Alien’s Beloved Bride

(Mail Order Human, Book Five)

by Sue Mercury

Copyright 2017 by Sue Mercury

All rights reserved

No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Sue Mercury. All names, brands, characters, and settings, etc. are purely from the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to real people, real brands, and real locations is a coincidence. Contact: authorsuemercury@gmail.com

Published by Sweet Savage Press, LLC

About this book:

Riley eagerly boards the Starship Matchmaker, desperate to escape all the heartbreak she’s known on Earth, only to find her hopes for a better life soon shattered. The starship is attacked and she’s sold to a fearsome creature—who displays her as a curiosity in an alien marketplace. Just when she thinks her situation can’t get any worse…here comes a deadly flash flood. But to her utter surprise, she’s beamed onto a ship, where a huge green alien greets her and claims he’s her mate. Though she’s grateful for his help and can’t stop admiring his muscle-bound physique, she wonders if she’s truly safe with him.

Zurron is enraged by Riley’s treatment in the alien marketplace. He vows swift and brutal vengeance upon the creature who bought her, but first he must get her settled safely on his home planet. He’s entranced by her delicate beauty and light blue eyes, and his blood heats at the prospect of finally claiming her. He delights in exploring every part of her and making her blush hard, and he’s thankful to finally have a female to call his own. But when tragedy befalls Zurron’s family, honor and duty dictate that he must depart Norina and go to battle.

Riley finds it difficult to believe the very alien who kissed her senseless and made her body hum with pleasure possesses such a violent and vengeful side. Yet she longs for his homecoming and fears being given to another Norinan male if he perishes in battle. Will the hunky green alien who’s captured her heart return before it’s too late?

Excerpt:

She looked nervous, and he wondered if she detected the primal needs flaring within him. The outline of her nipples showing through her white shirt made him go painfully hard. A breeze ruffled her hair and sent her intoxicating feminine scent straight to his nostrils. Fluxx.

He couldn’t stop the growl rumbling from his throat. Grabbing her by her shoulders, he peered into her frightened gaze and anticipated stripping her clothes off and claiming her. Her chest rose and fell rapidly with her increasing breaths and her face reddened.

“You are the most beautiful female I’ve ever seen, my Riley.” He released one of her shoulders to stroke her hair. It was still messed up from her ordeal on the alien planet, but he thought she looked adorable so disheveled, as if she’d just been tumbled roughly in bed.

Her hair would be more tangled by the time he was finished with her, and her cheeks would be flushed an even darker shade of pink.

“I, um, thought there was to be a celebration today?” Her voice wavered with uncertainty, and though a dark part of him relished her nervousness, the part of him that always wanted her to feel safe with him spoke next.

“The celebration will occur in the late afternoon, after we have mated, Riley.” He tightened his hold on her when she tried to back away. “Don’t be afraid, my beloved. I will be gentle during our mating. I promise not to hurt you.”

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter One

Riley shifted on the bed of hay and winced. The manacles on her ankles were digging painfully into her flesh. She stared through the bars of her cell, her gaze drifting around the alien marketplace. Her stomach rumbled as a food cart passed by. The aroma of roasted meat made her delirious with hunger.

A sense of utter hopelessness settled upon her. Even if she managed to escape this hell, where would she go? From what she’d observed, the inhabitants of this planet weren’t hospitable, nor did they speak her language.

Would she be kept in this cage for the rest of her miserable life?

When she’d signed up for Mail Order Human and departed Earth on the Starship Matchmaker several weeks ago, she hadn’t known entirely what to expect, but she certainly hadn’t counted on the ship getting attacked before she was delivered to her mate on the distant planet of Norina. She also hadn’t counted on being put in cage like an animal.

Outside her cell, all manner of odd looking aliens walked by. Some of them paused to gawk at her, even pointing and whispering with one another, as if she was a great curiosity. She supposed to them she was the strange one, lacking facial ridges, fur, or scales. Or tentacles.

She shuddered.

Most of the looks directed at her were unnervingly callous, a reminder that she would find no mercy on this planet. No help of any kind.

At least it wasn’t cold. She peered down at her nakedness, having long lost her sense of modesty. She hadn’t been permitted clothing in over two weeks. Each morning she awoke, she added another day to her mental count.

Today marked sixteen.

Sixteen days as a prisoner. Or a sideshow exhibit.

The only consolation in her horrifying predicament was that none of the aliens on this planet had shown any interest in her sexually. When the large, four-armed creature who apparently owned her now had first stripped her clothes off, she had feared the worst.

But Four Arms seemed to want her naked to please the shoppers who came through the busy market each day. To walk close enough to peer through the bars of her cell, they had to toss coins into a bucket. Anyone who didn’t pay got their nose bloodied by Four Arms.

A freak show. Riley shook her head in disbelief. She’d felt trapped on Earth, but at least she hadn’t been kept in a prison cell. Each time she heard the clang of coins hitting the bucket, her blood boiled under a hot flash of degradation.

Did every alien on this planet lack a conscience?

Guilt besieged her for having once thought she had it bad living in her stepfather’s crowded house. He hadn’t been particularly kind to her, instead showing favor to his biological children and several nephews he’d taken into his care. He’d also continually pressured her to marry one of the drug dealers to whom he supplied guns.

Now the prospect of living as a violent drug dealer’s wife didn’t sound so awful. If she could turn back time and marry one of her stepfather’s asshole friends, she would do it in a heartbeat and consider herself the luckiest girl in the universe.

How long would Four Arms keep her in this cell?

Would she ever be permitted clothing?

She hugged her legs to her chest and eyed the darkening sky. A sudden breeze ruffled her tangled hair around her shoulders. Lightning flashed in the distance, illuminating the faraway snow-capped mountains. A flock of massive birds swooped down from the trees of a small wooded area, momentarily casting shadows over the streets before disappearing beyond the city.

An alarm started blaring, much like the alarm that had sounded when the Starship Matchmaker had been attacked. Near the closest shops, a large red light flashed at the top of a pole. Though it had been located straight across from her all this time, she hadn’t noticed it until now.

Screams resounded all around her, and the marketplace began to clear, the aliens scattering as the vendors shuttered their shops. The merchants themselves ran off after closing their doors and windows, leaving her perplexed. Why was everyone running as if their lives depended on it?

Four Arms exited the large tent he called home. He turned to her cage and fumbled with a key—the key to her cage, she realized with horror—but dropped it and shook his head, as if he didn’t have a second to spare in retrieving it from the dusty ground.

He spun on his heel and rushed down the street.

“Hey! Come back!”

But he didn’t come back. He didn’t even spare a glance over his shoulder as he hurried around the corner of a clothing shop and disappeared in the swelling crowd. More aliens sprinted from their shelters, many of them carrying large sacks.

Riley swallowed hard.

Did the dark storm clouds signal something worse than rain? During the other times she’d witnessed it raining on this planet, no one had evacuated the marketplace, and the red light hadn’t flashed, nor had any alarms blared.

Unfortunately, from her place in the cell, she couldn’t glimpse much in the surrounding area, other than a few building tops. Were the aliens running from the marketplace only, or from the entire city?

Thunder rumbled overhead, so loud the ground actually shook. Panic rose in her chest. She had a sick feeling something horrendous was about to happen and she would be left to fend for herself.

For the umpteenth time, she tried to pry the bars apart, but her efforts proved futile. Even if she forced the bars open, she would never succeed in escaping because of the manacles on her ankles. She called out for help, but there was no one left.

The marketplace was now eerily deserted. A loud crack of thunder made her gasp, and the ground shaking harder beneath her reaffirmed her suspicions that all hell was about to break loose.

“Help! Somebody! Anybody!” She stood on her tiptoes and stared in awe at the sky. Ominous gray clouds whirled straight for the city, traveling faster than any clouds she’d ever seen. With each flash of lightning, the spinning clouds lit up bright red.

Like blood.

Fear tightened her stomach. When the sky finally opened above her, the flooding was almost instant. She barely had time to scream before the rapid moving water reached her knees.

She clutched the bars and yelled for help, though she knew in her heart no one would come. Four Arms had left her to die, and no one else would rescue her.

The water rose to her chest in mere moments.

She didn’t even know the name of this planet, yet she was about to die here. She’d been so determined to leave Earth that she hadn’t considered the risks. Space travel was rife with danger, and many alien species had a reputation for violence. But she’d believed the representative from Mail Order Human when he promised her new husband would be kind and that her circumstances would vastly improve after she left Earth.

Too late, she realized she’d fallen for a sleazy salesman’s pitch.

Tears burned in her eyes. She cursed this cage and the restraints holding her captive. She was an excellent swimmer. If not for the bars and her manacles, she might swim to safety. Or at least die trying.

Water sloshed against her neck.

She closed her eyes.

