Page 9 of Ravenous Alien Mate

Somewhere in the distance, Leah heard a man speaking her name. His deep voice vibrated over her, soothing her, despite the undeniable note of worry in his tone.

She didn’t know where she was or what was happening, but she felt safe. She tried opening her eyes, but the effort left her exhausted, so she stopped trying for a while.

Instead, she allowed herself to drift, only vaguely aware of the sound of two distinct voices speaking in a language she couldn’t understand.

But she recognized the tongue. It was Martian. The telltale buzzing and clicking noises of the alien language swirled in her head.

A familiar masculine scent reached her, and she breathed deep, trying to place it, when she heard the deep voice calling her name again.

Something was rubbed across her forehead and her skin instantly tingled and cooled. She also felt pressure at her arm, followed by an odd whooshing noise. Had someone given her a hypospray? And if so, why? Was she sick?

Her eyes finally opened and focused on a concerned looking purple Martian male hovering above her. He glanced behind him and called out what sounded like an order in his own tongue.

A second later, another Martian appeared above her. This alien appeared older than the purple one, and his skin was a deep orange shade.

All at once, her memories returned. Prison. The deal with the parole board. Traveling to Mars. Meeting Jav. Receiving a blessing upon their mating union.

She was a mail order bride.

A Martian’s mate.

She recalled feeling extremely hot and then… nothing. She must have passed out. Her face flamed at the knowledge.

She tried to sit up in the bed, only to realize she wasn’t wearing any clothing. A thin sheet was draped over her. She was still wearing a bra and panties, though, for which she was grateful. At least Jav hadn’t seen her completely naked yet. She clutched the sheet and sank back on the pillow, staring up at Jav and the orange Martian, who she surmised must be a doctor.

“Leah,” Jav said, his voice tinged with relief. “Thank the Gods you are awake. How are you feeling?”

“A bit tired and confused,” she admitted.

“You lost consciousness,” he confirmed. “The doctor says you are suffering from exhaustion and poor nutrition. He believes that, combined with possibly becoming overheated, caused you to pass out.”

“I’m sorry,” she blurted, hating that he’d had to call a doctor. She didn’t want to be any trouble to him, nor did she wish to draw attention to herself.

“You have no need to apologize,” he replied, caressing a hand through her hair. “I am the one who is sorry. I ought to have noticed you weren’t feeling well.”

The orange Martian cleared his throat and met her gaze. “I have given you a vitamin infusion and your first anti-aging nanobot treatment.”

“Anti-agingwhat?” Still clutching the sheet over her bosom, she managed to sit up against the pillows.

“All human females on Mars are given anti-aging nanobot treatments that allow them to match their lifespans to that of the average Marttiaxoxalian male’s. The nanobot treatments will also strengthen you and heal nearly any ailment that might afflict you. You should start to feel better very soon. However, you must consume healthy foods and not skip meals.”

Leah took stock of her body. Nothing hurt. She was no longer as tired as when she first awoke. In fact, she felt as though her energy was returning to her rapidly. It was a strange sensation, as if she’d just consumed several cups of coffee, but without the jittery side effects of the caffeine.

“Thank you, doctor,” she said, shooting the orange Martian a brief smile. “Um, just how long is the average Martian’s lifespan?” She’d heard they lived much longer than humans but had never really given it any thought until this moment.

“About four hundred years,” the doctor replied in a casual tone, moving toward the bedroom door. He exchanged some words in rapid-fire Martian with Jav and then departed the room.

She looked at Jav. “Four hundred years? Is he serious?”

He grasped her hand and pulled it to his lips, placing a kiss upon her hand as his eyes gleamed with warmth. “Yes, four hundred years. The males of my kind mate for life. We typically become very attached to our females, so as soon as the first human females mated with us, our scientists began developing a treatment to lengthen their lives.”

She was stunned. Not only by the sudden knowledge that she would live far longer than she’d ever imagined possible, but by Jav’s statement that the males of his kind became very attached to their females. Did that mean they usually fell in love? A lump formed in her throat at the prospect.

“Do you feel as though you could eat something now?” he asked.

She nodded. “Yes, I suppose so.” She felt shy admitting she was hungry, but her stomach was rumbling, and it had been hours since she last ate anything. On the spaceship, she had helped herself to a quick snack in the kitchen, taken a shower and washed her hair, and then fallen asleep in one of the comfortable beds in the women’s quarters for the remainder of the trip.

He kissed her hand again and rose to his feet. “Stay here, sweet Leah. I’ll be back soon.”

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