped By the Alien Prince by Tori Kellett

Chapter Fifteen

Callie barely saw Zak over the next five days as they brought home all the sick and injured and closed the mine for a few days while they worked out how to operate it safely, and more importantly how to get workers to do so.

In the end though, Lam’saak had surprised them. He had suggested offering a very good deal to N’olaan. They supplied workers and got the crystals at a very favorable price. Callie also pointed out that as the workers would need food, she suggested the deal included breeding animals, seeds, and even perhaps workers to tend and grow more. The deal looked like it would go through, and Callie was thrilled. There was still the problem of what to do with two of the children. Il’yaa had no family. H’adaar had confirmed his settlement at the base of the Duran mountains had been completely abandoned on his most recent patrol, and seeing as how the little one of four cycles wouldn’t say a word, not even to her, they were stuck until someone claimed him.

Callie was glad she had not seen the state of the young male in the cage. He lived, though, and was in the healing area in the palace. She hadn’t seen very much of the adults as all her time was taken up with Il’yaa and the little one, who still hadn’t told anyone his name. Il’yaa had met Kaleth, and he had such a bad case of hero worship. Likewise, Kaleth enjoyed not being the youngest male around the palace, and they were seen together more often than not.

She had even moved both boys into the room next door to their suite. It had been her last desperate attempt to calm the little one, and it seemed to be working. He had seemed less clingy, had eaten, and didn’t seem to be as scared. He still wasn’t talking, though. The first two nights, she had stayed up with him until he finally slept, only for him to wake up screaming. Not that she would have begrudged the scrap an inch of any comfort he could get. And on the sixth day after they’d visited the mines, she opened her eyes carefully to quiet and rolled over in astonishment to see the little one tucked into bed next to her and Zak staring at her with a wry smile on his face.

“It seems to be the only way I can get my queen to sleep in the same bed as I,” Zak said ruefully.

Callie smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry. He’s been a lot better the last two days.” He had finally had the language chip inserted the day before. It was a simple procedure, but just to be on the safe side, Azlaan had given him a drink with a mild sedative in it, and he’d sat asleep, cradled on Callie’s lap while it had been done, and then she had taken him to bed. She knew he wouldn’t progress until they could at least understand each other. Callie looked over at him. He was out like a light, and she needed a shower. She flung back the sheets and jumped to her feet.

“I’d love a shower,” she said beguilingly, and Zak shot her a steamy look. He opened his communicator and ordered breakfast in their room. He looked at the sleeping boy in mild exasperation and asked for something a child would like as well. Then he carried her into the shower cubicle. Callie looked longingly at the bath. Although it was more a “pool” to be honest, but with the water restrictions Zak had enforced on the palace, just like the ones his people had to endure, she knew she wouldn’t be getting one soon. He stripped her and held her while the light beam did its thing, then scooped her up again, ignoring her protests.

She forgot about not waking the little boy and giggled as Zak carried her back. He sat up in bed, looking very puzzled.

“Good morning,” Callie said solemnly in Ishtaan. Then she added in English, “Did you sleep well?”

His astonishment as he clearly understood Callie was almost comical, and she bent and kissed his forehead solemnly. “Zak is getting some breakfast brought in here. Are you hungry?”

He looked at Zak, and Zak bowed low. “Greetings, Ishtaan prince.”

Callie glanced at Zak in surprise, and he explained. “It is a traditional greeting for any male, not a designation.”

“Oh,” Callie murmured, then inclined her own head. “Greetings, Ishtaan prince.”

He looked from one to another in shock, but then he bowed his own head and mumbled something she couldn’t catch. “He said something,” Callie put a hand to her mouth as her throat tightened, and she swallowed. “You clever boy.” Zak didn’t reply for a moment, and she looked back at him. “What did he say?”

“He said, ‘Good daylight, my mother.’”

Callie bit her lip hard. “I don’t know what your name is.”

He seemed to think about that for a long moment. “Gye.”

“That’s a lovely name. My name’s Callie.”

He blinked at her. “My mother.”

Callie swallowed down the huge lump in her throat and patted his hand. He could call her whatever he liked. A knock on the door heralded Neela with a tray.

She blushed at the praise Callie immediately gave her for being so inventive with the scarce ingredients she had, asked after Neela’s brother, who she knew had been sick, and introduced Gye. She promptly greeted him as a little prince, and he giggled. Callie was convinced she was going to cry this time and had to hug him hard. He looked eagerly at the tray. The gava juice smelled good, and for a moment, Callie was shockingly thankful they used water on the small garden that grew them. Neela had also cut up pieces of protein bars and arranged them into a shape that looked like a face. Gye grabbed an eyebrow and started chomping on it.

Neela smiled and bowed to her king but addressed Callie. “I would be glad to have the little prince come and help me make cookies this morning.”

Callie was astonished. “You can make cookies?”

