by Maven, Ella
Rian
I had gone from thinking our small crew would be alone on this massive planet where I’d have to birth an alien baby alone to the stark reality of walking into a fully functioning village with scores of Drixonian warriors, a bunch of human women and… babies. A lot of babies. And…was that big furry thing a direwolf?
A few Drixonians had rode ahead to announce our arrival, so a line of human women greeted us as we rode into the village. Numerous huts lined a landscaped path, and in the center, benches surrounded a large, full tree. As Lea and I dismounted from our bikes, a short woman with long dark hair holding the hand of a blue toddler stepped forward, her brown eyes warm and inviting. “Hello! I’m Frankie, Daz’s mate. I’m sure you’re tired from your journey. Do you need anything? Food or drink?”
A woman with faded purple hair held up a dark bottle. “Spirits?”
“Tab!” A woman with tattoos and short black hair rolled her eyes. “We agreed no alcohol during the welcome meeting.”
“No, you all discussed it. I never agreed.” She stuck out her tongue playfully, and when the dark-haired woman just sighed and bumped their shoulders, I could see the affection between the two. “So,” Tab, the purple-haired woman, said. “Spirits?”
“I’ll take some,” Lea hopped forward. She nodded to me. “But she can’t because Mikko knocked her up already.” She clasped her hand over her mouth and turned to me with wide eyes. “Oh no.”
I laughed, not really caring that Lea spilled the news as a half dozen women converged on me. Babies were handed off to big blue arms as I was wrapped in a variety of warm embraces. The introductions came fast after that. Miranda was a tall black woman with braids and a small baby bump. Her mate stood closer than all the rest, his gaze never leaving her. Naomi, the smallest out of the bunch with a splatter of freckles on her nose, told me not to worry about having a baby, because she had two. I gawked at her as she pointed to a hulking, scarred Drixonian holding two babies swaddled in pink in the crook of his arms. He carried them as if he did it all the time, and I got the sense he didn’t let them go often.
“You had two babies?” I blinked at her in awe. She was maybe five-two and probably one-hundred and fifteen pounds.
“We have a human nurse and two healers,” she pointed to a curvy woman with blonde hair who I learned was Val, Sax’s mate. “You’ll be fine.”
Val assured me she’d give me a checkup as soon as she could. Justine, the tattooed woman with assessing eyes squeezed my shoulder and said, “Welcome to the chaos.”
Then there was Anna, who stood next to her daughter, Bazel, a young girl with light blue skin and nubbed horns who looked to be close to pre-teen age. A dog-like creature lounged at her side. Daisy, Rexor’s mate, was a blonde bundle of sunshine who fawned over Mikko and squeezed my hands excitedly until they hurt.
Last was Reba, a pretty woman juggling a baby who was just learning to walk. Next to her was the large wolf creature who I learned was a welf named Luna.
Overwhelmed didn’t even begin to describe how I felt. I’d gone from being an only child to a single abusive mom to this… a found family of humans and animals and creatures of all shapes, sizes, and colors.
When I broke down in tears, shouts for Mikko immediately rang out. He stomped through the crowd, glaring at everyone in his path. The women cleared his way with concerned looks. “What happened?” he cradled my face as he accused those around me. “Who made my warrior cry?”
I shook my head frantically. “They…they….didn’t…” I hiccuped and tried again. “They didn’t do anything. I’m just…overwhelmed. They are all so…nice. I’m not…used to so much nice.”
“You’re all being too nice!” he barked at everyone.
And Frankie, clearly not scared of anything, put her hands on her hips. “It’s called a welcoming committee. And we’ll take her feedback in advisement and work on it for next time.” She glanced at the women. “Who’s in charge of taking notes?”
“Reba,” one called out.
“Where’s Reba?”
“She was here a minute ago…”
“Matti,” a voice shouted from further down the path. Little feet padded on dirt and a tiny blue streak darted behind a hut. On his heels was Reba. “You come back here, young man!” She tossed her hair over her shoulder as she ran. “Ward! Where are you?”
“Here, mate,” a deep voice called from between two huts. He emerged, holding a squirming bundle of blue limbs. “Got him.”
Reba let out a low growl as she bent over, hands braced on her knees. “I refuse to have more of your babies. No way. No how.”
Her mate, a big bald Drixonian, laughed and winked at all of us. “Sure, sure.”
“I mean it!”
“Okay, mate.”
“Argh!”
And then I started laughing. Heads whipped to me as peals of laughter left my mouth. I’d gone from crying to uncontrollable giggles in seconds. But this was just… too much. And yet everything I wanted.
“Definitely pregnant,” said the braided Drixonian I recognized as Sax. He munched on a dried piece of meat. “I notice those mood swings anywhere.”
“Ex-cuse me?” Val squared off with him.
His eyes went round. “N-nothing. Lovely mate. Fatas, you look so pretty today. New hair soap?”
Val rolled her eyes while Daz let out a bark of laughter. Rexor hid a smile behind his palm. Mikko threw his arm around my shoulders. “I think my mate needs to rest.”
I shook my head and reached for Frankie’s hand. “No, no I’m good. Great. I actually think I’d like to continue with the welcoming committee program. It’s very entertaining so far.”
