Alien Romance: Arcturus Mates Complete Series (Book 1 - 9): Scifi Alien Abduction Romance (Alien Invasion Romance, Alien Romance) (14 page)

Cona answered her. "For the prince to become king he must bring a legacy to Leka and the people: the promise of a future. That promise is symbolized by a child. The child must be born before his thirtieth birthday, or he shows no promise to the people. At that point, without a child, a new and different king is chosen."

Vicky saw that Kroido did have a problem. No fertile women on his planet. He needed someone and he was willing to pay. And pay a lot. So this was something like becoming a mail-order bride, with substantial financial benefits.

Vicky wanted to be sure she understood. "So the agreement is that I will come to your planet, mate with you," she looked at Kroido, "have a baby and then I can come back here in a year?"

They all said, "Yes."

Vicky looked at all of them. She looked at Kroido's fine features and his outstanding body.
Mating.
She'd never thought of sex as mating, but here it was. If she did this Vicky would be a millionaire in one year. She wasn't really that sexually experienced, considering modern mores.

She'd had a crush on a boy in high school but they hadn't
mated
, just heavy petting. Then one intense, but brief, relationship with a guy who liked himself...a lot. Her year-long live together experiment and been OK until he met a blond with a sleek body.

It wasn't like she was a virgin or would lose all her respectability. Her friends were few and mostly other women. Would they even miss her? She didn't have a place to live. Her vehicle was on its last gasp. Tips were uneven.

What these people were promising was a life of being taken care of for a year, and the promise of a million dollars at the end. She took in a deep breath.  She could do this.

"Alright," she said. "What do I need to bring?" As soon as she said it she thought it was foolish. What did she really have? Her most precious possession was Jack, her teddy bear.

Cona, the dark woman, said, "First we must do the examinations to make certain you are acceptable to the planet. Whatever Kroido thinks," she glanced quickly at the prince, "you must satisfy the requirements of our prophecy and the goals of the people of Leka."

Dr. Guloo led Vicky into a private room where he poked and prodded her body and then made copious notes in a small device. When he was done, Vasu ran her through some intelligence and personality tests.

The thought of the million dollars kept her going through the hours of examination. Then, when she thought they were done, Cona came in and asked her questions that at first seemed vague. Soon Vicky realized they were about her feelings of femininity and her comfort and clarity about being a woman.

When she'd finished the long examination process, Cona took her out into the main room. Kroido gestured for her to sit in a chair opposite him. The others disappeared into their rooms.

Vicky was tired. But not too tired to notice his tall, muscular frame filled the chair. Or that his clear blue eyes looked directly at her. Or that his gesturing arm was powerful.

"You must be hungry after all that," he said. He pointed toward a small buffet laid out on the table between them."

"Thank you," Vicky said as she took a plate and filled it full. She was nervous in front of him, conscious of his eye and conscious of every flaw in her body.

Receiving a
mating
proposal from a prince was not something that happened every day. She wasn't sure what to say. This was the craziest first date of her life. That was for sure.

"Do you have friends and family that will miss you?" he asked, not looking very concerned either way.

"I have friends," Vicky answered. "My parents are both gone and I have no brothers or sisters. But that's not my worry."

"What is your biggest concern after all that probing?" he asked.

"Who
are
you?" Vicky answered before she could think. All her life she dreamed of getting married and having a loving relationship. This guy was so matter of fact and hard to read.

"What do you mean, 'who am I?' I am Kroido, the future king of the planet Leka, if I find a mate to produce an heir. I must fulfill the prophecy."

"Prophecy," Vicky said with skepticism. "Isn't that a little primitive?"

"Primitive," he said, his voice getting loud. "We are a sophisticated culture. Look, we can travel back and forth through great distances. You Earthlings have made it to the moon. That's not so far."

Vicky decided she was pushing her luck on the million dollars. "I didn't mean to insult you. Sometimes I'm a little blunt. It helps on the job. I'm used to speaking my mind."

Maybe if I eat something, I won't be so edgy
, she thought. She had been here five hours now. She took a bite of sandwich from her plate.

"I'm sorry," she continued, "I think you are the most beautiful man I've ever seen." She gestured toward him with her arm as she took in his massive physique with her eyes. He was perfect as a male specimen. She wasn't so sure about his inner workings. His abruptness and peremptory tone didn't fit with her ideal of a loving man.

"I apologize," Kroido said lowering his voice back to a normal tone. "I shouldn't expect you to know our culture. You've never even heard of our planet Leka.

I have an idea. Let's do what you Earthlings call a first date. I'd like to know you better and I can tell you have many questions about Leka. Put down that sandwich. Let's go have dinner and talk over a glass of wine."

His question was formal but gave Vicky a hint that life as a princess on another planet might be OK for a year. Especially with a big pile of money at the end. They went out for a date.

The next morning Vicky left with the Lekans. She took a small bag of clothing essentials and Jack. She would never have believed that her first date with someone would be a year-long trip to another planet.

Leka

Vicky and Kroido stood at a window of the palace. "We look out over the water. The city below is also called Leka. It is the center of all our culture. You can see the harbor. The ocean is the heart of our life."

The air was hot and a strong wind blew up the side of the mountain from the ocean. The mountain was rocky and red with sparse brush.

Vicky was dressed now in a Lekan loose, flowing gown that hung from her shoulders. The air was hot. Now she understood why this was the dress standard for men and women. No fabric touched or clung and the garment provided free movement. She especially liked that it hid her extra roundness. She felt sexy with no underwear and the light brushings of the fabric against her skin.

