Page 1 of Royal Mate

1

P aige Spencer, Interstellar Brides Processing Center, Miami, Florida

I pushed the cleaning cart down the empty hallway, the squeaky wheel the only noise this late at night. This place was a zoo most days. Right now, it was eerily quiet. I glanced at my watch. It was after two in the morning and no brides or soldiers were here to be matched or transported at this hour. Heck, no one was even awake. Out of all my assignments through my employer, Trus-T-Kleen, the Coalition Center was the most unusual.

The bookkeeping firm I’d finished cleaning earlier didn’t have a security station with huge Atlan beasts—real life aliens—standing guard. Here, there was literally what I thought of as a portal to another dimension that I dusted and mopped.

When I passed the entry to the last room on my list—the Interstellar Brides’ processing room, a brawny Atlan stood from behind the counter. Up, up, up he went, and I had to tip my head back to see his smile.

“Hello, Miss Spencer. It is good to see you again.”

“Hey, Stohn.” I offered him a grin in return as I pulled a Laffy Taffy from my pocket and held it out. “I didn’t forget. Here.”

He scooped up the treat with his huge dinner plate sized hand. “Yellow. What flavor is this?” he asked, unwrapping it and popping the chewy candy in his mouth. “Banana.”

He nodded, although he may not know what a banana was. I had no idea what they fed these guys. I’d never seen any of them leave the grounds. They all lived and worked here, using their transporter things to make everything they needed, even their food. Every time I came to clean all the gadgets and alien tech made me feel like I was walking around inside an episode of Star Trek.

He flipped over the wrapper and read the joke aloud. “How do you make a tissue dance?” The piece of candy created a little bulge in his cheek as he lifted his eyes to mine.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. How?”

He frowned. “You put a little boogie in it.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, not just at the ridiculous joke, but Stohn’s almost childlike confusion. Before interacting with these guys, I’d never put much thought into how bizarre our language could be.

I explained the two definitions of boogies and that it was also a dance step, which made him grin.

“Do you have much more to do?” he asked, glancing down the hall. “Cleaning this entire wing is a big job for one female.”

I shrugged. “It’s not too bad. I only clean two places instead of four or five in one night.”

His dark brows winged up. “My female would not have to work so hard during sleeping times.” His smile widened, becoming something feral. “I will pleasure her every night and make sure she rests. My mate will not work as hard as you do, Paige Spencer.”

I sighed. “Your future mate will be a very lucky girl.”

“You should be matched. Allow a worthy male to care for and protect you.” He studied me, although not in a creepy way. He treated me like he was my space alien version of an older brother. We’d become friendly over our shared shifts the past few months. “You would honor any worthy male.”

I swallowed hard, because his words were kind even if I didn’t believe them. How could a worthy male, a big, protective, alien warrior, think being matched to me was an honor? More like a burden. Men and I didn’t mix. I’d had exactly zero luck with men on Earth. Not just men, everyone. I had a few friends, but no besties. No boyfriend. No lover. I’d given my virginity to an old high school crush and been sorely disappointed in the whole experience. The one boyfriend I’d had since wasn’t much better. One romantic weekend getaway, and he’d ghosted me even faster than he’d…yeah. That. Even my parents barely tolerated me on holidays and usually asked for money. I was pretty much alone, and I’d been that way for a long, long time.

For being almost eight feet tall and something like a Viking in a romance novel, he had fantastical thoughts. Dreams. Unrealistic ideas about what it meant to live on this planet without a family or a husband. No one was going to take care of me or buy me groceries. I had bills to pay. A second job that expected my arrival in just over six hours. I needed to finish here and go home so I could get at least a few hours of sleep. “I just have to do Warden Egara’s testing rooms and I’ll be out of here.”

Twenty minutes, tops, and I’d be on my way home. Thank god. My feet were killing me, and I was about ready to collapse.

He nodded, stepping back to give me—and my cleaning cart—space to push past his security desk. “Thank you for the banana treat. I shall make sure my boogies don’t dance.”

As I pushed the squeaky cart further down the hall and around the corner to the bride testing rooms, I couldn’t help but smile.

I pulled out my earbuds and tucked them in place, getting my upbeat tunes going again.

The pulsing tempo of one of the songs on my ’Kick Ass’ playlist perked me up when all I wanted to do was sleep. I grabbed a clean cloth and the cleaning spray and began to work my way clockwise around the room, wiping down monitors and hard surfaces. All was quiet except for a screensaver with the IBP logo on the displays.

