Alien Mate

by Gloria Martin

  It took a few minutes for us both to come down from such highs and when I finally came back to my right mind, I saw Alina’s dark green gaze locked onto mine. She was looking at me with wonder and a bit of disbelief and I was sure I looked at her with the same expression.

  “What was that?” I asked, and Alina smiled shyly.

  “I don’t know…” she said, and then slowly lifted her head to kiss me and I kissed her back deeply. I felt as if our souls were connected and I wondered if I had found my soul mate in a hunter. Someone who was supposed to be my sworn enemy.

  “You aren’t… you aren’t what I thought you’d be,” Alina said, after we broke the kiss. “I was always taught that vampires are evil, soulless beings who kill people just to drink their blood,” Alina said. She seemed genuinely lost as she confessed her feelings to me and I listened.

  “But you don’t kill people. They don’t even know you exist… you aren’t dead. You have a heart beat and… I just didn’t expect this,” Alina said. I bent my head to kiss her again.

  “It is all right to question what you’ve been taught. You have hardly seen any other side to what we are. Vampires don’t kill humans. But, if we do, it is for an extraordinarily good reason.” I assured her and she bit her lip, still unsure.

  When was the last time you heard of a vampire slaughtering a human?” I asked, and Alina had to think about it.

  “I’ve only ever heard about the massacres in the eighteen hundreds by that coven in Russia,” she admitted, and I gave her an obvious look. “We have all been lied to… brainwashed and led to believe that you all kill people,” she said softly, and I nodded.

  “That coven was dealt with by our own and there’s never been an event like that since.” I told her and her eyes filled with tears.

  “We didn’t have to fight you. We don’t have to fight your kind! It’s all just needless waste of life,” she whispered and I let her bury her face in my chest as I held her close.

  **

  Alina

  I woke abruptly to the sound of shouting outside the cabin. Jeremih’s body tensed underneath mine and we both sprung into action, dressing quickly and rushing out of the bedroom.

  “Stay here.” He ordered me to stay in the living room as he peeked out of the window next to the front door. “It’s your men. They found this place somehow, and mine have showed up too.” Jeremih cursed and I could already hear the sounds of shooting outside the cabin. There was no need for silence and stealth where we were and it sounded like a war zone outside the door. Jeremih glanced back at me and opened the cabin door and quickly slid outside. He didn’t have any weapons or protective gear as far as I could tell. He was going out there virtually naked.

  I heard Jeremih’s voice yelling over the sound of bullets. Bullets sprayed the through the window and I ducked and took cover behind the couch as someone shot up the cabin. No doubt hoping to get me with at least one bullet.

  I heard a very distinctive crack and then the bullets stopped. Jeremih yelled again and the sound of rapid gunfire gradually slowed and petered out until it was completely silent. Jeremih came storming into the cabin and his eyes scanned the space until they met mine. He was somehow unscathed and he exhaled deeply in relief as he walked over to me and made sure I wasn’t hurt.

  “We haven’t killed any of your men. We simply subdued them and captured them.” Jeremih informed me. I still had a hard time believing how kind he was.

  “You need to talk to them. Convince them we don’t need this war,” he said.

  Will you allowed yourself to be turned into a vampire? So that I can bring you back to my coven and take you as my mate?” Jeremih asked me. I stared at him in shock.

  “You want to make me your mate?” I asked and Jeremih nodded earnestly.

  “I’ve never felt this way for anyone before and when I’m with you it’s… indescribable. I know you are meant to be my mate. I feel it inside me,” he said, and I stared into his fervent golden eyes.

  “Okay…” I said, and Jeremih’s smile nearly blinded me it was so beautiful. “I want to be your mate. So I will allow you turn me,” I said, and Jeremih picked me up in a fierce hug.

  “It only takes a few minutes for the process to take place. I’ll need to bite you and then you have to feed from me,” he said and I nodded. “First, let’s go and convince your hunters to stop this war,” Jeremih said, and I chewed on my bottom lip. Hopefully, I could convince them.

