by Sue Mercury
As she took in Cav’s massive features, particular his large hands, she prayed he wasn’t prone to violence. The guard had told the women that Marrlxians expected their women to be submissive and very obedient. What would happen if she had a disagreement with Cav? Or what if she displeased him in some way?
God, his hands were huge. He could probably crush her skull in a single blow, if he wanted to. Hailey became so lost in her worries that she barely noticed the city around her. She’d taken plenty of beatings in her life, but never from a man as huge as Cav. The larger children in the orphanage, and the thugs who had occasionally attacked her on the streets didn’t compare to the stature of her new mate.
On Earth, she’d never suffered more than a few bruises during an altercation. Once punches started flying, all Hailey had to do was cough violently and the thugs would flee out of fear that she had a deadly disease. Sometimes she had even painted red spots on her face to mimic Harold’s pox, an illness that spread rapidly and resulted a drawn out, painful death. The creative defensive mechanisms she’d used on Earth wouldn’t work on Marrlxia though.
Her stomach twisted to the point that she hovered on the verge of sickness. She looked up when Cav pulled her to a stop. For the first time, he didn’t gaze upon her with anger flaming in his dark eyes. His gentle expression was a welcome sight.
“Are you unwell, Hailey?”
“I…” She didn’t know what to say, and she was mortified when a few tears trickled down her cheeks. She ducked her head and wiped the moisture away, hoping he didn’t ask why she was crying.
“Are you afraid, Hailey?”
She sniffled and nodded.
“Afraid of me?”
“Yes.” Her whispered response was nearly lost in the rising wind. Her braid lifted off her shoulder.
She didn’t know what to expect, but he completely took her by surprise when he set the suitcase on the ground and cupped her face in his huge hands. He leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. Heat radiated from his massive body, and his masculine scent and sudden tenderness had her relaxing a bit. No further tears welled in her eyes.
“You are to be my cherished mate, Hailey, and the mother of my children.”
*
It was the best response Cav could think of to calm her nerves. He couldn’t quite bring himself to say, “You mustn’t fear me” or “I will never hurt you.” Because he didn’t want to make a promise he couldn’t keep. It would take time to learn her character. Time to determine how loyal and trustworthy of a female she was.
He’d heard human females were more submissive and obedient than Marrlxian females, which was precisely the reason he’d ordered a female from Mail Order Human, rather than seek another mate among his own kind. Gods, he hoped it was true, and hoped the temptation of betrayal never crossed Hailey’s mind.
He pressed a kiss to her forehead, letting his lips linger long enough to sense her body humming at his touch, before he pulled away and picked up the suitcase. He pointed at the house at the end of the residential road they’d traveled down.
“The white stone house is my home. Our home.” He held his breath, waiting for her reaction.
She gasped the instant her gaze landed on the house. “Wow. It’s wonderful. I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d live in a house so grand. It looks like a castle from a fairytale!”
Despite himself, his face heated as a blush stole over him. He wanted to impress this small human female more than he cared to admit. Bitterness swept through him at the memory of his first mate’s betrayal, despite all he’d done to ensure her happiness. He’d built this house, with the white stone she loved, in the quarter of the city she claimed to enjoy most. He’d gotten her servants and showered her with lavish gifts, but not a full moon cycle into their union she had betrayed him, running off with a Marrlxian from a lower class and shaming Cav before the entire city.
He inhaled deeply and forced thoughts of Lishana away. He had decided long ago that he had been too lenient with her, especially allowing her to leave his property without first obtaining permission. Never again would he make the same mistakes. He would ensure Hailey understood he was in charge. He wouldn’t allow her the opportunity to betray him.
Once they reached his home, he ushered her inside and introduced her to the two servants he still retained, a cook and a maid who had nowhere else to go, so he’d kept them on even after Lishana left. Both were widows from the gehea class, which meant they weren’t free to remarry. On Marrlxia, their only path in life was to work as servants. He treated them well though and paid them a fair salary, not entirely agreeing with the Marrlxian class system, even though he had been born into the highest class.
Hailey smiled at the servant women, Brena and Niashu, and said, “I’m pleased to meet you both.”
Brena and Niashu bowed their heads politely and murmured, “Pleased to meet you, mistress,” before backing out of the entryway.
“I will show you to your room.” He guided his tiny human up the winding staircase to the room he’d had prepared for her. Again, he found himself holding his breath as he awaited her response.
She entered the room, paused near the bed, and spun in a slow circle with her mouth hanging open. “I get my own bedroom? My own…personal space?” Tears shone in her eyes as she peered up at him.
“Of course. I’ve had this room prepared especially for you. The bathroom is filled with feminine hygiene products similar to those found on your homeworld, and I’ve had a wardrobe made for you as well. I used the scans of your body provided by Mail Order Human to ensure the correct sizes. There are dresses and other clothing items in the armoires. Everything in this room belongs to you.”
“Th-thank y-you,” she stammered.
He had surmised she’d opted to leave Earth because it was war torn and polluted, but he hadn’t taken the time to ponder exactly how difficult her day-to-day life must have been. The threadbare knee-length dress she wore hung loose on her thin body. A surge of protectiveness rose up in him as he stared down at her. How often had she gone to bed hungry?
