Enticed by the Alien Warrior by Hope Hart (spiritual books to read .TXT) 📕

“I will see you later,” I say, my body hardening yet again at the thought. I have never felt this level of lust for a female, and it is…disconcerting.

Vivian nods, her expression still thoughtful, and I leave, making my way toward my own rooms.

Here, I have a large meeting room, which I use for more intimate meetings with a few of my closest and most trusted advisers. Korzyn is waiting for me, and he shakes his head when he sees me. Likely, his palace spies have already reported that I slept in a female’s rooms last night.

Something I have never done.

Korzyn frowns. “You took the human female to your bed.”

I give him a warning look, and he narrows his eyes back at me. I sigh.

“Well, technically, I took her to her bed. Does this truly surprise you, Korzyn?”

His frown turns into a deep scowl. “These human females seem to be uniquely created precisely to lower the defenses of Braxian males. My sources say it has happened time and time again. Smart, fearsome warriors across Agron have fallen to their…charms.”

I raise one eyebrow. “Do you have a point?”

“In the Seinex Forest close to the barbarian tribes, there is an animal called a thixis. The animal is small and unable to fight. It would be the perfect prey except for a tiny, gaseous bulb located in its throat. When it opens its mouth and blows at a predator, that predator instantly becomes as docile as a tamed karja.”

I blink at him. “You are suggesting these human females are…poisoning the males here?”

“All I’m saying is it does not make any sense that these strange alien females have managed to overcome any natural Braxian resistance to outsiders.”

I hear a shuffle outside the door and open it, finding Sarissa waiting. She tilts her head, and from the way she waggles her eyebrows at me, it’s obvious she has heard everything he has said.

She steps inside. “I’m about to head to the marketplace,” she says. “I just wanted to thank you for your help so far.” She smiles sunnily at me, and I have a feeling she was in this part of the castle gathering information for her own needs.

I frown, but the female is already turning her attention to Korzyn. She smiles, showing him her teeth, and then presses one hand to her lips before pointing it in his direction and blowing.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“Blowing him a kiss,” she murmurs. “It’s something of a tradition on Earth.”

Across the room, Korzyn steps back, narrowing his eyes at her. She winks at me and then struts out the door, swinging her hips as she leaves.

Korzyn raises one eyebrow at me, and I laugh.

“She is playing with you. You used to have a sense of humor.”

“I can no longer afford a sense of humor if I’m going to keep you alive. Nine guards lost in one revolution, Arix. One day, you will turn a corner, and there will be no one we can trust left to protect you when someone slits your throat.”

I sigh, throwing up my hands. “What would you have me do?”

“Be careful. Do not speak of anything you would not mind your enemies learning when you are close to these females. We know nothing about them.”

“Fine.”

We both turn at a knock on the door, and several of my advisers file in. Rachiv glances between Korzyn and me, likely noting the tension in the room, but I get straight to business as soon as everyone is seated around the large, circular table.

“Have you heard back from Rakiz about our offer?”

Tridi shakes his head. While he is not in my trusted circle, his blood relationship to me ensures his access to these meetings. Access that he always uses.

“Rakiz wants to talk in person. He says his people do not conduct business by messenger unless there is no other choice.”

“He is more than welcome to visit. We will have rooms made up for him and his mate.”

“He won’t leave, Your Majesty,” Rachiv speaks up. “His mate is with child and close to giving birth. He made it clear he won’t be leaving his tribe for some time.”

I grind my teeth at that. Rakiz has something I want, and I know I have many things he would like access to on this side of the water—my marketplace in particular. Even if my offer to the human females was due to my fascination with Vivian, the fact remains that I have made the first move by giving his tribe members—temporary as they may be—access to vendors from across this galaxy.

And yet the barbaric tribe king insists I go to him?

I open my mouth to refuse, but Korzyn slides me a look, and I slam it shut, grinding my teeth. In order for our plan to work, I need access to something very particular from across the water.

“According to my spies, the human females will have the part for their thruster fixed within days,” Korzyn says. “They will want to travel back to the tribe to give it to the other human females. Perhaps this would be a good opportunity to visit, while reminding the barbarian king that it is only due to your goodwill that the part is fixed.”

I grind my teeth some more, but it makes sense.

“Fine. Send a messenger with our response.”

Chapter Eight

Vivian

The last few days have passed in a blur of sex, sleep, and more sex. When Arix offered his terms, they sounded a lot like “be available when I need you,” so I made sure to do the opposite, making him look for me all over the castle if he wanted me.

According to Sarissa, this was a good opportunity to teach him that human females aren’t the type to roll over for arrogant kings.

Although, sometimes rolling over can have benefits. Especially when those benefits include coming so hard you practically forget your own name.

I blush at the thought of just how many times I “rolled over” for Arix last night.

Today,