The Alien’s Pet (Earthly Mates #2)

Chapter 9

Nine

Karin was snuggled up against Korrev. It was one of the rare instances when he had allowed her to sleep in his bed with him instead of sleeping in her pet bed.

She wanted to hate it. She should hate it, but she secretly loved it. Karin liked being wrapped in his strong arms. When he thought she was asleep, he would sometimes pet her head or stroke her cheeks which, if she was being honest with herself, would make her shiver with glee inside.

It was in moments like these, she could almost pretend they were a real couple. She could fantasize he was another hot shot lawyer at the same company she used to work for who had somehow whisked her away to her fancy New York City penthouse.

For a few hours while she was asleep, Karin could pretend they were equals instead of being a powerful king and his pet.

Despite the unhappiness she felt because she was still trapped in Krotev months later, her bouts of depression and frustration had been less. Her punishments had lessened and Karin hadn't tried anything stupid like running away, since the last time she had failed.

Korrev had also softened towards her in his own way. He had stopped being cruel to her and his punishments weren't as harsh. Dare she say, they had become almost like an erotic game instead of an actual punishment. Karin couldn't even say she hated when he punished her anymore because she would always get wet when he did.

Perhaps one of the reasons why she had also come to accept her new life was because she had found a new friend in Alice. Despite the age difference, the two women got along well and she was a spitfire.

Back in New York, she had never been very sociable due to her work schedule, but now she had all the time in the world. It truly felt nice to have friends. It was also one of the few times when the king actually gave her privacy and wasn't hovering over her.

But even though Karin had come to accept her new way of life, a part of her still longed for the old life she had led. A life where she was independent and could make choices pertaining to her life. Where she didn't have to listen to a king who knew how to make her body scream with pleasure.

Unlike Alice, who seemed to be content staying with her mate, a part of Karin still dreamed of returning to New York. She knew she needed to return fast.

Karin had been injected with fertility treatments and Korrev never bothered using protection. It was a miracle she wasn't pregnant yet, but she couldn't take any chances. Once she became pregnant, there was no way she could return to Earth, even if she did manage to escape.

Even if Korrev didn't bother to try to get her back, there was no way Karin would be able to raise a half-alien child on Earth. Her baby would be used as a lab experiment, perhaps something worse. She wouldn't feel comfortable terminating the pregnancy, either.

No, she had to escape. Soon. Before she ended up carrying a baby she wasn't even sure she wanted.

The problem? How was Karin going to escape?

Korrev was still watching her closely, not as much as he used to, since he thought he had domesticated her, but still pretty closely.

Karin couldn't escape and fail again. She shuddered, thinking of her punishment if she was caught again. She didn't want to think about it. No, it had to be the perfect plan. She just needed to wait and pray she didn't get pregnant in the meantime.

Karin was still sleeping soundly in the king's arms when a huge blast shook her awake, along with the whole bed.

Korrev immediately went into warrior mode as he jumped out of bed. There was anger in his eyes, but this time, it was not directed at her.

"Get up!" he barked as he threw the red cape over her shoulders and wrapped it tightly around her shivering frame.

She didn't even have time to blush at his protective gesture because she was frightened. Instead, she watched as Korrev put on his heavy suit of armor and tied his blond hair in a ponytail while he told her to hurry up.

"What's going on?" she managed to ask as he dragged her down the long corridors while he barked orders at his men.

The whole palace was in a frenzy. There were guards everywhere, much more than she had ever seen before. Everyone was running in different directions. She saw mates being taken away somewhere safe, while warriors grabbed weapons which were the size of her head.

"Korrev, are we at war?"

"We are," Korrev answered tightly. "We expected it, of course, but never in the dead of night. This is a cowardly attack." He pulled her in the direction of the basement, and she had to walk down several steps.

"When will it be over? Will it take years?" She gulped, thinking of both World Wars. Aliens were much more violent than humans. What if they enjoyed war and this lasted for decades? She might be an old lady before she managed to escape.

Korrev chuckled as if she had said something amusing. "Not years, Pet. We are not amateurs. With any luck, we will be done by this afternoon and we'll be snuggled in our bed once more by nightfall."

Karin gulped. "Wow, that's fast." She didn't know if it was a good or bad thing.

"Many planets do not dare challenge Krotev." Korrev sounded proud. "They know if they do, they will not live to tell the tale of their demise."

Karin had to admit, while Korrev might be an asshole, he was actually a pretty good leader. She doubted anyone could lead the Krotev aliens into battle as successfully as he could.

