Alien General's Beloved: SciFi Alien Romance (Brion Brides) Page 14

  She left the atrium and the Palians behind, promising to discuss the ultimatum with them once she'd slept. The exhaustion was finally catching up with her. Lana had been awake for days now, refusing to miss anything.

  The captain headed back to her quarters to find Corden already waiting for her. The general's lips curled into a smile at the sight of her. Not the sneer Worgen looked at her with, not even the grin Corden usually wore. A simple, pure smile because he was relieved to see her. Lana was too tired to fight herself, lunging into his arms and letting him wrap her into the warmth and safety of his embrace.

  The words poured out of her mouth. Everything that had happened. The Palians, Worgen, the clones, the Levi, but of course Corden already knew about that.

  It was good, Lana thought. The general was strong and sure and amazing. For a moment, she allowed herself to focus only on that, but it didn't last. She could sleep and rest, but it wouldn't change a thing.

  Tomorrow, they'd still face an enemy that couldn't die with a ship that couldn't be destroyed.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Lana

  "This is not the end."

  Lana's head snapped up at the sound of the general's voice. He was still holding her in his arms after her breakdown, solid and firm, but it was the general's voice that pulled Lana out of her sorrow. It was so unlike anything else she'd heard from him before. Corden had laughed and joked and growled, his voice had been broken by rage and lust, but kindness was new. The idea refused to make sense in her head.

  Lana knew the Brions were not as bad as they were made out to be —although Worgen was doing his best to prove the endless rumors true—but this was different. She'd never thought she'd hear a Brion sound comforting. Yet there it was, if she hadn't imagined it.

  The moment was almost dreamlike. Lana stood, trembling with fear and fury, in Corden's sure embrace, but now it felt like she was sleeping. It was as if they existed out of time when the general leaned in for a soft kiss. His strong hands were on either side of her face, grasping it with a gentleness Lana hadn't expected either.

  It did something to her. The wild, hopeless heartbeat started to steady. The future that had seemed dark and deadly had a sudden ray of hope.

  "This is not the end," Corden repeated, with silent, calm insistence.

  I have to give him that, Lana thought, feeling hope filling her mind again, it actually works when he says that.

  She figured it was more Corden himself than his words, being what he was. Lana was neither a coward nor a quitter, but she was a realist. Her own physical strength was not a match for the Brions and the best of her plans still failed, although not entirely. Corden was a wholly different matter.

  He stood before her, holding her in the nest of warmth, pressed against the firm metal of his armor. By God, she was so tired of only ever hugging that lifeless piece of metal. Realizing that made her come face-to-face with the fact she was nowhere near as uninterested in him as she would have liked to be.

  Only in that moment, Lana didn't care. She was in a cocoon of safety, feeling as though nothing could touch her.

  Definitely him. Hard to argue with someone a head taller than you, smelling like air before a storm, and strong like, well, a Brion. Where do they even get these biceps? I swear I couldn't circle them with two hands...

  Lana stopped herself from trying to do exactly that, a furious, humiliated red coloring her cheeks. Her fingers had been idly stroking the general's body, sliding over the smooth surface of his armor. It fit him so perfectly it almost seemed like a second skin, which she supposed it was for warriors.

  "It is pretty hopeless," she said instead of gosh, that bed looks comfy, biting her tongue to keep the treacherous words from coming.

  She had to stay in control of herself. Every inch of her ached for the comfort Corden offered, for the eternal love that came with the package. But the incident still hovered somewhere in the back of her mind, a warning bell Lana had not been willing to silence.

  Only she was starting to think it wasn't such a bad idea. The passion in Corden's eyes when he looked at her was unlike any emotion Lana had ever inspired. She knew men wanted her, found her attractive. Back on Terra and in the Union's service, Lana had never been alone if she didn't want to be. She was usually not a girl to stop a man's heart in his chest, but she seemed to have that effect on him.

  Not one man had ever looked at her like she was the only woman in the entire galaxy. The most maddening thing about the light in Corden's eyes burning only for her was that Lana knew she was for him. After the recognizing moment, there would be no others. No woman alive would turn his head even if Lana was at the other end of the known universe.

  And just as quickly as she fell into the depths of those green eyes, she remembered why it bothered her. The Brion bonds were unbreakable, but the thing that Terrans found so off-putting about it was the forcefulness.

  It wasn't Corden's choice to love her, even if he really did. It was some bodiless, mindless force that had chosen them to be together and Lana wasn't sure if she was all right with that.

  She was willing to admit it wasn't easy, however. The general was looking at her with a smile kept entirely for those loved unconditionally. And his words, the way he said them, lit a fire in Lana too.

  "There is no such thing as hopelessness for a Brion," he said, the arrogant confidence sounding more and more justified to Lana.

  "Worgen is a Brion too," she felt the need to mention.

  Corden laughed, as though a man holding a gun to their heads was nothing more than a nuisance.

  "He is," the general admitted. "Which is why I know he will not stop until he gets what he wants. But I don't think he knows he still has an opponent."

  "No offense, but there is only one of you."

  "Luckily, there is only one enemy that matters. Lana..."

