The Avroxee Mates Series: Boxset Bks 1-3

by Amelia Wilson

  She pulls her glasses down her nose slyly.

  “I know you’re nervous,” She says. “Just remember you have one week if you wish to…fulfill your mate.”

  I look up at Zayin, who stares down at me with a smirk.

  He’s got something planned for me…and it’s definitely not what I signed up for.

  CHAPTER 4: HUNGRY

  KILLUK

  “So, where are you from?” I ask my mate as we walk further from the village. She’s occupied by her fingernails.

  “What?” She asks, looking up after what feels like hours. Judging by the jewels on her neck and the silky travel outfit, I can guess she’s from the planet Hullux, where money and the rich rule all and gambling is like a sport. I can tell that Avrox isn’t exactly the most ideal place for her to be. If that’s the case, then how did she end up with me? She’s definitely not the candidate that I had chosen.

  “Do I look at all familiar to you?” I ask, feeling a little foolish that I even have to. She stops, looking up at me with large slit eyes.

  “Sure,” she says with a shrug. I withhold a sigh as we keep walking. I was hoping to show her the ocean a little bit before the big icebreaker event that the Mating Program wanted us all to go to. I tried to talk to one of the facility members earlier, hoping to clear up this mistake, but they turned me away, even when I explained that I didn’t get the mate that I had hoped for.

  “Here it is,” I say proudly, stepping towards the side and holding my arms out for her to see the glittering ocean in front of her. She looks at me, confused. “You don’t like the ocean?” I ask her. “I don’t really see what’s so special about it,” she says, going back to her nails. Not good. I can feel my palms sweating just thinking about how the rest of this week is going to play out.

  I reach into my pocket, pulling out the results sheet they handed me at the facility. My name is clearly printed next to Ava Rexus, the pink scaly girl currently beside me.

  “Is there some kind of problem?” She asks. I stuff the paper back into my cloak.

  “No,” I lie. “Nothing at all.”

  We stand awkwardly in the middle of the road, together. I tap my feet, trying to think of something to say.

  “So,” she asks, linking her arm in mine. She has a sly smile across her face, as if she’s got a plan brewing in her head. “You’ve got one of those high-end huts I saw back in the village? The ones that the researchers have, right?” She traces her fingers up my arm and over my chest.

  I shake my head at her, and her smile drops, along with her hand.

  “No, I’m just a student at the training grounds,” I explain to her. “I live in one of their huts on the edge of the cliffs.”

  Her disappointed, “Oh,” and her raised eyebrow indicate that I’m probably not the mate that she was hoping for either. What could have possibly happened to bring us together like this? I realize that I only have two choices. I could go back to the facility tomorrow and try to sort this out, or I could maybe tough it up and try to get through this week. Who knows? Maybe we’re perfect for each other and we don’t realize it.

  Still, I feel a gnawing feeling inside of me. That girl I saw back in the waiting room. I’m pretty sure that was Isabel. I mean I barely got a look at her, but in the split second that I did, I just knew it had to be her. If Isabel’s here, then how did I end up with Ava and not her? I felt a pang of guilt watching her walk away with somebody else.

  As I look over at Ava, who is angrily digging out a rock wedged in her high-heel, I start to think. Something has to have gone wrong, and I was willing to work it out.

  “Hey, so there’s an event going on near the facility tonight,” I tell Ava as I look at the two suns starting to set.

  “Hmm, yeah it sounded like a bunch of fun and games,” Ava says, finally getting the rock out with a heavy sigh. “I’m not one for cutesy stuff. If anything we should get back to your place, better yet, my place since it’s probably nicer. We can get this mating show on the road if you know what I mean.”

  Don’t get me wrong. Ava is beautiful, but none of will feel right until I’m able to give Isabel a real chance. What we shared was just unexplainable. I couldn’t toss that aside just yet. I reach out and put my arm around Ava’s waist, thinking of the only thing that would get a Hulluxian to come along with me.

  “There’s a full bar and cash prizes,” I tell her.

