Chosen by the Riexian Prince Read online

  6

  Nora

  The buzzing in the room was low as people studied their respective professions. I claimed one of the tables in the corner, facing the room. It gave me a good view of those who kept trying to watch me. Those training to become whores definitely paid more attention to me than I wanted. They sat at the table closest to the door, glancing my way often.

  Each time, I caught them, I refused to look away until they did. They needed to learn that I was a badass and wasn’t going to take any shit from them. They’d try, it was only a matter of time until they did, but I’d be ready.

  Tryel stepped into my view and glanced down at the screen. “How is your lesson coming along? I hope you understand better what is expected of you on your wedding night? You must get it right. These ceremonies are ancient and ensure a healthy mating and a bright future for the couples.”

  There was so much I wanted to say to the instructor but managed to keep my mouth shut. If these ceremonies were meant to give the couples a happy future, then why did Ambassador Kryn already go through so many wives?

  Tryel’s expression said there was only one answer he expected from me and so I gave it to him. “I will study hard.”

  His nod was sharp before he moved away. When he was at the next table talking with students, I tapped the screen, pausing the video. The grey-skinned woman on it droned on and on about the ceremony and its importance. I managed to get to the home screen, and then hit the search symbol.

  My interest was elsewhere at the moment. After kneeing Kyel yesterday, I realized I knew nothing about a Riexian’s anatomy. Did I hit his balls last night? Were they even in the same spot as a human’s. They held humanoid forms, but there were still differences that were noticeable. They were taller, limbs longer. But it didn’t mean their insides were the same.

  Heck, I didn’t even know if they had dicks. If they thought they could breed with a human, they needed to have something though and I’d rather not find out the first time when I was forced to have sex with Ambassador Kryn.

  It took some figuring out, but eventually, I was able to find a diagram of a male Riexian’s anatomy.

  I blinked, trying to wrap my head around what I was looking at. That couldn’t be right, could it? I zoomed in closer on the image’s lower region. It was a pretty graphic picture, Riexians apparently not caring about censorship.

  Good news, I had hit Kyel in the right spot. But apparently, where a man would feel extreme pain, according to the image, I made Kyel feel double that.

  He didn’t have just two balls and one dick. Oh, no, that would have been too simple and nothing about this situation was simple. I leaned forward, zooming in further, blinking past the unreadable words and focused on the image.

  Yeah, my eyes weren’t lying to me.

  Two cocks.

  Two cocks were dangling from the man. Long like every other limb on their body. And thick. Heat rushed through my body as I imagined what that would be like, what that could do to me. I knew a woman who warmed men’s beds to have a place to sleep in the Dranks. She loved sharing her exploits with me in very graphic detail. One was about a guy fisting her. That sounded absolutely horrible, but she didn’t seem to care. She had admitted to being scared about it, but he treated her well enough that the experience wasn’t bad.

  Or when she took two guys at the same time, two cocks inside of her, one in her pussy, one in her ass. That was her favorite, she had said. That being filled in both holes brought her to a new height of orgasm that she was no longer able to find with only one cock.

  What would she think about a Riexian and the two that they had? One man, double the pleasure. My pussy lips pulsed as my insides tightened while my imagination ran with it.

  Then I remembered the old grey-haired man with angry red eyes and it was like being put into a deep dark cave with no light. All that pleasure dissipated. No longer did my stomach tighten with the pleasure, but with fear instead. Nothing about Ambassador Kryn suggested he was a kind man. He’d destroy me. I knew it.

  “What are you doing?” Liddia took the seat next to me, making me jump. I had been too lost in my thoughts to notice. “You’re blushing. Why are you blushing? Did something happen at the party last night?” Her bright smile dimmed a little. “That was so unfair, only breeders and the bedroom workers were allowed to go. I’d have loved to go too. Were you able to go because you’re a breeder? Was the man they are giving you to there?”

  “You have a lot of questions.”

  She shrugged. “It’s good to have information. This is an unknown situation and to keep my anxiety in check, I need to know what’s going on. It helps.”

  I forced a smile and leaned forward, placing my arms on the table, hoping to hide my research. “And you become the to-go-to person when people need to know something.”

  Her grin wasn’t a bubbly one, but one of someone who knew exactly what they were doing. “Exactly.” She flashed her teeth. “But that’s how I’ve always survived. I stick my nose where it doesn’t belong and people tell me things.”

  “Then you use your information as a bargaining chip. Smart.”

  “Speaking of information, who will you be sent to? Have they told you yet?” She leaned closer to me, her eyes begging me to give her that information. Liddia really did have something about her that made people want to tell her their secrets. Maybe it was the youthfulness that she portrayed, like she’d be your best friend.

  My arm slid away from the screen as I tried to regain my sense of space back. The screen had darkened from inactivity but lit back up, grabbing our attention. Before I could stop Liddia, she leaned forward and looked at my screen. Her eyes widened and then redness covered her completely, from her hairline down into the neckline of her dress. She practically blended in with her dress.

