If she signed up for Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides, however, the Intergalactic Dating Agency would select her future husband.Or mate.Whatever the Vaxxlians called it.
“Tell me exactly what happened after Harlow signed up for the alien mail order bride service.”Wren wasn’t seriously considering signing up, was she?Okay, maybe a little.She feared Alec and the other Harmony guards would never stop looking for her, and she also worried she might find herself stuck in Hillsboro for a lengthy time.And what if the Hawthorns attacked Hillsboro?Maybe… maybe agreeing to marry—or mate—with a Vaxxlian male was her best option.At the moment, it was starting to feel like her only option.
A satisfied look entered Emmy’s eyes.“You’re thinking about it.Good.I believe it would be the safest thing for you.”The elderly woman leaned against the counter beside Wren.“Well, here’s what happened with Harlow.She filled out the application, and less than an hour after submitting it, she received the name of her assigned mate.Then, the very next day, a spacecraft landed right outside the bakery, and a huge Vaxxlian male named Gorath stepped off.He was such a gentleman too, very polite and sweet, and Harlow was instantly smitten with him.They departed for New Vaxx that night, and she calls from time to time.She’s doing well and very happy on New Vaxx.”
The banging on the front door started up again, and this time Alec’s voice rang out.“Wren!Come out!I know you’re in there!”
Wren went cold all over.She exchanged a look with Emmy.
“Damn,” Emmy said.“I bet some idiot neighbor probably blabbed that they saw you here.”
A noise in the back of the bakery startled Wren further, but Myles eventually emerged from the rear corridor.The elderly man must’ve come in through the back entrance.He cast an annoyed look toward the front of the bakery.“Those assholes.”He held up his phone.“I just called the sheriff, and he promised he would send a few officers out to chase them away.”
“That’s good.”Emmy put an arm around Wren.“Try not to worry, darling.The sheriff’s office is used to chasing the Harmony guards away, and so far, they’ve never exchanged fire.”
“Thanks for calling for help, but I hate that I’m putting you both in danger,” Wren said with a weary sigh.“I fear Alec and the other guards will only keep coming back.Eventually, they’ll decide to break in.I’m honestly shocked they haven’t tried already.”
As Wren weighed her options, she slowly came to a decision.
She couldn’t safely leave Hillsboro—not only was the Greenrail shut down and the roads blocked, but according to Myles, the forests surrounding the town were crawling with violent rebels.
She also couldn’t keep putting the elderly couple at risk.She couldn’t stay in their apartment above the bakery forever.If she stayed, the Harmony guards, her brother among them, would eventually capture her and drag her back to the compound.
And if Emmy and Myles got hurt because of her, she would never forgive herself.
This left her with only one option—sign up for Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides.
Chapter4
Lorrd navigatedhis Vaxxlian cruiser toward the small town of Hillsboro, which was nestled in the eastern region of the United States, in a state called Virginia.
He’d traveled from New Vaxx to Earth alongside Balarr and Warrin, each piloting their own ship.But shortly after arriving on the humans’ homeworld, they had split up to go their separate ways.Balarr’s assigned mate lived in Colorado, while Warrin’s female resided in Tennessee.
Frowning at the radar screen, which revealed multiple areas of war and unrest across the United States, he hoped his friends wouldn’t run into any trouble as they retrieved their brides.
As Lorrd completed the approach to Hillsboro, he began to wonder if his assigned mate—a nineteen-year-old human female named Wren—had enrolled in the VAMOB program because she was living in a dangerous location.Perhaps she was desperate to escape her home planet due to the threat of war.The radar screen displayed multiple zones of conflict surrounding Hillsboro, though thankfully, there was no active fighting within the town itself.
Hillsboro finally came into sight through the bridge’s viewport, and Lorrd rose to his feet, peering down at the small town.The houses and other buildings were tiny by Vaxxlian standards, but their varied colors gave the place a picturesque charm.It was a sharp contrast to Starzzia, where nearly all structures were built with uniform white stone.
In the distance, Lorrd saw evidence of the fighting he’d detected on the radar screen.Plumes of smoke rose above the trees, blackening the sky and obscuring the early morning sun.Military-style human aircraft also patrolled the skies.Thankfully, none dared to approach his ship as he continued the descent to Hillsboro.Not that he could blame them—Vaxxlian technology was far superior to that of the humans.With just the push of a few buttons, he could easily decimate every human vessel in the vicinity.
He landed his Vaxxlian cruiser, theKerrla, in a grassy area behind a bakery.According to the information Wren had provided on her VAMOB application, she resided in this building, though he found it odd that she would live in a bakery.Perhaps it was a family-owned business, and she stayed in a small room at the back, or maybe she slept on the second floor.In any case, she wouldn’t remain here much longer.He planned to take her back to New Vaxx immediately.
After attaching a blaster to his waistband, he powered down his ship.He called out a verbal command to lower the boarding ramp, then stepped out into the cool air.Once he’d finished disembarking, he issued another command, and the ramp folded neatly back into the ship.
He eyed the bakery, debating whether to walk around to the front entrance or knock on the back door.He glanced at the windows, but all were obscured with curtains.However, in one second-floor window, he thought he caught a glimpse of dark brown eyes.His heart quickened.
Was his little bride watching him?
Did she like what she saw?
His arms suddenly felt empty, and a wave of self-consciousness swept over him.Why hadn’t he brought Wren a present?He thought of the gift shops in Starzzia—many of them owned and operated by human females who had mated with Vaxxlian warriors—and wished he’d thought ahead and purchased a bouquet of flowers, some jewelry, or a small trinket.
Fluxx.He bit back another curse.
Had Balarr and Warrin already met their mates?He couldn’t help but wonder.Perhaps his friends had finished retrieving their brides and were already on their way back to New Vaxx.
Suppressing a growl, he opted for the front entrance.As he walked around the building, he glimpsed several armed human males standing across the street.All six males had their eyes locked on the bakery, and it left him with an uneasy feeling.Hopefully, they would notice the blaster affixed to his hip and decide to stay away.
