Alien Brute (Vaxxlian Mates, Book 4)

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

Chapter 12

Epilogue

Also available from Sue Mercury

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

The alien warrior bought me.

But he doesn’t want a slave.

He wants me as his mate.

The brutal scars covering Fynd’s face are nothing compared to the wounds that have festered in his heart. After the bitter, public rejection by his intended mate a long time ago, he doubts any female will wish to become his…so he purchases a small human female named Lucy from a slave market. She’ll bear him a few children and he’ll provide for her in return, but he will not expect her to harbor any amount of affection for him. How could she? He’s a monster.

He wishes she weren’t so sweet and beautiful. He also wishes his heart didn’t fill with warmth in her presence. She’ll likely never return his affections, but he cannot let her go. Ever. A Vaxxlian warrior always mates for life.

Life hasn’t been easy for Lucy. She prays her next master will be kind, and she’s terrified when the new alien who buys her looks like an angry bull with glowing green eyes. After she attempts escape, she’s certain he’ll punish her severely. Her old master would have. But the alien warrior named Fynd kisses her instead—a shockingly tender kiss that makes her all tingly inside—and she starts to wonder if perhaps there’s more to the unsmiling alien warrior than meets the eye.

There’s a gentleness beneath his hardened exterior, but breaking his defenses down won’t be easy. As far as alien warriors go, he’s as stubborn and proud as they come. Can they both find healing in one another’s arms, or will a new threat tear them apart forever?

Excerpt

Before he realized what he was doing, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss to her mouth, his lips grazing hers for several heart stopping moments. He couldn’t help it. Despite himself, he was drawn to her and wondered how many such kisses it would take to soothe all her fears.

A thousand? A million? When it came to her, he had all the time in the universe.

Finally, he pulled away, still holding her chin in one hand. She sucked in a startled breath and blinked up at him, her gaze clouded with confusion. There were more tears glittering in her eyes, too. Tears that broke his heart all over again. He wished he could take all her fears and worries on himself. If only it were that simple.

“You-you aren’t going to punish me?” she asked in a breathless whisper.

“I would die before I harmed you, little human.”

A single tear cascaded down her cheek. He caught it with his thumb and brushed it away, then shifted forward to cup her face in one hand and stroke her long golden locks with the other.

“You are unlike most masters, then.” She looked at the bite mark and gasped.

He followed her gaze and noticed the wound was healing quickly. Even though she’d broken his skin, the nanobots in his bloodstream were working fast to make repairs. After a few more moments, the redness vanished entirely.

“You heal more rapidly than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

“The nanobots in my blood are doing most of the work,” he explained. “Soon, I will inject you with nanobots and you will heal quickly as well, though I will do all I can to prevent any harm ever coming to you.” He persisted in drawing his fingers through her silken locks, captivated by her softness and her sweetness. Yes, he thought she was sweet, despite her tendency to bite.

“Why would you inject a slave with nanobots?”

“You are no longer a slave, little human.” He lifted her up and gathered her close to his chest. She stiffened but allowed him to hold her, and gradually, very gradually, she relaxed in his embrace. He leaned down to whisper into her ear. “I intend to take you as my mate and cherish you forever.”

Chapter 1

Fynd marched through the bustling market in Besha, the largest settlement on planet Censina. The crowd continually parted for him; as usual, once the aliens in his path got a look at his scarred face, they couldn’t step aside fast enough. The angry but unique red markings covering his face and neck announced he’d battled a Urronnian mercenary and lived to tell the tale. Even for a Vaxxlian warrior, he was a formidable enemy and no one in the market wanted to cross him.

The large green tent he sought came into sight. He paused and touched the bag of orrrhovan jewels in his pocket, feeling an odd twinge of nerves assail him. What he was about to do would change his life forever, as well as the life of an unsuspecting human female. But he needed to find a mate before he returned to New Vaxx. The human female in the tent would have to do, whoever she was.

His scars would likely disgust and frighten her, but it could not be helped. She would come to New Vaxx with him, become his mate, and bear his children. Perhaps in time, the female would appreciate that he’d taken her away from a life of slavery. He would treat her well and honor his vows as her mate.

He could only hope they would form a friendship of sorts. He dared not dream of more. He would not make that mistake again.

With his resolve deepening, he strode inside the green tent and glared at the four-armed alien who immediately blocked his path. The alien’s eyes widened and he gulped hard, clearly not as brave as a guard ought to be. Not as tall, either. Fynd towered over him by more than two heads.

“Klazsum is expecting me.”

“Ah, Fynd!” Klazsum, the slaver Fynd had spoken to via video comm yesterday, emerged from the darkness and the guard soon moved aside. “How fortunate you made it before the solar storm hits this sector.”

“I’m not here to talk about the weather. I’m here for the human female. Take me to her.” He told himself he was simply eager to complete the transaction and escape this crowded market with his new mate. He wasn’t eager to meet her. That couldn’t be the reason his heart was pounding an erratic rhythm in his chest.

“Follow me.” Klazsum gave a polite nod.

Fynd followed the slaver down a row of cages. Most were empty, but a few contained aliens in a variety of species, as well as some with exotic looking animals. The sight left Fynd deeply unsettled. More guards were stationed throughout the tent, most holding weapons against their chests, as if expecting the tent to come under attack or the occupants of the cages to suddenly attempt escape.

A sense of sheer anger built within Fynd’s chest, the urge to tackle Klazsum and snap his neck growing with each step. But he restrained himself from the violent action, even though he didn’t think the slaver or the guards in this tent deserved to live another day. If Fynd started a fight, the guards would likely fire their blasters and many in the cages, including his human female, might become hurt in the fray. But that didn’t stop Fynd from continuing to imagine the satisfaction of killing Klazsum with his bare hands.

The practice of selling aliens was barbaric and cruel, and slave owners were the worst kind of vermin yet. But here he was—in a slaver’s tent about to buy a slave from the very aliens he loathed. He swallowed the acid rising in his throat and told himself he was better than the slave owners and better than slave traders like Klazsum, for the human female he purchased would no longer be a slave.

Except, in a way, she would.

He planned to mate with her and take her back to New Vaxx. She wouldn’t be free to go. Whether she liked it or not, she would become his mate and live on his planet until the end of her days. Fynd cursed under his breath and followed Klazsum down yet another row of cages, until finally they reached the last enclosure in the aisle.

Then he saw her. The human female who would become his mate.

His breath caught in his chest.

She was small. Hugging her knees to her chest, she shivered as she peered up at him through the bars with wide blue eyes. She was naked, but clearly her physiology wasn’t accustomed to the chilled temperatures of Besha.

Long golden hair framed her face, the silken locks cascading over her shoulders in waves. She blinked at him and scooted back against the wall of her cage, the fear in her gaze intensifying. His heart clenched, even as fury filled his veins.

How dare they keep her in such conditions, without even giving her a blanket? He could only imagine how cold she’d become during the nighttime hours and hoped she hadn’t been in this tent for long.

With a growl and a sharp look at Klazsum, he tore off his jacket and knelt in front of the cage. “Hello, little human,” he said in Galactic Common. He held up the jacket for her to see and then slipped it through the bars, holding it out as he waited for her to accept the offering. “This is for you. Please put it on. I know you must be cold.”

Her startled blue gaze met his and she swallowed hard. At first, he didn’t think she would accept the jacket, but after he gave her an encouraging nod, she tentatively leaned forward and reached out. Her eyes gleamed with suspicion and she moved slowly, as if fearing he would grab ahold of her through the bars without warning.

“This is no trick, little human.” He stared at her intently, memorizing the exact shade of blue of her eyes, so different from the usual green of a Vaxxlian. He could travel the universe and glimpse every ocean and lake in existence and still not find a shade of blue so lovely and pure as his soon-to-be mate’s eyes. “Please take it,” he said. “I wish for you to be warm.”

Though suspicion remained burning in her mesmerizing gaze, she took a deep breath and leaned closer, and closer still, until her fingers closed around the jacket. He let go once she clasped it, only for her to jolt back as if she still feared a trick. He watched as she quickly donned the garment, slipping her arms into the jacket which was far too large for her and wrapping it around her tiny body.

He wished his arms were around her instead, holding her as he promised no one would hurt her ever again. The sudden thought startled him. It had been a long time since he’d interacted with a female, and even longer since he’d harbored tender feelings for one. But the urge to protect her and shower her with affection surged through him, warming him despite the chill in the air.

Klazsum cleared his throat. “Are you ready to negotiate a price?”

Fynd shot to his feet, grabbed the slaver by the arm, and roughly dragged him away from the human female. He had hoped to complete the transaction out of her earshot. Two nearby guards approached, holding their weapons high in warning.

With a snarl, Fynd released Klazsum and dug in his pocket for the orrrhovan jewels. He handed the entire bag to the slaver.

“I think you’ll find this amount is more than sufficient. Unlock the cage. She’s mine now.”

* * *

She had to escape. She had to.

Lucy couldn’t imagine belonging to the massive alien brute who’d just purchased her. He had to be at least three, maybe four, times her size. If he became angry with her—and in her experience, masters always became angry—he could easily kill her with one blow. She’d never seen an alien so tall or with muscles so huge. His fierce expression frightened her as well, but it wasn’t the scars covering his face and neck that put her at unease.

The way he glared at the slaver made her shudder, his glowing green eyes filled with venom. She could only imagine how he would treat her. Tears burned in her eyes and she blinked hard, determined not to cry in front of the brute. Some masters liked it when a female cried. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction or any reason to pay extra attention to her.

To which race did he belong? She snuck another peek at him while he completed the transaction with the slaver. If not for his great height, glowing eyes, and extremely well-toned muscles, he could have been human. But he wasn’t human. Her throat burned with emotion. She hadn’t seen another human for years, but she knew he couldn’t possibly be human.

His otherworldly green eyes fixed on her as he returned to her cage. Her heart pounded faster and her palms broke into a sweat. Oh God. He’d bought her and now she had to go with him.

Was he as cruel as he looked?

She knew she ought not judge an alien by his appearance, but it was difficult not to when he kept glaring and growling low in his throat. And there was the damning fact that he’d just bought her. How much decency and honor could a slave owner possess?

None. Absolutely none. Her fear increased, cold shivers making her shake all over, despite the jacket she now wore. She’d spent the last four days trapped in this cage, praying that her next master would be a kind man, praying that whomever bought her wouldn’t treat her as cruelly as Thesslon or his brother had. Perhaps she’d been kidding herself to believe in such a possibility.

“Unlock the cage now, or I will pry the bars open myself,” her new master said with a vicious glance at the slaver. “I’ll not ask again.”

She stifled a gasp and eyed his bulging biceps. Could he really pry the bars of a cage open? Oh, what she wouldn’t give to possess that sort of strength. She would sell her soul to every devil from every religion across the galaxy.

The slaver, who’d just sold her on behalf of Thesslon, her former master, rushed forward and pressed his hand to a panel outside the cage. The door opened with a click and her new master wasted no time in reaching inside for her. She cringed as he grabbed onto her arm, though his touch wasn’t violent or even forceful.

He met her eyes and for several moments, she couldn’t breathe.

He stared at her so intently she felt as if he were staring into the depths of her soul. She prayed that his race didn’t possess telepathic abilities. She’d heard of masters who could read their slaves’ minds and punished them for disobedient thoughts as well as actions.

“Come out of there, little human, and I will get you far away from this place.” His expression turned gentle, all traces of anger leaving his face. “I promise I won’t hurt you. I swear on the souls of all my ancestors.”

What choice did she have?

If she tried to remain in the cage, he would probably drag her out and she might get hurt in the process. Her muscles ached from days of being crammed in the small cage, unable to stretch out or stand up. With an inward sigh, she moved forward and allowed the huge alien to guide her out of the small enclosure.

True to his word, he treated her gently. Not once did he grip her arms hard, nor did he pull her hair or prod her with a shocker stick. She’d seen countless slaves treated in such a way, hauled away bleeding and battered at the hands of their cruel new masters.

The brute placed his arm around her and guided her outside the green tent. She inhaled a deep breath after stepping into the open market. For the first time in days, the warmth of the sun beamed down upon her face, though there was still a chill in the air and she was grateful her master had given her a jacket.

He stared down at her feet and frowned. “You don’t have shoes?” He cursed under his breath. “Of course, you don’t. I’m sorry, little human. Here, I’ll carry you so you don’t hurt your feet.”

Before she could even consider protesting, he scooped her up in his huge arms and carried her through the crowded market. She trembled in his hold, fear of the unknown making her sick to her stomach. Did this alien live on Censina? Or would he take her to another planet entirely?

She swallowed hard and peered around the market, wishing he wasn’t holding her. She needed to get the hell away from him as quickly as possible and hide.

Freedom.

She wanted to be free. She had spent the last five years dreaming of freedom and praying that one day she would find her sisters, both of whom had been taken by slavers when their passenger ship, the Mazzon, was attacked. Were Amelia and Kelly still alive?

She snuck another peek at her new master, trying to decide her next move. When they emerged from the market crowds and headed for a landing platform on the city’s edge, her nervousness increased and she squirmed in his arms.

He paused briefly, said something in a strange language she didn’t recognize, and adjusted his hold on her. But his foreign, rumbling words issued in a deep but soothing tone took her by surprise. His strong masculine scent filled her senses, making her ever aware of his maleness—his brute strength compared to her small, puny humanness. Not for the first time, she wished she were a huge Pruvvarrian or a fierce Shasttan female. Then she might have a fighting chance against the alien masters who thought nothing of keeping slaves.

He carried her past a variety of vessels, making his way toward a sleek disc-shaped craft. He called out something in his native tongue and a ramp descended from the ship. Panic seized her. She didn’t want to be taken onto his ship. Once aboard his ship, getting away would be all the more difficult.

Desperate to be free, she grabbed onto his arm and bit down as hard as she could, until she tasted blood, then pounded on his chest and thrashed around, flailing with all her might as she tried to escape him.

A hiss of pain left him and he set her down on her feet, though he kept ahold of her shoulders. He looked at the bite mark on his arm, then glared down at her, his glowing green eyes darkening as his nostrils flared. She continued to struggle and attempted to kick him, though he moved away in time to avoid the blow. Not that the kick would have hurt him. She wasn’t wearing shoes and he was a mountain of an alien.

“Cease your fighting, human,” he said in a firm tone. “I mean you no harm.”

He tossed her over his shoulder and carried her onto his ship.

Chapter 2

Darkness flooded Fynd as he brought his female onto the Shomma. Despite his promises not to hurt the human female, she still wished to escape him. She was probably repulsed by his scarred appearance. Nevertheless, he resolved to treat her with kindness, hoping that perhaps in time, she could at least tolerate him.

He called out a command for the ramp to close. Once it shut, seamlessly molding into the side of the ship, he set the human female on her feet and released her. She backed away from him, worry filling her enchanting blue eyes. She wrapped her arms around herself and trembled in place, her face growing paler with each shaky breath.

“I’m sorry, master. Please forgive me,” she suddenly blurted.

She dropped to her knees and bowed her head, her hands trembling while she crouched below him on the floor. The shaking affected her whole body, and he felt the fear rolling off her in cold waves, a deep terror that was consuming her. It broke his heart.

He knelt before her and reached for her chin, forcing her gaze up to his. “All is forgiven, little human.” Though he wasn’t pleased she didn’t want him, he could not remain angry with her. Not when she appeared so afraid, her eyes swelling with tears as she continued shaking.

He longed to wrap his arms around her and hold her tight, while promising her that he would keep her safe forever.

Before he realized what he was doing, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss to her mouth, his lips grazing hers for several heart stopping moments. He couldn’t help it. Despite himself, he was drawn to her and wondered how many such kisses it would take to soothe all her fears.

A thousand? A million? When it came to her, he had all the time in the universe.

Finally, he pulled away, still holding her chin in one hand. She sucked in a startled breath and blinked up at him, her gaze clouded with confusion. There were more tears glittering in her eyes, too. Tears that broke his heart all over again. He wished he could take all her fears and worries on himself. If only it were that simple.

