Page 56 of Alien Wants A Wife

“I am not.” Glum, mayhaps. Confused, yes. Why has Harlee remained hidden from me since we returned home? Did I do something to upset her? Am I not yet good at kissing?

“Hmm…” Lydia glances at the open door behind her, then seems to decide she can spare a few more minutes before returning. My guess is that she is avoiding Killan, and I cannot entirely blame her. I have done the same thing myself many times when he is reciting one of his many favorite lectures onthe importance of our farm and how we should work harder to increase production.

I wince, thinking of all the work I have not done these last three days, and silently vow to make up for it. Later.

“So… where’s Harlee?”

“Bathroom.”

My answer only makes Lydia more suspicious. She leans to one side, as if expecting Harlee to step out from behind me and surprise her. I attempt a Human-style smile, but it does not have the desired effect as Lydia glares at my many, many sharp teeth.

Increasingly self-conscious, I snap my mouth closed.

“Seriously, what’s wrong? You’ve been over-excited since the moment you first met Harlee, but now…” She points to my face, my expression evidence enough with which to end her sentence. “What’d you do to piss her off?”

“Nothing.” I scrape the toe of my boot across a flagstone. “If you wanted to be good at kissing, hypothetically!”—I hastily add—“what would you do? How would you practice?”

She laughs, sees I am not laughing and laughs more. “Sorry, but my cousin asked me that exact same question, and he’s eleven.”

I cross my arms, glaring.

“If your brother doesn’t scare me, then you certainly don’t.” Lydia glares right back. “You seem like a nice guy, Roan, but I’m not going to give you tips for dating Harlee. She isn’t staying, so there’s no point in getting your hopes up.”

“She might,” I retort, ignoring how churlish I sound.

Lydia huffs, rapidly losing her sense of humor. She might have asked how I am, but her loyalty is clearly to her fellow Humans, not to me.

“I guess she might,” she concedes, “if you were to ask her. But why would you?”

“Because—” I begin, but Lydia has not yet finished.

“Do you really expect her to live the rest of her life in a cave? Sure, you’ve got a couple of trees, but that’s not the same thing when the rest of your fucking planet is a windstorm! If she stays, she’ll be the only woman here. She won’t have any friends. She’ll get super lonely and depressed.”

“I am not?—”

“Don’t lie! You’re so fucking lonely, Roan, and I’m incredibly sorry about that, but don’t you fucking dare ask Harlee to stay here and suffer with you.”

“Lydia!”

We both turn to find Harlee standing at the open door of the bedroom. She is dressed in clean clothes and has brushed all her hairs over one shoulder, where they drip water onto the floor. She smells of my soap, and I growl, low and possessively before I can stop myself.

“I can’t deal with this right now.” Harlee’s shoulders sag. There are dark circles under her eyes, and her lips are so pale without their usual wash of artificial color. “Did you come over just to yell at Roan or?—?”

“I came to talk to you,” Lydia says.

Does she really believe that a life here, with me, would be so tortuous for Harlee?Evidently so.

I want to defend myself. I want to demand Lydia leave my house, leave Harlee and me alone. But I am not a youngling unable to control my feelings. So I grit my teeth and remain silent. If Lydia wishes to speak with Harlee and if Harlee wishes to hear what Lydia has to say, then I will not come between them.

“Okay,” Harlee agrees.

“It’sprivate.” Lydia looks pointedly at me, waiting for me to leave.

I hold my ground, crossing my arms. I might not be interfering, but I am not above refusing to leave my own home.

I had always thought my brothers would be my biggest contenders in LOVE GALAXY. I never considered the possibility that I would be fighting against another of the Human Females for Harlee.

“I think I know what you’re here to tell me,” Harlee says, sounding exhausted. She takes a seat at the table and gestures for Lydia to also sit. “If it’s about the whole pregnancy situation?—”

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