Olath

Warriors of the Golden Meridian: Book Two

Ava York

Starr Huntress

Contents

Evelyn

Evelyn

Olath

Evelyn

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Timcur

Timcur: Sneak Peek

Are you a STARR HUNTRESS?

Rogue Mate

Kazan

Evelyn

“I’m busy,” I shouted, trying to ignore whoever had knocked on my door. The knocking only became more insistent. Fluffbutt meowed loudly, demanding I stop the noise. I sighed, crossed the length of my dorm room, and opened the door.

Lauren stood in the hallway outside my door, her lips pulled into a wide grin. Her hair disheveled, she breathed raggedly, as if she had run the entire way to my door.

Without waiting for an invitation, she marched past me. She made a beeline to the bed, flopped on it, and spread her arms wide. The ancient metal bed rame creaked under her weight.

“Sorry, Lauren. Didn’t know it was you.” Even though we’d just met in my first year of college, Lauren had quickly become my best friend. She was the one person I’d trust with my life, and the one who was always there whenever I needed. More than a friend, Lauren was family.

“Studying for the midterms?”

She scratched Fluffbutt behind the ears while shooting my desk a glance. There, my terminal was lit up, a few mathematical formulas and mechanical engineering exercises littering the screen. A bunch of notebooks were in front of the terminal, the pages filled with enough numbers and equations to drive a mathematician mad.

“Yeah,” I replied with a shrug. “You know how Professor Andrews is with exams. If I don’t know every little thing in his damn textbook, he’s gonna make sure I don’t get a passing grade. And he’s been fussing that I’ve been spending too much time at my internship. And I really need to get a—”

“I’m sorry to say,” Lauren interrupted, “but there are more important things in life than mechanical engineering.” She scooted to the edge of the bed. She wiggled an eyebrow at me, like someone about to drop a bomb in my lap. I crossed my arms and tapped my foot against the floor.

“Alright, what’s this about?” I asked, already feeling hesitant. As much as I loved Lauren, she had a tendency to come up with harebrained schemes all the time, such as ditching class to attend some rave in an abandoned warehouse. Granted, her plans were mostly fun. Right now, though, I really needed to study. “C’mon, Lauren, out with it.”

“Well, tomorrow is your birthday and—”

“I’m sorry,” I rushed to say, waving a hand at my desk. “But I think I’m gonna pass on celebrating it. We can go out next weekend or something. I’m sorry, but I really need to ace this exam, or else I—”

“God, Evelyn,” she laughed, her grin widening. She then made a serious face and rolled her eyes at me. “I know how much Mmechanical engineering and nerdy formulas mean to you, but you gotta take a minute to listen to me.”

“Right,” I sighed. “I’m listening.”

“As I was saying,” she continued, “tomorrow’s your birthday. I’ve just come from the cafeteria, where I was looking at the lottery announcements, and guess who’s name just popped up on the feed?”

I opened my mouth to say something, then clamped it shut. My stomach twisted in knots. I felt all the color drain from my face. The lottery? Shit, this wasn’t good.

“Are you sure?” I sat beside her, my mind working at a thousand miles an hour. “I mean, are you really sure?”

“I’m positive,” Lauren said. “Evelyn Taylor, student number AHC9812, born on the—”

“Fine, I get it.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath. “Damn it, I really wasn’t counting on this.”

“You know, most girls consider it a privilege to be a part of the lottery, right?” She arched a sassy eyebrow at me. “I mean, Evelyn, what’s there not to like? If you get selected, you’ll have one of those hunky Mahdfel to have fun with, you’ll get to see the galaxy, and your family will get a cool $1 million.”

I glared at her.

It was true—a lot of girls hoped to be selected on lottery day.

Unable to protect itself from Suhlik incursions, this galaxy’s evil bastards, Earth had entered into an agreement with the Mahdfel, the alien race responsible for keeping the Suhlik at bay. Mahdfel lacked sufficient numbers of females in their society, so Earth had brokered a deal. In exchange for much-needed protection, Earth would provide the Mahdfel with Earth women.

“This is the last thing that I need,” I muttered, feeling nauseous at the prospect of being shipped out to some far corner of the galaxy. I was a woman with dreams and objectives, not a breeding toy! Besides, who’d look after Fluffbutt if I had to move to some remote corner of the galaxy?

“It’s not that bad, Eve,” Lauren insisted, putting her hand on top of mine. Again, I just frowned. “I mean, sure, it must suck to be sent out against your will...but there’s a silver lining. Most women who are selected love it out there. And the Mahdfel aren’t that bad. They might be a lil’ rough around the edges, but they don’t mistreat their women. They know how valuable we are. And I can look after Fluffbutt here. If it came to that. Just so you know.”

“Yeah, I know,” I said, even though I wasn’t sure I believed everything she said. Sure, Lauren would have loved the opportunity to explore the galaxy with a hunky alien by her side and have lots of freaky sex.

That just wasn’t me. I wasn’t asexual, or anything—I just didn’t wanna have it because of some stupid intergalactic arrangement, with an alien I’d never before met.

“I’ll go with you.” Lauren gave my hand a squeeze. “Don’t worry. The chances you’ll be selected are astronomically low. I doubt they’ll find a match for your DNA. More likely than not, you’ll be back from the testing center in time for your exam.”

“I hope so.”

My stomach remained tied in knots. What if Lauren was wrong? What if they found a match? Would I really have to abandon the life I’d built? I gritted my teeth and tried to still my mind. It was useless to fret about the future. Tomorrow I’d know for sure, and until then…

Until then, the only thing I could do was wait.

Evelyn

“Are you up?” Lauren’s voice came through the door, her excitement more than evident. “We’re gonna be late, Evelyn!”

“I’m coming,” I shouted, but didn’t move. I stood before the mirror, looking at the haggard expression on my face. Stray locks of dark auburn hair escaped from my ponytail, and my lips were so tightly compressed they were no longer crimson. There were faint lines around my eyes, proof of the tension which had taken me over. My fingernails dug into my palms.

“Evelyn!”

“Coming!” I gave myself an encouraging nod and scratched Fluffbutt behind the ears. “Don’t scratch anything before I’m back, you hear me?”

If I’m back, I thought grimly. The tension in my shoulders became almost unbearable. I knew, even if I had been selected for the lottery, it was highly improbable a genetic match would be found—but I couldn’t shake the feeling of impending doom. The odds were low, sure, but there was a chance this was the beginning of the end of my life as I knew it.

I opened the door. Lauren took my arm. She checked her wristwatch, gave me a frown, then we set off down the hallways of the dorm. There was an aircab already waiting for us outside. The driver flicked the end of his cigarette to the gutter when he noticed our approach.

“G’morning, ladies.” He tipped his imaginary hat at us. “Heading to the testing center, I presume?”

“That’s right,” Lauren replied, already pushing me into the back of the cab. She was handling me like a wild beast needing a trip to the vet. I felt like—if given the chance, I’d turn on my heels and rush back into my dorm room. There, I’d promptly lock my door and pretend none of this was real.

Except, of course, it was all real.

Twenty minutes later, the aircab cut a path toward the testing center, a domed building with gleaming walls of polished glass and steel beams. Even from a distance, I could see hundreds of young girls being herded across the floors, a group of lab-coated employees spearheading the different groups with ruthless efficiency.

Lauren paid the fare and the two of us ambled through the open square of the testing center. We cut through the manicured gardens and stepped into a massive atrium. No more than three seconds later, a young man stood before us, a holographic tablet in his hands. He held the tablet right in front of Lauren’s face, waiting for her features to be scanned. He frowned.

“You haven’t been selected for the lottery,” he said.

“No, I haven’t,” Lauren said, then she pointed at me. “Evelyn Taylor.”

“Right.” Again, he repeated the procedure on my face. A light chime came from his tablet. A grin lit up the man’s face. “Evelyn Taylor, indeed. Please accompany me, Miss Taylor. You’re on…” He glanced at his tablet. “Third floor, testing room forty-three.”

Lauren and I followed the man into an elevator. I half-expected him to turn Lauren away, but he didn’t. I thanked God for that. I was already an anxious wreck. The last thing I wanted was to go through all this alone.

We were led into a large waiting room, where a group of girls roughly my age already waited for their turn to be tested. The man waved at a couple of empty seats by the corner.

“Wait there,” he said. “Someone will call your name when it’s your turn.”

It didn’t take long.

Five minutes later, a middle-aged lab technician stepped onto the waiting room and shouted my name. Sheepishly, and hoping no one would turn her away, Lauren followed after me. The technician frowned at the sight of Lauren, but, much like the man who’d led us here, said nothing.

The test didn’t take long, either.

They drew my blood, putting the sample into some kind of machine for the results to be processed, and told me to wait.

“God, Evelyn,” Lauren said with a chuckle. “You look like you’re on death row. I’ve told you already, the chances of you getting a match are slim to—”

“Oh,” the technician said. “Interesting.” She stood in front of the computer, hands on her hips, and straightened her back once she read the flashing screen. “Seems like we’ve found a match for you, Ms. Taylor.”

“What?” Lauren and I said in unison, our high-pitched chorus earning another frown from the technician.

“That can’t be right,” I muttered. “Could you run the test again? I’m sure there’s been a mistake and—”

“No mistake,” the technician continued. She stepped away from the computer and started messing with another terminal. This was a bulkier one, and the wires coming out from the back-panels led straight to some kind of platform that sat at the corner of the room. “Please, Ms. Taylor, prepare yourself for departure.”

“That can’t be right.” The technician just shook her head and grabbed me by the arm. She hauled me up to my feet and, taking advantage of my confusion, led me across the room.

Once I was standing on the weird platform by the corner, she went back to the terminal and started typing on the keyboard again.

Lauren rushed forward and wrapped her arms around me.

“I’m sorry I was so excited for this,” she mumbled, and her eyes started welling up with tears. “It was just a stupid fantasy, but now…I didn’t really expect you’d have a match. God, I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” I whispered, returning her embrace. “It’s going to be alright, Lauren. Just look after Fluffbutt while I’m gone, alright?”

“I promise,” she whispered back. “I promise, Eve.”

“Would you please step away from the platform?” the technician said, glaring at Lauren. “You’re not even supposed to be here, miss, so don’t make my job any harder than it already is.”

“I, uh, sure,” Lauren muttered, then took a step back. Once her feet were off the platform, I felt a deep thrumming. The platform vibrated under my feet then there was a bright light.

“What the hell is happening?” I shouted, but no one heard me.

I was already gone.

Olath

“Ten minutes!” Rachel announced, furiously working on her terminal. Even though she was the only human on The Golden Meridian—or ‘Goldie’, as we liked to call her—she possessed the quiet confidence of a seasoned pilot, and the skills to back it up. I didn’t know of any other Vaznik crew with a human pilot, but I was damn glad we had her with us.

“Ten minutes,” I repeated, thumbing a switch that turned on the shipwide comms. “Everyone, report to the bridge. We’re about to leave Diana’s Arrow.”

It wasn’t long before the rest of the crew filtered onto the bridge, Captain Timcur leading the group. Thelkor, our gunner, was right on his tail. He waggled his eyebrows at Rachel before taking his seat. Before those two had become a thing, I hadn’t known the meaning of ‘innuendo’, but now…

“I’ve just come from the engine room,” Storgin announced. Hands clasped behind his back, he strolled onto the bridge. “All systems are functional and ready to go. Unless I’ve overlooked something, I don’t think we’ll need a maintenance stop for at least a couple of months.”

“Perfect,” I said, watching as he transferred all the information on his tablet to the ship’s system. My screen lit up and I skimmed the system’s diagnostics and Storgin’s report. “Good job, Storgin, as always.”

He shrugged.

“I’d feel more comfortable if we had a real engineer with us.” As our ship’s scientific slash medical officer, Storgin’s role aboard Goldie was as vast as it was important. We depended on him to patch us up after a brawl, to fix whatever was broken in the ship, and to do a scientific assessment of...well, of whatever we needed assessed.

“Duly noted,” I told him. We left it at that. We both knew that, with the mission we had been assigned, there’d be no time to recruit anyone else for the crew. The universe had already blessed us once—when we needed a pilot the most, Rachel was literally teleported here. I didn’t believe we’d be so lucky twice.

I pulled the information on Rachel’s screen to my own, confirmed there were still a few minutes before we uncoupled from Diana’s Arrow, the star-ferry we’d spent the last few days on, and decided to make a quick overview of our status.

Much like Storgin had said, the ship’s systems were pristine. There were no leaks, no spots on the hull that needed soldering, nor parts obviously requiring replacement or maintenance. We’d also stocked up on essentials, and we had everything we needed to be self-reliant for quite a while.

“How are things?” I heard Captain Timcur ask.

As Goldie’s Executive Officer, I sat right in front of him. Since the captain’s seat was on a slightly elevated platform behind me and overlooking the rest of the bridge, he could look straight onto my screen and see its contents.

“I think we’re good,” I said. “Now it’s only a matter of finding the right person for the job.”

“You don’t think we’ll find the right person for it on Tehglaish?”

“Who knows, really?” I shrugged, unsure how to respond. “I would’ve preferred to have a reliable technician working with us, instead of having to find some random hacker in the seedy markets of Tehglaish, but we don’t have much choice.”

Our orders were to stop and capture Zarklac, the leader of a Suhlik terrorist cell. We nearly caught the bastard recently. We had tracked him to Diana’s Arrow a couple of weeks ago, but the bastard slipped through our fingers.

We chased the sneaky fucker into a hidden Suhlik base, but...he got away again. Thankfully, we didn’t walk out of that Suhlik base empty-handed. We’d captured a treasure-trove of data packets containing some of Zarklack’s plans for new attacks. We had only been able to access a few files so far.

A portion of those plans were heavily encrypted. No matter which method we used, we just couldn’t crack its key. We needed a hacker to crack the data’s encryption.

Tehglaish, a seedy planet known for its black markets, was our best hope. Home to many of the galaxy’s hacktivists, Tehglaish was a hub of clandestine operations in this sector. With some luck, we hoped to find someone capable of—and willing to—decrypting Zarklac’s information for us.

It didn’t help that we needed to move fast. We all knew what Zarklac was capable of. The monster had tried to blow up Shackleton’s Crater Lunar Base a few weeks ago. Goldie had docked there for a shore leave, and we’d all witnessed his evil and cruel methods.

“It’ll be alright,” Captain Timcur said, his voice that of a leader with a steady hand. “We have a good crew, and I’m sure that—”

He was cut short by a chiming sound that came straight from my terminal. I narrowed my eyes and looked at the screen. There, a short message detailed that some of our ancillary systems had engaged autonomously.

“What’s going on back there?” Rachel cried out, looking back at me over her shoulder. “I’ve just received the green light from Diana’s Arrow Control, guys. We’re ready to uncouple in three minutes. Can I start the uncoupling procedure, or what?”

I hesitated.

“Well, let me just…” I reread the message again, just to make sure I hadn’t misinterpreted any of it. “I’m not sure. Power is being diverted from the engine to power up the axial nodes on—”

“Fucking hell,” Thelkor cried out. “Can you translate that for us? Or do I need to pull a dictionary out of my ass?”

“What Olath is trying to say,” Storgin cut in, sounding cool and collected, “is that our teleporter pad has just powered up.”

Damn right, I thought. And if the teleporter pad has been activated, that can only mean one thing….

“Holy shit,” Thelkor muttered, speaking what was on everyone’s mind.

“What?” the captain stared at Thelkor.

Ever the gunner, Thelkor didn’t mince his words, and he hit the proverbial nail right on its head.

“They’re sending us another woman.”

Evelyn

I felt sick—as in, physically sick.

I screwed my eyes shut. The white glare from the teleporter still blinded me. I sucked in a deep breath. My stomach tap-danced, my knees wobbled, and my brain turned into mush. If anyone ever tells you teleporting is fun, you go right ahead and knee them in the groin for me.

I heard loud footsteps and, not wanting to be blindsided, I forced my eyes open. I was standing on a teleportation pad similar to the one at the testing center, but my new surroundings couldn’t be any more different.

Instead of the sterile, pale beige walls of the room I had been in, the new walls were metal. Bright wires snaked across the floor, connecting a myriad of terminals and devices. By the corner were a couple of high-end medchairs.

This must be some sort of lab.

Cautiously, I took one step forward. My stomach lurched as I adjusted to my new surroundings. The thud of footsteps grew louder. Not a second later, I heard the soft whoosh of the door as it slid up into a hidden partition. In the doorway stood one of the most impressive specimens of masculinity I’d ever seen. He stared right at me.

At his height, he dwarfed me in size, his head crowned by an impressive set of horns. They curved slightly into ends as sharp as a dagger’s tip, and they were the color of polished ivory. The man—or, rather, the alien—was as impressive as his horns.

A uniform hugged his muscular chest and powerful shoulders in an enticing way. I’d wondered if it was true what they said of the Mahdfel. According to what I’d heard back on Earth, the most elite specimens among the Mahdfel became Vaznik warriors, their prowess the stuff of legend. Thanks to them, Earth hadn’t become a slave camp for the Suhlik.

I’d always thought people exaggerated whenever they told stories about these aliens. Now that I was face-to-face with one of them...well, judging by how damn perfect he looked, there was definitely some truth to those rumors. This man was like a chiseled block of marble. He was a space-hammer with a brain.

“Hello there.” His voice flowed over me, soft and kind. Moving fast, he crossed the length of the room and took my hand in his, like an aristocrat of old. He performed a little bow, a grin on his lips, then straightened.

His shadow fell over me. I gulped, suddenly realizing that he could crush my skull between his thumb and pinkie.

“Are you my…?” I wanted to say the word ‘mate’, but I just couldn’t. Had I really gone from a promising engineering student to a breeding companion? The thought sickened me.

“My name is Storgin,” he said, putting a hand to his chest. “And I’m not your mate.”

First, I felt relief. Then, I remembered that didn’t mean anything. Even if this guy wasn’t my mate, I’d been sent here because someone in this place had genetically matched up with me.

“Where am I?” I asked. “What planet am I on?”

“This isn’t a planet. You’re aboard a Vaznik military vessel. We call it ‘Goldie’, but her official name is The Golden Meridian.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, clearly anxious about something. He cleared his throat.

“I’m terribly sorry about this, but we gotta move. We’re about to depart in a couple of minutes, and we really can’t have any delays.” I said nothing. He just smiled. “Please, follow me. We need to get you inside a flight suit.”

Having no idea what was happening, I followed this Storgin guy into another room. He grabbed overalls from inside a locker and turned his back to me, probably signaling for me to get dressed, so I did. I had no idea what these overalls were made of, but the fabric adjusted itself to my body, gently hugging my curves.

Storgin snuck a glance at me and smiled. “Perfect. Now, let’s get to the bridge.”

Even though I knew I was aboard a military vessel, nothing could’ve prepared me for The Golden Meridian’s bridge. It wasn’t as epically large as a starship bridge in one of those holovid action movies, but it pulsed with an aura of raw adrenaline. Endless information spooled across dozens of terminals spread around the room. The viewscreen mounted at the front offered a breathtaking view of the darkness of space.

“Here,” Storgin said, directing me to a small seat bolted to the wall. “I’m sorry we’re rushing you through this, but…”

He shrugged, and I gave him a nervous nod and took in the rest of the crew. Sitting atop an elevated platform was another imposing alien, who I assumed to be the ship’s captain. He caught me looking, and my breath caught in my throat.

“Welcome to The Golden Meridian,” he said. “My name’s Timcur, and I’m this ship’s captain. Again, I want to apologize for being so abrupt. You caught us right before we uncoupled from our docking platform, so it can’t be helped.” Looking me straight in the eye, a kind smile spread across his lips. “I know you must be confused, but as soon as we’re on our way, we’ll let you get acquainted. For now, you had better strap in.”

“Right,” I muttered, not sure how I felt about getting acquainted with a military crew of aliens. “Thank you.”

“You’ve already met Storgin.”

Storgin waved.

“There are enough seats for you five up here. I’ll strap in at the lab.”

Storgin jogged into the hall. Captain Timcur waved a hand at an alien sitting by a terminal on the side. This one was even more muscular than the rest of them, and he looked exactly like the kind of alien who’d get in brawls for fun. “That’s Thelkor, our gunner.” Another wave of his hand and he pointed at the chair directly in front of the viewscreen. “And that’s Thelkor’s mate, Rachel.”

“Rachel?” I repeated. “I’m not the only human here?”

“Not really,” Rachel said, spinning her chair around so that I could see her. “Nice meeting you.”

Before I could respond, she turned back to her terminal and continued fiddling with the thousand switches and dials in front of her.

“And, finally,” Captain Timcur said, “that’s Olath, my Executive Officer.”

I looked in the direction Timcur was pointing at and…

That’s him.

I had no idea how I could possibly know.

That is the one I matched up with.

Olath

It was happening.

It was really happening.

. . .it hit me like a punch in the gut.

My woman had just walked through the door and was sitting only a few feet away. I forced my suddenly tensed muscles to relax one by one, trying to focus on the task at hand.

We locked gazes. It felt like eternity passed in those few humming seconds, but it was only a minute, probably less.

After one long look at her, I nodded and turned away.

All I knew was that in a second, I’d memorized the shape of her eyes as they widened. Seen the flush deepening on her cheeks as I stared. Her lashes flicked, and I had to tear my gaze away before she saw the hunger that sprang up from nowhere.

Not nowhere. She was my mate. I was supposed to feel this way.

My hands tensed and I took a moment to regulate my breathing.

I wanted nothing more than to stand up, stride to her, and pick her up in my arms.

We don’t throw women over our shoulders and haul them away anymore, I reminded myself. We wait until they fall in love with us.

. . .which, from the way she’d begun to stiffen before I looked away, wasn’t gonna happen anytime soon.

Ever since I’d come of age, I had dedicated my life to the military, fully knowing what that entailed. One bad roll of the dice and I could end up riddled with blaster fire, my life cut short before I had the chance to have a family, were I ever lucky enough to find a mate. I’d made my peace with that, of course, but lately…

When Thelkor had found his mate in Rachel, something clicked inside. A deep yearning took root. I regularly found myself thinking of what it’d be like to have someone by my side. I always tried to push those thoughts to some dark corner of my mind, knowing that I couldn’t afford to be distracted, but fate had intervened.

Goldie shook as the giant hooks which kept us attached to Diana’s Arrow loosened. We floated free for a moment. A couple of maneuvering thruster blasts pushed us away from the dock and the hull of Diana’s Arrow. Rachel navigated us to a safe distance. The quick thruster blasts reminded me of a rollercoaster train locking in place at the beginning of a ride.

Rachel ignited the main engines. I slammed back in my seat. On the viewscreen, the stars turned into dancing lights. The lights stretched into white streaks that painted the dark canvas of space. With her back straight and shoulders rolled back, Rachel maneuvered the ship deftly, taking us in the direction of a multicolored nebula.

