Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44586 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44586 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
I’m well aware that it’s worth it. That’s beyond obvious on the face of every man I’ve seen as he discovers his perfect mate. I’ve also spent several years yearning for the kind of relationships my friends back on Eleadia have with their mates. Jealousy brought me this far, and I’m not going to give up.
That’s not to say I’m not exasperated. I’m past that point.
Nanish is still grinning at me. “Come on, man. Go down with me. Just this once. I’m ill-prepared for that number of females in one room.” He leans over to look closer at the monitor. “Those girls are practically climbing Zingar as though he were a piece of recreational equipment at the playground.”
I can’t help but chuckle as I follow Nanish’s line of sight. He’s right. Zingar has been on the dance floor for five minutes, and the females are swarming him like bees to a beehive.
I’ll never understand the fascination humans have toward us. From all appearances, the only distinct difference we share is size. So what if Eleadians are taller and broader? Is it really that exciting to see? Apparently so because all these females flock here every night. Most of them aren’t expecting to be selected, nor are they interested in being chosen. They come for the sole purpose of seeing how big we are for themselves so they can report back to their friends what they saw.
Seems like madness to take that kind of risk, knowing leaving the planet never to return is a possibility.
Nanish and I have been friends for a long time. We work for the same branch of the government on Eleadia—overseeing intergalactic trade. The department is large, so our superiors are able to send two of us at a time to find mates.
A few years ago, the government decided it was in the best interest of morale to gradually let everyone take the time to make the trip to Earth to find a female companion. Having a life partner enriches everyone’s life. After a century without female companionship, we are finally finding a new happiness.
Except me so far. I seem doomed to remain on this planet for the rest of my life, waiting for her to show up. A part of me has the urge to spank her the moment I finally discover her for taking her sweet time to visit the club.
I sigh dramatically as I rise to my feet. I won’t send Nanish to the wolves alone. The least I can do is be polite and accompany him to the first floor for his first time. It truly can be overwhelming. It still is most nights. Human females are so odd.
“Thanks, Bamgin.” Nanish slaps me on my back enthusiastically.
“No problem, but if we get down there and you scent your mate right away, I might be inclined to stab you,” I joke. If I were human, that might not be funny. Men on this planet have a tendency to be rather violent. Eleadians are a peaceful species. Incidents of violence are extremely rare.
Nanish winces. “I guess there’s nothing I can do to stop that.”
“Nope. If your mate is here, you’ll know. But for all the love in the heavens, it’s my turn.”
Nanish tips his head back and adjusts his tie. “These clothes are beyond annoying, but the tie is the worst part.”
“Yes. Try wearing one every night for six weeks. When I find my mate, my greatest relief will be no longer having to put on a suit every night. It’s so constrictive. Sometimes I feel like I’m suffocating.”
I open the door to the stairwell and inhale deeply. Just a short time ago, Tekfan proved to all of us in the control room, once again, that the scent of our mates will be so powerful we’ll know when she’s in the building even before we set eyes on her.
When we reach the bottom of the stairs, I turn to Nanish. “Ready?”
“Ready as I can be.” He squares his shoulders and takes a deep breath.
I open the door, and the two of us step into the main room of the club.
The volume makes me wince, as usual. Sometimes I even wear ear plugs. Before we take two steps into the crowded space, we’re easily spotted by a group of females who flock toward us.
Their desperation is palpable. I don’t get it. I know it’s not difficult for humans to meet someone. They do it all the time. Most of them don’t even care how long it will last, not even if they form a legally binding relationship—marriage. To them, nothing is permanent. They stay together for as long as it’s mutually beneficial and then go their separate ways.
We don’t operate that way on Eleadia. We can’t. Our unions are solid and permanent. They’re fated. Unbreakable.
These females… It’s mindboggling that their main goal is just to set eyes on a few of us. They fill this club every night for that strange opportunity, and we should be grateful because the more of them who come on any given night, the higher our chances are of meeting “the one.”