I picked her up in the cradle of my arms and drew her close to my chest. I nestled her hair with my cheek, inhaling her soft feminine scent.
She relaxed against me and the question of whether it was a true reaction to me or all for show consumed me.
She’d been here a matter of minutes and I was already losing my mind.
I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. Her scent hit me harder now. My hunger to bend her to my will grew restless. I could feel the need stirring on the inside. To conquer. To dominate. To serve her and bring her pleasure. To earn her trust so she would fully submit. Now that I’d seen her, the need woke within me and roared like a monster. I had been too long without a female. Perhaps I should soothe that itch before we left for the city.
No. Even the thought revolted me. I didn’t want another female. I wanted her.
She was an undercover agent from Earth, sent to infiltrate a terrorist organization that threatened our entire planet. I repeated this information over and over in my mind. I was not supposed to want her, but I did. Badly.
I opened my eyes to find her gazing up at me. Assessing. Taking my measure.
"Bring your mate and follow me to the conference room.” We followed her like small children behind a teacher “Ms. Smith, I hope you can forgive me but I am so excited to see another human. When I heard you were coming, I danced with Allayna for an hour. Let’s just say, I am eager to talk to you." The queen glanced at the transport officers, who chuckled at her girlish tone.
She had them all fooled. The entire planet had no idea just how serious Allayna’s injuries truly were. Nor did they know the little princess was still unconscious in a ReGen pod. They didn’t need to know. Just like they didn’t need to know the female in my arms didn’t belong to us. Wasn’t a true bride.
The female tore her wide-eyed gaze from mine and I immediately felt adrift. Her voice filled the corridor, the sound like a hand wrapping around my cock. "Of course, Queen Leah. I would love to get the native’s tour."
"Just Leah." The queen smiled. "Out here, us Earth girls stick together."
"Just Leah, I don’t use the Ms. Just call me Smith." Smith smiled then, and it was beautiful. How had she come to be here? With us? Any true male of worth, on Earth or any other planet, would have been hard pressed not to desire her. Fuck her. Claim her. Were human males such idiots?
They must be.
Smith shifted in my arms, her softness moving over my chest and abdomen. The contact was startling. Intimate. Did she know the effect she had on me? How could she?
"I need to, uh…get dressed first?" She looked at the queen. “I would love to talk to you, but I don’t want to do it naked unless I absolutely have to.”
Queen Leah laughed—the first time I’d heard the sound since the latest attack on Allayna—and Smith earned my gratitude if nothing else.
“Of course. Your mates will take you to your quarters.” The queen looked at each of us in turn, her gaze direct and saying what she wouldn’t say aloud. Treat her like you would treat me. She is in command of this mission. Respect. Obey. Do not touch.“Get a good night’s sleep. Transport from Earth can be exhausting. They will give you anything you’d like to eat. All of Earth’s most popular dishes have been programmed into the S-Gen machines. Just ask and it will be yours. We can talk tomorrow.”
“Wow. Thank you. Warden Egara didn’t ask for my size. Do you need that to get me some clothes?”
The queen grinned at the newest, clueless human to arrive on our home planet. “No, Ms. Smith. I do not. They have marvelous machines here that will scan your body and make custom clothing for you on the spot. Any style you want. Gowns. Uniforms.”
“Are you kidding?”
“Shoes, too.”
“Shoes?”
Leah’s voice dropped despite our private surroundings. “As well as weapons.”
“Holy shit.”
That made the queen chuckle. “I know, right?”
Smith grinned. “Good. I was dreading running around without my Glock.”
“We have much better firearms than that out here. I’ll have your mates give you a list of available weapons as well as show you how to use them, if you’d like?”
“Oh, hell yeah. That would be great.”
I did not like the fact that the military lock on the S-Gen machine’s weapon’s security access had been removed for Smith. No. I didn’t want to imagine this soft female with a weapon in her hand, facing down someone who wanted to hurt her. Kill her. Not one bit. Nor did I have any intention of placing one of our extremely dangerous ion blasters into her hands.
“Geros, see to it.”
