Khann: Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides #5 (Intergalactic Dating Agency)

by Sue Mercury

  He growled and drove his hardness deeper inside her. His cock had softened slightly for a brief instant, right after he’d spurted his seed into her, but he was now fully erect and ready for another mating session.

  He withdrew from her center, pushed her down on the bed, and proceeded to flip her over. “Not sore?” he asked, gripping her hips and hauling her up onto her hands and knees. “I suppose I have no choice but to try again.” He growled. “As many times as it takes.”

  She moaned as he shoved into her and took her from behind. Growl after growl left him as his balls impacted upon her swollen clit, and it didn’t take long for another release to steal over her. He dug his fingers into her hips, increasing the pace of his thrusts, not slowing even as she soared to the heights of bliss. Her eyes fluttered shut and she moaned so prettily it took all his self-control not to spill himself inside her in this moment.

  He leaned down and gently bit her shoulder, still not slowing his movements as he drove into her repeatedly. “My human. Mine.”

  Belle awoke, nestled in the warmth and safety of Khann’s embrace. They were naked in bed together, their legs entwined underneath the covers. Hours had passed since he’d brought her to his Vaxxlian cruiser, and they would have to return to the hotel suite soon. After being away for so long, she supposed they ought to at least have dinner with Amie and tuck her in for the night.

  Mated. I’m mated. To Khann.

  While some uncertainty remained in her future—she still had to tell him about her Irrcon upbringing—she no longer feared Khann or the idea of traveling to his planet and living among his people. She was starting to trust him. She believed him when he said the sort of thing that had happened at the Dreusha Outpost was quite rare. From what she had seen of Khann so far, he was an honorable male and she knew he would never harm an innocent, even if that innocent were an Irrcon. There was too much goodness inside him for that.

  He stroked a hand through her hair, causing her to shiver. She moved closer to him and rested her head upon his chest. The steady beating of his heart brought her comfort.

  But when she tried to imagine how Khann might react when she confessed her secrets, her stomach flipped. She believed him a good, decent male, but the fact remained that the Irrcons had destroyed his homeworld. They’d killed his parents, as well as other family members and friends. They’d also tortured him and left him with scars.

  She drew in a deep breath and tried to push her sudden worries away. She was mated to him now and nothing could change that, for Vaxxlians mated for life.

  Please let him understand.

  Please don’t allow hate to cast a shadow over our union.

  Chapter 21

  Khann paced the suite, occasionally peeking out the curtains to gaze over the darkened city. Belle and Amie were both sound asleep, but for a reason he couldn’t fathom, his own rest eluded him. He had tossed and turned, unable to calm his mind. More specifically, unable to erase the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

  He used his wrist comm to track the movement of law enforcement officers, the protesters, and the soldiers, but thankfully the fighting had moved several blocks away from the hotel. He pulled up the radar screen, projecting it against the nearest wall, and saw nothing dangerous that could be headed toward the city.

  He lowered his wrist comm and then ran a hand through his hair. Fluxx. What had him so unsettled? He was now officially mated to Belle, the human female he believed was meant for him. Tomorrow they would leave Earth and he could finally return to his home, his new family at his side. He ought to be at peace, yet he still sensed an elusive threat lurking nearby, one which might ruin his newfound happiness.

  His wrist comm buzzed and he glanced down to see an incoming call from his unit commander. He had sent Commander Yorris a message concerning the attack on the Dreusha Outpost and had hoped to hear back from the older Vaxxlian soon. He answered the call and a three-dimensional image of Yorris’s face floated above his wrist comm.

  “Commander,” he said. “Do you have any news concerning my last communication?”

  Commander Yorris nodded, his expression grave. “I am saddened to tell you that the story you heard about the outpost in question is true. A unit of Vaxxlian warriors tracked a small fleet of Irrcon warriors there and attacked the outpost. This happened only days after Vaxxlia’s destruction and tensions were especially high. Not that it excuses the dishonorable actions taken by some of our warriors. Three warriors in particular, including the commanding officer of the unit, were found guilty of killing innocent Irrcons. They were banished many moon cycles ago. Few of us know what happened at that outpost. It is a dark stain upon our history that I wish we could erase; nevertheless, it happened.”

