Chapter 2

Siona

I felt wobbly on my legs as we made our way to the living area of the penthouse. Anton and Grace were standing to the right side of the room, his arm possessively wrapped around his wife's waist. My mother had joined my father Krygor and was leaning against him. Although he'd settled his own arm around her shoulders in just as possessive a fashion, Father's gaze remained locked on Zerien, standing right in front of him.

I couldn't blame him. What a sight Zerien was!

Gavin hadn't been kidding when he said Zerien's outfit would give Grace a run for her money. In accordance with Sarenian fashion, my man was wearing a ruvyn: a skirt with either a sleeveless top or a sash. Under the circumstances, I had expected Zerien to wear the ankle-length type of skirts called shaal he often donned during official visits and a sleeveless top with a plunging neckline that hid nothing of his muscular chest. Instead, he was wearing a short, mid-thigh, draped black skirt called vyn, with a sash crossing his chest, hiding little of his scrumptious abs. The whole thing was held together by a wide belt in various shades of burnished gold. Bracers made of a similar metal adorned each of his wrists.

Upon hearing our approach, he suddenly jerked his head towards us. His pale blue eyes locked with mine, and the world faded around us. Goddess, that man held unbelievable power over me. If a mere look sufficed to have me enthralled, I couldn't even begin to imagine what he could make me do should he ever use his mind-control abilities on me.

His face took on that intense and possessive expression he always had whenever he gazed upon me. But it was the lascivious edge it took once he examined my outfit that had my stomach doing somersaults. My mouth went dry, and my knees felt even weaker as I closed the distance with him.

"Siona…" Zerien whispered.

A shiver ran down my spine, and my skin erupted in goosebumps. How could he communicate so much in a single word? How could he affect me so deeply without even touching me?

"There she is," my father said, sounding a little grumpy.

I didn't have to look at his brutish face to sense the disapproval at my outfit. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed Anton's amused smile. But none of that mattered except Zerien.

With a will of their own, my feet led me to him. I stopped barely two steps in front of him. He extended both hands to me, palms facing up, and I placed mine into his. He gave them a gentle squeeze while his thumbs caressed the back of my hands.

"You are breathtaking, my Siona," Zerien said in that deep but breathy and haunting voice of his.

"So are you," I said, shocked that I even managed to form words.

You'd think we were meeting for the first time.

"As per our agreement," my father said, breaking the magic, "I leave my daughter in your care for thirty days, starting now. I trust you will keep her safe."

Without letting go of my hands, Zerien turned to look at my father with a very serious expression. "On my honor, Krygor Aldriss, no harm will come to Siona, be it from me or anyone else.

My father gave him a stiff nod.

"And I will remind you of your pledge that you will not interfere," Zerien added, a slightly stern edge seeping into his voice.

"So long as Siona does not require it, we will stay out of your affairs," Father replied in just as stern a tone.

"Then we are in agreement," Zerien said, sounding satisfied.

My father nodded again before looking at me. A million thoughts flitted over his face, and I could tell his tongue burned with the urge to tell me even more things from advice to warnings. He had already done so in the past, and I knew that it was only love and overprotectiveness that prompted his current reaction. Had he not fully trusted Zerien with me, we wouldn't be here at all.

Defeated, my father simply gave me a tender smile laced with a sliver of sadness. He gently caressed my right horn then kissed my forehead.

"Enjoy yourself, my daughter."

"I will, Papa. I love you," I said, proud that my voice didn't shake despite the tsunami of emotions swelling within me.

My mother kissed me, and I waved goodbye to Anton and Grace. I smiled at Gavin, who winked at me with his typical mischievous expression.

Stomach fluttering, I let Zerien lead me to the lift located at the top of the three stairs from the living area. I nodded at his bodyguards, Drade and Naax, who had been at his service ever since I'd met him six years ago. Like all Sarenians, both males were ridiculously gorgeous with their light-blue skin, lithe but muscular bodies, and the series of small horns almost forming a circular crown on their heads, and which protruded from their long hair. Where Zerien had midnight-blue hair which fell to the small of his back, Drade had a slightly darker shade, almost black, and Naax had the rare silver-white hair for his species, similar to mine.

They were wearing the traditional longer skirts and sleeveless tops of their people, although theirs didn't have a plunging neckline. The fabric, deceptively thin and flexible in appearance, was in fact reinforced and meant to absorb most blaster shots. As Anton enforced strict rules forbidding patrons from freely carrying range weapons such as blasters and bows, security details could obtain special permits to carry swords and staves. The collapsed baton-length sticks hanging on their belts indicated the two bodyguards had chosen the latter.

