Kazzon's Human Bride: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Tarrkuan Masters Book 3) Read online

  “You’re aroused,” he said, staring into her startled blue gaze.

  She gasped. “I am not!” A dark cloud momentarily appeared around her head.

  “Liar,” he said. “I can smell the slickness gathering between your thighs, little Caylee. In fact, I first detected your arousal when I approached you in the alley. I assume you’ve never been this close to a Tarrkuan male before?”

  “My teacher growing up was a Tarrkuan male,” she said defensively.

  “Ah, I am aware. I’ve met him, but he’s an old man.” Kazzon backed her further against the wall, allowing the heat of his body to combine with hers. There was something deeply satisfying, on a primal level, in the knowledge that he was the first Tarrkuan to ever provoke such a visceral response from this little human.

  “I-I do not understand what’s happening to me,” she said, a worried glint in her gaze. “It must be you! You’re doing something to me!”

  He chuckled at her accusation and reached to tangle his fingers in her soft wavy locks. “You’re experiencing sexual excitement for the first time, Caylee. Chosen Tarrkuan brides are not usually sexually attracted to human males, though they are of course, by design, attracted to Tarrkuan males, and once mated, those human females only ache for their husbands.”

  A look of horror washed over her. She shook her head back and forth. “No-no, that can’t be what’s happening. You must have drugged me somehow. I should’ve never come with you so willingly.” She pushed at him and tried to escape, but he tightened his hold on her, moving closer until his hardened cock pressed against her stomach.

  “Naughty, naughty little human,” he said. “Even if you escape my grasp, you won’t escape this ship. All the exits are secured.”

  “Let me go! You-you… bastard!” She pounded on his chest. “I-I won’t do it! I won’t mate with a Tarrkuan under any circumstances, so you might as well save yourself the time and trouble and allow me to return home.”

  He leaned down until his gaze was level with hers. Her eyes flashed with fury, but the intensity soon dimmed. A visible shiver rushed through her when he gave her a stern look.

  Despite her protests, the scent of her arousal remained strong. Likewise, the vigor of his own need deepened, his cock hardening mightily as his balls drew up tight.

  A storm of desire ripped through him with all the force of a tidal wave.

  Gods, he wanted her for himself, this tiny human who incited his passions. He wanted her in his bed, naked and panting breathlessly beneath him. But it wasn’t only sex he wanted from her. He wanted to possess her in every way. He wanted her as his mate, as his wife.

  Why not? He was, after all, owed a human bride.

  As she pushed at his chest, he came to a rapid-fire decision.

  He would claim Caylee as his.

  Chapter 6

  How could this have happened?

  Caylee sat on the bed, staring out the viewscreen into the pitch-black night. The highhanded alien, whose name she didn’t yet know, had locked her inside a large bedroom and left her all alone. She’d spent the first hour of her captivity scouring every surface of the room and opening every drawer, looking for anything she might use to escape. Unfortunately, she’d discovered nothing that could be of use.

  All she found in the drawers and closets were extra clothing and shoes, all sized to fit a huge Tarrkuan male, which made her think this must be her captor’s room.

  There was a video comm next to the kitchen area, but thus far she’d been unable to guess the twelve-digit password requested every time she turned it on. She ran a hand through her hair and blew out a quick breath, frustration driving her to tears. She wiped the moisture on the back of her sleeve and cursed.

  Several months ago, after Julie had succeeded in making her new mate, Varro, fall in love with her, Caylee had breathed a huge sigh of relief and assumed she would spend the rest of her life on Earth with the Tarrkuans none the wiser. Julie had also assured Caylee that Varro wouldn’t turn her in to his people. Since he was a member of the ruling class, traditional Tarrkuan laws didn’t really apply to him, meaning he wouldn’t get in any legal trouble even if his government learned he possessed information about a Tarrkuan bride hiding out on Earth.

  Yet here she was. A prisoner on a Tarrkuan ship.

  What would happen to her?

