by Sue Mercury
Alien’s Innocent Bride
(Mail Order Human, Book One)
by Sue Mercury
Copyright 2015 by Sue Mercury
All rights reserved
No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Sue Mercury. All names, brands, characters, and settings, etc. are purely from the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to real people, real brands, and real locations is a coincidence. Contact: [email protected]
About this book:
Desperate to escape war-torn Earth, Tara submits an application to Mail Order Human, a company that specializes in matching young women with alien males from distant planets. She’s excited when her application is accepted, but as she boards the Starship Matchmaker, reality sets in and she can’t help but worry. She’ll never see her home planet again, and there’s no guarantee her new alien mate will treat her kindly.
Not long after she’s dropped in the wilderness of a strange world, a huge beast of a man chases her down, claiming he’s her mate and she belongs to him. He actually thinks he owns her after paying Mail Order Human’s exorbitant fee for an otherworldly bride. Oh, like hell! One way or another, she’ll escape the big, muscular alien.
The chase is a tradition in Sev’s culture, and he’s angered to discover Mail Order Human didn’t educate Tara about his people. After a series of mishaps, the spirited human softens and he thinks he’s won her over, and though the animal in him hungers to take her roughly, he’s gentle and patient with her during her first time. But the next morning, he awakens to discover she’s run away, and he senses her distress in the forest below. Though her rejection stings, he bounds into the forest, determined to save her. Will he manage to win her heart once and for all? Or will the stubborn human still insist on returning to her home planet?
Excerpt:
Sev watched from a distance as the Starship Matchmaker delivered his new mate. Tara. He liked the sound of her name, and even better, he liked the sweet feminine scent of her that carried through the breeze. Ah, he couldn’t wait to get his hands on her, and he couldn’t wait to run his tongue over her flesh and taste her.
He hungered for the chase, but he waited until she finished scanning her surroundings. When she began walking toward the forest, he moved from his place behind the rocks in the tall grass and followed her. He would hunt her down and carry her back to his abode, as was the custom of his people.
Before the plague that had claimed the lives of most of the females of his kind, male Zaxxumians used to chase their females down in the forests during a great, annual mating ritual. Now that there were hardly any females left, the hunts only occurred one on one, when the families of the females arranged it, or when a male with wealth, such as himself, procured an otherworldly female through Mail Order Human.
His nostrils flared as her scent drifted through the breeze once more, and he crept along behind her, careful to remain hidden behind rocks and trees. Soon the petite human female known as Tara would belong to him. He would claim her and make her his in every possible way. A thrill rippled through him, and he moved faster, finally rushing out into the open.
He growled and ran straight for Tara, his arms open as he prepared to snatch her up.
Her high pitched scream filled the air, making him wince and stumble just enough to miss her on the first swoop of his arms. As he made to grab her again, she hit the ground, rolled away, and came back at him with a sharp stick. The pointed end scratched his chest but didn’t break the skin.
Growling again, he paused to study the little human he’d purchased. Long dark brown locks framed her pale, delicate face. Luscious pink lips. A cute tiny nose. His heart swelled with affection. Ah, she was a beauty. And his. All his.
“Mine,” he snarled, panting. “My Tara.”
She jabbed him with the stick twice more. “How do you know my name?”
“You are my mate, little human, and I’ve come to claim you.”
Chapter One
Tara stood in line, careful to keep her head lowered. If Magino’s men spotted her, she wouldn’t last another day. Her heart raced and she pulled her hood down, obscuring her face and hoping the criminals responsible for her parents’ death didn’t notice her amidst the crowd of desperate women.
She couldn’t believe her life had come to this. Once upon a time she’d lived in a beautiful home in southern Pennsylvania, with hardly a care in the world. Much had changed since the Great War.
Crows cawed and swooped overhead, and an icy breeze pierced through her thin dress. She shivered. If Magino’s men didn’t kill her, something else would take her out before long. Hunger. Illness. Hypothermia. A stray bullet.
She shuffled forward. Only two young women remained ahead of her. Once she signed her name on the list and scurried onto the waiting starship, she would be leaving Earth forever.
A shudder ran through her. Escape from her war ravaged home planet came with a price.
By signing her name on the list, she would be signing her life over to Mail Order Human, a company that scoured Earth for single women who were willing to give themselves to an alien male. The women were given no guarantee they would be treated kindly by their new alien mates, but as conditions on Earth deteriorated, many women saw Mail Order Human as a worthwhile risk. For Tara, she viewed it as her only chance at survival.
Most governments had fallen and society was crumbling. Rival gangs continually fought one another, taking down many innocent bystanders during their feuding. Illnesses swept through towns, leaving behind death and despair. Food became scarcer as the days passed.
Earth was doomed.
Tara would probably be standing in this line even if Magino’s men weren’t after her. She gulped and wished to glance around the market square, but she feared drawing attention to herself, so she kept her gaze down and stepped up to the table. The half-human, half-Harivlian official smiled up at her with a mouthful of crooked, yellow teeth.
