ALIEN GIANT (VAXXLIAN MATES, BOOK 3)

A Sci-Fi Alien Romance

Sue Mercury

Contents

About this book:

Excerpt:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Epilogue

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About Sue Mercury:

Copyright 2019 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

Editing by Celeste Jones

Published by Sweet Savage Press

About this book:

A nine-foot-tall alien warrior just kidnapped me.

How’s your day going?

Diana is a survivor. It’s all she knows. But she has big plans once she escapes the dangerous outpost where she’s been stranded for the last ten years. Plans that involve buying a ship of her very own and traveling to a sparsely populated planet to live out the rest of her days in the sun. No more crowds, no more recirculated air, and no more cage fights. She certainly doesn’t plan on being “rescued” by a sexy alien giant with glowing green eyes who wants to make babies with her.

Kirn is enchanted by the fierce little human he’s stolen away from the outpost. Ah, what a beauty she is—and strong. She resists his advances at first, but he’s confident she will agree to become his mate soon. He’s a highly respected Vaxxlian warrior. How could she not want him? Mindful of his enormous size, he promises to be as gentle as possible when he finally mates with her. But as he’s about to discover, claiming a human female never goes as planned.

Excerpt:

“My sweet mate.” He looked her up and down, admiring her curves and her beautiful smooth skin. With his thumb, he traced the softness of a slender shoulder, delighting in the feel of his bare skin touching hers. His cock twitched and his blood heated.

“I am not your sweet mate.” She ceased trying to strike him and shot him a murderous glare. “My name is Diana and this outpost is my home. I live here. I was in the cage by choice. I do not require rescuing and I don’t appreciate you interrupting the fight.”

“Diana. That is a beautiful name. But the Yessran likely planned to kill you,” he said in astonishment. “Yessran warriors almost always fight to the death. You are lucky I arrived in time to save you.”

“Save me?” She laughed. “I’m a cage fighter. It’s what I do for a living. I was about to win the fight when you barged in and ruined everything. You just cost me five thousand galactic credits!”

More soldiers appeared and this time they had stronger weapons, mega-blasters that actually rocked his ship. He tossed Diana over his shoulder and stalked off the bridge. She yelled and cursed him every step of the way, but he soon had her safe in his quarters, where she would remain while he piloted the Alonna far away from this outpost.

He placed her struggling form on the bed and immediately backed away to avoid her punches and kicks. “Rest, my sweet mate, and we will talk when I return.”

“Let me off this ship!” Her face reddened and she shot to her feet, giving him a menacing look. Her dark locks rested on her shoulders in disarray and her chest heaved up and down, momentarily drawing his attention to her bosom. She was breathtaking—and all his. His pulse quickened with desire.

“I cannot let you go, Diana. Ever.” He moved to the doorway, his heart swelling with affection for her. “You are mine now. My female.”

Chapter 1

Diana sized up her opponent, a muscle-bound seven-foot-tall Yessran warrior.

He was larger than her. They always were. But her record-breaking winning streak was proof that powerful fighters could come in small packages. At five foot eleven, she was taller than the average human female, but that didn’t stop spectators from calling her little human or assuming she somehow cheated her way to victory during the weekly cage fights.

The crowd roared as Grellol, the leader of the outpost, stepped onto a balcony that overlooked the arena. He waved and waited for the noise to die down, pretending he didn’t like the attention as thousands of spectators shouted his name. But Diana knew he was soaking up every moment of praise. The only thing he loved more than money was himself. He provided all the entertainment at this outpost, from cage fights to gambling to virtual reality rooms to brothels. He ran the whole freaking seedy show that was the Meccaman Outpost.

Though Diana despised him, she strived to remain in his favor. Her life depended on it. He’d taken her in after her father died when she was only twelve years old, giving her a place to sleep and making sure she didn’t starve. Grellol’s “kindness” came with a price though—he expected her loyalty and he’d put her to work right away, long hours cleaning the arena and scrubbing blood off the floor after the cage fights…that is, until she started participating in the cage fights herself.

Now she was his most prized fighter. She’d won the last sixty-seven matches in a row, and before that she’d only lost a handful. She hated the cage fights, but aside from working in one of the brothels, there was no other way for her to earn enough galactic credits to leave this godforsaken outpost while she was still young. A few more winning matches and she would finally have enough credits to buy a vessel of her own.

The Yessran warrior took up a wide stance and snarled at her, but she wasn’t intimidated. She’d fought larger aliens dozens of times and won. She only hoped he cried “mercy” and didn’t attempt to fight her to the death. She didn’t enjoy taking lives, but sometimes her opponents possessed too much pride. Sometimes they forced her hand. The deaths of those she’d had no choice but to kill weighed on her conscience, making it difficult to sleep at night.

That was one reason she needed to get out of here. This wretched place was destroying her slowly, piece by piece. Day by day. Fight by fight. She dreamed of finding a quiet, warm planet where she could spend the rest of her days in the sun, trying to forget all the violence and the pain.

There has to be more to life than this.

If there wasn’t, she hoped the Yessrann warrior killed her tonight.

Grellol finally took his seat and the crowd cheered as the large cage was lowered around Diana and the Yessran. The warrior growled again and Diana shot him a glare.

“If you want to live, say ‘mercy’ and I’ll grant it at any time during our fight,” she said in Galactic Common.

He laughed and stepped closer. Sweat poured down his temples, his bare chest gleamed, and he was panting hard, as if he’d just finished practicing for their fight. Diana, on the other hand, was calm and collected. Her heart rate remained steady. She felt no fear. She’d done this dozens of times before and lived to tell the tale. Having trained with a Sakkokan master, she was the deadliest person in all the arena.

The fight commenced, and Diana skillfully dodged blow after blow. She allowed the Yessran to overexert himself, until the sweat poured off him in buckets and his bronzed skin glowed under the bright lights. She practically danced around him, hopping from one foot to the other and ducking and rearing back to avoid his big meaty fists. Rage glimmered in the depths of his dark eyes as he lunged at her repeatedly.

Anger is weakness.

The words of the wise Sakkokan master flitted through her mind.

Frustration and anger were quickly consuming the Yessran warrior, leaving him weaker and weaker by the moment. It would be his undoing. It would be Diana’s victory—and her ticket off this dark, depressing outpost. She could almost feel the sand, warm between her toes, and smell the fresh air of the open outdoors.

A few more fights like this and she would be home free.

As she dodged her opponent’s fists yet again, she swept a leg at his in one fast and powerful fluid motion. He toppled to the ground with a thud. The crowd went wild, their cheers pounding against her eardrums and echoing inside her head. Before the Yessran could gather his senses and stand up, she dealt a strong kick to his throat, leaving him gasping and writhing in pain.

“I don’t want to kill you.” She knelt next to his head. “Say ‘mercy’.”

Please say it. Please don’t make me kill again.

The few times she’d realized she couldn’t beat her opponent, she hadn’t been too proud to cry mercy. But unfortunately, most of the males she fought in the arena would rather die than surrender to a female. Her heart lurched into her throat as she awaited his response.

He cursed her in his native language, then switched to Galactic Common and said, “You’ll be the one saying ‘mercy’ soon, fucking human, but I will show you none. You will die at my hand, human scum, and you will die a violent, gruesome death. I will crush your puny skull in my hands.”

So, it was going to be like that.

Diana landed another kick to his throat and moved back, waiting for him to rise to his feet. Grellol would lose his shit if she killed the Yessran too quickly. The spectators had paid good money to see this fight and it needed to last longer than a few minutes. When she killed too early on, the bastard took a higher percentage of her winnings.

And so, the fight continued. She eluded the warrior’s flying fists and kept sweeping him off his feet. She alternated inflicting well-placed kicks to his throat and his stomach, and once as he crawled to his feet, she gave a mocking kick to his behind, which of course pleased the spectators. Anything that pleased the spectators also pleased Grellol.

She glanced up at the roaring crowd, wishing they were cheering for another reason. But they cheered for violence and impending death. They were monsters. All of them. The underbelly of the galaxy. God, she couldn’t wait to get away from here.

Was she a monster too?

She was about to kill a man, and not for the first time.

Grellol rose from his seat and shot her an approving look with a quick nod. It was his usual signal. The fight had gone on long enough and she was allowed to slay the Yessran warrior.

Though she despaired over what she was about to do—she always did—she wasn’t a fool. If she spared an opponent who didn’t scream mercy, she would be rebelling against Grellol’s sacred rules of cage fighting. She had no choice. She had to kill the Yessran.

Do what you must and then let it go. The Sakkokan master’s words returned.

With a yell, she ran at her opponent, ready to inflict the final blow. But a massive shadow appeared behind him, on the other side of the cage. Diana paused and stared at the creature who stood just behind the Yessran warrior. To her astonishment, the giant man—he looked like a giant human with glowing green eyes—gripped the bars with his huge hands and pulled them apart. In only seconds, he created a hole wide enough for him to climb through.

She stood, in awe, as the giant entered the cage and his glowing green gaze fixed on her.

Was he one of the Yessran’s friends? Was she expected to fight them both?

A glance at Grellol left her increasingly confused. His wide eyes and wrinkled forehead revealed his surprise. This wasn’t some devious plan of his to make the fight more interesting to the crowd.

“Human female,” the giant said in Galactic Common, “come with me.” He stepped around the Yessran warrior and offered her his hand.

“Who are you?”

His green eyes gleamed with warmth, which caught her off guard. She had assumed the giant meant to hurt her. Or try to, anyway. Despite his size, she was confident she could defend herself against him. Large as he was, he probably tired quickly.

“My name is Kirn. I am a Vaxxlian warrior.”

She had seen Vaxxlians before, but never one so huge. This one had to be at least nine feet tall. “What do you want?” she asked, yelling over the roaring crowd.

“I want you, human female.” His eyes darkened. “You will leave this place and become my mate.”

* * *

Kirn thanked the Star God he’d arrived before the Yessran warrior could harm the little female. Though she appeared strong, her opponent was much larger than her. He suspected one hard blow from the Yessran would knock her unconscious. He would not allow the alien male to hurt her.

“Come, my sweet mate. I am rescuing you.” He offered her his hand again and was confounded when she made no move toward him. Perhaps she was too frightened to budge.

“I don’t require rescue.” She stepped back.

At that moment, the Yessran warrior lunged for her.

Kirn swept into action, grabbing the alien male by the throat and holding him high in the air. The Yessran stared at him, his large black eyes bulging as he gurgled while his face turned blue. When he lost consciousness, Kirn flung him against the cage and he slumped to the floor.

The crowd cheered louder and he heard distinct calls for him to “kill the human female!”

He growled and looked at the spectators. How dare they wish harm upon a female? If he had the time, he would make each of them pay for voicing such violent thoughts toward a female aloud, especially the very female who would soon be his.

Kirn did not care for the Meccaman Outpost and couldn’t wait to get his sweet dark-haired mate out of this arena and far, far away. All the way to New Vaxx, where he would spend his days caring for her in the manner she deserved.

To his surprise, the female took up a fighting stance. She spread her legs and bent slightly at the knees, while holding her fisted hands up.

“Come any closer and I’ll fuck you up worse than the Yessran.”

Her combative words startled him. He held his hands out in a gesture of surrender, though he managed three steps closer without her springing into action and attacking him.

“We must hurry, human female. I hear the bootsteps of guards approaching.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” She lifted her fists higher.

Ten guards rushed the arena, their weapons at the ready. Kirn withdrew his wide range stunner from a holster on his hip and aimed it at the incoming soldiers. Before the first one managed to open fire, Kirn activated the stunner, causing the guards to freeze mid-step and fall over. Several spectators in the stands behind them froze as well.

“What in the hell kind of weapon…” The human female’s voice trailed off.

Kirn turned to his soon-to-be mate, only for her to launch herself at him in an attempt to knock the stunner from his hand. Undeterred, he shoved the stunner into its holster and grabbed ahold of her legs, easily hoisting her over his shoulder.

She pounded her fists on his back and tried to kick her legs, but he held fast to her ankles, not allowing her the movement. The sooner he got her onto his ship and away from this noisy, violent outpost, the sooner he could explain to her that he wished her no harm. Clearly, she misunderstood his intentions.

“Calm yourself, human female. All will be well. I’m getting you out of here. As I said, I am rescuing you.”

“Put me down, you filthy space rat!”

Ignoring her pleas, he carried her through the corridors of the outpost. Whenever they met the resistance of guards, he simply used the stunner on them. The weapon was extremely effective and would not cause any long-term harm to the soldiers. They would regain control of their bodies in less than a day.

Kirn could have easily killed them with a blaster, but he was tired of taking lives. Now that the long, fierce war against the Irrcons had ended, he longed for peace. He would never find peace if he kept killing and killing. After the war ended, he had promised himself he would only take lives when completely necessary, just as an honorable Vaxxlian warrior ought to do. There was no honor in killing those who were not his true enemy, particularly hired outpost guards whose only loyalty was to a paycheck.

The female was indeed strong. Some of the punches she landed on his back almost hurt, and he had to maintain a tight grip on her legs to hold her steady over his shoulder.

Finally, they reached the docking bay where he’d left his ship, the Alonna. The view of open space shimmered blue for a moment as two Frinnann trading vessels departed the outpost, passing through the forcefield to zoom away amongst the stars. He called out a verbal command and the boarding ramp unfolded from his ship. As he carried the human female up the ramp, her struggles increased. After tightening his hold on her, he brought her onto the bridge and called out the command for the ramp to close.

From the main viewscreen, he spotted more outpost guards running onto the docking bay, their weapons held high. Several of them aimed their blasters at the Alonna, but the shots didn’t even cause the ship to shake, let alone inflict any damage.

“Please. Please let me go.” The distress in the human female’s voice tore at his heart.

He finally set her on her feet, but he was forced to hold her out by her shoulders when she attempted another attack. She was a fierce little creature and he admired her strength. She would make a fine mate and bear him many strong sons and daughters. His spirits lifted at the thought.

“My sweet mate.” He looked her up and down, admiring her curves and her beautiful smooth skin. With his thumb, he traced the softness of a slender shoulder, delighting in the feel of his bare skin touching hers. His cock twitched and his blood heated.

“I am not your sweet mate.” She ceased trying to strike him and shot him a murderous glare. “My name is Diana and this outpost is my home. I live here. I was in the cage by choice. I do not require rescuing and I don’t appreciate you interrupting the fight.”

“Diana. That is a beautiful name. But the Yessran likely planned to kill you,” he said in astonishment. “Yessran warriors almost always fight to the death. You are lucky I arrived in time to save you.”

“Save me?” She laughed. “I’m a cage fighter. It’s what I do for a living. I was about to win the fight when you barged in and ruined everything. You just cost me five thousand galactic credits!”