“You-you aren’t going to punish me?” she asked in a breathless whisper.

“I would die before I harmed you, little human.”

A single tear cascaded down her cheek. He caught it with his thumb and brushed it away, then shifted forward to cup her face in one hand and stroke her long golden locks with the other.

“You are unlike most masters, then.” She looked at the bite mark and gasped.

He followed her gaze and noticed the wound was healing quickly. Even though she’d broken his skin, the nanobots in his bloodstream were working fast to make repairs. After a few more moments, the redness vanished entirely.

“You heal more rapidly than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

“The nanobots in my blood are doing most of the work,” he explained. “Soon, I will inject you with nanobots and you will heal quickly as well, though I will do all I can to prevent any harm ever coming to you.” He persisted in drawing his fingers through her silken locks, captivated by her softness and her sweetness. Yes, he thought she was sweet, despite her tendency to bite.

“Why would you inject a slave with nanobots?”

“You are no longer a slave, little human.” He lifted her up and gathered her close to his chest. She stiffened but allowed him to hold her, and gradually, very gradually, she relaxed in his embrace. He leaned down to whisper into her ear. “I intend to take you as my mate and cherish you forever.”

Her head shot up and she peered at him in shock. “Your mate? You bought me to be your mate?” She pressed her lips together for an instant, further puzzlement washing over her lovely features. “But why?”

“Because I need a human female. My people, the Vaxxlians, are starting over after a great war and the destruction of our home planet, Vaxxlia. Most of our females died during the war against the Irrcons and we must repopulate. All Vaxxlian warriors, like myself, are expected to return to our new planet with a mate, and humans are the only known alien race compatible with Vaxxlians.”

“I-I see.”

“What is your name, little human?”

“Lucy.”

“Lucy,” he said, loving the feel of her name on his tongue. “I am Fynd. I will be your mate, not your master, and I hope that you will call me by my name.”

“Of course, Fy-Fynd,” she replied with a wary look, though she didn’t attempt to extract herself from his embrace.

“Come with me and I’ll get you something to eat and wear. You can also take a hot shower if you wish. Whatever you desire, Lucy, you need only ask and it will be yours.” Unless you want to leave me. That, I cannot allow.

“A hot shower? With-with real hot water?”

“Yes, would you like that?”

She bit her lower lip, hesitating. “A shower by myself?”

“As we are not yet mated, Lucy, I will give you privacy.” He grasped her hand and led her off the bridge, down the corridor that contained his quarters and several guest quarters. He decided to take her to a guest room, though his blood heated at the thought of bringing her to his quarters, sharing a bed with her, and repeating the mating vows of his people before claiming her as his.

He led her to the bathroom and showed her how to work the controls. “Press this button to make it hotter, and this one to make it colder. This button will release soap, and these buttons will change the flow of the water, faster or slower.”

“Thank you. I haven’t taken a proper shower with hot water since leaving Earth.”

He turned to her with interest. “You’re from Earth?” He knew of the planet, but it was a long journey from New Vaxx. Most Vaxxlian warriors were searching for human females on planets and outposts in nearby sectors where humans have been known to settle, rather than embark upon the long trip to Earth.

“Yes, though I left Earth when I was sixteen with my older sisters.”

“Why did you leave your home planet?”

“I didn’t want to leave, but my oldest sister had custody of me and she was offered a job on a planet called Promexos. My other sister decided to come with us too.”

“Were you taken from Promexos or before you reached the planet?”

“Our ship, the Mazzon, was attacked halfway into our journey.” She blinked hard. “My sisters and I were sold at auction on an outpost. It’s been five Earth years—I think, if I’m keeping track correctly—since I’ve seen them.”

His heart ached at the pain in her voice, and rage for all slavers heated his blood with violence.

“How many masters have you had during this time?”

“Two. An alien named Guruthh was my first master. When he died, his brother Thesslon became my new master.” She paused and drew a deep breath. “Th-thank you…for not beating me for biting you.”

“I will never beat you, little human, even if you were to bite me a thousand times.” He almost asked if her previous masters had ever hurt her, but he swallowed the question and gave her what he hoped was a comforting look. He already knew the answer. Guruthh and Thesslon had treated her badly. “Does Thesslon live on this planet?”

“Yes, he lives in Besha.”

“Where exactly does he live?” Fynd couldn’t leave this planet without making her former master pay for his terrible treatment of her. No wonder she’d bitten him. She’d at first believed him to be her new master and had likely expected him to treat her just as badly, if not worse, than Thesslon and his dead brother had. Perhaps her attempt at escape had more to do with those fears, rather than a reaction to his appearance. Her gaze never lingered on his scars. When she looked at him, she peered directly into his eyes.

She shuddered. “Thesslon lives in a huge stone mansion that looks like a dark castle on the edge of the city, closest to the mountains.”

He leaned down to kiss the top of her head. “I must go now, but I will leave a tray of food for you on the table. Shower. Eat your fill, and rest if you wish. I will return as soon as possible.”

“Thank you, Fynd, but where are you going?”

“I must run an errand before we leave this planet.” He kissed her again, pressing his lips to her forehead this time. “When I return, we will talk and become better acquainted, my little human.”

He left the guest quarters and hurried to the materials replicator in engineering, where he replicated an outfit and shoes for Lucy, hoping he guessed her size correctly. He returned to her room only long enough to place the outfit on her bed and replicate a tray of food for her. The bathroom door was still open, and he heard the noise of the shower and imagined the water cascading down over her naked body. But he’d promised her privacy and didn’t dare invade her space. They weren’t mated yet.

Finally, he left her room and departed the Shomma, though not before locking the ship down on its highest security setting. He told himself he wasn’t locking his mate inside to hold her captive, but simply ensuring she would remain safe during his brief absence. A deep growl rumbled from his throat, because it felt like a lie.

* * *

Tears of relief mingled with the warm spray of the shower.

Lucy couldn’t believe her luck. The alien brute wasn’t what he appeared to be. Thus far, he’d treated her with kindness. Would his gentle treatment continue? She prayed it would. Despite her initial fear of him, she found herself anticipating his return.

A Vaxxlian. She’d never heard of his race. But his people needed human females, apparently. She wished with all her heart that she knew of her sisters’ location. If she did, perhaps Fynd would tell his people about two more human females. A life spent as a mate to a Vaxxlian male had to be better than serving a cruel master on a strange planet. But she hadn’t a clue where her sisters might be. Both had been sold to the same master though. She’d been devastated when the same alien hadn’t bid on her, all those years ago on the outpost. The sorrowful cries of her sisters as they were dragged away from her during the auction still haunted her dreams.

Lucy hoped and prayed with all her heart that wherever they were, her sisters were still together. Life as a slave wasn’t easy, but if they’d remained together in the same household under the same master for the last five years, surely they would’ve been a great comfort to one another.

She turned the water off and reached for a towel. To her delight, it was warm. She wrapped it around herself and grabbed another one to twist around her hair. For the first time in forever, she felt like a somewhat normal person. She bent down to pick up Fynd’s jacket, but a glance into the bedroom showed an outfit had been laid out on the bed for her.

She entered the bedroom and looked around cautiously, just in case Fynd had returned. But she saw no sign of him and let the towel fall from around her body as she picked up the thick blue sweater. It was a simple thing—Fynd providing her with what appeared to be a brand-new outfit—but it meant the world to her. Thesslon, like his brother, hadn’t allowed her to wear clothing, even though his castle was cold and damp.

Slaves don’t deserve clothing. Slaves barely deserve food.

Her previous master’s harsh words came back to her, causing her to shudder. She hurriedly donned the sweater, as well as the soft black pants and the comfortable black shoes, and at once she felt warm and protected. Thesslon couldn’t hurt her anymore. He’d sold her. Now she belonged to Fynd; even if he claimed he wasn’t her master, she realized she still belonged to him.

After all, he planned to take her as his mate.

She touched her lips, remembering their kiss. Pleasurable tingles rushed through her. Would he kiss her again soon? His great size still made her uneasy, but she reminded herself that he could have given her a serious beating in retaliation for her biting him. Yet he hadn’t. Instead, he had kissed her and promised not to hurt her.

She finished drying her hair and returned both towels to the bathroom, then set about exploring the large bedroom. Was this Fynd’s room? She wasn’t sure. It contained no personal items, from what she could tell, as she found all the dresser drawers empty. Once she finished looking around, she moved to the table where he’d left her a tray of food.

There were bowls of fresh fruit, jugs of water and juice, small sliced vegetables, as well as cheeses and meats. It was more food than she’d eaten in the last month. Her stomach growled and she sat in a chair. When her elbow touched the wall, a viewscreen materialized right beside her. The sudden appearance of the outside world startled her.

She gasped and looked at the view of the landing platform, the market, and the streets of Besha. None of the aliens passing by the ship paid her any attention, which made her think perhaps they couldn’t see her and the viewscreen only worked from the inside. Relief flooded her.

Though she wasn’t somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be and wasn’t doing anything wrong, she had spent the last five years on this planet guarding her every little action. The smallest misstep usually meant punishment. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and glanced back at the tray of food.

She’d spent years praying for freedom. Was Fynd the answer to her prayers?

Could she find happiness with him on his planet, as his mate?

Well, she supposed life with him had to be better than life on Besha. He’d given her clothing, food, and allowed her to take a hot shower. Was it wrong of her to accept the basic comforts she’d taken for granted on Earth, even if it meant she must become a stranger’s mate?

Was she weak if she didn’t try to escape him again? She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and at least get to know him better first. He’d promised they would become better acquainted upon his return. Of course, even if she decided she didn’t wish to become his mate, she had a feeling escaping him wouldn’t be easy. During her walk around the bedroom, she’d tested the door and found it wouldn’t budge. He’d locked her inside.

The food was delicious. She tried the different cheeses first and moaned at the flavors melting on her tongue. Slowly, pacing herself so as not to become ill—she wasn’t used to eating large meals—she sampled every item on the tray. As she ate and drank her fill, she felt her strength returning.

She gazed out the viewscreen, watching for Fynd amongst the crowds in the market. Tall as he was, he would be easy to spot. Censinans and most of the other aliens who called this planet home usually weren’t much taller than her. But even when the sun began to set over the mountains, he still hadn’t returned. She found her spirits sinking with his prolonged absence.

What kind of errands must he run before they departed this planet?

Had he returned to the ship from another direction, perhaps? What if he was already on board but hadn’t visited her yet? The uncertainty gnawed at her until her eyes became heavy with fatigue. She longed to speak with the stern-faced alien who’d bought her. Then she chided herself for her eagerness.

There was no telling what would happen when he finally returned. Perhaps he would assert his rights as her mate. She gulped hard at the thought, a mix of excitement and anxiousness filling her over the prospect. She ought to hate him for buying her and declaring himself her mate, but she couldn’t manage the emotion. She had hated Guruthh and Thesslon with every fiber of her being, but Fynd’s motivations for buying her were different than her former masters’ reasons for purchasing slaves.

Survival. His people, the Vaxxlians, were starting over. They were trying to survive. He hadn’t bought her to perform heavy labor from dawn until dusk, wash all the stones on the floor of his massive dark castle, toil in the gardens surrounding his estate until her hands were covered in blisters, or dance naked for his drunken, handsy dinner guests. Though she hadn’t known Fynd for long, she couldn’t imagine him doing any of those things.

He’d promised not to hurt her. He’d sworn it on the souls of his ancestors.

Please let him be kind. Truly kind.

She retreated from the viewscreen, took her shoes off, and retired to the massive bed. The mattress was heavenly. She was used to sleeping on cold, hard floors, nestled amongst the five other slaves Thesslon had kept, all of them huddled together for warmth. But the mattress was soft and the blankets warm. She snuggled into the pillows and fell fast asleep.

Chapter 3

Fynd cast one last fierce look at the dark castle.

Unfortunately, Thesslon wasn’t in residence. The sun was already rising and his frustration mounted as the daylight increased. He had intended to return to Lucy a while ago. He certainly hadn’t meant to stay out all night.

Thoughts of revenge swirled through his mind, violent images of pummeling his mate’s former master to death with his bare hands. But they needed to leave Censina soon. An intense solar storm would soon hit this sector, which would make travel impossible for several days.

Censinans believed such events were sent from their gods and ordered all ships grounded until the storms passed out of respect for their deities. Though the Shomma was a powerful vessel, he wouldn’t risk conflict with the Censinans by attempting to disembark the planet illegally. He wasn’t completely familiar with their technology, but he’d heard they possessed powerful laser weapons capable of destroying almost any ship that attempted to enter or leave the atmosphere during a religious observance.

Raking a hand through his hair, he left his place in the thick trees surrounding the house and made his way back to the road. Perhaps there was another way to exact revenge. Technically, slavery was illegal on Censina. From what he’d heard, the authorities usually looked the other way or were easily bought off. But if he sent a tip directly to the Censinan emperor’s offices in Ashamma, maybe something would be done about the green tent in Besha and the cruel masters who kept humans and other aliens against their will.

Hypocrite. The harsh word echoed inside his head.

He’d participated in the slave market. He couldn’t deny that he’d bought a human female.

His mood darkening with each step, he soon found himself back on the Shomma. On the bridge, he sat in front of his comm system and typed out a careful message to Emperor Hillzom’s offices. He mentioned the green tent, as well as the slaver named Klazsum and his various guards. He also mentioned Thesslon by name, damning the man as a slave owner. During his surveillance of the castle, Fynd had witnessed several thin aliens walking around completely naked, performing various cleaning tasks, manual labor, and gardening. Lucy clearly wasn’t the only slave the man had owned.

Fynd stared at the message, rereading it several times, making small tweaks until he was satisfied that it sounded urgent enough to warrant the emperor’s attention. Perhaps he’d been wrong to buy Lucy, but it was too late now. If he hadn’t bought her, he would have had to find another human female to become his mate. Besides, it was not as if he’d plucked her from her homeworld against her will. Most Vaxxlian warriors were probably acquiring their new mates in such a fashion, taking the first unclaimed human female they came across, even those who didn’t wish to leave their settlements or outposts and embark upon a new life on a new world with a stranger.

Furthermore, if Fynd hadn’t traveled to this planet and purchased Lucy, someone would have eventually bought her. He raged at the thought of another person possessing her and possibly harming her. She was now his to care for and keep safe and he considered it a privilege. He thanked the Star God he’d reached her first.

After encrypting his comm number to prevent the emperor’s offices from tracing the message back to the Shomma, he pressed the send button and sat back in his chair. It was done. He would pay attention to the official announcements being sent between the continents of Censina during the days to come, in hopes that action would be taken against those in the slave trade. In hopes that he would hear news about the slavers, particularly Thesslon, being arrested and condemned to death.

Lucy. He needed to go to her soon. She would likely be wondering what was taking him so long to return to her. Did she think him a monster for having bought her? As if the scars covering his face weren’t bad enough to give her reason to be disgusted. He growled as his hands curled into fists. His actions and his appearance both probably repulsed her.

How can I mate with you, Fynd, when I cannot even stand to look at you? How can I spend my life with you and be the mother of your children? How can I honestly repeat the sacred mating vows of our people, when I will not mean one word of them? You are a monster and I will not become your mate.

Though Shellett died when the Irrcons attacked Vaxxlia and it had been years since she publicly declared her unwillingness to become his mate, her words of rejection still haunted him. Their fathers had arranged for them to become a mating pair once they both reached adulthood. He’d known Shellett and spent time with her during their youth, as her family had lived in the same city as his, and he’d become more and more smitten with her as the years passed.

But once Shellett saw his scars after his encounter with the Urronnian mercenary, she renounced him during a holiday celebration in their city on Vaxxlia, declaring her disdain for him in front of thousands standing in the square that day. He’d never felt more humiliated or hurt, and her words remained with him to this day, a reminder of what he was—a monster.

