Page 20 of The Marriage Bargain

She was angry. I couldn’t tell if it was at me or the information I’d related. Caustically, she said, “So, I guess I’m lucky that in order to keep my name off a breeder’s list, I get to be married to you and pollute your bloodline, which keeps you from having to go to your home planet and be a damn Elder. Right?”

“I suppose that depends on your definition of luck,” I answered cautiously. Sometimes human tones and undertones weren’t easy to read. Perhaps it was because of the translating chip. We could understand their words, but not always the tone. Was she being serious? Or sarcastic?

“I think you can go screw yourself,” she answered, pulling her coat tighter around her frame. “Screw your father. Screw your home planet. Screw you people being here at all. I’m not helping you out. Why should I?”

“Because it helps you, as well,” I reminded her gently.

Her green eyes flashed like fire. “Is that crap about a list even real? How would I know?”

“I can’t produce it,” I shrugged. “I can only tell you what I’ve heard from reliable sources. Any day now it will become official.

“Forget you. Reliable sources, my ass. Sounds to me like you’re making something up to get yourself a human wife. Not interested. Find another one. Do you have Zyn’s papers? I’d like to leave, please.”

This was not going how I had intended. Could I find another human wife? More than likely, yes. However, I’d already realized, with a feeling deep in my bones—not to mention other parts of my body that were purely physical, not logical—that I didn’t want another human wife.

Unsure that arguing with her was the right response, I gathered the documents she’d been sent to fetch and handed them to her without a word.

“Thank you,” she said stiffly. “Good luck with your, uh, wife search.”

“Thank you,” I said, equally stiffly. “Come back to me if you change your mind and decide you need my help.”

“Ha.” She laughed sharply. “Yeah, right. I need help in the form of a marriage bargain with an alien Overlord the way I need—”

She cut herself off, flushing, realizing she’d said far too much, been far too disrespectful.

“Never mind. Good luck.”

Before I could respond, she was through the door. It slammed behind her, leaving a harsh echo in the mostly empty office.

J’tet!

Now what to do?

CHAPTER 13

DELLE

I was mad. No, I was furious. Seething.

“I cannot believe this,” I hissed to myself through gritted teeth. Wrenching open the truck door, I tossed the packet of papers for my brother-in-law onto the passenger seat. They hit, exploding, papers flying everywhere.

“Damn it!” I snapped. I raked both sets of fingers through my hair, drawing a heavy breath.

Get a grip, Delle, I ordered myself. Get a freaking grip.

I was trying to, but the whole situation…it just…

An alien had offered to marry me.

I couldn’t keep the memory from buzzing through my brain.

An alien offered. To. Marry. Me.

A beautiful alien with silver skin and golden eyes. But, looks aside, an alien Overlord who needed me to pollute his bloodline so he wouldn’t have to return to his home planet and become a ruler.

“Poor, poor pitiful little prince,” I sneered, climbing inside the truck and slamming the door. Ignoring the mess of papers for the time being, I jammed the key into the ignition and twisted it. The vehicle came alive with a shudder. Thrusting the gear shift into reverse, I backed away from the Overlord’s office, still muttering angrily to myself.

“I wish avoiding being a ruler was my biggest problem in life. Poor baby.”

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