What if he doesn’t like humans?
My mouth goes dry.
What if he doesn’t like abstinence?
Like all humans, I was kidnapped for a very specific reason—to serve as a bed slave. And while my old master owned enough slaves that I didn’t have to visit his bed very often, I still found it utterly distasteful. I cried a lot, until I realized he liked my tears, and then I learned not to have any reaction at all. That got me sold off and led to my eventual freedom here on Risda. If I have to have more unpleasant alien sex to get by, I suppose I can, but I prefer not to. What if she can’t find someone nice for me? What if her version of nice is very different than mine?
Perhaps…perhaps I should call this off. Maybe I can message Bethiah and tell her I’ve changed my mind. That this isn’t safe, just like she cautioned me, and I’ve re-thought things through—
There’s a knock at the door.
My heart jumps into my throat.
It’s too late—she’s here with my new mate.
I force myself to slowly get to my feet. I smooth my clothing. Run a hand over my stupid, stupid hair. Take three deep breaths to compose myself. Then, I walk to the door and—
I hesitate.
This is going to change my life again. Can I do this? Do I have a choice?
I don’t. Not if I want to keep my toehold on this new life. Not if I want to stay free. Sucking in a deep breath, I fling the door open to confront my destiny.
Destiny isn’t there.
Neither is Bethiah. There’s a large figure standing on my doorstep, completely shrouded in a gray, shapeless wrap that covers him from head to toe, only the tips of his boots sticking out. There’s a gigantic bow stuck atop the man’s head.
She’s gift-wrapped him for me.
Horrified laughter bubbles up in my throat. The bounty hunter has an odd sense of humor.
The big “bag” on my porch twitches, and I realize the man’s awake and probably very, very confused. I grab his arm and haul him inside, and the man shuffles in with me, taking slow, careful steps. He’s silent, so probably gagged. It doesn’t look like he’s fighting, though, which I guess is a good thing. If he was more violent and flailing, I’d be worried. This man seems calm, as if he’s just waiting for me to unwrap him.
I take a deep breath. Okay. I can do this. I can. “Let’s sit you down,” I manage, and I sound like I’m wheezing. Hyperventilating, I realize. I take several more deep breaths as I rush to pull a chair forward and knock it behind the shroud-covered man’s legs. He immediately thumps down into the chair with a heavy THUD and something moves under the shroud. A tail.
That’s okay, I tell myself. Most of the aliens have tails. It’s okay. It just means he’s not human. Which…I could have guessed that anyhow. This alien is bigger than most humans. Even seated, he and I are practically eye to eye. Even if we were of a height, his bulk is something else entirely. He’s broader than I could have imagined, and for a brief, silly moment, I think Bethiah’s gotten me a great big, chubby man. I like the thought. A nice, big, soft alien with a gentle heart.
Please, oh please, I think. Be nice. Be soft.
I pull the bow off his head, and notice that the shroud on his face is a sack, almost like a pillowcase. He twitches when my fingers move to the edge of it, and I pull it off before I can lose my nerve.
The sight that greets me is terrifying.
It’s an alien all right, one with big, triangular ears and gray facial tufts. He’s got thick gray hair that looks like a lion’s mane and tufts down over his neck in a thick down. His eyes are catlike and while his face isn’t quite a muzzle, it’s definitely not human. He bares teeth that are sharp and pointed and looks around, dizzy.
This is a nightmare.
This is my praxiian neighbor. The one that’s been harassing me.
With a choked scream, I grab the pillowcase and throw it back over his head again. I back up several steps, heart pounding, and stare at the monstrous, shrouded alien in the chair.
He’s not soft.
I’ve seen him from a distance before. All that bulk? That’s muscle. The tail twitching under the shroud is long and fluffy and yet somehow he manages to be menacing despite it. Those shoulders are powerful enough to lift a car—and squash a human in no time flat. And he’s here to marry me.
I put my hands to my pigtails, trying to process this utter disaster. I asked for a nice friendly man to be kidnapped to be my husband…and instead I got the very man I was trying to avoid.