More soldiers appeared and this time they had stronger weapons, mega-blasters that actually rocked his ship. He tossed Diana over his shoulder and stalked off the bridge. She yelled and cursed him every step of the way, but he soon had her safe in his quarters, where she would remain while he piloted the Alonna far away from this outpost.

He placed her struggling form on the bed and immediately backed away to avoid her punches and kicks. “Rest, my sweet mate, and we will talk when I return.”

“Let me off this ship!” Her face reddened and she shot to her feet, giving him a menacing look. Her dark locks rested on her shoulders in disarray and her chest heaved up and down, momentarily drawing his attention to her bosom. She was breathtaking—and all his. His pulse quickened with desire.

“I cannot let you go, Diana. Ever.” He moved to the doorway, his heart swelling with affection for her. “You are mine now. My female.”

Chapter 2

Diana gazed at the stars. The glow of the Meccaman Outpost had long disappeared from the viewscreen of the giant’s quarters. She had no idea where they were headed. The uncertainty made her sick to her stomach. So much for remaining calm in the face of danger.

A nine-foot-tall alien warrior just kidnapped me. How’s your day going?

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

The Vaxxlian had called her his sweet mate more than once, as well as his female.

Why was that? He didn’t even know her.

She tried to recall all she knew of his kind. She’d seen a few Vaxxlian warriors, many years ago, as they stopped at the outpost for fuel and supplies. Compared to most aliens who visited the outpost, they had behaved quite respectably. None of them visited the brothels or attended a cage fight or gambled or caused destruction to any of the businesses.

Their home planet of Vaxxlia had recently been destroyed by the Irrcons. She’d heard some of the other cage fighters talking about it. And apparently, most of their females had died during the attack. Only the Vaxxlian warriors and a small number of females who were off planet at the time had survived, a mere fraction of their entire population.

My sweet mate. My female.

Her heart raced.

Maybe the giant, who had introduced himself as Kirn, really did intend to keep her as his mate. Of course. It all made sense now. With the war finally over and most of the Vaxxlian females gone, the males of his race would be starting over. If he wanted her as his mate, perhaps that meant Vaxxlians and humans were sexually compatible. As similar as they were in appearance, she would not be surprised.

Would he claim her the moment he returned to his quarters?

Absently scratching at a bump on her arm, she glanced at the massive bed and gulped hard.

Why must he be so large? Her kicks and punches had bounced off his huge form. He also moved with surprising agility for his size. Even after prying the cage open with his bare hands, attacking the Yessran warrior, and carrying her to his ship while evading the outpost guards, he hadn’t broken a sweat. He’d spoken to her in a calm but deep voice, not out of breath in the slightest.

Had she finally met her match?

Her stomach flipped and her pulse jumped to hyperdrive. She worried she truly couldn’t fight him. She wasn’t sore from fighting the Yessran, but her limbs ached from her exertions against Kirn. She’d fought him with all her might and still hadn’t managed to hurt him.

Was she doomed to become the giant alien’s mate? She had always assumed she would never take a mate or a husband. All the men on the outpost had been awful and she’d strived to avoid them as much as possible. Her only focus during the last few years had been earning enough money to get the hell off the Meccaman Outpost. Then she wanted to be alone. Perhaps on a deserted island on a beautiful, distant world, where no one would bother her. She craved solitude and silence and fresh air. A place where she could heal.

Ten years. She’d been stranded on the outpost for ten long years. It felt like a lifetime. Despite her anger at the giant for interrupting the cage fight and stealing her away, there was a part of her that was happy to be off the outpost, even if she hadn’t left the way she’d planned—with a ship of her very own and her galactic credit account bulging at the seams.

She’d found herself stranded while traveling with her father when they’d stopped at the outpost for supplies. He contracted an illness while on the outpost, and she’d resorted to selling their ship to pay for his medical treatments. But in the end, he’d passed away, leaving her with only the clothes on her back. She’d been frightened of her own shadow back then, but she’d quickly found an inner strength she hadn’t known she possessed. Throughout her years alone on the outpost, thoughts of escape had kept her going.

And now, she had no intention of becoming some giant alien’s mate, even if his race had a dire need of females. Somehow, she had to find a way off this ship. The next time Kirn docked or landed, she needed to have an escape plan in place.

Or maybe she could stage a mutiny.

Her spirits lifted. Yes, that would work better. Her father had taught her how to pilot several types of vessels on a simulator as a child, and he’d allowed her to pilot his small Recrushan ship several times after they departed their home planet. She felt certain once she found herself on the bridge, the controls at her fingertips, the knowledge would all come back to her.

If she took control of the ship, she could fly wherever she wanted. Find the perfect planet to settle down on. Of course, she would have to drop Kirn off somewhere along the way. But she would figure out those details later—after she took control of the ship. It was a small war-class vessel. She could tell that much from the way it withstood the shots from the mega-blasters, with only a slight rocking of the ship. She’d learned how to pilot several types of war-class vessels on the simulator.

The door zipped open and she spun around. The giant had returned. He entered his quarters and the door closed behind him, his strong presence filling the room, but he didn’t advance toward her. Instead, he stood just inside the doorway, staring at her with a heated gaze that left her in no doubt of his intentions.

She took the opportunity to study his features for the first time, telling herself she was simply sizing him up as if he were an opponent in a cage fight, rather than a handsome giant alien who wanted to make babies with her.

But he was terribly handsome and she couldn’t help the little shivers that moved through her, her senses coming alive in his presence. Unlike most of the males on the Meccaman Outpost, he was well-groomed, clean—God, she could practically smell the soap on him—and wearing a clean black and gray Vaxxlian warrior’s uniform. He had close cropped brown hair, prominent cheekbones, and a strong, square jaw. He was beautiful, in a hard chiseled-warrior sort of way.

Her heart fluttered when he took two steps in her direction. She chided herself for her visceral reaction. She wasn’t attracted to this Vaxxlian warrior. She wasn’t.

She swallowed hard and took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself. But no matter what, she couldn’t still the delightful shivers that kept racing through her. She found herself strangely drawn to the giant—not simply attracted to him, but curious to learn more about him.

She’d never seen anyone quite like him before, with muscles so perfectly sculpted and shoulders so impossibly broad. Heat seared her face and she glanced away from him, but only for a moment. A second later, she couldn’t resist looking at him again.

He offered her a smile and moved closer, holding his hands out as if in surrender.

“I will not harm you, my female.”

“I’m not your female.”

Confusion spread over his features. “Yes, yes you are. I found you, an unclaimed human female—you must be unclaimed, as I do not detect the scent of a male on you—and now you will belong to me. You will become my mate and we will live on New Vaxx together until the end of our days. I vow to treat you with kindness and treasure you forever.” His deep voice resonated with affection and his eyes glimmered with warmth, as if he truly meant every word. But, how could he? They’d just met.

“Kirn, listen,” she said, backing up after he stepped even closer, “you can’t just kidnap me and declare yourself my mate. It doesn’t work that way.”

“I did not kidnap you. I rescued you from a dangerous outpost and a cage fight.” His perplexed tone betrayed the differences between them. Clearly, he didn’t believe he had done anything wrong.

“I’ve won over sixty cage fights in a row, Kirn. I honestly did not need rescuing. As I’ve already told you, I’m a professional cage fighter. It’s my job. Or, it was my job, until you barged in and carried me away.”

The confusion spreading over his face deepened and his large green eyes widened. “You were not thrown into the cage against your will?”

“No, never.”

“You enjoyed the cage fighting?”

“Well, no. I hated it, actually,” she admitted. A sense of vulnerability swept over her as his darkening green eyes bored into hers, beseeching her to explain further. “I became stranded on the outpost years ago, and there aren’t many jobs available to women there. I-I didn’t want to work in one of the brothels, and once I realized how much money I could make cage fighting and met a Sakkokan master willing to train me, it just sort of happened. I kept fighting and I kept winning, and I had intended to buy a vessel and leave the outpost soon. By myself. I-I only had to win a few more fights and then I would’ve been free.”

Why did her eyes suddenly burn?

She blinked rapidly and turned her back on Kirn to stare out the viewscreen, as if the stars might be able to console her. The last ten years of her life had been devoted to planning her escape from the outpost. She’d worked hard and trained hard and now…now all that careful planning and hard work had gone to hell. She didn’t like surprises.

“My sweet mate.” Kirn’s warm hand clasped her shoulder and his abrupt nearness caused more pleasurable shudders to move through her. “I am sorry you were stranded on the outpost without any good options for survival, but I appreciate your resilience. You are an admirable female if ever I saw one.”

She wished he wouldn’t say such nice things or give her compliments. His kindness would make it more difficult when it came time to stage her mutiny.

“Look, I heard about the war with the Irrcons and I know most of your females perished during an attack, and I am sorry for your great loss, but I cannot become your mate, Kirn.”

“You are not the first reluctant human female to be taken to New Vaxx and I have a feeling you will not be the last. But I promise I will treat you gently, Diana, and to always take care of you. I believe we can build a happy life together.”

The need to stare into his green eyes up close prompted her to turn and look up at him. Her resolve to fight him faltered more and more as she stared into his affectionate gaze. And, God, he was so tall. To her utter shock, she felt her defenses melting and had the strangest urge to wrap her arms around him and bury her face in his chest. Or, rather…his stomach. Her head didn’t reach much higher on him and her neck hurt from staring up at him.

It had been a long time since she’d experienced human contact—or human-like contact. His hand on her shoulder felt nice, and tempting. Suddenly, she became aware of how deeply alone she’d been all the years she spent on the outpost. She’d been surrounded by thousands but so very alone, lacking companionship and any real intimacy. How would it feel if Kirn wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug? Her throat burned as a rush of unwanted longing besieged her.

“I realize I am much larger than you, Diana, but I promise we can make it work. As I said, I will treat you gently.”

She didn’t know how to respond to his sweet promises, but she needed more information if she was to be successful during her takeover of the ship. He’d kidnapped her and she couldn’t forget it. “We-we’re currently on our way to New Vaxx? Your new planet?”

“That is correct.”

“And you are the only Vaxxlian on this ship? You don’t have any crew members, do you?” She hadn’t seen anyone else yet, but she had to be sure.

He lifted one eyebrow at her and his expression turned almost comical. A slight smile tugged at his lips too, revealing one dimpling cheek that she hadn’t noticed until now. Her heart fluttered yet again in his presence. “So many interesting questions, my sweet mate. You wouldn’t, by chance, be making plans to steal my ship, would you?”

She felt all the blood drain from her face and she swallowed hard. “N-no. Of course not. I’m just curious.”

He reached for her hair and stroked his fingers through her tangled locks. His touch incited a rush of endorphins along her scalp, making her tingle from her head down to her toes. She inhaled a shaky breath. No man had ever affected her this way before. Of course, no man had ever gotten so close without her breaking his legs.

“There is no one else on this ship, Diana,” he finally said. “Only us. We are set to arrive on New Vaxx in less than two days. I think you will love it there. It’s an unspoiled planet with majestic views. Huge green mountains, endless forests filled with wildlife, crystal clear blue oceans and lakes, and favorable weather. Most days are warm and filled with sunshine.”

“Sunshine?” She had spent the last ten years dreaming of sunshine. Although she wasn’t thrilled with his actions or the idea of becoming his mate—they were strangers, after all—New Vaxx sounded like a beautiful planet. Like the kind of world she would’ve sought out after leaving the outpost by herself.

“Lots of sunshine.” He smiled down at her. “I can almost see it now—the sunshine glinting off the auburn strands in your otherwise dark hair.”

He fell to his knees before her, still holding her head in his hands. Her heart raced. What was happening? Why did she wish he would lean down—yes down, even resting on his knees he was still freaking taller than her—and press his lips to hers?

“How did you know I was on the outpost?” she asked, needing to say something to break the tension. He’d just kidnapped her for goodness’ sake and she most definitely shouldn’t be thinking about kissing him. Or running her hands over his bulging biceps or tracing the lines of his handsome face.

“My people recently released probes into the sectors surrounding New Vaxx to locate human female lifeforms, as humans are the only race known to be sexually compatible with us. While we know of Earth and some of my people are traveling there now, it is a long journey to the home planet of humans. Fortunately, there are some human settlements on other planets. Hundreds of Vaxxlian warriors have already found their mates thanks to the probes thus far. When I received an alert from a probe near the outpost, I rushed to this sector and searched for you. I was surprised to find you in the cage. I have never seen a female fight before.” He stared at her with reverence gleaming in his otherworldly depths.

“I didn’t enjoy fighting or killing.” The need to explain surged through her. For a reason she couldn’t fathom, she didn’t want him believing she was a bad person—even if she sometimes thought it of herself. “I planned to leave the outpost after I earned enough from my winnings to purchase a vessel and go somewhere far, far away.”

“You didn’t have a particular planet in mind?”

“No, just somewhere beautiful and warm and sunny. But I always imagined myself alone.”

“You imagined yourself spending the rest of your days all alone?” His eyes filled with sadness and he resumed running his fingers through her hair with a gentleness that astounded her.

“Well, yes. Alone.” She inhaled a deep breath, and suddenly all her reasons for wanting to be alone no longer felt as if they rang true. After the constant crowds of the outpost and fighting and killing over and over again, she had believed she wanted to be all by herself. But New Vaxx sounded like a lovely place and from what she knew of Vaxxlians, they were an honorable race. The people living in the settlement there wouldn’t be hardened criminals like most of those who visited the Meccaman Outpost.

“You never thought about finding a mate and starting a family?”

“Err…no. I never really thought about finding a mate, or a husband. My only focus these last few years has been escape.” Freedom.

“Are you going to try to escape me?” He gave her a sexy grin that left her so unsettled, she tried to slip away from him, only for her back to hit the cool viewscreen wall. “You have nothing to fear from me, my sweet mate. I vow to never hurt you. Your days of hurting and being alone are over.”

Chapter 3

Kirn’s heart ached to know Diana had had to choose between working in a brothel and participating in the cage fights. From what he understood, she had spent years on the outpost. No wonder she’d perked up when he mentioned sunshine. He longed to give her the sun, the moons, the lush green forests, the clear blue oceans and lakes, and the towering mountains of New Vaxx.

He also longed to give her affection. She claimed to crave solitude, yet he sensed a deep loneliness within her.

“Diana, are you hungry?”

After a moment of hesitation, she nodded. “Yes, and very thirsty, too.”

He rose to his feet and strode to the replicator, happy for the ability to provide her with something she needed, even if it was simply a good meal. He ordered a tray filled with fruits, cheeses, breads, as well as two tall glasses of water. Her eyes lit up when he turned with the tray in his hands.

“Wow, I’ve never seen a food replicator before. That’s pretty amazing.”

“Our home has a food replicator in the kitchen, but it also has traditional kitchen appliances. We are growing crops in the fields surrounding our settlement and all the houses have rooftop gardens.”

