by Sue Mercury
Like the time her father got hit by a truck and barely survived, or the time Carmen caught a bad strain of the flu and ended up hospitalized for a month.
She set the brochure aside, then closed her eyes and bowed her head.
Please let this work. Please let my family understand why I’m leaving.
Please keep them safe and healthy. Please keep them together.
Please, God, please.
She opened her eyes and peered at her sleeping sisters. Careful not to disturb them, she sat down and brushed their blonde locks from their faces, memorizing their features and trying to preserve this quiet moment in time.
What if she never saw them again?
Her heart clenched with sorrow. The heavy feeling from earlier persisted, until each breath became a painful, shallow gasp.
Her gaze fell upon the flyer again.
BECOME A MAIL ORDER BRIDE TO THE MARTIANS!
She shuddered and turned back to her sisters.
“I love you both.” She leaned down to press a kiss upon Carmen’s forehead, followed by Lilly’s. “Please take care of Mom and Dad.”
Quickly and quietly, she donned her warmest pants, a thick long-sleeved shirt, and an oversized sweater. After slipping into wool socks and a pair of boots, she packed one of her old school backpacks with as many of her belongings as she could shove inside.
She had heard terraformed Mars was warm, almost tropical, though some of the aliens preferred to live in caverns beneath the surface of the planet that were not as warm, so she packed a variety of clothing—pants and heavy sweaters, comfy socks her mother had knitted for her, a few sundresses, and her nicest undergarments. She also threw in a beautiful wooden hairbrush her late grandmother had gifted her, her prized collection of gemstones, a small family photo album, and a tiny stuffed bunny given to her by her late grandfather on her sixth birthday.
She found writing supplies and began drafting a letter to her family, clutching the pen tightly in her trembling hand to keep her penmanship legible.
Dear Mom, Dad, Carmen and Lilly,
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I’ve decided to become a mail order bride to the Martians. Forgive me for not saying goodbye, but I know you would try to stop me. Don’t worry about me, I promise everything will be fine. This is for the best. I will try to contact you once I reach Mars.
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With all my love,
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Esmay
There. Short and to the point. She didn’t want to admit she knew about her parents’ debt, though of course they would realize she must be aware.
Otherwise, why would she take the drastic measure of becoming a mail order bride to the very aliens who had conquered Earth twenty years ago?
She’d been an infant during the quick but deadly war, but she’d heard stories about it from her parents and grandparents, as well as older coworkers at the factory. No woman would sign up to marry a Martian unless she was desperate, unless she wished to help her family.
Those poor girls, she remembered her father uttering once as they passed a line of young women waiting to enter the Martian Affairs building a few blocks away. Her stomach flipped when she recalled his pitying expression as he glanced at the women. God help them, he’d said once they reached the next city block. God help those poor girls.
Giving herself a mental shake, she listened to the sounds of the apartment, waiting until she heard her parents finally go to bed. Once all was quiet, she slipped on her backpack and escaped into the cold, unforgiving night.
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Also by Sue Mercury
Rozar: Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides #1
The otherworldly stranger is the biggest, fiercest looking alien warrior she's ever seen...and she's already agreed to become his mate.
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Nadia knows if she stays on Earth, her mob boss ex-husband's goons will eventually find her. When the opportunity to become a Vaxxlian Mail Order Bride arises, she can't sign up fast enough. She's soon matched with a huge, fierce-looking alien warrior named Rozar who wants to mate with her upon their very first meeting. Whoa there. Slow down. She's desperate to escape Earth, but she also wants to be sure Rozar is a kind, decent alien before she commits to spending her life with him. She rushed into her first marriage and look what that got her--a one-way ticket into the Witness Protection Program. But the clock is ticking. The ship that brought Rozar to Earth departs in two weeks. Should she take a chance on the handsome otherworldly stranger whose kisses make her melt? Or should she rush back to her hideaway and hope for the best?
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One glance at the little human called Nadia and Rozar knows she's the female meant to become his. Her bottomless blue eyes mesmerize him and her sweet demeanor calls up his protective side. He wants nothing more than to claim her and bring her back to New Vaxx. But the dark-haired beauty is reluctant to mate with him, despite his promises to always keep her safe and provide for her and their future offspring. Before he can convince her of his devotion, the little human disappears without a trace. Word of her dangerous past reaches him and he's more determined than ever to protect her, even if vanquishing her enemies means she no longer has a need to leave Earth. But he's just as determined to claim her as his, and Rozar will do whatever it takes to convince Nadia she's meant to be his female for all time.
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Available on all your favorite retailers!
Alien Protector (Vaxxlian Mates, Book 1)
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The little human is his perfect mate.
She just doesn't know it yet.
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When Deza rescues a human female in peril, it's love at first sight and he immediately announces his desire to mate with her. The only problem? Annika refuses to mate with an alien she's only known for five seconds. Not easily deterred, he sets about wooing the adorable little human, eager to win her affections and finally claim her as his mate.
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Annika plans to return to Earth ASAP and can't allow herself to develop feelings for the hunky Vaxxlian who saved her life...even if he is the hottest, kindest, and dreamiest alien male she's ever met. Despite her hesitation, his kisses make her melt and his arms are the sweetest refuge. When he makes a heartfelt gesture on Christmas Day to cheer her up, she starts to wonder if maybe, just maybe, mating with Deza isn't the most impulsive idea in the universe...
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Available on all your favorite retailers!
Reestrian Mates: The Complete Series
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Their mating urge has begun...
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Not long after their final growth cycle completes, Reestrian males experience a powerful urge to mate. Penned by USA Today Bestselling Author Sue Lyndon writing as Sue Mercury, this collection features five sweet but steamy romantic stories of human women being courted (as best an alien can!) and claimed by the hunky Reestrian males who find them irresistible.
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Featuring:
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Step Alien
Sweet Alien
Double Alien
Boss Alien
Savage Alien
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Available on all your favorite retailers!
Mail Order Human: The Complete Series
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"My beloved human female. Now I will claim you as mine."
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Desperate to escape war-torn Earth, young women are lining up in droves to submit applications to Mail Order Human. If chosen, they must journey to faraway planets to meet their new alien mates. Of course, when you combine space travel, nervous mail order brides, panty-melting alpha male aliens, and the occasional villain...something is bound to go wrong.
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Cultures collide and passion burns hot as a supernova in this collection of five sci-fi alien romances penned by USA Today Bestselling Author Sue Lyndon writing as Sue Mercury.
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Featuring:
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Alien's Innocent Bride
Alien's Princess Bride
Alien's Reluctant Bride
Alien's Orphan Bride
Alien's Beloved Bride
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Available on all your favorite retailers!
About Sue Mercury
Sue Mercury writes HOT sci-fi romance. She lives in Maryland with her husband and children, where she hopes one day she'll turn on the television to find a breaking news report about hunky alien beings landing on Earth. She also writes romance of the much kinkier variety under the name Sue Lyndon.
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