Braax’s Bride

Chapter One

Chapter 1

AS SOFIA STONE STOOD before her new husband, she realized she may have made a rash decision.

Signing up at the inter-species mating agency had seemed like a good idea at the time. After the divorce, there had been little left for her on Earth.

Her asshole of an ex-husband had gotten the apartment, and her income from art commissions just wouldn’t cut it in this housing market. They’d barely been able to afford the tiny space in the first place, even with Greyson’s substantial salary.

The process had been simple enough; a health screening, a couple of interviews, an information night filled with people of all kinds, some humming with excitement and others with desperation.

Sofia had been a mixture of both.

It had seemed like a good deal. Living a life of relative ease on an alien planet in exchange for providing a mate with physical and emotional companionship. There were a variety of reasons an extraterrestrial might want an arranged marriage, though she tried not to dwell too much on the possibilities.

Ever since the Great Voyage—when aliens came to Earth and humans realized they weren’t alone in the universe—the planet had been swarming with new species, new technologies. And quickly, many extraterrestrials became enamored with humanity. She didn’t understand what these aliens saw in her species, but if she could use it to her advantage to get away from Earth, away from memories of her ex, then she would.

Sofia had never been off world—something only the wealthiest humans could afford—so when she saw her chance, she took it.

Besides, the prospect of being an alien’s mate didn’t seem so bad. Though she had never been in a relationship with a non-human, she wasn’t a xenophobe. Plus, there were protections to ensure her safety, or at least that’s what the agency had assured her.

They’d paired her with a Hileth named Braax, a male interested in a human mate, and she’d been on the next spaceflight to Olara 8, a planet on the outskirts of the sector. The trip had been long and she was exhausted by the time she arrived, with a single small suitcase filled with all of her worldly possessions.

Though Sofia had seen holophotos of the Hileth, nothing prepared her for the reality of the seven foot tall alien standing before her. Braax had met her at the depot, politely shaking her hand with his clawed one, his fanged mouth curled into what she’d hoped was a smile.

The man was naked, though it must have been a Hileth thing because all members of the species droned about the bustling depot sans clothing. She gulped audibly, trying her best not to rove her eyes up and down his muscled body, heat flushing her cheeks and a flicker of flames settling in her core.

Her body’s reaction surprised her.

Greyson was human, as were all of her former lovers, both serious and casual. She had never been interested in inter-species relationships before, but she couldn’t help but let her jaw drop as she took in all of Braax.

The Hileth towered over her, scaled skin glistening in the light of the two suns beaming in through the skylight. He was a lovely shade of lavender, white stripes swiping horizontally across his thighs and upper arms. His chest and groin area were a lighter purple. There was no clear appendage , at least not from her quick downward glance, though she knew aliens could sport all sorts of strange reproductive anatomy.

A glowing yellow diamond marked the center of his chest, just below his pecs, and there were more slashes on either side, like gills. His face was draconic, a snake-like snout with fanged teeth and pointed ears. He had vibrant green eyes with vertical slits as pupils, plus a crest of lemon yellow fur on the top of his head, framed by two eggplant-colored horns. A long, thick striped tail swung behind him, lined with spikes that matched the color of his horns and claws.

Every bit of him was wicked, frightening, and yet a pulse beat in her core, mirroring her racing heart.

“Welcome to Olara 8, my bride.”

Braax’s voice was a deep growl that stirred the embers even further.

“T-thank you,” Sofia stuttered, completely embarrassed by her response to him.

She smoothed her shoulder length shell pink hair, a blunt fringe just grazing her hazel eyes. The hours of space travel left her feeling like a mess, her pale blue turtleneck and jeans not making her feel particularly confident.

“Are you ready for the ceremony? There is an auxiliary chamber in the depot.”

He leaned his head down so he could face her eye to eye, his nostrils flaring as if taking in her scent.

The ceremony?

She just nodded, unable to form a coherent sentence, letting him take her hand and escort her through the labyrinthine corridors. He was gentle despite the fearsome claws, clearly knowing how to wield them without hurting her.

