Captured Boxed Set: 9 Alpha Bad-Boys Who Will Capture Your Heart (97 page)

Her impression proved correct when
she finally looked at alien number five. She had avoided looking at him in the
hope he was somehow less intense than the first time she saw him standing on
the platform in the "Choosing" room. If she thought he was hot from a
distance, he was scorching up close! It took everything inside Riley not to
reach out and touch him just to see if he burnt her fingers. Thankfully,
Grandma Pearl’s wonderful teachings saved her from that impulsive behavior.
Pearl drilled in to both her and Tina not to play with fire. Ever! Pearl
explained that fire came in many different forms and most of them had two legs,
one head that hung between them, and no brains to speak of. Riley thought her
grandmother was like that because she and her daughter, Riley and Tina’s mom,
had been left to fend on their own after the loves of their
lives
got them pregnant and left town. It
didn’t take long for her to realize it happened to others, as well. Pearl
pointed out to Riley and Tina just how often when their friends or just girls
that lived in their neighborhood would ignore the signs. One by one, Riley saw
the girls in her neighborhood fall for the "bad" boy only to be left
at the first sign of another pretty face in the neighborhood, more often than
not, with a baby to raise on their own. Riley decided at twelve that she was
not going to be one of those girls. Of course, that was also the same time that
the dirty old man who ran the grocery store on the corner propositioned her.
No, she was going to have a ring on her finger before she said yes to anything.
She wasn’t going to get stuck raising a kid on her own like her grandma had or
her mom would have if she would have stuck around. As far as Riley was
concerned, the guy could put up or shut up.

It’s funny, in a way,
Riley thought.
That’s about the only thing Tina and I ever
agreed on without ending up in a major yelling match first.

Riley looked back at the huge male
glaring at her.
Alien number five is not just screaming bad-to-the-bone,
but he has an international market on it,
Riley thought before a giggle
escaped her.
Make that an intergalactic market,
she corrected silently
as she saw his face darken at her laugh.

He was the same height as the other
two but seemed taller for some reason. Either way, he still towered over her by
almost six inches. His black hair was cut short, almost military style. His
upper chest was visible through the same black vest the other two were wearing.
He had darker spots across his chest that looked almost like a leopard’s, not
that she had ever seen a real leopard before. Riley let her eyes roam down the
eye candy, appreciating the tight fit of his… Her eyes widened when she saw the
very distinctive bulge in the front of his pants. Her eyes flew up to his in
surprise, and she fought to draw in a breath.

Somebody is horny,
she thought in dismay, staring into the intense, burning tawny
eyes.

"Okay," Riley said,
rubbing her hands together. "First rule. That is your side of the cave and
this is mine. You stay on your side, and you remain in one piece. You come on
my side, and I cut your dicks off and feed them to you for breakfast," she
said with a small smile and raised eyebrows. "I claim dibs on the bathroom
for exactly thirty minutes every morning, and one hour every night, alone,"
she added as she turned and walked over to where her suitcase had been dropped
next to the bed.

She bent over to unzip one of the
side pockets. A low, rumbling growl behind her had her reaching in quickly to
grab the item she had been hoping to retrieve since she had first been taken.
Her hand wrapped around the small, leather-covered device with a relieved sigh.
She turned just as the huge male took a step toward where she was bent over.
She looked up into the glittering eyes and swore silently. It looked like she
was going to have to prove she would follow through on her instructions.

"Get back on your side of the
room.
Now!
" Riley growled out, clutching the small device in her
hand. "You stay! Bad alien. You are not to come on this side of the room!"
she said fiercely, pointing her finger to the side where the other males stood.

"You are mine!" the huge
male growled out as he took another menacing step toward her. "I claim
you."

Riley’s temper flared at his
outrageous claim. "Last warning. Get your ass back on your side of the
room, or I’ll do it for you," she snarled back, straightening to her full
height.

Vox grinned showing off his pearly white
sharp teeth. "I’d like to see you try," he smirked, taking another
step toward her until he was within arm’s reach of the female he knew was his
mate.