Thankfully, violent incidents were few and far-between, quickly quelled by the security guards of the various entertainment establishments of Anton's pleasure barge. Anyway, most incidents usually involved an overly drunk patron, someone upset to have lost too much in one of the gambling venues of the space station, or a fool who got angry over the outcome of a combat or sporting competition.

Over the years, my parents and I visited Venus Hive—the HQ and one of the five giant entertainment space stations of the Hive Network built by Anton. It had made him one of the wealthiest males of the Eastern Quadrants. As most of the venues involved adult entertainment, I'd been quite limited in the number of attractions I could visit. The shopping centers, theme parks, combat arenas, museums, restaurants, and concert halls had all been fine. But now, everywhere was fair game.

For the next month, I intended to visit as many of them with Zerien as possible.

As soon as the elevator doors closed behind us, Zerien claimed my lips in a searing kiss. I immediately felt hot and cold all at once, a bolt of desire exploding in the pit of my stomach. My toes curled, and I almost melted against him. But the presence of his guards in the cabin doused my enthusiasm. I'd often seen Keran—our new Magnar—be followed around by his bodyguards, Nowik and Tagar. It hadn't fazed me back then. But knowing that this would become my new reality made me queasy. Unlike Grace, exhibitionism didn't feature in my list of kinks.

Zerien doesn't even seem to notice their presence.

He wouldn't. After all, he'd had bodyguards his entire life. By now, he probably perceived them as an extension of himself, just an extra set of shadows. Hopefully, with time, it would be the same for me.

Zerien broke the kiss and caressed my cheek. The mix of possessive tenderness laced with heat on his face washed away the sense of unease the guards' presence had stirred.

"I hope you are hungry," Zerien said in that haunting voice of his that always sent delicious shivers down my spine. "I made a reservation at Risqué for us."

"Absolutely! I'm famished," I replied truthfully. "I was too nervous to eat before."

What I didn't add was that I also wanted to fit in this dress, even though having a normal meal wouldn't have affected that. But the mind—especially when fed by anxiety—had an irrational logic of its own.

To my surprise, instead of calling me silly, Zerien took on a vulnerable expression I couldn't recall ever seeing on him before.

"It shames me to admit that I'm glad to hear I wasn't the only one feeling nervous," he said sheepishly.

I gaped at him just as the elevator came to a stop on the ground floor.

"You, nervous?"

He chuckled and nodded, before taking my hand to lead me out of the lift the minute the doors parted open.

"Of course," he said, as if it was self-evident. "I've been waiting for this day for an exceedingly long time. I just want everything to be perfect and for you to be happy."

"Just being with you makes me happy," I said in all honesty.

The joy and love on his face upon hearing me say this turned me upside down. Zerien let go of my hand, slipped his arm around my waist, and drew me to his side.

"As being with you does for me," he whispered with fervor. "You cannot begin to understand just how much I love you."

He leaned forward and nuzzled my cheek before kissing my temple. I wrapped my arm around his waist, my heart filling to bursting as he led us out of the Venus Hive space station HQ, at the top of which Anton's penthouse was located.

I still couldn't believe this man was mine. The love he felt for me shone bright in his eyes. Whenever foreigners spoke of him or his species, they kept implying that he was ruthless, bloodthirsty, and borderline cruel. I never saw such a side of him. Granted, our time spent together always revolved around him wooing me. But as the Lead Councilor in our king's Council, my father knew very well what type of man Zerien—one of our main allies—was. He never would have allowed him anywhere near me if he were truly the monster others claimed him to be.

Despite my young age, I also wanted to believe myself to be a fairly good judge of character. There was no question he possessed a darker side. Who didn't? Of his own admission, my father was a bloodthirsty psychopath. Over the past few years training with Mercy in advanced combat techniques, I noticed my own violent edge when people messed with me. But the recent events on the sanctuary planet Haven seriously disturbed me. Rebel members of Zerien's planet had attempted to enslave hybrid Braxians with their mind control abilities. Although he had personally never used his powers against me, was that something he might one day do? What of his people?

As we walked down the large pathways that constituted the streets of the VIP section of Venus Hive, all those somber thoughts faded from my mind. The crowd of species from every corner of the galaxy either casually strolled around us or hastened to whatever entertainment called to them. The fancy fronts of restaurants and dance clubs enticed me.