Instead of watching the spectacle of light on the viewscreen like everyone else, I snuck a glance at our new crew member. Her lips pressed tight, the unbridled anxiety in her expression was warring with a deep fascination in her eyes. She studied the viewscreen, taking it all in with the innocent amazement of someone who’d never been to space before.

She entranced me the way she appeared fascinated by space. Her dark red hair, the tame flush of color on her cheeks, the slenderness of her waist, and the curves of her breasts as they pushed against her flight suit…

She was perfect.

Get it together, I thought, not wanting all of my blood to rush between my legs. I was a pretty disciplined guy—required to be, as a ship’s XO—but there’d be no discipline when it came to this woman. She was even more beautiful than I could’ve imagined.

I focused on my screen and reread her file. Unlike what had happened with Rachel, with her file being lost during transit, there had been no problem with Evelyn’s file. That’s her name. I enjoyed the sound of her name. I ached to say it aloud, to feel it roll over my tongue.

There wasn’t much in her file, aside from the fact that she was an engineering student. Mostly, the file just went on about her health, reassuring whoever read it that she was perfectly capable of having healthy children. I ignored all of that and went straight to the little box at the bottom of the file listing the name of her genetic match—my name.

“We’re good,” Rachel said, a few minutes after Goldie settled into her new trajectory. She leaned forward and engaged the autopilot. “It should take us about twenty-four hours to get to Tehglaish.”

“Perfect,” Captain Timcur said, drumming his fingers against the armrests on his seat. He cleared his throat, which made me turn around and look at him. “Olath, would you do the honors and give Evelyn here a tour of the ship?”

“Right,” I muttered, taking my seatbelt off and rising to my feet. “Of course.” With my heart beating fast, I made my way toward Evelyn and put a smile on my face. I tried to meet her gaze but her eyes kept sliding away. “It’s nice meeting you, Evelyn.”

Just like I’d predicted, it felt amazing to say her name out loud. It was a silly, little thing, I knew, but it still made me giddy with excitement.

“Likewise.”

I heard a certain edge to her voice. I tried not to make a big deal out of that, and led her out of the bridge, fully aware that everyone was watching us. Thankfully, the captain had known I would need some privacy for this. The moment we were out of the bridge and the doors closed, I turned to Evelyn.

“So, this is awkward, but…” I cleared my throat as I tried to choose the right words and scratched my chin. “Well, I’m your mate.”

“Okay,” she said, her voice flatter than a piece of paper. “So...what’s supposed to happen now? I’m meant...to sleep with you and get pregnant, is that...it? If I do that...am I...allowed to go back?”

“I, huh, well…” I wet my lips. My excitement vanished in the face of panic. Her reaction was unexpected. While I was excited about this, about finding a mate...Evelyn looked mortified.

“I’ve never looked into what’s supposed to happen,” I admitted, studying her expression, “but...I was looking forward to getting to know you...and, maybe...you know…”

“I see,” she muttered. Her eyes darted away from mine. “How about that tour?”

“Right.”

Having no idea what else to say, I turned. I led Evelyn into the bowels of the ship, doing my best to show her the place she’d be calling home. Every minute was torture, a new thrum of lust I’d never felt before humming throughout my body. Several times I found myself edging closer to her and had to stop and deliberately give her space. She wasn’t ready, that much was plain. I had thought her initial reluctance was because she was shaken and confused—being teleported here had to be disorienting for a human that had never left Earth—but Evelyn wasn’t warming up, her body language stiff and uninviting. Even as I tried making conversation, she remained sullen, her eyes vacant. I could tell she was hating every minute of this.

“And these are your living quarters.” I pressed a panel on the wall and a door slid open to reveal a tiny, but private, bedroom. I paused for a split second, then made myself step away.

“Oh,” she whispered. “Good.”

My heart sank at the relief in her voice. Was she actually relieved she would have a place of her own, meaning she wouldn’t have to be around me? I’d been struggling with the compulsion to touch her, to confirm we were mates. There should be chemistry between us, but evidently only I felt it. But then she wouldn’t meet my eyes for more than a moment. There was no way of knowing if she felt the underlying tension between us and was just suppressing it because of stress.

I felt it, sure enough, but Evelyn…

Fuck. What the hell am I going to do?

Olath

“Man of the hour!”

“That was fast! Poor performance, buddy!”

Thelkor and Storgin hooted and hollered, but then they saw the look on my face. I must’ve looked terrible, because everyone quieted down fast. I said nothing, just marched straight to my seat and went back to work. In truth, I wasn’t really paying attention to anything on my terminal—I couldn’t stop thinking about Evelyn and how much this entire thing sucked.

Did I want a mate? Sure.

Did I like the idea of Evelyn as my mate? Double sure.

Did Evelyn like the idea of the two of us being mates? Well…

“I take it the woman isn’t happy about being here,” Thelkor said, his arm thrown around the headrest of his chair. “Can’t say I blame her. I wouldn’t be happy if someone decided to launch my ass halfway across the galaxy and into the arms of someone like you, Olath.” He shrugged when I stared at him. “Sorry, XO, but you’re not exactly a catch.”

“Leave the man alone,” Rachel said, rising from her seat to stretch her back. She slapped Thelkor’s arm, then looked at me. “What happened? I know some women struggle to adjust to...” She waved a hand at the crew. “Well, you know. This is probably hard for her.”

“Yeah, I can imagine,” I muttered. I turned back to my terminal. I didn’t mind being the center of everyone’s attention as the ship’s Executive Officer, but this was different. The last thing I wanted was for the guys to wonder about my nonexistent personal life. “Anyway, I don’t think this is gonna work out.”

“Really?” Rachel folded her arms over her chest. She tapped her foot against the deck. “And why do you think that?”

I shrugged.

“I think the whole thing’s a bust.” It hurt to say out loud, but it was better to go ahead and admit it than to pretend everything was fine. “Evelyn’s not happy to be here, nor is she happy to be my mate, and I sure as hell ain’t gonna force her into liking it. So…” I shrugged again. “I guess, maybe, I gotta figure out a way of sending her back, or something.”

“You know that’s not easy to do, right?” Captain Timcur said, not unkindly. “To send her back would be bad for her, Olath. Those contracts with Earth aren’t something you can just throw away lightly. They’re written in a way to ensure the women follow through.”

“Then I figure we gotta wait out the remainder of our time together.” Maybe I was being overly dramatic. Sure, our first meeting hadn’t gone well, but that didn’t mean this was a catastrophe. Still, I couldn’t shake the fear that my dreams of building a family had just burst into flames.

“Well, shit,” Thelkor said. He rose from his seat and clamped a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Olath. I didn’t know things were that bad with you and…”

“Evelyn,” I said.

“Right.” Thelkor cleared his throat. “I was just joking, you know? But keep your chin up. I’m sure that—”

“Listen, guys.” I raised my voice and turned my chair around to look everyone in the eye. “I’m fine. I was kinda looking forward to having someone, but this doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world.” As if to reaffirm what I’d just said, I repeated myself. “I’m serious. I’m fine.”

No one said a word for a couple of heartbeats, then Captain Timcur shifted in his seat. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

“Alright, you heard the man,” he said, his tone definitive. “Olath’s fine, so instead of sitting around gossiping like old Calaxians, let’s focus on the task at hand. We’ll arrive in Tehglaish in less than a day, so I want us to be ready for it. Storgin’s already pulling up the schematics for the capital city and the port we’re landing on and—”

“Sein Rehs spaceport and Mavrii City,” Storgin said, proud of the fact he could spit out encyclopedic facts at the drop of a hat.

“That,” Timcur said. “So, yeah, you know what you have to do. Now do it.”

I nodded at the captain.

I could tell he didn’t believe a word of what I’d just said, but he’d still pulled me out from under the spotlight anyway. Even if we weren’t as gung-ho about formality as some other branches of the military, both Storgin and Thelkor ambled to their stations and got back to work, dropping the subject.

Only Rachel remained standing. She was biting on the corner of her lip, and her right foot still tapped a rhythm against the deck. Though a hard one to read at times, that incessant tapping was a pretty strong tell—she was still thinking of Evelyn. I could almost see the gears turning inside her head.

“I’m gonna talk to her,” she finally announced, more to herself than to me.

Before I had a chance to protest, Rachel turned on her heel and marched out of the bridge. I followed her with my gaze until the doors closed behind her, then turned back to my terminal. Part of me wanted to access the ship’s security system and eavesdrop on Rachel and Evelyn, but I didn’t entertain that thought for long.

I could be a lot of things, but I wasn’t a nosy bastard who didn’t know the meaning of privacy. Besides, Rachel had been right—this had to be hard on Evelyn. As far as I knew, the women of Earth didn’t exactly have a choice about being sent off-planet, and I had no idea about Evelyn’s life back on Earth. As far as I knew, she could’ve been pulled from the arms of some boyfriend and flung into outer space against her will.

Quit it. No good will come of obsessing over this.

Of course, it was already too late for that.

Evelyn

I was hiding under the blankets when someone knocked at the door. I kept my mouth shut, hoping whoever waited outside the room would go away. Then I heard the soft whoosh of an opening door.

“Evelyn?” I heard someone say, and it wasn’t a man’s voice.

My relief was instant. I hadn’t been able to get away from Olath fast enough, from the subtle heat emanating from his body and the way he stared at me and thought I didn’t notice. I’d spoken as little as possible because it was hard to catch my breath and sound normal.

None of this was normal. I shouldn’t feel like this for someone I was going to be forced to—I closed my eyes on a shudder, shoving those thoughts aside. What was wrong with me? No way should I be thinking about that strong body over mine, pressing me into the bed, those warms eyes scorching with heat as he—

“Evelyn?”

I focused on the woman’s voice. When I poked my head out from under the blankets, the woman I’d seen on the ship’s bridge stood in the doorway. Rachel, according to what that alien captain had said. “Are you okay?”

“How do you know my name?” I asked, embarrassed to be caught hiding from the world like a young child who doesn’t want to go to school. Still, I didn’t dwell on it. This situation sucked, and I’d earned the right to sulk.

“We got your file the minute you arrived here.” She took a step forward, her eyes never leaving mine. The door closed behind her. Hesitantly, almost as if I was some wounded animal she didn’t want to scare, she approached the foot of the bed. An easy smile appeared on her lips, and she sat down beside me. “It’s all pretty disorienting, right? I know how that feels.”

“Did you also go through a testing center?” I pushed the blankets off me and turned to Rachel. Maybe this situation wouldn’t be so unbearable if I had a friend here who knew how I felt.

“I did,” she said.

“It’s crazy, right?” I clenched my fists, already thinking of Fluffbutt. I knew Lauren would take good care of him, but my heart tightened whenever I imagined him pacing my dorm room, waiting for me to come back like I always did. “I can’t believe it’s mandatory to go through this. I was supposed to have an exam today, you know? I had—have—a life on Earth!”

Compassion softened Rachel’s gaze and she smiled. Some of my anger dissipated.

“Sorry,” I muttered. “Here I am complaining, and you probably have it so much harder than me. I can’t imagine how it must’ve been like to be here, all by yourself, this whole time.” I made an effort to return her smile. “What did you do back on Earth? You know, before you were selected for the lottery.”

“Ah, well.” Rachel shifted uncomfortably. “I wasn’t exactly selected for this. I kinda volunteered.”

“You volunteered?” My voice rose in pitch. I didn’t want to sound like a complete idiot, but it was hard to accept that anyone would volunteer to be treated like cattle. Rachel looked like a perfectly well-adjusted woman, but I couldn’t stop wondering about her mental health. If you volunteered for this, there had to be something wrong with you.

“I did,” Rachel said. “My life wasn’t going anywhere, and I kinda wanted a change of scenery.” Her smile widened and she leaned forward. “Anyway, that really doesn’t matter. What matters is that these guys are good guys. Captain Timcur, Storgin, Thelkor, and Olath...they might be a little rough around the edges, but they have good hearts.”

“I’m sure, but that doesn’t change the fact I’m supposed to shack up with that Olath guy. I mean, it’s just weird. I was sent here to breed with him. It makes me feel icky.”

“Yeah, I know it’s weird.” She ran her fingers through her hair and looked away from me, probably remembering her first days aboard The Golden Meridian. “Believe it or not, the center messed up when sending my file here. When I arrived, no one had any idea who my mate was.But it wasn’t long before I figured out it was Thelkor.”

“How did you figure it out?”

“We all know these tests look for genetic compatibility, meaning that two individuals can produce offspring...but there’s more to it.” She paused a moment, probably for dramatic effect, and only then did she continue. “See, your genetic match is your mate. The one person you’re supposed to be with. Now, humans don’t feel it as keenly as these guys, but it’s real.”

“You’re talking about soulmates?” I didn’t know if she was crazy, or if I was the one losing my sanity. Was she really trying to sell me a fairy-tale here? “Please, tell me you don’t think I’m soulmates with one of those guys.”

But a thought wormed itself into the back of my mind. For a second, meeting his eyes, I’d felt something. I’d certainly seen something. He hadn’t bothered to disguise the naked hunger in his gaze, though his deep, slightly rough voice remained polite and he’d kept his hands to himself.

If this was a normal time and he was just a guy in a bar and I’d felt that spark, I would have sent him a smile. And if he were just a normal guy in a bar, he would have walked up to me, looking down with a faint smile hovering on his lips while his big body leaned towards mine, and—

This was ridiculous.

“Don’t think of it as soulmates,” she continued. “But, yeah, there’s a connection between you and Olath. You’ll just have to give it some time, then you’ll see for yourself. I had my doubts about Thelkor when we first met, you know? But then…” She trailed off, running her teeth over her bottom lip. Her smile turned into a wistful grin. “Just don’t give up on this.”

“I don’t think I can do that.” I pulled the blankets up to my chin. “I really don’t. This is just too much, and I don’t think that getting to know that Olath will fix it. I just wanna go back home and get on with my life. Because I have a life, and it doesn’t involve making babies with some alien soldier.”

Rachel sighed. She was about to say something else, but then pursed her lips and rose to her feet.

“You’re probably tired,” she said, already heading for the door. “This is a lot to take in. Right now, I just think you need to take a moment and relax.”

“I don’t think I can relax, either,” I insisted, and it was the truth. I felt anxious, tiny bursts of electricity making my heart beat faster and faster. It was as if someone had hooked me up to a battery. “I don’t have to leave this room, do I? ’Cause I really don’t want to talk with them right now.”

“Take your time,” Rachel said, and hesitated before leaving. She looked back at me over one shoulder and held my gaze for a second. “I know this sucks, but Olath’s a good guy. He deserves a chance.”

“Right,” I merely said.

And I deserve a chance to get off of this damn ship, I thought of saying, but decided to keep that one to myself.

Olath

“Look, buddy, it’s day one here, not even. You literally just met. Give her some time.”

I sighed, trying not to roll my eyes. I didn’t need Thelkor, of all people, giving me relationship advice. Sure, he and Rachel were doing great now, but they hadn’t always.

That should give me hope.

Funny thing, though, it really didn’t. Rachel was really well-adjusted to the situation. Rachel was open, even friendly. Evelyn was… really not.

I remembered, with some fondness, the way Rachel had responded to my flirting when she first arrived. She had been keen to make friends with all of us and she only avoided Thelkor because he was being a giant dick about everything.

I could understand that. He hadn’t signed up for the program, so it came as a shock. I was actively looking for a mate, so when one matched and arrived, of course my hopes were high. The chances of finding the perfect mate were so slim, I had resigned myself to the fact I would probably never have one.

“Are you going to answer me, or just keep crying into your beer?” Thelkor laughed.

I frowned at him. “I am not crying into my beer, and are you going to eat all the bacon?” I raised an eyebrow at his stack of sandwiches.

He shrugged. “We’ll be docking with the Arrow again soon.”

“Will we have time to get bacon?”

“There’s always time for bacon,” Thelkor grinned, waving a sandwich as he stuffed a huge bite into his mouth. He pushed the plate toward me. I took a sandwich, trying to cheer myself up.

“You know, Rachel thinks we could keep chickens on the ship.”

Whenever Thelkor spoke of his mate now, he spoke with an air of wonder. Rachel could describe the collection of dust under the table and he’d think it was a work of genius. I was getting a bit sick of it.

“Really,” I said, finishing my sandwich. “That’s fascinating. You should tell Timcur.”

So long as I’m there to watch.

Timcur’s face when Thelkor suggested we keep chickens on his beloved Goldie would certainly be a sight worth seeing.

“I mean, we couldn’t keep pigs,” Thelkor announced. “That would be ridiculous. They would chew through everything and it’s hard to designate enough space for a good mud wallow. Even the little micro-pigs grow up to be too big.”

I finished my beer, wondering how long Thelkor would talk about Earth livestock.

“Have you ever seen one? A micro-pig? Rachel showed me a picture of one in a rain hat and boots.”

I hated to interrupt him. As long as Thelkor was babbling about this nonsense, he wasn’t reminding me of Evelyn.

“But imagine it! Fresh eggs every day. Rachel’s going to introduce me to crispy fried chicken. She can’t believe I’ve never had it. She doesn’t know how to cook it, but she’s sure some human will know.”

I nodded, absently taking a deep sip of Thelkor’s beer, since I had finished my own. It was a testament to his infatuation with his mate that he didn’t even notice.

“I just think it would be better not to get attached,” I said, finishing the beer. “Evelyn has made it very clear she doesn’t want to be here.”

Thelkor shrugged. He looked at me for a moment and sighed. “Like I said, man. The idea is still pretty new for her.”

“But she didn’t even talk to me!” I exploded. My tattoos flashed an angry red. I realized how whiny and uncaring I sounded. The heat from my tattoos faded. I let out a deep breath. “She’s my mate, dammit, and all I want to do is get to know her.”

She’s mine. She’s the only thing in this universe that is truly mine. And she doesn’t even want to talk to me.

“Of course,” Thelkor said reasonably. “Just think of it from her perspective. It’s been a hell of a shock for her. And Rachel has explained to me that human women don’t like to think of themselves as ‘things’.”

I groaned in realization.

“Apparently, Olath, human women are people with complex emotions. Rachel says they require time to work through those feelings, and I stopped arguing with her as soon as I realized she kisses me a lot more when I listen.”

“I’m really getting sick of your common sense,” I muttered. “Can’t you go back to slamming down the drink, smashing it on your forehead, and passing out?”

He laughed. I was so shocked, I sat up straight and took a good look at him to make sure I was still talking to the same person. It didn’t help at all that the very thing which had transformed him was the thing I wanted the most.

A mate!

“Dude, I can’t stand to see that look on your face.”

“So, don’t look.”

“I’m trying to help you out,” Thelkor said, getting frustrated. “I honestly think this is going to work for you. Just don’t have so many expectations.”

“Expectations?” I exclaimed. “I’ve been wanting a mate far longer than you have. The only thing I expected was that she would be friendly to me. I didn’t expect her to fall on her knees in front of me the second I walked into the room!”

“Yeah, it takes a few times before they do that,” Thelkor said absently. “And a lot of that listening thing I was talking about earlier.” His eyes glazed over. “Totally worth it, man. Totally worth it.”

I ignored the comment. It was bad enough that Evelyn didn’t want to know me at all, thinking about sexual congress I most likely would never have was too much. I didn’t exactly understand his comment, either, which just made it even worse. I decided I really didn’t want to know.

“She’s my one chance at true love and companionship, and she rejected me,” I said, my voice harsh. “I can’t just put myself out there again. I’m not going to let her get to me. We’ll just keep away from each other.”

Thelkor gave me a wide-eyed look of astonishment. He stood up from the table, looking down at me with a thoughtful expression.

“She needs time to process how much her life has changed,” he said firmly. “You can be a dick about it if you want to, but take it from me… finding out you’re a fated mate when you didn’t want to be one is a kick in the back teeth. She’s been pulled away from everything she knows, too. You could try considering her feelings.”

He left the room before I could answer, which was a good thing. Her feelings were the only things I was considering—her feelings of anger and resentment towards me. I didn’t expect her to leap into my arms the moment we saw each other, but I also didn’t expect to be completely rejected, either.

I tapped the table, wondering if there was any bacon left. There should be beer. I wasn’t really a drinker, but today seemed to be a good day to start.

Evelyn

I could have cried for much longer, but simple exhaustion ended up getting the better of me. It was hard to keep up the energy for crying when my stomach was starting to grumble and my hands were shaking.

I knew I had also been through a hell of a shock just with the teleporting and suddenly finding myself on a spaceship. Topping up my blood sugar was definitely a well-reasoned pursuit. I just didn’t expect it to make me feel better.

I shuffled down the hall towards the galley. When I got to the door, I almost turned straight around and walked back out. Olath sat there working on a tall beer. Rachel and Thelkor were settling themselves down at a table in the corner as if they had just met up after a long time apart.

It couldn’t have been that long—the ship wasn’t that big. They could have only been apart for half an hour, tops, and they wouldn’t have been that physically distant from each other, even then. It was just the way that they talked excitedly about what they wanted to eat and kissed each other enthusiastically that made it seem like a reunion. I decided to ignore them.

I ignored Olath too, heading for the kitchen. A long counter ran across one side of the room and a wide doorway, I assumed, held a fairly usual kitchen. I knew we were in space, but surely ovens, stoves, and fridges were universal.

I paused in the doorway, shock gathering in my chest, threatening to become a scream. There was a fairly ordinary fridge and stove, but they were so filthy, they were almost impossible to discern from the rest of the room. A frying pan full of bacon fat rested on the stove. The benches were littered with bread packets. I approached the fridge, opening the freezer door with some trepidation, and stared.

“Something wrong?”

I jumped and stifled a little shriek, whirling around. That voice, deep and a little rough around the edges, an edge of hesitation. . .or maybe just an edge.

My core tightened. God, if just his voice could do that to me, then what would it be like—

I gritted my teeth and forced myself to meet his gaze dispassionately.

He stood there barely an arm’s length away—just far enough he couldn’t be accused of cornering me. I wasn’t even sure he was aware, because his arms were crossed over his chest. I had a sudden flash of understanding—he didn’t trust himself not to touch me.

He thought of me as his, he had to. I was his mate, sanctioned by both our governments and sent directly into his arms, so to speak.

I shivered. “No.” My voice came out strangled, though I tried to sound hostile.

He studied me. “Is there anything I can get you?” Olath shifted slightly, easing forward.

I stiffened, stepping back into the open fridge. “No, no, I’m fine.”

“Alright. Good. Well. . .I’m just over there if you want me—I mean, if you want anything. Need anything.” He paused, muttered something that was probably a curse under his breath and turned, stomping away.

Turning back to the fridge, I rummaged through packages of frozen meat and bags of potato nuggets, desperately looking for ice cream. Right in the back I felt a small cardboard carton and dragged it out in triumph.

It was definitely a tub of ice cream. I just couldn’t tell what kind. I didn’t care. I grabbed a spoon and headed back out to a soft corner couch in the seating area. I curled up in it, digging into the ice cream.

The first mouthful took me by surprise. It was like dark chocolate mixed with raspberry. The next bite had caramel crunch and cookie pieces. Spoonful number three was like blueberry cheesecake.

