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

temptress. I am a soldier. I am likely to be in danger again.”

She frowned at me fiercely. “Maybe even more often now that you’re going to spy school.”

“Special Ops training,” I corrected her.

“Whatever. Same thing.”

That’s when it hit me.

I had won.

Natalie was free.

My heart cracked in two.

I swallowed hard to keep the sudden rush of grief from bearing me down to my knees.

No. I was a Khanavai warrior, and I would stand tall, no matter what.

“Anyway,” I managed to say in a lighthearted tone, “you get to go back to Earth. You can finish your biochemistry degree. Find ways to save both our people from cancer.”

Natalie’s eyes grew wide, and then they filled with absolute fury. “Like hell I will.” She took a step closer to me and waved her tiny finger under my nose, her voice rising with every word. “There is no way I am leaving you to run off and get yourself killed the first chance you have.”

I blinked and took a step back from this tiny ball of fury that had suddenly erupted in my face. “I’m not?”

“Absolutely not.”

Just as quickly as it had erupted, all the anger drained from her body, and she sagged, dropping her face into her hands and bursting into sobs.

I stepped back toward her, my hands reaching out to wrap my arms around her, but not knowing if I should touch her. “I won’t. I promise I won’t run off and get killed.”

She froze. Then she turned her tear-stained face up toward me. She studied me with her beautiful brown eyes, her gaze piercing, penetrating. Finally, she nodded as if coming to some decision. “You’re right,” she said. “You won’t.”

Utterly baffled by her swift shifts in emotion, I watched in confusion as she spun around in the crowd of Khanavai warriors and human females, her gaze scanning the faces. She finally found who she was looking for. “Vos! Come here.”

“Yes?” he asked as he strolled toward us.

“Are you recording?”

The Games Administrator nodded. “I am.”

“Then be sure to capture this.”

What was my miniature supernova about to do now?

She took my hands in hers and tilted her face up to stare at me intently again. All around us, the crowd began to quiet, sensing something important might be happening.

“Cav Adredoni. I do not want to go home.”

Inside my chest, my heart began to knit itself back together, a surge of hope swirling around it, repairing it. A smile began to curve my lips upward. “You don’t?”

“No. I want to go wherever you go. I don’t care if that’s to Khanav Prime, to whatever ship you are stationed on next, or even off to spy school.”

“I don’t think they allow mates in spy school,” I said.

“Then I guess they’re going to have to start.” Now she was beginning to smile, too.

“So, are you saying you want to be my traveling companion?”

That earned me an eye-roll. “No, you idiot.” Around us, people begin chuckling. “I want you to marry me.”

My heart exploded in a starburst inside me.

“And I want you to be my mate,” I replied.

“Excellent.” Natalie turned to look at Vos. “Looks like you’re getting your wedding after all.”

Then she was in my arms again, and I couldn’t tell which of us was kissing the other—only that we were perfectly entwined.

And it would be that way forever if I had my way.

Not that I was entirely certain that I would have my way in much of anything. I suspected my mate was going to have quite a lot to say about how our lives went from now on.

From somewhere behind us, a roar started, then grew. I had just enough time to recognize the sound and turn around to find Tiziani, his face contorted with rage, leaping toward us, his sword spinning around as he prepared to strike.

Everything inside me screamed that I had to protect my mate.

With a roar that rivaled any I had ever made or heard in battle, I spun Natalie out of the way, lowered my shoulder, and dove into Tiziani’s midsection, flipping him over my shoulder and onto the ground, where I slammed my boot into the center of his chest, knocking the air out of him and holding him down.

All around us, people stood in shocked silence.

A slight commotion to my right drew my attention, and I watched as Commander Eldron shouldered his way through the crowd, holding the hand of a small, dark-skinned human woman.

“Nice to see you again, Commander,” I said.

“You as well.” The commander glanced down at Tiziani. “Looks like you have everything under control.”

“At least for the moment,” I said conversationally, even as the guardsman under my heel began to try to wriggle away.

“You know,” the commander continued, as if we were chatting over a meal, “I know Prince Aranov. I think it might be best if I commed him about his guardsman.”

“Yes,” I agreed. “Perhaps the prince will have some idea how to handle him.”

“Oh, no,” Natalie interjected. “I have a much better idea.”

The commander raised his eyebrows. “Yes?”

“Vos,” Natalie said to the Games Administrator, “don’t you have a position open?”

Vos flashed his signature smile. “I believe I might, come to think of it.”

On the floor, Tiziani began to protest, having regained his breath.

“What kind of position?” Commander Eldron asked.

“I could use an assistant between now and the next Bride Games,” Vos said. “And we have never had a failed groom returned to the games. It could be an interesting storyline next year.”

“No,” Tiziani groaned. “I can’t leave my life on Khanav Prime.”

The commander shook his head. “Oh, I don’t believe you’ll be having any say in it.” He glanced down at the woman next to him and gave her hand a squeeze. “Besides, it might teach you something about how to interact with Earth females.”

He turned then to bow to Natalie. “Congratulations, my dear.” To me, he said, “I’ll take over here. I think you and your mate have a ceremony to plan.”

Natalie and I shared a look. We did have a