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

  “Would you prefer my people cease all contact and dealings with humans? Would you prefer to see your dome-cities plunged into darkness and death?”

  “I would prefer you accept some other type of payment, something other than human females. What you do is barbaric. Forcing dome-cities to pay you with human females is cruel. Haven’t you taken enough women from us? Surely your people are no longer at risk of dying out, surely you have enough half-human half-Tarrkuans who can now help you keep growing your population.”

  “Human females are Earth’s most valuable commodity,” Kazzon said, his frustration building. “And might I remind you that most Tarrkuans risk their lives in order to secure a human female as a mate.”

  “Ah,” she said, her tone sarcastic, “and how many years did you spend in the space mines so that you might secure me as your commodity?”

  “If you must know, I did not go to the space mines. I’ve been an ambassador since I came of age, as I possess special skills which allow me to negotiate better than most of my kind. The leaders of my world ordered me to become an ambassador. I was not given a choice.” To his surprise, he felt a bit defensive and didn’t wish her to think badly of him for not spending time in the space mines. He also had no wish to reveal that, despite his status as a member of the ruling class, his father had neglected to secure him a betrothal with one of the half-human half-Tarrkuan females, as was usually the custom among the ruling members of his society. He pushed down the wave of bitter memories that threatened to break over him.

  “If you didn’t spend time in the mines, how are you legally permitted to take a human bride?”

  “The Allocators were ordered to assign me a human female as a gift for my many years of service to my people,” he said. “You are my reward, Caylee.”

  She appeared confused for a moment, as if she was processing all that he’d just said. He remained quiet, allowing her time to think. He hoped she soon accepted her new place in life. Even if she continued resisting him, he would not let her go.

  Kazzon’s people mated for life and Tarrkuan males legally owned their wives. Whether she wanted to or not, she would belong to him forever.

  “You need not be afraid of me,” he found himself saying, the strange urge to comfort Caylee surging within him. For someone who’d spent his entire life pushing others away, it was an unfamiliar emotion, this compassion that was rising steadily in his chest.

  She gave him a dubious look. “I need not be afraid of you? Might I point out—you’re holding me captive,” she said. “And you say you’re to be my husband? It’s long been my suspicion that many Tarrkuan males mistreat their human brides.” No black mist appeared around her face. She was telling the truth—she truly thought his people abused their females. It was no wonder she was trembling so hard.

  “Tarrkuan males mate for life and we treasure our females,” Kazzon said.

  “Forgive me if I don’t believe you.” Her eyes glimmered with fear. “I know that Tarrkuan males physically punish their wives. I’ve spent my whole life learning that I must be subservient to my future Tarrkuan husband, learning that I must obey my mate in all things, lest I want to suffer a beating.”

  “Is that why you switched places with Julie?” he asked. “Because you were afraid?”

  “No.” She shook her head, a look of determination falling over her. “I did it because Julie lost everything, and I wanted to help her reach her sister. But yes, it also meant I could stay on Earth, which was a bonus. I spent my whole life dreading what was to happen to me. As I already told you, I never wanted to become a Tarrkuan bride.”

  He grasped her hand and led her toward the bed. She tried to pull herself from his grasp, but he forced her to sit upon the mattress. As hard as she was shaking, he thought perhaps she might appreciate sitting down. He released her and backed away a few steps. Her hands fell into her lap, and she twisted her fingers together, as if to stop her hands from shaking. Her eyes were large and blue and clouded with suspicion as she gazed at him.

  He silently thanked the Allocators for granting his request. The thought of any other male taking Caylee as his mate filled Kazzon with jealousy—yet another emotion that felt strange to him. This small human female had no idea, but she was causing a change within him.

  “What’s going to happen now? Are you going to… claim me?” The last two words escaped her in a voice laced with fear.

  “I intend to claim you as my bride before we sleep, yes. But first, we must receive the traditional marriage blessing from a group of Tarrkuan priests.”

  “Well, there are no Tarrkuan priests in New Leesburg, so I don’t see how you can follow through with your plan to claim me tonight. I suppose you’ll have to wait until we reach your planet.” She jutted her chin out, and he thought she was trying to look brave. But her trembling hands betrayed her apprehension.

  “The high priests of Ashorr are on standby at this moment, waiting for me to connect to them via a video comm. They will bestow a marriage blessing upon us as soon as I make the connection.”

  Her face fell. “Must we do this now? Can’t we wait until tomorrow? Please?”

  He came to stand directly in front of her, looming over her with his great height. She peered up at him, her face suddenly flushing and her chest rising and falling rapidly as her breaths increased. Once again, he scented her arousal, a sweet but pungent aroma that nearly drew a growl from him.

  Gods, he couldn’t wait to mate with her for the first time. Before the night was over, there would be no doubt in her mind that she belonged to him.

  He cupped her face in one hand, while he smoothed his other hand through her golden locks. Her hair was so soft compared to a Tarrkuan’s, as was her skin. Heat pummeled through him, his desire for her growing. Soon, she would belong to him.

  “Please,” she begged again, and a dark part of him liked it.

  He liked hearing her beg.

