Wrong Alien (TerraMates Book 6) Read Online Free
disapproving glances of the people around me who had seen my tattoo, I realized it might be, and I quaffed the ale Porter ordered for me.
He grinned. "It's a work of art."
"You only think that way because you don't have one," I said bitterly. We had discovered the device together. He was smart enough to leave it where it was. Although he had touched it, he had gloves on and didn't move it.
I had been unable to resist the shiny object. I needed to pick it up and take it home with me. I thought I had concealed it safely under the brick floor.
What a fool.
"We each make our choices."
"How about you choose to help me now, Porter? You owe me."
"I'm not sure if I owe you, Melnyk, but I'll help you for old time's sake."
I didn't care why he helped me as long as he did.
"What do you need?" he asked, leaning forward.
"I need a wife. As soon as possible."
"How do you expect me to help you get one of those?"
"Porter. I know you have ways. And access to things I don't."
He pulled at the collar of his shirt and shifted in his seat.
"What are you asking?"
"No one on the planet will marry me willingly," I said. "Not with this."
I patted my shoulder. I had hidden the tattoo under my shirt again.
"Let me get this straight. You're hoping an ignorant off-worlder will marry you?"
I didn't say anything. We both knew he could assist me if he wanted.
"It will cost something. You know access to such things is expensive," he said.
"How much?"
"A quarter of your herd."
"Never," I said. "Father would never agree to that."
"Not even to keep the family farm?" Porter asked innocently.
He was right. My father might agree if I told him what it was for, as long as he didn't know what Porter was going to do.
"You know I'm not gouging you, Jesse," he said. "Access is very expensive, especially these days with the Bureau of Purity on our backs."
I pressed my lips together. I knew I was making a deal with the devil, but there was no one else I could ask.
"Okay," I said, and Porter could barely contain his excitement. His hands balled into fists, and he had a big smile on his face. A quarter of a herd of fully-trained hundinlark was quite the prize.
"She must be willing," I said, starting to tick off each requirement on my fingers. "She must be of age, not have an aversion to technology..."
Whoops. I stopped myself and looked around to see if anyone had heard my mistake. Porter gave me an incredulous look.
"Willing," I repeated. "Of age. And other things." I thought for a moment. "It would be nice if she were pretty."
"Jesse, beggars can't be choosers."
"Fine. I don't care about her appearance, but the other items are non-negotiable. Don't forget."
"I won't," he said. His demeanor was serious now that we were talking business.
"A willing wife, who is of age and likes...things."
"That's right," I said.
Porter stood up.
"Have the hundinlark shipped to me when I send word that I've found her. If I can find someone, I will bring her within the month." He offered me his hand, and we shook. He started moving towards the door, but then stopped and turned back. I glanced up at him, wondering if he had forgotten something.
"For the record, Jesse," he said, his face solemn. "I'm sorry about the R ."
I looked down at the floor. "It's not your fault."
"Of course it's not," he said. "But I'm still sorry."
I looked up, but he had left already. All I had to do now was to sit on my hands and wait. And convince my father to give away a quarter of our herd.
I wondered if she would be pretty, and whether I could live with an ugly wife if she weren't.
I tried to remember that the only thing that mattered was saving the farm. All women look the same in a dark bedroom, right? Isn't that what Porter always said?
I sighed. It was going to be a long month.
Chapter 3
ANNALEE
"What do you mean I can't take my phone?" I asked, feeling panicked. My phone had all my music, my movies, my books, my contacts, my messages, and my photos. It was how I
He grinned. "It's a work of art."
"You only think that way because you don't have one," I said bitterly. We had discovered the device together. He was smart enough to leave it where it was. Although he had touched it, he had gloves on and didn't move it.
I had been unable to resist the shiny object. I needed to pick it up and take it home with me. I thought I had concealed it safely under the brick floor.
What a fool.
"We each make our choices."
"How about you choose to help me now, Porter? You owe me."
"I'm not sure if I owe you, Melnyk, but I'll help you for old time's sake."
I didn't care why he helped me as long as he did.
"What do you need?" he asked, leaning forward.
"I need a wife. As soon as possible."
"How do you expect me to help you get one of those?"
"Porter. I know you have ways. And access to things I don't."
He pulled at the collar of his shirt and shifted in his seat.
"What are you asking?"
"No one on the planet will marry me willingly," I said. "Not with this."
I patted my shoulder. I had hidden the tattoo under my shirt again.
"Let me get this straight. You're hoping an ignorant off-worlder will marry you?"
I didn't say anything. We both knew he could assist me if he wanted.
"It will cost something. You know access to such things is expensive," he said.
"How much?"
"A quarter of your herd."
"Never," I said. "Father would never agree to that."
"Not even to keep the family farm?" Porter asked innocently.
He was right. My father might agree if I told him what it was for, as long as he didn't know what Porter was going to do.
"You know I'm not gouging you, Jesse," he said. "Access is very expensive, especially these days with the Bureau of Purity on our backs."
I pressed my lips together. I knew I was making a deal with the devil, but there was no one else I could ask.
"Okay," I said, and Porter could barely contain his excitement. His hands balled into fists, and he had a big smile on his face. A quarter of a herd of fully-trained hundinlark was quite the prize.
"She must be willing," I said, starting to tick off each requirement on my fingers. "She must be of age, not have an aversion to technology..."
Whoops. I stopped myself and looked around to see if anyone had heard my mistake. Porter gave me an incredulous look.
"Willing," I repeated. "Of age. And other things." I thought for a moment. "It would be nice if she were pretty."
"Jesse, beggars can't be choosers."
"Fine. I don't care about her appearance, but the other items are non-negotiable. Don't forget."
"I won't," he said. His demeanor was serious now that we were talking business.
"A willing wife, who is of age and likes...things."
"That's right," I said.
Porter stood up.
"Have the hundinlark shipped to me when I send word that I've found her. If I can find someone, I will bring her within the month." He offered me his hand, and we shook. He started moving towards the door, but then stopped and turned back. I glanced up at him, wondering if he had forgotten something.
"For the record, Jesse," he said, his face solemn. "I'm sorry about the R ."
I looked down at the floor. "It's not your fault."
"Of course it's not," he said. "But I'm still sorry."
I looked up, but he had left already. All I had to do now was to sit on my hands and wait. And convince my father to give away a quarter of our herd.
I wondered if she would be pretty, and whether I could live with an ugly wife if she weren't.
I tried to remember that the only thing that mattered was saving the farm. All women look the same in a dark bedroom, right? Isn't that what Porter always said?
I sighed. It was going to be a long month.
Chapter 3
ANNALEE
"What do you mean I can't take my phone?" I asked, feeling panicked. My phone had all my music, my movies, my books, my contacts, my messages, and my photos. It was how I
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