Van huffed and gave a thin smile. Trust an alien to take the bloody revenge position. “I didn’t do it for him. I did it because I couldn’t live with the guilt, so even when I was trying to be a good person, I was still selfish.” Plus, her efforts at being a good person lost her the ability to pay for her degree.
Jaxar shifted next to her on the bench. “If you have changed your mind about mating me—”
“I do want you to claim me,” she said. “Today changes nothing. I made my decision a few days ago. I was just waiting to tell you at the wedding tomorrow, so it’d be romantic as fuck.”
“I adore your way with words,” he said, pulling her closer to him.
A vet informed them of Snacks’ condition—dehydrated and malnourished—but otherwise healthy. They would keep her for observation for the next few days while she recovered.
After a stop at a medical center to patch up her head, they arrived at the family home well into the early hours of the morning.
The house was located on the outskirts of the metro area, perched on a bluff that overlooked the city. Jaxar led her to a small guest house at the back of the property. “I stay here when I visit. It has been readied for us.”
The interior was one large space. The back wall was entirely glass and offered a breathtaking view of the city lights. Colorful screens separated the platform bed from the small seating area. With a cleansing room, the guest house offered all the amenities of a luxury hotel room, plus charm.
“This is perfect,” Van said.
After a shower and carefully washing her hair, she reapplied a layer of gel to the cut on her head and was too tired to worry about the next day.
“Just sleep tonight,” Jaxar said, pulling her to his side. “And there was nothing wrong with the date I had planned. Our activities were simply redirected.”
Jaxar
That morning, his mate fussed about her appearance and her clothing. She looked wonderful to him, in a flowing white blouse with gold embroidery and loose-fitting trousers. He fed her and kept her distracted with endless questions about Terran weddings and why it was rude to wear white to someone else’s wedding, even if the color meant something different at a Sangrin wedding. He enjoyed seeing his mate in the traditional wedding colors of her culture.
Vanessa need not have worried about his family’s acceptance. No one cared about the color of the garment she wore. Dania embraced Vanessa like friends reunited at last. Stanelle thumped Jaxar on the back and grinned. “That’s the one?”
“She is.”
Dania and her mate had exchanged vows that morning. The evening passed with drinking and dancing. Jaxar held his tiny niece, Neela, enchanted by her tiny fingers and toes. He grinned like a fool.
“You look good with a kid,” Vanessa said.
“It is the strong family resemblance. She got all her good looks from me.”
Vanessa laughed. She leaned in next to him, resting her head against his shoulder. She stroked the infant’s soft cheek with one finger. “Hello, cutie pie.”
Jaxar tensed, ready to have his mate doubt him again about his desire for children. He would enjoy sons, yes, but he would rather have Vanessa. She was the only thing he ever wanted for himself. Instead, Vanessa said, “Do you think those clouds mean rain?”
When Dania retrieved her child, she handed him a small wooden box. “Dad says you know what to do with this.” She gave an overly dramatic wink.
He cracked open the lid and found a pair of fine cups nestled in fabric. Indeed, he knew what to do. Ten minutes later, he handed Vanessa a delicate cup.
She cradled it carefully. Steam curled off the tea. “Something tells me this is more than regular tea.”
“These are the cups my grandparents used for their mating ceremony,” he said. “They have been used for several generations because they bring us luck.” He paused, searching for the correct words. “Vanessa, will you—”
“Yes.” Vanessa rotated the cup, inspecting the design. She bit her lower lip, which she always did when thinking, and said, “Lucky cups. We don’t need luck.”
In one move, she drained the cup. Then coughed. “Ugh, that’s so much worse than the lawn clippings tea.”
“It is a special blend for mating ceremonies.” He tilted his head back and poured it down his throat, trying not to taste it. “Stanelle warned me of the taste. He was not wrong.”
“So that’s it,” she said. “We’re mated?”
“Nearly.” One thing remained. He brushed back the collar of her blouse, exposing the base of her neck.
The wind picked up and the sky rumbled, giving a warning a second before lightning pierced the night. A storm swept through with lashing rain, ending the celebration. Jaxar and Vanessa ran back to the guest cottage, thoroughly soaked.
Chapter 25
Jaxar
The white fabric clung to his mate in the most alluring way, made translucent by the rain.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” his mate asked.
“I’m torn between needing to make you warm and dry and enjoying your appearance,” he said honestly.
Vanessa pushed back her wet hair and licked her lips. She unbuttoned the blouse and Jaxar could not take his eyes away from how her nimble fingers danced over the buttons until the fabric slid to the floor. She pushed down the trousers, revealing a white lacey undergarment that stretched over the curves of her ass. Jaxar growled with appreciation.
Rain pounded on the cottage’s roof and pelted against the windows. The lights flickered. He knew he should prepare emergency lighting or put his mate in a hot shower while they still had power, but he could not take his eyes off her.
She unfastened the brassiere and tossed it to the floor. He approved. Hooking her fingers into the waistband of her panties, she pushed them down a fraction.
“Let me,” he said, gently brushing her hands aside and slowly peeling down the wet fabric. He loved the contrast of his plum fingers against her warm tan. She glowed under the lights. Leaning in, his lips nearly touching her, he asked, “May I?”
