I’m surprised that the villagers are as excited as they are to read new texts. They’ve even brought some from other planets for me to include in the library, and we’ve been filling the shelves with stories from hundreds of other planets. We’ve uncovered a lot of history buried in these old temples, and I feel like I’m doing some great work in becoming an intergalactic linguist.
“Careful on that ladder!” I call out to Asch as he hammers in the last few nails of the thatch in the roof of our new bedroom. We needed more space for our growing family, and Asch has taken some time to make some changes around the house.
He’s decided that if he’s going to be a father, then he’ll be responsible and not fight professionally anymore. Instead, he’s taken time away from the arena, to dedicate his skills to helping others in the village. I’m so happy to see him creating amazing projects with his hands; something he’s always wanted to do.
“What do you think?” Asch asks as he shows me the baby’s new room. I gaze in awe at the high ceiling and how the room is perfectly attached to our raised home. “It’s perfect,” I tell him, pulling him in for a kiss. Before I can say anything else, I feel a cramp in my side.
“Is it time?” He asks frantically. “I think so,” I say, a little worried. The room grows foggy around me, and I feel myself growing dizzy. The last thing I hear is Asch calling for me as I fall towards the ground.
I wake up in a sterile room, surrounded by chrome instruments and bright lights. I’m in the maternity center.
“What happened?” I ask groggily.
A nurse approaches my side, holding a small bundle in her arms. “Asch brought you in just in time,” she tells me. “We were able to provide a safe delivery. The Avroxee gene must have weakened you a bit before you went into labor. It’s a common obstacle for Earth women on this planet.”
Asch is at my other side, sitting next to the hospital bed. “It’s a miracle we got you here on time,” he says.
“The baby?” I ask, suddenly concerned.
“A healthy baby boy,” the nurse asks, handing me the bundle. I take it carefully, admiring the soft blue skin of my beautiful son.
“He looks like you,” I tell Asch with a smile, softly touching the baby’s delicate fingers.
“He’ll have your brains for sure,” Asch says, reaching for my hand.
Few moments have been as perfect as this, and Asch has been there for every single one. As he holds onto my hand and leans over to gently kiss my head, the soft familiar glow surrounds him, spreading to me, and our baby in my arms.
Nothing but true love between our little Avroxee family.
Secrets of Avrox
The Avroxee Mates Series Book 3
By:
Amelia Wilson
Table of Contents:
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE: CONFIRMED
CHAPTER TWO: PICKUP
CHAPTER 3: MISUNDERSTANDING
CHAPTER 4: HUNGRY
CHAPTER 5: AGAINST THE RULES
CHAPTER 6: WARNING
CHAPTER 6: INVESTIGATION
CHAPTER 8: LOCKED IN
CHAPTER 9: A NEW PLAN
CHAPTER 10: BY COMBAT
EPILOGUE
PROLOGUE
IZZY
I knew it would happen in a dream. I’ve heard stories of others that didn’t make it, coming back with their wild tales of the program, and they always start out the same. They were met in a dream. I’d counted the days, wishing and wildly hoping that I’d be approached in a dream of my own, and tonight was finally the night.
I wake up and find myself floating in an endless void, surrounded by water. My first thought is to panic, and my arms flail around me until I realize that it’s actually safe for me to breathe in this place. I settle down, letting myself float gracefully in this void, my arms out stretched to keep me steady. This has to be it, what I’ve heard so much about.
I float alone, but as I stare further out into the big blue, I see a shadowy figure swimming towards me, getting closer and closer. Its shape looks human-like, but even when it’s right in front of my face, I can’t recognize any distinguishing features about it. I almost feel frightened, but then I remember what these kinds of dream entail, and that my only choice is to sit back and let it happen. Of course, I could always wake up. But, where’s the fun in that?
“You’re Isabel, right?” a voice asks, although I can’t see a mouth moving on this humanoid shadow.
