Conley is at his wit's end. He's the youngest of the Argalan lords, but under serious pressure from off-planet incursions. Head of the farming clan, his cattle are the target of the vile Bafola and any other of the local aliens who want an easy meal or two.
hen a match is found for him with a human female, he's happy to discover that she comes from a farming background and hopes he can share his burdens with her, as well as a lot more....
Ailis is also a pediatric nurse, there to help the human women as they begin to produce litters of children to repopulate the planet. Conley wishes he had the chance himself for husband and fatherhood. The trouble is, Ailis is so shy, any attempts to get romantic with her are a disaster. He's convinced she really doesn't like him at all in THAT way, in spite of how compatible they are in every respect, not just genetic.
When Ailis overhears Conley complaining that he wants another wife he can actually have intercourse and a family with, Ailis packs her things sadly and gets ready to leave. She's NOT indifferent to him at all. In fact, it's the opposite. She's overwhelmed be the desire she feels for him, and her virginal confusion causes her to run rather than face her feelings.
When the huge, brutal Vinlandians raid and not only take his cattle but his wife, Conley realizes just how much she means to him. Can he save her before it's too late?
Ailis realizes she should have admitted she loved Conley long before now. Will she ever see him again? Or will she become the miserable wife of the power-hungry Vinlandian king?
This series has potential to be very good with 2 interesting spinoffs. My only issue was too much redundancy when the point of view was switched between hero and heroine.