“Hello, dear. Well, aren’t you a pretty little thing. What is your age?” His red eyes swept up and down her body.
“Nineteen,” she lied, knowing there was no way he could verify her answer. If she confessed she was twenty-seven, he would laugh that she was too old and a guard would toss her out of the line.
“Any diseases?”
“None.” At least that was the truth. By some miracle, she hadn’t caught any of the various illnesses that had plagued her town during the last year.
“Are you a virgin?”
Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. She hadn’t expected this question, and heat suffused her face. “I…um…”
“It’s a simple question,” the man said in an agitated tone. “You won’t be sent away if you’re not a virgin, but we need to know. Virgins fetch a higher price.”
She frowned. “I’m not a slave to be sold. I’m a woman in search of a husband.”
“Yes, and Mail Order Human is the middleman in this venture. You’re free to go back home if you don’t wish to become the property of an alien.”
“The property? I don’t understand. I thought we were to be wives.”
The man rolled his eyes and glared at her impatiently. “The three races of aliens we deal with—the Zaxxumians, the Aceppans, and the Harivlians—have rather archaic views of women. You can call yourself a wife if it makes you feel better, but the truth is, you’re nothin
g but chattel, little woman. The races I represent need fertile young women such as yourself. In return for becoming a breeding mare, you get to leave this shithole known as Earth behind forever. If you wish to continue with this interview, answer my question about your virginity. Are you a virgin, or not?”
She restrained an exasperated sigh. “Yes, I am a virgin.” Probably the oldest virgin in her town, but her intense fear of disease had kept her chaste. Not to mention the fear of childbirth. Contraceptives weren’t readily available and many women died during or shortly after having a baby. Life on Earth seemed to be reverting to the stone ages, for all the modernity that remained.
“Ah, a virgin.” The man licked his lips and typed on his screen. “You’ll fetch a fine price and attract a powerful, rich husband. Now, what is your name?”
“Tara Wagner.”
“Very good.” He typed on his screen for another minute, then paused and stared at it eagerly.
Tara held her breath and resisted the urge to stand on her tiptoes and peer over the table at his screen. After a small eternity, his eyes lit up and he placed his screen down flat on the table. He met her eyes with a crude grin. “You are approved, Tara. Please sign right here, and then you may board the Starship Matchmaker.”
“Thank you, sir.” She signed her name quickly, then fingered the straps of her small backpack that held her few belongings, and a moment later two guards ushered her up the steps of the waiting starship. Her shoes clanged on the metallic surface of the ramp. Once she entered the interior of the ship, she let out a sigh of relief.
Oh, God. Thank you. She closed her eyes briefly and let the moment wash over her. There was no way Magino’s men could board this heavily guarded ship, even if they did suspect she was a passenger.
A woman wearing red silks and heavy makeup stepped in front of Tara. She smiled and the guards dispersed.
“I’m Angeline,” said the woman, reaching for Tara’s hand. She gave it a squeeze and her grin broadened. “Do not be afraid. Come, I’ll take you to the sleeping quarters.”
Tara didn’t know what to make of the fancily dressed woman, but she was grateful she hadn’t been treated poorly yet. Being called chattel by the half-Harivlian had distressed her. She wanted to be a wife and have a happy marriage, like her parents. She hoped the alien who paid her bride price saw her as more than a female to bear his children.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. She joined the other women in the massive sleeping quarters for a few hours, claiming a top bunk and pretending to sleep for a while. The soft mattress soothed her aching muscles. In town, she had toiled cleaning houses and chopping firewood, and the exhausting physical work had taken a toll on her body.
Conversations drifted around her. Some of the women were overjoyed at being selected, while others were more pessimistic. Tara thought it best to keep to herself and not join in the chatter. Soon the ship would depart Earth and each woman would be delivered to her new mate. She had heard the trip from Earth and amongst the ten planets inhabited by the Zaxxumians, Aceppans, and Harivlians took a total of three weeks. Better to not make friends when she would only end up losing them. She huddled under her blanket until the lights blinked. All conversation ceased, and she peeked her head out to see the women were lining up near the doorway.
Summoning her bravery, she left the comfort of her bed and took her place in line. The same woman in red silks from earlier scanned each woman with a handheld object she assumed took a picture. The line moved quickly, and Tara was thankful they didn’t have to remove their clothing, though she suspected it was because the odd looking camera could penetrate their attire.
As it turned out, Tara’s town was the last stop on Earth, and the ship disembarked later that evening. The departure was announced by speaker and the ship gave a slight shake before all went still again. She wished the sleeping quarters contained a window. It felt strange to be leaving Earth without actually witnessing the planet growing smaller and smaller.
The woman on the bottom bunk didn’t speak to Tara or anyone else, and aside from a few short, meaningless conversations with women while she ate meals in the cafeteria, she didn’t interact with anyone. A week passed and she grew restless. It bothered her that there were no windows in any of the areas the women were permitted to venture on the ship. She felt caged in.
