Page 51 of Alien Prince (Alien Abductions and Seductions #1)

Chapter Seventeen

Emily

The morning light filters into Kael’s chamber through the narrow window, casting a soft glow over the stone walls. Hours ago, guards came and spoke to him in quiet tones. The threat has been contained, although the other two assassins escaped.

Kael brought me to his chamber. I doubt he’ll allow me to return to the other room. Honestly, that thought doesn’t scare me. I hate that an assassin came for me, but with Kael, I feel safe.

I sit at the edge of his massive bed, my knees pulled to my chest, staring at the floor.

The moment Kael kicked and locked his door behind him, he swept me to his bed, and he made love to me fiercely, like an animal.

Like he was afraid he would never have the chance to ever again.

We both fazed afterward, but I woke first. Kael is still asleep, his strong, steady breaths the only sound in the room. Well, aside from the faint hum of alien technology that exists everywhere on this still strange world.

His silver skin gleams faintly in the light, and his features are uncharacteristically relaxed, free from the tension and burdens he carries during the day.

I should feel happy or at least content. Last night was everything I didn’t know I needed—raw, passionate, and unguarded. Kael made me feel wanted. Cherished.

No one else ever made me feel like that. I had been too shy to date. I can count the number of dates I went to on one hand.

Yes, that means Kael had been my first sexual partner. It makes what we shared even more special.

And the way he made me feel… the way my body reacted to him…

Yes, it hurt. It hurt a lot. I’ve read all kinds of books, including all kinds of romances. I never watched porn, and I wouldn’t consider steamy romances porn, but I knew what went on behind closed doors.

For the most part, making love to Kael was like something out of a steamy, grown-up fairy tale. After the pain went away, it was pleasure. So much pleasure. Almost too much pleasure.

I bend down and pick up my dress, running my fingers over the soft, alien fabric. All the while my mind is spinning with questions I can’t answer. How did I get here? How did I go from a quiet life on Earth, filled with books and small, predictable routines, to being tangled up with an alien prince in the middle of a rebellion?

Should I stay? Could I leave and return to my old life?

Do I want to stay?

I bite my lip to keep the tears at bay. Kael’s world is beautiful in its way with its glowing plants, its intricate architecture, even its traditions that baffle me, but it’s also harsh and dangerous, filled with politics, history, and intrigue I’ll never fully understand.

I wish I didn’t because it would make things that much easier, but I miss Earth. I miss the feel of soft grass under my feet, the scent of old books that the tomes here on Kael’s planet lack, and the comforting familiarity of a place where I didn’t have to fight for every scrap of belonging.

But then I think of Kael, the way he looks at me and the way his touch sets my skin alight… the ways we tease each other, challenges each other, believes in each other…

I love him.

The realization makes my chest tighten with equal parts joy and fear. I’ve never felt this way before.

But is this real? Is this true? I mean, he’s an alien. I was essentially kidnapped. Is this Stockholm Syndrome? Or is it partially trauma bonding after the assassination attempt?

No, my feelings for Kael started long before the assassin.

As for feelings for my captor… Technically, it was the vessel that took me, not him.

That’s ridiculous. I can’t logic this away. So many factors had to align properly for Kael and me to meet, and as a result of our meeting, I’ve fallen for him. Yes, he’s the only man I’ve ever loved, but that doesn’t mean it’s not real.

But is love enough? Can I truly be a part of his world, or will I always be an outsider, trying to fit into a life that wasn’t meant for me? After all, the vessel brought other women for Kael to potentially have as his queen.

The bed creaks softly, and I glance over my shoulder to see Kael stirring. His violet eyes blink open, his gaze immediately finding me.

“Emily,” he says, his voice rough with sleep. “You’re awake.”

I nod, trying to muster a smile, but I know he sees through it. He always does.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, sitting up and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. His expression is open and concerned, and it makes my heart ache even more. “If it’s about the assassination attempt, allow me to assure you that none will ever come that close to you again. I personally guarantee it.”

“It’s not that so much as… I don’t know if I can do this,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “This world, this life… it’s so different from everything I’ve ever known, and… All of this is just so much to take in.”

Kael furrows his brow, and he reaches for my hand, his large thumb rubbing my knuckles. “You’re intelligent and strong and resilient, Emily,” he says, his tone firm but gentle. “You’ve proven that again and again.”

“I don’t feel strong.” My voice trembles. “I feel lost. Like I’m trying to be something I’m not, just to keep up with you and your world.”

He pulls me closer, his violet eyes locking with mine. “You belong here with me,” he says quietly, “but if you can’t see that and if you truly believe you’d be happier on Earth, I won’t stop you from going back.”

My heart skips a beat. If he’s willing to let me go back home… then this can’t be Stockholm Syndrome.

But is Earth home for me still? What if years have passed back on Earth?

What if I return and it’s only been minutes?

I look at him, the man who has become my anchor in this strange, beautiful, terrifying world, and my heart twists.

Can I fight for a future here, with him, on a world I don’t fully understand? Or do I return to Earth and the life I left behind, knowing I’ll never see him again?

The choice feels impossible.

“You don’t have to decide now,” Kael says, “and even if you chose to stay now and later change your mind, the offer will always remain. I only want you to be here if you want to be. You have power, Emily.”

In his strange, exotic eyes, I see added words.

You have power over me, Emily.

And so does he over me.