Chapter 4
Warrin found it curious that his mate had been on a road trip when she’d gotten caught in an air raid. What had prompted her to drive around her war-torn country in a solar car? From what he’d heard about human solar cars, they were rarely armored, and they usually didn’t possess any weaponry.
Then he remembered something else she’d said—that all her possessions were destroyed during the attack.
That meant she’d been driving around with everything she owned inside her solar car.
Had she been living in her car? His heart ached at the idea of his human female enduring such hardship, and he resolved to provide her with plenty of clothing, shoes, jewelry, and anything else she might need.
He considered the hobbies listed on her VAMOB form—reading, listening to music, and painting.
Would she appreciate datapads that contained a variety of music and books?
Would she soften to him if he gave her painting supplies as a gift?
His spirits rose somewhat as he made a mental list of all the items he would acquire for her in the coming days—he found himself wanting to spoil her immensely, this tiny human female who would soon become his mate.
As he guided Elora toward his parked cruiser, he remained vigilant for any signs of danger, continually scanning the streets and checking the skies. But the rebels were no longer in sight, and only a few U.S. military tanks and hovercrafts remained.
He still couldn’t believe the commanders on both sides had agreed to an armistice in exchange for an immediate transfer of fifty thousand galactic credits—each.
It was an exorbitant sum, but he could easily afford it.
As a renowned exo-agrobotanist, he was well-paid to engineer crops that could thrive even on the most hostile planets, and his services were in high demand across New Vaxx and beyond.
Even leaders from Earth had offered him lucrative contracts, but he’d declined every last one due to the numerous wars raging on the planet—he didn’t want to invest time and resources in a place where his efforts to make crops flourish might be destroyed within moments during a battle.
He glanced down at Elora, curious about the circumstances that had led to her getting stranded in this small town during an air raid. Trembles affected her tiny body, and he had the sudden urge to scoop her up in his arms and carry her the rest of the way to his ship.
But they’d just met. Surely such an action wouldn’t be appropriate.
At least she was allowing him to hold her hand—and he gave her small hand a brief squeeze as they came to a stop in front of his Vaxxlian cruiser.
He issued a verbal command, and a moment later the boarding ramp descended.
He released her hand and touched her lower back, and an enticing gasp escaped her throat as she stared up at him.
Then he detected it—the scent of the slickness between her thighs.
A low growl rumbled from his chest, and his nostrils flared as he leaned closer to her and took a deep inhale, savoring the sweet but pungent scent of her arousal.
His tongue vibrated as he imagined tasting her, and his cock hardened when he considered what the slickness between her thighs indicated—it meant she desired him.
“I’m sorry if I smell bad,” she blurted, and her cheeks flushed pink. She stepped away from him and put her hands up, as though trying to keep him from touching her again. “I-I haven’t been able to shower for a few days.”
Her startled reaction to him smelling her took him aback.
He made to reach for her, but when she backed away farther, he forced himself to respect her boundaries.
He stood in place as his gaze swept over her.
Her clothes were dirty, and her hair was slightly matted, but he didn’t think she smelled bad.
He wanted nothing more than to close the distance between them, hold her close, and breathe deeply of her invigorating feminine scent.
“Little sarr’ahh,” he said, the endearment rolling off his tongue as though he’d used it a thousand times before. “You don’t smell bad to me. You smell delicious.”
Her eyes widened, and her face reddened further.
Then a smile quirked her lips. “No one’s ever told me I smell delicious before.
I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, but I was hoping that maybe…
perhaps I could take a shower before we…
” Her voice trailed off, and the flush covering her face became even more profuse.
But he understood what she’d been trying to say.
His scrotum tingled and his shaft swelled larger.
His blood also heated. Star God, he wanted her.
He wanted to carry her to his quarters, dirt and all, and ravish her to completion.
But he supposed human females cared about hygiene as much as their Vaxxlian counterparts, and he decided he must be patient.
A business arrangement, he reminded himself. He must approach this female as though they’d agreed to a mutually beneficial contract—and in a way, they already had. They’d both signed up for VAMOB, thereby accepting the terms of the bride program.