A booming voice came over the speakers and announced each stop, and Angeline would arrive to collect the women who had reached their destination, the planet where their new mates lived. Tara’s heart raced each time Angeline listed the names. She wanted to hear her name, but at the same time she wanted to stay in her top bunk, curled up under the covers for all eternity. It felt safe there, and it was nice to be able to sleep without one eye open for a change.
But after a week and a half into the journey, the woman in red silks announced Tara’s name. She shot up in bed and peered at Angeline with wide eyes. Somewhere on the mysterious alien planet they’d just landed on, a male alien had paid her bride price and was waiting for her to disembark the Starship Matchmaker.
“Come down from there, Tara. Bring your belongings. You are the only woman being delivered to this planet.”
Tara glanced around the sleeping quarters. Over half of the women were gone. A blonde seated on the bunk opposite of her shot her a sympathetic smile.
As if in a trance, Tara threw on her best shawl and collected her things in her backpack. She crawled down from her bed and straightened her dress and her hair, then met Angeline’s expectant gaze.
“I’m ready.” But her hands trembled and worry clouded her thoughts. She didn’t feel ready. Nor did she feel hopeful. She followed Angeline off the ship, her shoes clanging on the ramp. The sight that greeted her nearly made her swoon, and as she gawked at the alien landscape, a sense of regret washed through her. Perhaps she should’ve taken her chances with Magino’s men. This world looked nothing like Earth.
“I wish you good fortune, Tara. May you find happiness on the planet Zaxxuma with your Zaxxumian mate.” Angeline turned and made her way back up the ramp.
“Wait! You can’t just leave me here, in the middle of nowhere.” Horrorstruck, Tara peered at the thick forest and the mountains looming in the distance. A dim sun cast an eerie glow over the treetops, and something rustled in the nearby bushes. “There’s no one here to meet me. Where is my mate?”
“Your mate instructed us to leave you here at this precise hour.” Angeline’s lips thinned and her smile faded. “Your mate paid an exceptional price due to your virginity, your innocence. I am certain he will come along to claim you soon.”
The ramp retracted beneath Tara’s feet, sending her to the soft grass below with a plop. She gasped and watched as the ship took off, leaving her behind. Leaving her alone. Tears gathered and spilled down her cheeks. This had to be a mistake. Why would an alien pay her bride price only to instruct she be abandoned in the middle of nowhere?
She rose up and clutched her backpack, eyeing the forest that was evocative of the tropical forests on Earth, except larger and intimidating. Then she glanced over her shoulder at the grassy field that seemed to stretch on forever. In which direction should she travel?
Helplessness descended and she cursed. She hated feeling weak and powerless. She believed she was a strong woman capable of making a good life for herself, and she had a huge heart and wanted to devote herself to others. Fear had always held her back. She was sick of being afraid, and she gave her head a harsh shake and set out for the forest, determined to conquer her fears. If the alien who’d paid her bride price showed up, she would give him one hell of a piece of her mind.
As her shoes crunched over a stick in the forest, a growl rumbled through the leaves and echoed amongst the trees. She spun around to witness a huge figure rushing straight at her.
She screamed.
*
Sev watched from a distance as the Starship Matchmaker delivered his new mate. Tara. He liked the sound of her name, and even better, he li
ked the sweet feminine scent of her that carried through the breeze. Ah, he couldn’t wait to get his hands on her, and he couldn’t wait to run his tongue over her flesh and taste her.
He hungered for the chase, but he waited until she finished scanning her surroundings. When she began walking toward the forest, he moved from his place behind the rocks in the tall grass and followed her. He would hunt her down and carry her back to his abode, as was the custom of his people.
Before the plague that had claimed the lives of most of the females of his kind, male Zaxxumians used to chase their females down in the forests during a great, annual mating ritual. Now that there were hardly any females left, the hunts only occurred one on one, when the families of the females arranged it, or when a male with wealth, such as himself, procured an otherworldly female through Mail Order Human.
His nostrils flared as her scent drifted through the breeze once more, and he crept along behind her, careful to remain hidden behind rocks and trees. Soon the petite human female known as Tara would belong to him. He would claim her and make her his in every possible way. A thrill rippled through him, and he moved faster, finally rushing out into the open.
He growled and ran straight for Tara, his arms open as he prepared to snatch her up.
Her high pitched scream filled the air, making him wince and stumble just enough to miss her on the first swoop of his arms. As he made to grab her again, she hit the ground, rolled away, and came back at him with a sharp stick. The pointed end scratched his chest but didn’t break the skin.
Growling again, he paused to study the little human he’d purchased. Long dark brown locks framed her pale, delicate face. Luscious pink lips. A cute tiny nose. His heart swelled with affection. Ah, she was a beauty. And his. All his.
“Mine,” he snarled, panting. “My Tara.”
She jabbed him with the stick twice more. “How do you know my name?”
“You are my mate, little human, and I’ve come to claim you.”
Her pretty blue eyes widened and she shook her head. “Like hell. I changed my mind. I want to return to Earth. This deal is off. I didn’t know they were setting me up with a crazy person.”