  “Gods, what are we standing around for, then?” She says, as she clutches my hand and pulls me back towards the village.

  The party is surprisingly full of energy. Avroxee aren’t exactly known to be party types, but celebratory events like these seem to bring out the best in us. Once the facility became a thing here, its members became dedicated to swaying our warrior-like ideals towards more “gentlemanly-like” ones. I don’t mind them so much. Anything is better than mindlessly swinging a staff around.

  There are colorful lights strung up in a decorated jungle clearing behind the facility. All kinds of dishes are being served on large platters: delicacies from Avrox and other planets in the neighboring galaxies. Ava and I wander through the excited crowd. They drink together, mingling with other couples as they exchange funny stories. We watch some couples easily take to each other as they share a dance on the dance floor.

  “Would you like to dance?” I ask Ava, out of politeness. She waves her hand at me.

  “I need a drink,” she says. Instead of going towards the bar, she looks at me, waiting. I get the message.

  “Sure. Be right back,” I tell her as we split up. I turn to look back at her only to find she’s already occupying herself by talking to one of the musicians. This makes me feel less bad about taking this time to look for Isabel. I scan the crowd, but have zero luck finding her. There are too many people swaying around, not to mention I keep seeing the same rotation of Earth girls passing by.

  I sigh, grabbing Ava’s drink and decide to peruse the snack table. There are prawns, to my excitement, and they’re steamed to perfection. As I’m reaching for one, a female figure approaches my side with an empty plate. I glance sideways at her, and I can’t see her face, but I recognize her smooth voice as she excitedly exclaims,

  “Oh, thank God! There’s pizza!”

  I watch as she piles triangles of bread, cheese, and meat onto her empty plate. The sign in front of her reads “Pizza- Earth.” I can’t help but laugh as I watch her, and can tell she can hear me once she turns around.

  “What?” she asks. “I’m on a foreign planet here and this literally the only thing without eyes or tentacles.”

  I stare into her familiar brown eyes and suddenly my heart feels like it’s going to explode. It’s her. Isabel. Right in front of me. She’s staring at me now, and probably thinks I’m a huge creep for just standing here silently with my mouth hanging open. I gain composure, holding out my plate full of prawns. “I’m in the same boat,” I tell her. “This is all I really like to eat, honestly.”

  She points, almost disgusted, but she’s still smiling.

  “Nuh-uh. Eyes,” she points to the bulging black eyes of the prawns and I laugh.

  “Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it,” I tell her.

  “That’s an Earth saying,” she says.

  “What can I say? I like Earth. Especially it’s women.”

  Isabel almost blushes, and her eyes scan the crowd. “Do you have a mate?” She asks. “Or are you just a random party crasher?”

  “You don’t recognize me?” I ask her. I almost don’t want to mention anything about the mix up. I could risk scaring her away. Still, this could be my only chance to talk to her and I can’t mess it up. She looks at my shaved head, then her eyes widen.

  “Right!” She says. “That guy, from this afternoon.” I nod, too nervous even to think of eating a prawn right now, even though they look delicious.

  “That’s me,” I say nervously.

  “Funny thing,” she says. “I thought for sure I was going to be matched up with you
.”

  My face feels hot, but I keep my composure. She’s really setting me up for me to spill my guts out right here. But something is holding me back.

  We stand quietly for a while, just enjoying the music and the dancing. I’m worried I can’t even find the right words to say to her.

  “So, what is that?” I ask, pointing to her plate. “What’s so good about pizza?”

  She raises an eyebrow, passing me a slice of it. “Taste and believe,” she says. I bite into the soft dough, the saltiness of sauce and meat mixing with a pleasant hint of the cheese. Suddenly, I understand. “Wow,” is all I can say, and she laughs.

  “Good, right? I haven’t eaten in hours.”

  “Well here,” I say, holding out a prawn. She shakes her head. “Can’t do it,” she says with a smile.

  “Come on, I tried pizza for you. Now you try a prawn. Believe me, they’re the best in Avrox since we’re close to the ocean.”

