by Sue Mercury
After noticing the continued delays, King Vaath, the leader of their people, had ordered Jav to take a short leave of absence from his work with the Vash’arr, just long enough to allow him to claim his bride and spend some time getting to know her, before he must leave Mars on another mission. Jav was secretly grateful for the king’s interference.
Finally, after years of dreaming about being part of a family, Jav would secure a mate of his very own. Leah. That was her name. He knew nothing else about her, not even what she looked like, but a clerk from a Martian Affairs office on Earth had sent a message informing him of his future mate’s name. He glanced down at his wrist comm again, just to look at her name once more.
He wondered what part of Earth his bride called home, as well as what had driven her to sign up to become a mail order bride. Most human females who signed up to become a Marttiaxoxalian’s bride did so under desperate circumstances.
He’d heard such stories from the palace guards who’d already claimed human females of their own. Many women came to Mars because their families were struggling with debt. Females who signed up were given a one-time payment of ten thousand galactic credits, an amount of money that could go far on Earth, should they decide to give it to a loved one, and all of their family’s debt would be automatically forgiven. It was incentive enough to attract regular shipments of brides to Mars.
Was Leah fleeing bad circumstances? And in doing so, was she leaving behind a family she loved? He despaired over the prospect of her leaving people she cared about, but he reminded himself that she could remain in contact with her loved ones. It wasn’t as though she was saying goodbye forever.
He glanced at her name again, his eagerness to meet her growing with each breath. How many offspring would they have together? He hoped for a large family, a family that spent time together and took leisurely walks through the courtyard while the children giggled and explored the gardens.
Tomorrow. He looked at the sinking sun. The day was finally drawing to a close.
He would meet his new human female very soon.
Chapter 3
“Your mate won’t know a thing about you, except for your name,” the elderly male guard said as he escorted Leah toward the waiting spaceship.
“Really?” She looked up at him in surprise.
“Oh yeah.” He gave her a wide smile, revealing several missing teeth.
She peered curiously at the kindly human guard. She wasn’t certain how old he was, but he was a newer guard at the women’s prison, and he was a thousand times nicer than most of the other guards. She wished he’d been hired years ago.
During the ten-minute walk from the prison to the spaceship, he’d been nothing but kind to her. He’d even given her a drink of water and a sugar cookie. Though the cookie was stale, it was still the most delicious thing she’d eaten in years. Better than the cookie, was the consideration he was showing her. Instead of treating her like the dirt upon his shoes, as most guards did, he was treating her like an actual person. A lump formed in her throat.
She glanced down at herself, still in awe of the clothing she was wearing. A couple of minutes before she’d been escorted out of the prison, he’d tossed her a plain gray sweat suit and turned around to allow her privacy while she changed. She was so grateful she wasn’t wearing her normal bright orange prisoner’s uniform.
“All the other women should be on board the ship by now,” the guard said with a glance at his watch. “Martian Affairs promised to have them loaded by the time I got you here.”
“Thank you for taking my shackles and wrist restraints off before we came in sight of the spaceship,” Leah said with a glance around. She saw nothing but the outline of darkened buildings, the empty street, and the two Martian enforcers standing near the ship. Even if he’d been an asshole and forced her to walk here while still wearing the leg shackles and wrist restraints, no one but the enforcers would have witnessed her shame, but she still appreciated the elderly guard’s compassion.
“I don’t know what you were in prison for, young lady,” the man said, “but I tell you what, this can be a fresh start for you. Go to Mars, get married, start a family, and never look back.”
Never look back.
If only it were that easy.
To her surprise, he patted her back and stared at her with tenderness in his eyes.
“I had a daughter once.” A faraway look entered his gaze. “She passed away when she was young, poor thing, but if she’d grown up to reach your age, I would’ve encouraged her to go to Mars.”
“But the Martians are our enemies,” Leah said, taken aback. “They conquered Earth and now they rule over us with an iron fist. They’re brutes. I’ve heard terrible things about them.”
All at once, she started doubting her decision to leave Earth and become an alien’s bride. What were fifteen more years of prison compared to the rest of her life spent with a Martian male who treated her with cruelty? What if she was only trading one prison for another?
The guard nodded. “True. They kicked our asses. I was lucky to survive the war. My leg was broken at the time, so I wasn’t sent off to fight. Can you believe my luck? Fell off a goddamn tractor. Anyway, yes, I would send any daughter of mine off to live on Mars. It’s safer there. They’ve terraformed the whole planet and it’s clean and beautiful. I’ve seen pictures. It’s got to be a better life than on Earth.” He gave her an encouraging look and patted her back again.
His casual touch brought her comfort. She was so used to being manhandled by the guards and pushed around by the other inmates, or worse, that she couldn’t recall the last time someone had touched her without meaning her harm.
