Page 20 of Alien Prince’s Fake Bride (The Tentacle Throne #1)
- Umbra -
“What are Syntrix rings?” I ask. That’s the only part of the thing I didn’t completely understand.
“Rings are a symbol of being married,” Mareliux explains. “We each give one to the other. They are crystal rings that can pulsate with Syntrix on rare occasions, if the couple are in particular resonance with each other. I doubt ours ever will.”
“Then what happens? After the ceremony?”
He sits back in his big chair. “We spend some time with the soldiers there, giving them a feast, laughing and trying not to get drunk. Then we retreat to the ship, take off, and set course for Khav itself. Easy.”
And that’s where I have to start acting, I think to myself. Acting like I’m in love with Mareliux.
It might not be that hard. I do feel something for him. Horny, mostly. A little bit in awe of his obvious qualities. But love? No, that’s not it. He abducted me, kind of gassed me, and then pressured me into agreeing to his scheme. To love him, I’d have to get past that.
I don’t need to be a genius to see that if even the slightest thing goes wrong with this fake marriage plan, then I have a big problem.
I don’t know how seriously these guys take that kind of fraud, but I imagine that with a prince, it’s pretty damn serious whichever way you look at it.
And if they need a scapegoat, chances are they’ll pick the alien girl who’s not even from a planet they’ve heard of.
It’s a sobering realization. I’m risking a lot here.
“This is actually really dangerous,” I say out loud.
“For me, I mean. What if something goes wrong? What if they don’t believe us?
What if you… desert me?” My voice cracks.
Damn. This is all happening so fast, and suddenly it all hits me.
My first meeting with an alien civilization, and I’m already guilty of fraud.
Not a good thing for Earth, either. It could ruin our reputation for a long time.
A tense, awkward silence descends on the control room.
Then Mareliux gets up and comes over to me, taking my hand. “Come on. We’re not needed here, and I want to show you something.”
I wipe my sudden tears of fear as we walk out of the control room of the ship, get into an elevator, and exit in a new room.
This one is simply a glass ball with space in every direction, even below us.
We’re standing on a transparent floor in the middle.
There’s furniture in here, soft chairs and chaise lounges for sitting on and lying on while looking up at the infinity.
Mareliux still holds onto my hand and points to the dome above us.
“That’s real.” He points to the floor. “That’s a projection, and the dome above can also be projected on.
We use this room as a place for entertainment when we have a crew onboard.
But I like to just stand here and look at the stars. ”
Bellatriz translates, but she does it so well I keep forgetting she’s there. She times everything perfectly and makes it seem like I understand what Mareliux is saying, all by myself.
The sky out there is incredible, totally strewn with stars, all shining steadily like I could never see them from anywhere on Earth.
Only from the Space Force station in orbit have I sometimes seen it like this through the tiny porthole, but I never had a chance to relish the sight of deep space. “I understand why. It’s marvelous.”
“It is.” He turns to face me fully, his laser gaze holding mine.
"Umbra," he says, his voice serious, "I understand your fear. This situation is unconventional at best. And it must seem scary to you. It certainly does to me. But I swear to you, by the Syntrix and by my honor, I will not let harm come to you. That is my vow. And that’s a real vow, not a fake one. "
He steps closer, his grip on my hand firm but gentle.
"If at any point this becomes too dangerous for you, if the deception is at risk of failing catastrophically, I will ensure your safety. I have resources. I will make contingency plans with the Grefve garrison. I can arrange for you to be extracted. Even from Khav. To go somewhere safe, away from any fallout. Back to Earth, if that’s your wish. "
His gaze softens and shifts to something warmer and more personal.
"But I need you to trust me, Umbra. Just for a little while longer. We need to make this believable. And I find I do not wish for you to leave." His thumb brushes across the back of my hand.
The vastness of space surrounding us, the quiet hum of the ship, the sincerity in his voice — it all creates a strange intimacy.
My anxiety is still there as a knot in my stomach, but something else is stirring, too.
A reluctant trust, a burgeoning curiosity about this remarkable alien who has suddenly become so important to me.
He lifts his other hand, cupping my cheek.
His touch is surprisingly soft against my skin.
