Entered in the Alien Bride Lottery by Margo Collins (best large ebook reader TXT) 📗

over many years, I knew that Vos and his team of commentators would be discussing the social undercurrents in the room as we waited for the bride to arrive.

Unwilling to appear rude, I turned to include Tiziani in the conversation. “I understand you are a member of the civilian guard?”

“I am a retainer to the southern continent’s Royal Residence and am responsible for the prince’s safety when he is there.” I managed not to roll my eyes. Not that Tiziani’s job wasn’t important. But given the war with the Alveron Horde, the current prince rarely traveled outside the capitol, and when he did, a retinue of military guards traveled with him. Tiziani was trying too hard to overcome the deficit that came of holding a lower position than either of ours. He would have done better to simply acknowledge that he was a guardsman.

He would lose points with the judges for that.

Good.

I glanced at the commander out of the corner of my eye, but he simply nodded politely at Tiziani’s statement, almost certainly gaining style points.

Less good.

But so be it. I opened my mouth to speak again, but the door opened and the two people who had been appointed Natalie’s guides—a Poltien and a Blordl—opened the door. The Blordl announced in her trilling voice, “Here comes the bride,” a phrase lifted from Earth mating rituals and used to introduce contestants whenever a new game began.

The three grooms stood, waiting for Natalie.

My breath caught in my chest. She was absolutely breathtaking, in the truest sense of the word. Sweeping in past her two assistants, she gazed around the room without speaking, then moved to pull her chair out. Her scent wafted to me, and my cock hardened at the mere smell of her.

Beside me, Commander Eldron inhaled deeply, then frowned.

That was impolite. He might lose the style points he had gained.

Then he stepped forward and took Natalie’s hands in his own. She jerked as if trying to pull away from him, then froze, her eyes wide as she gazed up at him.

Gravitiniax Goat Suckers. I hadn’t even considered that by positioning myself across from her, I had limited my ability to reach out and touch her.

“My dear,” the commander said, bowing over her hands. “I am very sorry, but I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

Chapter Eleven

Natalie

Bad news? Oh, God. What is he talking about?

I froze and stared at the cherry-red man with the dark hair bending over my hands. I was terrified of what he might say. That he had decided he was going to take me right there on the table? Or kidnap me? Whisk me away to his planet, never to be heard from again?

No. That was ridiculous. Some part of me knew it was silly, but I couldn’t help worrying over every exchange at this luncheon. I glanced at the other two men.

Dammit. I couldn’t even remember anyone’s name, other than Cav’s.

The red guy was something with an E. Edward? Edmund? No. Something alien. Shit. Eddie. Red dude Eddie. I’d just call him Red Eddie. In my head, at least.

The yellow guy was…Banana-Man. That’s all I could think of.

Banana-Man was glaring at Red Eddie—or whatever his name was.

Cav, on the other hand, was watching me for my reaction. And as soon as I realized it, I calmed down. My heart fluttered in my chest a little. Somehow I knew that if Red Eddie got carried away, Cav would jump in and save me.

Suddenly, I was able to catch my breath. “What is it you need to tell me?”

Red Eddie’s voice dropped, sounding sad. “I’m afraid the synthesized chemical composition of your scent-markers did not do you justice.”

Synthesized scent-markers? What the hell was he talking about? I glanced at Cav, hoping he would help me, but he had begun frowning, and now his gaze flickered between me and Red Eddie.

I really should have paid more attention to the details of previous Bride Games.

“You are very lovely,” Red Eddie continued. “But I’m afraid I must tell you that we are not a match, after all.”

“We’re not a match?”

Red Eddie met my gaze sadly and shook his head. “I fear not.”

All of my breath left my body in a rush of relief, and I scrabbled at the chair next to me, grabbing the back and sinking into the seat.

Red Eddie followed me, kneeling on one knee before me, as if he were proposing.

Actually, this is an anti-proposal. Thank goodness.

One down, two to go.

“I do hope I have not distressed you too much, Miss Natalie,” Red Eddie continued, using my first name as was considered polite in Khanavai culture.

“No,” I managed to say, waving one hand weakly. “Not at all. Thank you for letting me know so quickly. I appreciate not having this ordeal drawn out more.” I was rambling.

Drindl and Plofnid jumped in to save me. “No problem,” Drindl trilled. “We’re so sorry your match didn’t work out.” She took Red Eddie by the arm and opened the door to usher him out. Plofnid stomped past me to follow them, muttering something about false matches ruining the show.

They shut the door behind them, leaving me trapped in a room at a table with the two other aliens.

It’s just a meal, I told myself. I’ve been on worse dates than this.

But none where the stakes were quite this high.

Play to lose, Natalie. Play to lose.

The door opened again, and servers began bringing in plates of food—both Earth dishes and Khanavai delicacies.

We’d been trading with the Khanavai long enough that some of their food had made it down to Earth, even if it was rare for the aliens themselves to visit planet-side. So at least I recognized several of the options.

The waiters stopped to offer various portions, and I accepted a little bit of everything, including the food I had never tried before. Might as well expand my horizons while I was here.

As long as I got to contract them all the way back to Earth when this whole Bride Games