Page 13 of Tricked By the Alien Prince

I don’t find myself objecting to the idea. If I take her back to my home, then I will be able to care for her properly there. She will want for nothing. I want to learn just what makes her smile, all the while spending countless hours in her company.

But first, I have to actually get her back to my tiny kingdom, ideally without me throwing her over my shoulder. It’s an appealing thought, but somehow I doubt this courageous female would appreciate the move.

Deep in thought, I slice through the material until it reaches her knees, then I carefully rip the fabric along the grain until it pulls free. The action causes my arms to encircle her, my fingers brushing against the smooth skin of her legs. My face is close to her hips, and her scent is so alluring…

Maya places her hands on my shoulders to steady herself.

“What are you?” she asks me, scowling down at me with a serious expression. For just a brief moment, she appears so vulnerable, like a youngling who’s lost and searching for their home. There’s a fear behind her eyes that I find myself wanting to dispel. I long to pull her close and tell her that she will be safe with me, that I will protect her even at the cost of my own life.

I place a hand over my beating heart and gasp. “How rude! You don’t just go asking a male what species he is! You don’t see me commenting on your deliciously soft skin, or your lack of a glow.”

To emphasize my point, my fingers circle around her ankle and I run my hand up her leg, stroking up the length of her calf.

I look at Maya’s face as she rolls her eyes. She kicks my hand away, not unkindly.

I stand up, dusting off my knees. With an overly exaggerated sigh, as if I am put out to discuss this information with her, I tell her, “I am a sulthari. My people live not far from here.”

I enjoy the way her lips quirk at my antics. I’m a little surprised at just how much pleasure I feel when she smiles up at me.

“Tell me, little human, why is it you are unafraid of me, yet the rest of your people run from me?”

Maya accepts my offering of the cut hem of her dress. She frowns at it for a moment before wrapping it around her neck like a scarf and tying it off. She considers me for a long moment as she gathers the one thing she carried into the forest with her—a thin, rectangular device with a glowing screen.

“Perhaps they run because you and the green guys just stormed into our settlement? Or maybe it’s that you kidnapped Ariana in the first place.”

“I don’t know this Ariana, and I certainly did not come here with the harkcana. In fact, if you recall, I was inside your village long before they arrived,” I tell her honestly. If I can gain her trust, perhaps she will follow me into the tunnels beneath the surface without hesitation.

She narrows her eyes at me for a long moment. “Like I said, thank you for helping out with the guards, but I have things to do, places to be now, so if you don’t mind…”

I do mind, but I don’t let the words slip through my teeth. Maya will be mine, and I always get what I want. I’m not easily distracted once I’ve made up my mind.

I’m impressed that the female seems so determined to ignore me. The few females of my kingdom are overjoyed to be in my presence, whereas this female seems to not care at all for me. She pulls out her device and taps at it with delicate fingertips. The screen lights up with a faint glow.

For a brief moment my heart jolts, thinking she is flashing her luminae for me…but no, it’s just a result of her technology. I’ve seen devices like this, but the portable ones are rare. My father barely ever lets them out of his sight, especially since they can control so much of our tiny kingdom with a few touches to their screens.

I step close to her, feeling the warmth of her body gently caressing my front. It would not be hard to take her in my arms right now…instead, I lean over her, peeking over her shoulder at whatever she is doing on her device. Given how she clutches it so tightly, it must hold the answer to the puzzle of my little halvi. Why isn’t she afraid of me? Why is she choosing to run into the wilderness on her own?

My breath fans across the little female’s neck, ruffling her soft hair. She jumps, practically throwing herself away from me. It’s as if she’s only just noticed my presence; she was so absorbed in her technology. Her eyes look at me wide, fearful, before she masks the expression with a glare.

“Do you mind?” she practically spits the words out at me. “I’ve got things to do. I really don’t need you hanging around and slowing me down.”

I snort. My halvi thinks that I will be the one to slow her down? When Maya puts her hands on her wide hips and glares at me fiercely, I can’t hold my laughter back anymore. My head tilts as I laugh, and laugh some more.

With a huff, Maya pushes past me. She walks far more easily this time, right until she slides in the mud again.

I chuckle as I follow her. My halvi is stubborn and determined. I will enjoy learning just how far my human will bend, just how flexible she is as I…

I growl, adjusting my stiffening cock within my trousers so that it doesn’t bulge out so visibly. You do not gain the trust of a female by walking around her with a proud erection, no matter how attractive either of you might be.

“You never explained why you personally are not afraid of me, little female,” I call after her as I follow in her footsteps. I’m all too aware of how she doesn’t mind her surroundings, instead focusing heavily on her device as she walks. It would be all too easy for a predator to stalk her…like I am now.

“Most humans have never met aliens, so they tend to be a bit of a scary first experience. Especially when they are waving weapons around and acting like barbarians,” she gives me a pointed look that just leaves me smirking. She scowls down at her tablet for a moment, before dimming the screen and slipping it into the pocket of her skirt. Finally, she admits, “And you aren’t the first alien I’ve met.”

She gives me a slow look, her gaze caressing from my dark locks of hair down to my thick boots. Everywhere her eyes wander, my skin heats and my luminae flares. It’s almost as if she’s touching me with her fingers… “I’m not aware of your race though. For what it’s worth, I’m glad my translator has your speech files though. Talking with you would be, well, pretty impossible otherwise. At least my parents didn’t cheap out in that aspect.”

Her lips twist in a rueful smile. Perhaps she is like me, never quite living up to her parents’ expectations. The revelation has me pausing, considering her in a new light. She’s more than just a simple female to possess. Suddenly, she’s interesting to me in a way that no one ever has been before.

I will never admit it to anyone, but I’m lonely. I lack a companion that I can talk freely with, one who understands me. Most of my people interact with me not for who I am, but for who I will be one day soon. Even Tanis is reserved around me when I truly wish he’d relax.

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