* * *

Zurron navigated his ship through the raging storm. His sources—well paid smugglers who’d witnessed the human females’ auction on a nearby trading post—claimed his mate was likely being held on this planet.

Initial scans for human life pointed to the southern tip of the largest continent, right in the middle of the bad weather. The blip of a human life sign on his radar screen pinged fainter and fainter, causing his concern to grow.

Perhaps his female was in trouble. His hands flew over the ship’s controls as he prepared to beam her aboard. As soon as she was within minimum range, he would activate the transporter beam and rescue her from the alien who’d bought her. If not for the storm, he would land the ship and track down the four-armed creature, then make him pay for any harm he’d visited upon his mate.

But vengeance would have to wait.

He couldn’t land in a flood. The ship’s sensors warned of fast moving water below, and his heart lurched at the thought of how frightened his mate must be in this moment. Her life signs were weak, but he hoped it was due to the storm’s interference on the ship’s sensors.

Finally, his female—the one called Riley—was within range of the transporters. He activated the transporter and beamed her aboard, then immediately set the ship to hover. The storm was strong, but his ship could withstand a few more minutes of abuse while he checked on her.

He hurried for the transporter platform down the narrow corridor.

The door slid open upon his approach and he went straight for the naked female huddled on the floor. Heaving coughs racked her body, and she spit up a small amount of water. She peered at him with wide blue eyes once her coughing was under control. Relief swept through him to have found her before the flood swept her away.

He crouched in front of her and tucked her wet hair behind her ears.

Finally. She was finally safe.

“Are you injured, Riley?” he asked, hoping she understood his English. He’d studied her tongue extensively after coming to an agreement on price with Mail Order Human, but he hadn’t yet practiced the language with a native speaker, only with his brothers.

Confusion spread across her delicate features, and she tucked her knees against her chest.

“Human female, can you understand me?

“Yes, I can understand you,” she said, her voice hoarse. “I-I’m not injured, thanks to you. Wh-who are you?”

He rose and grabbed a blanket from a storage cabinet, then draped it over her shoulders. A look of appreciation warmed her eyes. She clutched the blanket around her and released a shuddering breath.

Star Gods, she was the most beautiful creature he’d ever beheld.

“I am Zurron, from the planet called Norina.”

Her gaze lifted and she appeared to study him intently. She swallowed hard. “Norina? Does that mean you’re my…” Her words trailed off and her face reddened.

“I am your mate, Riley. I began searching for you after my people learned of the fate of the Starship Matchmaker.” He crouched in front of her again, his fingers tingling with the need to touch her further, but he kept his hands to himself, not wishing to frighten her. He could only imagine what kind of horrors she had endured in captivity on the planet below.

Why was she naked? His jaw clenched, rage pumping through his veins. After he got Riley settled in his home back on Norina, he would return and tear the four-armed creature apart. No one touched what belonged to him.

When Riley flinched and scooted away, it took him a moment to realize the fierceness of his visage must have unnerved her. He instantly softened his expression and held his hand out.

“I will not harm you, Riley. You belong to me, and I vow to keep you safe, always. Come to me now and let me tend to you, my human. My beloved.”

Chapter Two

Riley could scarcely breath. She huddled underneath the warm blanket and stared at the huge alien who claimed to be her mate. His skin was a brilliant shade of green. He wore a short sleeved shirt that hugged his massive biceps and dipped into a large V to reveal black ragged stripes crossing his broad muscular chest. She wondered if the markings were natural to his race, or if they were tattoos.

Kindness shone in his dark gaze. He still held his hand out to her.

Could she trust him?

She gulped, wincing at the burning in her throat and nose caused from the water she’d inhaled—after she’d been unable to hold her breath for a second longer. She’d felt faint and believed she was about to meet her death in a watery grave, only to suddenly find herself transported elsewhere, as if by magic.

“I-I’m on a ship?” she asked, looking around at the gray walls. Buttons on a panel by the door flashed yellow, green, and red. The only furniture in the room, a bench, was bolted to the floor. Cabinets were built into the walls and the overhead lights cast a soothing white glow about the room.

“Yes. This my personal craft, the Marunna. We’re the only two aboard.” He reached his hand closer to her, and after a deep breath, she grasped onto him and allowed him to pull her up.

He wrapped his arms around her, letting her lean against him. Her futile struggle to escape the cage as the rushing water rose higher and higher had left her weary, and believing she’d been about to die had shaken her beyond measure.

I’m safe, she thought. I didn’t die on that awful planet.

Tears burned in her eyes, and she blinked rapidly to dispel the moisture, not wishing to appear weak in front of her mate. Her stepfather had yelled at her and called her pathetic every time she cried, and Four Arms had sneered at her when she tearfully begged him to set her free. What if her mate’s people didn’t like such displays of emotion?

“You’re trembling, Riley. Are you certain you haven’t been injured? Perhaps I should take you to the medical bay.”

She shook her head and peered up at him. He spoke English amazingly well, without a translator of any kind, it would appear. The words issued directly from his mouth in a deep rumbling tone that made her insides quiver, and his alien accent was ever so faint and lent an extra layer of exoticism to him.

My beloved.

That was what he’d called her moments ago. Her heart clenched at the tender possessiveness he was showing her. As she’d prayed for rescue in her cage, it hadn’t occurred to her that the very alien she’d been promised to might be searching for her.

By some miracle, he had found her just in time.

He cupped her face in his big green hands and gazed upon her with concern. Stepping back slightly, he let his eyes drift up and down her body, though she did her best to conceal her nudity with the blanket.

His nostrils flared when he noticed the wounds on her ankles.

“I will kill the creature who harmed you.” His entire body tensed, and she hoped never to find herself on the receiving end of his anger.

Her stomach flipped and she stepped back, holding the blanket tightly around her. Her heart pounded against her chest, her pulse thumping in her ears. She knew nothing about this huge muscular alien named Zurron, save that Mail Order Human promised his race treated their females well and the planet of Norina was beautiful.

But what if they’d lied to entice more human women to leave Earth? After the attack on the Starship Matchmaker by an unknown race of aliens and her subsequent sale to Four Arms, she didn’t know who to trust anymore.

“Come, my human, and I will heal your wounds and find you something to wear before we leave this wretched place.”

She nodded and allowed him to guide her into a narrow corridor. His ship was spotlessly clean compared to the dirty marketplace, the air surprisingly fragrant. She flushed. It was Zurron she was smelling, not the ship. His scent reminded her of a garden with seductive undertones of maleness.

She inhaled deeply, seeking more of him.

Every few seconds, the ship rocked, and after she almost fell down, Zurron scooped her up in his huge arms. Again, she had to blink back tears. No man had ever displayed such deep concern for her, let alone carried her.

He brought her into what appeared to be a medical bay. As she stared at the foreign contraptions that hung from the ceiling and the scent of antiseptics, she couldn’t restrain a shudder.

Zurron sat her on a high table and started pushing the blanket off her. When she protested, and shrank away from his probing hands, annoyance flickered in his gaze. But he finally stepped back and allowed her to cover herself back up, his irritation vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. He offered her a reassuring look.

“I will not harm you, my human. I only wish to examine you quickly to ensure you don’t need more than your ankles healed. We are short on time. My ship cannot withstand the winds of this great storm for much longer.”

She huddled within the confines of the blanket, thankful it was so large and thick. “Please just tend to my ankles. I promise I don’t have any other injuries, Zu-Zurron,” she said, testing his name on her tongue for the first time. Warmth filled her to say it aloud, and a slight smile touched his lips as he peered down at her, his gaze a mixture of concern and affection.

For a moment, she thought this was how her real father would’ve looked upon her if she’d skinned her knee as a child, if he hadn’t died right before she turned three. She swallowed hard. Her memories of her him were vague.

In fact, the only concrete memory she possessed was a time she sat on his lap during a loud thunderstorm. Flashes of lightning. His strong arms around her. It felt like a thousand years ago. Strange, how she recalled that moment in time, yet she couldn’t remember the day he died.

Zurron placed a finger beneath her chin, forcing her to meet his stare. Heat suffused her cheeks, and she wondered if he would tear the blanket off her, despite her protests. As large as he was, she wouldn’t be able to fight him. She gulped.

“I will heal your ankles now, Riley, and you may keep your blanket, but please stay very still.” He moved away and retrieved a small circular device.

He kneeled in front of her and held the device, now glowing blue with intermittent flashes of red, to her ankles and suddenly the burning pain caused by the manacles vanished. She gasped and peered down, stunned to find no markings left on her ankles.

“How-how did you…” The ship rocked again, cutting off her speech.

He stowed the device in a cabinet and then grabbed a pile of clothing before shutting the doors. Passing her the garments, he said, “These clothes will be huge on your little body, my human, but they must suffice until we return to my planet. I have already acquired proper attire for a human female, but I departed Norina in a rush and did not bring any along.”

