Alien warriors promise, p.1
Alien Warrior's Promise, page 1
Alien Warrior’s Promise
Vaxxlian Matchmakers, Book Two
Sue Mercury
Contents
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About this book
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Epilogue
Also in the Vaxxlian Matchmakers series
The Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides series
The Vaxxlian Mates series
Also by Sue Mercury
About Sue Mercury
Alien Warrior’s Promise (Vaxxlian Matchmakers, Book Two)
Copyright © 2021 by Sue Mercury
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All rights reserved
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This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without prior written permission from the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
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This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Editing by Celeste Jones
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Published in the United States of America
Sue Mercury
www.suemercury.com
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About this book
He promises to keep her safe.
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After barely escaping Earth with her life, Macy seeks refuge on planet New Vaxx, along with her sister Skylar—even though it means they’ll both be expected to mate with Vaxxlian Warriors. Haunted by the past, she fears she’ll never feel ready to take a mate. But when she realizes she’s holding Skylar back from her own happiness, she decides to visit Vaxxlian Matchmakers in secret, where she’s matched to a huge warrior named Dakk. At first, she’s terrified of the scarred warrior, but his warmth eventually starts to win her over. Could she truly find happiness with the big, muscular stranger?
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Dakk is shocked when he gets a call from Vaxxlian Matchmakers. He never expected to be matched with one of the single human females living on planet New Vaxx—surely no woman could tolerate his scarred face or his unusual eye color, the latter of which marks him as cursed by the Star God. Nevertheless, he shows up to collect his bride, a small female called Macy with soft golden hair he can’t seem to stop stroking. But she trembles at his touch, and he senses her deep fear, making him worry Vaxxlian Matchmakers made a mistake. What if Macy never accepts him fully as her husband? Even worse, will an old enemy endanger their mating union?
Chapter 1
A dark figure appeared in the hallway. Macy backed against the wall and gasped as his features came into focus—a large, muscular man with wavy black hair and a sinister smile. He advanced on her with a sense of purpose, ice blue eyes gleaming with violence.
Oh God no. This can’t be happening.
She spun around, desperate to make an escape. Heavy footsteps sounded behind her, coming closer and closer. She tried to run, but fear weakened her legs, and panic clutched her. Heart racing, she managed to escape the cabin and stumbled into open space—the wilderness of Alaska to be precise.
Curses and violent threats followed her.
She didn’t spend much time wondering about the man’s identity. A well-paid henchman hired by her late father’s political adversary, no doubt. Who else would track her down in the middle of nowhere? She’d been so careful.
Run. Run and hide.
The forest beckoned her, and she took off into the trees.
She ran blindly, as the sharp, sweet scent of spruce trees filled her lungs. The morning air was cool, but sunlight pierced through the canopy, bathing her with rays of warmth. If she weren’t running for her life, she would’ve paused to appreciate the beauty of the summer day.
The man’s ragged breathing drew nearer. She pumped her arms and legs as fast as possible, but in the end, she couldn’t outrun him. Strong hands grabbed her, and she was roughly thrust against a tree. The bark scraped her flesh as she struggled in the stranger’s grasp.
Cool metal pressed to her temple.
Please, noooooo! She tried to scream, but the plea caught in her throat.
Just as a shot rang out, she bolted up in bed, drenched in sweat.
A dream. The same fucking dream she had every night.
Even as her heart continued racing, relief washed through her, because she wasn’t in an Alaskan forest running from a gun-toting thug. She was safe. Wasn’t she?
She crawled out of bed, donned a robe, and slipped into the darkened corridor. When she passed a window, the twin moons of New Vaxx drew her gaze and reminded her of her location.
I’m not on Earth. I’m not on Earth and they can’t get me.
I’m safe, I’m safe, I’m safe.
She paused at the window to stare at the brilliant night sky, but movement in the street below soon caught her attention.
Four tall figures stood in the road, their massive bodies bathed in moonlight. Her stomach flipped. Unmated Vaxxlian warriors. All four of them were staring up at the house, likely eager for a glimpse of Macy or her older sister, Skylar.
It never failed—almost every time Macy glanced out a window facing the street, she would catch sight of at least one unmated Vaxxlian warrior hanging around. It was well known in Starzzia, the main settlement on New Vaxx, that two single human females currently lived in this residence.
One of the males stood taller and waved at her, and she instinctively retreated into the shadows of the corridor. The attention of the males not only made her uncomfortable but reminded her that the clock was ticking—she was supposed to choose a mate from among the single Vaxxlian warriors in Starzzia soon. This was an expectation of all human females who sought refuge on planet New Vaxx.