  “She’s alive!” I looked around as each of my remaining eight men bristled with relief. They were all on their knees as vampires stood behind them.

  “We knew you were still alive, Alina,” Brody said, and I smiled at him. I actually missed the big narcissistic brute.

  “Guys…I know this isn’t the first thing you want to hear out of me, but we’ve been lied to,” I told them all, and they fell silent as they looked to me to explain. Jackson was among the guys still alive and he looked at me skeptically.

  “When was the last time you heard of a vampire killing a human?” I asked. The hunters’ faces registered their surprise and confusion.

  “That’s a ridiculous question. Vampires used to slaughter humans all the time until hunters were created to keep them in check,” Jackson said, and I shook my head.

  “No. One coven of vampires killed some humans long ago in Russia. The vampires weren’t even killed by hunters. They were put down by their own kind,” I told them all calmly, and Jackson fell silent as he struggled with what I just said.

  “The vampires don’t need to kill humans when they feed and they don’t want to. What we are doing is a waste of resources. All our lives, everything we’ve known was built on lies guys. I’m done with it. I won’t hunt vampires anymore,” I said, and then glanced behind me at Jeremih, who nodded to me in encouragement.

  “This is Jeremih and… I’ve agreed to become a vampire so that I can be his mate. It’s inexplicable, but I know he’s it. A vampire, go figure,” I said, and a few of the guys reluctantly cracked smiles. “Jeremih offered to let you guys live as long as you don’t try to kill any of them.” I informed them.

  “Fuck it. Turn me too. I’ll get to do all the shit I’ve wanted to do with my life.” Jackson was the first to speak up surprisingly and one by one all my guys agreed to be turned. Each vampire standing directly behind them swiftly bit them on the necks. I watched as the guys dropped to the ground, one by one.

  I stared in horror until Jeremih came up behind me and rubbed my arms soothingly. “Don’t worry, they will wake shortly,” he whispered, and sure enough my guys soon woke up and were allowed to stand so they could drink from their maker’s wrist It was weird, but after all the guys were turned a sense of comradery rose with all of the vampires. Jeremih slid his hand into mine and pulled me into the cabin, where he sat me on the couch. He looked into my eyes to make sure I was okay with everything and I nodded. He tilted my head back and then bit my neck without healing the wound. Unconsciousness came for me swiftly and my head fell back against the couch cushions.

  When I came to, Jeremih was there and my throat felt like sandpaper. Everything was a bit blurry and out of focus until he offered me his wrist. I bit into it and moaned as I tasted his warm blood on my tongue for the first time. It tasted sweet. I drank until the uncomfortable thirst left my throat, then I licked Jeremih’s wound closed.

  “So that’s it?” I asked Jeremih nodded with the biggest grin on his face.

  **

  Jeremih

  After Alina turned, we took all the young vampires back to my father’s estate where he was waiting in the great room with the delegates from the nearby covens.

  “My son!” My father stood up from his throne and walked across the floor towards me with a wide grin and open arms. “You have eradicated the hunter problem in Rochester. I am proud of you Jeremih,” he said, and kissed me on both cheeks, an official show of his approval.

  “That is not all father. I have also added to our coven. Replacing some o
f whom we lost in the skirmishes,” I said, and presented the eight new additions, though I kept Alina close to my side. My father took in the faces of the eight new hunters, before his eyes rested on Alina.

  “You turned the hunters into vampires?” my father asked me incredulously. I nodded and smiled.

  “Yes I did. Father, this is Alina. She was the team’s leader,” I said, and his eyes registered nothing but pleasant surprise and happiness.

  “And you’ve found a mate! I’d say you are plenty ready to be leader of our coven my son. I am truly happy for our future, and of course, I will welcome the young Alina and her men into our family,” my father said, clapping his hands. Alina and I smiled at each other, with all of the hope and happiness we had for the future. ”

  THE END

  Bonus Story 7 of 40

  Mistress of the Wolves

  Mia took a deep breath, taking in the rich pine smell of the Jacksonville National Forest. The sky was painted orange and purple with the coming sunset. It was the bridesmaids’ weekend and Mia had convinced the three other bridesmaids to pack up their scrubs, briefcases, and diaper bags, to put on hiking boots and backpacks. Mia was the only outdoorsy one in the group and though the bride could not make it, as the maid of honor, Mia wanted to show the girls that nature could be just as fun as a strip club. The four women had not even known each other until they drove up to north Florida. The car ride which was basically everyone on her cell phone unless she was driving, made Mia want to push the hike to today. She had to get the women talking.