She clutched the oversized pants and white shirt to her chest, staring at him pointedly. “Um, could you, you know, turn around for a second, please?”

Humor glinted in his eyes, but he turned around like a gentleman.

She sighed with relief. At least he wasn’t pawing at her and demanding they mate right away. Or did she have the storm to thank for that?

As she hurriedly threw off the blanket and donned the huge pants and shirt he’d provided, she stole glances at her mate from behind. Thick black hair hung about his shoulders. He wore form fitting leathery pants, not soft trousers like the pair she was now wearing. She couldn’t help but admire his muscular form. Even the largest, fiercest men on Earth—the sort of men who usually made a living as mercenaries or fighting for money in the death pits—weren’t built like him.

“Are you dressed now, Riley?”

“Yes, I’m all set. Thank you,” she said, hopping off the table.

He caught her mid-hop though and placed her down on the floor himself. She flushed all over at being so near to him again. His masculine scent drove her wild, an aphrodisiac to her senses. As she stared at him, she couldn’t help but wonder what he looked like shirtless. Or better yet, pants-less.

Oh God, get it together, Riley.

A few minutes ago, she’d thought she was about to die, and now she couldn’t stop mentally stripping her big green rescuer.

He cupped her face and leaned down to press his forehead against hers.

Too stunned to move, she reveled in the tenderness of his action. He took a deep breath, as if savoring the scent of her, before pulling back to stroke her hair behind her ears.

Goosebumps rose up all over her flesh and she felt delightfully breathless.

“Come, my human. I will find you something to eat and drink, and you can sit in the co-pilot’s seat while I navigate us out of here, as long as you promise not to touch any of the controls.”

Her stomach rumbled at the prospect of food. “Thank you, and I promise.”

* * *

“Remember,” he said sternly, “Do not touch anything.”

She swallowed the last of the meal rations, her eyes bulging when she glanced at the co-pilot controls in front of her. “Don’t worry. I haven’t the first clue how to fly your ship.” She took a sip from the canteen of water, then sighed with contentment.

He wondered when she’d last eaten a full meal and once again entertained thoughts of torturing the four-armed creature to death. The warrior inside him raged to pummel the alien bloody.

“Would you like another packet of rations?”

“No, thank you. It was delicious, though.”

“If you think that’s delicious, wait until you sample the cuisine on Norina.” He couldn’t wait to spoil her on his home planet and make up for her horrible experiences since the attack on the Starship Matchmaker.

He directed his gaze straight ahead. Nothing but black clouds were visible in the front viewscreen. He wasn’t familiar with this planet, but he was glad the weather on Norina was much fairer, due to a planetary weather control system.

Riley quickly described what had happened below just before he beamed her aboard, and his blood boiled knowing the four-armed creature left her to drown. When he returned to seek his vengeance, he would make her former captor suffer greatly. There would be no quick death for the four-armed creature.

His anger cooled a bit though when she expressed her relief that none of the aliens below had physically harmed her or even tried to touch her, instead viewing her as a curiosity and nothing more.

He thanked the Star Gods that she hadn’t been assaulted. Some of the women taken from the Starship Matchmaker wouldn’t be so lucky. The message about his brothers’ return to Norina had been brief, and he hoped his brothers’ mates hadn’t been harmed by their temporary masters.

“Thank you for finding me in time, Zurron. I never imagined anyone would be looking for me.” Her shy smile made his cock twitch, and he had to force himself to concentrate on navigating out of the raging storm.

“A Norinan male will die to protect his mate, Riley. We cherish our females.”

She gave him an inquisitive look that was laced with sadness. “Is there a shortage of females on your planet? Is that why you wanted me?”

Her question, though innocent, hurled him into a dark place. He tensed and focused on escaping the storm.

The silence in the bridge became uncomfortable, and she leaned away from him, as if sensing the rage pumping through his body.

Once they were in open space, the planet of her imprisonment growing smaller behind them in the reverse viewscreen, some of the tension drained from his limbs, though he was still angry. He would always be angry over the loss of all Norinan females. Not a day passed that he didn’t question the Star Gods, the creators of all life, for allowing such a tragedy to occur.

“Zurron,” she said gently, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I’m sorry if my question upset you.”

“It is all right, my human.” He set the ship to autopilot, inhaled a calming breath, and turned to face her. “Many generations ago, some of our females caught a virus from the inhabitants of a supply outpost in a sector near our planet. The disease didn’t affect our males, though males could carry the disease, and the illness went on to ravage our female population for the next few generations. For a female to become infected meant certain death. Every time our scientists discovered a cure for the illness, it would mutate and go on to claim more and more females, until the last of our females died. I was a child when our last females perished. I lost my mother and a sister, as well as several aunts and cousins. My father and uncles kept our family high in the mountains of Norina, in hopes of keeping the females in our family safe, but one day…”

Riley reached across the space between them and grabbed his hand, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “But one day the disease found your family and you lost those you cared for most,” she finished for him.

“Yes.” He squeezed her hand briefly, and then she commenced rubbing her thumb along his palm.

Her touch and her compassion was a blast of pure light, a consoling force as the dark memories washed over him. He was so stunned by the incandescent rush that for a moment, he couldn’t breathe.

“A trader came up the mountain with his wife one day. Not long after they left, all the females in my family became ill and perished. One by one, they departed this life.”

“I’m so sorry, Zurron.”

He glanced at the reverse viewscreen. The planet diminished to a speck of blue light behind them, until finally disappearing amidst the stars.

With his free hand, he reached for the hyperspace controls, unwilling to part from Riley’s touch. The softness of her hand enthralled him. Norinans had much rougher skin. As the ship jumped to hyperspace and the stars became a blur of white streaks in the front viewscreen, he couldn’t help but rub his fingers against the smooth palm of her little hand, tracing the intricate lines.

“We will arrive on Norina soon. My two brothers have rescued their stolen human females as well, and I recently received a message that they have already returned home. There will be a grand celebration once we land on the mountain, for we have females in our family once again.”

An anxious expression tightened her face. She stared ahead at the white streaking stars and swallowed hard. He hadn’t glimpsed a female, let alone spoken to one, since he’d been a child, and he couldn’t imagine what had her upset in this moment.

“Do your ankles pain you, Riley?”

“No, the pain is completely gone, thank you.”

“Why are you shaking again, my beloved? And why are your eyes filled with worry?”

When she turned toward him, her face was frighteningly pale.

“Riley?”

“I think I’m going to be sick.” She pointed at the front viewscreen and covered her mouth.

Of course. He berated himself for not having considered that she was unaccustomed to hyperspace travel sooner. “Close your eyes, my beloved. I will take care of you.”

Chapter Three

True to his promise, he took care of her.

Riley snuggled in the bedsheets, inhaling his delicious scent, as she slowly awoke. She’d been asleep for an indiscernible amount of time, but now she felt completely recovered.

Zurron.

At the thought of him, her heart commenced pounding. He’d carried her to the medical bay where he’d given her a sweet-smelling mist to inhale that had instantly alleviated her nausea. He’d been so gentle and caring as he tended to her. The side effects of the medicine were fatigue though, and she had soon succumbed to sleep in his arms.

She smiled. He must have carried her to his bed. Turning over, she gasped to find him standing above her, staring down at her with an intensity that made her pussy spasm with heat.

Her heart pounded faster. He was so handsome and so sweet, she half-wondered if maybe she had perished in the flood. Surely, this couldn’t be real.

He sank down on the bed beside her. His hand went to her hair at once, and tingles raced up her spine as he stroked her long matted locks. She probably looked a mess, but he didn’t seem to mind. He gazed at her as if she was the most beautiful woman in the universe.

“Thank you for the medicine and for allowing me to sleep. I feel much better now.” Her face heated. “Sorry for the trouble I caused you.”

His eyebrows lifted, as if he was censuring her for something she’d said. “It was no trouble, my human. I vowed to keep you safe, did I not? Your well-being is my responsibility and I am honored to care for you.”

Riley couldn’t imagine any of the men she’d known on Earth saying such a thing or holding their women in such high esteem, especially her stepfather or his sleazy friends. She’d been called pathetic and stupid and ugly so many times that she’d started to believe it.

They’d met but hours ago and Zurron couldn’t truly have fallen in love with her already, but his commitment to her based on his culture’s apparent regard for women left her awestruck. She hoped all the women who signed up for Mail Order Human over the years were as lucky.

Then a thought struck her and her spirits darkened.

“What will happen to the women from the Starship Matchmaker who weren’t destined for your planet? Only about half on the ship were headed for Norina, the other half were headed to other planets.”

