It had been eight hours since Faron’s family had arrived. It felt more like a long, tortuous year to him.

“Pass the meat,” Bartlek said as they sat on the floor in a circle in the room Faron’s father had rented on board Prodigy.

Faron did as requested, shoving the dish into his brother’s hand.

“You have lost muscle,” his father, Rhodan, said. “You are half the size of your brother.”

Bartlek puffed up his chest and smirked at Faron. “I retain my strength, thanks to my continued work in the mines. Something you do not have the privilege of doing.”

“I am aware I don’t have that luxury,” Faron growled. “My repair work is more to do with brainpower than muscle power. I help ensure the safety of this entire station.”

“You fix broken bulbs and leaking pipes. That’s not an achievement to be proud of,” Bartlek said.

Faron scowled at him. He did more than that. He found his work satisfying. He would not let his brother’s words get to him.

His mother finished chewing a large piece of meat. “You do look small. We will fix that when you’re home. Your new partner will feed you. We know you won’t be able to earn a living as a cripple, but we will ensure you don’t go without. Once you provide me with my first dozen grandchildren, we will look into giving you an annual income.”

“We should pay for every child you give us,” Rhodan said. “It will help to focus your mind on the job.”

Faron gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to argue. The thought of being a kept man and unable to provide for his family without the interference of his parents grated on him. He could look after himself and any children he had.

“This is a good thing. It is time you contributed again,” Rhodan said.

Faron nodded once. He still struggled to deny the requests of his family. They’d always come first. It was the Tolong way, even if it meant they insulted him and treated him like a simple-minded fool.

“Remind me again why you were in your ceremonial dance attire when we last spoke?” Bartlek said, a sly look in his eyes. “I was certain you were lying about having a female, but I don’t believe you would go to so much effort in your deception. If this female is real, we should meet her.”

“There’s no point in that. You have already selected a mate for me.”

“Even so, it will be amusing to see the one you chose for yourself. I’m certain she will be inadequate.”

“She is more than adequate. She is better than I’ll ever be.”

“That’s hardly difficult,” Bartlek sneered. “Does she have a sight problem? Did she not notice your missing arm?”

“I have two arms,” Faron said.

“You know what your brother means,” his mother, Siblis, said. “This female must be understanding to overlook your issues. Were you firm in your dismissal of her?”

“We dismissed each other.” Faron clenched his fists as he recalled his argument with Kendra. He’d been honest with her, and she’d thrown it in his face and told him about the other male in her life. He’d had no choice but to turn away from her.

“Does she have a disability, as well?” Bartlek said. “She lowered her standards because she is not complete.”

Faron bit back a curse. “She is complete.”

“Don’t tell me she’s infertile.” His brother’s top lip curled. “You’ve wasted your time on a female who is not able to give you children.”

“Faron may have his limitations, but even he wouldn’t be so foolish,” Siblis said.

That was the closest thing to a compliment he’d ever get from her. “She is not disabled, and I am fairly certain she can provide me with children. We have not assessed that because we were getting to know each other. It was a new relationship. One that ended before it had begun.” He did an excellent job of not sounding as bitter as he felt.

“That’s the right thing to do,” Rhodan said. “We do not need a human sullying our name by associating with you. I have worked tirelessly since your accident to restore our name and make sure others do not consider us weakened by the problems you have created.”

Faron dug his nails into his palm. “You have my eternal gratitude.”

His father nodded. “Of course I do. Your place is in the family, but it has taken time to find you a suitable position. Now we have a female for you, you may re-join us and serve a purpose.”

Bartlek snorted a laugh. “I still can’t believe this human female is interested in you. Did you pay her?”

“Try to believe because it’s true.” Faron resisted the urge to lunge at his brother. Just because Bartlek’s life was so perfect, it shouldn’t give him the right to expose Faron’s weaknesses.

“I would love to meet her and ask what she saw in you. She could be one of those females you hear about who enjoy taking on a challenge and trying to fix a broken male.”

Faron’s jaw hurt from where he was grinding his teeth. “She would not waste her breath on you.”

