Page 35 of Alien Prince (Alien Abductions and Seductions #1)

Chapter One

Emily

I’m walking home from the library, clutching my bag against my side as the evening chill nips at my skin. The streetlights flicker, casting long, uneven shadows across the cracked pavement. It’s quiet. Too quiet, now that I think about it. My steps falter, and I glance over my shoulder, but there’s no one behind me. Still, the air feels… off, like something is watching me.

Maybe I’ve been reading too many horror novels during my downtime. Being a librarian is a wonderful profession, and I wouldn’t change it for anything. During lulls, I’m always reading. It’s still working, after all. I need to be well-read so I can suggest books to the patrons.

Although I always find myself stumbling over words whenever they come in. I’ve always been shy to the point of it being painful. You know how some people claim children should be seen and not heard? Well, I was the poster child for that.

Just then, a strange hum cuts through the silence. It’s low at first, almost imperceptible, but it grows louder, vibrating through the soles of my feet. My heart skips, and I whirl around, searching for the source. The sky above is clear, the stars twinkling innocently, but then a brilliant flash of light blinds me.

I don’t even have time to scream.

The world tilts, my stomach lurches, and the next thing I know, I’m lying on a cold, hard surface. My eyes flutter open, and I immediately squeeze them shut again. The room around me is too bright, too… gold. Slowly, I force myself to look, squinting against the glare.

Everything is gilded—the walls, the floor, even the ceiling, which glitters like it’s been encrusted with jewels. My head throbs, and panic sets in as I scramble to my feet. I’m barefoot, my shoes gone, and the dress I was wearing has been replaced by some kind of shimmering fabric that clings to me in all the wrong places.

What the hell is going on?

A low, commanding voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts. “You are awake. Good.”

I spin toward the sound, my heart slamming against my ribs. The voice comes from everywhere and nowhere at once.

“W-Who… Where am I?” I stammer, clutching the slippery fabric of my dress like it’s some kind of shield. “What is this place?”

There’s a pause, a beat of silence that feels heavy with judgment. “You are on Erythos,” the voice answers. “You have been chosen by the matchmaking vessel to meet your destined mate.”

My breath hitches. “What?”

Another pause, and then the voice delivers the final blow. “You are to meet the prince.”

The prince? What prince? My legs threaten to give out beneath me, and I grab the edge of a nearby table to steady myself. This has to be some kind of dream—or a nightmare. But the throbbing in my head and the cool, metallic scent of the air tell me it’s all horrifyingly real.

Before I can ask another question, the wall in front of me shimmers and disappears, revealing a towering figure silhouetted in the doorway.

And then my world shifts again.