by Tana Stone
“This one doesn’t look too bad,” Mandy said, holding up a lace sheath dress with a mermaid skirt.
Bridget barely glanced at it. “Mm-hm. Pretty.”
“Um, Bridge,” Mandy dropped the dress back into the pile. “Are you sure you want to be doing this?”
Bridget gave her a weak smile. “What’s the alternative?”
Mandy sighed, but Serge’s sharp rap on the door prevented her from answering.
“How are we doing in there?” he called, his voice a high-pitched chirp.
“Fine,” Mandy said, rolling her eyes conspiratorially at Bridget. “Don’t worry. I was a mess when I picked out a dress. Actually, most of my wedding planning was a mess. I barely knew Dorn, and I wasn’t happy about any of it.”
“Barely is better than not at all,” Bridget said. “Anyway, you two seem to have gotten to know each other pretty fast.”
Mandy blushed. “He’s pretty amazing. I never thought I’d meet someone I’d feel this way about.”
Bridget felt a rush of warmth for her. The two women hadn’t known each other long, but being snatched from Earth by a race of alien warriors had given them something major in common.
Bridget picked up one of the dresses and held it high. “I think I saw this dress on an old Dynasty rerun.”
Mandy giggled, putting a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound. “Yeah, they’re a little dated in their fashion up here. The good news is Randi and Monti will do just about anything you ask. The dress I wore on my wedding day was a custom design.”
Bridget looked hard at the pile of gowns Randi and Monti—the Boat’s colorful gown designers—had selected for her. She couldn’t imagine wearing any of these dresses. Actually, the problem was, she couldn’t imagine being the bride if Kax wasn’t the groom. Not that he’d ever said he wanted to marry her. Actually, he’d been pretty clear from the beginning that they had no future together. She could never say the guy wasn’t brutally honest. Unfortunately, he was also brutally gorgeous and had stolen her heart.
Mandy waved her hands in front of her face. “Earth to Bridget.”
“Sorry, girl,” Bridget said. “I’ll focus. I promise.” She wrinkled her nose as she fingered a shiny taffeta skirt. “Do they have anything that won’t blind the guests?”
Mandy stuck her head out of the dressing room. “Can we have some non-satin options?”
Murmuring was followed by the shuffling of feet, and moments later the door was flung open. Serge bustled in, holding two dresses on hangers. He wore a three-piece, banana-yellow suit with shiny, platform shoes to match.
“Neither of these are satin,” he said.
Mandy gaped at him. She reached out and touched one of the dresses. “What is this? Spandex?”
Serge frowned at her, putting both hands on his slim hips. “You said no satin. These aren’t satin.”
Bridget smiled at him and took the dresses, placing them over the tufted chair. “I’ll give them a try. Thanks, Serge.”
“Just trying to help, darling.” Serge gave her a smile, shot Mandy a look, and hurried out of the room with his purple hair bobbing.
“Is this a romper?” Mandy asked, holding out one of the non-satin options like it was nuclear waste. “I’m going to have to have a talk with Randi and Monti.”
Bridget stepped out of her blue sundress, stripping down to her panties and strapless bra. “It’s fine. I need to try on something. We’ve been here for an hour already. Maybe it will look better on.”
“It can’t look worse,” Mandy muttered.
Bridget slipped on the simplest looking gown, an ivory sheath with spaghetti straps and a lace overlay.
Mandy tapped a finger on her chin, flipping her long, chestnut-brown hair off her shoulder. “It’s not hideous, but it seems a bit understated for you. Since you were a ballerina, I always imagined you in something floaty. You know, with tulle and a long train.”
Bridget ran a hand over the lace of the dress and it scratched her fingers. “This isn’t exactly what I imagined my wedding gown looking like.”
“Yoo-hoo!” Serge called. “Any progress?”
“We’re dying out here,” another voice said, either Randi or Monti, but Bridget didn’t know which.