But it was the envious looks from both males and females as they took in Zerien's scrumptious appearance that had me puffing out my chest with pride. I unconsciously tightened my hold around his waist, and fought the urge to caress his warm, blue skin under my palm. But my man had no such qualms. In response to my possessive gesture, he gently rubbed his thumb on the bare skin of my side exposed by the cut-out section of my dress.

We made small talk on our way to Risqué, with Zerien pointing out the various venues he intended for us to visit over the next few days. After an eight-minute walk, we reached our destination. As I'd been here before, the hostess immediately recognized me and greeted me with the deference being a blood relative to the big boss always provided.

But there was something different this time.

She didn't just smile but curtsied to both of us. "Your Highnesses, please this way," she said with a glowing smile.

Your Highness…

This was something else I would have to learn to get used to. Unlike my birth world, Guldar, where everyone was really stuck up about titles and protocol, Braxians couldn't be more informal.

Perched on sky-high red stilettos and wearing the skin-tight, white leather uniform dress that left little to the imagination as to her luscious curves and ample bosom, the hostess led us to our table. It was actually Anton's personal table, located on an elevated dais with a perfect view of the stage and dining room. The circular booth boasted dark-red leather seats and an ornate dark wood table. The beige walls sharply contrasted with the shiny deep brown wooden floor. Wall lamps, propped at the top of pillars strategically placed not to obstruct the view of the stage, provided a soft ambient light.

To my relief, Drade and Naax made themselves scarce as soon as we settled down. They had been so discreet, I never noticed them moving away. In fact, it took me a while to spot them in the room—sufficiently far to grant us privacy, but close enough for them to intervene should the need arise.

That pleased me.

"Did you have a good journey here?" I asked as soon as we finished placing our order.

"It was uneventful, but felt like an eternity," Zerien said with a shrug. "However, I made a detour by Tondor to visit your brother Tevek and his mate Ashara. The Guldan females you have been training there are truly amazing. Guldans raise females to be so submissive, I never pictured them turning into such fierce warriors. All of them just kept on singing your praises."

The pride in his voice made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

"Honestly, I owe most of the merit to Mercy. She taught me everything I know," I said, my face heating with pleasure. "I'm merely passing down that knowledge."

He shook his head. "Mastering a skill and being a good student does not make one a good tutor. Clearly, you are."

I blushed a little, further pleased by his approval and praise. "I do my best. But to be fair, having devoted students makes a stark difference. These women were persecuted back on our homeworld before my brother helped build the rebellion and offered them a refuge. I can relate to their refusal to ever be at the mercy of others because of my own rough childhood. I ate up everything Mercy taught me because I never wanted to feel as helpless as I did on Sarenia, when that wretched Guldan Ambassador was hunting down my mother and me. I'd love to see another man try that now."

I hadn't meant for anger to seep into my voice as I spoke those words. To my relief, rather than being distraught by this hint of violence in me, Zerien seemed both pleased and amused, not to say a little turned on by it.

"Now, I want to see you fight," Zerien said.

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "You will, if only as part of my daily training routine. But I have been wondering…" I hesitated and nervously licked my lips before proceeding. "Do you think it would be possible for me to train Sarenian women like I did with the rebels?"

Zerien laughed as if I'd said something ludicrous.

That stung.

"Our women truly aren't fighters. Don't get me wrong," he said in a gentle voice, "I am not against the idea. In truth, it could be highly beneficial in light of the looming Great War. Some basic training could come in handy, especially with the traitors in our midst. Just don't set your hopes too high. I do not expect there to be great enthusiasm, at least at first."

I smiled and nodded. "Reluctance, I can handle. So long as I have permission to do it, the rest will fall into place as it is meant to."

Zerien took on a serious expression that took me aback. "You are going to be my wife, Siona. My Queen… Not my servant… You do not have to ask permission to do these types of projects. Granted, for some things it might be preferable we discuss it first to see the best way to implement it or for me to point out some of the social or cultural challenges you may encounter. But aside from that, I am here to support you in all your endeavors."

My throat constricted, and my heart filled with love as I reached for his hand. He grabbed mine, giving it a gentle squeeze, then his thumb caressed the back of my hand.

"I think I like you, Zerien Aerith," I said in a teasing tone that failed to hide the deep emotion swelling within me.

