Page 7 of Lorrd
He stepped onto the bakery’s porch and looked for a button near the door.Finding one, he pressed it, and a melodious chime echoed inside the house.
The door creaked open, revealing the scowling face of an elderly man.But as soon as the man met Lorrd’s gaze, his expression softened.He stepped back and flung the door open wide.“Welcome, my otherworldly friend!Please hurry inside before those scoundrels across the street try to get in.”
Lorrd slipped through the doorway, which was no small feat given his massive size compared to most humans.He immediately noticed the elderly man was gripping an archaic weapon of some kind.The man slammed the door shut and locked it with frantic efficiency.
Clearly, the armed men across the street posed a problem.If they were bothering Wren’s family, he resolved that he would deal with them before he brought her back to New Vaxx.
He turned and scanned the small room… until he met the same dark brown eyes he’d glimpsed through the upstairs window.
Wren.It had to be her.
Star God, she was breathtakingly beautiful.She had long black tresses, a warm brown complexion, and the tiniest, most adorable nose he’d ever seen on a female.
How strange.He’d never considered noses to be cute.Yet now, he felt an overwhelming urge to gather her in his arms and nuzzle his nose to hers.
But her eyes.They were her most striking feature of all.Deep brown, utterly soulful, and difficult to look away from.His mouth went dry.For a moment, he couldn’t speak.
At last, he managed, “Hello, Wren.I am your assigned mate, Lorrd, and I am pleased to meet you.”Remembering that his bride didn’t speak Galactic Common, he used English, an Earth language he was grateful to have taught himself after the war, a hobby he’d taken up with Warrin and Balarr.
The man who’d opened the door moved to stand next to an elderly woman Lorrd hadn’t noticed until now, and he realized they must be husband and wife.Perhaps they were Wren’s grandparents.
But Lorrd’s attention was focused on Wren.
Lovely, petite, trembling Wren.
Why was she shaking?
Wasn’t she happy to meet him?Doubts crept into his mind.Perhaps he’d made a mistake.Maybe he shouldn’t have let Warrin—and Balarr, to a lesser extent—talk him into signing up for the VAMOB program and coming to Earth.
What would he do if Wren rejected him?
A blast sounded in the distance, and the building quaked.Wren and the elderly woman gasped, while the man simply cursed and mumbled something about ‘power-hungry rebels.’
Lorrd growled and lifted his wrist comm, issuing a verbal command to display a 3D holographic image of the radar screen from his ship.A new area of conflict had appeared to the south, though thankfully, it wasn’t close enough to Hillsboro to pose an immediate threat.
“Don’t be frightened.”He lowered his wrist, and the 3D holographic image vanished.“The fighting isn’t very close.I am certain we will be able to depart this town—and Earth entirely—before the conflict reaches this area.”
Wren’s expression darkened, and she cast a glance at the elderly man and woman.Then Lorrd experienced a stab of guilt.How could he, in good conscience, abandon Wren’s family to the misery and chaos of war?The archaic weapon in the elderly man’s hands would be no match for the so-called “power-hungry rebels” who had shaken the ground, or for the armed males across the street.
But what was Lorrd supposed to do?Was he really supposed to offer safe passage to this elderly couple and bring them back to New Vaxx?He frowned at the thought of hosting unexpected guests in his home.Yet when he gazed into his mate’s bottomless brown eyes, he couldn’t imagine leaving anyone behind that she cared about… not on a failing planet.
Though Wren hadn’t yet spoken to him—perhaps she was shocked by his sudden arrival, or maybe she was shaken by the nearby fighting—he reached a decision.He would take the whole town of Hillsboro back to New Vaxx if that was what it would take.If only she would agree to become his mate and return to Starzzia with him.
If only she would speak to him.
If only she would say his name.
What he wouldn’t give to hear her voice.He imagined it would be soft, sweet, and maybe even musical.
“Pack your things if you haven’t already,” he said in a commanding tone as he stood taller, unable to help falling back into the habit of taking charge during times of battle—never mind that a battle wasn’t taking place in Hillsboro… yet.“All three of you.I’d like to leave for New Vaxx immediately.”
Chapter5
The Vaxxlian warriornamed Lorrd was huge.He was so tall, he’d had to duck when he entered the bakery, and his head nearly touched the ceiling.He was also exceedingly muscular.Tight black pants and an equally snug shirt clung to his massive frame, emphasizing his brawn.
What if he wasn’t a good man?
What if the commercial was wrong?
