“Commander Marrx, the meddling oldgurruva, signed me up for the program without my knowledge,” Balarr said with a growl, “and though he signed up on my behalf, I am now honor-bound to travel to Earth and claim the human female who’s been assigned to me.”
Lorrd pressed his eyes shut for a moment.He was shocked to learn of the circumstances that had led to Balarr being matched with a human female, and now he was suddenly worried a commander might do the same to him.What if he truly wasn’t given a choice about claiming a human mate?
“As I’ve already told you, I am sure Commander Marrx meant well,” Warrin said in a cautious tone.
“That’s easy for you to say.You’ve been harassing me to sign up for the VAMOB program for several moon cycles.”Balarr released another growl.“Still, I’m glad you were finally matched with a female, Warrin.I’m furious on your behalf that a glitch in the Intergalactic Dating Agency’s database caused such a long delay in your application.”
A glitch?Lorrd had wondered why the frequency of Vaxxlian warriors getting matched to human females had slowed recently, but that would explain it.When the program had first launched, it was believed that the number of human female applicants would soon surpass that of the available Vaxxlian warriors.
“I was angry about the glitch at first,” Warrin said, “but now that you’ve also been matched with a bride too, I’m just glad we’ll be traveling to Earth together to fetch our mates.”He cleared his throat.“Perhaps you’ll consider signing up for the VAMOB program yourself, Lorrd?The glitch has been fixed, and if you register now, as Balarr already said, you’ll probably be matched with a female before nightfall.”
Lorrd considered his friends’ proposal.The three of them had always done everything together.School.Warrior training.Battle.It only seemed fair that they should travel to Earth at the same time to collect their assigned mates.
Fluxx.Lorrd resisted the urge to comb a hand through his hair in frustration.He also found himself resisting the urge to pace the entryway.Suddenly restless, he wasn’t sure what to do with the unease spreading through him.
Finally, he turned to face Balarr and Warrin.“I’ve already filled out the application,” he admitted.“But I haven’t submitted it yet.”
His friends shared a hopeful look, and he could only imagine the conversations they’d been having about him behind his back.Clearly, they’d been worried about him.They knew he was struggling to adapt to life after the war.He wished he could forget the rage he’d felt as he battled the Irrcons.He wished he could enjoy the peacefulness of New Vaxx.
“I’m pleased to hear you’ve already filled out the application,” Warrin said.“That means you’re thinking about acquiring a mate.That is a good sign.Perhaps your spirit is finally starting to heal.A mate might help you heal even more.Once you have a female to care for, and eventually, children to raise, I am confident that you’ll find contentment in having a family.”
Lorrd narrowed his eyes at Warrin.“Shouldn’t I heal myself before I even consider taking a mate?It doesn’t seem fair to claim a female when I’m not… quite myself.”But would he ever feel like himself again?He wasn’t certain.There were days he felt like a stranger in his own skin.
“I’m not saying this to downplay your suffering, Lorrd,” Warrin continued, “but we’re all carrying the darkness of war in our hearts.Every single Vaxxlian warrior.Yet we must try to move on.We must try to rebuild our society in this beautiful new place that the Star God has blessed us with.”He made a sweeping gesture toward the window, where the city of Starzzia—the main settlement on New Vaxx—stretched toward the snow-capped mountains.
Lorrd glanced between his friends, though his gaze lingered on Balarr, who had undoubtedly endured the worst pain imaginable because of the war.
“Most of the human females who sign up for VAMOB are desperate to escape Earth for one reason or another,” Warrin said, apparently still eager to convince Lorrd to join them.“Conditions on the humans’ home planet are deteriorating, and many of the women who arrive in Starzzia are traumatized from their experiences on Earth.But the new mating pairs are making it work.Take a look around.Most Vaxxlian-human couples seem very happy and even in love.Because they needed one another.Because they helped one another heal.”
Lorrd didn’t want to admit it, but Warrin’s arguments in favor of signing up for VAMOB were starting to make sense.Perhaps he could find happiness with a human female.He didn’t believe he would treat a female with cruelty; he only worried that he might not be as warm and loving as the female expected.He didn’t want his bride to be dissatisfied with their mating union.
He drew in a deep breath, and he peered at his friends—brothers in all but blood.The only sons in their families, they’d grown up on the same street in a remote Vaxxlian village called Herrton.When the Irrcons destroyed Vaxxlia, each of them had lost their families.Warrin had lost his parents and three sisters.Lorrd, his parents and two sisters.And Balarr—most tragically of all—had lost his mate, their two offspring, his parents, and five sisters.Lorrd was thankful that he’d been stationed in the same warrior unit as Balarr and Warrin during the war.He was also thankful the three of them had survived.
Fluxx.He couldn’t let them down.He glanced toward the library, suddenly anxious to submit his VAMOB application.
“I’ll do it,” he found himself saying, and a small spark of hope ignited inside him.“I’ll submit my application, and I will go with you tomorrow and collect my human bride from Earth.”
Chapter3
Tears blurred Wren’s vision.Everything had gone horribly wrong.She peeked through the front window curtains of Emmy’s Cupcakes, watching as a group of Harmony guards marched down Hillsboro’s main street, Alec among them.She prayed they would give up soon and return to the compound.
“Are they back again?”called Emmy from behind the counter.“Don’t worry.They can’t come inside.The door’s locked.We don’t open for another two hours, and you can hide upstairs after we open, just like the last few days.Don’t worry, darling, I won’t let them take you away.”
Wren’s heart pounded a frantic rhythm in her chest.She stepped away from the window and allowed the curtains to fall back into place.“This is the fifth day in a row they’ve been walking the streets.They must know I’m here.”
“Well, since the Greenline’s out of service, and the bridges heading out of town are blocked, they probably just assume you haven’t made it past Hillsboro,” Emmy said as she poured cupcake batter into decorative tulip-shaped paper liners.“Don’t worry.As soon as the fighting lets up in the nearby towns, I’m sure the roads will open back up.Then, even if the Greenrail still isn’t running through these parts, you could probably hire someone to drive you to another town.I’ll help you find safe transportation.We can also visit the pawn shop and turn that paper money of yours into galactic credits.Old as it is, I bet it’s worth something.”
Wren sighed and sank down in a chair.She couldn’t believe her luck.On the very day she’d arrived in Hillsboro, explosions had sounded in the distance, and the incoming train never showed up.A frazzled clerk eventually informed her that the Greenrail would be temporarily shut down due to insurgent fighting in the countryside.
Apparently, warfare had broken out in the towns closest to Hillsboro.From what she understood, a powerful group of rebels known as the Hawthorns were vying for control, and the people of Hillsboro feared they might be next.
“I thought I would be two thousand miles away by now.”Wren stood and headed behind the counter.She gathered the dirty dishes and carried them into the back, depositing them in the sink.She turned on the water, added soap, and waited for it to fill.After all the kindness the sweet elderly woman had shown her—inviting her in off the street and offering her a spare bedroom—the least she could do was make herself useful.
Emmy joined her in the backroom, carrying another stack of dishes, which she placed on the counter.She gave Wren an encouraging smile.“As I’ve already told you, you aren’t the first wayward soul from Harmony I’ve helped over the years.And all the others have made it.At least as far as I know, they did.Elizabeth, Marley, Connie, and Harlow, just to name a few.”
Wren forced in a few deep breaths.“You’re right.All four of those women made it.I mean, they must have, because they were never captured and brought back to Harmony.”A dark thought entered her mind.
What if the guards that the Prophet dispatched to hunt down deserters didn’t always bring them back?What if they hurt them?