Riley smiled, and a sparkle of
devious delight glittered in her eyes as she looked up at the huge male
towering over her. "Oh, darling, you
really
shouldn’t have said
that," she said right before she pressed the device she was holding
against his chest and pressed the button on the small Taser.

Vox’s eyes widened briefly before a
curse tore through him as his body jerked. His chest burned as the explosive
shock jolted him backward where he collapsed on the hard stone floor. His body
twitched as his muscles reacted to the powerful shot of electricity that it
received. His jaw clenched tightly as he fought the painful effects, but it was
useless. He had absolutely no control over his muscles. It was ten times more
painful than the shocks from his collar or from the stunning rods he had
received from the Antrox. He forced his eyes to follow the female as she put
her hands back on her hips and tossed her head back with a glare at his men who
were growling at her. Tor and Lodar snarled in rage as they grabbed him by his
arms and pulled him away from the female who was standing back near the bed,
hissing at them and snapping her teeth. His eyes flickered to hers, and he saw
the brief flash of fear before she concealed it.

Chapter
3

"How are you feeling?"
Lodar asked quietly.

Vox grimaced as he rubbed his
chest. Twin burn marks stung as his hand moved over them. His eyes followed the
female as she worked to hang a curtain wall with the items the Antrox guard
brought in almost thirty minutes before. She was humming under her breath a
tune he had never heard before. It had taken him almost an hour to recover the
full use of his limbs without feeling like he was going to fall on his face. He
tugged at the collar around his neck and cursed when he felt the small shock.
His muscles reacted to it instantly as they were still a little twitchy from
the heavy jolt they had received a short while ago.

"Pissed!" Vox growled out
in a low voice as his eyes followed the movement of the female as she bent over
again. "Guall’s balls, if she bends over one more time," he swore as
he felt his cock rubbing painfully against the front of his pants. "She is
my mate," he muttered in a low voice to both his men.

Tor and Lodar looked at Vox in
astonishment before turning to look curiously at the figure of the female
trying to build a wall with blankets in the narrow room. After she had touched
Vox and knocked him on his ass, she had the Gelatian move the bed closer to the
wall. She proceeded to pull a piece of white rock out of the huge bag she had
draped across her body. The bag had all types of different stones and images on
it, and it had taken her several long minutes to find what she was looking for.
After she found it, she had gotten down on her hands and knees and drawn a
uneven heavy white line down the middle of the room.

She had looked so proud of herself
when she finished that none of them, save Vox who
was
still lying on the floor twitching, knew what to say. She had
proceeded to tell them who she was, and that they were to stay on their side of
the line or she would rip their heads off and shove it up their asses. What was
incredible was she had said it while giving them a beautiful, dimpled smile.
Tor and Lodar had looked at each other and finally had to turn their backs to
her so she wouldn’t see them laughing silently. The thought that a line drawn
in white would keep a Sarafin warrior from crossing it if they wanted to was
more than they could handle without laughing, at least until they looked at Vox
who was still sprawled out in a twitching mess on the floor. Moments later, an
Antrox guard delivered the items she had requested with a confused frown. She
had blown the guard a kiss after she grabbed the items and deposited them on
the bed. The guard paled as he glanced down where Vox was lying on the floor,
jerking. He left quickly after that.

"Oh, Bob, honey, can you be a
sweetheart and help me for a moment again?" The husky voice called out
from where she stood balanced precariously on a large rock. "Fred, baby,
just hold the line for a few more minutes. I think I’ve got it this time."

"She is called Riley St.
Claire from Denver, Colorado—wherever that is," Tor said in amusement as
he watched her almost fall off the rock again. "She is…a most unusual creature."

"Do you know what she is
besides being a hair up my cat’s ass?" Vox snorted before he looked at
Lodar who was anxiously watching as the female teetered for a moment before
regaining her balance.

"No, I’ve never seen a female
like that before," Lodar ground out through clenched teeth as she wobbled
again. "Most species I know have some sort of instinct for self-preservation.
This one seems to be lacking that particular trait. She has fallen off that
rock three times now, and it is a miracle she hasn’t broken her neck!"