  Though Khann was disheartened by Commander Yorris’s news, he was grateful he had learned the truth and could inform Belle that the dishonorable Vaxxlian warriors had been banished.

  “Thank you for contacting me with this news,” Khann said. “I will inform my mate that the story she heard was true and that justice has already been served. I hope it will bring her some peace. The story this human girl told her seemed to affect her deeply.”

  Commander Yorris nodded. “I wish you congratulations on your new mating union. Will you return to Starrzia soon?”

  “We will return tomorrow. Myself, Belle, her daughter Amie, and a human friend of Belle’s named Molly. I have offered Molly passage to New Vaxx. She wishes to mate with a Vaxxlian, though she doesn’t wish to mate with a complete stranger. She wants to attempt the human custom of dating.” He sighed and shook his head, imagining the difficulty this would present, though he would not go back on his word. “I hope to match her with a fellow warrior as soon as possible.”

  “A wise decision,” Commander Yorris replied, a grin tugging at his lips. “I imagine every unmated warrior will be banging on your door until the female has selected a male to spend the rest of her life with.”

  They spoke for a while longer, until the sun started to rise and Khann informed his commander that he must prepare for their departure. Just as he turned to walk to the master bedroom, his wrist comm buzzed again. The comm code displayed on the small screen was one used by Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides. How strange. Why would they be calling him? He thought of his brothers and hoped nothing had happened to either of them. He hurried to answer the call.

  “Yes?” he said, staring at the face of a vaguely familiar Vaxxlian male. Confusion spread through him. All those who were employed by the mail order bride service were human, though it wasn’t unheard of for Vaxxlians to consult with them now and then, in order to ensure the service was functioning properly.

  “My name is Haxxa. I knew your father. He was an honorable leader among our people.”

  “Ah, I believe I know you. You visited our family home on Tisbbi Island when I was but a child.” Khann inclined his head to the older warrior in a show of respect. “How may I help you, Haxxa?”

  “I’m here on assignment to review mail order bride applications and check the backgrounds of prospective brides. We’ve had a few applications accepted recently that should not have been accepted. During one of my reviews, I found something disturbing about your selected mate. Tell me, have you consummated your mating union with the human called Belle yet?”

  Khann glared at the male, feeling defensive. “I have.” But then it occurred to him what Haxxa must have learned and he relaxed. “I believe I know what you’re about to tell me. Yes, I am aware Belle had a terminal illness and she did not disclose that on the application, however it does not matter, for the nanobots I injected into her system have cured her of the virus. She is now completely healthy. I have scanned her twice a day since administering the nanobots and there are no signs that the virus is returning.”

  “I-I was aware of her terminal illness, but that is not why I am contacting you. It’s much more serious than that.” Haxx frowned and drew in a deep breath, appearing to hesitate.

  “Tell
me,” Khann said, the back of his neck prickling.

  “Belle’s records reveal she was indeed born on Earth, but she did not grow up on Earth. She grew up in the Irrcon Empire. She was raised by an Irrcon male named Mikkal and she possesses Irrcon citizenship.” Haxxa shook his head. “I cannot fathom a circumstance where it would be safe to bring a female such as Belle back to New Vaxx. I cannot say for certain, but I believe she is a spy.”

  Though he was reeling from the information Haxxa had just provided, Khann still rose to Belle’s defense. She was his mate. They’d exchanged vows and it had seemed as though she meant every word. She couldn’t be a spy, could she?

  “My mate is no spy,” he said, infusing his voice with confidence, even though he couldn’t be entirely certain he spoke the truth. “She signed up for Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides because of her terminal illness, because she’d heard we possess nanobots. She did it to save her own life, she confessed this to me.”