A monster who feared rejection so much that he’d resorted to buying a mate, buying a human slave girl, rather than taking a female who was accustomed to free choice and therefore much more likely to refuse him. When he’d heard whisperings of an underground slave market on Censina, particularly in the city of Besha, he had started making inquiries of local business owners until one of them put him in contact with Klazsum. As luck would have it, the slaver had just acquired a human female.

Lucy.

Now she belonged to Fynd.

He hated himself for having bought her, but he had a responsibility to his people. All Vaxxlian warriors were expected to find mates and bring them back to New Vaxx and start repopulating their species. Now that the war against the Irrcons had ended, they needed to regain their strength. Regaining their strength meant healing and starting families and building a life on the new world they’d claimed.

With this thought in mind, he prepared to take off from the surface of Censina. But a warning flashed on his control screen. The solar storm had arrived early and a travel ban had just been put into place. With a growl, he slammed his fist on the controls and exited the bridge.

* * *

Lucy awoke and stretched under the covers. She’d taken her clothes off at some point during the night, having grown too hot under the numerous blankets, and now she luxuriated in the feel of the soft sheets against her skin. She sighed and turned on her side, blinking against the dawn of a new day. The viewscreen revealed the sun peeking over the distant, green mountains, its golden rays spilling over the alien landscape.

She was no longer concerned that anyone could see inside the ship. After hours of staring out the window last night, not a single person had so much as glanced her way. She’d discovered that she could turn the viewscreen on and off simply by touch, but she’d opted to leave it on, as she’d enjoyed waking briefly to the full moon beaming high in the sky.

She sat up against the pillows and peered around the room. Everything looked as it had when she’d gone to bed. There was no sign that Fynd had returned.

Where was he?

She hoped he hadn’t run into any trouble in Besha, though she couldn’t imagine who in their right mind would dare to pick a quarrel with a man so tall, muscular, and fierce looking. He appeared powerful enough to fight off an entire army of Censinan troopers.

The door zipped open and Fynd entered her room. Her eagerness to see him died when she noticed the anger in the depths of his green eyes. His nostrils were flared and his entire body was tensed. She lowered her head and clutched the covers around herself, shielding her nakedness and praying he didn’t take his anger out on her.

What had happened to put him in such a foul mood? He hadn’t even spoken yet, but she sensed the waves of frustration rolling off him. As she’d done many times during the last five years, she pressed her eyes shut and wished she could become invisible. If no one could see her, no one could hurt her. She held her breath, listening for Fynd’s footfalls, her heart pumping faster with each terrifying moment.

Though he’d treated her with kindness yesterday, she reminded herself that she had only known him for a day. Not even a full day. He’d only spent two hours with her, at most. That wasn’t long enough for her to discern his character yet. She chided herself for her eagerness for his return.

When his heavy bootsteps grew closer, it was all she could do to keep from flinching or diving under the covers like a coward. But she remained still, keeping her eyes shut and holding onto the covers so tightly her fingers ached. Fynd placed a hand on her shoulder, and his familiar scent surrounded her. Her mind started to float away and she made no effort to ground herself in reality.

She wasn’t here. She was back in her little bedroom on Earth, curled up in a chair near the window while the aroma of a roasting turkey drifted upstairs. She had a book in her hand and the warm spring breeze wafted inside, ruffling the pages and bringing in the scents of the backyard garden. Tulips and azaleas and primrose. Car doors slammed and voices floated up from the driveway. It was her sister Kelly’s birthday celebration and guests were starting to arrive. Lucy needed to go downstairs soon and help her grandma finish dinner.

But the sun was warm and she felt safe, so safe, sitting here in her little room, with its pale blue walls and sheer white curtains, that she found she couldn’t move. She was frozen in the chair, frozen in this moment in time where nothing or no one could harm her. She touched the sun-warmed pages of her book and leaned closer to the window, until the rays of light heated the top of her head and lulled her into a deeper sense of security.

Dishes clattered and footsteps sounded downstairs, followed by cheerful voices. But no one called her name. They must know she needed this time to herself. She would go downstairs soon. Soon. She sighed and continued relaxing in her sun spot.

* * *

Lucy’s eyes opened and she blinked at her surroundings. She saw Besha through the viewscreen. The sun rested higher in the sky than she last remembered. What time was it? She shifted and then gasped at the feel of someone’s arms around her. Fynd held her on his lap, cradling her against his broad, muscular chest. He loosened his embrace slightly and peered down at her, a look of concern filling his green eyes.

“Lucy?” he asked. “Are you all right?”

Was she? She took inventory of her body, but she didn’t feel the smallest twinge of pain. Her heart lurched as memories returned, filling in the places of her lingering confusion. An angry looking Fynd had entered the room and she’d been terrified he was about to hurt her. And then…then she went away as she often had when Thesslon and Guruthh had released their frustrations on her.

She’d floated away, her mind in disconnect from her body, a trick she’d learned entirely by accident about a year into her time with Guruthh. Once it had happened a few times, she stopped trying to fight it and allowed herself to disappear into a safe place in her mind, a safe place where her masters could never reach her.

But this was the first time she’d emerged from such a trance and not screamed in pain. She felt no pain. Apparently, Fynd hadn’t hurt her. She stared up at him, trying to figure out if he was still angry. He didn’t appear mad, but a master’s mood could change in an instant.

He’s not your master. He’s going to be your mate.

In her fear, she’d almost forgotten this important fact.

“Lucy?” He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her flesh.

In the light of the mid-morning sun, the scars covering his face gleamed red and disappeared into the thick growth of his beard. Her gaze returned to his eyes and she studied the flecks of gold she’d noticed for the first time. Despite his scars, he was a handsome alien. He didn’t need the beard to hide the lower half of his scars, she believed he would be just as handsome without any facial hair. But she dared not voice such a thought aloud.

Why was she even thinking about his beard and his scars and how handsome she found him? She needed to figure out what made Fynd tick and whether or not he kept his promises. He’d vowed not to hurt her, and so far, he’d kept that promise.

But why had he barged into her room looking like an angry bull? Would she always have to walk on eggshells around him, as if he was one of her previous masters? She was used to being very, very careful in her every little action, but spending every hour of every day being careful had taken a toll on her. She was exhausted from it.

“Are you in any pain?” Fynd asked, looking her up and down as he still held her in his huge arms.

She inhaled a shaky breath. “I’m okay.”

Relief flickered in his eyes. “Thank the Star God. What happened, Lucy? When I arrived, you closed your eyes and then you seemed to be in some sort of trance. You opened your eyes a few times, like when I picked you up, but you wouldn’t focus on anything and you wouldn’t respond to me for quite some time.”

“Please,” she said. “I am fine now. Please, let me up.”

With obvious reluctance, he helped her off his lap and assisted her in standing. He remained seated in front of her and stood her between his spread legs. While seated, he was eye level with her, and not for the first time she marveled at his great size. She glanced down at his huge thighs, thick as tree trunks in the form-fitting black pants he wore.

“I’m taking you to the medical bay,” he said. “I’d like to be certain that you’re all right, Lucy.”

“No, please, that isn’t necessary.” She tried to back away, but he held onto her waist.

“Your health is important to me, little human. While we are there, I can give you the injection of nanobots, as well.”

“Why were you angry?” she found herself blurting. It took all of her courage to ask what could very well be considered a confrontational question. Who was she to question the alien who’d bought her?

“Angry?” He released her waist, allowing her to take two steps back. “What do you mean?”

“When you entered this room, you had a murderous look in your eyes.”

His visage softened with regret. “My little human mate, forgive me if I frightened you. I was not angry with you. I swear it.” He blinked as a look of understanding dawned in his eyes. “Lucy, did you think I was going to hurt you?”

She blinked against the tears that suddenly burned in her eyes. Her throat constricted and she found herself unable to speak, so she nodded and lowered her gaze, conflicting emotions running through her. She’d been so certain he would hurt her, despite his promises not to, and now in the aftermath of it all, shame coursed through her at the hurt in Fynd’s eyes.

She could practically read his thoughts.

How long would it take for her to trust him? How many times must he promise not to hurt her until she actually believed him?

She wished she knew the answers to these questions.

Fynd leaned closer, resting his forehead against hers. His warm breath wafted on her face and his nearness made her heart skip a beat. There were moments she was terrified of him, and then there were moments like right now, when his nearness made her soul ache for the kind of future she never thought she’d have.

Chapter 4

He wished the little human didn’t fear him. Fynd puzzled over what he could possibly do to prove his devotion to Lucy. A Vaxxlian male remained devoted to his mate until his dying breath. In his culture, mating vows were meant to be taken seriously. But Lucy didn’t know anything about his people, he reminded himself. He was the first Vaxxlian she’d ever met.

When he finally lifted his forehead from hers, he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.

“I suppose I was angry when I entered this room, Lucy, but I was not angry with you. Forgive me, I forget how imposing I must look to you when I’m upset.” He stroked a hand through her hair. “I was angry with myself, not you, and I was also frustrated because I’d just found out we cannot leave Censina for several days, as a powerful solar storm has arrived and the Censinans have already shut down travel for their religious observance of the event.” His face heated. He wasn’t used to talking to anyone about his problems. Admitting to Lucy that he was angry with himself was quite unlike him. He normally kept his emotions bottled up, tapped down underneath his hardened exterior. But for a reason he couldn’t quite explain, he’d felt the need to be somewhat honest with her.

“Were you angry with yourself because we did not leave Censina in time?” She tilted her head to the side and gazed at him, her lovely features accentuated by the beams of the rising sun, her silken locks transforming into countless shades of gold.

How could he explain that he was angry with himself for being a slaver-hating hypocrite? That he loathed himself for having bought her, yet refused to free her? He pressed his lips together and rose to his feet, putting his walls back up. He couldn’t admit the real reason for his anger at himself. Not to her or anyone else.

“Enough talk,” he finally said, and her face immediately fell. “Let us venture to the medical bay. It’s time you receive the nanobots.”

She swallowed hard and avoided his gaze, clutching the bedsheets around herself. “Could I, um, please have some privacy to get dressed first?”

He nodded and walked toward the door, though stopped halfway through the room. Keeping his back turned to her, he crossed his arms and said, “Get dressed. I promise not to look.”

He heard her quick intake of breath followed by the rustling of the bedsheet falling to the floor. Regret tugged at him. He’d been rude to her. By ignoring her question and cutting their conversation short, he’d made her frown and caused the spark in her pretty blue eyes to dim.

But what was he supposed to do? Admit his fears that she would never hold any amount of affection for him? Confess that despite his guilt over buying her, he would still keep her forever? He refused to be the only Vaxxlian warrior to return to New Vaxx without a mate. The shame of Shellett’s rejection followed him everywhere, even when he was around others who hadn’t been there that fateful day in the square. Every time someone looked at his face and cringed, all his pain over Shellett’s hurtful words resurfaced.

He cursed under his breath. He’d thought buying a mate would be an easy thing. A business transaction of sorts—he would provide for her and in return she would give him children. But he hadn’t even taken her to bed yet and his situation with Lucy felt more complicated than he’d ever imagined. He resolved to do his best to keep his feelings hidden from her—anger, sadness, fear, and even love, should he grow to truly love her—and focus on the bigger picture.

His people needed females. They needed to regrow their population. He would do his part and claim Lucy as his mate as soon as possible. But he would not allow his emotions to inflict disorder upon his life. He was a Vaxxlian warrior, sworn to protect his people and their interests. He was determined to never relive the heartbreak, weakness, and rejection he’d experienced that day in the square. Opening himself up to Lucy would only lead to despair, for he could easily imagine himself falling in love with her.

“I’m dressed.”

Lucy’s sweet voice drew Fynd from his miserable thoughts. He turned and offered her his hand, trying to ignore her absolute loveliness as she stood framed by the sunlight, appearing so enchantingly beautiful that she could’ve been an ethereal being from another realm.

“Come,” he said, careful to keep his voice and his expression neutral.

But even his attempt at remaining dispassionate didn’t please her. The disappointment in her gaze gutted him, and he found himself at a complete loss. He wanted to rush forward and kiss her as he had yesterday, though he doubted she’d even liked his kiss.

You are a monster and I will not become your mate.

Shellett’s words echoed in his psyche, over and over. Lucy had probably merely tolerated his kiss, or perhaps she’d been too afraid to push him away. Star God, he would give anything to know the thoughts running through her mind. Anything to know what she truly thought of him and wanted from him.

Staring at the floor, Lucy moved forward and accepted his hand. He led her out into the corridor, guiding her to the medical bay. Whether she wanted him or not, the batch of nanobots was for her.

* * *

Lucy didn’t understand Fynd’s changing moods. Perhaps all Vaxxlians were like him, pleasant one moment and then angry or indifferent the next. She wished she’d had prior experience with other Vaxxlians before she’d met him. Not only was he a stranger, but he came from a race and culture different from her own.

They entered the medical bay, a large white room with gray cabinets built into the walls. There were several patient tables with lights hanging low over them. Nerves skittered through her and she stopped walking. Fynd paused and she felt the heat of his gaze on her, though she didn’t lift her eyes to his.

“What is wrong?” he asked in a slow, strange tone, as if he were annoyed with her, but trying hard to keep his voice level.

“Sorry,” she said. “I-I just never liked going to the doctor. Last time I went was before we left Earth. They gave me a bunch of shots. Some of them made me sick.” Her oldest sister had dragged her there, angry that she’d missed her first appointment out of teenage spite.

“I promise this won’t hurt.”

“You make a lot of promises,” she said, finally meeting his stare. “Do you ever break them?” She hadn’t meant to sound flippant, but she knew the words had come out that way. Remembering how angry she’d been during that doctor’s appointment Amelia had dragged her to infused her with a level of bravery she hadn’t felt in years, and even when Fynd’s eyes darkened, she didn’t cower under his glare.

“I would never break a promise to you, Lucy.” He shifted in place, appearing uncomfortable. “You are to be my mate.”

Without waiting for a response, he guided her further into the room and sat her on the center table. She watched as he fetched a small box from a cabinet. Nanobots. He was going to inject her with nanobots. She recalled how quickly the bite she’d given him had healed, but then she considered the scarring on his face. Those scars hadn’t healed and she wondered why.

Would any of her scars heal? She wondered how Fynd would react when he took her into his bed and glimpsed her back. He’d never seen her naked from behind and didn’t know about the lines that crossed her back, remnants of her worst days as Thesslon’s slave.

Thesslon had possessed a temper worse than his late brother. After he announced he was selling her, complaining that she was smaller and weaker than his other slaves and he wanted to replace her with a larger male slave, she had been joyous, for a time. That is, until the fear of the unknown crept in, and she’d spent many nights tossing and turning, worrying over whether her next master would be worse. When the slaver had come to Besha with his green tent, Thesslon had turned her over and instructed the man to get a fair price for her.

She hoped the nanobots healed the scars on her back. She wanted no lasting reminders of her time on this planet. She wanted to forget as much of the last five years as she possibly could. If she could forget, perhaps she could heal on the inside. Living in constant fear had changed her. She wasn’t the same person she was when she’d left Earth. Her sisters probably wouldn’t even recognize her now. Gone was the rebellious teenager who’d tried every trick in the book to avoid leaving her home planet.

Lost in thought, Lucy barely felt the nanobots being injected into her arm. She glanced down and looked at the faint red mark on her arm, which was rapidly disappearing, as Fynd returned the injector to the box.

“Is that it?”

“Yes, we are finished in the medical bay, little human.”

“I-I don’t feel any different.”

“You might experience a burst of energy once the nanobots become regulated to your system, but there are no side effects from the injection. The next time you are wounded, for example, if you were to fall and scrape your knee, you will heal as rapidly as you saw me healing yesterday.”

“This is amazing,” she said. “This kind of technology was only in its infancy when I left Earth.” She drew in a deep breath, preparing to ask if the nanobots would only heal new wounds, but then stopped herself after a glance at Fynd’s scars. She would examine herself later in private to see if there was any improvement to her back.

“My younger brother, Stax, developed this technology during the war. He’s a renowned healer.”

“Do you just have the one brother?”

“I have three younger brothers—Deza, Stax, and Kirn—and one older brother named Zann.”

