Page 26 of The Bride Contract (Princes of Xaavia #1)

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Chapter 26 - Niska

It’s been two days since we arrived on Xaavia, and unfortunately, I’ve not seen a whole lot of Kiahn. Apparently he’s been busy with his princely duties - duties that now include making sure his brother, Zann doesn’t try to flee the planet. The king did not stay long, and I’m not going to be so arrogant as to claim that I understand the dynamic between him and his sons, but to say there is a certain kind of strain between them would be an understatement.

He had been polite to Jaya, Lois and I at dinner that evening, but had left soon after. In truth, he’d seemed more interested in the prospect that my contract with Kiahn will pave the way for future contracts with Xaviann women who can help strengthen relationships between the various principalities than anything else.

Which… I guess was the whole point of me agreeing to this whole thing. That’s what I signed up to when Lady Zalora and Vel explained their plan before they bought my freedom.

Kiahn had gripped his fancy golden dinner-spork tightly in a fist while his father had been talking about which lucky female he should be considering next, though. So maybe he’s not so open to the idea of further contracts as everyone claims he should be?

Is it wrong that I find comfort in that?

“Are either of you at the center yet?!” Lois calls from somewhere else in the palace hedge maze. Vel had given us a very brief tour of the various palace gardens and terraces yesterday but we’d made her promise to bring us back to the maze today for some fun. Xaviann mazes are not too dissimilar to ones back on Earth, except the shrubbery is super tall to account for Xaviann height, and the neat, topiary hedging is a deep plum purple instead of the usual green.

“No!” I shout back. “I think I got turned around. I’m pretty sure I’m heading in the wrong direction completely!”

It doesn’t matter, though. It’s all part of the fun and I know I’ll get there eventually.

“Maybe splitting up wasn’t a good idea!” a voice pipes up, sounding further away.

“Where’s your sense of competition, Jaya?!” Lois shouts back, teasing, her words almost echoing.

But then it’s quiet again, and I decide to try and head toward where I think Jaya might be. I take a left, then a right, and come to a dead-end. Ok, not this way, then. Backtracking, I take a left and then another left when I could have carried on straight. Two more rights and I’m confronted with another dead-end. Sighing, I turn around and jump out of my skin to come face-to-face with Kiahn.

Well… more like face-to-chest, considering.

“ Shit! ” I curse. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

“Apologies,” he chuckles, his hand gripping my elbow to stop me from falling flat on my ass from his sudden appearance. “Are you enjoying the maze?”

I catch my breath, willing my heart to slow with a palm on my chest. “Well, I was, until you abracadabra-ed your way into it!”

Kiahn tilts his head like a curious Labrador, and I realize he probably doesn’t know what that means.

“How did you find me?”

He grins and gestures for me to follow him. I do, curiously, almost colliding into his huge frame when he stops suddenly and points at the hedge beside him. “You see how this section is ever so slightly lighter in color compared to the rest?”

Now it’s my turn to tilt my head like a curious dog as I squint at the shrubbery. “I guess?”

Kiahn’s smile grows wider, and without answering he just… walks straight through that part of the hedge. And I don’t mean that he pushed the densely-grown branches aside, and forced his way through the bush. I mean, it’s like that part of the hedge isn’t really there and he… walked right through.

“What in the Platform-nine-and-three-quarters?” I mutter to myself, getting a closer look. Reaching out, I ghost my fingers across the small leaves of the hedge and feel nothing at all. The bush kind of shimmers a little if you focus on it. Pushing my hand forward, I hold my breath as my arm disappears into the maze.

I feel Kiahn’s warm hand engulf mine on the other side, and for a second I think he’s going to tug me through the hedge. But he doesn’t. He just waits. Holding my hand.

Once I step through, I’m greeted with another beaming smile. A girl could get lost in a smile like that.

“C’mon,” he says, jerking his head toward the hedge in front of us. “It’s a clear path through these to get back out of the maze.”

Snorting, I shake my head. “That’s cheating, you know?”

Kiahn throws a glance at me over his shoulder before he disappears once more. “Zann had secretly requested these from our groundsmales when we were younger and much more competitive,” he says, gently guiding me through not-hedge to not-hedge. “It took Az and I longer than I would like to admit to work out how he always beat us both to the center every time. Az even memorized the correct pathway down to every little turn.”

“Yeah, and the little fucker was still there waiting for me with a shit-eating grin.”

We’d reached the outside of the maze and here Az is, ready to join the conversation like he’d always been a part of it. He’s stood there shirtless and sweaty, which seems to be a normal occurrence for him. Vel said something about him training with his team and coach this morning. Lois had pretended not to hear, but I’m pretty sure she was paying attention.