“I’m going to let them see.” Bridget pushed the dressing room door open, and walked out into the bridal salon.
The two dress designers rushed up to her and began fidgeting with the dress, pulling on it and tugging. Both wore all-black suits with high collars. One had gold hair and matching eyeliner, while the other alien had metallic-silver hair pulled in a low ponytail. Bridget had already forgotten who was Monti and who was Randi, but she suspected those weren’t their real alien names.
Serge put both hands to his cheeks and inhaled sharply. “You’re a vision.”
Bridget allowed herself to be led to the circular platform, surrounded by floor to ceiling mirrors. Stepping up, she saw herself from all angles. The platform levitated a few inches off the ground and began rotating slowly. Ignoring the dress not fitting properly, she didn’t look like what she imagined happy brides to look like. As she met her own eyes in the mirror, she blinked away tears.
Reina, who’d been quiet all morning, came up and handed her a tissue.
“Don’t you start crying,” Serge said. “You know if you start, I’ll start.”
How could Bridget tell them she wasn’t crying tears of joy over getting married? She was crying because she’d lost the only guy she’d truly cared about. She dabbed at her eyes and took a steady breath.
“Are you saying yes to the dress?” Randi or Monti asked, as both men bounced up and down on their toes.
Bridget took a final look at the dress and shook her head. “No, I’m definitely not saying yes to this dress.”
She couldn’t bear watching their eager faces fall as she hopped off the platform before it stopped moving and walked back into the dressing room, passing Mandy on the way. Before the door had closed behind her, she whipped the dress over her head and tossed it into the pile. “I can’t do this.”
Mandy looked at her. “The dress shopping or the wedding?”
“Both,” Bridget said. “I can’t marry Karsh.”
Mandy bit the edge of her lower lip. “I know it’s been rough with your first fiancé killed in battle and then with you being abducted, but don’t you think you should at least meet the guy? You know no one wanted you and Kax to happen more than me, but he left. He made his choice.”
“I know that rationally, but it doesn’t matter to my heart,” Bridget said. “This Karsh could be the greatest guy in the world, and he wouldn’t stand a chance. I’ve already fallen for someone, and I can’t do anything about it. This is exactly why I always said love is stupid.”
Mandy laughed. “I won’t argue with you there. Love makes you do dumb things.”
The dressing room door swung open, and both women stared as a Drexian warrior strode in, holding an oversized bundle of crimson flowers.
“What the hell?” Mandy said.
Bridget fumbled to pick up her sundress from the floor and held it in front of her as the alien looked her up and down, clearly enjoying her nearly naked state. The sound of Serge spluttering in shock came from outside the dressing room, and eventually she saw his purple hair popping up behind the uniformed warrior.
“Allow me to introduce your fiancé,” Serge said, his voice even higher and tighter than usual.
Karsh gave a small bow without taking his eyes off her, and he licked his lips. “I’ve waited a long time to see this.”
Mandy stepped in front of Bridget and put both hands on the man’s wide chest, leaning into him and attempting to push him out. “Well, you’re going to have to wait a little longer. You can’t just barge in when someone is dressing.”
Karsh flicked his eyes down to her. “I can when it’s my mate.”
Any illusions Bridget had held about her new fiancé were ruined. She met his eyes and narrowed her own. “I a
m not your mate.”
His grin faltered. “Not yet, but soon.”
Bridget pulled the sundress over her head and smoothed it down along her hips. She pushed past him, out of the dressing room, and caught a glimpse of Randi’s and Monti’s open-mouthed surprise as she barreled past them. She didn’t stop until she stood outside on the idyllic, cobbled sidewalk in the perfectly designed shopping square.
She heard the clip-clop of Serge’s platform shoes behind her as he called her name. “Where are you going? You haven’t picked out a dress, and the wedding is in two days.”
Bridget spun around and saw that Karsh had followed her out of the salon, along with Serge, Mandy, Randi, and Monti. She looked at the expressions, ranging from shocked to horrified to smug. She balled her hands into fists. “I’m going back to my suite.”