  A shudder ran through her as she considered the possibilities. From her studies of the alien culture, she knew that defiant Tarrkuan brides were sometimes sent to re-education facilities on the planet—for example, if a human mated to one of the aliens spoke out against the trade agreement. Would she be sent to one of the facilities before she was given to a Tarrkuan male and forced to become his mate?

  An increasing sense of dread made her hands shake and her stomach clench. She’d been so stupid, walking the streets of New Leesburg after midnight. She should have ended the visit with her family well before curfew, as her father had suggested, then none of this would have happened. But she’d been so reluctant to return to her empty house that she’d stayed an extra three hours.

  She curled up in a ball atop the covers, her gaze still on the black night. A dust storm had blown over the dome-city several days ago and it must yet be going strong, as neither the moon nor the stars were visible. A sigh escaped her.

  Yes, Earth needed the Tarrkuans’ help. Until humans managed to build a massive worldship to evacuate mankind from Earth, Caylee’s people would truly be at the mercy of the Tarrkuans. The TEC600 reactors were the only thing keeping the dome-cities functional with breathable air and regulated temperatures. If the Tarrkuans failed to send one shipment of reactor material to New Leesburg, the entire dome-city might perish.

  You have violated the trade agreement between our worlds.

  You’ve committed a crime, Caylee.

  Her captor’s sternly spoken words flitted through her mind, causing her to bolt upright in the bed. She had violated the trade agreement. But would the settlement of New Leesburg suffer in any way for her actions? Oh God, she certainly hoped not.

  Regret swam through her consciousness, making her feel sick. Her family and friends called this dome-city home. She would never forgive herself if her crimes caused those she loved most to suffer.

  Maybe she ought to be more cooperative when her captor returned.

  As she thought about the huge alien, a heated flush overcame her, nearly taking her breath away. She swallowed hard and tried to push the unwanted sensations away, but she couldn’t help it. For a reason she couldn’t fathom, she found herself hopelessly attracted to the alien who’d discovered her in the alley.

  Chosen Tarrkuan brides are not usually sexually attracted to human males, though they are of course, by design, attracted to Tarrkuan males.

  Again, his words returned to taunt her. Her heart raced faster. She had learned all this during her schooling with the elderly Tarrkuan teacher, of course, but it wasn’t a topic she had ever allowed herself to dwell on for long.

  It was true though. She had never once felt even the slightest attraction to a human male, even those her friends claimed were very good looking. But God, when she’d seen her captor walking down the street, his form-fitting clothing accentuating the lines of his powerful muscles, his dark blue skin and black hair gleaming underneath the street lanterns… well, she had been unable to control the heat rapidly building between her thighs.

  Tarrkuan males visited New Leesburg on occasion, but they were usually older government officials, much too old for her to consider as a mate. The alien who’d grabbed her today was the youngest Tarrkuan she had ever seen. The lifespan of humans and Tarrkuans was comparable and she guessed him to be in his late twenties, or perhaps his early thirties. A bit older than her, but he was of the average age most Tarrkuan males were when they took a human bride, as Tarrkuan males were required to spend several years mining the Feshinga Asteroid Belt in order to earn their respective human females.

  To her surprise, the door suddenly zipped
open and her captor entered the bedroom. She shot off the bed and stared at him, torn between fighting him or offering an apology for her crimes, if only to protect her beloved dome-city. But before she could speak, he stepped closer and reached for her, placing his hands upon her shoulders.

  His closeness rendered her speechless as the aching in her womanly core from earlier reignited, causing her legs to tremble as she pressed her thighs together.

  To her mortification, his nostrils flared and he inhaled deeply.

  “I have come to inform you of the punishment for your crimes, little human.”

  Chapter 7

  “Please,” Caylee found herself saying, “please don’t punish my dome-city in any way. I take full responsibility for my crimes and I will accept whatever punishment your people have deemed fit.” Summoning her bravery, she lifted her chin and held her captor’s dark gaze.