“Big brother,” Az greets Kiahn, making a mock salute before he turns to me and bows properly, his tone a little softer. “Lovely Niska… Is… is Lois… in there?” he asks, his voice a little higher as he gestures with his thumb toward the maze.

“Oh, yeah, I should probably shout and tell the girls that I’m not in there anymore or they’ll-”

“I’ll tell her,” Az is quick to interrupt. “I’ll-I’ll find Lois and tell her,” he says before quickly disappearing through the purple bush.

“And Jaya!” I call after him, smiling when I hear that his response of ‘I’m on it’ already sounds a good distance away.

Turning to Kiahn, my heart stutters in my chest. He’s so handsome. And I don’t just mean ‘handsome for an alien’, which is a pretty arrogant line of thinking for any species - like humans are any kind of authority on beauty standards? But I’m an authority on what gets me going, and I can’t deny that Prince Kiahn fits the mold that I didn’t even know existed. His green eyes are dazzling and kind, while everything else from his cool gray skin, his spiraling horns, huge stature and those fangs that I know he possesses all hint at a certain danger and dominance that speaks to my girly parts in a way that surprises me.

It’s only when his smile falters a little that I realize I’ve been standing here, smiling up at Kiahn as I studied his beauty like a lovesick puppy. And, that he’d said something to me. What had he said?

Kiahn starts to rub at his right horn - a gesture I’ve come realize Xavianns do when they’re a little self-conscious or unsure.

And now I feel doubly bad for standing here gawking at the big guy without actually listening to him.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” I ask, reaching out and placing my hand on his forearm in apology.

Kiahn’s eyes drop to the touch and his hand falls from his horn. “I-uh… I have a gift for you.”

“You do?”

He swallows and nods. The way this guy can talk me through an orgasm while he finger-fucks me out in the open on his balcony - with his guards right there - and also look so abashed about a gift is really doing it for me right now. The duality of a Xaviann man, I guess.

“Thank you, I’m sure I’ll love it,” I smile up at him, trying to keep my mind out of the gutter.

Kiahn clears his throat as he briefly glances down to my neck, and then offers his arm.

* * *

“This is your bride collar.”

I stand there, blinking in the dim room. There’s one shaft of brightness coming from an overhead spotlight that floats a few feet over a plinth. And on that plinth rests a red velvet pillow. And propped on that pillow, sits a very impressive piece of golden jewelry.

It looks like it belongs in a museum. Not just by the way it’s reverently presented, but just by how… opulent it is. The collar is made from gleaming gold with a base of intricate filigree-like patterns. And it’s adorned with jewels that look nothing like the rubies and emeralds of Earth. Some look like they hold shards of rainbows, and others seem to change color right before my eyes. The whole thing looks somehow both dainty in design and bold in size. The bottom of it dips to a widow’s peak-type of point that will rest right at the base of my throat between my clavicle. And from that point, hangs the biggest jewel of them all; a teardrop shaped clear stone that sparkles more than any diamond could ever dream to.

“I…” Kiahn starts, rubbing at his horn again. “Do you like it? We can make alterations if you don’t. It should fit you perfectly. I insisted that the collarsmith triple-check your measurements since she’s used to making collars for Xaviann brides.”

“It’s beautiful,” I breathe out, taking a step closer and then walking around the plinth in absolute awe. “It’s…” I look up to Kiahn over the collar now between us. “This can’t possibly be for me. This looks like something a queen would wear.”

Kiahn’s hand falls from his horn and he gives me a lop-sided smile. “I hate to break it to you, Niska, but-” he holds up a finger and twirls it around, indicating at… everything . “… well, you’re a Xaviann prince’s bride, and will be treated accordingly. This is for you. This is yours to show everyone that you are mine.” My eyes leave the gorgeous piece of jewelry to meet with Kiahn’s across the plinth. He clears his throat before adding, “… for a time, at least.”

We’re both quiet after that. Maintaining eye contact seems ‘too much’ somehow, so I go back to assessing the collar, admiring the play of light on the jewel-encrusted piece.

And this is mine.

I mean… it’s as equally stunning as it is ostentatious.

I will feel like a queen wearing something like that. But I’ll also feel like someone with a giant, neon, flashing sign announcing very publicly that I’ve agreed to be fucked by the prince.

And a small, deranged part of me finds a thrill in that.