  “Have you ever considered that she allowed herself to get bitten by an alien insect so she might contract the seihzana virus? That it was all part of her plan to reach New Vaxx and spy for the Irrcons?”

  Fluxx. No. Please no.

  He kept his visage stern as he stared at Haxxa, refusing to believe the possibility that all was not as it seemed with his mate.

  But what if it’s true? a voice whispered in the back of his mind. He bit back a growl.

  “My mate has a daughter too,” he said. “Belle is a loving mother and I do not believe she would subject her daughter to such a danger. Who else knows about Belle’s Irrcon citizenship?”

  “For now, just me, I found her citizenship records during a standard background check. However, I must inform our leaders of the possibility that she’s a spy. You know we cannot risk the safety of New Vaxx over one human female. Mated or not, this is an unforeseen circumstance, and you might be forced to cast her aside.”

  A small gasp drew Khann’s attention away from his conversation with Haxxa. He spotted Belle standing in the doorway, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, her hair disheveled. How much had she heard? He emitted a fierce growl and cut the call with Haxxa.

  Belle started to back away, a look of alarm falling over her delicate features.

  “Don’t move, little human. We need to talk.”

  Chapter 22

  Belle froze as Khann approached. She trembled and prayed he would listen to her, see her side of the story. Please let him believe me. The very idea that she’d allowed the alien insect to bite and infect her with the seihzana virus was preposterous. She could’ve easily died before her arrival on Earth, before she’d even had a chance to sign up for Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides.

  When Khann reached her, he drew the blanket away and tossed it on a nearby chair. Though she still wore a pair of pajamas, she felt stripped naked and exposed by this action. Vulnerable. Alone. What if he didn’t believe her? She wasn’t sure there was another person in the universe who might corroborate her story.

  He placed his hands upon her shoulders and stared at her. To her surprise, his green eyes conveyed hurt and confusion, rather than anger. She shivered, even though his hands were warm.

  “How much of my conversation with Haxxa did you hear?”

  “I-I heard the whole thing,” she confessed. “In fact, I heard both conversations, the one with your commander and the one with Haxxa. Forgive me for eavesdropping.”

  “Tell me it’s not true. Tell me it’s all a mistake. You-you can’t have Irrcon citizenship. You can’t be one of them.” His hold on her shoulders tightened. Despair clouded his eyes, and her heart broke to see this emotion reflected in his gaze.

  “Do you remember the story I told you? About the girl whose father was an Irrcon killed by a dishonorable Vaxxlian warrior?”

  “That-that girl was you?”

  “Yes,” she replied, blinking back tears. “I was raised by a sweet Irrcon male. I called him Father and I loved him, and he loved me. He wasn’t like most Irrcons. He didn’t believe in fighting the Vaxxlians, yet in the end it was a Vaxxlian warrior who took his life. So you see, I have citizenship in the Irrcon Empire.”

  “Fluxx.” He tensed and appeared lost for a moment. Finally, his gaze cleared and he focused on her. “I am sorry for the tragic loss of your adoptive father, little human. That should never have happened.”

  Little human. It brought her hope to hear him use the endearment. Was there any hope that they might salvage their relationship? Tears burned in her eyes. What if Haxxa told other Vaxxlians she was a spy? What if Khann couldn’t bring her to New Vaxx, even if he wanted to?

  The future loomed ahead, dark and scary and uncertain. She swallowed hard and tried to think of a way to prove her innocence but came up empty.

  “Why did you not tell me the truth about your Irrcon citizenship, Belle?” His eyes flashed with disappointment. “I told you I desired honesty in our mating union, yet you knowingly withheld important information from me.”

  “I was going to tell you, Khann, truly I was. But… but not until you fell in love with me.” A few tears trickled down her cheeks. She wiped at them angrily. “I dreaded the thought of mating with a Vaxxlian. I thought you were all murderous scum, but then I met you and you changed my whole perception of your kind. I realized my perception was wrong, that most Vaxxlians have honor and would never slaughter an innocent person, even if that innocent person was an Irrcon.”

