Page 13 of A Mate for Haax

Instead, the sound of a lock resonates throughout the room and tells me we are officially sealed away from the outside world. No turning back at this point.

With a hand to the small of my back, he guides me to the captains chairs sitting behind the controls. The heat of his hand melts into me, and my nerves tingle at the sensation that only he can create. A sprawling panel lies before us completely lit up like your car does when you put the key in the ignition. My eyes trace the letters on the controls, and it’s definitely not English. It must be in his native tongue.

I drift over to sit down in one of the cabin chairs, but it turns into a rather unflattering and awkward drop that forces my boobs to bounce against my chest, causing a gasp. Haax immediately assists in getting me all buckled in. He leans in and leaves the briefest kiss on my lips, and I try to follow his departure. I can’t help but to memorize the exact way his lips feel pressed against mine.

Haax takes the other seat and hits a few buttons on the control panel. Within seconds, the ship engines fire up and prepare for liftoff? Take off? I’m not entirely sure what lingo I should be using right now.

My hands shake from the nerves vibrating throughout my body. I’ve never gone into space before.

When I first signed up for the alien brides program, I thought eventually I would get here, but not a day after him arriving on Earth. My world is moving so quickly, but I’m not afraid of what's to come.

Everything is smooth sailing. If I didn’t know I was on a ship, I wouldn’t have noticed. There is nothing out of place. I look over to see what Haax is doing and find amethyst eyes staring back at me.

My eyes land on something behind him; space. Stars shine and dip as we pass them. Each one a different size and slightly different color. “Wow, it’s beautiful out here. So peaceful.”

* * *

You can’t tell by looking outside as to whether it’s night or day, but by my watch, it’s getting late, and my exhaustion over the last day or so is finally wearing me down. I yawn, and Haax looks over at me. “Ready for bed?”

“Can the ship… fly itself? Or do you have to stay up all night?”

“My ship is equipped with navigation, and, should any issues arise, it will immediately notify me.” I nod with a sleepy smile. “Let me walk you to the cabin so you can start getting tucked in and ready for bed while I make sure everything is good to go and we’re cloaked. Don’t like the idea of any surprises while we sleep.”

“Sounds good.” The luxurious nature of the ship is breathtaking. Every inch has something new or cool to look at. The hallways are lit with color, much like they are at the compound. Again, we reach another touchpad, and he places his hand on it to scan.

A gasp falls from my lips when I see the inside of the cabin. It’s obvious that he’s spent a lot of time and money on this ship.

Another mural hangs similar to the one at the compound over the bed. This time, the bed is not floating in the middle of the room, but appears to be a legitimate bed, like a human would use, but for someone more Haax’s size. The room smells like a mix between leather and mint.

Haax pulls down the sheets for me, and I climb under so he can pull it up. “How long do you think you’ll be?”

“Not too long, mate. I will be back soon. Be prepared to get a little frisky and cuddle.” He wiggles his eyebrows at me, and I playfully swat his arm.

“Behave, you.” All I’m left with is the leaving effects of his laughter as he starts back towards the control room. I don’t remember much after that…

* * *

I wake from my stupor feeling bone tired, the excitement and worry over the last few days really taking its toll. I feel like I could sleep for a whole week and still never recover. Firm lips press against my forehead. “Morning, my sweet Esme.”

“Hey,” I say, turning my head to look up at him, while also trying to cover my mouth in embarrassment over my morning breath, yet again. Man, I may have to invest in some Tic Tacs or something.

“So, according to my calculations, we should arrive back at Grekaria in about fifteen quandiry. Just in time to grab some dinner and hit the sack again. In the morning, I will go ahead and set up all my meetings with the prince.”

“You keep talking about a prince. Where are his parents?”

“The king’s health is failing, so these days he rarely makes an appearance and leaves the ruling duties up to Axxon. His mother lost herself once he was diagnosed. It’s a shame seeing the two people you grew up with being so strong and then so weak.

Beep, beep, beep.

The shrill ring of an alarm starts blasting in my ears and mixes with the disco ball of colors lighting up the room around us. “Shit.” I halt when the swear word slips from Haax’s mouth, and I have to hide the giggle threatening to burst loose at his funny accent saying such a word.

A shiver spirals inside my body, and I shudder once I remember this is not a good situation. My heart is jackhammering. “Haax, tell me what to do. What’s happening?”

He bolts upright out of bed, briefly throwing on clothes. He hits the comm on the side table, but there are no notifications, so he heads to the control center.

I follow him out of the room, watching as he rushes around hitting buttons, but he’s calm and collected. He is incredibly agile for how big he is. I can imagine he could be really good in stealth mode. It makes me realize why he would make an excellent commander. Rubbing my sweaty hands against my thighs, I allow my eyes to dart around the space. “What is it?”

“Something is happening at the compound. These alarms are keyed to trigger if an attack is imminent. We need to go back.”

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