Page 16 of His Human Rebel

And then I close the door behind me.

Chapter 6

Stella

That rough, satanic-looking rancher is adorable.

It’s obvious he wants sex, even though I’m pregnant with another man’s baby. And I want it too, just not yet.

I glance around Rake’s bedroom, still amazed that I’m on a different planet and about to move into a ranch house with some alien man I met about an hour and a half ago. And yet it still seems like the right move.

I sit on the edge of the bed for a moment, taking it all in. Whenever I sit still and stop talking, I remember everything that happened recently and get sad all over again. Images flash in my head again of the students and coworkers I miss. Of my cute little apartment. My life is turned upside down.

I assumed my whole life I’d live on New Earth and continue my teaching career until the day I eventually retired. I’d hoped to one day to meet a man I could love and marry and we’d start a family, but I was in no rush.

I wasn’t great at monitoring my birth control and now I’m got pregnant. Being a single mom was perfectly fine, not ideal but entirely doable.

But Rake is offering to be the father of my child. And he wants to marry me, knowing I’m literally pregnant and carrying someone else’s baby. And to be truthful, I would love to stay here longer and see what this could be like with him. I glance around the bedroom. I’ve grilled him already and feel that this might be the real deal.

But will he be a good father?

Can Rake fully accept a human child as his offspring and treat him as his own? I can’t possibly marry a man who is going to be a shit father to my child and treat him or her as less. If that’s the case, I’d rather do this on my own.

Yes, he’s fantastically rich. He must be a secret billionaire or at the very least a millionaire. Although his family’s true wealth is maybe in the land they own, which they would never sell. But I wasn’t lying when I said he was lucky to be paired with someone like me, who for reals could give a shit about his wealth. In fact, I usually find rich people suspect because they often never use their powers for good. I tend to find myself with more in common with generous, hard-working people with good morals—that’s my type.

Although, by the looks of this house and this new ranch he carved out, he does seem to be hard working and not flashy or snooty about his money. This is good.

I’ll just have to see how this plays out I guess—that’s when I’ll really know if I should stay or if I should go.

I’m definitely not go to the courthouse with him until I’m certain, considering there’s no divorce on Tarvos. This situation sounds romantic but also scary because it’s so binding, and to me, lacks freedom of choice. I suppose that’s why I’m not ready. I need to know that when we’re married, there will be equality and respect. So far, I don’t see any red flags, but it’s still early yet.

I suppose I’ll be ready to make it legal between us when the idea of being tied to him sounds lovely instead of scary.

I glance back at the bed, imagining sweaty encounters with that powerful Hyrrokin. He’s basically the sexiest man I’ve ever met. The soft-looking red skin, the sharp black horns and silver-tipped hands. I’ve seen a flash of his fangs and a forked tongue. He’s got a barbed tail and breathes fire. But he also walks around shirtless and his chest is amazing. His voice is deep and melodious and I’ve glanced at his crotch more than once because it’s tented and his package looks bigger than anyone I’ve known before.

I have a feeling that sex with Rake might be the best of my life. He’s got to be about ten years older than me, experienced and seems intent on getting my consent before touching me. I’m nervous as hell to start something with him, but excited at the same time.

But am I ready to give up my career as a teacher on New Earth to become the wife of a ferocious-looking Hyrrokin who runs a family ranching business on the planet Tarvos?

I glance around again, deciding to look around.

Rake Flagstone built this house himself, with a little help from his friends, but mainly all by himself. It sounds like it took a few years to finish. The walls look a little roughhewn, but it’s also very solid looking. I’ve lived in many structures that were modular and quickly put up and flimsy. This is the opposite of that. The walls are made of stacked logs and the floors are gray stone tiles. The fireplace is crafted from smooth stones. I love all the natural materials and the attention to detail.

I didn’t want to say too much downstairs and sound judgmental, but I thought it was a little odd that he was living in a house that was almost empty. Downstairs he only has one chair in the kitchen and another chair and desk in his home office. Upstairs there is this bed and one nightstand…that’s it, not another nightstand or dresser or even a chair up here.

The bed in the middle of the room is bigger than any I’ve ever seen before. A fireplace and a large picture window give a nice view of the surrounding wilderness and the distant ridges of the mountain range. The bedding is black and the wood of the four-poster bed and the headboard is also ebony. The walls and floors might be dark too, but the sunlight shining through lightens the atmosphere.

I like it. I can see myself here.

I open the bathroom door and am pleased to find a very spacious and modern bathroom with white everywhere and black fixtures. There’s a wall unit clothing washer and a mouth cleaner and a very high-tech cleansing unit. I open all the cabinets and look around every corner and it’s true that I don’t see any traces of any other females having been here and left anything.

I use the bathroom and then drag my red suitcase into the walk-in closet. It’s not huge but the right size for the both of us. There are his clothes on one side and the other side is empty. I go back and open the suitcase onto the bed and walk back and forth, putting away my clothes and my toiletries. I’d brought a lot, considering I was moving out of my apartment anyways. The suitcase is bursting at the seams. But the only problem is that it’s all human clothes and I saw already the types of clothes that the Hyrrokin females wear here and it’s different from back home. They all wear tube tops and have their arms exposed. No one wears shoes but me.

I also need to purchase maternity clothes.

Finally, I’m unpacked and I zip up the suitcase and place it on a high shelf in the closet. I’m still wearing my unbuttoned pants and pink top I had on when I arrived. It still seems like a good outfit. I have on flat sandals but they aren’t too fancy. I have no idea if I’m supposed to be wearing something different for outside wear, but I guess I could always return and change again if necessary.

There’s a floor-length mirror in the closet, which I appreciate considering it’s been just him living in this house. I look at myself from head to toe, taking in my long blonde hair, the pink shirt and loose denim pants and my flat brown sandals. To be truthful I tried to put on more makeup than usual, trying to do something more with my hair this morning, during the small amount of time I was allowed back in my apartment before I left. After all, I was meeting some guy who I’d married in absentia and who was expecting a mail-order bride. I wanted to make a good impression.