  Her name rolled off his tongue like a song. She had to fight down a pleased shiver, hearing her name being spoken in that deep, sensuous voice.

  Good God, when did I start thinking about him like this?

  "This is not a defeat," Corden said. "Not by a long shot."

  "It looks like that to me," Lana answered, not to sound pessimistic, but because she really could not see a way out. "We have to do as he says, but who knows if he'll let us live if we do."

  "Would you give him what he wants?" the general asked then, catching Lana off guard. "If it was yours to give. If you knew how the Palian techniques worked."

  Lana was quiet for a moment. They were still locked together, standing so close not even air fit between them. She wondered if it was the illusion of safety Corden offered, but quickly realized it wasn't. Her own being rebelled against the idea of giving Worgen anything. If they gave in to him, the mad general would only keep rolling until he'd drowned entire worlds in blood.

  It was the ancient dilemma that had plagued Terrans for millennia. Everyone always thought that someone else had to be the one to make a stand, to fight back. But eventually, people would come who realized it was them. Lana had always thought that she would make that choice and now that she was on the crossroads—

  "No," she said quietly. "I will not give him the means to kill more people."

  A light flashed in Corden's eyes as he looked at her. Lana felt his arms tighten their hold around her as the general brought her even closer. It meant almost pulling her up into his lap.

  And then he said something that changed everything for her.

  "This is why I got so angry," he said quietly, his lips inches from Lana's. "You don't know what it means for a Brion to find their gesha. To merely consider the chance you could have been Worgen's is more painful than any wound I've ever received. But now that I know you, now that I know the fates were right, it's unbearable."

  Lana could do nothing but stare up at him, at the way his eyes were bright and fiercer than they'd been even when fighting Worgen. She felt his body almost shake with passion and lust, but it seemed as though Lana wasn't t
he only one who remembered. Although the desire was evident in his body, Corden released her, stepping back, respecting her refusal.

  "We have a lot to do," the general said, the grin back on his lips. "No fight is over before the defeat is obvious. The Levi might have failed to do any damage and Worgen's threat is undoubtedly real, but now we know what he intends. We have all the advantages now. This is only the beginning of this battle."

  The way he spoke, the fervor in his voice, made Lana stand up taller despite herself. She knew it was a genetic gift that all the Brion generals developed over time. To lead thousands of ferocious warriors as talented at killing as they were, they had to be inspiring. Listening to Corden speak, it made Lana want to dash out into battle and do her part. No wonder Brion warriors died at the command of their generals, obeying them until the very end.

  He made Lana's mind strong, but her body weak. In truth, she needed sleep and rest. She could no longer even tell how many days it had been since she met Corden, because she'd lost track of time. Every situation demanded her presence, so Lana hadn't been able to sleep while others did. The thought of rest didn't even occur to her.

  All she wanted was Corden, but one last obstacle stood in her way.

  It would be no one-night stand. If they'd just been two people drawn to each other in cold, dark space, maybe then. But Lana was Corden's gesha. If she gave herself to him now, her life would be bound to his forever. Brion bindings were the literal manifestation of until death do us part.

  It looked like Corden got the wrong idea from her sudden silence.

  "Don't be afraid," he said, the dark tone of his voice turning Lana on more than she cared to admit. "I will not let anything happen to you. Whether you accept our bond or not, there is nothing in this life that can hurt you while I still draw breath."

  Well fuck. How can a girl resist that?

  That was a completely valid question, Lana found, one she would have liked to ponder over some more. If only her body hadn't subconsciously made its decision and started moving toward the general. Lana wanted to stop, to give herself more time for consideration and rational thought and—

  All that boring stuff.

  Her next thought found her already back in Corden's arms, the general's green eyes blazing with desire. Lana realized that to call him the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen was a serious understatement. He utterly bypassed Lana's mind, speaking directly to her heart and its answer was a loud, resounding YES.

  "Yes," she said, hoping Corden got what she meant.

  Honestly Lana wasn't sure if she could properly express herself if he didn't. A part of her still strongly resisted the idea of forever without changing your mind, but that seemed like a distant concern.

  Luckily, the general understood what she was saying.

  "Yes," Lana repeated when her gerion lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Lana

  Reality returned when Lana felt the cold sheets of the bed under her.

  It was not the kind she'd expected. To be honest, the captain had steeled herself against the "oh fuck, what did I just agree to," but that never came. Instead, the sight of Corden took her breath away. The general had carried her in his arms to the bed, as if she weighed nothing.

  Lana couldn't deny that his strength was turning her on. Her pussy felt wet enough to take him without foreplay, even if Lana was going to insist on it, especially if everything she'd heard about the Brion men was true.

  Do the Brions know what foreplay is, she wondered with an absent sort of amusement that was completely removed from the situation.

  She was going to fuck an alien warrior and holy fuck was he hot. All Lana could focus on was not embarrassing herself the second time by shamelessly ogling his perfect form. Technically, she hadn't even seen his body yet, only what the armor hinted at.

  She felt the need to point it out to herself that the mouth-watering images in her head were not the reason she'd given in. It made her feel slightly better about the whole affair.