“You have a home already built on New Vaxx?”

“Yes. Our warriors didn’t set out to search for our mates until the settlement on New Vaxx was ready for an influx of females and new families,” he said, setting the tray on a large table near the viewscreen. He gestured to a chair that was bolted to the floor. “Please, sit and eat, my sweet mate.”

She cast him a shy look and climbed into her seat. “Thank you, Kirn.” She bit into a piece of fruit and closed her eyes briefly as a look of immense gratification washed over her face. “This is delicious. Thanks again.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

He sat in the chair opposite of her, and they enjoyed the meal in silence as the stars streaked by outside the viewscreen, as the ship maintained hyperdrive. Kirn couldn’t wait to get her home and show her the new world to which she would belong. But he couldn’t help but wonder how long it would take for her heart to open to him. How many suns would rise and set on New Vaxx before she agreed to be his mate?

Until the war with the Irrcons, mating pairs among his people had been arranged. He’d been set to mate with a female named Hullonia upon his return to Vaxxlia. But the wretched Irrcons destroyed Vaxxlia and Hullonia perished during the attack, along with millions of other Vaxxlian females. His spirits darkened at the remembrance. He’d lost both his parents during the attack as well.

Thank the Star God he still had his four brothers—Deza, Stax, Fynd, and Zann—all of whom would live on the same street in their new settlement on New Vaxx. The five of them had built houses side by side. His younger brothers, Deza and Stax, had both already found mates and returned to their new home. But his older brothers, Fynd and Zann, were still searching. Kirn sincerely hoped Fynd and Zann found mates soon.

After the pain of losing millions of Vaxxlians, all of them gone in an instant, he was eager to join in his people’s efforts to rebuild. Once there were families again and once the population on New Vaxx began to steadily grow, the deep wounds left by the bloody war would finally begin to heal.

“Why are you so big?” Diana’s sudden question pulled him from his thoughts. “I mean…you’re taller than most Vaxxlian males, right?”

He finished chewing a piece of cheese, swallowed, and met her inquisitive gaze. “I am currently the tallest Vaxxlian alive. A healer once examined me and said I possess a rare genetic mutation. If you are worried about our babies being too large for you to carry, fear not, my sweet mate. I’ve consulted with my brother, Stax, who is a respected healer among my people, and he has assured me that a human female can safely carry my child. If the child does inherit the mutation and becomes too large during your pregnancy, the child can be removed from your womb and placed in an ectogenesis chamber for the remainder of—”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” she said, her face flushing. “I haven’t agreed to be your mate and you’re already talking about us having babies together. I never thought I would even have children, let alone a husband, or a mate. This is happening fast. I need more time to think.”

He reached across the table and took her hand. “I am confident you will eventually agree to become my mate, Diana. But I promise I will be patient until that time. I will not force myself upon you.”

She stiffened. “But you’re still forcing me to come to New Vaxx with you.” She wrenched her hand from his and stared at her lap, avoiding his gaze entirely.

A shadow fell over him. What would he do if she persisted in refusing him? What if she truly never changed her mind? He’d believed he was rescuing her from the outpost, only to discover she didn’t require rescuing. She claimed to have won over sixty consecutive cage fights and he believed her. But he couldn’t return her to the corrupt and seedy Meccaman Outpost. It was no place for a female.

He also couldn’t fathom letting her go. His heart heaved with grief at the thought of parting with her. Frustrated, he rose to his feet and stared down at her.

“I cannot let you go and leave you somewhere, Diana, without protection. Nor could I return you to the outpost. It would not be honorable. Though you are a strong fighter, you would still be in danger and I cannot bear the idea of harm falling upon you. You will remain with me, whether or not you decide to become my mate.”

He strode from the room before she could reply.

* * *

The Vaxxlian giant was stubborn and possessive.

Yet Diana couldn’t help but admire him. His people had suffered much. She’d seen firsthand the devastating impact of war. Before she fled Recrusha, her home planet which had been settled by humans over two centuries ago, she had witnessed the deaths of family and friends. Her aunts, uncles, and cousins perished during an attack on her city. She’d helped her father pull their bodies from the smoking rubble the following morning, the day before her father had decided they would flee the planet entirely, as he believed the civil war that had broken out between the eastern and western colonies on the planet would only get worse.

“We’ll find a brand-new world to call home. Someplace that’s sunny and warm and peaceful. I promise.”

His words returned to her now, so clear in her mind that he could’ve been standing behind her, speaking them into her ear. But when he died, his promises died with him.

What would he think of her cage fighting? What would he think of her having taken dozens of lives? She hated taking lives. Every death weighed on her conscience, even though the aliens she fought would’ve likely killed her in return. Even though most of them were criminals and the universe was probably safer without them.

After she slayed her first opponent, she’d visited one of the brothels, thinking perhaps it would be better to earn a living spreading her legs to the various aliens who passed through the outpost. But the women in the brothel all looked haunted and most of them had glazed over eyes, having taken drugs just to survive the day. So, she’d returned to the arena and killed again and again, all the while praying for the light at the end of the tunnel. Praying for release. Praying for freedom from the hell that had become her life.

Tomorrow she would reach New Vaxx. Could she find her place among the Vaxxlians and humans there? Could she make the newly settled planet her home?

The stress brought on by the constant noise and crowds of the Meccaman Outpost was steadily fading and she had Kirn to thank for it. For the first time in years, she could truly breathe. She no longer had to look over her shoulder, out of fear a rival cage fighter would attempt to stab her in the back.

She moved to the bed and hugged her knees to her chest, wondering if Kirn would return to speak to her again before they reached New Vaxx. Her refusal to become his mate frustrated him, she could tell, despite his promise to be patient and not force himself on her. Perhaps he would avoid her until they landed on his planet.

Hours passed and still he did not return. She walked around his spacious quarters and eventually did her daily fighting exercises, even though the chance of her returning to the cage fights looked slim. She undressed and threw her clothes in the clothing refresher located in the bathroom, then took a quick shower, hoping Kirn would not return while she was cleaning up. Thankfully, he didn’t.

Exhausted, she finally fell into the bed and closed her eyes. The sheets smelled nice. Fresh with a hint of soap and an undertone of spicy masculinity. Like Kirn. Her heart thudded and despite her utter fatigue, she found herself tossing and turning. The stars seemed to mock her as she tried to fall asleep, only for rest to elude her in a continuous loop.

She huffed and sat up against the pillows. The bed was too large for just one person, she mused. In fact, the bed alone was larger than her little room located behind the arena on the Meccaman Outpost. She’d had a small mattress on the floor, a tiny cabinet where she stored ration packs and water, and a basket shoved in a corner that contained her clothing. She didn’t miss her dimly lit, small, lonely room.

She glanced at the viewscreen. Stars. Open space. For the first time in years, she had a view of the stars just to herself. At the outpost, she could only enjoy the view of open space when she visited one of the bars that had a viewscreen, or Grellol’s lavish private quarters, neither of which she had enjoyed doing.

Stifling a yawn, she snuggled back onto the pillows and closed her eyes once more. This time, she managed to drift off. But monsters plagued her dreams. Big, black creatures without eyes advanced on her, chasing her down endless corridors of a huge spaceship. Then, without warning, she appeared in the fighting arena as the cage was lowered around her and a snarling three-headed alien. Three mouths with sharp teeth gnashed at her, getting closer and closer. But she couldn’t fight back. Her feet were rooted to the floor and every time she tried to run or defend herself, it was as if she were treading water.

She awoke with a scream, only to find herself nestled against a huge, warm body.

“Shh,” Kirn’s voice came to her, pulling her from the lingering horror of her nightmares. “It was just a dream. You’re safe, my sweet mate. You’re safe with me. I won’t let anything or anyone hurt you ever again.”

His softly spoken words penetrated her heart. Before she realized what she was doing, she turned in his arms and held onto him as if her life depended on it. He stroked her back and her hair, while his warm breath wafted against her neck. He started whispering into her ear in his native tongue, and though she couldn’t understand the words, she found comfort in them.

She found comfort in him. And even though he’d kidnapped her, even though they were still very much strangers, she didn’t want him to release her just yet. She had nightmares almost every night, but until now, no one had ever comforted her in the aftermath of those terrifying dreams. How wondrous it was to be held by Kirn while he whispered soothingly into her ear.

She’d been strong because she had no choice. She’d learned to fight because she didn’t want to sell her body to a dozen different men a day. The only person who’d ever protected her—her father—had died years ago. She’d almost forgotten the peace of feeling protected by another and she nestled deeper into Kirn’s embrace.

“Thank you, Kirn,” she whispered, tightening her hold around his huge center.

“I will hold you all night, Diana. I promise. Now, close your eyes and sleep again. I’ll be right here.” He started singing to her in Vaxxlian, his deep but melodious voice the last thing she heard before she once again succumbed to sleep.

The monsters didn’t return that night.

Chapter 4

Kirn loved awakening with Diana in his arms. Her tiny body was curled into his chest, her steady breaths tickling his neck. Peering down at her, he stroked her hair from her face, wanting to catch a glimpse of her while she slept. 

To his relief, her expression appeared peaceful, with no trace of the terror he’d witnessed last night. A soft sigh left her and she turned slightly in his embrace.

Her eyes opened and she tensed for a moment, then relaxed when her gaze drifted up to his.

“Good morning,” she said, her cheeks flushing.

“Good morning, my sweet mate.”

“You’re still here.” She rolled onto her back and pushed herself against the pillows.

“Of course, I’m still here. Where would I go?” He sat up beside her and reached for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. “I promised to stay with you all night, and I did.”

Her face reddened further. “About last night...I’m embarrassed.”

“You have nothing to be embarrassed about.” He didn’t understand why she was flushing or why she seemed upset with herself. In his mind, she’d done nothing wrong. She’d had a nightmare and he’d comforted her, as any honorable male would do for his mate.

She sighed and looked down at their joined hands. It pleased him she wasn’t pulling away from him but was allowing his touch, even though she was awake where the nightmares couldn’t reach her.

“Do Vaxxlians dream?”

“Yes.”

“Do you ever have bad dreams?” Her voice sounded distant, as if she were lost in thought.

“Yes, I have nightmares on occasion.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, wishing he could erase the pain in her heart. “Usually, during such dreams I’m being chased by something dangerous, and I cannot make my legs work to run away. Or I’m in battle and I cannot lift my arms to fire a blaster at the enemy who’s rushing in.” 

A look of astonishment filled her deep blue eyes. “Wow, that’s pretty much how my dream was going last night. I guess humans and Vaxxlians have more in common than I thought.” She uttered this last statement in a detached tone, as if she were speaking to herself rather than him.

He gave her hand a squeeze and waited for her to meet his stare. Once their gazes collided, he stroked her hair behind her ears and leaned closer. “Do you have nightmares often?”

Her eyes darkened and she glanced away. “I-I don’t want to talk about it. But thank you,” she said, swallowing hard, “for staying with me last night.”

“We’ll be together every night for the rest of our lives,” he reminded her.

At this, she shot him a wary glance, but she didn’t refute his statement. She also wasn’t jumping out of the bed and trying to get away from him. She allowed him to hold her hand, stroke her hair, and sit close to her on the bed, even though the overhead and wall lights that signaled daytime glowed in his quarters. A calm had descended between them and he couldn’t be happier. He hoped her willingness to speak with him and sit so close to him meant she was starting to trust him. His heart warmed at the thought.

Her stomach suddenly growled. An instant later, so did his.

They both laughed.

“I’ll make us breakfast. Have you ever had Erustrian eggs?”

She shook her head with a smile. “No, but I’ll be happy to eat anything you make.”

His spirits soaring, he climbed out of bed and strode to the food replicator.

He was making progress with his female.

* * *

Diana almost moaned when she took a bite of the eggs. She hadn’t had eggs since she was a child, and these were more flavorful and fluffier than the ones her father used to make. Kirn had also replicated berries, some kind of flat warm bread, and the most delicious fruit juice she’d ever tasted. At the outpost, food had been expensive. Most of the time, she’d bought ration packs in bulk, rarely indulging in any sort of fresh food. While this replicated food wasn’t freshly grown, it sure tasted like it.

“Thanks for breakfast. It was delicious.”

“You’re welcome, my sweet mate.” He reached across the table and grasped her hand.

The contact of his fingers sliding through hers caused little hot pulses to quake between her thighs. She felt her face heating and struggled to maintain eye contact with the handsome giant. She’d been in his presence for only a day and already she was warming to him.

His thumb trailed across the soft underside of her wrist, and his gentle touch prompted her entire arm to tingle. The tingling sensation soon rushed over her whole body, leaving her feeling as if she was floating in the stars. Her breath came in short, shallow puffs and she found herself squirming on the chair.

“I need to go check on the ship’s systems,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze. “I will return for the midday meal, Diana. I’m afraid my ship doesn’t offer much in the way of entertainment, but once we reach New Vaxx I doubt you will ever become bored.”

“I could come with you. I’d like to see the rest of your ship.”

He stared at her in silence for a long moment, as if thinking. Finally, he exhaled a deep breath and said, “I would prefer to keep you in my quarters where I know you are completely safe.”

Her spirits sank, but she couldn’t blame him. He probably thought she was planning to take over his ship. Wasn’t she, though? She didn’t know anymore. All she knew was that when Kirn rose from his seat and placed a kiss atop her head, she liked it far more than she should.

After he departed his quarters, she was alone with nothing but her thoughts.

Thoughts that repeatedly strayed to the handsome Vaxxlian warrior.

Chapter 5

Kirn guided Diana down the ramp and onto the sandy beach. Waves lapped at the shore and the tree line swayed in the light breeze. A flock of white birds soared overhead, venturing out over the water and disappearing on the horizon where the vibrant blue ocean met pale blue sky. Sunlight gleamed off the strands of auburn in Diana’s otherwise dark hair, just as he’d known it would.

Her wide eyes met his and her entire face lit up, outshining the beauty of their surroundings. “Oh, Kirn, this place is so lovely, I can’t even…” Her voice trailed off and she blinked rapidly, sniffling as she took in the splendor of the island.

“This is an uninhabited island on New Vaxx, though it is a short flight from our settlement, Starrzia, which is located on the mainland.” He pointed in the direction of the large continent where they would soon make their home together, though the land mass couldn’t be seen from the island. He’d wanted to bring her here before taking her to Starrzia, wanted to allow her time to bask in the beauty of nature after having spent years on that dreadful outpost. “I promise the mainland is beautiful as well, my sweet mate, and I also promise we can visit this island whenever you wish.”

“Why did you bring me here first, instead of your settlement?” She turned to face him as the wind lifted her hair momentarily off her shoulders. She brushed her long locks behind her ears and stared up at him, her face flushed and her lips parted as she inhaled a deep breath.

