Page 11 of The Alien's Runaway Bride

Maya:SS combing the city. Stay safe, Bonnie. Clyde’s kinda hot btw. ;)

Despite everything, Raelee found herself grinning.

“Good news?” Vexor asked, his dark eyes curious.

“As good as it gets right now,” Raelee replied. “Looks like we’ve bought ourselves some time. The Secret Service is searching the city, not the boonies. Not yet, anyway.” She hesitated, then added with a smirk, “Oh, and apparently my best friend thinks you’re hot.”

Vexor blinked, looking genuinely surprised for the first time since she’d met him. “I... what?”

Raelee laughed, delighted by his reaction. “Don’t worry, big guy. Your virtue is safe with me. Though I have to say, she’s not wrong.”

The words slipped out before she could stop them, and Raelee felt her cheeks heat to lava-hot. But instead of being embarrassed, she found herself holding Vexor’s gaze, a challenge in her eyes.Your move, mystery man.

Vexor’s eyes darkened, and for a moment, the air between them crackled with electricity. Then he smiled—a real, genuine smile that transformed his entire face. “I’m flattered,” he said, his voice low and warm. “Though I have to say, your friend’s taste pales in comparison to her companion’s beauty.”

Now Raelee was surprised. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, at a loss for words. Who was this man who could go from stoic protector to smooth-talking charmer in the blink of an eye?

Before she could formulate a response, Vexor cleared his throat. “We should start a fire,” he said, his tone back to business. “Hopefully, it’ll burn off the chill of the place.”

Raelee blinked, shaking off her daze. “Right, yeah. Good idea. There should be some firewood on the back porch. I’ll go grab it.”

But Vexor was already moving toward the door. “Allow me,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

As he stepped outside, Raelee found herself alone in the cabin for the first time since their mad dash from the diner. The reality of her situation came crashing down on her like a tidal wave. She was on the run, hiding out in the middle of nowhere with a man she barely knew, all to escape a marriage she’d never asked for to an alien prince she’d never met.

What the hell am I doing?

She sank onto the worn couch, her head in her hands. The adrenaline that had carried her this far was gone, leaving behind a bone-deep weariness and a gnawing uncertainty.

The sound of the door opening made her look up. Vexor entered, his arms laden with firewood. He paused when he saw her, something like concern flickering in his dark eyes.

“Are you all right?” he asked, his deep voice softer than she’d heard it before.

Raelee managed a weak smile. “Just peachy. Nothing like a little felony-level escape to really get the existential crisis flowing.”

Vexor set the wood by the fireplace and moved to sit beside her, leaving a respectful distance between them. “You’re having doubts,” he said. It wasn’t a question.

Raelee let out a humorless laugh. “Doubts? Try full-blown panic. I mean, what am I even doing? Running away from my responsibilities, dragging you into this mess... God, I don’t even know why you’re still here. You could have just left me at the diner, but instead you’re... here. Why?”

She looked at him then, really looked at him, searching for answers in those impossibly dark eyes. Vexor held her gaze, and for a moment, Raelee thought she saw something flicker there—a depth of emotion that took her breath away.

“Because,” he said slowly as if choosing his words with great care, “I believe everyone deserves the chance to choose their own path. Even if that path is... unconventional.”

The intensity of his gaze made Raelee’s heart race. There was something about Vexor that drew her in, a connection she couldn’t explain but couldn’t deny either. It both thrilled and terrified her.

“Well,” she said, trying to lighten the suddenly charged atmosphere, “in that case, I hope you’re ready for one hell of an unconventional adventure. Because I have a feeling things are about to get a whole lot crazier before they get better.”

Vexor’s lips curved into a small but genuine smile. “I look forward to it.”

As they worked together to build the fire, the flames casting a warmth through the cabin, Raelee felt something shift inside her. The panic was still there lurking at the edges of her mind, but it was tempered now by a growing sense of determination. And underneath it all, a spark of something else—something that felt dangerously like hope.

Later, as they sat by the roaring fire, sharing a simple meal of canned soup and crackers, Raelee found herself studying Vexor’s profile. The firelight danced across his strong features, highlighting the sharp angle of his jaw and the curve of his lips. She couldn’t deny the attraction she felt—it was like a magnetic pull drawing her toward him despite all logic and reason.

“So,” she said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. “You never did tell me your full story. What’s a guy like you doing, running off with a fugitive like me?”

Vexor’s eyes met hers, a hint of amusement in their depths. “A guy like me?”

Raelee waved her hand vaguely. “You know, all tall, dark, and mysterious. Don’t tell me you’re just some regular Joe who decided to play hang out with me on a whim.”

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