The Alien’s Pet (Earthly Mates #2)

Chapter 10

Ten

Four months. It had been four months since the battle, and Karin still remained as the king's pet—glued to his side, following him around, sometimes with a leash in hand, warming his bed at night.

Karin couldn't quite come up with an answer as to why she hadn't left already. At first, she thought she was simple cowardly, but then she tried to convince herself she just hadn't found the right time to leave. That part was true, though. Ever since the last battle, Korrev had been more protective than usual. Perhaps because the battle had made Karin even more skittish than usual.

She had only seen Alice in passing since then, as Kyvan didn't want her to leave his quarters until she was fully healed. They had managed to have one more playdate, though. She had begged her to go with her, but Alice had refused. She was happy where she was and she had no desire to leave. Karin couldn't help but envy her happiness. Alice felt secure with Kyvan and Kyvan adored her. She wished she was as lucky as her friend was.

Meanwhile, Karin still felt like she was playing a cat and mouse game with Korrev. She was tired of playing. She did not want to be a pet when there was so much else she could do with her life. Being bred did not excite her, either, like it did Alice. Perhaps she was losing her nerve.

Karin had been known as a firecracker in the courthouse, always winning case after case, but after she came to Krotev, she became more docile. It was like Korrev had spanked the stubbornness out of her. She would be lying if she said she was unhappy. At least not as unhappy as she had been at the very beginning.

"I have a meeting I need to go to." Korrev pressed his lips against her forehead. He had been kissing her more often. Sometimes on the lips, other times on the forehead or against her neck, trying to cover her with hickies.

Korrev didn't drag her to meetings as often as he used to. He trusted her more now.

Karin usually stayed behind and played with her puzzles or read old books some of the other warriors had gotten for their mates and they had discarded.

"Okay."

Korrev frowned, looking concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied moodily, feeling bratty.

He pressed a hand against her forehead. "Are you coming down with something? It is getting colder."

"No. I'm just tired."

Korrev didn't seem convinced. "I'll have Azis do a checkup on you tomorrow if you're still not feeling better. I can't have you getting sick."

She nodded, only because she knew his patience only went so far. After he left, Karin went towards a small, forgotten chest of drawers near her pet bed. Korrev never checked there so she used it to hide the precious thing she had gotten a mere two weeks ago.

It was a simple gray and white uniform, along with a large matching gray helmet. The one Korrev's pilots used before they flew out in the small spaceships whenever they had to complete orders for the king.

Karin had gotten it when it had fallen from one of the servant's laundry carts. She had kept it ever since. If Korrev ever found it, she would blame it on one of the servants. It was the perfect escape plan.

She would get on one of Korrev's spaceships and just return to Earth. It surely wouldn't be hard, would it? They were more advanced after all.

Karin closed her eyes. It was now or never. She might never have another opportunity to escape again. She had to do this now, before it became colder and Korrev would spend more time inside, or before she became pregnant.

Before she chickened out, she put on the uniform. It was baggy on her, but it did a good job of hiding her curves. The helmet was a bit heavy, but she would just have to bear it.

The only problem was the bow around her neck. She had to get it off. It was the only thing holding her back. It contained a chip. If she didn't remove it, the king would easily find her again. She needed to find the key which opened it. Korrev usually removed the bow at bathtimes, but he had never shown her where he hid the key.

Karin started ransacking the bedroom, pulling open drawers and overturning clothes in every direction. After thirty minutes of endless searching, she finally found it hidden inside one of his armors which was so heavy, she could barely lift it. It was a small golden key. To think this little key held her freedom.

"Please fit," she begged silently as she jammed the key in the keyhole below the large pink bow. A sigh of relief escaped from her the second she heard the small clicking sound. The bow fell off easily, and she rubbed her neck.

Finally.

There was no going back now. She put on the helmet, and without a look back, she headed towards the back of the palace where she knew the ships deployed from.