  “I have conferred with the Tarrkuan Council and we have determined that no action will be taken against your dome-city or any of the citizens within.”

  Relief flooded her and she exhaled the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Her arms and legs felt weakened as she trembled in the aftermath of his announcement. Her family, in particular her brother, who had printed the fake palm print to help her fool the Tarrkuans, could have easily been arrested. She was grateful for their safety.

  “That is good news.” She peered at the stern-faced alien. “Thank you for not taking action against my dome-city.” She didn’t dare hope he would allow her to remain in New Leesburg, and she waited for him to announce her punishment. She expected to be incarcerated or sent to re-education, though she knew eventually she would be handed over to a single Tarrkuan male, a male with whom she would be required to mate and procreate.

  She shuddered as the alien moved to cup her face. His touch was warm yet caused her to tingle all over. Goosebumps also erupted over her flesh and she started to feel quite breathless. She wished this Tarrkuan wasn’t so attractive and once again wondered about his identity.

  “Now,” he continued, brushing his fingers over her cheeks, “about your punishment.”

  Her stomach flipped. Why was he holding her face so tenderly? She quivered in place, waiting for him to announce her punishment.

  “Well, it’s not truly a punishment, little human, but I am certain you will view it as one.”

  She wished he would spit it out already, rather than prolong her torture. Tears burned in her eyes and she blinked rapidly, not wanting to cry in front of this alien male.

  He lifted one eyebrow at her and gave her a serious look. “The Allocators have assigned you a mate, a Tarrkuan male who will become your husband.”

  “A husband? But-but won’t I be sent to re-education first?”

  The sexy alien’s lips curved in a slight smile and he shifted one of his hands to her hair, drawing his fingers gently through her wavy locks. She shivered at his intimate touch.

  “Some Tarrkuan officials wished to have you sent to re-education immediately, but it was eventually agreed that your new husband would take on the responsibility of your re-education. Your new husband has agreed to be especially strict with you and keep you in line. You will not get the chance to disrupt the Tarrkuan way of life or incite any rebellions among the human females who already live on our planet.”

  “My new husband?” Horror washed through her. It sounded as though a particular Tarrkuan male had already been selected to become her mate, and it also sounded as though he meant to restrict her freedoms and perhaps even treat her with cruelty. Tears blurred in her eyes. “So that’s my punishment? The Allocators have matched me with a cruel Tarrkuan male who will mistreat me?”

  The tears finally escaped her eyes, but she couldn’t brush them away, as he was still holding her too closely to allow her to raise her arms. Her sorrow was on display for him and her cheeks burned with humiliation. She wanted to be brave and didn’t wish for him to witness her distress.

  “I assure you, the Tarrkuan male you’ve been assigned to wed is not cruel, nor will he mistreat you.”

  “Oh, a friend of yours, is he?” Bitterness infused her voice as more tears fell. She hated that she was crying in front of him and wished he would release her so she might wipe her tears away and better collect herself.

  An amused look entered his dark eyes and she suddenly got a very bad feeling. Her stomach twisted and her breaths came rapid and shallow. Dread coiled inside her as she awaited his response. He still stared at her quietly, and she started to wonder if perhaps he enjoyed her distress. She felt as though he was toying with her, prolonging her suffering by taking forever to answer her questions and reveal her fate.

  “A friend?” His lips curled slightly again. “Not quite.” He leaned closer and continued brushing his fingers through her hair. He also reached for her face with his free hand and gently wiped at her tears. He had no right, and this intimate gesture left her humiliated and furious.

  He was a bastard for playing with her like this. Oh, how she hated him.

  “Then who?” she asked in a whisper. “Who is he?”

  His gaze, intense as ever, became heated and his nostrils flared. He shifted closer to her, crowding her along the wall behind her. His nearness overwhelmed her, and she was certain she detected the hardness of his erect manhood pressing against her through their clothing. Not for the first time in his presence, she felt trapped and completely at his mercy.

  “The Allocators have determined that I will become your husband, little human.”