Hesitantly, I reach out, brushing my fingertips over the details of the piece. It really is a work of art, and it feels like I’ve been granted access to the crown jewels or something equally precious. My touch barely ghosts over the cut stone that looks like the most dazzling opal you’ve ever seen, and instantly the thing starts to glow, lighting up from within. Pulling back, my breath hitches. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a pretty jewel.

“Those are called glowstones,” Kiahn supplies, clearing his throat. “They are rare and ethically sourced from a conservation planet somewhere in the fifty-fourth sector.”

I raise my brows. “Sounds expensive.”

Stepping forward, Kiahn carefully picks up the collar, and with his other hand, he makes a twirling motion with his finger, indicating that I should turn around. “You will need to get used to receiving such things from me, Niska,” he says, lowering the collar to my neck and fastening it at the back as I hold my hair out of the way. To my surprise, the collar gives a little electronic beep at the nape of my neck once it’s secure. “As my contract bride, you should expect me to provide expensive things for your pleasure and enjoyment.”

Turning, I stare up at him. “Is that your kink or something?” Kiahn’s brow furrows. “You love talking about all the things you’re going to buy me whenever we get a bit… carried away … so I thought… maybe… you get off on spoiling women?”

Kiahn goes incredibly still, his gorgeous green gaze boring into me. “Not women,” he grunts. “ You .”

* * *

After fitting the beautiful collar around my neck, Kiahn had made me grip the large, dangling teardrop shaped stone, and explained that it’s not a jewel at all. In fact, it’s a piece of technology that is used to read my finger prints among other things. Once I’d curled my hand around the not-stone for five seconds, I felt the thing gently vibrate twice in my hand, apparently indicating that it had been activated and the collar will now only open to my touch.

Kiahn had explained that throughout the history of these strange breeding contracts, there have been instances of males being so driven by their instincts to bite, that they would rip the collar from the female. So, even though the thought of my whole neck being encased in this golden cage felt a little stifling at first, it soon started to feel like a piece of armor.

Wearing the collar around the palace is another new experience. Before, when Lois, Jaya and I had been exploring, we noticed the various Xavianns we’d encountered had done double-takes at seeing humans, and some had seemed curious, though they’d remained polite.

But, walking around with this big neon sign that I’m their prince’s ‘bride’? They damn near snapped their necks to come and introduce themselves to me, offering everything from their eternal friendship, to use of their vacation planet.

“You’ll find everyone will want to curry favor with you, now,” Vel grinned after I’d explained this new attitude the people had toward me now over dinner. “The thinking is that if you manage to please the prince’s bride, then you please the prince.”

“And everyone wants to please K, though not many do. Isn’t that right, brother?” Az teases as he leans back on his dining chair. He is - for once - wearing a shirt, but it’s more of a vest, and with the way he raises his arms behind his horned head as he gleefully grins over at Kiahn, he may as well be shirtless. I glance to Lois beside me, catching the way her spork hovers mid-way to her mouth, her gaze fixed very decidedly on the bulging biceps of the alien she definitely doesn’t have a thing for. She only allows herself a few seconds of gawking before her cheeks bloom pink and she busies herself with the rest of her meal.

Kiahn clears his throat. “Actually, I think you’ll find I’m quite easy to please,” he says, dabbing at the corner of his mouth with an intricately embroidered napkin. “Just because you two deeply unpleasant gelikliks have never achieved it, doesn’t mean it cannot be done.” He finishes his words while looking at me before he reaches over for a cut-crystal decanter, topping up the sweet fruit drink we’ve all been enjoying.

Lady Zalora mutters something about name-calling at the dinner table but it goes largely unnoticed. What doesn’t go unnoticed is the way Zann isn’t eating. Instead, he sits at an angle in his chair, his elbow on the table as he studies his big brother.

“ What ?” Kiahn asks.

Zann snorts. “Nothing, it’s just…” he gestures toward the both of us. “Who knew that all it would take for you to lighten up a bit was a little human woman with pretty eyes.” He picks up his silver spork and stabs a purple-colored steamed vegetable, popping it in his mouth and chewing with an open grin. “If I’d have known that, I would have bought you one myself years ago.”

“ Boys ,” Lady Zalora grinds out, the warning falling on deaf ears.

Kiahn glares at his brother down the table. “Who says I’ve lightened up at all?”

“Because if this whole thing with Xoe had come out before you got your gorgeous little gift here -said with all due respect-” he adds, casually pointing his spork in my direction, chewing as he gives me a wink “-then I’m pretty sure you’d have forced me into a contract by now… or exiled me.”

“Don’t fucking tempt me, Zannador,” Kiahn growls. “I’ve promised father that you will be making amends to Xoe and her family, so don’t get too comfortable.”

