An Anakim Love Read online

  “Prince Gin, it is an honor,” the president said. “Do I need to bow or… what are your customs?”

  “My people aren’t gifted respect by accident of birth, sir. We earn it. I’ve done nothing to earn your respect.”

  “I see.”

  “If you will follow me to my office, please?”

  Luke trailed behind us, wringing his hands. I creaked open the office door. Luke took the seat opposite mine. The president stood, waiting for me to invite him to sit. His eyes roamed the walls, taking in the pictures of my home planet decorating the walls.

  “Take a seat, sir.”

  Once seated, the civility ended. His demands came thick and fast. NASA, their space agency, wanted to study our ship. Homeland Security wanted to study us. The FBI had questions about our surveillance capabilities.

  “I will not share tech your people could use to create war and misery,” I said, crossing my arms. The silver-haired man pursed his lips.

  “Luke said you'd say that,” he sighed. “Where are the explosives?”

  “We don't…”

  Luke’s head shook wildly.

  “We don’t intend to use them if it is unnecessary,” I said, “but if you don’t help us, we will to protect our technology.”

  He hissed a breath in through his yellow stained teeth.

  “You’re a good, um, man Prince Gin,” he smiled. “But there are things I hope you will be happy to help us with. Poverty, famine and disease plague our planet. If your tech could help us?”

  “I will meet with your scientists in exchange for safe passage to your volcano.”

  “Agreed.” The old man beamed. His skinny, crooked chest puffed out. He cracked his knuckles and patted Luke’s shoulder.

  We arranged for me to attend Luke’s military base before taking the lightning rock to the volcano. Luke would be my armed guard. Kaito and Aata would stay on the ship, ready to detonate our imaginary explosives if I did not return safely.

  Luke left with the president to relay the arrangements to their army and put security measures in place. I leaned back in my office chair. A dopey grin spread across my face. The human who had the balls to roll onto our ship, without knowing who or what we were is mine and I had never felt prouder of anyone. This simple soldier brought the leader to the free world to my ship. He saved my life, Kaito’s and Aata’s. I dare say he saved the universe. If humans accessed our tech, they would have turned peaceful rescue equipment into weapons.

  Chapter 7 - Rose

  I hunched in the president's limo, my hands folded in my lap. We both knew my relationship with Gin. I fucked an alien and the president knows I did. My commander knows it. Soon, my unit will be aware. I chewed my lip. I rubbed the back of burning neck. President Maxwell tugged at his shirt sleeves.

  "It was a good meeting, I thought," I said keeping my eyes on my feet.

  "Yes, son, it was."

  He peered through the window, watching the world rush past.

  "Gin, um, Prince Gin must think you're a good man if he agreed to help you."

  "It's not enough, though, is it? Our race is failing. A universe we didn't know existed until yesterday believes we are toxic."

  "It's not your fault, Mr. President."

  He sighed, shaking his head, His age-drawn lips puckered.

  Gin is a prince. I didn't see that one coming. His royal dress clung to his muscular frame, the purple and gold fabric brought out the blue of his eyes and suited his silver skin. I crossed my legs, the image of him standing in front of the most powerful man on Earth, taking complete control fresh in my mind.

  My ears flamed. My pulse raced.

  "Son?" he asked.

  "Yes, Mr. President?"

  Would he mention the massive elephant in the limo and compound my shame?

  "Why were you so willing to help him?"

  "My parents were murdered, sir, a robbery gone wrong and my brother lost his life in Iraq. If there is a world without murder and war, I want to be part of it. I want to protect it."

  "He is lucky to have you."

  "No, I am the lucky one."

  "Did you know he was a prince?"

  "No."

  "He's the same man, son."

  "I know."

  I'd only spent a day with Gin, but I knew him well enough to know his royal status didn't change who he was. The way Kaito and Aata teased him, the kindness he showed me and the steaming hot sex we had hours after meeting spoke volumes. The limo came to a halt outside my base. Bruce stood at the side of the limo, falling over himself to open my door.

  "You fucked an alien?" he hissed.

