Alien Fae Mate (2 page)

“
A
pple
,” I called out to my sister when I got home. “Can you help me with the groceries?” Bending, I dragged the bags filled with canned soda and juice on the floor. The front door swung back and hit me in the head. Ouch. I dropped one bag and felt for bumps on my forehead. None found, I whipped off the wig and threw it on the couch in the living room, then kicked open the door and skipped to the side. It slammed into the bags. I grabbed the bags, kicked the door behind me, and dragged them to the kitchen. “Thanks,” I mumbled to my sister when her bare feet padded toward me on the white kitchen tile.

“Welcome,” Apple said and helped me lift the bags onto the counter. She sat next to them. Apple wore a small smile that didn’t reach her green eyes, an old concert T-shirt, and her ex-fiancé’s boxers. Her heels thumped the bottom cupboards as she swigged from the bottle of Jack Daniels. She set the bottle down and peeked inside one of the bags.

From the other bag, I took out a bottle of wine and passed it to her. “Wine was on sale today,” I said over the noise of the TV in the living room.

“I don’t drink wine, but thanks.”

After a five-year relationship and a planned wedding, Apple’s fiancé had decided he didn’t like blonds anymore. They weren’t his “type,” he’d said. Good riddance, I thought, but Apple had suffered a broken heart. A week after he’d left her, she moved in with me and took to drowning her sorrows in whiskey. That was two months ago, and we’d lived in the stinky dark ever since. The blinds weren’t opened during the day, and the smell of alcohol dominated my apartment. Some nights, whiskey made her mean. Today, I’d bought wine to get her to switch from whiskey. Not that I couldn’t be sure if wine would do the same, but a girl had to try.

“Dad called,” she said.

“How was the Mars Deluxe Cruise?” Our parents lived better in their late sixties than they had in their early twenties. They went on space cruises twice a year, and this summer was no different.

“They gambled.” She chuckled at my eye roll. “Lost every penny. They’re not speaking to each other now.”

“It’ll last a day.” I filled the fruit bowl and offered my sister an apple. I tried to make good humor of her name, but it didn’t take. Besides, I wanted her to eat. Apple had lost too much weight, and she needed to start eating healthy food again. The concert shirt she was wearing today had been tight back when she was in high school, but now the sleeves sagged over her small shoulders. She’d always been thin, but never unhealthy looking. I didn’t know what to do about her.

She sighed and shook her head, rejecting the offered fruit. “Some people, like Mom and Dad, are lucky that way. No hope for me, but hey”—she winked—“got booze for that.”

“You can’t go on drinking all your life.”

“Why not?”

“Because I won’t let you.”

“Says the girl who bought me wine.” She picked up the bottle of wine and frowned at the label. “Cabernet. Never had it, but will now. Jack’s all gone anyway.” She drank the last sip of whiskey and placed the empty bottle on the counter next to the six-pack of empty beer cans left over from last night.

With a bit of an attitude, I got the trash bin and swiped my hand over the counter. The mess fell inside. “I’m stuffing peppers today,” I chose to say. I could give her shit for the mess, but I wouldn’t.

“Peppers were on sale too?” she asked.

“And beef. Got plans for the evening?”

“Drinking?”

“I was hoping you’d do laundry. I’m behind around here.”

“Tomorrow?” She pecked my cheek and walked out of the kitchen to sit on the couch. The red peppers awaited, and I threw them in the sink for a scrub and a wash, then dug in the bags for the stuffing ingredients. Didn’t I get the…? I searched the other bag. Happened all the time! “Crap.”

“What did you forget?” Apple said.

“Garlic.”

“Don’t we have it powdered?”

“Used it all last night with meat sauce.”

“It’s fine,” she said.

“It won’t taste the same.”

“Do pepper salad and burgers with ground beef.”

“I put garlic in my burgers,” I said.

“You do?”

“You like them.”

“Not anymore. Uh-oh.” She turned up the TV. “Titan’s on TV.”

I snatched a towel to wipe my hands and rounded the corner. A skull with a golden crown on the head and blue smoke around it appeared on the screen. “That’s not him.”