“Slow night, huh?” came Skylar’s voice from behind her. “Only four of them down there tonight.”
Macy sucked in a quick breath and placed a hand over her heart as she turned to face her sister. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”
Skylar gave her a cheeky grin and put her hands up in mock surrender. “Sorry, sis, I didn’t mean to startle you. You weren’t in your bedroom, so I came looking for you. Thought maybe you could use some company. Us insomniacs need to stick together, right?”
Macy crossed her arms over her chest and gave a reluctant nod. A shiver coursed through her at the memory of why she’d left her room in the first place—the recurring dream had terrorized her once again. “Sure, I could use some company. Want to visit the rooftop garden?”
Skylar’s face brightened. “Yes, but let’s raid the kitchen first. Myadd recently programmed the food replicator to make chocolate cake.”
“You had me at raid the kitchen,” Macy said with a chuckle as her sister looped an arm through hers and they took off down the corridor.
They replicated one large slice of cake to share, along with two glasses of milk. The perfect midnight snack, as far as Macy was concerned. Once on the roof, they sat on a bench in the middle of the garden and enjoyed their dessert in companionable silence.
The stars gleamed bright in the sky above, and the moons illuminated the garden, making it unnecessary to turn on a lantern. Huge lightning bugs flitted around the tops of nearby trees, and nocturnal insects hummed and screeched a tune that was starting to feel familiar.
“This reminds me of home,” Macy eventually said with a nod at the cake. “You know, home before everything.” Memories assailed her, most of them dark.
Everything alluded to their presidential-nominee father’s death by poison, subsequently watching his supporters fall one by one, and barely surviving an attack on their own lives. Everything also included Macy and Skylar’s year spent in hiding, both uncertain if the other was alive.
“We’re safe now,” Skylar said in a gentle tone. “I-I know you’re having nightmares, and I know you’re nervous about mating with a Vaxxlian warrior, but this planet is safe and its people are welcoming. New Vaxx is our fresh start.” She shot Macy a comforting smile. “Everything is going to be okay, sis, I promise.”
Shame settled over Macy. She wished she could be more like her sister—optimistic about this planet and eager to find a mate—but the year she’d spent in hiding on Earth had changed her. She’d endured heartache, witnessed and suffered unspeakable violence, and feared for her life on multiple occasions.
“Look, logically I know we’re safe here, and also that pretty much all Vaxxlian warriors are honorable males who treasure their females, but I feel… broken.” She whispered the last word, then inhaled a deep breath and met her sister’s gaze. “How can I take a mate when I’m broken?”
I’m lost. I’m on edge. I’m fucked up.
I’m not like you.
Skylar placed a hand on Macy’s shoulder and squeezed. “I know you went through some serious shit on Earth, and I still feel terrible that we got separated during an attack and we couldn’t be together for so long, but think about the average Vaxxlian male. Most of them lost their parents and other family members during the war against the Irrcons, and some even lost mates and children. The mate you end up with is probably going to be broken in his own way. But you’ll have each other, and you’ll no doubt be a comfort to one another.” A dreamy look came over Skylar.
“If you have such an optimistic view of human-Vaxxlian mating unions, why is it you’re still single? Why haven’t you visited Vaxxlian Matchmakers yet, or picked one of the males who visit the house regularly?” Macy thought she knew the answers to these questions, but she wanted to hear Skylar confirm it. She needed to know for certain if she was holding her sister back from finding her own happiness. Guilt plunged through her at the prospect.
Skylar fidgeted and appeared suddenly uncomfortable. “Oh, I don’t know. I guess the time just doesn’t feel right yet.” She took a huge bite of cake and made a moaning noise deep in her throat. “Oh man, how about this cake? Myadd sure knows his way around a food replicator. Maybe his next project can be programming it to make apple pie. Oh, or strawberry pie! Yum. Remember how we used to pick strawberries on Nana’s farm when we were kids? God, it feels like yesterday and a thousand years ago all at once.”
“You’re changing the subject.”
“Am not.”
“Are too.” Macy set her fork aside and glared at her sister. “You haven’t taken a mate yet because of me. You don’t want to leave Myadd’s home until I’m happily mated. Am I right?”
Guilt flickered in Skylar’s eyes. “Okay, maaaayyybe. But I’m your big sister. It’s my job to look out for you.”
“You’ve done a fine job of looking out for me. If it wasn’t for you, I’d still be on Earth, likely starving and freezing my ass off in that cabin in Alaska where Myadd’s people found me. But I’m safe now—you said so yourself—and I don’t want to keep holding you back. You’re ready to take a husband, I can see it in your face every time you watch the unmated warriors gathering in the street outside. I can see it when you watch Myadd and Sienna making lovey eyes at one another. You want what they have.”