Bartlek jumped to his feet, his food falling to the floor. “You consider a simple-minded human to be anywhere near equal to me? I could crush her with one hand and not break a sweat.”

“It is not about brute strength.” Faron stood slowly, his gaze not leaving his brother’s. “She is smart and knows her own mind. She would not cower before you because of your size.”

“Then she is more of a simpleton than I realized,” Bartlek said. “You are well-rid of her. I expect she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized she was free from you. Maybe she saw you as a pity fuck. She wanted a notch on her bedpost to display she was all about equal opportunities.”

Faron lunged at Bartlek and grabbed his throat.

Their mother jumped up and punched them on the back of their heads. “We do not have time for petty arguments about inconsequential humans.”

“Yes, big brother. I don’t want to injure you unnecessarily.” Bartlek jerked out of Faron’s grip and rubbed his neck.

“I’m willing to take my chances,” Faron growled.

“No! Both of you stop it. We cannot afford to have Faron injured before he meets his mate today.”

Faron turned and stared at his mother, horror curling around his spine. “My mate?”

“Yes, you moron,” Bartlek said. “We didn’t come here to pay you a friendly visit. We’ve brought your mate with us.”

Faron’s heart thundered in his chest. “The female is here?”

“Sit down, both of you.” Their mother stood glaring until they obeyed and returned to the floor. “Now, Faron, we decided you were too indecisive when it came to selecting a future mate.”

“I am not indecisive. I never thought I’d have the opportunity to secure a Tolong mate. You cannot blame me for looking elsewhere.”

“We can if your choice is a feeble human,” Bartlek muttered.

Siblis nodded. “That is true, but we believe this female will be suitable. She is fertile and sturdy.”

“I’ve sent her a message to join us,” Bartlek said. “She will be here in a few moments.”

Faron shook his head. He wasn’t ready. He was still plagued by thoughts of Kendra and the new male she dated. He couldn’t meet his Tolong mate. He didn’t want to be distracted when he met her, yet all he could think about was Kendra.

“You might like to show gratitude,” Rhodan said. “Finding this mate has not been cheap or easy. She’s still not certain she wishes to partner with you. Donik insisted on meeting face-to-face to see if she can live with your incompleteness.”

Faron wanted to rip off his cybernetic arm and smash it on his father’s head. Since coming to Prodigy, no one had commented on his arm. Cybernetics were normal to most aliens. It was Tolongs who had an issue. They were so hung up on physical perfection. During his time away from other Tolongs, he’d come to realize there was another way to see physical differences, and that it wasn’t so wrong. It shouldn’t be sneered at and ridiculed.

The weight of his father’s stare had Faron dropping his gaze. “I appreciate your efforts, Father. I would never have found a Tolong female if it hadn’t been for your intervention.”

Rhodan grunted. “Good. I’m glad you’re finally talking sense. You will accept her, re-join the family, and move on from this embarrassing episode.”

Faron nodded, but his heart felt numb. He didn’t speak and shoved food into his mouth as he tried to block the conflicting thoughts in his head.

The door signaled someone was outside.

Bartlek jumped up and rubbed his hands together. “Donik is here.”

“Stand up,” Siblis said as she hustled Faron off the floor. “Make sure you look presentable. Donik will want to know all about you. Be open and honest in your answers.”

“Of course, Mother.” Faron faced the door, clasping his hands behind his back and forcing his face into a neutral expression in the hope it would mask the turmoil inside him.

Bartlek opened the door. Standing outside was a short, squat chestnut-brown Tolong. It looked as if her nose had been broken several times and was both squashed and crooked.

Her lips pressed together, and her dark eyes narrowed as her gaze ran over Faron.

“Come in, Donik,” Bartlek said. “Meet your future mate.”

Donik limped as she walked. Faron studied her gait and realized one leg was longer than the other. It seemed they were both less than perfect. At least, they had that in common.

“This is Faron?” Donik stopped in front of him, a look of disdain on her face.

“This is my son,” Siblis said.

“He is not as big as I’d like.” Donik prodded his bicep.