A short time later, they arrived at a door in a quiet section of the depot, Braax eyeing a clock on the wall before knocking. A small placard labeled it; Auxiliary Ceremony Chamber.

“Right on time,” he said, glancing at Sofia with a grin.

Another Hileth answered the door and waved them in, this one a pleasant shade of forest green with a crest of dark purple fur on his head.

“Ah, yes, you are here from the mating agency?” he asked, giving her a once-over as he picked up a console from the enormous desk which took up most of the small room.

“Y-yes, I am.”

What kind of ceremony was she in for? She probably should have researched Hileth marriage customs before arriving on Olara 8, but it was too late now. Her skin tingled with anticipation, and with the warmth of Braax’s touch.

“Excellent.” The Hileth glanced at their clasped hands, then turned his attention to Braax. “We shall begin. Braax Naldat. Do you take this female to be your wife?”

“I do,” he answered, and Sofia almost laughed at the similarities between this and an Earth wedding.

Her new husband actually just said the words I do .

The green Hileth looked at the console in his hand, then back at her.

“Sofia Stone. Do you take this male to be your husband?”

It was all happening so fast, but she supposed she shouldn’t be surprised. Braax had signed up for a wife, not a girlfriend or fiancé, so the haste made sense. Still, she couldn’t stop her body from trembling, her heart thumping furiously in her chest.

“I do,” she answered, and she glanced at Braax, who was grinning with apparent delight.

“You are husband and wife,” the green Hileth said, and that was that.

He gave Braax a knowing smirk before escorting them back through the door, a final well wish shouted as he waved them off.

“Enjoy your human!”

The words sent a chill down her spine, battling the embers that continued to burn between her legs. He smiled a toothy grin down at her, his slit pupils dilating ever so slightly.

“Let us go home.”

Braax had been quite the gentleman, opening the door of the hovercar and helping Sofia inside, taking her suitcase and setting it in the trunk. He gave her a big smile when he settled on the driver’s side, his clawed hand reaching down and gripping her thigh as he took them into the air.

It would be impossible to deny the heat that spread from his grasp, a heat that went straight to her center, making her stomach flutter. She wished she could squeeze her thighs together, relieve some of the pressure that was making it difficult to breathe, but she tried to focus on what her new husband was telling her.

“My home is not far. We should get there before dark. It’s a bit outside of the city, but I prefer the quiet.”

She just nodded, having a difficult time forming words as he gave her leg a squeeze. Then he turned to her, those bright eyes penetrating right into her soul, a smile on his face.

“Do you prefer the city? I am not sure what Earth is like… I have never visited.”

She cleared her throat.

“Oh, I have no preference, really. It’s insanely expensive to live anywhere other than the cities on Earth, so it’s all I know. But I like peace and quiet.”

Difficult to imagine when your whole life had the constant background hum of the masses, sirens, screams, honking hovercars. Never a moment of silence. She’d learned to tune it out, to play her holonovels on full blast in an attempt to drown out the noise when it became too much.

“Well, I hope you will like my home.”

Sofia looked out the window as Braax turned off the major thoroughfare, the city already fading behind them. They floated over enormous trees with pure white bark, buffeted only slightly by the breeze.

The dual suns were setting behind the distant mountains, a strange sight. She’d never actually seen a sunset—not unless you counted holovideos—and the view was overwhelming, a knot welling in her throat.

“I would be happy to visit Earth with you, if there is family you would like me to meet,” he said, his hand still conspicuously gripping her thigh.

She almost laughed, but realized he was being earnest.

“Oh, no. I have no interest in going back there. There’s really no one for you to meet.”

Her parents were long gone and she was an only child. Even the few people she had thought were her friends had been distant since the divorce. Apparently, they had actually been Greyson’s friends, not hers.

She turned to Braax and caught his gaze for a moment before his eyes focused forward again.

“That is fine. There are plenty of things to do on Olara 8.”

With a smile, Sofia looked back out the window, observing the landscape as her brain conjured up all sorts of interesting things that she and her new husband could get into.