“They all survived the war?”

“Yes, thank the Star God, all four of them survived the war. Deza, Stax, and Kirn have all returned to our settlement on New Vaxx with their new mates, but I believe Zann is still searching for a human female.”

Four brothers. She envied his large family, though judging by the haunted look in his eyes, he’d still lost those he cared about during the battle against the Irrcons. She reached for his hand. “Did you lose any family members during the war?”

“The cursed Irrcons blew up Vaxxlia,” he replied in a faraway voice. “There’s not a Vaxxlian warrior alive who hasn’t lost family and friends during the war. My parents perished during the attack, as well as several aunts, uncles, and cousins. But we choose to honor the memory of those lost by carrying on, by rebuilding and growing strong again on our new planet. Many are gone, but none have been forgotten.”

“I am sorry for your loss, Fynd,” she said, giving his hand a squeeze.

A startled look entered his eyes and he glanced down at their joined hands. “Thank you,” he said after a long moment. His gaze returned to hers. “What about your family? I know your sisters were sold into slavery after the attack on the Mazzon, but do you have family left on Earth?”

She stared up at him, lost in his luminous green eyes that were suddenly gleaming with warmth and compassion. “I only have one cousin left on Earth.”

“What about your parents? Are they no longer alive?” He cupped her face and moved closer, and his abrupt nearness brought her comfort.

She inhaled his masculine scent and leaned into his touch. “They died when I was ten in an accident in a lab they worked at. My grandmother raised me after that, but she died when I was fifteen. After that, my oldest sister, Amelia, became my guardian.” Regret welled in her heart. “Amelia and my other sister, Kelly, were all I had left of my immediate family, and I treated them terribly after I went to live with Amelia. I didn’t wish to leave Earth. I was so angry at both of them for making me go.”

Fynd wrapped his arms around her. She blinked rapidly against the tears burning in her eyes, but in the end, they rolled down her cheeks despite her best efforts at reining in her emotions. She’d never been good at hiding her feelings. But Fynd didn’t mock her for crying or glare at her for being weak. Instead, he produced a white cloth from his pocket and dabbed at the tears on her cheeks. Then he kissed her forehead and hugged her tighter.

Chapter 5

Fynd’s plans to remain indifferent crumbled around him. He couldn’t help the tenderness that swelled in his chest for Lucy. Warmth filled him whenever he was in her presence. And when she was sad, nothing felt more natural and right than holding her tight in his arms, the need to comfort her overwhelming in its intensity.

She had endured many trials, this little human of his. She’d known anguish and fear and desperation. He wanted to help her heal from all the tragedies she’d experienced in her young life. He only hoped she didn’t consider him one more tragedy in a string of them. She deserved happiness and peace.

“Come, you may sit with me on the bridge while I move the ship to another location.”

“But I thought we couldn’t travel yet? The solar storm and…”

“I only intend to move the Shomma to a new location on Censina’s surface. We won’t be leaving the atmosphere.”

She nodded her understanding and he helped her off the table, thankful to finally have the nanobots inside her. He grasped her hand and led her out of the medical bay and into the narrow corridors of his ship. After they reached the bridge, he got her settled in a chair next to his in front of the command console. She gawked at the blinking buttons and various screens in front of her.

“Once we leave Censina, how long will it take us to reach New Vaxx?” she asked.

“Seven days.”

“Are-are we going to mate before we reach your planet?”

Her question caught him off guard. He turned to her, his desire swelling at the prospect of taking her into his bed soon. She bit her lower lip, looking nervous, as she held his gaze and fidgeted with the sleeve of her sweater. Star God help him, he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted a female. Her fragrant feminine scent enticed him, heating his blood and making his cock grow harder still. He fought against a sudden dizziness that assailed him.

“Tonight,” he said. “I will claim you tonight, little human.”

Her eyes widened and she inhaled quickly.

“Do not be afraid, Lucy. I promise not to hurt you, for you will be my treasured female. I will be as gentle as possible.” He reached for her, grasping her hand. “Have you ever been with a male before?”

“No, I haven’t.” Her face reddened. “Censinans aren’t sexually compatible with humans, for which I am very thankful. Some of the other slaves weren’t so lucky.” She shuddered and looked down.

“I am glad you weren’t abused in that way, my sweet one, but I am sorry for the other hardships you have endured.” He squeezed her hand. “I know you have suffered. I can see it in your eyes. I wish I could take all your hurting away, little human.”

Tears shimmered in her gaze and she shifted closer to him. “I appreciate your kind words, Fynd. I prayed for a kind master to buy me. It seems my prayers have been answered, in a way, even though you are not my master.” Her voice cracked. “At least, I hope my prayers have been answered. I must confess there are times when I do not understand you.”

Guilt pierced him, but he didn’t know how to respond to her admission. He released her hand. He couldn’t admit his fears of rejection—not to the very female who was about to become his mate. Pride keeping him silent, he returned his attention to the controls in front of him and turned the ship’s engine on.

“We come from different cultures,” he finally said, as if stating this simple fact might lessen the impact of any misunderstandings between them.

“I know,” she replied, staring straight ahead through the viewscreen.

Cursing himself for causing a dark mood to fall upon the bridge, he focused on navigating the ship beyond Besha. He flew over the mountains and landed the Shomma on a ridge overlooking a lush valley with a large blue lake. A glance at the map showed he’d landed a short distance from Thesslon’s abode, though he suspected there was no way Lucy could have discerned their proximity to the castle, given the indirect route he’d taken to the landing spot.

Fynd would give Censinan authorities several days to act against the slavers in Besha and Lucy’s former owner, but if he had to take justice into his own hands, he would not hesitate. His fury at Thesslon burned hot and he was tempted to rush off the ship and see if the slave owner had returned home, but allowing Censinan authorities to arrest Thesslon first might be better, if it resulted in numerous slaves being freed. She’d expressed sadness over the treatment of her fellow slaves, some of whom had been used sexually by their masters, and he needed to think of the bigger picture.

Three days, he decided. He would give the authorities three days to respond to his tip and take Thesslon into custody. But if the vile man wasn’t arrested within that time, Fynd vowed to make him pay for his crimes against Lucy.

“It’s beautiful here,” she said. “I didn’t even know this lake was here. I’ve never seen a lake so blue.”

“The lakes and oceans on New Vaxx are even more breathtaking.” He shut down the engines and activated the cloaking mechanism. Technically, he wasn’t supposed to park a ship outside the designated landing platforms on Censina, but the cloak would prevent anyone from glimpsing his ship on the ridge. They could remain here for days, undetected and unbothered, while he mated with her for the first time and waited for the solar storm to end.

He glanced at Lucy as she leaned closer to the viewscreen, her golden locks spilling over her shoulders with her subtle movements. The prospect of bringing her home to New Vaxx soon made his throat tighten with emotion. Damn his scars and all his reasons for wanting to hold her at a distance, he couldn’t help the growing tenderness he harbored for her, the feeling of absolute possession for a female he hadn’t even mated with yet.

Soon. Before the day ended, she would officially belong to him.

* * *

The sun had set less than an hour ago. Lucy stood at the viewscreen in her room, staring at the moon and the stars, her heart racing as she waited for Fynd’s arrival. He’d promised to mate with her tonight, and the thought of being claimed by him set off flutters in her stomach and a heated pulsing sensation between her thighs. Though she’d never had sex before, she knew the mechanics of it, but even knowing how it was done didn’t help ease her nervousness.

They were practically strangers, yet she would spend the rest of her life with him. Could they truly build a happy life together? He was different from the men she’d known on Earth. Boys, really. Sixteen when she’d left her home planet, she had only gone out with a few guys around her own age by that time, but none of the relationships had ever been serious. Little crushes, little dates.

After leaving Earth, on her way to Promexos, she had started to think about her future more. She’d allowed herself to dream about falling for a man on Promexos, getting married one day, and having a couple of kids. Of course, she’d imagined attending the university there first, making a life plan in her head as she tried to come to terms with leaving her home planet behind. Though she hadn’t wished to leave Earth and she was angry at Amelia for making her go, she still loved her sisters and aside from one cousin, they were the only family she had left in the universe. Despite her frustration over the situation, she had doubted she would be able to leave them and return to Earth when she reached adulthood. So she’d allowed herself to envision a brand new future that didn’t involve going back to the planet of her birth, never expecting that the Mazzon would soon be attacked and all those new dreams would turn to dust.

The sound of the door zipping open and shut startled her. She drew in a deep, calming breath, and turned to face Fynd. He stood just inside the doorway, his strong presence filling the room. His eyes glowed darker than usual, a primal gleam taking over and making him look a bit intimidating. But she reminded herself that he hadn’t given her reason to fear him, yet.

She was wearing a thin nightgown that she’d found waiting for her on the bed after she’d gotten out of the shower. Would he be able to glimpse the outline of the scars on her back through the thin garment? She’d checked her back before her shower, only to find the markings hadn’t disappeared as she’d hoped. Maybe, even if he did remove the thin nightgown, he wouldn’t see her back, if she laid down on the bed quickly enough. She wanted to focus on what was about to happen between them, rather than dark events from her past.

A quick glance down showed her hardened nipples protruded through the thin fabric of her nightgown, and as a flush stole through her, she fought the urge to fold her arms over her chest. Given his heated gaze, she was starting to suspect she wouldn’t be wearing the garment for long anyway.

“Good evening, Lucy,” he said in a voice deeper than usual.

“Go-good evening, Fy-Fynd.” Her mouth went dry and she started trembling. She clutched her hands in front of herself and shifted awkwardly in place, unsure if she should remain at the viewscreen or cross the short distance between them. She longed to be near him, in his arms, even, but she hesitated in a sudden bout of shyness.

A sexy rumble emanated from his throat as he walked toward her. Pleasure quaked in her pussy. His nostrils flared and his eyes grew even darker. Shame heated her face. Oh God, could he smell her arousal? Some aliens possessed sharper senses than humans. As if in answer to her unspoken question, his nostrils flared wider and he growled louder.

“You’re so beautiful, my little human,” he said, cupping her face.

Before she could respond, an alarmed look crossed his features, as if he were remembering something unpleasant yet important, and he glanced to the ceiling and issued what sounded like a command in his native tongue. A second later, the lights went out, plunging the room into near darkness. She blinked rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the dimmed surroundings. The glow of the moon and stars helped her at least see the huge outline of him, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted to see him while they mated—not simply the shadow of him—and she couldn’t help the disappointment and hurt that coursed through her.

He’d called her beautiful and she didn’t understand why he didn’t wish to look upon her nakedness as he claimed her. Did Vaxxlians always have sex in the dark? His green eyes glowed above her, and she peered up at him through the darkness, though she doubted he could see anything but the outline of her face.

But when his lips found hers and he growled while holding her closer, flush against the masculine hardness of his huge body, her frustration began to fade and she moaned into his mouth. His tongue was firm and insistent as he took control of the kiss, and little shudders afflicted her whole body, desire swelling from deep within.

Through the barrier of his pants and her nightgown, she swore she felt his cock pulsing hard and hot. Pleasure quaked between her legs. She wasn’t wearing undergarments of any kind—none had been provided—and she gasped as she detected the slickness of her arousal escaping onto her inner thighs. She pressed her legs together as Fynd deepened the kiss. He grasped her face in his hands and held her in place while more growls rumbled from his throat, the growls vibrating through her body and coalescing with her rising need.

“My sweet little human,” he said after breaking away, “we must repeat the mating vows of my people. Then you will belong to me.” He swept her up in his arms and carried her to the bed.

Hope brimmed in her heart. In just a matter of days, she’d gone from living in a state of constant fear while under Thesslon’s roof…to uncertainty in the green tent as she awaited a new master to buy her…to Fynd’s affectionate embraces and toe-curling kisses. To safety and warmth and the possibility of having a real life. She was no longer a slave. She was about to become the mate of a strong Vaxxlian warrior.

Tears brimmed in her eyes when he gazed down at her, his glowing green stare fixed directly on her, and she wondered if perhaps his kind could see in the dark. Her heart skipped a beat at the devotion brimming in his otherworldly gaze, and she wished the lights were turned on so she could see all of his face. But she supposed he’d turned the lights off for a reason and didn’t wish to spoil the mood, so she kept silent and waited for him to speak the mating vows he’d mentioned. She wondered if they were similar to marriage vows, though she would find out soon enough.

“Lucy,” he said, a troubled look entering his gaze, “do you truly wish to become my mate?”

“You bought me to become your mate, Fynd.” Her stomach sank. Had he changed his mind? Did he no longer want her? Fear set in, a heavy coldness falling over her. She didn’t wish to be returned to the green tent. She would do anything to avoid going back.

“I know why I bought you, little human.” He blinked at her. “But I need to know before we repeat our vows and I claim you…do you truly wish to become my mate and come to New Vaxx with me? You would spend your whole life there with me. Vaxxlians always mate for life.”

“I want to become your mate with all my heart, Fynd,” she answered, reaching for his hands in the darkness. She laced her fingers through his and squeezed, hoping he believed her. She had to escape this planet, couldn’t imagine returning to the green tent or being left to make it on her own on a world she still found strange and unwelcoming after five long years. If Fynd was giving her a choice, she didn’t want it. She wanted him and the safety and freedom he represented. She needed him as much as he needed her, even if she didn’t love him as she used to always imagine she would love her future husband. But she didn’t despise him or fear him. She enjoyed his company. That had to count for something.

Perhaps it made her weak to want this mating-of-convenience that he was offering, but she wasn’t as brave as she used to be, nor was she as proud. Her heart beat faster as nerves clenched in her tummy. He lowered his face and pressed a kiss to her forehead. She breathed an inward sigh of relief at his affectionate gesture. He wasn’t rejecting her. Thank God.

“Please, Fynd, let us repeat the mating vows of your people. I’m ready.”

Chapter 6

Fynd removed Lucy’s nightgown from her and tossed it to the floor. His eyes had quickly adjusted to the darkness and he drank in her beauty, thinking her the loveliest creature he’d ever seen. A sense of self-consciousness swept through him, as he hoped she couldn’t see in the dark as well as him—he wanted to spare her the sight of his scars while he claimed her. Though she’d already said she wished to become his mate, he didn’t want to give her cause to change her mind.

Shellett wasn’t the only female to be disgusted by Fynd’s scars. He’d heard the whispers of other females on Vaxxlia after her rejection—most thought him a monster and pitied any female who had to spend the rest of her life with him. To his great shame, his father hadn’t been able to arrange another mating match for him and there was a point in his life when he’d thought he would remain alone forever and never father any children. But the war and the destruction of Vaxxlia had changed everything. Now here he was—about to claim the sweetest, most beautiful female he’d ever set eyes on. Lucy. He prayed to the Star God that she never regretted what was about to happen between them.

She parted her thighs slightly and the scent of her arousal both enticed and reassured him that she indeed wished to belong to him. His throat tightened. Did she only wish to become his because she had nowhere else to go, no other options? But no, the scent of her arousal heightened in the air and he glimpsed her nipples hardening as she peered up at him, a look of need written on her pretty face. He stripped off his clothes and crawled atop her, his cock thickening and his balls tensing as the tip of his shaft rested atop her soft stomach.

“I cannot wait to make you mine, Lucy.” He cupped her face and kissed her, a gentle kiss to her lips that drew a sweet sigh from her. “Let us say the mating vows now. Repeat after me, sweet human.” He paused, emotion rolling through him. He never thought he’d say the mating vows to female. “I give you my soul, my body, and my heart.”

“I give you my soul, my body, and my heart,” she repeated.

“Upon this mating, I am yours and you are mine.” He stroked a hand through her hair.

“Upon this mating, I am yours and you are mine,” she said, her voice tight as if she were crying.

He saw the glimmer of moisture on her cheeks and brushed her tears away, hoping they were tears of joy, rather than sorrow. “May the Star God bless our union,” he finally said, uttering the remaining part of the vows.

