Page 6 of Warrin
“I am pleased to meet you as well, Elora.”A brief smile tugged at his lips.“The fighting shouldn’t resume—at least not here in Grantville.I convinced the rebels to vacate the area, and the U.S.military will be moving out soon.”
“How’d you manage that?”Mr.Parker asked.
“I paid them.”Another grin played at the corners of Warrin’s mouth.“I must confess, I was shocked when they accepted my offer.I was about to fire on the rebels’ ships when the idea came to me.”
Elora stared at him in shock.She wanted to ask how much he’d paid both sides, but she worried the question might be considered rude, so she remained silent while Mr.Parker and other people in the diner stepped forward to offer their thanks as they filed out the door.Even the Parkers stepped outside, their grandson eager to check on his neighborhood friends.
“Elora, are you ready to leave?”Warrin asked once they were alone.
“Yes, I’m ready.”Her pulse thundered in her ears.Was she truly ready?Just a week ago, she’d been preparing for her wedding—to Tobias.Her life had changed drastically in the span of a few days.When she’d fled Oakdale, despite her promise to Rory, she never anticipated she would actually have to apply to the VAMOB program.She never imagined she would be getting married/mated—for real—so soon.Especially not to a stranger from another world.
Warrin nodded and then glanced around the diner.“Do you have any belongings you wish to bring?”
Shame heated Elora’s face.“No, I-I don’t have anything to bring with me.”She swallowed hard.“Um, I was on a road trip, and I was passing through Grantville when there was an air raid.My solar car was destroyed, along with all my possessions.I was lucky that the owners of this diner saw me outside, and they waved me over and allowed me to seek refuge here while the fighting continued.”
Concern flared in the alien’s eyes.“I am sorry that happened to you.”He threaded his fingers through hers, clasping her hand tightly, and guided her toward the door.“Come with me to my Vaxxlian cruiser, and I will keep you safe.”
Chapter4
Warrin foundit curious that his mate had been on a road trip when she’d gotten caught in an air raid.What had prompted her to drive around her war-torn country in a solar car?From what he’d heard about human solar cars, they were rarely armored, and they usually didn’t possess any weaponry.
Then he remembered something else she’d said—that all her possessions were destroyed during the attack.That meant she’d been driving around with everything she owned inside her solar car.Had she been living in her car?His heart ached at the idea of his human female enduring such hardship, and he resolved to provide her with plenty of clothing, shoes, jewelry, and anything else she might need.
He considered the hobbies listed on her VAMOB form—reading, listening to music, and painting.Would she appreciate datapads that contained a variety of music and books?Would she soften to him if he gave her painting supplies as a gift?His spirits rose somewhat as he made a mental list of all the items he would acquire for her in the coming days—he found himself wanting to spoil her immensely, this tiny human female who would soon become his mate.
As he guided Elora toward his parked cruiser, he remained vigilant for any signs of danger, continually scanning the streets and checking the skies.But the rebels were no longer in sight, and only a few U.S.military tanks and hovercrafts remained.
He still couldn’t believe the commanders on both sides had agreed to an armistice in exchange for an immediate transfer of fifty thousand galactic credits—each.It was an exorbitant sum, but he could easily afford it.As a renowned exo-agrobotanist, he was well-paid to engineer crops that could thrive even on the most hostile planets, and his services were in high demand across New Vaxx and beyond.Even leaders from Earth had offered him lucrative contracts, but he’d declined every last one due to the numerous wars raging on the planet—he didn’t want to invest time and resources in a place where his efforts to make crops flourish might be destroyed within moments during a battle.
He glanced down at Elora, curious about the circumstances that had led to her getting stranded in this small town during an air raid.Trembles affected her tiny body, and he had the sudden urge to scoop her up in his arms and carry her the rest of the way to his ship.
But they’d just met.Surely such an action wouldn’t be appropriate.
At least she was allowing him to hold her hand—and he gave her small hand a brief squeeze as they came to a stop in front of his Vaxxlian cruiser.He issued a verbal command, and a moment later the boarding ramp descended.He released her hand and touched her lower back, and an enticing gasp escaped her throat as she stared up at him.
Then he detected it—the scent of the slickness between her thighs.
A low growl rumbled from his chest, and his nostrils flared as he leaned closer to her and took a deep inhale, savoring the sweet but pungent scent of her arousal.His tongue vibrated as he imagined tasting her, and his cock hardened when he considered what the slickness between her thighs indicated—it meant she desired him.
“I’m sorry if I smell bad,” she blurted, and her cheeks flushed pink.She stepped away from him and put her hands up, as though trying to keep him from touching her again.“I-I haven’t been able to shower for a few days.”
Her startled reaction to him smelling her took him aback.He made to reach for her, but when she backed away farther, he forced himself to respect her boundaries.He stood in place as his gaze swept over her.Her clothes were dirty, and her hair was slightly matted, but he didn’t think she smelled bad.He wanted nothing more than to close the distance between them, hold her close, and breathe deeply of her invigorating feminine scent.
“Little sarr’ahh,” he said, the endearment rolling off his tongue as though he’d used it a thousand times before.“You don’t smell bad to me.You smell delicious.”
Her eyes widened, and her face reddened further.Then a smile quirked her lips.“No one’s ever told me I smell delicious before.I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, but I was hoping that maybe… perhaps I could take a shower before we…” Her voice trailed off, and the flush covering her face became even more profuse.
But he understood what she’d been trying to say.His scrotum tingled and his shaft swelled larger.His blood also heated.Star God, he wanted her.He wanted to carry her to his quarters, dirt and all, and ravish her to completion.But he supposed human females cared about hygiene as much as their Vaxxlian counterparts, and he decided he must be patient.
A business arrangement, he reminded himself.He must approach this female as though they’d agreed to a mutually beneficial contract—and in a way, they already had.They’d both signed up for VAMOB, thereby accepting the terms of the bride program.
He stepped closer to her and lifted one hand slowly.“May I touch you, little sarr’ahh?Please?”
She stared at him cautiously, then finally nodded.“Okay.”She sucked in a rapid breath as he took another step closer.
He tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear, and if it wasn’t for his heightened Vaxxlian senses, he would’ve missed the faint whimper she emitted.He continued stroking her hair as he stared down at her.A lusty growl built in his throat, but he held it back, as he worried it might frighten her.
The desires unfurling within him were so savage that he began to worry he might not manage the proper level of gentleness when he claimed her for the first time.