  She shuddered and took a few deep, calming breaths before she resumed spilling her secrets at Khann’s feet. But what would happen once he learned everything? She despaired over the prospect of losing him.

  “But,” she continued, “I didn’t wish to die. I didn’t wish to leave Amie all alone. It’s not as though she’s an infant, like I was when I lost my biological parents. I don’t remember them so how can I miss them? But I remember the pain of losing Mikkal, my adoptive father, and it’s a wound that will never, ever heal. I couldn’t do that to Amie, not if there was a chance Vaxxlians indeed possessed nanobots.”

  Khann sighed and cupped her face. Using his thumbs, he wiped at her fallen tears. “From this moment forward, little human, there will be no secrets between us. Not a single one. I am your mate and it’s my duty to protect you. If you’re keeping secrets from me, that leaves me at a serious disadvantage when it comes to your safety. Furthermore, I do not believe secrets bode well for a happy mating union.”

  She nodded in agreement, wishing she’d taken the risk and confessed the truth of her Irrcon upbringing and citizenship sooner. How awful it was for him to discover this secret from another Vaxxlian, an older male who’d known his father, a male who’d apparently been doing background checks on the human brides.

  “I promise, Khann, truly I vow to always be honest with you from this day forth. But you must try to understand my point of view. I had so much reason to fear and distrust Vaxxlians. I couldn’t tell you at first that I’d had an Irrcon father, not when I wasn’t certain how you would react.”

  Khann fell silent for a while and finally released a long sigh. “I realize you had cause to keep this secret when we first met, but you ought to have told me everything either before or directly after we mated. Now I am tasked with proving you are not an Irrcon spy.”

  “So you don’t think I’m a spy?” She held her breath, awaiting his response.

  “I do not think you’re a spy, and I believe Haxxa’s suggestion that you purposely contracted the seihzana virus to be outlandish. You care about Amie far too much to endanger her like that. Your daughter is your whole world, Belle. I see the way you look at her. You only want the best for her. Haxxa doesn’t know you like I do.”

  “If you don’t think I’m a spy, does that mean…” Her voice trailed off, her heart heaving with sorrow. “Does that mean you still wish to remain mated to me?” she finally forced out.

  He dropped his hands from her face and grabbed her upper arms, pulling her closer, his manner almost violent. “Of course I stil
l wish to remain mated to you!” he said adamantly. “Even if I cannot return to New Vaxx, I will remain by your side for the rest of my days. I am your mate, just as I am now Amie’s father. Nothing will change that.”

  He gathered her into his arms and hugged her tightly.

  Despite her worry over proving she wasn’t a spy, her heart danced with joy. Khann still wanted her, and God how she still wanted him.

  Chapter 23

  Khann sat at the table, Amie in his lap, while they colored a picture together. Belle was busy packing and Molly was in the bedroom helping her. Though they couldn’t return to New Vaxx at this time, he still wished to leave Earth. Despite knowing she might not be going to New Vaxx in the foreseeable future, Molly still wished to join them.

  They could live on his vessel for a while, he decided, occasionally stopping at outposts for fuel and other supplies. But a permanent life aboard a spaceship wouldn’t be good for Amie. The little girl deserved to grow up in a beautiful green place where she would be able to interact with other children her age.

  He silently cursed Haxxa. He’d never heard of Vaxxlian elders conducting background checks on the human brides. He considered contacting Axall and Myadd but decided to wait several days. They might still be on Earth with their human females and he had no wish to disturb them during the first days of their new mating unions.

  A plan started to form in his mind. It wouldn’t be easy, but there might be a way he could prove Belle’s innocence. He set Amie onto the chair beside him and patted her on the head. “You finish this drawing while I go talk to your Momma.”

  “Okay, Daddy Khann!” she said, not glancing up as she concentrated on her picture. He hoped his plan worked. They hadn’t yet informed Amie that they weren’t headed directly for New Vaxx and the prospect of breaking such news to her, when she had been looking forward to traveling to his planet, left him troubled.