Surrender [Coalition Mates 4] (Siren Publishing Allure)

by Sarah Marsh

  “Wait, placement?” Sally caught, snapping her back to attention, “What do you mean by placement?”

  “Excellent question, Sally. Since, unfortunately, Earth is not a member of the United Coalition at this time, you cannot be returned to your home planet. There were many petitions submitted by Coalition planets to sponsor you to find a new home with their species, and it was decided that each of you will have the opportunity to choose where to make your new life. Any education or training you may be interested in will be paid for in full. If you choose to pursue your current career, or even if there is something that you have always dreamed of doing, we will do everything in our power to help you achieve it,” Samal answered, pausing for a moment when one of the women in the back row suddenly piped up with a question.

  “What if we don’t want a career? I was dating a rich old guy before you aliens snatched me up! Three more months of his flopping around on top of me like a dying fish, and I would’ve had a ring on my finger and an endless bank account!” the young blonde with fake hair, nails, and boobs wailed out, throwing her hands in the air.

  “Of course, if you are not interested in having a career and would rather become a wife and mother, we can enter you directly into the system to find a mate. There are many, many males that would be more than happy to accept you,” the woman answered without the slightest amount of emotion showing. Obviously Samal was a seasoned diplomat to be able to refrain from judging that hot mess.

  “Thank God. Are there rich ones looking for wives?” the trophy blonde followed up, looking at her nails.

  “There are males in all circumstance and stations that would be eager to mate to a human female. Two of your kind have already proven able to interbreed with other species. That type of adaptability is highly admirable and sought after,” Samal answered.

  “Kids, huh? Eww, but I guess if he’s rich enough, I won’t have to change any diapers, will I?” the blonde said with a surprised smile at that realization.

  “No,” Samal said back sarcastically, “I suppose you won’t.

  “If any of you are certain that you’d like to forgo the opportunity for an education and be mated immediately instead, please go with Shala, and she will take you to a placement counselor to get started,” she added as she gestured to the sparkling yellow woman who stepped forward.

  Sally was surprised when two more women got up with the blonde arm candy and followed Shala out the door. Jesus, who just up and signed up to get married to a total stranger, not to mention an alien, just so they didn’t have to work? Those women were even crazier than the pink-haired Tigger that was still bouncing around with excitement in the seat next to her.

  “Excellent, now that we can move forward, if you all would please fill out the information requested on the tablets. Once you’re done with these, the info will be reviewed, and you will be assigned a counselor that will help to guide you through all this,” Samal said as the remaining four women began handing out the tablets and showing them how to access the forms.

  Two hours later, all but Sally and one of the other human women had finished their forms and had been led away to speak with their counselors. It was insane the amount of information they were asking for, education, family history…which was one of the sections that had Sally staring at the screen wondering what to write. She eventually filled it in with a bunch of garbage nothing short of an episode plot from Leave It to Beaver. The other section that had her stumbling was the “sexual and relationship history.” Well at least that part she had a wealth of information to share. Good thing they didn’t have to write it out by hand, or she may have run out of paper! Sally didn’t particularly see anything wrong or shameful about her serial monogamist résumé. She was rather proud that she hadn’t been dragged down by “society’s archaic ritual of stifling women through marriage,” as she so frequently liked to tell all her married friends. The silly chits would just laugh at her and tell her that when she found the right man, she’d be singing a different tune. Yeah right, over her dead body.

  That last thought brought a brief memory of Sally’s mother to the forefront, which she quickly squashed away before the feelings of sadness and loss came with it. This was no time for weakness. It was time to get her shit together and figure out what to do with the rest of her life.

  Chapter Three

  As Sally sat in front of the rather pretty blue lady who was going over the information in her tablet, she wondered what the alien was frowning about. Crap, was something in there not believable? She instantly regretted adding the church volunteering and love of knitting. She had a feeling that was overreaching a bit with the extracurricular activities.

  “So, Sally,” Caric began, looking up from the tablet, “you do understand that the information we requested on your history is only so we are better able to help you choose a career and future that would suit you best?”

  “Of course,” Sally answered, putting on her best blank “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Officer” face that had gotten her out of countless speeding tickets and one rather embarrassing public indecency fine.

  “Is there perhaps anything you’d like to speak about then in this session, perhaps your family history?” Caric continued. “This isn’t exactly what we were expecting you to share.”

  Sally just kept it together and threw more of the pleasant magic blank stare her way.

  “You wrote here that your mother passed away while you were quite young, but there is no mention of your father at all. Is he still living?” the tenacious blue woman probed further.

  Was she really not going to let this go? Jesus, fine. Sally prepared herself for the “pity look,” but if this was going to move them past this annoying subject, then she might as well just man up and Band-Aid the bitch.

  “I have no idea if my father is alive. He left two months after I was born to shack up with some stripper, and my mother was so unable to deal with it, she offed herself less than a year after that. I grew up in foster homes,” Sally rattled out as fast as she could, not making eye contact with the other woman, unable to bear the look she knew would be on her face after telling her that.

