Alien Savior: A Sci-Fi Alien Invasion Paranormal Romance by Ashley West Page A

long braid before letting the damp strands float free in the water. “We will wed on the morrow.”
    At his statement, the young woman’s eyes widened. She immediately became the unsure, hesitant creature she had been before he had come to her. “I…but I’m not ready!”
    “You are ready when I say you are.” He returned firmly. “And I will not delay your presence in my chambers any longer.”
    Danielle’s eyes widened in incredulity. “This is about sex? You just want me around so you can fuck me at your whim?”
    His mouth pulled into a tight line at her crude words. When he advanced on her, the young woman quickly backpedaled until her back was flush against the wall of the bathing pool. “You are to be my wife.” He replied firmly. “Which would entail providing your body for my pleasure whenever I wish.”
    Danielle’s cheeks reddened in affront, and for a moment, she spluttered for words. “You don’t need a wife for that. What you need is a whore – and I’m not going to be one.”
    “So you would have me seek the embrace of another?” If anything, the human woman only reddened even further at his question. “Is that what would please you?”
    “That’s not what I said!” Danielle protested immediately. “I’m not going to play into your idea that a wife should just spread her legs whenever you want her to – that we should marry just so I’m readily available.” Kael immediately bristled, his eyes flashing crimson fire. It should have been warning enough, but the woman continued, uncowed. “The reason I’ve refused to see you is because I’m trying to become someone you should be married to - to at least gain some grasp of what I’m doing here – what I’m meant to do here. And with you here…with all of this…” She gestured to the length of his muscled form, “I can’t focus! Can’t you understand that? This can’t be just a title…and I can’t just lounge in your bed. Not if I’m going to do this properly. And…don’t you want me to do it properly?” Her voice softened as she gazed up at him, her blue eyes pleading. “Or did you just want an obedient pair of legs to spread?”
    Kael’s eyes narrowed. Truly, this woman’s impudence knew no bounds. He itched to take her again - to ply her body until every protest – every argument died on her lips and the only word she could utter was his name. But it would be fruitless – wasted time. It seemed not even his coming to her chambers to seek her out could convince her that he wanted no other woman but his queen – he would not speak promises that he had no intention of keeping. For all her efforts, Danielle was human. If she proved unable to learn what she needed to become a worthy queen of Garinia, she might very well be reduced to his bed partner and the mother of his children – nothing more.
    The choice was hers to make. “We wed on the morrow.” His decision had not changed. With those words, Prince Kael hauled himself from the tub, taking up his clothing to stalk, nude, through Danielle’s chambers. As he left, his gut churned with irritation. Though he could never admit it to her, Kaia had been right. Coming to Danielle before the wedding had been a mistake. Whatever the human woman decided to be, he was now bound to her; and while a part of that entailed the sharing of bodies, he’d never meant to call her a whore. By the gods, humans were such judgmental creatures. He could only hope that his marriage to Danielle would quell some of their unrest – both inside and beyond the palace.
     
    **
     
    They were wed as the three suns set the next day in a private ceremony with only fifty attendees. Danielle had never imagined that she’d marry, let alone with such pomp and circumstance, and so it all seemed a little surreal. Throughout the preparation, during which Kaia and several other women helped her with a breathtaking gold gown and her hair, Danielle was completely silent.
    She was still lost in what