Read Bride Games: (Alien's Bride) for Free Online Page A

your tunic, provide you something to eat, and bring you to a comfortable place to recuperate.”
    “I can recuperate in that locker room.”
    He half smiled.   “There’s no food there.”
    “Why does it have to be you?”   She kept her voice sharp.   “Why can’t a robot take care of me?”
    His voice remained patient.   “I’m Lord Lysanter, the one you’ll be marrying if you lose the games.”
    “I know .”
    The audience began murmuring.   Lenora looked down.   Vivian had just wandered onto the floor in front of the pyramid.
    “Welcome, welcome!” Danfet said through the speakers.   “Our second contestant is Vivian Thurski, bride to be of our own high council member, Lord Nayjoor.”   Danfet switched to English.   “You’ve some time before you must begin, my dear.   Allow me to explain the rules.”
    “Vivian!”
    She darted wide eyes up towards her.   “Lenora?   Oh, thank God!”
    “You have to make it up here and touch this statue!   Don’t wait!   Go climb on that barrier to get up the first tier.   A robot is going to come out and chase you on every level!”
    “Holy shit!”  
    Vivian raced to the audience barrier and hoisted herself to the first level.   Thankfully the lanky teen was six inches taller than Lenora.   She looked around the second tier.
    “Ah, these impetuous brides!” Danfet said.
    “What do I—?” Vivian said.
    “Climb that boulder!”
    “Oh.”
    Lenora realized the chain for level three was still hitched to the post on level four.   
    “Damn it!   Why haven’t they reset anything?”
    “They intended to,” Lysanter said, “but you had her start before Minister Danfet gave her leave.”
    Vivian looked around her frantically.   “How the Hell do I get up this one?”
    The alarm sounded.
    “Go back down and wait on the boulder!   I need to get a chain ladder down to you!”
    Vivian zipped down to obey just as the robot rolled out of the door.   A scrap of shredded tunic dragged on the floor beneath him.
    Lenora knelt to climb down but paused as the door behind them opened.   She saw a rotund older Dak-Hiliah man with white hair storming through with a sour grimace.
    “Lysanter, what’s the meaning of this?   Your bride is helping my bride cheat.”
    “She’s merely going to reset the chain.   It would be impossible for Vivian to win otherwise.”
    “Good!   Who wants them to win?   And I saw her strike you.   She deserves the shock collar for that.   You haven’t even scolded her.”
    Lenora’s lips parted.  
    “We’re forbidden to shock our brides, Nayjoor.   You know this.”
    “They’re not our brides yet.   They’re just degenerate slaves.   Mine’s getting shocked if she doesn’t stop cheating.”
    “No!” Lenora said.
    Nayjoor sneered at her.   “She has our language already?”
    “I’m just—I’m just putting down the chain for her.   That’s all.   I won’t help her.”
    Lysanter met her eyes once again.   “No one’s getting shocked on my world.”   He glanced back at Nayjoor.   “These games are here only because I allow it.   If you mean to torture that girl I’ll end this now.”
    “Torture?   Don’t be sentimental.   And kindly remember whom you’re speaking to.”
    Lysanter fumed and rubbed a hand over his face.   “Of course, High Councilman.   I forget myself.”
    “Hmph.”
    “But I’m confused.   Didn’t you already have a human wife named Inga?”
    Lenora’s eyes widened.   Inga?   
    “You know damn well I divorced her.”
    “I hadn’t heard.   Pity.   It’s good to have a fresh start, isn’t it?   To ensure we don’t make the same mistakes of our past.”
    Nayjoor turned his back to him with a scoff.  
    Lysanter gestured for Lenora to continue.   She nodded.   As she climbed down the fact that she’d nodded so conspiratorially with him struck her.   He’d already managed to unify them, however weakly.   Either she was lucky to have him as an