  Fire crept over my cheeks.

  "Dude, what if he gets you pregnant?"

  "What?"

  My shame ebbed away, rapidly replaced by amusement. Special Ops soldiers must pass exams. They need to be smart. How Bruce made the grade I'd never understand.

  Secret Service took us to a private meeting room. Only the tops dogs were given entry, and the president dismissed most. A few scientists remained.

  "The alien race will not help us destroy our planet more than we already have by granting access to things we can make into weapons, but they will help us move forward as a civilized race. Prince Gin of Anakim has agreed to meet with our top scientists to help find solutions for disease and famine."

  An excited buzz filled the room. The men and women in white lab coats sat wide-eyed with wide grins on their face. The army general hopped behind the door, peeking over the heads of the two massive secret service agents guarding the door.

  "I will make the arrangements, Mr. President," the head of secret service said.

  "We should hold the meeting in a working lab, are there any nearby?"

  "I have one five miles from the base," one scientist said. "It's a disease research center but we should have what he needs."

  "Excellent."

  People rushed around, making plans, installing guards where they needed to be and gathering supplies. The president and his advisory team demanded the details on Gin's arrival was kept from the public to prevent mass panic and rioting. The President updated leaders of allied countries. England wanted to request a cure for cancer, South Africa wanted to learn how to grow food in desert conditions. Thailand requested a system to give advance warning on earthquakes. The president jotted it all down in neat scrawl on White House headed paper to hand to Gin. I sat impotently by his side in the video conference room. The leaders of the world's most powerful countries beamed into the tiny room we occupied. I bowed my head, drowning in anxiety and inadequacy.

  Did the leaders of allied countries know of my relationship to Gin?

  To my surprise, few people wanted to push for weaponry advancements.

  "The Prince tells me his planet only uses defensive weapons," I said when the leader of China asked about explosives. Their relationship with South Korea spiraled by the hour. "And he is not willing to share those with us."

  He took it well and requested tips on growing more food in less space.

  "Goodbye, ladies and gentlemen. It is arranged we will meet with the Prince at 1700 hours US time. We will update you as soon as feasible."

  One by one the screens went blank.

  "The cars are ready, Mr. President, " the head of secret services told us. Those invited to take part filed from the building in silence.

  I took my place in the president's limo. My heart pounded, my palms sweated. One wrong move, one armed guard panicking is all it would take to end Gin's life and with it smash my heart into a million pieces. We stopped outside the fallen ship. The lights buzzed dimly. Their reserve power was running low. Soon, their defense shield would fail. The ship creaked open. Gin stood, head high in his royal uniform of purple and gold. his turquoise eyes scanned rows of waiting cars. A gold bag hung off his broad shoulder. The lightning rock. The wide strap dug into his flesh.

  Our driver hopped out and opened the passenger door.

  "Your Royal Highness," the driver bowed as
Gin slipped into the limo. Gin nodded back. Not a single bead of sweat rested on his forehead. His hands didn't shake like mine did. He was completely in control.

  "Mr. President, " he said as he pulled his seatbelt across his wide chest.

  "Prince Gin."

  The president's advisor burst into her prepared speech, telling Gin what the plans were. First stop was the lab. Gin would help the scientists as much as he could. She handed him the list the president scribbled for him. Gin frowned at the thick manila paper.

  "I can help with some of these," he said. "Some are beyond my expertise, but I will do my best. Is it okay if I take this list home? There are people on my planet who can offer more help."

  The president agreed. Throughout the short ride, the woman advisor chatted away, giving Gin every tiny detail of the plans down to how many bullets had in the guns they'd holster over their shoulders.

  "I'm sorry," I mouthed.

  "It's fine. My ship's shield extends to myself. No bullets can harm me."

  The shield was failing. I nodded, doing my best to appear relieved.

  When we made it to the lab, he strode confidently past the guards with his shoulders back and his head high. His heavy hand rested on the gold bag.

  "What's in there?" my commander demanded.

  "A rock," Gin smiled, inching the bag open. "It's my pet."