“The aliens who attacked the Starship Matchmaker were slavers, Riley. Every female taken will have been sold by now. I trust all the females destined for Norina will be rescued, but whether or not the females intended for the other planets are rescued is up to the aliens of those worlds. The Norinan High Council has transmitted a wide message in this sector about the attack, and all the other planets that were supposed to receive a delivery of human females should learn of the attack soon, if they haven’t already.”

“It happened so fast. One second we were eating breakfast, and the next second the alarms went off and the ship took hit after hit. Before the slavers boarded the Starship Matchmaker, the air filled with a strange blue mist. It made us all very groggy. I remember being carried off the ship, too fatigued to fight back. The drug seemed to last for days, and it wasn’t until I’d already been sold to Four Arms that I regained my full awareness.” She paused and stared into Zurron’s dark bottomless depths, feeling thankful all over again to have been rescued, especially by such a kind and handsome alien. The very alien intended as her mate, no less. “I hope all the women are found. I thought I had it bad on that planet with Four Arms, but I know it could have been a lot worse.”

She tried not to think about what would have happened if the aliens on that planet had been interested in her sexually. She fought down a surge of panic. Too many times she had worried one of her stepfather’s friends would find their way into her bedroom after drinking too much. More than once she’d seen the knob turn in the midst of one of his parties, only to be stopped by the deadbolt lock she’d installed. After her stepfather discovered the lock, he had removed it in a rage, forcing her to make do with shoving a dresser in front of her door just to feel safe.

But she had never felt entirely safe, not even when she had the door blocked and slept with a knife under her pillow. She’d dreamed of running away countless times, but she’d never had the courage. She would’ve been too exposed living on the streets, so she had bided her time until a representative from Mail Order Human arrived in her town with promises of a better life.

“Tell me about Norina,” she said, wanting to get her mind off Earth.

Zurron’s face lit up. “It’s the largest planet in the sector. It has twenty-seven continents, vast blue oceans teeming with life, green fertile land with rolling hills, and beautiful mountains. The mountain areas are my favorite, like the place my family calls home. There are also many large lakes in our mountain regions. Our entire planet is regulated by a weather control system, so you will not need fear any terrible storms or floods. There are no large cities like you might find on other planets, but rather small villages, as Norinans do not like to live crowded together. My family makes a living mining for gems in the mountain caves.”

“It sounds lovely. I can’t wait to see it.”

“You won’t have to wait much longer. We’re almost there.” He rose from the bed, and she mourned the loss of him as he backed toward the door. “Stay and rest while I land the ship.”

Riley nodded, excitement churning in her tummy. Soon she would arrive at her new home, a place far away from the uncertain future she’d faced on Earth. She sat up in bed and tried to comb her fingers through her knotted hair, but without much luck. At least the flood waters had washed most of the grime off her, she thought wryly.

Despite her eagerness to start her new life, she chided herself for daring to harbor such high hopes.

The planet might not be as wonderful as Zurron promised. The other Norinans might not like her. Zurron might not always be so kind and gentle toward her. He’d promised to kill Four Arms, so he had a violent side.

What if she became infected with the same illness that had killed off all Norinan females? Zurron had mentioned males could carry the disease. Her stomach lurched at the prospect.

Disease had been another reason she’d been eager to escape Earth. Too many times she’d witnessed plagues sweep through her town and ravage the population. The first plague she could remember was the one that had claimed her mother’s life, when she was six years old.

She took a deep breath. Her life had been a string of disappointments thus far. She’d learned long ago never to allow herself to get her hopes up about anything, even the smallest of possibilities, but here she was thinking that for once in her life perhaps there were more happy times ahead than heartbreaking times.

Please let this work out.

* * *

Zurron couldn’t help but beam with pride as he led his sweet mate off his ship. He’d landed on the mountain beside his homestead. It was early afternoon on Norina and a typical warm sunny day. From where they stood, Riley had a perfect view of the valley below as well as the mountain range that ran parallel to this one.

“It’s breathtaking.” She squeezed his hand and turned to face him. “Is it safe?”

“What do you mean?”

“Is it safe to walk around outside? No one will bother me? And are there any dangerous animals to worry about?” Her awestruck expression turned pensive as her gaze swept to the forest behind his house. Birds chirped and small furry mammals scampered from branch to branch, seeking berries and nuts.

“No one will trouble you, Riley. You can go wherever you wish during the daytime, but there are some nocturnal predators you must remain cautious of at night. When dusk sets, it’s best you are inside our home, unless I am accompanying you.”

She licked her lips and nodded, and the sight of her pink tongue darting out heated his blood. The visceral ache to carry her to his bedroom and have his way with her pulsed fervently within him.

“I don’t see any other houses. I thought you lived near your family?”

“See the stone path there?” After her nod, he continued, “You can follow it through the forest to my brothers’ homes, my father’s home, and my uncles’ and nephews’ homes.”

She looked nervous, and he wondered if she detected the primal needs flaring within him. The outline of her nipples showing through her white shirt made him go painfully hard. A breeze ruffled her hair and sent her intoxicating feminine scent straight to his nostrils. Fluxx.

He couldn’t stop the growl rumbling from his throat. Grabbing her by her shoulders, he peered into her frightened gaze and anticipated stripping her clothes off and claiming her. Her chest rose and fell rapidly with her increasing breaths and her face reddened.

“You are the most beautiful female I’ve ever seen, my Riley.” He released one of her shoulders to stroke her hair. It was still messed up from her ordeal on the alien planet, but he thought she looked adorable so disheveled, as if she’d just been tumbled roughly in bed.

Her hair would be more tangled by the time he was finished with her, and her cheeks would be flushed an even darker shade of pink.

“I, um, thought there was to be a celebration today?” Her voice wavered with uncertainty, and though a dark part of him relished her nervousness, the part of him that always wanted her to feel safe with him spoke next.

“The celebration will occur in the late afternoon, after we have mated, Riley.” He tightened his hold on her when she tried to back away. “Don’t be afraid, my beloved. I will be gentle during our mating. I promise not to hurt you.”

She exhaled slowly, and as she held his stare, the tension in her body gradually lessened. Her eyes suddenly brimmed with longing. He was entranced by her sweet nature and her delicate beauty, but beneath her desire, he sensed her holding back pieces of herself. She’d been hurt before many times, on Earth and then during her frightening ordeal on the alien planet. Loneliness and desperation had been her companions for too long.

No more, he thought, resolved to make her feel cherished beyond measure.

“I’ve never done this before,” she blurted.

“Nor have I,” he confessed.

She looked surprised for a moment, but understanding soon dawned in her eyes. “Well, I guess that makes sense, there being a shortage of females on your planet. You’re just so…manly,” she said with a shy smile. “On Earth, a man like you would’ve probably had a harem of eager women.”

“I don’t need a harem, Riley. I just need you.”

He kissed her then, tentatively at first, his lips brushing across hers with the faintest pressure. She leaned into him and he swept his tongue further into her mouth, cupping her face in his hands as he deepened the kiss.

She tasted divine, like the nectar that dripped from the flowers on resspa trees. She moaned against his lips, and he backed her against the outer stone wall of his house and kissed her harder. When he finally pulled away, she was left flushed and breathless.

The timid glint of desire he’d glimpsed in her eyes earlier had transformed to a burgeoning need. After a deep inhale, he detected the scent of her arousal. Though he’d never been with a female before, Norinan males possessed excellent senses and instincts.

As he scooped Riley up into his arms, his instinct was to carry her into his bedroom and tear off her borrowed pants and shirt, then become familiar with every little part of her body.

She buried her face against his chest as he brought her inside his large house. For too long it had felt empty. When he wasn’t busy in the mines, he’d spent his days outside, hunting or simply wandering, not wishing to return to his desolate house. But he’d left his father’s home and built it as a young male, hopeful that one day he would share his abode with a female of his own.

For the first time since he’d built this structure on the edge of the forest, he entered without experiencing a pang of loneliness.

Before he crossed into his bedroom, he paused and waited for Riley to meet his gaze. When their eyes collided, his breath left him in a rush. As he held her and peered into her pretty light blues, the world stopped spinning and all the noises of the forest faded.

“Do you trust me, sweet human?”

She didn’t say yes, but she did reply, “You haven’t given me reason not to, Zurron.”

He prayed to the Star Gods that he never broke her trust. He would die before he hurt her. Carrying her into his bedroom—their bedroom—he gave her an encouraging smile in hopes of calming her remaining nerves.

“My beloved human female. Now I’m going to claim you as mine.”

Chapter Four

Zurron’s eyes flamed to an even darker shade and his nostrils flared. As he placed her on her feet, the hardness of his erection brushed against her.

She stood in the circle of his arms, entranced by his feral gaze. He looked like he intended to devour her, and hell that’s exactly what she wanted.

