Page 21 of Her Alien Guardian

The bridge erupted in applause, startling me. I had become so entranced by the scene before me that I had almost forgotten about the rest of the crew. Looking around, I saw that everyone was in various states of undress and arousal. Some still actively engaged in their own couplings, while others had paused to watch their captain’s performance.

Alpha straightened, his impressive physique gleaming with a light sheen of sweat. He looked every inch the conquering hero, powerful and virile. With gentle hands, he began to undo Sala’s bonds, freeing her wrists and ankles from their restraints.

As the last strap fell away, Alpha gathered Sala into his arms. She looked small and fragile against his massive blue form, her pale skin marked with the evidence of their passionate encounter. Yet she wore a look of utter contentment on her face as she nestled her head against Alpha’s broad chest.

“Well done, my love,” Alpha murmured, pressing a tender kiss to Sala’s forehead. “You’ve made me very proud.”

Sala smiled up at him, her eyes shining with adoration. “Thank you, my lord,” she whispered. “I live to serve you.”

As Alpha cradled Sala in his arms, I felt a strange ache in my chest. I could feel the tenderness between them, such a contrast to the brutal coupling I had just witnessed. It stirred somethingdeep within me—a longing I had never felt before, for that kind of bond, with a man who knew how to… to… I could hardly bear to let myself think it, but the thought rose irresistibly in my mind.

With a man who knows how to claim me that way.

CHAPTER 12

Tessara

When I awoke in Captain Alpha’s enormous bed, with Sala stirring next to me, I had a moment of complete disorientation. As consciousness slowly returned, I found myself enveloped in a cloud of comfort. The bed beneath me felt impossibly soft, cradling my body in a way I had never experienced before. Silken sheets whispered against my bare skin as I shifted, their cool touch a foil to the warmth radiating from the body next to me.

For a blissful moment, I hovered in that hazy space between sleep and wakefulness, content to simply exist in this cocoon of comfort. But then, as my mind began to clear, panic seized me.

My eyes flew open, heart racing as I took in my surroundings. The room was vast, far larger than any sleeping quarters I had ever seen on a starship. Ornate tapestries adorned the walls, their intricate patterns seeming to shift in the soft light. A massive viewscreen dominated one wall, currently displaying a breathtaking vista of stars against the inky blackness of space.

Terror gripped me as I realized I must somehow be in the captain’s quarters on theConqueror of Bresla. I had never seen them, of course, nor imagined they could be this spacious. But how? The last thing I remembered was… what? My mind scrambled to piece together the fragments of memory.

Suddenly, it hit me. I was aboard theConqueror of Bresla,of course—how could I not be? I could almost hear Lieutenant Jorg’s voice, cold and cruel, promising punishment for this transgression. My body tensed, anticipating the sting of the whip, the brutal invasion of my most intimate places as punishment for having snuck in where I knew I must never go.

A soft sound beside me made me jump. I turned my head, heart in my throat, to see a woman with long black hair stirring next to me. For a moment, I couldn’t place her. Then, like a dam breaking, the memories came flooding back.

Sala. Alpha. The fall of the Vionian Empire. My rescue. The victory celebration on the bridge.

A sob of relief tore from my throat as the full weight of reality settled over me. I wasn’t on theConqueror of Bresla. I was aboard thePrince Hend, in Captain Alpha’s bed, with his wife Sala beside me.

Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to process the tumult of emotions coursing through me. Relief, joy, lingering fear, and a deep, aching gratitude all warred for dominance in my heart.

Sala’s eyes fluttered open, concern immediately etching itself across her features as she took in my tearstained face. “Tessara?” she murmured, her voice still husky with sleep. “What’s wrong, sweet one?”

I tried to speak, to explain, but another sob escaped me instead. Sala didn’t hesitate. She gathered me into her arms, pulling me close against her warm, naked body. Her hand stroked my hair soothingly as she made soft shushing noises.

“It’s alright,” she whispered. “You’re safe now. No one will ever hurt you that way again.”

I clung to Sala, burying my face against her neck as I wept. Her skin was soft and warm, smelling faintly of exotic flowers and the musky remnants of last night’s passion. As my sobs gradually subsided, I became acutely aware of our naked bodies pressed together, the gentle swell of her breasts against mine, the tangle of our legs beneath the silken sheets.

Sala’s fingers continued to comb through my hair, the repetitive motion soothing my frayed nerves. “There now,” she murmured, her breath warm against my ear. “You’re alright, Tessara. You’re safe here with us. We’re in the Prosperia system, in high orbit. Alpha and I are going to take you down to the refugee center this morning.”

As my tears subsided, I slowly became aware of the gentle hum of the ship’s engines, a soothing background noise that seemed to wrap around us like a cocoon. The bed cradled our bodies in a way that made me never want to move again. Sala’s warmth against me was comforting, her skin impossibly smooth beneath my fingertips.

I took a deep, shuddering breath, inhaling the scent of her—a mix of exotic flowers and something uniquely Sala. As I calmed, curiosity began to stir within me.

“Sala,” I whispered, my voice still thick with emotion, “you mentioned Prosperia. What… what is it like?”

Sala’s hand continued its soothing motion through my hair as she spoke. “Prosperia is Magisteria’s closest ally,” she began, her voice soft and melodious. “It’s a beautiful world, with a big city of gleaming spires and lush, carefully tended gardens. The Prosperians have a deep appreciation for the aesthetics of old Earth’s Victorian era.”

I felt my brow furrow in confusion. “Victorian era?”

Sala chuckled softly. “It was a time in Earth’s history known for its rigid social structures and strict moral codes. The Prosperians have adapted many aspects of that culture, blending it with advanced technology in fascinating ways.”

She shifted slightly, her breasts brushing against mine in a way that sent an unexpected tingle through my body. “Their approach to relations between men and women differs in certain important ways from ours, despite hewing to the traditional subordination of women to men.”

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