  No. Please no.

  She stared at him, aghast. This huge alien who had her pressed to the wall, whoever he was, frightened her and she couldn’t imagine becoming his mate.

  “You don’t look pleased.” Some of the humor left his face.

  “I don’t even know you,” she said, her voice cracking. She paused and latched onto the anger that surged through her veins. If she could feel more angry than sorrowful, at least she could maintain a semblance of bravery. “In fact, you haven’t even introduced yourself. I don’t know your name or anything about you. All I know is that you don’t possess an ounce of compassion and you have ruined my life.”

  His visage darkened. “You committed a grave crime. You were educated as a Tarrkuan bride and your DNA was modified—at great expense to my people, I might add—in order to allow you to conceive offspring with a Tarrkuan. Many of our males have risked their lives in the space mines to procure the materials needed for the TEC600 reactors that power your cities on Earth, yet you attempted to deceive us. Not all those who go off to the mines return. Many perish in accidents, while others sustain serious bodily harm.”

  “So you think you earned me just because you went to the space mines and risked your life? I never asked you to do it. I never asked to be chosen as a Tarrkuan bride.” She pushed at his chest, trying to escape his grasp, but he grabbed ahold of her upper arms and held her in place.

  “Speaking out against the Earth-Tarrkua trade agreement is forbidden. This is the kind of behavior that would get you sent to re-education if the wrong people overheard you.” His voice was loud and stern, a scolding tone that sent quivers of fear through her.

  She glared at him, her frustration mounting. “Then send me to your stupid re-education camp. I don’t care. I would rather go there than become your wife. Better yet, send me to prison. I would prefer that over mating with you, or any Tarrkuan for that matter.” As she spoke, a voice in the back of her mind warned her that maybe she ought to shut up. After all, as her husband, this alien male would be within his rights to physically discipline her. She would be smart to avoid rousing his anger.

  “The Allocators have spoken.” His dark gaze pierced hers. “You will become my mate. You have no choice.”

  Chapter 8

  Kazzon stared at the trembling human female, his lust not abated in the slightest, even given her apparent dislike for him. He’d been pleased when the Allocators granted his request to become Caylee’s mate
and he wasn’t sorry for it. His need to possess this small human burned through him, making his breaths rapid and his pulse race. His cock hardened further when he imagined the night to come.

  He intended to claim Caylee immediately.

  “Please don’t do this,” she said in a pleading tone. “Please let me go home. I promise I’ll never commit another crime again if only you’ll let me go home. I’ll also never speak out against the Earth-Tarrkua trade agreement again. I give you my word.”

  “I’ve already informed Tarrkuan authorities of your crime, Caylee. What has already been done cannot be undone, even if I wished to set you free—which I do not, by the way. I find I am very much looking forward to making you my bride.”

  She swallowed hard and a shuddering breath left her. “What-what is your name?” she asked. “Who-who are you among your people? And why have you come to New Leesburg in the first place?” She had ceased struggling against his hold and now wore a look of growing resignation, though little trembles afflicted her whole body.

  “My name is Kazzon. I am an ambassador and I’ve come to Earth to renegotiate the treaty between our worlds. I’m on Earth to visit the dome-cities who were reluctant to agree to our new terms. New Leesburg is my last stop before I return to Tarrkua.”

  “The treaty is being renegotiated? Why?”

  “Tarrkua requires more human females. In the coming years, one female from each dome-city on Earth will not be enough to meet our demand from the Tarrkuan miners returning from the Feshinga Asteroid Belt.”

  Her eyes widened. “How many more females do you need?”

  “Eventually, we will require five females from each dome-city per year. At the next Selection, the dome-cities will be required to pick five female children who will grow up to become Tarrkuan brides, and so on every year after.”

  “That’s heartbreaking,” Caylee said. “What you are planning will tear more families apart. Do you realize how devastated my parents were, knowing that one day they would have to say goodbye to me forever? My mother cried herself to sleep on Selection Day.”