Everything below her waist ached and pulsed with need. She pressed her thighs together and the constant throbbing only deepened.

He growled, and the animalistic rumble propelled her libido into overdrive. Part of her hoped he wouldn’t be quite as gentle as he’d promised. Emboldened by this thought, she reached between them and ran her hands over the bare expanse of his chest, trailing her fingertips over those dark stripes that intrigued her.

“These markings,” she asked, “are they tattoos or a natural part of you?”

He grabbed her hand and clasped it to his chest, directly over his rapidly beating heart. His skin was alluringly warm, yet rough like leather. She stepped closer, allowing the massive bulge in his pants to press against her stomach. A quiver ran through her. She could almost swear the heat of his cock emanated through the layers of their clothing.

Finally, he answered her question.

“The markings are hereditary. All the males in my bloodline possess the same exact number of stripes in various places on our bodies, with the same pattern to the jagged edges of each stripe. Our sons will be born with these very markings.”

“Our sons?”

“Yes, Riley. I hope to have a large family, with many sons and daughters. Do you want children?”

She smiled. “Oh yes. I’ve always dreamed of having lots of children. Only in a safe place, of course. Norina seems safe enough.” After her mother died and her stepfather had been left to raise her, not a day had passed that Riley hadn’t wished she’d had biological siblings. Her step-siblings were several years older and had treated her almost as coldly as her stepfather. As a result, she promised herself that if the opportunity to have a large family in a safe place ever arose, she wouldn’t waste any time seizing it.

Zurron dipped into the curve of her neck and started kissing her, leaving a trail of tingles in the wake of those delicious kisses. Goosebumps rose on the back of her neck and her scalp prickled under a rush of blissful sensation. She gave a soft moan and reached one hand down to unfasten her oversized pants. They fell around her ankles and she kicked them off.

She wasn’t wearing any underwear, but her shirt reached her knees, concealing her nudity. However, she longed to feel Zurron’s naked skin gliding against hers. Did she dare prompt him to undress?

Her heart raced. She wanted to start pushing his shirt off and dragging his pants off, and she wondered how he would respond to such brazenness on her part.

When he went from gentle kisses to dragging his teeth across her collarbone, Riley made her move. She yanked his shirt from his pants and started pushing the garment upward, desperate to glimpse her huge handsome mate half-naked. He stepped back from his ministrations near her neck, gave her a fierce look, and pulled his shirt the rest of the way off. After tossing it to the floor and kicking his boots off, he unfastened his pants and held her gaze as he finally stripped completely naked.

Holy…wow.

Her mouth went dry.

His green skin glistened under a light sheen of perspiration, and his muscles rippled with his every little movement. She swallowed hard and couldn’t help but stare. When her gaze traveled lower, she also couldn’t restrain a gasp.

Covering her mouth, she peered at his massive cock, which was striped similar to his chest markings and a darker shade of green than the rest of his body, the bulbous tip glistening with a drop of his essence.

Her pussy spasmed.

Black stripes also crossed the fronts of his thighs. She wished he would turn around and give her a view of his backside. If his buttocks were as firm as the rest of his body…

He straightened, crossed his arms, and gave her a look of challenge, though his eyes gleamed with kindness mingled with a bit of humor. “Your turn.” He nodded at her oversized shirt.

“Very well.” She lifted her chin and met his stare with exaggerated boldness. Then she opened the wide neck of her shirt and let it slide down her body. When the realization that she was finally naked in front of a man sank in, she had to fight the urge to cover her breasts or cup her center. She released a shuddering breath and hoped she looked braver than she suddenly felt.

She wanted Zurron without a doubt, and she didn’t wish to be overly coddled during their first time. He hadn’t called what they were about to do making love or having sex. He’d used a much more primal word. A word that made her flush all over and crave the sorts of naughty things she’d only imagined while hiding under her covers in the darkness, her fingers roaming between her slit. Mating.

She’d spent her whole life avoiding men as much as possible and refusing every marriage match her stepfather had suggested, but in secret she had fantasized about a strong kind man who would love her and claim her with all the fierceness of his devotion for her.

Her pulse raced faster and faster.

Zurron was her fantasy man.

“I could stare at you all day,” he said, his gaze sweeping up and down her body, lust flaring in his sexy dark depths. “You are a work of art, Riley. So smooth, so perfect, and all mine.” He strode to her and cupped one of her breasts, while he reached behind her with his other hand to squeeze her ass.

His cock was a hot, pulsing length against her stomach. She stood on her tiptoes in an effort to feel it pressing against her pussy, but she couldn’t reach high enough and whimpered in frustration. He was over a head taller than her, towering above her as he groped her and explored what was his for the taking.

When he started rubbing her pussy, drawing moisture out from her core to spread over her nether lips, she grinded her center against him shamelessly and moaned.

“Like opening a ghesita flower bud to find the sweetwater hidden within,” he commented, delving further inside her. Hearing him use a word native to his language captivated her.

“Say something to me in your language. A complete sentence.” She then reached between them and gripped his huge swollen cock.

* * *

“Fluxxshen Gerho Verzzis mo-la-veeix.” Fucking Star Gods that feels good.

“What does that mean?”

“I was telling you how good this feels,” he replied quickly. Norinan males normally only cursed around one another, never around females. It wasn’t considered polite. But fluxx the things he wanted to do to her were most impolite.

She ran her hand up and down his shaft, squeezing with the perfect amount of pressure. When she cupped his balls, he hissed out another string of curses in his own tongue, the pleasure almost more than he could bear.

“You will get on the bed, my human, and spread your legs now.”

He couldn’t fluxxshen wait another moment. He had to have her now.

Riley pulled back and gave him an amused look. It pleased him that she seemed comfortable around him, but he wondered what she found humorous as he prepared to claim her as his mate. Unless he’d said something wrong, or improperly.

“What is it?”

“Just like that, you want between my legs?” She reached around him and cupped his buttocks, a look of satisfaction crossing her face. “Will you always order me into bed and tell me to spread my legs when you want to mate with me?”

Fluxx, he had definitely said something wrong.

“Do you require more kissing first? More groping? More caressing?”

She smiled broadly. “All of the above.”

“I thought you said you’d never engaged in the act of mating before?”

“I haven’t, but I also have instincts.”

She didn’t need to say more. He would accommodate her, gladly. He’d thought it best to get the deed over with as soon as possible, this first time. Not long ago she’d been shaking and nervous, but not now. No, now she was walking behind him to explore his buttocks. She ran her hands down his back and ventured lower and lower, until she was caressing his ass and the tops of his thighs.

“Your green skin and markings are so beautiful, Zurron. I believe I could stare at you all day as well.” She returned to stand in front of him and reached for the stripes on his chest, tracing them with her delicate fingertips.

He fought back more curses. His balls felt heavy, as if they might explode, and his cock was painfully hard and engorged. On his ship when he’d been imagining their first mating, he had anticipated exploring every part of his sweet human, hadn’t he?

He took several deep breaths in an effort to calm his raging need and then swept her up in his arms. He placed her on the bed and crawled on top of her, but not to spear her with his shaft. No, instead he suckled on her nipples, moving from one to the other while she writhed beneath him and moaned.

The scent of her arousal was intoxicating, and he traveled lower and lower, until his mouth was level with her pussy. Star Gods, he would die if he couldn’t taste her now. So he did. He ran his tongue down the slit of her dewy folds and breathed in her delicious feminine scent.

Fluxx, they were going to be late to the celebration, but he didn’t care.

He urged her thighs wider apart and splayed her folds open to reveal the sweetness hidden within, then he slowly feasted on her delicate pink parts, paying particular attention to a swollen bud of flesh that he discovered to be her most sensitive area. Each time his tongue danced over this bud, her hips bucked and she released a loud keening moan of pleasure, her hands gripping the bedcovers until her knuckles turned white.

Zeroing in on this sensitive spot, he circled it with precision until her body quaked as she emitted a long cry of ecstasy that left her panting breathlessly. He couldn’t repress his grin to see her so satisfied. He came to settle atop her again and allowed his hardness to press between her spread thighs, and he teased her womanhood with slow drags of his cock. Her eyes were closed and she tried to shut her legs, but he wouldn’t allow it.

“Too much, too much, too much,” she kept saying, still struggling to catch her breath.

Perplexed, he stared at her and stopped mid-drag. “Too much pleasure?”

“Yes!” she nearly screamed. “Very, very sensitive down there. I need…a minute.”

His grin widened. “Well, if you’re ever naughty, my human, now I know how I shall punish you. With too much pleasure.”

Her eyes flew open and she regarded him with shock. She started to speak, but he cut her off with a kiss, delving his tongue deep into her mouth and taking command. A thrill ran through him to know she could taste herself on his tongue, and he kissed her harder, deeper, until she forced him away so she could once again attempt to catch her breath. Apparently, humans couldn’t hold their breath as long as Norinans.