No one questioned her, but they gave her odd looks because she was walking around with her helmet.

Karin's heart was thumping loudly inside her chest when she finally made it to the platform where the ships descended from.

"You're late, 84." A grouchy-looking alien, wearing a similar uniform, looked up from the screen in front of him. "Your ship is number four. Do you have the documents the king wants you to deliver?"

Karin nodded, touching the big pocket on the side of the uniform, hoping she wasn't questioned.

He didn't. "Good. Off you go, 84. See you when you return."

Karin nodded, shuffling towards the ship. It was bigger than she had anticipated, even though it was sort of square-shaped and could only fit one person.

She got into the ship awkwardly and closed the door. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this. In reality, she only wanted to run in the opposite direction and jump into Korrev's arms.

"You can do this, Karin." She bit her lower lip. "Don't be a baby."

The dashboard in front of her had at least thirty buttons of different colors and sizes. This only made her more nervous.

"84!" the alien who greeted her barked at her over the intercom. "Why haven't you left yet? Is there something wrong with the ship?"

"No!" she managed to squeak, not caring that her voice sounded feminine. She pulled on the lever in front of her and started pushing as many buttons as she could. Hopefully, it did something. She really didn't want to get caught.

The ship roared to life and dashed out of the platform so fast, she was surprised she didn't end up vomiting on herself.

Karin's heart dropped when she realized she was no longer on Krotev. She was in space, and it was marvelous. She didn't know how else to describe it. Everything was so dark and vast and out of the ordinary. Who knew space could be so wonderful?

She frowned. She wondered if she would be able to properly breathe without this helmet, which seemed to be providing her with oxygen. She was fine in Krotev, but she wasn't sure if it was safe to take it off.

Karin would have nothing to worry about if she managed to reach Earth. But as she looked at the row of buttons on the screen, she was starting to think it might be impossible. She just wanted to go home.

Home. Was she really starting to think of Krotev as home? She hadn't even been there a year! Karin was starting to think she hadn't really thought this through.

Then she thought about Korrev and how she would no longer see him after today. She thought about his blond hair, his icy blue eyes, and his smirk. For some reason, it made her feel sad.

She rode on the ship for what felt like hours. Eventually, her stomach started growling and she made the discovery that she had stupidly forgotten to pack food in her hurry. She didn't have food and she desperately needed to pee.

Karin looked at the screen in front of her. It was a map, but she didn't know how to read it. She had never seen anything so complicated. She wasn't even sure if she was heading in the right direction towards Earth.

Karin Johansson had graduated from a top university and had gone to law school. She always thought things through. Today, might have been the exception.

She couldn't help but wonder if Korrev would come searching for her. It would be straight out of a romance film, though she guessed Korrev would be more furious. But how was he even supposed to track her down if she didn't have her collar? Karin concluded she had spent too much time in Krotev. It was the reason her brain had turned to mush. She didn't do anything but sleep, eat, and fuck Korrev.

Her thoughts were drifting once again to Korrev, when the ship started making a loud, wailing noise.

"Stop it!" she whined as she pushed several buttons, hoping it would do something, but the wailing just continued. There was a nearby planet right in front of her. It wasn't Earth, but it would have to do until she got the stupid ship fixed. Karin pulled the lever and closed her eyes. If she died landing this thing, she hoped it would be a quick death.

The air left her body as the ship landed rapidly. It was a miracle nothing had broken. Karin allowed herself a few minutes for her heart to settle down. Then she gingerly opened the door and stepped outside.

This planet was vast and empty, unlike Krotev which was an empire. The land was green and there were a few plantlike objects like the trees she had seen back in Krotev. But that was it. No people. No aliens. No buildings. No life whatsoever. She didn't know if it was a good or a bad thing.

Karin gingerly took off her helmet. She didn't know if this planet had oxygen. She hoped it did. She didn't want to wear this helmet around, not to mention she didn't know how much oxygen she had left.