  “You will become my bride tonight, Caylee, and we will consummate our marriage. This decision is final.”

  Her lips curled in a sneer, even as fresh tears glittered in her eyes. “You’re a barbarian,” she said. “All of you are. Heartless barbarians.”

  He knelt down in front of her, so their eyes were level, and he peered straight at her, not allowing her to look away when she attempted to turn her head. “Barbarian or not, you are about to become my wife. And I am about to become your husband—your master.”

  Chapter 9

  Disbelief swirled through Caylee. She stood next to Kazzon before the video comm and listened as five red-robed Tarrkuan priests bestowed a marriage blessing upon them. Usually, marriages between human females and male Tarrkuans occurred in a mass nuptial ceremony right after the Zenallia brought the yearly shipment of human females to the capital city of Ashorr.

  Oh, how she wished Kazzon hadn’t been able to connect with the priests via a video comm, then perhaps she would’ve had more time to come to terms with all that had happened in the last few hours. Right now, she was equally angry and grief-stricken. Soon she would have to leave New Leesburg, never to see her family and friends again. And she would have to mate with a huge Tarrkuan who scared her.

  One who’d promised to be especially strict with her.

  But despite her fear of Kazzon, she also found herself inexplicably drawn to him. She couldn’t stop glancing his way and admiring his strong, masculine profile. She also couldn’t stop the heated pulses that gathered between her thighs.

  Not my fault, she told herself.

  She’d undergone treatments to enable her to conceive children with his kind, so it made sense that she would find herself sexually attracted to a handsome Tarrkuan male such as Kazzon, even if he was a domineering barbarian.

  Her face heated when she recalled that he could apparently smell her arousal, and as he turned to peer down at her, his nostrils flared and a heated look entered his dark eyes.

  Was he reading her mind? Did he have any idea what she was thinking about
?

  He breathed deep and the lustful gleam in his eyes flickered brighter.

  She imagined that as soon as the marriage blessing ended, he would shut off the video comm and proceed to ravage her like the alien brute he was. She resisted the urge to turn around and look at the bed.

  The priests ceased speaking and a second later, a bell rang, the noise reverberating through the speakers and around the room. Once the clanging faded, Kazzon thanked the priests and turned off the video comm.

  Caylee’s heart raced.

  Oh God. This is it.

  She thought about fighting him but quickly dashed that idea aside. He was well over seven feet tall and made of pure muscle. No way would she stand a chance against him. Besides, angering him on their wedding night probably wouldn’t be the smartest action on her part, particularly given the seriousness of her crimes against his people.

  She thought about Julie and how she’d succeeded in making Varro fall in love with her. Since she was unable to conceive children with a Tarrkuan, Julie had known Varro would eventually discover that she’d switched places with another human female. In order to remain on planet Tarrkua and be near her sister Nova, Julie had set about trying to make Varro fall in love with her, so when he inevitably discovered her deceit, he wouldn’t send her back to Earth. Julie had tried to be as sweet and submissive as possible, at least that was what she’d told Caylee, in hopes that her compliance would help Varro develop feelings for her.

  Apparently, it had worked, because Varro and Julie seemed as though they were madly in love. She’d spoken with both of them via a video comm and recalled how happy they appeared whenever they looked at one another.

  As Kazzon took Caylee’s hands in his and turned to face her fully, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was capable of any tender emotions. She swallowed hard, past the dryness in her throat, and prayed he wasn’t as cruel and unfeeling as she’d first taken him for.

  “We are mated now,” he said, his voice a deep rumble. “As you know, my people mate for life. That means you belong to me forever, Caylee.”

  She opened her mouth, prepared to offer a sharp retort, but quickly pressed her lips together and fell silent. What would happen now? Would he pounce on her and claim her, even though they barely knew a thing about one another?

  Her heart leapt in her chest as her shaking increased. She lowered her head, unable to maintain eye contact with this huge Tarrkuan for a moment longer. Everything about him frightened her, and she felt conflicted about her apparent attraction to him.

  Kazzon stepped closer and started running his fingers through her hair. It seemed he had a particular fascination with her golden locks. Perhaps because Tarrkuan males and females alike always possessed black hair.

  She was a novelty to him, and a possession.

  His prize for years of service to his people.

  He tipped her chin upward, forcing her to meet his dark, unfathomable gaze. “I will be a fair husband to you, little human.” His deep voice resounded through her. “But know that I will require your obedience.”

  “Will you… beat me?” She already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from his lips, wanted him to confirm his cruelty aloud.

  He cupped her face and rubbed his thumbs over her cheeks, directly over the line of her drying tears. “I will punish you when you’re disobedient or disrespectful, Caylee, not beat you. I believe there is a difference.”

  Still holding her face in his large, powerful hands, he leaned down and rubbed his cheek against the side of her head, taking a long inhale as he did so. It was a strangely intimate gesture that sent tingles through her whole body and caused her scalp to prickle with sensation, making her feel lightheaded and pleasantly delirious, despite her fears.

  “I will not beat you with my fists or cause you injury, nor will I lay my hands upon you in a fit of anger. No decent Tarrkuan male would treat his female in such a cruel manner. But if you’ve earned a punishment, I will take you across my lap and spank your bare bottom; or, if you’ve been especially naughty, I will take a leather strap to you. That is the worst you can expect.”

