Page 13 of Alien Prince (Alien Abductions and Seductions #1)

Chapter Thirteen

Gemma

I’ve never felt so drained before, even being Ky’s skin. Growing up under the rule of my father, I was pushed. For better or for worse, I learned how to push past my body’s alarms and exhaustion to keep going, because the threat was always there.

The threat that one day I would find myself in a situation which would warrant all my control and concentration; a situation in which my ability to push past those things would be the difference between life and death.

I just hadn’t expected that moment to come so soon.

“I’ve got you, Mia,” a voice says. It’s familiar, but it’s somehow louder, yet it carries a resonance that tugs at the strings of my soul, louder and more profound than I remember.

Warmth envelops me as strong hands grip me, their touch both comforting and possessive. Fingernails almost dig into my skin, but instead of pain, I feel a sense of belonging and an unspoken promise of protection.

I groan, my muscles burning and my throat tight. Each word is a struggle, my head pounding, my breath shallow from the pain radiating through my body.

“What the hell did she do to her?” Raif’s voice echoes above me.

Raif…

What the—

All at once, reality comes back to me; hitting me like a cyborg punch to the face.

The Queen.

The guards.

We were running…

Ky…

I'm here, Mia.

His voice echoes softly in my mind, a soothing balm to my frayed nerves. I haven't opened my eyes yet, the weight of exhaustion still pressing down on me. I feel his hand clasping mine, warm and reassuring.

I like it too .

He runs his thumb over my knuckles.

I never noticed how small your hands are.

I smile—Wait. What the fuck? How can I hear him in my mind? Panic rises in my chest. For a moment, I think he's possessing me again, but there's no trace of him in my skin, just the firm clasp of his warm hand around mine. How is this possible?

Yes, I can hear you, Mia, he responds, his tone sweet and slightly teasing. Surprised?

His words are so full of undeniable love and admiration, it makes my heart ache. I feel his presence enveloping me, wrapping me in a cocoon of safety. The thought fills me with shock and awe. Can he really hear my thoughts, too?

Yes, I can also hear your dreams, and by the way, do you think purple makes me look regal or just fabulous? Dumbfounded, I barely have a chance to respond before he gets cocky.

Because your thoughts think I’m sexy as fuck.

A small smile tugs at my lips at his attempt of humor to break through the haze of fear and fatigue.

Ky is here, holding my hand, and somehow, that makes everything seem a little more bearable.

I open my eyes, looking up, and find it hard to breathe.

Above me is a being I’ve never seen, not even in my wildest dreams. It’s like the stars and blood collided to create him.

The shape of him is most certainly human, but his skin is a mesmerizing blend of plum and sapphire beneath an almost translucent surface.

His eyes—glowing and deep, hold the secrets of the universe. I’d recognize those orbs anywhere, even if it's the first time I’ve really seen them.

He’s breathtaking.

As he leans closer, his warmth mingles with his celestial glow. His scent, a blend of spices and starlit air, intoxicates me. I am utterly entranced.

Every inch of him exudes raw, primal beauty. His muscles ripple, his lips curve with promise, and his gaze holds an intensity that leaves me spellbound. I am in awe, captivated by this celestial being. My attraction is immediate and undeniable, pulling me deeper into his orbit.

My mate.

My heart skips a beat as I try to lift my arm, which feels like dead weight. The desire to touch him—to really touch him, like this—is overwhelming. I’m half concerned he’s a hallucination, some trick the Queen is playing on my mind.

He looks down at me, curling me closer to his chest, his long eyelashes standing out against his stellar gaze. Gently, he gathers me into his arms and cradles me onto his lap, enveloping me in his warmth and strength.

“She can’t hurt you anymore,” he says, as Raif’s voice echoes once more. I glance around as my vision sharpens, and I can see we are underground. The air stinks of mold and decay, but it is familiar.

“How much further?” Ky asks, his voice smooth and perfect. It isn’t the first time I’ve heard him speak out loud, but something about the concern in his voice makes it feel more real than when I’ve heard him before.

“Ky…” I manage to breathe his name out, and his grip tightens. “R…relax,” I try to tell him. We aren’t going to get anywhere if he’s freaking out.

In fact, he’ll be more of a liability if he can’t get his shit together. If I can’t shake this fatigue, I’ll be the liability.

Raif’s laugh echoes through the hallways, and Ky growls.

I can’t deny the sound sends a rush of desire through me, a delicious shiver coursing down my spine, but I don’t have time to dwell on the sex appeal of Ky’s newfound pipes.

I wriggle in his grasp, the rush of blood and warmth coming back into my limbs. Well, the ones that aren’t upgraded, anyway.

“Put me down,” I bite. The need to feel the ground beneath my feet is overwhelming. The last time I was carried off because I couldn’t walk, I ended up in Ky’s closet, and while there’s nothing more I’d love than to rub up on my mate like a cuddly kitten, I need to lead.

Raif isn't a terrible soldier, but he isn’t the man who leads attacks. He’s the one who carries out the commands, and Ky—

“No,” Kyron’s voice is solid and unwavering. Commanding, even. It both pisses me off and makes me want to melt; hearing him like this. But I need my wits about me. I need to guide us to safety.

Especially after they both risked their lives to keep me safe.

My throat constricts as I worry the Queen is lodged somewhere in me still. Lying in wait like a deadly parasite, waiting to strike. I am tense.

“I said,” I writhe again, twisting as I push away from him, and he nearly drops me, but his grip is too good. “Put me down!” I’m aware I sound like a petulant child, but I’ve never been a damsel in distress, and I’m not about to waltz into base being carried bridal style by an alien prince.

He barely resists when I kick out of his grasp, falling to the floor with a thud.

“Gemma!” Concern laces his voice. I pick myself up, relishing in the feel of my body being mine once more.

“Not now, Ky,” I tell him as I stumble about, Raif scoffing at me in annoyance.

“Good to see someone’s back to her old self,” he nips, and I shoot him a glare as I force myself to take a few wobbly steps from the slight numbness in my human foot. Probably because your fucking arm cut off my circulation.

Ky doesn’t say anything, but his dark chuckle is not missed. Once I’m sure my blood is pumping, I take off for the lead, Raif grumbling behind me.

I wind my body through the corridors and pathways; the way to base nothing more than muscle memory.