The Warrior Princess: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance Read online

  She slips into the room, closing the door securely behind her. Two guards man the corridor at the far end, but they’re not paying much attention to us.

  “You’re dead, prophecy lover,” Fingyl hisses. “You’re not getting out of here alive.”

  “Bring it, asshole. I can’t wait to snap your arrogant neck in half.”

  “I hope she keeps you alive long enough to see your adored princess debased.” His eyes glint maliciously, and the tenuous hold on my self-control begins to slip. “She’s promised us a night with her, and we’re going to destroy her.” I grind my teeth to the molars, imagining all the ways I’m going to kill this dickhead. “She’ll be fucked so hard she’ll bleed. Out of every orifice. She’ll never walk right again.” Anger races through my veins, fueling my need to knock this asshole flat out. “And when I ram my cock into her precious pussy, I’ll be thinking of you. Cursing you and the hell you’re in.”

  I snarl at him, ready to throw caution to the wind, fuck the consequences. “Maddox,” I call out to my brother, in a desperate attempt to regain control. “I need you talk me off the ledge.” I quickly fill him in.

  “Don’t rise to the bait,” Maddox coolly replies. “We’ll get him. Before we leave, we’ll make him pay.”

  “Just keep talking to me,” I implore, blocking out the new stream of insults coming from Fingyl’s mouth. “Help me stay distracted.”

  The door swings open behind me, and two men storm out of the room with furious expressions. Someone shuts the door after them, but a second later, I hear a tiny click as the door eases open a smidgeon. I hold my breath as the heated conversation filters out into the hallway. Fingyl stops spouting shit too, and my ears give merciful thanks.

  “I need to hear this. I’ll connect with you later.” I forcibly end my conversation with Maddox, focusing on what’s being said in the room behind me.

  “Jentarr will try to double-cross us,” Arantu says.

  “That’s a given,” Alandra agrees.

  “I still say you should never have let him back into the fold,” an unknown male says.

  “It was the only way to accelerate our plans. Time is running out. The girl turns eighteen in a few months, and once she awakens, she will be unstoppable.”

  Alandra snorts. “I really think you are overestimating her capabilities, Father. That girl is no threat, trust me.”

  “Your blind arrogance will be your undoing one day, daughter of mine. I may not support the prophecy, but I believe in it. Zorc says she is making great strides in the last few days. By encouraging her to tap into her dark side, she is growing more powerful, and it also means once we have her in our clutches that she’s more easily controlled and trained.”

  “I am not blindly arrogant,” Alandra spits, anger seeping into the air. “When will you ever listen to me? You care more about her than your own daughter!”

  “Enough!” Arantu roars. “If you cannot conduct yourself professionally, then you can leave. I have not taken Jentarr into my lair, risking potential exposure and ruin, to have my own daughter bring us down. You will do as I say, Alandra. I have given you leeway with her protectors, and you get to decide their fate. But if you cross me, if you do anything which jeopardizes the plans I have for Alinthia, then I will take everything away from you. Do not challenge me.”

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Father,” Alandra grits out, the clackety-clack of her heels alerting me to her incoming presence. She exits the room, slamming the door shut behind her. “Get up,” she barks, “and follow me.”

  We both follow her back to her chambers, and my sense of trepidation is growing exponentially. “Get naked,” she commands, snapping her fingers before closing the door behind us. Fingyl grins expansively, dropping his loincloth in one quick thrust of his wrist. He’s already hard and hung like a stallion. She wraps her hand around his cock, stroking him and licking her lips. “On your knees.” Her eyes flash darkly, and he obeys her instantly.

  She pins me with a look, and I drop the loincloth, swallowing the bile flooding my mouth. Her lips tug into a grin, and pure venom oozes from her pores as she grabs Fingyl by the chin, yanking his head back. “You were a naughty boy earlier, and now it’s time for your punishment.”

  Shivers lick up and down my spine, and I’m scarcely breathing.