To Macy’s surprise, tears abruptly shone in Skylar’s eyes. “What if I visit Vaxxlian Matchmakers and learn my matched mate doesn’t live in Starzzia? What if he lives elsewhere on the planet—or worse, on an outpost in space? I can’t imagine leaving you and not seeing you every day. You’re the only family I have left.”
“Oh, Skylar, dammit you’re going to make me cry.” Macy wiped at her eyes. “I’m sorry I’m not ready. I wish I had the courage to march straight to Vaxxlian Matchmakers and—“
“Don’t you dare apologize. Even though I think being mated to a Vaxxlian warrior might help you, I don’t want you to feel rushed or pressured.”
“And I don’t want you waiting around on me. The time to take a mate is obviously right for you. I say you ought to visit Heather or Carmen soon,” Macy said, referring to the two psychic sisters who ran Vaxxlian Matchmakers. “Promise you’ll at least think about it.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll think about it,” Skylar said, then promptly shoved another forkful of cake into her mouth.
But Macy knew Skylar better than anyone, and she knew her sister well enough to realize Skylar wouldn’t go through with visiting Vaxxlian Matchmakers until Macy herself had taken a mate.
Was Skylar right? Would entering a mating union with a Vaxxlian warrior help her heal? She gave an inward sigh and lifted her gaze to the moons as the sound of nighttime insects swelled louder. A gentle breeze ruffled her hair, bringing with it the fragrant scents of the garden.
When a shooting star zipped across the sky, she indulged in a wish.
I wish I weren’t broken, and I wish I truly felt safe here on this planet.
Please let me feel ready to take a mate soon.
Chapter 2
Dakk swung his sword at his partner’s neck, but the male named Rellac ducked at the last moment. In the surrounding field, metal clashed with metal, and blaster fire rang out. It was late afternoon, and all the gathered warriors were engaged in one last sparring session for the day. Dakk growled as he faced off with Rellac, who’d finally managed to retrieve his own sword from the ground.
Their blades clashed with an earsplitting clang. Rellac grunted and thrust his sword at Dakk’s side, but Dakk was quick to jump back, thus avoiding what would’ve been a painful wound.
“Care to lay your sword down and surrender?” Rellac shouted with a friendly smile, even as he advanced on Dakk, his weapon held at the ready. “I promised Helen I would try to come home early today.”
Dakk grinned at his opponent and feigned tossing his sword to the side, only to lunge toward Rellac and knock his weapon out of his hand. “That’s the third time I’ve knocked your sword from your hand today, old friend. If I didn’t know better, I would think you’re trying to lose.” In a rare show of mercy, Dakk stepped back and allowed his comrade to pick up his fallen sword.
Rellac sighed and lifted his weapon. “If you must know, I got little sleep last night. The baby woke up crying four separate times.” He uttered the last few words through a comically wide yawn, and both men chuckled, even as they resumed fighting.
“Offspring grow up quickly,” Dakk shouted over the clashing of swords. “Surely this phase won’t last forever.” But a hollow ache pierced his chest, the desire to possess what Rellac had—a mate, a family of his very own—resounding inside him with a strength that nearly took his breath away. Dakk quickly pushed such longings aside and focused on the fight.
“That’s what my mate says,” Rellac replied as another yawn tugged at his lips.
Their swords struck together one final time before the sound of a horn blanketed the sparring field. All warriors ceased fighting and began putting their weapons away, Dakk and Rellac included.
When Dakk walked close to several warriors from another unit, they gave him a strange look and a wide berth. Whispers passed between the men, but he only picked up the words that’s him and cursed and unnatural. He stared directly at his fellow warriors, letting them look at his unusual black eyes, silently challenging them to say something derogatory to his face. But the warriors walked away quickly without uttering a word to Dakk, though they kept glancing over their shoulders, as if worried he would follow.
“If I didn’t know better,” Rellac said in an amused tone, “I would think you were looking for a fight. Those warriors are from Commander Berra’s unit. I don’t believe we have ever trained in such close proximity to them before. This is likely the first time any of them have ever seen you up close.”
“Are you defending their rudeness?” Dakk asked, sending his friend a wry look.
“No, I just don’t feel like pulling you out of another fight. Last time another warrior insulted you, you nearly killed him. If a touch healer hadn’t been nearby, I fear you would’ve ended up taking the young male’s life.”
Dakk shrugged. “He didn’t just insult me—he openly challenged me to a fight. How was I to know he hadn’t received his dose of healing nanobots yet? Ah but it served the young warrior right. He learned a valuable lesson that day.”
