Entered in the Alien Bride Lottery Read online

  And if that meant looking terrible, I was fine with it. “Good,” I said aloud. “I would rather avoid wearing any makeup at all, thanks.”

  Silvery-chick blinked at me and I realized for the first time that even her pupils were silver. “Are you certain?”

  “Absolutely.”

  She and the Poltien traded glances. “We’ll see how you feel about it after your first interview, my dear,” the Poltien said.

  Good enough for now. If I was lucky, I’d blow my introductory interview and be home on the next outbound shuttle.

  ”Let’s get you dressed in something more appropriate, shall we?” the Poltien continued.

  I glanced down at the white sundress I’d pulled out of the white closet. I hadn’t even looked in the mirror, but I was pretty sure it was completely sheer. Otherwise, I might have tried to keep it, too. ”Fine. Let’s see what you have.”

  With a wide smile, the silvery alien opened the door and wheeled in a garment rack with dresses in practically every color available. I’d watched the Bride Games often enough to know what came next. First, they’d take me to the arena to be interviewed. And then they’d whisk me off for a “makeover,” alien-style. I’d never realized how much of the makeup and wardrobe elements were planned behind the scenes first, though.

  “What are your names?” I asked as the two conferred over the clothing.

  “I’m Drindl,” the silvery alien said, pronouncing her name with a sound like a ringing bell in a way I was sure I’d never be able to reproduce.

  “And I am called Plofnid,” the Poltien said, its nostril-braid waving as it spoke. I’d always wondered what the significance of the hair from one nostril might be, but the Bride Games broadcast never focused on the various assistants beyond an occasional interview about what they did for the brides or which brides and grooms they were rooting for.

  “I think this one,” Drindl said, holding up a sleek burgundy evening outfit with a split skirt and a fitted bodice. “You’ll be able to move well in it, and it will accentuate your curves nicely.” She glanced back and forth between the dress and me. “The highlights in your hair will pick up the color, too. It’s perfect.”

  My hands reached out of their own accord to touch the silky fabric. She was absolutely right. I would look stunning in it.

  “No,” I announced. “I hate it.”

  I didn’t, of course. But I didn’t want to win this damn reality show.

  Playing to lose, I reminded myself.

  I moved to the garment rack and began flipping past the dresses, muttering to myself the entire time. “No, no, no...” Then I paused. I held my arm up next to the dress to see how the color looked against my skin. Then I pulled it off the rack entirely, gazed down the skirt, checked out the bodice, and finally held it up triumphantly. “This is the one.”

  Drindl and Plofnid gasped, covering their mouths with their hands and glancing at each other in dismay.

  The dress was a bright, turquoise blue—similar to the skin color of the guy I’d run into earlier, I thought, but then banished the idea from my mind. The fitted skirt flared out at the bottom in a mermaid style that would be virtually impossible to walk in. The sweetheart neckline had a ruffle made out of the same material that flared at the bottom.

  And the rest of it—every bit that wasn’t ruffle or flare—was covered in turquoise sequins that flashed a hot pink whenever I brushed against them.

  It was perfectly hideous.

  And it was definitely made for a blonde Barbie-doll type with a tan. It would clash with my dark hair and pale skin in ways that would make Jas wonder if I’d lost my mind.

  Assuming she was back home watching on TV—and I found myself hoping she would be. Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought of my life back on Earth.

  Drindl, catching sight of my tears, mistook the reason for them. “Oh, darling,” she called out in her bell-like voice. “There’s no need to cry. If you love the dress that much, you should absolutely wear it.”

  “Oh, yes,” Plofnid echoed. “Let’s try it on you and get it fitted.”

  I turned to hide my smile from them.

  The two aliens got me into the hideous dress and tucked and pinned until it fit me to their satisfaction.

  “Now,” Drindl said, “you’ll find your interview suit on the right-hand side of your closet. If you’ll put it on, we can style your hair, and you’ll be ready to head to the arena.”