What the fuck was going on?

“Oh, that’s rainbow ice cream,” Rachel called from her position on Thelkor’s lap. “They try to impress you on the first few bites, but it will settle down to two flavors by the time you get halfway down.”

Rachel returned to leaning back against her mate’s chest with her head on his shoulder. He fed her bits of chocolate cake. I took another spoonful of the ice cream, relieved that it seemed to have become chocolate with a hint of raspberry. What kind of ice cream changed flavor on every bite?

I tried to ignore everyone, but Rachel and Thelkor were so noisy, they seemed to take up half the room. Her constant giggling and his throaty whispers were driving me a bit out of my skull.

Their sounds were nothing compared to what filled the rest of the room, though. That was fully occupied by Olath and his silent hostility. He leaned over his beer, sipping it constantly and shooting me looks. I couldn’t help myself. Each time he looked at me, it was harder to look away. Harder not to let my gaze linger, not to stare. I glanced down, determined to ignore him, but an invisible pull yanked my gaze back up. And there he was looking at me as if nothing else in the world mattered.

This ice cream is not making me feel better.

I wondered if it even had that perfect balance of fat to sugar required to lift a bad mood.

“Evelyn?”

Oh, shit.

I looked up. “Yes, Olath?” We weren’t in a bar, and he wasn’t a normal guy, but I’d been eye flirting. Of course he’d come over here. What man wouldn’t?

But then, I’d known he would.

“I just wanted to let you know that, should you need anything at all, do not hesitate to ask me or any other member of the crew. We all want to make sure you are as comfortable as possible.”

“Thank you,” I said, surprising myself by meaning it. It was thoughtful of him.

He pulled up a stool and put the beer down on a nearby table as if he were finished with it. He definitely didn’t seem to be enjoying it.

Olath took a deep breath and laced his fingers together. He was obviously struggling with his words. I took another bite of ice cream, waiting for him to get his shit together. As the ice cream hit my tongue, I screwed up my face. Bubble gum. Not my favorite.

“What is your favorite ice cream?” he asked suddenly.

I looked into the tub warily. “I’m an ordinary girl. I like chocolate, cookies and cream, hokey pokey.” I shrugged. “I’m not used to space ice cream.”

He smiled faintly. “I’ll note that down in the supply list. I want you to know there is no pressure from me at all. I just want you to feel welcome.”

My eyes filled with tears and my throat closed. I could almost feel the warm weight of my dear Fluffbutt across my lap, where he would always be when I was sad.

“Evelyn, what is it?” Olath sounded so concerned I spilled it without thinking.

“I miss my cat,” I practically wailed.

He frowned. “Cat?”

“It’s an Earth pet. I’ve had him for ten years. He’s like my best friend.”

Olath looked upset. “This is terrible. I had no idea. It’s normal for humans to form deep bonds with animals?”

“Yes,” I said miserably. “Mr. Fluffbutt and I have gotten each other through so much. My life has blown up and I just wish I could hold him.” I sniffled, wondering if Fluffbutt missed me half as much as I missed him.

Olath placed a careful hand on my sleeve-clad arm. “I am so sorry, Evelyn.”

I knew there was nothing Olath could do to return Mr. Fluffbutt to my arms, but I was touched by his concern. With a deep, painful sigh I realized that I should at least try to be nice to him. I was stuck here for some time yet, and it would make everyone’s lives better if I could be civil.

Looking into my ice cream with tears running down my cheeks, I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off, though.

Olath

Four hours away from Tehglaish, the engines crapped out on us.

I was on the bridge ready to start another shift after a few hours of sleep. In truth, I hadn’t slept much—I had only tossed and turned like a restless animal, fighting with the bedsheets so fiercely you’d think they were trying to kill me.

Evelyn still hadn’t left my mind, and I was starting to doubt she ever would. Every time I closed my eyes, images of her crimson lips and firey hair appeared in my mind’s eye, and my blood started simmering inside my veins. I still hadn’t touched her, but I had no doubts about it: she was my mate.

“Stop it,” I grumbled.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and tried to focus on the information spooling through my terminal. Storgin had gone down to the engine room to run a diagnostic, and he was sending me all the information so that I could help him. So far, we were nowhere closer to figuring out what was wrong.

Storgin’s maintenance check before we left Diana’s Arrow assured us of Goldie’s pristine condition, and the code on my terminal reinforced that. Apparently, there was absolutely nothing wrong with any of the engines. Except there was, because we couldn’t get any of them to power up.

We’d tried cycling the power through different relays, went through a dozen kickstart methods, and nothing was working. Every time we sent power to the engines, the power cores started heating up, the coils did what they were supposed to, and then…nothing.

The only unusual thing was a rhythmic banging, like that of a spoon thumping against a metallic tabletop. It happened every time there was an energy surge, and it could be heard throughout most of the ship. Still, we had no idea what it could be.

“This isn’t good,” Captain Timcur muttered, anxiously pacing the length of the bridge. He came up to me, peered over my shoulder at my terminal, then went back to Rachel and did the same. “This is the worst possible sector for the engines to give up on us.”

“We’re working on it,” I said, knowing that Timcur was right. This area was teeming with smugglers, pirates, and all manner of villainous scum with a spaceship. Without a functioning engine, we were sitting ducks out here. Sure, we were masking our drive signature, and trying to keep a low profile...but it was always risky to drift through space in a sector like this. If we were spotted by some pirate scout, every asshole in the sector would swarm us in a matter of hours.

“What’s going on?” I heard someone say, and my body immediately reacted to that voice. I sat up straight, rolled my shoulders back, and my hands tightened around the controls. Slowly, I turned my chair around and…

There she was.

Evelyn stood on the doorway, her hair spilling down her shoulders. Her eyebrows were knitted together, and she looked around the bridge in confusion.

“The engines died on us,” I explained, making sure my voice was as neutral as possible. A relationship with Evelyn was already a doomed proposition, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t interact. After all, we were both stuck here for the foreseeable future. “Don’t worry, we’re working on it.”

“You are?” she asked, her confusion even more evident, and took a step onto the bridge. She rocked back and forth on her heels, as if struggling with what she wanted to say, then cleared her throat. “You’re not trying to cycle energy into the engine room, are you?”

“We are,” I replied. “We need to get the code from the start-up sequence so that we can figure out what’s wrong.”

“So…” Her tone dipped, and her eyebrows became wide arches over her eyes. “You’re telling me you don’t know what’s wrong?”

“I said we’re trying to figure it out.”

“I don’t want to come in here and tell you what to do…” she said, and I could tell that’s exactly what she was going to do. “But it’s pretty obvious what’s going on here.” She looked up at the ceiling, her index finger raised as if telling me to listen, then waited. When that loud banging sound returned, a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “Hear that?”

“Yeah. What about it?”

“That’s a faulty power relay,” she replied, looking stunned I couldn’t tell. Evelyn’s beautiful smile seared my soul. “Every time you try to funnel energy into the engine room, that faulty power relay overloads and identifies the sudden surge as abnormal. It then tries to disperse the energy before it hits the engine. That’s what’s causing that noise—it’s the shielding battery trying to absorb it all and failing.”

“Well, that’s…” I narrowed my eyes, trying to picture what she’d described. “Shit, you’re right. How do you know all that?”

“I’m a first-year mechanical engineering grad student. But I’ve always liked tinkering.”

“Right,” I muttered. “So, what are we supposed to do now? Do we need to replace the shielding battery and the power relay? I think we might have a few spare relays, but we’re screwed if we need a new—”

“You don’t even need to replace the power relay,” she smiled, and the warmth of it made my heart tighten. Shit, she really was beautiful. “All you need to do is hook up a portable terminal to the main panel and reset it. This is pretty common in D-class ships.”

“Alright, and how exactly do we do that?” The captain, who’d been listening to our conversation, crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Evelyn.

“You need to get outside the ship and physically connect to the relay panel,” Evelyn said. “Once you’re there, it’s easy enough. I can talk you through it.”

“I don’t wanna risk it,” Timcur said. “Storgin knows a thing or two about how Goldie works, but I’d feel better if you took care of it. We’ll get you a vac-suit, then it’s just a matter of—”

“What?” Evelyn’s eyes widened. “I’ve never been on a spacewalk before.”

“Don’t worry,” Captain Timcur said, grinning. “You’ll do just fine. Olath will be right there with you. He’ll keep you safe.”

Evelyn

I must be losing my mind. I clutched the handrails and waited as the airlock cycled. Olath stood in front of me, a muscled giant in that skin-tight vac-suit. I watched him turn the locking mechanism. His shoulders and biceps rippled under the suit. My heart skipped a beat.

I didn’t want to feel attracted to him, but I was finding it almost impossible to keep my hormones on a tight leash. Maybe the shock of being teleported had rattled my brain, or, maybe I was just losing my sanity. Whatever the case, my body felt like a furnace whenever I stood close to Olath.

Heat ignited in my chest, streaking through my body until, finally, settling between my legs. It was such an embarrassingly stupid thing to happen, but there was no denying it was happening.

“You good?” Olath asked me, his voice coming at me through the suit’s comms. When I didn’t reply, he tapped his helmet to indicate I should keep my comms switched on.

“Yeah, yeah,” I replied, suddenly feeling awkward to be alone with him. “I’m good.”

“Great.” He clipped one end of the safety tether to my suit, the other end to his own suit. A third hook, Olath clipped to the rail which ran the length of the ship’s hull. He waved and stepped out of the airlock.

I followed him, hesitating on the airlock’s threshold, and looked out. The vastness of space stretched into infinity. My mouth opened in wonder. As huge as Goldie had felt up until now, the universe outside her hull engulfed us. I looked up and down, my mind searching for a non-existent horizon.

A wave of nausea crashed against me. I had to close my eyes to get my bearings. I had to focus on the task, or else I would quickly become too disorientated to operate.

You can do this.

I stepped out of the airlock.

For a moment, I floated free, surrounded by the vastness. I heard only my own ragged breaths. All concept of time dissolved, as if I’d exited into an eternity. A sudden tug jerked me backward. I remembered to breathe.

“Hold on there, Evelyn. Focus on Goldie. Everyone tries to drift away their first spacewalk. The only direction you need out here is Goldie. Keep a hand on her at all times.”

Olath spun me in a gentle rotation. Goldie swung back into view. I saw the handrail and grabbed it.

“I’m good now. Watch that first step!”

We laughed, and Olath gave me a big thumbs up. “The Mahdfel manual says that on Earth, this means things are fine.”

“Thanks, Olath. Let’s get back on mission.”

We made our way along The Golden Meridian’s side like two ants on a behemoth. After about twenty minutes, we reached the control panel I sought. Olath took the lead, removing the bolts while I watched him, then he slid the panel open to reveal a tangle of wires.

“There ya go,” he said, his voice filling my helmet through the crackle of static. He pushed himself to the side, his hulking body surprisingly elegant in the weightlessness of space, and waved at the open panel. “Work your magic.”

I nodded.

Slowly, I approached the panel and clipped my auxiliary tether to the rail. I grabbed a handheld terminal from my belt, ran a connection link to the panel, and waited for the screen to light up. When it did, I ran a quick diagnostic and smiled. Just like I had told the crew, the problem was with one of the power relays.

Of course, I was pretty sure that was the case, but it was always a relief to have a readout to confirm it. Engineering was about facts, after all. While intuition helped...well, you couldn’t risk the maintenance of a monstrous spaceship just because you felt you were right.

Facts over feelings, always.

You’re a fine one to say that.

I was pretty good at following that motto when it came to engineering problems. As for the rest of my life...suffice to say, it was hard not to let my emotions scream louder than the facts. This situation with Olath was one such case study.

The facts were, A: I was his genetic match. B: One way or another, I was stuck here ’til my next birthday. C: We’d probably hit it off, if I gave him a chance.

My emotions, though, insisted on option X: Run wild and rebel at the idea I had to take any of this lying down.

Just focus on the damn job, Evelyn. You’re not even thinking straight.

Working slowly, I forced a reset of the power relay and waited for the terminal to boot up. When the input prompt flashed on the interface, I plugged in the factory settings and turned to Olath. Despite how much I hadn’t wanted to be here, I had to admit—it felt good to do some real engineering. Even if I didn’t stick around The Golden Meridian, this was an invaluable experience I could put toward my career.

“Alright,” I said. “I think that covers it.”

He nodded, then switched channels. Even though I couldn’t hear him, I knew he was telling Storgin and Rachel to try the engines now. Fewer than thirty seconds later, I felt a deep thrumming. I smiled. Power flowed into the engine room.

Even though I still didn’t know how to feel about this whole ‘being part of a spaceship crew’ thing, I released an excited cry and pumped my fist into the air. I grinned and, despite the helmets, I could see Olath grinned right back at me.

He motioned for us to return. I followed him, carefully dragging the safety tethers after us. I was so excited, I blindly changed the hooks without actually looking at them. I must’ve messed up, because, after a few meters, I suddenly felt nothing but the emptiness of space.

“What the…?” I looked down. Instead of grabbing the right safety tether, I had unhooked the one keeping me bound to Olath. Terrified, I tried reaching for him, hoping to get a hold of his body. The windmill motion of my arms pushed me away from the ship.

My blood froze as I watched the ship’s hull distance itself from me, my body drifting into the emptiness of space. The alarms in my suit blared. Working on instinct, I fumbled with the controls.

Panic drove away all logic. I gulped in rapid breaths. I slapped at my suit’s air controls without thought or aim. I heard a sudden hiss. I spun faster in a new direction. A bright red inundated my helmet. A dozen warnings littered my visor’s HUD.

A low-oxygen warning blinked red letters. The words Release Valve Open scrolled across the bottom of the visor. I sucked in a deep breath, my brain already shutting down. I brought my arm up to my visor so I could see the oxygen valve control on my vac-suit’s sleeve.

I wondered if this was the end of the road. I quickly adjusted the settings. A display on my HUD declared my oxygen stores down to five percent.

And then Olath was there.

“I got you.”

He wrapped his massive arms around my torso. Too shocked to say anything, I let him tow me back into the safety of the airlock.

Olath just saved my life.

He helped me strip out of the gear until I was clad in only the tight jumpsuit. His eyes flickered, but his hands were brisk. He’d perfected the art of offering impersonal comfort.

“You need a drink,” he said. “Come.”

I didn’t argue, walking silently next to him as he led us to the dining area, pulled out a chair and pushed me into it, then busied himself with grabbing beverages and metal cups.

“Rachel likes this one,” he urged.

I wrapped my hands around my cup, appreciating the cold, then lifted it to my mouth and took a long swig. It went down smoothly, an earthy, bitter sweetness in the back of my throat that I appreciated. After a few minutes, the tremors running through my body eased.

Just as I thought I’d been able to relax, my mind seized me with an image of floating to my death in space, of endless night and slow suffocation. I surged to my feet, knocking over the beer without realizing it.

Olath was there instantly. “Easy there. It’s an aftershock. Easy.”

His arms were around me and I leaned into him, fighting to replace those intrusive thoughts with cats and, and….cupcakes. Happy stuff. Sexy cupcakes, and sinuous big cats with muscled shoulders and a graceful gait. A strong man’s arms around me, lifting me up as I wrapped my legs around his waist—

I jerked away from Olath. He let me go slowly, his hands brushing my back.

“You good?” he asked, a little hoarse.

I swallowed, nodding. “I’m good. You good?”

He nodded, stepping back carefully. I ignored his hand, curling at his side into a fist.

Neither of us believed the other.

Olath

I headed back to my bunk, resisting the urge to drop my head into my hands and massage my horns. I had finally gotten close to her, but under completely the wrong conditions.

Was saving her life enough to grant me access to her emotions? I truly didn’t know. How much I didn’t know unsettled me. Not so long ago, I was secure, confident, and outspoken. Since Evelyn had come on board, I felt like I was coming apart like a ship with a broken grav field.

It had been close out there. If I hadn’t been there, or if I had moved a little slower, Evelyn would not be alive right now. The idea terrified me. I realized I cared more about her than I did about her reaction to me.

If we were never to be together, I could live with that. So long as she was safe, I didn’t need anything else.

I sat heavily on my bunk. I felt like a dark, cold pit had opened in my guts. I wanted Evelyn to be happy. If that meant staying out of her life, then that was what I would do.

I knew that I couldn’t possibly stand by that. As days passed, and I watched her from afar, I’d be drawn to her again. I had to manage my reaction to her so far and control my urges. Just because our DNA said we were a perfect match didn’t give me the right to barge into her life and change it to my liking.

The moment of loss I’d experienced when she got into trouble was enough to last me a million lifetimes. Perspective was an incredible thing. Not so long ago, I was moping about what I thought I couldn’t have. Now, I was just grateful she was alive and that I was able to be around her, in any capacity.

I sat up, sighing. My head hurt and I couldn’t seem to shake it off. I wanted to head to the galley, but I was worried she might be there. This set up a terrible conflict in my mind. I wanted to see her, but I didn’t want to intrude on her space.

How the hell did Thelkor deal with this?

By drinking and acting like a dick. I’d already tried the drinking thing. It just didn’t work for me. Acting like a dick had proven to be a bad idea, too. I was also looking at the situation from the wrong angle. If anything, Thelkor should be talking to Evelyn, not me. He was the one who’d fought the match with Rachel.

I remembered how it felt before Rachel had touched me when she first came aboard. At the time, we had no idea who her genetic match was. Rachel’s touch had been our fastest test.

I was so eager, so desperate for a mate. I drank in her beauty and shook in anticipation of her touch. I couldn’t believe how Thelkor had reacted at the time.

Pained longing planted a seed in me, a yearning to return to the uncertainty of the moment before the touch. There had been hope in the moment before knowing. Now, I knew, and felt no hope.

Evelyn was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I had to wonder if I would think so had I never known we were matched. I sighed. That was a riddle not worth working out. I had only the facts to deal with now and the hardest truth. I was meant for Evelyn but could not be with her as she clearly did not want to be with me.

I took a deep breath and held it, trying to clear my head as I left my bunk. I was still Executive Officer and there was much still to be done. I should be on the bridge keeping the mission on track. No matter how hard I tried to yank my mind back to the numbers and procedures which had run my adult life thus far, Evelyn crept through.

I walked down the hall, trailing my fingers across the cold metal of the wall. I could see Evelyn’s green eyes and bright red hair in my mind. I could even smell her. I couldn’t indulge my imagination for even a second, though. If I thought about touching her, I was going to come undone completely.

How could I stay away from her? I really didn’t know. It felt like she had taken my heart and cut it to ribbons already. Clearly, she felt nothing for me. It was better for both of us if I just forgot about having a mate. My train of thought sped up, set to crash into itself. The track was a never-ending loop.

I can’t have her.

I must have her.

I groaned as I came up to the bridge. Rachel let out a low whistle from the pilot’s chair.

“That bad, big guy?”

“How far are we from Tehglaish?” I snapped.

“Just heading into descent now, Olath. I was about to announce it.”

Rachel slapped the main comm on the deck and addressed the crew.

“Buckle up, dudes. We’re landing in about five minutes.”

Captain Timcur appeared behind me and I moved to let him into the room. He checked the instruments and chatted with Rachel. They both seemed very at ease with each other. From the moment she had come on board, Rachel had been friendly and formed attachments with all of us. I felt myself wishing fiercely that Evelyn had done the same.

But then, she wouldn’t be who she is.

I held in another groan as I sat down heavily, strapping myself in. I loved her, I knew that I did. Maybe it was just because I had wanted a mate for so long, or maybe it was because she was exceptional and gorgeous and completely unattainable.

I focused on the rocking of the ship, trying to remember my responsibilities. If I could focus on work, maybe I could forget about Evelyn.

The lies we tell ourselves are the flimsiest. Yet they are the ones we are most likely to believe. Evelyn was under my skin—she was in my blood. I couldn’t forget about her, not ever, no matter how badly I needed a moment of stillness in the whirling magnetic storm my mind had become.

Evelyn

I managed to strap myself down in the galley while we landed. There simply weren’t enough chairs on the bridge and I didn’t really want to be in there anyway. It was too full of people—aliens—whatever—who acted like a close-knit family.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a part of it. I also couldn’t take much more of Olath’s longing stares.

The landing was very smooth, for which I was grateful. We were going to have to outfit the ship with a few more crash harnesses if I was going to stay.

Am I staying?

I didn’t have time to consider my answer, because Rachel hurried in with an armful of clothes. I watched her warily.

“What have you got there?” I asked.

She grinned and dumped the pile on the couch. “Disguises. Please tell me you’re a fellow costume lover.”

“Rachel, what happens in High School One-Act play stays in High School One-Act play.”

Rachel giggled. “Did you enjoy theater?”

“Oh yeah. I mean, it’s nothing like running around an alien planet, or anything. The stakes feel a lot higher here.”

Rachel chuckled. “I don’t know. At least here no one is going to shove you in a locker or write nasty things about you on a bathroom stall.”

I laughed. “No. Less embarrassment, more guns.”

Rachel placed a hand on my shoulder.

“When I first came here, I didn’t know what I was capable of achieving. I thought I knew who I was, but I really found myself here, with Thelkor. Give yourself a chance to see what else you can discover about yourself.”

I hugged Rachel. We parted with a smile and turned back to the costumes.

“These are some outfits we bought last time we did a mission. It was supposed to be a stealth, undercover-type deal, but the guys were impossible to hide.”

“I can imagine,” I said, looking through the pile.

“Anyway, just pick a few things from here and see if anything fits you. We’re going for anything between Tourist on a Severe Budget, to Lowlife Tough in Decent Street Clothes.”

I snorted with laughter. “Should I ask for details?”

Rachel shrugged. “We just want to fit in no matter which area we end up in. I’m assuming we’ll need to look respectable enough at the market, but seedy enough to be trusted by criminals when we head into the darker areas.”

The more I heard about this mission, the less I liked it. Why couldn’t I be curled up in a nice, soft warm bed with my Fluffbutt on my lap? Some rich chocolate ice cream without the ever-changing flavors would be nice, too.

I sighed, dressing in some loose pants and a tight T-shirt. Rachel wore a white dress with an oversized shirt over it. I understood what she meant about the disguise. She really could be a tourist—or a criminal trying to look like one.

I was putting on some short, lace-up boots when the guys passed by. They were all dressed… except for Olath.

He wore black cargo pants that fitted him neatly, not too tight, but not too loose. He held a shirt in one hand, his perfect washboard abs on full display.

For a few seconds, I lost touch with time. My eyes swept across his huge, muscled chest and savored his big, muscular arms. I could feel my mouth hanging open as my gaze trailed down his body, following those abs right down to the belt buckle that hung across his hips.

I swallowed, trying to put my tongue back in my mouth. When I looked up and saw he was watching me, my heart pounded up into my throat so hard I almost passed out. When he grinned and shot me a smoldering look, it hit me right in the heart.

No, not heart, really...lower. Way lower.

He smirked, his eyes dark and knowing. He reached up and smoothed his hair behind his horns, showing off that lean, muscular body as he did so. When he finally pulled the T-shirt over his head, I made a small cry of disappointment.