  He straightened and peered directly into her eyes. She stared back as she tried to process all that he’d just said. Quivers rushed through her and her breath caught in her chest. Despite herself, the very idea of being disciplined by this massive Tarrkuan male left her quaking with new waves of warmth between her thighs.

  She didn’t want to submit to him. She didn’t.

  But apparently her body hadn’t gotten the message yet.

  “I see,” she said in a cold, clipped tone. She prayed he wouldn’t notice her increasing need. She could feel the wetness gathering in her panties and flushed at the realization. When he took her to bed, he would discover her immense excitement. There would be no hiding it.

  His eyes flashed, as if he were suddenly remembering something, and he grabbed her upper arm and led her to a chair that rested near the bed, tucked into a corner of the room. To her shock, he sank into the chair and brought her down upon his lap.

  With a gasp, Caylee immediately tried to stand up. She didn’t wish to be this close to him and she certainly didn’t want to sit on his lap, especially when she could feel him beneath her bottom. His cock was a large, hard intimidating thing encased in his pants.

  To her dismay, he kept a firm grip on her and didn’t allow her to rise. He shot her a severe look and she finally stilled in his arms. She lowered her head and stared at the floor.

  What the hell was he doing? She’d expected him to take her to the bed and claim her immediately, not make her sit in his lap as if they were lovers.

  Again, he forced her gaze to his with a finger beneath her chin. She hated when he did that, hated when he made her look at him. Awash in her conflicting feelings about Kazzon, she desperately wanted to hide from him.

  “I watched a recording of Julie boarding the Zenallia. It shows a Tarrkuan guard scanning her palm without any issues. The documented palm print matches yours. It is important that you tell me how this was done. I want to make sure no other chosen Tarrkuan brides are able to switch places with another human female who isn’t capable of reproducing with my kind. You will give me this information now.”

  Alarm filled Caylee and she started shaking her head at Kazzon. No way would she betray her brother like that. A tech whiz, her younger brother Wilson had carefully printed a thin transparent replica of Caylee’s palm print, which he’d fixed to Julie’s palm shortly before she boarded the Zenallia.

  “I-I don’t know how Julie did it,” she lied.

  Kazzon’s face hardened. “You know how Julie tricked our scanner, little human. I will give you one more chance to tell me the truth. Trust me, you will not like what happens if you tell me one more lie, Caylee.”

  Chapter 10

  “I’m not lying.” Caylee glared at him and tried to stand up, but he wouldn’t allow her to budge from his lap. In his efforts to keep her seated, her bottom shifted over his growing hardness. “I’m not lying and I demand you release me at once. It is late and I am tired and I just want to go to sleep!” Black mist appeared around her face.

  “Very well,” he said, turning her over on his lap, even as she twisted around and fought for her freedom. He cupped her behind and gave it a squeeze. “You’re my wife now, little human, and I expect honesty from you. This is what happens when you lie to me, when you defy me.” He reached underneath her and unfastened her pants, then started drawing them down to rest at her knees. All the while, she writhed over his lap, attempting to escape the inevitable.

  But there would be no escape for the little human.

  He palmed her panty-clad bottom before tearing her undergarments down, revealing her bare behind. A growl built in his throat and his blood heated. Fluxx. She possessed the most delectable bottom, her smooth pale cheeks perfectly rounded. He touched her, allowing his hand to trail lazily over her exposed flesh even as she continued in her struggles.

  “Plea
se! Don’t!” She peered over her shoulder at him, her hair in disarray and her eyes wild and pleading. “I’m not lying! I swear it!” Dark mist floated near her face, and the visible evidence of her lies strengthened Kazzon’s resolve to punish her. To make her understand that he would not tolerate her lies.

  “I want the truth from you, little human. That is all I ask, yet you continue to lie.” He lifted his hand and brought it down with a resounding smack across her bared cheeks.

  She gasped and turned around, clutching at his leg as she continued thrashing about on his lap. Her efforts to escape caused her to grind against his hardened cock. This time, he didn’t restrain the growl of desire. She froze at the noise and a whimper left her.

  “Please don’t spank me,” she said. “Please. I-I…” Her voice trailed off.

  He struck her again, leaving another palm print on her otherwise pale cheeks. His large hand easily covered her entire bottom, making it possible for him to smack both cheeks at once and make the most out of the impacts. He gave her three more slaps in quick succession.

  Pausing, he rubbed her bottom, then he forced her thighs wider apart, exposing the most secret parts of her. She whimpered and kept uttering, “please,” over and over, but he ignored her protests. He needed to discover how her accomplice had tricked the scanner. He loathed the possibility of his people receiving more non-Tarrkuan brides.

  Since Julie was mated to a member of the ruling class, Varro, who apparently wished to keep her despite her inability to conceive children with him, it was doubtful that Julie or Varro would divulge the truth. Varro and his mate would be exempt from answering questions in an official investigation. Which meant it was very important Caylee spill her secrets and reveal precisely how Julie had tricked the scanner.