Chapter One
ROMI
Every breath hurts with the heat searing my lungs as I run. Dust kicks up all around as the horses race ahead of me. I hear a shout in the distance, sending a jolt of fear through me.
The fear galvanizes me, giving me another burst of adrenaline to run just fast enough. My favorite horse, Fury, slows his pace, circling beside me. I catch his mane and fling myself onto his back, holding on as he dashes ahead.
When I hear another shout, it’s much more distant. The fear still burns through me. I need to get to safety. Fury gallops fast enough to catch up to the other horses. Blessedly, we cross the barrier, and I tap the tiny receiver hiding in the pocket of my worn pants.
The fence is electrified behind us now, so I start to relax inside. The entire herd keeps moving in unison. They know where to go to find safety. Long minutes later, they finally slow, turning into the gate for their pasture and their barn, a refuge.
I slide off Fury’s back once he stops. He curls his neck around me as his nostrils flare with his heaving breath. “Thank you,” I whisper. “Go.” I release his mane.
He ambles over toward the large water trough. The only reason these horses have water is because we’re near the greenzone, with access to an aquifer. I’m not lucky enough to live in the green zone, but I’m lucky enough to be gifted at training horses. They answer to me; therefore, the ruling families of the green zone want me to help care for them.
I shield my eyes from the burning sun with my hand as I look out over the pasture behind me. We’re by the ocean here, and the horses feed off the marsh grasses. This part of Earth is near the Outer Banks on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Horses survived shipwrecks from centuries ago and have lived here ever since. They’ve also survived the near destruction of the Earth. They’re sturdy and strong.
My thoughts spin to my plan. Rumors about a matchmaking service for women have been racing through the area. I hope to convince the alien cowboys to take the horses with them. If humans can survive on that planet, so can horses.
That night, I return to what passes for home. They might want me to use my skills to help with the horses, but the ruling families don’t want me to live too close to the green zone. Only the rich get that.
I don’t even turn on a light, slipping in unnoticed through the back entrance and walking on quiet feet to the apartment where I grew up. Two rooms are a luxury here on Earth when you’re poor. The funny thing, though, is that technology still works here. It’s the one thing that Earth has not failed at. I pick up my smartphone. It’s old and battered, and I don’t carry it with me because I know there’s a beacon in it. I tap it open and scroll through, looking for any news about the matchmaking service.
When my eyes land on another posting for interviews tomorrow, I debate whether I have the nerve to try. I know I’m not the best candidate. I’m tall, and I’m told that I’m too standoffish and intimidating for men. I don’t care. Men here think they own women, and I guess they do.
The only way I’ve learned to avoid them is to be a complete bitch. After both of my parents died in a factory fire, I kept my head down and quietly continued working with the horses. I’m so grateful to have that job. The horses are the only things that have held me back from applying to the matchmaking service sooner. I fear leaving them behind.
Hours later, I hear the thumping on the door. I stare at it in the darkness.
“I know you’re in there, Romi.”
I want to ignore it, but I’m tired of letting my fear ruin my life. I sleep in my clothes as I always have. My mother taught me to do that. She always said it’s the only way to stay safe at night. I stand, striding across the dark room to fling the door open.
I reach forward and grab Draven by the balls. “You fucking asshole. What do you want?” I demand.
His face is red under the dull light in the hallway, and he lets out a sharp grunt. I don’t let go and twist his balls in my grip.
“You marry me.” He thinks he can order me around. “In three days, I’ll be back,” he chokes out before he breaks free from my hold, stumbling down the hallway.
The next day, I feed the horses and use the shower in the barn. I twist my hair into a braid and study myself in the mirror. Although Earth is a dry and dusty hellscape, with most of us living in poverty and working for factories or massive offices, some manage to get by with nice clothes and cute things that they scrounge up from old storage garages. I haven’t even bothered to find anything nice. I’m too practical.
I hope I’ll get accepted anyway. Walking down the dusty road to Space Rodeo Drive, I feel him before I hear him. Draven stops beside me. “Two days,” he says, his eyes dark.
Fear churns in my gut, but I don’t even answer. A short while later, a woman named Jane looks at me. “Today,” she says.
“We leave today?” I prompt.
She nods. For a split second, I almost lose my courage. But I have a promise to keep, a promise I made to myself and to my horses. I swallow nervously. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course,” she says. Jane is beautiful. I’m told she’s the princess on this planet, but she insisted I call her Jane.
“Um, I take care of the horses here, the ones by the ocean. Is there any way at all that they can be brought to the planet? I know it’s crazy that I’m asking, but…” I feel silly saying this. “They’re like my family, and I don’t want to leave them.”
Jane is quiet for a few beats. She reaches over and clasps both of my hands, squeezing them gently. “Let me see what we can do.” A moment later, she hurries away and returns with a tall, imposing man. “This is Asher, our prince.”
The alien cowboy looks at her, his tail twitching. “Yourprince,” he says.
Jane’s cheeks turn pink. “Can we bring the horses?”
