Page 54 of Alien Prince’s Fake Bride (The Tentacle Throne #1)

“That wasn’t me. Nor the treacherous lackey in the transport. But we have to think about what to do next.”

I grab a new tendril and stroke it, enjoying how a pink band rolls along it just behind my finger. “Do you think it’s working? The ruse?”

“I think it is. It looks very real. And…” He puts his hand lightly on the side of my head, stroking the edge of my ear.

“And it kind of is real,” I finish his sentence.

He sighs. “This was the one thing I never thought would happen. That I would really start to have feelings for you. And that those feelings would just get stronger. I’ve tried to keep my distance, Umbra.

I’ve tried to stay away from you. But I haven’t been able to resist. When I’m with you, everything else vanishes.

The Empire, the wars, the attempts to murder us…

it becomes unimportant. It’s very dangerous for a prince to feel that way.

Not to mention a future emperor. But here we are. ”

“Maybe it’s not dangerous at all,” I suggest. “Maybe the time you spend with me is good. Maybe you need the rest.” I’m not sure what I want with this.

I can’t stay on Khav. The future of the Earth may depend on my choices.

On the other hand, I don’t want to be without Mareliux.

I want to be around him and his easy confidence and his obvious caring.

What if I can have both? A secure Earth being brought into the space age for real, and Mareliux staying in my life?

“You asked if I would stay,” I remind him. “Did you mean that? It’s fine if you didn’t. When we’re being really passionate, we sometimes say things that we don’t mean. I just need to know.”

“I meant it,” he growls. “Stay. Stay with me. Not on Khav. But with me.”

“And Earth?”

He strokes my hair. “Earth will be safe. You’ve done your part. Everyone believes our ruse.”

Warmth spreads through me. This could work out better than I had dared hope.

I reach up and stroke his cheek. “That makes me happy.”

He bends down and kisses me. “Me too.”

His hand slides down my side until he’s cupping a breast outside my alien style dress.

“Should we be going somewhere else?” I ask carefully. “This was Princess Carelia’s nursery.”

He cups my butt and squeezes. “It was strictly only her nursery for a year or so, until she was no longer an infant. Then it simply became her room. I’m sure she would approve of what we’re doing. We are, after all, escaping murder attempts. She would understand.”

We kiss deeply while I shed my clothes and tug impatiently at his pants.

My heart thrums, not with fear but with power, my Syntrix energy still tingling in my veins after getting rid of that grenade.

Even if it wasn’t a real attack, the feeling of power is intoxicating.

I still feel invincible, and I want to channel that fire into us.

Mareliux sits on the ottoman and pulls me down to his lap.

His massive frame radiates heat, and his long, thick tentacles sway gently from his head.

Their tips glow purple. His erection is already straining, thick and alien, ridged with pulsating nodes.

Its curved length gleams in the dim light.

I position myself on him, straddling his hips.

My hands trace the hard muscles of his massive chest.

“I feel alive,” I murmur, my voice low and fierce. “I stopped those attacks, the lackey and the missile. And now I want y ou .”

His eyes burn with pride and desire. “You’re a force, Umbra,” he growls.

“Maybe the greatest force on Khav. Nobody’s ever seen Syntrix like you have.

” Two tentacles curl around my waist, their warm, flexible tips teasing my skin.

Another slides up my spine, sending shivers through me, while a fourth brushes my breast. It coils around my nipple until it peaks.

I moan, grinding against his cock, feeling its ridges press against my slick folds.

I guide him inside me, gasping as his exotic shape stretches me, each node sparking pleasure. His tentacles move in sync—one stroking my clit, another curling around my thigh to pull me closer. “Take it all,” he whispers, thrusting upward, slow and deliberate.

My Syntrix surges as I meet his rhythm, and we move as one. The dragons bear witness to our fire until I climax. His roar follows, and I know that right now, right here, nobody can touch us.

- - -

I look up at the ceiling. “My love, why are there dragons everywhere here?”

He yawns. “Probably to ward off real dragons.”