“This is all so wild,” Leah said. “I-I can’t believe, because of something incredibly stupid I did when I was eighteen, that I’m to become a Martian’s bride. It was either this or remain incarcerated. I had fifteen years left on my sentence. I’ve already been in jail for ten years and it’s felt like an eternity. I couldn’t imagine serving fifteen more. I only hope… I only hope my mate isn’t a monster. I don’t need him to be especially nice, just nice enough. I don’t want him to hurt me.” She couldn’t believe how much she was opening up to this guard, this stranger, but it felt good to finally talk to someone about her troubles. She hadn’t had a single friend inside that prison.
“We all make mistakes, child,” he said, “but you’re getting a second chance. Take it and never look back.”
Never look back. He’d said it again, but she still had doubts. It was so fucking hard not to look back when she’d spent the last ten years of her life constantly regretting her mistakes.
“But what will I say when my mate asks about my past? I mean, I would assume he would be at least somewhat curious about my life on Earth, if we are to spend the rest of our lives in a mating union.”
“I don’t usually tell people they ought to lie,” he said, his visage growing thoughtful, “however, in your case, it might be best to stretch the truth. You can tell the truth about your childhood and all that, but when it comes to the years of your incarceration, just tell him you worked in a factory and lived alone. Make it sound boring.” He winked at her.
“That’s good advice,” she replied. “Thank you.”
“You got any family left on Earth?” he asked.
Her spirits fell. “I, uh, have a brother. At least I think I do. He’s ten years older than me. I-I have no idea where he is now. Another inmate told me he left the city after I was sentenced. But both my parents passed away when I was seventeen and I don’t have any extended family that I know about. Both my parents were only children.”
“I’m sorry you lost contact with your brother. Were the two of you close?”
“Not really. He left home right after the war, when I was only nine.”
“I see. You didn’t go live with him after your parents passed away?” His brows knitted together, and he slowed in his steps as they approached the spaceship.
“No, I moved i
n with my boyfriend at the time. Steven.” She hoped he didn’t ask any further questions about this part of her life. She truly didn’t wish to relive it. Steven had received a death sentence for his part in the crime he’d convinced her to take part in. She’d been the lookout while he and his goons robbed a local Martian Affairs office and set fire to the building. A guard had taunted her with the information of Steven’s death sentence just a few days after she’d arrived at the women’s prison.
“Well, maybe that’s for the best then—the part about you not being close with your brother. At least you won’t be missing anyone on Earth, will you?”
“No, I suppose there’s no one I’ll miss.” This realization should’ve brought her comfort, but instead it brought her sadness. She had no one. No one who cared about her on Earth. No one to miss her and no one she would miss.
“We’re about there,” the guard said, nodding ahead at the entrance ramp of the ship.
The Martian enforcers were staring at them, their dark gazes making Leah uneasy. Oh God. Could she really do this?
She looked behind her at the darkened city. Streetlights flickered and the occasional window was illuminated, but it was after midnight and the city of Richmond was mostly asleep. Dubbed Zone 12 by the Martians, this was an area of the former United States. She had lived here for her entire life. Now she was leaving.
“The name’s Thomas, by the way,” the guard said.
“I want to thank you for your kindness toward me, Thomas,” Leah said, glancing up at him. “You’re a good man. I’m sorry about your daughter. I know she must have loved you very much.”
They were standing directly below a streetlight, and she saw his eyes mist over as he swallowed hard. He patted her back. “Thank you, young lady. Those are sweet words. I’m glad I met you.”
“I’m glad I met you, too.” Leah felt as though her throat might close up. She blinked rapidly to keep from crying. She didn’t want to break into tears as she boarded the spaceship that would take her to Mars. Never look back.
“Go on now,” he said in an encouraging tone. “Your brand-new life is waiting.”
Chapter 4
Jav stood near the landing platform and watched the ship descend from the clear blue Martian sky. His heart thudded under his growing anticipation. The boarding ramp couldn’t descend fast enough.
Leah.
In moments, he would meet her. Gods, he couldn’t believe this day had finally arrived.
The day he would meet his human female and claim her as his.
He thought of the family he’d observed in the courtyard yesterday. In a few years, that could be him. He would build a family with Leah and no one would ever tear them apart. Their children would have parents and a home filled with joy.
He was determined to make it happen.
Over a dozen other males gathered near him to await the boarding ramp. When the ramp finally descended, he was one of the first males to board the ship. It took all his self-control not to break into a run and start shouting his mate’s name. He couldn’t wait to meet her. Couldn’t wait to stare into her eyes for the first time and gather her close in his arms.
As a member of the Vash’arr, he was fully aware that his biological need to mate would be more enhanced than most Marttiaxoxalian males. The scientists and doctors who routinely checked his health had warned him that he needed to be careful when he eventually took a mate, particularly a human one, as human females were smaller than those of his own kind.
But the few Marttiaxoxalian females who were left usually mated with royalty or males who possessed extreme wealth. No sensible Marttiaxoxalian male would see his daughter betrothed to the likes of Jav. Though he was a decorated warrior, he had come from nothing, and he also left Mars frequently to complete dangerous missions on the Marttiaxoxalian Empire’s behalf. If he wanted to take a mate, he had no choice—he needed to take a human female as his bride.
