Page 38 of My Monster, My Choice

Both of my children.

When I agreed to be third wife in the marriage of Lyle Garrett, who already had two wives at the time, Loretta and Sheila, I knew I’d be an instant third mother. Maybe that was why I was okay with the arrangement during those dark days that I can barely remember now. The family already had one child, Tera, who had been born to Sheila. How such a hateful bitch bore a sweet baby, I’ll never know. But Tera is as good as gold. Everything she does is selfless.

As soon as I saw that beautiful little girl, I knew she was mine. She was just a skinny six-year-old and small for her age. She’d blossom with a bit of doting but nobody in our household would show her any attention.

She was a girl. She was a throwaway. No one wanted girls, our planet was already overrun with females.

Two years later, Loretta became pregnant, and it was a boy. Immediately Loretta’s status in the household rose. Oh, she was first wife and all, but it was obvious that Sheila was Lyle’s favorite. Though it was before my time, I suspected it was because she bore him a child, even though Tera was considered worthless. I watched Tera’s value fall even more when Loretta’s condition was announced.

But Kenny was born with obvious characteristics of Down’s syndrome and was immediately rejected by his mother and father. Sheila didn’t even have the lady balls to stand up for an innocent newborn. The only one that did was my little Tera. She was a fierce little force to be reckoned with, even standing up to the doctor who callously looked him over when Loretta died. Two throwaway children were my blessing—a gift to make up for the loss of my own.

Loretta hemorrhaged the day her baby was born, and Sheila later claimed it was a broken heart. Sheila always saw what she wanted and often twisted the truth to suit her needs. She didn’t say much more than that because we were all aware of Loretta claiming that I’d “done” something during the birth to cause him to be born that way. Maybe Sheila thought I had some kind of hidden powers. She didn’t want Lyle to marry me, for sure, but she sure as hell didn’t complain when I did the cooking and her laundry. Being third wife was hell, but I still didn’t wish death on any of them. Not Loretta, and not Lyle and Sheila two years later.

It was why I tried to keep Tera from making the same mistake. She was determined to enter the marriage mart, knowing her choices were men looking for a last wife. I couldn’t bear that for her. Thankfully, she listened and mated Relion. Especially since she was already pregnant at the time, moody as can be, and none of us realized it.

“Here, take this basil and rosemary to Tera’s. You know what to do with it?”

“Blow the rosemurry in the door, mum.” He rolls his eyes dramatically.

I smack him lightly on the nose with the sprig. “That’s cinnamon, dove. At the start of each month.”

“Oops.” He scrunches his little freckled nose, then his face clears. “I hang it up on the door?”

I’m about to congratulate him for remembering when he blows it.

“Then when Ree and Terr stand under the door, he hafta kiss her!” He gives a shy little giggle, and his fingers cover his mouth on the wordkiss,and I can’t help but laugh too.

“That’s mistletoe, goof.” I swat his behind. “Just take Tera the herbs. They’re for cooking anyway.”

A strange look roves across his face. “He’s here.”

“Who’s here, baby?”

But the curious moment is over, and he runs off excitedly. “I taka my sister the herbs, mum. And I kiss baby Telilah for you.” The tail end of his sentence rises in a sing-song. The back screen door slams shut, cutting off his frantic babbling.

Crazy kid.

Yet it sounds like he’s still babbling excitedly to himself. I can’t make out the words but eventually his voice grows fainter. And I continue to cut my herbs. By the time I gather my basket and head toward the back door, a large, purple man blocks the doorway. The wind is knocked right out of my lungs.

I missed him so much.

He’s wearing the purple and gold uniform today…just like he had the first time I met him a year or so ago. Just like he had the last time I saw him six months ago. He looks just as handsome as he did then.

“Elex.” His name whispers from my lips.

I must be imagining him. He can’t be here. He’s not supposed to be back yet. Last I heard, he’d taken on another position but would let us know when he returned, just like he let us know when he called or visited.

And I avoided him.

But it’s just been six months. Right? Quickly I mentally count the months I could never forget. The Adroki usually take three-month work stints on Earth, but maybe that was bargained for when President Eric Montgomery ruled, and he’s long gone now. Lilaina, as the new First Lady, is the one making the interplanetary decisions now. From what I understand, they sign up for various projects knowing the length of time each one will have beforehand.

“Miss me?” The dark, deep voice uncurls a wanton need deep inside me.

I raise my chin and lie through my teeth. “No. Were you gone?”

“You know damn good and well I was gone,” he growls. “Come and kiss me.”

“No,” I gasp, clutching at my breast the way a sensible woman should. But none of that matters to him as he pulls me to him with two tentacles that wrap around my waist.

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