Page 73 of Tricked By the Alien Prince

Maya’s lips part in surprise. For a moment she just stares at me, and I fear I’ve said too much. Then her fingers brush mine as she takes the container from my hands. The touch sends electricity through my skin, my luminae pulsing in response.

“You really mean that, don’t you?” she asks.

Hope blazes through me, so intense my luminae probably blinds everyone nearby. “Every word. I swear on my very life, I will help you save them all.”

“Don’t,” Maya says sharply, her fingers tightening on mine. “Don’t swear on your life.”

Her reaction startles me. My luminae flicker with confusion as I study her face, trying to understand the pain I see there.

“When that thing had me,” she says, her voice catching, “when I thought I was going to die, all I could think about was you. How I’d never get to tell you...” She breaks off, looking away.

My heart thunders in my chest. I want to pull her into my arms, but I force myself to be gentle as I apply the nanite gel to her injured leg. “Tell me what?”

She watches the silvery substance seep into her skin, her own hands trembling slightly. “That I understand why you did it. That I forgive you.” Her eyes meet mine, fierce and vulnerable all at once. “That I love you.”

The container slips from my fingers, forgotten. My luminae blaze so bright the warriors around us step back, shielding their eyes. “Maya...”

“I know it’s crazy,” she continues in a rush. “You’re a king, and I’m just some computer engineer who can’t even fight properly. But when I saw you leap down here, putting yourself between me and danger without hesitation... I realized that’s who you are. You protect people. You protected me. And somewhere along the way, I fell in love with that stupidly noble, overprotective, absolutely infuriating male.”

I can’t help myself - I gather her into my arms, pulling her against my chest. She comes willingly, her small hands gripping my shoulders. “You are everything,” I tell her, my voice rough with emotion. “You’re brave and fierce and utterly remarkable. You make me want to be better, to be worthy of you. I love you, Maya. I think I’ve loved you since the moment you stood up to that scamper with nothing but a slingshot and pure determination. No, before that even, when you looked up at me in your people’s marketplace with such defiance in your eyes, like you were just begging me to disagree with you.”

She laughs against my chest, the sound watery. “You have really weird taste in females.”

“I have perfect taste,” I correct her. I pull back just enough to see her face, to memorize every detail of this moment. “I choose you. If you’ll have me?”

“You’re a king,” Maya says softly, pain in her eyes, but she doesn’t pull away from me. “Don’t you need someone more... appropriate? Someone who knows how to be a queen?”

“I need you,” I tell her firmly. “Someone who challenges me, who makes me see beyond what I was taught. Someone who’d throw her most precious possession at a monster just to save her friends.” I brush my thumb across her cheek. “You already have the heart of a queen - you put others before yourself, fight against corruption, protect those who need it. You are my light, the one to guide me through my darkest moments.”

A shaky laugh escapes her. “Is that what you saw? Because I’m pretty sure I just looked terrified and desperate.”

“I saw someone absolutely magnificent.”

Maya’s eyes widen at my words, her cheeks darkening.

Before she can tell me otherwise, I scoop her into my arms. She fits perfectly against my chest, like she was made to be there. There was a time when I took what I wanted, believing it was my right as prince, but now, I can see that it’s a gift to be given your desires instead.

“As soon as things are resolved here, we will return to your people. I promise.”

My people do too, I realize, but as I glance around, I notice Tanis quite capably shouting orders. The normally shy male stands tall, focused entirely on his work… and for once, he’s oblivious to the few females that watch him from afar.

“We need to deal with Walter and the council members,” Maya says, her expression hardening with determination. “They knew about your existence here all along. They’re clearly after the nanite medicine. In the right hands, it could save countless lives. In the wrong hands...We’ve got to stop them.”

Around us, the arena has finally quieted as the last of the beasts are subdued. My warriors await my command, and for the first time, I truly feel like a king. “Together, we’ll expose the corruption and protect both our peoples.”

Maya’s hand comes to rest over my heart. “Together,” she agrees. Then she grins up at me. “But first, you might want to put on a shirt. I mean, the glowing is impressive and all, but if we’re going to overthrow corrupt officials, you should probably look a bit more... official.”

I can’t help but laugh. This remarkable female who can face down monsters and still make jokes - she is truly everything I need. “As my queen commands.”

“I’m not your queen yet,” she reminds me, but there’s a smile in her voice.

“Yet,” I agree, holding her closer. No matter what comes next, I know we’ll face it together. And anyone who tries to harm her or her people will learn exactly why the sulthari are feared warriors. We were born to be protectors, and this is the legacy I will see restored.

My luminae betray my joy. Maya loves me. She forgives me. And together, we’ll build something better than either of us could achieve alone.

ChapterThirty-Five

VOLAN

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