Confiscated Bride - BBW SciFi Romance Read online

  Did that matter though? She didn’t owe him anything. His treatment of her diminished his appeal so much she no longer saw his sexy body after the first meeting. He was just a cruel warrior trying to victimize her world.

  But then…on the couch…a crack broke through that judgment of him. Part of her ached to know the real General Kordan.

  And she had no reason to truly hate him, after all. In the end she’d gotten the grid for the promise of 500,000 arranged marriages to occur in the first year. They would likely exceed that.

  Ansella burst into the rest station with her grey eyes open wide. She clasped Janel’s wrists. “What did General Kordan want?”

  “Me, Sella. He wants me to leave here with him for planet Arkzin.”

  Her face lit up with a boisterous smile. “Oh! How marvelous!”

  “Marvelous? Why? Don’t you remember me complaining about him for the last week? He was a brute to me.”

  “Ah, yes, and now we know he was putting up a front to hide his feelings for you.”

  Janel pulled her hands free from her. “That’s exactly what he said.”

  “Aren’t you pleased? You said you wanted to marry just as soon as the alliance was sealed.”

  “He’s the last Haraden I thought I’d be considering.”

  “Well did he apologize? Did he explain himself? Is he going to make it all up to you?”

  Janel tsked and shrugged with one shoulder.

  “He had to be cruel dear. That’s the first lesson in the Haraden negotiation handbook. ‘To intimidate and dominate.’ You remember?”

  Janel nodded with a sour face. Reading the smuggled Haraden documents still hadn’t braced her for General Kordan’s onslaught. It was hard for her to concede that he was just doing his job.

  Ansella turned to the mirror and began fussing with her hair. “He is a high general you know. The Haraden pays his rank incredibly well.”

  “I’m not marrying for money, Sella.”

  “No, but it doesn’t hurt. A man who wants you for a wife should have wealth. You’re an ambassador after all.” She faced her again. “You’re not even considering it?”

  Janel crossed her arms. Her eyes lowered. “I am…actually. That’s why I slipped away. To try and wrap my head around things. Respect is more important than love to me when considering a partner. He behaved disrespectfully to me all through the negotiations.”

  Ansella grimaced. “That won’t do. You’re right.” She raised a brow. “But we all take on different personas for our work, especially in politics, and most especially when you’re a Haraden who must answer to demanding and unforgiving masters. Now that the veil of his position has lowered, does he still seem disrespectful to you?”

  She shook her head. “No. He seems…like a man I’d like to get to know better.”

  Ansella’s huge grin returned. She patted Janel on the cheek. “You’re going with him. I can tell. And even if you end up deciding you don’t want to marry him, you should at least get a good lay while you’re visiting.”

  Janel rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t resist returning her smile.

  She left the bathroom for the rear balcony. The air felt good on her face and exposed skin. Below her the most populous part of the capital spread outward with glistening metal shingles on every roof. Most buildings were short, taking advantage of their expansive land. There was no traffic in the wide streets, creating a level of quiet she never knew in her youth. The capital had once been a proper metropolis with populous suburbs supporting the abundant commerce. Things were nearly desolate now.

  The Hax-Rah first attacked when she was thirteen. She remembered hearing in school about the looming threat. Most adults believed the invasion would never happen. Their army was strong, they had plasma bombs, and they matched the Hax-Rah technologically. So, yes, when they were attacked they put up a fight, and never seemed to stop. The Hax-Rah took their Releniol mines for a short while, then another draft refilled their armies, and they managed to take them back. The cycle continued for two decades.

  Every boy she’d grown up with was dead, as well as a few women. The women had also been drafted and placed in less risky support jobs. Janel had served as a communications expert, and then as a deployer, and then as a support commander. Her part in the success of the Telia raid was what garnered her an ambassadorship after her tour was complete.

  How many years ago was that? Ten? She’d always expected to be married and the mother of children by now.

  Of course it wasn’t too late. She was only thirty-six. There was no need to get desperate.

  It struck her that this wasn’t about desperation. It was an opportunity, perhaps not the last, to be with an attractive man. For the last two decades that was something almost impossible. She’d lost her virginity at fifteen, and had a dry spell ever since. She’d had to focus on helping her government rather than chasing the near extinct men of their world.

  Janel felt fulfilled with her career, but she still had longing within her. She wanted to hold a baby in her arms, to feed it, nurture it, to see it grow into strong person. She wanted someone at her side. Someone closer to her than her small group of friends. Someone who wanted to build a life with her.

  Someone to share a bed with.

  The thought of a romp with General Kordan caused an ache in her sex. It was the sort of longing that could lead to a lapse in judgment.

  There were footfalls behind her. She turned to see General Kordan standing on the glass tiled floor. His face looked vexed, as if just the sight of her caused him turmoil. He sighed while closing his eyes, his massive shoulders rising and falling, then he walked to her.

  Janel gazed at him, eager for more enticement.

  He moved close enough for her to feel the heat and strength of him against the front of her body. Her lips parted. He garnered a visceral reaction from her just by coming near. She still waited to hear what he had to say.

