Chapter 2 #2
She couldn’t stop thinking about Planet New Vaxx and the documentary she’d watched about the Vaxxlians.
The program had shown images and videos of the main settlement on the aliens’ new planet, Starzzia, a picturesque city filled with white stone buildings and lush vegetation growing between all the houses and businesses.
She remembered how there were sidewalks and walking paths everywhere, and vast forests surrounding the residential areas that stretched to the snow-capped mountains.
A sense of freedom stole through her as she considered what it might be like to live there… on a planet that had a protective shield around it. A planet that didn’t allow males from other species, including humans, to visit. Even if M found out she’d gone there, he wouldn’t be able to follow.
She would be able to walk freely around a city for the first time in years. Even before the stalker had started bothering her, she hadn’t been able to walk down the street without someone approaching her to ask for an autograph or a picture.
At first, she’d loved the attention and was grateful she had so many fans. But the interactions had sometimes felt strange, like when a fan became too pushy or even a bit inappropriate, and she’d also experienced social fatigue from constantly having to interact with strangers.
But Starzzia? Sure, some of the human women might recognize her, but she doubted she would draw the kind of fanatical attention she used to draw when she went out in public anywhere on Earth.
She rushed to her laptop, clicked on the bookmarked link for the VAMOB application, and stared at the text at the top of the page.
MAIL ORDER brIDES WANTED. Single human females ages eighteen to forty needed to become life mates of lonely Vaxxlian warriors. Must be willing to relocate to Planet New Vaxx in the very near future. Apply today! Serious applicants only. Disclaimer: Vaxxlians mate for life.
She paused for a moment. Was there another way?
Another sudden boom in the distance, followed by the building quaking again, seemed to provide the answer she was seeking.
No, there wasn’t another way.
Not only did she need to remain hidden from her stalker, but she also needed to not get killed in the middle of the civil war/revolution that was ravaging her country.
She said a quick prayer before she started filling out the application. Within minutes, she pressed the ‘submit’ button, then sat back and stared at the screen expectantly.
But of course, nothing happened.
No new emails appeared, and her application still said ‘pending.’
She almost laughed at herself for expecting an immediate response.
Keeping her laptop open, she carried it to her music room, deciding to spend a few hours practicing guitar and maybe even finish one of her songs. Anything to distract herself from the wait.
She tried to ignore the worry that she wouldn’t be selected as a mail-order bride to the Vaxxlians.
At twenty-five, she was within the required age range, and she’d indicated that she was willing to consummate the mating union with the Vaxxlian male she was matched with.
She’d even answered that she was willing to have children with her future mate.
She only hoped the Vaxxlian she was matched with was kind and affectionate.
The loneliness of being sequestered in her penthouse for over a year was really starting to get to her.
She couldn’t fathom staying here for much longer.
The prospect of much-needed social interaction, fresh air, and a community of welcoming people brightened her spirits.
She hoped the documentary hadn’t lied about the Vaxxlians or Starzzia.
She also hoped it wasn’t just a propaganda piece meant to entice desperate human women like herself to throw caution to the wind and apply to the VAMOB program.
Just as she settled on the plush chair, a notification dinged on her laptop. Her heart skipped a beat. Instead of ‘pending,’ her application now said, ‘more information needed.’
Hmm.
She clicked on the new link that appeared and almost gasped at the additional questions she was being asked to answer.
Do you enjoy being around infants and children?
Do you have any experience as a caretaker for infants or young children?
Would you be willing to take on the primary caregiving duties for an eight-month-old Vaxxlian baby?
Would you agree to refrain from working outside the home until the child, and any additional children you might have with your mate, are older and more independent?
Well. These questions were oddly specific. Cora couldn’t help but assume her application was being considered for a specific Vaxxlian male who happened to be a single father of an eight-month-old baby.
How utterly sad. She supposed his mate had died when the Irrcons destroyed Planet Vaxxlia. But somehow, their baby had survived. A baby that apparently needed a mother.
She stared at the questions, trying to decide how to best answer each one. If she selected ‘yes’ for all four questions, she would have a better chance at being selected as a bride for a Vaxxlian male. She really was desperate to leave Earth.
But… instant motherhood?
Could she do it?
She’d always wanted children. And yes, she did have some experience babysitting, ages ago when she was a teenager.
But hey, it counted. She also liked babies and children very much.
Before she’d found herself hidden away in this penthouse, one of her favorite things to do was visit hospitals and try to bring comfort to sick children.
She would bring them presents, just sit and talk to them, and even sing to them if they asked.
But an eight-month-old baby?
Could Vaxxlian babies talk at that age? Could they crawl or walk yet? There were plenty of differences between Vaxxlians and humans, so it was possible.
Her mind raced and she started to feel a bit overwhelmed.
She realized she was on the verge of making the biggest decision of her life.
If she answered ‘yes’ to these four questions, she would probably find herself quickly assigned to a Vaxxlian male who was struggling to take care of a baby.
Longing suddenly swept through her.
The desire to be part of a family.
The need to assuage the loneliness that sometimes threatened to drown her.
She drew in a deep breath, answered ‘yes’ to each question, and pressed the ‘submit’ button again.
To her utter astonishment, only a few seconds later, the status of her application suddenly changed from ‘pending’ to ‘accepted.’
Goodness, that was fast.
She opened the congratulations email that appeared in her inbox and scanned the contents, her heart racing. She was so excited that the words started blurring together, so she had to force herself to slow down and take her time reading. It looked like a standard acceptance letter.
The very last paragraph said:
Your assigned mate, Draevan, will arrive on Earth at the address you provided within two days. Please pack your belongings and be ready to leave immediately. Thank you for choosing Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides, a division of the Intergalactic Dating Agency.
Oh, God. This was happening.
She’d been accepted to the VAMOB program.
She was leaving Earth and going to New Vaxx, a planet that promised safety. And she was going to mate with an alien warrior named Draevan.