  I stifled a snigger.

  "Your pet?" my commander cocked an eyebrow.

  "Yes, his name is Rocky, he comes everywhere with me. He loves meeting new people, he's so excited, aren't you, Rocky?" He patted the rock. Bruce stood by the commander, his shoulders shaking.

  "And what's that?" my commander jabbed his finger at a contraption fastened around Gin's thick wrist.

  "It's a translating device. I can take it off if you wish, but I'm not sure how much help I would be able offer if your scientists can't understand me.

  He waved us past, trailing behind us with his gun drawn. Its long barrel pointed at Gin's head. Gin took it in his stride, still walking with a confidence I could only dream of. The scientists rushed out to meet us. They handed Gin a long stiff lab coat. the thick white fabric stretched around his broad shoulders and muscular back. He listened to them nodding his head, frowning at the petri dishes they showed him.

  Formulas I didn't understand decorated the whiteboard. Gin studied them, stroking his smooth silver chin. Eventually, he went to work, writing new formulas for them, explaining how they can increase water yields and coming up with a drug he hoped would at least slow cancer down.

  "I'm not a doctor," he admitted. "I took science when I was studying but most of this is beyond my understanding."

  The scientists nodded their heads in unison, grateful for the help he had offered.

  "There's one thing I don't understand," he said as he finished up. "Why do some nations have more food than they need, and others don't have enough? If that happened on my planet we would require the people with more to share."

  Uncomfortable glances passed between the scientists. No-one answered Gin's question.

  "Does your planet not have currency?" the president asked him.

  "We do but we have a citizen's wage. No one is left struggling to feed and clothe themselves."

  "Why would people work if they didn't need money?" my commander sneered.

  "For personal satisfaction, to better themselves and to contribute to a functioning society," Gin said, his face crumpled with confusion.

  Before we left Gin dug deep into his gold bag, tipping a handful of deep purple seeds onto the silver table standing between him and the scientists.

  "They'll grow fruit bushes in the most uncompromising environments," he said. "The berries they yield are delicious, nutritional and one handful with provide a human enough water to last them eight hours."

  The scientists pounced on them, sharing them out to study under microscopes.

  "They're fast growing. You should give them to your hungriest, thirstiest nations."

  Finally, we said our goodbyes. Only the president's limo took the short ride to Yellowstone National Park. Two Army Jeeps followed behind us. We rode in silence. My eyes fixed on Gin's. A rush of heat swept over my body. I will spend the rest of my life with this gorgeous man. We would travel the stars together. I crossed my legs, Gin mirrored me, His chest rose and fell sharply. A slight flush glowed on his silver cheeks. the air in the limo grew heavy. The president coughed, his gaze locked on the peaceful landscape beyond the window.

  "We're here," he said hopping out of the limo like it was on fire. With the heat me and Gin generated between us, it may well have burned up at any second. The army cleared out Yellowstone this morning, citing worrying seismic activity as the reason. Gin pulled himself from the limo, stretching his long, thick limbs. Without the bustle of tourists rushing and back and forth, Yellowstone is peaceful. Gin sucked in a breath of warm air.

  "Is this it?" he asked, peering over the edge of the caldera.

  "It's under the water but I'm not sure how you would get the rock back if you threw it in?"

  A geyser erupted, spewing super-heated water and steam into the air.

  "Unless..." I trailed off watching the water crash onto the ground.

  "Not reliable enough and the lightning rock would smash if it hit the ground at that speed," he toed off his black boots. "My ship's shield will protect me from the heat."

  He took the lightning rock from its gold bag, throwing the bag to the floor and walked to the edge of the caldera. I held my breath, clamping my hand over my mouth. My heart stopped.

  The man I love took a deep breath and dove head first into the boiling water. My other hand moved to my eyes, blocking my view. I counted the seconds in my head. One, two, three, four. I made it to thirty seconds. My pulse picked up. The president sighed, wringing his hands.

  How long can Anakim go without oxygen?

  I should've asked him before he dove in. Bubbles rolled on the surface of the water.