  “I see. That must have been very difficult for you to share with me, Sally. I want you to know that I appreciate your trust.” Caric reached over and squeezed Sally’s hand.

  She was unprepared for the genuine sympathy coming from the other woman. Usually if people found out about her family, they just got uncomfortable and changed the subject. Sally pulled her hands away when the emotion began to tingle in her chest and her eyes started to water.

  “It’s fine, really. That was a long time ago.” Sally tried to sound upbeat.

  “Do you think your history with your parents might be one of the reasons that you have a hard time committing in a relationship or trusting men?” Caric asked carefully.

  “Wow, right for the jugular, huh?” Sally tried to laugh that particularly honest but harsh comment off. “I don’t have an issue committing to men. I just get bored easily, that’s all.”

  “Sally, you’ve been in thirty-five different relationships in the last decade. That seems like a larger issue than getting bored easily. Do you think all men are incapable of fidelity? Is that why you don’t let any of them past your guard?” she continued, until Sally was staring at her with narrowed eyes.

  “Look, lady, I didn’t ask for any therapy. Let’s just find me a job, huh?” she answered coldly, trying not to let the counselor see just how close to the truth she was…but Sally had a feeling that she already knew.

  Sally still cringed when Caric gave her a sympathetic look.

  “Okay, Sally, so any ideas on which field you’d be interested in?”

  They went back and forth through the options for hours. In the end Sally came out with three possible career options that seemed to be most suitable for her: social hostess for a delegate, which was basically a personal assistant and party planner rolled into one. A court stenographer, which would be inte
resting, of course, and within a suitable pay grade, but it didn’t really seem like it would be a lot of fun. Her third option, joining the courtesan guild, was the most interesting one by far. Sally had always been fascinated by the history of courtesans in Renaissance Europe back on Earth. The women had been some of the most educated of their time, enjoying freedoms that the majority of their gender would never know. Members of the courtesan guild here on Sirus entered into contracts with their clients. Everything was negotiated: the rate of pay, responsibilities they would take on for the duration of the contract, the intimacies expected if she was amenable. It was an interesting combination of social hostess and dating. Some clients were looking for a simple companion they could trust without having to question their social or political motivations. Others had more…well, delicate needs, and Sirotian courtesans were well-known for their discretion. Sally would have control over every aspect of the partnership right from the get-go. It was exactly the type of relationship she thrived at. The salary for a courtesan, even on a bad day, was almost three times what the other two options paid, so Sally was obviously leaning toward that. If it worked out for her, this could be the first time in her life that she wouldn’t have to live paycheck to paycheck. The amount of freedom that would give her was utterly irresistible to Sally.

  “So what do you think, Sally?” Caric asked, looking over the options on the tablet once again quickly. “I think the social hostess role would be perfect for you. It would be high pace, but the opportunity to make connections is fantastic, and I know the delegate from Jorsha is looking for a new one immediately, so it wouldn’t be an issue finding a job once your training was complete.”

  “I don’t know. I was leaning more toward the courtesan guild, Caric. It seems like the best choice for me,” she answered.

  Caric looked back at her for a moment. Then she hesitated before speaking.

  “Well, Sally, I’m not sure with your history that the courtesan guild is the best place for you. Most of the courtesans here on Sirus have been training their entire lives and are very aware of what the lifestyle requires. The training is very intense. But if you think that you would like to apply, you would need to make an appointment for an interview with Guild Master Quinn, as he personally approves any non-Sirotian applicants to the program,” the other woman answered.

  Sally could see that she clearly didn’t think it was a good idea. But the opportunity to get a career that would make sure that Sally never had to depend on another person to survive was too much for her to resist.

  “Okay then, make the appointment, please. Let’s get this show on the road,” Sally said as she gave the other woman a smug look, her mind firmly made up.

  “Very well. In the meantime you and the other women will have some general cultural and etiquette classes that will begin right away. So please join the other women in the great room,” Caric said with a resigned sigh.

  Sally made her way down the hall to the great room and quickly noticed that she seemed to be the last one to join. Most were speaking quietly in small groups, and a few were talking with the alien women that had rejoined them. The hyper little woman with the pink hair from earlier, however, seemed to be waiting for Sally to emerge because as soon as she spotted her, she jumped up and rushed toward her in an excited waggle that reminded Sally of a crazed squirrel looking for a place to stash her nuts.

  “Hi, Sally!” the vibrating dynamo squeaked out. “So did you figure out what you’re going to do? I’m going to study marine biology! I’m so excited I could almost burst. I’ve always wanted to go to university but could never afford it back home. Isn’t this just the greatest thing that could ever happen?”

