Page 8 of Lorrd
Blaire and Harlow might be happy with their mates, but there was no guarantee that all Vaxxlian males were sweet, honorable, and protective.
The firm command Lorrd had issued moments earlier echoed in Wren’s mind.Pack your things if you haven’t already.All three of you.I’d like to leave for New Vaxx immediately.
She didn’t understand.Did he really intend to bring Emmy and Myles with him?Why?Was it because he assumed they were her friends or family?
She hadn’t provided those kinds of details in her VAMOB application—only her name, age, location, and a list of hobbies.
He didn’t know she was on the run from Harmony guards.
He didn’t know she’d recently escaped a cult.
And he certainly didn’t know she was desperate not to be dragged back to that horrible compound.
She cleared her throat and tried to summon the courage to speak.
“I am pleased to meet you as well, Lorrd,” she said, though her voice quavered more than she would have liked.“But, um, what do you mean?”She glanced at Emmy and Myles, both of whom looked equally shocked.“Are you truly offering to bring all three of us back to New Vaxx?”
Lorrd glanced over his shoulder at the door, then fixed an unnervingly direct look upon her.A stern look.She fought the urge to cower.
“Yes, I am offering to bring all three of you to New Vaxx.”His voice held a note of impatience that further rattled her, and she began to seriously worry she’d made a terrible mistake.
Was it too late to back out of the Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides program?
If she announced she’d changed her mind—if she said she no longer wanted to become his mate—would he still force her to leave?
Would he kidnap her and take her to his alien planet?
Lorrd glanced at Myles and Emmy.“I am Lorrd, and I am pleased to meet the two of you as well,” he said, even though they obviously already knew his name.But proper introductions hadn’t been made yet, not really, and Lorrd peered at the elderly couple with a questioning look.
“Hello there, Lorrd,” Myles said with a huge grin.“We’re delighted to have you visit our little corner of Earth.I’m Myles, and this is my wife, Emmy.”
Emmy smiled, waved, and muttered a greeting that Wren didn’t quite catch because her pulse was suddenly pounding in her ears.Perhaps it was because she felt a tad embarrassed that she’d spoken very little thus far, and she’d also failed to introduce Lorrd to her new friends.She hoped he would overlook her temporary lapse in manners.
“It’s very kind of you to offer to bring us to New Vaxx, young man,” Emmy said.“Why, I must admit, my husband Myles and I weren’t expecting to receive such a generous offer.”
“I cannot leave my mate’s grandparents in a dangerous situation on Earth.In addition to the encroaching conflict from the nearby towns, there’s that group of armed human males across the street who seem to pose a threat.”Lorrd frowned at the old-fashioned shotgun in Myles’s hands.“I mean no offense, but I don’t believe you’d be able to defend yourselves against either of those dangers.”
“Grandparents?”Emmy chuckled.“Myles and I were never blessed with children or grandchildren—not that we wouldn’t be happy to claim Wren as ours.We just like to help runaways from Harmony out whenever we can.Well, maybe runaways isn’t the right word.Hm.Escapees?Yes, escapees sounds a lot better.”
The tips of Wren’s ears burned.Why was she letting Emmy do most of the talking?She felt like a fool for having said only a few words to Lorrd so far.Never mind that she was still worried she’d made a mistake by signing up for VAMOB.Never mind that she was still having second thoughts.
“Forgive me for the error.I assumed you were Wren’s grandparents,” Lorrd said, a touch of confusion in his voice.He squinted slightly and peered from Wren to Emmy and Myles, then back again, as if just realizing she didn’t resemble them in the slightest.
Wren flushed when he stared at her unblinkingly, his glowing green eyes so alien… yet so beautiful.
“What is Harmony?Lorrd asked suddenly.“Is it one of the towns currently under attack by the rebels?What about the identity of the armed males across the street?I would like answers.”
Wren cringed inwardly.Did they really have to do this now?Must she admit to her Vaxxlian mate, only minutes after meeting him, that she had recently run away from a repressive cult?
It wasn’t her fault, she reminded herself.Her parents had forced her to move to Harmony when she was a child.She’d had no choice in the matter.
But even though she wasn’t yet sure she wanted to go through with becoming Lorrd’s mate, she still hesitated to unload her entire dark backstory on him during the first few minutes of their acquaintance.She had hoped to make a good first impression on the alien male that the VAMOB program had matched her with.
Emmy drew in a long breath, clearly preparing to answer Lorrd’s questions, but Wren decided it might be best if she spoke instead.She stepped forward, just one small step, and immediately felt the waves of heat radiating from the huge otherworldly male.
Her neck strained as she looked up at him, but she didn’t back away.If anything, she wanted to move even closer, though she didn’t quite dare.
She forced herself to hold his gaze, which wasn’t easy because his stare was intense, and he rarely blinked.