Vox gritted his teeth. He was well
aware of how many times she had fallen. Tor caught her once—barely—Lodar the
second time, and she’d landed on the Tiliqua she kept calling Fred the last time.
He had not been able to catch her because he still couldn’t even stand without
falling on his own face, thanks to her. Now even his jaw was sore from grinding
his teeth every time she almost fell, bent over, or just thrust her—He groaned
again as his cock jerked in response to her bending over and affectionately
patting Fred on one of his heads.

"You are just such a
sweetheart," she cooed. "Bob, you cute bowl of key lime Jell-O, can
you hook the other end of the rope on the wall like you did on this side?"

The huge body of the Gelatian
started to move toward Riley to take the rope she was holding out but stopped
when Vox emitted a low, dangerous snarl. The huge being trembled in terror. Its
head turned back and forth between Riley and Vox. Vox rose stiffly and glared
at the creature in warning.

"My lord," Bob choked
out. "The female—She—" the creature stuttered out before his voice
faded.

"Oh, just ignore him, you
scrumptious dessert. He’s all growl and no howl," Riley said before she
giggled. "Oh, that was so good! Do you get it? All growl, no howl? Damn,
sometimes I’m just good."

"Sarafin warriors do not howl,"
Vox said through clenched teeth as he took a step toward the female. "Female,
if you ever shock me again I’ll turn you over my knee and spank your big ass
until it is as red as the Brighton dwarf star."

Riley turned and wobbled
dangerously for a second on the rock where she was standing. She glared at the
huge figure threatening her. She was as tall as he was now. She reached her
hand down along her side, easing the small cylinder she had taken out of her
luggage and slipped into the pocket of her skirt into her hand. Her eyes
glittered dangerously, and her lips pulled back but it was not into a smile.

Oh, like hell he did not just
say I have a
big
ass,
Riley thought
viciously.

Her lips pinched together into a
pucker before relaxing. "As you said earlier, Saraprick," she replied
in a quiet, sarcastic voice. "I’d like to see you try."

Vox smiled at the challenge. He was
going to enjoy getting his hands on her luscious body finally! He was going to
finish the curtain wall, bend her over, and take her hard and fast.

"And as you said, you really
shouldn’t have said that!" He purred out as he walked slowly toward her.

"Vox," Tor murmured from
behind his friend and leader. "I don’t think that is a good idea," he
said, getting a bad feeling from the look in the female’s eyes.

She did not look like she was
worried. In fact, she looked like she was out for blood—Vox’s blood if he had
to guess.

"She doesn’t have her weapon
on her," Vox responded, nodding to where the small Taser lay on the bed. "She’ll
be purring like a kitten once I’ve claimed her." Vox smiled as his eyes
glittered possessively. "That’s what you need, isn’t it, little cat? A
good fucking."

Riley’s face flushed at the dark
promise in the huge male’s voice. "I am so going to enjoy putting your ass
on the ground again!" she hissed out, trying not to give in to the desire
to turn tail and run.

The problem with running was there
was nowhere to go in the small room. The second problem was that she had
learned a long, long time ago if you didn’t stand up to a bully when you had a
chance, you might never be given another one. She gripped the cylinder, waiting
until he took another step closer to her.

"Last chance, big boy,"
Riley warned softly. "Step back over the white line and leave me alone, or
I’ll have to put you down again."

Vox almost paused at the soft
warning he heard in her voice. There was a trace of steel that told him she
wasn’t going to run. She would stand and fight him tooth for tooth, claw for
claw. His eyes stared deeply into hers, and he saw a resolution in them. She
would not back down. His pride in her grew at her fierce determination to face
him even though he could see the slight trembling in her hand as she pushed a
long strand of white blond curls behind her ear. She was a worthy mate for a
king.

"You are mine, little kitten,"
Vox responded gently. "You will accept what the gods have given you. Come
to me willingly or come to me fighting, but come to me you will."

Riley shook her head and tightly
pinched her lips together in determination. "Sorry, dude, I’ve seen enough
alien movies to know that it never turns out good for the supporting actors.
Since I’ve never been a heroine, this is a no-win situation for me. I’d just as
soon go down fighting."

Vox’s grin widened. "I always
did like a good fight before I fucked," he said, reaching to grab her off
the rock.

