Abducted by the Star Prince (Lords of Astria) (5 page)

“Get down, Nadia.” It was the first time he had used her real name. Despite her terror at the rumbling of the ship, she almost smiled at the sound of her name on Kester’s lips. She crouched down behind him, gripping his muscular arm. From his touch, she could feel something like a warning. It was like the image he’d shown her before, but it was much less intense, a gentle telepathic message. It was serious in nature, but easier on her mind.
 

Okay
, she thought.
We’ll be okay
. He looked back at her, nodding to let her know that he had received her message in kind. There was a look of slight surprise, as if he couldn’t quite believe their exchange.
 

At that moment, what had appeared to be a huge wall ripped open. Nadia gasped. Before them stood a humanoid being, but with a lizard-like face of black and blue. His yellow eyes radiated pure evil. Just from touching Kester’s skin, she could tell that this was a Nebulan, a member of a race who had been plaguing Kester’s people and their allies for centuries. A being that would easily slit Nadia’s throat from ear to ear... or worse yet, take her to his home planet to be breeding material. Nadia shuddered, clutching Kester’s arm.
 

“Prince Kester of Delma and the Lanids,” the creature said, his voice gravely and foreign even through the language chip in Nadia’s ear. “We’ve heard tell that you procured a Terran woman for the purpose of mating.”

“The woman is none of your concern.” Kester’s voice boomed, holding none of that sweetness or light sarcasm Nadia had heard before.
 

Procured for mating? That’s not the story Kester told me.
Nadia’s eyes flickered between the two aliens. Even if she was less certain of her relationship to Kester, it was clear that he was the lesser of two evils.
 

“She is. Terran women are pliant and fertile.” The alien took a deep inhalation of the air, stepping forward and staring at Nadia with unbridled lust. “They can also be trained to serve the Nebulan race. Once you break them, they make excellent slaves. And one this little... well, I’d take her straight to my chambers and make her mine.” The Nebulan growled, putting one hand to his cock and gripping it. He was clearly growing hard already.
 

“The Terran female is mine. I’ve already claimed her,” Kester growled. “She’s mine to mate with until the end of days.” His voice sounded more bestial than alien... like a wolf forming the syllables of a man. The Nebulan laughed.
 

“You’re just a weak prince. You clearly couldn’t please this woman.” The Nebulan threw his head back. In a flash quicker and fiercer than lightning, Kester had pulled a barely visible weapon from his side. He stepped forward and slit the monster’s throat. The Nebulan clutched at the wound, his black blood spilling over the ship. Kester pulled Nadia up and thrust her back into the sleeping bay. He pressed a button she couldn’t see, and the restraints covered her, but this time she was unable to break free.
 

“Kester... what... what are you doing?”

“Taking you to Gemnia. And disposing of this garbage.” With one powerful stride, Kester stepped towards the controls and closed the ripped apart panel. “We’ll have to fly with the Nebulan pod attached to the ship, but we’ll make landing on Gemnia and get you to a sick bay. And I’ll get you away from this fucking place as soon as possible.” The ship rumbled to life and sped down toward to the planet, shaking and off balance from the pod that had mounted the ship’s airlock.
 

“Kester, let me go. Kester...” Nadia’s voice was weak. The hit she had suffered had cracked her arm again. The invisible sling hadn’t been enough to keep it stable. The pain started to take her over again. “You’re not taking me there to make me your mate... are you?” Her voice was weak and frightened.
 

“No, Nadia,” Kester said, looking out toward Gemna. “As much as I might like that, this place isn’t safe for you. And I won’t subject you to a Nebulan attack again. The Nebulans are stupid and weak, but their numbers are vast. And some are far smarter than this imbecile. One of them would take you sooner or later, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.” Nadia sensed the emotion buried in his voice as her consciousness faded out again. The pain wouldn’t allow her to stay awake now. Kester’s words had soothed her, and for that she was grateful.
 

The pain pulsed on, and she wondered at the strangeness of this new place. Maybe she’d died and gone off to heaven after all... or purgatory... or wherever agnostic astronauts go. As her eyes closed and darkness swept over her, a shade of disappointment crept into her thoughts. It was almost as if she wanted Kester to tell her she would be his mate, that she would be his forever. It was probably the pain that made her think such a thing.
 

After all, what human woman in her right mind would want to mate with an alien?
 

Kester

“Damned Nebulans,” Kester muttered, still reeling from facing one of his sworn enemies firsthand. Though he’d often heard of the Dark Nebulans and their hunger for domination, he’d never encountered one in the flesh. And this one was after Nadia.
His woman
.

It was clear now that she was his mate. Kester was sure that Nadia wouldn’t see things the same way. He’d get her to the first sick bay on Gemna and have her transported to a medical portal. Then he’d get some lackey of his father’s to transport her back to Earth. Or the blasted moon lab. Whatever that thing was. Kester growled and futzed with the controls on the dashboard. He knew he would arrive soon in the thriving town of Lemniat, and he’d spoken quickly with air command at the landing space. They knew he had a dead Nebulan on board and an injured Terran woman. Medical transport would be expedient, and before Nadia woke, Kester could have his arms around her one last time.
 

There was no way he would take a woman against her will. The Nebulan had reinforced his belief. Only a brutal animal like that reptilian creature would take a pure, beautiful woman like Nadia and turn her to a slave. Kester wouldn’t do anything of the sort. He was the prince of Delma and the Lanids, and any mate of his would be willing. Even if she wasn’t as spunky or as smart... or as beautiful as the Terran woman he had found so close to death, floating in the blankness of space. With skin as pale as the moons of Gemna.
 

