Page 95 of Alien Prince

We stumble toward the bench, our movements frantic but uncoordinated, a tangle of need and longing that has been building for far too long.

“Are you sure?” I murmur against her lips, my hands stilling against her waist as I search her gaze.

“Yes,” she whispers, her eyes bright with emotion. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

Her words undo me completely.

I slide my hands over her, savoring every curve, every soft sigh that escapes her lips. The tension between us erupts into a whirlwind of passion, and the hidden chamber fades away, leaving only us—no court, no rebellion, no throne. Just us.

When it’s over, we lie together on the stone bench, her head resting on my chest as our breathing slows. I run my fingers through her hair, marveling at the way she fits so perfectly against me.

“I meant what I said,” I murmur, my voice barely audible in the quiet chamber. “You make me stronger, Emily, but you’re also my greatest vulnerability.”

She lifts her head to meet my gaze, her expression soft but determined. “I’m starting to believe that I was brought here for a reason, and it’s not to die. Whatever we have to deal with, we’ll face it together,” she says simply.

We.

There has never been a sweeter word.

Chapter Seventeen

Emily

The morning light filters into Kael’s chamber through the narrow window, casting a soft glow over the stone walls. Hours ago, guards came and spoke to him in quiet tones. The threat has been contained, although the other two assassins escaped.

Kael brought me to his chamber. I doubt he’ll allow me to return to the other room. Honestly, that thought doesn’t scare me. I hate that an assassin came for me, but with Kael, I feel safe.

I sit at the edge of his massive bed, my knees pulled to my chest, staring at the floor.

The moment Kael kicked and locked his door behind him, he swept me to his bed, and he made love to me fiercely, like an animal.

Like he was afraid he would never have the chance to ever again.

We both fazed afterward, but I woke first. Kael is still asleep, his strong, steady breaths the only sound in the room. Well, aside from the faint hum of alien technology that exists everywhere on this still strange world.

His silver skin gleams faintly in the light, and his features are uncharacteristically relaxed, free from the tension and burdens he carries during the day.

I should feel happy or at least content. Last night was everything I didn’t know I needed—raw, passionate, and unguarded. Kael made me feel wanted. Cherished.

No one else ever made me feel like that. I had been too shy to date. I can count the number of dates I went to on one hand.

Yes, that means Kael had been my first sexual partner. It makes what we shared even more special.

And the way he made me feel… the way my body reacted to him…

Yes, it hurt. It hurt a lot. I’ve read all kinds of books, including all kinds of romances. I never watched porn, and I wouldn’t consider steamy romances porn, but I knew what went on behind closed doors.

For the most part, making love to Kael was like something out of a steamy, grown-up fairy tale. After the pain went away, it was pleasure. So much pleasure. Almost too much pleasure.

I bend down and pick up my dress, running my fingers over the soft, alien fabric. All the while my mind is spinning with questions I can’t answer. How did I get here? How did I go from a quiet life on Earth, filled with books and small, predictable routines, to being tangled up with an alien prince in the middle of a rebellion?

Should I stay? Could I leave and return to my old life?

Do I want to stay?

I bite my lip to keep the tears at bay. Kael’s world is beautiful in its way with its glowing plants, its intricate architecture, even its traditions that baffle me, but it’s also harsh and dangerous, filled with politics, history, and intrigue I’ll never fully understand.

I wish I didn’t because it would make things that much easier, but I miss Earth. I miss the feel of soft grass under my feet, the scent of old books that the tomes here on Kael’s planet lack, and the comforting familiarity of a place where I didn’t have to fight for every scrap of belonging.

---