24. Stella

"Will you be my wife, Stella?"

I stare into En'Zal's bright alien eyes. I must've misheard him. It's probably all the anxiety from being kidnapped. Yeah, that's why. Because it just sounded like the king asked me to marry him.

And that just doesn't happen… right?

En'Zal reaches out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "You look surprised. Are my feelings not obvious to you?"

"I, uhm, I," I stammer. "What?"

"Since the moment I first laid my eyes on you, I knew you were my soul-mate, Stella. When you're close to me, I feel whole. Your smile is the most beautiful thing in the world, bar none. An Erullian soul-bond is a rare thing, but I know deep in my heart I have found it. When I realized you were gone, my world was torn in two. I have never felt pain that great before, my little human, and I hope I never do again. I realize I have made mistakes. I have not been honest with you, or with myself. I have tried to keep you safe by keeping things from you, by hiding you in my room. I see now I was wrong. I want to make amends. And I want to start by putting you on the throne, next to me, as my Queen. What do you say?"

I stare at En'Zal. My mouth is hanging open, my eyes wide as saucers. The look on my face must be comical, because I am floored.

Of course I knew we had a connection. My heart flutters when he is near as well. And when he touches me… wow. But I thought he considered me too different, too alien to commit to me for real.

I was wrong.

"I don't know," I stammer.

Which is a lie. I do know. I want to be En'Zal's wife more than anything. I want to marry that big beautiful red alien, and climb on his lap, and be one.

But being queen? That's a big ask for a small girl.

"I understand," he says as he hides his pain as well as he can. "It's a big question. Perhaps I should've given you time to recover first, but I needed to ask."

"No, no, it's fine," I say.

"Ah, I forgot your human custom! Of course! All that research for nothing!"

En'Zal drops down to one knee in front of me and grabs my hand. "This is the way, yes?"

"You've been doing research?" I ask.

"Of course! I want to understand you, Stella. Only then can I ensure your happiness. Now, I feel like there's something I'm forgetting…"

"A ring," I whisper. "Usually there's a ring."

"Right!"

En'Zal's eyes scour his royal quarters. No rings in sight.

"One second," he says. "Don't go anywhere!"

"I won't. Promise."

En'Zal runs off, and I can't help but laugh. There's so many sides to him. As a king he can be a stern ruler, but around me he can be so silly and charming. But can I really be a queen to a country at war?

The king runs back a minute later, holding something behind his back.

"Close your eyes," he says, puffing.

I close my eyes with a smile on my face. En'Zal drops to his knees in front of me and grabs my hand. He delicately touches my ring finger. Suddenly, I feel something very… weird.

Something very soft and gooey is on my hand.

I open my eyes.

"En'Zal, what the hell?!" I laugh as I look down at the giant donut that my finger is sticking into.

"This is ring-shaped, yes? And you enjoyed these? The baker told me. Did I misunderstand?"

I'm sent into a fit of laughter. En'Zal looks at me, his brow furrowed, unable to read my expression as I snort. This is the cutest and silliest thing that has ever happened to me.

My finger is inside a giant fluffy glazed donut, and an alien king is looking at me expectantly.

"You're right," I say, gasping for breath. "I did like these. Very much."

"Is this not what you meant by a ring?"

"Not quite, but it'll do. It'll do just fine. In fact, I like it. But I would rather have it in my mouth than on my finger, though."

Just like you, big man.

"Oh," En'Zal says. He pulls the donut off my finger, sits down next to me, and holds it up for me. I lean forward and take big bite out of it.

"That means yes, right?"

I laugh. I can't say no to this man.

"Yes. Yes it does. I'll be your queen, En'Zal, if you'll have me."

En'Zal leans forward and kisses me deeply, his tongue tasting some of the glazing on my bottom lip. We fall on the bed together as I hold up the big donut with one hand, careful not to crush it underneath us as En'Zal practically pins me down.

He cannot stop smiling, and I feel giddy with excitement.

"I have no idea what it means to be queen though," I say between kisses.

The alien kisses my neck as his hands push my dress up, his claws raking across my thighs.

"It means the king must pleasure you regularly," he growls as his hands find my panties and pull them down.

"Oh. That doesn't sound too bad," I say.

Before I know it, I'm on my back, legs spread, my pretty dress bunched around my waist as the alien king kisses my inner-thighs. My back arches as I feel his hot breath on me.

His forked tongue brings me to new heights.

En'Zal's horns press against my inner-thighs as he eats me out. The Erullian royal takes his time, teasing me, savoring the moment until I can't take it anymore.

I want him. I need him.

"Please," I groan. "Please, En'Zal. I want you inside of me."

"Not yet," he grins as his tongue laps my thumping, needy clit. "I will claim you on our wedding night, Stella."

Oh, fuck. Even though I desperately want him now, I guess I can wait a bit longer. It's kinda romantic.

"When's that?" I pant. "It better not be one of those royal weddings that take two years to plan. Can it be tomorrow?"

"So needy," my king says. "How does next week sound? Can you wait that long for me, my bride-to-be?"

"I guess, if I have to. Oh fuck."

En'Zal grins and slips a finger inside of me as his forked tongue flicks against my clit in just the right way to send me directly over the edge, into pure and total bliss.

This royal wedding can't come soon enough.