  Isabel reaches for it, her fingers brushing against mine. I feel a rush of excitement at her touch, which is instantly shattered by the twisted face she makes as she tries to eat the prawn. We’re both laughing loudly now as one of the legs hangs from her mouth. “It’s good,” she says with a nod. “Now, let’s try a weird one together.”

  We talk as we scour the table, searching for the strangest thing we can find. We settle on a strange yellow mush from a planet we both can’t pronounce. Our faces screw up as we taste it.

  “Hey, you want to dance?” She asks, gesturing to the floor. I look around at the other Avroxee scattered around the clearing.

  “Where’s your mate?” I ask.

  She points to an extremely tall Avroxee in the crowd, covered in muscle, and grimacing at the fun around him. Zayin. He’s one of the most intimidating Avroxee in the village. He’s definitely not to be messed with, and there’s something about him that rubs me the wrong way.

  “Oh,” I say quietly.

  “Yeah, he’s a real firework,” Isabel says, rolling her eyes. “The first thing he wanted to do when we met was to start mating. Like, seriously? I literally just got here.”

  “Oh, wow,” I say, trying to hide the fact that I would want to do the exact same thing if I had Isabel as my mate, only because she’s incredibly attractive. Still, I feel a question coming on; one I just have to have an answer for. “So, did you? You know, mate?” I ask.

  Isabel waves her hand. “Hell no,” she says. “But I’m sure he’s going to try again tonight.”

  “That one’s yours isn’t she?” She asks as she points to Ava, who has her arms entangled around the musician now.

  I hold my head in my hands and nod.

  “Yikes,” she says. “Looks like we’re in the same boat tonight. Except one of us might still be getting some unfortunately.”

  I don’t want that to happen at all. The only people that should be “getting some” are me and her…together! This is my chance, to tell her the truth. But my hands keep shaking and the words keep getting stuck in my throat. I can hear myself screaming, “You’re mine!” in my head, but it just won’t come out. Before I even have a chance to tell her, a group of Avroxee approach us. They are angry and intimidating; their septa pierced with bones, indicating that they’re part of the more aggressive tribes from outside of the village. None of them have a mate with them, and I can only assume they’re “party crashers,” as Isabel remarked earlier.

  Suddenly, they grab Isabel by the arm, and pull her away viciously.

  “Hey, piss off!” Isabel says, but they don’t listen.

  “Let her go,” I say, but I’m brushed to the side.

  “Zayin wants you back in your quarters,” an Avroxee says to Isabel.

  “I will go when I’m ready,” Isabel protests, but they’re already pulling her further away. One of the Avroxee stays in front of me, blocking me from trying to get her back.

  I watch as they take her closer to Zayin, and her eyes look back at me in shock.

  “Hey! I’m Killuk, by the way!” I shout above the heads of the crowd, desperately hoping she’ll hear. “See you around, Isabel!” Her eyes light up at the mention of her name, and I can sense her mind working.

  She’s piecing it together, and I can see her mouth the words, “Oh my God…” before she disappears amongst the partygoers.

  I may never see her again, but as I bring Ava her drink, I start to formulate a plan. I know Isabel and I are meant to be together, and after tonight, I find myself still hungry. This time for what’s rightfully mine…

  CHAPTER 5: AGAINST THE RULES

  IZZY

  I’ve been pacing my room for the past hour, trying to piece together the events of this day. Killuk... I can still hear him shouting out to me as we were torn apart tonight. I can’t help but to think of his goofy smile, and the way he looked at me as if we’ve met before. I know there’s something about him, and I’m so frustrated I didn’t get enough time with him to find out. I felt a real connection with him tonight, and I thought we were getting along so well. I’m baffled at how someone so nice could end up with that annoying alien chick, and I find myself questioning the accuracy of this whole selection process.

  I collapse onto my bed and stare up at the ceiling. I’m waiting for Zayin to come back. Those creepy Avroxee dragged me back to my room in the mating quarters and told me to stay here until he gets back. It’s filled with rooms like these, and we were taught that it’s where the women will go after a long day of pleasing their mates, or they can choose to have their mate stay with them here throughout the week. It’s just another mechanism to try to bring us closer together.

