Epilogue
Nadine
“Come in,” I say when I hear the knock on my door.
I live in a tiny apartment. Really tiny. It’s all I could afford after I finally scraped up to the nerve to leave my abusive boyfriend. He’s rich, and he lives in the green zone. He told me he wouldn’t even help me, and I don’t care. This one-room apartment is a breath of fresh air compared to my life with him.
I have a shitty job and live in a tiny apartment, and I’ve never felt more free in my life. There’s just that forever anxiety prickling down my spine that he’s going to come back.
I open the door, and a sense of panic claws around my throat. I stare at him. “What are you doing here, Chad?”
My ex, who, objectively speaking, is handsome, narrows his eyes. “I thought you would come to your senses a little sooner,” he says, brushing past me as he strides into my apartment.
He looks around the one room with a sneer. It might be small, but it’s cute. I have my own phone for the first time ever since I met him. Life on Earth may be hellish, but we still have technology. That’s something.
I have a shelf on the wall where I keep my clothes folded. I’m standing in front of it beside the door. He moves so fast, I’m not prepared. He shoves me against the shelf, and I feel the square metal edge dig in a line against my back. My breath is knocked out of my lungs for a moment.
I keep my wits, and I kick him in the balls hard. “Fuck you! Get the hell out of here.”
He’s groaning on the floor. I step around him, my pulse thundering through my body as panic and fear give me an unexpected surge of strength. I swing the door open and shove him out on the dirt.
I grab my purse, relieved I already have my phone and keys tucked into it. Racing through the door, I step around him and walk away quickly. I don’t even feel the slightest twinge of guilt.
I’m so tired of Chad and his family. At this point, I’ll hide if I have to. As I walk down the sidewalk with the sand blowing around me, my eyes land on a little flyer about moving to a new planet. I don’t hesitate and simply walk to the address listed. I have less than nothing to lose.
When I see the line gathered outside the office building, I pause and glance around. Aside from showing up for work and trying not to bake in the boiling hot sun, there aren’t many crowds. Not these days.
I hesitate before I see the sign posted. Princess Jane invites you to Aphroditea. Let’s face it, life is hell on Earth these days if you’re a woman. Come join us on a new planet. We need women. Bonus: women are revered here. Hop in line, and you’ll find out all about it.
I have zero reasons not to get in line. I join the line, fidgeting with my purse strap and wondering if anyone will care that I have a black eye.
There are quiet murmurs, wondering if Princess Jane is some kind of joke. Although, if you read our news online and in the old magazines we occasionally find, there’s tons of news about royalty on Earth.
It’s not all sturm and drang here on Earth. We have a lively world on our Internet, which somehow runs even though power is scarce. It’s generated from the green zone.
Eventually, I make it inside the building. I’m interviewed by the alleged Princess Jane herself. She even has a name tag that says it.
Jane runs through an explanation, sharing that Aphroditea has had humans on it for centuries. Apparently, cowboys from back in the day from both the United States and France traveled there. They even have creatures similar to horses. “I know it sounds wild,” she adds with a smile. “They have mated for centuries, like other planets.”
“Except Earth,” I offer dryly. “Because we’re dumbasses, and we were busy destroying our own planet.”
Jane rolls her eyes. “So true.”
“So why do they need women there?” I ask.
“There’s an annual festival to honor women there. Two years ago, a storm struck the area during the festival and many women died.”
“Are the men human?”
“There are some human men there, but those that have descended from the space cowboys?—”
“Are they really space cowboys?” I prompt with a sly grin. I like Jane and actually feel comfortable cracking a joke.
Jane flushes as she smiles. “Yes, they are. They are human-like but not entirely human,” she explains. “Since they’ve mated for years with humans, we are very similar. Their skin is more bronze. Some of them have tails, but not all of them. I’ll be honest, though, the tails are sexy,” she says with an enthusiastic nod.
Jane seems familiar to me, and I can’t place why. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen her before. When she’s finished explaining this whole, honestly, wild situation, I say, “You seem familiar to me. Do I know you?”
She shrugs. “I’m not sure. I’ve only been away from Earth for a few weeks. I saw the ad online for a princess. I was tipsy when I was reading it, so I applied.” She pauses, her eyes going wide. “Now, I’m actually a princess there.”
“No joke?” I press, almost dumbfounded.
“No joke. Trust me, I thought it had to be a joke too.”
“Where did you work when you were here?”
“At one of the offices in the main factory.”
