The Bride's Unexpected Change in Plans Read Online Free PDF Page A

home and don’t get mad when I bring a stranger home to stay with us for a little while.”
    “How long is a little while?” he asked, not really minding how long the woman stayed but needing to know so that he could plan their meals and change his other commitments if necessary.
    “The next transport back to Earth leaves in six days.”
    “She’s going home?”
    Ewin nodded and moved away as the shower stopped and the drying cycle began. Gentle puffs of warm air dried their skin as he answered the question. “She doesn’t really have another choice. Without her sponsors, she’s not allowed to stay. The law is very clear on unmarried aliens on the planet.”
    Dayved nodded his understanding. It hadn’t always been that way. There was a time when the kings had let offworlders wander the planet freely, but after dozens of human women went missing without a trace, they’d realized the temptation a woman capable of producing offspring could be on a planet where fertile women were rare. The laws had been tightened even further when a criminal syndicate had been caught red-handed hiring out some of the missing women for purely breeding purposes. On a planet where sexuality was considered natural and was usually enjoyed, discovering that human women were being raped and used for breeding against their wills had been sickening.
    But it also highlighted how desperate some parts of their society had become. Without offspring, ancient families and their traditions were literally dying out.
    In an effort to try and control the situation, the kings had quickly passed very stringent laws on the protection of human women. The “baby factory” case, as it had come to be known, was a shame on Desconian society, and something none wished to see repeated. As an unclaimed mubellabina, the woman lying in their spare bed was in very real danger. She would need their protection, something that both he and Ewin were more than able to give.
    “Have you eaten?” Ewin asked as they left the bathing area. A little bit embarrassed to admit that he hadn’t, Dayved considered lying, but in the end told his lover the truth.
    “I was waiting for you, but I’m not angry. Please don’t think I’m angry. You did the right thing staying with her. I’ll just go and grab a plate of food. Do you want something? Are you hungry? It’s still warm.” He knew he was babbling. He even knew that he was overcompensating for the annoyance he’d felt at Ewin before his lover had gotten home.
    “Baby,” Ewin said, turning him around so that he could cup his jaw and stare into his eyes. “You have the right to be angry. Hell, I should have called every time. Not just this time. I’ve been taking you for granted. You need to kick my ass when I do that. You need to say something. Get annoyed at me. Please don’t let me take you for granted.”
    “I don’t understand,” Dayved said, the urge to cry very real even though he couldn’t explain why.
    Ewin pressed a soft kiss to his lips, held him close, and sighed heavily. “I’m sorry. It’s been a rough day. But the one thought I can’t shake is that Kimberley is so sweet that she probably never once made a fuss or demanded anything from her promised tredella and mubella. I think they abandoned her so easily because they didn’t think she would mind. Even now that she has to borrow money to go home to a planet that will treat her with disdain simply because she’s been here, she’s willing to be happy for them.” He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Can you believe that? Even after the anguish they’ve caused her, she’s willing to go away and let them be happy together.”
    Dayved wanted to assure his lover that he would do exactly as he asked him—from now on he would speak up if he felt he was being taken for granted—but thoughts of what Kimberley would face once she returned to Earth filled him with dread. He’d read some of the horrific accounts of human mail-order brides being