Page 46 of Invasion of Sorority Z

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re the best?”

He touches his chest, petting the soul seed inside of it. “I have never heard such words, no.”

The words hold such a deep longing inside of them. Longing that makes my heart feel like a pudding sack I could slip out of my body just to give it to Marrec. He has done so many things for his people and no one has sung his praises to the sky?

I know he receives compliments and boasts on his behalf, of course. I’ve seen Rem do it firsthand. That big blue jokester is practically his biggest fan. If they weren’t best friends, I imagine that Rem would stalk my poor mate.

But compliments aren’t the same as being truly treasured. His parents should have told him he was the best, dammit. He saved his entire planet before he was even an adult. He rescued smaller planets even before that. When I was fourteen, I was writing fanfiction on Tumblr about characters fromSupernatural.Marrec was slaying oppressive alien governments with hardly any help. He built an army forgoodreasons. My mate… he mesmerizes me.

I am going to try like I’ve never tried anything before to make sure this man—my man—is cherished beyond measure. I’m not sure that I’ve ever been motivated to do anything more.

He loves my garden, dotes on me, is going to bring heaps of books to his planet just for me, and he adores me. I adore him right freaking back.

I lift my chin. “Well, get used to it. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Marrec. And not just because of the books. Because of everything.”

He lifts me up by my waist and pulls me close. Our lips seal together and my stomach flips. My chest feels warm as a moan falls from my lips, vibrating against his.

My mate pulls our mouths apart reluctantly. “Come, my Stee-vee. I wish to have you in my home—in my bed—as quickly as I can. Let us do thisshaw-ping.”

“Shopping,” I correct, giggling at his accented attempt. From the corner of my eye, I see the grocery store and grab Marrec’s hand. “Ready?” Nodding to it, I ask, “How do we do this? Do you like, clear the building or something?”

He chuckles. “We only need to walk in, my mate. The zom-bays can sense me as a predator. They will scurry away.”

My mouth parts. “What? They’ll scurry away? How the heck do you hunt the things if they’re running from the sight of you?”

A playful smirk lifts his lips. “Aprixians are quite fast on our feet.”

“Of course.” My eyes roll, but it’s entirely playful. “All rightMr. Perfect Protector Man, let’s go see what we’re working with.”

At first glance, it would seem we aren’t working with much. While the old store looks pretty untouched from the outside, it’s messy and not containing much on the inside. Secretly, I cross the fingers that aren’t in Marrec’s hold as we walk deeper inside, heading toward the back.

“Hu-nim stores are strange,” my mate teases, breaking a tension I didn’t realize had set in.

I breathe out and offer a smile. “They aren’t typically this messy.”

“I imagine there were once more hu-nim survivors. I do not sense heartbeats nearby, but perhaps they have gone elsewhere.”Or died.He doesn’t say it, but we both know it’s the more likely scenario.

We turn a corner, and my eyes widen. There’s an entire section of alcohol left untouched. A strange assortment of beer and wine, just sitting on the shelves.

“Your pretty eyes have gone big,” Marrec comments, his voice soft. “Have you found what you wish for, my blossom?”

“Yeah,” I whisper, almost a little emotional about it. It’s a small thing, but something that will surely make the girls smile.

Clearly, it’s not a necessity, given how much of it remains on the shelf. I doubt many people were willing to risk death for a chance at a six pack or a couple of bottles of red. I can’t imagine how many people have come through this very store since the breakout, looking for items to survive while fearing for their lives. If I could be more thankful for Marrec, I would be. There really isn’t anything more precious than feeling safe and cared for.

We grab a few bottles each, and miraculously find some shampoo and hair conditioner as well. On the way out, I grab a shopping cart, put our items in it, and tell Marrec we’ll use it to lug everything back to the ship. He declares me to be the cleverest of all mates, and himself to be the luckiest. It’s adorable, of course.

The bookstore is only a short walk away, and my desire to find some readable paperbacks becomes more of a realistic hope when I see the building up close. It looks almost entirely untouched.

“Ahh,” Marrec hums. “This must be your store of dreams, Stee-vee?” He doesn’t wait for an answer before flinging the door open and shoving the shopping cart through the narrow entrance. “Introduce me to your stories, my mate?” He offers out his hand once more.

I take it. “Gladly.”

I’m not sure how long we get lost in the nearly perfectly intact stacks, roaming the shelves all while I explain each genre and some of my favorite titles. Marrec listens intently the whole time, hanging on my every word, and even asking questions. In a way, it’s sort of like a first date. A messed up, post-apocalyptic date with an alien sweetheart. And the best date I’ve ever been on.

We leave with an overflowing cart, heavy with books, and my full heart beating so hard in my chest.

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