Her body relaxed when she realized she could breathe properly without the helmet.

"Hello!" she called out. "Hello!"

No response.

Karin looked wearily at the ship, which she wasn't sure even worked anymore. Then she burst into tears. She desperately wanted to go home.

Korrev was not someone who lacked confidence. In fact, people had often said he was much too arrogant. However, he didn't mind them. When one was king, he had to be arrogant and confident, or his throne might disappear.

He couldn't help but smile as he looked down at his palm. He was carrying a small box of chocolates which was a true delicacy in Krotev. The men didn't like them. They were too sweet for them, but the human women adored them, which was why the king ordered his warriors to go purchase them whenever they were rounding up new mates.

Korrev could have brought forth their entire supply of chocolate from the kitchen, but he was sure Karin would finish it in one afternoon. He didn't want to spoil her even if she had been rather good lately. He felt like he could trust her more and he was no longer afraid of leaving her alone. She had even become more docile and adorable. Hence, the gift of chocolate. She could be a sweetheart when she wanted to be. Perhaps it wouldn't be bad if he spoiled her every once in a while.

"Karin." Korrev entered the bedroom, but he saw no one. Karin was not in her usual lounging spot by the window. A chill ran down his spine when he didn't see his pet. "Karin! Come out now! I order you to!"

Silence.

Korrev refused to let panic settle in, but it was hard not to. He checked the bath, the rest of the bedroom, and the dining area, but still no trace of Karin. He felt something beneath his boot.

Karin's pink bow. The little brat had managed to take it off, so he had no way of contacting her.

The panic he was feeling started to grow, despite his best efforts to control it. Karin was gone. She could be anywhere in the palace, or worse, outside. Without her bow, he would have no way of tracking her down.

Damn her. Damn her! He should have never trusted her!

"Bozan!" he roared.

His main servant, a young man who had barely reached adulthood, entered the bedroom looking panicked. His panic grew when he saw the king's angry face. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Where is she?"

"Where's who?"

"Karin!"

"Your pet?"

Korrev wanted to pummel the fool for being so stupid, but it wasn't his fault Karin had disappeared. It was his own. He should have never trusted her fully. He was the stupid one.

"Order all of the warriors in the palace to search for Karin. Tell them they must check every room."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

It took twenty minutes for his warriors to tell him there was no trace of Karin inside the palace. It took them another fifteen minutes to realize she had somehow managed to escape on a ship. A ship they couldn't track.

If he hadn't been so angry, Korrev would have been impressed by her determination to get away from him.

After giving his warriors orders to track down whatever information they could gather about the missing ship, Korrev started mentally thinking about the nearby planets. There weren't many, but they were certainly less friendly than Krotev.

Someone placed a hand on his shoulder.

Kyvan.

He looked concerned and he hated the look of pity on his face. He hated that look.

"I heard what happened with Karin. Is there anything I can do?"

"No!" Korrev snarled back. "Does Alice know about Karin's escape? Did they plan this together?"

"Of course not!" Kyvan looked offended, almost angry. "My little Alice is safe in my quarters. She has hardly spoken to Karin. She's been too busy focusing on healing her injuries."

"Well, someone had to have planned this." Korrev kicked a chair over angrily. "Someone must have convinced Karin to do this. To leave me ."

Kyvan hesitated a bit before he spoke. "You forget that Karin was deeply unhappy. She was not even your mate; she was your pet, an even lower position. You punished her cruelly even though I warned you against it. How does it surprise you that she left?"

Korrev gave him a cold smile. "I will still be speaking to Alice on this matter. I'm sure she has something to say."

"You will not!" Kyvan snarled back. "She is resting and she has just announced she's with child. You will not disturb her, Korrev."

Korrev raised his eyebrow and simply said, "I am king." Then he headed to Kyvan's quarters to speak to Alice. If he found out Alice had a hand in this, he would consider it betrayal.

He was a king very few people would cross.