“Careful,” whispered Rachel in a sing-song voice. “I’ll need to get a mop to clean up that puddle of drool.”

“I was not—”

“Oh, you were so.”

I gulped and looked at the deck. The deck was safe. No hot abs. No smoking eyes. I kept my eyes down until Rachel tugged on my hand.

“Come on,” she said, grinning. “Let’s hit the market.”

I followed her, thankful that she didn’t mention my momentary lapse with reality. She linked her arm in mine. We left the ship and talked about perfectly mundane things—if anything about this experience could be called that.

Rachel pulled a portable tablet from the pack hanging from her shoulder. She tapped on it and handed it to me.

“Note your clothing sizes and I’ll have some things delivered. That was the worst part of being teleported to Goldie, not getting to pack.”

“Don’t I know it. Like, couldn’t I at least have packed a toothbrush?”

Rachel chuckled. “I already ordered you a standard kit. Pick a few things and I’ll have it delivered to your room, ok?”

“Rachel, you have made this entire experience so much easier. I don’t know how you did it alone.”

She shrugged. “I chose to try. Choice makes all the difference.”

I could tell Rachel was trying to give me as much information as possible, without making the entire being-in-space deal feel too terrifying. As we entered the busy area, I found myself more interested than scared. I still wasn’t happy about losing my life and everything I’d ever loved, but I had to admit I was curious.

We passed by a stall selling beautiful, colorful pieces of silk. I paused to admire the craftsmanship of the fabric. Rachel walked on, engaging some locals in lively conversation. Her skill was impressive. She easily talked about the items for sale and the profits to be made at market, slyly adding remarks about docking ships and activity on trade routes. The guys she was talking to happily added details, assuming she already knew what they were talking about.

I ran my hand gently across a vibrant scarf, amazed at the feel of it and its incredible deep violet hue.

“You like?” A very fat alien—female?—shuffled over. She was short and stocky with mottled gray skin, shaggy blue hair, and a lot of missing teeth.

She could be a fucking supermodel in her own culture. What the fuck do I know? Stop being so judgy.

“I like it very much,” I answered politely. “How is it dyed?”

“No dye,” she grinned proudly. “My worms make dis. I tell them what color, and they make.”

“Silkworms?” I asked, incredulous. She nodded.

“Not silkworms like you would know,” Olath’s voice rumbled suddenly by my ear. I jumped. “These are giant things, bigger than The Golden Meridian. They are hard to tame.”

“Indeed, yes,” the alien said. I found it curious that the translator chip struggled to interpret her, but maybe her language was just so rough it couldn’t do any better.

“I’ll buy it for you, if you like,” Olath said eagerly. “Would you like it? I think it would look beautiful on you.”

“Aye, yes!” the alien said. “For the pretty lady. Good price, just for you.”

“I don’t—”

The moment I tried to protest, I saw Olath’s face fall. He looked so hurt, as if I had physically wounded him. It made me feel like I’d stuck a blade in my own heart.

Let him buy the damn scarf.

“Okay,” I said, smiling. “You can buy it for me.”

His face lit up immediately. The effect of that smile surprised the shit out of me. It made me feel...happy—really happy.

Maybe, I could let Olath in, just a little. I had pushed him away relentlessly, and here he was, trying to be nice to me. I decided to try and get to know him and, maybe, let him see a bit more of me.

He moved closer as he negotiated for the purchase, right behind my shoulder, the line of his body emanating so much heat my spine tingled. As he leaned forward, his chest brushed against me, his hand settling naturally on my shoulder. Casually. Like we were just friends on a shopping trip. Or maybe a couple, comfortable with each other after years of a relationship.

I shifted back slightly, my body having a mind of its own, and the hand on my shoulder slid down and wrapped loosely around my waist. Somehow, I was leaning against him, our skin not touching, the embrace innocent, friendly.

But there was nothing innocent or friendly about the stir I felt against my buttocks. I stepped out of his hold, ostensibly to bend over another bolt of fabric to examine it more closely, and managed to get a few feet of space between us.

I still felt his gaze searing my back.

Olath

The merchant wrapped the vibrant scarf in fine paper and placed it in a small box. I paid and the merchant handed over the box. I accepted it and turned to Evelyn.

“May I carry this for you? I have been to many markets, but this will be your first off Earth, yes?”

Evelyn nodded. A blush bloomed on her cheeks.

“Um…sure. You may carry my packages. Thank you. I didn’t mean for you to spend so much on me.”

I smiled and tucked the small flat box containing the scarf under an arm.

“Shall we see what else we can find?”

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of Evelyn’s mouth. She nodded, and we strolled by booths displaying wares from all over the galaxy.

“Do you know what species the scarf merchant was?”

I shook my head.

“No. There are so many forms of life across the galaxy, it is impossible to know them all.”

Evelyn slowed down at a booth selling what looked like jewelry.

“Would you like to stop? We can look at anything you like.” I stroked a finger over a necklace with bright green stones. Small lights flashed and swirled within the stones.

“It’s just…” Evelyn looked around. Makeshift booths surrounded us. Hundreds of aliens I had never seen crowded and milled about, or called out about their wares. Some rushed here or there, pushing handcarts filled with strange devices or stacks of crates or barrels of all descriptions.

“What, Evelyn?”

She turned to me, gesturing around her with a hand. “It’s just so much.”

I nodded, then turned back to the necklace. “Will you try this on? I think it will compliment your hair.”

Evelyn hesitated for a moment. Her fingers flew to her mouth. Her eyes darted from me to the necklace.

“It looks expensive…”

The merchant waved a tentacle at us, shaking his gelatinous body. “Not expensive. Today, is on sale.”

It waved a neon green tentacle at Evelyn. Her eyes grew wider every second.

“Try on. Try on. You like.”

“Here, let me.”

I took the necklace off the peg and stepped behind her. Evelyn moved her red locks out of my way. At the sight of her graceful neck, I gulped. My heart raced. I placed the necklace around her neck, clasping it, careful not to touch her skin—yet.

Not till she’s ready.

I stepped back. Evelyn turned to a mirror mounted to one of the booth’s poles. She gasped. She ran slow fingers down the stones, little lights dancing under her fingertips.

“That looks amazing on you.”

Evelyn blinked, as if waking from a trance. She looked at me. “It’s beautiful.” She glanced back at the mirror. “Are you sure?”

I nodded, smiling. Evelyn began to remove the necklace.

“No. You should wear it.”

“Don’t be silly. I can’t wear that here. We’re trying to blend in, not attract every eye in the place.”

“Good point.”

She unclasped the necklace and waved the merchant’s tentacles away. She took the box with the shawl, opened it, and wrapped the necklace with the shawl, then replaced the lid and handed the box back to me.

I paid the merchant and we wandered on to the next booth. Evelyn leaned close to me. I bent to hear her.

“What is that?” Evelyn pointed to a collection of bottles on this booth’s counter.

I leaned in. “Tentacle wax.”

“Fascinating.” She pointed to a booth across the aisle. “What about that?”

I leaned my head over to get a look.

“That looks like…Ki’ki’ki’a powder. Akle love it, but it would melt my face right off. Not sure what it would do to humans, though.”

“Melt…?”

“Yeah. Very dramatic.”

My belly rumbled. Evelyn raised an eyebrow at me, and I just shrugged.

“I’m a little hungry, too. Let’s find some food, Olath.”

“Excellent. I can prevent you from melting your face off.”

“That’s…so…sweet.”

We wandered by more booths. I worried I had offended her. Was face melting the wrong thing to talk about on a date? Surely, Evelyn appreciated how I looked out for her.

We passed by the food stalls catering to forms of life far different than Evelyn and I. We slowed near a booth selling flug.

“Flug is one of my favorites!”

Evelyn laughed. “There’s really a food called flug?

I nodded. Evelyn’s laugh warmed my heart.

“Flug is delicious. Here, try some.”

I stepped up to the booth and purchased two flug-on-a-stick. I handed her one and snacked on the other. She stared at the bulbous, electric blue chunks threaded onto a long skewer. One of her flug pulsed at her.

“That’s how you know it’s fresh.”

She quirked an eyebrow at me. I ate another flug, to show her it was safe. I added moans of enjoyment, trying to convince her.

“What…is…it?”

“Uh…like an Earth mushroom?”

I guessed, but she gave the flug a try. Her eyes went wide.

Oh, no. She hates it!

“It’s like blueberries and cream. With some cinnamon. And a lemon finish.”

“Is that good?”

“You’re right. It’s delicious. Thank you.”

Evelyn took another bite. Joy spread across her face. I released a long breath.

Happy looks good on Evelyn.

We strolled over to an open table and took seats. Evelyn looked from booth to booth around us.

“Oh, we should have gotten a drink!”

“Let me.”

I purchased two tankards of Mawkwil ale from a stall. When I turned, I saw Rachel had found us and sat with Evelyn at our table. I returned, placing the ales on the table. After a quick, tentative sip, Evelyn drained half in one gulp.

“Thanks, Olath. This is the best ale I’ve ever had.”

“I am so glad you like it…Mawkwil are eight feet tall with a humanoid body and hands, cloven hooves, a head and neck like an Earth giraffe. They have cerulean-colored skin and make their ale by…”

“No, don’t tell me. I’m happy to know that I like it. I don’t want to find out it’s Mawkwil vomit, or something.”

“Is that Mawkwil ale?”

“Sure is. Can I get you one, Rachel?”

Rachel shook her head. “No, there’s no time. I’ll have Thelkor stock up. Finish your flug and ale because I found a Buravian hacker who may suit our needs.”

“That is excellent news, Rachel.”

Evelyn

“Right,” Timcur announced. “Where’s Thelkor, by the way?”

“He’s at the butcher,” Rachel said. “He should be meeting us back at the ship with supplies.”

“Bacon?” Storgin asked hopefully.

Rachel nodded, grinning. “And a recipe for fried chicken, if we’re lucky.”

Timcur paused, his eyes lingering on each member of the party.

“Are you thinking about how this went last time, by any chance?” she asked.

He smirked. “Yeah, it had crossed my mind.”

“What?” Olath asked, confused.

Rachel giggled. “You guys are not smooth. Not in the slightest. The last mission went absolutely fucking haywire. You remember?”

They did. Solemn nods went around the circle. The entire exchange flew completely over my head. I knew that there had been a previous mission, obviously, and Rachel had said something about it not going well. It seemed there was a bit more than a slight hiccup, though.

“What’s the big deal?” I asked.

Rachel’s gaze gleamed. “Ask Thelkor how it feels to have an octopus stuck to your head. Imagine the worst possible disaster then times it by ten.”

I smiled in spite of myself. I didn’t have to work too hard to picture it and that was funny in and of itself.

“So, what do you suggest?” I asked.

Timcur chuckled, nodding. He placed his big hands on my shoulders and spoke softly. “Evelyn?”

“Yes, Captain?”

“Rachel says you have some acting experience.”

“Way back in high school. Why do you ask?”

“Well, Evelyn, for all the ways Vaznik warriors excel, Mahdfel have never been successful actors. As Rachel has pointed out, the last undercover mission...experienced challenges…”

Rachel snorted.

“Evelyn, we were hoping you would lead this mission. Adding your experience to this mission could really improve our chances of success.”

“You want me…”

Now I understood the hope filling Captain Timcur’s face.

No one here had a clue how to hold a character. I may be nervous, but I was a decent Hotlips Hoolihan in the senior year One-Act. We never won anything, but our audience didn’t shoot us, either.

“You can count on me, Captain.”

Captain Timur clapped his hands.

“Excellent. Take Storgin and Olath, see what you can find out. Guys, keep your mouths shut. I’ll head back to the ship with Rachel to…ah, supervise Thelkor.”

“Oh, shit!” Rachel exclaimed.

“What?” I asked, worried.

“He’s alone with the bacon,” Storgin breathed. “Hurry, Rachel!”

Timcur and Rachel set off at a jog. Surely, Thelkor couldn’t eat a ton or more of bacon in one sitting? I guess I still had a lot to learn about alien stomachs.

“Okay, which way?” I asked. Storgin and Olath took up positions on either side of me and led me down the street.

“Here,” Olath pointed. “It’s got to be the bar right at the end here. Only the real crims hang there.”

I nodded, trying not to think too hard about it. The further we walked down the street, the more it narrowed. You could almost feel the bad vibes oozing up through the cracks in the pavement. Bright, cheerful people selling beautiful wares began to disappear as the market stalls became darker and more sinister.

I paused to look at some beautiful jewelry, rendered out of something silver, but stretched out to impossibly fine strands. The old alien within demonstrated how the bands could be modified to fit arm, leg, or neck. I wanted to ask how it was made, but I noticed the guys had disappeared.

I found them across the lane, looking at gun parts. Olath was exclaiming over the merits of a pair of rifle barrels, wondering which he should buy. Storgin had found a box of medical tools through which he rummaged.

“Hey, shouldn’t we be going?” I muttered.

Olath shrugged. “You were looking at the silver threads. I couldn’t resist the scrap tools store. Besides, it’s good for our cover.”

I had to admit that it was. The only patrons nearby were all darkly clothed, most hooded in heavy robes. I saw a tall alien with dark, wine-red skin who appeared female—she had three breasts, long green hair and was impossibly tall—dressed in a purple catsuit. She carried long knives strapped to her thighs and moved through the market with an air of authority. I had no way of knowing if she was a dangerous assassin or a security guard.

A group of three robots approached the gun stall, all of them looking like they had been repaired from spare parts.

Storgin narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “They are off the net,” he muttered. “Rogues.”

“Excuse me?” I whispered.

He shrugged. “Sometimes bots develop enough intelligence to escape. These guys have been modding themselves to stay alive and to create a new signature, so they aren’t recognized if they have to log on. Without software updates from the mainframe, their life expectancy is very short.”

I watched the three misfit robots looking through the parts. They looked kind of like street kids. I felt desperately sorry for them.

“I could haul them in for scrap,” Storgin whispered.

I shook my head violently. “Don’t you dare! Leave them alone.”

Storgin sighed. “They aren’t lost children, Evelyn. There are rogue machines. They could get back into the mainframe and destroy the system. They could be used by our enemies.”

The arm of one fell off with a loud clunk. One of them leaked oil, but both quickly tried to help their friend with his arm. They looked scared.

“Just leave them alone.” I shuddered. “It doesn’t look like they’re going to live that long.”

Olath shrugged. “They are probably only looking for upgraded cards. They look like they are at least four years out of date. Even if they find an independent update, it won’t buy them much time.”

I turned away from the dismal scene while the guys decided which parts to buy. I had never thought I’d be sympathetic to a robot before. They just seemed very alive to me. Maybe it was their fear that reached me.

Who would create such a thing?

Storgin bought a case of very scary looking syringes, while Olath decided on the larger rifle muzzle. We continued down the street, the little cluster of seedy bars visible right at the end.

It didn’t seem far from the main market, but the vibe changed considerably. We passed rough looking aliens that appeared to be made of rocks and tiny, vicious looking creatures that looked a bit like frogs but were fully clothed and carrying stacks of books.

As we approached the tavern, I stood up straight and the guys took position on each shoulder. If I was supposed to be a crime lord looking for a dirty hacker, I couldn’t stare blindly at all the strange creatures. I had to look like one of them.

A moment of sudden, extreme fear seized my breath. I was just an Earth girl. This place was huge, violent, and dangerous.

What the fuck am I doing here?

Olath looked down at me, grinning. He nodded and winked. Immediately, I felt warmth blooming in my chest. Even though I still struggled with this situation, I had a growing feeling that I was exactly where I was meant to be.

Olath

We paused out in front of the bar. The sign above the door was broken and flickering, announcing itself as ‘Deny Way’. With a closer look, I saw it was supposed to be ‘Destiny Way’, but some of the letters were damaged beyond repair. It was simply referred to as ‘Deny’. I doubted any of its patrons knew its original name.

Was it a joke on the types of characters who would frequent it, or did it have a grand history? I would never know, and, for some reason, that idea saddened me. Surely, no one opened an establishment with the intent for it to be a place where the worst criminals hung out.

Unless the owner was the worst criminal of all.

That thought pulled me right back on task. I wanted the mission to go well, but I also wanted to protect Evelyn. I couldn’t afford to miss a single thing.

Evelyn drew herself up to her full height and strode through the doors. She didn’t look left or right, painting her face with an expression of disinterested boredom. She was so good at it that I actually felt like she was comfortable here.

As she carefully scanned the room and let her eyes linger on the bartender, the slight tightening of her lips was the only indication of nerves I could detect.

“Let me handle this, boys,” she said airily.

I put on my scariest scowl and followed where she led, keeping by her shoulder. Evelyn didn’t look left or right on her way to the bar, but Storgin and I eyeballed every single tough in the place. I didn’t have to pretend I would tear the arms off anyone who looked at Evelyn the wrong way.

She moved gracefully up to the bar and sat on a stool, her demeanor dismissive and almost bored. The bartender eyed her coolly and, even though her expression barely changed, it felt downright chilly.

Only I saw the slight faltering of her manner that was her reaction to the Akle. He was a typical specimen of his race, with a long trunk down his face, saggy, floppy, large ears and hair that looked like the spiky leaves of a tomato plant.

“A drink for you?” asked the bartender. Evelyn frowned as if he had deeply insulted her.

“I doubt you would have anything here to suit my tastes.” She looked down her nose at him with such disdain the guy actually took a step back. I folded my arms across my chest and glared at the Akle while Storgin swept the room with his gaze.

“Then what?” the guy asked carefully.

“Lorka,” she said very quietly. “I have business to discuss with him.”

The bartender grinned, chuckling. “Who says he’s here?”

“I certainly didn’t,” she shot back. My respect for her jumped up another notch. She wasn’t rattled by any of this.

The guy frowned, opened his mouth, then closed it again. He shook his head. Evelyn grinned.

“I’m just gonna chill for a while,” she said casually. “If a certain fellow—who may or may not be here—is looking to do business, then I’ll be around for a while, enjoying your…” she looked around, contempt screwing up her features. “Your…atmosphere.”

The bartender looked like he didn’t know whether to be insulted or pleased. He opened his mouth to speak but pointedly shut it again. Evelyn ignored him, getting up to stride across the room to take a small table in the corner.

Storgin and I followed her, looking around the room to scare off anyone who dared to look at Evelyn. Most of the patrons were sitting in darkened corners so they could barely be seen, but I knew there were lots of different characters out there. Very few of them were human. Through the smoke haze, I detected a few bots and maybe even a few of my kind. It was difficult to tell for sure.

Evelyn took a seat. Storgin and I stood behind her. I knew that Lorka wouldn’t show himself immediately, but as the minutes ticked by, I started to get impatient.

Maybe he won’t come, I thought. I flicked my gaze over to Storgin and I could tell he thought the same thing. We couldn’t let this opportunity pass us by. We had to get the guy.

I leaned down, whispering in Evelyn’s ear. “We should squeeze the bartender.”

“No,” she hissed. “Just wait.”

“It’s taking too long.”

“Timcur put me in charge! Wait!”

“I’ve waited long enough,” I replied, ready to head for the counter. Storgin nodded, obviously of the same mind.

A slight movement from the other side of the room caught my attention. It was in deep shadow, so it was hard to tell, but it looked like a door, partially hidden in the wall, had opened. After a few seconds, I saw the Chawwaw slipping through the tables. He was short, even for a Chawwaw—only a bit over two feet. His head was a violent bright orange and his body was a mess of gingery stripes and electric blue. His long limbs and tail moved him gracefully along the ground. The Chawwaw’s four eyes on their long stalks looked in all directions at once.

Evelyn stayed completely still and frozen, admirably not reacting to the Chawwaw. I could see she was shocked, but the rest of the bar would see it as cold indifference—maybe even a threat.

“If you would accompany me,” the Chawwaw said in a surprisingly cultured voice, “we shall discuss my master’s availability.”

“Thank you,” Evelyn said graciously. “Lead the way.”

We prepared to follow the Chawwaw wherever it led. I prayed it wasn’t a trap. Storgin looked like he was thinking the same thing. I shrugged. Time to jump in with both feet and fuck the consequences.

That was one of the things we Vaznik did very well.

Evelyn

I followed the creature through the tables with as much cold dignity as I could muster, reaching for Storgin’s arm and whispering frantically.

“What is that?” I honestly didn’t know if it was supposed to be treated like a human or not.

“It’s a Chawwaw,” Storgin muttered, completely unintelligibly.

“A chow wow?” I whispered. “Do you mean a chihuahua? It doesn’t look anything like a dog.”

Storgin stopped and gave me a cock-eyed look. I realized he probably knew nothing about the tiny dogs which once hailed from Mexico.

“Uh…” I could feel the mission slipping away from us. Olath cut in.

“A Chawwaw—say ‘chaw—waw’ or close to.”

I nodded like I knew exactly what he was talking about, raised my head up, and continued to follow the fluorescent chihuahua into a back doorway. It gave me what I thought was an irritated frown, but with that many eyes and not much face, it was really hard to tell.

“Everything okay?” it asked, the translator chip making its words very precise. I nodded.

“Of course. My guards were merely cautioning me against moving into close quarters with you.”

It nodded, or seemed to. The four eyes moved in separate directions.

“Wise enough advice,” it said. It sat up on its hind legs, balancing on its tail. With a narrow paw, it pointed to the door.

“I’ll go first,” it smiled. Maybe. This was a lot harder than I’d thought it would be. How was I supposed to read alien body language?

I nodded, trying to look dignified. When it hurried through the darkness, I followed, waiting for blades to come slashing out of the dark at me. When nothing did, I figured we could probably trust the chow bow.

It didn’t look back, but trotted along, its short claws clicking on the stone floor. Every now and then, one of the eyeballs would turn around to look at me, then slowly rotate back to the front again. I focused on appearing regal and icy calm. I had no idea if I was pulling it off or not.

After a few dark and twisted hallways, we came to a solid door. The creature knocked three times. The door opened slowly, revealing a dimly lit room. Towards the back, there was a long leather couch pulled up to a small table.

An incredibly tall, thin guy with pale green skin leaned casually against the table with cards in his hands. A strange-looking hookah blew smoke from the back of the table and there was a large, rocky alien taking a deep hit. Opposite the green guy was a chubby creature with skin in pink and purple tones, with long bubble-gum hair.

“You got me again, Lorka,” the chubby thing screeched. It sounded like a bird of prey. I couldn’t tell its gender. It was barely even humanoid.

Lorka dropped his cards with a lazy smile, turning to us. The Chawwaw bowed, somewhat irreverently.

“These are the ones who were enquiring after you, my lord,” it said, snickering.

Lorka looked us over, his expression barely changing. He took a brief hit from the hookah then picked up a glass half full of dark liquid, taking a generous sip. With a nod of his head, he sent the others to another table, and motioned us forward.

“What do you want with old Lorka, huh?” he asked airily. “How do I know you aren’t here to fix some crime to my chest?”