“You spoke of finding a warm, sunny planet.” He gestured at the island around them. “This is the warmest, sunniest place on New Vaxx that I have visited thus far.”

Kirn found himself shifting uncomfortably in place. He hoped she liked the island and the rest of New Vaxx. If she didn’t…

He couldn’t complete the thought.

How could he let her go?

The universe was a dangerous place for a lone female, even a cage fighter like Diana. He admired her strength and her will to survive, but he remembered her cries of terror in the middle of the night. He wanted to hold her every night for the rest of their lives, if only to keep the nightmares from interrupting her slumber. She deserved nothing but the sweetest of dreams.

Diana gazed at the shore with a sudden air of determination, slipped her boots off, and dashed off toward the water. He watched in fascination as she ran through the sand until she reached the waves. She stood up to her knees in the water, laughing as the ocean soaked her pants. Holding her hands out, she touched the incoming waves and splashed through the water with delight. When the water reached her waist, Kirn became nervous. The currents along the island were strong and might knock her off her feet.

But perhaps she wanted to go swimming. Her safety as his only concern, Kirn stripped off his clothing and boots, then swiftly approached her. She turned just before he entered the water and gave a squeal of surprise.

“Kirn! What are you doing?” Her gaze drifted to his manhood and she gasped.

He entered the water and took her in his arms. “I’m keeping you safe.” He turned with her on his chest and kicked his feet, propelling them out beyond the tallest waves in mere moments. Her fingers dug into his sides as she clutched onto him, though he had one arm wound tightly around her and wouldn’t have allowed her to fall off.

“But I was already perfectly safe.” She lifted her head and peered back at the island. “Wow, you can swim really fast.”

“One strong wave could have toppled you over, my sweet mate.”

She laughed. “How am I any safer now that I’m leagues from the shore?”

He met her twinkling blue eyes and his heart pounded faster in his chest. “You are safe because I won’t let you go, Diana.”

“I sense a hidden meaning in that statement.” She lifted an eyebrow at him, though her good humor remained. Her eyes still sparkled and a grin yet tugged at the corners of her sensuous lips.

He grew serious. “It pains me to know you were stranded on that outpost for ten long years. I want to help you make up for lost time. I want to show you the world, my world, in the hope that it will be enough for you. In the hope that it will make you happy.”

“I appreciate you bringing me here, Kirn.” Her eyes darkened. “And though just a day ago I was planning to take over your ship,” she admitted with a chuckle, “I think I could get used to this place, and maybe, in time, I could—er, we could…” Her voice trailed off, though he sensed she was trying to convey something important.

She shifted on his chest and her leg brushed against his shaft. Despite the cool temperature of the water, his blood heated and his cock swelled at the physical contact. He couldn’t wait to get her naked beneath him, to spend hours memorizing the luscious curves of her body and kissing every little part of her. He would worship her as she deserved, stroke her to bliss and make her see stars. To prepare her to accept his large size, he would slowly pump his fingers inside her first in order to test how deep he could delve into her tightness without harming her. He would be very, very gentle. He wanted to prove to her they were indeed compatible in every way.

“Diana, please, tell me what it is you were trying to say a moment ago.” He sensed her defenses wavering, her resistance to him no longer as steadfast as when he’d carried her off the outpost kicking and screaming.

She inhaled a shaky breath and peered deep into his eyes. “I-I was going to say that maybe, in time, we could get to know one another better. I never thought I’d take a mate, Kirn, but you’re nothing like the men I knew on the outpost. You’re different. You’re sweet and gentle and you look at me as if you care about me, which is crazy because we just met.”

His spirits soared at her words. Joy, true joy, the first immense wave of delight he’d known since the bloody war against the Irrcons, filled his heart to bursting. “When I first laid eyes on you, Diana, I intended to take you as my mate. A Vaxxlian male always cares for his mate and sees to her happiness. Even though we have only just met, I harbor a great warmth for you in my heart. The thought of letting you go saddens me more than any pain I’ve ever known. I pray that we can remain together, and I pray that you will eventually agree to repeat the sacred mating vows of my people and join your body with mine.”

He turned in the water, guiding them back safely toward the shore. Once they reached the island, he stood in the water and lifted her in his arms, carrying her back to the ship.

“Come, I will replicate you some dry clothing better suited for my planet.”

“You can replicate clothing, too? Not just food?” She peered up at him, her face awash in wonder.

“Yes. I have a materials replicator in engineering. If you promise not to stage a mutiny, Diana, I will give you a proper tour of my ship.”

She smiled. “It’s a deal.”

* * *

“Um, you’re still naked.” Diana glanced away from Kirn as soon as he set her down in his quarters. Her heart raced a thousand light years a minute. He’d taken her swimming in the ocean, pressed against his huge, firm body, with his hard manhood pressed to her leg. And she’d loved every second of it.

“And you’re dripping wet,” he replied, reaching for the fastenings of her pants. “Let’s get you out of these clothes and into a hot shower.”

Desire flooded her, pulsing hot between her thighs. She allowed Kirn to push her pants down to her ankles, and when he knelt to pull them all the way off her, she grabbed ahold of his arms to steady herself. Her panties came next. Not only was he undressing her, but she wasn’t putting up a fight. She wanted his hands on her, roving over her nakedness, and she shuddered when his large warm palms massaged her thighs.

Not for the first time, she marveled at his great size. Although he knelt before her, she still had to stare up at him. His hands moved from her thighs to her hips, and she stepped closer, her pulse racing as the passion flared between them. He ran his hands up and down her sides, underneath her shirt, several times, touching and exploring her as he held her gaze captive. His green eyes glowed brighter and then darker. His nostrils flared.

“I can smell your arousal, Diana.” He reached for her shirt and pulled it over her head in one quick move, tossing it to the floor with her pants and panties.

Her chest heaving, she now stood before him in nothing but a wet bra. A fast glance down showed her hardened nipples protruded through the thin fabric. She reached for the clasp at the front and opened it, allowing her breasts to spill out.

A deep, primal growl emanated from Kirn. Her pussy spasmed. It was the sexiest sound she’d ever heard. She moved closer and her thigh brushed against his massive erection. A quiver ran through her.

He was huge. So freaking huge. She doubted he would be able to thrust his entire length into her, but he’d promised to be gentle with her. He wouldn’t go back on his word. Kirn had shown her nothing but kindness so far. She trusted him.

Tears misted in her eyes. He’d taken her on a special trip to this beautiful island, just because he thought she would love the sun and the warmth. Talk about a grand gesture. During her time at the outpost, no one had shown her even the smallest amount of kindness.

Kill or be killed. Follow Grellol’s orders or be taken out. It was all she’d known for years. But that part of her life had ended, thanks to Kirn. She almost smiled as she recalled how fiercely she’d fought him while he carried her out of the arena. She noticed a change in herself since leaving that dark place and she liked it. She was allowing herself to hope for things she’d dared not hope for. How could she have guessed she would one day have a chance at becoming a handsome Vaxxlian warrior’s mate, having a family with him, and living on a beautiful planet in a brand-new settlement? It was more than she’d ever thought she could deserve, but such a future remained within her grasp. She only needed to reach out and take it. Reach out and accept Kirn as her mate.

She shrugged the bra completely off herself and wound her arms around him. It was sweet of him to kneel so she didn’t have to hurt her neck just to meet his eyes. Of course, as she stared into those glowing green eyes, she realized he could easily lean down to kiss her now. A few inches and his lips could press against hers.

As if reading her mind, he cupped her face in his hands and gently kissed her. She shuddered against him and reveled in the moment. Her first kiss. With a giant Vaxxlian warrior, no less. Need swelled within her and she moaned and parted her lips, inviting him to kiss her harder. She tightened her grip on his sides as a whimper built in her throat.

His rigid shaft pulsed along her thigh as he shifted closer, their bodies now pressed together, flesh to flesh. She tasted the saltwater on his lips and moaned again. Finally, he delved his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss with an urgency that matched her own.

He growled and tightened his hold on her face. He tasted as good as he smelled, like the sweet fruit-filled muffins they’d enjoyed for breakfast. But when his tongue suddenly vibrated against hers, she broke away from the kiss with a gasp.

“Something wrong?” His gaze bored into hers.

“Um, your tongue. It vibrates?”

“Of course. Don’t human tongues vibrate?”

“No, they don’t.” Now that the surprise was wearing off, she realized his vibrating tongue could be a good thing. She smiled and lifted her face, beckoning him to resume kissing her. “But I like it. Do it again. Please.”

With another lust-inducing growl, his lips slammed to hers and he clutched her face harder. His tongue slipped inside her mouth and vibrated against hers, a delicious sensation that sent an erotic thrill quivering throughout her entire body. Not breaking the kiss, he swept her up in his arms with her legs on either side of him. He carried her into the bathroom and stepped into the shower.

He broke their kiss with obvious reluctance and placed her on her feet. Stroking her hair, he said, “You’re beautiful, Diana.” He turned the water on and the warm spray drifted down from multiple shower heads in the ceiling, soothing her sore muscles in an instant.

She closed her eyes and tilted her head under the water, luxuriating in this bliss. At the outpost, she’d been lucky to grab a quick, cold shower after the cage fights. This was heavenly. Between the relaxing shower and the pleasure of Kirn’s passionate kisses, her legs began to tremble. She reached for him to steady herself, and he once more dropped to his knees, allowing her to hold onto his arms for support.

He pressed a button on the wall and a fragrant aroma filled the large shower stall. She noticed a soapy substance pouring out of some of the shower heads, but it didn’t burn her eyes and it wasn’t overpowering. The first time she’d used this shower, when she’d been alone, she’d had to search for a bottle of liquid soap in the cabinets, as she hadn’t understood the function of all the buttons. But this was perfect, and when Kirn grabbed a washcloth and commenced rubbing it up and down her arms, she found herself wishing this moment would last forever.

“How long will the hot water last?” she asked.

“The water will remain hot for as long as you need it, my sweet mate.” He resumed caressing her with the cloth, running it over her back, her legs, and her stomach as well.

Once he finished, she grabbed a fresh cloth and tried to return the favor, though his large size presented some difficulty. She couldn’t reach around him to wash his back or his legs, so she walked around him and ran the cloth over his impressive muscular body.

I’m taking a shower with a huge, sexy Vaxxlian male. Her heart thudded faster.

His firm buttocks caught her gaze and she couldn’t look away. The urge to drop the cloth and run her bare hands over his delectable naked butt had her pausing in her efforts to clean him. Did she dare? But before she could make up her mind, Kirn turned and reached for her, drawing her close to his chest.

He kissed her again and again while the fragrant water streamed over their bodies.

Chapter 6

After their shower/make-out session, Kirn replicated a flowing sundress for Diana and a pair of comfortable sandals. She felt as if she were walking on the clouds, and it wasn’t just because of the new shoes.

He’d roused strange but not unwelcome feelings within her. For the first time in years, she harbored a sense of hope for the future. She also dared to imagine things she’d never dreamed of before—like living in a community with a mate of her very own and having children. Before war broke out on Recrusha, she’d enjoyed a peaceful and carefree childhood. Though her mother had died when she was too young to remember, Diana had been surrounded by a huge extended loving family. Alone in her room on the outpost, she used to close her eyes and long for those times, the precious days spent with her family, friends, and neighbors on her home planet.

Perhaps she could rebuild her life in the same way the Vaxxlians were rebuilding theirs. She smiled at the thought as she walked along the beach with Kirn.

“I love this place.” Finally. Finally, she had reached the planet of her dreams and she no longer had to forge a living as a cage fighter, taking the lives of prideful aliens who refused to surrender. But thoughts of the outpost gave her pause. Maybe she didn’t deserve this peace, after all. Her conscience suddenly ached, regret welling deep in her heart. “Am I a terrible person for what I’ve done?” she blurted out.

“What is it you think you’ve done, my sweet mate?”

“I’ve killed. Lots of aliens. At the outpost. Dozens of them.” Sometimes she saw their faces. They came to her at night, parading through her dreams of darkness.

He stroked her hair and shook his head. “You are not a terrible person, Diana. Please don’t be so hard on yourself. You found yourself in terrible circumstances and you made the best of the situation. I admire your strength and I hope you will find healing on this planet.” He paused and a haunted look entered his eyes. “I, too, have killed. Hundreds of Irrcons, most during hand-to-hand combat. I did what I must to protect my people and I do not regret it. You did what you needed to survive, my sweet mate, and there is no shame in protecting yourself.”

“When will we go to Starrzia?”

“If it is all right with you, Diana, I would like to travel to Starrzia tomorrow morning. I am anxious to see my younger brothers, Deza and Stax. Though they are aware we’ve landed here, as I sent them a message upon our arrival, I’ve been away from this planet for a long time. I originally traveled far away from New Vaxx in search of a human female but once our probes were fully deployed, I received a signal that a lone human female was on the Meccaman Outpost. I rushed back, hoping to reach you before another Vaxxlian did.”

His admission touched her. Now that she was becoming better acquainted with him, she couldn’t imagine another Vaxxlian warrior carrying her off the outpost.

“Tomorrow is fine,” she finally said. “I know you must miss your brothers and I wouldn’t want to keep you away from them. If I still had family left alive, I would want to be with them.”

He paused and drew her close, hugging her to his firm body. She was starting to get used to their huge difference in size and didn’t mind that whenever he hugged her, her head rested on his stomach. She laced her arms around him and stared at the orange glow of the sun on the horizon. Today was drawing to a close and her heart raced at the prospect of what tonight might bring.

He’d slept beside her both nights on the Alonna, holding her in his strong embrace to help keep her nightmares at bay, all the while never trying to force himself on her while they were in bed. She appreciated that he was giving her the time she needed to reach a decision in regards to their mating.

Though she hadn’t given him an answer yet, deep in her heart she knew she would eventually say yes. For a reason she couldn’t fathom, New Vaxx already felt like home. She also couldn’t imagine leaving Kirn. His presence calmed her and she truly enjoyed his company. Her heart also filled with warmth whenever their eyes met. Despite only knowing him for a short time, she was starting to care for the gentle giant.

Today, he’d regaled her with stories of his childhood on Vaxxlia. He’d also informed her that until the Irrcons destroyed his homeworld, marriages among his people were arranged, with many couples not even knowing one another until the day of their mating. Of course, with most of their females gone, they’d had to amend their customs. After creating a settlement on New Vaxx, the able-bodied warriors had departed the planet in waves as they searched for their mates amongst the nearest human outposts and settlements.

“The sunset is just as beautiful from our house in Starrzia,” he said, stroking her hair. “We can sit in the rooftop garden and watch the sun set every night over the snow-capped mountains.”

