Alien Warrior’s Treasure by Sue Mercury

 

Chapter 1

The cool nightbreeze ruffled Molly’s hair around her shoulders, bringing with it the fresh, pungent scents of the otherworldly forest. She paused on the white stone path that curved through the trees and admired the twin moons hovering high in the star-encrusted sky.

A wave of disbelief coursed through her, as it always did when she looked at the moons. Because a glance at the nighttime sky reminded her that she was no longer on Earth. She was far from home, far from the life she’d once known.

I’m on planet New Vaxx.

I’m part of a settlement that includes humans and Vaxxlian warriors.

Even after a full moon cycle on this planet, it sometimes didn’t feel quite real. There were moments she worried she might suddenly awake and find herself back on Earth, all alone and struggling to survive. A shudder passed through her. She didn’t miss the constant fear that had plagued her while she was still living on Earth.

She continued down the path, pausing occasionally to admire the beauty of the nighttime forest. Many of the flowers and vines glowed in the dark, giving the place a magical feel. Small primates scampered amongst the branches above her. To her left, a cloud of insects that resembled lightning bugs flitted through the trees.

She inhaled deeply as she passed a patch of night blooming rummina flowers, blue petals shimmering in the moonlight. The strong floral scent filled her lungs and imbued her with a rush of energy, and she quickened her pace, eager to take in more of the sights.

Ah, sweet freedom.

It was good to be out of the house, even if she technically wasn’t supposed to go anywhere by herself. As an unmated human female, she was required to have a guardian with her at all times while on this planet.

If an unmated Vaxxlian male came across her right now, there was no telling what might happen, but she pushed such worries aside.

She was out in the wide open during a beautiful Vaxxlian night and she intended to enjoy every second of her illicit trip out of the house. Sweet, stolen liberty. An hour or two of freedom, and then she would sneak back inside just as stealthily as she’d snuck out. No one would know, not Belle or Khann or any of her other housemates.

At this late hour, in the depths of the forest, she reveled in the solitude and the profound peacefulness she’d found here. It was also nice to enjoy the outdoors without dozens of unmated Vaxxlian males staring at her and drooling. Well, they didn’t actually drool when they saw her, but they might as well, for all the hunger that flamed in their glowing green eyes as they watched her walking around in the settlement.

Whenever she left the house in the company of Khann, who was her official guardian (and the mate of her friend, Belle), she always found herself wanting to return home as quickly as possible because the attention of the single Vaxxlian males made her uncomfortable. None of them knew a thing about her, but they would mate with her in a second if given the chance. Perhaps even against her will. She fought back a shiver at the thought.

There were a few warriors in particular who tended to linger in the street outside her window, as if waiting for her to emerge by herself so they might steal away with her. More than once, she’d witnessed Khann or one of his brothers, Axall and Myadd, ordering the males to vacate the premises.

She supposed leaving the house tonight might not be her smartest idea, but it was either that or lose her mind. The truth was, she’d felt like more of a prisoner than a guest as of late. When she’d realized it wouldn’t be too difficult to scale down the stone walls from the rooftop garden, thus avoiding setting off the security system… well, she hadn’t been able to resist the temptation.

The chance that she would come across a lone, unmated Vaxxlian male this late at night and in this remote area of the forest was slim. At least that was what she kept telling herself. If she heard footsteps or voices approaching, she could always step into the trees and conceal herself until the danger passed.

In the distance, the familiar growl of a mountain cat echoed in the night, and she paused as the back of her neck prickled. It was rare that the forest beasts ventured this close to the settlement of Starrzia, even at night, and she took a few deep breaths as she tried to calm herself.

It’s far away. Too far away to even smell me.

She reached into her pocket and fingered the stunner she’d swiped from Khann. If a mountain cat or a wolf or any other scary creature tried to mess with her, at least she had protection. As her fingers danced over the stunner, she prayed she wouldn’t have need to use it. She’d never actually fired a stunner before, but it had a large button on the underside that surely must be the trigger. How hard could it be?

She picked up her pace, pushed away thoughts of wild beasts and unmated Vaxxlian warriors, and observed her surroundings with a sense of growing wonder.

For the rest of her life, this breathtaking planet would be her home.

Eventually, she would marry and raise a family right here in Starrzia.

Ugh. So much for not thinking about the unmated Vaxxlian warriors. She sighed.

Well, she was expected to take a mate.

All the single human women who sought refuge on this planet were expected to sign up with Vaxxlian Matchmakers, a service that matched single human females to unmated alien warriors.

But to Molly’s dismay, it wasn’t a dating service. It was a matchmaking service, and she couldn’t imagine allowing someone else to select her future husband without her getting any say at all—even if Heather or Carmen, the human sisters doing the selecting, were said to possess psychic abilities.