  I put one hand to my head. As I suspected, my dark curls had gone totally frizzy as I slept. “I love my hair exactly as it is.”

  I saw Drindl swallow as she took in the wild corkscrews of hair sticking out in all direction. “I see.”

  “The natural look is in these days.” I spoke as if confiding a great secret. Drindl’s skin turned even paler, if possible. “No,” I continued, opening the closet door, “let me just pull on this interview suit and I’ll be ready to go.”

  In the closet, there were actually three suits—one black, one white, and one a dark blue, all cut to flatter the brides’ figures. I knew from viewing the Bride Games all these years that contestants usually wore the white or black one during non-Game activities.

  Play to lose.

  I was starting to enjoy it as a motto.

  I pulled the white one out. “This,” I said happily, pulling on the skirt and then the jacket.

  “Let me at least give you a little blush,” Drindl said faintly.

  “No. I want the Khanavai warriors to know exactly what they’ll be getting with me,” I replied cheerfully, digging around in the bottom of the closet until I found a pair of ugly, clompy boots.

  Plofnid whimpered in distress.

  “I’m ready. Let’s go.” When neither of my stylists moved, I swept past them, out the door and into the hall, my boots making satisfying thumps as I walked. “Which way?”

  Drindl gathered herself with visible effort and joined me. “Down the hall and to the right. Step into the first chute you see. It will take you to the arena. Vos is interviewing the brides there. You’ll see the line. Just join in at the end.”

  “Great.” I smiled a huge smile and waved goodbye, then turned and left as Plofnid joined Drindl in the hall and the two watched me, their expressions forlorn.

  The chute looked like a giant version of those tubes at bank drive-throughs, and it swept me downward as soon as I stepped into it. My stomach dropped and I swallowed against another bout of nausea.

  I can do this.

  When the opaque cylinder circled open again, I stepped out into a giant, high-ceilinged room with dozens of women and giant seats rising on one side of it, like a deranged stadium in Wonderland.

  I glanced around the room, looking for Vos. But before I saw the host of the show, I caught a glimpse of what looked like a face just withdrawing behind a turquoise blue curtain.

  Without even thinking about it, I rushed over and yanked the curtain back, revealing the same alien I’d run into in the hallway earlier.

  “I knew it was you!” The bright blue alien blinked those purple eyes once as he stared at me, apparently startled to be caught watching us.

  Then, before I could say anything else, he reached out, wrapped an arm around my waist, and dragged me up so my chest was pressed against his and my heavy boots dangled in the air.

  Without a word, he pressed his lips to mine in a kiss.

  Chapter Six

  Cav

  I pulled the human woman behind the curtain with me, letting it fall completely closed behind her. Her lips against mine felt as soft as they looked.

  Slowly, I began moving my mouth against hers, running my tongue lightly over the seam of her lips until they parted, allowing me entry. At the taste of her, sugary-sweet and slightly minty, I growled deep in my throat, a sound of possession. If her mouth was this delectable, how might the rest of her taste?

  Her body molded to mine perfectly, and I slipped one arm down to clasp her ass, its fullness filling my hand. I wanted her closer, need
ed her skin against mine.

  She placed her palms against my chest, the touch of them cool against my overheated skin.

  If I’d been able to, I would have taken her there, made her mine, completed my ownership of her so no other warrior would ever touch her.

  For a heartbeat, everything was perfect.

  Then she kicked me.

  The thump against my knee sent a sharp pain shooting up and down my leg. Her boots were thicker than I would have anticipated, and my knees buckled with the pain—luckily, since she followed up that kick with others. I drew back in surprise, blinking and tightening my hold on her.

  “What the Zagrodnian hells, woman?” I hissed.

  “Put me down, you...you blue beast!” she practically shouted. “What do you mean, what the hell? That’s my line.” By now, she was kicking with both feet, and about half her shots were landing, so I dropped her to the floor—but I didn’t let go of her. Now that I had her, I was never letting her go.

  Well, not until she used those inordinately heavy boots to stomp on my feet.