“You don’t,” muttered Storgin. I could see contempt on his face. I hoped that, whatever his issue was, he didn’t plan on making a big deal out of it.

“You’re Buravian,” Olath muttered.

Lorka shrugged. “You got a problem with Buravians?”

“Enough,” I snapped, waving a hand. “I know how you guys like to measure your dicks at every opportunity, but that isn’t what we’re here for.”

Lorka grinned, raising his eyebrows suggestively. Olath and Storgin looked mortified, as well as furious, but they kept their cover.

I strode across the room and boldly threw back a sip of Lorka’s drink. It could have been cyanide for all I knew, but it felt right. The stuff burned like whiskey but tasted like sambuca.

“Well, pretty Earth lady, you must have a sizable piece of your own, to sample an unknown beverage. Shall I get a ruler?”

I frowned at him. “I was thirsty, pissant. I figured what was in your glass was enough to calm me down so I didn’t punch your green face in.”

His eyebrows went up another notch. I could tell that he was interested, and I was playing this well enough to keep him that way.

“What brings you here?” he asked. I could tell that, even though I had impressed him, he wouldn’t hesitate to throw us out if he didn’t like my answer.

“I need a hacker,” I said, shrugging. I sat down, eyeballing him. “Very sensitive data. High-end tech. Something that you would enjoy simply for the challenge, I believe.”

“Well, I like a challenge. But what’s actually in it for me?”

I shrugged. “We can get money, goods, whatever. It’s an important job, so we’re happy to compensate you well.”

He looked over at my guys, then back at me.

“I tell you what, pretty miss,” he said. “You’re quite impressive all on your own, but your crew here, they paint a certain picture. Potentially, a military-type one.”

The guys reacted, very slightly. I waved a hand.

“We’re not here for you, no matter what you think,” I said softly. “We just need your help to decode some data.”

He nodded. “Okay then. I need some kehppû which were stolen from me.”

What? I managed not to visibly react. I had no idea what he was talking about.

“And that’s my problem how?” I asked airily.

He grinned. “My kehppû were stolen from me. Some rustlers are hiding them in the Mawtzi Cave System out in the Vaiyma Foothills. If you can help me, maybe I can help you.”

I tried not to look shocked. I had no clue what to say, so I just smiled and nodded. There was no way of knowing what I was committing us to.

It didn’t look like we had a lot of options.

Olath

The second we made it out of the bar, Evelyn started relentlessly asking questions. I was pretty proud of her for keeping cover this long. It had been a tough situation down there, especially if you had never seen aliens like that before.

“What is a kehppû? Where are these caves? What the fuck is going on?”

“Shh,” whispered Storgin. “They could still be listening.”

Evelyn shut it, looking scared. She still appeared proud and arrogant, but her confusion was obvious. I left Storgin to explain, and contacted Captain Timcur.

“Show me something, Olath,” he snapped.

“We got a deal, boss, if we can liberate some kehppû from some rustlers in the Vaiyma Foothills, that is.”

“Not my favorite method of payment, but I guess it’ll do. I’m sending Thelkor out to the nearest teleport. Meet up with him and get your gear.”

“On it,” I snapped, turning to Evelyn.

She looked scared, but also enthralled. The tangled expression made her look very beautiful and fragile, but also strong. I was captivated for a second, forgetting where I was and what I was supposed to be doing.

“Olath?” Storgin muttered, grinning.

I snapped back to the present moment. “Head to the nearest teleport. We’re meeting Thelkor there to get geared up.”

“Excellent.” Storgin headed off at a brisk walk and Evelyn and I fell in behind.

“What are we actually doing?” Evelyn asked.

“Oh, the kehppû are a relatively rare kind of creature. It should be a lively mission. The caves are quite beautiful.”

“Oh,” Evelyn said, and I realized I hadn’t given her much to go on. I struggled to find some words, realizing that I had an opportunity to make conversation. Evelyn looked at the ground as we walked and I continued to struggle, ending up frustrated with myself. I couldn’t think of a word to say.

When we got to the nearest teleport, Thelkor was hard to miss. He waved from his position to the side of the pad, bags of gear heaped around his feet.

“He looks like he’s about to climb Everest,” Evelyn whispered. “Surely, the cave systems are not that high, or that remote?”

I struggled to respond. I didn’t know about that Everest. Was it a relative of hers or something?

“No,” Storgin said with a heavy sigh. “Thelkor just likes to accessorize.”

When Evelyn laughed, I had to fight a pang of jealousy. I wished I could make her laugh like that.

“Guys,” Thelkor grinned, handing out duffle bags. “I’ve brought some wicked gear. Evelyn, how do you feel about guns?”

“I’m okay with them if they aren’t pointed at my head.”

Thelkor laughed. “I’ve brought you a couple of small blasters. They’ll fit nicely into this harness.”

He held out a leather belt that would drape her hips to hold the weapons. I pictured it on her and almost had to grab my cock to stop it leaping out of my pants.

“Energy weapons are the safest choice for starship melee. Ships’ hulls are designed to dissipate energy surges as a safety feature. An energy weapon also won’t punch a hole in a hull the way a projectile might. Here.” Thelkor handed her a black bundle. “Combat fatigues.”

She smiled and took the package, heading towards a nearby alcove to change. The teleport pad was out of the way. There were a few handy nooks nearby with benches inside. Storgin and I changed quickly, buckling on our own weapons and gear.

Thelkor and I started arguing about incendiaries. I thought we had enough. Thelkor said no way. Storgin happily munched a protein bar while we argued. I heard Evelyn join us, but I argued a few seconds more before turning around.

She was only standing there, casually talking to Storgin, but it felt like the world had changed around me. I couldn’t hear anything at all, and I certainly couldn’t see anything except Evelyn.

A slight breeze stirred her long hair. The black fatigues paled her skin to a porcelain hue, but her lips remained almost as red as her hair. Her eyes glowed like the stones in the necklace I had bought her earlier.

Most distracting was her lithe, graceful figure, skimmed close by the skintight fatigues. The armor on the edges added just a tiny bit of bulk to her already gorgeous, athletic shape. I felt like every line of her graceful form was being burned into my brain, cell by cell.

“You okay there, buddy?” Thelkor whispered, nudging me with one arm. I nodded. I didn’t notice I was standing there with my mouth open until Thelkor reached out and tapped it shut.

The click of my teeth coming together brought reality back with a shock. The market’s noise blasted me, and I realized I was here, in the real world, with an incredible, beautiful woman I had no idea how to talk to.

I was going to try, though. Any reservations I had, any worries, were quickly disappearing. Looking at her right now, I felt I could weather a thousand heartaches just to be by her side. It wouldn’t matter if I never got to touch her, so long as I could drink in her beauty every day.

Storgin turned around and started to negotiate with Thelkor about what we should take with us and what we should teleport back to Goldie. Evelyn turned around and looked up at me, her eyes sliding down across my body. I stood up straight, bracing my shoulders against the weight of my gun. Maybe, just maybe, if I were watching her, she could also be watching me.

I’d been a fool and also a liar. I would do anything to win her. Trying to convince myself—or the others—of anything else was ridiculous bravado. I wanted her more than I’d ever wanted anything in the universe and there was no way I could walk away from her.

Evelyn

We set out at dawn.

Instead of staying on Goldie, the four of us spent the night in a ramshackle inn. Rachel and Captain Timcur had stayed with Goldie, in case something happened while Olath, Thelkor, Storgin, and I were out on the mission—in case Goldie had to move fast.

We met in the common room of the old building with drafty hallways and noisy rooms before the sun rose. While the group ate, Olath negotiated with the innkeeper in hushed tones. Eventually, a price was agreed upon, credits exchanged hands, and Olath led us into the dirty courtyard behind the inn.

There, our mounts were being saddled by some of the innkeeper’s employees. One, a humanoid alien, looked chiseled from granite and limestone. His fingers were pudgy. His bony articulations made a grating sound every time he moved. His eyes looked like burning coals. The other looked like a hooved, humanoid giraffe in a lovely shade of cerulean blue.

The mounts were just as weird as the innkeeper’s employees, although they brought to mind illustrations of fabled creatures in the storybooks of my childhood. They were ehtyo, Storgin explained. Our mounts resembled wingless dragons.

Hard scales covered their limbs, glittering under the pale sunrise. Their teeth gleamed as sharp as a newly-forged dagger. They didn’t breathe fire like a mythical, fairy-tale dragon, but they still looked menacing enough. Powerful muscles hid under the scales, and sharp spikes jutted out from the creature’s spine in warning to anyone who tried to mount them.

Even so, they were as docile as tamed ponies. They approached us eagerly, their nostrils flaring as they sniffed at us, and readily accepted thick cuts of meat, which they wolfed down by throwing their massive heads back.

I was the first to climb atop one of the ehtyo.

My mount had glittering blue scales and burning yellow eyes. It let out a long exhale as I dropped my weight onto the saddle. For a moment, I thought it’d whip its long tail at me and knock me off, but it didn’t. It merely stood there, waiting for me to take the reins and tell it where to go.

When we finally left the courtyard, the sun had already risen over the jagged mountain peaks. A pinkish glow fell over Tehglaish’s distant foothills, like a gentle curtain of light. Despite the planet’s seedy reputation, there was something beautiful—ethereal, even—about the landscape.

“Dumb beasts,” Thelkor grumbled after a half hour of riding. He struggled to keep himself in the saddle, gripping the reins so tightly that his muscles looked like overinflated balloons. He’d been the only one who didn’t want to use the ehtyo. He even tried to convince Olath it’d be better to rent a couple of hoverbikes.

His idea was quickly shot down, as our plan called for stealth. The last thing we needed was to announce to the cave-dwelling rustlers that we were on our way. The hoverbikes would’ve alerted them before we got there.

Despite Thelkor’s reluctance, I enjoyed the ride.

The hills rolled out before us like waves, gray and covered with winding trails. Mountains rose in the distance like a gigantic wall of iron and rock. Even from a distance, I could see the rugged mountainside pocked with dark holes, each a possible entrance to the Vaiyma cave system.

I should’ve been afraid, but I wasn’t.

There was something exhilarating about the whole thing. The combat fatigues, the weapons hanging from my harness, even the protective vest weighing down my shoulders...they should’ve made me uncomfortable, but I experienced the exact opposite. I’d never thought of myself as the adventurous type, but I felt right at home doing all this stuff.

Seedy black markets, dusty bars filled with rugged criminals, a mission which involved stealing alien pets from alien pirates on an alien planet…it was hard to admit, but this was infinitely better than all the engineering classes I’d taken back on Earth. This was true living.

Olath’s presence didn’t hurt either.

As angry as I’d been to be labeled a ‘breeder’, I sure didn’t mind throwing the occasional glance his way. Even now, as he rode his ehtyo with the quiet confidence of an expert rider, it was a struggle to peel my eyes away.

His body swayed to match the motions of his ehtyo. He gripped the reins lightly, back straight, head held high. His eyes focused on the jagged peaks cutting into the horizon. More than looking like a military guy, he resembled one of those heroes with chiseled jaws and honorable words, the type a woman could only expect to find in tales of a gone-by era.

Also, Olath was hot.

“How are you holding up?” As if he knew I was thinking about him, Olath pulled the reins on his mount and slowed its pace. Our ehtyos fell in step with each other. Olath offered me a cautious smile as he spoke. “You must be worried about what’s going to happen, but I promise you that I—”

“I’m not worried,” I said. It was even the truth. Sure, there was a prickle of fear underneath all the excitement, but that tickle had become barely noticeable. “It’s silly but…” I waved my left hand at the scenery. “It feels good to be out here.”

“It sure does,” he said.

When Rachel had sat down at the table earlier in Tehglaish’s market and asked me to accompany Olath, Thelkor, and Storgin wherever they went on the mission, I had initially balked.

“Please,” Rachel had begged. “Please go with them. They are all great guys, but they don’t always think things through. I would go, but what if Goldie needs to be moved while they are gone? I have to stay with Goldie, so I can’t keep an eye on them.”

“But, Rachel, won’t it be dangerous?” I had replied. She had smiled at me, taking my hand.

“I know Olath will keep you safe. Is any of this really that more dangerous than walking through an Earth city alone, late at night? Or flying on a plane? With you there, I know the four of you can think your way out of anything.”

I had thought about it. Even in the middle of an alien planet surrounded by a galaxy full of lifeforms I had never even imagined, I felt safer here than I did walking across campus alone late last week.

And, Evelyn, when will you get another chance? As crazy as your life has been lately, has it not also been wonderful?

Now, out here, riding through this amazing landscape, maybe Rachel had been right...

I noticed his eyes weren’t taking in the scenery. They remained locked on me, as if I was all the scenery he cared about. It was unnerving to be under his gaze. At the same time...my heart beat faster. Warm blood rushed to my cheeks.

Maybe this life isn’t so bad...

I had always thought I’d land a cozy engineering job after college, probably running one of the military shipyards next to Shackleton’s Crater, but this life of adventure was slowly getting its hooks into me. Besides, The Golden Meridian needed an engineer—Storgin was intelligent, sure, but even he hadn’t been able to figure out why the engines had died.

I closed my eyes, imagining how it’d feel to be a member of this close-knit family.

It’d feel really good.

Olath

It was a long ride, but not as arduous as I had expected.

The ehtyo were hulking beasts, but they were surprisingly nimble in the rocky foothills. They climbed over crags, jumped over bluffs overlooking lazy creeks, and they kept a steady pace throughout. Instead of growing tired, they seemed to become more energetic as we approached the mountains.

I rode at the front of our small party, keeping an eye on my handheld tablet. Every hour or so, I snuck a glance at it, just to ensure we wouldn’t get off course. Not that I needed to—the mountains were impossible to miss, and the ehtyo seemed to know all the unmapped trails and paths leading toward them.

More than just paying attention to the path, I kept my focus on Evelyn. She was excited, more than I had expected, and I didn’t know if that was a good thing. Sure, I liked the fact she was enjoying herself, but this was a combat mission with a lot of variables. After all, we had no idea what we’d find inside the caverns, nor did we know anything about the kind of arsenal the pirates would have.

I drew a deep breath.

None of that really mattered. I would never let anything happen to Evelyn, even if that would cost me my life. If anything inside those tunnels tried to hurt her, I would rip those mountains apart with my bare hands and kill everyone hiding inside them.

I scoffed at my own thoughts.

I liked thinking of myself as someone who was level-headed and rational, but that was no longer the truth. Ever since Evelyn had entered my life, level-headed and rational had taken a backseat in my mind. I could no longer think as straight as I once did. Nor was I solely guided by reason.

Weirdly enough, I didn’t think that put me at a disadvantage. If anything, it was the opposite. Evelyn’s presence energized me. It made me feel sharper. Maybe that was just an illusion, but I truly believed she made me stronger.

When we finally got close enough to the mountains, the sun was already setting behind us. Our shadows stretched in front of us, like dark, elongated versions of ourselves. I looked up at the dark entrances dotting the mountainside. I didn’t like it, but that’s where we had to go.

I held my fist up once we reached a small clearing, right at the foot of the mountains. Our small column halted. Tall trees with gnarly branches loomed around us, the ground carpeted in a kind of yellow moss which muffled the heavy strides of the ehtyo.

“We’ll go on foot now,” I said, already dismounting. The creatures would’ve happily climbed the mountainside, I could tell, but their size had finally become a disadvantage. Even if they would carry us safely to one of the entrances, they’d make us far easier to spot.

“Finally,” Thelkor grumbled, awkwardly launching himself off the saddle. His ehtyo snorted, the sound of it like a mocking laugh. Thelkor glared at the creature. “Yeah, screw you, too.”

We tethered our mounts to a couple of those gnarly trees. Surprisingly, the creatures started grazing on that yellowed moss. Judging by their appearance, I thought meat would be the only thing in their diet, but they seemed as excited about the moss as they’d been about the meat.

We got all our gear on the ground. I helped Thelkor make one final check of the weapons. Storgin stood to the side, analyzing the map and the coordinates Lorka had given us. Evelyn was with the ehtyos, scratching them behind their ears as if they were oversized pets.

“Hard to focus when your mate’s around, eh?” Thelkor asked me, grinning like an idiot. Only then did I realize that I’d been holding the same weapon for a minute now. I’d been so busy watching Evelyn, I had lost track of what I was doing. “Don’t worry, I know what that’s like.” His grin widened. “And it doesn’t really get any better.”

“Shut the hell up,” I muttered, turning my attention to the weaponry laid out in front of us. I performed a thorough check on Evelyn’s small blasters, then helped her strap them on. So close to her, I breathed in her maddening scent.

Shit. Thelkor’s right. I can’t think of anything else with her around.

Still, I willed myself to focus. There was a lot at stake here, not to mention that being distracted could put Evelyn at risk. Even if it was hard, I had to keep my wits about me.

Once everyone was ready, I went over the map with Storgin again, and only then did we set out. We left the clearing behind and dove into the heavy foliage that covered the foot of the mountain. We followed the mountainside for another half mile. The cave we were looking for was massive enough to see from a distance, its gaping maw large enough to fit a small cargo ship. When we approached, I made a quick hand-signal and ordered everyone to get down.

Standing at the sides of the cavern’s mouth were two guards. They were humanoid, but I couldn’t see the race they belonged to from my position. Not that it mattered. They were in the way, and we needed to remove them.

“I got this,” Thelkor whispered, already assembling a heavy rifle. When he noticed me watching, he looked at me and grinned. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to make a lot of noise.”

True to his word, he placed a suppressor at the end of the barrel. He removed the lethal charges and replaced them with tranquilizers. Two squeezes of his trigger and the guards were down for the count. Storgin and I rushed forward and dragged them out of sight.

The four of us stood before the cavern’s darkness, and I looked at Evelyn one last time.

Keep her safe, Olath. No matter what happens, you keep her safe.

We stepped in.

Evelyn

My boots crunched in the small rocks and sandy sediment of the cave’s floor. Metallic cones glowed a soft amber in heavy iron sconces bolted into the cave’s walls. By their light, I could see the long, tunnel-like entrance of the cave. Stacks of crates and large bags of goods lined the sides of the tunnel.

Long stalactites hung from the ceiling like straight tentacles.

What if there is something in this cave with tentacles like that? Hush, Evelyn. Don’t freak yourself out before you’ve even gotten anywhere.

The warriors surrounding me crouched, creeping down the tunnel, though they could have stood at their full height without bumping their heads. Tall stalagmites jutted from the floor, seeming to reach out to the stalactites above them.

A laugh echoed down the cave. We froze. Olath motioned to Storgin, who snuck ahead. He stopped near a stalagmite that looked like my old boss from the fast-food joint I’d worked at in high school.

He peeked around the stalagmite, then waved at us to join him. We snuck down the tunnel to him. Storgin turned to Olath.

“There are two of them, a Chawwaw and an Akle. They look drunk.”

So, that would be one of the lemur-looking aliens with the eyestalks and one of the tomato-leaf-haired mini-elephants. My life had gotten so much more exciting lately.

Olath nodded to Thelkor, who pulled ammo from one of his many pockets. He fiddled with the casings, then loaded his big rifle. He leaned past the stalagmite and pulled the trigger.

Two quick thwonks later, I heard two bodies flop, then crash. We all peeked around the stalagmite. The Chawwaw lay draped over a chair, eye stalks dangling. The Akle lay flat on his back on the floor of the small cave.

His trunk had tangled in the legs of a wooden stool. He released what I hoped was a snore, tomato-leaf hair fluttering.

Thelkor retrieved the tranq’s cartridges and we moved on. We reached a T-junction. With a quick inspection of the right-hand tunnel, Storgin found a dead-end with fresh water trickling down the wall and into an inch-wide crack in the rock floor.

We took a quick drink and entered the unexplored tunnel. In the middle of the tunnel, a rickety bridge stretched across a body of glowing water. When Olath placed his first foot on the bridge, the green glow parted, darting away from his step.

I looked down. Schools of tiny, glowing fish flowed away from us in wide arcs. I tried to memorize the moment, wanting to return to this place in my mind.

On the other side of the bridge, we passed through a series of small chambers, each more beautiful than the last. Walking through the first chamber felt like walking through a geode. Amethyst hued crystals bristled along the walls.

Small, sightless lizards dashed out of our path. A colony of throbbing gelatinous blobs clung to the shadowed corners of the next. Their masses wobbling in the near dark sent a shudder down my spine.

Small squeaks and squeals echoed down the halls. It sounded like dolphins singing karaoke. I suppressed a giggle.

“Sounds like kehppû.”

“When have you ever heard a kehppû, Storgin?”

“I went to the zoo on Plorp once. They had one. It sounded just like that, but bigger.”

Olath hissed at Storgin and Thelkor. “We’re trying to sneak around here.”

They fell quiet, and we came upon a chamber leading into a vast cavern. Someone had stacked crates everywhere I looked. Coils of rope, tools, treasures, and any manner of other things lay everywhere.

Several aliens lounged around a fire they had built in the center of the chamber. I recognized none of the species playing cards and sharpening knives. One big one with four arms and a horn like a rhino tossed bright pink fruit into its foot-wide mouth.

It swallowed and six large feather-like fronds shivered around its thick neck. Two of the aliens playing cards looked like twin lampposts, if lampposts had six arms along their post and the entire thing were made of living, black flesh. Three eyes arranged in a triangle sat on the post five feet up and the top opened into a mouth.

The other aliens looked a lot like hairy velociraptors with opposable thumbs. I glanced at Olath. A mewling screech attacked my eardrum. My heart raced. I spun my head around, searching for the source of distress.

One of the hairy velociraptors was squeezing a…thing. Tentacles grappled with the velociraptor guy’s clawed hand. Above the tentacles, two large black eyes swiveled back and forth, looking for escape. About the size of a cat, the little tentacled creature screeched, pushing and tugging to get its round baby belly free. Four cat-like paws waved, clawing for release.

The poor baby let out a mournful wail, flinging its tail wildly. The velociraptor guy chuckled, squeezing the baby again. The baby’s cry pierced my heart and I saw red.

I sprung forward and stormed into the cavern.

“You put that baby down right this minute!”

The velociraptor guy jumped. Surprised by my shout, he dropped the baby back into the crate in which its siblings writhed.

Olath, Storgin, and Thelkor rushed in behind me. One of the lampposts reached for three guns lying on a nearby barrel. Before any of the three hands on that side of the post’s body could reach the guns, Thelkor tackled it.

They fell into a mass of arms, post, and legs. The four-armed rhino guy roared and leapt atop the pile. The lamppost guy squealed. Thelkor laughed, raining blows upon them both.

Twelve arms among three guys were too much to keep track of. I ran to the babies in the crate. Great big eyes set into tentacled faces stared into my soul. With little mewling cries, they gripped my hands in their tentacles. They pulled themselves up my arms and, soon I was covered in baby kehppû.

I glanced behind me. Olath and a lamppost guy pummeled each other. A hairy velociraptor jumped on Olath’s back. He opened a giant maw filled with great big sharp teeth.

Oh, hell, no.