“I would like that.” She peered up at him, her thoughts still on the evening to come. Warmth surged between her thighs and when his nostrils flared, a heated flush consumed her. He could smell her arousal and she couldn’t help the embarrassment that flowed through her. She tried to look down, but he caught her chin between his fingers and forced her to hold his gaze.

Then he dropped to his knees and kissed her, a tender kiss that made her yearn for the happily-ever-after he was promising her. He growled as he deepened the kiss, his tongue soon vibrating against hers. She moaned as passion flared within her, her need for Kirn growing as the waves crashed upon the shore. She wanted him. She was so close to begging him to take her to bed and make love to her, she could practically hear his moans and growls as he pumped inside her.

But virginal apprehension washed over her, causing her to pull away from him and take several steps back. Panting, she stared at him as the arousal still quaked between her legs, a fervent yearning she could not control.

“Is something wrong?” Kirn stared at her with concern reflecting in his gaze. “Did I hurt you?”

“I-I…” She gulped hard and tried to summon her bravery. She was a skilled cage fighter who’d taken down aliens more than twice her size. Why couldn’t she be brave enough to tell Kirn the truth? Why couldn’t she admit the reason she was suddenly nervous? She knew the mechanics of sex—hell, she’d witnessed aliens having sex with women from the brothels in the corridors of the outpost many times over the years—but she worried her first time with Kirn might be especially difficult given her complete inexperience and his enormous size.

“Diana, please, tell me.” He made to reach for her, then retracted his hand, as if not wishing to frighten her.

“This is happening fast,” she said, “and I’m scared. I-I’ve never been with a man before, alien or human.”

“I have never lain with a female before.”

She felt her eyes widen. His admission shocked her. But then after a few moments, it made sense. Until the war against the Irrcons, Vaxxlian mating pairs had been arranged. She supposed premarital sex among his people must not be a thing. Or, if it was, Kirn had remained chaste. Whatever the reason for his lack of sexual experience, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that they would now learn together.

Oh God, was she really about to go through with this?

She hadn’t even visited Starrzia yet, but her desire for a fresh start and a life with Kirn had her so very close to agreeing to become his mate.

He reached for her, once more drawing her close to his body. Through his pants, she felt the telltale bulge of his huge, rigid manhood. Little shudders assailed her, as did a surge of heat in her pussy. She felt breathless with desire as he stared into her eyes and cupped her face, his hands gentle as he handled her. Always gentle.

“So, you see, Diana, I have been waiting my whole life for you,” he eventually said. “I vow to do everything in my power to make you happy, if only you’ll give me the chance.”

* * *

“Take me to bed,” Diana whispered, her voice so low he almost didn’t hear her over the breeze sweeping in from the ocean. Darkness had fallen quickly, the first stars sparkling overhead as the twin moons rose higher in the sky. Nocturnal insects buzzed in the trees, creating a nighttime symphony along with the waves, the breeze, and the sound of their rapid breaths.

His cock thickened in his pants, his heart racing as his passion for her flared hotter and hotter. “Are you agreeing to mate with me, Diana?”

Time stood still as he awaited her answer. He held her in his arms, praying she accepted him, praying she gave him a chance.

“Yes, Kirn. I want to be your mate.” She laced her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

Joy filled him as he held her close. He threaded his fingers through her silken locks and kissed her soundly, kissed her with all the passion that had been building since their first meeting. Growls drifted from his throat and he vibrated his tongue along hers, tasting her and basking in the feel of his true mate returning his kisses.

Sweeping her up into his arms, he carried her to his quarters, determined to finally claim her as his. He placed her on the bed and took her sandals off, then kicked his boots off and came down upon her, straddling her as he trailed kisses along the hollow of her neck. She arched into his touch and ran her hands up and down his sides. Little moans emanated from her throat, the slight vibrations driving him wild. His cock throbbed painfully in his pants. He longed to be inside her, but he resolved not to rush into their first mating session without care for her pleasure.

He slipped the strap of her dress off one shoulder and kissed her flesh there, mesmerized by the freckles covering this part of her body. He moved to the other shoulder and was gratified she had freckles there too. Such beautiful markings. She lurched her hips upward against him and the scent of her arousal filled the air, pungent and sweet and tempting.

His balls tightened with pleasure and he continued exploring her body, caressing her and kissing her all over. He slipped the dress down to her waist, revealing her bare bosom. She hadn’t worn a breast covering today. Dipping his head down, he took one hardened pink peak in his mouth, laving it with his tongue as he cupped her other breast. Her moans increased and she shuddered beneath him, her nipples tightening further.

As the scent of her feminine essence reached him again, he finished pushing the dress down her body and pulled it completely off, tossing it to the floor with her sandals. Next, removed her panties, taking his time as he drew the undergarment down her legs. Once she was fully naked, he stared at her in awe, his heart skipping a beat as he drank in her exquisite beauty. He caressed her stomach and moved his hand down over her mound, delighting in the needy whimper that left her. She spread her thighs and allowed him to continue the intimate explorations.

When he parted her nether folds, she moaned and jerked her hips upward, clutching the bedcovers until her knuckles turned white. She was quite responsive and he had barely touched her yet. He eyed the swollen nubbin that protruded from within her pink lips and soon commenced rubbing it on instinct, slow careful caresses with his thumb as he spread her gathering moisture over it.

“Oh, Kirn.” She squeezed her eyes shut and her whole body trembled.

He loved giving her pleasure, and while he could very easily stroke her to bliss with his thumb, he longed to taste the sweetness between her quivering legs. Settling himself between her thighs, he spread her wider and tentatively licked inside the folds of her pussy.

He growled with pleasure and pressed his tongue to her clit, making it vibrate on her most sensitive bit of flesh. She cried out and ran her hands through his hair, undulating her center against his mouth.

“Oh God.”

The tremors besieging her increased, but he had only just begun.

He alternated licking around her swollen nubbin and directly atop it, teasing her as he slowly, very slowly, inserted one finger into her tightness.

And she was indeed tight. He withdrew his digit partially and shoved it back inside, creating a thrusting motion as he persisted in tormenting her with slight vibrations to her clit. Her continued cries echoed off the walls of his quarters.

He added a second finger, increasing the pace of his drives into her.

Despite her initial tightness, she was able to accommodate his digits quite easily. He didn’t thrust into her very deeply though, not wishing to cause her pain. He’d heard Vaxxlian females often experienced a bit of discomfort during their first mating session and he wondered if it would be the same for human females.

He added a third and fourth finger to his plunges and resumed tending to her clit, circling the nubbin with his tongue on a slow vibrate. It pleased him that she could accept four of his fingers at once, which almost equaled the circumference of his cock.

A few more pumps inside her and she cried out, her hips jerking as she clutched his head, digging her nails into his scalp.

He would wear the scratches as a badge of honor, at least until the nanobots in his bloodstream healed him.

Her clit pulsed against his tongue and her insides clamped down around his digits as she found her release. She shuddered again and again, her moans and whimpers the sweetest sound he’d ever heard.

“Kirn!”

Hearing his name on her lips during the throes of passion spurned him to thrust faster, until the last vestiges of her orgasm finally faded and she lay still in his arms. He withdrew from her center and lifted her into his lap, cradling her in a tender embrace.

Their eyes met and she offered him a sweet but fatigued smile.

His heart danced.

Chapter 7

Diana peered up at Kirn, all the missing pieces in her life suddenly falling into place.

She couldn’t wait to officially become his mate and had never been more certain of anything in her life. Her doubts and worries faded away with one glance into his glowing green eyes. She cupped the side of his face and marveled at how large his features were compared to hers. Her hand looked so tiny as she trailed her fingers over his cheek, but despite their differences they would make it work.

It didn’t bother him that she’d spent the last few years making a living as a cage fighter. He didn’t think her a bad person for having killed her opponents. His acceptance of her resonated deep in her soul. She was thankful she’d met him and couldn’t imagine ever parting from him, even though they hadn’t actually mated yet.

“I think,” she said, untucking his shirt from his pants, “that you are wearing far too much clothing.”

He moved her onto the bed and pulled his shirt off, revealing his broad, muscular chest. “Is this better?” He gave her a mischievous wink.

She grinned. “It’s a good start.” She reached for the fastening of his pants, eager to get him completely undressed.

Rising to his feet, he obliged her by kicking off his boots and then stripping off his pants. He stood before her in all his naked glory, his huge hard cock jutting out. She sucked in a quick breath and licked her lips, eager to take him in her mouth.

She’d never done anything like this before, but she moved on instinct, leaning forward to take his hugeness into her mouth. Or at least the tip of his cock. She gripped the base of his massive girth and took him as deep as she could manage, bobbing her head up and down over his manhood as she tasted him, barely making it past the tip.

He groaned and his cock pulsed in her mouth, hard throbs that rivaled the vibrations of his tongue. Heat flowed through her as she licked up and down his mighty shaft.

He withdrew from her mouth and growled, then uttered what she guessed were curses in his native tongue. He met her eyes. “My sweet mate, I must have you now. I do not wish to spill myself inside your mouth this first time.”

Sitting on the bed, he drew her into his lap and brushed her hair behind her ears. “We must utter the sacred mating vows of my people before we join our bodies as one.”

“Oh? Kind of like marriage vows?” She loved the sound of that and eagerly awaited his instructions.

But before he could guide her in the vows, a violent impact rocked the ship.

In an instant, they both flew off the bed.

All the air rushed from Diana’s lungs as she hit the viewscreen wall. A glance out the window showed three ships emerging from the darkness, sleek triangle-shaped vessels with red flashing lights. Green orbs fired from the ships and hit the Alonna again and again.

Kirn reached Diana and knelt next to her.

“What’s happening? Who are they?”

“I do not know,” he said, “but their weaponry is advanced and has penetrated our shields. The ship is taking damage. We must escape.”

The lights in his quarters blinked on and off and smoked filled the air. Diana rose to her feet with Kirn’s assistance, then suddenly realized she was completely naked. So was he. They exchanged a knowing look and searched the floor for their clothing. He helped her into her dress and sandals, then donned his own clothing and boots. Thankfully, a reprieve in the attack allowed them the time to dress.

But a glance out the viewscreen showed the three vessels had landed on the beach.

Fear clutched her heart.

“Those aren’t Irrcon ships?”

“No,” he replied. “I’ve never seen vessels like these before. Come, let’s get to the escape pod.”

He guided her through the dark corridors of the ship. Most of the lights had now dimmed, but Kirn seemed to have no trouble navigating through the darkness. She held his hand and ran beside him, her pulse pounding in her ears.

They reached an alcove at the end of a corridor and Kirn pressed his palm to a panel beside it. A door opened to reveal a small ship.

“We’ll eject from the Alonna and dive into the ocean. It will be more difficult for the vessels to track us while we’re in the water. We’ll head for Starrzia for reinforcements, although it’s possible the same foes have already attacked our settlement on the mainland.”

He opened the door of the escape pod, but before he could help her into her seat, a strange tingling sensation affected Diana. She paused and looked at her hands, stunned to see them becoming transparent. A glance at Kirn showed the same was happening to him.

Oh God. They were being teleported off the ship.

A moment later, their surroundings changed completely.

They appeared in the brig of a strange ship, and the bars in front of the cell glowed bright blue. Kirn growled and reached for the bars, but just as he touched them, sparks flew and his entire body slammed backward into the cell. He hit the wall with a thunderous thud and slumped to the floor.

* * *

Painful spasms throbbed throughout Kirn’s body. He opened his eyes but couldn’t manage to focus on his surroundings. Where was he? Why did everything hurt?

“Kirn? Kirn? Are you okay?” Diana’s worried voice pulled him back to reality.

He sat up quickly and growled at the bars, where two aliens in black garb stared down at them. He wrapped a protective arm around Diana, who was kneeling at his side, and snarled at them again.

Memories fell back into place. The island on New Vaxx. Preparing to take Diana as his mate. The attack. Trying to reach the escape pod. Both their bodies shimmering under the effects of teleportation before they had appeared in this cell.

Thankfully, the painful throbs in his body quickly subsided as the nanobots in his bloodstream rapidly repaired his injuries. The bars still glowed bright blue. He should’ve known better than to touch something electrified and chided himself for the mistake.

“You’re right, Erton,” the tallest alien said in Galactic Common, passing a stack of golden coins to his companion. “He really is a giant. That’s the last time I bet against you.”

The tallest alien had three red eyes, while the shorter one could’ve been human if not for his lack of a nose. They weren’t from the same race, but who were they and what did they want with Kirn and Diana? He strengthened his hold on her, vowing to keep her protected. He would die before he let anything happen to her.

“Release us at once,” Kirn demanded.

No Nose laughed. “Not a chance. After we turn you both into Grellol and collect the bounty on your heads, we’ll be able to retire and buy a whole freaking planet if we want to.”

“Grellol?” Diana gasped. “That bastard put a bounty on our heads?”

“Yes, he did.” Three Eyes winked at them with his center eye. “Five hundred thousand galactic credits for each of you.”

Kirn released Diana and rose to his feet. He took two steps toward the bars, hoping his size would intimidate the bounty hunters. “How did you track us?”

“Easy.” Three Eyes nodded at Diana. “Grellol has a tracker in the human’s arm. He gave all interested bounty hunters access to the tracking system. Our ships were the only ones able to get past Vaxxlian forces and reach the little island. We arrived as a fleet of five ships and only three are returning. But, that bounty will be a lot larger now that it’s going to be split amongst a smaller number of us.” He threw his head back and laughed heartily, revealing rows of yellowed teeth, as he slapped No Nose’s back.

It gave Kirn some hope that his people had confronted the bounty hunters. Perhaps they would stage a rescue attempt. He knew his brothers would not rest knowing he and his mate had been taken from New Vaxx by dishonorable bounty hunters. But the bounty hunters’ vessels were powerful. They’d arrived with a fleet of five ships. Clearly, they were an advanced and organized operation.

The gloating aliens finally departed the brig, leaving Kirn fuming as he paced the cell.

“Kirn, I’m so sorry,” Diana said, scratching a red mark on her arm.

A horrible thought entered his mind. Had Diana known about the tracker all along?

He stared down at her, praying it wasn’t true. They’d been on the verge of mating. Before the blasts shook the Alonna, they had been preparing to repeat the sacred mating vows of his people and join their bodies as one. He knelt in front of her and gave her a serious look.

“Diana, did you know about the tracker in your arm?”

Her frightened expression morphed into one of anger. “How dare you? You think I knew I was being tracked all this time and never said anything? You think I wanted to be captured by Grellol?”

“You wanted to escape me—at first. You wanted to return to the outpost.”

“Yeah, key words being at first.” Tears gleamed in her eyes and her lips pressed in a firm line. “My plans changed after I got to know you, you asshole. Do you think all the kissing was just pretend? Do you think I was trying to placate you while waiting for aliens sent by Grellol to come rescue me? Look around, Kirn. We’re both in this cell.”