  Not that she was likely to hurt me while I wore my dress uniform. My boots were bigger, stronger, and better fortified even than the ones she wore.

  She figured that out quickly enough, and changed her aim once again, this time in an attempt to connect with my shins. She wasn’t battle-trained, though, and telegraphed her next move clearly enough that I was able to dance out of the way without letting go of her waist.

  A snort behind me reminded me of Zont’s presence, and I glared back at him. “Why don’t you do something useful?”

  Zont covered his mouth with one hand, his eyes dancing above it. “Looks like you have everything under control, brother” he managed to gasp out, his eyes streaming with suppressed laughter.

  “I said, let. Me. GO.” The woman pushed her palms against my chest, straining as far back over my imprisoning arm as she could.

  That kiss had been perfect. Why was she so upset?

  A horrible thought hit me. “Promise not to run away if I let you go?”

  “I’m not going to promise that.”

  Wait. Was she somehow...not interested in me?

  “Tell me your name. If you tell me your name, I’ll let you go,” I said.

  She glared at me suspiciously but finally answered. “Natalie Ferguson.” As I released her from my iron grip, she muttered, almost as if to herself, “It’s not like you couldn’t find out, anyway.”

  I rolled her name around in my mouth, tasting the texture of the unfamiliar combination of sounds. “Nat-alief-ergu-son.”

  The look she flashed me was as full of venom as a Tarble’s attack-pouch. “Just Natalie will do.”

  Natalie. Her name was almost as lush as she was. “It’s beautiful.”

  She puffed out her cheeks and blew out a breath as she shook her head. I hadn’t taken any courses in Earther non-verbal communication, so I wasn’t sure if this was a way of expressing thanks for the sentiment. If so, her expression didn’t convey the same message, and I’d been given to understand that human and Khanavai facial expressions were remarkably similar.

  Without another word, she spun around and marched through the break in the curtains, out to the main arena. I moved to follow her, but Zont put a restraining hand on my arm.

  “We’re less likely to get kicked out if we watch from the stands,” he suggested.

  I peered out through the curtains. “Looks like she’s headed over for her interview.”

  Zont snickered. “Then by all means, let’s go watch.”

  His amusement at my decision to take the human Natalie as a mate left me scowling as I followed him to the stands, staying behind the curtain as long as possible. After that, we simply strode across the arena floor as if we belonged there. No one asked any questions as we made our way to the section in the stands nearest the interview area.

  “Will we be able to hear her?” I asked as I dropped into a seat next to Zont.

  “Standard audio-visual mode,” he said aloud, and a holo-viewscreen activated in front of his seat. I followed his example, delighted to discover that the Bride Games had installed the latest technology. Not surprising, since the Bride Games were the most popular entertainment in Khanavai space.

  I waved my hand to move through the channels focused on the arena below until I came to the interview section, then split the screen between the actual interviews and an image of the bride contestants in line for their turn.

  My Natalie stood at the end of the line, arms crossed and a fierce expression on her face.

  She’s more beautiful than an Anderovian Nebula.

  Zont glanced at me. “Decided on that one, I see.”

  “She’s mine.” I spoke simply, but I knew it to be the absolute truth.

  “I’m not sure she’s aware of that yet.” Zont’s tone was mild, but I could hear the laughter bubbling up under his voice.

  “It doesn’t matter if she knows it yet or not. By the end of the Bride Games, I will make sure she knows it.”

  “Hmm.”

  I glanced over at my companion, but he was studiously examining some of the other brides in line. I decided to let his skeptical noise pass without comment. “See anyone you like?”

  He shrugged. “They’re all lovely. But no, there isn’t yet one who’s caught my eye.”

  A moment of sympathy flashed through me. It must be difficult for him to be choosing a bride without knowing for certain which one he wanted.

  The line inched forward as the next bride moved up to be interviewed. I tapped my foot impatiently, then realized I was echoing my Natalie’s impatience as she stood waiting her turn.

