Page 17 of Love Galaxy

“Hi.” Briar wiggles the fingers of her raised hand. “I’m Briar Chapman. I’m a Human from Earth. I’ve been working as an advisor for nearly a decade, with a degree in political science and lots of experience in charity fundraising. From the moment I first found out that I was going to have the opportunity to potentially meet my husband on live TV, I… well, I guess I was a bit discombobulated. It felt like getting hit over the back of the head with a paperweight.”

As if suddenly remembering the rest of John Smith’s instructions, she drops into the closest empty chair and slidesdown until her shoulders are resting against the chair back. “Oh, and I’m looking for love. Obviously.”

“So you are unmated?” The question bursts from my mouth.

“Un-what?” Briar asks, lines marring her soft brow.

“Mated.”

“Sorry, I don’t think I know what that means. Maybe it isn’t translating.” She glances at the other Females, who do nothing but shrug. “Mated,” she repeats, as if testing the word. “Unmated. Oh, do you mean married? Or divorced? No, I’m not either of those things. It’s actually been a while since I’ve dated anyone. I reallywasfocusing on my career.” And she glares at Chloe.

I do not know what she means bydated,but I think the gist of her answer must mean she does not have a Mate waiting for her return home, and a little of the tension holding my muscles tight eases. That, at least, is something.

I shift from foot to foot, not sure what I am supposed to be doing with my arms. Four hands feel like four too many, and I compromise by clasping them behind my back, hiding my nervousness from the watching cameras.

In comparison, Briar appears calm, as if she has spent much time before cameras. I know almost nothing about her. I watch her watching the other Females.

“Hello. Br-eye-ya. Br-eye—” Roan says, scooting forward in his chair, practically leaning over the table so he can eliminate as much space between himself and the Females as possible.

“Briar. That’s right.” She displays her blunt teeth, and the corners of her mouth curve up in another gesture that is unfamiliar to me. If we were alone, I might have asked her what it meant. But Roan is already attempting to replicate the movement, his many rows of teeth appearing absurdly too large for his mouth with the corners of his lips twisted up.

One of the other Females flinches away from him.Harlee, I think they said her name is.

“That was not right?” He glances toward Killan, but our older brother is doing nothing but scowling as he drums his fingers against the tabletop.

“It was a great first attempt,” Briar encourages. “What’s your name?”

“I am Roan.” Roan puffs out his chest, straightening his shoulders. “I would make an excellent Mate. I own one-third of this farm, and I can provide a good and comfortable life for a Female and our younglings. You want younglings, yes?” Roan is staring so intently at the three Females that his pupils expand from slits to full circles.

Nobody but Briar meets his gaze.

“Maybe,” she says with a small shrug. “I mean, I guess. I’ve not had much time to think about that sort of thing lately.” Again, she looks to the other Females, but they remain silent, leaving Briar to do all the talking. I think they are scared, with their wide eyes and their flushed faces. Unlike Briar, they have had little time to adjust to the reality of their abduction.

Fresh anger has me glaring at the Drah’os Male. Had Briar not made me promise yesterday not to say anything, I would already have pulled his head from his neck and tossed his lifeless body to the wind, be damned the consequences.

“My brothers and I all wish for many younglings,” Roan concludes to the room at large, as if he has not noticed the undercurrent of stress and fear radiating off the Females.

“Roan.” Killan growls a warning.

“It is true.” Roan crosses his lower arms, reminding me of the petulant youngling he once was, always so desperate to know everything he could possibly learn about the world, as if knowing would help make up for the fact he has never left the planet on which he was born. “Even if you have never said as much, I knowyou, Killan. Ow!” He flinches away from his eldest brother and whatever punishment Killan bestowed upon him out of sight, under the table. “You cannot deny that the only reason you do not already have a house full of younglings is that there are no Females on our planet.”

Killan grips the back of Roan’s chair. “You go too far?—”

“No females?” Briar interrupts. “What do you mean there are no women here?”

“We three are the entire permanent population of this planet,” Roan answers, his bravado faltering. “You were not told this when you applied to LOVE GALAXY?”

“Nope. Funnily enough, they forgot to mention that fact. Among many, many other things.”

“You’re going off topic,” John Smith snaps. “Get back to the introductions and start wrapping this conversation up. We don’t have all day.” And he waves at Briar to keep talking.

She rolls her eyes in a show of… defiance? Agreement? Anger? And holds out her right hand to my younger brother. “Well, it’s been lovely to meet you, Roan.”

“Akh—” Roan copies the movement, extending both his right hands across the table.

“Oh, this is a Human thing,” she explains. “When two people meet, they shake hands. Like, er, like this.” She takes one of his outstretched hands in hers and moves their combined hands up and down before releasing him.

“Just upper hands?” Roan asks, waving his neglected lower hand.

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