Page 6 of Touch the Stars (Ghara Empire #1)

Bataar.

H e strode along the narrow corridor toward his future empress’s room.

If the grand emperor and the Ancient Ones knew about all the primitive mechanical devices orbiting her planet, they might reconsider their generous offer to these humans.

What could the people of this world possibly contribute to the empire?

Besides the future grand empress, that was.

Her worth was immeasurable, even though she lacked constitution.

Maybe he should have prioritized feeding her before departure.

His step stuttered. That decision could prove to be an error in judgement on his part.

One that he must rectify shortly. By the time they reached Ghara, she would be hale, healthy, and ready to assume her imperial duties.

The memory of her clothed in the unfamiliar garments of her planet rose in his mind.

The swatch of form-fitting black cloth around her full hips and thighs, and the loose, bright purple shirt with finger-thin straps draped over her ample breasts could not hide her noble calling.

Imagine how regal she would be in white!

He quickened his gait. The sooner he reached the stateroom, the sooner he could ascertain she was safe after his attempts to dodge the planetary debris field.

A snort escaped him. That was not the real reason he desired to see her. Of course she was safe; he had strapped her in himself. The real reason for his rush was purely selfish, and a true warrior did not yield to such indiscretions.

He paused by the cabin’s wall, gave the command, then stepped into the grand emperor’s private room. His gaze was immediately drawn to the bed.

The empty bed.

With no bed cover.

He drew his eyebrows together and frowned. How odd. Had the imperial heir somehow escaped? No, not possible. She did not have the word to command the door to open. Besides, neither her nor the bed cover had been in evidence along the corridor outside. So she must be here.

A blur of blue and white flew toward him from his right, and he ducked.

Thud .

A covering for a foot much smaller than his own rebounded off the wall and landed a hand span away. Ah, yes. She was still in the room and notably disgruntled. At least he would not have to search the ship for her.

She rose from the floor on the far side of the bed, jaw set, fury burning in her eyes, and the second foot covering in her hand.

“Who. In the hell . Do you think you are?” The cadence of her words was odd, but their meaning was clear.

It was admirable, in an adorable way, that she faced him armed with only her tiny shoe.

Fierce, and so cunning to assess her available resources to protect herself.

What courage for her to stand up to a warrior nearly twice her size.

She must also be a warrior for her own people.

Her skills would help her grow into a great empress.

Good thing he had fitted her with a translator before their departure from her planet.

This time, when he explained the honor bestowed upon her, she would not become upset and accusatory.

The device’s sounding stone glinted a dark pink in her earlobe, ready to receive and transmit his words along the thin chain to the translator cuff attached to the shell of her ear. Once she understood, she would be fine.

“Let me tell you something, buddy.” She jabbed her shoe in his direction. “I am not your sex slave.”

He jerked his head back. Is that what she thought of him? “I am not a flesh pirate. I am a warrior—”

“I. Don’t. Care.” She ground out the words with a tight jaw. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to give me my sister, then take us back to Earth.”

And fail in his duty? Fail the emperor, the Ancient Ones, and the entire Gharan Empire? No. The only thing he was taking was control of this situation. This was his mission, and she was not empress yet.

“Earth is your planet’s name?” He took a step toward her.

“Yes.”

Another step. “That is impossible.”

“Bullshit.”

That was a new word. He had listened to many transmissions in many languages as he had approached her planet. His translation device could decipher most of her words now. This “bullshit” was one word it had not learned.

“Whatever this contraption is that we’re in can move.” She patted her hip with her free hand. “I’ve got the bruises to prove it. So, since you took us off our planet, you can put us back.”

“I am sorry, but I do not know your sister.” A third step.

“That’s close enough, buster.” She shook the shoe at him again. “I’m the ace pitcher of the Azura Airport Softball Team. Next time, I won’t miss.”

“Ball” and “team”? She must be an athlete of some sort, which meant she was physically fit.

But, could she move as fast as an Undetan warrior?

