Page 34 of The Alien's Captive Bride

As she made her way through the palace corridors, she nearly collided with Azlun. His hands instinctively went to her waist to steady her, and Venus felt a flutter in her stomach at his touch.

“Whoa, there, Your Highness,” she teased, patting his chest. “No need to sweep me off my feet. I can manage on my own. Well, most of the time.”

Azlun’s eyes crinkled with amusement. “Where are you off to in such a hurry? Running from your royal duties already?”

“Going for a run,” Venus replied, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “I’m feeling good, and I need to burn off some energy before I start reprogramming your androids for fun. You know, give them a sense of humor, maybe teach them some Earth dance moves.”

Concern flashed across Azlun’s face. “Are you sure you’re up for it? Maybe I should come with you. You know, to protect the androids.”

Venus patted his cheek affectionately. “I’ll be fine, worry-wart. Mila and Zora are joining me. What’s the worst that could happen? Besides, someone needs to stay here and protect those poor, humorless androids from my return.”

If only she’d known.

Venus set off at a brisk pace, her feet pounding against the winding path that led away from the palace. The alien flora blurred past in a riot of colors – iridescent flowers that seemed to sing as she passed and trees with bark that pulsed with an inner light. The crisp air filled her lungs, carrying the sweet, slightly metallic scent that was uniquely Tharvisian. Freedom, at last.

As she rounded a bend, she spotted two palace guards up ahead. She thought nothing of it, offering a friendly nod as she passed. “Beautiful day for a run, gentlemen. Don’t work too hard standing there looking intimidating.”

It wasn’t until she heard the heavy footfalls behind her that alarm bells started ringing. Venus glanced over her shoulder to see both guards in hot pursuit, their faces twisted with malice.

“Seriously?” she muttered, picking up her pace. “I was joking about the ‘don’t work too hard’ part. No need to prove me wrong!”

Her heart rate spiked, but not from exertion. She was a long way from the palace, alone, with two trained Tharvisian soldiers on her tail. “Well,” she panted, “so much for a relaxing jog. Time for some impromptu interval training.”

The path narrowed, forcing Venus off-road. She darted between alien trees, their branches reaching out like gnarled fingers. Bioluminescent vines hung low, forcing her to duck and weave. The guards were gaining ground, their longer strides eating up the distance between them.

“You know,” Venus called over her shoulder, her voice only slightly breathless, “if you wanted a running buddy, you could have just asked nicely!”

One of the guards snarled in response, the sound chillingly heartless.

Venus skidded to a stop in a small clearing, dropping into a defensive stance. No more running. Time to show these goons what an Arison woman could do.

The first guard lunged at her, all brute force and no finesse. Venus sidestepped, using his momentum to send him stumbling past her. “What’s the matter, big guy?” she taunted. “Can’t keep up with a puny human? And here I thought Tharvisians were supposed to be the superior species.”

The second guard circled her warily, his eyes cold and calculating. “You should have stayed in your gilded cage, princess,” he snarled. “It would have been easier for everyone.”

Venus smirked, though her heart was pounding. “Sorry, not really the ‘damsel in distress’ type. More the ‘kick your ass and look good doing it’ kind of girl. But don’t worry, I’ll try not to mess up your pretty faces too much. Wouldn’t want to ruin your chances at the Mr. Tharvisian Universe pageant.”

They attacked in tandem, a flurry of punches and kicks that Venus barely managed to dodge. She blocked a vicious righthook, wincing as the impact reverberated through her arm. These guys weren’t playing around.

Venus fought with everything she had. She landed a solid kick to one guard’s solar plexus, sending him wheezing to his knees. “How’s that for puny human strength?” she quipped, but her victory was short-lived.

The other guard caught her with a glancing blow to the temple, making her vision swim. Stars exploded behind her eyes, and she staggered, barely maintaining her footing.

“Okay,” she muttered, shaking her head to clear it, “now I’m annoyed.”

Just as the odds were turning against her, a familiar voice rang out. “Hey! Pick on someone your own size, you overgrown space bullies!”

Mila and Zora burst into the clearing, faces flushed and eyes blazing. Venus had never been so happy to see her sisters in her life.

“Took you long enough,” Venus quipped, wiping blood from her split lip. “I was starting to think you’d stopped for a picnic. Or maybe to admire your reflections in one of those shiny alien ponds.”

Mila rolled her eyes, dropping into a fighting stance. “You’re welcome, by the way. We would have been here sooner, but someone,” she shot a pointed look at Venus, “decided to turn a casual jog into a sprint through the alien wilderness.”

“What can I say?” Venus grinned, ignoring the throbbing in her head. “I like to keep things interesting.”

Zora interjected, “Less banter, more fighting, please. In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re a bit outgunned here.”

The three sisters stood back to back, facing off against the guards who had regrouped. It was a deadly dance of fists and feet, the women moving in perfect synchronization. Zora sweptthe legs out from under one guard while Mila delivered a devastating elbow strike to the other’s jaw.

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