We have three factories in town, the main one being the largest. We make products for the green zone. I work in one of the smaller ones.
“Wait a second,” I say. “Were you engaged to Kyle Smith?”
Jane lets out a sigh. “I sure was. My not-so-best friend screwed around with him. Because she really wanted to go to the green zone.” Her lips twist. “I thought I was going to get to go. Even though that whole thing sucked, I’m glad it happened. If I hadn’t caught them, I never would’ve applied to leave the planet. Trust me, life is so much better on Aphroditea. Do you have family or anything? Because that’s an issue. We don’t want anyone leaving family or children behind.”
I shake my head, my heart twisting. “Nope. My parents died. It’s just me. And my ex-boyfriend beats me.”
Jane’s eyes narrow. “Well, then, I think you’re perfect for this.”
“When does this happen?” I ask, experiencing a surge of relief followed by anxiety.
“Today. Do you need anything from your apartment?”
I shake my head quickly. “Nothing at all. I can leave from here.” Relief washes through me, and tears sting my eyes.
Jane reaches out and clasps one of my hands in hers. Her grounding touch is comforting. “I promise. This will be a better life.”
Just then, I feel the hairs rise on the back of my neck, and a prickle of awareness sizzles up my spine. I’m instantly drawn to look toward a door opening on the side of this large conference room. There are several tables, and other women are being interviewed. A tall and imposing man enters.
I know instantly that he’s not from here. His eyes narrow as his head whips around, his gaze locking with mine from across the room.
It literally feels as if a flame leaps through the air between us, leaving a wake of sparks across the room.
My pulse pounds, and my breath becomes short. I’ve never felt anything like this.
Flustered and unsettled, I glance back toward Jane. “Who is that?”
Her eyes are warm. “That’s Kayden. He’s second-in-command to Prince Asher. There’s this thing—” She pauses, considering her words. “Their people believe in a true mate, but they don’t each find one. When I met Asher, it was the most intense thing I’ve ever experienced. Maybe Kayden is your mate.”
While I’m trying to absorb that crazy idea, the man in question walks straight over to me. His bronzed skin almost shimmers. He looks at Jane and nods. “Your Princess.”
I almost burst out laughing at that. Kayden’s golden eyes hold mine, and I cannot look away. He studies me before reaching for my hand. “Follow me,” he says.
I’m pretty sure I’d walk through fire for this man. I put my hand in his and stand. “Can I go with him?” I belatedly look back at Jane.
She smiles, waving us away. “Please go.” She glances at Kayden. “Be nice.”
Jane, or Princess Jane I should say, has invited all of us over for dinner. I’m still a little shocked at my situation. In a matter of one single day, my life has changed forever. Everything went to hell before I saw that ad, and I’m still trying to recover.
Aside from being hot as hell, Earth has been my personal hell lately.
I’d had an epically bad day. Then I saw the ad when I was walking to the store. I just walked right on over and never went home. I don’t care where my asshole of an ex is.
Beyond being the aforementioned asshole, he also occasionally gave me a black eye. I thought we were done for good, but his family wouldn’t let me go. They had money and power, and I had nothing and no one. I’m a fighter, though, which my mom told me was a problem when I was younger.
“Fuck that shit,” I mutter to myself, shaking the bad memories away. I’m not even on Earth anymore. I can forget about all of it.
I slip out of my bedroom into the bathroom and take a quick look at myself. Fortunately, the bruising on my back shouldn’t be that bad. The bruise under my eye is still there.
Jane has even made sure we all had clothes. I slip out of the soft T-shirt I slept in and select a flowing dress. I glance toward the mirror, twisting to look over my shoulders. There’s a line of a bruise down one side. I hope it doesn’t matter.
When I arrive at the dinner, which is being hosted at Jane’s beautiful home, I’m beyond nervous. There are men everywhere and most of them aren’t human, although they look close to it. Except for the tails and shimmery skin.
As I watch Princess Jane with Prince Asher, it’s hard to believe she lived on Earth mere weeks ago. The prince appears enthralled to her. I can’t help but hope and pray I mate with a man who treats me with the kindness he gives her.
I’m sitting at the table when I feel heat shimmer over my skin. I know without even looking that Kayden is near me. I can’t help but look. It’s as if an invisible force connects us. He’s approaching from the side. The second our eyes lock, my belly swoops and my breath seizes in my lungs.
He stops beside me, his golden eyes sweeping over me. He holds his hand out. “Come with me.”
Thank you for reading Asher & Jane’s story - I hope you loved it!