I swung around. Kehppû clung to my arms with their little suckers, waving their little paws in the air. I pulled a blaster from the holster strapped to my thigh and I shot that hairy space velociraptor right between its six eyes.

Olath

I blocked the Thalarg’s three simultaneous right-hand punches. The hairy Zhukah who had pounced upon my back slid off. His sharp, curved claws scraped my tough,Mahdfel skin.

I flicked my eyes about, searching for my savior. Evelyn stood tall, feet shoulder-width apart. Her hair glowed in the light of the torches and the flickering fire. Baby kehppû clung to her arms and head, tentacles and paws flaring.

She pointed the glowing tip of her blaster in my direction. A wild look had taken over her face, a look of righteous indignation. Evelyn parted her beautiful lips and screamed.

“Get down!”

I ducked. Three glowing blaster bolts struck the Thalarg’s long body. Its red, cavernous, toothy maw screeched and writhed. Six arms flailed in agony. I spun my body low, swinging a kick at the Thalarg’s stumpy legs.

With a screech of rage, the Thalarg fell. Its long black body whipped down and smacked the back of the horned Pahrtel’s head. It went down with an oof, taking Thelkor to the ground with it.

Storgin rode by on the back of one of the Zhukah, one of his hands gripping the Zhukah’s shaggy hair. Storgin clamped his knees around the hissing Zhukah’s torso, and in his other hand, he swung a pipe.

The writhing Thalarg whipped its mouth my way. Row after row of sharp teeth extended down the length of the alien’s gullet. The Thalarg screamed, flinging bits of spittle over my face. I punched it in its eyes.

I wasn’t familiar with Thalarg vulnerabilities, but eyes were a universal target. Only Gongongola had armored eyes, that I knew of, but they lived in asteroid belts with bodies larger than a moon.

The Thalarg screeched. One set of its hands covered its three eyes while the others grabbed the air randomly, trying to find a part of me. I grabbed a nearby rope, tying a quick slipknot at one end.

I slipped the length of the rope through the slipknot, creating a lasso. I spun the lasso over my head, then tossed it over the flailing Thalarg’s head/mouth. The loop landed true, slipping down to the Thalarg’s top set of shoulders.

I jerked the length of the rope back, cinching the lasso tight, and pulled. The Thalarg fought against the pull of the rope, hands grappling and pulling. I wrapped the tail of the rope behind me, held it by a hand at each side, and used my entire body to pull the rope back.

For a moment, the Thalarg matched the force I exerted on the rope. We stared at each other, straining, growling, and snapping our teeth at each other. The muscles in my arms and legs burned. My golden tattoos flashed red from the fury burning in my gut.

The Thalarg’s muscles buckled under the strain of our battle of wills and endurance. When his endurance broke, the rope jerked his entire body toward me. I pivoted fast, letting go of the end of the rope.

The Thalarg crashed down where I’d stood only moments before. With quick movements, I twisted the rope and slid the resulting loop over the Thalarg’s stubby legs. With two more twists and loops around its legs, the Thalarg collapsed into a bound heap, panting.

I tied off the rope and spun to take in the fights raging around me. The other Thalarg lay limp over a short stack of crates. A hole the shape and size of the Pahrtel’s horn gaped between its third set of shoulders. Blue fluid dripped from the ragged hole to the cave floor below.

The Pahrtel roared at Thelkor, its horn smeared blue. Thelkor swung his fist down onto the Pahrtel’s back. The Pahrtel hugged his big upper set of arms around Thelkor’s waist. His smaller, lower set of arms pummeled Thelkor’s body with jabbing punches.

I ran to assist Thelkor. From the corner of my eye, I saw Storgin ride his hairy Zhukah by, chasing another Zhukah.

I tucked my shoulder and slammed into the Pahrtel’s thick body. His little arms flailed. He swung the elbow of one of his big arms into my ribs. Thelkor took the opening and swung a blaster up between him and the Pahrtel.

Thelkor pulled the trigger, shooting through the Pahrtel’s jaw. The Pahrtel’s head exploded, coating Thelkor and me in thick, yellow ichor. The Pahrtel’s body slumped, landing against my legs. Thelkor and I wiped Pahrtel out of our eyes, lips spluttering.

Evelyn’s bloodcurdling scream spun my head her way. She ran, blasters in both hands, baby kehppû clinging to her upper body, blasting furiously at the crowd of hairy Zhukah pulling Storgin off his mount.

A couple of Zhukah snuck up behind her on their taloned, three-toed feet. I charged, pulling my blaster from my holster. Thelkor matched me, stride for stride. Thelkor blasted one of the sneaks. I tackled the second.

The Zhukah collapsed below me, screaming. It clawed at my back with its taloned back feet. Thelkor punched a thick fist into the Zhukah’s face. It went limp in my arms. I rolled it off me and leapt to my feet.

Thelkor was already racing toward the back of one of the few smugglers left standing. It crouched, preparing to spring onto Storgin’s back, but Thelkor ran up to it from behind and clamped a big fist around the Zhukah’s throat.

With a roar and a heave, he slammed the Zhukah into the ground. Evelyn stepped up and blasted the Zhukah struggling in Thelkor’s arms. She spun and blasted the last standing Zhukah right before it punched Storgin in the face again.

It slumped to the floor. The sudden silence of the moment after a battle reigned only to be interrupted by our panting breaths, and the long squeals of the kehppû. Evelyn filled my entire vision.

Her hair glowed, a deeper, richer red than the fire glinting off the wild strands. The heat of battle flushed her cheeks. Kehppû dangled from her, petting and soothing her with tiny tentacles. The tips of her blasters glowed and smoked.

Face smeared with dirt and several colors of blood, Evelyn could not have been more beautiful. The fierce heart of a true warrior blazed inside her, brighter than a sun. My heart thudded in my chest. My cock throbbed.

Evelyn was the fiercest, most amazing being I had ever seen. At that moment, I knew I could no longer pretend. Evelyn was my mate, and, for me, there would never be another.

I will earn her fiery heart. I will win that heart, and I will cherish Evelyn for all my days.

I could tell that, as happy as Evelyn was cuddling the baby kehppu, sadness still tugged at her heart.

I will find a way to replace that sadness with joy.

Evelyn

I’d never imagined I could run so fast, let alone with my arms full of odd little alien creatures.

I hadn’t had a good look at their colors and shapes to really tell them apart. Normal Earth-looking hues like tabby, ginger, and gray mingled with interesting hints of pink, gold, and lilac. The tentacles took on a high sheen as they came under the light, looking like they were made out of scales or glass.

One of the baby kehppû pawed at my shoulder, making a pitiful cry. It reminded me so much of Fluffbutt my heart almost broke.

“It’s okay, little guy,” I whispered. “We’re going to get you out of here.”

We raced back to the ehtyo, all of us struggling to hold onto our tentacled, squirming little burdens. They were obviously intelligent, and they wanted to be rescued, it just couldn’t have been easy for them to hang on while we ran and mounted the ehtyo.

My ride turned her head around and blew a deep breath across my armload of kehppû, approving her new passengers. I climbed up and the babies gripped on, clinging to me and the saddle.

“Let us return to Lorka!”

“Olath, you plan to take them directly back to Lorka?”

“Yes, why?”

I shook my head. “No. We take them back to Goldie, first. Make Lorka come to us. No data, no kehppû.”

Olath nodded.

Storgin looked at Olath. “That makes a lot of sense, Olath.”

“I’m with Evelyn. Besides, captain put Evelyn in charge of this mission and I want to get home to Rachel. Let’s go.”

Olath chuckled and raised a fist into the air.

“To Goldie!”

I held my reins loosely in two fingers and my ehtyo followed the guys as they started to charge back towards the city.

The magnificent hills undulated around us as we left their shelter, heading back out onto the plains. Even though I was hanging on to the babies, digging my knees into the rapidly moving ehtyo, and just trying to catch a decent breath, I couldn’t help but notice the glory of the landscape. I heard a delighted giggle and realized it was my own.

I’d never felt so alive!

The sky was painted violent orange and purple, with shades of pink right against the horizon. The rock of the caves was dark red under the slanting light. As the sun slipped away, the hues of the sky changed to tones of blue and green. I leaned back, looking straight up, and saw clusters of perfect white stars just starting to burn against the dark silk curtain of the heavens.

I might never have seen this. If I had never been matched, I would never even have known this existed.

I settled myself more comfortably in the saddle, securing the kehppû under my arms. My ehtyo kept moving at a fast, even pace and I looked ahead to Olath.

He sat astride his animal confidently, one hand on the reins. The babies were all gathered around his waist, and occasionally he shifted his seat to make sure he had a good grip on them.

Even though we moved fast, I appreciated the long, lean lines of his body and massive shoulders. I was so full of emotion, I found my eyes welling up with tears.

Love wasn’t something I’d fantasized about, or at least, not the way other girls did. I didn’t dress up in a white gown as a kid and walk down a pretend aisle. There was no denying the warmth in my heart, though. I felt something for Olath and, the second I had time to think, I was going to have to do something about it.

Talk to him, throw myself at him, whatever.

We rode back into town with the air of cowboys returning from a roundup. I felt that way—tired but accomplished. The baby kehppû were getting harder and harder to hold. As we gave back our ehtyo mounts, we ended up scurrying around picking up renegade kehppû who skittered off under nearby bushes.

They were so cute, I wished that they could alleviate my loneliness. It just made me miss Fluffbutt even more though.

Getting back to Goldie and finding Lorka should have been easy, but with armloads of kehppû, it took much longer than it should have. I really didn’t care. I was giggling the whole time and I was swiftly getting past any reservations I had about my new life. The only problem I had was missing my dear Fluffbutt.

I hung back as we reached the ship, playing with the kehppû while Storgin went in ahead to talk to Captain Timcur. Olath stopped beside me. When I looked up, his face was a mixture of eagerness and anxiety.

He’s so nervous to talk to me, he doesn’t even know what to say.

“It went well, don’t you think?” I asked brightly.

His eyes flashed open in surprise, but he nodded. “It wouldn’t be my first pick for a mission, but it wasn’t bad. I’d rather not try to sit on top of an ehtyo with armfuls of kehppû for a while, though.”

I laughed, patting one of the babies while another played on my lap. They still just reminded me more of Fluffbutt with every moment that went by. My laughter wound down as I imagined him sitting on my bed, waiting for me to come back.

“Evelyn?” Olath asked, concerned. “What’s the matter?”

“I just miss my cat, Fluffbutt. I talked about him before, remember?”

“Of course,” Olath said, the confusion in his eyes proving that he barely remembered the conversation. “Are cats much like the kehppû?”

I shook my head. “A little. They have four legs and long tails, very differently colored fur. But they don’t have these big saucer eyes and tentacled mouths. Their pupils are different and, instead of tentacles, they have fangs.”

Olath faltered for a second, staring at me with his mouth slightly open. “Fangs?”

“Yeah. Little ones.”

“Do they bite?”

“Yes,” I answered, thinking of how my darling Fluff would scratch and bite my hand when I rubbed his tummy. “It’s a sign of affection.”

“They attack as a sign of affection?” he asked, shocked.

I laughed. “Yeah. They don’t attack too seriously. Well, most of the time.”

Olath picked up a kehppû and looked at its face critically. It made a little crying sound and I watched him stare at it, obviously trying to equate it with a tiny predator who showed its love with vicious attack.

Olath

I stared at the little kehppû, trying to imagine it with fangs instead of tentacles. It was difficult.

“How sharp are their fangs?” I asked.

“Sharp,” Evelyn answered. “And poisonous.”

“What?”

She shrugged. “On Earth there’s a bacteria called staph. It’s almost unkillable, resistant to every medicine. Because cats are true carnivores, it can be found in their mouths. If they bite deep enough, you can get it into your bloodstream.”

“True carnivores? They survive on only meat?”

“Yes. They can carry cat scratch fever in their claws, too.”

“Wait!” I exclaimed, dropping the kehppû gently to the deck. “They have claws, too?”

She nodded, grinning. “Sharp claws. They can climb trees and rip open their prey in seconds. They are very skilled hunters.”

I sat down on the deck across from Evelyn, staring at her in shock.

“Hunters?” I asked.

Evelyn nodded. A very mischievous grin curved her lips, but I was pretty sure she was telling me the truth. It was really messing with my head. Why would humans—why would anyone—keep tiny predators in their house at all, let alone predators with deadly fangs and claws?

I narrowed my eyes and leaned towards her. “Are you teasing me?” I deepened my voice to a growl, managing to keep a straight face. “If you are. . .”

Her eyes widened, and she stilled, a delightful blush staining her cheeks. “No! I’m telling the truth. Well, I mean that—” she stuttered into silence.

I smiled to let her know I was teasing her in return. She licked her lips, and my gaze snagged on the small, telling movement, my smile evaporating. I lifted my eyes to hers again, trying to read the meaning behind her sudden nervous tension. It could mean fear, or it could mean attraction. With the blush, and the slightly parting lips, I figured attraction.

Maybe it had been a bit of time since I’d deliberately flirted with a woman, let her see the heat in my eyes, but eliciting a blush from my mate sparked a well of satisfaction in my gut. That she could blush meant she was softening—that she was softening meant that in time I could do more than look, more than gently flirt.

In time. . .

She tore her gaze away as the main doors opened, and Rachel was standing there, holding out her hands to the baby kehppû. She giggled as they charged her and jumped on her as she sat on the deck, too. I watched them swarm over her and figured, if humans were used to cats, maybe kehppû were far too tame.

While I watched Rachel play with the babies, Evelyn headed inside to the main comm to contact Lorka. She told him we had the kehppû, and we would bring them to him as soon as the decoded data was brought to Goldie. Lorka told her he was still working on the data.

I was impressed by the way Evelyn drew herself up and used a cold, impersonal tone. It was possible Lorka wasn’t jerking her around purposefully, but she gave him some attitude, just in case.

“No data, no kehppû,” she said. “That’s the deal, Lorka.”

“How do I even know you have the kehppû?”

Evelyn sat down and beckoned some of the creatures to her. Rachel tried to quiet down her giggles so Lorka could get an earful of the babies mewing without her voice as background noise.

“Well, I’ll admit you have some kehppû,” he said flatly. “I’ll keep working, but I don’t want any funny business from you.”

“I feel the same, Lorka,” she said in a cold tone. “At least we understand each other.”

She hung up without waiting for his answer, turning to sit down next to Rachel. Her brow furrowed slightly, a touch of sadness in her eyes. She was enjoying herself, I could tell, but it was as if her heart was wounded.

I tried to imagine how she must feel. Thelkor had been right about this from the very beginning—I really hadn’t tried to put myself in her shoes. I tried to picture how I would feel if I were suddenly teleported away from Goldie to a strange planet or ship. No crewmates, nothing familiar, and a high expectation of what I would have to do to survive.

I felt bad suddenly. I knew humans didn’t live in the same way that we did. I had been dreaming of my mate my entire life, and seeing Thelkor get matched had been hard on me.

I was beyond excited to find out that my mate was coming, but instead of treating her as a feeling, thinking woman, I had expected her to respond to my every wish with obedience and joy. And she was responding—but how much of that was voluntary and how much just the natural chemistry between mates, whether she wanted it present or not?

She laughed with Rachel as they both practically rolled across the floor, playing with the babies. Timcur bent down to pat them, smiling indulgently. I could think of plenty of captains who would object to a sudden influx of tiny, mewing creatures, but Timcur was obviously enchanted by them.

Thelkor stood awkwardly over the scene, holding his gun as if it might be a life belt. Storgin had vanished to his lab.

Evelyn stood up, holding a pile of baby kehppû in her arms. She left plenty on the floor to play with Rachel and waved, backing off down the hall. She moved like she was tired and needed to rest, but there was a sheen in her eye that told me she was still sad.

I couldn’t let this situation stand. Now that I had truly thought about what it must have been like for her to be torn from her home, I considered my own actions to be unacceptable. I had to make this up to her and make every effort to service her needs from this day out.

My mate’s happiness is my own, I thought, meaning it. I couldn’t be happy if she wasn’t.

As Evelyn moved away and Thelkor sat down beside Rachel, I headed after Timcur, who was walking toward the bridge. He turned and smiled when he heard me following.

“Good mission, XO,” he said.

I nodded. “It was a good mission. Successful with no setbacks.”

“So long as Lorka comes through, we’ll find ourselves in a good position.”

“I agree.”

Timcur frowned. “You didn’t come up here to talk about the mission, did you?”

“No, sir,” I said, realizing that I was only formal with him when I wanted a favor.

He grinned. “This must be important. Out with it, then.”

“I need a favor, Captain. A big one.”

“Right.” Timcur’s face was very serious as he took me by the shoulders and led me down the hall. “Tell me what’s on your mind and, if it’s within my power, it’s yours.”

Evelyn

After shutting the door to stop the baby kehppû from escaping, I curled up on the deck with a few cushions and blankets. The kitten-like creatures came towards me immediately, begging for pats.

They reached out to me with their tentacles, tasting me. Their appendages weren’t slimy or gross, they were hard and almost scaly. I watched them romping about on the deck, the little tentacles spreading out as if looking for anything edible. I wondered if Lorka would need all of them back or if I could keep one.

There was a knock on the door. I called out, “Come in,” expecting it to be Rachel with her own group of kehppû. I felt a moment of anxiety when I saw it was Olath.

“Hi,” he said, shutting the door quickly so there were no escapees. I smiled, beckoning him to sit down next to me. I still felt shy around him, mostly because I was aware of my growing attraction and I was pretty sure I wasn’t hiding it well. How could I when he kept giving me those barely veiled, come-hither looks? That sultry half smile that reached his eyes, inviting me to give him just one sign. Just one yes. More and more I felt the tension of him keeping his attraction in check.

“How’s Rachel doing with her herd?” I asked, stroking a baby in my lap.

Olath smiled. “She has taken them to the bridge with her. Thelkor is quite scandalized, but Timcur is practically delighted.”

I laughed softly, imagining the scene. Olath paused, stroking a kehppû absently.

“I was wondering if you were hungry. The kitchen is well stocked now. Rachel had a chance to shop, as well, and I think we have many Earth foods you would enjoy.”

He spoke a little too casually, almost stiff and polite despite the look in his eyes, but I recognized it was because he really wanted me to say yes. I smiled, even though I still felt like I had a dagger in my chest.

“Okay,” I said, figuring that some food would distract me, at least a little. Olath’s face lit up and I was glad I’d accepted. He stood up and took my hand, helping me to my feet.

Immediately, the baby kehppû began to cry. I sat back down right away, not even thinking. Olath laughed softly.

“I’ll bring something back here,” he chuckled. “That way you won’t have to leave your babies.”

“I appreciate that,” I said, feeling genuine warmth for him. He was really trying.

I distracted the babies while he slipped out and I got comfortable in my little nest. By the time Olath returned, I had baby kehppû all over me, snuggled up fast asleep.

Olath sat down beside me, handing over some sandwiches.

“Rachel helped me make these. Chicken Caesar salad, I think she said.”

“Super yummy,” I muttered, biting into one. My stomach growled before I could swallow, and I blushed.

Olath shook his head, his gaze lowering again to my lips, staying there. “You have no need to be embarrassed, Evelyn. I love a woman with a good appetite.”

“Yeah, but I think the growling of my stomach was enough to scare off an Earth cat.” I shifted, biting my bottom lip, and he jerked his gaze back up to my face.

“Not that I’ve met an Earth cat, but I doubt it,” he grinned.

I focused on my sandwich for a minute, gratefully taking a bottle of apple juice to wash it down.

“You’ll be relieved to know that we have some ordinary-flavored ice cream now, too,” Olath said, voice deepening. “Rachel made sure to get stacks of chocolate cake and candy bars, too.”

My breath caught. How could he make such an innocent sentence sound erotic? I didn’t even think it was on purpose, either. He was making so much of an effort, but I was just too sad. The little kehppû cheered me up a bit, but ultimately it just reminded me what I had left behind not so long ago.

I was really, properly confused. There was a lot here to get excited about, but there was also a lot to be upset about. I couldn’t let go of either feeling to immerse in the other. I was just stuck.

“Do you need anything else to make you comfortable?” Olath asked. He was still using that overly polite tone of voice that tried to hide not-so-polite thoughts, and I sighed. He sat up, watching me with concern. “Are you well?”

“Yes, Olath. Well, as well as can be expected.”

Even though I had just thrown down a nice tangle of English that his translator probably hadn’t even tried to decipher, his eyes softened. I knew that he was looking deeper into me and I didn’t really want to hide from him. He was supposed to be my mate, my heart. The trouble was, I’d left my heart somewhere else.

Olath put our food down and reached out to put his big, strong arms around me. I felt the warmth emanating from his body, the strength of his hands. Something loosened deep inside my chest and I sighed, tension leaving my ribs. I closed my eyes and leaned into him, letting my arms go around his waist.

I pressed my cheek to his chest. He sure was nice to cuddle, whether he was my mate or not. I felt so very weak and fragile, but also safe and comforted. It alleviated my confusion, at least for a few minutes.

Then my skin started to tingle, from the top of my head all the way down to my toes. I sat up, eyeing Olath in alarm. He grinned, turning his eyes away as if he were embarrassed. To my complete surprise, the tattoos adorning his arms and shoulders began to glow a soft white. I reached out to touch one. It glowed even more brightly, casting a stardust shadow over my face.

I was enchanted. I found that I couldn’t move. All I could do was stay huddled against his chest and run my fingers over the luminous marks. He was a gorgeous mystery, and I realized that part of me wouldn’t be satisfied until I discovered every last secret.

Olath

The white light of my markings reflected in her eyes. I had always wondered what it might look like. I’d seen others of my kind light up, though very rarely. My tattoos actually shone, as if there was a clear, pale moon behind them. It made Evelyn’s face luminous and her eyes deep with emerald sparkles.

When she ran her fingertips lightly over my upper arm, I had to fight to stay still. I was in control of myself, but I was also very aroused. Even covered in baby kehppû and cramped in a corner on the deck, at this moment of awakening, my body wanted only one thing.

I managed to stay still, letting her explore my marks. They pulsed softly, sending pleasurable signals right through to my bones. One bone in particular was starting to throb with a completely different beat.

“What does this mean?” she breathed, eyes wide with wonder.

I smiled. “It means you’re my mate. Our marks can change color based on our mood, but they only glow white when our skin touches that of our fated partner.”

Evelyn sat back a little, not letting go of me. I could see she was troubled, but that she didn’t want to pull away from me, either. I just stayed very still, trying to relax and give her time to make up her own mind about what she wanted to do.

Her hand rested gently on my chest. My heart thudded hard against it. I could feel my body singing for her and I could have sworn that hers sang right back to me. There was a quality to the air, something palpable, like an electric field. Hairs started to stand up on my arms. My horns tingled around their bases as if they were changing color, too.

Or just begging to be stroked.

I refused to let myself think about that. The last thing I needed right now was for my raging need for her rise up, rushing things and spoil the moment.