  Corden was towering above her, a dark lust in his eyes. Lana was entranced by it, the sheer force of his desire. She lay on the bed, feeling naked despite being fully clothed. The way the general's eyes wandered over her body made her feel more exposed than if she'd been wearing nothing at all.

  Lana felt goosebumps on her skin and slid her hands over her body, acting on some instinct she barely recognized.

  And being clothed was about to be amended soon, it seemed. Corden started undoing the clasps that held his armor plates together and Lana couldn't have stopped staring if she wanted to. The general commanded her gaze as he undressed, wearing the same grin he did when they first met. It sent a shiver down Lana's spine, thinking whether he was imagining fucking her even back then.

  It wasn't just Corden whose body spoke of barely controlled lust. Her pussy was throbbing, aching for the general, finally giving in to the need she'd been trying to force down. She pushed one hand between her legs, rubbing against it, seeking the friction she so desperately needed from Corden.

  Seeing that, the general sped up his movements. Lana realized with a smirk of her own that he'd been teasing her, putting on a show for her pleasure. The way he moved now, it was clear how efficiently he could be out of his armor if need be.

  I'm doing this to him, Lana thought.

  The realization sent a delicious wave of pleasure through her body, making her own desire all the more evident.

  Done with teasing her, Corden moved with lightning speed. He never took his burning, fierce gaze off Lana as he finally dropped the last piece of his armor where the spear already lay on the floor.

  I thought they never put their spears down, a memory raced through Lana's startled mind, trying to keep her sanity intact. They said Brions never put their weapon on the ground.

  It was a legend about the way Brion warriors treated their signature weapons—that they thought of them like an extended limb. Apparently it wasn't true, but Lana suspected it had quite a lot to do with the fact he was about to bond with his fated. She was more important to him than anything else, every move he made told her that.

  Lana wished she knew what she thought, of anything really, but not one coherent idea seemed to make itself known. All the air had left her lungs when Corden stood before the bed, naked at last.

  What do you know? it said. Terran legislators got something right. Somebody pinch me, I must be dreaming. Now I know why these guys aren't allowed on Terra.

  Lana struggled to free herself from the spell he had over her, but only ended up crawling closer, her fingers reaching out to touch the general at last.

  Corden was, indeed, not the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen. That did him no justice whatsoever, Lana felt. Unthinking, she slid her hand up his flawless, tanned body, touching everything she could reach. Looking up, she saw the general observe her with a smile, but it was a strained one, ready to pounce, like a wild beast that has their prey in sight.

  Lana knew she was the prey. She was perfectly all right with it, as long as it meant she could keep touching him. Corden was perfect, every inch of his powerful body muscled, showing off his undeniable strength. Lana could feel how tense his hot, smooth skin was under her fingers, taut over his flat stomach.

  There was not an ounce of fat anywhere, only ridges and the clear lines of his six-pack. She let her hands wander, giving the general's body a squeeze, a press wherever they stopped, feeling the same unyielding solidness everywhere.

  The part of her that was still capable of feeling shame thought she resembled a pilgrim before a god, but that was fair in a way. Corden was a warrior god, but he was also a man of flesh and bone and he was hers. The thought broke whatever resistance Lana had left, pushing her forward to press her lips against his skin, licking, kissing the firm body under her hands.

  She seemed to break the general's restraint, too. Lana only had time to think what a feat that was, to force a warrior to lose his self
-control, but she couldn't have cared less about it.

  Corden was on top of her, dressed only in his boxers after he'd discarded everything else that he wore under the armor. Lana could feel his cock rub against her thighs, a whimper escaping her lips. It felt big, very big. It felt huge, up to the point where she got slightly scared for herself.

  All of that was drowned in the next kiss. Before, Corden had been gentle and caring to encourage her, wanting to show her she was safe, but now that Lana had willingly served herself up... there was no gentleness there.

  The kiss was hungry and demanding in the best sort of way, the way that made Lana rise up from the bed to get closer. Corden pulled her up to meet him, supporting her head with one hand, his lips pressed so tightly against hers as to almost hurt, but Lana was beyond pain. She knew it could have hurt, but the sensation existed for someone else, not her.

  She wanted everything the general would give her, kissing back with all the ferocity she could manage. Their tongues danced, tasting each other. Corden caught her lower lip between his teeth and Lana bit him playfully in return. She could feel his cock stir at that and shuddered in anticipation.

  Her quiet moans turned into a loud whine when Corden pulled back. For a second, he sat, looking at her as though she was the greatest thing he'd ever seen. Lana's attention was caught by the bulge of his boxers, at the same time making her pussy tingle and filling her with dread. But the general didn't allow her much time to stare at him.

  "Come here," he growled, and Lana's body obeyed before her mind even registered the voice.

  She knelt opposite him, at once caught in another ravenous kiss while Corden ripped her clothes off. Lana heard them tear, but along with many other things, it was a concern for a later time.

  The thought that he wasn't able to keep his hands off her any longer was enough to make Lana grind herself into his touch. Corden answered by pushing his hand between her legs, stroking one finger against her pants, making Lana sob in need.