  Her eyes dance with glee. “Come here.” She wiggles her fingers at me, and I can’t make my feet move. “Now.” Her tone brokers no argument, and I force myself to walk toward her. Leaning in, she kisses me, shoving her disgusting tongue into my mouth. Abruptly, she rips her lips away and steps back, sinking onto the edge of the bed.

  Fingyl is still on his knees, looking confused. I’ve a horrible feeling I know where she’s going with this.

  “We’re all part of the same happy family,” Alandra singsongs, failing to keep the sly grin off her mouth. “And you’re going to prove that you’re over your jealously, Fingyl.”

  “Whatever you wish, oh beautiful one.”

  She rubs her hands with glee. “Excellent.” Her gaze bounces between us, before settling on him. “Suck him off.”

  He hides his disgust well, but I’m less skilled, obviously, because there’s no way I can keep the horror from my face. “No way.” I step back. “No fucking way.”

  “Are you refusing me, Dane?”

  “I …” Shit. Shit. I can’t do this. I just can’t.

  “Need I remind you what’s at stake? Shall I bring one of your brothers in here to take your place? How about Beckett? Will I get Fingyl to suck his cock?”

  Hell will freeze before I’ll let her ruin Beck like that. A part of my soul withers and dies as I respond the only way I can. “That won’t be necessary. I’ll obey.”

  CHAPTER 12

  Tori/Alinthia

  “Tell me everything you know about the secret society.” I sit up on my haunches, failing to hide my excitement. “Beck and I had discovered a connection with ancient Egypt, but we hadn’t gotten around to exploring it yet.”

  “I’ll tell you what my father told me.” Tav twists around on the bed so he’s facing me. “A few years after the original scripts detailing the prophecy were uncovered, the scholars unearthed a hidden section which outlined how there would be a betrayal within their ranks and that this deception would stop the prophecy from coming to fruition. It was preordained that a smaller group would break away from the main group and go into hiding, taking evidence of the full prophecy with them and securing the safety of our future.”

  “The real prophecy.”

  “Yes.”

  “How is this not common knowledge?”

  “Because the secret has been very closely guarded for generations to protect the prophecy. My family ancestry dates back to the original prophecy keepers, and the secret was shared with the eldest in each successive generation; hence, why my father took steps to pass the knowledge to me.”

  “They’ve been in hiding this entire time?”

  He nods his head vigorously. “Yes. And they apparently change location every so often to ensure no one finds them.” His tongue darts out, wetting his lips. “After we fled Nantor, my father brought us here. His plan was to seek shelter and safety with the secret society. All eldest descendants have that right, however, because the location is a closely guarded secret, it was still a long shot. All my father knew, with any degree of certainty, was that the society had returned to Egypt.”

  “Returned?” I am hanging off his every word, enraptured.

  “Thousands of years ago, when this breakaway group first fled, they came to Earth. Humans have speculated that aliens were behind the building of the pyramids, and they are correct. Numerous strange symbols have also been discovered in tombs which has only added further weight to the theory.”

  “Yes! That’s what we found in one of the books in our school library—an image from one of the tombs. The image contained the same symbol we found on a knife and on etchings on the walls under Zorc’s house.”

  “The secret society lived on Cerlyon initially until they made the decision to go into hiding. I’m betting Zorc’s residence is built on land one of their members originally inhabited.”

  “That explains a lot, and I wonder if that’s why Zorc chose to base himself there.” I chew on the inside of my mouth as I mull over everything we’ve discussed tonight. “Ditching him won’t be easy. He already knows about the society, and he’s my only way of getting to my guys. I’m not sure we can leave him out of the loop.”

  Tav shakes his head. “The society is extremely powerful, Alinthia, and they have considerable resources at their disposal. They will organize safe passage for you to Xzanthar. You don’t need Commander Zorc. We don’t need him. I can’t wait to be rid of the douche.”

  I burst out laughing. Can’t help it. Tav’s vocabulary is a strange mix of formal and modern day. “Where did you learn to speak English?” I inquire when I spot his puzzled frown.