"What am I doing here?" Karin shivered when he finally led her down to the basement. There was a steel cage in the center, with plenty of pillows and blankets, but it was still a cage, no matter how prettily they decorated it.

There were two warriors in their alien forms, which no longer terrified Karin, looking as if they wanted to be anywhere else but here.

"Get in the cage, Karin," he instructed her tensely.

"Why?" she whined. "I've been good. I've been doing everything you have asked me to do."

"You've been very good," he assured her as he patted her cheek. His voice had softened, but it was clear there were other things on his mind. "This is not a punishment, Pet. The cage is meant to keep you safe. I cannot fight and be worried about you. This is the safest place in the palace. If something happens, or if our enemies come into the palace, they will take you to safety." He motioned to the guards who clearly would prefer to fight instead of being forced to guard an unruly pet.

"But—"

"I do not have time to fight about this, Karin. Nor do I have time to punish you. Get in the cage." Korrev gritted his teeth with each word. "I promise, you will be rewarded if you are a good pet."

Karin didn't have any other options but to drag her feet and get into the cage her king had procured for her. She waited for Korrev to say something else, but he didn't. Instead, he just stormed out of the basement, leaving her feeling hurt while the guards mumbled under their breaths how they would prefer to be up there fighting.

The hours were long as Karin waited in the cage by herself, especially since the guards had no desire to talk to her. She didn't have anything to entertain herself with and she wished Alice could at least accompany her during this time.

Karin managed to sleep a bit, but the only thing she could think about was Korrev. Sometimes she hoped he was safe. Other times, she wished he would be killed as punishment for being such a brute to her.

Karin was surprised to realize, unlike in the beginning, she was not quite sure if she wanted him dead or not. His arms might deliver hard strokes against her bottom, but they were surprisingly warm and gentle when they wanted to be.

She wondered what would happen if Korrev died. He didn't have any heirs, which meant someone else would be king. But then, what would happen to her? She would probably be sold off again, to be someone's mate. The idea caused her to shiver with dread.

Karin didn't want another mate or master. She would rather have Korrev.

Finally, she heard the creak of a door opening, followed by heavy footsteps. The guards stopped playing a game which they played with pebbles and immediately straightened up.

Her heart was thumping inside her chest. Was it good news, or bad news?

A sigh of relief escaped from her mouth the second she saw the pale blond hair belonging to the king. His armor was destroyed and there was a large scar across his left cheek. Even though he looked exhausted, at least he was alive.

"Is it over?" the shorter of the men asked.

"If it wasn't, I wouldn't be here," Korrev snapped as he unlocked the cage. "Let's go home, Pet."

Korrev wrapped his long, red cape around her nude body and led her back to their bedroom. Some of the palace had been destroyed, but most of it could be easily fixed.

"How was it?" Karin asked softly, because she didn't know what else she should ask after a war had occurred.

"We won." Korrev actually sounded excited. "It was much easier than I anticipated. I was almost bored." He paused. "Your friend Alice got hurt."

Karin stopped in her tracks and shrieked. "What? How? Why didn't you tell me?"

He rolled his eyes. "Because I knew you would get hysterical." He led her into the bedroom. "Besides, she shouldn't have been there in the first place. She disobeyed orders. She's lucky her stupid head wasn't blown off."

"How did she get hurt?" It was a bit hurtful Kyvan had not put Alice in a cage, but Korrev had put her in one.

"She was trying to save Kyvan. She managed to do so, which is quite an impressive feat for such a small human." He started to remove his armor. "She will be all right, Pet. Don't fret. Azis managed to stitch her up. She'll need bed rest for a few weeks, but her mate will make sure she receives it."

Karin was about to scold him for putting her in a cage while the rest of the mates managed to roam free, when she saw Kyvan's bare chest. She gasped.

Korrev frowned. "What is it now?"

There were several deep scars all across his torso, some deeper than others. There were also a few bruises scattered across his collarbone and neck where his armor hadn't been able to offer protection.

"You're hurt." Her voice sounded vulnerable and her body was shaking as it always did when she was about to burst into tears. It was embarrassing. "You should have gone to get checked by Azis first. You could get an infection and get sick?—"

"Are you worried about me, little one?" Korrev tilted his head, looking almost amused.

"No!" she snapped. "I just don't want to take care of you if you get sick, just because you were too stubborn to go to a healer."

Korrev approached her and patted her cheek, in an effort to calm her down. She blushed. Since when did she get so emotional? "My wounds are superficial, Pet," he murmured. "Azis had other warriors with more severe injuries, including your little friend. But it is touching you care for me." He played with the pink bow around her neck, reminding her of her pet stature.

