Page 10 of Royal Alien Mate

If not for the spaceship that had brought her here, she could almost pretend she had stepped back in time, back into some alternate past where aliens had walked the Earth.

But she wasn’t on her home planet any longer. She was on Mars and she was about to marry Prince Vaath, conqueror of her people and next in line to the throne. What would it be like to be mated to him?

Was there any trace of kindness in his heart?

Sunshine. Would he call her that if he weren’t at least somewhat kind?

She latched onto this idea and prayed for the strength to get through her first day on Mars. In mere moments, she would face a Wise One, a holy man who would bless their union, the Martian version of a marriage ceremony. She didn’t know much about Vaath’s religion, but she had heard they worshiped several gods and they looked to the Wise Ones for spiritual guidance.

The door zipped open upon their approach and Vaath guided Esmay into a large cavernous room that was lit with thousands of tiny sparkling lights, some of which were affixed to the walls, others which appeared to be floating in the air, just below the ceiling. It gave the illusion of candlelight and reminded her of the time her parents had taken her and the twins to a Christmas Eve service late at night. The church had been darkened and lit up with thousands of candles, or so it had seemed to Esmay. She recalled the peaceful walk home from church in the dark, when the snow had started falling and the city had gone so quiet, it had felt as if Esmay and her family were the only souls left on Earth.

“This way,” Vaath said, directing her further into the huge room.

She spotted several more statues, similar in appearance to those in the corridor outside, though much larger, standing in a more illuminated area of the room. It was here that Vaath led her, and she also soon noticed the figure of a Martian male seated on the floor before the statues. His skin was a deep orange shade and he wore a long white robe. His horns were a darker shade of orange and curved down his back to touch the floor.

“Prince Vaath, is that you?” the holy man asked, though he didn’t turn around to look.

Esmay appreciated that he had spoken in Galactic Common. She didn’t know a single word of the Martian tongue and from what she’d heard, the alien language was physically impossible for humans to speak, as it consisted of some buzzing and clicking noises humans typically couldn’t make.

“Yes,” Vaath said, “I have brought my mate, Esmay of Earth, in hopes that you will bestow a blessing on our union in front of the Gods.”

The Wise One rose to his feet and turned to face them. He looked older than any other Martian Esmay had ever seen. In fact, he was the first Martian she’d observed with wrinkles, and she found herself curious about his age, though she didn’t dare ask.

The elderly Martian stared at her with interest and walked closer. There was a compassionate glint in his dark eyes that put Esmay at ease, and an aura of peace and understanding surrounded him. He wasn’t like Vaath and the other warriors who had conquered Earth and this realization helped her to relax further.

Though this room had felt imposing when she’d first walked inside, it now felt like a refuge of sorts, a place she might come in the future when she needed a moment to herself or perhaps some guidance.

“Hello, Esmay,” he said. “I am Wyvonus and I would like to welcome you to Mars. Your arrival marks a turning point in our history, though it will be some years before our people recognize the importance of this day.”

She shot a confused look at Vaath, who appeared startled by Wyvonus’s words, before returning her gaze to the holy man. “I am pleased to meet you, and I sincerely thank you for the welcome. I must ask, though—what do you mean by turning point?”

“Wyvonus, we would appreciate it if you could bestow the blessing upon us now,” Vaath said before Wyvonus could respond to Esmay’s question.

The holy man nodded and began to chant in the native Martian tongue, or at least it sounded like chanting to Esmay. As he continued, the floating lights above them glimmered brighter and moved closer to the statues. Vaath grasped both of her hands and guided her to stand facing him in front of the Wise One, a pose reminiscent of a human marriage ceremony.

For a brief time, Esmay allowed her mind to wander. She pretended she was in a church on Earth, about to marry her very own prince charming, a man whom she loved with her whole heart. She pretended this was the happiest day of her life and her family and friends had come to witness the joyous occasion.

But the lights soon grew brighter and moved from the statues to surround Esmay and Vaath, dancing around them like fireflies flitting through the night. Vaath tightened his hold on her hands and pulled her closer, so close the heat of his body radiated onto hers, and it became impossible to pretend she was on Earth marrying the love of her life.

She was far from home.

At this very moment, her family was probably trying to come to terms with her abrupt departure and the fact that they would never see her again.

The Wise One stopped chanting and the sudden silence filling the cavern left her uneasy. But Vaath was staring down at her with an almost reverent gleam in his dark eyes. Without either of them saying anything, she understood that the blessing had been bestowed.

It was done.

Her heart raced as the flittering lights circled them several more times before returning to the towering statues.

Vaath released her hands and lifted her in his arms in one rapid movement. She opened her mouth to protest, but then immediately clamped her lips together. Perhaps he was supposed to carry her out of this holy room. This could be a Martian mating custom.

After they departed the cavern, Vaath said nothing as he carried her past dozens upon dozens of Martians who passed them in the hallways. Some of them were dressed all in black, which she thought meant they were guards, while others wore lighter colored clothing. Everyone they passed was male; she saw no Martian females, or human ones for that matter.

Vaath lifted her higher, as if trying to encourage her to lean against him.

How she wished she could lean her head upon his chest and relax in his arms, but she couldn’t allow herself the luxury.

According to all the stories she’d heard about the wars, he had singlehandedly killed thousands of human soldiers. She already felt guilty over her initial attraction to him, the warmth she’d felt flowing through her before she’d learned of his true identity.

---