Zak chuckled. “Neela is the most inventive cook I know, but her cookies are the flat breads with some crushed-up gava berries in them. They’re pretty good.”

Callie looked at Gye. “Would you like to go make cookies with Neela?” She leaned forward and whispered, “You might have to taste them to make sure they’re good.”

Neela nodded seriously. “I have to make sure they are fit for my king and queen.”

To Callie’s shock, Gye nodded, grabbed another eyebrow, and scooted off the bed. He put his hand in Neela’s outstretched one. “But your breakfast,” Callie said, wondering why she was protesting.

“I can make more in the kitchen, my queen. I promise he will not be left alone.”

Callie looked at Zak, who opened the door and addressed Voren. “Can you please accompany Neela and Gye to the kitchen and make sure H’adaar is posted there before you come back?”

Neela scoffed. “H’adaar? That means we will have to make twice as many cookies.”

Voren brightened. “Gava cookies?”

Callie chuckled as Zak shut the door on the procession back to the kitchen.

“Tell me more about the delegates we will meet from the Alliance this morning?” When Zak didn’t answer, she looked up. He was staring at her with a mixture of longing and confusion. “What is it?”

Zak shook his head but sat down next to her and took her hand. Callie’s heart thudded violently. “What’s wrong?”

“You are amazing.”

Callie cocked her head at him. “I thought you were going to tell me something awful.” Zak leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. Her body reacted with the same hum of arousal it always did when he touched her. “We are in a hurry.” Zak nodded and kissed her neck as she lifted her chin. “And…and it wouldn’t be very diplomatic to keep them waiting,” she added desperately, toes curling.

“And, my Callie, this is the first time I have had you to myself in days.”

“Okay, screw the Alliance,” she agreed and threw her arms around his neck. Callie cried out a few minutes later as Zak very expertly fingered her to her first orgasm, but as he gentled and went to slide lower down her body, she decided she wanted to change it up. She slid out from his arms. “On your back, warrior.”

Zak gazed at her with amused eyes but did as he was instructed, and if his eagerness to obey was apparent, she wasn’t going to call him on it. Callie straddled him and leaned forward. “You don’t have nipples.”

Zak groaned. “I have other areas desperate for your touch.” And he thrust his hips up as if she needed encouragement.

Which she didn’t, but she still kept her ass in the air while she teased him a little, licking, nipping, and sucking at the ridges on his skin which were a source of immense fascination for her. She knew the tips were very sensitive, for instance, and as she licked the edge of one, she lowered down so his very hard cock rubbed against her, and they both gasped in unison. She lifted up again, and Zak whined pitifully. “You are cruel, my Callie.”

So Callie did it again, but this time Zak reached up and caught her lips with his own, pulling her down, his cock rubbing against her clit. A tremor ran through her, and she knew unbelievably that she was close to orgasm again. She kissed him hard, then pushed against his chest with one hand and, at the same time as she sat up, guided his cock to her entrance with the other.

“Callie,” Zak whispered in awe, and letting go, she sat up, lowering herself down fully. For a moment she couldn’t speak she was so full, and then she moved and Zak’s hands clamped her hips in a vise.

“You can’t,” he bit out. “Give—give me a minute.”

Callie smiled. “Am I hurting you, my king?”

Her “king” growled his answer, and she felt the vibrations through the plates under her legs. She waited while Zak seemed to have gotten himself together, and then she lifted her hips slowly and then dropped down. He shouted but pushed her hips up so she could do it again. Callie closed her eyes, knowing she wouldn’t last much more anyway, and changed it up, rocking her hips forward. Zak gasped and gentled his hands on her hips, then began rocking himself. She opened her eyes and stared at him, his eyes closed, head thrown back, veins stark and pulsing on his neck as if his heart was beating so fast they couldn’t contain the pressure. He jerked and cried out one more time, thrusting up into her as his cock swelled and throbbed. She caught his orgasm, and it ignited her own. Pulse after blissful pulse of pleasure flamed through every cell in her body until she collapsed forward, only to be caught and held tight, and never ever wanted to be let go.

After what felt like barely a few seconds but must have been longer, Callie opened her eyes to a light kiss on her forehead and gazed at Zak, utterly breathtaking in a uniform she definitely hadn’t seen before. “Wow,” she breathed in awe.

He smiled and pulled a little nervously at the purple sash across his chest that matched the stripe down the edge of his pants. “I hate it, but as it’s the first meeting, I was hoping it might make me look like I know what I’m talking about.”

Callie sat up. “Do you need me?”

He hesitated. “What about Gye?”

She swung her legs out of bed and stood up. “I’m going to get another shower.” She smirked. “Then go see how he is. I’ll do my best to come in if I think he’s okay.”