“Yes,” she breathed.
He planted a kiss on the curve of her hip. With the softest towel he could find, he carefully dried every part of her, licking and tasting as he explored her. No part was without its charm, from the softness of her belly to the inside of her elbow that made her giggle and squirmed. He liked that, very much so.
He licked her light brown nipples, appreciating the way they pebbled under his touch. Vanessa moaned and moved his hands to her breasts, demonstrating how to gently squeeze and knead. Fascinated, he watched her reaction as he learned to touch her.
Thunder shook the small building and the lights flickered once before plunging them into darkness.
Vanessa
Rain obfuscated the lights of the city, blurring them into shapeless forms that sparkled against the glass. She hadn’t experienced this kind of weather in so long; she didn’t mean to jump at a clap of thunder.
Jaxar paused, his face pressed to her stomach, apparently fascinated with her belly button. “Are you well?”
“I’m fine, but I can’t remember the last time I was in a thunderstorm like this. It’s nice. Atmospheric.” It almost felt like Earth, strangely but understandably so. Much of Sangrin was similar—same size planet, same size people—but the design aesthetic was just off enough for occasional discord. Color combinations considered complementary were different and flavor profiles of food took her by surprise, like biting into what looked like an apple to find it had the texture and taste of mango.
Vanessa ran a finger down the nearly invisible seam of the tunic. The fabric parted. “You’re wearing too many clothes,” she said.
He pulled off his shirt and tossed it to the floor in a wet heap.
“Wait. Slow down. I want to enjoy this,” she said, placing her hands on his abdomen. She skimmed her hands over him, appreciating his ridges and angles. The tattoos across his chest glowed silver and amber in the dark. Ever
y part of him felt warm and firm, hard with just enough give. “I only get to undress my husband for the first time once.”
She wished she could see him clearly, but touch was good. Touch was very good.
Fumbling in the dark, she unfastened his trousers and pushed them down. He wore tight-fitting boxer briefs, the shape of them outlined against his glowing tattoos. She kneeled, loving how the fabric strained at the front. Tugging them down, his cock sprang free.
Glorious.
Thick and magenta at the leaking head, ridges ran down the sides. She had felt them before and could not wait to feel them moving inside her.
She tugged on his balls, eliciting a groan, before she gripped him firmly at the root. She never had a chance to truly appreciate his member and taste him. Glancing up through her lashes, she saw he held his breath.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time now,” she said, before licking the head of his penis. Salty and rich, his flavor burst on her tongue.
Van worked his length with one hand and swallowed as much as she could. His hands rested on her head, his fingers rigid as if he were afraid to pull her hair. Her tongue swirled around the head and he groaned, his fingers finally digging in. He pumped into her mouth, fucking her face. She reached down, touching herself.
Jaxar pulled away, grabbing her hand and yanking her to her feet. He stared down at her, his pupils black and his fangs bared. “Mine,” he snarled and licked her fingers clean.
Her eyes rolled back. That should not have been hot, but it was. God, it was.
“Not yet,” she whispered.
Growling, he scooped her up and carried her the three steps to the bed before tossing her down. She landed with a bounce and scrambled back. He loomed over her, large in the dark and glowing with alien symbols and patterns.
Her husband.
“I see you, Vanessa.”
She had been in this position before, but everything felt different this time. Better. Right. This alien loved her, not what her body could do for him, but her mind and apparently her bad attitude and prickly personality.
“What do you see?” she asked.
“The only one I’ve ever wanted.”
He moved forward, pushing her onto her back and pinning her hands above her head. He was a little bit out of control, but Van had never felt safer. Knocking her thighs open, he settled against her. The head of his cock prodded her entrance. Van arched up, raising her hips. “Please, Jaxar. I need you.”
“I must prepare you or I will injure you,” he said. He worked one finger into her, then two. She ached for him. Crooking his fingers, he hit a sensitive spot and she cried with a mix of delight and frustration. Fingers were not enough.
“I need more. Jaxar, I need my mate.”
He pushed into her slowly, stretching her. It was strange to have so much inside her. Momentary discomfort gave way to the pleasure of finally being full.
Their bodies moved together, pushing her closer and closer to the height of pleasure. He had brought her to climax before, but this felt like more. They were closer, their spirits intertwined.
Thunder clapped and lightning illuminated the room for a heartbeat.
Jaxar loomed over her, staring down with enough intensity that the image burned itself into her mind.
He flipped her over, pressing her belly into the soft sheets, and pumped into her again and again. The world reduced to her fingers clenched in the sheets and his hand on the back of her neck. His grip tightened, holding firm but not squeezing. She pushed back against him, loving the weight of him holding her down. He was hard, all unforgiving angles pounding against her soft flesh.
Sensation zipped through her, curling and expanding, building to a frenzy. She was so full of him, of the thrilling awareness of him moving in her, hitting all the right places inside, that it overwhelmed her. She came hard, calling his name, and barely noticed the bite.
Lightning flashed. Thunder rumbled loud enough to shake the cottage, drowning out her cries as her body quaked with ecstasy.