“May the Star God bless our union.” Beneath the emotion straining her voice, he heard what sounded like a distinct note of joy. Then he saw the direct evidence of her happiness and his heart skipped a beat. She was smiling up at him. A dazzling smile, despite the tears still filling her eyes.

His heart beat faster and he gathered her closer, kissing her again and again. He reached between her thighs and found her nether lips slick with her arousal. Probing her pussy, he spread her moisture around, dragging it over her protruding nubbin—which made her squeal and lift her hips—and then pressed two fingers into her tight entrance. Slowly, very slowly, he worked his digits inside her, testing to see how well his cock would fit. Her inner walls clamped around his fingers but he managed to drive deeper and deeper, withdrawing slightly each time as he created a steady thrusting motion in and out of her sopping wet sex.

She smelled divine and the urge to taste her prompted him to kiss his way down her stomach to the sweetness between her thighs. Still pumping his fingers in and out of her pussy, he spread her intimate folds wider apart and traced his tongue over her clit. She shuddered and gasped her pleasure, grinding her center against him as she clutched at his head. He’d studied a manual about human female anatomy and recalled learning the swollen nubbin called her clit was very sensitive. Judging by her eager response, the manual hadn’t lied.

She writhed into his careful ministrations, her entire body quaking as he circled his tongue harder over her clit. She tasted as sweet as he’d imagined and he feasted upon her greedily, unable to get enough of her enticing nectar, the proof of her desire for him. Then he made his tongue vibrate on this sensitive part of her, causing her to tremble harder and cry out in surprise.

“You-your to-tongue,” she said in astonishment. “It-it vibrates, Fynd.”

“Would you like me to keep going, little human?” He plunged his fingers deep into her channel and his mouth hovered atop her pussy. When she shot him an exasperated look, he almost chuckled at her level of desperation, and the urge startled him. He hadn’t teased anyone or felt like laughing in ages, yet here he was, teasing his sweet mate and on the verge of laughing. It was an odd sensation, this humor intermixed with joy that was bubbling up in his chest, one he hadn’t experienced in so long that it brought back a barrage of memories he quickly worked to dash aside. He wished to keep his entire focus on Lucy. The past needed to stay in the past, especially now.

“Please, Fynd,” she said in a pleading voice. “Please don’t torture me. Do it again. And again and again.”

He was only too happy to comply. Leaning down, he darted his tongue over her clit once more and vibrated it against her swollen bit of flesh. Her clit pulsed over his tongue in response, and the scent of her arousal surrounded him, heightening his own need for her. His cock thickened to the point of painfulness, but he wouldn’t stop tending to her until he gave her the pleasure she craved, the pleasure she was begging for.

He met her gaze and pulled away only long enough to say, “Be a good little human and come for me, Lucy. I want to feel you coming right on my tongue while I thrust my fingers in and out of you.” His own words surprised him—when he’d imagined taking her for the first time, he’d thought he would make it quick to get it over with so she would officially belong to him. But he found himself wanting to draw the experience out. He vowed to savor every moment of their first coupling.

“Fynd, oh my God.” She gyrated her hips in tune with his drives into her pussy while he vibrated his tongue harder on her clit. Her eyes closed and he felt her inner walls clamping down and convulsing around his plunging fingers. Her clit pulsed more fervently against his tongue and she cried out his name over and over, coming for him just as he’d asked.

When her trembling ceased and she lay panting on the bed in the aftermath of her ecstasy, he withdrew his digits from her center and settled himself atop her, nudging his rock-hard length through her slick folds.

He shoved into her in one rapid drive, thrusting all the way inside. She gasped and a pained look crossed her face, but once he withdrew and pushed into her again, her expression relaxed and a small but satisfied smile touched the corners of her sensuous lips. She spread her legs wider and he grasped onto her hips, setting a quick rhythm as he claimed her, claimed the very female who now belonged to him for all time.

“You are mine now, Lucy,” he said as he drove in and out of her depths. “Mine.”

Though they’d just repeated the sacred mating vows of his people, he needed her to understand his possession of her, needed her to feel it deep in her soul. They were bound together until the end of their days, a scarred Vaxxlian warrior and small human female who’d once been a slave. Perhaps they weren’t the likeliest of matches, but now that he was claiming her, he couldn’t fathom any other female taking her place.

He growled his pleasure, his balls firming as a quiver raced up his thighs. His cock pulsed inside her tightness, and he reveled in the sheer bliss of mating with her.

“Mine,” he said again, leaning down to kiss her.

* * *

Lucy tasted her own arousal as Fynd kissed her. Heated longing swept through her, and she found herself eagerly meeting his thrusts as he plunged into her pussy. His balls impacted heavily against her bottom with each rapid drive. His deep animalistic growls mingled with the sound of flesh slapping flesh and her breathless moans. He pulled away from her and she fought for her breath as he increased the pace of his pounding into her.

Glowing green eyes stared down at her, and a beam of moonlight entered the room as the moon rose higher in the night sky, casting a line of pale yellow across his face. She thought him incredibly handsome and fierce looking, but when his eyes grew alarmed and he ducked his head lower, out of the beam of light, understanding dawned and her heart ached for him.

“Don’t hide from me, Fynd,” she said, cupping his face and guiding him back into the light. “Please, I wish to look upon you while we mate.”

His jaw clenched but he didn’t attempt to move out of the moonbeam again. Swallowing hard, he continued to stare down at her, and the longer he gazed at her, the more relaxed he appeared, the tightness of his jaw easing. She opened her mouth, preparing to confess that she also had scars, old scars which the nanobots hadn’t healed, but then she pressed her lips together, unsure comparing her own scars to his would truly comfort him. He’d likely gotten his in battle, perhaps while fighting the Irccons. She’d gotten hers because Thesslon was hard to please and liked the sound of her screams. She didn’t wish for him to stop what they were doing in order to ask her how she’d gotten hers.

Later, she decided. She would tell him of her scars later, after they were finished making love. For now, she could continue gazing up at him with acceptance. Even if his scars would’ve been worse and grossly disfiguring, it would not have made a difference to her. Fynd had pulled her out of the darkness when he’d bought her. Beneath his often rigid demeanor, she sensed the goodness inside him.

He wasn’t quite the brute she’d thought him to be when he’d first taken custody of her in the green tent. He could have been harsh and demanding after he bought her, but he’d given her some time to recuperate from her days spent in the tent, tending to her needs and her comfort. And now, as they mated for the first time, he wasn’t claiming her without regard to her pleasure.

He’d given her an earthshattering release before he’d pushed his cock into her, stoking the fires of her arousal until she was dripping wet and ready to accept his massive size. Despite her lack of sexual experience, she’d only suffered the slightest amount of pain when he’d pushed into her, and she was grateful for the care he was taking during their first mating. It spoke to his character and made her heart swell with affection for him.

Pleasure coiled tight in her nether region, everything between her thighs aching as another orgasm approached. She moaned and continued meeting Fynd’s rapid thrusts, and just as she felt his cock swelling larger within her depths, she fell into the pulsing abyss of a long, drawn out release. A second later, Fynd stiffened and growled as his huge length throbbed harder inside her. His seed suddenly filled her, his thickness pulsating under each quick spurt.

In a daze, she lay beneath him while he finished, trembling in the aftermath of her intense orgasm. She fought to catch her breath while she peered up at Fynd, the moonbeam accentuating the hard lines defining his muscles as he completed the act of their mating. His eyes were closed as he jerked against her, filling her with yet another spurt of his essence. The scent of sweat and sex surrounded them.

Finally, he paused and opened his eyes. He cupped her face and stared down at her, his cock still hard within her aching channel. Her soul danced with joy at the tender look that filled his gaze. She might not love Fynd yet, but she could easily imagine herself falling in love with him. She promised herself to give him a chance, to keep her heart open to the enigmatic Vaxxlian warrior who’d changed the course of her life forever.

Chapter 7

When Lucy awoke, Fynd was gone. She noticed a breakfast tray on the table near the viewscreen and a brand-new outfit laying across the end of the large bed. Though she was disappointed by his absence, she appreciated that he’d taken the time to see to her needs before he’d departed the room. His thoughtfulness touched her. Finally having a warm bed, clothes, delicious food, and access to a shower meant more to her than he would probably ever realize. It had been years since anyone had taken care of her.

She took a quick shower and donned the soft gray pants and black sweater he’d left for her. Moving to the viewscreen, she sat at the table and stared across the lush valley and the sparkling blue lake as she enjoyed her breakfast.

Her thoughts remained on Fynd while she ate. She took stock of her body and was at first surprised she wasn’t sore from their vigorous mating, but then she remembered the nanobots and supposed they were the reason she felt perfectly fine and more energetic than usual when she first awoke. Once she finished breakfast, she placed the tray in the receptacle next to the food replicator and gazed around the room, wishing she had something to do.

Even before she’d become a slave, she had never been one to sit idle. Boredom was completely new to her. On Earth, she’d spent her free time hanging out with friends, volunteering at a nursing home, and helping her grandmother around the house. She’d also been a bookworm. What she wouldn’t give to be reunited with her old e-reader or her collection of paperbacks. Inhaling deep as she stood at the viewscreen, she imagined she smelled the sweet, muskiness of frequently turned pages.

Perhaps she would be able to find books on New Vaxx. She wondered just how many human women had been taken to the planet already. Surely, some of them would have brought possessions with them, including books. She sighed as she remembered the exhilaration of walking into a bookstore or library. She missed her sisters and friends from Earth, but second to her loved ones, she missed books.

With nothing better to do, she started pacing in front of the viewscreen. Eventually, she began walking in circles around the room, filled with growing energy she needed to expel. Perhaps this was the surge in energy Fynd said was possible after receiving the nanobots. Or perhaps she was simply bored out of her mind. On her fifth lap around the room, her elbow grazed the panel next to the door and it zipped open. She froze and stared at the narrow corridor outside her room, stunned that Fynd hadn’t locked her inside as she’d assumed he would.

Had he given her leave to walk around the ship now that they were mated? Heart racing, she peeked her head out into the corridor and glanced both ways. She saw no sign of him, but she remembered the way to the bridge and set off, hoping to find him there. Annoyance flared inside her that he hadn’t bothered to tell her that the door would be unlocked. Maybe he thought she was still sleeping.

The bridge sat empty. Lucy stared at a video comm near one of the chairs and nearly squealed as realization set in, and she couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed it yesterday. Fynd’s ship possessed the same kind of video comm used throughout most of the known universe. Would she be able to contact her cousin on Earth? And Amelia and Kelly…what if they had somehow escaped slavery and made it back home, or to Promexos? Lucy herself was now free, the mate of a Vaxxlian warrior. Anything was possible.

Excitement racing through her, she sat down in front of the video comm and turned it on. The screen glowed to life and the controls lit up. With trembling hands, she typed in her cousin’s comm number, praying she remembered it correctly. When Steven’s face appeared on the screen several minutes later, she burst into happy tears.

“Oh my God, Lucy? Is that really you?” He stared at her with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open.

“Steven!” She shuddered and wiped at her tears, trying to get her emotions under control so she could hold an actual conversation with him.

“We were starting to fear the worst,” he said, brushing away his own tears. “It’s been…five years.”

“The Mazzon was attacked by slavers on the way to Promexos. Everyone aboard who wasn’t killed during the attack was sold into slavery on the Achinzi Outpost.”

“I know,” he said. “Amelia and Kelly told me what happened. They’ve been trying to find you.”

Her heart nearly stopped. “Amelia and Kelly? You-you’ve seen them? They’re okay? Please, you must tell me everything.” Her cousin’s face became a blur as she pressed a hand over her mouth, openly sobbing. Her sisters. Steven had spoken to them. And they were looking for her. That must mean they had their freedom. She prayed it was true.

“Take some deep breaths, Lucy.” He smiled at her and transmitted a message to the video comm’s lower display. It looked like a comm number.

“Is that…” Her throat closed up and she couldn’t finish her question.

“Yes,” Steven said, grinning, “that’s your sisters’ comm number. They’re on the Firebird 2, a small vessel owned by Amelia’s husband. The last I heard, they were near the Starwatcher Outpost.”

“I’m not sure where that outpost is, but perhaps my mate knows.”

“Your mate?” Steven leaned forward. “You have a mate? As in…an alien mate?”

“Yes, his name is Fynd.” She decided to omit the details of how they’d met and the fact that they’d only known each other for two days. She didn’t want Steven to worry about her when she believed herself perfectly safe.

“That means you’re free now? You’re no longer a slave?”

“Yes, I’m free now,” she said. “We’re on a planet called Censina right now, but we’ll be leaving soon for New Vaxx—that’s the planet my mate’s people have settled on. Have you, um, heard of Vaxxlians?”

Steven leaned back, a grin taking over his face. “You mated with a Vaxxlian? Wow.”

“So you have heard of his race. Did Vaxxlians recently make contact with Earth or something?” A lot could happen in five years. She had a feeling her people had likely discovered and made contact with dozens of more alien races since her time away from her home planet.

“I recently read an article about Vaxxlians. About five hundred of them are headed to Earth at this very moment, intent on finding human females to claim as mates, as most Vaxxlian females were killed during a war. Their ships should arrive in about two weeks. Anyway, a service to find the Vaxxlians willing human females has been set up called Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides.”

As this information sank in, Lucy suddenly remembered something else Steven had just divulged. She straightened in her chair and gasped. “You-you said Amelia was on her husband’s ship. Who did she marry?”

“She married a human bounty hunter named Magnar. The alien who bought Amelia and Kelly had a bounty on his head. When Magnar tracked down the alien, he rescued your sisters. Apparently, one thing led to another and before they even made it back to Earth, Amelia and Magnar were married and she was carrying their first child. They have two sons now.”

Lucy smiled, her eyes burning with yet more tears. “That’s wonderful. I’m so happy they aren’t slaves anymore. Do you know how long they were with their master until Magnar showed up?”

Steven’s face darkened. “About two years. What about you? How long were you held as a slave?”

“Five years.” Lucy swallowed hard. “I was only recently freed.”

“Oh, Lucy. I’m so sorry you were held that long. I hope the bastard who owned you didn’t treat you too horribly. Amelia and Kelly told me some horror stories about the alien who’d owned them. They were lucky Magnar showed up when he did.”

Lucy breathed deep and forced a smile. “Let’s talk of more pleasant things, Steven. I really don’t wish to speak of my time as a slave.”

“Of course. I’m sorry.” He stared at her in silence for a moment. “You have your sisters’ comm number now. Sure you don’t want to hang up on little ol’ me and call them?” He cracked a goofy smile.

She laughed. “No, I’d like to keep talking to you for just a bit. It’s been forever.”

He grew serious. “Yes, it has. I’ve missed you. We used to have the best talks.”

“Did you ever open up a restaurant like you wanted?”

“Better yet, I opened two of them down here in Florida.”

“Oh, Steven, I’m so happy for you. Congratulations. I knew you could do it.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but his face abruptly went white and he stared wide-eyed at something behind Lucy. A low growl rumbled through the air and her blood went cold. She turned to see an angry looking Vaxxlian warrior standing behind her.

It was Fynd. And he was covered in blood.

* * *

Fury and betrayal coursed through Fynd.

He glared at the human male on the video comm and lunged past Lucy to smash his fist on the screen and then again on the control panel. She wouldn’t be calling any more males from the video comm on his bridge.

How could she be so unfaithful to him?

They had just mated and he’d thought they shared a special bond last night. To his astonishment, she had wanted to look upon his face, his scars, while he claimed her as his mate. He’d been touched by her acceptance, but perhaps it had all been an act.

“Fynd, what-what happened?” Cowering in the chair, she stared at his blood-soaked clothes, looking aghast and fearful.

He stared at her, ignoring her question, as he considered his next words carefully. But she spoke again before he’d decided how to address her betrayal.

“I’m sorry I didn’t ask for permission to use the video comm.”

“Permission?” He snarled. “You think I would have given you permission to speak with another male?”

“Please, Fynd. It’s not what you think. Steven is—”

“Go to your quarters now, Lucy, and I will speak to you later.” He struggled to keep his voice level, not wishing to unleash his fury on her, even though she was the cause of it. Regardless of her actions, she was still his mate and he must treat her accordingly.

