Read Online Captivated: 3 (Mating Ritual) by Ria Candro - Free Book Online Page A

But the thought of being without him, of leaving behind the family and farmhouse that she’d come to call home, frightened her to death. Adamon and his family meant comfort and security to her, and without them she feared she’d never feel safe.
    What a horrible dilemma.
    Her inner crisis firmly in mind, she hurried to dress and sneak out of the house before she could run into Adamon or his parents, who were no doubt already up and preparing for their duties on the farm. She grabbed the basket of fruit and vegetables by the front door, some of yesterday’s crop to be sold in the store, and hurried on her way. To her surprise, there wasn’t a single Spygian to block her path.
    “What a relief.”
    At least that’s what she tried to convince herself. The last thing she needed was one or more of them around to confuse her further.
    She spent a blissfully quiet morning at the shop. That was, until Amra wandered in about half an hour before Cindra’s shift was due to end.
    “I don’t understand what’s happening to this town,” Amra grumbled as she walked in the door, her plump, weathered face wrinkled in disgust.
    “What’s that, Amra?” Cindra asked, trying for her best friendly tone.
    Amra’s gaze traveled over Cindra’s body, her expression showing she found fault with something, not that this was new.
    “You need a new gown, dear,” Amra said. “That one is far too tight.”
    Her cheeks heating, Cindra resisted the urge to glance down at her cream-colored dress. Yes, it was a bit too small, highlighting her full, non -Keulot-like breasts even under the conservative high neckline. But she only had two dresses, and the one she normally wore was now crumpled in the back of her closet, stained with dirt from last night’s fiasco. Until she had a chance to wash it off in the stream, this tighter dress would have to do.
    Giving Amra a bright smile, she changed the subject. “Can I help you with anything?”
    “Harrumph.” Amra glanced toward the front door. “Perhaps you can tell me why, in the matter of a few days, we’ve had two sets of visitors, when our last strange visitor to the area was…well, in fact, you.”
    When Amra’s eyes narrowed suspiciously on her, Cindra fidgeted. Then the import of Amra’s words penetrated her mind.
    “There’s another set of visitors, you say?”
    Amra nodded with a grunt, her face darkening. “More offworlders, and not nearly as pleasing to the eye as the last bunch. Not that good looks makes them acceptable, mind you. They may try to dress conservatively, but I tell you, those Spygians are savages. One only has to look at their hair to realize that. Indecent it is, longer and straighter than most women’s hair.”
    More offworlders . Something about that statement sparked an ominous thump within Cindra’s heart. Tuning out the rest of Amra’s words, Cindra slipped from behind the counter and brushed past the woman, going to the front door. She peeked outside, but when she saw nothing, pushed the door open. The bell jangled in her ear, but she ignored it, slipping outside.
    The Keulot sun shone down brightly in the square. Shielding her eyes from the glare, Cindra looked around. Large dust devils zoomed through the open space. Her eyes bypassed the normal sight until a particularly large dust devil rolled past a group of men on the other side of the square.
    No!
    Her heart stopped as she caught sight of their unmistakable features. Each of the four men was close to seven feet tall, with a broad, muscular body that looked nothing like the Spygians’. Their flesh was gray, and dark, tangled locks sprang from their heads in disarray, tumbling halfway down their shoulders. Worse, their broad, squat faces featured prominent brows and flat noses. The townspeople striding through the square caught sight of them and automatically turned in the other direction, clearly fearful even though she was certain most of them didn’t even know what they were looking at.
    No, oh