Would he manage to control himself around Leah? He didn’t wish to harm her. He vowed he would try his best to claim her as gently as possible during their first time together, when he took her to bed after they received the traditional blessing upon their mating union from a Wise One.
He followed the two males who were walking ahead of him into the women’s quarters of the ship, the large room where all the human females were housed during the short journey from Earth to Mars.
He scanned the room and immediately fixed his gaze upon a pretty female with sleek dark hair. That’s her. That’s Leah. He didn’t have to ask her name, he simply knew.
She met his gaze and her dark brown eyes widened. At once, she looked away and proceeded to stare at her feet. She slowly shuffled behind three of the other human females.
The other males started calling out the names of their mates. One by one, their respective brides stepped forward and they soon departed the women’s quarters. When only five females remained, Jav moved through the small crowd and stood directly before the petite dark-haired beauty. She inhaled a shaky breath and gradually lifted her fear-filled gaze to his.
“Don’t be afraid, Leah,” he found himself saying, speaking in Galactic Common as he used the gentlest tone he’d ever used with anyone. “I will not hurt you. I am Jav, your mate, and I will always protect you.”
Her eyes widened further. “How-how do you know I’m Leah?” She swallowed hard and looked around, as if searching for an escape. When she started to retreat again, he reached for her hands and pulled her closer.
“I had a feeling it was you. When I first looked at you, I just knew.” While the scientists who’d treated him during his younger days hadn’t been able to explain it, sometimes Jav simply knew things he had no logical reason to know. He often got a strange feeling before something bad happened, and he also frequently knew other random facts. When the knowledge came to him, it was completely unbidden, but he never doubted his preternatural instincts.
She tilted her head to the side, studying him. “Oh. Are you… psychic?” A look of dread overcame her in the next instant and she fidgeted in place, as if she wished to back away from him.
He offered her a smile, hoping to ease her worries. “No, though I often know things others do not.”
The worried look remained. “Can you read minds?”
“No, I cannot.”
She exhaled as if in relief, and he found her reaction rather curious. Apparently, the idea of him being a psychic, or a mind reader, left her unsettled. He decided to put it down to the obvious—most people would not appreciate someone intruding upon their private thoughts. Likely the prospect of it had frightened her. Yes, that must be it. He stared into her dark eyes, unable to look away.
Gods, she was gorgeous. And so small. He would have to be very, very careful with her.
“So, your name is Jav?” she asked, then drew in a deep breath. He felt her hands trembling in his and he gripped them tighter, hoping to help steady her nerves.
“Yes, and I have been waiting my entire life to meet you, sweet Leah.” As soon as the words escaped his lips, a sense of shock reverberated through him. He hadn’t meant to say something so personal and revealing to her only moments after meeting her. But, it was the truth. For as long as he could remember, he had wanted a family. When he was younger, he used to dream about having two parents who cared about him. Now that he was older, having a family meant taking a human female as his mate and impregnating her.
Leah’s mouth dropped open briefly. “You have?”
“Of course,” he replied. “It’s always been a dream of mine to have a family, and I imagine we’ll start a family together soon. I would like to impregnate you as soon as possible.”
“I-I have heard your people are trying to regrow your population,” she said, though she suddenly appeared sad, her face falling. He wondered if it was something he’d said.
“Yes, we are. The king is encouraging all able-bodied Marttiaxoxalian males to take a human female as a mate. It’s a blessing from the Gods that we
found Earth when we did.”
“Blessing from the Gods? I find that a strange thing to say. After you found Earth, you killed millions of my people.” She didn’t sound angry, but her tone was curious.
“We tried for peace, initially, but your people attacked our first settlement on Mars, slaughtering over five thousand Marttiaxoxalians. We had no choice but to retaliate.”
She drew back and her eyes widened. “I-I didn’t know about that. I was always told your people attacked us first. That’s what my father told me the night your people invaded Earth.”
“Your father, as well as many others, was likely lied to by your own government at the time. Come,” he said, deciding to change the subject. “I will take you to the palace temple where a Wise One will bestow a blessing upon our mating union. Then I will escort you to your new home.”
He looked around at the floor, searching for her luggage. By now, all the other couples had left, but he didn’t see any suitcases or bags that might belong to Leah.
“Where are your belongings?” he asked.
She paled and gulped hard. “I-I don’t have any. I’m sorry.” She lowered her head, as if ashamed.
His heart broke for her. While he didn’t know her specific reasons for signing up to become a mail order bride, it pained him to learn she truly had nothing. He reached up and cupped the side of her face, forcing her gaze to his.
“It is no matter, sweet Leah. It will be my honor to provide you with anything you might need. Clothing, food, shelter, and companionship. You will never want for anything again. I give you my word.” He guided her out into the gleaming silver corridors of the ship, anxious to get her back to his quarters in the palace, eager to bring her home.
Chapter 5
Jav was nothing like Leah had expected. She’d thought her Martian mate would be rather cold, but thus far he had treated her with kindness. She’d been so embarrassed to tell him she’d traveled to Mars without any belongings, only for him to promise to take care of her.