The corner of his mouth twitched. He lunged forward, leaping onto the bed and crossing the mattress in two steps—the same amount of time it would take to blink—not slowing as he raised his hands toward her shoulders in preparation to lift her from the floor.

Slam!

Stinging pain exploded across his cheek, and he sucked in a sharp breath. She did it! She struck him with the flat underside of her shoe. What an impressive show of courage. But still not enough to stop him.

Her dark eyes widened, and a small squeak passed through her parted lips as he closed his hands over her delicate shoulders and carried her with him.

Then she was pressed between him and the wall behind her, pinned at eye level.

Like a soft, warm cushion. Her breath fanned across his face, her lips a mere finger’s width from his.

I may have made a slight miscalculation.

But there was no undoing it now. Follow-through was necessary.

He moved his head back to put more distance between their lips. “You will not go back. If you agree not to attack me again, I will explain why this is. Will you listen now?”

Kaitlyn.

Jesus, Not Big Foot moved fast! Getting pinned between the wall and his hard, muscled body wasn’t part of her plan, yet here she was slightly oxygen deprived with her girl parts feeling all tingly.

How warped was that? Too bad he didn’t seem to be in the mood to compromise, but that’s what happened after smacking someone in the face with a shoe.

Even if that someone was an alien.

With sexy, high cheek bones. Long, straight, raven-black hair that practically screamed for her to run her fingers through it. Penetrating blue eyes that were too gorgeous to look away from. They stood out like sapphires against the dusky sable tone of his skin.

This was so not what her first impression of him had been. Even five seconds ago, she’d thought she had a chance of convincing him to take her home. But now, not so much. Holy fuck, she was in trouble.

“I need your agreement.” His deep voice hummed through her body and settled in the juncture between her legs. He sucked in another sharp breath. “Be still .”

A jolt of awareness shot through her. Dammit. How had she not realized she was gyrating her hips like a twerking teenager?

She wet her lips with her tongue. “If it’s such a problem, then put me down.”

Her stomach let out a long, gurgling moan and warmth crept up her neck. Great. Here she was, ready to proposition the hot alien she should hate, and her body decided it was time to remind everyone within thirty feet that it’s hungry.

Not Big Foot smirked. “You may eat once I have your agreement.”

How weird that the movement of his lips didn’t match the English words she heard. “You shot me. Ya really think I’m going to let you poison me next?”

“A blanker is not used to kill, only to incapacitate. And poisoning you is not in the best interest of the empire. If you do not believe me, then I will eat with you.”

“How come I can understand you now?”

“I fitted you with a translator similar to my own.” He turned his head slightly, and a glint of a blue gemstone sparkled in his earlobe.

It looked like an earring with a gold chain that ran up to a cuff clamped to the side of his ear.

“The audio-stone receives the words, and the cuff transmits the translation to the language center of the brain until the wearer becomes fluent.”

Ooh, pretty and functional? “You mean I could literally learn to understand and speak your language with that thing?”

He raised one black eyebrow as if he couldn’t believe she’d asked such a stupid question. Well, all right, then. Guess the answer was yes.

“Fine. If you feed me—good, unpoisoned food—I’ll listen.”

He jerked his chin forward in a “s’up” gesture. “I agree.”

He stepped back and lowered her until her stocking feet touched the floor, then took a step back. Guess fun time was over. Too bad.

“Great. Okay.” She braced her butt against the wall, lifted her left foot, then pushed it into her shoe. “I need my other shoe.”

He moved around the bed. “Understand that you are not a prisoner. All areas of the cruiser are accessible to you, unless you give me cause to change my mind. Come with me.”

All right, now they were getting somewhere. “What about my sister? You need to free her too.”

“I do not know your sister, where she is, or what condition she is in.” He scooped up her other shoe, then jerked his arm back like he was going to quarterback it at her head.

“Ack!” She raised her arms to protect herself.

A warm chuckle came from his direction, and she lowered her arms partway. The jerk was grinning like he’d gotten one over on her. Which he had.

“Shit for brains.” She reached out as he underhanded the shoe to her.