  “I’ve had a translation chip since birth, and I watch a lot of those trashy human shows on TV. They’re hugely entertaining.” He sends me a shit-eating grin, and I can easily see Tav becoming one of my favorite people.

  I laugh. “Ah, that explains it. What about the others here?”

  “Everyone is automatically fitted with a chip when they first arrive here, unless they already have one, of course. Otherwise, the humans can’t communicate with us.”

  “I suppose that makes sense.” A loud yawn slips out of my mouth, and Tav rises.

  “You’re tired, and I should go before anyone notices anything strange with the camera feed.”

  I give him a quick hug. “Thank you, Tav. For everything.”

  The glyphs on his skin change color for the first time, and I’m mesmerized. I’ve noticed them
changing speed but never changing color. I’m not subtle enough to disguise my staring. He clears his throat. “You can see them, can’t you?”

  “Yes. I’ve wanted to ask, but I’ve been nosy enough.”

  “They are linked to my emotions. Only empaths can see them.”

  “I thought most races in the galaxy had some form of mind control or telepathic ability, so wouldn’t that mean most everyone can see them? And does everyone have them on Nantor?”

  “Being an empath is more than just being telepathic. It’s an ability to perceive and understand the emotional makeup of another being. Only those who are truly in touch with their inner selves can see the glyphs, and, no, not everyone has them on Nantor. Only those who were born with the denomyne gene.”

  I want to ask more questions, but it’s risky to push it, and I can scarcely keep my eyes open as it is. Tav senses it too, moving toward the vent. “We can talk more tomorrow.”

  “Okay. Sleep tight, Tav.”

  The glyphs go crazy again, and I can only imagine how embarrassing it must be to have your emotions projected so openly. “You too, Alinthia. Sleep well.”

  The following evening I’m alone in my room with Ellya. Tav is consoling a couple of new males who arrived at the compound today. They are young and clearly terrified. I offered to help, but he seems to think my presence might freak them out more, so I left him to it. A little girl bonding time isn’t so bad anyway, and I’m curious to ask Ellya about her loyalty to Zorc.

  “Can I ask you something?” I say as we lie on our stomachs across the width of my bed.

  “Of course. You can ask me anything.”

  “Why do you trust Zorc? Why do you defend him so much?”

  She shrugs. “Is it wrong to want to see good in everyone?”

  “No, but it’s risky where your life is concerned.”

  “Now you sound like Tav.” She sighs, resting her head on her folded arms.

  “Tav is only looking out for you. And I’ve had dealings with Zorc before coming here, and he has already proven himself to be unreliable and untrustworthy. Just be careful with what you tell him.”

  She jerks her head up. “You think I’d betray you and Tav?!” Hurt glimmers in her eyes and resonates in her tone.

  I pat her arm. “No, I don’t think that, but I’d like you to act more circumspectly around him. His M.O. is to play people, and he’s damn good at it. Be careful is all I’m saying.”

  Slowly, she nods. “Okay. I get it.” A mischievous glint appears in her eye. “But don’t tell Tav I was so agreeable. I like winding him up!”

  I laugh. “I don’t condone it, but I can’t say I don’t understand. You have to get your enjoyment any way you can around here, right?”

  She grins, leaning her head on her arms again and twisting around so we’re facing one another. I prop up on one elbow, smiling at her.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Shoot.”

  “Is love like you see in those human movies? Does it really feel like that?”

  I chew on the corner of my mouth, contemplating how best to phrase it. “Yes and no,” I admit a couple minutes later. “The movies make it out to be this wonderful, magical, blissfully endless romance where everything is perfect and nothing goes wrong, and that’s not real life. In my experience, it’s more challenging than that but so worth it. When you are first falling in love with someone, it’s the singular most amazing feeling in the universe. Like an orchestra playing a symphony in your head the instant he looks at you. Like a thousand vibrant fireworks exploding in your body when he touches you. When he looks into your eyes, you want to melt into his arms and never come up for air.” I can’t help smiling at the dreamy, mesmerized expression on her face.

