Alien Warrior’s Promise by Sue Mercury

Chapter 14

As a cool nightbreeze swept across the lake, Macy huddled deeper into the blanket Dakk had draped around her shoulders. She watched as he steered the boat across the water, admiring the silhouette of his powerful body in the starlight. This close to the shore, the sound of nocturnal insects was so loud, they could barely hear one another speak, but he’d promised it would be quieter the farther they traveled from shore.

The rippling water glittered with the reflection of the stars, as though a million diamonds had been strewn across the lake, and she took a long moment to absorb the beauty surrounding her. As Dakk continued guiding the boat across the lake, the night began to quiet, the buzzing and screeching of insects fading into the distance.

“Here,” Dakk said, stopping the boat. He turned to face her, and his dark eyes caught the reflection of the moons. “I think this is better.”

She grinned. “Yes, it is. I can finally hear you.” Her heart pulsed faster, anticipation skittering through her. Dakk stared at her with a heated expression that made her feel desirable yet vulnerable. She found herself wanting to scoot forward and fall into his arms, inhale his alluring masculine scent, and maybe, just maybe, tempt him into kissing her.

As if reading her mind, Dakk moved closer and lifted her into his lap. “There,” he said, his deep voice rumbling in her ear, “that’s better. I realize we have only been mated for a few days, and I cannot explain it, but sometimes I physically ache with the need to hold you, yummiska.”

His words made her soul dance and she peered up at him, feeling the intensity of their attraction pulsing between them. “You can hold me whenever you wish, husband,” she said, and a warmth unlike any other flowed through her when she referred to him as husband.

We’re married now. Mated. Whatever you want to call it.

I belong to him, and he belongs to me. Forever.

Vaxxlians mated for life. Divorce or even separation was unheard of in their culture. This knowledge ought to have frightened her more, but instead it brought her a sense of comfort, a sense of finality. After all, Vaxxlian males didn’t cheat. They took the idea of until death parts us very seriously.

She snuggled into his arms as the boat rocked gently on the water. She sighed as he stroked a hand through her hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Home, she thought, this feels like home.

And this night… well, everything about this night felt magical.

After arriving home in the early evening, Dakk had helped Macy prepare dinner, showing her how to make a traditional Vaxxlian dish called rofollia, which reminded her of spaghetti with meat sauce, and they’d enjoyed a leisurely dinner in the dining room that overlooked the lake. When he’d caught her staring at the boat, he’d proposed taking her on a moonlit boat ride after dinner, and she’d enthusiastically accepted his offer.

“Tell me about the books in your library,” she said. “I was surprised to find lots of books from Earth.”

A wistful look fell over him. “Well, I enjoy reading, particularly historical accounts of other cultures. I had a massive collection of books at my home on Vaxxlia, but of course I lost everything when the planet was destroyed. But once I finished building my house here on New Vaxx, I started buying all the books I could find when I visited the shops in Starzzia, including used books from Earth.”

“Why buy books in a language you can’t read?” she asked, then wondered if perhaps he could understand English or perhaps other human tongues. She hadn’t asked him about it until now.

He tangled his fingers deeper in her hair and started massaging her scalp. A soft sigh escaped her as she leaned into his touch, surrendering to his gentle ministrations.

“I’m interested in alien languages, too. I taught myself English and several other Earth tongues. I bought the used books from your home planet to help further my studies, though that wasn’t the only reason I bought them.”

“Oh? And what’s the other reason?”

“Though I doubted I would ever be blessed with a mate of my own, I still wished to plan for the possibility. The bookstores in Starzzia are popular among the human females who live here. Eventually, I went from purchasing books from Earth to further my studies to buying them in the hope that one day I would have a mate of my own who might enjoy them. And offspring, too. I have collected many children’s books as well.”

His confession touched her. How sweet it was for him to prepare for a mate—for her—so far in advance. She reminded herself that all Vaxxlian males waited to claim a human female until they’d built a house on New Vaxx. They liked to be prepared to take care of their mates, an admirable quality, in her opinion.

“Well, I love the library,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve been helping myself to the books, particularly the recipe books and the romance novels.” She reached for his face, smoothing her fingers down his cheek, right next to his scars. “And I love that you bought children’s books. I-I hope that we’ll have use for them someday.”

She couldn’t be sure, but she thought she heard his breath catch in his throat. He gazed down at her with a look of increasing reverence that caused her chest to tighten with emotion, and in this moment, she realized the depth of his longing for a family of his own.

How many times had she longed for a family? A place of her own, a place where she not only felt safe, but truly belonged? She’d lost count. During her days in hiding, she would often find herself lost in thought, dreaming of a normal life, a peaceful life, and those dreams had included marriage and children.

“It is my hope that we’ll have offspring one day, too, yummiska,” he said, “and I think you will make a wonderful mother. There is a strength to you, and a sweetness, that will serve you well in motherhood. Perhaps we won’t have to wait long.” He placed a hand on her stomach, and she couldn’t stop the tears from welling in her eyes.

Blinking fast, she offered him a smile. “This is all happening very quickly, but it feels right, and I find myself hoping for the same thing—children of our own. I-I think you’ll make a great father, by the way. You’re patient and caring, and I can very clearly envision you cradling a baby in your arms.” Her throat burned and she blinked faster.

Maybe it was the beauty of the night, the magic that thrummed in the air, but when she closed her eyes, she saw Dakk holding two young children in his arms—boys with glowing green eyes and dark hair—and it felt so real that she almost reached out to touch the children in her vision. Was she going crazy? Or was this a true glimpse of their future?

They remained silent for a while, both lost in their dreams of starting a family together, as he continued caressing her hair and occasionally placing kisses atop her head.

“I could happily stay here all night,” he said, surprising her by speaking in English for the first time. She’d never told him English was her native tongue, but he must’ve heard her and Skylar whispering to one another in English—usually when her older sister wanted reassurance that Macy was indeed happy with Dakk. “I could stay here all night holding you underneath the stars. It feels as though we’re the only two souls in existence right now.”

She shifted in his arms and tilted her face up, desire abruptly pulsing through her. Beneath her bottom, she felt the unmistakable bulge of his manhood growing harder, and she found herself wondering just how stable the boat would be if they did more than snuggle.

When he leaned down to press his lips to hers, she eagerly welcomed the kiss.