by Tana Stone
“I’m not like the other girls,” Trista said, hearing her voice crack.
“No,” Reina said. “Your hair is lighter, and your eyes are very blue. Is this not desirable on Earth? I thought men liked yellow hair.”
Trista shrugged. “Not my kind of blonde.” She waved a hand over her nose. “And I have freckles.”
Reina squinted at her. “Those pale dots? Are those not desirable, either?”
“They’re not exactly sexy. At least I’ve never been told they were.”
Reina stood and joined her on the couch. “I think someone told you these things, and you chose to believe them.” She patted her hand. “You would not have been chosen as a tribute bride if you were not deemed desirable.”
“That doesn’t mean my Drexian will like them,” Trista said, giving voice to her fear.
“I think any Drexian would be pleased to be mated with you.” Reina squeezed her hand. “You worry too much. I’m sure once your Drexian warrior arrives, everything will be perfect. You’ll see.”
Trista let out a long breath. Maybe Reina was right. She needed to stop worrying and leave her past behind her, once and for all. But that was easier said than done.
A pounding on the door made both women turn. Reina hurried over and opened it, letting Serge practically fall into the room.
The small alien wore a mango-orange suit with wide lapels and flared pants, and his matching platform boots gave him the extra inches needed to reach Reina’s waist. His purple hair was spiked and flushing pink from the roots as he waved his hands in the air.
“This is a catastrophe,” he said, as he began pacing.
“What’s happened?” Reina asked. “I thought you were at Katie’s wedding.”
Serge paused. “You mean the wedding they planned without me? That’s a topic for another day, let me tell you.” He waved his hands more and resumed pacing. “No, this is about Torven.”
“Torven?” Trista repeated the word. “That sounds familiar.”
“It should,” Serge said. “It’s the name of your fiancé.”
Reina put a hand to her mouth. “Don’t tell me he was killed. I don’t know if I can handle another Drexian mate being killed in battle before he reaches the Boat.”
“Worse,” Serge said, his voice dropping, as if he were afraid of them being overheard.
Trista’s stomach clenched, both at the thought of the fiancé she’d never met, and at the prospect that something worse than death had happened. “What could be worse than being killed in battle?”
“For a Drexian warrior, being arrested for treason,” Serge said. “He’s being brought here to appear before the High Command.”
“Treason?” Trista collapsed onto the couch. So much for everything being perfect when her Drexian arrived. “When?”
“Now.”
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Also by Tana Stone
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SEIZED
EXPOSED
RANSOMED
FORBIDDEN
About the Author
Tana Stone is the sci-fi romance author of the Tribute Brides of the Drexian Warriors series. Her favorite superhero is Thor (with Jason Momoa’s take on Aquaman as a close second), her favorite dessert is key lime pie, and she loves Star Wars and Star Trek equally.
She has one husband, two teenagers, and two neurotic cats. She sometimes wishes she could teleport to a holographic space station.
She loves hearing from readers! Email her any questions or comments at [email protected].
Copyright © 2019 by Broadmoor Books
Cover Design by Croco Designs
Editing by Tanya Saari
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No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.