  “Wh-What are you looking at?” She gaped before leaning closer. “Is that…? What is that? That can’t be right, right? I thought it was only one? How does that even work? And why are they so long? Wouldn’t that break us?” She paled as more questions flew out of her mouth faster than I could keep up with.

  “Liddia, shut up,” I finally managed to get out, needing her to stop with all those questions. Did she have no knowledge at all? Even if she wasn’t experienced, she should have at least heard stories, right?

  Her mouth clanked shut as she blinked down at the screen, trying to move closer. If she could, I had a feeling she’d have shoved me off my seat so she could try to press her face against the screen until she looked cross-eyed trying to get a closer look at the image.

  “They look so dangerous. And that’s supposed to be in you? They fill you with those? How?” She looked at me like I had all the answers she wanted. Irritated, I stood up. She still blinked up at me as I leaned down and turned the screen off. “Enough, go find a Riexian man to ask all your questions. I’m not here to give you sex education.” With that I stalked toward the door, beyond irritated and at the same time embarrassed. Because yes, those dicks were going to be used on me. Why the fuck did they even need two of them?

  “Where do you think you are going, Breeder?” Tryel asked, trying to intercept me from leaving the room.

  The fact that he called me Breeder only added to my irritation, like that was the only thing I was good at. I survived the damn Dranks. I’d ran from sun flares before it burned me, fought against men twice my size who only wanted to hurt me or use me. I’d hunted for food. I was better than just a damn breeder. “Period. You know that thing we lowly humans do each month to prove that we can get knocked up.”

  That brought Tryel to a halt, nearly knocking him back on his ass. I left him flustered as I stalked out of the room and down the white hallways. It was a lie. I was going back to my pod, but he didn’t need to know that.

  That fed more into my irritation. Apparently Riexians only cared about color to show ranking. I had noticed it with the slaves who wore blue robes. While it was pretty on them, making them look almost regal, it changed when th
ey were surrounded by Riexians and all their grey skin. They ended up blending in, overshadowed by the other species.

  And while those of us in training wore different colored clothes, they weren’t vibrant or pretty. They were more like tarps over our bodies, their colors dull or plain unflattering.

  Which only reminded me of my own color that seemed to be the only one to stand out. It put me on display, painted a target on my back while alienating the other groups. It told the groups that I was special, and to be treated as such. Apparently taking two dicks meant I had to be respected.

  What the heck did I do? Why did I check off that box to be mated off? It should have been easy. I thought it would be. Mate with some alien, pay off my debts, take off. It was a simple plan. But it was becoming obvious it wouldn’t be so simple. Liddia did ask a good question. What would those two long thick dicks do to me once I was given to Ambassador Kryn. He wouldn’t be nice about it either. It was clear by all the photos I’d seen of him that he had a mean streak.

  “No way am I letting him put that into me,” I mumbled. “Not happening.”

  I turned the corner, scowling at the ground like it was the one to offend me.

  “Put what into you?” The familiar voice was deep and angry. It did dangerous things to my inside. I didn’t know what it was about the voice, but it made my insides clench, except it wasn’t fear that I felt. That only pissed me off as I glared at the prideful Riexian prince. The man was scowling as he stepped closer. “Who is putting what into you?”

  I blinked at the rage that seemed to take him over. I didn’t expect nor knew where it was coming from. It wasn’t aimed my way, but it was tempting to run away from him. This man before me was a warrior, powerful, ready to tear apart the ship. And…it was for my honor?

  “Tell me now. I will take care of it.” His sharp words were full of violence. If he turned it onto someone, they wouldn’t survive it. If I were in a better mood, maybe I’d enjoy seeing this reaction from him. As it were, I was ready to punch in faces, so for him to act like he needed to take care of business for me was unacceptable. I could do it on my own.

  Besides, what would he do? Murder his own father?

  “Back off,” I warned. That brought him to a halt as he blinked his red eyes at me. They were a red maelstrom of power and retribution. I swallowed the urge to scream. He wasn’t going to hurt me. I knew this. I could tell. Everything about him screamed protective.

  I didn’t want that. Not from him. Not from any Riexian.

  “Who is putting what in you?” he asked in a hard voice, breathing heavily as he fought to detain himself.

  “No one! I won’t let anyone put a damn thing inside of me and”—I look him up and down slowly—“if anyone tries, I’ll yank their dicks off. I’ll bring them to their knees.” I stepped closer to him, lowering my voice. “Would you like a reminder of exactly what I can do.” I dropped my eyes to his crotch. The robes were loose enough that I couldn’t see shapes underneath, but with my new knowledge, it made it hard not to want to have a closer look. I couldn’t wrap my head around how having two dicks worked.

  Kyel stepped back, his dark eyebrows raised in surprise. “You aren’t what I expected out of an earthling.”

  All the stress finally got to me and I broke out in angry laughter. “And what was it that you expected, Prince Kyel? Did you expect me to be a simpering pussy ready to spread my legs wide for anyone who wanted a taste of an earthling? Do not take me as a weakling. I’ll never open my legs for any of you.”

