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

before I was transported. I was at my twenty-first birthday party.” A shadow crossed her face.

“What is it?”

“I’m just wondering what all my friends are doing back on Earth.”

“Have you contacted them?” I led us toward the public areas of the station.

Her steps slowed. “No. Brides aren’t allowed to contact people back home until all the games end.”

I hadn’t known that. I pulled her into the main thoroughfare. “Well, until then, let me show you around. Not that there is that much to show you. Most of the station is dedicated to the Bride Games. At least the part of it that we will be allowed to visit today.”

Natalie glanced at me. “What are the parts we’re not allowed to go into?”

“Those are the segments designated for the Khanavai military. We launch watch patrols into Earth space, pretty much patrolling the entire solar system for any incursion by the Alveron Horde.”

“I don’t hear your current patrols talked about much back home, just the ways that you saved us before.”

We strolled past the food court and into the greenery section of the station, used as part of the oxygenation system, and in some areas, to grow food plants. Here, though, the path we strolled along was lined with tall trees, some from Earth, others from Khanavai.

“It’s discussed quite a bit on Khanav Prime. Seems like both our governments would want people on Earth to know the Khanavai warriors are still here keeping you safe.”

Natalie nodded. “There’s plenty of information about that. Advertisements on television, online discussions, all sorts of places. But just that you’re keeping us safe. We don’t get much about the specific details.”

“That does make sense. Our government doesn’t want Earth to learn much about our technology. Our culture is very careful about sharing tech these days—supposedly, that’s how the Horde got enough information on us to poison our gene.”

Natalie stopped and bent over to touch a flower growing beside the path. “We do have access to some Khanavai tech. There are transporters installed in some cities, and it’s possible to buy passage, though it’s very expensive. And I’m sure the Earth governments have transporters. There are always meetings going on between leaders without any indication of how they traveled. We all assume it’s by transporter.”

I was about to tell her how the transporter had ended up in Khanavai possession in the first place, because it wasn’t native to us. We hadn’t designed it or built it originally. But as I opened my mouth to speak, Tiziani appeared on a path intersecting ours, having apparently come into the garden from a different area, his yellow skin once again glowing brightly in his agitation. He marched directly toward us as directly as an arcnov desert beetle’s line in the sand.

Coming to a halt immediately in front of us, he put both hands on his hips, widening his stance as if he were a puff-feather blowbird trying to make himself look larger to his rival.

“I have been doing some research on human tradition,” he announced in a tone that suggested we should know the significance of his statement.

I gave it a beat, then two, before I said, “And?”

“It is a human tradition that two suitors for the hand of the same woman may have a duel in order to determine the winner.”

I shot a glance at Natalie, who was frowning and shaking her head. “I don’t know anything about that,” she said out of the corner of her mouth.

“Her hand?” I glanced down to where our fingers threaded together.

“It’s an Earth phrase. It means mating.” Tiziani’s irritation practically vibrated from him. “I am challenging you to a duel.”

“What kind of duel?”

“To the death,” Tiziani intoned.

“Did you learn to announce things like that in guardsman training?” I couldn’t help the derision dripping from my voice.

“A duel to the death? Don’t be stupid.” Natalie waved her hands in the air in front of her, the motion clearly one of negation. “I’m not going to have you try to kill each other for me.” She stepped in front of me, moving between us, then standing on her tiptoes to speak more directly into Tiziani’s face. “I have no intention of marrying anyone,” she said, her voice firm and clear. “I have said from the very beginning that I planned to go back home. I have been playing these games to lose. I don’t know why no one is willing to listen to me when I say that.”

“I watched the spanking ceremony you had with him,” he growled. “I saw how he softened it, acting as if our time-honored ceremony was for titillation instead of punishment. He is no true Khanavai.”

“I don’t care if he’s a true chimpanzee. Even if I were planning to choose someone in these games, it would never be you. Listen carefully. I would never marry someone who hurt me like you did. I still can’t sit down comfortably.”

“This is not between us,” Tiziani said dismissively. “It has nothing to do with you, Natalie. Stand aside and let the warriors deal with this.”

Natalie gasped in outrage, her hand swinging up as if to slap Tiziani. Quickly, I dropped her other hand, grabbed her around the waist, and pulled her out of the way before Tiziani could do anything to damage her further. Holding Natalie back with one hand, I extended the other arm to put it against Tiziani’s chest. “Fine. You can have your duel,” I said to the other Khanavai. “Send me the details via com, and I will meet you this evening.”

Finally satisfied, Tiziani nodded once and turned sharply on his heel to head back to the Grooms’ Quarters.

Natalie spun on me as soon as he was out of sight. “You can’t do that. You cannot kill him just because he says he wants a duel.”

I felt a warm glow start deep inside me. “You’re that sure I will win?”

“Of course you’ll win. That’s not the point.”

The warmth inside me exploded into a smile. “Then what is the point?”

“I