“Fynd, if you would just listen, I—”

“Now!” he snapped, barely holding himself back from smashing his fists upon the rest of the controls on the bridge. Violent urges overwhelmed him and he wanted Lucy away from him as soon as possible. He wouldn’t hurt her, but he needed to be alone in his grief and anger.

Lucy rose from her seat and slipped off the bridge, her head lowered as she left him to pick up the pieces of his heart. He glanced at the video comm, which was almost entirely destroyed, save for the smaller screen on the lower half of the console where a message still blinked. It appeared to be a comm number, but no other text accompanied it.

He cursed in every tongue he knew and smashed his fist into the wall. The pain barely registered over the hurt pounding in his chest. Short of breath, he gasped for air as the room spun around him. He’d never felt this way before, utterly broken and deranged by sorrow. Even when Shellett had rejected him, he hadn’t felt so lost and out of control.

In a daze, he stripped off his bloodied shirt and made sure the ship was locked down on its highest security setting. Then he exited the bridge and headed for his quarters. He couldn’t speak with Lucy. Not yet. Not until he’d calmed down.

But would he ever recover from the event he’d just witnessed?

He’d returned to the Shomma to find her smiling at another male on the video comm. A human male. Perhaps the man she’d referred to as Steven was an old love of hers from Earth. His throat tightened and he stared out his viewscreen at the majestic alien landscape of Censina. It was nearly midday and the sun gleamed across the lake, but a glance at the lake reminded him of Lucy’s pretty blue eyes.

He regretted leaving her quarters unlocked this morning, but he hadn’t imagined she would try to contact another male. He’d also expected to return before she awoke, but tracking down Thesslon had taken longer than expected.

His mood sinking lower, he ventured to the bathroom and turned on the shower. He stripped out of the rest of his clothes and threw everything into the refresher, needing to get the blood off himself. Censinan blood reeked worse than Irrcon blood.

Would Lucy have contacted Steven if she’d known Fynd was out killing her former master? He stepped into the shower and started washing Thesslon’s blood from his body. Despite Lucy’s apparent rejection, Fynd wished he could track down and kill the slave owner all over again.

Not long after awakening with her sleeping in his arms, she stretched and turned slightly, revealing lines of scars covering her entire back, evidence of her harsh treatment by her former master. His poor little female.

Except…was she still his?

Yes, he decided, after barely a pause. She still belonged to him. They’d exchanged mating vows and he’d claimed her last night. There was no undoing what had already been done. She might dislike him for the rest of his life, but they would remain together nonetheless. He still planned to take her back to New Vaxx. Whoever this Steven was to her, she would have to forget him. He would forbid her from contacting the male ever again.

As he dried off, he recalled how Lucy had reacted the first time she’d seen him angry, and guilt flowed through him. She’d frozen in fear and seemed to disappear within herself, unaware of her surroundings. He’d called her name over and over and she hadn’t responded. She hadn’t withdrawn from him this time, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t still afraid of him.

He longed to rush to her quarters and soothe any of her lingering fears, but at the same time he couldn’t face her brutal rejection. If she looked him in the eye and told him she didn’t want him…he simply could not bear it. But he couldn’t bear to let her go either. Vaxxlians mated for life and his honor demanded he always care for her, even if she despised him for it.

Once dressed, he returned to the bridge and checked the cloaking mechanism. Satisfied that it was still functioning properly, he scanned for current events transmissions being sent between continents. A satisfied glow filled him when he saw reports of slavers being captured in Besha, including Klazsum and his guards. There was also news that multiple slave owners had been arrested. The very last report stated that suspected slave owner Thesslon had been found beaten to death on a road outside Besha.

Confident that he’d covered his tracks and Censinan authorities wouldn’t be searching for his ship—which would be extremely difficult even if they suspected he was using a cloaking device—he decided to keep the Shomma parked where it was until the solar storm passed and they were able to leave this planet.

Did his actions that led to the downfall of so many slavers and masters make up for the fact that he’d bought Lucy? He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

The initial, intense anger he’d felt upon discovering her speaking to a male was starting to fade, but the sorrow wasn’t. And even though he wasn’t furious enough to pound his fists into the video comm or the walls, he was still very much angered by her actions. He couldn’t bring himself to speak to her just yet, so he tracked her location from the bridge to ensure she’d returned to her quarters, then he set the locking mechanism on her door, even though he’d already locked the ship down.

He would not allow her to leave.

No matter what happened, she still belonged to him.

Chapter 8

Everything had gone so horribly wrong.

Three days had passed since Fynd had caught Lucy speaking with Steven on the video comm. He’d jumped to conclusions and believed she’d been speaking to a love interest rather than her cousin. Without giving her a chance to explain, he’d ordered her to her room as if she were an errant child. Had she known he would lock the door and not visit her for three fucking days, she would have remained on the bridge, stood her ground, and informed him of Steven’s identity.

Now it was too late. She wondered how long until he came for her. They’d left Censina yesterday afternoon. The solar storm must have passed and the travel ban lifted, for they were now traveling through the stars. He claimed it took seven days to travel from Censina to New Vaxx. She hoped he visited her before they landed on his planet so they could have a reckoning.

She would not stand for being treated this way. He could not simply lock her in her room whenever he became angry, especially without even giving her a chance to tell her side of the story. She might be young and inexperienced when it came to relationships, but she knew it wasn’t healthy to avoid a problem for days.

Did he miss her? Was he hurting, too?

She glanced at the lunch tray that had appeared on the food replicator several minutes ago. Well, he hadn’t forgotten her. A meal appeared on the replicator three times a day. She didn’t have much of an appetite, though. She only wanted one thing. Fynd.

Despite his angry reaction to discovering her speaking with Steven, she couldn’t deny that she still harbored affection for him. She would never forget the tenderness he’d showed her on the night he claimed her. She’d learned a great deal about him during their mating. He was patient and cared for her pleasure more than his own, and he was also self-conscious about his scars.

She couldn’t blame him. She supposed if her scars were on her face and neck, she very well might feel the same. But she didn’t want him hiding from her. The scars didn’t diminish the regard she held for the jealous brute of an alien.

She glared at the door, ready to pounce on him the moment he entered. She’d done a lot of thinking during the last three days, and at some point, she’d concluded that she deserved every bit of the happiness she wanted.

Deep down, she trusted that Fynd wouldn’t hurt her, though it still startled her that he’d destroyed the video comm. But she would make him understand that if he couldn’t take the time to listen to her when it mattered most, there might not be any hope for them.

Her heart lurched at the thought, but she would not remain with him if she must walk on eggshells and avoid speaking to other males. That was no way to live. He would have to learn to trust her. She’d given him a chance, and now he needed to give her one.

Her sisters—her heart bounced with joy—were both alive. And Amelia was married with children. Somewhere out there, Lucy had two little nephews she couldn’t wait to meet. She hoped it was possible to retrieve the message containing her sisters’ comm number from the battered video comm. If not, she would have to find a way to contact Steven again.

Without warning, the door zipped open and her gaze met with Fynd’s.

His glowing eyes flickered with emotion, but there was no trace of anger within his green depths, and she breathed a sigh of relief, though she hoped it hadn’t taken him a full three days to calm down. He entered the room and the door shut behind him.

All of a sudden, she recalled exactly how he’d looked when she’d last seen him. The little speech she’d prepared dried in her mouth as her concern for his wellbeing took precedence.

“Are you all right, Fynd?” She moved two steps closer. “The last time I saw you, you were covered in blood.”

“It was not my blood.”

“Whose blood was it then?”

“Thesslon’s. He’s dead and his slaves have been freed. Many slavers in the markets of Besha have been arrested too, as well as numerous slave owners that I suspect Klazsum gave up upon his arrest.”

Klazsum. Of course. Lucy remembered the name. He was the slaver who owned the green tent. The one who’d sold her to Fynd on behalf of Thesslon. Surprise coursed through her and she peered at Fynd, a thousand questions racing through her mind. How had he killed Thesslon? Why had he killed Thesslon? Why were the slavers and masters being arrested? It didn’t make sense.

“Why did you kill Thesslon?”

He inhaled a long breath, stood taller, and his eyes narrowed, but she didn’t think the posturing was for her. He was remembering something unpleasant. Something that appeared to affect him deeply, judging by the conflicted look in his gaze. “I saw your back the morning after we mated, Lucy. I saw what he did to you. I’d already reported him to Censinan authorities and he would have been arrested eventually, but after seeing your scars, I could not allow the man to live another day. He deserved to suffer a long, painful death for what he did to you.”

He approached her with slow steps and paused an arm’s length away. She stared up at him as she tried to process all he’d just said. He’d sought out Thesslon to exact revenge on her behalf. She wasn’t sorry her former master was dead. She’d prayed for his demise countless nights as she lay in the darkness, freezing on the hard cellar floor with the other slaves.

“You-you killed Thesslon…for me?” Her mouth dropped open and her heart commenced racing. In a perverse way, it felt as if he’d just given her a touching gift.

“I will kill anyone who harms you, little human. Anyone.” Affection gleamed in the depths of his eyes, but she glimpsed sadness too, and her heart broke because he believed she’d been chatting it up on a video comm with another male while he was out defending her honor.

“Fynd, I need to tell you about—”

“You are not permitted to use the video comm to contact any males from Earth,” he said. “I will not allow you to stray. Our mating vows are for life, Lucy. I don’t expect you to harbor any affection for me, but I promise to treat you well. You and our future children will not want for anything.”

“Steven is my cousin,” she blurted. “The man you saw me speaking to on the video comm is just my cousin, Fynd. He’s not an old boyfriend from Earth or anything like that. I contacted him to see if he had any knowledge of my sisters’ whereabouts.”

“Your cousin?”

“Yes.” The details of her planned speech returned and she continued. “Had you spoken to me like a mature adult, rather than leave me locked in this room by myself for three whole days, you would have known there was nothing untoward at all about what I was doing. And even if I had been speaking to a man from Earth who wasn’t my relative, like an old friend, for example, you don’t have any reason to be jealous. I’m not going to cheat on you, Fynd. I plan to honor our vows just as you would honor them.”

“Lucy, my mate, I have made a terrible mistake.” He reached for her, wrapping his arms around her. His familiar scent surrounded her and she couldn’t resist the urge to press her body against his. But she still had more to say and she drew a deep breath, determined to make Fynd understand that she would not be treated with such suspicion ever again.

“You will never lock me in a room again, Fynd. Do you understand? I know I had everything here I needed, but that’s not the point. I wanted to speak with you and I couldn’t.”

“I swear on the souls of my ancestors, I will never do such a thing again.” He kissed her forehead and stared deep into her eyes. “Lucy, I didn’t keep you locked up because I was angry with you. I swear it was not to punish you.” Anguish threaded his tone.

“Then why did you do it?”

“Because I was afraid,” he admitted after a long pause. “I was afraid you would reject me. The Vaxxlian female I was supposed to mate with years ago rejected me. She could not stand the sight of my scars and said I was a monster. I feared the past would repeat itself, so I could not summon the bravery to speak with you. Though we have not known each other long, Lucy, I have come to care for you. I could not imagine letting you go. Please, I beg you to forgive me, my beloved mate.”

“Oh, Fynd.” She reached up to cup his face and draw her fingers over his scars. “I was angry with you for jumping to conclusions and shutting down, but I wasn’t going to reject you, especially not because of your appearance—which I happen to find ruggedly handsome, by the way. The Vaxxlian female who rejected you was a fool.” She appreciated that he’d finally opened up and told her the truth about his self-consciousness regarding his scars.

“Your words please me, Lucy. You are an honorable female. More honorable than I deserve.”

“You deserve happiness. We both do.” She trailed her fingers down to the red scars marring his neck. “How did you get these scars, anyway? Was it during the war?”

“A few years before the war, I was on a scouting mission with my brothers. We stopped for supplies at an outpost and a Urronnian mercenary tried to steal my ship. When I caught him, he challenged me to a fight. I accepted, and I won, but not before he scarred me for life.” He stroked a hand up and down her back. “The poison in the Urronnian’s claws left me permanently disfigured. Even my brother, Stax, can’t heal my scars. But your scars are not as severe as mine. I am confident Stax will be able to heal them for you once we arrive on New Vaxx.”

Chapter 9

Fynd couldn’t believe he’d just confessed his true fears to Lucy. He’d never thought he would open up his heart to a female as he just had, but her sweet presence put him at ease and her blue eyes shimmered with kindness as he spoke. She had every reason to hate him after the way he’d behaved, but she didn’t. Instead, she stared at him with affection.

“I don’t want Stax to heal my scars,” she said, surprising him.

“It won’t hurt, Lucy, not at all. I promise. You need not be afraid. Stax is a skilled healer and revered among my people.”

“I’m not afraid and I appreciate the offer, truly, I do.” She paused and bit her lower lip, inhaled quickly and said, “But if your scars can’t be healed, I don’t want mine healed either.” She dropped one hand from his face and laced her fingers through his.

Her announcement both stunned and touched him. For several long moments, he could only gaze down at her, speechless as his throat clogged with emotion. “You are an extraordinary female, Lucy,” he finally said. “I have never met anyone quite like you.”

“And I’ve never met anyone quite like you.” She smiled and his heart danced. “I can’t believe you killed Thesslon for me. The others who were arrested…was that your doing?”

He nodded. “I sent a tip directly to the Emperor’s offices.”

“I knew slavery was illegal on Censina, but I never imagined the authorities would do anything about it. That must have been some message. What did you say exactly?”

“In my message, I threatened to expose the underground slave market on Censina to the planets that are part of the Universal Alliance. Censina is trying to join the alliance but would be denied if news about their slave market got out.”

“You probably freed thousands of slaves, Fynd.” Tears shone in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tight. “Thank you.”

He stroked her hair and inhaled the intoxicating feminine scent of her. Star God, he had missed her these last few days. What a fool he’d been to think she would reject him, and what a beast he’d been to keep her locked up.

“I’ve fixed the video comm. Would you like to contact your cousin again? He’s likely worried about you.”

She withdrew slightly from his arms and beamed up at him, displaying a dazzling white smile. “Yes, I would like that. Poor Steven is probably frantic right now. He’s always looked out for me. He also sent a message with my sisters’ comm number. My sisters are no longer slaves and he says they’ve been searching for me.”

“That is wonderful news about your sisters, Lucy. I am happy to hear it. Come with me to the bridge, little human, and you can contact anyone you wish.”

She arched an eyebrow at him. “Promise you won’t punch a hole in the comm screen this time?”

“I promise.”

He guided her out into the corridor and they soon reached the bridge. He turned on the video comm and gestured for her to take a seat. Once she was seated, she typed in a number and they both watched as the screen shimmered blue and green while the Shomma attempted to connect to her cousin’s video comm. At last, Steven answered the call. His concerned face filled the screen. When he noticed Fynd standing behind Lucy, the human male shot him a scowl.

“Lucy, are you all right? Who is that man?”

“I’m perfectly fine, Steven.” She reached back for Fynd’s hand and brought his arm over her shoulder. “This is Fynd. He’s my mate. What happened the last time we spoke was a misunderstanding.”

“Are you sure?”

“I promise. He’s an honorable Vaxxlian warrior. He freed me, killed my former master, and helped bring justice to other slavers and masters on Censina, which has resulted in thousands of slaves being freed. He’s a good man and I’m thankful he found me.” She squeezed Fynd’s hand and glanced up at him with a smile before returning her gaze to the comm screen.

Steven’s expression relaxed. “I am pleased to hear you’re all right, Lucy.” He looked at Fynd. “Thank you for freeing my cousin. Take care of her. She’s a sweet girl.”

“I will care for her for the rest of my days,” Fynd replied. “She is my beloved mate.”

Lucy’s stomach growled and he realized she hadn’t eaten yet. The breakfast tray had been sitting untouched on the replicator when he’d entered her room.

He leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. “I will get your breakfast, little human, and bring it here to the bridge. Enjoy speaking to your cousin for as long as you like. Feel free to use the video comm to contact your sisters and anyone else you’d like to get in touch with. I’ll be back soon.”

When he departed the bridge, she was speaking animatedly to Steven about how he’d spent the last five years. Happiness filled him to see her so joyous over a reunion with a family member. He hurried to her room and replicated a fresh breakfast tray for her after recycling the old one. When he returned to the bridge, she was speaking to her sisters. He smiled at the sight and moved forward when she introduced him to Amelia and Kelly.

He also met Amelia’s husband, Magnar, and their two sons, Ian and James. He spoke with Magnar, informing him of the location of New Vaxx and the best route to take from their current location.

“You will all be welcome on New Vaxx,” he said. “You may stay for a visit or permanently if you wish, though as an unmated female, Kelly will be highly sought after the moment you land.”

Kelly leaned closer to the comm screen and laughed. “Highly sought after? Considering that I haven’t been on a date in years, I think I’m looking forward to finally getting some action.”

The women all laughed, though Fynd didn’t understand what was humorous about her statement. Nevertheless, he was glad Lucy’s family members would be visiting them on New Vaxx soon. From their current location, it would take them approximately eighteen days to reach his planet.

By the time he’d returned to New Vaxx with Lucy and they’d gotten settled in, they would have house guests. Fynd’s home contained eight bedrooms—his brothers had insisted on the large number of bedrooms for each of their houses—and there would be plenty of room. If Lucy’s family decided to remain on New Vaxx for good, he and his brothers would construct a home for them.

After ending the call with her sisters, Lucy sent several messages to school friends from Earth who she claimed likely believed her dead. She sent them the Shomma’s comm number as well as the comm number for their home on New Vaxx, which he happily typed in the message area for her while she took a few bites of her breakfast.

Two of her friends called the Shomma within a short time of her sending the messages. He sat in the chair next to her while she explained her five-year silence. Both friends listened with wide eyes and sympathetic expressions while she spoke of being sold into slavery, but at the end of the call they both looked pleased as she described how she’d come to mate with Fynd and told how she would soon be reunited with Amelia and Kelly.

At last, when she was finished using the video comm, Lucy turned in her chair, her eyes bright under the overhead lights. “Oh, Fynd, I can’t believe I’m going to see my sisters soon. It seems too good to be true. Thank you for inviting them to stay with us.”

He helped her to her feet and embraced her, inhaling the scent of her shampoo as he kissed the top of her head. If her sisters had been on Earth or somewhere else far away, he would have set course for their location, no matter how distant. But it made sense for her sisters to travel to New Vaxx, rather than attempt to meet at an outpost. They’d been away from each other for five long years. He knew all too well the grief of missing family and friends. He’d lost his parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and many friends when the Irrcons attacked Vaxxlia.

“Come, my sweet human, and I will move you into my quarters. I should have taken you there when we first mated. You belong in my room and my bed.”

* * *

Lucy didn’t have much to move into Fynd’s quarters. Only the clothing items and shoes he’d replicated for her. Once she had her belongings tucked into a drawer, she smiled as her mate came up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as he leaned down to trail kisses along her neckline.

A pleasurable shudder ran through her at the feel of his lips on her bare skin. She turned in his arms and stood on her tiptoes while pulling his face down, needing to kiss him, needing to feel the fissures that had opened in their new relationship were truly closing.

She didn’t like conflict and it had taken bravery she hadn’t known she still possessed to stand up to him earlier, but he hadn’t become angry with her for standing up to him and he hadn’t refused to listen to her side of the story. Now that she knew what had happened to him, when his intended mate had rejected him over his scarred appearance, she felt closer to him and hoped the closeness between them would keep growing day by day.

She moaned into his mouth as he kissed her, his tongue vibrating slightly against hers. She marveled at the naughtiness of his vibrating tongue and a flush heated her all over when she recalled the sensation of his tongue on her clit. She’d gone years without experiencing the slightest desire or sexual urge, her life on hold as she was surrounded by aliens who weren’t compatible with humans—not to mention a complete lack of privacy—to a sensual awakening in Fynd’s loving arms.

He lifted her up and carried her to his bed. She heard the rapid but steady beating of his heart while nestled close to his chest and she closed her eyes, thankful that all was right between them. Though she hadn’t known him for long, she would have been devastated if he’d persisted in his jealousy and fear driven stubbornness. If he’d refused to allow her contact with Steven or her sisters, she would have been heartbroken to discover he wasn’t as kind an alien as she’d started to believe.

But he’d apologized for his rash actions and allowed her to reconnect with her remaining family members, even leaving the bridge at one point to bring her a meal, as if to demonstrate he trusted her alone with the video comm. She sighed as his hands roved over her body, caressing her over her clothing. He reached for the waist of her pants and tugged them down, tossing them to the floor. His eyes darkened and his nostrils flared.

Cupping her breast over her sweater, he leaned down to kiss her again, a sweet tender kiss that made her whole body tingle. When he pulled away, he stared down at her with a reverence that nearly made her tear up.

“For as long as we live, you will never spend another night out of my bed.”

He finished undressing her, pulling her sweater off and then allowing his eyes to rove over her nakedness, his appreciation for her body evident in his gaze. After five years of walking around naked every day, not permitted to wear a single stitch of clothing, she’d lost much of her shyness about her body. But when he looked at her, she felt as if she were getting naked in front of a man for the first time, and the newness of it made the experience all the more intimate.

Her breath caught in her chest when he rose from the bed and stripped off his clothing, revealing his impressive muscular physique. She swallowed hard and spread her legs when he came down atop her, nudging his huge, rigid length into the wet heat between her thighs.

He proceeded to make love to her in a sweet, tender fashion as the sunlight filled his quarters, beaming down upon their glistening skin, forgiveness and acceptance flowing between them while their bodies and hearts joined as one.

Chapter 10

Twelve days later…

New Vaxx was a beautiful planet and the people—both human and Vaxxlian—were very welcoming. Lucy and Fynd had arrived four days ago and he’d spent the last few days showing her around the Vaxxlian settlement of Starrzia and also taking her on tours of the nearby countryside. Though she hadn’t been here long, she already felt at home and could easily imagine herself spending the rest of her life here with Fynd.

She’d met his three younger brothers and their mates, as well as dozens of neighbors and friends. To her delight, women in Starrzia were not only permitted to hold jobs, but were encouraged to do so. Her sisters-in-law, Annika, Mila, and Diana all had jobs and contributed to the growing community. Annika was a pilot, Mila was a teacher, and Diana taught exercise and self-defense classes for women.

The instant Lucy realized she would be welcome to contribute to the community in some way, she’d known exactly what she wanted to do—open a library. All the human women she spoke to on the matter were enthusiastic about her proposal, but it was Fynd who was the most supportive of all.

The day after she’d mentioned her idea to him, he’d taken her on a long walk in town and showed her all the empty buildings that were designated for commercial use. She’d picked a building near the one where Diana held her classes and was now in the process of collecting book donations, as many of the human women had brought possessions with them.

In addition, electronic readers were being created by an engineer friend of Fynd’s named Eroyss, the designs based on the different kinds of e-readers the humans already had. Lucy was thrilled by how much progress had already been made and she looked forward to the grand opening of the library in a few weeks, once she managed to collect more paperback books. Fynd had sent out a supply request for used books to the Vaxxlian warriors who were off planet, in case they happened to venture near a supply outpost during their search for a human female.

Lucy watched as Fynd carried yet another bookcase into the library-in-progress. The bookcase was taller than him and she marveled at how effortlessly he managed to carry such a large piece of furniture, lifted over his head as if it weighed nothing. His muscles were flexed but not tensed as if he were struggling, and he wasn’t out of breath in the slightest. She admired his strength and felt the stirrings of excitement between her thighs.

“Where do you want this one?”

“Right here!” she called, pointing at the spot she’d picked out near the wide front window.

He set the bookcase down in its spot and stepped back. “How does that look?”

“Perfect.” She moved to his side and he wrapped an arm around her. “Thank you, Fynd. I appreciate all your help. I can just picture this place now, filled with books and people. It’s going to be wonderful.”

“You had a wonderful idea, Lucy. I am proud of you. I’ve heard others talking about the library. The people of Starrzia can’t wait for it to open.” He looked around the large room on the first floor of the building. “Sorron made eighteen more bookcases in the same size. Would you like them all on the lower level?”

“Yes, please. That’ll be great. I saw some of the smaller ones he made and they’ll be better for upstairs, where the children’s section will be.” She imagined women stopping by with their children for story time and to browse the shelves for a new book to take home. Some of her fondest memories involved trips to the library with her mother or grandmother and she smiled at the prospect of providing similar memories for the people of Starrzia.

“I’ll be back soon with another bookcase,” he said, leaning down to kiss her. His lips pressed to hers and heated pulses rushed through her body. When he pulled away and departed the library, she touched her tingling lips and a pleasurable shudder ran from her head to her toes.

Anticipation curled through her. She couldn’t wait until tonight.

* * *

On their way home from the library, Fynd swept Lucy up in his arms when their house came into sight. She giggled and peered up at him, her face flushed and her eyes sparkling like jewels amidst the waning light of early evening.

“Aren’t you exhausted from moving bookcases around for me all day?” she asked. “I’m tired just from watching you.”

“I’m not tired. Daily warrior training is much more exhaustive than carrying around a few pieces of furniture.” He normally joined his fellow warriors at the training center every morning, but he had skipped today in order to assist Lucy in the library.

He carried her inside and they immediately fell into their evening routine—he replicated the main dinner course while she fixed a salad using vegetables from their rooftop garden. There was a simple but soul-satisfying peace to be found in getting dinner ready together. Many Vaxxlian males expected their females to prepare all the meals, but he enjoyed the extra time spent with Lucy and couldn’t imagine sitting around while she did all the work at the end of the day. As he watched her tossing the final ingredients into the salad, he imagined a couple of small children scrambling around her and trying to help. He smiled at the picture his mind had conjured and hoped they were blessed with a child soon.

As the sunset glowed orange and pink on the horizon, they enjoyed dinner on the balcony that overlooked the green, rolling hills and snow-capped mountains. New Vaxx was similar in appearance to Vaxxlia and was starting to feel like home to Fynd. The differences were in the little things he noticed here and there, like an odd alien looking animal scurrying into the bushes or plants and trees with strange colored leaves. Many of the flowers on New Vaxx were larger than on Vaxxlia as well, and judging from Lucy’s reaction to them the first time she’d seen a flower-covered meadow on this planet, she wasn’t accustomed to such large flowers, either. Though his people had settled here first, it felt as if they were interstellar adventurers exploring a new world together, just the two of them.

“Another gorgeous sunset,” Lucy said, her gaze on the horizon. Her blonde locks lifted from her shoulders briefly as the wind swept down upon them. She shivered suddenly and crossed her arms over her chest. “And of course, now I’m cold. The nighttime breezes always get to me.”

“I will replicate you some heavier sweaters, little human. Come, let us retire for the night.”

They gathered up their plates and returned to the kitchen. But before they could begin cleaning up, a beeping noise filled the house. A transmission or a call was coming through on the video comm in the living room.

“Perhaps that’s Amelia with an update on their expected arrival time,” Fynd said, reaching for Lucy’s hand.

“Or maybe it’s your older brother, Zann, calling to say he’s found a mate and he’s on his way home,” she suggested. He hadn’t heard from Zann in a long time and both Fynd and his younger brothers were starting to get worried.

“Let’s go see who it is.” He guided her into the living room. The call was originating from Magnar’s ship, so he gestured for Lucy to sit in front of the comm.

She pressed the receive button and Amelia’s bloodied face appeared on the screen.

“Lucy! Oh, thank God you answered! We’ve been under attack for days and many of our systems have been down. We finally got the comm system back up.”

“Are you all okay? Who’s attacking you?” Lucy tensed and Fynd put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“We’re all still alive. No critical injuries yet. The aliens who are attacking us call themselves the Corrannthans. They’re demanding payment for traveling through a sector of space they claim belongs to them. But we cannot afford the outrageous sum.”

“I’ve heard of the Corrannthans. They are outlaws and own no sectors of space. What is your exact location? I can send the nearest Vaxxlian ships to intercept you and leave with a fleet from New Vaxx tonight.”

“Here, I’ll send you the coordinates.” Amelia sent the information Fynd requested and cast a worried look off to her right. Her eyes widened. “Shit, they’re coming back again. Magnar! Magnar, is the weapons system back online ye—”

The screen went blank.

Fynd leaned over a shocked Lucy to use the comm to contact his fellow warriors, sending a broad message to every comm number on New Vaxx. “My fellow warriors, this is Fynd speaking. A human vessel is under attack by Corrannthans in sector Alpha 42,” he said. “I’m requesting any Vaxxlian ships in the vicinity be directed to this location to provide assistance. My mate’s sisters, who are soon to be guests on New Vaxx, are aboard the ship with a human male and two children. I’m requesting fifty volunteers to join me on a rescue mission. All volunteers assemble in the hangar now.” He cut the transmission and stroked Lucy’s hair.

She peered up at him, worry filling her gaze. “I want to come with you.”

He shook his head. “I cannot allow you to place yourself in danger, little human.” He knelt before her and grasped her hands. “Please understand. You must stay here. Corrannthans are known to keep hostages and demand ransoms. It is unlikely they will kill your family members, but I will not allow you to risk your safety.”

“Promise you’ll save them. And promise you’ll return to me, Fynd,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion. “You must come back. Say it. Promise.”

“I promise.”

She forced a smile through her tears. “You have to come back now. You once told me you never break your promises.”

He lifted her in his arms, cradling her to his chest as he rested his forehead to hers. “I must go now. Warriors will be assembling in the hangar.”

He set her down and cupped her tear-stained face, despairing over the fact that he must leave her but unwilling to risk her safety by bringing her along. He kissed her tenderly while the sound of marching entered from outside, the bootsteps of dozens of warriors making their way to the hangar where their ships awaited. He had a feeling he would have more than fifty volunteers, but those who arrived first would go along. The rest would remain behind on New Vaxx to protect the settlement of Starrzia and the planet.

After one last kiss, he pulled away from Lucy and gave her a solemn nod. Then he joined the marching outside, calling his fellow warriors to take up arms against the cursed Corrannthans.

Deza, Stax, and Kirn joined him, and hundreds of warriors showed up at the hangar. Fynd had expected a large turn out, but he was stunned by the level of support he was receiving. Nearly every warrior in residence had shown up. In the years since Shellett’s rejection, he’d sometimes felt cut off from the rest of his peers, though he supposed the divide had been imagined. In his shame and grief over her breaking of their betrothal, he’d ceased spending his free time amongst his peers, preferring solitude or the company of his brothers alone. But his old comrades hadn’t forgotten him.

He stood in the center of the hangar and turned in a slow circle, making sure to meet each warrior’s eye.

“You honor me with your presence,” he said. “Thank you for joining me. While I appreciate all of you coming out tonight, we’ll only need fifty ships, which should be more than sufficient to take down the Corrannthans. We cannot leave New Vaxx unprotected, so the majority of you will remain in Starrzia, protecting the females and guarding our settlement.”

A murmur of approval rolled over the gathered warriors. Fifty warriors moved closer to him, his brothers among them, and the remainder of those gathered moved to the edges of the hangar to make room for a fleet of Vaxxlian ships to take off.

He lifted a fist in the air. “Corrannthans are a threat to humans. Many of you already have human mates. I say a threat to humans is a threat to Vaxxlians. Let’s go kill some Corrannthans!”

The warriors bellowed their approval and within moments those joining Fynd were already boarding their ships. Fifty Vaxxlian war vessels would be no match for three Corrannthan ships. By showing up with a huge fleet, the Vaxxlians would not only be rescuing Lucy’s family members, but they would be sending a message across all the surrounding sectors that humans were to be left alone. Space pirates and other criminals would think twice before attacking humans if it meant they would eventually face the vengeful wrath of a Vaxxlian fleet.