  I start panicking at the thought of Zayin’s hands on my body. He’s way too serious for me, not to mention there’s something about him that makes me extremely uncomfortable. He also kept trying to feel me up all evening - which makes sense since we’re supposed to mate - but he isn’t the mate I wanted. Surely they can’t force us together this way, especially if we’re unhappy.

  Another hour seems to drag by, and still no sign of him. I get up to look out the window, just barely pulling apart the curtains to see out into the jungle. Something suddenly catches my eye. Two figures stand near the mating quarters. It’s not hard to pick out Zayin’s massive form, even if he’s standing near the shadows. He looks as if he’s talking to someone, a smaller figure, more feminine. I recognize the white lab coat. Is it Kate?

  The two of them look as if they’re discussing something very serious. Finally, they shake hands and look up towards my room. I catch a glimmer of light flashing across a pair of glasses, before I duck down and silently hope they didn’t see me. What could they have possibly been talking about out there?

  It’s not long until I hear a pounding fist on my door. That has to be him. I can’t let him come in here. I’m terrified at what he might try to do to me. Still, I have to go along with this, just a little bit until I can figure out what’s going on here. I open the door, but keep the chain locked. Sure enough, it’s Zayin, his head almost touching the ceiling, his body taking up the entire doorframe.

  “Hey,” I say as politely as I can.

  “Let me in,” he says, his voice stern. I’m afraid to say no. I have the fragments of a plan forming in my mind; I just need the time to piece them together. I unlock the door and let him inside.

  “What took you so long?” I ask him. He shakes his head. “I had some business to take care of,” he says.

  “Oh, really? What do you do?”

  “It’s complicated,” he says. “I run certain affairs in the village. Making sure everyone is working together smoothly.”

  I can sense how sketchy he’s being, especially how he’s giving me more questions than answers here. Before I can ask another question, he guides me over to the bed. “Had a busy day,” he says, loosening up the belt around his tunic. “Maybe you can provide me with a little comfort, mate.” I watch the belt drop to the floor, along with the fabric around his waist, and soon he’s standing right in fr
ont of me, with a massive package in front of my face. I avert my eyes, the awkwardness unbearable as he finishes undressing.

  In any other circumstances, this would be the hottest thing in the world, and I wouldn’t even mind being called ‘mate’ since it sounds super-hot. Unfortunately, the guy that wants to have sex with me just happens to be the most terrifying person I’ve ever met. My awkwardness goes full throttle, and I grab a pillow and throw it into his junk. His face loses some composure as it hits him.

  “You’re the shy type,” he says. “This wasn’t in your file.” He goes for my chest, reaching for the buttons on my flannel shirt. I laugh nervously as I brush his hand away. The plan is forming together, slowly, but surely.

  “Oh, yes,” I stutter. “I’m very shy. In fact, I’m still a virgin.”

  Zayin’s face twists into an almost menacing grin at the word, and I can already tell what he’s thinking about.

  “Tell me more,” he says, inching closer to me, his body still very naked, and his package still very much in my face.

  I keep my gaze to the side. “I’m very old fashioned,” I explain. “See, on my planet, you have to take me on a date first before I can, uh, have sex with you.”

  “A date?” he sneers. “What is that?”

  “I’m surprised they didn’t tell you,” I said, gathering up his clothes, and ushering him towards the door. “If you take me out first, I’ll be able to give you the most pleasurable experience I can. Intimacy is prized where I come from. Trust me.”

  I rush through the details of our date, suggesting we have dinner tomorrow. He seems so confused, and I feel a rush of terror as I guide him out of my room. When I close the door on his frustrated face, I start to panic. What if this doesn’t go as planned? Could this guy be a threat to my life? There was only one way to find out, and that was to keep pushing him off of me as long as possible. After seeing him with Kate, I have a lot of questions that I need answers to…