Vicky looked out at the city below them. "I didn't know what to expect on another planet but it wasn't this."

The buildings were all low, three stories was high, and they were whitewashed stucco. So was the palace, a large and sprawling, thick-walled building but low, clinging to the side of the barren mountain.

She was aware of Kroido's body next to hers. The strength in his body from his shoulders and torso down to his muscled calves sent shivers down her spine. She was still stunned that this ultra-handsome man wanted her as his
mate
.

The feeling of her dress against her naked skin and the pressure of his arm gave her a sexual charge. Well, if she was going to mate she could damn well feel sexy.

Kroido lifted his arm and pointed to the buildings clustered around the large harbor. His biceps brushed against her shoulder and Vicky felt the shivers multiply.

"Leka, the center of our world." Then he turned around. "How do you like your rooms? You have enough room for the baby?"

The thought of pregnancy and childbirth dashed Vicky's sexy stirrings. The realization that she was here to procreate was a hard reality.

"I've never had a baby. This looks like plenty of room."

"The women will help you with everything you need. Dr. Guloo, himself, will be here when the time comes." Kroido reached out and touched her shoulder.

"You will be a good mother. We have checked all your qualifications: physical, mental, and sexual."

In spite of the newness of her experience and the thought of childbirth, the touch of his strong fingers on her shoulder and the proximity of his astounding body started fires in Vicky's core. Tentatively she touched his face. She ran her fingers over his smooth cheek and down his neck.

Kroido smiled. "Aha, I like a sensual woman. Our wedding night will be full of exploration."

Vicky told herself,
One million dollars and sex with the best looking man I've ever seen
. She looked into his deep blue eyes under the broad, tan brow. He smiled, taking in her admiration.

"Tomorrow afternoon is the ceremony. The preparations began as soon as you made your agreement. Today the women will measure you for your wedding dress. The measurements must be precise."

Vicky wondered about that since all the garments she had seen were relaxed and flowing. "Precise?"

"Yes, the women will explain." He brushed it off as a small detail.

"Tomorrow morning, the public appearance at the palace starts the celebration. We call it the Apparance. We'll stand at the royal balcony to greet the people. Those citizens of Leka who can't be here in person will watch a broadcast. The entire world is thrilled that, once again, the prophecy will be fulfilled."

"Now that I'm here and you have explained the prophecy for the king, I'm wondering how do the rest of the people have children?"

"Oh, that is thanks to our scientists. Their experiments have advanced since they caused the infertility mutations in women. Once the child is born, the scientists take cellular material from the heir and produce clones."

Vicky started to feel uneasy. "But that doesn't make sense, then everyone would be the same here. I've been here long enough to see that you are all different."

Kroido frowned at her. "When you look at our buildings, you Earthlings may think that we are simple, but we are quite sophisticated in our science. The stucco of the buildings protects us from the heat and from the winds. With natural insulation we save on energy."

Vicky felt he was avoiding her question. "OK, but what about the children?"

"Oh, the children," Kroido continued as if she were dumb. "They are altered genetically. Couples place an order, and the child," he looked up and down over Vicky's body, "obviously from good stock, is made to their specifications."

"I'm a science experiment?!!" Vicky exclaimed in horror. This was much more than just having someone's baby, getting paid, and then leaving.

"No, no. You are the progenitor of the planet. You will be adored by everyone. Every generation the new king--that's me--produces new stock to populate the planet. This is all part of the prophecy of Neani. Don't worry you'll hear all about it at the ceremony tomorrow."

"Oh, this is so much more than I'd thought about." Vicky pulled back. She didn't know how she felt about someone who could be part of this.

"You'll get used to it. We'll take care of you," Kroido said in a commanding tone. "You are here for that purpose. That was our agreement."

"I know. I just feel like it wasn't explained fully. I feel...I don't know what I feel."

"Feelings are not important. You are here to fulfill the prophecy. After a year, you are free to leave." He looked at her. Vicky thought she saw some spark in his blue eyes. He tossed his mane of almost white hair and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'll leave you to the women. There is much to do before the ceremony. Plus tradition dictates that I not see you for 24 hours before the ceremony. I will see you again tomorrow morning. We'll start with the public appearance here at the palace. Until then, Vicky."

He turned, went to the door, rang a silver bell hanging by the doorframe, and left.

Before Vicky could recover from his abrupt treatment and the shock of what her real purpose was, she was surrounded by a cluster of women. She was relieved to see that she knew one, Cona, the mannish looking woman from her interview yesterday. She knew no one, and even one familiar face was a welcoming comfort.

"Cona," Vicky said. "I'm so glad to see you. I'm feeling very alone."

Cona answered, "You are about to be queen. You will never be alone."

"Yes, that's not what I mean. I'm here on a different planet. Everything is new. It is hot. I'm not used to hot weather. I don't have any friends. And Kroido! Is he always like that?"

"Our prince?" Cona asked. "Like what?"

"So..." suddenly Vicky realized how vulnerable she was. She really was
alone
. She searched for the right word. She realized she could not really complain about Kroido in front of anyone.

Arrogant, was the first word that came to mind but she decided against it. Self-absorbed. Abrupt. She settled for a positive word, "Ummm, commanding."

"Of course, he is commanding," Cona replied. "He is the prince. He gets what he wants." As she spoke, her big brown eyes covered with long, dark lashes went from side to side to the women busily laying out fabric and measuring instruments on a table. Then she whispered, "We can talk after the measuring."