Page 10 of Alien Prince Fake Fiancé

As she moved gracefully toward them, the scent of a rare flower on Caldor drifted through the air, tantalizing his ultra keen senses.Sweet and spicy.Memories of a summer long forgotten rose to the surface. He breathed slowly, deeply, memorizing every detail, savoring this first contact.

He spread his legs slightly to give himself some small relief from the confines of his uniform.

“Um, hello,” Ashlyn began nervously, addressing the five of them together. “Welcome to Earth?”

He couldn’t look away as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and cleared her throat, his focus so intense he barely noticed when her sister joined her. And they were sisters, there was no mistaking the similarities.

“Apparently, I’m the reason you’re all here. Well, sort of, anyway. I guess you’re actually the reasonI’mhere.” She laughed weakly. No one was fooled. “So, my name is Ashlyn Faro. I guess you know that, too. My sister, Rachel, is mated toAmbassador Shronti. She and Cam, uh, I mean the ambassador, asked me to meet with you all. To..to..uh..”

The warrior from the Southern Sector smiled, stepped forward and took her hand in his own. “There is nothing to fear, my Ashlyn. You have only to choose one of us this day. The rest we can work out together. I am Prince Antonelius.”

“Fulack.” Zade swore quietly under his breath. Ashlyn might not know that Caldorians didn’t touch each other casually, but the rest of the warriors in the room knew. Antonelius was staking a claim on her. Zade saw red, only years of practicing restraint kept him from lashing out at the prince and giving him a beating he would not soon forget. His Ashlyn?HisAshlyn?

Zade knew he had no right to feel possessive of her. He didn’t care. There would only be one name on her lips as she cried out, and it was not going to be Antonelius, that hole of aviderbeast. In a register too low for a human to hear, Zade growled in warning, “Hands off or lose them.”

Antonelius wisely released Ashlyn and took a small step back.

“Nice to meet you, Antonelius,” Ashlyn continued, completely unaware of the territorial exchange. “As I explained to my sister, I would like to meet with each of you privately. Talk. Get to know you, even if just a little. I know we don’t have a lot of time.”

She looked around, at a loss for words. Did they really expect her to choose a complete stranger, then pretend she was madly in love with him and planning a wedding? What was the term the Caldorians used? Binding ceremony?First, they claim you and then bind you to them forever, like getting engaged and then married, and they live a really long time.

Her heart thundered in her chest. She wasn’t prepared for this. She was tough. She could handle difficult directors and choreographers. She could dance until her feet were bloody,then get up and do it again the next day. This was different. She had no skill set for this.

“I don’t mean to hurry you,” Rachel whispered next to her, “but Cam just called. A few of the Council members have arrived ahead of schedule, as well as the Ubrion family and their entourage.”

Ashlyn gave a very unladylike snort. She tended to get snarky when she was scared. “I think you’re trying to say we just lost home court advantage, but since we don’t even know the rules of the game, I’m not sure how much of an advantage that would have been. Just the fate of the planet hanging in the balance. No pressure.”

“More like three hundred thousand,” Rachel corrected, her eyes and nose scrunched like she was sucking on something sour. “Every planet that trades with Cappra will be affected. But, hey, like I already said, you can handle it. No need to panic. You said it yourself. You’re a dancer. That takes major commitment. Discipline. A high pain tolerance. And you know about stuff.”

“Stuff? You mean I know a bunch of secrets and haven’t told anyone, so I’m the next logical choice? I actually hope that’s the real reason you chose me, and not the other things you just mentioned, because if you think a high pain tolerance is going to be needed, I have to say I’m not into torture. Find someone else or let the Council seat go.”

Zade stepped forward, edging Antonelius out of the way, staking his own claim and daring the others to protest with a fierce glare before focusing on Ashlyn. He gave her a small bow and held out his hand, palm up, hoping she would place her own tiny hand in his. Caldorians weren’t wired for casual touching; they were far too territorial. If she were to touch him first, not only would it be a sign of her interest in him, it would also demonstrate that interest to the others. “Ashlyn Faro of Earth, I am Commander Zade Miralos, Prince of Caldor’s NorthernSector. Your sister has put fear in your mind that need not be there.”

She placed her hand in his and he worked diligently to hide the primal desire her touch ignited within him as she spoke. “I didn’t mean to imply anything, and Rachel hasn’t put anything in my mind that wasn’t already there. I’ll do this, but for the record, I want to say again that I think you should hire a professional. To be honest...” she gave an adorable shrug of her shoulders, “well, I can’t understand why your people would leave a decision like this up to someone like me. I have no experience in politics. I’ve never met anyone from the Council.”

“Contrary to appearances, our planet is not without political differences. The only way to satisfy all Sectors is to have you alone do the choosing. Only you are without bias, and it is you who must challenge the Ubrion family. You must decide who you believe is most capable of protecting you, the one you wish to stand by your side.”

“I don’t know any of you. I’m scared, which is kind of the opposite of happily engaged to the man of my dreams. If you heard everything, you know I’m not good at lying. This might not work.”

Zade spoke so Ashlyn would continue looking at him again, not her sister. Not any other male in the room. “The Council seat is a powerful weapon. Our Sectors may not always see eye to eye in all things, but we are Caldorians first and foremost. We are united in this. You must choose, Ashlyn.”

At her look of protest, he continued in a lower, more intimate tone as he stepped closer and leaned down to murmur in her ear, “You must choose the warrior most capable of convincing everyone that you have been truly claimed.”

“Everyone.” She blinked, slightly dazed, her gaze never leaving his. “Except me.”

“Especially you.” Zade’s voice deepened to an impossibly low pitch. Masculine. Sexy. Intimate. “For who will be convinced if you are not?”

She shivered, the tone vibrating through her body as his eyes devoured her. Even the tips of her breasts tingled. Tingled and ached. She wanted more. She wanted...

“Agreed.” Antonelius chimed in, breaking the spell. “You said you want to meet with each of us privately. I volunteer to be first.”

Ashlyn was slow to respond. She blinked. Prince Zade was still holding her hand. He was an alpha male. Powerful. Commanding. Her pulse raced as his thumb stroked over her knuckles, slowly, intimately. She imagined how his fingers would feel stroking other parts. Her lips parted in anticipation.

Antonelius cleared his throat. “I believe the Ubrion family will demand an audience soon. If you would like time to meet with each of us, we should find a better location. Did you have one in mind, my lady?”

She pulled her hand free of Zade’s and stepped back. Turning toward Antonelius, she smiled. He was just as good looking as Zade in his own way and equally muscled, with lavender eyes and blond hair. “Actually, yes, I do.”

CHAPTER THREE

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