  Kordan’s hand went to the naked flesh of her back causing fluttery pulses where his large warm fingers connected. He was taking a liberty. She could have easily rebuffed him and gotten free from his touch. It was perhaps what the brute deserved for his behavior at the negotiations. She kept in place however, still expectant. Then he leaned toward her, halfway to the space toward her lips. His auburn eyes moved over her face, searching for signs of aversion. Janel didn’t feel inclined to give any.

  His lips continued downward to her own, pressing to join their mouths into a moist hot seal. She felt electricity spark between them, a connection more potent than she had realized. Oh my word. It made her nipples perk, and then her knees began to feel tottery. Kordan tilted his chin to combine the space of their mouths. His tongue passed through her lips to slide against her own. Another large hand came around her back, drawing her to him, compressing her breasts against a wall of hard hot muscle.

  She weakly lifted her arms to hold him.

  This emboldened the alien. His hands felt over her skin, leaving whispery trails in the wake of his touch. Hot breath from his nostrils hit her upper lip. He clutched her to him so that there wasn’t any gap between their torsos.

  Janel gripped his arms with more strength. Her legs had gone from tottery to melty. Ambrosial warmth surged through her, and then there was a demanding tightening of her sex.

  God…she wanted this man.

  He broke from the kiss while still holding her against his body.

  “Come with me, Janel. Give me seven days. If you never wish to see me again afterwards I’ll abide it.”

  She leaned back her head to meet his eyes. Her lips were open and dewy. She wasn’t sure if she could stand if he let her go.

  She felt this was her last chance to reconsider him. To decide if she could be happy with a man who’d been so hard on her before.

  To decide if he deserved a second chance.

  She drew her lips into her mouth, savoring the moist heat he’d left on her lips, then her eyelashes lowered.

  “Let’s go.�
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  They left directly from the party. Janel didn’t pack because she knew the Haraden had the same types of sophisticated tailoring machines that Malakeeza had. Kordan assured her reasonable toiletries, accessories, and grooming implements could also easily be obtained for her. She was riding on the high of her reckless decision. A trip home to pack would have just slowed things down.

  A Malakeeza shuttle took them to Kordan’s warship, which had been orbiting her world all through their negotiations. The triangular black vessel looked too huge for her to comprehend.

  “How many Haraden are on this ship?” She forced herself not to gape at it.

  “Between two and three hundred thousand. It fluctuates depending on where soldiers are most needed. It’s a self-sustaining vessel, like a small planet.”

  She remained fixated. “Incredible.”

  “It’s my first home. My base on Arkzin in my second. When I’ve a long mission the ship is where I would live for months at a time. If I were married, my wife would live there also.”

  A smile tried to tease its way free from the corners of her lips. “This theoretical wife of yours, would she be safe on a ship full of Haraden soldiers?”

  “She would be,” he said, as the hatch for the ship opened to receive them. “She would have a cadre of servants and guards, as well as the knowledge that she is among honorable men.”

  “It sounds as though she’d be cloistered.”

  “The wife I take shall be an educated woman with pursuits beyond her household. If she were an ambassador for the Haraden, for instance, she would be continuing with that work. She may even need to travel away from me for her duties.”

  “But what of your children? Wouldn’t you want your wife to focus all her attentions on them?”

  “You’re confusing us with the Hax-Rah. My wife will have enough support to pursue everything which fulfills her.”

  The shuttle landed in the receiving bay and the hatch to outer space closed behind them. Vents shot plumes of gas into the bay to stabilize the atmosphere for them.

  Janel looked Kordan in the eyes. “If your wife is as educated as you believe, don’t you think she’ll be dubious about this charmed life you’re describing right now? Don’t you think she’ll realize she’s being aggressively courted, and may be getting promises that won’t necessarily be kept?”

  Kordan formed a gentle smile. It made his eyes look less severe, and disarmed her. He took her hand into both of his. “She’s educated, but she’s forgotten that the Haraden truly are honorable. We never make promises that we don’t intend to keep. Beyond that—this wife I’m pursuing, she managed to include a divorce clause in the alliance I made with her world. She could leave me if I’m not good to her.”

  Janel felt like a miasma of fluttery warmth churned in her middle. She swallowed. “She’s not feeling any inclination to do so right now.”

  Kordan’s eyes glimmered. He brought her hand softly to his lips.

  The bay had tight metal tiles on the walls and ceiling. When she entered the main area of the ship the clean lines were replaced by archaic cast-iron looking walls with exposed tubes and wiring. Frightful hisses of gas shot out from the higher tubes, making Janel worry that she’d be scalded by steam. Kordan ushered her up some steps leading to a moving walkway.

  They appeared to be going down a corridor big enough to accommodate one of Malakeeza’s cargo planes. On either side below her she saw Haraden soldiers working in maintenance hatches, or standing in clumps by prominent doors. Above her were a few bridges that also had moving sidewalks crossing her path. All around her was the thunderous hum of machinery, like a giant robot breathing just within the cast-iron walls.

  “Don’t get overwhelmed,” Kordan said.

  Her eyes continued absorbing the sights around her. “Actually, this is what I expected.”

