Page 79 of You're Not My King!

Claws flexed against my hip as his other hand tipped my head back for better access. It was hungry, how he claimed me, possessive and primal, so of course, heat pooled in my belly. He was marking me as his, and this time, I was more than willing to let myself be taken, to belong to him.

I had made the choice to be owned, body and soul.

Only when we were both kiss-bruised and flushed did we part, eyelids drooping and lips swollen. We stood there for a moment, his forehead resting against mine, panting lightly and soaking up one another’s heat. His stumpy tail swished happily behind him, and though butterflies swarmed my belly, making me a little giddy, I had never felt so at peace.

Christ, love really is a drug, huh?

“What happens now?”

Vo’ak brushed one last kiss over the tip of my nose. “You will rest, my hoo-man, then we return home, where I shall worship you and attend to your needs until the end of time.”

Fucking charmer.

“Home,” I echoed, smiling at how natural and perfect it tasted on my tongue. “Yeah, I like the sound of that.”

He mirrored my grin before scooping me into his arms as if I were the most precious thing in all the world and striding toward the tent. I snuggled into him, nose burrowed in the crook of his neck, breathing in his woodsy scent and telling myself I could get used to the princess treatment—considering I was technically the queen of U’suhk, it seemed only rational.

Forgetting my past wasn’t really an option. It had made me into the person I was, and despite everything, I… actually didn’t want to lose that. But with this lovable lizard beside me, and everyone else I’d come to regard as family, I knew I’d learn to move on.

To heal.

Being abducted by aliens may not have been on my bingo card for the year, but being loved by one had been written in the fucking stars.

REUBEN

SIX MONTHS LATER

I could barely concentrate on grinding herbs for Fiona, too distracted with scanning the tree line every five seconds for any sign of Vo’ak and his men.

My mate was finally coming home.

I’d been left in charge while he was off gallivanting to all corners of his territory, checking on his people now that everything with the Northern Clan had long since settled. He was a good king, doing his duties and shit, and he’d only been gone two weeks, but no matter how many bobble hats I crocheted or potions I mixed, knowing he would be stalking through those trees any minute had me realizing just how much I’d missed him.

On the bright side, I hadn’t suffered the usual abandonment issues. Now that I knew he would return to me no matter what, it was a hell of a lot easier to sleep at night. Sure, I still had the odd fleeting worry that he was lying dead in a ditch somewhere, but since the rebels had been dealt with, U’suhk was at peace again. The forests were safer, and the inhabitants had all returned to that warm and friendly togetherness that made me feel accepted and fuzzy.

The last six months had been… challenging, I wouldn’t lie, but it had been worth battling every obstacle, in the end. The Northern Territory now had new settlers—all those who wanted a change of scenery or a new beginning. Like Ik’lyu, the Ly’zrd who had given me the cold shoulder from day one, and had looked majorly disappointed when I’d returned from my runaway-slash-kidnapping venture all those months ago. Had I not been in a forgiving mood at the time, I would have suspected he was responsible, but a deeper search of his despondent eyes made it obvious that resignation had plagued him more than malice.

I didn’t hate him for his hostility toward me. Sure, when I’d first found out that the reason he’d been treating me like shit was because he was Vo’ak’s ex-lover, I was a little bitter, but rationally, it wasn’t his fault. He’d been cast aside between one breath and the next, and whether his interest in my alien had been true or only surface deep, it must have been a huge blow to his pride. Seeing how Vo’ak hadn’t hesitated to come to my rescue—and had carried me the entire way home like precious cargo—was clearly the wakeup call he’d needed to finally realize that pining after my mate was fruitless, and for him to decide that distancing himself was the only way he could get over it. I couldn’t pretend I would miss his pinched sneer every time our eyes met, but I did wish him the best of luck.

Vo’ak wasn’t exactly easy to forget.

Tanner had opted to stay in the Northern Camp from the very beginning. While the other humans had been scattered among the clans—to whichever one best suited their skills and needs—he had declined, requesting to help rebuild and make the former ‘traitor tribe’ somewhere less daunting and other. I hadn’t argued. It was his choice, and it was actually pretty beneficial to have a human there to oversee restorations and show everyone else that change was not only possible, but already in motion.

Initially, many of the others had had problems adjusting to a peaceful life on an alien planet after what they’d gone through under Dax’r. Who could blame the poor fuckers? Their spirits had been weakened, but with Tanner’s influence, along with some of my own, many of them had regained a measure of trust quicker than expected. I’d made it my mission to help them find comfort and contentment, any way I could. It gave me another reason to want to heal myself, a purpose. I felt useful, wanted, and slowly, bit by bit, I started to see a promising future unfurl in front of me instead of just the black, unknown hole it had been for so long in the past.

Fiona and I often traveled between the clans to make sure everything was running smoothly. Not often, as Vo’ak had been a clingy lump since the whole kidnapping fiasco, but at least he trusted me not to wander off. He had a better understanding of equal partnerships now, and had a proper grasp of my disapproval with being cooped up at home and wrapped up in cotton wool. It was nice that he cared and wanted to keep me safe, but even though my lazy ass rarely wanted to do anything, I needed that choice.

Thankfully, he’d eased up, compromising by going with me whenever he felt protective. It was a major step up from him fucking me until I physically couldn’t go anywhere except bed—not that I’d complained, but that probably bordered on toxic behavior, and I had to keep the balance.

The extra travel also meant I had more opportunities to learn Ly’zrd, which had helped immensely. I mostlypracticed on Puka and Fiona, then impressed Vo’ak with my progress whenever I had it perfect. I still got shit wrong, but no one mocked my efforts. They were patient, breaking phrases down and repeating them until I understood. In turn, I gave out pointers for anyone hoping to learn more English. I mean, I was barely an expert myself, and we never got technical, but they wanted just enough to be able to communicate with new arrivals.

More specifically, their mates, since there was every chance they’d be human, what with the recent development between Zae’l and Cesare bumping up the odds.

Yes, they were fated, who’d have thunk it? Zae’l had figured it out the second they’d descended on the traitor clan to rescue moi. It would apparently be an honor to have two mated pairs—not to mention the mixed species—but that celebration would have to wait. Cesare was not ready for a bond, and though Zae’l lingered around the boy, subtly courting him and trying to prove his worth, the stony brute respected the delay. I had threatened to chop off his knot if he didn’t, but apparently that was redundant. Cesare had made his boundaries perfectly clear, and Zae’l, while pretty unapproachable and scary, was a surprisingly patient guy when it mattered. He would hold back, and probably continue to hover three feet away at all times like a creeper.

Instincts were a bitch.

On that note, a round of howls and cheers sounded, signaling the Great Leader’s return, and I couldn’t drop my task fast enough to sprint outside. Vo’ak led his troops into camp, his spear held loosely in his hand as his eyes roved the site. His gaze landed on me barely a second later, and everything blurred.

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