"You had better, Siona Aldriss. I intend to keep you until the end of time," he said in a possessive tone that had my skin tingling.

We stopped talking when a server came with a fancy bottle of wine, filling our glasses before leaving the bottle near Zerien. On Braxia, there was no minimum age to drink alcohol. By galactic standards, the legal drinking age in public was seventeen, but was allowed at sixteen with adult supervision.

We toasted before taking a sip. I wasn't big on alcohol, hated the strong stuff, but liked the lighter, fruitier wines—including sparkling—with a meal or dessert.

"How are things back home?" I asked in a more serious tone. "You were missed at Keran's coronation."

Zerien heaved a sigh, a frown creasing his forehead. "Nowhere near as far along as I had hoped. Ideally, we would have rooted out all the traitors before my upcoming coronation. Sadly, every time we find a cell, a bunch of traitors either manage to escape and go into hiding, or a new group surfaces. I didn't want our reign to start with these clouds over our heads. But such is life. I'm just grateful Keran provided the heads up that allowed us to discover what rot was spreading in our midst."

I nodded with a frown of my own. "Without Keran's intervention on Haven and his discovery of that plot, I shudder at the thought of what would be happening on Braxia right now. But I have faith we'll defeat the traitors on Sarenia as well."

"We certainly will. But for now, my focus is on wooing you," Zerien said in a seductive tone. "Have you thought of a dress yet?"

"A dress?" I asked, slightly uncertain. "For your coronation?"

He nodded. "Yes, for our coronation and our wedding. Like Keran did, I want to hold both events during the same ceremony."

"Oh!" I exclaimed, feeling myself blushing while both excitement and nervousness surged within me. "It's a bit early for that, no? I mean, you haven't gotten me to say ‘I do' just yet, nor have you asked."

"Not yet, but I will," he countered smugly. "And I have made my intentions quite clear. I'm just not giving your father any excuse to say I breached the agreement. We both know he'd hide you far away and under lock and key if he could."

I laughed, my heart filling with affection for my father. "He most certainly would. But if it's a joint coronation and wedding you have in mind, I will have to revisit my outfit choice."

"So you had indeed started thinking about it!" Zerien said, visibly pleased.

"Maaaaybe," I said in a teasing tone.

The server brought us our food, and we ate in an amiable atmosphere while enjoying a light conversation, including discussing our plans for the next few days. By the time we finished dessert, I was beyond sated. Efficient as ever, our server returned with a colleague and swiftly cleared our table before bringing us another bottle.

"More wine, your Highness?" she asked, showing me the unopened bottle.

Goddess, I doubted I'd ever get used to the title. Part of me wanted to tell her to just address me as Miss Aldriss, as she had always done in the past. However, I held my tongue as I didn't know what the Sarenian protocols were, and if it would be deemed disrespectful to Zerien. I was starting to realize there were even more things I would need to learn and adjust to than expected.

"No, we're good," Zerien replied in my stead, shocking me. "But you can bring us more flavored water."

It took all my willpower to repress a frown and hide the ‘What the fuck?!' thoughts going off in my mind. Not wanting to contradict Zerien in public, I smiled warmly at the server, pretending I fully agreed with his request. As soon as she stepped away, I turned my gaze to Zerien.

Although he smiled, I didn't miss the very serious glimmer in his blue eyes.

"I am not trying to control you, Siona," he said in a soft voice. "Tonight could define how the rest of our time together here on Venus Hive will go. I want you to be clear-minded when we leave so that you can make the right decisions for yourself. Six years is too long a wait to have it ruined by alcohol."

The tension stiffening my back faded. "I assure you that my mind is clear. I've never been drunk in my life and certainly don't intend to start now. You could say that I'm too much of a control freak for that. Even just the tipsy feeling from indulging a bit too much feels icky to me."

He gave me an approving smile. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Anyway, I trust you. I know you won't force yourself on me when we get to the Celestial," I added with confidence.

"Are we going?" he asked, his expression unreadable.

That took me aback. "Of course. Anton provided us with a suite so that we could have time to ourselves," I said.

"Only if we choose to go there. You don't have to come," Zerien countered.

This time, I studied his features, utterly baffled. "Don't you want me to?" I asked, my voice uncertain.

"Only if you want to," he said in a firm voice. "You have no obligation to share a room with me tonight—or any other night for that matter—just because you finally turned eighteen. I have one month to convince you to be with me. If it were up to me, we would have gone straight there. I waited six years for you. A few more days or weeks won't kill me. I want everything to be perfect. You are my soulmate, Siona. No sacrifice is too great to ensure your happiness. You are everything to me."

