Page 54 of Alien on the Moon

It was nothing special, just a patch of grass surrounded by shrubbery. A bench sat in the middle, but Rylan could sense the happiness in her as she stepped out in the open.

“Whenever I get tired of my quarters, I like to come here to read.” Elena patted the bench next to her, indicating for Rylan to sit. “In a busy place like the royal palace, this is where I can always expect to find some calm.”

“Well, maybe we can read here together sometime.” Rylan sat next to her, and Elena leaned against him. The two simply took in the peace, enjoying each other’s company.

But after a moment, the tour resumed. Elena took him all over. She showed him the royal library and then followed it with a visitto one of six kitchens. This one, Elena claimed, was the best for a late-night snack. Next, they went to look at the indoor pool, which was followed by a trip to the outdoor pool.

And she even took him to a few of her least favorite spots in the palace.

“These are the places to avoid,” Elena said. “Worst parts of the whole palace.”

She took him to the armory, where they were immediately yelled at by guards. Next was the docking bay, where they could hardly hear anything over the sound of ships taking off and landing. Last was another one of the six kitchens, which Elena claimed housed the meanest chef in the galaxy.

After all the highlights, it was time for their spa treatment. And once again, Rylan was shocked by what was in store for him. Massages, mud baths, calming music, creams, and lotions were spread all over his body.

He felt incredible afterward but couldn’t imagine doing it all the time.

After all the treatments, Elena and Rylan were led to a steam room. Both her sisters and their mates were already there.

“I didn’t really know how much I missed it while we were away,” Elena said, settling in. “I feel so good now. Don’t you, Rylan?”

“Yeah, never felt anything like it.” But his voice wasn’t very confident.

“You’ll get used to it,” Zaraq chimed in. “All this spa stuff, it doesn’t feel like the toughest thing in the world. But fuck, I never sleep quite as well as after a deep tissue massage.”

“And I’ve grown up doing stuff like this,” Arccoo added. “No one would dare tell me it makes me anything less.”

“Oh, that’s not it,” Rylan said softly.

Elena took his hand and squeezed it with reassurance.

“What’s your favorite part of the palace so far, Rylan?” asked Carmen.

“Oh, I’m not sure yet. I’m still taking it all in. Elena showed me a courtyard that was nice.”

“Really?” Sofia said. “Elena, make sure to show him the theater.”

“And the gym,” Zaraq added.

“Has he been to the wine cellar?” Carmen asked.

“Or one of the game rooms?” Arccoo suggested. “Any of them. But the one on the third floor is my favorite.”

Surrounded by so much luxury and decadence, Rylan couldn’t help but feel out of place. Being in a place like this was all too new to him. Never in his life had he ever felt hungry and had to choose which personal chef to go to. It was all so new to him.

It was also a bit scary to him. Could he ever get used to it all? Did he want to get used to it? He’d never imagined this lifestyle, let alone thought he could partake in it.

Those thoughts just kept flooding his head. They seemed to get louder with each new location of the tour. In fact, he’d been thinking a lot of that since arriving at the palace.

There was a chance that would have been all he could think about if it wasn’t for the second thought fighting for space in his head—the thought of Elena.

As long as he was with her, Rylan knew he’d belong. With her, he’d enjoy it all. It’d be nice together.

He was sure they’d both be happy here for years to come.

“Is there anything else I should be sure to check out, seeing as it’s my first day here?” Rylan asked the room.

“Oh,” Elena said with a smirk, “don’t you remember? The tour has a grand finale.” She gave him a suggestive wink for him alone.

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