Page 1 of Braax's Bride

Chapter 1

AS SOFIA STONE STOOD before her new husband, she realized she may have made a rash decision.

Signing up at the inter-species mating agency had seemed like a good idea at the time. After the divorce, there had been little left for her on Earth.

Her asshole of an ex-husband had gotten the apartment, and her income from art commissions just wouldn’t cut it in this housing market. They’d barely been able to afford the tiny space in the first place, even with Greyson’s substantial salary.

The process had been simple enough; a health screening, a couple of interviews, an information night filled with people of all kinds, some humming with excitement and others with desperation.

Sofia had been a mixture of both.

It had seemed like a good deal. Living a life of relative ease on an alien planet in exchange for providing a mate with physical and emotional companionship. There were a variety of reasons an extraterrestrial might want an arranged marriage, though she tried not to dwell too much on the possibilities.

Ever since the Great Voyage—when aliens came to Earth and humans realized they weren’t alone in the universe—the planet had been swarming with new species, new technologies. And quickly, many extraterrestrials became enamored withhumanity. She didn’t understandwhatthese aliens saw in her species, but if she could use it to her advantage to get away from Earth, away from memories of her ex, then she would.

Sofia had never been off world—something only the wealthiest humans could afford—so when she saw her chance, she took it.

Besides, the prospect of being an alien’s mate didn’t seemsobad. Though she had never been in a relationship with a non-human, she wasn’t a xenophobe. Plus, there were protections to ensure her safety, or at least that’s what the agency had assured her.

They’d paired her with a Hileth named Braax, a male interested in a human mate, and she’d been on the next spaceflight to Olara 8, a planet on the outskirts of the sector. The trip had been long and she was exhausted by the time she arrived, with a single small suitcase filled with all of her worldly possessions.

Though Sofia had seen holophotos of the Hileth, nothing prepared her for the reality of the seven foot tall alien standing before her. Braax had met her at the depot, politely shaking her hand with his clawed one, his fanged mouth curled into what she’d hoped was a smile.

The man was naked, though it must have been a Hileth thing because all members of the species droned about the bustling depot sans clothing. She gulped audibly, trying her best not to rove her eyes up and down his muscled body, heat flushing her cheeks and a flicker of flames settling in her core.

Her body’s reaction surprised her.

Greyson was human, as were all of her former lovers, both serious and casual. She had never been interested in inter-species relationships before, but she couldn’t help but let her jaw drop as she took in all of Braax.

The Hileth towered over her, scaled skin glistening in the light of the two suns beaming in through the skylight. He was a lovely shade of lavender, white stripes swiping horizontally across his thighs and upper arms. His chest and groin area were a lighter purple. There was no clearappendage, at least not from her quick downward glance, though she knew aliens could sport all sorts of strange reproductive anatomy.

A glowing yellow diamond marked the center of his chest, just below his pecs, and there were more slashes on either side, like gills. His face was draconic, a snake-like snout with fanged teeth and pointed ears. He had vibrant green eyes with vertical slits as pupils, plus a crest of lemon yellow fur on the top of his head, framed by two eggplant-colored horns. A long, thick striped tail swung behind him, lined with spikes that matched the color of his horns and claws.

Every bit of him was wicked, frightening, and yet a pulse beat in her core, mirroring her racing heart.

“Welcome to Olara 8, my bride.”

Braax’s voice was a deep growl that stirred the embers even further.

“T-thank you,” Sofia stuttered, completely embarrassed by her response to him.

She smoothed her shoulder length shell pink hair, a blunt fringe just grazing her hazel eyes. The hours of space travel left her feeling like a mess, her pale blue turtleneck and jeans not making her feel particularly confident.

“Are you ready for the ceremony? There is an auxiliary chamber in the depot.”

He leaned his head down so he could face her eye to eye, his nostrils flaring as if taking in her scent.

The ceremony?

She just nodded, unable to form a coherent sentence, letting him take her hand and escort her through the labyrinthinecorridors. He was gentle despite the fearsome claws, clearly knowing how to wield them without hurting her.

A short time later, they arrived at a door in a quiet section of the depot, Braax eyeing a clock on the wall before knocking. A small placard labeled it; Auxiliary Ceremony Chamber.

“Right on time,” he said, glancing at Sofia with a grin.

Another Hileth answered the door and waved them in, this one a pleasant shade of forest green with a crest of dark purple fur on his head.

“Ah, yes, you are here from the mating agency?” he asked, giving her a once-over as he picked up a console from the enormous desk which took up most of the small room.

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