Proposition

Published by Evernight Publishing at Smashwords

www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2014 Beth D. Carter

ISBN: 978-1-77130-859-5

Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

Editor: Karyn White

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

DEDICATION

Many thanks to Evernight for saying yes to this story, to my editor Karyn, and to Stacey.

But I have to give a special shout out to two people. First, to Ashlynn Monroe, who was my cheerleader on this one. Your help and wisdom are always priceless. And to Erin M. Leaf who answered a lot questions! Thank you!

PROPOSITION

Planet Alpha

Beth D. Carter

Copyright © 2014

Chapter One

Where are we going, Geoffrey?

Come on, Keirah. We don’t have a lot of time.

Keirah looked around the busy shuttle center trying to figure out what Geoff had done. A while ago they’d talked about leaving New York City, trying to find a place that wasn’t so dangerous to live, but the news reports broadcasting showed no place was safe anymore. They’d even seen internment camps for humans in some of the poorer sections of the world.

Please tell me you’re not thinking about shipping me off to another planet without you, she said, half jokingly. Two life sustaining planets had been discovered not that long ago, although only Planet Alpha had sent diplomats to Earth in a universal greeting. Little was actually known of their race, or of that of the other planet, Xyran, but just knowing aliens were real set off various doomsayers who blamed the new species for the decline of the Earth.

Of course not.

Then what’s going on? Are we leaving the city?

He turned to face her and put a finger to his lips before looking around, as if making sure they weren’t being overheard. I found an auction house that will accept married couples. Rumor has it that the Alphan race has fertility problems and are seeking human women for mates, but there’s not a lot of room, and it’s first come, first served.

Oh my God, you really do mean to ship us off Earth.

"We’ll probably have to make out some type of sharing schedule with whoever buys us, but we can escape here before Earth really falls apart."

Sharing! She shook her head. No. I just want you, Geoff.

And I want you to live, he said, taking hold of her shoulders. I love you so much, Keirah, that I’d do anything to make sure you survive. I would’ve given you up if you agreed to go, but you didn’t so I found us a different way.

I don’t understand any of this, Geoff.

Women are needed on Alpha, he said.

No, she said fiercely. I’m not going to give you up to save myself.

She and Geoff had grown up together, had survived losing their parents together. He was her best friend and husband all rolled into one, and she loved him. She would gladly live out her allotted time on Earth as his wife if that was their fate.

Besides, this set-up probably isn’t legit.

It’s legit.

Then why are we sneaking? Why is it so hush-hush?

Can you imagine the panic it would inspire if everyone realized they could have a way off this dying rock? They’d be storming to the shuttle right now.

She took a deep breath and tried one last argument. Geoff, don’t you get it? Infertility issues mean I’d be carrying another man’s child.

Something dark passed over his face, there one second and gone the next, and she couldn’t help but wonder what it was. But she soon forgot about it when Geoff cupped her face and lightly kissed her on her lips. Believe me, I do understand. I’ve thought about this so much, Keirah, and I’ll love you no matter what. I’ll love any child you have just as if it were my own.

You say that now, but I can only imagine how you’ll feel when I’m big and waddling and you know it’s not yours.

He kissed her again, quickly, and then straightened and took hold of her hand. Trust me on this. Okay?

She didn’t like it, not one bit, but she nodded because she saw the determined light in Geoff’s blue eyes. They were off again, through the terminal, and she saw a plethora of people scurrying around. Most were humans, but the terminal was owned and guarded by Alphan soldiers, one of few such terminals on Earth, and she couldn’t help but stare at a few of the Alphans. They were big men, with bulging muscles and golden skin, but what made them truly unique were the small horns growing out of their heads. If she were completely honest, she found them fascinating to look at and wondered how they felt. Now that she knew they were after human women, well, she didn’t know what to think of them. If they were helping the human race, in return for helping their own race, then she figured it was a logical trade. All the religious and purists groups she’d seen on the broadcasts probably wouldn’t like interspecies mating, but she figured they were just jealous assholes whose dicks were too tiny to find, anyhow.

Geoff pulled her through Gate C, and suddenly there was the shuttle. It wasn’t that large, much to her surprise, and about a dozen couples were swarming around the ticketing agent. Maybe they were too late. Maybe they wouldn’t be allowed on and then they could go home and forget about this. Sure, Earth was a horrible place to live, but she’d rather die in Geoff’s arms than accept a stranger into her bed. She’d only ever been with one man, and it was the man she’d fallen in love with and married.

We’re going by age, the ticket agent stated loudly. The requirements for relocation to Planet Alpha are based on fertility, so we’ll be accepting by age. Health cards, please!

A collective groan rose from some of the older couples because it was clear the women were past the prime age for conception, but it made sense. Alphans would only want young healthy women who could breed. God, that word disgusted her. Geoff slipped a small plastic card in her hand, and it took her a moment to realize it was a medical card. It allowed officials to get their health information in a heartbeat, but the only thing was she and Geoff had never had one. They were expensive to obtain, and they’d never had any spare cash. One of the agents took her card, read it, and smiled.

Congratulations, Mrs. DeWinter, please move into the shuttle and find a seat in cargo bay three.

Geoff grabbed her hand and maneuvered their way through the throng of couples. Keirah held tightly to her bag since it carried everything she owned. Geoff had packed for her since she hadn’t known what was happening until they’d arrived at the shuttle terminal, and she could only imagine what he’d brought along.

Where’d you get the cards? she whispered.

Don’t ask.

So she didn’t. When his parents were murdered he was sent into the same orphanage as she, but he’d often escaped to the streets. She didn’t know much about his experience there because he’d asked her not to ask, but she knew he’d done some stuff he’d not been proud of and had friends that were shady. When they’d gotten married he’d vowed to walk away from that life, but now she realized he must still have connections.

The shuttle was long with narrow corridors. She made sure not to touch anything, but luckily cargo bay three wasn’t hard to find. A few more couples followed them in, and they all nodded to one another. Each person looked scared, and Keirah realized she probably had the same shocked expression on her face. Were they really about to blast off into space, heading to a new planet to live? Would she really have to sleep with a stranger and have his baby? How could she betray her vows like that? She’d promised love, faith, and fidelity to Geoff, and she was about to blast off for some clandestine meeting just to survive. It seemed