Alien Commander's Bride Read Online Free Page B

“I’m going to miss you, sis,” she said, tears dripping from her eyes.
    “As a matter of fact, after the Commander claims Lexi as his bride, she is allowed to return to Earth to visit. But until the groom properly claims the bride, she must remain aboard the ship. There are no exceptions. No visitors. I hope you will understand.”
    “So, she can come visit us?” Melody asked.
    “Yes, I don’t see why not. The Draconian armada is scheduled to be here for the next ten Earth years. During that time, the brides may continue to spend time with their families on the surface of the planet. Are you prepared?” he asked Lexi.
    Lexi was anything but prepared. She wanted to run screaming from the building, as if she was being threatened by a psycho murderer. Every cell in her body was telling her to run as fast as she could away from this. But, she was trapped. She had to help her family, and this was the only way possible.
    She would rather be a dragon’s bride, than let her sister be taken into prostitution by a man like Mario. That was never going to happen. Instead, Lexi was being sold into a fate perhaps worse than being sold into Mario’s brothels.
    She took a deep breath and nodded her head in the affirmative. She still couldn’t talk. It was all too much for her. For a girl who was seldom tongue-tied and always had a smart comment, this was out of character. It was one of the most desperate moments of her life—it didn’t even feel real.
    “Well, say goodbye, and let’s get going,” the man said from behind the desk.
    Melody hugged her again, and after she released her, her father hugged her. Lexi accepted the embrace grudgingly, cringing at her disloyal father’s touch.
    “Follow me, Lexi Garcia. The transport vessel is waiting.”
    She followed the Draconian through the vast, open dome, turning one last time to wave goodbye to her family before stepping through the back door. Where they emerged was a narrow hallway with computer screens across an entire wall. The Draconian started pressing and flicking at the screens, until one of the walls slid open with a whoosh.
    “This is the transport vessel,” he said, pointing to the open door. “You will enter and wait. The doors will slide closed. You will sit in your seat and safety restraints will cover your body. You will feel the rush into space. Do not be alarmed. When the doors slide open again, you will enter the starship, and be greeted by your new mate. Do you understand?”
    Lexi bit her lip at the lecture and nodded her head. “I need your verbal confirmation,” the man said, moving toward the open door
    “I understand.” Lexi’s voice came out quivering and hoarse. She didn’t even recognize it. She cleared her throat, trying to get rid of the sound of the scared little girl hiding in the pit of her chest.
    She passed through the sliding door, and inspected the vessel within. There was one seat. The Draconian watched her sit down, and then the safety restraints automatically strapped over her body. The butterflies in her stomach had become more like charging elephants. Her stomach threatened to empty itself again, but she gulped it back down. She gripped the armrests of the chair, trying to give herself strength.
    “You’re ready for takeoff,” the man said, stepping outside the door.
    The sliding doors shut behind him, and Lexi was alone in the small craft. She felt the room began to vibrate and she gasped, crushing her eyes closed. Even though she wasn’t religious, she prayed anyway.
    The vessel suddenly shot up into the air, slamming her down into the seat. She gasped, but she could barely bring air into her lungs. It was as if she was on the fastest roller coaster that ever existed in the history of the world, taking off into outer space.
    There were no windows in the vessel, and she couldn’t see how far she had risen. Only a few moments later the violent thrust subsided. She was sailing smoothly through what she assumed was outer