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

ceremony to plan—but more than that, I wanted to take her back to her room and show her what it truly meant to be the mate of a Khanavai warrior.

Chapter Twenty-One

Natalie

In my room in the bride quarters, Plofnid and Drindl fluttered around me, making sure every detail of my wedding dress was perfect.

Not that it mattered, as far as I was concerned.

The night before, Cav and I had made our vows to each other—with our words and our bodies.

Not that we needed the words. I finally understood exactly what he meant when he said he knew we belonged together.

He was right. We did.

The two stylists finally finished making their final touches and straightening my ivory lace dress.

Drindl stood back and clasped her silvery hands in front of her third breast. “You are absolutely beautiful,” she trilled.

Plofnid leaned back and looked me up and down with a critical eye. “Perfect,” it announced, tossing its nose-braid back over its shoulder.

“How much longer?” I asked, anxious to finish the public portion of our mating ceremony.

“Not long,” Drindl said, casting a conspiratorial glance at Plofnid.

I sighed. As happy as I was to be mated to Cav, I was ready to get this second spectacle over with so we could start our new life together.

I was about to ask if we could head to the stadium when the door burst open and Jas, my mother, and my sister Julie came flying into the room.

I gasped, stunned to see them. My mother threw her arms around me and immediately started crying. “Oh, baby, you don’t have to do this.”

Jas stood back with her hands on her hips and glared at me. “I can’t believe you’re going to marry some stranger and take off to another planet.”

Julie watched me, her eyes narrowed. “You really want to do this, don’t you?”

“I do,” I said simply.

Mom dropped her arms from around my shoulders and took my face in her hands, her tears drying instantly. “Really? Are you certain?”

“Absolutely. And I promise I will com all the time. Cav said he would come to Earth with me as soon as we’re able to.”

“So is that spanking thing as sexy as it looked?” Jas asked. “When Cav did it, I mean. Not that yellow asshole. Did you think he looked like a banana?”

My cheeks heated. “Can we talk about all that later?”

“What are you going to do about your degree?” Mom demanded.

“It’s all been arranged with the school. I’m finishing my last year virtually.”

“Really? You can do that?” Julie asked.

“Apparently if the Khanavai government wants it, they can make it happen,” I told her. A speculative gleam started in her eyes.

“You are never leaving home,” Mom said, pointing at my sister.

“That’s how we ended up here,” Jas told me. “Vos Klavoii contacted us personally and said he knew you would want us to be at the wedding. I guess the Khanavai government really can make anything happen.”

“Vos Klavoii is almost as big an asshole as Banana-Man,” I replied.

“It’s time,” Drindl sang out, opening the door and ushering us out.

She and Plofnid led us through the brightly colored station, my best friend and family alternating between chattering and gawking at everything around them.

As we stepped into the backstage area of the stadium, I looked out to the area where Cav had fought with Tiziani just days before. It had been decorated in a mix of Earth and Khanavai flowers, a riotous explosion of color transforming the sterile space into something beautiful.

A perfect mix of both worlds.

I caught a glimpse of my groom, gorgeous and muscular and strong, standing beneath an arch draped with white lace. I definitely detected Drindl and Plofnid’s touches in that particular choice.

Jas managed to sneak in a whisper. “You know, David was devastated.”

I shrugged. “I feel bad for him. But…”

“But you’re in love with someone else,” Julie interjected. I hadn’t even realized the sixteen-year-old was listening in.

“Guess he waited too long, then,” Jas said. “You snooze, you lose.”

“I didn’t know I needed someone who would fight for me,” I said quietly.

Mom reached down and squeezed my hand. “If you’re sure about him, then I’m happy for you,” she said.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from my mate, waiting for me. “I am absolutely certain.”

Vos and his secretary Anthony bustled in.

“It’s time,” Vos said. “Let’s get everyone to your places. Ladies, if you will follow me, I will show you to your seats.”

“Tell me exactly how the Bride Games work,” Julie said to Vos. “How do you decide who gets chosen, really?”

As he ushered them away, Vos turned back to me. “Best Bride Games ever,” he said, giving me a very human thumbs-up.

“And I definitely won,” I whispered as they all moved away, and I was left standing alone.

I knew the cameras were rolling and everyone on two worlds was watching.

But as the strains of human orchestra music began playing, and I stepped out into the spotlight that Vos had arranged to have trained on me, none of that mattered.

The only person who mattered was my bright blue alien groom waiting for me, just a few steps away.

And this time, once I reached his side, I would never leave it again.

Epilogue

Amelia RiversLas Vegas, Nevada, Earth

I knew it was coming.

I’m not sure how, but as soon as the screen on my computer went blank and then spun back up with Vos Klavoii’s face smiling brightly at me, I was absolutely certain my name was going to be drawn in the Bride Lottery—the hellish agreement that Earth’s leaders had made to sell us to the aliens who protected our planet.

I’d grown up with the propaganda. It was our civic duty. Men registered for the draft, women registered for the Bride Lottery.

Fuck that.

No way in hell was I going to be handed over to some giant man to be brutalized into bearing his children.

So I walked away from everything, instead.

I stood up, pulled on my boots, grabbed my purse and a jacket, and left the Las Vegas hotel room I’d