  It was all Sally could do to not laugh outright at how excited the odd little woman was. Devyn was literally out of breath and panting when she finally stopped talking. The little dynamo obviously should have been medicated or something to bring down the “perk,” but what she’d said did make Sally think about what was happening. Was this the greatest thing that could’ve happened? Obviously not. But was it the worst thing that could’ve happened to her? Sally had to take a hard look at her life as a whole. She wasn’t really leaving anything behind on Earth, no job, no family, no pet even. The only real friend that she had was Evie, and she would be here with her, so there was nothing to do but adapt to her new situation as best she could. That was one thing life had taught her, you adapt or you get left behind.

  “Yeah, that sounds great, Devyn. I’ve applied to enter the courtesan guild here on Sirus, so I hope it works out,” she answered, sounding much less enthusiastic than her neighbor.

  “Oh.” Devyn’s eyes grew impossibly larger at that information. “That sounds exciting. I heard that the Sirotians have some sort of mind-control abilities. Guess that’s why they’re supposed to be the best at seducing people, huh? I wonder if they can teach you that?”

  That was news to Sally. But she had to assume in this situation that she was no longer the smartest person in the room when it came to learning about all these alien species. Good thing they were teaching classes! But one of Sally’s hard, fast rules in life was, even if you don’t know exactly what’s going on, fake it till you make it. Uncertainty was a show of weakness that Sally had learned from a young age that she couldn’t indulge in. Predators always went for the weak or confused in the herd, and Sally wouldn’t ever be prey again.

  “Well, Devyn, in my experience, as long as a man has a penis, he’s generally not that hard to seduce,” she answered with a liberal amount of sarcasm loud enough that a few of the other groups of women were chuckling when they heard her comment.

  “Ladies! Please take a seat, and we will begin with your cultural and etiquette lessons. Now, there is a large amount of information to absorb, so you will be taking these classes daily for the time that you are with us, along with the curriculum for whichever career path you have chosen,” Lady Samal said as she casually went to the front of the room. It was obvious from her demeanor and grace that she had a lot of experience with speaking in front of groups.

  As the rest of the women found comfortable seats on the low couches, Sally saw Caric come back into the room and speak in a low tone to the older woman. Sally couldn’t hear what was said, but clearly, whatever it was surprised Lady Samal from the look on her face. Then, when both women immediately turned to look speculatively right at her, Sally assumed Caric had just informed Lady Samal about her career choice. She couldn’t understand why it was such a big deal, but if Lady Samal was involved in the guild of her choice, she had better turn the charm on right now instead of waiting for her interview. Better safe than sorry, right?

  Sally immediately put on her game face, ready to dazzle and distract with charm and charisma. Never frown. Never let them see what you’re really thinking or feeling. After all, when you put on a show, people rarely look deeper than the façade that you easily offer up. Sally could only hope that it wasn’t only human nature that adhered to the “out of sight, out of mind” adage. So with her empty bucket filled with bravado and bullshit, Sally smiled brightly, volunteered to help with any demonstrations, and absorbed as much information as she possibly could for the rest of the afternoon. As the women walked back to their rooms after their dinner meal, Sal’s face actually hurt from smiling so much. She couldn’t wait to get into her room and close the door so she could actually breathe. It was exhausting being someone else all the time. For a fleeting moment, Sally couldn’t help but wonder if this new world might be an opportunity to try to be herself for a change, but almost before the thought was done, it was replaced by all of the cruelty and disappointment that had littered her childhood. No, she couldn’t take that risk again.

  Chapter Four

  Arkenon sat behind his desk looking at the beautiful woman sitting demurely on the other side waiting for him to speak. He tried desperately to concentrate on the moment and not think about the various reports he needed to write as soon as she left, but in reality he just wished that s
he would say what was on her mind so he could get on with his busy day.

  “You requested this meeting, Nala. What would you like to discuss?” he asked, trying to sound like he cared what the woman had to say.

  “Well, Arkenon, as you know, our contract concluded last week, and I was rather hoping that you would like to renew it…or possibly think about something a little more…permanent?” she said, obviously laying on her most seductive charms as she idly ran the fingertips of one hand along the ample cleavage showing in the front of her gown.

  She was a beautiful female, there could be no debating that, and he’d found their month-long contract…adequate, he supposed. The sex had provided the release he’d needed, but he’d be lying if he said that Nala inspired any interest to pursue a relationship of any kind. He knew that his mother would be disappointed that he’d declined yet another proposal. In his role as the courtesan guild master of all of Sirus, it was assumed that he would’ve found a wife sooner rather than later. The many tasks that would normally go to his wife and partner were being fulfilled graciously by his mother, the same as she did when Ark’s father held the title of guild master, but he knew it was asking too much for her to continue indefinitely. However, the thought of tying himself to any of these vacant, position-hungry females he constantly found in his path was tedious beyond belief.

  “Arkenon?” Nala prompted, as he was lost for a moment in his own thoughts.

  “Sorry, Nala, I’m afraid I’m not interested in renewing our contract. Thank you for your service,” he answered coldly, offering her the traditional guild release before standing and walking to open the office door for her. “Jessa, can you please see Nala out? I need to make some calls.”