And so, Molly hadn’t visited Vaxxlian Matchmakers yet, though most single women who arrived on New Vaxx visited the matchmaking service almost immediately.

Given that a full moon cycle had passed since her arrival, she couldn’t help but worry she was becoming a burden to her guardian. Khann probably hoped she would visit Vaxxlian Matchmakers soon so he wouldn’t have to constantly worry about her safety. Though, to his credit, he’d never once complained or pressured her to visit the psychic sisters.

A stranger. After a quick conversation with Heather or Carmen, they would pick a husband for her. And just like that, she would find herself married to an alien warrior she knew nothing about, a male who wouldn’t know a thing about her either.

Now, to be fair, all marriages orchestrated by Vaxxlian Matchmakers seemed to be happy ones. Molly kept track of the newly mated couples and spied on them every chance she got, watching from afar to determine whether they were well-paired. The couples matched by Heather and Carmen all appeared affectionate and content whenever she spotted them walking about in Starrzia. At the very least, none of the human women looked miserable or frightened.

But that didn’t mean the matchmakers might not make a mistake one day, and Vaxxlians mated for life.

For. Life.

If Molly found herself mated to an alien warrior she didn’t get along with, there would be no going back. No second chances. She would be stuck. Trapped.

She swallowed hard and decided to turn around when the mountain cat’s growl reached her on the breeze again, this time sounding a bit closer, though still far enough away that she wasn’t overly worried. But she wasn’t about to keep walking farther from the house either, just in case the wild beast decided to look for its dinner closer to Starrzia.

As she walked, she cast another glance at the moons, mesmerized by the bright orange orbs that watched over all of New Vaxx. The sound of the nighttime insects grew louder, and for a brief instant, she mused that if she closed her eyes and relaxed her body, she might float up to the star-encrusted sky, carried by the chorus of the insects alone.

God, she still couldn’t believe she was here. On a planet far from Earth. An untouched world that wasn’t ravaged by disease or war or environmental disasters.

Mom and Dad would’ve loved this place.

A lump formed in her throat. Her parents were gone. Long dead.

If only she could tell them where she was and that she was finally safe. As she gazed at the sky, she wondered if they were looking down on her, watching over her like the twin moons watched over New Vaxx. It was a lovely thought, one that caused carefully buried emotions to rise in her chest.

She blinked against the sudden burn of tears as memories assailed her, good and bad and everything in between. She would give anything to have her parents here with her on New Vaxx, alive and well. She missed them so much, she physically ached with the loss and had to pause on the path for a few seconds.

After a series of deep inhales, she resumed walking and tried to focus on the glowing vines and the other natural beauty surrounding her, hoping for a distraction from the dark turn her thoughts had taken. It didn’t help much.

Even after all these years, she still felt like an orphan, a lost soul trying to find her place in the universe. Although she lived in a house with nine other people—Khann and Belle (and Belle’s fully human daughter, Amie), Axall and Rachel, Myadd and Sienna, and an unmated pair of human sisters named Skylar and Macy—she still couldn’t help but feel alone sometimes.

Soon. I should visit Vaxxlian Matchmakers soon.

Then maybe I won’t feel so lonely all the time.

In any case, she couldn’t stay single forever, not on this planet. Besides, before the opportunity to leave Earth with her new friends, Belle and Khann, had come about, Molly had seriously contemplated signing up for Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides—an Earth-based program that matched single human females to unmated Vaxxlian warriors.

If she’d signed up for VAMOB while still living on Earth, she would’ve been randomly matched to an unmated Vaxxlian warrior who would’ve come to her home planet to retrieve her, just as Khann had come to Earth for Belle.

No matter her path to this world and the safety New Vaxx promised, she would end up marrying a stranger. Maybe it would be best to get it over with as soon as possible, and then she could get on with her life. Though Molly hadn’t met the matchmakers yet, she hoped Heather and Carmen knew what they were doing.

When she reached a stream she’d passed earlier, she decided to stop for a rest. She hadn’t heard the mountain cat recently and figured it was safe enough. She settled on a large flat rock, content to rest and take in the glorious view.

There was a clearing just beyond the stream, filled with colorful glowing flowers that shimmered even brighter in the moonlight. When a gentle breeze swept down through the trees, the clearing became an ocean of glittering diamonds. She couldn’t tear her gaze away.

While she’d grown up in a rural area of Western Maryland back on Earth, the nature surrounding her hometown couldn’t compare to this. New Vaxx was like something out of a fairytale. Even in her wildest imaginings, she’d never thought a planet so beautiful could exist.