“It’s the fae emblem”—she made an over-elaborate bow—“that’s gracing our screen, so you know he’s gonna show up.” She patted the couch. “Have a seat, put your feet up, I know you want to hear this.”

I sat and placed my feet in her lap so she could massage my soles. My lips formed an “O” when she pressed her thumbs on the bottom of my left foot. As she worked out the kinks, I winced several times and finally jerked my foot away. “Really sore today.”

“He’s not worth it,” she said and locked her green eyes with my brown ones. “Men aren’t worth it.”

I opened my mouth to tell her to mind her own sorrows when a news reporter filled the screen. “Turn it up, would you?” I said.

“We have an official announcement from the Dark Fae,” the suited brunette on the TV said. “This comes directly from their governing body.” When her eyes sparkled with excitement, I leaned in to hear. The woman leaned in too as if whispering a secret to the entire female population of our great country. And she knew it. “The fae mating season will start tomorrow at six PST and is expected to last for three days.”

I threw my towel and leapt up.

My sister startled and placed her hand over her heart.

“Oh my God, did you hear that?” I said. “It’s tomorrow!”

Apple bent and picked up a piece of silicone. She extended her hand. “Your tit fell out.”

“Thanks.” I stuffed the bra insert back into its pocket and pushed up my breasts to get them all nice and settled.

Apple turned up the volume, and the reporter’s voice boomed, “All adult women are advised to stay indoors during the season. However, as is tradition between our people and the alien race in our orbit, our Fae Relations Department has opened several establishments for male fae enjoyment. Women who wish to be mated are asked to make their way there. The fae people will provide all the food and refreshments. The lists of your local establishments are being forwarded to all registered phone numbers as we speak.”

“If she doesn’t get off the screen, she’ll squeal like a pig for everyone to hear,” Apple said, and changed the station.

Ping!
My phone sounded from the kitchen. I had registered my phone number.

“It’s probably the new whorehouse downtown,” Apple said.

“It’s not a whorehouse. A mating house.”

In defense, she turned up her palms. “Just callin’ it as I see it.”

“You think the platinum blonde will work for this season?” I asked.

“Don’t know, what did he say today?”

“The usual.”

“Well, I liked the redheaded slut better.”

“He didn’t care for it. You can borrow the whole thing, you know, walk around a little, maybe go to the mall—”

“I lost my job, remember?”

I sighed. “I’d give you money for shopping, Apple, if only all this would stop.” There, I’d said my piece and immediately felt bad about saying it. It sounded insensitive. “I mean, I wish you’d stop drinking. I don’t know how to get you to stop. Maybe you’ll hate the wine?”

Apple averted her eyes. A pause and then she changed the subject. “I don’t think he’s worth all that you’re doing, but if mating him is what you’re after…” She narrowed her eyes, thinking. “Let’s brainstorm. Last mating season, what worked?”

“Last year, I did the straight black hair with techno-funk office clothes and high-heeled, knee-high boots.”

“And?”

“I’m still here,” I said.

“Right. The platinum. You’re going opposite this year.”

“Maybe a nice sundress or a pencil-skirt suit with the high boots?”

“That works,” she said. “And there’s always next year if the platinum girl doesn’t get in his pants.”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“It’s this season, or I’m done. A girl’s gotta get a clue and move on, you know.” My eyes widened. “I didn’t mean to say that. I’m sorry.” Apple couldn’t move on from her heartbreak.

“I’ll get through it, but you said you were done last year too.” 

“Three time’s a charm.”

She sighed, fingertip circling the bottle’s rim. “I should’ve done that. Dressed up, I mean. It’s a good idea to be different people every now and then so men don’t get bored.”

“Jonah’s a cheater. It’s not your fault.”

“He said I wasn’t his type. I could’ve been. There’s a wig and a look for every type. You’ve always been the smart one.”

I sat beside her and threw an arm over her shoulder. “I’m smart, but so are you. Don’t let him make you feel small.”