Mail Order Human had matched her name to his randomly, and the only bits of information about her that he’d known in advance were her name and her age—twenty-one. The interstellar matchmaking company hadn’t divulged her individual hardships or her reasons for signing up to become a mail order bride on a planet alien to her.
The urge to wrap his arms around her swelled in his chest, but he didn’t act on it for fear of seeming too soft. The tenderness he’d shown her on their walk to his house would have to suffice for now.
If she thought him soft, she might try to leave him for another male. And he couldn’t abide such a travesty. Not again. He would give her rules and make sure she obeyed them. Rules that would keep her sequestered from all other males. Once he got her with child though, he could relax his rules somewhat. It was, after all, punishable by death to touch a female who was pregnant or already had children with another Marrlxian. No other male would dare try to claim her once she carried his first child in her womb.
He sat her suitcase beside the bed.
“Um, where do you sleep, Cav?” An adorable blush stained her cheeks.
“My room is at the end of the hallway.” He moved to her and toyed with her auburn braid, unable to resist touching her. His cock hardened at the prospect of claiming her tonight. He would take her long and hard, leaving no doubt in her mind to whom she belonged.
He cleared his throat, released her braid, and took a step back. “Though this is your bedroom, there will be many nights when you will be required to sleep in mine.”
Her blush deepened. “Tonight?”
“Yes, tonight.”
He wanted to tear that dress off her and toss her down on the bed, then spread her legs and sink into her feminine sweetness at this very moment. But ficka, he had to suffer through the formality of the mating ceremony first. To take a female before the ceremony wasn’t honorable. Only the lower classes
engaged in such sinful pursuits.
Beneath her thin dress, her nipples hardened to stiff peaks, as if to taunt him and the morals he struggled to cling to. She fidgeted in place as she held his gaze, and when he detected the sweet, feminine scent of her arousal, he couldn’t prevent the growl that rumbled from his throat.
Her eyes widened and she moved around the bed, staring at him in alarm.
He supposed human males didn’t growl. Or if they did, it didn’t mean anything good. He didn’t apologize for frightening her though. If she was partly afraid of him, or thought him unpredictable, she wouldn’t dare try to escape him. Not like Lishana.
But don’t you want her to care for you? a traitorous voice whispered in the back of his mind.
He clenched his jaw and growled again, this time prompting a gasp from Hailey. Her hands trembled at her sides and her chest rose and fell rapidly.
“The mating ceremony will take place at sunset. You must get yourself ready.”
“Um, okay. I’ll be sure to change into another dress,” she said, glancing at the nearest armoire.
“I will return for you soon.” He departed the room, but not before he envisioned her slipping off her dress and standing naked while she selected something new to wear. Despite being thinner than he thought a healthy female should be, she had wide hips and an ample butt he couldn’t wait to get his hands on. Perhaps the first time he claimed her, he would bend her over the bed and pound into her from behind.
Chapter Two
Hailey stared at her reflection in the tall mirror, appreciating the flattering cut of the blue gown she’d selected. It was the most elegant dress she’d even seen, let alone worn. All the material things around her left her unsettled. Why wasn’t she happier in this moment? This was her room. These were her things. The air was fresh and the food plentiful on this planet.
Shame heated her cheeks. She had everything she’d ever wanted. Except someone who really cared about her. She wasn’t so foolish as to believe in love at first sight, but she hoped in time Cav would come to truly care for her. Yes, he’d said she would be his cherished mate. But she sensed he’d only said that out of obligation. Her stomach flipped. Would he only love her if she gave him a child? A male heir? Doubt clutched at her heart. Would he despise her if she only gave him girls or if she couldn’t get pregnant at all?
She hadn’t known how desperately Marrlxians needed heirs to maintain their social status until she’d left Earth on the Matchmaker 2. The strange red-eyed alien who’d looked over her application in Atlanta before she boarded the interstellar ship hadn’t given her any details, so she’d filled them in herself by imagining the males on Marrlxia were lonely and longed for females to love and call their own.
She smoothed a hand over her braid and tried to smile. Were the other human women nervous too? Angie had seemed more excited than anxious. Hailey frowned, wishing she could be as optimistic as her friend.
A knock on the door startled her from her thoughts. She turned as Cav entered the room, his long hair swept behind his broad shoulders. He wore a black jacket overtop his gray shirt, but otherwise hadn’t changed clothing. She approached him, expecting they would be leaving at once, but he stood in front of her and blocked her path.
“You’ve never been married before, is that correct?”
“That’s right. I’ve never been married.” A reasonable question, she supposed. A few of the women on the Matchmaker 2 were young widows. But not her. In fact, she’d avoided men as much as possible on Earth. She’d witnessed other girls on the street get harassed by horrible men and had always strived to stay hidden, even dressing like a man and keeping her hair concealed under ratty hats she constructed from discarded clothing. Between that and pretending to be sick, no man had ever attempted to get especially close to her.
The serious gleam in Cav’s eyes unnerved her. Didn’t he believe her? He swallowed hard and took another step forward, completely towering over her. She strained her neck to look up and meet his cold gaze.