She pulled away.

Korrev shook his head. "Let's take a bath and go to bed. You've had too much excitement for one day. It's not good for you."

Karin hesitated. "Do you mean your bed, or my bed?"

"My bed, Pet." Korrev stated as if it should have been obvious. "You'll go back to your bed tomorrow." He pressed her hand against his rock-hard member. How could he be hard after fighting? "Now come, it's time for a bath."

The next morning, Karin was sore all over, from her breasts to between her legs. It seemed war had made Korrev hornier than usual. Despite his injuries, he had managed to fuck her and spank her—playfully this time—until she had to beg him to stop because she was so tired and she didn't have his stamina. It was a good soreness, however, not the terrible type she usually felt after a punishment session.

Both of them must have been tired, because Karin and Korrev slept until noon the next day. Some of his injuries had healed thanks to the healing abilities Krotev aliens had by blood, so his body didn't look as ghastly as it had yesterday.

This gave her some relief, and to think she had been planning his demise earlier.

"Why so sad, Pet?" Korrev asked as he fed her while she was perched on his lap.

"I want to see Alice. I want to make sure she's okay."

"She's okay. I told you she was." Korrev nibbled on her ear in a slight, scolding way.

"I just want to see her. She's my friend."

He sighed. "I will ask Kyvan. She is his mate. If he says no, I will not go against his word. She might be enduring punishment for her foolishness."

"You are the king."

"I will not go against another warrior's rules for his mate, just like they would not dare to tell me how to treat my pet."

His words felt like a slap to the face, even though he had addressed her as a pet before. It just served as a bitter reminder that all the women on this planet were referred to as mates and she was still simply "Pet."

Thankfully, Kyvan allowed Alice and Karin to visit for thirty minutes that evening after dinner. Alice's entire torso was covered in bandages, which caused her to wince every time she moved, and her face was bruised. Other than that, she looked perfectly all right.

"You were a fool," Karin couldn't help but say. Alice was only twenty-two, so she reminded her of a little sister in a way. "You should have never gone into battle."

Alice had the audacity to look amused. "Believe me, Kyvan has told me the same thing constantly. I'm sure my bottom will pay for my foolishness eventually, but I do not want to talk about that." She cocked her head to the side. Alice might be young, but she could read people easily. "Is something wrong, Karin? You seem stressed. Did you see any part of the war? Were you terrified? It was dreadful."

"I didn't see anything," she grumpily responded. "I was in a cage during the entire ordeal."

Alice let out a nervous laugh, not sure how to respond. The fact Karin was a pet and she was a mate had always made her uncomfortable.

Karin looked over her shoulder and saw the men were still talking among themselves in grave tones. The last thing she wanted was to be overheard, but this was important. Especially since she knew Kyvan wouldn't let Alice out of his sight for the next few weeks.

"You're thinking about running away, aren't you?" Alice gave her an understanding smile.

"I am."

"Are you still as unhappy as you were when we first met?"

Karin didn't quite have an answer for that. She wanted to say yes, but it wouldn't be completely true.

She still disliked being punished, of course, and hated not having free will, but the king hadn't been as cruel as he had been during the beginning. Korrev still punished her when he thought she had misbehaved, but he was also protective of her. They would cuddle at night and he would make sure she was served the finest of foods. But she was still just a pet. She would never be a wife, or even a mate.

Karin didn't think she would be happy being a pet for the rest of her life. She needed to return to Earth, even if she would be equally unhappy there for a different reason. At least, on Earth, she had a career. She had a purpose beyond being a breeding mare. She would find a way to be happy without Korrev breathing down her neck.

"Karin?"

"I…" What was she supposed to tell Alice? She was so young, she would never truly understand how complicated her mind was. But it wasn't as complicated as she'd like to think.

She was starting to fall in love with King Korrev. The thought terrified her. Karin had never fallen in love. Not truly anyway, even when she had been dating her long-term boyfriend. But with Korrev, things felt different. She remembered how terrified she had been when she had thought he'd perished during the war.

"Karin." Korrev's sharp tone brought her back to reality. "We must go. Kyvan wants Alice to rest."

"Of course. Goodbye, Alice. Feel better."

He led her away, while he wrapped his arm around her. "What were you two discussing?" He didn't sound accusatory. More like curious.

"Alice thinks she might be pregnant," Karin lied instead. "She doesn't know yet. She'll have to check with Azis. Please keep it a secret from Kyvan until she knows for sure."

"A baby," Korrev mused. "Good. It was time for Kyvan to produce an heir."