Promise

Allura's eyes shot up from the ancient texts open in front of her on her desk. Her room flashed red as the alarm siren rang out. She sighed in frustration. It had only been a day since Voltron had beaten the last Drule siege, and yet they were at it again. The witch's skill for producing the massive beasts would have been impressive if it hadn't come at the cost of her team's fatigue. The invasions had become so regular that the urgency to race to the chutes had diminished. The princess scooped up the pages she had been working on and set them neatly aside, laying her fountain pen delicately across the top.

"Is there simply no rest for the wicked? Stars know we could certainly use a bit of respite." Her question was for no one in particular as she pressed up from her desk, preparing to head to the control center. She glided across her room to the plate-glass window and stared out at her horizon as a coffin ship touched down in the distance and a Drule fleet littered her sky. She shook her head once with a frown and moved to the door, her pink gown trailing behind her.

After palming it open, Allura stepped out into the empty hall. Before her chamber door finished closing behind her, iron bands wrapped around her body, dragging her forcibly back into the room. She yelped in surprise, watching through wide eyes as the door shut in front of her.

She squirmed against the firm, warm hold around her torso. One wrapped around her upper chest, crossing over her upper arms and her collarbone. The other pinned her forearms to her side as it snaked around her waist.

"What in the seven heavens-"

"I was hoping to catch a moment of your time," a low voice purred in her ear.

Both Allura's heart and breathing stilled before restarting in overdrive, her blood chilling to ice at the sound of the familiar voice. She froze. She felt her hair near her right ear rustle slightly as warm breath fanned across her flesh. The proud princess recovered her voice with an indignant wrath.

"What do you want? How did you get inside the castle! I demand you unhand me at once!"

"I don't think so… no," Lotor purred against her, his arms tightening around her pointedly. Allura released a frustrated noise as she retook to her struggling, trying to dislodge the man. Her fingers flexed as she itched to strike him, but he held fast.

"Help! Someone help me," she called loudly at the door, hoping to catch the attention of Coran or a passing guard.

"There isn't anyone in that hallway that can hear you. I made sure of that."

"Monster! Did you hurt any of them?"

"Simply unconscious. I didn't want them interrupting our time together, but I thought killing them might upset you." His chest vibrated with a deep laugh against her back as she muttered something entirely un-ladylike under her breath.

"You beast," she hissed, returning her voice to normal volume. "Let. Go," she protested, thrusting her weight away from him in a near-violent attempt to catch him off-guard. She was woefully unsuccessful. He said nothing, remaining eerily quiet for the arrogant prince.

"Keep moving like that," he whispered after a moment as she squirmed against his body. She stilled and waited, attempting to catch her breath, but he said nothing else. Allura stood quietly, her breathing labored from her struggling. She glanced worriedly toward the window, wondering if the rest of the Voltron Force had launched already.

"What… what are you doing," she whispered, unable to stand the heavy silence. The hostility in her voice had diminished with his odd behavior, her temper cooling to nervousness and dread. Something felt off, but the princess couldn't put her finger on it. The unpredictable nature of the often-violent man raised alarm bells in her mind. She felt the pressure over her upper chest release when his hand fell away from her. His vice-like grasp on her waist and arms remained, her hips still pinned against his body.

"Enjoying my prize," he commented lazily, letting his free hand pet her hair lightly. His relaxed demeanor hardened with a sudden curse as Allura's heel slammed down on his boot with all the force the slender woman could muster. She dug the point of her high heel into his toe for good measure.

"I am not yours. I belong to no one. Release me at once!" She knew it was a bold move and that angering her captor could cause heavier problems for her. Allura felt him flinch away from her, his hold on her waist weakening for a brief second as he recovered his composure.

She gasped out as she felt his rigid chest press into her and his arm tighten. His chest flexed against her back and the muscles in his thighs cradled around her hips. Without warning, his free hand abandoned her hair and coiled possessively around her throat, tilting her head back against his shoulder. His lips were quick to find her ear as he murmured against her while sinful sexuality exuded from him.