"You are brave, Umbra. To agree to this, to face the unknown. I know you’re a soldier and you’re doing it for your homeworld, for the safety of Earth and its people.
And still, I am grateful. I am doing this for my people, too. "
His eyes drop to my lips, and it’s as if the air thickens between us. The earlier tension, the shared fear, seems to transmute into something else entirely. A pull, unexpected and undeniable. I’m starting to think that he gets me. And that maybe, in a strange way, I get him, too.
My own gaze flickers to his mouth. He is so different, so alien, yet in this moment, there is a strange familiarity, a shared vulnerability. The artificiality of our situation fades into the background, replaced by a raw, undeniable connection.
He leans closer, his breath warm against my face. I can feel the subtle thrum of his energy, a faint vibration that resonates within me. His tentacle crown shines in deep red. My heart begins to beat faster.
"May I?" he murmurs, his voice a low rumble that seems to vibrate through the transparent floor.
I nod, my breath catching in my throat. The fear is still a whisper, but the curiosity, the unexpected attraction, has grown louder.
His lips meet mine, tentatively at first, a soft exploration. Then, with a shared sigh, the kiss deepens. His alien mouth is human in its tenderness, yet there is an underlying intensity, a hint of something wild and unknown.
My hands are still trembling slightly when they come up to rest on his chest, feeling the solid strength of his muscles.
The kiss intensifies, a silent conversation passing between us.
It’s a mix of fear, trust, and a burgeoning desire that’s been simmering in me since that first experience with his mouth.
The vast expanse of stars outside the glass sphere seems to fade away as the universe narrows to just the two of us, suspended in this moment of unexpected intimacy. We’re both taking risks, both acting not for ourselves but for something bigger. He’s taking a risk trusting me.
And I’m risking a lot, trusting him. But he saved me from that lightning machine. He was magnificent, sauntering towards me like an angel of life, lit up in electric blue.
He has a raging bulge in his pants, and I can’t tear my eyes away from it.
The fabric strains, outlining something that is both familiar and impossibly foreign.
My pulse races, a mix of nerves and heat pooling low in my belly.
I’ve felt his tentacles before, their deft, writhing touches driving me to heights I didn’t know existed, but this — this is new territory.
My jumpsuit feels too tight, the seam at the middle practically begging to be split open.
Mareliux pulls back from the kiss. His eyes search mine. His tentacles pulse as they shift from deep red to a shimmering violet. Their tips curl toward me like they’re as eager as I am. “Umbra,” he says, voice rough, “I need you to be certain.”
I swallow, my throat dry. I’m not certain at all — not of what’s coming, not of how my body will handle him. But the pull between us, that strange, electric hum that’s been buzzing since we met, drowns out the fear. I want this. I want him .
“I’m ready,” I whisper, my voice steadier than I feel.
His hands move to my jumpsuit, and his fingers find the seam at my chest. With a gentle tug, the fabric parts, sliding open to expose my skin to the cool air of the domed room. I shiver, not from cold but from the way his gaze drinks me in, like I’m something precious and wild all at once.
He shrugs off his pants, kicking them aside with his boots, and I finally see him.
His cock, alien and intimidating, ridged and pulsing with faint luminescent streaks that glow in the starlight.
It’s larger than I remembered, its shape strange with nodes and curves and textures that make my breath hitch. I’m both terrified and aching for it.
He steps closer, his tentacles brushing my shoulders, my arms, their touch feather light and teasing.
One curls around my waist to guide me down to the smooth, transparent floor.
The stars stretch endlessly around us, a dizzying void that makes it feel like we’re floating free in the universe.
His hands are steady, one cradling my head, the other tracing the curve of my hip as he lowers himself over me.
“You’re safe with me,” he murmurs, and there’s that vibration again, thrumming through his voice, through his touch, resonating deep in my core.
I believe him. I don’t know why, but I do.
I spread my legs, trembling as he positions himself.
His tentacles move, two of them stroking along my inner thighs, warm and slick, coaxing me to relax.
Another brushes across my lower lips, sending a jolt of pleasure through me that makes my back arch.
I’m already wet from his earlier touches, from the memory of his mouth and tentacles working me to ecstasy, but this is different. This is more .