Kidnapped By the Alien Prince by Tori Kellett
Chapter Nineteen
Zak set Calista down carefully as they entered the large cavern at the entrance of the hillside. Il’yaa had told him that this was where the villagers gathered to hide when his sire had sent their raiding parties. He’d also told Zak that one of the village wise ones had forced Il’yaa to go with the guards like some sort of sacrificial lamb because Il’yaa only had an uncle. His sire had died in a cave-in three Drys ago, and he didn’t remember his matriche. The villagers deemed him expendable, so understandably he wasn’t in a hurry to go back.
Not that there would have been any way Callie would have let him out of her sight. He had a feeling their family had just extended to five.
“Traitor!”
Zak came out of his nicer imaginings to be faced with a distinctly unpleasant one. In the end, it had been Voren who had suggested using the small black cylinders similar to the one he had given Callie to silently take out the guards on the lower slopes. They were so old-fashioned, he hadn’t even realized they existed anymore and found it ironic that Callie had helped once more in her own rescue.
Not that he was about to share that anytime soon. For the moment, he was basking in having gotten her back.
He stared down at his sire, similarly tied along with the three guards left alive. “I find that interesting, since kidnapping a queen is hardly the mark of a proud warrior.” He watched almost dispassionately as his sire nearly turned purple.
“You’re a fool,” he spat. “The Azteen crystals would buy us ten armies.”
Zak frowned. That was somewhat of an exaggeration.
Az’kye crowed. “You don’t know, do you? You don’t know where the new vein is.” He licked his lips. “Untie me and I will show you. I’m just sick of bowing down to that stupid Alliance. Always thinking they are better than us. Well, we can show them. Make Ishtaan worthy of respect.”
“Tell me which member of the Alliance is supporting you and I’ll consider it,” Zak said flatly. He wouldn’t but his sire clearly had a powerful supporter, and it had to be someone from the Alliance that were here yesterday.
“But you don’t know where the new vein is,” Callie interrupted. “You were going to torture me to find out.”
Az’kye roared and lunged maniacally toward her, even tied, and before anyone had the chance to react, a deafening blast shook the cavern, and Az’kye was thrown backward. He lay in a heap, a huge hole where his heart had once been. Rachel lowered her blaster. She looked at Zak and shrugged. “Well, he was your dad. You could hardly do it, could you?”
Zak went to say something, to shout, to…what? Rachel was right. He would have struggled, and that bastard needed to die. No Ishtaans would be safe until that happened.
N’ameth scowled. “We needed to know who sent the ships.”
Rachel scoffed and waved to the three guards on the ground. “Want me to ask them? Really, seems like the females have to do everything around here.”
“You irresponsible female,” Voren snapped, surprising even Zak. “You could have shot the queen.”
Rachel grinned. “Nope. I hit what I aim for.”
Voren’s plates rumbled warningly, but he held out a hand for the blaster.
“Not a chance, big boy,” Rachel said nonchalantly and slid it into the weapons belt she was wearing, turned, and walked to the entrance of the cavern. Voren scowled and went to follow her, but Zak stopped him. “Voren?”
He turned and looked warily at him. Zak held his arm out, and Voren paused. For a second he searched Zak’s face, and Zak waited until Voren clasped his arm, and Zak curled his fingers around his forearm. “I have wondered how to do this all week, and in the end, I thought the best way was as brothers.”
Voren’s eyes widened, but Zak pulled him into a hug. “It has been too long, brother.” He stepped back and turned to their stunned audience. “Warriors, greet your prince.”
It was probably one of the best moments of Zak’s life when every warrior, including N’ameth, dropped to one knee to greet their prince. Voren raised stunned eyes, and Zak smirked. He nodded to the female Rachel. “Try and make sure she doesn’t shoot anyone else.”
Zak ordered the three prisoners to be taken to the cells. He commandeered the cats instantly because while he might have a million things to do, his main one was to make sure Callie was back and safe. Preferably in their bed.
He glanced at Callie and marveled at how he thought naming Voren was one of the best moments of his life. It was. It still was, but seeing Callie’s smile, her eyes shining with love and pride? Nothing could ever top that.
“I’m sorry about H’adaar,” Callie said gently.
“So am I. I find it hard to believe he could be bribed.”
