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 a human colony exists, I will find it.”
He sounded certain, but that didn’t mean shit. “Give me verifiable info and I’ll get your girlfriend to dump you.”
“She is not my friend. And I wish to remain alive and not have my corpse dumped anywhere.”
“Dude, it’s slang. Don’t take it so literally.”
“Is ‘dude’ a term of affection?”
She beamed as she said, quite sincerely, “Why yes, yes, it is. And this…” She held up a middle finger. “And this means nice to make your acquaintance.”
His reply? He held up his own finger and said, quite seriously, “Nice to meet you, too, dood.”
She almost hit the floor laughing.
Four
Her lips quirked as if amused, making it obvious she lied about the word and gesture. Lied prettily, but then again, so had he.
He didn’t need her to come between him and his mate because, against all odds, he’d found her. Looked right at her, a human with spotted skin and strange-colored hair, lacking any extra limbs or body parts. A warrior female who would probably spill his innards if he told her she was to be his bride.
Karma surely played a jest. This female couldn’t be the one. Sure, she had a valiant heart and spirit, yet by her very words, she named herself barbarian. From a prohibited planet. Would she even be compatible with him?
He eyed her up and down. On that respect, he had no doubts they’d be well suited. The question being, would he survive the coitus? Knowing how well she wielded a knife, he could only wonder if she believed in the castration of males after she’d used them. More than a few races had such painful rituals, and it behooved a male fond of his genitalia to avoid them.
“Why are you staring at me like I’m going to turn into a monster?” she asked.
“What are your thoughts on castration?”
“Females, never. Males…” She eyed his groin area. “Depends on what they try to do with it.” Her gaze slewed back to his face. “Why do you ask?”
He wasn’t about to explain. “Are males of your kind rare?” He knew of a few species where the feminine genes outnumbered the masculine. The Lunurfs, for example— blue-skinned scientists with a strange honor code—had a shortage of males and were said to be resorting to the slave markets to find suitable seed.
On his own world, they also had issues which had been somewhat resolved with some females bonding with more than a few males at once. He’d wondered as he traveled to the different tribes in search of his mate if he’d end up part of a harem. However rather than share, according to Karma, he was expected to mate outside his kind with a female who showed no fear or common sense as she strutted into the busy docking area. He couldn’t help but scan the environs and note the blatant interest in the human.
She drew all eyes, noses, and more than a few tentacles began slinking in her direction. Perhaps she exuded a pheromone that drew attention? Decontamination might eliminate the madness that consumed him. The jealousy that struck when they passed a group of mechanics and one of them dared to lift its tail, its eyeball staring in a way he didn’t like.
Lightning quick, Thyos grabbed the appendage. “Disrespectful,” he grumbled as he knotted the alien’s offending arm tight. When done, he glared at the others who stared in open-jawed astonishment. “Anyone else care to stare?”