Alien Warrior’s Promise by Sue Mercury

Chapter 15

Macy and Dakksettled into a comfortable routine. They rose early together, had breakfast—usually on the upstairs balcony, where they could enjoy a view of the rising sun—and Macy stayed home while Dakk attended warrior training and worked in his shop. He usually took her on walks around Starzzia in the evenings, which she appreciated after being stuck in the house all day.

A week passed, and then two, and still the arsonist hadn’t been caught. But at least no further attacks had been made on Dakk. She wanted to believe it was a one-time thing, but Dakk remained convinced that an unknown enemy wished to do him harm.

Skylar came over often, though she’d hinted that she might visit Vaxxlian Matchmakers soon, and Macy suspected her visits would eventually become less frequent.

Macy hoped Skylar would decide to take a mate soon—her sister had admitted she’d considered signing up for Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides while still living on Earth, but she’d hesitated because she hadn’t wished to depart Earth without Macy.

Skylar had also admitted to hoping they could both sign up for VAMOB together once they were reunited, but then Myadd and his people had rescued them and whisked them away to New Vaxx.

Macy glanced at the clock in the kitchen. Dakk would be home at any moment. She ran upstairs to change into her nicest dress—a new red gown Dakk had recently surprised her with—and hurried to fix her hair. They had reservations at a restaurant in downtown Starzzia this evening. A date. A real date. She was beyond excited.

Once she was satisfied with her appearance, she skipped out of the bedroom and headed for the stairs. But a strange noise made her stop in her tracks. A buzzing sound that grew louder and louder. She cast a cautious glance up and down the upstairs hallway, and the back of her neck prickled.

She crept down the steps slowly, her heart racing faster. Dread rippled down her spine and she felt cold all over. Something was wrong, but she didn’t yet know what. The buzzing increased, vibrating through the house.

She glanced at the front door, hoping Dakk would arrive home soon.

A flash outside the living room window caught her attention, and she moved closer, though she was careful to keep herself concealed behind the curtains. She gasped and her eyes went wide. It looked as though the air surrounding the house were electrified, blue and white flashing in a random but beautiful pattern that reminded her of lightning.

The force field. She exhaled a deep breath. Of course. It was only the force field malfunctioning. Whenever it flashed brighter, the buzzing sound grew louder.

Her fear began to dissipate. She leaned against the wall and wrapped her arms around herself, waiting for the calm to settle over her again. Since coming to live in Dakk’s house, she hadn’t had nightmares or felt overly anxious during the daytime. He’d promised to keep her safe and she’d taken his vow to heart.

Footsteps sounded outside and the door swung open. The entryway was located next to the living room, so she pushed off the wall, thankful that Dakk was finally home. She longed for the comfort of his presence.

“Dakk, I’m glad you’re here,” she called out. “The buzzing from the force field scared me. I had no idea what was making that noise and—” The words died in her throat and she froze in place.

It wasn’t Dakk who’d just entered the house.

It was a stranger. A huge Vaxxlian male.

All her nightmares returned. But this was real life. This was really happening.

What did the stranger want? Why was he here?

A growl rumbled from him, and his lips curved in a cold smile. His eyes gleamed with cruelty. Stranger though he was, this felt way too familiar. Macy’s legs weakened on the spot, and she struggled to move back against the wall.

His eyes were a vivid green, and a long, jagged scar ran from his cheek down to his neck and disappeared into his shirt. A black shirt. A warrior’s shirt. He was a Vaxxlian warrior, though nothing about him appeared honorable or decent. Rage emanated from his body, a thirst for vengeance.

Was he the arsonist? Her stomach flipped at the prospect.

“Are you Dakk’s mate?” the male asked in heavily accented Galactic Common.

“Who are you?” she countered, her voice coming out stronger than she expected. Be brave. Don’t cower. Fight back.

A dark chuckle escaped him, and she noticed the weapons on his belt—a blaster, a stunner, and three knives. Oh God. Had he come here to kill her? Or was he looking for Dakk?

The chill in her bones deepened and she started shaking. She clasped her hands together to keep them from trembling, not wanting to give this stranger the satisfaction of seeing her fear.

“Well?” she asked. “What’s your name?”

“I am Warrior Xaarrn.”

“And what is your business here, Warrior Xaarrn?” she asked, saying warrior as if it were a slur. No true warrior would break into someone’s home. Not only had he broken in, but he’d gone to considerable trouble—getting past Dakk’s security measures likely hadn’t been easy.

Before Xaarrn could answer her question, strong hands grabbed her from behind. She shrieked and peered over her shoulder as the second intruder shoved her into a corner behind a large chair in the entryway. This second male must have entered through the backdoor.

But when she glanced up and her gaze collided with a pair of familiar, dark eyes, relief spread through her in waves.

Dakk. This second intruder was no intruder at all.

“Please stay out of the way, yummiska. I do not wish for you to become hurt.” He faced Xaarrn and released an animalistic growl that overpowered the buzzing of the damaged force field. “Pathetic esccrula. You dare to trespass in my home? You dare to threaten my mate?”

Xaarrn sneered and gestured at his face. “I wear these scars because of you. I have waited a long time to get my revenge, but now that I have finally returned to New Vaxx, I intend to enjoy killing you. Who knows? Perhaps when I am finished with you, I will torment your mate. Or maybe I will claim her as mine once you are out of the way.” His manic chuckle echoed in the entryway.

“You are a fool,” Dakk said in a matter-of-fact tone, though a glance at his face revealed his barely concealed rage. His jaw was tense, and his dark eyes kept flashing with murderous intent. “You are a fool, and you will certainly die today. You earned those scars when you stupidly challenged me to a fight. Furthermore, your scars would be completely healed if you hadn’t angrily pushed the touch healer away before he was finished helping you.”

“You are cursed!” Xaarrn said, then spat on the floor. “It is said any Vaxxlian with strange eyes has been cursed by the Star God. It is written in ancient texts. You are an abomination.”

Dakk fixed his gaze on Macy. “When the fighting starts, run to the library and lock yourself inside. Do you remember how the special locking mechanism I showed you works?” He spoke in English, likely because he didn’t wish for Xaarrn to know where she would be hiding.

“Yes, but I-I don’t want to leave you,” she replied back in English. Tears blurred in her vision. She hated the thought of Dakk and Xaarrn battling to the death. They appeared equally matched. Dakk was perhaps an inch or two taller than Xaarrn, but the intruder wore more weapons on his belt. Dakk only possessed a blaster and a knife.

“You must do as I say, yummiska. Please. I swear to you, I will defeat this warrior pretender,” he whispered. “I promise I will keep you safe. No harm will come to you. But you must listen to me and run.”

“Okay,” she replied, her voice barely audible over the buzzing. “Okay, I will, but you must promise me you’ll win. Please. I-I don’t want anything to happen to you, Dakk.” These last two weeks have been the happiest days of my life. I think you’re my soul mate, and I think I love you. You can’t leave me. Not now. Not like this. Not in a way that’s so familiar to the nightmares I used to have.

She grabbed onto the arm of the chair, ready to propel herself toward the library once the fighting started, just as Dakk had instructed. She didn’t wish to leave him, but she trusted him.

Xaarrn withdrew a knife from his belt and snarled. In the next moment, Dakk did the same, and the two males roared as they charged at one another.

Macy raced for the library, praying to any god who would listen for Dakk to emerge from this fight unharmed and victorious. Please win, Dakk. You must.