Wexxon the Great Alien Warrior - Juno Wells Page 0,10

crying, tears once again rolling down her cheeks. “I’m not like you, Wexxon. I wasn’t…I’m not made for battle. Wherever you mark me, it’s going to hurt. It’s going to scar.”

“It’s supposed to scar, little warrior,” I murmured again. “That’s how we mark each other. That’s how everyone will know that we belong to each other.”

“I don’t…” Rachel sobbed before she silently offered me her arm. She then pointed toward the area closer to her wrist as she wept through her reply. “There. Right there. I…I used to want to get a tattoo when I was in high school. And I remember something about how getting a tattoo on your forearm hurts a lot less than other places—Fuck!”

I’d sliced through her skin with the blade as she spoke, hoping that she’d been distracted enough to not feel as much pain. And as she bled, I held out my hand, Grindeem soon placing a white cloth in my palm. I took my time wrapping her wound, enjoying the feel of her arm underneath my fingers, the warmth that seemed to constantly emanate from her frame.

And then I offered my arm out to her in return, waiting for her to slice me with the blade.

Rachel sobbed again as she gently brought the blade down on my forearm, its edge barely leaving a mark on my skin.

“Harder, little warrior,” I instructed, keeping my eye on my forearm. “You have to make me bleed. Just like you.”

“I don’t know if I can—”

“Yes, you can,” I interrupted her, with a wide grin. “Do not forget that I’ve seen exactly what you can do, little warrior.”

Rachel closed her eyes as she took in a deep, shuddering breath. And then she brought the blade down against my forearm for a second time, this strike drawing blood within seconds of the blade meeting my skin.

“There you are, little warrior.” I smiled as I watched Grindeem hand Rachel a white cloth.

And by the time she opened her eyes, she was already wrapping my wound, too. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…”

“What are you apologizing for?” I asked. “This mark is how you know you are mine.”

“This just isn’t how we do things where I come from,” she replied. “Marriage ceremonies are a lot less blades and blood, and a lot more expensive wedding dresses and steak dinners.”

“Steak dinners?”

“Nothing. It doesn’t matter.” Rachel sniffled as she moved away from me, the cloth firmly wrapped around my skin.

“You are now wed.” Grindeem beamed back at the both of us before he motioned toward the church door. “Now, be on your way. And may the light of Xelxar’s moons shine upon your union for the length of a thousand suns.”

Chapter Four

Rachel

Married.

I was fucking married.

Marsha was going to be so disappointed in me.

It was the only thing I could think as Wexxon walked us back to his home; or at least, I assumed we were going back to his home. I was still wearing the heavy robe from the ceremony, even though I wanted nothing more than to pull it away from my skin. My messenger bag was concealed underneath. Just in case.

I was so tired of the heavy feeling that came with everything related to Xelxar, everything related to Wexxon, too.

Although as Wexxon stopped in his tracks, a few feet away from a wide, silver structure so large and so tall that the very top floor of the place seemed to brush against the clouds, my thoughts suddenly changed their focus.

Huh.

It looked just like a castle.

The more I stared at the structure, the more it reminded me of all those fairytales my mom used to read to me when I was just a little kid, hoping and dreaming about marrying a handsome prince and maybe being able to live in a castle of my own someday, hoping that her and my father would be able to live there, too.

“Is this…” I started and stopped my sentence, my attention so taken with the building. “Do you live here?”

“Yes.” Wexxon nodded before he flashed me a small smile. “It is customary that the greatest warrior on Xelxar inherit the largest of homes.”

“…So, you live here all by yourself?” I murmured.

“No,” Wexxon replied, a look of remorse rolling over his features. “Which is why I wanted to prepare you for entry.”

“What’s there to prepare me for? How to figure out the floor plan?” I tried making light of the situation, even though I was starting to feel absolutely nauseous about everything.

“There are…” Wexxon paused as he tilted his