"Your choice," Riley
muttered, holding her breath as she held the small cylinder up and depressed
the button.

Vox’s roar filled the small room as
the pepper spray hit him in the face. Riley stood frozen on the rock, pressing
her hands over her ears as his loud curses and pain-filled roar continued to
echo. He fell back several steps, grabbing at his face, before he fell to his
knees in agony.

"What did you do?" Lodar
asked in horror as he tried to help Vox who was rocking back and forth on his
knees emitting low mewing sounds of pain.

"It will stop hurting if he
washes his eyes out…I think," Riley whispered. "I’ve never actually
had to use it before, but that is what the directions say to do."

"You’ve never used this weapon
before?" Tor said as he gripped Vox’s shoulder and tried to see what was
causing his friend so much pain.

"Well, I warned him!"
Riley said defensively. "It’s his fault for not listening."

"Female," Vox hissed out
painfully. "I’m going to strangle you when I can see again."

"If you even think of it, I’ll…I’ll…"
Riley threatened back. "I don’t know what I’ll do but it is going to hurt
you more than me!"

"Not if I can help it,"
Vox groaned as Lodar laid a cool, damp cloth over his burning eyes.

Hell, he needed one for his nose,
throat, and mouth as well. When she had raised her hand he had thought she was
just trying to warn him to stay back. He had not expected her to have anything
in it. Both of her hands had been empty except for the rope she was trying to
hand the Gelatian just minutes before. He had made sure she didn’t have
anything in them after the first time. Where in Guall’s balls she got her hands
on the device she used on him he didn’t know, but he was going to be damn
careful the next time he got near her! Gods, his eyes, nose, mouth, and throat
burned!

"Just…just keep away from me,
and I won’t have to hurt you again," she muttered before turning to the
Gelatian and the Tiliqua. "Come on, guys, help me get this wall built
before Saraprick gets on his high horse again."

Riley glanced at the green,
gelatinous being and smiled when he shook and moved backward instead. "It’s
okay, darling. It won’t take but a moment. I won’t hurt you, you tub of
gorgeous green."

"He is not gorgeous," Vox
growled out hoarsely, trying to glare at the female through blurry, burning
eyes. "You will not speak to him like that. I am your mate!"

Riley glared back at the huge,
seething male who was glaring at her with watery red eyes. She felt her pulse
rocket at his deep growl, and that just made her madder. She would not let her
body react to some overzealous, pompous alien, no matter how cute he was! She
brought to her mind the last five alien movies she saw and reminded herself
that not a one of them ended well for the humans. Just look at what happened to
Sigourney Weaver. She not only had that alien bursting out of her—she became
one! There was no way that Riley was going to take a chance of that happening
to her.

"I don’t believe I was talking
to you," Riley growled back. "Now, go bother someone else for a
little while. Bob, honey, get your green body over here this instant. I think I
feel a headache coming on, and I want to rest in peace for a little while."

"Female"—Vox bit out in
warning, wiping at his eyes—"If you need help, I will give it."

"My
name is Riley. Riley St. Claire from Denver, Colorado, not female. Don’t forget
it." Riley sniffed indignantly and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear
as she tried to balance on the rock without falling off it again. "Now,
let Lodar help you. He seems to know what to do. And quit making that god-awful
growling noise. It is beginning to get on my nerves."

* * *

Vox lay on his back and wiped at
his eyes again. They were still tearing from earlier, but thankfully the
worst
part of the burning had faded. He
turned his head and glanced at the wall of blankets separating the two sides of
the narrow cavern they had been given. Fred was curled up in a ball in the
corner as far from Vox and his men as possible on one blanket. Bob was asleep
standing up in the other corner. Vox, Lodar, and Tor were stretched out on the
hard floor. He listened as the female rolled over on the bed behind the curtain
again and released a soft sigh that tugged at his cock as if she had her hand
wrapped around him. She was driving him and his cat crazy!

"How are we going to get out
of here?" Lodar asked quietly. "As long as we have these collars on
there is no way we can get by the guards."

"If I had some tools, I could
get them off," Tor responded quietly. "Problem is, I don’t think the
Antrox are going to leave any tools that would work lying around."