Zak nodded, pressed a chaste kiss on her lips, and left the room. She heard him tell Voren to wait for her and he would find his own way to the meeting. After another quick shower, Callie decided to pop in on the females before she went into the kitchen. Madison had arrived yesterday, but she hadn’t seen any of them in nearly a week. She smiled at the warrior who was guarding the entrance to the suite as she appeared with Voren. Voren stayed outside to talk to the other warrior as she let herself in. Lexie looked up and grinned as she came in. The suite that used to be the queen’s had been altered so they had one large room as a social area, and then each female had their own bedroom.

“Welcome to the harem, Your Highness,” Isobel said tartly from the corner, and Callie sighed. From what Rachel had told her, while Rachel was all about declaring her independence, Isobel was just acting like an entitled brat. She wasn’t happy. She was bored, yet she had no intention of rolling up her sleeves and pitching in like the rest of them.

Callie couldn’t stay long and explained why. Lexie told her Madison was just in the shower, but they were going for a walk soon. Rachel was out watching the warriors train, and Sascha had gone with D’estaan because she wanted to see the training N’ameth was running for the new warriors. Isobel intimated that Sascha was wanting to see something else, in her opinion, and scoffed saying Sascha was old enough to be N’ameth’s mother and it was disgusting. She got up and stormed into her room, slamming the door.

Callie blinked. She’d known Isobel wasn’t happy, but that had surprised her. “What’s wrong?” she whispered.

Lexie stood up and beckoned her over to the large window at the end. “She’s jealous because you got in first.”

Callie gaped. “First? You mean queen?” Lexie nodded. “But Zak’s not the only prince, and there are many noble warriors—”

“But,” Lexie interrupted, “none that is going to get her a throne. She says, and I quote, ‘If I had to be brought to this godforsaken place, you would think we at least would get treated with respect.’”

“What happened?” Callie tried not to smile, but Lexie’s imitation of Isobel’s haughty tone was nearly perfect.

“It was poor D’estaan.” Lexie shook her head. “He brought her the gava juice, complete with fancy glass and jug, but just put it down. Didn’t offer to pour it.” Lexie fumed. “I suggested he pour it over her head.”

Callie giggled. “And she heard?”

Lexie rolled her eyes. “Yes. At least we didn’t see her for the rest of the evening. The thing is, she’s full of doom and gloom, and it’s scaring Madison. Sascha’s too sensible to let it bother her, and Rachel doesn’t give a flying fig, but I don’t dare leave her alone with Madison.”

Callie squeezed her hand. “Let me see if I can get her moved. I mean, maybe her own suite will make her feel better?”

“Or her own planet?” Lexie hissed. Callie had to slap a hand over her own mouth to stop herself from laughing.

Callie’s next stop was the kitchen. Neela and Gye were up to their elbows in dough. Callie guessed Gye was wearing just as much, but he looked like he was having fun, so she left them to it, making sure H’adaar knew where she would be. Then Voren led her to where Zak was meeting the Alliance.

She spotted a small bench before they’d gone much farther and sat down, patting the seat next to her for Voren, but he shook his head stubbornly. “Fine,” she said and stood up. “My feet hurt”—they didn’t—“but if you insist on standing, then so will I.”

Voren tried very hard not to roll his eyes as well but sat down obediently.

“I need you to tell me who will be in there and what they want.”

Voren looked at her with respect but started counting off a list. “I only know the basics. I have never been present, my queen, but I would imagine all seven planets are represented, excluding the Karthians, of course. The most difficult will be the four unaffected ones.”

Callie whipped her head up. “What do you mean unaffected ones?”

“The ones who carry no genetic alteration.”

“Whoa, just a minute.” Callie held up her hand. “Are you telling me there are another three planets that have the same problem as we do?”

Voren nodded. “I’m sorry, my queen. I thought you knew. They had some females that were mated to male Ishtaans and took the virus back with them. It wasn’t as catastrophic on either Lux or Vedur because we were just beginning to realize what had happened, so the females that had been here were prevented from breeding. It was harder for N’olaan because they naturally have a higher male birth rate.” He sighed. “And they are resentful for two reasons. One, because they have to prove they keep the females in isolation, and two, because of the punishment of the Karthians. The vice-regent on Vedur is very bitter, as he lost his first wife while she was in isolation. He hates Ishtaan and will frankly be furious that Zak has found a way around things.”

“Can’t he get married again though?”

“Oh, yes, but he’s a snob. His first wife was the youngest daughter of the shah of Morlash, and there are no noble houses at the moment with a female older than eight cycles.”

“So, he wants a queen,” Callie said very carefully.

Voren chuckled. “Do you have one hidden?”

Callie smiled. She just might. “Who else?”

“N’epalim, Tamzur, and Morlash. They enforce the Dark.”

“That’s the space you’re not allowed to fly through.” Voren nodded. “Okay, so we have N’olaan on our side, and I’m guessing Vedur would be good to have as well?”

Voren tilted his powerful head to observe her. “Should I ask?”

“Probably not,” Callie said and stood up, took a breath, and grinned. “Wish me luck.”