Slowly, Evelyn leaned forward. Her eyes were fixed on my mouth and it was as if the electricity in the air had become magnetic. She was being drawn towards me the same way I was being pulled towards her.

Now, it’s going to happen, now!

Suddenly, the lights flickered. I let out a huge groan as the lights stabilized and the intercom crackled.

“We have Lorka incoming. All crew to the teleport with the kehppû, please,” Storgin announced.

I cursed softly. Evelyn looked down at the sleeping piles of animals in dismay. I felt so bad for her that I easily put aside my disappointment. It was exciting to see my tattoos light up and even more exciting to see her respond, but I didn’t want her to rush into anything.

I was determined to get Lorka off the ship as quickly as possible so I could try and win Evelyn’s heart without more disasters getting in the way. She was finally starting to come around. I hoped that, if I remained patient and understanding, the mate bond could become an emotional and intellectual one. I didn’t just want a breeding factory—I wanted a partner, someone to share my thoughts and my heart, someone I could watch the stars with.

Or ride an ehtyo into the sunset.

I covered my disappointment, telling myself I’d get another chance soon enough. We gathered up the babies, carrying some and gently herding the rest. Evelyn was trying to look dignified but ended up shuffling along the deck with her hands out in front of her. It was the only way to keep the little creatures moving and stop them from darting off down tiny holes. I had never noticed those alcoves in the ship before. I wondered what might be living in them.

Lorka stood to the side of the teleporter, talking to Storgin. Evelyn nodded to him, a blank look on her face.

“I trust you have done what was asked of you?” she asked, with admirable grace.

Lorka grinned. “I see that you have come through with your end of the bargain.”

Lorka gestured to the kehppû. Rachel ushered a few more into the room and they started scooching up to benches and chair legs in such a way Storgin looked nervous. There were probably some delicate things in here that the kehppû could easily get into. I had to hide a smile at the image of tentacles sprouting out of one of Storgin’s test tubes.

“That’s obvious to anyone with eyes,” Evelyn shot back. “Where’s the data?”

Lorka produced a thin disc from his pocket and handed it to Storgin.

“I thought it was more secure to deliver it this way. If I tried to send it electronically it might have been traced or corrupted again.”

I nodded to Storgin and he stuck the disc into the nearest terminal. He quickly flicked through the first files.

“It looks good,” he announced. “I can’t see everything from the menu, but it looks good.”

“Oh, it is,” Lorka said, grinning. He stepped back towards the teleporter, where his Chawwaw waited, watching us with all four of its eyes.

“If you’ll give me my property, I shall take my leave,” he said, a little dramatically.

I frowned. “If you don’t mind my asking, but what are your plans for the kehppû?”

Lorca looked at me. A smile spread across his light green face.

“Kehppû are highly sought after as starship pets. They became so popular, they were harvested from their own planet to near extinction. They require specific conditions to breed and Tehglaish just happens to be ideal. Not only is kehppû breeding lucrative, we are also helping to maintain the species’ population.”

I blinked, impressed.

“That’s very...noble of you.”

Lorca blushed.

“Tehglaish may look rough, but it is also a gathering place for activists. If I can help kehppû survive and finance my own activism at the same time, I consider it a win.”

We started gathering the kehppû by the teleporter, having trouble getting them all up there at once. Lorka was a good sport about it, obviously familiar with the behavior of the little creatures. Evelyn kept her face a mask of severe disapproval right up until the teleporter flashed to take Lorka and his pets away.

The moment he disappeared with the babies, her face fell. Then it screwed up as if she were in real, physical pain. She let out a sigh filled with so much sorrow, I felt it wound my own heart.

Evelyn

Watching the baby kehppû go left my heart so very empty. Even though they reminded me of my lost Fluffbutt, I was better off with them than without them. Olath suddenly left the room and I turned around to leave the lab, wrapping my arms around myself.

Storgin, Rachel, and Timcur gathered around, practically fighting each other to get a look at the data. I couldn’t really care less. I was sure I wouldn’t understand it. I’d have to be in space for a lot longer before I understood the delicacies of intergalactic espionage.

Thelkor sat in a corner, picking something out of his teeth with a long fingernail. He clearly had little interest in the data itself but remained because it was expected of him. I didn’t feel the same responsibility.

I shuffled towards the galley, my triumph over the successful mission and my good handling of it dwindling as I looked around, seeing the deck and corners empty. How did these guys live without animals? It seemed unnatural to me.

When I arrived at the kitchen, Olath met me in the doorway—almost running over me. He jumped back with a start, doing an admirable job of not losing his tray. I eyed it with suspicion and greed.

Olath had a very tall mug overflowing with whipped cream and chocolate flakes, and a plate of chocolate chip cookies balanced on the tray. He bowed slightly, presenting it to me.

“A deluxe hot chocolate and a plate of chocolate chip cookies, my lady.” He smiled a bit at the ‘my lady’, but I actually liked how he said it. I smiled and I felt a bit embarrassed by the attention.

He’s really trying.

I reached out for the tall mug, lapping at the whipped cream so I could reach the warm chocolate underneath. I saw Olath’s eyes following my tongue and realized he’d just been given a crash introduction into things you could do with whipped cream.

I blushed as I took a sip then moaned, forgetting myself for a second. It was so good it gave me chills.

“You like it?” he asked, eagerly.

I nodded. “It’s perfect.”

“I’m glad. I just wanted to cheer you up. It looks like I might be finally getting good at that.”

We smiled at each other for a few seconds before he glanced up the hallway.

“I have to go and check on the data situation. It’s my job.”

“Sure,” I said, grabbing the cookies. “Lead the way.”

I followed Olath back to the lab, crunching into a cookie and finding that they were 40% chocolate. The food situation was definitely on the upswing.

When we entered the lab, the air was strung with tension. I took a deep gulp of the sweet, creamy drink. I felt like the news couldn’t be good.

“Olath,” Timcur snapped. “We’ve got trouble.”

“What’s in the data?” he asked, hurrying to the terminal. “Are there direct plans of attack?”

“Yes,” Storgin whispered. “But not what you think.”

Rachel swung around on her chair, looking tense. Thelkor was still picking at his tooth. For him, there were always future battles. Right now, he was going mano-a-mano with a popcorn kernel.

“The data indicates that Diana’s Arrow is going to be attacked. It’s detailed. It shows the weakest points of the main hub, as well as the life support and internal nav systems. A very small, nimble ship with a good crew could pull it off.”

I didn’t like the tone in her voice. It sounded too ominous. I found myself standing next to Thelkor, sipping my chocolate and eating my cookies with the same focus he had for his uncomfortable tooth.

“Well, at least we know where they’re going to hit. Let’s inform the rest of the fleet and figure out an intercept point.”

“We can’t do that,” Timcur said quietly. “We can’t go anywhere near the Arrow, not under these conditions.”

Olath looked surprised, then angry. I was just confused, but I knew tough guys like Olath often came out angry when they were confused.

“I don’t understand. The one thing we were missing before was a specific location and a reliable timeframe. If we have those things, what’s stopping us? Is it the fact that they are planning to use a small ship?”

Olath rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Wait. The Suhlik don’t really have any small ships. Why wouldn’t they use a warship? What the hell is going on here?”

He swept the room with his gaze, examining Storgin, Rachel, and Timcur. They all looked so very grave, I almost offered them a cookie. Thelkor made a small noise of triumph as he plucked the offending morsel out from between his teeth.

“It’s us,” Rachel said. “We are the tiny ship that’s going to attack the Arrow.”

“Come again?” Thelkor exclaimed. “Why the fuck are we going to do that?”

“We aren’t,” Timcur said. “But when we hacked in to the Suhlik system back at the hidden base, they must have hacked our system right back. Now they have our information, energy signature, code data, everything. They have planned out this attack to make it look like we have gone rogue.”

“But the Suhlik—” spluttered Olath. “They are the ones with something to gain from this! What purpose could there be for us to do this?”

Timcur shrugged. “Money. Goods. A safehouse. It really doesn’t matter. Our data is encoded into this information. They’ll be coming for us simply because they know where to find us. It’s easier than combing the system for Suhlik. This gives direct intel incriminating us and they won’t bother going after anyone else until they catch us.”

My hot chocolate was going cold in my hand. I focused so hard on the conversation I forgot I was holding it.

“Can’t we contact Command? Surely this intel hasn’t made it to the top?” Olath cried.

“Doing that right now,” Timcur said, smacking a nearby control panel. My stomach was starting to screw up with anxiety.

What the hell is going to happen next?

Maybe that was a common thought to have on a spaceship.

Olath

I felt like reality was reeling around me, anything that I had previously relied on to navigate my way through life changing places so there was no certainty. I couldn’t believe that this had happened—surely we were too skilled and the Suhlik were too stupid to pull this off.

But after only a few seconds of thought, I realized that this was actually something those scaly bastards would take great joy in doing. They had data laid out for their attack, then we came along and provided the perfect scapegoat. It also meant that we had no idea where they were actually going.

All eyes would be on us and on the Arrow.

No one would bother tracking the Suhlik or looking for them. My last hope right now was that our superiors could figure this out and send backup. We needed protection and so did the Arrow. Maybe, if we got some help from some more techs, we could figure out how to track them to their actual attack location.

Surely, they wouldn’t be dumb enough to hit the Arrow. Especially now they’ve effectively warned everyone.

If they did, then we were fucking toast.

“This is Captain Timcur,” the boss said as he logged on to a secure channel. “We need to discuss the recent data acquired from the Suhlik—”

“Agreed, Timcur,” snapped a very authoritative voice. “We were about to contact you. There will be ships incoming presently. Be prepared to meet them.”

“Sir?” Captain Timcur asked, a hard edge entering his voice. “We must warn you of the attack that is going to occur on Diana’s Arrow. The Suhlik—”

“Captain Timcur, I must advise you stop speaking until you have contacted your Military Defense Representative.”

“Sir, we have no time for this…”

“I’ll be honest with you, Captain. The Military Intelligence division has come across some disturbing reports about The Golden Meridian’s recent activities. Couple that with some discrepancies with origin codes on some of the files in the data packet you sent…”

“Discrepancies? What discrepancies?”

“Just come in, Captain. Then we can sort this all out, ok? We can look at all the data together. We’ll get your side of the story. Before you know it, The Golden Meridian will be back in service and things will be fine.”

“Sir, with all due respect, if we do that, Zarklac will succeed in harming a lot of people.”

“Captain, I swear, as soon as The Golden Meridian turns herself in, and we have had the time to get this sorted out...”

I could tell by the frown on the captain’s face that he wanted to argue.

“Sir, please, listen…”

“No, Timcur, you listen. Come in now, before there is more trouble. Your transponder pinged the Glorthon security station…”

“I don’t understand, sir. Glorthon? What does the Mawkwil research station have to do with us?”

Silence rang through the comms connection.

“Turn on the news feed, Captain Timcur.”

“Which one, sir?”

“Any of them, Captain.”

Timcur punched a button on the console. A news feed scrolled over a wall-mounted display screen. A professional, feminine voice spoke over the feed.

“...if you are just joining us, let me catch you up. About an hour ago, sabotaged life-support systems vented Glorthon Station’s atmosphere. Thirty thousand lives were lost, the only survivors, a school class on a field trip to a nearby asteroid mining starship.”

Everyone gasped. Evelyn shouted, “But, we were nowhere near Glorthon Station! We’ve been on Tehglaish this whole time!”

The voice over the comms sighed.

“Authorities have confirmed that The Golden Meridian, a Mahdfel military vessel was the last to dock at Glorthon before the terror attack…”

Everyone shouted at once. Captain Timcur raised a hand. The crew fell silent.

“Sir, we were nowhere near…”

“We have your transponder signal there, Captain!”

“Sir, we are being framed...”

“Let us sort that out after you turn yourselves in…”

HQ had evidence that we were criminals and we had nothing to prove otherwise. With great regret, Timcur slapped the comm to shut it down.

“Rachel, Storgin, cover our software with a basic firewall,” he muttered. Both of them bent over the computer control panels and started typing frantically. I knew that neither of them could hack and hide like Lorka, but they could confuse the signal so we were difficult to home in on.

We are going to need every bit of luck we can get, I thought. The Suhlik were after us and, now our own people were, too. I couldn’t think clearly of what to do next and I hoped that Timcur had a plan.

There was a muted crash in the corner of the room, and I spun, to see that Evelyn had dropped her cup. I cursed myself—we had unbreakable camping cups, but no, I’d had to use a floral porcelain one. Now there were shards of glass and splatters of chocolate and cream everywhere.

“What does that mean?” she whispered, standing up. Her hands were trembling so bad I could see why she hadn’t been able to hold her cup.

“It’s okay, Evelyn,” I said soothingly. I hurried towards her, trying to appear calm.

“No, no. That was an official channel, wasn’t it? We are fully fucking boned.”

“Not yet,” Timcur said, with a bit of offense. “We haven’t actually done anything wrong. They can make it look like Goldie attacked the Arrow, but our private ship systems will show we never fired a single weapon.”

“Yeah, but for them to get that information, we’d have to be captured first.” Thelkor shrugged. “And they most likely wouldn’t bother to check until after we were executed.”

Evelyn’s eyes got so wide they almost bounced right out of her head. I shot Thelkor a furious look.

“What?” she screamed.

“Thanks, Thelkor,” I muttered.

“You’re telling me that I lost everything I ever loved, and now I’m a fucking fugitive?” she wailed. “Like, actual jail and possible execution? How does this even happen?”

“I promise you, Evelyn, I won’t let any harm come to you,” I said firmly.

“I was just starting to—I mean, I was hoping—” her tear-filled eyes came up to my face, and I felt my own sense of calm cracking. She meant so much to me, I couldn’t bear to see her this way.

“Just starting to what?” I whispered, curious.

She shook her head and turned and ran. It felt like having my heart torn out. I was hanging on her unspoken words. Was she happy to be here with me?

Maybe she had been warming up to me only to find that now our lives were in danger and it frightened her so much she couldn’t think about anything else. I had to wrap my head around the fact that, maybe, it was her first time.

All of us had had our lives put in danger frequently, sometimes multiple times a day. This was pretty mild compared to a starship battle. I tried to put myself in her shoes.

I have to do something, I thought. I just didn’t know what.

Evelyn

I struggled for air.

I made a beeline toward my quarters and hammered my fist against the side panel. The door opened, and I jumped inside the room. Once the door closed, I leaned back against it, one hand over my heart as I tried to breathe in. It was almost impossible. My throat closed in to stop the cold, sharp air from entering my lungs.

There was nothing wrong with the air, though.

I was just panicking, my body shutting down as I tried to process the news. Not only had I been forced to leave Earth behind, my involvement with Goldie’s crew had turned me into a wanted criminal.

A wanted criminal!

I sank to the deck. Nauseous, I dropped my head and put it between my knees. I ran my fingers through my hair, disheveling it, but I didn’t care. The entire universe felt as if it was spinning around me, and I needed to get a hold of something, even if it was just my hair.

If only Fluffbutt was here, I thought, and my heart tightened. Was Lauren looking after him? Did he miss me? I thought back to how he nestled up to me, his smooth fur like expensive velvet. Tears welled up in my eyes. Of all the things that had been taken away from me, my cat was the one I missed the most. He had always offered me comfort when I needed it the most, and now…

Now, I was on my own.

I sat up when someone knocked on the door. I cleared my throat, took a few deep breaths to steady myself, and rose to my feet. Before I opened the door, though, I finger-combed my hair. Even if I was now a wanted criminal, I could still be a presentable wanted criminal.

Olath stood on the doorway, hands behind his back. He had an apologetic expression, and he sighed when he saw me.

“I’m so sorry, Evelyn,” he said. “I hope you know that—”

“I know.” Even though I hadn’t known the crew for long, I couldn’t imagine them as criminals. It was just as the captain had said—they had been set up by the Suhlik. Their plan was terribly cruel, but it was also clever.

“We’re gonna fix this,” Olath continued. “I know it isn’t much, but I brought you something…”

He took his hands from behind his back. My heart leapt. Nestled on his right palm was a kehppû. His large black eyes honed in on me, and the tiny creature let out a soft whimper. His tentacles waved excitedly, and he jumped from Olath’s hands. I reacted on instinct, grabbing him as he leaped off.

“What’s a kehppû doing here?” I asked, cradling him against my chest. “I thought we’d teleported them all.”

“Well…” Olath scratched the back of his head, his lips pursed. “I saw that you became attached to them, and I decided to buy one of them back. It cost me a chunk of my savings, sure, but…” He smiled, tiny wrinkles of happiness appearing around his eyes. “It was worth it.”

“I don’t even know what to say,” I whispered, watching as the kehppû crawled up my arm and onto the top of my head. He leaped off, waving his cute tentacles, and crash-landed on my pillow. I chuckled as I watched him slide under the sheets, looking for warmth.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Olath said, and turned to leave.

Before he could, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him. It felt like I was hugging a giant barrel of muscle, as large as he was, but I didn’t mind. In fact, I liked it.

When he wrapped his own arms around me, even if hesitantly, I liked it even more. I closed my eyes, laid my head on his chest, and forgot all about my troubles. Earth, my cat, college, my new criminal status...none of it mattered. The only thing that mattered was that, in Olath’s arms, I was safe.

I’m not sure how it happened, but when I came to my senses, I was already looking into his eyes. I didn’t think of anything. I just went up on my tiptoes. My eyelids fluttered. My lips parted of their own accord. Olath laid a hand on the nape of my neck, leaned in, and then…

We kissed.

Cool lips, firm touch, the warmth radiating from his body were almost too much. My heart skipped a beat—or a hundred beats—and I started melting on the spot. I laid my hands on his chest, my fingers tugging at his shirt, and parted his lips with my tongue.

We kissed for a long moment. When we finally pulled back from each other, the sweet taste of his mouth still lingered in mine. God, I wanted more...so much more. Maybe it was as Rachel had told me: there was something truly magical about having a mate.

“Oh, right.” Olath cleared his throat and reached for his back pocket. He grabbed a small booklet and pushed it into my hands. “It’s a kehppû care manual. I don’t know how much there is to know about the kehppû, but I figured it was better to have some guidance.”

How could this guy be any more perfect?

A smile spread across my lips. Olath was handsome, brave, smart, thoughtful, and kind. He had every quality a woman wanted, all of it wrapped in a sexy package, and he was my genetic match. For the first time since I’d stepped foot on Goldie, I started feeling like a really lucky woman. I was only surprised it had taken me this long to see it.

Better late than never.

I was about to kiss him again when the comms crackled to life. There was some static, then the captain’s voice came through.

“All-hands meeting in the dining area,” he said. “This situation can’t—and will not—stand. One way or the other, we’re fixing this.”

Olath

I offered Evelyn my hand. She smiled up at me and slipped her hand into mine. Her touch soothed my soul.

“I am so sorry, Evelyn. Finding your genetic mate should be a joyous experience.”

We walked down the hall hand in hand.

“Yet you have been sent to a ship for the first time in your life before you even got to decide you wanted to go. And you left important relationships behind.”

We stopped for a moment. I turned to her.

“And now, your mate, his crewmates, and ship have been declared outlaw.”

I looked deep into her green eyes.

“This is not what I would have wished for you. For a Mahdfel to find his mate is a miracle. Finding you, Evelyn, is a blessing for which I barely dared dream. But now you are here, and I, and the circumstances of your arrival, are far from a blessing to you.”

Tears quivered in her eyes, threatening to run down her cheeks every second. She opened her mouth to speak, but I placed a finger over her lips.

“Evelyn, I vow to find a way to prove to you I can be a blessing in your life. No matter how long it takes, or how far we must travel, I will be worth your patience. I ask a great deal of you when I ask that you allow me the chance to prove myself—when I ask you to stay. Take the time to think about your answer.”

And though there was no time, I couldn’t help myself. Lowering my head, I caught her soft lips, my hands slipping around her waist to pull her against me. She had to feel how she affected me as her arms wound around my neck, her mouth opening under mine.

I couldn’t take my time, just those few stolen seconds to promise myself that soon we would explore more than a kiss.

I pulled away and Evelyn gulped, wiping tears from her eyes. I decided her smile looked a little less sad than before.

“Thank you, Olath. Come. The future awaits us and I want to know what’s in that data.”

Evelyn patted my arm with a hand, then led me down the hall. We walked into a dining area filled with sad faces gathered around the long, shiny metal table. Rachel sat in Thelkor’s lap in the booth along one wall, cuddling him and stroking his hair.

Storgin and Captain Timcur sat on the bench on the aisle side of the table. Storgin propped himself on the table by his elbows. A portable tablet lay on the table between his forearms. Captain Timcur braced his hands on his knees. His tattoos pulsed with a faint, red glow.

“Sorry we’re late.”

Captain Timcur looked up. He waved away my apology. His eyes darted to mine and Evelyn’s clasped hands. A smile brightened his face.

“Ah! Congratulations, Olath, Evelyn. I see you have found each other.”

Storgin stood with a grin and clasped my shoulder.

“Truly, congratulations. May I be the lucky Vaznik warrior the next time a human shows up in our teleporter.”

Evelyn laughed and blushed. Rachel crawled off Thelkor’s lap and gave Evelyn a big hug.

“It’s only more fun from here on out, Evelyn.”

Evelyn laughed, returning Rachel’s hug. “I’ll hold you to that.”

Thelkor waved a big hand at me. “Throw me a beer and I’ll toast your love.”

Rachel laughed, slapping Thelkor’s shoulder. “No beer yet, buddy. We have work to do. Where’s that tablet?”

Storgin sat up. He tapped the screen of the tablet a few times. Rachel crawled back into Thekor’s lap. I scooted in next to them, Olath right behind me. We all leaned in to listen to Storgin’s report.

“I’ve only had a cursory glance, so far.”

“Did Lorka decrypt all the data?”

“Unfortunately no, Captain. He seems to have decrypted most of it, but bits and pieces are missing here and there.”

Thelkor rolled his eyes. “So, what did we get?”

“Well, Thelkor, if you’d stop interrupting me for a second, I’ll tell you. There are lots of plans for a lot of things. It looks like Zarklac was researching several facilities.”

I stood and walked over to the portable tablet storage cabinet. “Let me pass some of these out. We’ll split up the work.”

I stacked enough tablets for everyone in my arms and closed the cabinet with a shoulder. I passed them out to everyone. “I’ll start skimming the facility data, see if anything pops out.”

Storgin tapped his tablet a few times and the tablet in my hand flashed. I started sorting through files and folders.

“Thanks, Olath. The next data group looks like weapons designs.”

Thelkor threw up a hand. “Mine. That’s mine. Anything with weapons, send it right over.”

Storgin nodded, tapped his screen, and Thelkor’s screen flashed. Thelkor looked through his files.

“Next, looks like a huge chunk of receipts and shipping logs…”

Rachel lifted her tablet at Storgin. “Me. I’ll run it through some searches and see what shakes out.”

Storgin tapped his screen again, sending Rachel her section of files.

“Who wants communications logs?”

Captain Timcur waved his hand and Storgin sent him the comms logs.

