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Panic rolled over her as she turned on her side. If this mess got back to My Single Alien, it was game over. Diadora would fire her, and she’d be left with nothing. All she’d have achieved over the last six months was to fulfill her mom’s prophecy that she was nothing more than a pretty face with a decent rack.

Sinead turned again and scowled at the ceiling. She was more than that. Her mom relied on her own physical assets to get what she wanted, but Sinead wasn’t certain it made her happy.

When she was younger, she’d heard her mom late at night, crying behind her closed bedroom door. Sinead had asked about it once, but when her mom had snapped and snarled and told her to mind her own business, she’d never done it again.

She sighed and shifted again, not able to get comfortable. Maybe her mom was right. Sinead had a decent figure and a cute face. If she lost her job, she’d have to use what she had left to survive.

She gritted her teeth as she rolled over and stared at the port screen next to her. She’d read the Lillip mate contract five times, and there was no doubt about it; she was joined with Talyn.

“How have I done this?” she muttered to herself. The terms of the contract weren’t harsh. They read like the vows of a human wedding ceremony. It was all about treating each other with respect and valuing kindness and loyalty. It was a decent contract if you were looking to get hitched to a Lillip. But Sinead didn’t want to be mated with Talyn. She was young, free, and single, and happy about that.

Talyn might physically be her type, and his ability made her feel out of this world amazing, but it wouldn’t turn her head. She needed to get back to her old life where she had fun and didn’t worry about the consequences.

If she was mated to Talyn, she couldn’t do that. She wouldn’t be able to stay out all night and dance and flirt with whoever took her eye.

“Always read the terms and conditions,” she said quietly. “It’s just my luck they tripped me up. But who reads the small print on anything?”

She scrolled all the way through the contract again. There was nothing about how to get the partnership annulled, but that was a possibility. Her mom had annulled one marriage because she said her husband hadn’t fulfilled his duties in the bedroom. Sinead hadn’t probed that any further but was certain what it meant.

Other than holding hands, she’d done nothing with Talyn. This could be the way to get their contract annulled. They’d not been intimate, so they weren’t proper mates. She chewed on her bottom lip as she sat up and pulled on her boots.

Sinead hurried to the bathroom and checked her appearance, frowning when she saw her reflection. She desperately needed sleep. There were only so many coats of concealer she could put under her eyes before she looked unnatural.

Once she’d freshened her make-up and brushed her hair, she hurried out of her room. This was the answer. They’d get this contract annulled. They’d do it quickly and quietly, and no one would be any the wiser. Talyn could join as a client of My Single Alien, and that would be an end to this mess.

Sinead pushed away the thought that she’d no longer have access to his ability. She’d no longer have that calmness descend on her like a warm, soft fluffy blanket on a cold night. That would be gone.

She slowed her walk along the corridor. They couldn’t stay joined because of that. Sinead had lived with this frantic mind for so long, this was all she knew. She’d had a taste of something else, and it had been blissful, but she didn’t love Talyn. She didn’t even know him.

Sinead had half an hour before she needed to be at work. That was enough time. She raced to Talyn’s room and pressed the alert outside several times. He didn’t come to the door.

She turned away, feeling disappointed. His ship! He must have stayed on Booby last night after they’d talked.

Sinead dashed to the docking bay, giving a wave to the security guards who stood by the door. As she got to Talyn’s ship, she frowned. The docking ramp was up. There was no way to get inside and speak to him.

She looked around to make sure no one was within earshot. “Booby, can you hear me? It’s Sinead. I need to talk to Talyn.”

A single light pulsed in a window before the docking ramp descended.

“Thanks, Booby.” She raced up the ramp and onto the ship.

“Good morning, Sinead,” Booby said. “I trust your sleep was pleasant.”

“My sleep was non-existent. Where’s Talyn? I need to speak to him.”

“He’s on his way. You sound worried.”

“I had a lot to think about last night. It’s not every day a girl gets married without realizing it.”

“Marriage. The human bonding ceremony. It takes place in an attractive setting, sometimes an old church. A couple exchanges vows, rings, and celebrates afterwards with dancing and cake. You have done none of that with Talyn.”

“No, but we’ve basically done the same thing Lillip style. It’s a sort of marriage.”

“That’s a logical conclusion,” Booby said. “You’re not happy with this marriage?”

“Neither of us are. Neither will my boss be.” Sinead slowed her pacing as she heard footsteps approach.

Talyn rounded the corner, dressed in a black jumpsuit. “Sinead! What are you doing here so early?”