Happy tears pricked my eyes, and my throat tightened with emotion. Beyond the sincerity of his words, the passion and devotion in his eyes were wrecking me. What did one respond to that?

The soft, ambiance music changed as a small band started playing. A few couples moved to the dance floor. Zerien smiled, his gaze darkening as he stood up and extended a hand towards me. My stomach fluttered as I accepted his invitation—which spared me from answering—and let him lead me to the dance floor.

We stopped in the center, and Zerien drew me against his firm body. I melted against him, my hands caressing a path up the bare skin of his muscular chest before sinking into the silky strands of his midnight blue hair on his nape. He wrapped both arms around me, holding me with a tightness that bordered on indecency—not that anyone would ever decry that on Venus Hive. The burning heat of his palms settled on the patches of skin left exposed by the cutout parts of my dress.

Despite being pressed against his chest, my nipples started aching, and the flame of desire sparked low in my belly. I could feel every crease and curve of his defined abdominal muscles against my stomach and of his strong arms around me. The intensity with which Zerien stared at me as we began to sway to the music both liquified my insides and fanned the fire growing within me. He looked like a famished wild beast.

I couldn't say how long we remained with our eyes locked, lost in each other. Thankfully, my brain took over, making my body follow Zerien's movements as we danced. In truth, I barely heard the music and was only distantly aware of the other patrons' presence around us. My entire universe narrowed down to my man and his body around mine.

As time stretched, his gaze darkened, and his face took on an increasingly tense expression. The way he leaned down and kissed me, he appeared to have lost a battle with himself. His tongue invaded my mouth with a passion that awakened a dull throbbing between my thighs. His hands began to boldly roam over me as he tilted his head to the side to deepen the kiss. My pulse picked up, and I tightened my embrace around him.

It took my brain a moment to comprehend the strange sensation I had started registering. Zerien's palm settling on my behind and pressing my pelvis against his made it all crystal clear. His mouth still claiming mine swallowed my choked gasp at the realization of just how big his hardening shaft was.

No doubt wanting to get a better sense of my reaction, Zerien broke the kiss and examined my features. The savage, almost feral look on his face had my stomach perform a series of backflips. In that instant, I realized he was slightly shaking against me, as if he was struggling to restrain himself.

"You look like you want to eat me," I involuntarily whispered.

His upper lip lifted in a snarl, baring the tips of his fangs. "I want to throw you on the ground, right here and now, and wreck you," he growled, his voice thick with desire and almost menacing.

That should have frightened me. In a way, it partially did. But mainly, I felt moisture pool between my thighs while another bolt of lust exploded in my pelvic area. Before I could find an appropriate response—if there even was one—Zerien's eyes suddenly glazed over.

I recoiled, almost missing a step in my surprise. "What… What's happening to you?"

Zerien blinked slowly, looking like someone who was high on some kind of drug. "I'm using kaa to cool down my blood," he said, his voice slightly slurred.

"Oh! Kaa is that Korlethean meditation technique, right?"

"But it's also a soothing aura," Zerien explained, his voice returning to normal while his gaze regained its focus. "People without psionic powers won't feel it like we do, but it can help calm you as well."

With a will of its own, my mouth blurted out the words I never expected myself to consciously speak.

"Or you could let me take care of you instead of kaa ."

Zerien froze, stopping our dance despite the music still playing as he stared at me with uncertain intensity.

I lifted my chin defiantly and held his gaze. I'd gone this far, might as well go all the way. "Let's go back to the hotel."

His arms around me tightened slightly, and his eyes flicked between mine, searching. "Are you sure?" he asked, his voice tense.

"You're not the only one who waited six years," I replied in a soft voice, stunned by my own boldness. "I've been sure for a couple of years now."

He continued to study my face for a few seconds longer. That, more than anything else he could have said or done, reassured me that I was in good hands. Many men wouldn't have waited for me to say it twice before dragging me out of here. But not Zerien. Every step of the way, he would make sure I felt safe and that this was truly what I wanted.

Apparently convinced, he caressed my lips with his thumb, a heated expression descending over his handsome features.

"Let's go," he whispered.

He released me only so that he could slip a possessive arm around my waist. As he led me out of Risqué, I followed, my skin tingling with a thrilling mix of anticipation and trepidation.