I imagined what it must be like to volunteer to become an unknown stranger’s bride. Not just any unknown man, but an alien. To come into this room, find a match, and never walk back out again. The women who entered never left, instead they were transported to a new planet. A new life.

Would I go to space for a guy? Not a chance. What would happen if I was tested and found lacking? Just my luck, I’d volunteer and not match with anyone. How mortifying would that be? No one on Earth wanted me. Why would I assume outer space would be any different?

Nope. No way. I wouldn’t risk the devastation of discovering I wasn’t chosen by a single male in the entire universe.

Done with my wipe-down, I reached for the mop. Leaning down, I wrung the excess water back into the bucket and began to clean the floor.

The end of the mop bumped into the wall, so I pivoted and began to swipe back and forth in a different direction.

Left. Right. Step back.

Left. Right. Step…

My hip bumped a lever and the wall behind the chair made a whooshing sound. A bright blue light outlined a large section of the wall as it retracted, revealing a larger room with a blue pool.

Warm air rushed into the testing room, and I shrugged. I needed to clean that space next anyway.

I walked around the testing chair and turned to face the beautiful blue water. It was strangely enticing. I knew they had a special cocktail of medication in the water that entered the newly processed brides through their skin. Whatever was in there helped them relax. The mixture also included something to help their bodies adjust to the stress of the Coalition’s transport technology. I knew all this because I was curious, in general, and because I’d asked once. There had been a technician working on the system one night. Cute, too. Said he was from a planet called Viken. Anyway, he’d lost me after the first few sentences of sci-fi jargon. All I knew was that whatever was in that sparkling blue water helped their bodies heal. Made them stronger, so they could tolerate transport. And completely got rid of their anxiety and stress.

“Maybe I should just dip my toes in,” I laughed at my own silliness. Sometimes, working hours and hours and hours alone in the middle of the night made me feel a little crazy.

I stared at the water. It was damn near irresistible. I could use a little healing. My back and my feet ached…all the time. I’d been working long hours for months, barely sleeping. Stressed didn’t begin to cover it.

What would it hurt? What if it helped? Like, a lot?

“Just for a minute. No one’s here. No one will ever know. Right?”

I set the mop aside and toed off my shoes, put them neatly on the edge of the pool, and pulled off my socks. I stuffed the dirty socks into the scuffed, once gleaming white tennis shoes and rolled my pants up to just below my knees.

Just like sitting on the edge of a swimming pool in the summer, right? I’d just dip my feet in and see what happened.

I settled myself carefully on the floor before lowering my feet into the water, then scooted forward until the water came halfway up my calves and leaned, bracing myself with stiff arms as a delicious heat surrounded my feet and toes.

“Ahhhh. This is nice.” Totally relaxed, I sighed as the heat climbed up through my lower legs, through my thighs, to my aching back. As I’d hoped, my feet stopped aching. My back felt warm and cozy, like I’d just gotten a massage. Eyes closed, I smiled in relief. “Good call, Paige. Totally worth it.”

I’d cycle the water through the filters when I was done, and no one would ever know.

Behind me, something hummed. I ignored it. Things in this place always seemed to have a life of their own.

Something hard shoved me from behind. I tried to scramble to my hands and knees so I could crawl out of the way, but it was too big. I was too slow.

“Ahhh!”

SPLASH!

I was so startled that it took me a second to realize what happened. The testing chair had activated and shoved me into the water. Shit!

Popping to my feet, I stood and grabbed my floating shoes that had also been knocked into the water. Great. They were soaked, too. I shoved the socks deeper into the toes, held the shoes against my chest with my forearm, and stepped back. And back. The chair was still moving. If I didn’t get out of here, I was going to be pinned to the wall. There was nowhere to crawl out on the opposite side, just a straight, smooth wall on the far side of the pool. To my right was the scary machine with all the needles and gadgets. To my left? Another wall. I had nowhere to go but over the chair, back the way I’d come.

Great. I was soaking wet.

The warmth I’d been enjoying spread through my chest and my racing heart calmed. By the time it reached my head, I was laughing. What a disaster. But did I care? No. I felt great.

The water was almost shoulder height. At least I wasn’t going to drown. I pushed my hair out of my face and saw that I’d somehow activated one of the processing systems. Maybe it was another filter? I had no idea, but the water was moving, almost like a gentle whirlpool. The water was brighter now, illuminated by recessed lighting. The entire room glowed blue, like I was in a fancy spa.