  “Soooo, how’s everyone doing?” Mia asked, pulling her long red hair into a messy bun.

  They had walked about a mile uphill, chasing the sunset.

  “A mosquito just bit my ass, Mia,” Tatianna said, heaving her backpack on to the campsite ground. Her thin braids were sticking to her sweaty neck and her voluptuous figure was marred with enormous sweat stains.

  “I don’t have service, guys,” Linda said, holding up her cellphone to the sky. Linda had two kids and this was the first time her husband, Jeff, had the children all by himself. Most of the seven-hour car ride was Linda explaining to Jeff where things were in the house. Mia could not understand how a couple could be married for five years and only one of them knew where things were in the house.

  Carissa, who was usually quiet the entire time, was bringing up the rear, flush faced and angrily wiping her black wispy hair behind her ears.

  “We’re here, though,” Mia said, “yay?”

  “Where is here? I only see trees,” Tatianna said, spinning around.

  “That’s why we have sleeping bags in our packs,” Mia said, shrugging nervously.

  “Wait, are we actually sleeping on the ground?” Linda asked, pinning her phone to her ear, “Hang on, girls—Jeff can you hear me? What do you mean you’re looking for the girls? Where are they? Where are you?”

  Linda’s voice trailed off as she walked away from the group. Mia shook her head and looked back to Tatianna and Carissa who were looking at Mia like they could stab her. Mia offered a nervous laugh and dropped her pack on the ground in the clearing.

  “Mia, what the actual fuck? Are we really sleeping under a tree?” Carissa asked, throwing her pack down.

  “I thought you wanted to actually see nature?” Mia asked, shrugging her shoulders, “You know, adventure, fun—girl bonding?”

  “We could bond with half-naked, muscular men giving us lap dances, Mia. Like normal a bridesmaids’ weekend. Is this why the bride didn’t come?” Tatianna asked, stepping towards Mia.

  “Um, no? I mean yes. I mean no. She had to meet with the caterer over a shrimp cocktail emergency. She just happened to be busy,” Mia said, biting her bottom lip.

  Tatianna buried her face in her hands, took a deep breath and looked at Mia. Mia was sure fire and smoke were about to come out of Tatianna and Carissa’s faces.

  “Come on, it will be fun,” Mia said, whining and pleading with the women to understand.

  Tatianna was a city girl from Miami and was a director at Miami General Hospital. She did not ever leave the city. She moved to Miami from New York for the promotion. And to draw Tatianna to the woods, Mia may have lied and said that they were staying in fancy cabins, and that the sleeping bags were a formality.

  “Mia—” Tatianna said, pausing and rubbing her temple, “are we really sleeping outside on the ground for three days?”

  Mia pursed her lips, trying to think of a lie, but she was a terrible liar.

  “We’re going to die,” Carissa said, throwing her head backward.

  “Nooo,” Mia said, trying to ignore the sounds of wolves in the background.

  “There are wolves out here?” Carissa asked, shuffling into Tatianna’s shadow.

  “No,” Mia said, but the sound of howling sounded like wolves.

  “Whatever, can we make a fire or something?” Carissa asked, looking over her shoulders.

  “Hey, sorry girls. I’m back. What did I miss?” asked Linda, shoving her phone into the pocket of her cargo shorts.

  “We’re sleeping on the ground,” Tatianna said.

  “I’m sorry, what?” Linda said, pulling out her phone again.