He captured her hands and drew them up, pinning her wrists above her head. Another erotic thrill jolted through him, causing his balls to tighten and his cock to pulse so fluxxshen hard he growled over the mounting sensations.

He had to fight the urge to ram into Riley and take her long and hard. He’d promised gentleness, and he would burn alive in the Lake Fires of Teshemu before he broke a promise he’d made to his beloved human mate.

She gave him a dreamy smile and tested his grip on her wrists. He held firm, knowing he wasn’t hurting her, and she seemed to like being held captive in his bed, because she flushed beautifully when she realized he wasn’t about to release her.

Lifting her hips, she positioned her wet center at the tip of his throbbing cock. “I want you inside me, Zurron. Make me your mate. Please.” Emotion flickered in her eyes. “I want to belong to you.”

She was ready, and so was he. He’d been ready since he was a young male, dreaming of the day he would finally find a compatible female. Norina had orbited its sun many times since then. Sometimes it felt like he’d spent a thousand years waiting for his mate.

To finally have Riley in his arms was a transcendent experience. He would cherish this first mating with her forever, the instant in time when they joined and became one.

“You already belong to me, Riley.” He tightened his grip on her wrists for emphasis. “And I will never let you go.”

Chapter Five

His affirmation that she belonged to him burned into her psyche, making her heart swell a thousand times over. If he continued treating her this way, she would awake one day soon to find she’d fallen hopelessly and irrevocably in love with him. Men on Earth didn’t talk to their women this way. At least not from what she’d observed. Not even close.

Zurron inched his huge cock inside her, and she opened her thighs wider to accept his entrance, vaguely hoping it didn’t hurt much. The prospect of pain was mostly an afterthought though. Her pussy ached and every cell in her body screamed for him to thrust inside her.

He met her eyes when the tip of his shaft pressed against her virginal resistance.

Oh hell. He looked genuinely confused.

“That’s, um, completely normal. Just push through it.”

His face became pained as he struggled to restrain himself from persisting forward. “I do not wish to hurt you, Riley.”

“I’m no expert, but it’s a tight fit the first time for most women. Trust me. Just push through.”

“If you’re certain.”

“I am certain. Push all the way inside me, Zurron. Do it.” Fill me up. Please.

After a deep breath, he surged through her virginal barrier and all the way inside her, until his balls slammed heavily against her bottom. She winced at the brief pain, but it was just that—brief.

The slight burn faded and soon there was nothing but exquisite pleasure as he slowly moved in and out of her tightness. As he filled her up, time and time again, she felt as if she truly belonged to him. She was glad he’d decided to claim her now, rather than wait until later tonight or even a few days, because the care he was showing her served to reveal more of his positive personality traits, the kind of traits she had always fantasized about in a man.

He released her wrists and grabbed her hips, lifting her to meet his thrusts. Pressure coiled in her nether region. She was close to coming apart once more, close to shattering into a million pieces. With each plunge, his lower stomach impacted upon her pulsing clit, hurling her closer and closer to oblivion. She shut her eyes and let the erotic sensations flow over her, relishing Zurron’s increasing roughness. He pounded her faster and harder, but she wanted more.

Forcing her eyes open, she said, “Take me as hard as you’d like. I’m burning up, Zurron, and I want it. I want all of you. I want you to take me completely unrestrained.”

This time, he didn’t ask if she was certain. He simply grabbed her hips tighter, growled deep in his throat, and pounded her as if his life depended on it. She gasped with each quick drive, and when her second orgasm finally gripped her, stealing her breath and making her see stars, she gyrated in tune with his rapid thrusts and groaned her ecstasy. He followed her into bliss soon after, his cock throbbing as he pumped his seed deep inside her.

Riley had never imagined she would one day leave Earth and lose her virginity to a sexy big green alien, and a smile touched her lips as Zurron clasped her to his chest and stroked her hair, comforting her in the aftermath of their mating. She laced her arms around his waist and hugged him back, inhaling his wondrous masculine scent.

Gradually, he withdrew his cock from her pussy, then arranged her to sit on his lap. She snuggled against him and peered into his affectionate gaze. He didn’t blink often, and when he did, it was lightning fast. Like some kind of otherworldly predator.

“Are you in any pain, my beloved? If you are hurting, I can give you medicine.”

“No pain.” It was the truth. She was sore, but it was a delicious pang of soreness between her legs, one she didn’t want him to cure. She wanted to relish this soreness, to delight in the reminder of his cock plunging in and out of her for the rest of the day.

A peek at the covers where she’d just been laying showed no hint of blood. Thank God. If she’d bled and Zurron noticed, he would have probably cursed himself for hurting her and been reluctant to mate with her again. And she definitely wanted to do this again. Maybe tonight even, after the celebration.

She rested her head against his chest. The steady beating of his heart lulled her into a peaceful trance. She felt small but protected in his arms. How much time passed as they embraced, she couldn’t say, but when the room began to darken and the several sconces on the walls flickered on automatically, Zurron roused her from his arms and helped her to stand. He patted her bottom and kissed the top of her head.

“We should clean up and prepare for the celebration. We are already late. I have several dresses to choose from that might fit you.”

“Of course, and thank you.” It was then that she noticed an open closet on the other side of the room, filled with vibrantly colored dresses. It touched her that he’d so thoughtfully prepared for her arrival. She had absolutely nothing, not even one outfit, but she trusted that he would provide for her always. Zurron would give her the shirt off his back if she needed it.

He guided her to the bathroom and showed her how to work the shower. Finally, she was able to wash her hair and untangle all her knots. He joined her and took great care in cleansing her body. She did her best to run a soapy cloth over him in return, but he grabbed her wrist when she tried to run it over his cock, which was already hardening again.

“If you touch me there right now, my human, I will be unable to stop myself from taking you once more, and then we will miss the celebration entirely.” The sternness of his expression, tinged with a shade of humor, made her heart skip a beat.

She tossed him the soapy cloth and gave him a saucy grin. “Fine. But I get to touch it later.”

* * *

Zurron was anxious to present Riley to his family.

He hurried her down the path that connected his home to his father’s, anticipating a joyful celebration that would last the entire night. His brothers now had mates too. Soon the laughter of children would ring out on the mountain. He couldn’t wait to see his mate’s stomach swelling with their first child.

He dropped Riley’s hand and wrapped an arm around her as they approached his father’s house. To his surprise, no music was playing and the home was eerily quiet, though he saw movement through the downstairs windows. He opened the door and guided Riley inside, his senses on high alert.

Something was wrong, and he smelled death.

Then he saw his older brother, Yerozz, standing over the body of a human female. She was resting on a table, flowers spread around her unmoving form. All his family members, from his father to his younger brother to his cousins and uncles were gathered around the deceased female, but backed away a few steps to give Yerozz space. A small human female stood beside his younger brother, silently weeping.

His father looked up and approached him.

“What has happened?” he whispered in Norinan, as his father hadn’t yet learned English.

“Yerozz’s mate was nearly dead when he found her. The aliens who bought her from the slavers gave her a drug to make her more docile, and they apparently gave her too much of it. Despite giving her medicine to counteract the drug, she passed a short time ago. We tried to revive her, but her body is too ravaged by the drug. She is gone.”

“Oh my God,” Riley whispered, her voice full of sorrow as she stared at the deceased female. “I knew her. I recognize her from the Starship Matchmaker. Her name was Elenna. What-what happened?”

Zurron quickly relayed the news his father had just shared. His spirit vibrated with sadness for his brother. He gathered Riley close as she shuddered and tears filled her eyes.

Yerozz stroked his human’s hair and backed away. He looked at Zurron, then at their brother, Gesh. His eyes flamed with rage and heartache.

“After we send my Elenna to the stars, I ask you to join me brothers in seeking my vengeance. Her buyers are dead, I killed them, but the slavers must die too. Those who attacked the Starship Matchmaker must die.”

Zurron and Gesh stepped forward and placed their hands over their hearts. “Yel mon osta, fenii mel sonka,” they said in unison, swearing to follow Yerozz into battle.

Ignoring the pang of guilt at leaving Riley so soon after arriving back on Norina, he waited for his father, cousins, and uncles to repeat the battle oath. Though Yerozz had only invited him and Gesh, he knew the rest of his family would join in the battle. Except for one male to stay behind and look after Riley and Gesh’s mate. He reminded himself that he had planned to leave soon anyway to track down the four-armed creature who’d bought his mate from the slavers and stood tall as the other males in the room joined together to recite the battle oath, their hands clasped over their hearts.

“We leave at dawn,” Yerozz said. “May the Star Gods guide us to victory.”