“Well, better get back to work,” I muttered. I was going to drip water everywhere. Hopefully I had enough clean rags to dry myself off a bit. I’d have to drag the mop behind me the whole way back to the storage closet. Ugh. What a pain.

Pushing through the water, I grabbed the edge of the big chair. It looked like something my dentist had, except now it was partially submerged in the water. If I climbed up over it, I could get back to the edge and, hopefully, drag myself out.

Using the chair’s armrest as a grab bar, I hoisted myself up and onto the chair. If Stohn could see me, he’d change his mind about me being matched to anyone. I couldn’t even clean an empty room without messing it up. I probably looked like a drowned rat. With blue hair.

I glanced at my bare arm. Was my skin actually turning blue or was it just the light? “I look like a Smurf.” I giggled, the sound echoing around the room and back to me, making me laugh harder. Whatever they put in this water was good stuff. So good. Normally I would be annoyed, stressed about falling behind schedule, worried about losing my job. Instead, I flopped onto the chair, stared up at the strange designs on the ceiling, and giggled.

I adjusted my soggy butt in the seat, so I’d be more comfortable.

Suddenly, a metal restraint came out of the arm rest and looped over my wrist.

I tugged at it. “What the–”

Shifting, I tried to squirm my way out, but being wet, I was slippery and fell back. Immediately, a second restraint appeared, securing my waist. Then the other wrist. Then one ankle. Ha! It missed the other one, although flailing my leg about did nothing but make me want to start laughing again.

“Let me go!”

“No testing data collected.” A robotic female voice came from somewhere in the room. I stilled.

“Let me go. There is no testing data. I am not an interstellar bride.”

“Acknowledged. Speed scan implemented.”

A bright, glowing white light appeared in the ceiling. It moved up and down my body like a laser in a light show.

“I don’t need a scan. Just let me go.”

“Negative. Scan is not complete.”

“Oh fuck.” I wiggled some more. The restraints were snug.

“Processing... Processing... Processing...” The voice kept saying that over and over, like I’d broken it or something. This wasn’t right. I didn’t want to get in trouble, but whatever the computer was doing, I didn’t want any part of it.

“Stohn!” I shouted. He could help me. I’d be embarrassed for the rest of my life, but I wouldn’t be stuck in this chair. “Warlord Stohn! Help me!”

“Scan complete. Planetary match identified and confirmed. Protocol C-R-4-2-5 initiated. Requesting transport coordinates.”

“What? No! Do not transport me! Where are you sending me?”

“Transport coordinates received. Initiating transport calculations. Non-Coalition planet. Non-hostile species. Safety protocols confirmed. Female match to the planet Insuri, verified. Transport request accepted.”

I froze. Female match to the planet Insuri? I glared at the tiny orb in the ceiling I hadn’t noticed before. The bright laser scan had stopped, but there was a little blue light pulsing in the center of the orb, like an eye watching me. Listening to me.

“Abort!” I shouted. “Abort! Stop! Reject! Un-identify!”

“Initiating NPU implantation. NPU required. No additional modifications required for transport to Insuri.”

The strange machine I’d wiped down hundreds of times appeared on my right, the long, needle-like projectile coming toward my head.

“No! Stop!” I tried to turn away, but a large hand-like device locked onto the top of my head with a tight grip, holding me in place as the needle thing poked my skull in the bone behind my ear. I was shocked when it barely hurt. Guess the drugs in the blue water were still dulling my pain.

“NPU implantation complete. Female ready for transport.”

“Help! Stop! Abort! Deny! Cancel!”

Silence. The metallic grip released my head, and I glared up at the blue light winking at me from that weird alien eyeball in the ceiling. The computer wasn’t listening to me, and Stohn wasn’t coming. I had to keep trying.

“Cancel! I do not consent! Transport is not allowed!” I felt like I was tearing my shoulder out of the socket trying to get my hand free of the restraint. “Let. Me. Go!”

“Negative. Interplanetary regulation C-R-695 requires any non-Earthling to be transported immediately and directly to their home planet.”

“Home planet?” I shouted at the machine, angry and scared. I guessed there was only so much anxiety and stress the blue water could overcome after all. Asshole alien computer. “You are NOT transporting me anywhere! My home planet is Earth! I live at five-four-seven Willow Road, apartment four, a mile away! CANCEL TRANPSORT! STOP!”

“Request denied. Interplanetary regulation C-R-695–”

I tuned out the rest because the computer was repeating itself.

“Transport to Insuri begins in three, two–”

Everything went black.