We sat in silence. My looks never got me anywhere with Titan, so I tried to figure out the type of woman Titan liked. Was it the busty blonde in latex or the dark-haired brunette with pigtails in a school dress, or maybe he liked redheads in jeans and T-shirts? I didn’t know, but I was determined to find out. We got along pretty great, but attraction initiated the mating, not friendship or work talk. It was the same with humans, only not as potent.

Apple lifted her head and swiped the back of her hand over her eyes. “Your phone’s buzzing on the counter.”

I left for the kitchen and picked it up. “Hello.”

“Rain, this is Titan.”

“Oh, hi.” I pointed to the phone. My sister rushed over and pressed her cheek to mine to listen in on the call. I could’ve put him on the speaker, but he wouldn’t like that. Most people could hear the background noise and tell when they were on speaker.

“Tomorrow is the first day of the mating season,” Titan said with the enthusiasm of a deflated balloon. Of course, I crushed on the only fae in the universe who didn’t want to be mated. Such was my taste in men. “Do you still have the iron cuffs I gave you last year?” he continued.

“Yes, I have them.”

“And the sword?”

“Got the weapon too.” Not that I knew what to do with it.

“I want you to put the cuffs on and stay indoors. If you leave the house, which you shouldn’t, I hereby give you permission to stab any of my males. They’ve been advised of this decision. Take the three days off.”

Apple flipped the phone the bird.

“That’s really sweet,” I said and batted her middle finger away. “But not necessary. I’m fine with traveling to work. Dohan—”

“You can’t come to work. You’ll be the only female onboard the ship.”

“Mated women live on the ship.”

“Yes, they do. Keyword is mated, Rain. Stay at home. You pose a risk, and I can’t slaughter my entire fleet for you. We’re not human, and the mating is not humanistic. It’s not for you.”

“I understand.”

“Thank you. See you after the mating season. Take care.”

When I hung up the phone, my sister chugged half the bottle down her throat, then said, “You’re going in, aren’t you?”

“You bet.”

I could never tell him no.

A
fter the fae
had destroyed their planet, they’d scouted the galaxy for a suitable home and discovered Earth some fifty years ago. When they’d tried to land, our defenses went up, and the armies of the world united against the threat orbiting our planet. It took about seven years for us to come to terms that there were, indeed, other people in the universe. They looked like us too; large humanoid males with black eyes and pointy ears. At last, when a truce was struck, we allowed the fae to orbit Earth in exchange for some of their vast knowledge of the universe and their willingness to help us build better spaceships. In addition, the governing bodies of most countries agreed to provide mating houses where willing women could interact with the fae. The fae didn’t have females. I didn’t know why there were no females. The fae kept their secrets from us.

“Hot damn,” Dohan said from behind his security booth. “What you got under that coat? Let me see.”

I unbuttoned my long black coat and showed him my red dress. “Do I look like a hooker?” I asked.

“No such thing as a hooker, only a girl on a mission. Which reminds me. He guessed you’d be coming in, and now that you’re in, I’m off duty.” He stepped out from behind the booth, and I blinked at his baggy pants, military boots, and shirtless outfit. “See something you wanna eat?” he asked, digging into his deep pockets. He pulled out a plastic bottle and lifted it above his head, then closed his eyes and sprayed his hair. Seconds later, bright blue tips appeared on his spiky black hair. “And now I’m eye candy.”

With a bounce in his step, he walked past me to the warp-train station’s tunnel entrance right across his station. He placed his palm over the flat screen on the side of the door. Light blue glow flashed and the door slid open with a hiss, presenting a long black tunnel. At the other end of the tunnel was a warp-train station. A human man in a small round transport ship—a space taxi service that carted people from the mother ship to the warp-train station and back—started up his “car”.

“How did Titan know I was coming in?” I asked.

“He knows cuz he can read your mind,” Dohan said.

I gasped. “Oh my God, are you serious?”

“Nope. Got ya.” He threw his head back and laughed, then boarded the taxi. “Good luck.” The mother ship’s door slid shut. I walked to work, my heart nearly bouncing off the walls of my chest cavity. I’d die of shame if Titan could read my mind.