I frown. “Real dragons? Do you have those?”

He chuckles. “Of course not. The dracos are mythical beings. Terrible monsters that would burn whole cities and eat people by the hundreds. Legend has it that when the dragons appear again, it will be the end of the Khavgren Empire. Probably that’s why Carelia’s father wanted to keep them away by having that one painted on the ceiling. It’s pure superstition.”

“It’s just that we have them on Earth, too,” I tell him thoughtfully. “Not real ones. But the mythical ones. And they look a lot like the one up there. Wings and fire breath and everything. I think that’s interesting.”

His finger plays idly with one of my nipples.

“Most civilizations dislike monsters and make up terrifying and exciting myths about them. Many of them look like dragons. It’s a common thing in the galaxy.

I think researchers have studied it. My love, we will do as you suggest and have the reception tomorrow.

In a random place. Then we can decide where we’ll go. ”

I twirl one of his tendrils around my finger. “Receptions are dangerous, you said.”

He mirrors my movement in my hair, twirling a lock. “Receptions and balls and parties and formal dinners are when most murders happen.”

“Was that when you… Darient told me about you being poisoned. Actually, I don’t want to bring it up. It must be a painful memory. Sorry. Forget it. Don’t answer. Oh look, is that table made of wood? ”

He smiles tightly. “It’s all right. It was a reception of some kind. I forget what was being celebrated. I just remember my insides feeling like they were on fire. And the hallucinations.”

I grab his massive shoulder and squeeze. “That’s terrible. I can’t imagine what that would have been like. Was it… Darient said she had some suspicions about who it was.”

“The Empress,” Mareliux says and sits up, still with his hand in my hair. “Everyone suspects her.”

I steady myself on him while I slowly sit up, too. “But you don’t?”

“Oh, I do. Nobody else would have much to gain from my death. Nerox was too young to think in those terms. But with him as the next emperor, the Empress could be sure to wield power through him. I was becoming too independent, and I was always complaining about my father being dead. It must have been embarrassing for her. Emperor Craxallo was already sick by that time. I don’t think anyone expected him to live as long as he has.

” Mareliux buries his nose in my hair and sniffs.

“All right, I’ll go and tell everyone to expect to be called to a reception tomorrow at a random time. And a random place.”

“My love,” I say. “You smell wonderful.”

“Thanks. But you smell better.”

“There’s something that I’ve noticed. About smells.

Maybe I’m too sensitive about it after that jungle planet that smelled so bad.

But you smell good, and Nerox smells of perfume, and Darient smells of girly perfume, and even Sigise has a smell.

Right? Everyone does. It’s normal, on Earth too.

But the Empress. She doesn’t have any smell.

Does she? There’s no perfume and nothing else. ”

“I’ve noticed that too,” Mareliux sighs. “She doesn’t even smell of sap, although she spends a lot of time in her garden. She wasn’t always like that. Before she married Craxallo, she was nothing like she is now. Completely different. But people change.”

“Darient told me about Terieli,” I tell him softly. “I just want you to know that I know. I don’t mind it at all. You had a life before we met, as you should. I’m just glad she could brighten your life for a little while. And I’m really sorry about the way she… I mean, about what happened.”

“She was a wonderful girl,” he says, running one hand gently through my hair. “It’s been a long time. But yes, she did shine some light into a heart that otherwise could have turned darker than it is now. An emperor with a dark heart would not be much good to anyone.”

I lazily twirl a tendril. “You don’t hate the Empress because of that?”

“Oh, I hated her. For a long time. And she knew, but it didn’t seem to mean much to her. At least she didn’t kill Terieli. That was the Vyrpy. Now, it’s been years. My hatred has cooled, but not gone out.”

For some reason I suspect Empress Juriniel was behind that, too. But Darient is probably right - it would be impossible for her to use the Vyrpy for anything.

Mareliux lifts me off him and stands up. “I’ll ask Caret’ax to go into the city and bring back food that we can safely eat. You’ll stay here until I’m back. That dragon up there will keep all our enemies away tonight.”