“He has grown weak during his time on the space station,” Siblis said. “That will change when we return home.”

Donik grunted. “Show me your artificial limb.”

Faron kept his gaze on the wall as he extended his arm to her.

She snorted as she stared at it. “It is the whole arm?”

“It is,” Faron said.

“It is displeasing.” Her voice was rough and gravelly.

“It is a small thing,” Bartlek said. “The rest of him works fine. Faron is eager to please because he’s so desperate to return home. He will make you an agreeable mate.”

Faron flashed his brother a death stare. He was not weak, nor would he be agreeable with this female. He could sense her dislike. This would not be a happy match. He would not be able to couple with her.

“The rest of him is not displeasing,” Donik said as she walked around him.

“He will make you a fine mate,” Siblis said. “We have agreed you can join on a trial basis, so you can test him and ensure he is suitable for you.”

Faron glanced at his mother. He was not aware of this trial but felt relief at the opportunity he’d have to shake loose this female. Their coupling would not work. He was certain of that.

“And the payment?” Donik asked.

“Payment?” Faron said. “What is this?”

Siblis raised a hand. “It is nothing. A sweetener for this less than ideal arrangement Donik must endure.”

“By sweetener, Mother means we had to pay Donik to consider you.” Bartlek sneered at Faron, daring him to attack again.

Faron scowled and returned his stare to the wall. Humiliation ran through him like poison. They’d paid this cold, mean-spirited creature to consider being with him. He was not that much of a monstrosity.

“Give us a moment, Donik. This is overwhelming for Faron.” Siblis led him away from the group as Donik and his brother talked about the payment. “Do not ruin this by being sullen.”

“I am not.” Faron glanced over his shoulder. “You should not have to pay her to take me.”

“It is our only option.” His mother pinched his arm. “This is a Tolong female. This is something you never thought you’d have. Be grateful for what we offer you.”

Faron looked at Donik. His mother was right. He should be practical about this. It was what he wanted, wasn’t it? He should accept her.

“I didn’t want you to leave home,” Siblis said quietly.

“You don’t care about that. All you want is more grandchildren,” Faron said. “Bartlek and my other brothers are not giving you enough, so you turn to me because you are desperate.”

“Of course I want more grandchildren.” She cuffed him around the head. “I will not be looked down on because you refuse to provide.”

Faron looked back at Donik. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t find her physically attractive, although there was nothing soft or sweet about her like Kendra. It was her attitude. She radiated contempt for him. How could he get aroused around somebody who despised him?

“Her genetic lineage and fertility are solid,” his mother said. “This works out the best for everybody.”

Faron sighed. He should do what was best for his family, but how could he be with someone he didn’t find appealing? There were no other options for him, though. He’d tried with Kendra, and all he’d discovered was a feckless human who’d already moved on to somebody else. This was his future. If he joined with Donik, Faron could return home and make some sort of life for himself. It would not be the one he’d hoped for but would give him an opportunity to have a large family. He’d treat his children with kindness. He would not scar them and beat them with sharp words and fists. That was one small comfort.

The problem was, Faron had experienced a taste of what real love could be like, and it had changed him. Some would find that a weakness. He knew his family would, but he felt differently now. His time with Kendra and the way she’d opened his emotions and revealed there were other ways to be had shown him a new truth.

“Come, we will discuss the terms of your joining,” Siblis said. “You see this makes sense. This is your only option.”

Faron nodded as he joined the group. She was right. He would do this. He could make this work.

The door alert pinged again then a thumping came on the outside.

“We are not expecting anybody else.” Bartlek strode to the door and opened it.

Faron was surprised to see Kendra’s colleague, Sinead, standing outside, her breath gasping out of her and her green eyes wide with panic.

He strode over and shoved past his brother. “Is something wrong?”

“Who is this?” Bartlek asked. “This is not the human you’ve been associating with.”

“Keep quiet,” Faron snapped. “What is wrong? Is it Kendra?”

Sinead nodded. “I need your help. Kendra’s in big trouble. She’s been taken by a Rolon.”