  He smiled and helped her exit the walkway to a short staircase. Kordan imprinted his hand on a pad on the wall and a circular door opened. They entered a short carpeted hallway with smooth white walls that curved to neatly connect to the ceiling. The rumble of machinery became silent when the door slid closed behind them.

  “These are my chambers.” He gestured to a door at the end of the hallway. “My apartment is there.” He tapped a button to open a door next to him. A spacious bedroom appeared. “This is one of my guest quarters. Does it look sufficient?”

  She took a step inside. Lights came on automatically, illuminating comfortable accommodations.

  “It’s lovely,” she said. In fact, she’d been dubious about such a welcoming space existing on the rustic ship. The sight was a welcome surprise.

  “I apologize for needing to leave you now. I must see to my duties.”

  Janel’s heart dipped, but she hid the disappointment from her face. The kiss at the party had lit up her body in a way she would have liked to explore.

  His hand went to her cheek. Janel leaned her head into his touch.

  “Thank you for coming with me. I swear you won’t regret it.”

  She smiled. “I believe you.”

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  A tailoring machine rolled into her room on casters a short time later. Her sizes were scanned by the boxy six-foot-tall unit. She was supposed to pick out clothes from the selection presented on the screen of its boxy chest. Her gaze kept drifting away from it.

  Kordan had left her flustered and restless. His scintillating kiss was to blame. He’d lit up desire in her that couldn’t be quenched by her own touch. She wanted his huge muscular body on top of hers and his cock plunging inside her. But then, she knew the rational thing was to wait. They needed to discuss the future and how they might share it together.

  She had to proceed with a cool head, and not be so enamored that she didn’t take note of any possible warning signs.

  Janel sought her forever mate, someone to father her children and to be her comfort and companionship in her later years. Choosing the right man for this had to be done slowly and with tremendous care.

  Enough day-dreaming, Janel. You need to get some clothes made.

  Just as she’d dressed in her first ensemble (a tight black jumpsuit that left her shoulders bare) someone chimed her door. She opened it to behold a gangly young Haraden with a shaved head. He was dressed in a loose tunic and slacks that suggested civilian rather than soldier. She could still see the outline of significant muscles.

  He bowed to her. “Madam Janel, I’m Raggator, the valet of General Kordan.”

  She bowed in return. “It’s good to meet you.”

  “We are in orbit over planet Arkzin. The General has asked me to take you to his cottage in a shuttle. He will be detained several more hours while he makes certain that things run smoothly during his vacation.”

  She was crestfallen. “Ah. I see.”

  “May I carry your things?”

  She stepped inside allowing him to enter. “Well, all I brought with me was my purse and my communicator tablet. I’ll just need to pack the clothes the tailoring machine made for me.”

  “Certainly.”

  He went to the tailoring machine to order a bag for her. Janel began folding the clothes the machine had already produced. (She hid a set of sexy black undies under a dress.)

  Raggator turned toward her while the machine worked on her bag. “Madam Janel?”

  “Just Janel is fine.”

  “May I ask, are you staying with the General for business or…?”

  She blinked at him. Malakeezans loved to gossip, but she expecte
d Haraden to be above such things.

  “I apologize for prying. My lord has been too busy to discuss this matter with me. I’m unsure of how I’m to regard you.”

  “Oh.” That seemed reasonable. She faced him, tilting up her head up to meet his grey eyes. He was nearly as tall as Kordan, who was taller than any typical Malakeezan man.

  “Raggator, my business with General Kordan was already completed. I’m here because we’re considering a romantic relationship.”

  The man’s eyes seemed to light up. A smile revealing large perfect teeth formed on his face.

  “Oh, that’s wonderful.”

  She returned his smile. The bag dropped out of the tailoring machine beside them. Raggator gathered it up and started filling it with her clothes.

  “General Kordan is honorable,” Raggator said, “more than that, he’s wise and dutiful. He never fails his masters, and he never causes harm where harm isn’t required.”

  “That sounds lovely.” She zipped up the bag. His loyalty to Kordan endeared him to her.

  Raggator hoisted the bag on his shoulder. “I hope you’ll find him worthy. There is no better man in all of the Haraden, in my opinion.”

  Her smile remained steadfast. “We’re off to a good start.”

  “I would be thrilled if he could find happiness with a mate.”

  She led the way to the door. Let’s go, silly boy.

  During the shuttle ride she had the opportunity to gape at Kordan’s home. The cottage Raggator had mentioned was a proper mansion, sprawling over an expansive lot that had been carved out of an orange-treed forest. She saw a main house with nine glistening domes topped with colored flags. A pool the shape of a kidney was in the back, walled in from a blue-green courtyard full of sculpted bushes. There were several small dwellings, each the size of a single dome, spaced strategically from the main house. When they drew closer she saw workmen milling about. One polished the mosaic tile floor around the pool with a large machine.

  “This is his cottage, hm?”

  “Yes Madam Janel,” Raggator said (ignoring her request to drop the formality). He sat at the controls beside her, but the shuttle flew on autopilot. “He spends only half his time here. The ship is his home just as much as this dwelling.”