“That’s me,” I say, trying to keep things casual. The shadow circles around me, inspecting my body. It’s not until now that I realize I’m not wearing any clothing, just a thin layer of fabric. It’s ragged in texture, and it floats gently around me, just barely brushing against my skin.
“You’re even more beautiful than they described,” the voice says, and I can tell that my visitor is a male.
“I know what happens next,” I tell him. He chuckles, his fingers caressing the edges of the fabric.
“You don’t have to do this,” he says. I’m a little nervous, but I wanted to seek this out, and I’m ready to take whatever I can get.
“I’m not afraid of you,” I tell him gently, my hand floating up to touch his face. My thumb rubs against his cheek, and the shadows engulf it, swirling around as soon as I make contact. Yet, he still feels solid. He reaches around, pulling me closer as we float in this strange ocean. His fingertips brush against my bare thighs, following the trail of fabric until his hands are on my hips. He slides his hands through the creases of my only cover, untwisting it and manipulating it until he can get his hands underneath.
I feel the warm, electric touch of his fingers as they search over the skin on my stomach, tracing the outlines of my hipbones and ribs. His hands clasp over my breasts as he gently massages them, but only for a second. My breath quickens at the feeling of his hands all over me. He pushes aside the fabric, and it floats away into the murky ocean void, leaving me completely vulnerable.
I don’t feel anything except a strange wanting; an unquenchable desire for him to keep his hands on me. I wrap my arms around him, letting the shadows clutch onto my nakedness as we embrace. I should be terrified, but all I can feel is this thirst for his actual skin. I have to get to know him, the real feeling of his body against mine.
His hands glide towards my buttocks, firmly taking them and kneading them together. I occupy myself with his neck, but I can feel something else touching me now, something long and hard, and it is pulsating with a raw energy. I can see his arousal even in this shadowy form, and I can’t stop myself from reaching down to wrap my hand around him. He moans gently at my touch, and I work my hand into a gentle glide up and down his shaft.
I can feel myself floating backwards now as he spreads my thighs apart, searching another place. He gently unfolds my lips, and inserts his fingers just around the outside of my vulva. I’m warm and wet now; excited as he probes me further. I easily take in two of his fingers, as he inserts them further and further, gently curling them against my inner flesh.
I lean back, enjoying the weightlessness and the feeling of him in between my legs. He releases me, then grabs for my waist as he pulls me straight towards his mouth. His lips clasp around my folds, gently sucking on them, enjoying the taste of me with his tongue. I can feel his mouth swirling around my clitoris, sending a shock of pleasure up my spine, and making my head tingle with delight.
He gets just a small taste of me before he grabs himself, and guides his penis towards me. He rubs just the tip of it against my wetness, and I long for him just to thrust it all the way inside.
“More,” I beg, my voice echoing in the large empty space. He ignores my wishes, and rubs himself along my clit. I’m swelling now, my most sensitive areas yearning for attention.
But he keeps to the outside, teasing me until I can feel a wave of pleasure rushing over me. He’s keeping me from spiraling down, though. I can feel his warmth seeping onto me as he moans, using his other hand to grab at my breasts again.
Suddenly, overcome by my urges, I grab him and let myself take in the rest of him. He’s rock solid, his veins pulsing as I contract around him. He goes along with my movement, thrusting further into me until I’m about to scream. He’s hitting everything just the right way, and it’s not long until I can feel myself climaxing. I lean back, moaning loudly as I let myself go over the edge.
My muscles spasm as I can feel warmth surrounding me. Suddenly, he pulls himself out, and floats backwards into the dark water.
“We have to do this the right way,” he says slyly.
“Just let me finish,” I cry, but he’s already gone, his shadow shrinking further into the abyss.
Oh right…it’s only a dream. My eyes shoot open as I sit up in bed. I feel myself soaked from a cold sweat, only to realize that it isn’t sweat. I leap from the covers and fly to my desk, groggily opening the drawers to pull out my journal. Inside is a calendar, marked with only red X’s. Tonight, I can proudly mark it with a black check-mark, a sturdy symbol of my success.
