Page 21 of Claimed By her Alien Prince

Because, if I could find the answer to that, I might be able to save us all.

A low growl emanated from my throat when Behlial's fingers took possession ofherface. I nearly missed my brother Abaddon's curious stare and counted myself lucky it wasn't Nergal who heard it.

I needed to get a handle on this, right now. I would be of no good toherif I betrayed my feelings now.

"Well, aren't you special. Tell me, my dear, what's your name?" Behlial purred.

"Lilith," my karamia spat out, and pride for her defiance rose inside my chest, while I turned her name over in my mind. Lilith. I liked it, it fit her.

Behlial pivoted so we could see his gleeful face as he repeated her name, "Lilith. That is a strong name. Let's see if you will be able to live up to it."

Then he turned back toher, his nose only a hairsbreadth away from her slender neck. My foot pushed my body from the pillar, and I would have sprung forward had I not felt a hand on my shoulder. "Easy, brother."

Grigori.

I took a deep breath in, but my eyes burned holes in Behlial's back.

Another hand moved from the shadows, laying down on my other shoulder, this one from Azazel. They weren't exactly pinning me back, but the pressure was strong enough to let me know they would.

A brawl right now would not only be unseemly and shame my mother, who sat regal as always on the throne, not showing her emotions, but would also be counterproductive. I would betray who I had chosen, and I had two brothers who would get to choose before me. One of whom was Nergal, and I was sure he would use this opportunity to torment me.

When he turned in his seat, his red eyes landing knowingly on mine, fire spread through me, followed by ice water rushing through my veins. Veins that had barely awoken to life, just like my heart. Without a doubt, I knew that I had exposedher, Lilith, to Nergal. My brother knew I wanted her. And he would pick before me. Undiluted rage pumped through my veins from my awakened heart. The sensation, still new and unfamiliar, only served to heighten my rage even further.

Myfleshstilltingledfrom Behlial's touch and not in a good way. The urge to rub my chin, to cleanse myself, nearly made me run in search of the nearest shower, but I managed to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground.

At least my newly awakened anger kept the fear and panic that threatened to rise in my throat at bay. For one frightful moment, I worried he would bite me, with his long, sharp looking fangs.

He moved on to Phoebe, who stood last in line and when he finished intimidating her, he moved up and down our line like a drill sergeant.

"Do you know why you're here?"

When no one answered, I did. Not that I wanted to bring his attention back to me, but I thought it wiser not to antagonize him further. The man looked like a cross between a vampire and Satan, and if that wasn't frightening enough, he called himself King of Darkness and commanded a ship calledAsphodel. No, I truly saw no reason to antagonize a man like him.

"We were only told that our blood is special and that we're descendants of a race called Nayphyllym. They said you would cease your attack on Earth once you had what you wanted—us."

Behlial folded his hands behind his back, glancing over his shoulder at me, before he turned on one heel and zeroed in on me. "Ah, Lilith, as I hoped, you seem to bring honor to your name."

He stopped right in front of me and since he was more than a head taller than me, I was forced to crane my neck to look up to him.

With a smirk he asked, "Earth?"

"Our planet." I added.

"Behlial, remember the Adamas call their planet Earth, not Adama." The queen—at least that's who I assumed she was—still sitting on her throne, called from her perch in a warm voice.

"Ah, I do recall now." Behlial nodded as if he were an old man, trying to recall his great granddaughter's name, but failed. He looked anything but grandfatherly. Or forgetful for that matter. He looked like a man in the prime of his life and mean as a wolverine on steroids. "The Adamas made us wait and attacked us, they will have to pay the price. We'll leave whenIam good and ready."

No, I thought.That can't happen.We came! We came to serve the people of Earth and now he was telling us our sacrifice was for nothing.

"Oh don't look like a despairing lamb, it doesn't become your name to feel sorry for a pathetic race like the Adamas. You are a Nayphyllym. You spring from a strong race."

"And who exactly are the Nayphyllym?" Azubah asked, as my tongue still seemed glued to the roof of my mouth.

"We'll get to that. For now, let me introduce my sons who you will mate posthaste to produce seven healthy grandsons for me. Then we can be off this sorry excuse for a planet."

My head reeled. Mating? We were supposed to mate with these men?

Of course, that possibility had crossed my mind and looking at the men, it seemed preferable to having my heart cut out, but mating? Producing offspring?

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