Chapter 11

Several days later…

Seated in the command center in Starrzia, Lucy watched the battle against the three Corrannthan ships unfold on a screen that projected a three-dimensional simulation of the fight. Annika, Mila, and Diana were all at her side, as well as several other women whose mates had joined Fynd in battle. The warriors who had stayed behind had tried—and failed—to keep the women out of the command center. Annika had been the most forceful, demanding entry after they’d heard the Vaxxlian fleet had reached the Corrannthans.

To Lucy’s relief, Magnar’s ship hadn’t been destroyed. It appeared he’d managed to hold the aliens off until the Vaxxlians could arrive. She hadn’t received any further messages from either of her sisters, but she hoped that since their ship was still intact, no one aboard the vessel had sustained any serious injuries.

Please let them be all right, and please let Fynd return to me.

Though they hadn’t been mated long, her heart ached at the thought of losing him. More than ached. She felt gutted at the prospect of never seeing him again. She admired his bravery and his willingness to risk his life for the sake of her family members, people he’d never even met, just because they were her relatives and meant something to her. She also admired the bravery of all the warriors who had joined Fynd. The Vaxxlians were a remarkable people.

Two of the Corrannthan ships disappeared on the screen in a blur of light.

Annika squeezed Lucy’s arm. “That means those ships have been completely destroyed. There’s only one left now.”

Lucy couldn’t tell which Vaxxlian ship belonged to Fynd. On the simulation, all the warriors’ vessels appeared the same. But the Firebird 2 appeared larger than the oval-shaped Vaxxlian vessels and the last Corrannthan ship was a sharp triangular shape. She kept her eye on the two unique crafts, hoping the Corrannthan one soon disappeared in a flash of light.

The Corrannthan ship vanished in the next moment, but so did Magnar’s vessel along with one of the Vaxxlian ships. Shock swept through Lucy. Holding her breath, she stared at the screen, praying her eyes had deceived her. But neither the Vaxxlian ship or the Firebird 2 reappeared.

Her sisters were gone. So were her little nephews and Magnar.

Soothing voices reached her and someone wrapped an arm around her, but the words didn’t penetrate her conscious. She finally exhaled and gasped in a huge breath. After five years, she’d thought she would finally be reunited with her sisters. Only for them to die in a space battle only a short journey from New Vaxx. It wasn’t fucking fair.

“The Vaxxlian ship that exploded,” Mila asked in a quavering voice, “who-who was it?”

Lucy gazed around the command center at all the human women and her heart broke for whoever had just lost their mate. Then it occurred to her that her sisters might not be the only loved ones she’d lost today. Coldness gripped her and, in her fear, she felt herself start floating away, to the safe place she used to go when her masters became enraged and punished her. Warm sun and clattering dishes and a book in her hand.

“No, no, no,” she murmured to herself, fighting it. She wasn’t going to float away. Not now. She needed to know who had died. A woman in this room had just lost her mate, and no good would come from hiding from this reality.

The young warrior in charge of the simulation straightened and walked closer to Lucy, his green eyes glowing with sympathy.

No, it couldn’t be true.

She stood frozen while Annika and Mila and Diana all supported her, each holding her up. Apparently, her legs had started giving out and she hadn’t even noticed.

“I am sorry, Lucy,” the young warrior said, “but it was Fynd’s ship that was destroyed.”

* * *

Days blended into weeks and Lucy still felt numb.

She couldn’t believe her sisters were gone, let alone Fynd. After years of living in terror, she’d finally found peace and happiness, only to have it ripped away from her.

She sat in the library, surrounded by the huge bookcases Fynd had carried in for her, lost in her thoughts. Despite the tragedy, she had started trying to pick up the pieces of her life. All the women in Starrzia had been excited about the library, so after a few weeks of grieving she had decided to start preparing the library for opening again. At least when she was working, there were short instances of time where she was distracted enough that the hole in her heart didn’t throb as painfully as it usually did.

Most of the bookcases were starting to fill up. Nearly all the Vaxxlian warriors who were returning to New Vaxx with their new mates brought used books with them. She suspected they were going out of their way to show her kindness after she’d lost her mate. She stood and perused the shelves, making sure they were in the proper order. She picked up a book written in English and flipped through the pages. Most of the books the warriors brought back were written in Galactic Common, but a few had found books written in English and several other Earth languages. She was proud of the collection and wished Fynd were here to see it, as he’d been the most supportive of all after she’d voiced her desire to open a library.

The door opened and a Vaxxlian warrior entered, carrying a video comm in his arms. She recognized him as the young warrior who’d been running the battle simulation in the command center all those weeks ago. His name was Mikkall and he’d gone out of his way to help her with the library since then. Well, a lot of the unmated Vaxxlians had gone out of their way to help her, but he’d spent more time around her than most. She knew it was only a matter of time before one of them announced their desire to mate with her. The traditional Vaxxlian mourning period lasted the equivalent of six Earth months, which meant she still had a few months left before she really had to worry about the unmated males becoming more insistent.

“I found an extra video comm in one of our storage buildings and thought you might like to have one in the library, since you spend so much time here.” He smiled at her over the console and she gave him a polite nod.

“Thank you, Mikkall. I appreciate it.”

“Where would you like it?”

She pointed at a small office area in the back corner of the room. “How about there?”

“I’ll have it installed before noontime.” He smiled again and hurried to the back corner.

She sighed and considered her future. She would be expected to take another mate eventually, though the idea of mating with another Vaxxlian warrior didn’t appeal to her at all. There was only one warrior she wanted. Fynd. But no matter how hard she prayed, just like her sisters, he wasn’t coming back.

Something caught her eye outside the front window and she traipsed to the doorway to peer into the street. She saw Vaxxlian warriors running out of the command center and in the direction of the main landing platform on the edge of town. She moved into the street and stood on her tiptoes, trying to get a peek at what they were running toward. As far as she could tell, no ships had arrived. The landing platform sat empty.

Annika emerged from the crowd and ventured closer, walking slowly with a hand on her swollen stomach. “Lucy! You have to come!”

“Hey! You shouldn’t be out walking in this heat.” Lucy met her in the street and took her arm. The two of them strode near the landing platform with the rest of the growing crowd. “Why are we going to the landing platform? Is another Vaxxlian returning with his mate?” Often when a Vaxxlian returned to Starrzia, depending on the time of day, a crowd would gather to welcome them.

“I’m not sure what’s going on, but Deza sent me a message at the school saying I needed to get you and bring you to the landing platform.”

Two ships suddenly descended from the clouds.

Lucy broke away from Annika and ran to the landing platform.

Chapter 12

Fynd gazed out the viewscreen at the gathered crowd as he landed the Shomma on the platform on the edge of Starrzia. Was Lucy among the crowd? Once he’d finally gotten his comm system repaired this morning, he’d tried contacting her at home, only to get no answer. He’d tried sending a message to his brothers soon after, but he wasn’t sure if the transmission had gone through as the comm system, as well as many other systems on his battered ship, kept crashing. Magnar’s ship, the Firebird 2, hadn’t faired any better, but at least they’d managed to make it back to New Vaxx alive.

Once he finished landing the Shomma, he opened the ramp and disembarked his ship, his heart pounding with excitement even as worry clenched in his stomach. He hadn’t seen or spoken to Lucy in exactly fifty-six days. Did she miss him as much as he missed her? Would she be happy he’d returned? Of course, she’ll be happy, a sensible voice whispered in the back of his mind. She made you promise to return.

A small female with long, golden hair rushed through the crowd and ran straight for him.

Lucy.

His spirits soared. He opened his arms to catch her and held her tight against him. Breathing in her familiar scent, he thanked the Star God he’d finally made it back to her. She was laughing and crying at the same time, and when she extracted herself partially from his embrace, she cupped his face and kissed him over a dozen times. Though normally reserved, he didn’t mind that their intimate reunion was taking place in front of all of Starrzia. He welcomed each and every kiss and when she finally settled down and met his gaze, he pressed his lips to hers and drank her in, reveling in the feel of his sweet mate in his arms while he kissed her hard, unable to treat her tenderly in his excitement to see her.

“You came back to me,” she said after coming up for air.

“I always keep my promises.”

She gasped and peered at him, her eyes wide with wonder. “They’re all alive?”

“Yes,” he said. “I’ve brought both your sisters back, as well as Magnar and your nephews.”

“Thank you,” she said. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

He chuckled and grasped her hand. “Come, little human, and greet your family. They have missed you very much.”

What followed was a joyous reunion. Fynd watched as Lucy hugged her sisters and her little nephews. She even hugged a surprised looking Magnar, despite having never met the man before.

“Brother, it is good to have you back amongst the living,” Deza said, appearing at his side. Stax and Kirn also emerged from the crowd to welcome him home.

“What happened?” Stax asked. “We detected several explosions in the proximity of your ship and the Firebird 2, and then you were gone, along with the Corrannthan vessel.”

“The Corrannthan ship opened an artificial wormhole to escape. My ship and Magnar’s were both sucked in before the portal closed. We destroyed the Corrannthan ship but found ourselves stranded far away near the Destrrian Nebula.”

“Why didn’t you send out an emergency signal?” Kirn asked. “We would have never returned to New Vaxx after the battle had we known you were alive.”

Fynd clasped Kirn’s shoulder and met his gaze. “I know you wouldn’t have, brother, but both our vessels sustained heavy damage. We found ourselves far from any known outpost or habitable planet where we could stop and make proper repairs on our ships, so we set a course for New Vaxx but had to travel slowly and keep making repairs on our ships along the way. Magnar never managed to repair his comm system, and I didn’t get mine functioning until earlier today.”

“We must celebrate,” Deza said, smiling.

Lucy returned to Fynd and wrapped her arms around his waist. He stroked her hair and looked at his brothers. “I would be honored to celebrate with you, brothers, but not tonight.” He looked down at Lucy. “I have been away from my mate for far too long and plan to give her my undivided attention for the rest of the day.” He leaned down, putting his lips to her ear. “And the rest of the night,” he whispered.

* * *

He’d come back to her. Fynd had really come back to her. Not only that, but he’d brought her sisters back too. Joy resounded throughout Lucy and she couldn’t stop smiling.

After spending the day nestled next to Fynd while she reconnected with her sisters and got to know her nephews and Magnar better, they had all finally retired to bed. She’d placed her houseguests into the bedrooms farthest from the master bedroom, knowing she would need plenty of privacy tonight with Fynd. Her heart raced and her face heated as thoughts of what would transpire between them flashed in her mind.

When he strode through the door and gave her an intense look, his green eyes glowing darker, she felt short of breath and an abrupt achiness built in her sex. Her deep longing for him surged through her and she watched with bated breath as he locked the door, maintaining eye contact with her while he did so. He strode toward her, each bootstep echoing in the room, looking taller and broader than she remembered. Had his muscles always been so large? She swallowed hard as a delightful shudder quaked through her.

He sat on the bed and cupped her face, his need for her written in his darkening eyes. Whenever he was about to make love to her, he had always looked like a predator ready to pounce on his prey, even though he had usually proceeded to be quite gentle with her. But tonight, she didn’t want gentle. She wanted to feel every hard thrust he would give her, she wanted him forceful and unrestrained as he reclaimed what belonged to him.

“My little human,” he said, his voice rumbling through her. “My mate.”

She touched his cheek. “I’m yours, Fynd,” she said. “And you are mine.”

As if reading her mind, he stripped off her clothes, tearing her nightgown in the process. After tossing the ripped garment on the floor, he removed his boots and clothing before she had a chance to blink. He crawled atop her and commenced loving her in exactly the way she craved. His kisses were firm and his thrusts were almost painful, as she wasn’t accustomed to his large size after so much time spent apart. But she welcomed the twinges of pain and spread her legs wider, urging him to plunge deeper and deeper.

His muscles flexed as he took her, driving into her with all his might, and his growls combined with her moans and the sound of nighttime insects singing outside their window, where the twin moons of New Vaxx beamed down upon Starrzia.

She wrapped her arms around him and cried out as a powerful release swept through her. Fynd followed soon after, spilling his seed in her depths in a series of hard spurts. He withdrew from her slowly and gathered her against his chest, stroking her hair and whispering to her in his native tongue.

Contentment spread through her and she snuggled further into his embrace.

There was nowhere else in the universe that she’d rather be.

Fynd’s loving arms were her refuge. Her true home.

Epilogue

Thirty-two days later…

Lucy watched as Ian, the oldest of her nephews, cut the ribbon strung across the doorway of the library. The crowd that had gathered for opening day erupted into applause. She smiled and touched Ian’s shoulder.

“Great job. Now, give your father the knife before your mother has a heart attack.” She giggled as the boy reluctantly handed over the blade to Magnar while Amelia breathed a visible sigh of relief. Kelly stood nearby with Mikkall, her new mate, watching the interaction with an amused expression.

Lucy looked across the crowd and saw many familiar faces, as well as many new friends she’d yet to meet. Fynd’s brothers and their mates had come to celebrate the official opening of the library, even Annika who’d recently given birth to a daughter. Annika’s parents stood behind her, having recently arrived from Earth along with five hundred Vaxxlian warriors who’d made the journey to her home planet in search of mates.

All the warriors had returned with a human female, thanks to Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides, the very same mail order bride service Steven had mentioned to her months ago. The population of Starrzia was growing and Lucy knew the library would be appreciated and make a positive impact. She was only happy she could make an important contribution to the community she’d grown to love.

She took a deep breath. “Thank you all for coming! I now declare the library officially open for business. For now, we’ll be operating on the honor system. Everyone is allowed to take up to five books at a time. But,” she added in a humorous tone, “if you borrow a book and never return it, trust me, I will find out and I will hunt you down.”

The crowd laughed. She stepped aside and gestured for everyone to enter. Fynd appeared at her side and wrapped an arm around her. “I’m so proud of you,” he said.

His praise warmed her all over and she peered up at him, knowing the warmth searing her cheeks wasn’t only from the heat of the day. “Thank you, Fynd.” She reached for his hand.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, his gaze dropping to her stomach as a broad smile took over his face. They’d only discovered she was with child yesterday and the excitement still hadn’t worn off. A family. They were starting a family soon.

“Perfectly fine,” she replied. “Now stop staring at my stomach. I haven’t told anyone yet.”

He shifted and peered into her eyes, his smile still strong. She loved seeing Fynd smile, adored the way his eyes lit up whenever he was happy. And to think, when she’d first met him, she would have never imagined him capable of even the briefest smile.

“I’m so thankful you’re here to celebrate the opening with me,” she said. “You made this happen too. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

His gaze turned thoughtful. “I think you could have, but I’m glad you didn’t have to.”

She grinned and led him into the library. “You flatter me too much. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to get into my pants.” When he gave her an odd look, she clarified, “That means you’re trying to get me into bed…for sex.” She whispered the last two words.

Still walking beside her, he leaned down and placed his lips to her ear. “I hope you are not too exhausted from today’s festivities, my little human, because after we get home, I plan to claim you over and over again. Perhaps I will even bend you over the bed and mount you from behind. Would you like that?”

Her breath left her in a rush. “I-I…” Her voice trailed off and she gazed up at him as affection and desire for the strong Vaxxlian warrior swelled within her.

Someone called her name, so he kissed her cheek and said, “We’ll continue this discussion later, Lucy, but rest assured, I will be claiming you tonight. Hard and often.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

~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...

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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

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Alien Giant (Vaxxlian Mates, Book 3)

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.

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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

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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.

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Alien's Innocent Bride

Alien's Princess Bride

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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

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

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His by Law (Dark Embrace, Book 1)

Saving His Runaway Bride (Dark Embrace, Book 2)

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

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Daman’s Ward (Jackson Settlement, Book 1)

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Rules of War (Rules of War, Book 1)

Rules of Command (Rules of War, Book 2)

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Claiming Their Maiden (Barbarian Mates, Book 1)

Claiming Their Princess (Barbarian Mates, Book 2)

Claiming Their Slave (Barbarian Mates, Book 3)

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His Naughty Little Mate

www.suelyndon.com