Alien Warrior’s Second Chance by Sue Mercury
Chapter 3
Five months later…
“I’ll taketwo dozen glazed donuts please,” Karla said to the cashier as she stepped up to the counter. It was the grand opening of Vivian’s Donut Shop and Karla couldn’t be prouder of the friend she’d made during her trip to New Vaxx just a few months ago.
“Karla!” Vivian looked up from the display case with a radiant grin. “You made it! Thanks so much for coming. I couldn’t have done this without all your encouragement, you know.” She grabbed an extra-large box and started placing glazed donuts inside. “When I doubted myself, you were the one who convinced me that I would be able to run my own business.”
“I’m super proud of you, Viv,” Karla said, passing the cashier several galactic credits. “The place looks great, and it smells amazing too. I could stand in this store all day and just breathe in the delicious, sweet scents. And look at the crowd! I don’t see an empty seat in the house. Congratulations!”
Vivian passed the box of donuts to Karla, her eyes sparkling, her face flushed with excitement. She also handed Karla a single donut in a paper wrapping. “Here you go—one to eat during the walk home. Yeah,” she said, glancing around the busy shop, “who knew my great aunt Debbie’s top secret donut recipes would come in handy one day?”
Karla glanced down at her box. “Top secret, you say? Well, now I’m even more excited to eat these. I do love a good secret.” She winked at her friend, who was also newly expecting but hadn’t shared the news with many people yet. She wanted to ask Vivian how she was feeling but didn’t wish to hold up the line, so she moved aside after they exchanged a quick farewell. “Thanks again for the extra donut! I’ll see you later, Viv, my dear!”
Once Karla navigated her way outside, she picked up her pace and headed toward home. Her housemates were looking forward to a pre-dinner snack of donuts.
Yes, she needed a full two dozen to feed them all.
Not only did she live with Axall and Rachel (and their adorable newborn son Samur), but they also shared the house with Axall’s two brothers—Myadd and Khann, and their human mates.
Myadd was mated to a woman named Sienna, and Khann was mated to a woman named Belle. Belle also had a six-year-old daughter, Amie, whom she’d brought along to New Vaxx, and Khann doted upon the little girl as though she were his biological child.
Furthermore, Sienna had recently given birth to a fully human daughter she’d named Naomi—yep, she’d come to New Vaxx while pregnant, but that was a whole other story—and Myadd also cared for Naomi as though she were his biological child.
On second thought, maybe Karla should’ve gotten three dozen donuts. Axall, Myadd, and Khann always ate as if they were carbing up before a marathon. And little Samur was already eating solid foods—Vaxxlian and half-Vaxxlian children grew up a lot faster than full-blooded humans. Samur would probably scarf down two or three donuts and still have at least two servings of dinner.
She turned and looked at Vivian’s Donut Shop, but the line was now winding out the door and down the sidewalk. Hm. Maybe she’d come back for more donuts tomorrow.
She continued through the crowded marketplace, thankful that she was able to enjoy her freedom. When she’d first arrived on this planet, Axall had tried to enforce the rule that she bring an escort everywhere she went—either him or one of his brothers—but once she’d convinced him that Vaxxlian males just weren’t interested in a woman who wasn’t young enough to pop out babies, he had finally relented and now permitted her to take short trips out of the house.
As she passed a jewelry store and the crowd started to thin in this area of the marketplace, she took a big bite of her bonus donut and couldn’t help but moan. Oh yeah. Was there anything more delicious than a fresh, still-warm glazed donut? She didn’t think so and took several more bites.
She shoved the last of the donut into her mouth as she walked around the corner of a building, only to slam hard into something large and solid.
“Oh no! My donuts!” she cried, though her words came out garbled because she still had a mouth full of sugary goodness. She gasped and watched in horror as the box flew out of her hands. The lid heaved and she was certain all two dozen donuts were about to go splat all over the sidewalk.
But then a miracle happened—a pair of large hands swooped through the air and caught the box before tragedy could strike.
