Page 45 of Her Alien Prince
"Mine," her thoughts so loud that nothing but her voice filled my mind, and nothing but the need to feel more of her consumed my very soul. I stood from the bed and trailed my hands down her backside to lift her legs around my hips. She complied, and her own wings fluttered so fast, she was lighter than air in my arms, nearly lifting my own feet from the ground.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Mabel
TRENT'S LIPS WORKEDagainst my own in a fury of passion. I could feel his essence within my very bones, and now that I knew all those times I'd heard his voice in my head was actually him, and not my imagination, everything was different. It was like a switch clicked in my mind, and the thread that held his voice reached out and wrapped around my heart tugging me closer.
I hadn't really noticed it before, until he told me to follow his voice, but there were other wisps that tingled at the edge of my mind. Earlier I had touched the closest ones. One I realized now was his, and I never wanted to let go.
"Don't let go," Trent's voice reaffirmed my thoughts. It was bewildering, and I wondered how much he actually heard and made a mental note to figure out how to filter things so he didn't know everything. There were some things best left a mystery, like how much I wanted to undress him immediately, there was no reason he had to hear that, it ruined the fun for when my fingers wandered to the clasps at the front of his pants.
"Queeny, as much as I appreciate the extra dose of pleasure you've decided to share with me, I have preparations to make for the Kloaph Rites," I heard Gho-ran's voice in my mind, and it thrummed from the other wisp I had touched earlier... It's the only way I could think of explaining the feeling I got in my mind when I heard people's thoughts. Distracted, Trent could feel that I was stunned for a moment and pulled away to nip at my lip.
"Come back to me," his tone was dark and filled with promises that I would make sure he fulfilled.
I grabbed hold of the strand that I felt Gho-ran's voice come from in my mind, visualizing it while I did it, and I heard him moan as I did. Trent turned us in his direction, and Gho-ran was biting his own hand.
"You cannot fool me with that trick," Trent glowered at him, "You are not weak, and you can end the connection yourself."
Gho-ran shook out his hand with a wry smile. "You caught me. It's been a long time since I've felt the endorphins of a queen's affections, and I like how it feels." He watched me with a gleam in bright eyes that looked so much like Trent's. "My apologies, Queeny, as a dedicated warrior to your hive, I'm at your disposal. I look forward to the next time you gift me with your touch."
He took a low bow, and the wisp in my mind vibrated sending a strange warmth through my limbs. Trent hissed, and that familiar clucking from his throat that I now knew warded off other krelins when directed at them, but when he used them on me sent shivers down my legs in a delicious way. Gho-ran laughed and exited the chamber his last words pulsed in my mind, "My Queen, it's been my pleasure."
Then the connection fluttered away from my reach yet didn't fully disappear. It was like it was in a container within my mind, and if I really wanted to get to it, I could, but for now it was stored away safely. Confused by his flirtation, I didn't know how to take it, but I trusted he wouldn't do anything against my wishes, so I let it go.
"Trent," I said, tugging at the warmth I felt wrapped around my heart, drawing his attention back to me. His second eyelid cleaned over his golden stare, and I watched in fascination. Even something that was automatic for him was remarkable to me. The way he looked at me, the distraction of Gho-ran already passed, and the whole world fell away around us. Here I was about to ruin the moment with something both of us knew to be true. "Taking over the hive isn't going to happen overnight."
"No," he agreed. Kissing my forehead sweetly, he kept me close as my wings folded back behind me. "It will be a process. Our immediate concern is to stop Queen Kai from giving you her blessing, and regaining Commander Li-aq from her influence. She'll find someone else to replace him, but it will delay her plans and you'll have more time to gain more supporters."
I liked how he said it was our concern, including me in his plans.
"You know I was raised in the offspring clan garden with Luan," I began, remembering what I'd told the Chief during a few of the times I'd been convinced to share a bottle of nectar before departing from the trading post.
"It's why I confused you for being the Jewel of Estreldez."
I nodded understanding the confusion. I had inadvertently given clues about my identity to the Chief that were just as likely to be Luan as they were me. Almder was busy much of the time, so Luan was raised with the rest of the clan's offspring. Unlike many of the others raised alongside us, we didn't have any estreld to come pick us up before the darkside of the moon's rotation. As we became older, Almder requested Luan's presence more often, and I was dragged along with her.
Smiling at the memory, we used to be inseparable. These days Luan barely confided in me at all, and the one time she did, I felt pressured to keep her secret to her own detriment.
"Elmon was good to all of the offspring. I used to think she was my mother, and she did care for me and Luan, but over the cycles I realized that I was an occupation to her, more than a daughter. I still call her mother sometimes. She was kind to me, and because of her, I had many estrelds on rotation that sought to entertain me when Luan was busy. It was how I was introduced to Elder Ezra, and worked my way up towards being an advisor to the Almder."
"You spoke of Almder like she was your own mother," he recalled, and I nodded while nuzzling into his chest.
"It wasn't until I was older that I realized she cared for," I stopped abruptly, not knowing if it was even true anymore. Everything she's ever done for me was colored with a sticky film of betrayal. All those times she defended me, and insisted I be her advisor over others because I had proved myself, despite my lack of loh and being so young. She'd reprimanded those that objected to me working in the palace. She arranged for tutors to guide me in my studies that would not have been available to me otherwise. I spent many rotations in her alcove with her as she lead our clan.
It all settled differently now, after she ordered Elder Ezra to breed my eggs without my knowledge. I had avoided thinking about it, but I couldn't help think that Almder had done all those things because she knew what I was and planned on using my offspring to advance her own goals with Krelis. Was I merely a bargaining plan from the beginning? The only person who truly thought of me as family was Luan, and even she was pushing me away.
"Shhh," Trent soothed, feeling my turmoil through our bond.
"You can't ask me to be Queen of Krelis," I begged. Even someone like the Almder, who I thought was kind and wise, was capable of unthinkable things in the name of the clan. I didn't want to be put in a position that forced me to choose between my morals and the planet's future. What made everything so frustrating was that as much as it hurt, I was leverage that a leader couldn't ignore. Would I do the same? I swore to myself that if I were her, I would explain the benefits to the clan for someone to cooperate. But what if they refused?
I refused, didn't I?
"That's exactly why you'd be a queen worthy of the hive, My Kansa. You do not seek to control anyone. With your heart, you would lead our warriors without the need to force them to do anything. Fear is what drives Queen Kai's rule. I used to think that it was fear for the hive's future, but it's her own that she fears losing." He sighed before reminding me, "I will never force you to do anything against your wishes. Though I think you would make an excellent Queen of Krelis, you are not required to take on such a responsibility. We can stick to the plan. Use your connection to the hive to sway Commander Li-aq, to protect you from my mother's plans. I'll reclaim an abandoned hive on the other side of Krelis for those wishing to leave Queen Kai, and slowly we will liberate any of the hive that are unwillingly held by my mother's influence. You needn't do anything but be by my side."
Of course he would still need to lead his hive. Regardless of if I became queen or not. I pulled away from him, and lifted my hands to cup his face. He was willing to face that alone, and guilt tore through me, but I couldn't bring myself to accept being queen. He will be a great leader for Krelis, I knew that because if he were a different man, he would have stopped me from trading with his Chief of Trade as soon as he discovered what I was doing.
Smiling up at him as best I could, I gave him what I could, "I've been an advisor to Almder for a few cycles now. The role seems a bit more demanding on Krelis, but I take my job very seriously." My hands trailed down his neck, and along his firm pectorals, tracing over one of his nipples. His breath caught, and those golden eyes hooded with desire.