"Are you really that arrogant," his whispered. His words were low and dangerous, a purr that released a vibration in his chest that she could feel. When Allura tried to wiggle again, she found herself completely immobilized by his dominating frame. Her heart rate doubled as she realized he had been toying gently with her at the start. What had felt like an iron grip had, in reality, been only a light and gentle gesture. As he displayed his true strength, the raw masculinity and true dominance of the situation became readily apparent. Allura felt her pride and indignation melt away quickly. In their wake, she felt true fear.

Fool, she chastised herself. He could easily kill you. You'd never make it to your lion. The team wouldn't even know. She swallowed nervously, her adrenaline raising a notch as she felt his palm respond against her.

His fingertips were gentle with her neck, softly brushing across the fragile skin, but there was no mistaking his authority. His thumb even stroked her bottom lip when she inhaled a shaky gasp, trying to calm her escalating panic. As Allura's ferocity diminished, the princess openly trembled at his caress. She glanced up to her ceiling, blinking rapidly to clear her watering eyes.

"Such fear." He leaned further into her, pressing his lips against the side of her throat just beneath her earlobe. Allura released a strangled, frightened cry as tears threatened to burst from her unchecked. His lips lingered against her flesh, savoring the delightful taste. The scent of her adrenaline filled him, fueling his desire. Beneath the furious pulse and palpable fear, hints of pheromones bloomed so subtly he was certain even she wasn't aware of them. He grinned against her.

"Why so afraid… I have no intention of hurting you," he continued, lazily brushing his thumb across her jawline, index finger tracing her windpipe reverently, trying to draw out more of her delightful reactions.

"I'll..." she paused, steadying her wavering voice. "I'll fight you," she promised. The words were a breathy whisper, uttered quickly between shaky breaths, but the threat that laced behind them was strong.

"What makes you think I expect anything less?" He nuzzled her hair again.

"Why are you doing this," Allura whispered desperately, running out of approaches to use against him. He had crushed her defensive strength with his own and he seemed to relish her fear. She decided to attempt open honesty.

"I find you desirable," he said simply, letting his lips brush over her pulse point on her throat. He delighted in the panicked heave of her chest beneath his hold. The adrenaline and tears stemmed from her alarm, but the delicious, ragged breathing pattern came from somewhere else, and he was determined to unravel it - to help her see it. He paused before openly trailing his tongue up the length of her neck. Allura cried out indignantly.

"You brute!" Allura felt another low rumble from his chest. Her curse died on her lips, shifting into a soft whimper when his fingers flexed faintly, a careful reminder.

"Perhaps we should go somewhere more private," he chuckled darkly against her before straightening, releasing her throat. With a tug, he began to pull her slender body toward the door.

She stumbled along with him in a daze before she realized his intention. Her fear vanished into raw determination and the willful woman dug her heels into the carpet. Despite the folds of her pink gown tangling both their legs, she held herself with unwavering strength.

With a noise of frustration, he snagged her as she tried to lurch away from him, pulling her closer in to his body. She squirmed wildly, desperate to catch him off balance. With mounting irritation, the Crown Prince overpowered her and began aggressively carting her across the room.

"Stop," she whispered after a moment. He ignored her, practically lifting her off her feet. "…please," she added pitifully, stilling the indifferent prince in his tracks. She could feel his eyes burning into her as she stood in front of him, her back pinned pathetically to his chest, head bowed. With little left to lose and finding herself completely at his mercy, Allura threw all her cards on the table, dignity be damned.

Lotor's arms remained snug around her torso as her breathing labored and her heart pounded in her ribcage. He remained silent, continuing to observe her trembling body. 'Please' was not a word he had heard from her in any frequent capacity.

"Just let me go," she murmured, continuing in the silence. It was no longer a command, but a weak plead. "Please… just let me go. Don't do this…" her voice dropped to a ragged whisper.

Seconds passed between them while neither moved, Lotor standing thoughtfully quiet while the princess fought to keep from breaking down into sobs in front of him.

"…please."

She feverishly grasped at the only word he seemed to hear from her.

He exhaled once. The silence around them practically hummed with his racing mind. For a fraction of a second, a spark of hope budded in her chest. Maybe... just maybe... he's considering it... Allura felt the thin strands of hair near her face rustle in release of his breath. His fingers gently curled through the locks flowing gently down her back and tugged it deftly out of the way of her right ear. Once more, he leaned in close, his lips brushing against her lobe as he spoke to her quietly.

