Mate Abduction (Alien Abduction #9) - Eve Langlais Page 0,11
were real.
“Good for you. Happy worshiping and all that. If you don’t mind, I have somewhere else to be.” The incident with the bullies hadn’t yet drawn untoward attention, but she shouldn’t tempt bad luck.
“Where do you travel?” he asked.
“As if I’m going to tell you,” Clarabelle uttered on a snort as she collected the last of her blades and strode in the direction of the ship’s dock.
“Your caution is admirable, but unnecessary.” He kept pace with her, his cloak billowing and yet never revealing any limbs.
How many arms and legs did he hide under there?
“Where are you going?” she countered.
“Now that I’ve completed my task? Back to my home world.”
“What kind of task?” she asked before she could stop herself.
“I was sent to find my mate.”
The answer startled enough that she stumbled. “You went hunting for a wife? How’d it go?”
“Different than expected,” he replied.
“Congratulations?” she ventured. She cast a glance at the large figure, curious now as to what hid under the fabric.
“Are you mated?” he asked.
“Nope.”
“Pity,” he muttered. “That might have offered reprieve.”
“Meaning what?” She whirled and glared at him. “Are you implying I shouldn’t have a husband? That I’m not good enough?”
He eyed her up and down. “I’m sure you are more than fine, for some people.”
The insult made her cheeks burn. “I pity the woman who is getting stuck with you.”
“You should pity me. She’s not what I wanted at all,” he grumbled.
“Then why marry her?”
“Because if I don’t, bad things will happen.”
How ominous, and not her problem. “Well, good luck with whatever you have going on.” She waved a hand in farewell and turned into a side corridor.
The big dude remained by her side.
“Those brigands that you dispatched, why were they after you?” he asked.
“Because I’m human. Duh. They wanted to rape me and then sell me.”
“You conversed with them, though, before killing them.”
“I did,” she admitted, realizing only now just how long he’d been watching. And yet he’d never come to her aid…
“What did you ask them?”
Since he seemed intent, she quickly explained. “They were replying to some inquiries I’d made.”
“Inquiries about what?”
She heaved a long sigh. “What is it with you and the questions?”
“I am a curious male.”
She eyed him. Given his size, he was obviously of a large race, appearing two legged and armed, but that voluminous cloak could hide anything. She’d learned that lesson with Mr. Handsy-tail. If he didn’t want to lose the tip, he should have kept its nosy probing to itself.
“Since you absolutely must know, I’m looking for humans. Others like me,” she finally replied.
“Have you found many?”
“No. Or have you already forgotten that Earth is on a no-invasion list?”
“Meaning your species are not allowed out of their solar system,” he muttered aloud. “Why not just return to your world?”
“Because, apparently, I know too much.”
“Do you know where to find more of your kind?”
“Would I be meeting sketchy aliens in alleys if I did?”
He wasn’t done with his interrogation. “What do you hope to find in a settlement of humans?”
Saying “a boyfriend” made her sound pathetic. “I don’t see as that’s any of your business.”
“What if I have the information you seek?”
She snorted. “As of five minutes ago, you didn’t even know humans existed.”
“But I am knowledgeable. Perhaps I could help you.”
“For what price?” She planted her hands on her hips. “Because we both know nothing comes for free.”
“Kindness needs no payment.”
“Kindness? Ha!” she couldn’t help but exclaim. “I am not stupid, dude. You want something.”
“You are correct. I require your help.”
Given what she knew so far, it wasn’t hard to surmise his need. “You want me to help you break your engagement, don’t you? Because you don’t like your fiancée.”
“Not exactly. More like convince the female in question that the union is necessary.”
She burst into laughter. “Dude, I am not going to con some lady into marrying you.”
“But you’d be willing to help prevent the union?” he questioned as if to clarify.
“Damned straight, I would. I don’t believe in forced or arranged marriage.” She was an Earth girl, through and through, who wanted a relationship that would also be a partnership, equals, unless there was a spider to kill.
She used to think eight legs back home was bad. Add paralytic alien hair, a mouth big enough to take a fleshy bite, and a voice that could chirp like a chipmunk, “Don’t move, I’m trying to eat.” It was enough to send anyone into hiding.
“Help me with my bride situation and I’ll help you.”
“How?”
“I have connections. If