Karsh stepped forward. “I’ll join you.”
Bridget’s blood began to boil as she saw the confident, almost arrogant, expression in his eyes. No way she was being mated to this guy. Not even if it meant living in the worst part of the space station, with all the other reject tribute brides.
“I don’t think so.” She said, watching Mandy’s lips curl up into a smile and Serge’s open into a perfect circle of surprise.
“What do you mean?” Karsh asked. “You are my mate.” He took another step forward. This time, his fists were clenched and his expression stormy.
“Not if I reject the match,” she said.
“You can’t do that,” he said. “You’ll be an outcast.”
Bridget shrugged. “Won’t be the first time.”
Karsh took several long strides to reach her until he towered above her, his face red with fury. “You will be mine.”
“I don’t think so, buddy.”
“Now, now,” said Serge, his voice trembling. “Let’s all calm down and take a deep breath. I’m sure we can talk this out.”
“I’m perfectly calm,” Bridget said. “And there’s nothing to talk out. I can’t marry him.”
Karsh grabbed her arm tightly and she yelped from the pain of it. “You are mine, human, and you’re coming with me.”
Bridget tried to jerk her arm away from him, but his grip was too firm.
“She said no.” Mandy flew at him from behind with her arms outstretched.
The impact of her jostled him, but he only released his grip slightly. When Reina knocked into him, however, it was another matter.
Bridget hadn’t even seen the willowy woman leap into action before she hit Karsh from the side and he went stumbling across the cobbled square and straight into the burbling stone fountain.
The Drexian looked stunned, as he sat waist-deep in water, with the stone cherub tinkling water on his head. Bridget and Mandy both stared at Reina with new appreciation.
She brushed her palms together. “Vexlings are known for unusual strength, we just choose not to exploit it.”
Bridget’s heart rate began to steady as looped her arm through the blue-haired alien’s. “Girl, if I was that strong, I’d be exploiting the hell out of it.”
Serge looked from Reina to Karsh, his eyes rolling back into his head before he fainted dead away. Monti and Randi both darted forward to catch him, each holding one floppy banana-yellow arm.
Mandy shook her head. “I guess it finally sunk in that he doesn’t have a wedding to plan.”
Chapter Thirty
“Thank the gods,” Dorn said, coming aboard the shuttlecraft, breathing as if he’d run a race. “I heard you were coming in on fumes.”
Kax managed to smile for his brother. “I took some fire as I escaped from Kronock space. They had half a fleet waiting for me as I lifted off the planet. I barely jumped away in time.”
“I take it the mission wasn’t as covert as you’d hoped?”
“I decided to take out a high-value target,” Kax said. “Once I dropped a photon grenade in his lap, my low profile was blown.”
Dorn glared at his brother, then his face broke into a smile and he pulled him into a hug. “You lucky bastard.”
Kax gave a small laugh. “Lucky? I almost got blown to bits.”
Dorn pushed him away. “Stop taunting me. You know how much I miss the fighting.” He looked around the cramped ship. “I miss being in command. I miss having a ship. I miss the danger.”
“If you want to run in front of the me, I’m happy to shoot at you.”
Dorn rolled his eyes and jabbed an elbow in his brother’s side. “You want to tell me what’s going on with you?” He motioned to his brother’s scorched hair and burned suit. “This isn’t your typical MO.”
Kax turned away. “It’s nothing that has to do with the mission.”
“Then why do you look like you tried to get yourself killed and are miserable you didn’t succeed?” Dorn asked.
Kax clenched his teeth, trying not to snap. “I’m fine. Now do you want to join me when I brief the High Command?”
Dorn pressed his lips together and nodded. “Nothing I’d like better, aside from a full-scale battle, of course.” A device on his belt began beeping, and he groaned as he pulled it off and peered down at the small screen.
Kax couldn’t help grinning. “Trouble in paradise?”
