Page 29 of Lorrd
“I’m not your bride.”She lifted her chin and summoned an air of defiance she’d never dared reveal in his presence until now.“I am mated to a Vaxxlian warrior named Lorrd.We have fully consummated our mating union, and I intend to live with him on New Vaxx.In case you weren’t aware, Vaxxlians mate for life.”
His features twisted with disgust, and he paused a few feet away from her.He also seemed to notice her attire for the first time—Lorrd’s black shirt that reached her knees—and his scowl deepened.“Doesn’t matter.You’re still going to be mine.I already made the arrangements with your father, and he was planning to tell you soon.This Lorrd of yours will have to find another human female willing to warm his bed.Your place is in Harmony.As my bride.Of course, you’ll have to be punished for leaving.But if you repent and beg for forgiveness, I might show you some leniency—a month of shunning rather than a full year, no hard labor, and only a week wearing the Shroud of Disgrace.How does that sound to you, Wren?”
His words repulsed her.She wished Lorrd were here.If he were in the cargo bay with her, she wouldn’t be so afraid.Despite her fear, however, she kept her chin lifted high and she tried to maintain that air of defiance she’d summoned moments ago.She thought of how meek and compliant his last wife had been.Perhaps if the Prophet believed she was too rebellious, he wouldn’t want her anymore.
“It sounds unacceptable,” she finally replied.“I refuse to become your wife, and I demand that you return me to my mate.Immediately.”
“I have no intention of returning you to that Vaxxlian scum of yours.That demon.”
“Lorrd is not a demon.Aliens aren’t demons,” she said, and God, it felt good to openly defy his teachings.“They’re individuals just like you and me.I care about Lorrd, and he cares for me, and we want to be together.Wewillbe together.Any second now, and my mate will attack your ship.He’s a highly intelligent engineer and a strong warrior.You won’t stand a chance against him.”She hoped she wasn’t bluffing.Yes, Lorrd was a highly intelligent engineer and a strong warrior, but if he wasn’t able to track her location, she might be doomed regardless.
She reminded herself that at least he knew where Harmony was.Eventually, he would find her.Unless the Prophet decided to hide her somewhere else until he believed Lorrd had given up searching for her.This thought caused her stomach to twist further.
A cruel smile spread across the Prophet’s face.“Your mate will never find you.”He scoffed.“Until Poseidon has dealt with your mate—by killing him—I will keep you hidden.”
Poseidon.How the hell could he afford to pay the planetary broadcast system to do his dirty work?
Worry for Lorrd made her feel sick.She would be heartbroken if she never saw him again.She would also be devastated if anything happened to him.She prayed the Prophet’s nefarious plans would fail.
“How did you pay Poseidon in the first place?”she asked.“I know you sent them one hundred thousand galactic credits.I know that not long after you paid them, they infected Lorrd’s ship with a virus to keep him from leaving Earth with me.Where did you get that kind of money?”
He paled a bit, and his eyes slowly widened with shock.
“How did you know about that?”he eventually snapped.
“My mate.He figured it out.”She smirked at him, and she didn’t believe he would answer her questions, but she was surprised when he did.But she should’ve known he wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to gloat.
His lips twisted with another cruel smile, and icy dread swept through her.“Very well.You want to know where I got the money?”He laughed.“My followers.Every household who joins the Order of Harmony must sell most of their belongings first, then turn all their assets over to the compound.Your parents did it.Furthermore, the residents of Harmony who have remote jobs—like your father who still works for that accounting firm—must turn over their salary directly to the compound.The money adds up, and when I really need to track a runaway down, I’m always able to do so.Some runaways aren’t worth chasing.But you are.As I’ve already said, I intend to take you as my bride.You should be honored.”
Disgust rolled through Wren.What fools her parents had been to give everything to a man like the Prophet, a man who used the funds for his own selfish needs—like trying to acquire a bride who wanted nothing to do with him.She was young enough to be his granddaughter, for goodness’ sake.And her parents?How dare they agree to hand her over to the Prophet?
Wren opened her mouth, ready to offer a sharp-tongued retort, when the air to her left shimmered… and a familiar Vaxxlian warrior appeared.
Lorrd.
He’d found her!
He’d come for her.
Just as she’d known he would.
He immediately pointed a blaster at the Prophet.Then he glanced over at her, his gaze sweeping up and down her body in a frantic manner, his eyes flashing with concern.
“I’m okay,” she whispered, offering him a small smile.The relief rushing through her was so profound, she almost had to take a seat on the cold floor of the cargo bay.
“This is outrageous!”The Prophet screamed.“You don’t have the authorization to board this vessel.When I tell the captain what you’ve done?—”
Lorrd suddenly released a thunderous roar and charged at the Prophet.But rather than shoot the evil man with his blaster, he slammed it into the side of his skull.
Wren covered a gasp as she watched her mate violently drag the Prophet—who was flailing piteously—behind one of the large storage containers.
It happened fast.She heard another thump, as though Lorrd had struck the Prophet with his blaster again, followed by a sickening choking noise.Then… deathly silence.
Lorrd emerged from behind the storage container, his expression grave.But when his eyes met hers, his visage softened, and he rushed to her and took her in his arms.
“I promise I’m fine,” she said.“He didn’t touch me.You got here in time.”
“Wren, I am so happy to have you back in my arms.Where you belong.”He leaned down and nuzzled his nose to hers, his sudden tenderness a sharp contrast to the violence he’d just inflicted on the Prophet.