Guilt washed through him. She had a point. He felt like a fool.

“Diana, please forgive me.”

Her gaze softened and she bowed her head. “I don’t want to fight with you. Sorry I called you a bad name. I-I didn’t mean it. Let’s try to figure a way out of this mess. I don’t want to go back to the outpost.” She looked up, her blue eyes sparkling with unshed tears. “I want to stay with you. On New Vaxx. Just like you promised.”

He knelt before her, cupped her face, and leaned down to place a lingering kiss to her forehead. “We will return to New Vaxx together, Diana, I give you my word. We will find a way to escape.”

“I want this tracker out of my arm,” she said, still scratching. “I suppose Grellol put it in when I was sleeping one night. I woke up several nights ago at the outpost and found my door wasn’t locked. The bastard knew how much money I had saved up and probably didn’t want to lose me. The cage fights are one of his biggest money makers.”

“He knew you were planning to leave the outpost soon?”

She shook her head. “I never told him that, but he must have been suspicious. Most cage fighters blow their winnings gambling or at the brothels, which only lines Grellol’s pockets again. But not me. I saved every single credit I could.”

Kirn despised this Grellol. His blood heated at the thought of exacting revenge upon the outpost leader. No one harmed or threatened his female and got away with it. No one. Visions of battle paraded through his head. He’d seen Grellol sitting in a balcony above the cage fight when he’d arrived to take Diana away. The man was tall and muscular and likely a good fighter himself, but he would be no match for an angry Vaxxlian warrior. Kirn would end him and eliminate the threat he posed to his sweet Diana.

“How long was I unconscious?”

“About five minutes.” Diana shuddered. “I was so worried about you. I’m glad you’re okay.”

“What about you?” He looked her up and down. “Did the bounty hunters bother you? Are you all right?”

“This was the first time they visited.” She gave him a wry grin. “But if they would’ve entered this cell, I would have totally kicked their asses.”

He couldn’t help but smile. Despite their bleak circumstances, her spirits remained strong. His little mate was indeed a fighter. He gathered her against his chest and hugged her tight, because he suspected that despite her brave face, there was a part of her that was still scared. He couldn’t blame her. The outpost was a dark, dangerous place that held no happy memories for her.

“I will protect you, my sweet mate,” he said into her ear. “And I will vanquish all those who have wronged you. Soon, we will return to New Vaxx and I will bring you to our home in Starrzia, where we will live out the rest of our days in the sun.”

Chapter 8

Diana felt like an idiot. The bump in her arm had been itching her for days. She should have known Grellol would pull a stunt like this. The devious bastard.

She wished she had a knife so she could cut the tracker out. When she pressed down on her arm, she could feel the hard bump, just below the surface.

“As soon as we escape, my brother Stax will remove the tracker from your arm. He’s a skilled healer. He’ll have it out quickly and painlessly.” Kirn paused and looked deep in thought. “Diana, there’s something I must tell you.”

“What is it?” She shifted in his arms and peered into his huge green eyes, wishing they were sparkling with joy rather than filled with worry.

“My people possess nanotechnology. Stax actually developed it. It means those injected with nanobots heal rapidly, even from grievous wounds.”

“I see. Were you injected with the nanobots?”

“Yes.”

This was good. Maybe they were in less danger than she thought. Kirn was a skilled warrior as it was, and knowing he couldn’t easily be wounded—for long, anyway—meant he was an even deadlier force than she’d previously believed.

“But there’s more, Diana.” Regret shone in his eyes.

“What are you talking about?”

“While you were sleeping, I injected you with a batch of nanobots.” He brushed his fingers over her cheeks, still holding her close. “I intended to tell you after we mated. Forgive me.”

She stared at him in silence for several moments, trying to process his shocking revelation.

Her first instinct was to be pissed as hell. He’d injected her with something without her permission. While she was sleeping, no less. Despite his good intentions, she felt strangely violated and gave him a sharp look. But then she considered the benefits of having nanobots in her bloodstream. She would be a deadly force as well, and she had a feeling both of them would have to fight for their lives. She inhaled a deep breath and stared into his apologetic gaze.

“Let me get this straight. Before I even agreed to be your mate, you decided to inject me with nanobots that would heal me when I became wounded?”

He swallowed hard. “Yes, and I suspect the nanobots are the reason your arm is suddenly itching. They recognize the tracker is a foreign object and are attacking it.”

“Is it possible the nanobots will be able to disable the tracker?”

“Perhaps in time, though my brother will still have to remove the device from your arm.”

“New rule,” she said, sitting taller. “The next time you think about injecting me with something, anything, while I’m sleeping, you jump out the nearest airlock instead?”

“Agreed,” he said with a cautious nod, as if he worried she might explode on him in the next instant. “I only wanted to keep you safe from any potential harm, my sweet mate. Injury, disease…anything that could possibly hurt you. All Vaxxlian males have been given a batch of nanobots to inject their new human females with.”

She laced her arms around him and drew him closer. How could she be mad at him after that explanation? He’d meant well and now that they were in danger, it would work out for her benefit. When they eventually fought their way to freedom, she would be able to fight harder without risk of injury.

“I’m not mad,” she finally said. “I’m a bit annoyed, but I’m not mad. Besides, now the two of us can kick some serious ass together.”

He stiffened. “You will be kicking no ass, Diana. I am your mate and I will protect you.”

She rolled her eyes. “You know I’m a trained fighter. I’m not going to sit back like some damsel in distress and watch while you do all the work.”

“I don’t want you to have to kill again. You told me you hated it and thought—”

“This is different. We’re fighting for our freedom and our chance to stay together. We’re fighting for us.” Her throat burned with emotion. The deaths of those like Grellol who sought to threaten her union with Kirn would not weigh on her conscience. Not for a moment. This would be different than cage fighting. It would be real.

“Very well. But you must promise not to take any extreme risks. Though the nanobots will heal your injuries, an extreme wound could still kill you. For example, if you lost your limbs or your head or something like that.”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, she couldn’t help but giggle. “I shall endeavor to keep my head, Kirn, as long as you promise the same. We’re getting out of this alive. Together.”

“I promise.”

The next two days passed slowly. To Diana’s surprise, the aliens delivered decent food to them three times a day. Though she hated accepting it from them, she ate in order to keep her strength up. She also performed her daily training exercises in the center of the cell and taught Kirn several fighting techniques she’d learned from the Sakkokan master. They sparred together and she learned plenty from him as well, ancient Vaxxlian warrior skills that were lethal against most humanoid species.

When they paused for sleep, he sat against the wall and held her in his arms, keeping her warm as she rested. She wished they had a viewscreen so they would know when the vessel was nearing the Meccaman Outpost, but the brig was dimly lit and windowless. And cold. She snuggled deeper into the comforting warmth of Kirn’s arms, longing for the day they returned to New Vaxx, as well as longing for the day he finally took her as his mate.

* * *

When a slight shudder racked the vessel, Kirn realized they must have reached the outpost.

He roused Diana from sleep with a kiss to her lips. “I think we’ve arrived.”

“I’m ready,” she said, standing up to face the bars.

Even though he had to hunch over to reach her, he stood next to her and clasped her hand, giving it a squeeze as bootsteps sounded just outside their cell.

“They’re down here, Grellol. We kept them well-fed and put them in the nicest cell.”

Kirn recognized Three Eyes’ voice and his muscles tensed with the anticipation of a fight. Grellol, however, wasn’t alone. He’d brought at least a dozen armed guards with him to the brig, all of them clustered behind him with their weapons at the ready, as if expecting him to lunge at them through the electrified bars.

“My dear Diana,” Grellol said. “I hope you are all right. Really, gentlemen, did you have to keep her caged up with this beast? You could have given her her own cell.”

Three Eyes flushed. “We-we assumed they were a couple. The female became frantic when the giant shocked himself on the bars. And we’ve seen them hug and kiss several times. She sleeps in his arms.”

“Great,” Diana muttered under her breath. “There must be fucking cameras in here.” She glanced up at the ceiling and her face hardened. She was fierce when she was angry, this little human of his.

“You’ve no right to hold us here, Grellol. I’m not your property. Neither is Kirn. I’m done cage fighting. You can keep my entire galactic credit account if you want. I don’t care. Let us go.” She took two steps forward, her voice taking on a menacing note as she added, “Let us go or you will die.”

Grellol burst into laughter. “No, I don’t think so. I think I’ll keep you. Both of you. The giant will make a fine addition to the arena.”

“Good luck containing us,” Diana said.

“You’re making a foolish mistake keeping us here,” Kirn said. “These bounty hunters were not very careful as they captured us. Vaxxlian forces detected their presence on New Vaxx and are likely on their way to this outpost as we speak. My people defeated the Irrcons and will have no difficulty defeating this dilapidated outpost.” Kirn hoped he spoke the truth. But surely his brothers would’ve managed to track the bounty hunters’ ships. The bounty hunters’ vessels might be faster than a Vaxxlian warship, but they weren’t traveling through space anymore. They’d reached their destination and the Vaxxlians would soon catch up. The three advanced vessels the bounty hunters possessed were no match for thousands of Vaxxlian warships.

Grellol paled and shot an angry look at Three Eyes and No Nose. “I assumed the other two ships in your fleet went elsewhere to collect another bounty, but am I right in guessing they have been destroyed? You better hope the Vaxxlians didn’t track you here. If you bring war to my doorstep, I will not pay out the reward.”

A fight broke out and the guards scrambled to stop it. Three Eyes and No Nose both swung knives at Grellol. One of them succeeded in leaving a deep gash on his arm. Grellol screamed and grabbed one of the guards’ blasters, aiming it directly at Three Eyes’ face. He fired and the bounty hunter’s face exploded, his remains splattering on the walls. No Nose attempted to run away, but the guards caught him and forced him into a pair of manacles.

“Secure the occupants of the other two vessels!” Grellol screamed as blood gushed from his arm. “None of them will receive a single galactic credit until I’m assured that the Vaxxlian forces aren’t headed this way.” He cast a hateful look into the cell, and Kirn offered him a smug smile.

Grellol and the guards departed the brig, with two of the soldiers dragging Three Eye’s body away, leaving Kirn alone with Diana. She peered up at him, her blue eyes shining bright despite the dimness of the cell.

“He’s going to make us fight in the arena. What if he splits us up?”

“If he splits us up, I will find you, Diana, I promise.”

“Let’s say the words right now, just in case.”

Confused, he stroked her hair and stared into the depths of her pretty gaze.

“What words?”

“The mating vows of your people.”

“You want us to mate right now, here in this cell? Have you forgotten about the cameras?”

“I don’t mean I want us to have sex right now, Kirn,” she said with a sweet smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “I just want us to exchange the vows. We’ll be mated in heart, and then hopefully, one day soon we can join our bodies as one and finish the mating process.”

Her suggestion both stunned and pleased him. He cupped her face and kissed her soft lips, reveling in the taste of her. At last, when he broke away, he said, “I would be honored to exchange mating vows with you now, my sweet Diana.”

Her face brightened even as tears shone in her eyes. She inhaled a shuddering breath and blinked rapidly. “Teach me the mating vows of your people, and I’ll teach you the marriage vows of mine.”

“It’s a deal.” Joy brimmed in his heart. Their current predicament notwithstanding, this was the happiest moment of his life. “You go first, my love.”

They settled on the floor and she sat in his lap, a look of concentration taking over her lovely features. “Well, I only vaguely remember the human vows. It’s been many years since I attended a human wedding, but this is the best that I can remember.” She grasped his huge hands in her little ones. “I, Diana, take you, Kirn, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until our hearts stop beating.”

“Those are meaningful vows, Diana.” His throat burned, emotion consuming him. Star God, he loved this fierce little human with all his heart. “Shall I repeat this human vow to you?”

“Yes. Can you remember all the words?”

“I’ll remember every word of these vows for as long as I live.” He stared into her eyes, hoping they shared in a long life to honor the vows he was about to repeat. “I, Kirn, take you, Diana, to be my lawfully wedded—” He paused, unsure of the proper word. If he was to be her husband, then she would be his…

“Wife,” Diana supplied.

“To be my lawfully wedded wife,” he continued, squeezing her hands. “To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until our hearts stop beating.”

She grinned. “Since there isn’t a priest here, I will take the liberty of pronouncing us husband and wife.”

“Husband and wife,” he said. “I like the sound of that.”

“You may kiss the bride,” she said, her face flushing. “That’s the part that comes next. After we’ve spoken the vows and we’re pronounced husband and wife, we must kiss.”

“Mm. I like these human vows of yours.” He grasped her face and kissed her hard, until they were left panting breathlessly in the aftermath of a long, fierce joining of lips and hearts.

“Let’s exchange the Vaxxlian vows now,” she said. “I want us to be married, or mated, in the eyes of both of our people.”

First, he spoke the vows in his native language, repeating each word with care. Then he switched to Galactic Common and said, “I give you my soul, my body, and heart. Upon this mating, I am yours and you are mine. May the Star God bless our union.”

A tear trickled down her cheek and he brushed it away with his thumb.

“That’s beautiful,” she said. “Okay, here it goes. I give you my soul, my body, and my heart. Upon this mating, I am yours and you are mine. May…”

“May the Star God bless our union.” He brushed another tear away.

“May the Star God bless our union.”

It was done.

She belonged to him and he belonged to her.

Without warning, he noticed her image shimmering before him, becoming alarmingly transparent. She also felt lighter in his lap. He growled, and swung his arms out and around her body, as if he could stop her from being teleported from this cell. But his own body began to tingle and shimmer too.

Wherever they were transported, he prayed they would be kept together.

Chapter 9

Kirn blinked as his vision adjusted to his new surroundings. Diana rested on the floor next to him, and he helped her stand up. A deafening noise hurt his ears. He became aware of a huge crowd, shouting with their fists raised.

The arena. They were in the arena. And the cage had already been lowered around them. It shimmered blue and the hole he’d ripped open a few days ago flickered with white light, no doubt protected by a forcefield of some kind.

They were trapped.

“Does he expect us to fight each other?” Diana asked, casting him an amused look. But then she reached for his hand and caressed his palm. “My husband. My mate.” Affection gleamed in her gaze.

“My wife. My mate.” He leaned down and spoke into her ear. “My precious female.”

Grellol stood on the balcony, waving at the spectators with his free arm. His other arm had been bandaged up and now rested in a sling. Once there was a lull in the noise, his booming voice filled the arena. “Welcome, welcome, my friends! Tonight, I have a special surprise for you! Behold, the giant and the killer human!”

“Killer human?” Kirn looked at Diana.

“That’s the very unoriginal nickname he gave me.”

“I see.”

Grellol continued. “The giant and the killer human will fight a pack of wolvomma beasts!”