Glancing around the room, Gesh’s gaze landed on the most elderly member of their family. “Hees, my uncle, will you put down your weapon and stay on Norina to look after our females instead? Zurron and I would be honored to have you keep them protected.”

Zurron nodded. “Yes, uncle, we would be honored if you stayed with our females.”

It was customary to ask the eldest Norinan male to stay behind in battle to protect the females, as long as the planet was deemed safe from any attacks, and Hees agreed to Gesh’s request.

“What is happening?” Riley asked worriedly.

He turned to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “We are leaving at dawn to track down the slavers who attacked the Starship Matchmaker. You and the other female will stay behind with Hees, my elderly uncle.”

When her lip trembled and she appeared on the verge of crying, he moved to cup her face and trace his fingers over her soft cheeks. “You must be brave in my absence, Riley. Can you be brave?”

She released a shaky breath. “I will be brave, if you swear you will return to me.”

“I swear to return to you, my beloved.”

Chapter Six

Ten days.

Riley stared at the star-encrusted velvet black sky, trying to be brave like she’d promised Zurron, though it was difficult when ten full days had passed since he’d left with all the male members of his family but Hees to battle the slavers. They’d departed on three battleships, all larger than Zurron’s personal ship, as the sun peeked over the mountains.

When would they return?

She didn’t know, and the uncertainty was slowing killing her.

She turned as Athena, Gesh’s mate, walked up behind her. They were staying in Hees’ house, which had a huge balcony on the upper level where the guest rooms were located. She forced a welcoming smile, and Athena did her best to offer a smile in return.

But a cloud of worry hung over both women. They stared at the sky together, and Riley knew Athena was wishing the same thing as her in this moment—that the lights of three Norinan battleships would descend from amidst the sparkling stars.

“Before they departed, Gesh told me that if he perishes in the battle against the slavers, I am to find another male on Norina, perhaps one of his cousins. He said Hees was instructed to see us both matched with other males on Norina, if our mates never return.” She sniffled and wiped at her tears. “I only knew him for two days, but he was so kind to me. If he doesn’t return…”

Riley spun to face her. “They will return. All of them.”

“But you don’t know that. It’s been ten days.”

“Maybe the slavers are being elusive. Perhaps they haven’t tracked them down yet.”

She refused to entertain the idea that Zurron wouldn’t return, but she couldn’t shake away the shock of what Athena had just told her. She hadn’t known about Hees’ orders to see her and Athena mated to other Norinan males if their mates perished. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest and she blinked back tears. She’d been brave so far and hadn’t cried, and she wasn’t about to break down now on the balcony.

Instead, she prayed. She bowed her head and uttered prayers for every last male in Zurron’s family to return safe, promising God she would be grateful and never doubt His existence again, as she had after her mother died, if only Zurron would come back to her unharmed.

She swallowed past the burning in her throat and looked up to the stars once more.

Hees didn’t speak English, but he was able to communicate using a small screen that displayed the text of his speech. He used the device to tell them bits and pieces about Norinan culture each night, and last night he’d assured them that human females could not catch the illness that had wiped all Norinan females from existence, much to Riley’s relief.

Thus far, Hees had received no transmissions from their mates. But Zurron had told Riley messages couldn’t be sent through hyperspace, and if they traveled too far away from Norina, they might return home before any sent messages actually reached the planet.

She wasn’t giving up hope. Not yet.

Six more days passed without any news, but on several occasions, a Norinan male appeared on the doorstep to speak with Hees. Though Riley didn’t understand their language, she suspected the Norinan males wanted to inquire about the status of Zurron’s family members.

The young males also looked upon Riley and Athena with unrestrained longing. It was as if they were sniffing around to see if Zurron and Gesh’s females were available, and the entire experience left her unnerved.

Luckily, after Hees spoke sternly to the fifth young male who’d ventured up the mountain, the visitations ceased.

Riley and Athena did their best to help Hees with the cooking, as well as gather food from the surrounding forest. Fruits and nuts were plucked from the trees, and berries were collected from the large bushes near a stream. They helped Hees fish as well, and despite the constant worry about Zurron and the others, she fell into a pleasant routine on the mountain with her two companions.

The rhythm of life was peaceful on Norina, soothing even, compared to Earth, and the quietness of the mountain became a balm to her tortured soul. Gunfire didn’t ring out in the middle of the night, gross men didn’t shoot her leering glances in her own house, and the stench of corpses dumped in the street overnight didn’t make her gag when she awoke.

Instead, she roused each morning to the sound of birds chirping and a gentle breeze swaying through the trees. It only rained on occasion during the night hours, and Riley appreciated the design of the planetary weather control system Zurron had briefly told her about. The days were warm but not too humid, though the nights were sometimes cool enough to require a sweater.

When she had free time, Riley wandered on the stone path that connected all the nearby houses. Their emptiness felt strange though, so she passed each homestead as quickly as she came upon them. All the homes were built with the same massive red stones. Zurron’s was one of the biggest, containing ten bedrooms in the upper level. He really did wish for a sizeable family.

On Earth, her dreams of a large family hadn’t been practical. There was too much disease and violence to worry about, not to mention the food shortage. Having one child was difficult enough for most people. Here on Norina, Zurron had a safe place to raise a family, but without a mate, he would have spent his existence in a lonely fog, wishing for a female to share in his life.

When he returned, they could both get their wish. Together.

Please let him return, and soon. Please God.

* * *

The four-armed creature was no more. Zurron stood over his bloodied body as the rage of finally coming face-to-face with the alien who’d bought Riley from the slavers gradually dissipated.

It hadn’t been difficult tracking the alien down. He’d already set up another exhibit in a market near the same city that had flooded, with a frightened looking blue-haired female from a race Zurron had never seen in a cage.

Yerozz had already taken the female to their father’s ship, and Gesh waited on the platform, watching carefully from a distance. For Norinans, seeking revenge was sometimes a personal endeavor, and his brothers hadn’t assisted him as he pummeled the four-armed creature.

Passersby in the marketplace had stopped to gawk at the violent scene, but Zurron paid them no mind. Lawlessness seemed to reign on this planet, and he wasn’t worried about any enforcers arriving to arrest him. Even if they did, his father’s ship wasn’t far off. He could easily make a quick escape and be back to Norina before they had time to scrape the four-armed creature’s carcass off the ground.

Sweat trickled down his temples and he squinted at the blistering hot sun. For sixteen days, this fluxxshen gahhga had kept his beloved mate chained and in a cage, charging passersby for a glimpse of her nakedness. It riled him that any creature could treat a female with such brutal disregard, and simply for a profit. He glanced around the marketplace and glared at those who dared to meet his eyes, letting them know with one look that he disapproved of their morals. Several in the crowd backed away, as if fearing they would be next.

Zurron finally wiped the blood from his hands on his pants and spat on the alien’s carcass, cursing him to the Lake Fires of Teshemu, then he turned and walked to the platform. His brother followed him onto the ship without a word, and the screech of the platform retracting behind them drowned out the murmurs of the alien onlookers gathered around the ship.

Satisfaction hummed through Zurron. The slavers who’d attacked the Starship Matchmaker were all dead, their ship destroyed in a fiery explosion two days ago. Though they hailed from a vicious alien race several sectors away, their defenses had been no match for Norinan proton blasters. The four-armed creature who’d left Riley in a cage during a deadly flood was dead. None of his relatives on the three Norinan battleships had been injured. They could now return home triumphant.

Warmth filled his heart at the thought of reuniting with his sweet Riley. He longed to hold her in his arms and stroke her hair, to feel her heart beating underneath his hand. He hurried for the showers, not wanting her to see him covered in blood, even if all the blood did belong to her enemy.

As he dressed, he felt the jerk of the ship as it entered hyperspace. He smiled.

Riley, my beloved human. I will be home soon.

Chapter Seven

Riley awoke to the patter of rain on the roof. She peered out the open window, the curtains blowing inward with the cool night air. Yawning, she closed her eyes and tried to fall back asleep, but her mind immediately drifted to Zurron.

Where was he? What was he doing?

Tomorrow would mark twenty days since his departure. Hees still hadn’t received any transmissions from the three battleships. The uncertainty of Zurron’s wellbeing ate at her heart. Sighing, she thrust the covers off herself.

Now that she was awake and her mind was racing, she wouldn’t get another wink of sleep tonight. She donned her robe, another clothing item Zurron had so thoughtfully acquired for her, and strode to the window. Clouds obscured the stars and moon, so she stared at the lights in the valley below, lights belonging to houses she had never seen up close.

Her throat tightened.

If Zurron never returned, would Hees really find another Norinan male for her to mate with? She couldn’t fathom it, but the lights sparkling in the valley reminded her that the planet was filled with many unmated males. Her stomach twisted. Would Hees parade her before the valley and tell her to take her pick, or would he arrange it entirely on his own without her input?