Zann lifts his glass and downs the dregs before reaching for a decanter for more. “So I’ll buy her some pretty baubles the next time I’m in the capital.”

Kiahn shifts in his seat, sighing. “I do not think pretty baubles will cut it this time.”

Zann stares at his brother, but neither of them seem to be backing down. His tongue pokes at the side of his mouth as he seems to be thinking of his next words. Glancing at his aunt, he must see that neither of them are going to relent, or allow him to get off easy with making amends for what he’s done. “You do know that if you force me into a contract I will just refuse to lay with Xoe for the duration. She will go along with it, she’s got her eyes on some males from the Western Principality anyway. She wanted me for fun, not to sire any children. And really, who could blame her?” He says, snorting into his refilled glass.

Lady Zalora lifts a hand, indicating something to the servants that hover along the edges of the room. One hurries forth, carrying a silver tray. Sat on the tray is a tumbler glass containing a small amount of a black liquid that I know to be a very strong liquor. Kiahn had offered some of it to me back on the ship, but I’d taken one sniff of the stuff and concluded it was likely strong enough to make me forget my own name. Lady Zalora , on the other hand - she downs the shot swiftly in one, murmuring low to the servant to bring another. “If you’re looking for ways to enrage that girl’s father and in turn, the king, by all means, engage in a contract where you two do not mate,” she says to Zann, though she’s fussing with her skirts and not looking at him. “You know very well how that will be received when they find out. And they will find out.”

“Well, then we’ll just have to make use of some contraceptives, won’t we?” he throws back, and just as the words leave his mouth, Vel drops her glass, spilling the fruit drink all over the crisp white tablecloth.

There’s a commotion of gasps as well as a rush of servants leaping forward to clean up the spill. Amongst the fluster, I can’t help but feel flushed as I make eye contact with not only Lois and Jaya, but Vel and Lady Zalora too.

It’s Kiahn’s aunt who recovers quickest, ushering forward the servant offering more of that black liquor, and picking up where Zann had left off as if nothing had ever happened. “Don’t be silly, Zannador. You could get into real trouble if you’re caught using those.”

Somehow, I feel like she’s talking to me. Vel had given me the contraceptives that I’m to use with Kiahn. They are tiny pills that melt on my tongue that I need to ingest just before doing the deed. Vel had said that they wouldn’t be detected on anything - whatever that means. And, if Kiahn questions them, to lie and say that they are fertility enhancers that humans commonly use.

I glance at Kiahn beside me. He’s staring daggers at his youngest brother while he repeatedly stabs at his salad-like side dish with his spork.

I don’t like the thought of lying to him.

But I don’t want to have a baby right now either.

It’s all for the mission. It’s all for the mission. It’s all for the mission, I remind myself, glancing at Lois and Jaya. We all need to stay safe. It might be a lie, but it’s a lie with a purpose - a pretty good one, too. And, it’s not like he’ll care. He’ll be on to the next contract before either of us know it.

Something twists in my chest, but I don’t need any further complications right now, so I stuff all my thoughts to the back of my mind. It feels somewhat reminiscent of how I used to shove all my crap into my closet back when I was a kid, and my mom had said she’s coming to check to see if I’d tidied my room. I used to vow to myself that I’d deal with all that shit later.

I never did.

“Oh, my horns!” Vel exclaims, covering her mouth with her hands.

When I look up to her, I half expect her to have knocked something else over. But she hasn’t. She’s looking directly at me.

“ Oh ,” Az says glancing between me and Kiahn.

“What?” I have no idea why everyone’s looking at me now. I’m not the one who spilled the drink, nor the one who’s been talking about contraceptives at the dinner table.

Zann whistles low. “Looks like it’s your time to shine, K,” he chuckles, right before Zalora actually picks up her cane and knocks his left horn with it, catching him off guard. “Ow! What? It was gonna happen soon. Aren’t humans a fairly regular species?”

I am utterly lost. “Regular in what way? What is it? ” Turning to Kiahn, I see his napkin balled up in a fist on the tabletop as he stares at my chest. His lips part softly and I swear he’s showing a hint of fang. He’s not looking at my cleavage, though. It’s higher than that. His eyes are firmly fixed on the base of my neck where the large piece of tech that looks like a teardrop diamond rests. I look down at myself, surprised to see that it’s changed color. It’s now the deepest, richest, blood red, making the thing glitter like a giant ruby. And… I swear it’s glowing.

“Whoa, why’s it doing that?” Lois asks, staring at the stone now too.

It’s with a hoarse voice that Kiahn answers from beside me; “because my bride is now perfectly fertile.”