He stepped closer to her and lifted one hand slowly. “May I touch you, little sarr’ahh? Please?”
She stared at him cautiously, then finally nodded. “Okay.” She sucked in a rapid breath as he took another step closer.
He tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear, and if it wasn’t for his heightened Vaxxlian senses, he would’ve missed the faint whimper she emitted.
He continued stroking her hair as he stared down at her.
A lusty growl built in his throat, but he held it back, as he worried it might frighten her.
The desires unfurling within him were so savage that he began to worry he might not manage the proper level of gentleness when he claimed her for the first time.
Fluxx, he had never experienced such an all-consuming need.
His entire body tensed as more waves of heat swept over him, and his pants became uncomfortably tight.
His tongue vibrated with the urge to kiss her, but he reminded himself that they weren’t on his ship yet.
Though he’d secured an armistice between the U.S.
military and the rebels, he didn’t want to take a chance that a rogue soldier might cause trouble.
The urge to always protect Elora surged alongside his growing desire for her.
He reached for her hand again and guided her up the ramp of the Rennsha, his personal Vaxxlian cruiser.
As soon as they stepped onto his ship, he issued a verbal command for the ramp to shut. Unable to take his eyes off beautiful Elora, he guided her through the bridge and into the corridor, leading her to the guest quarters he’d prepared just for her.
But as he led her inside the room, he felt a twinge of annoyance with himself.
They’d both signed up for VAMOB and had agreed to become mates.
Perhaps giving her a bedroom of her own wasn’t very wise.
Would it make her think he didn’t want to be around her?
Would it create too much distance between them?
“Wow, this is a lovely room.” She peered at the numerous flowers and other plants that were scattered throughout, growing from soil-enriched panels in the walls.
He beamed inwardly at her praise, thankful that she appreciated his efforts. Nearly every room in his house in Starzzia contained the same design with panels of flourishing plant life to brighten the area.
“I’m glad you like it. I prepared this room just for you,” he finally said, dropping her hand to gesture toward the bathroom.
“You may take a shower now if you’d like.
There are plenty of towels and toiletries, and there’s a clothing refresher right inside the bathroom, in case you would like to clean your clothes. ”
“A shower sounds great, thank you.” She glanced down at herself. “So does washing my clothes.”
His cock thickened as he imagined her stripping off her dirty clothing and stepping into the shower… completely naked.
A small squeak left her, and he followed her gaze. She was staring directly at his crotch. Well, there was no hiding the massive bulge. He was aching to claim her. He longed to carry her to bed, situate himself between her thighs, and drive into her slick pussy.
He knew she was wet, and he wondered if she was experiencing the same relentless ache as he was.
Even though it was uncomfortable, he straightened a bit, shamelessly and proudly allowing his bulge to become even more noticeable.
He was rewarded with another tiny squeak from Elora.
Would she make that sound as he trailed kisses over her body? Would she also moan and whimper?
He couldn’t wait to find out.
“Um…” Her voice trailed off, and she eventually cleared her throat. “Are we going to mate soon?” she asked, uttering the word mate so faintly that he almost didn’t hear it. The scent of her arousal increased—so sweet and pungent he could practically taste it in the air.
“It is my hope that you will agree to mate with me soon. Before we arrive on New Vaxx would be optimal.” He wanted to spill his seed inside her and drench her in his scent before they arrived in Starzzia.
He didn’t want any unmated males to be tempted to steal her away.
If she was covered in his scent, the unmated males on New Vaxx wouldn’t bother her.
The urge to protect her surged inside him again.
She drew in a shaky breath. “I assumed we would mate right away. But I do appreciate you allowing me to shower first.” She shifted in place, and he couldn’t be sure, but he thought she was pressing her thighs together—perhaps she truly was aching for him, aching to be filled up and pounded to completion.
But despite her obvious arousal, her increased trembling didn’t escape his notice. Was she scared, or simply a bit nervous? He didn’t want her to be frightened as he claimed her, not even a little.