  Kyel’s expression heated into something different as his gaze went up and down my body. “No, I imagine you won’t make it easy for anyone, not for my father, and not for me.” His voice dipped down into something smooth and melodic, almost similar to a purr. “There is never anything wrong with a challenge. We are a warrior race. It wouldn’t be fun if our women simply opened their legs for us without a fight.” His gaze dropped down to my breasts as I fought to breathe normally. His voice did something to me, it brought all my senses to a newly heightened awareness. If he touched me in that moment, it would have burned in a good way.

  “Kyel, there is an emergency that demands your attention.” A cold voice cut through the fog falling over my thoughts.

  We both looked over to see another Riexian standing a few feet away, scowling as he stared at us. The new man met Kyel’s eyes and there was some kind of understanding that passed between the two of them.

  Kyel swore underneath his breath and stepped away from me. For a moment, I thought I saw something tender in his expression until it hardened into something that could shatter diamonds. “Do not make fun of me, Breeder. You can yap all you wish about not opening your legs for anyone, but remember, that is exactly why you are here. You’re to be given to a man who will force himself between your legs and you will not be able to do anything about it. Remember your position. You may only have to service one man, but you are no better than the whores.”

  He stalked off, leaving me gaping at him. Anger smashed into me and I swore as I slammed into my pod, locking the mechanism.

  “Stop showing up around me, bastard,” I muttered as I paced the room, trying to relieve all the built-up tension in me.

  I needed to calm down, to get myself under control. The heat that pooled in my body proved me a liar. Even after he said that shit to me, my mind kept picturing his body with the two cocks on it. His body pressed against mine as he used them to pleasure me. His body while he used that damn sexy voice that had sent me into overdrive.

  “Bastard.”

  7

  Kyel

  Drayl’s pace was fast. One would think he was running from an arachosaur.

  “Slow down, what is this emergency?” I asked.

  He stopped and turned, glancing over my shoulder before turning his glower onto me. “Stopping you from getting yourself killed.”

  I scowled. “It’s none of your business.”

  “You’re right. It isn’t my business. But you are my best friend and I’d rather not watch you get fed to the piraks.”

  I shuddered. No one wanted to get fed to those water creatures. Their razor-sharp teeth could cut through bone. They were small, but they swam in packs and swarmed their prey until there was nothing left. Not bones, not clothes, not a single strand of hair. It was an execution style my father liked to use often. He had a tank filled with them and made a whole spectacle of it, forcing loved ones to watch to set an example.

  “Exactly.” Drayl eyed me before walking again, but this time moving slower. “You are putting yourself on a dangerous path and I will stop you. I like you alive and I want you on the throne.”

  “It isn’t that easy.”

  “It is. It really is. She is going to be mated to Ambassador Kryn. Your father. The same man who killed your mother. We’ve talked about this already. All you need to do is wait him out. He won’t have any more children. I don’t think it has anything to do with the women being barren, but him.”

  “Careful, he’s cut out tongues for lesser reasons.”

  “He’s killed for lesser reasons too. When you look at Nora, think about your mother. He killed her—murdered her—all because of some stupid rumor. He had no proof. And now he is trying to replace you as heir under the pretense that you aren’t his child.” Muttering underneath his breath, he said, “All anyone needs to do is look at the two of you to know the truth. You are very much your father’s son.”

  I chuckled, but quickly sobered as reality came back. Being further away from Nora helped to clear my mind. Drayl was right. My father was a murderer and I refused to let him take even more away from me.

  It didn’t make not wanting after Nora any easier. And it absolutely burned that she became another person he was going to take from me.

  The silence stretched as I thought over what Drayl said. There was a lot at stake and there was definitely potential for it all to fall apart because of Nora. Unfortunately, it changed nothing.

  “I got a
report back from one of my guys. Our lead didn’t pan out.” Drayl changed the topic and I pounced at the opportunity to talk about something else.

  “For the bastard son?”

  “Yes. There really is no proof.”

  “There has to be. Mother was sure he was having an affair. She didn’t say as much, but I knew her. There was something there. And the papers I found of the women he had access to. Mother tried tracking them all.”

  “I haven’t been able to find two of them. The other three didn’t pan out to anything. One dead, doctors said there was no sign of her ever having been with a child. The other two moved on with their lives, bought out by the old man. Neither had a child by him. Their children are too young. Are we still holding out that he really did produce a bastard child?”

  “My mother didn’t have an affair.”

  “Doesn’t mean he had one.”

  I snorted. “He did. She had to have found out some way and he decided to turn the table, get sympathy for her dubious affair and breach of trust. Killing her made it impossible for her to speak out against him.”

  “And when we find this child? Then what? Kill him? It’s obvious the old man isn’t going to make him heir.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “No, I don’t think so. That wouldn’t be fair to punish the kid for his father. That’d be proving that I should be killed too then for being his child. I don’t want that.”

  “If we bring him to light, he might be able to make a move for the throne. It’d be better to kill him.”

  “I don’t know. That doesn’t seem right. I only want proof. My mother’s name has been dragged through the mud because of that man.” Anger slipped into my voice like it always did when we discussed my mother. “I want to restore her honor. And mine. I am not a bastard child. I am very much his.”