The crowd went wild, clapping and shouting their approval.

“What are wolvomma beasts?” Kirn asked.

“Huge dogs with large fangs. I’ve never fought one before. I always refused to fight animals despite Grellol’s pressuring me to do so. He knows exactly what he’s doing right now. Have I mentioned what a bastard he is?”

“How many dogs usually make up a pack?”

“Four or five, from what I’ve heard.”

Though she was an excellent fighter, Kirn instinctively moved in front of Diana, determined to protect her. They exchanged a meaningful look before the air in front of them shimmered with the arrival of the wolvomma beasts. There were four of them, huge snarling creatures with mouthfuls of sharp teeth. They were orange and hairy with four legs. Kirn had never seen such a creature before, but he’d been attacked by a bear once on Vaxxlia as a young boy and fought the animal off, escaping with barely a scratch.

But they were trapped in a cage with this pack of wolvomma beasts. Kirn stood tall, took a deep breath, and roared at the dogs, a roar so thunderous the crowd fell silent. All four of the beasts moved back, two of them putting their tails between their legs. Kirn bared his teeth and roared again and again, standing in front of his beloved Diana with his arms spread wide, daring the beasts to attack.

“I didn’t know you could roar like that,” Diana shouted behind him. “My God, you sound like something called a lion. It’s a large, deadly cat from Earth, in case you were wondering. I learned about them in school.”

He peered over his shoulder at her and winked. “I could always roar and growl louder than any of my brothers growing up. Much to my mother’s dismay.”

She laughed and he turned his attention back to the beasts.

The largest one, who appeared to be the leader, advanced on them, the other three close behind it. The beasts snarled, revealing their huge fangs as the hair on their backs raised. Kirn emitted a menacing growl and lunged at the leader, landing a fierce blow to its neck. It stumbled, its teeth gnashing at him, but he jumped back and avoided being bitten.

The other three wolvomma beasts circled them, and Kirn’s anger flared when one dared to approach Diana. But before he could come between her and the creature, she toppled it to the ground with a hard kick, then slammed her foot against one of its legs. A sickening crunch could be heard before the animal yelped. Whining, it limped away.

Kirn was confident they could easily handle the four beasts. The fighting continued and neither he or Diana sustained a single bite. Both of them suffered scratches from the dog’s sharp nails, but their minor injuries healed quickly thanks to the nanobots.

Many in the crowd began booing and throwing shoes at the cage, which bounced right off with blue sparks flying. Grellol looked displeased from his spot on the balcony. Kirn and Diana exchanged a grin. The spectators and Grellol were both displeased no blood had been shed yet.

But the air in front of the pacing beasts shimmered yet again and five more creatures appeared. These creatures immediately turned on the first four wolvomma beasts. Kirn and Diana stood back while they fought for domination.

“I guess we weren’t making the fight interesting enough for Grellol.”

Several of the beasts impacted upon the cage and the shoes kept flying into it as well. Kirn used his large body to shield Diana from the incoming sparks. To his astonishment, a large mound of metal crashed against the bars and the entire cage lit up, only to go dark a moment later. Kirn wasted no time in grasping the bars and creating a hole wide enough for both him and Diana to exit, as most of the wolvomma beasts were gathered in front of the hole he’d created several days ago. He lifted her in his arms and carried her through the new opening, despite her protests.

“I can walk, damn it!”

“I know you can, but I want you close to my heart, my sweet mate.” He shot her a grin, peering into her pretty blue eyes while chaos erupted around them as several wolvomma beasts left the cage and ventured into the stands. “And you have short legs and can’t keep up with me.”

She playfully swatted his chest as he headed for the nearest corridor.

Two Vaxxlians entered his path. Deza and Stax. Kirn grinned at his younger brothers.

“It’s about time you showed up. I thought I was going to have to steal a vessel.”

“It is nice to see you too, big brother.” Deza tossed a blaster at Kirn, only for Diana to catch it.

“Thanks,” she said. “I’ve always wanted one of these.”

“Stop them!” Grellol’s booming voice echoed down the corridor.

Kirn reluctantly placed Diana on her feet, then stepped in front of her, determined to end Grellol and thwart any guards who tried to prevent him from killing the bastard.

* * *

It happened fast. The corridor lit up with weapons’ fire, green and blue and red beams of light flying past Diana and Kirn, as well as his brothers. All four of them eluded the guards’ aim, and one of Kirn’s brothers shot a stunner into the flashing darkness, which resulted in a huge decrease in weapons’ fire. He shot it once more, only for the stunner to start smoking. He tossed it aside.

“Must have used it too fast, too quickly. We stunned many guards in the docking bay.”

“Do you have another?” Kirn asked.

“No. Only the blasters. And Stax brought his sword, of course. You know how he brings that thing everywhere. He used it to kill an Urronnian mercenary several sunrises ago.”

So the brother with the sword drawn was named Stax. Diana breathed a sigh of relief that help had arrived, but they still had to escape the outpost. Proper introductions could be made later. But she instantly liked Kirn’s brothers and couldn’t help but smile at the camaraderie they shared. She had a feeling she would fit in just fine in Starrzia—if they ever escaped and made it back to New Vaxx.

“An Urronnian mercenary?” Kirn slapped his brother on the back. “I can’t wait to hear that story.”

They advanced down the corridor, pausing in doorways every couple of feet to recheck their surroundings, just in case the guards opened fire again.

Out of the darkness, Grellol knocked the blaster from Diana’s hand and flung himself at Kirn, a knife in his hand. Diana screamed and watched in horror as the blade sliced across Kirn’s stomach, a deep gash that immediately oozed blood. Kirn growled and picked the outpost leader up by his neck, squeezing so hard Grellol’s black eyes appeared ready to pop out of his head. His face turned blue and the knife dropped from his hand, falling to the floor with a sharp clatter.

Still holding Grellol high in the air, Kirn gave his brothers a pointed look. Stax and the other brother moved across the corridor to stand in front of Diana, guarding her while Kirn carried Grellol back into the darkness from which they’d come. She heard the sounds of a scuffle and the fire of a blaster, and a red glow momentarily lit up the darkness.

“Filthy giant. Now you will die.” Another shot. Another red glow.

Kirn’s groan of pain wrenched at her heart. Fearing he’d been shot, she tried to rush into the corridor, but Stax blocked her path while the other brother ran into the fray.

Her heart pounded and cold fear clutched her. The corridor had grown eerily quiet.

“Kirn?” she whispered, tears burning in her eyes.

Oh God. He couldn’t be gone. Couldn’t be dead.

Please God no.

She heard a snapping noise and a heavy thud several seconds later.

Footsteps sounded next and she waited, watching the corridor while Stax held his arms in front of her, blocking her from running into potential danger. Two figures emerged from the smoky darkness and her heart promptly spasmed with joy.

Kirn. He was alive. So was his other brother.

That meant Grellol had been defeated.

Dead. The bastard was dead. She breathed out the deep breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. The horrible man who’d ruled her life for the last ten years was gone forever. And her beloved mate was still breathing.

Just as Kirn returned to her, screams erupted at the end of the corridor, close to the arena. Several spectators from the crowd rushed by, many of them bleeding. Two wolvomma beasts chased after them.

“Let’s get out of here,” Kirn said, once again sweeping Diana up in his arms. “I’m taking you home.”

“That’s the best plan I’ve heard all day.” She leaned up and kissed his cheek, inhaling the intoxicating masculine scent of him. Then she suddenly remembered his wound and struggled against him, trying to glimpse his stomach.

“Settle down, my sweet mate. The wound has already healed. I am fine.”

“Yeah, thanks to me,” Stax said. “This is the third time now that I’ve saved your life.”

“No, actually I think it’s the fifth time,” the other brother said with a chuckle.

“You didn’t get shot too, did you?” she asked, still trying to look him over. “I heard and saw the blaster fire.”

“He had a blaster hidden inside his vest, but he missed both times.”

As they reached the docking bay, careful to avoid the roaming wolvomma beasts and the escaping crowd, Kirn nodded from Diana to his brothers.

“Diana, I would like you to meet my younger brothers, Stax”—the brother she already knew as Stax raised his hand—“and Deza.” At this, Deza shot her a charming smile.

“Hello, Diana,” said Deza.

“Nice to meet you,” said Stax.

“It’s nice to meet you both.” Despite Kirn being about two feet taller than his brothers, she could see the family resemblance. All the brothers had dark hair and the same strong, masculine facial features. If not for Stax’s face being slightly thinner, along with a bit of dark facial hair, he and Deza could’ve been twins.

Two Vaxxlian ships rested among the rows of alien ships, and beyond the forcefield that separated the docking bay from open space, Diana spotted at least a hundred more Vaxxlian vessels. The sight left her momentarily stunned. After spending the last ten years of her life alone, without a real community to call her own, she was about to belong to a Vaxxlian community, who, as it turned out, wouldn’t hesitate to fight for one another.

“We’ll go with you on the Yeronna, Stax. Diana has a tracking device imbedded in her arm that I’d like to have removed as soon as possible.”

In all the excitement, she’d almost forgotten about the tracker. But at mention of it, her arm started itching again. She would be glad to have it removed and destroyed, even if Grellol wasn’t around anymore to send out bounty hunters after her. She snuggled deeper in Kirn’s arms and closed her eyes, sending a prayer of thanks out into the universe.

Her mate was safe. She was safe. And soon, they would begin a new life together on New Vaxx. She couldn’t wait.

But a heated flush stole though her when she imagined what would happen once she was alone with Kirn. Though they’d fooled around in bed and spoken their vows, they hadn’t actually had sex yet. Her heart hammered and her breath came in shallow puffs. She inhaled deeply and peered up at her sexy alien giant. A spark of desire lit in his gaze, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.

He lifted her higher in his arms as he carried her though the bridge and down a corridor of the Yeronna. “Soon, my sweet human. Soon.”

She flushed anew and squirmed in his arms.

Soon. Her heart beat faster.

Chapter 10

Kirn carried Diana into the guest quarters aboard the Yeronna, happy that the tracking device had been removed from her arm. Stax had quickly and efficiently removed the tracker, numbing her forearm first to prevent her from feeling any pain, and the nanobots healed her wound within moments. The viewscreen showed they were already bound for New Vaxx, the stars streaming by as the ship maintained hyperdrive. Kirn couldn’t wait to return home with his new mate.

They took a long shower together, taking turns scrubbing each other’s bodies with a soapy cloth and luxuriating in the relaxing warm spray of the water. After two days spent in a cell aboard a bounty hunters’ vessel, Kirn was grateful for the opportunity to get clean, and from the sounds of it, Diana was as well.

She moaned as he caressed the cloth up and down her back. She turned and reached for him, pulling him down onto his knees so she could kiss him.

Desperate longing raged within him.

He grabbed her face and kissed her hard while the water cascaded over their bodies, reminiscent of the last time they’d showered together—the day she’d agreed to become his mate.

But this time there would be no interruptions. This time he would claim her, body and soul. In return, he would give his body and soul to her for all time. He withdrew from the kiss and turned the water off, unable to wait any longer to have her panting and writhing beneath him. He dried her off first with a large towel and set her outside the shower stall. After hurriedly drying himself off, she giggled when he almost tripped getting out of the shower, though she grabbed onto his leg to steady him.

“That wasn’t funny.” He shot her a mock stern look and swatted her bottom lightly, then scooped her up in his arms and carried her back into the bedroom. The scent of her arousal reached him, the sweetest temptation. His cock throbbed harder.

“Are you ever going to let me walk again?” she asked with a small chuckle.

“Probably not. I love holding you in my arms. I will never tire of it.” He placed her atop the covers of the sprawling bed and stared down at her, his heart filling with so much affection for her, his throat nearly closed up with emotion. “My beautiful, Diana,” he said once he could manage words. “Star God, how I love you.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead, then one to her cheek, before slanting his lips over hers.

As he kissed her, his tongue vibrating at a slow, sensual speed, he trailed his hands up the inside of her shapely legs, massaging and teasing her as he came closer and closer to the slick arousal between her thighs. He pulled back and stared into her eyes. His cock swelled, throbbing to be buried deep inside her as it pressed against her thigh.

“I love you, too, by the way.” Her eyes shone with warmth. “My big handsome giant.”

He stroked her hair from her face, memorizing the unique pattern of the golden-brown flecks in her otherwise blue eyes. “My tiny beautiful human.” He waggled his eyebrows at her and she grinned.

“I’ll have you know, I’m actually quite tall for a human female.”

“Quite fierce, too,” he said. “You fought well today.” But he hoped her days of fighting were over. He would keep her on New Vaxx, safe from harm, and they would build a happy life together in Starrzia, complete with as many children as the Star God would bless them with. Still stroking her hair, he envisioned their house filled with their offspring and smiled.

“What are you thinking about?” Her gaze turned curious and she tilted her head to the side.

“About us. Our future.” He took a deep breath. “About all the children I want to have with you. You will make a fine mother, my fierce Diana.”

“If we’re going to start a family soon,” she said mischievously as she grasped his cock and squeezed, “you’ll have to do more than kiss me.”

He growled and settled his cock between her thighs. She spread her legs wider and undulated against the tip of his manhood, a needy whimper leaving her as her back arched. He withdrew his cock from her center, replacing it with his hand so he could test her readiness to accept his huge size. Wet warmth greeted him and the scent of her arousal increased in the air.

She moaned while he shoved two digits into her tightness, lifting her hips as if wanting him to thrust deeper. Her legs trembled and she clutched the covers. Desire pumped through his veins, his temperature rising as he imagined thrusting his hardness into her snug depths. But he didn’t have to imagine any longer.

Withdrawing his fingers from her pussy, he positioned his cock at her entrance.

He met her gaze. “If it hurts, tell me and I will stop. Promise?”

She nodded, another tremor running through her. “Promise.” She clutched the covers harder and lifted her center against his shaft, inviting him to complete the mating ritual.

* * *

Diana moaned at the overwhelming sensation of Kirn finally pressing his cock into her, though he wasn’t fully inside her just yet. From what she could tell, he’d only inched the massive tip of his manhood into her. He was mindful not to put his weight on her, resting his arms on the bed and keeping his chest from pressing atop her. She breathed deep and willed herself to relax.

Despite any pain she might experience, she wanted him inside her.

As many inches as she could take.

But the pain never came. He pushed further into her depths, stretching her, but it didn’t hurt. She hungered for each inch, opening her thighs wider and drawing him closer, her hands on either side of his hips.

At one point, she felt a twinge of discomfort, but it passed quickly to be replaced by immense waves of pleasure. She whimpered when he withdrew partially only to drive back inside, slowly but deeper than before, though from what she could tell, he never plunged much deeper than half his generous length. He repeated this rhythm, pulling out only to push back inside, a bit deeper each time.