No no no. Don’t even think it.

She thought of Zurron’s gentleness as he’d tended to her wounds after rescuing her from the flood and smiled through a haze of emotion. Then she flushed at the recollection of the two times he’d mated with her—the first not long after landing on Norina, and the second during the late hours of the night before his departure to find the slavers.

What she wouldn’t give to stare into his dark eyes or trace the black markings on his chest right now. She ached for his presence with every fiber of her being.

Footsteps sounded behind her. She started to turn around, supposing Athena couldn’t sleep either and had come to keep her company, but it wasn’t her human friend who stood in darkness.

She gasped and stepped closer to the tall figure. He moved into the faint light of the one sconce she’d left on and her heart rejoiced.

“Zurron!” She rushed into his open arms.

It’s him. She hugged him tighter. It’s really him.

“Riley, my Riley.” The rumble of his deep voice soothed her.

“Did Gesh return as well? What about the others? Was anyone hurt?” She held her breath as she awaited his response.

“All of my family members have returned. No one was injured.” He cupped her face and stared into her eyes, his unblinking gaze filled with delight.

She inhaled deeply and asked, “So you found the slavers?”

He nodded. “They are all dead, and the four-armed creature who bought you is dead as well. He had another female in a cage in a marketplace when I found him. Yerozz has been tending to her, and she seems to have taken a liking to him.”

It was difficult for Riley to believe the same man who was now kissing her tenderly had just gone to battle and taken lives. She decided not to ask any additional details, not wishing to know exactly how the slavers or Four Arms had been killed, though she suspected they’d all met gruesome ends. She took comfort in the fact that Zurron had vanquished aliens that would have undoubtedly gone on to harm many other women.

Need unfurled inside her as her mate kissed her thoroughly. After he pulled away, leaving her breathless and aching for more of his hard kisses, he swept her up in his arms and carried her out of Hees’ house. On the way out, she heard fragments of Athena and Gesh’s joyous reunion over the patter of rain.

She snuggled against Zurron’s chest as he traveled on the stone path back to their house. The rain soaked through her robe and nightgown, but she didn’t care. She had a feeling neither of them would be wearing clothes for the rest of the night.

The front lights flickered on automatically at their approach, illuminating the red stones. He hoisted her in one arm for a moment while he placed his palm on the door. It opened with a faint click and he carried her inside their home.

Her heart pounded and anticipation quickened in her core.

He sat her on her feet in their bedroom and hovered over her, his muscles tensed and his gaze primal. The sconces on the walls glowed to life, sensing their movements, and the sight of her mate’s soaked shirt clinging to his broad muscular chest made her clit pulse.

She gasped when he suddenly reached for the wet material of her nightdress and robe, ripping both garments off and leaving her naked and wet.

“Get on the bed and spread your legs, Riley. We have twenty days of mating to make up for.”

Her mouth went dry, but she obeyed, sitting back on the pillows and then spreading her legs. His nostrils flared as he stood above her, unfastening his pants. He kicked his boots off and removed his pants, and his huge erect cock sprang forth. She stared at it in expectation as he pulled his shirt off.

Gloriously naked, he crawled atop her and gave her a fierce, possessive look.

“Who do you belong to, Riley?” His cock dragged along the entrance of her aching pussy.

“You,” she breathed. “I belong to you.”

He grabbed her hips and surged inside her, leaving her gasping for air as the pleasure of that one fast thrust overwhelmed her senses. She hadn’t expected a long drawn out session of foreplay this time, nor had she wanted it.

She only wanted him inside her, thrusting hard and deep.

* * *

With her skin glistening from the rain and her damp golden hair spread about her head like a crown of light, Riley looked like a Star Goddess. Zurron stared at her, not blinking once, unable to take his eyes off her for even a second. Twenty days had never felt so long.

She didn’t seem to mind his roughness. She lifted her legs and parted them wider, allowing him to plunge deeper into her slick tightness. The headboard banged against the wall with each delicious thrust into her sweetness. Pleasure consumed him, and emotion tightened in his chest when he recalled Riley’s joy over his return.

She had truly missed him.

He regretted having to spend twenty nights away from her, but ignoring his brother’s request for help hadn’t been an option, and when the planet the four-armed creature inhabited happened to be in the same sector as the slavers’ ship, he couldn’t refuse the opportunity to hunt the alien down before returning home. If he hadn’t killed the four-armed creature then, he would’ve had no choice but to depart Norina again in the near future to seek his vengeance and defend Riley’s honor.

Now that the fighting was over, they could focus on nothing but their future together. He pumped in and out of her, hoping to plant a baby in her womb this very night. She moaned and writhed beneath him, her plump breasts bouncing in an erotic rhythm, her dark pink nipples hardened and begging to be suckled.

Not slowing his thrusts, he bent to take one ripe berry in his mouth, holding it between his teeth while circling his tongue along the peak.

She arched into him and emitted an urgent groan, running her nails up and down his back while whimpering his name over and over again. Her vocal response to his ministrations was music to his ears and prompted him to release her nipple and pay the same careful attention to its twin, until she fell apart beneath him in a series of keening moans as her pussy clenched around his shaft.

The feel of her tight channel squeezing his cock drove him past the point of no return. A tingle swept up his inner thighs and his balls tightened, and then he found his own release.

He spurted his seed deep inside her. Stars danced in his vision and he blinked hard against the sudden onslaught of dizziness.

Panting, Zurron withdrew slowly from Riley’s center and collapsed next to her, immediately drawing her against his chest. She reached for him and caressed his face, her expression dreamy. Her eyes lit up when she graced him with a satisfied smile.

He kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger on her soft flesh.

“I’m a little mad at you, by the way,” she said, though her tone was teasing.

He pulled back and gave her a questioning look. “Did I hurt you during our mating?”

“I found out you ordered Hees to find me a new mate if you never returned, and Gesh asked the same for Athena. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Gathering her closer and placing her head over his heart, he released a long breath. “Riley, I regret keeping that detail from you, but I didn’t want you to worry needlessly over an event that may never come to pass.” He drew his fingers through her damp hair, combing out the tangles. “But perhaps I should have told you everything. I suppose Gesh told Athena, and she must have shared the information with you.”

“Yes, she told me. I tried very hard not to think about the worst possibilities. My heart would’ve broken if you never returned. I know we only had one day together before now, but it feels like we’ve had many more, and I’ve never missed anyone as intensely as I missed you. Do you have any idea how much time I spent staring at the sky, looking for the lights of your three battleships?”

“Riley, I apologize for not telling of you the orders Gesh and I gave Hees.”

Her slow exhale tickled his chest. “I wasn’t really that mad at you, Zurron, only worried. You’re forgiven. But from now on, please don’t hide anything from me. I’m a stranger to your world and not yet completely familiar with the ways of your people.”

“My instinct is to shield you from anything that might cause you worry, but I will strive to be upfront with you in the future, my beloved, even if the news is bad.”

“Thank you. I’m so happy you’re home.”

“As am I. Now, I hope you are not overtired, Riley.”

“Why is that?”

“Because it is my intention to claim you again.”

Her lips parted slightly and her cheeks turned an endearing shade of pink.

“On your hands and knees this time, my mate.”

“Why?” Her eyes widened, her innocence genuine.

“Because I intend to take you from behind.”

~THE END~

A note from the author:

Thank you so much for purchasing or borrowing Alien’s Beloved Bride! I hope you enjoyed reading about Riley and Zurron. Please check my Amazon Author Page for updates or visit Sue Mercury Sci-Fi Alien Romance.

About the author:

Sue Mercury writes sci-fi romance. She lives in Maryland with her husband and children, where she hopes one day she'll turn on the television to find a breaking news report about sentient alien beings contacting Earth. She also writes romance of the much kinkier variety under the name Sue Lyndon.

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Titles by Sue Mercury:

Step Alien (Reestrian Mates, Book 1)

Sweet Alien (Reestrian Mates, Book 2)

Double Alien (Reestrian Mates, Book 3)

Boss Alien (Reestrian Mates, Book 4)

Savage Alien (Reestrian Mates, Book 5)

Reestrian Mates: The Complete Series

Alien’s Innocent Bride (Mail Order Human, Book 1)

Alien’s Princess Bride (Mail Order Human, Book 2)

Alien’s Reluctant Bride (Mail Order Human, Book 3)

Alien’s Orphan Bride (Mail Order Human, Book 4)

Alien’s Beloved Bride (Mail Order Human, Book 5)

Coming Soon:

Mail Order Human: The Complete Series

If you like BDSM erotica and spanking romance, you might enjoy these naughtier sci-fi, fantasy, and dystopian titles by Sue Mercury writing as USA Today bestselling author Sue Lyndon:

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