I’ve finally been approached by my shadow. Now I just have to find out who he is…
CHAPTER ONE: CONFIRMED
IZZY
Conspiracy theorist isn’t exactly my favorite term to describe myself. Instead, I’d maybe call myself an enthusiast of the unknown. I can also just about call myself a barista, since that’s what I’ve been for a couple years, now, after moving out of my ex’s house. He was an actual conspiracy theorist and he went a little overboard during our time together. I mean, I’m all about cryptids and stories about lizard aliens, but once he started accusing our own friends and family of being life-sucking creatures from Mercury, hired by the government… well, that was my cue to pack up and get my own place.
Being interested in this kind of stuff rather limits my options for dating in this city. Sure, I can sit down and have a conversation with a man, and I’m certainly not a virgin, either, so I’m not that shy when it comes to sex. However, the real problem stems from my interest in the unknown: stories of intergalactic space travel and creatures lurking in the night. It’s not exactly the sexiest thing in the world to talk to men about, and whenever I do bring it up I find myself still single by the end of any date.
Still, I’ve managed to find some people who share the same interests as me, and thank God they’re a little more level-headed than some other enthusiasts I’ve met. The conversation generally turns to talking about our favorite sci-fi films or who would win in an alien fight. All funny subjects aside, what’s really grabbed my attention is the talk about the mating programs emerging outside of Earth. At first I thought they were just tabloid news, like in those funny magazines you come across in the grocery store (I laugh at them now, but my ex had, like, fifty of them hidden around our house.) It all seemed like nonsense to our little group of friends, who called ourselves the Strange Sisters.
Then one of the girls, Jasmine, came to us spewing some crazy tale of how she had been sent to the planet, Avrox, where men search the galaxy for potential mates. She painted wild pictures of jungles filled with treacherous beasts, and villages packed with hot men waiting to be claimed by any girl daring enough to give them an offspring. She also mentioned the “True Love Effect,” a strange glow that emanates from an Avroxee when he’s officially found his true mate.
It all sounded so crazy to us, that we laughed at her wild tales at first. But, I think I’m the only one that realized that she was completely serious. I’ve been obsessed with the idea of Avrox ever since. The problem is, I don’t know if it is real or not. That’s when I decided I’d try to find Avrox myself, no matter how long it took me.
I finish whipping up a decaf iced-coffee with soymilk before my shift is over. It’s exhausting keeping up with the regulars, and always having to remember who likes double cream, no sugar, or who needs exactly three full pumps of caramel in their latte or they will flip out.
I take off my apron and bundle up in my winter coat, bracing myself against the chill of November as I make my way towards the bar where the Strange Sisters often meet. As my boots trudge along the sidewalk, I can feel myself buzzing with the thoughts of my dream from the other night. I can’t believe I actually had one, and it was almost exactly as Jasmine has described. I just don’t know how the others would respond to it. Maybe at least one of them could help me to figure it out.
A bell rings as I open the door to the Rabid Bat, a grunge-type place. The style isn’t exactly my scene. I have way less piercings and tattoos than the people that usually gather in this place. Still, my dark purple hair is a sight to behold. People stare sometimes, but I think it brings out the hazel in my eyes. It also rules out any weirdos that might try to talk to me.
The Strange Sisters are already perched at our favorite table, one that’s furthest into the corner of the bar, where we can talk freely without getting any weird looks from other customers.
“Hey, it’s Lizzy-Izzy,” my friend Jen says. She’s really into haunted toys, and is always blogging about all her trips to antique stores around the country. Jasmine is here too, looking nervous about something, as usual.
We exchange our usual greetings and complaints about work as the drinks are brought to the table. I always look forward to my weekly glass of whatever is good on tap. I’m the youngest of this group, but even twenty-eight doesn’t seem so young, right? Mary, a bubbly girl with blonde hair and a passion for Bigfoot, clinks her fork on her glass.