Dorn looked down at the letters scrolling across the screen and shook his head. “It’s times like these I remember why I hate being on the Boat.”
Kax picked up the tablet with the downloaded battle plans. His brother’s marital issues were none of his business, even though it amused him.
Dorn made a series of unintelligible grunts as he typed out a message in return. “I hope this doesn’t have too much blowback. The last thing I want to deal with is an angry member of the High Command.”
“What does your wife have to do with the High Command?”
“Not her,” Dorn said. “It’s Bridget. She’s rejected Karsh and refused to go through with the wedding.”
Kax’s heart contracted, but he worked to steady his voice. “Can she do that after they’ve…?”
Dorn flicked his gaze to him. “I think we can assume Karsh lied about the progression of their relationship. No tribute bride can be forced into something she doesn’t want. You know that as well as I do, brother. Of course, the alternative isn’t great for her, but Mandy says she’s determined.”
“I’ll bet Karsh isn’t happy,” Kax said, smiling in spite of himself.
Dorn tilted his head at his brother. “That’s probably an understatement, knowing Karsh.” Dorn read his next incoming message.
“I better get over there. Mandy says it’s a disaster. Bridget is packing to move to the other side of the station, Serge is hysterical, and my mate is trying to lodge a formal protest to keep Bridget in the fantasy suites.” Dorn put a hand to his forehead and rubbed it. “Sometimes I wish my mate wasn’t so much of a wildcat.”
“I doubt that,” Kax said, knowing how much his brother liked a challenge.
Dorn grinned at him. “Maybe you’re right, but I really wish she and Reina hadn’t pushed Karsh into a fountain.”
This got better by the minute, Kax thought. He loved the idea of the arrogant Karsh being humiliated. “Did she say why?”
“She says they were defending Bridget when Karsh got rough with her.”
Kax’s blood heated, as he imagined the man putting his hands on Bridget. He handed the data disc to Dorn and balled his hands into fists. “This should be the information we need. I need to go. There’s something I have to take care of.”
Dorn looked his brother up and down. “Do you need a wing man? Or a second?”
“No.” Kax flexed his fists. “I’ve got this.”
Chapter Thirty-One
“I can’t believe I did that,” Reina said, fluttering her hands in front of her face as she paced small circles around Bridget’s fantasy suite.
Serge peeked out from under the arm he’d draped across his face, lifting his head from the chaise lounge he lay stretched across. “I can’t believe you did tha
t, either.” He slumped back down. “He’s the son of one of the most powerful Drexians.”
“Well, I’m thrilled you did it,” Bridget said, as she pulled clothes from the dresser and walked them over to the suitcase flopped open on the king-size bed.
Reina gave her a tentative smile. “It did feel pretty good.”
Mandy looked up from the small, shiny device that looked like a miniature smartphone. “Of course it felt good. He was being a bully. He deserved what he got. If I was back in LA, I’d be posting footage of him in the fountain all over social media.” She waved her device. “As it is, I can just complain to Dorn.”
Serge hid behind his arm again. “What will the High Command say when they hear about this? We’ve never had a blot on the tribute bride program like this before.”
Bridget hesitated. “Come on. I know you’ve had Earth women who’ve declined their matches before.”
“Declined, yes,” Serge said, holding up a finger. “Tossed into a fountain in front of the entire promenade? No.”
Mandy rolled her eyes. “He’ll get over it. He shouldn’t have grabbed Bridget so hard.”
Bridget glanced at the finger-shaped bruises on her arm. Over the past hour they’ve gone from red to purple, and were tender to the touch. Anger coursed through her when she thought about the big Drexian who’d grabbed her. If it hadn’t been for Reina, he might have been able to drag her off. She gave an involuntary shudder at the thought.
“I just hope I’m not removed from the program,” Reina said. “I love working with brides.” She gave Mandy and Bridget both a smile. “I’m not sorry I pushed him, though.”
