Wed to the Alien Prince by C.V. Walter

Chapter 1

Kaelin thanked the Uber driver as he handed her suitcase to her before shutting the trunk. Turning to the doors of the hotel, she took a deep breath, then started to the automatic doors in the center.

Chin up, smile on, she had mastered the art of watching the ground out of the corner of her eye. Her light brain hair was cut short and stylish to keep it out of her peripheral vision to help, even if it didn’t always. The slight rise between the sidewalk and the interior of the hotel caught the bottom of her heel and she winced internally at the next hard step. She wasn't sure anybody was watching her but they wouldn't see anything odd about her posture or gait.

The voice she was waiting to welcome her to the hotel failed to materialize so she wandered to the space that looked like the check-in desk. With the open, minimalist layout a lot of hotels had gone to, it was difficult to be certain. She stopped when she thought she heard a familiar voice and followed it to an open, atrium-like area.

"Aidan?" she called, catching sight of one of the people she'd come to Geniuscon to meet.

The young man finished his conversation and turned to her. "Kaelin?"

"Yep! Are you surprised?" she asked, moving toward him with her right hand out, palm down.

He took it and squeezed gently, then used it to drag her in for a hug.

"Astonished," he said. "I wasn't expecting to see you here. Is this your first time at Geniuscon? You look amazing!"

The smell of his leather jacket and the feel of the zipper beneath her cheek made her smile. When he rested his chin on the top of her head, she laughed and squeezed him.

"Thank you," she mumbled into his chest. "And yes, I came to see your mom. And you've gotten huge, what happened?"

"Something about puberty and eating all my vegetables, I'm sure," Aidan said with a laugh. "And you are not the first person to say that this weekend."

"Well, I'm sure your mom has a lot of people looking forward to seeing her this weekend. Is she busy? She can't be asleep, she's always up late for these things. I don't know if she sleeps the entire time she's here."

"Ah, yeah, she always says she has to go back to work to get some rest after Geniuscon," Aidan said, squeezing her shoulders again then stepping back. "But she's not here this year."

Kaelin could feel the smile on her face dip. "Oh," she said. "I'd thought she'd be able to get the time off to come. Geniuscon is a really important event for her."

"It is, and she'd be here if she could be, but-"

"Aidan, is everything well?" A deep voice said from behind her. "You look distressed."

"Everything's fine," Aidan said, blowing out a deep breath. "This is Kaelin, she's a friend of my mom's and was hoping to see her here. Kaelin, this is-"

"Roger," the man said when she turned to him. "I, too, am a friend of Aidan’s mother Molly. Did he tell you she wasn't able to make it this weekend?"

"He was just mentioning that," Kaelin said, making eye contact with his collar bone then looking up. And up some more. The first thing she noticed about the newcomer was that he was tall, then that he was clean-shaven, and apparently had painted himself blue for some reason. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Roger. Do you work with Molly?"

"In a sense," he said, holding a hand out to her. "I've only really met her recently but I've enjoyed getting to know her and meeting many of her friends this weekend."

Kaelin put her hand in his, the gesture instinctive, along with the smile that creased her face before their skin touched. His hand was warm, grip firm and solid, and it tightened when her grip turned from solid to crushing as bolts of pleasure raced up her arm.

He let go and Kaelin staggered back to be caught by Aidan.

"Are you alright?" he asked, the concern in his voice obvious.

She nodded, holding her hand against her chest, trying desperately to keep from rubbing her thighs together to relieve the absolute need that was threatening to drown her. "I'm fine," she said. "Just a little tired from the trip."

"And we've kept you standing here all this time," Roger said. "The cafe is closed but I believe there are snacks set out for the late-night panel that's going on. Would you sit while I get you some refreshment?"

"Aidan?" Kaelin asked. He'd steadied her then stepped back, his solid mass still behind her shoulder.

"He's okay," Aidan said. "I'll see if I can find one of the front desk people to get you checked into your room. There should still be someone up front, even if it is a bit late."

"I would appreciate that. It's been a very long day so if the offer of snacks is good, I would definitely like to sit for a minute," Kaelin said.

"I'll help you over to the tables outside the cafe and return with snacks," Roger said, offering her his arm.

Kaelin could see Aidan glaring at the man across from her but he didn't object. "Thank you," she said, slipping her hand into the bend of his elbow. Her carry-on bag smacked her hip when she turned and knocked the handle of her suitcase out of her hand.

"Oh, shish kebab," she swore. "One second."

She started to reclaim her hand from Roger's arm when he put his free hand over it. Pleasure and desire shot through her and she moaned, her free hand slapping over her mouth in mortification the instant the sound escaped her lips.

"Stop that," Aidan growled, shoving the handle of her suitcase at the man touching her.

"I did not-"

"Like hell," Aidan said. "Don't think I don't know exactly what's going on. I'm going to find a way to get Kaelin to her room and then we're going to have a talk."

"Yes, we will," Roger said to Aidan's back. "In the meantime, I will escort you to the table, as I had intended. Are you okay, Kaelin?"

"I'm fine," she said, her voice still breathy. "I think we need to have a talk, as well."