  “Of course,” I say, thinking of Dane in particular. “There are moments when you want to kick him in the junk or smash his head into the wall because he irritates the ever-loving crap out of you. Times where you can’t decide if you want to push him away or pull him closer.” I lie down flat on the bed. “But no matter what the emotion is, it’s an extremely intense sensation like no other.”

  “Wow.” She lies flat on her back too so we’re both looking up at the ceiling. “I’m scared I won’t ever get to experience that,” she whispers. I turn my head to look at her. “And then I feel so selfish for even thinking of males when we’re in a situation like this.”

  I shake my head. “It’s not selfish to want something for yourself. And craving love is the most natural feeling. At least, it is for humans.” I’m suspecting we share that in common although I have little to base that assumption on, beyond my own feelings and those of my guys.

  I look straight into her eyes. “And you will get to experience that, because we are going to get out of here, and there’s a whole new life waiting out there for you.”

  A week goes by, and I’m making huge inroads with my training, developing muscles in places I never knew I had muscles. I’m quicker and lighter on my feet too, and I even manage to disarm Zorc one time. I spend nights making plans with Ellya and Tav and trying, fruitlessly, to tap into my connection with the guys.

  The moon shines through my window as Tav and I lie chatting on my bed. Ellya has already returned to her room, claiming tiredness after another afternoon of grueling lab tests. It seems she has the ability to transform certain objects with the touch of her hand, which is why the authorities are so intrigued with her.

  Tav and I have just been shooting the shit, and he’s plying me with twenty questions, rather than it usually being the other way around. His current subject of fascination is American high school, and he’s peppering me with all manner of weird and wonderful thoughts when the most bizarre thing happens.

  We were discussing prom, and, without any prompting or deliberate action on my part, an image projects from my mind onto the wall of my bedroom.

  “Holy guacamole,” Tav says, and I struggle to contain my laughter. He’s unintentionally funny all the time, and he completely cracks me up. “I didn’t know you could do that.”

  “Me either.”

  “What am I looking at?”

  I look at the scene with a pang in my heart. “It’s a memory, from Winter Formal. It’s an annual dance in high school.”

  “Is that one of your protectors?” he asks, pointing at Jensen.

  “No. That’s Jensen. He was my best friend growing up, and he later became my boyfriend.” He’s probably beside himself with worry, but I hope he’s sticking to his word and watching out for Mom. I wonder what web of lies Kylie has weaved to explain my absence. The usual sharp ache twists in my chest when I think of her.

  “You still love him.”

  I nod. “I’ll always love him, but my future is with my protectors. They are the loves of my life.”

  “What’s it like to be in love?” he asks, lying on his side and placing his hands under his face. I’m reminded of the recent conversation I had with Ellya on this very topic.

  “It’s the most magical feeling ever. My heart races and butterflies go crazy in my stomach whenever I’m with any of my guys. It’s overwhelming completeness and absolute happiness whenever we’re together. Love is finding someone who just gets you in the way you get them. Discovering a person or persons who would do anything for you like you would in return. I would lay down my life if it meant they were protected and vice versa.”

  Tears prick my eyes, and I let a few fall. “It’s also the worst pain when we’re not together. Being separated from a loved one is heart breaking.” I clamp a hand over my chest. “I hurt so badly in here.”

  “It’s more complicated than I imagined,” he admits with a frown. “I’m not sure it’s something I want.”

  “Nothing worthwhile comes without effort. And the rewards justify it. The positives far outweigh the negatives. When you meet your person, you’ll understand, and it’s not something you can control. Sometimes love finds you when you’re not even looking.”

  I look up, and the image is gone, as if I never projected it. I’m glad Tav was here to witness it. Otherwise, I might think I imagined it. But I didn’t. Like I didn’t imagine hearing voices from afar the other night. The stronger I become, the more awareness descends.