“What about a….a lover? Have you ever had one?”
“N-no. Never.” Her throat burned, and she felt the need to explain herself further, lest he believe her a liar. “I grew up in an all-girls orphanage. Once I turned eighteen, I had to leave. With nowhere to go, I lived on the streets and…”
“Have you ever cheated on a lover before?”
She felt the blood drain from her face. What the hell was wrong with him? “I just told you I’ve never had a lover. Therefore, I’ve never cheated on anyone before. I-I’m a virgin, in case that matters. The alien looking over my application to Mail Order Human asked if I was a virgin, but I refused to answer the question. I didn’t think it was any of his business, even if virgins do fetch a higher price.”
He breathed in deeply and his nostrils flared. His face relaxed, all signs of tension vanishing in an instant. Hailey got his message though—he was worried about her cheating on him. His suspicion wounded her. Cheating on him was the furthest thing from her mind.
“You will never speak to or look upon another male, Hailey. Is that clear?” Though his gaze had softened, his tone reverberated through the room hard as steel.
Her throat closed up and for a moment she couldn’t answer. She gulped and nervously stared into his dark eyes. “Y-yes, I-I understand.” She wasn’t about to disagree with him right before the mass nuptial ceremony.
“Good.” He relaxed slightly, then grasped her hand and led her downstairs and outside.
The horizon glowed orange as the sun set over the mountains. Hailey had been asleep on the Matchmaker 2 for about three hours when they’d landed, but apparently it had been approaching dusk on Marrlxia at that time. Though she should be exhausted from lack of sleep, adrenaline kept her going. Her heart hadn’t ceased its rapid beat since the landing.
They traveled deeper into the city, hurriedly walking through streets lined with the tallest buildings she’d ever seen. There were no vehicles of any kind in the roads, but now and then she would glimpse small aircrafts zipping overhead. The streets were constructed with wide light gray stones, and the buildings all looked quaint and homey, even the tallest structures, which she supposed were huge apartment buildings, judging from the flow of Marrlxians coming in and out of the automatic doors.
Tall fruiting trees stood between buildings and houses. Colorful gardens, filled with flowers and plants, thrived atop every roof. God, compared to Earth this place was heaven.
Hope brimmed in her heart when Cav glanced down at her and gave her hand a quick, affectionate squeeze. Then he directed his gaze at the gathering crowd ahead. Pairs of blue Marrlxian males and human females stood side by side in a square surrounded by floating, circular yellow lights. A fragrant scent reminiscent of lavender hung in the air, and Hailey soon noticed the dainty purple flowers giving off the scent grew on vines that covered the nearest buildings. The entire horde vibrated with energy, even though everyone appeared outwardly calm and only the faintest of murmurings could be heard.
A tall Marrlxian male wearing a green robe stared down at the crowd from a platform that towered over the square. Cav guided Hailey further into the throng. A short distance away, she spotted Angie and gave her an encouraging smile, even though her friend didn’t look like she needed much reassurance. The petite blonde winked at Hailey and then returned her love struck gaze to her mate.
Cav released Hailey’s hand and wrapped his arm around her, drawing her close against his solid body. He stroked her braid and she sensed his eyes upon her, but a sudden jolt of shyness prevented her from looking up. He had treated her too stiffly and formally for her liking thus far. What would it be like when he claimed her tonight? Would he order her to get into bed and spread her legs with the same bold authority as when he’d ordered her not to speak to another male?
Fuck. How would she keep from accidently looking upon another Marrlxian male? She tried to remember if she’d glanced too long upon Angie’s mate or any other males they had pass
ed in the street. Cav’s behavior was more than old-fashioned. It was controlling.
Shut up. Be thankful you’ve been given this opportunity to start over. She chided herself once again for her inability to feel nothing but absolute gratitude for being given the chance to live on this beautiful planet.
The priest on the podium rang a bell. By the time it finished clanging all conversation in the square had ceased. He smiled and said, “Before all gods, the ancient gods of Sheshemai and the new gods of Marrlxia, I bestow a thousand times a thousand blessings on each couple gathered here on this night. Stay faithful, always be kind, and love your children.” He lifted his hands and closed his eyes. “Go forth and join your bodies as one now.”
Talk about short and sweet. Cav had been right about the ceremony being quick. Hailey couldn’t believe it was over as soon as it had begun. She now belonged to Cav in the eyes of his people. Her pulse quickened.
Shouts of joy sprang up in the crowd. Hailey cautiously scanned the gathering, careful to keep from staring at any of the males for too long. It was the males who were voicing their excitement in a chorus of hollers interspersed with deep growls. Cav released a sudden growl that made her gasp, and then swept her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing and carried her from the square.
She started to protest this treatment and tell Cav she could walk perfectly fine, but all around them other males were carrying their new mates away, either held in their arms or tossed over their shoulders. She silently thanked Cav for not carrying her over his shoulder in such a savage manner. Maybe this meant he would be gentle as he mated with her. She could only hope. Large as he was, she couldn’t help but wonder if his male parts were in proportion to the rest of his body.
