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Braken wasted no time. He walked up to the podium where the women were lined up and picked out the tallest one near the end of the line. He must have known he wanted her, because he went right to her. She was beautiful with waist length auburn hair and a hourglass body that any woman could hope for. Or maybe it was just me, wishing that my hips were a little more curved and that I was blessed with bigger breasts. Suddenly, something flashed in my mind. It was an image of me looking at my reflection in a tall mirror with an elegant gown held in front of me. Behind me there were over a dozen other dresses on the bed. Someone was knocking on my bedroom door telling me to get ready fast or I’d be late for my father’s ball.

Realizing that I was going down memory lane again, I shook my head, banishing the moment.

The warrior, Braken, was easier on the eyes than some of the other brutes waiting to claim a woman. Sooner or later, one of them would claim me.

When Braken cut his chosen’s ropes, the woman started crying and begged to go back to the dorms. Seeing that she was afraid, the warrior knelt in front of her, took her hand, and said something in their native alien tongue. I didn’t understand a word he was saying, and based on the look from the woman, she didn’t understand a word of it either. He pressed a palm to her belly and continued speaking. Somehow, his voice had soothed her. Reluctantly, she went with him.

I scanned the crowd. There were more men than women. I wondered if this would become their norm. After seeing how easy it was to take us, would they continue to abduct women from Earth for the purpose of breeding?

“We have another,” the King announced holding up a ballot. “Hvit’zark, come forward.”

No one came forward. A heavy silence hung over the room.

“Zark!” the King yelled.

The crowd parted a very wide path, revealing an alien warrior leaning on a wall near the back of the room. His head was down and his arms were crossed over his chest.

“Hvit’zark Ruavu Braddlk, your antics have pressed me. My patience is running thin. Come now to claim your mate.”

Hvit’zark came forward and only then was I able to see the warrior—every single muscular inch of him. Like the others, he wore a leather loincloth and boots. He was shirtless, although, I didn’t remember seeing many shirts. He seemed battle-hardened. He was riddled with more than a dozen scars—old scars—all along his chest, arms, and even his face. His jet-black hair was longer than some of the women here. He didn’t wear it contained in a single braid like the other alien warriors. On his lower left torso, a set of claw marks left a lasting impression in his flesh. There was no expression on his face, yet he was handsome and I couldn’t seem to look away from him.

I had to remind myself over and over again that these people were aliens with maybe only a hint of their human genes left. Yet I couldn’t overlook their impeccable gray skin, electrifying ǔre, and the ability to speak the English language when they wanted to.

Hvit’zark took a few steps back. “I do not wish—”

Hvit’zark’s comment was immediately cut off by the King, who held up his hand. “This is your duty, son of Braddlk.”

Hvit’zark grimaced. He looked across the line of women with a frown on his face.

“Do none of these women please you, Zark?”

“They are beautiful, these women who come in all shapes and sizes and tones,” he said. “However, beauty will not sway me from my other duties.”

The King sat back in his chair. “You are afraid to take a mate.”

“I am not afraid of anything or anyone.”

“You are afraid she will change you.”

“Your Majesty…you interpret my thoughts too hastily without giving me a chance to make my case,” Zark replied.

“Do you not wish for a companion in this case?” the King asked.

“I will do almost anything you ask. You know this. If you’re reading my mind now, you must know that I’m not fit to care for any mate. I’ve destroyed everything I’ve touched.”

“We’re not talking about material things, Zark. The things you claimed to have destroyed were replaced. The things that can’t be replaced are better off dead, yes?”

Hvit’zark still appeared apprehension.

The King rubbed his beard. “Ah, I see…no matter. If my predictions are correct, you will be mated in less than four seasons. Take your pick and let’s see.”

Hvit’zark looked, but didn’t move forward to claim any from the line-up.

The King cleared his throat and pointed to one of the guards. “Present them.”

The guard brought forth a woman in the back with red hair, almost the same shade as mine. Without looking up, Hvit’zark replied, “No.” Before the next one could reach him, he said, “No.” He declined the third and the fourth woman, and then someone plucked me from the back. I froze, but almost stumbled over my own two feet when the guard brought me forward with urgency.

I couldn’t tell if I was shivering from the cold or in fear. I thought Zark was big and tall before, but once I got within two feet of him, I realized that he must have stood close to seven feet tall, maybe more. I swallowed, feeling what seemed to be the equivalent of a large stone blocking my airway. It sunk down my throat and sent butterflies going haywire in my belly when it hit rock bottom. There seemed to be some kind of energy pulling Zark and me together. We were magnets bound to connect somehow. It felt that way.