“Take a shower, sarr’ahh, and we will discuss our first mating session after you are cleaned up. Please take your time—there is plenty of hot water, and you don’t need to rush. While you are showering, I will be on the bridge.”
She gulped hard and cast a glance out the nearest viewport. “Are we leaving Earth now?”
“Yes, I think departing your planet immediately would be for the best.” He was eager to leave her war-torn homeworld before they encountered any trouble.
He’d heard stories of Vaxxlian males who’d had to fight their way through brutal combat zones on Earth, and while his ship was outfitted with weaponry far superior to that of the humans, he had no wish for Elora to experience a full-blown battle. He also had no wish to risk her safety.
She looked away from the viewport and met his eyes, and for a moment, he felt as if they were the only two souls in existence. His heart beat faster—for her. And his chest tightened with… emotion.
They barely knew one another, yet he was drawn to her completely. The mating vows they would exchange before he physically claimed her for the first time kept echoing in his head. Anticipation coursed through him, along with a fierce resolve to do everything in his power to make Elora happy.
“Well…” She took a small step back. “I should probably take that shower now. I-I’ll be ready then. Whenever you want to consummate our mating union, I’ll be ready.” She lifted her chin slightly and took another step toward the bathroom.
Her eyes sparked with courage, but there was no hiding the constant trembling of her hands. Overcome by the urge to comfort her, Warrin took her in his arms, holding her close, though not quite pressing his erect cock to her stomach.
Her quick intake of breath betrayed her surprise, but she didn’t try to escape his hold.
She remained still, aside from the rapid beating of her heart—a rhythm his keen ears had no difficulty catching.
Her dark brown eyes reminded him of the enriched soil he often worked with.
A strange comparison, perhaps, but she was a rare beauty.
Her hair was nearly the same shade as her eyes, and her fair skin carried a slight bronze-gold undertone that fascinated him.
“Please don’t be afraid of me, little sarr’ahh.
” He stroked his hands through her hair.
“I won’t force myself on you, and I promise I won’t hurt you.
You are my future mate, and you are precious to me.
If you decide you need more time before we consummate our mating union, I will not think badly of you, nor will I try to coerce you into my bed before you’re ready. ”
Tears suddenly gleamed in her eyes, and she blinked fast. “Thank you, Warrin. I am fairly certain I will be ready to mate with you after my shower, but I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Tell me… what does ‘sarr’ahh’ mean?”
“Sarr’ahhs are flowers that were native to the mountains of Vaxxlia. The petals are dark brown like your pretty hair, but at nighttime, the flowers shimmer in the moonlight.”
She blushed and appeared touched by the comparison, but a troubled gleam soon entered her eyes. “Are the sarr’ahhs all gone now? I mean, since Vaxxlia was destroyed.”
“No, I’m pleased to tell you that the mountains surrounding Starzzia on New Vaxx are teeming with sarr’ahhs.
I planted them myself. When I first became an exo-agrobotanist, I began carefully preserving the seeds of Vaxxlian vegetation, sending them to an off-planet storage facility.
Sarr’ahh seeds were actually the very first that I preserved, since they grew in abundance in my mountain village on Vaxxlia. ”
He cupped the side of her face and became lost in the stunning depths of her eyes. To his delight, she leaned into his touch. Her breath also caught in her throat. The scent of her excitement kept increasing, prompting his cock to press painfully against his pants.
“Come find me after your shower, little sarr’ahh. I’ll be on the bridge.”
“All right. I think I remember the way.”
He leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead. Then he somehow managed to walk out of her quarters, despite the tightness of his pants.
Raw, primal lust burned through him, making each step toward the bridge difficult. Fluxx, he couldn’t wait to claim the beautiful human who reminded him of his favorite flower.
“Elora,” he whispered to himself, just because he wanted to say her name aloud. “Elorrrra.” His tongue vibrated, and pleasure swept through him.
Soon, the little sarr’ahh would belong to him.
Forever.