“As president of the Strange Sisters discussion club,” she says, “I would like to start this meeting with any oddities of the week. Jen, you start.” Jen shuffles in her seat, while we all wait patiently. “Yesterday, my neighbor threw out an old Jack-in-the-box,” she says.
“Please tell me you took it!” Mary shouts. We shush her, but I nudge her with a smile.
“Of course I took it,” Jen replies. “It was really creepy too. Like, paint-chipping-off-the-face kind of creepy. When you turn the crank the song is really janky and out-of-tune. Haunted? I think so.”
She sits back proudly as we ooh and aah at her story. Mary turns to Jasmine.
“What about you?” She asks.
Jasmine thinks for a moment. “Nothing new to report, unless you think my neighbor’s nightly habits are interesting.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“Well,” she replies. “I used to never see him, but now he’s out in his backyard almost every night. And he’s always shouting about something weird, like, incoherent babbling.”
“Maybe he’s a vampire!” Jen cries.
“Maybe he’s a warlock doing some spells,” I suggest.
“Maybe he’s just drunk,” Mary says. She then turns to me, realizing something I was desperately hoping she wouldn’t notice.
“Just what is that mischievous look on your face, Izzy?” She asks.
The group turns to me. I can feel myself blushing as Jasmine pokes me sharply in the ribs.
“Got a secret for us?” She asks coyly. My face feels hot, but I give in. I reach into my bag, and produce my journal.
“I finally had a dream about an Avroxee,” I tell them. They all start cracking up…except for Jasmine.
“Do you mean the same as Jasmine had?” Jen asks.
“Are you guys still going on about that?” Mary says, almost annoyed.
“Bear with me,” I tell them, lowering my voice. “There was this weird shadow guy. Also, he was huge, if you know what I mean. And basically…we had sex…“ here the group erupts into wild cries of delight.
“Tell us more!” Mary yells, and again we have to shush her.
“He knew my name, but I couldn’t see his face. He was literally just a shadow man. Also, he wouldn’t let me finish!” I explain. “Super rude, right? But guys…it was really hot.”
They give me high-fives of approval.
Jasmine sits with her arms crossed as she ponders my story.
“What do you think it means?” She finally asks.
Mary an
d Jen exchange a confused look.
“It means she had a spicy screwing session with a dreamy shadow man, duh!” Mary laughs.
“If only I knew who he was,” I say sadly.
Jasmine puts her hand on my arm, and suddenly I feel a strange weight upon me. “Seriously, Izzy, that’s almost exactly what my dream was like before they took me,” she says.
I feel a knot forming in my stomach. There was something so real about the way she described Avrox. I notice the table is quieter now.
“Come on, Jasmine, don’t freak her out,” Jen says.
“Seriously, I thought you said Avrox was just an elaborate joke you made up,” Mary says.
“I’m not joking!” Jasmine says. “You guys never believe me when I bring this up!” I can sense the tension forming between us, our secret meeting disturbed by a thick fog of awkwardness.
“Guys, it’s cool,” I say, trying to diffuse the situation. “Let’s have another round, shall we?”
On my way out, I’m startled by Jasmine who suddenly appears at my side, clutching my arm desperately as she did earlier.
“What’s wrong?” I ask her.
She shakes her head. “I know you believe me, Izzy,” she says gravely. “You have to go straight home, you hear me? Avrox is real, and it sounds like an amazing sci-fi experience, but it’s no joke. You’ll only be met with terrifying danger…or heartbreak.”
“Heartbreak? What do you mean?” I ask.
“Stay the night at my house,” she says. “I can tell you everything tonight if you want. It’s a long story.”
I agree to stay with her, but first I have to go home for some clothes. We part ways, Jasmine looking back at me, cautiously, before I turn the street corner.
The night is cold, and this side of the street is a little too quiet for my taste. I pull my collar up around my neck. Suddenly, I feel a strange wave around me, as if the air were heavier than usual. I try to keep my head down, but a strange pinging noise draws my attention to the end of the sidewalk.
The Avroxee Mates Series: Boxset Bks 1-3 Page 13