  Forty seconds. Fifty seconds. I balled my sweating fists. Tears prickled behind my eyes. There was no sign of Gin.

  His shield was failing.

  I reached into my pocket, patting my hand on my spare phone. Kaito had my main phone.

  My fingers closed around the phone, I slipped it from my pocket, tapping my main number into the call screen. Kaito will know if the shields went down.

  Ripples broke the surface of the smooth turquoise water. I held my breath, my body frozen with anxiety. A large silver and purple shape drifted to the top of the caldera. I chocked back a sob. Gin’s head popped free of the water. A massive grin stretched across lips.

  “Gin,” I breathed, rushing to the edge of the water.

  "It worked," he said triumphantly, holding the lightning rock high above his head. Water glistened on his sparkling skin. His eyes matched the bright blue water. Powerful legs kicked beneath him, driving him to the side of the caldera.

  I shook my head, chasing away the image if his naked body. He pulled himself out of the water. His soaked clothes clung to his skin. The president's adviser sighed, stripping him naked with her eyes.

  "Mine," I wanted to growl. I contained myself, gluing myself to his side. He threw his arm around my shoulder.

  "Let's go home, Luke," he said. His lips touched my head, landing a gentle kiss. My chest puffed with pride. The female adviser sighed again. Lust and envy shone in her hazel eyes.

  "All the good ones are gay," she whispered.

  ***

  Kaito met us at the ship's entrance, bouncing on the spot. None of the lights flashed on top of the ship. They're defenseless. Aata hung back, the massive gun Gin aimed at me the night we met rested in his arms. Armed men pointed rifles at him.

  "It worked," Gin beamed. "We can go home. We might get there before your young is born."

  Bruce pushed his way through the line of armed guards.

  "I guess you're going too?" he said.

  "Um, yeah."

  "Well, goo
d luck, dude. Have a safe, um, flight."

  "Thanks."

  He ground his heel into the muddy ground, chewing his lip. I held my hand out. Bruce grabbed it, yanking me into a bear hug. He served in Iraq with my brother. As my brother took his final breath, Bruce held his hand and offered him comfort.

  "You did Mark proud," he whispered as he released me. A tear welled in the corner of my eye. Gin took my hand, pulling me onto his ship.

  "The shields are down, we're out of power," Aata said.

  "So, you thought you'd defend us by x-raying the guards?" Gin laughed. Aata's silver cheeks turned bright red, the tips of his ears glowed.

  "They don't know it's an x-ray machine," he said. "Did they, Luke?"

  "No, I thought it was a vaporizer or something," I admitted.

  Gin smiled, "That's what you were supposed to think. You have a hairline crack on your right, third rib. It's mostly healed."

  He took the lightning rock to the engine room. The ship roared to life. Kaito squealed with joy. I raced to the window.

  Chapter 8 - Gin

  Luke hovered at the window. He pressed his nose to the shatterproof glass. Outside his fellow soldiers stood back. One waved frantically. Luke waved back, unaware the window was hidden. His friend could not see him. Kaito took the co-pilot seat by my side, Aata manned the navigation system.

  "Take us home, Aata," I said, turning the engine on. The ship rumbled. Air hissed from our engines, lifting us from the ground.

  "What about the dying planet?" Luke asked.

  "We are a first response ship. The Haven is the fastest ship my people possess, but other ships will have rescued the survivors by now."

  "Oh."

  My heart swelled at the fact he remembered them at. His people jerked back. Fire burst from under our ship. Luke's eyes widened, the muscles in his back clenched. We raced upwards, breaking through his atmosphere. Not once did his excitement give out to fear. He kept his nose to the window, studying the stars.

  "I remember my first intergalactic flight," Kaito said wistfully. After tapping Anakim's coordinates into the navigation system, Aata joined Luke at the window. Together they cooed over the stars and the Milky Way. Kaito smiled at them. I crossed my legs, hiding my erection. Luke's sweetness made my teeth ache and my dick burn. I couldn't get him back to Anakim fast enough. If I didn't bury my dick in his tight soon my balls would burst.