Three years ago at the science fair, I presented my ideas for improving the life of the fae people in hopes one of the big-shot companies would hire me. Their representatives poked around my booth, but by the end of the day, nobody had hired me. As I was packing to leave, Titan showed up. He believed in my projects—all twenty-three of them—and offered me a job.

I could never tell Titan no, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t do my thing anyway. So at nine o’clock the morning after he’d told me to stay at home, I shrugged off my coat and straightened my short red dress. It wasn’t too tight, but it was tight enough and rose well past the knee. I didn’t wear stockings or panties in case I got lucky and he bent me over the table on sight. Fat chance of that happening, but hey, a girl had to hope. I’d stuffed so much silicone into my bra, my breasts were at least a full C now. This would have to work. Three days of the mating season. Even the mighty Titan couldn’t resist, could he? He’d resisted in the past, but this year was different. I was better prepared. I knew him better.

Black heels on, I fidgeted with my wig when Titan walked out of the bathroom. I hadn’t knocked, didn’t want him to catch me at the door.

“Good morning, Rain.” Naked out of the shower, he poured us coffee.

I couldn’t tell if he was mad that I came to work. When he crossed the room to my desk, my eyes—briefly!—landed on his groin area. His cock was longer and harder than usual. I pressed my legs together and gulped coffee while Titan loomed over me, his nostrils flaring. Oh, he was mad, all right, so I pretended cool and said, “We need to talk about the graft pieces before everyone leaves for Earth. The new grafts are better, and they’ll allow at least three more hours of protection after you touch ground. I think everyone on this ship wants a full day of…activities down there. Don’t you?”

“Mm-hm,” he said.

I ignored him. It wasn’t the first time he’d brooded. “I think your people would want that, seeing as it’s mating time.”

“Ah, there it is. The time. I hate the mating season, did you know that?”

“I suspected. Why?”

He evaded. “I told you to stay at home.”

“The grafts need replacing, and I got them started under the replicators last night. There should be hundreds of grafts by now, and I couldn’t leave them under there all day. The replicator would work and work and break if I didn’t shut it off today. Burn the house down.” The first time I tried to test my theories, I’d burned down his quarters. In my defense, nobody had told me fae power and human technology didn’t get along. At all. I still didn’t know if they used magic or some sort of technological power of their own. Nevertheless, since the incident, Titan had remodeled and kept me inside his quarters. It sounded a bit like containment, but he’d figured if there was trouble, he’d know where to look. Once I’d started to work on grafting, he placed Dohan at the end of the hall, as if someone would try to steal the project. Titan was a bit paranoid.

“If you’d told me, I’d have shut off the replicator. It can’t be that hard. It’s a button that says ‘off.’”

Again, I ignored him. Current graft-time on Earth allowed them about six hours before they needed to return to their ship for another anti-iron booster. This was because the grafts were old and the skin didn’t absorb all that well anymore, so some of the anti-iron serum went to waste. Titan didn’t allow the fae to self-inject the boosters, and he didn’t allow the serum to leave the ship. “Half the men won’t last the whole six hours down there before they get sick. I need to work on them. I think if we follow the three catheter insertion sites I showed you yesterday, the response would be faster and longer. I can apply a higher dose of boosters that way. Do you want to call a meeting for the announcement or should I?”

“Not the groin. No fae in his right mind will give you access to his groin in mating season.”

I chuckled. “I’m thinking you’re wrong. I’m thinking they
will
give me access to their groins.”

Briefly, his jaw flexed. “How do you know that?”

“Dohan will let me work on him. Besides, it’s not on the…the male organ. It’s near the groin area. Here.” I stood, lifted my dress, and pointed to my upper right thigh. “It’s a simple procedure, and your medic has anesthetics for the pain. I estimate a recovery time of all of half an hour. They can go at it almost immediately. All I need is one of your medics, a graft, a test fae, and my pen. I’ll start with Dohan when he gets back.”

“You will not.”

I scrunched up my nose.

“You’ll start with me.”