  Mia shook her head, and walked over to a patch of scorched earth and started gathering dry branches for the fire. The other three women were arguing and Tatianna and Carissa were filling in Linda. They sounded like chatty hens. Mia hoped after she got the fire going and they had marshmallows on sticks they would be over it. Mia lit a match, threw it on the dry branches and watched them lap up the fire. The sound of the crackles drew the women and thankfully silenced the cackling hens.

  The sun was fully up, but north Florida was not sunny south Florida. It was fifty degrees even with the sun fully up. Mia felt relieved when they all sat around the fire, but her heart sank because she knew it was going to drop into the thirties. By the time the sun went down, it would be freezing and apparently there were wolves.

  *****

  “I think Jeff lost my kids. I actually think the man I married has no idea where precisely on earth our children are located” Linda said, biting down on a s’more.

  Mia stifled a giggle and put more marshmallows on her stick.

  “This trip is about us getting to know each other and not worrying about what’s going on at home. No kids or husband talk,” Tatianna said, leaning into the fire.

  “I don’t think I know a topic that doesn’t revolve around my ex-husband being an idiot. We’re divorced but his mom is sick so somehow I’m still helping,” Carissa said, plopping a graham cracker in her mouth.

  “It’s why I never got married. Tatianna Smith is a free bird,” Tatianna said, smirking at Carissa, “Sex is better when you are not obligated to see them again.”

  “Jeff and I have sex!” Linda said, looking affronted.

  “Doesn’t sound like it,” Mia said with a sheepish smile.

  “We just have to be quiet with the twins,” Linda said, her face looking flushed.

  “Bob and I have sex. At first it was an accident. His mom had a bad night and Bob lives with her so I stayed the night. Several glasses of wine later his dick was just out. I fell for it and now it’s nonstop. It’s too hard to find a new man when we’re still in each other’s life. Ugh, being in your thirties is so weird. I would never put up with this shit in my twenties,” Carissa said, cupping her face.

  “Speaking of twenties, what about you?” Tatianna asked, jutting her chin at Mia.

  “Me? God, I’m twenty-seven so I count myself as a thirty-something too,” Mia said, feeling all of the eyes on her.

  “Ooooh, twenty-seven so you should know what you like by now. Indulge us, what are the kids doing today?” Carissa said, raising an eyebrow at Mia.

  Mia did not know how to answer that. She had not had sex in months, not since she and her ex broke up, and even when they were together it was not that exciting.

  “Nothing at the moment, but my ex went through a weird spanking phase. He w
as watching some sort of weird porn and just sprung it on me,” Mia said, shuddering at the memory.

  “I like a good spank,” Tatianna said, grinning wickedly.

  “Ew, I’ll pass on that imagery,” Linda said.

  “What about…more than one? Isn’t that a thing now?” Carissa asked.

  “More than one what?” Mia asked, stoking the fire.

  “She means more than one penis,” Tatianna said, “I did it. It was confusing at first. Just arms everywhere, but when you get a groove, it’s fucking amazing.”

  Mia’s cheeks felt like they were on fire. She had always been bashful about sex. It was something she did in her relationships because it was expected. It was rarely the mind-shattering experiences she read about and usually after sex, she was just waiting for the guy to go to the bathroom so she could discreetly finish herself.

  “I don’t think that would be for me. I’m a big girl and so is Jeff. A big man I mean. We only have a queen bed. It would be madness,” Linda said, shaking her head.

  “I’d do it. As weird as it sounds I’d want Bob there because I would need someone whose body I knew. God, this sounds so sad. Even my fantasies involve Bob,” Carissa said, reloading her stick with marshmallows.

  Mia did not add in. Not because she had a strong opinion one way or the other, but because she could hear the wolves again. She and her father had gone camping all around the United States and Mia felt well-versed in the American woods. Even though they were sleeping on the ground, this was a campsite and animals rarely came this close to people. To make it worse there was not just one or two wolves calling to each other as before. Mia strained her ears and her stomach tightened. She could hear a whole pack.

  “You okay, Mia?” Carissa asked, touching her shoulder.

  Mia jumped, snapping back to the conversation.

  “Yea…no…I don’t know if it’s a good idea to sleep here,” Mia said, rising from the log she was sitting on.