Her gaze traveled upward and she found herself staring into an older Vaxxlian male’s gorgeous green eyes. Well, he wasn’t that old looking, as Vaxxlians usually aged quite well (lucky them) but she could tell he wasn’t as young as the warriors who typically showed up on Earth as part of the Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides program.
When she reached for the offered box, her fingers brushed along the warrior’s hand, and a shock of awareness rushed through her, zinging from the top of her head straight down to her toes.
“Hello, sweet beauty. You are the loveliest female I have ever seen,” the Vaxxlian said in heavily accented Galactic Common, his green eyes glowing brighter. His nostrils flared and he took a deep inhale. A low growl rumbled from his throat. “And you are unmated. Star God, you smell enticing.” He took another long inhale.
Karla’s mouth started to fall open—until she realized her cheeks were still bulging with half-chewed donut. Her face heated as she furiously finished chewing and then swallowed. “Um, thanks for the compliment, but that must be the donuts you’re smelling.”
“The donuts smell appetizing, but it is not the pastries I am craving at this moment.”
“Donuts aren’t pastries,” she mumbled, more to herself than the warrior in front of her. She was in a state of shock over his words and had abruptly lost the ability to think rationally.
“Father,” came an exasperated voice. “This is Karla. Yes, she is unmated, however she is under my friend Axall’s guardianship, and you would do well to remember that.”
Suddenly, Karla realized they weren’t alone. Another male was standing next to this sexy warrior—and a familiar one at that. She looked back and forth between the males and realized they were father and son. She gazed at the younger warrior and forced a smile as she tried to recover from her embarrassing blunder.
“Hi, Drecc,” she said. “It’s good to see you again.” Her face heated further because she could feel the older warrior’s eyes upon her. Their hands were still touching as they held the box between them. Her heart raced and a pang of warmth affected her womanly core—a sensation she hadn’t experienced in a long time.
“Likewise,” Drecc finally said, “it is good to see you as well, Karla.” He inclined his head toward his father. “I would like you to meet my father, Zorras. Father, Karla is one of the human women my unit rescued from Earth several moon cycles ago. She is friends with Axall and his mate, Rachel, and Axall personally asked me to collect her and bring her back to New Vaxx.”
“Sorry I ran into you,” Karla blurted, her head swiveling back to the older warrior. Zorras. God, he was tall. And handsome and hugely muscled and holy shit… why couldn’t she stop flushing?
“You need not apologize, sweet Karla. I am glad you ran into me.” A primal gleam entered his eyes, and he ran one finger along hers, his sensual caress sending another zing of awareness through her body.
“Thanks for saving my donuts.” She flushed and tried to pull the box from Zorras’ grip, but he didn’t let go, and he soon stepped closer, near enough that she could feel the heat from his massive body.
“Father, let go of the box,” Drecc whisper-shouted. “We must be going. Commander Hezz is expecting us.”
Zorras ignored his son and continued staring at Karla and occasionally swiping a finger over hers. His touch was electric, and she felt a pull toward him that she couldn’t explain.
“You live at Warrior Axall’s house?” Zorras asked, lifting one dark eyebrow.
“Yes, I do,” Karla said, though her mouth was suddenly dry, and her voice sounded strange to her own ears.
“You are unmated, yet you are walking around without a chaperone.”
She lifted her chin and finally succeeded in pulling the box from the handsome warrior’s grasp. “Yes, I am unmated, and yes, I am walking around without a chaperone. But at my age, what’s the harm?” She chuckled and couldn’t help but wonder if maybe his elevator didn’t go all the way to the top. “I’m too old to have children, which means no Vaxxlian warrior would attempt to mate with me.”
“You might be surprised.” Zorras boldly reached for her hair and tucked a strand behind her ear. He proceeded to lean closer and take another long, drawn-out inhale as he very obviously smelled her. She was too shocked by his actions to move. “I find you beautiful and enticing, Karla. And I find I do not wish this meeting to end.”