"Very well," he murmured, his breath caressing her again. Allura's eyes widened in surprise and she inhaled sharply. She didn't have time to process the bizarre truth that he was, in actuality, listening to her before a strange sensation flooded her as his sharp canines nipped playfully at her flesh. She attempted to arch her back away from him, but his arm about her waist held fast, leaving her only to shiver delightfully against him instead.

He purred carefully against her, letting his free hand draw up the side of her body boldly, much to her horrified sensibilities. "Remember that it only takes one little word…"

"W... what takes... a word?" Her own language was stunted by the shocking waves of heat rolling through her body at his touch. As her fear of capture began to wane, a foreign, new emotion dominated her bloodstream.

"This," he explained simply, leisurely stroking her hip and waist with his hand, delighting in her tectonic quivering.

"I..." Allura inhaled sharply as he teased her earlobe with a skill a man could only acquire with practice.

"Yes?"

She began to answer him but just sucked in air as he teased her again. His scent bloomed heavy around her, rough and masculine but with threads of elegance and luxury. A flush fanned her cheeks unexpectedly.

"What is the word..." Allura was able to focus her attention through the haze of sexuality rolling off the Crown Prince.

"Yes," he whispered again, delighting in the gentle sway of her body against his. The princess had long ceased her struggle and he doubted she even realized it.

"The word, what... what is it?" She reiterated her question, frowning slightly at his response. He branded the curve of her jaw with his lips once more before replying.

"The word... is 'yes'," Lotor explained. "Be mine, have the universe at your feet... No more war, you'll never want for anything..." Allura wavered. For a fleeting moment, his offer seemed appealing. She blinked.

"...No," she said sadly. "I won't do that to my people."

"Allura," he murmured her name reverently as one might a prayer. "You'll come around eventually. I am quite... insistent on this."

She shivered at the embedded threat yet remained silent.

"When you lay alone in your bed tonight... Think not of the fear… but of the promise." He finished the command by sealing his lips to her throat expertly. Before Allura could understand what it was, a primal noise erupted from her core. A wave of magma boiled through her veins, scorching every last remnant of decency, dignity or thought.

As quickly as he had appeared, he was gone, letting the quivering woman collapse to her knees in her empty bedchamber, the sound of the door swishing behind her the only signal to his retreat.

She sat, doubled over, face flushed with warmth as she struggled to catch her breath, the suppressed heat bubbled completely to the surface, warming her skin and thighs.

"Great stars, what sinful decadence was that," she murmured, bringing her palms to touch her forehead and then carefully brush her throat. "Haggar's witchcraft to be certain." She weakly pushed up onto buckling knees and carefully made her way to the door. Palming it open for a second time, she glanced around the hallway warily.

Finding it innocuously vacant, she made her way toward her original destination, pausing only once to catch herself against the wall when her legs wobbled weakly. She was relieved the boys were already airborne and courting the robeast. Coran glanced over to the princess as she entered the command center. The dais in the center was already raised, the number four illuminated and awaiting her.

"Are you well? You look as though you have a fever! The boys are waiting for you, Princess. Are you fit to fly? What happened?"

"I… yes, I'm sorry I took so long," she murmured quietly before throwing herself into the channel to her lion, not wishing to explain to Coran what had transpired.

Fever, indeed, she thought grimly, struggling in vain to push the memories of her feelings from her mind. It's witchcraft. It's not me. As she dropped into the cockpit of her lion, the familiar sensation of combat thrummed through her.

Why didn't you tell him Lotor breached the castle walls? Were you hoping the prince would stay...?

She frowned in annoyance, watching the display light up with her launch sequence, washing away any lingering emotions. Allura couldn't articulate why she had withheld vital information about her Castle's compromised defense perimeter.

"I have to go help the boys, and Prince Lotor deserves a slap. That's all there is to it. I won't think about this anymore," she muttered to herself.

For now, her mind unhelpfully reminded her of his last instruction. She swallowed nervously. Perhaps it is just a fever. As much as she desperately wanted to believe that she was falling ill, even she had her doubts. Falling, indeed.

'Think of the promise.'

And here's a new little one-shot! Been a while since I've had any of these, been working on the chaptered pieces more. Short and sweet - feel free to leave any criticism or comments, and thank you for reading all the way through!