Teeth sank into the spot where her neck joined her shoulder. There was some pain, but his deep thrusts erased all but bliss. Warmth spread as he reached his release. He stilled, refusing to relinquish his hold on her neck and her body.
Gently, he kissed and licked the bite. He buried his nose into the spot just behind her ear, sighing. “My mate.”
“Husband.”
He rolled to one side and pulled her to him, her back nestled against his firm chest. Work-roughened hands stroked her, soothing her overheated skin. “I found you. I waited for you for so long.”
The patter of rain against the windows lulled her to sleep. She was where she was meant to be, with who she was meant to be with, at last.
Chapter 26
Agent Novak (Penny)
Meanwhile, on Earth…
Penny waited for the green light and the thunk of internal parts unlocking before pulling open the door.
A man sat at the steel table, dressed in an unflattering red polo shirt and khaki pants. The cold room had all the charm of a fallout shelter with painted gray cinder block walls, humming overhead lights, and a poured concrete floor. It looked exactly like every interrogation room in every tv show, by design.
Penny tossed a file folder onto the table, the noise reverberating off the walls.
“Chaz Gable, thirty-one, contractor for the Mahdfel Brides Program,” she said.
“I don’t have anything to say,” he sneered and slumped down in the chair.
“That’s fine.” Penny sat at the table and thumbed through the file. “I have plenty to say to you.”
He watched her turn pages. Terribly old-fashioned, Penny found that paper made information more real. It was one thing to have a suspect’s criminal history loaded onto a tablet, but it was another thing to have page after page of court records laid out on the table.
She let the silence stretch out between them. Apparently, Chaz couldn’t abide the silence. “Is that supposed to intimidate me? I know all your tricks, Special Agent Novak.”
“Oh, this isn’t your file, Mr. Gable. I already have all I need to keep you behind bars for a long, long time. Do you want to see your file? Special Agent Bryant can help us out.”
The mirror turned translucent. On the other side stood a man in an expertly tailored suit, holding a three-inch-thick binder.
The color drained from Chaz’s face. “That’s a prop. You don’t have anything on me.”
“If you say so.” She placed four photos on the table. “I want to talk about these women.”
“I don’t know them,” he said quickly, then glanced away.
“That was a lie and not even a very good lie, Mr. Gable. These women are missing, and you had appointments scheduled with each of them no more than two weeks before they vanished.”
He shrugged and then licked his lips.
Penny tapped the third photo. “We might have never noticed their absence. They’re all alone, you see. No family and none of them are required to submit for annual testing. Curious, right? Fortunately, her ex-husband alerted us to her disappearance.” Penny flipped the photo over, hiding the woman’s face. “Oh, you didn’t know she had people. It’s understandable. Basically orphaned in the Invasion, no surviving family, and an alien ex-husband who lives on a planet far, far away. But don’t worry. We found her safe and sound.”
“I don’t know anything. I don’t remember that woman.”
“Really? Because you filed a complaint that she broke government property.” Penny removed the pertinent page from the folder. He flinched. God, she loved burying suspects in paperwork, especially ones petty enough to fill out complaints about every little slight.
“If you’re ready to stop lying to me, I’d like to talk about these women.” Penny tapped the remaining three photos. “Ginger Fernandez, Agnes Powell, and Marcella Aguilar. All missing. All on your caseload.”
He looked anywhere but at the photos on the table. Penny helped
him out by holding the photos up in front of his face.
“You don’t have anything on me, or I’d already be arrested,” Chaz said with a grin.
She sighed. “If we must. Chaz Gable, I’m placing you under arrest for human trafficking. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say—”
“I want a lawyer.”
Penny began again, this time managing to finish reading Chaz his rights. “We can wait for a lawyer. I don’t mind.” She waved to the mirror. Bryant would contact the defense lawyer. “Or maybe we can save us all the time and you can just tell us what happened to these missing women.”
“I didn’t take them! Okay, I didn’t. I’m not like that. I didn’t hurt them,” he said.
“But you know who did take them and you’re a smart guy—” Penny couldn’t believe she said that with a straight face. “You must know that whoever took them plans to hurt them.”
“I just sold a list of names. That’s all. I don’t know who gets them or what they do with them. It could be a marketing list.” He grinned, confident and cocky for no reason.
She really wanted him to “trip” and bash his nose against the table. Forcing herself to smile, she said, “I think we both know that’s not true. Now, tell me about the people you sold the list to.”
Epilogue
Vanessa
Three Months Later
“Ugh, this is torture.” Van’s feet dragged along the floor. Her calves hurt. Her lungs hurt. Her everything hurt. “I’m not wearing the right shoes. Or pants. Or bra. Let’s go back to bed.”
Jaxar trotted up to her, running in place. He didn’t even have the decency to pant. At least Snacks panted, her tongue lolling out the side of her snout.
“You’re such a good girl,” she said, bending down to give her best girl a kiss.
“Am I your best male?” Jaxar asked, still fucking jogging in place like a jerk with a jerk face and all his fitness. Ugh.
Jaxar Page 22