A huge smile stretched across Frankie’s face, and she gave a little fist pump. “Yes!”
Tab was already pouring a cup of spirits for Lea. Suddenly, Bazel pointed behind me. “Who are they?”
I turned to find York and Crife standing next to each other, Meri in Crife’s arms while York still clutched his plant. Their eyes were the biggest I’d seen them as they huddled together and took in their surroundings.
“Oh my God, it’s Frodo and Samwise,” Naomi whispered.
“They can hear you,” Miranda whispered back.
I cleared my throat. “This is York and Crife. They were hilbobs, and this is Meri.” I spoke louder for the next part. “The three of them saved our lives.”
Mikko’s gravelly voice carried over the crowd. “We wouldn’t be alive without them.”
York’s lower lip trembled, and Crife let out a sniff. “Aw, that’s a little bit of an exaggeration,” he said, shuffling his feet in the dirt.
“It’s not,” I corrected. “And you know it.”
“They are warriors,” Mikko said. “York is also a skilled farmer, and Crife an excellent shot. Meri is loyal and smart.”
The hilbobs, warming to the attention, slowly puffed out their chests. “Yeah, warriors,” York squeaked.
“Not with your bad ankle,” Crife muttered.
“Don’t ruin my moment,” York elbowed him.
“It’s my moment too,” Crife sniped back.
Then their bickering was drowned out as the women converged on them, and the Drixonians lined up to offer their thanks. The hilbobs were treated like royalty, and after a lifetime in the dark, they were finally getting the shine they deserved.
Mikko took the moment to lead me away from the crowd. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I am,” I assured him. “But I appreciate your willingness to fight everyone for being too nice.”
He looked around suspiciously. “Are all humans this nice?”
“No,” I laughed. “But then, I think these women have a different perspective now, just like me.”
His face softened. “I had the same thought when I met Trawn. I hadn’t always been the best with authority, but this life had a way of subduing the rebel in me.”
“I like the rebel in you,” I said. “He has his purpose still.”
<
br /> “The rebel in me saw the warrior in you.”
“And that makes me nervous for what kind of child we’ll have.”
He laughed. “Watching that female chase her son is probably a good indicator of what our lives will be like soon.”
I glanced around at the village, where smiles and baby coos were in abundance. “I think I’m okay with that.” I let Mikko draw me into his warm, safe embrace. “Yeah,” I sighed as contentment flowed over me like warm waterfall. “I’m definitely okay with that.”
Thank you so much for reading MIKKO! Curious about Trawn and Lea? Their story is FREE and can be downloaded HERE. It can be read before, during, or after any books in this series!
Curious about Daz, Frankie, and the rest of the Drixonian Crew on Corin? Check out my complete Drixonian Warrior series!
Want to know what happens to the other Stolen Warriors? FENIX is next!
The deal is to protect her, but I'll do more than that. I'll save her.
Jennie: I can't remember that last time I saw Earth. All I know now is red sand, cruel aliens, and silence. Getting sick from some alien virus damaged my vocal chords, and it's painful to even say yes when my captors ask if I'm hungry.
I don't know what my future holds, but I've always had a sixth sense about things. That's why I know when the blue alien with orange hair and black gloves meets my eyes, that my life is about to change. I just don't know if it's for better or for worse.
Fenix: The only way I've been surviving through the chronic pain of my mutation is the drug, Kixx. I hate what the addiction has done to me, but what I resent the most is that I've had to barter with a lowlife Rogastix for my supply.
One day, he shows off his new property--a human female. He makes me a deal to protect her until he can exchange her for a healthy supply of Kixx of which I'll get a lion's share. But I'm a Drixonian Warrior somewhere beneath my melted skin and raw nerves. Now matter how badly I need the drug, I won't let her be sold. I'll get her to safety, even if it costs me everything.
Fenix is a Sci-Fi Alien Romance that features a fire-starting alien who craves touch even though it's painful and a patient human female who knows foreshadowing when she sees it.
PREORDER FENIX NOW
Acknowledgments
I was so nervous starting this new series, and I can’t express enough how grateful I am to the reader who have embraced my new warriors! The love for Rexor blew me away, and I hope you all like Mikko just as much!
Thank you to Natasha Snow who really brought Mikko to life with this cover. You create amazing art and I don’t know what I’d do without you!
Thank you to my editor, Del, who always comes through for me.
And thank you to my readers, especially those in my Haven, who make this job the best job in the world. I hope my books give you a real world escape for a while. <3
About the Author
Ella Maven is the pen name for a multi-published USA Today Bestselling author who decided to finally unleash the alien world that had been living in her head for years. (Is that weird? Probably). Her books feature dominant, possessive aliens who are absolutely devoted to their humans.
She lives on the East Coast with her completely normal husband and two spawn who sure seem alien some days.
Also by Ella Maven
Drixonian Warrior Series
Daz and Frankie: The Alien’s Ransom
Sax and Valerie: The Alien’s Escape.
Ward and Reba: The Alien’s Undoing
Miranda and Drak: The Alien’s Revenge
Gar and Naomi: The Alien’s Savior
Xavy and Tabitha: The Alien’s Challenge
Nero and Justine: The Alien’s Equal
Stolen Warrior Series
Rexor