He sighed and brought the ship down through Gemna’s heavy atmosphere. He navigated slowly, careful not to rock his precious passenger. The thought of hurting her again made him physically ill... and the threat that the Nebulans posed disturbed him deeply. If the Dark Nebulans were after Terran women to use as breeding stock, then no Terran bride would be safe in Astria.
 

If only there were a way. She’s so beautiful, so tiny. I could take her as my princess... make her into the goddess she was meant to be. But...

His thoughts trailed off, and he looked into the sleeping bay behind him. He wouldn’t take her as his. He couldn’t. Even though the mating urge was a once in a lifetime occurrence, he wouldn’t put Nadia’s life in danger like this. He couldn’t. She was too good, too pure. He could sense that beauty inside of her with each touch. It was like he had known her for years upon years, like he knew every thought she had before she had it. Kester knew that she would gladly take him, even if she wouldn’t consider a life in Astria. But that was lust. And he wouldn’t risk her life for the lust she held inside.
 

The landing field was in sight as he dropped through the atmosphere below. He sighed heavily, feeling like he had aged ten years since the flight had taken off from Delma. How could he have known that his father would be right? That he would find a mate in the strange way that he did? And that he would lose her before he could even have her?
 

He coasted down, landing on the soft pad below. The beauty of Gemnia once again took his breath away. It was a land that was strange to him. It was the land of his people, but not where he had grown into a man. It was a land that had always seemed too beautiful for a shallow prince concerned only with entertainment. In his heart he knew it would be a good place for Nadia Rainer to heal. She deserved to wake up in a beautiful place among beautiful people before she journeyed back to her station in the skies above her home planet.
 

He went to Nadia’s sleeping bay and pressed the button to release her, taking her gently into his arms and walking her out to the airfield. A medical transport ship greeted them and swept both Kester and Nadia away as the police came to dispose of the Nebulan corpse and the space pod that had accosted Kester’s ship. Kester held tight to Nadia as the ship flew them to the nearest medical building. He knew he would have to let her go as soon as they landed. But for now, he could relish the closeness of her body. Just before the ship touched down, Nadia’s beautiful eyes fluttered open. Immediately, Kester sensed her need for him, growing deep inside of her.
 

Put her down, Kester. Don’t make this any worse than it is.

“Kester,” she mumbled. “Where... where are we?”

“On Gemnia. It is much like your Earth. I will take you to a healing station, and there you will be able to recover from your injuries. One of my cousins will take you back home once you have healed.”

“Don’t leave me.” She reached out for him with her good arm, drawing his face close to hers. Gently, she placed a kiss on his lips, sending a great wave of desire through him. His cock stiffened against her small, feverish body. He sighed heavily, letting his tongue slip against hers for just a moment.
 

“I must.”

“Just for a moment longer. Just until I heal.”

“Okay,” he sighed. “I will.” The ship’s captain looked at Kester, giving him a nod and staring at the Terran woman’s body with curiosity. Instinctively, Kester shielded Nadia from his view.
 

Mine
, he thought.
She is mine
.

He disembarked from the ship, holding her childlike body close and walking through the doors of the medical station. Here, she would have her own private chamber to heal, and soon, she would be on her way back home.
 

Nadia and Kester

Nadia woke to find that Kester was waiting beside her, asleep in a round, edgeless chair in the quiet room of the medical port. The room was small, white, and blank. A broad computer panel flashed on the wall, monitoring Nadia’s health stats remotely. There was no noise in the corridors beyond the closed room… either they were alone, or there were some silencing techniques at work. Tentatively, she moved her arm, flexing it forward and then pulling it in.

Miraculous,
she thought.
No more pain. It’s completely healed
. She brought her hand to her injured side and found that the bruises had also healed. Gemnian medicine had healed her, just as Kester had promised.
 

“Kester,” she whispered, bringing her hand to his knee. A shock of warmth ran through her body. There was a perfect beauty to this man. She sighed… How could she properly tell him what she felt?

“Nadia,” he said, his eyes fluttering open. He brought his huge, broad hand to her back, pulling her forward. He rested the hand at the base of her neck, sending a pulsing heat through Nadia’s body. “You’re healed,” he said, relief in his voice. “My cousin can get you back home.” Kester immediately rose and started to walk from the room, turning his body away from Nadia.
 

“Kester! No. You never even explained why you came to Earth. I’ve been taken from my home to another galaxy – the least you can do is explain why.” He sighed, turning back to her and taking his place beside her again. She reached out and took his hand. He tried to push it aside, but she gripped tight.
 

“My father,” he said, looking down, “sent me to your galaxy to find a mate. The only females in A549 who can mate with Astrians are from Earth. So I came to Earth. I never intended to take a woman, to abduct a female as some of the other Lords of Astria have done. But my ship disrupted your space station, and I knew you were all but dead. I had to save you. And once I saw you, I knew I had to bring you here to heal you.” Nadia drew her hand away from his.

“I
was
to be your mate,” she muttered. She turned the word over in her mind, gulping. Neanderthals came to mind… dragging women off to their caves. But Kester was beautiful and intelligent and, clearly, a mate meant something far more to him.
 

“No,” he said with force. “I am a prince. I do not take women from their homes. I took you to save you, and I never should have brought you here. It’s more than any Terran should have to face.”

“So I can’t be your mate? I don’t understand.” She looked at him and placed her hand on his arm, feeling a vibrating warmth coming from his body. It was almost like she could
read
the depth of his desire for her.