Chapter 28
I glared at the smattering of horned alien males and small hoomon women, all of whom were kneeling. I didn't realize there were so many hoomons on board, or I would have given my soldiers orders to leave them alone entirely and just secure the alien males.
I frowned as I looked at them.
There were too many soldiers here. Some of these soldiers should have gone with the Prince to the zoo to deal with the fall out from the fire.
He had left to make sure that no essential proof had been lost. I had been so focused on my little hoomon that I didn't give them any specific orders.
Yreta wasn't with the group, so she must have gone with him.
That was at least something.
Plus, I had made sure he had the best physical training available.
He was fully capable of defending himself against a small group, at the very least.
"The prime minister guaranteed our safety," one of the small kneeling hoomons, a muscular one with dark hair that curled up in small ringlets around her head, held up a tablet as it communicated her intent. "What is the meaning of this?"
"You may sit or stand while we speak; you do not need to kneel." I waved my hand at the room, and my soldiers stepped back, releasing their holds on the males. The group of now captives shifted to their feet warily, moving to the bench seating.
My soldiers were significantly better armed and equipped. No one had fought back or caused any difficulties so there were no injuries. "You will not be harmed if you comply with my demands, and your ship will remain intact and in your possession."
One of the hoomon women said something to the others, scowling at me.
My little hoomon tapped on my arm and held her translator up to me.
"Do you mind if I get one of them to help me make some hot brown caffeinated drink?" she asked.
"You do as you wish," I said. "You may command anyone in this room to assist you."
She tucked her head to the side, her face flushing as a smile twitched on her lips.
Then she called something out to the room.
All of the hoomon women relaxed visibly, the tension dropping out of their shoulders.
Several of them smiled with that aggressive expression, showing their teeth as they moved towards my small hoomon. They didn't make any other hostile gestures, so I let them be as the group shifted over to a food preparation station against one of the walls.
My small hoomon would make it clear if she needed to be defended from them.
"What are your demands?" the curly-haired hoomon's tablet questioned.
"You give my hoomon everything she desires, and no one touches her," I replied.
"Hoomon?" the curly-haired one sang out in my language.
Then she let out a barking laugh and said something to the room. The horned male who had dared to lay a hand on me replied.
"Legolas said he didn't touch her," the curly-haired hoomon translated for him. "He only touched you, so there was no need for this reaction."
All of my soldiers snarled in response, causing everyone in the room to tense up again from the tonal vibration that penetrated bones. It communicated the promise of violence more than mere words ever could.
I held up my hand, and my soldiers fell silent.
Everyone in the room was focused on me.
I looked over at my little hoomon, who now stood with a mug clutched in her hands.
Her eyes were wide as she stared at me.
This was the first time she had seen me command a room, really command, not just have everyone keep track of what I was doing and side-eye me as my men had done in the training room when I brought her there.
At this moment, there was no mistaking that I was in command.
Would she like this part of me?
I knew she wanted me for me, but would she want me once she knew all of the weight I carried?
I turned back to the rest of the crew I was holding captive.
It was too late to hide this side of me now.
Plus, she smiled when I handed her the power for her brown caffeinated beverage project.
Maybe she would like it.
I stared at the crew. I had to make their position of power clear to them. While they were in my territory, they would respect me and not treat me or my hoomon casually.
The curly-haired hoomon was typing on her translator tablet. My little hoomon walked over to her, looked over her shoulder, and then put her hand gently on her forearm, shaking her head from side to side as she said something softly to the other woman.
The woman nodded and stopped typing.
I would need to learn the hoomon’s body language. It was much more subtle than my species, almost muted in comparison.
The room waited for me to speak.
Good. That was enough.
"You may return to your normal duties," I said. Then I pointed at that irritating horned male. "You will show us your control room."
Several soldiers trailed after us as we followed the irritating male.
I left him and the soldiers outside, shutting us into the alien ship control room.
Two pilot seats faced a front view screen and several other seats were turned toward various stations around the room.
Everything was different from how we arranged operations on our ships, but I didn't spare any more of my attention.
I wasn't here for the room.
"We have much to talk about," I murmured to her.
She typed on her device and turned it to me.
"Like how hot it was when you turned all crazed warlord on them?
" She stepped closer to me and placed her hand on my chest as the words played out.
She looked up at me through her eyelashes and ran the top of her tongue over her lips.
I cupped her chin with my hand, my thumb tracing the trail her tongue left behind.
The translator continued. "You got me all fired up with your whole ‘do what I say or else’ speech. Maybe we could do something other than just talk?"
Her hand slid down my abs, heading for the top of my trousers.
I rumbled my approval.
She wanted me to take her here, in the seat of the horned alien ship, marking the room with the smell of our pleasure. She wanted to scent mark our dominance.
It wasn't a friendly thing to do.
She was a wild one, and I loved it.
There was only one thing I wanted to do more than take her. I wanted to communicate with her. I should have done this before we mated.
"We need to talk," I said.
She pulled the tablet back to her and clutched it against her chest, her eyes going so wide the whites took over most of the real estate.
She gave a small shake of her head.
I didn’t know what that gesture meant.
Was she afraid?
She typed something quickly on the tablet.
"Have you ever tried a brown caffeinated drink?" it sang out.
"Lorelei," I purred. We had so many things to go over, like our compatibility and the osae. I had to get something out so she understood the urgency. "I won't be staying on this moon for long. I am going to leave."
The unspoken 'and I'm taking you with me' hung in the air between us.
I wasn't ready to show her that side of me.
I wanted her to agree to come with me.
But the truth of what lived within my heart was that she was mine now.
I was going to take her with me whether she liked it or not.
I just really wanted her to like it.
"I think you would really like a brown caffeinated drink, though I have to warn you: it gives withdrawal headaches. It's pretty addictive."
Then again, I didn't have to.
I didn't have to talk to her about anything.
It's not like anyone would stop me from doing anything I wanted to her. No one was able to.
This was my Empire.
"I-" A loud knock cut me off.
"Sire!" One of my soldiers yelled through the door. "The sabaxls have gotten free at the zoo!"
That was where the Prince had gone.
The fire had been a trap.
The conglomerate was making their move against him. Death by a dangerous caged predator would be an easy one for them to spin as an accident.
The soldiers were all with me.
He had little to no protection.
"We must go now," I said.
My little hoomon leaped for the door, practically running from the room in her eagerness to launch herself from my presence.
She had said she was attracted to me when I exercised my authority. It was clear she had some sort of fear response to intimate discussions. I could show her the true nature of my authority.
It was time to show her who I really was.