Page 4 of The Alien's Captive Bride

Venus nearly choked on her laughter. “Zora! I can’t believe you’re thinking about alien... biology at a time like this.”

“Oh, like you haven’t wondered,” Mila retorted with a smirk. “Don’t think we didn’t notice how your eyes kept drifting to Azlun’s hands during that dance. Wondering how many fingers he has under those gloves, were you?”

Venus’s jaw dropped. “I was doing no such thing! I was simply... admiring the craftsmanship of his formal wear.”

“Uh-huh,” Mila nodded, clearly unconvinced. “And I’m sure it was purely academic curiosity that had you pressing up against him like that.”

“I wasn’t—“ Venus started to protest, but Zora cut her off with a gentle pat on the arm.

“It’s okay, Venus. We get it. You’re stuck in an arranged marriage with an impossibly handsome alien prince who just happens to be charming, intelligent, and completely smitten with you. It must be terrible.”

Venus sighed, shaking her head with a rueful smile. “When you put it like that, it does sound a bit ridiculous, doesn’t it?”

“Just a bit,” Mila agreed. Her tone softened as she continued, “But seriously, Venus. We saw how you two looked at each other. That wasn’t just political maneuvering.”

“It wasn’t,” Venus admitted quietly. She turned back to the alien landscape, her mind swirling with conflicting emotions. “But that almost makes it worse, doesn’t it? If this were justpolitics, I could handle it. But Azlun... he’s making me feel things I’m not prepared for.”

Zora wrapped an arm around Venus’s shoulders. “Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. You’ve always been so focused on your career and making a difference. But who says you can’t do that and find love too?”

“Love?” Venus scoffed, but the word sent a thrill through her that she couldn’t ignore. “It’s a bit early for that, don’t you think?”

Mila shrugged. “Maybe. But the night is young, the moons are bright, and you’ve got a handsome prince waiting inside who can’t take his eyes off you. I’d say anything’s possible.”

As if on cue, they heard footsteps approaching the terrace. Venus’s heart skipped a beat as she recognized the confident stride.

“Speaking of handsome princes,” Zora whispered, a grin spreading across her face.

Mila grabbed Zora’s arm, already backing toward the ballroom. “And that’s our cue to make a graceful exit. Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do, Venus!”

“That doesn’t rule out much!” Venus hissed after them, but her sisters were already gone, disappearing with conspiratorial giggles into the crowd.

Venus took a deep breath, steeling herself as she turned back to the railing. She heard Azlun’s voice, soft and slightly hesitant, “Enjoying the view?”

As she turned to face him, a smile graced her lips despite herself. Her sisters’ words echoed in her mind, and for a moment, she allowed herself to imagine the possibilities. Political arrangement or not, there was no denying the connection she felt with Azlun.

“It’s... not what I expected,” she admitted, her voice carrying a warmth that surprised even her. “But then again, nothing about this place is.”

TWO

The royal ballroom of Tharvis pulsed with an otherworldly energy. Crystalline chandeliers, their facets refracting light in impossible patterns, cast a kaleidoscope of colors across the polished obsidian floor. Each step Azlun took sent ripples of iridescent light dancing beneath his feet as if he walked on the surface of a living, breathing entity.

Through the towering windows, the alien landscape of Tharvis stretched out like a fevered dream. Jagged mountains, their peaks tinged with bioluminescent flora, pierced the violet sky. Twin moons, one a pale blue and the other a deep crimson, hung low on the horizon, their celestial dance a stark reminder of the alien world beyond the opulent walls of the palace.

Azlun’s skin still tingled from his dance and kiss with Venus Arison. He made his way back inside to one of the ornate pillars that lined the room, each one a masterpiece of local artistry, swirling with patterns that seemed to move when he wasn’t looking directly at them. He leaned against it, his eyes drawn magnetically to the garden terrace where he left her.

“By the stars,” he muttered to himself. “She’s nothing like I expected.”

The memory of Venus’s sharp wit and fearless demeanor during their dance replayed in his mind. Her words had been barbed, yet oddly refreshing. In a world where most beings either cowered before him or sought to manipulate him, her brazen honesty was... intoxicating.

Lost in thought, Azlun barely registered the approach of Princess Nyrea until she was upon him. Her silver-blonde hair was styled in an elaborate updo that seemed to defy gravity, adorned with glittering gems that caught the light with every movement. Her pale violet eyes, usually so alluring, now held a predatory gleam that set Azlun’s teeth on edge.

“You seem distracted, My Prince,” Nyrea purred, her hand coming to rest on his arm with practiced familiarity. “Perhaps you need some... entertainment?”

Azlun subtly shifted his weight, breaking contact with her hand. “I appreciate your concern, Princess Nyrea, but I assure you, I’m quite content observing the festivities.”

Nyrea’s eyes narrowed, following Azlun’s gaze to where it rested on Venus. Her porcelain features twisted into a momentary snarl before smoothing out into a carefully crafted mask of indifference.

“That Earth woman?” Nyrea scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. “She’s nothing more than a primitive curiosity, Azlun. Surely you can’t be serious about this... arrangement.”

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