A noise behind her gave her pause, and she stilled and listened, her senses coming alert for danger. Footsteps? A voice? She wasn’t sure. Seconds later, the forest fell eerily silent. A few rapid heartbeats passed, and then she heard it more distinctly. A growl. Her breath froze in her lungs. Not a mountain cat. This growl was deeper, more primal.

Carefully, she reached into her pocket, her pulse thudding in her ears.

Another growl, this one closer.

Her blood ran cold. She gripped the stunner and withdrew it from her pocket. Slowly, very slowly, she began to turn around, away from the glittering field of diamonds.

Glowing red eyes met hers, and she nearly dropped her weapon.

The creature growled again and prowled closer, it’s huge muscles rippling with its every movement.

A bear. It was a freaking bear. A big one, too.

She lifted the stunner, aiming it at the beast, whose silver fur gleamed in the moonlight. The creature licked its lips, then snarled and stepped closer.

Oh God, help me.

Still aiming the stunner at the bear, she pressed the trigger.

Nothing happened.

Eyes wide, she peered at her weapon and shook it. As far as she knew, stunners were supposed to incapacitate a person, or animal, immediately, causing them to freeze in place and stay that way for at least a few minutes. But no beam emitted from the weapon, and even if the beam were invisible, the bear seemed unaffected.

Aiming carefully again, she pressed the trigger a second time, but still nothing.

Oh God. No no no.

Slowly, she rose from the rock and edged closer to the stream. The bear matched her step for step, stalking her as if she were its prey. Well, that was exactly what she was. The silver bear likely saw her as its next meal.

She kept pressing the trigger and shaking the stunner, frantic to make it work. Frustration heaved through her. Why wouldn’t it fire? She couldn’t find any other buttons or levers on it. Shit shit shit.

“Hey there, Mr. Bear,” she whispered in a sing-song voice, as a sense of crazed desperation overtook her. “You don’t want to eat me. I promise I won’t taste good.”

In the next moment, the beast kicked dirt back with its rear paws and released a spine-tingling roar, appearing as though it were about to charge.

Well. Fuck.

Molly dropped the useless stunner and took off, bolting through the stream and then into the dense forest, running faster than she’d ever run before. Her sides ached and a coppery taste filled her mouth. Behind her, the bear gave chase. She could hear its snarls and rapid breaths, as well as the breaking of the branches and underbrush it plowed down.

As she ran, she tried to trace her way back to the white stone walking path. If she followed the path, she could try to reach the settlement and scream for help. This deep into the forest, however, no one would hear her, even if she yelled with all her might.

When the path came into sight, the white stones glimmering in the moonlight, she increased her pace, pumping her arms and legs as she ran for her life. She rushed onto the white stones and followed the path, mostly, only cutting through the forest when it was quicker. But she kept close to the trail, hoping and praying that the settlement would soon come into sight.

When she saw the first lights of the settlement ahead through the trees, she drew in a deep breath and screamed, “Help! Bear! Help me!”

The beast released a growl so ferocious, the noise vibrated through her, and she swore she felt the bear’s hot breath hitting the back of her neck. Her heart leapt into her throat as she took another shortcut through the trees.

“Help! Please!”

Her sides ached and she struggled to catch her breath, her lungs burning with each heaving exhale. Her surroundings became a blur as she rushed between the trees. At least the moons were full tonight and provided plenty of light. She could see where she was headed. Mostly.

In the end, she failed to spot a small branch concealed by the underbrush during one of her shortcuts through the trees, and she went flying to the forest floor.

All the air left her chest in a painful whoosh.

She curled on her side and wheezed, her gaze frantically searching for the bear. Horror clutched her when two red eyes came into focus. Close. It was so close. The bear grunted and then snorted so hard, she felt its hot, rancid breath hitting her face. Her stomach roiled.

This is it. This is how I die.

Still gasping for air, she scooted onto her butt and slowly inched backward. As her gaze remained locked with the bear’s, she reached behind her, searching for something, anything, to use as a weapon. But she couldn’t find a sturdy branch or even a rock. Nothing but dirt and leaves.

Drool dripped from the bear’s mouth and its nostrils kept flaring. Coldness prickled her skin. The bear was smelling her and salivating over her. She kept inching back, her hands still roving the forest floor for a weapon. Unfortunately, she couldn’t even find a handful of pebbles to throw at the creature.

When she bumped into a tree, she used it for support and drew herself to her feet. She clenched her fists and wondered if she might be able to land a good punch. Then she almost laughed. Because here she was—standing alone in an otherworldly forest, after having snuck out of the house like an errant teenager, no less, while contemplating the best methods… of punching an alien bear… in its big fat head.

She lifted her fist as the beast started charging her, and her battle-cry echoed through the trees.