  Without warning, my screen went blank for a moment. When it came back on, it showed Vos Klavoii standing in front of an image of an Earther cityscape. “Warriors and women,” he began, “Earthers and Khanavai, we have an exciting new development in this year’s Bride Games. Apparently, one of our contestants has run. That’s right—for the first time in all the years we’ve been holding the lottery, a bride has, as the Earthers sometimes say, gone on the lam.”

  A gasp went up at the announcement and the brides on the arena floor began chattering among themselves.

  “A runner?” Zont looked thoughtful. “How did she manage that?”

  On the screen, Vos continued talking as the screen behind him changed to show a pretty Earther with long blonde hair, dark green eyes, and an engaging smile. “Amelia Rivers is now a wanted fugitive on Earth. She’s originally from Dallas, Texas, but was most recently seen in Las Vegas, Nevada.” He pitched his voice a little lower. “For those Khanavai watching, that’s in the United States, a country in what the Earthers call the North American continent.”

  Get on with it. I want to see Natalie’s interview.

  I tried to contain my impatience as Vos continued talking, outlining several other facts about the runaway bride.

  “Las Vegas,” Zont said slowly. “Isn’t that the pleasure city?”

  Who cared? It was almost Natalie’s turn to be interviewed.

  I sighed in relief when Vos finally stopped talking and the screen went back to its previous view.

  And then my Natalie stepped up to the interview space.

  Chapter Seven

  Natalie

  My mind was still reeling from the information that a bride had run when I stepped up in front of the giant green-screen background.

  “And now let’s give Lottery Bride winner Natalie Ferguson a warm Khanavai welcome!” Vos Klavoii’s cheerful voice followed by the canned recording of a bunch of male voices roaring almost cut through the strange mental haze I found myself in. I gave a distracted nod to the host.

  “So tell us, Natalie,” he continued, “what are you thinking right now as you join the Bride Games?”

  I answered without thinking. “I’m wishing I had thought to run.”

  My response shocked Vos into an unusual-for-him silence. He spluttered for a second before finally saying, “But
becoming a Khanavai warrior’s bride is an honor.”

  “For other women, maybe,” I shot back. “But I liked my life back home. I want to finish my college degree, get a job, and then maybe find someone to settle down with. Maybe. I’m not sure I want to get married at all.” The longer I spoke, the quieter the arena got.

  Shit. I probably shouldn’t be saying all this. But I needed to get it out.

  “What about your planet’s treaty with the Khanavai? Their agreement to protect Earth?” Vos’s voice dropped, became more intimate. I knew it was a calculated move, an example of showmanship designed to lure me into his confidence, but I found myself leaning toward him, anyway. “What about the warriors who are willing to give their lives to keep you safe? Don’t they deserve some reward?”

  At his last line, I jerked away from him again. “I’m not some prize to be given away on a whim.”

  Vos laughed aloud, turning back to face the camera. “You heard it from her, warriors and women. Natalie Ferguson is no prize.”

  I glared at him for a moment, then simply walked off the small set. Anger flared through me at him, at the situation, at all Khanavai in general. When I saw Drindl and Plofnid waiting for me, I scowled at them both. Drindl began fluttering and singing out instructions in her bell tones, but I ignored her and kept walking toward the nearest elevator tube.

  I was almost there when something drew my attention to the stands, a prickling on the back of my neck telling me someone’s eyes were on me. There, in the seats, sat the blue alien who’d kissed me. He watched me intently, his intense gaze holding mine for a long second until I managed to break the connection.

  What the hell was his deal, anyway?

  That’s when my two handlers caught up with me.

  “We’re headed to the makeover stage now,” Plofnid told me, reaching up to take my hand and pull me toward the transportation tube.

  “Who is that?” I asked, jerking my chin toward the stands. “The blue one.”

  “Oh,” Drindl sighed. “That’s Cav Adredoni. One of the grooms. He’s a Lieutenant in the Earth Defense Force. One of this season’s most eligible bachelors.”