Slow, so slow. As if he worried he was hurting her.

“Please, Kirn. Please.” She tightened her hold on his hips. “It feels…wo-wonderful. You can go…faster.” She gasped out the last word, desperate for him to comply, need consuming her as the aching in her womanhood became so intense her vision blurred for a few seconds.

His glowing green eyes bored into hers. Holding her gaze, he started moving faster, creating a rapid rhythm as he plunged in and out of her, his balls slapping heavily against her with his increasing movements. “How does this feel?” He arched an eyebrow at her.

“Perfect.”

He leaned down to suckle one nipple into his mouth, his tongue vibrating against the hardened peak, not missing a beat as he continued his fast drives into her wet, aching center.

“Errrrlahoma,” he said against her bosom, his tongue vibrating faster over the rrrr part of the word. “You are so very tight, my mate.”

She loved when he spoke Vaxxlian to her. The language sounded sexy and exotic coming from him, especially when he whispered into her ear, with a growl rumbling in his throat and his tongue vibrating over certain words. It occurred to her that she’d never spoken to him in English, the Earth tongue her father had spoken to her at home as a child.

“And you are so very big and hard,” she said in English. “The only thing I love more than your giant cock is you, my love.”

His expression turned curious. “What does that mean?”

“I’ll never tell.”

He gave a sexy growl that sent a delightful shiver through her.

Pleasure coiled in her center and the pace of his strokes increased ever so slightly, just enough to hurl her over the precipice of a quaking release.

She gasped and moved in tune with his thrusts, crying out as her insides clamped down around him and a powerful orgasm swept through her, leaving her breathless and pleasantly weightless in its wake. She was floating amongst the stars, awash in tingling sensation.

He clutched her hips and groaned, his cock pulsing hard and hot within her depths. He shut his eyes and a look of ecstasy washed over him, and soon she felt the gush of his warm seed spurting inside her. After giving one final thrust, he withdrew from her with care and gathered her in his arms, settling her on his lap while he held her and stroked her hair.

She smiled against his chest, a sense of immense satisfaction descending upon her.

The steady thumping of Kirn’s heart beat against her ear. She reached for his hand and squeezed it tight, peering up at him as the stars streaked by the viewscreen next to them, little flashes of light in her peripheral vision. After hastily but romantically exchanging marriage and mating vows while locked in a brig, they’d escaped together and finally made love for the first time amongst the stars. It was perfect, and her eyes welled up with tears as she considered her good fortune.

Her future would no longer be steeped in loneliness and fear.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

From this day forward, she would know love and healing and peace.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt so happy,” she confessed, running a hand down his chest and tracing the hard lines of his eight pack.

He held her tighter and nuzzled his face against hers, bestowing kisses on her forehead and her cheeks, slow soft kisses that made her all tingly inside. When his lips touched hers, she melted and surrendered to the waves of passion that were building anew.

Squirming in his lap, she reveled in the feel of his cock growing hard beneath her again, huge and hot and throbbing.

His luminous green depths shone with love as he pulled away to spread her atop the covers once more. Her head rested on the pillows as he nudged her thighs apart. He ran his hands over every inch of her body, kissing and licking and even running his teeth over her flesh, tantalizing her with erotic sensation.

When his vibrating tongue flicked over her clit, her hips shot up and she grasped onto his head. He brought her to a quick but powerful orgasm, leaving her trembling as dark spots dotted her vision.

Once she caught her breath, he spread her legs wider and entered her with his cock. She watched as his muscles tensed, his bronze skin gleaming in the light, and admired him as he claimed her for the second time. Whether due to his gentleness or the nanobots’ assistance, she wasn’t sore being taken again so soon, despite his great size.

She closed her eyes and let the pleasure carry her away.

Chapter 11

Fifteen days later…

The beauty of Starrzia never ceased to amaze Diana. She walked the streets next to Kirn, still astonished at how much progress they’d made in such little time. He claimed they’d only constructed the houses and buildings in a few months. This entire place was beyond impressive.

The houses were large but cozy looking, built with white stone mined from a quarry nearby. All the roofs contained gardens and many houses had backyard gardens as well. A school was being built, and there was a market filled with food, quaint little restaurants, and other businesses. She was pleased to see the women of this settlement were very involved in the goings on here. Some of them—like Deza’s mate, Annika, as well as Stax’s mate, Mila—even piloted vessels containing building materials. Many women also worked in the market, including two sisters who had opened a bakery.

Diana had recently come up with an idea for how she could personally contribute to Starrzia, but she hadn’t told Kirn yet. She supposed now was the time though, while they walked the streets hand in hand after enjoying an evening meal at one of the restaurants.

“Kirn, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

He guided her toward a stone bench surrounded by large blooming yellow flowers. They sat and he took her hands in his, meeting her eyes and giving her his full attention. She loved that he always had time to speak with her and treated every conversation as if it were extremely important, even if she was simply asking him about the weather. Her heart fluttered at the intent look in his gaze and she smiled.

“What is it, my sweet mate?” His masculine scent reached her on the breeze, making it very hard for her to concentrate. She breathed deep, leaning closer to him.

“Well, I have an idea,” she finally said. “It’s about how I can help make Starrzia a better place. Annika and Mila both have jobs, and I want one too.”

“Would you like to pilot transport vessels too?”

“No, actually, I was thinking of something totally different.” She straightened and took a deep breath, unsure of why she was so nervous. Kirn was a supportive mate and had done a wonderful job of making her feel at home on New Vaxx, but she felt very strongly about her plan and would be heartbroken if he didn’t react the way she wanted him to.

“Whatever it is you want to do, Diana, I will help you make it work.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.

“Well, I want to open my own training center, kind of like the one you go to every day for warrior training, but for women only. I’ll teach self-defense and exercise classes. The fighting techniques I learned from the Sakkokan master are wonderful exercise. I think it would be a great, fun social activity, and it’s always a good idea for a woman to know how to defend herself, even if she does live in a peaceful settlement filled with protective Vaxxlian warriors.” She watched for his reaction, praying he thought it was a good idea.

“Diana, I think this is a wonderful idea. I’m impressed.” He stood up and pulled her off the bench, leading her back to the market.

“Really?” She sighed inwardly with relief, though chided herself for even worrying that he wouldn’t like her idea.

“Really. In fact, I think we should go pick out the perfect location for your training center right now.” He winked at her. “Before all the good buildings are taken. As you know, some of the buildings in the market area are completely vacant and just waiting to be taken over by someone like you.”

She felt like dancing. “Oh, Kirn, thank you.” She grinned up at him. “Bend over?”

“What?”

“Bend over.”

He gave her a confused look and glanced around at the passersby. “Why?”

She rolled her eyes. “So I can kiss you, silly!”

“I am not silly,” he said in his most serious voice, “but I would never refuse a kiss from my sweet mate.”

But instead of bending over, he swept her up in his arms and lifted her high enough for her to place a kiss to his lips. Giggling, she grasped his big face and slanted her mouth over his, pressing her lips to his as darkness finished falling and the twin moons appeared in the sky.

Her heart brimmed with contentment.

“Oh, Kirn, I love you so much.”

“And I love you, my fierce Diana.”

Epilogue

One month later…

“Now, in review, not all alien males have balls outside their bodies, like human and Vaxxlian males do,” Diana explained to the class of thirty eager human women who’d shown up for her introductory self-defense class. “But a nice strong kick to the dick will still hurt most alien males. Just please promise not to go home and try it on your mates.”

All the women laughed. Most were breathless after a rigorous first class. Diana had taught them the same introductory self-defense moves she’d learned from the Sakkokan master years ago on the outpost. She’d been a teenager then, pissed as hell and desperate not to work in one of the brothels. How her life had changed since then. She had a loving mate and lived in a wonderful community. For the first time since she was a young child, she had real friends.

For the first time in a long time, she truly belonged.

“Well, that concludes today’s class. Thanks for coming. I’ll see you all next time and please feel free to bring a friend. The more the merrier.”

Chatter broke out as the class ended, and most of the women started making their way toward the exit. The sun hovered close to the horizon, but wouldn’t set for at least two more hours, its brilliant yellow rays spilling through the windows across the polished stone floor.

Her sisters-in-law, Annika and Mila, walked up to Diana from their place in the front row.

“Great class,” Annika said.

“This was so much fun,” Mila added.

“Thanks, ladies. I’m glad you could come, even in your conditions.” She cast a knowing look at both their stomachs. Annika was starting to show, very slightly, but Mila was still in the early stages of her pregnancy. Diana was happy for them and couldn’t wait until she and Kirn started a family. Given how often they mated, it was only a matter of time.

“Hey, do you think the guys are still at warrior training?” Annika asked.

Diana checked the timepiece Kirn had given her. “Yep, they’ll still be there for about another hour.”

“Well, I think we should celebrate the success of your first class by getting cupcakes at the bakery.” Annika patted her stomach. “One for me and one for the baby, of course.”

“Ditto,” said Mila with a broad grin.

Diana laughed. “Cupcakes are the best idea I’ve heard all day. Let’s go.”

As they exited the building, three huge Vaxxlian warriors crossed their path, one of whom happened to stand over nine feet tall. Warrior training had apparently ended early today. Kirn, Deza, and Stax approached the women, all of them wearing affectionate expressions.

“You gentlemen are just in time,” Diana said, reaching high for Kirn’s hand.

“In time for what?” he asked.

“To buy us cupcakes.”

“Ah, well, we were planning to surprise the three of you by taking you out for dinner,” Deza said. “Won’t cupcakes ruin your dinner?” He glanced down at Annika, who looked scandalized at the prospect of not getting the cupcakes she’d been expecting. Mila didn’t appear too happy about it either.

“There’s nothing wrong with having your dessert first,” Diana announced. “In fact, it’s a sacred human custom.”

“She’s right,” Annika and Mila said in unison, and the two women led their mates down the street where the bakery was located, with Diana and Kirn trailing behind.

“Dessert first.” Kirn swept her up into his arms and pressed a kiss to her lips. “I think this is a human custom I could get used to.”

She laughed as the warmth of the sun bathed over their bodies. As she glanced around the bustling settlement and then peered up at her handsome mate, her heart brimmed with a happiness that knew no bounds. With a sigh of utter contentment, she snuggled deeper into Kirn’s loving embrace.

~THE END~

Also available from Sue Mercury:

Alien Protector (Vaxxlian Mates, Book 1)

The little human is his perfect mate.

She just doesn’t know it yet.

When Deza rescues a human female in peril, it's love at first sight and he immediately announces his desire to mate with her. The only problem? Annika refuses to mate with an alien she's only known for five seconds. Not easily deterred, he sets about wooing the adorable little human, eager to win her affections and finally claim her as his mate.

Annika plans to return to Earth ASAP and can't allow herself to develop feelings for the hunky Vaxxlian who saved her life...even if he is the hottest, kindest, and dreamiest alien male she's ever met. Despite her hesitation, his kisses make her melt and his arms are the sweetest refuge. When he makes a heartfelt gesture on Christmas Day to cheer her up, she starts to wonder if maybe, just maybe, mating with Deza isn't the most impulsive idea in the universe...

Available on Amazon

* * *

Alien Healer (Vaxxlian Mates, Book 2)

The alien warrior found her first—and he’s keeping her.

On the run from her controlling fiancé, Mila makes a living as a transport pilot in a dangerous part of space. When she’s accused of murder and sentenced to death on a backward planet, she believes it’s truly the end. That is…until she awakens to a handsome alien with glowing green eyes watching over her. The alien heals her wounds and promises to keep her safe. But can she trust the stranger who insists she’s coming back to his home planet as his mate?

Stax knows the little human has secrets, but he still wants her—even if she is guilty of some horrible crime. He’s taking her back to New Vaxx and that’s final. But first he has to claim her. When they arrive on his home planet, he wants his scent on her to warn off all other males, as human females are precious and the only alien race compatible with his. No matter what, he won’t risk losing the little human he’s grown to love. He’ll protect her, and he’ll fight for her. Always.

Available on Amazon

* * *

Reestrian Mates: The Complete Series

Their mating urge has begun…

Not long after their final growth cycle completes, Reestrian males experience a powerful urge to mate. Penned by USA Today Bestselling Author Sue Lyndon writing as Sue Mercury, this collection features five sweet but steamy romantic stories of human women being courted (as best an alien can!) and claimed by the hunky Reestrian males who find them irresistible.

Featuring:

Step Alien

Sweet Alien

Double Alien

Boss Alien

Savage Alien

Available on Amazon

* * *

Mail Order Human: The Complete Series

"My beloved human female. Now I will claim you as mine."

Desperate to escape war-torn Earth, young women are lining up in droves to submit applications to Mail Order Human. If chosen, they must journey to faraway planets to meet their new alien mates. Of course, when you combine space travel, nervous mail order brides, panty-melting alpha male aliens, and the occasional villain...something is bound to go wrong.

Cultures collide and passion burns hot as a supernova in this collection of five sci-fi alien romances penned by USA Today Bestselling Author Sue Lyndon writing as Sue Mercury.

Featuring:

Alien's Innocent Bride

Alien's Princess Bride

Alien's Reluctant Bride

Alien's Orphan Bride

Alien's Beloved Bride

Available on Amazon

About Sue Mercury:

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 hunky alien beings contacting Earth. She also writes romance of the much kinkier variety under the name Sue Lyndon.

Follow Sue on Twitter @SueMercury

‘Like’ Sue Mercury’s Facebook Page

Visit Sue’s Amazon Author Page

** Never miss a new release, sale, or freebie from Sue Mercury or Sue Lyndon! Sign up for Sue's newsletter & receive several FREE books: http://eepurl.com/bV2Ek5 **

* * *

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:

Alien Daddies: A Sci-Fi Reverse Harem Romance

Kenan’s Mate (Kleaxian Warriors, Book 1)

Tavarr’s Mate (Kleaxian Warriors, Book 2)

The SEAL’s Captive Bride

His by Law (Dark Embrace, Book 1)

Saving His Runaway Bride (Dark Embrace, Book 2)

Papa’s Little Bride (Dark Embrace, Book 3)

Taken by the Admiral

Punished by the Admiral

Daman’s Ward (Jackson Settlement, Book 1)

Shana’s Guardian (Jackson Settlement, Book 2)

Taming Princess Anna

Claiming His Human Wife

Rules of War (Rules of War, Book 1)

Rules of Command (Rules of War, Book 2)

Owning His Bride

Claiming Their Maiden (Barbarian Mates, Book 1)

Claiming Their Princess (Barbarian Mates, Book 2)

Claiming Their Slave (Barbarian Mates, Book 3)

Big Blue Valentine

His to Educate

Surrender (Alien Warriors, Book 1)

Commander’s Slave (Alien Warriors, Book 2)

His Naughty Little Mate

www.suelyndon.com