“My brains are not feces.” His grin had dimmed, but still teased the corners of his full lips enough to signal he wasn’t completely insulted.

“Jury’s still out on that one.” She slipped on her other shoe, then padded around the bed as she brushed her fingers over the stud-like earring stuck in her left lobe, then followed the attached chain upward to the cuff. A stud, a chain, and a cuff, but nothing else?

“Wait a minute. Where are my earrings?” She touched the fingers of her right hand to her other ear. All of those were still there. “You took them?”

That sounded more accusatory than she’d meant, even to her.

“No.” Not Big Foot reached into a small pouch on his belt. “I kept them safe for you.”

“Oh.” Well, now she looked like an ass.

She held out her hand so he could drop the four missing earrings into her palm.

As he pulled his hand back, his fingertips brushed over hers.

An electric tingle shot up her arm, and she barely managed not to jerk her hand back.

What the hell was that? She snapped her gaze up in time to see his eyes widen.

Had he felt it too? He must have, because he was looking at her like she’d caused the spark.

“Um, thanks.” She carefully slid her jewelry into the pocket of her shorts, then touched her fingers to her throat.

The delicate metal “S isters ” charm was still there. Relief rushed through her. Losing her earrings was one thing, but losing her last tangible connection with Kris…that would suck balls.

“Come.” He about-faced, then strode toward the opposite wall as if she’d just follow along.

Better not expect me to sit, stay, or roll over too.

Her stomach gurgled. Right. Food time. All she had to do was listen while she ate, like a good little…non prisoner. Then she’d try reasoning with him, since demanding hadn’t worked. Maybe he’d listen to a well-thought-out argument.

“Neltai,” he murmured. Whatever that meant.

The hot alien walked straight into the wall and fucking disappeared!

“Whoa, shit .” She stopped dead in her tracks.

That was not normal. People didn’t just walk through walls. Not even dumbass aliens who abducted unsuspecting humans without asking.

Not Big Foot stepped back through the wall, the corners of his mouth pulled down in a disapproving frown. “Do you wish to stay here?”

“N-no. How…how did you do that?”

He tipped his head to one side. “Do what?”

“Walk through a fucking wall!”

Comprehension lit his face. “I commanded the molecules of the wall to restructure so that we may pass.”

“No shit? You can do that?”

“Certain sections of walls are made like this. It is similar to a doorway, yet provides privacy to personal spaces. The cruiser is an artificial intelligence, and can control its functions as you can control your body.”

“But…but.” She raised her arms, waving her hands around her head. “Isn’t that against the laws of physics, or something?”

“If such laws could not be broken, you and I would not be here.” He extended his hand toward her. “Take my hand, Empress, and we shall pass through together this time.”

Empress? “Wait a goddamn minute. You’re the grand emperor?”

His blue eyes widened. “ No . I am but his humble subject. A warrior of the Gharan Empire, which I live to serve. Now, please, come.”

Another groan came from her stomach, making its vote clear: food first, then she could process what she’d learned so far and make a coherent plan.

She swiped her palms over her bike shorts.

All she had to do was trust that Not Big Foot had walked through a wall not once but twice, and seemed fine.

Besides, if it didn’t work for her, what’d she have left to lose?

She gave him a weak nod, then placed her hand in his.

He gently closed his fingers, wrapping her hand with his warmth. “It is safe, I promise.”

Then they were moving toward the wall. Her breaths turned short and heavy, and her legs wobbled like wet noodles.

“Neltai.” Open.

This time, she understood the word.

A wave rippled over a section of the wall, but before she could examine it, the alien had pulled her through. It was like walking into a thin wall of warm, thick fog, then into a brightly lit corridor. Quick as a blink.

“See?” Not Big Foot grinned down at her. “It is that easy.”

“Nope.” She gave her head a hard shake. “Doors on spaceships should open and close with nice swooshing sounds, like they do in the movies.”

Two deep furrows appeared between his eyebrows before he shook his head in return. “The galley is this way.”