Page 6 of Saved By My Alien Husband

5

HAVEN

M y trusted advisor and guard, Mavel, raised an eyebrow as we approached, his gaze settling on Delphine with curiosity and a glimmer of approval. “You must be our new princess, Delphine? The prince told us of your marriage. Hello, I am Mavel.”

“H-Hi,” Delphine said with a soft wave, her voice wavering for a moment. “It's good to speak with you. I've seen you in Haven's life for so long, but could not talk to you.”

I slipped my arm around her, pulling her close. My princess, my wife, I'm so glad to be here, finally. There were two dozen other Eldrin surrounding us, guards wearing flexible black armor, while I was in dark green. Finally, I'd get to save her. For the past decade, it was a recurring nightmare, thinking we'd get her too late to save her and our genetic ancestors. The other humans were part of a package deal, of course, my father wouldn't have ever let us leave without offering our help to them, but I knew they'd get a much better life out of the situation because of my love for my princess.

Turning, I looked at Delphine's human warriors, protectors I remembered she called them. Their gazes held too much aggression for my liking, but I understood why they felt threatened. “Hello, humans of Earth. I am Haven, Prince of the Eldrin. I intend you no harm.”

The humans were fifty feet away. Two men stood at the front, seemingly in a position of respect and power, surrounded by a group of about thirty other men and women in uniform. One was older with grey and black hair, the other with brown cropped hair and a full beard. Their weapons were trained on us, fingers tense by what must be the release buttons. The Eldrin had already formed a defensive line around us, their weapons at the ready—living firearms, intricate and dark, more organic than human weaponry. I was more of a knife person myself, easier to hide, but I appreciated what our shooters could do in an emergency.

Guns , I remembered from my lessons and the psychic transference from Parvati.

The older of the two leaders was the first to speak, stepping forward with his weapon pointed at me.

My guards closed in, covering us.

“Get off of our planet,” the older leader ordered, his cold voice projected out to me on the wind, and a spark of anger ignited in me at his words. “I don’t know what the girl has promised you, but you cannot stay here. We do not have enough resources, and what we have, we will fight for.”

The girl. That was what he called her? My fingers twitched, but I kept my face neutral. Delphine bristled beside me, and I felt her surge of indignation as if it were my own.

Despite Mavel's protest, I stepped around him, my voice adopting a calm yet firm tone with a subtle hint of steel. “I intend to help, sir…?” I waited, making it clear that I wanted his name.

The man met my gaze without flinching. “Leader Michael Waldrin. I am the leader of this survivor's dome and representative of the Organization in North America. You have me to answer to on this continent,” he declared, trying to maintain an air of authority despite the doubt in some of his people’s eyes. They looked on, their expressions flickering between hope and fear, their uncertainty echoing around us. They may not know I came here to help them, but they knew I could.

Good.

“Thank you, Michael, for keeping my princess safe while I came for her. For that, you have my appreciation,” I replied, my sincerity unwavering, despite his clear hostility. Hopefully, he treated her with respect, despite how he acted now out of fear. He'd get this one chance to prove he was worth his position. Delphine's hand gripped the back of my flexible armor. Despite my sincerity in wanting to help, my body shielded hers protectively, just in case.

Michael’s face contorted in confusion. “Delphine Lastly is the princess of an alien race?” He glanced at the man beside him as if he had the answers, but he merely shrugged with a furrowed brow. There was a tension between them that hinted at something else, but I didn’t need or want the details.

Delphine straightened, that fierce fire I loved sparking in her eyes. “You're damn right I am, Michael,” she snarled, voice hard with defiance. “I bet you’re regretting treating me like shit now, aren’t you?”

The corner of my mouth lifted at her confidence, before what he said settled into me. I tightened my grip on her hand. He failed the test so quickly. “Princess, how exactly did this older man of authority treat you?”

“I'll tell you once we get the cats. Can we do that now and leave these idiots behind?” she asked hopefully.

I was about to respond when Mavel coughed lightly behind me, and I turned as he leaned in. He murmured in a low voice, “Your father radioed that he'd be down in a few minutes and to get negotiations started.”

I sighed, frustration bubbling as I adjusted my approach. This was a test for me too.

“Michael,” I said, addressing him with patient diplomacy. “Why don’t we go inside so I can help my princess gather her things, and then we’ll talk about these precious resources and how we might help each other?”

Delphine’s lips thinned. Unfortunately, she wouldn't get the quick exit she desired.

Our talks stretched on, but they soon came to an agreement that allowed us inside, with some of my guards remaining as informal hostages under the humans’ watch should we try to trick them. It was tense, coming to these terms, but they folded when it was clear their human threats weren’t intimidating. We held the key to their survival, not the other way around.

As we moved toward the dome, a mixture of nerves and exhilaration flickered across Delphine’s face. It was understandable; her entire life was shifting today. She led the way, her chin raised, though a storm of emotions brewed in her eyes. Daryl and the other man followed closely, and I noted the silent exchange between her and him. Interesting.

I paid attention as we walked, my nose flaring, catching a familiar scent between Delphine and the man.

A moment later, I understood the tension between them. This was Daryl, her roommate, the one who touched her when I couldn't.

Well, he too lost his chance. Delphine was my wife now, and he would never touch her again.

Tucking her closer to me, I wrapped my arm around her waist. Mine . Never his again.

When we passed a vehicle right outside the dome, the thing looked worse for wear, its frame dented. I let out a low laugh, immediately guessing who was responsible.

“I did what I had to do,” she defended, but her lip tugged up in a half smile.

The admiration in my tone was clear. “There are no doubts in my mind that you can do anything you set your mind to,” I replied, kissing the top of her head. Her warmth against me, and the way she fit by my side, helped slowly chip away at the anxiety that was in my chest as we approached her planet. I looked forward to this for so long, but I'll admit I was nervous that she'd reject me once I was actually here. It's one thing to play with an alien in your dreams, and another entirely to marry him and stay confined to a ship for the rest of your life.

Walking inside the dome, the air was stale, unnatural. All the colors seemed muted, and too many items and buildings were made of sharp edges. It was as foreign to me as I imagined my ship must be to her. But here, these people had seen her as nothing more than a pawn—a “girl.” With me, she was something more, and I was determined that she would always be more.

This place might have felt like a cage to her, but I intended to show her freedom, to give her a future where she was the one in charge.