Jana wasn’t sure what to think of the whole thing.
It didn’t make any sense. It had to be a dream or psychosis or something.
The idea that she’d fallen and hit her head at the park made more sense than going through a portal and winding up on a space station clear across the galaxy. Polly and Tori must have seen her fall or something.
What the giant aliens meant? They were probably manifestations of something she wanted or needed. Or some such thing.
And the purple one? He was probably a manifestation of Barney. A sexy version of purple Barney. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was one of those kids who loved Barney. Maybe she even went a little crazy for the giant purple dinosaur when she was a kid, but she was a kid.
So surely, a buff purple guy was some mental health repairing trick to help get her over Stefan and think about having someone in her life who wasn’t a big jerk.
She ran her thumb over her ring finger where the promise ring had been. She didn’t realize how much she touched that spot until she woke up without it to play with. It was a symbol of the relationship, one that was gone.
She hoped if someone found it in the grass, they used it for good things and not deceit.
Jana glanced at Re-lee, who was still explaining everything.
Mostly what she knew was they’d traveled across the galaxy to come together with their mates, the perfect ones to partner with and be forever bound to.
All that stuff.
“Still sounds like slavery,” Jana muttered.
Phares grumbled about not wanting slaves, which was good because Jana didn’t want to be anyone’s slave.
“This is not slavery by any means. While the Intergalactic Dating Agency prides itself on its perfect accuracy, there is one essential clause. You have thirty days to decide if this match will work. If not, you can return to your homeworld without any obligation.”
“What if I decide on day twenty-nine that I don’t want to do this? Go home, and then decide I made a mistake on day thirty-one?” Polly asked. “Can I come back? Is there a way to call it in?”
Re-lee blinked. “What is done is done. There is no quick return. That is why we have the thirty-day trial, for the couple to make sure that they will work together.”
Polly nodded.
Re-lee’s gaze landed on Jana. “You do not have to stay here while you have your trial period,” she started to look at the others. “But you do have to stay with your mate.”
“Like stay here, in this place?” Jana asked, her gaze landing on Phares again.
“In the same residence,” Re-lee said.
Jana blinked.
That’s not what she expected to hear.
From the expression on Phares’s face, he didn’t know about that twist of the rules either.
* * *
“Wow,”Jana said as they walked into the apartment complex. If that’s what it could be considered. It was set up like a little condo pod, with three doors around the otherwise squarish patio area.
And a beautiful view overhead and on the wall of the stars beyond. Everything was bright and clean and felt like something out of a new and modern magazine.
Or off a fancy sci-fi show. Panels glowed with soft ambient light. Furniture was scattered about the entry, making it look more and more like a patio.
Each door was marked with different dots, which she guessed to symbolize the numbers maybe.
“This is your residence,” she said, gesturing to the first door on the left. “Phares and Jana, you will stay here.”
Jana took a deep breath. “Okay.”
