Page 50 of Alien Prince (Alien Abductions and Seductions #1)

Chapter Sixteen

Kael

The air in the hidden chamber I brought us to is thick, the only sound the faint hum of the palace’s energy systems running through the walls. Emily sits on the edge of the stone bench, her arms wrapped around herself, her brows drawn in frustration and concern. She’s beautiful even in her unease, her fire undiminished despite everything we’ve faced tonight.

I don’t know if the guards know we’re here, although they should. This is where royals should be sent if there is an attack.

That my father hasn’t been brought here… Does that mean he died? Have the guards been killed?

For now, we will remain here. It’s already been hours, but I would rather be certain that it’s safe to leave.

But the longer we’re confined, the harder it is to maintain the wall I’ve built between us.

“Kael,” she says softly, breaking the silence, “what are we going to do?”

“I will do whatever is necessary to protect you. Not just from the assassins, but from what it means to be with me. To be at my side.”

She frowns, tilting her head slightly. “You’re talking about the throne.”

“Yes,” I admit. “The throne. The court. The endless games of intrigue and manipulation. I need a queen to secure my rule, to stabilize Erythos in the face of rebellion, but…” I trail off, unsure how to put into words what I’ve been fighting to suppress.

“But what?” she presses, her voice trembling slightly.

I step closer, unable to keep my distance any longer. “But I never expected it to be you,” I say, my tone raw. “The vessel’s choice… I don’t know if you know this or not, but the vessel chose several women before you, and none of them… It wasn’t until now that it was right. If that’s not proof that the vessel is antiquated…”

“But if not for the vessel, we never would’ve met.” Her lips quirk before twisting into a small smile. “I guess some of your traditions aren’t terrible.”

Under other circumstances, I would’ve laughed, but this matter—matters of the heart—are far too serious. “You challenge me, Emily. You make me question everything, and it terrifies me.”

Her lips part, and she looks almost… sorrowful. “Why does it terrify you?” she whispers. “I don’t want to… How can I make you frightened?”

“Because I want you,” I say, the words spilling out before I can stop them. “Not just as a queen but as… you. As the woman who makes me feel alive in a way I’ve never known. I always knew I would become king one day and have a queen beside me, but I saw what can occur when the king and queen love each other. My mother died years ago, and ever since, my father has been sick time and again. Without her, he has become a shell of him former self, and I vowed to myself that I would always put my people and the kingdom first. Them before my heart. You’re making me risk a promise I made to myself, and I don’t know if I can accept that.”

The silence that follows is deafening.

Emily stands slowly, her gaze never leaving mine. “Kael,” she says, her voice soft but firm. “I want you too.”

She might have wanted to say more, but those words are enough to break my mind. The tension between us snaps like a live wire, and before I can think, I close the distance between us, my hands cupping her face as I claim her lips in a kiss that’s both desperate and consuming.

She responds immediately, her arms wrapping around my neck as she presses herself against me. The warmth of her body and the softness of her skin… Yes, I already had her once, but denying myself is not an option anymore. She is far more intoxicating than I ever imagined.

We stumble toward the bench, our movements frantic but uncoordinated, a tangle of need and longing that has been building for far too long.

“Are you sure?” I murmur against her lips, my hands stilling against her waist as I search her gaze.

“Yes,” she whispers, her eyes bright with emotion. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

Her words undo me completely.

I slide my hands over her, savoring every curve, every soft sigh that escapes her lips. The tension between us erupts into a whirlwind of passion, and the hidden chamber fades away, leaving only us—no court, no rebellion, no throne. Just us.

When it’s over, we lie together on the stone bench, her head resting on my chest as our breathing slows. I run my fingers through her hair, marveling at the way she fits so perfectly against me.

“I meant what I said,” I murmur, my voice barely audible in the quiet chamber. “You make me stronger, Emily, but you’re also my greatest vulnerability.”

She lifts her head to meet my gaze, her expression soft but determined. “I’m starting to believe that I was brought here for a reason, and it’s not to die. Whatever we have to deal with, we’ll face it together,” she says simply.

We.

There has never been a sweeter word.