"Of course," he said. "As soon as we get you sitting down with some refreshments, I'll be happy to have whatever talk you'd like."

Kaelin nodded and let him lead her over to the cafe tables, her suitcase in his other hand. She set her carry-on down on the table and nodded in thanks when he pulled the chair out for her. Part of her hoped he wouldn't notice that she felt for the chair leg with her foot to make sure it was still there when she went to sit down.

It wouldn't have been the first time that particular trick had been played on her by a stranger. Or a friend, for that matter.

He pushed it in for her to just the right distance from the table and she had no problem sinking into it with as much grace as she could manage. Her suitcase was placed directly at her side and he bowed gracefully over it.

"I shall return with refreshments directly," he said. "Do you have any special requests?"

"Dark chocolate," she said. "And a sealed bottle of water, if there are any. Otherwise, nothing special."

She could see him start to reach for her hand and stop. Instead, he placed his hand across his chest, nodded, and turned on his heel to head into the room she'd seen Aidan just outside of when she'd arrived.

With a deep breath, she looked around to get a better feel for where she was, and couldn't help but smile. She'd made it, difficult flight and problems finding her luggage notwithstanding, and was in the space Molly loved. That Molly wasn't also in it was concerning but she'd already gotten a hug from Aidan, which was at the top of her wish list for the weekend, and met Roger.

When she'd booked the flight, she'd told her mother that she was going to spend time with Molly, claim a hug from Aidan and meet new people. Two out of three in the first fifteen minutes after reaching the hotel wasn't bad. The thought prompted her to pull out her phone and message her mother that she'd arrived safely at the hotel.

The fact that she hadn't managed to check in yet would have to wait for another day. Possibly when she got home. Possibly never. After all, she was at the hotel and she was safe. Everything else was details her mother didn't need to worry about.

It wasn't that her mother hovered, exactly, but she worried. And with some cause, Kaelin could acknowledge, but she was an adult and it was time for her to do things on her own.

A bottle of water with condensation running down it and a handful of miniature chocolate bars appeared on the table in front of her.

She put her phone down and smiled up at the blue man who'd brought her chocolate. "Thank you."

"It's my pleasure. The girl at the table said these were the special dark chocolate. I don't know if that means they're better but she said they were good. I hope you enjoy them." He sat down in the chair across from her and rested his forearms on the table.

"I think it's a marketing thing but she's right, these are very tasty. I appreciate you getting them for me."

"Of course," he said. "When I said it was my pleasure, I meant it."

Kaelin could feel the blush crawling up her cheeks and was thankful he could only see part of it on her skin. Her birthmark would hide the worst of her embarrassment.

"Would you like one?" she asked, holding one of the small candies out to him.

"I would not deprive you," he said.

She grinned at him. "Well, I won't force chocolate on anybody but you're welcome to have one since you went and got them." With that, she opened one and popped it in her mouth, moaning slightly at the bitter sweet chocolate.

A blue hand reached across the table and took one of the tiny chocolate bars. She watched him unwrap it and pop it in his mouth. The look of interest on his face gave way to one of curiosity and then delight.

"That's delicious," he said, reaching for a second.

"Mmm, I think so," Kaelin said. "Have you never tried dark chocolate before?"

"Never," Roger said. "It's never been an option and I didn't think to try something from the snack table before this."

"I'm glad I can contribute to new experiences," she told him. "You've certainly contributed to one of mine."

"Oh?" he asked.

"Yes, I've never had chocolate with a man who's been painted blue before."

"Ah, yes, I imagine that would be a new experience. Are you enjoying it so far?"

"Jury's still out," Kaelin told him. "But the consuming of chocolate is certainly a mark in its favor."

"I'm glad to hear that," Roger said with a smile. "I assume you're here for the convention?"

She shrugged. "Technically, yes. I'm not really a big sci-fi fan, though, so I was mostly hoping to spend time with a friend."

"You came to spend time with Molly," he said with a nod.

"Yeah, we haven't seen each other for a while and then she kinda went radio silent. It's- I know she has a dangerous job but there hasn't been anything in the news about her so I'm sure it's not that."

"What do you think it is, then?"

"Usually, it means she's withdrawing in on herself because she's fighting with depression. I've seen her do it. She'll be friendly and outgoing in person but she won't make eye contact and doesn't return messages or phone calls. I worry she's been alone too much on the space station and is spending all her time in her head."

"You worry a lot about your friend."

Kaelin nodded. "She's been through a lot and she deserves to be happy. I know she loves her job on the space station but I worry that she's lonely. As independent as she is, being alone too much isn't good for her."

Roger smiled at her. It was a very nice smile and she liked seeing it. "I don't think you have to worry about her being alone for a very long time, now. The last time I saw her, she was very happy."

"Oh, are you from the space station then? Do you work with Molly?"

"I work with Molly's, what would you call him, spouse?"

"Her what? You don't mean her ex, do you?"

"No, her spouse. I think that's the correct word. The person she has vowed to love and raise children with while living together and working towards a common goal. That is usually a spouse, correct?"

"When did Molly get remarried?"