Claimed by the Alien King Read Free Page B

parroted in surprise. "And another week coming back, I guess. That's two weeks…" Two weeks of absence from her job. Would she even have a job by the time she returned? In the year she'd worked at the store she'd developed a good relationship with her manager. Maybe if she begged forgiveness hard enough, her manager would let the incident go and keep her on.
    Two weeks is really pushing it but I should be fine.
    "You misunderstand, human," said Lir as he leaned a hip against the edge of the control panel. Folding his arms, he gave her a condescending smile. "This ship is calibrated to Aquelocan time. One standard Aqueloc week is 26 weeks on Earth."
    Shocked horror gripped her and left her immobile.
    Over six months?
    "Yes," he said. His voice was low and almost sensual as though he were telling her something nice when, in fact, it was horrible. "By the time you return to your planet, human, an entire year would have passed."
     
     

Chapter Four: Lir
     
    "So, I assume there's nothing safe for human consumption on this ship?"
    Lir looked away from his unfinished report to stare at the female. Maya Banks. That was the namesake she'd claimed earlier. On his planet, a newborn was given one name only, but familial associations were assumed under a House name. During one of his many extensive lessons on Earth and its occupants, he'd learnt that humans had a tendency for the extravagant. Sometimes claiming as many as four names for the purposes of individualism.
    "There is," he said, rising to his feet.
    "Hopefully a shower too?" she said. Then she gave him a doubtful look. "Do showers exist on spaceships? Or is it like a hygiene kit or something?"
    "There is a shower, yes," he answered. "But I will show you to the dining area first."
    "Thank God," she said as she followed him. "I can't wait to get out of these old clothes."
    I can't wait to get you out of them either.
    The thought raced across his mind, come and gone so quickly he had no chance to stop it. At least he had a better control on his emotions than the human. No chances of him projecting his less-than-appropriate thoughts.
    Lir lengthened his stride. As soon as he'd shown the human to the dining area, he intended to leave her alone. Being in her company was dangerous. The thrall was steadily getting stronger, intensifying when the human was near. All he needed to do was resist it and its absurd demands until he got to Aqueloc. Then he'd send a claimed pilot to return the human to her planet.
    He stalked across the short bridge connecting Sector A to Sector B where the dining area resided. Built for a small crew, most of the ship's interior wasn't large. However, though it lacked spaciousness, it had far more advanced technology than many of the other ships on the market. Retrieving a dish from the utensil storage, Lir placed it beneath the dispensary and watched with disgust the yellow-green lumpy mush filling the dish. Far more advanced technology indeed, but the food was still as horrible as any other ship.
    He turned and found the human staring around the circular room. Her lips parted in awe, she moved around in slow steps, apprehensively touching things. Her fingers grazed the surface of the oblong dining table and one of the chairs beside it. The chair retracted itself from the table in preparation for her to sit and she jumped away with a startled gasp. When she realized he was watching her, she gave a nervous laugh.
    "Wow, nothing stays in one place on this ship," she said. "I feel like I'm in a movie or something." Then a doubtful look came over her face. "Is this even real? Like…are you real? Am I dreaming? I kinda feel like I am."
    Lir grabbed the dish from the dispensary and it on the table in front of the retracted chair.
    "I assure you I am real and you are not dreaming," he said, and then indicated she sit down.
    She eyed the chair with uncertainty before easing her body into it, and the chair slid her forward to her meal.
    "I don't know if I'll ever