Callie shook her head. “I don’t think it was that simple. Your dad promised him a female. I think it was just that he was lonely. He once told me that.”
“Then he was a fool. My father would barter the females in return for ships and mining equipment. He wouldn’t buy anything when he could easily rid himself of that obligation with a weapon.”
They both glanced towards the sudden raised voice from Kaleth. “What do you mean you’re going? Going where?” Kaleth and Il’yaa were walking a few steps ahead to their rooms. Gye was holding her hand. They caught them up. Zak reached out and put a hand on Kaleth’s shoulder, and Callie loved the open demonstration of affection. She had a feeling it hadn’t been common when Zak was a boy.
“What is it, son?”
Kaleth turned stormy eyes to them both. “Il’yaa thinks you’re going to send him away now you know that it’s likely the villagers were hiding. He doesn’t think he can be useful anymore.”
Callie could almost hear the air quotes and met Zak’s eyes. The question in them and her heart expanded with so much love. She nodded eagerly and drew Gye close to her. Zak addressed his son, but clearly his words were meant for all their captive audience. “Kaleth, you are First Prince—”
Kaleth made an impatient noise as if that didn’t matter and Callie’s eyes filled. He was such an amazing young man. She knew Zak was confirming his place just as she knew Kaleth didn’t care, and that he didn’t feel threatened. Zak met his son’s eyes and Callie knew they both understood each other. Zak turned to Il’yaa. “Il’yaa, you can of course return to your village. I am confident my warriors can find them.”
Il’yaa’s shoulders drooped, and Callie had to nearly physically restrain herself from reaching for him. But as much as she wanted to, Il’yaa was a child of Ishtaan, and Zak was his king. He drew Callie and Gye close to him. “But it is our wish that you join our family. That you and Gye become our sons in the same way as Kaleth.”
“Matriche?” Gye whispered and Callie bent down and lifted him up. His little arms clung around her neck, and she was unable to stop a few tears from falling. The second and third bodies slamming into her turned her tears to laughter, and she turned to Zak. She mouthed the word thank you but knew from the suspicious glint in his eyes he hadn’t needed any persuading.
“And if we’re going to share a room, you have to understand I might need to study sometimes,” Kaleth said gravely and both boys walked on ahead as if the momentous moment had never happened. It was perfect. But then Kaleth paused, looked back and held out his hand for Gye. Gye let her hand go and nearly tripped in his haste to get to his new big brother.
Callie tried to swallow the large lump in her throat. “Don’t cry, my Callie,” Zak murmured. But they were happy tears.
It took another hour to settle the boys in one room. It might not stay that way, but it was what they wanted for now. Finally after everyone in the palace seemed to need to speak to their king, they were alone. Zak closed his eyes and pulled her close. She loved the feeling of being held, especially when he was half-naked. Full naked would be better, but they had plenty of time. Callie closed her own eyes and arched her neck in invitation, but this time Zak was hesitant, like he was frightened of hurting her. “Take me,” she murmured against the warm lips until Callie was laid between a soft bed and a hard body. She wriggled temptingly, knowing Zak was holding back, and heard the soft groan.
“My Callie.”
“My warrior,” Callie whispered and met his lips in a deep, hungry kiss. Her fingers found his pants, and she yanked at them beseechingly. Zak chuckled, and she changed the kiss to a nip. The rumble from his plates was immediate, and she arched in pleasure as Zak’s fingers slid between her folds, pushing two fingers in. It was like flicking a switch, and Callie’s body lit up. “More,” she gasped, shuddering, wanting more than fingers. She felt a second’s regret as he pulled them out, and then he lined up and slid inside her as she bucked her hips up to meet him. “Zak,” Callie panted and clamped her legs around him, changing the angle slightly and grinding against him as she met every thrust. One minute she was shaking, sweating, pleading, and then pleasure lifted her up and tossed her over a glorious edge. She didn’t worry, though, because she knew Zak’s heart was big enough to catch her.
“I love you,” she whispered as she was gathered up, warm and protected.
“I love you, my mulaa,” Zak confirmed, and Callie smiled as she slid into sleep because this time her translator hadn’t struggled to find an alternative. It had simply said “soul mate.” Which was just about perfect.
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The saga continues…
Freed by the Alien Prince
Coming September 14
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