“Lorka was kind enough to include a note saying he's still working on one file he hasn’t been able to crack.”

I opened several folders of locations. Some only held a few files. One held hundreds of files. The folder for Diana’s Arrow held surveillance videos, pictures, schematics, and schedules, among countless other files.

I opened one file. A huge, detailed blueprint filled my screen. “Evelyn?”

“Yes, Olath?”

“Can you take a look at this? With your education, you must be more familiar with reading schematics than I am.”

“Sure.” We smiled at each other. As she leaned in close, I lifted my arm out of her way. She scrolled over the screen, flitting back and forth between different parts of it. I put my arm around her shoulders.

Evelyn smiled up at me and bit her lower lip, a blush flowering on her cheeks. My heart swelled. She turned her attention back to the screen.

We worked in silence for a few minutes. Evelyn’s voice cut through the silence, drawing every eye in the room.

“He has plans for multiple attacks on here, but the next seems to be on Diana’s Arrow.”

Captain Timcur leaned forward. A dangerous fire lit his eyes. “What does Zarklac plan to do to Diana’s Arrow?”

“I don’t know yet. The file with the specifics is missing.”

Evelyn

“Maybe that’s the file Lorka is still working on.”

“Good point, my love.”

“Thank you, handsome.” Rachel kissed Thelkor.

Timcur cleared his throat, hoping they wouldn’t start making out—again—and jumped to his feet. “We must stop Zarklac! How much time do we have? When is this attack supposed to happen?”

“It doesn’t say here.”

“Captain, search the comms files.”

Captain Timcur’s head snapped around to Olath. “Right.”

Timcur dropped his head. He navigated his tablet with rapid jabs of his finger. After twenty seconds of watching the captain jab at the screen, Olath and I flinched with each new job.

When he finally stopped, with the tablet’s screen uncracked, Olath and I shared a look of appreciation for sturdy Mahdfel design.

“About…three days.”

Captain Timcur’s eyes snapped up, pinning each of us in turn. I had only known the captain to be formal and polite. The Captain Timcur before me bore a fiery burden inside.

“We are not what they call us and we have the proof. We have just enough time to get to Diana’s Arrow. We may not yet know the specifics of Zarklac’s plans, but I believe we must leave with all haste.”

I raised a hand. “Captain? Let me at least inspect Goldie before we go. We can’t afford to have something go out on the way to Diana’s Arrow.”

Olath squeezed my shoulder with one of his big hands. “She has a point, Captain.”

Olath smiled at me. My heart swelled in my chest.

Captain Timcur nodded. “Please make your inspection in all haste, Evelyn. Diana’s Arrow is a forty-hour journey…”

“Make that thirty-six, Captain. I can get us there in thirty-six hours.”

Thelkor nuzzled into Rachel’s neck, mumbling, “Damn right you can get us there in thirty-six hours, baby.”

Rachel giggled and wiggled in his arms. Storgin groaned and dropped his head to the table. Timcur stood and straightened his flight suit.

“Stop grumbling, Storgin, and make sure we’re fueled up. And somebody make sure we have Xandarian chocolate slox this trip.”

Captain Timcur returned to searching his batch of data while the rest of us completed our tasks, mumbling low.

“You people know I need my slox. I don’t know how you thought we would make it a week without slox…”

I turned to Olath and smiled, then slid off the bench and stood. “Looks like everyone is waiting on me. I had better get to work.”

“May I join you?”

I smiled and pointed at Olath’s tablet. “Pull up Goldie’s schematics, grab me a toolbox, and meet me in the cargo bay.”

Olath started jabbing at his tablet and I went looking for large equipment. A starship was big enough to house its crew, maybe a couple of visitors, a lab/infirmary, engines, thrusters, life support, a chef’s kitchen, tools, equipment, cargo, and so, so much more.

I needed a way of seeing the entire thing while in atmosphere. I glanced around. Tehglaish enjoyed steady, if mostly black market, space traffic. When my eyes fell upon a large crane with a basket on top, I knew I had found what I sought.

I strode across the dusty clearing around the ships’ landing pads and walked up to what I could only describe as a talking pile of rocks.

“Excuse me. Sir?”

The rocks turned my way. “I am a queen on my planet.”

“Please forgive my error. Hi. I’m Evelyn.”

“Queen Ha’ Nan. How can I help you, Evelyn?”

I pointed at the crane. “I need that over at that ship.”

I pointed at Goldie. Queen Ha’ Nan glanced between the crane and Goldie, nodding. “It’ll cost you…”

Olath ran up just then, carrying a tablet in one arm and a toolbox in the other.

“Great timing, Olath. Please pay the lady.”

Olath blinked back and forth between me and Queen Ha’ Nan, then shrugged. He paid for the rental and we turned to walk back to Goldie.

“You don’t want a ride?”

Olath and I turned back to Queen Ha’ Nan. She pointed at the basket at the end of the crane. Olath’s eyes lit up.

“We can do that?”

She laughed at Olath’s eager question. “And just who’s gonna stop us?”

Olath and I stared at each other for about half a second before racing for the crane’s basket. Queen Ha’ Nan sat in the crane’s cab. The entire thing sunk three inches from her weight. Olath’s long legs beat me to the crane, but he waited for me to catch up.

When I arrived, Olath boosted me to the top of the access ladder. I may have squealed, but I loved it. I crawled up into the basket, Olath following. We buckled on safety harnesses, helping each other adjust the fit.

He clipped our safety lines to the rail and slapped a piece of metal panel. After the first bang, I covered my ears. After the second, Olath shouted down to Queen Ha’ Nan.

“Ready!”

Queen Ha’ Nan banged a response and started the crane’s engines. A deep thrum vibrated through my feet and legs. I let go of my ears and grabbed a bar on the safety cage. I held on for dear life.

The crane levitated. Queen Ha’ Nan floored it. I screamed. Olath laughed. I flashed back to the worst picture ever taken of me screaming on a rollercoaster back on Earth.

We returned to Goldie far more quickly than I thought safe. Olath laughed the entire time. I refused to vomit when we stopped, and I felt proud of myself. A laugh bubbled up from my gut unbidden. Olath’s happy laugh warmed my heart.

Sure, it had only been a matter of days since I left behind everyone I loved and everything I knew, my entire life’s ambition…but maybe I could learn to adapt to this new life. Learning to thrive under the circumstances in which we sometimes find ourselves felt like victory, too.

I searched the hull for damage with a pair of binoculars leashed to the basket, inspecting parts and couplings and seals. Olath directed Queen Ha’ Nan to move the crane where we needed it. While inspecting the thrusters, I noticed movement from the corner of my eye.

I looked through the binoculars and saw figures dressed in the same uniforms as Olath, the captain, Storgin, and Thelkor wore.

Oh shit.

Those were more Mahdfel soldiers, and nobody sneaks up when they’re feeling friendly.

I slapped Olath’s arm. He spun his head around to where I pointed at the Mahdfel. He yelled into the intercom.

“Get us down, now. We have to go.”

The crane shuddered and moved away from Goldie, but not fast enough for Olath. He leaped from the basket, ran down the arm of the crane, and dashed inside Goldie. I scrambled down the ladder, following as fast as my human legs would carry me.

Olath

“Move!” the captain bellowed, his voice carrying the power of thunder. “Move! Move! Everyone to your seats. We’re taking off, now.” He looked straight at Rachel, who was already strapped to the pilot’s chair. “How much time do you need?”

“Five minutes,” Rachel replied, but then she added, “but I’ll get us in the air faster than that. Two minutes, tops.” Her hands moved fast, working through the ignition sequence in a blur of movement.

I looked down at my own screen, to see what Rachel was doing, and I marvelled at her speed. She checked the power relays in just a few seconds, funneled the energy reserves into the main engine, and performed a hundred other checks as fast as lightning. She was a true natural.

“Are you okay?” I turned my attention back to Evelyn, who was fumbling with her crash harness. Knowing I still had some time, I got up from my seat and helped her. In truth, she didn't really need my help—it was just an excuse to stand close to her. After that kiss, I was desperate for it.

“Thank you,” she whispered softly, locks of hair hanging across her face. She smiled, the upturn of her lips making my heart tighten, then her eyes widened with panic. “Oh, shit.” She looked down and started messing with the clasps of her harness. I had to put my hands over hers so that she’d stop.

“What’s going on?” I asked, feeling as anxious as she. “You need to be strapped in. We’re taking off in a couple of minutes, and—”

“The baby!” she cried out, her fingers digging into my forearms. “He’s still in my room. It’s not safe for him. We’re gonna takeoff and…” She bit on her lip, not wanting to voice her fears.

Damn it. I’d forgotten all about the kehppû.

“You stay here,” I told her. “I’m going to get him.”

Before anyone could stop me, I sprang forward and rushed out of the bridge. When the door closed on me, I could still hear Captain Timcur calling my name, ordering me to get my ass back in my seat. I pretended I didn’t hear him.

I was a man on a mission. I sprinted through the hallways, passing Storgin strapped into a crash seat in his lab.

Evelyn needed me to save the day, and I’d be damned if I’d let her pet turn into a pulp. The tiny creature would be flung all over Evelyn’s quarters, the force of an abrupt launch enough to turn him into a paste. I couldn’t bear to see Evelyn suffer because of it. Yeah, I was risking my life over a little tentacled pet, but this needed to be done.

I burst into Evelyn’s room a few seconds later.

There was no sign of the kehppû anywhere.

“Where are you?” I whispered, looking around the room. “C’mon, you tiny bastard, I’m here to help you.” I went to the bed and pulled the sheets back, hoping to find him there. “Damn it.”

The deck started trembling under my feet as power surged to the engines. I had less than a minute to get back to the bridge, or else I’d be the one to end up as a squishy paste on the deck of Evelyn’s bedroom. Not the way I wanted for things to end, that was for sure.

Moving as fast as I could, I punched the small compartments above the bed. The doors slid up, but there was no sign of the kehppû anywhere. When I opened the last compartment, Evelyn’s underwear spilled onto the bed. My heart almost burst inside my chest.

Even though this wasn’t the time for it, my eyes were drawn to her bras and thongs. My mind started to race. I thought of Evelyn wearing nothing but those tiny pieces of clothing, her body there for the taking. Warm blood rushed between my legs.

“Fuck,” I muttered, my cock straining against my pants. I shook my head and raked one hand over my face. “What in the galaxy am I doing?”

I spun around and continued my quest, hoping to find the kehppû before it was too late.

That’s when I heard it.

It was a high-pitched sound, like that of some ethereal creature giggling. It filled the entirety of the cabin. I spun around and there he was, his tiny head poking from underneath the cup of a bra.

“You find that funny?” I whispered, scooping the little tentacled bastard into my hands. He crawled up my arm and perched himself on my horns. “C’mon, we have to get outta here.”

Before leaving, though, I grabbed all of Evelyn’s underwear and pushed it back inside the compartment—I didn’t want her to come here and think I’d been rummaging through her clothing.

“Shit,” I breathed out, the engines already thrumming as I left the room. Gritting my teeth, I rushed down the corridors as fast as my feet would carry me. By the time I got to the bridge, my lungs felt as if they were on fire. Before I entered, though, I straightened my back and rolled my shoulders.

Grinning, I made a hero's entrance.

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” Thelkor cried out, eyes wide as he looked from Rachel’s terminal to me. “Sit down!”

I let the kehppû jump into Evelyn’s arms—and let my fingers brush against hers in the process. I gave her a little smile. She returned it, her crimson lips the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I only realized I hadn’t moved from where I stood when Evelyn frowned.

“You should sit down,” she said, cradling the kehppû against her chest. “Like, right now.”

“Oh, yeah,” I muttered. “Right.”

I rushed to my seat and strapped up. I had barely fastened the seatbelt when Rachel pulled on the yoke. Goldie’s engines roared to life. Then gravity slammed down on me with the force of a sledgehammer.

That was close, I thought. I snuck a glance at Evelyn.

And totally worth it.

Evelyn

Rachel fought Goldie’s yoke. I cuddled my kehppû with one hand and grabbed Olath’s hand with the other. Goldie rattled, struggling against Tehglaish’s gravity well. On one of the external camera monitors, I could see the Mahdfel who had been sneaking up on us firing at Goldie. Within seconds, we escaped the grasp of Tehglaish’s gravity and approached orbiting distance.

The Madhfel stalking us on Tehglaish had not come alone. Just as we passed orbiting distance, another Mahdfel starship sped to intercept us. Rachel shouted over her shoulder.

“Damn! Thelkor, we’ve got a ship on our tail!”

Thelkor growled, unbuckling his crash harness. Free of the straps, Thelkor sprinted down the hall. Captain Timcur unbuckled and rushed to the nearest comms panel. He jabbed a glowing button.

“Thelkor, hold your fire! Those are Mahdfel chasing us, fellow warriors. If we fire on them, we become the outlaws they accuse us of being. We have come this far without compromising our dedication to the Mahdfel people and I don’t intend to start now.”

Captain Timcur let go of the intercom button. His forearm against the wall held him upright. He leaned his head against his propped arm. An eternity of a second stretched by like a newly woken cat.

The kehppû wailed a mournful coo, stroking my face with its mouth tentacles. They felt soft and…calming. Thelkor’s voice crackled over the intercom.

“Aye, Captain.”

I glanced at a schematic readout flashing on a monitor to my right. Small triangles flashed on a glowing spider web stretching across the screen.

“They’re gaining on us, Captain.”

Captain Timcur snapped his eyes to Olath. “How long till they catch Goldie?”

He looked down at the screen, eyes flicking from one scrolling readout to another.

“At this velocity and trajectory, they will enter LRM range in two minutes. SRM in five, effective energy range in eight.”

Captain Timcur spun to Rachel.

“Keep us out of range as long as possible. Engage evasive maneuvers as soon as they reach effective LRM range.”

Rachel nodded, loading pre-programmed evasive sequences. I turned to Olath and spoke in a soft voice.

“LRM? SRM?”

He smiled and explained.

“LRM means long-range missile. SRM, short-range missile. Long-range missiles travel further but are easier to intercept because they cover a long distance. Short-range missiles pack a bigger punch, and are more difficult to intercept, but you have to get close enough to launch them.”

“And get shot with LRMs the entire distance.”

Olath smiled, nodding.

“Yes, exactly.”

Captain Timcur spun to face me. “You’re an engineer, Evelyn. Can you reroute power from the weapons systems? Split it between the shield and propulsion, get us moving as fast as we can?”

I nodded, running to a terminal. The captain spun back to the comms panel. He moved like a man possessed. He jabbed the intercom button.

“Thelkor, prep the crybaby.”

He let his finger off the intercom button, awaiting Thelkor’s acknowledgement.

“Aye, aye, Captain. One crybaby coming up.”

A new light flashed on the comms panel. Captain Timcur gasped. Olath darted in to look and also gasped. Their eyes darted between the flashing comms panel screen and each other. Olath jabbed a button.

Everyone on the bridge held their breath.

“Golden Meridian, this is Mahdfel Command. Stand down. Cut your engines, drop your shields, and prepare to be boarded.

“By Article #300976, Section 1004.2.003 A, Subsection 95738.B.04 XB of the Vaznik Code, The Golden Meridian, Captain Timcur, and their crew are to be detained and questioned for suspected crimes of treason.

“Surrender now, or we will be forced to open fire. You have one minute to respond. Copy?”

“Power rerouted, Captain.”

Rachel recalculated her timetables. Her screen flashed. She looked over her shoulder at Captain Timcur.

“She bought us ten minutes till intercept range, Captain.”

Captain Timcur nodded. “Then we run.”

Rachel nodded, returning her eyes to her screen. Her fingers danced over the keys.

“If I can just get to that gas giant before they catch us, I can get a good lead on them, Captain. I know I can outfly our pursuers on a sling maneuver.”

Thelkor’s voice crackled over the intercom. “Crybaby ready to deploy, Captain.”

A wicked grin spread across Captain Timcur’s face. He jabbed the intercom button, again.

“Strap in. We deploy crybaby in sixty seconds. On my mark. Three. Two. One. Mark.”

He released the button and strapped into the closest harness. I strapped myself down. The kehppû flattened itself and worked its body into my flight suit, purring.

Oh, I missed purring.

“Rachel?”

“Yes, Captain?”

“As soon as the crybaby deploys, flip our nose toward that gas giant and cut all power. I’ll kill the transponder. We’ll ride our momentum as far as we can.”

“Yes, sir.”

Rachel’s fingers danced over her console. Thelkor crackled over the intercom.

“Crybaby away in three. Two. One. Mark.”

Goldie shuddered. On a monitor, I saw the cargo bay doors open. A large barrel bristling with antennae, wires, and boxes shot out into open space, propelled by the cargo bay’s rapid depressurization.

Rachel quickly swung us toward the gas giant creeping into our viewscreen. For now, it looked like a green and rust colored marble floating in a sparkling sea. Rachel cut the power.

Red emergency lighting glowed to life. The memory of Grandpa making me watch some old submarine movie flashed through my mind.

For a long moment, we all held our breath. We floated in the black. Moment by moment, the gas giant grew. Soon, it would fill the main viewscreen. Our passive monitor readouts began to flash.

The crybaby screamed on every detectable frequency. On the schematic readout, Goldie’s icon turned gray. The crybaby lit up like a firework. We watched the other Mahdfel ship creep along.

I hope they take the bait.

The crybaby streaked away on a divergent trajectory. Seconds ticked by while the triangle icons on the schematic display flashed. I searched for any sign our pursuers had been fooled.

Olath found my hand and squeezed. Our pursuer’s icon changed trajectory. Everyone let out a collective sigh. The Mahdfel followed the crybaby away from us. We floated along, powered down, letting our momentum carry us out of their sensor range.

A new set of icons flashed on the schematic. Everyone leaned in to get a better look. A new voice crackled over the comms.

“You thought you were going to sneak away! We’ve got you now!”

Captain Timcur’s eyes widened. I pulled up the passive sensor readings.

“We’ll teach you to attack our hideout and steal valuable merchandise we rightfully stole in the first place.”

“Oh, shit.”

Olath

Evelyn stared at the schematic, her eyes wide. Rachel muttered curses while her fingers danced over her console. The Mahdfel ship’s triangular icon swung in a tight arc. Captain Timcur glared at the schematic display.

Rachel called out from her station. “They may not have detected us, Captain. The kehppû smugglers broadcast over a wide transmission band. The Mahdfel certainly picked that up. As long as we run dark for as long as possible, we should hit our window to slingshot around the gas giant.”

Captain Timcur’s eyes snapped to Rachel’s face. “So, you think the smugglers have mistaken the other Mahdfel ship for Goldie?”

Evelyn nodded, pointing at a report on a console. “I think she’s right, Captain. Look at their projected trajectories, here. The smugglers and the Vaznik warriors aboard that ship are on an intercept course. Looks like the crybaby worked.”

The kehppû wound a tentacle around her finger as she traced a path on the screen. “I’d guess that as long as we stay out of range of their proximity sensors, and keep the lights off, we’ll just look like another random rock floating through space.”

Rachel’s eyes darted between Evelyn and Captain Timcur.

“But it’s going to be close, Captain. Their new mutual-intercept course will put us on the edge of their sensor range. If, for any reason, they get a little too close, or we fall a little behind, it will be damn hard to run.”

Captain Timcur grunted. He thought for a moment, then looked at me.

“What do you think, XO?”

“I think we have to try, Captain. If we don’t make it to Diana’s Arrow, Zarklac’s attack will succeed. We can’t let Zarklac harm innocent people if there is something we can do to stop it.”

Evelyn squeezed my hand. I glanced at her. The smile on her face filled my heart. Captain Timcur nodded. He ran a finger along one of his horns and slicked back his hair. He drew in and blew out a large breath. He punched the intercom.

“I want each and every one of you to listen carefully. In the course of fulfilling our mission, we have been labelled outlaw. Rogue. As of this moment, we are guilty of defying lawful orders. We, however, never abandoned our duty to our people or our mission.”

Captain looked around the bridge as he spoke in firm, confident tones. His eyes pinned each of us in turn.

“We will stop Zarklac. We will defend the innocent people on Diana’s Arrow. We will amass the evidence to clear our names and the reputation of The Golden Meridian. In a few minutes, the rustlers will intercept the Mahdfel chasing us.”

All eyes on the bridge turned to Captain Timcur as he spoke.

“We hope we remain undetected and that once they engage each other, they will be unable, or unwilling, to disengage their existing battle to follow us. Strap in. When the time comes for Rachel to make a break for the gas giant, things are going to get rough.”

We all nodded, still strapped in. Storgin checked in over the intercom.

“Lab is a go, Captain. Lab is a go.”

Thelkor popped onto the bridge and sprinted to the copilot’s seat. He slid in and strapped himself into the crash webbing. He winked at Rachel. She smiled a huge grin at him, licking her lips. Timcur rolled his eyes and tried to focus on a nearby console, even though nothing flashed on the screen.

“Rachel?”

“Yes, Evelyn?”

“When you slingshot, how much power do you need for the shields?”

Rachel tapped her console. An energy consumption chart popped up. Evelyn squinted at it, pushing buttons on her console. After a few rounds back and forth between Rachel’s chart and her own console, Evelyn looked up.

“Thanks, Rachel. Captain Timcur?”

Timcur pivoted in his chair to look at Evelyn. “Yes, Evelyn?”

“I can tweak Goldie’s power distribution to divert power we won’t need going around the gas giant and put it toward thrust. We can’t afford to take a hit, but Goldie will outpace either ship following us.”

Captain Timcur’s face brightened like a sun rose before him. “Do it.”

Evelyn released my hand and turned to her console. She tapped for a few seconds then looked up.

“Done, sir.”

All eyes returned to the schematic display. The circle surrounding the icon of the Mahdfel’s ship overlapped the circle surrounding the kehppû rustlers’ icon. Small dots flared from both ships. Thelkor took up reporting on weapons.

“Long-range missiles away, Captain. They are targeting each other. We are not a target. I repeat, we are not a target.”

Small cheers erupted around the bridge. I watched the overlapped circles drift over the circle around Goldie’s icon. Everyone held their breath. An alarm blared. Lights on the sensor panel flashed.

“We’ve been detected!”

Thelkor shouted over the captain's words. “LRM headed our way! They’ve locked on.”

I yelled at Rachel. “Hit it!”

Rachel slammed a series of glowing buttons on her console. Goldie powered up to max within seconds. The thrusters flared to life behind us, and Rachel pushed the yoke.

Goldie roared to life and leaped into the next leg of our journey. The gas giant filled half our viewscreen. Rachel brought us in so tight, Goldie shuddered around us. Our pursuers’ icons rapidly fell off the schematic’s screen as Goldie surged forward.

Goldie skidded through one of the gas giant’s blue rings, scattering shimmering debris in a wide arc behind us. My heart thudded in my chest. I reached out, searching for Evelyn’s hand. Her delicate fingers found mine.

We gripped each other. A laugh rumbled deep in my gut, bubbling forth before I could stop it. I realized I didn’t want to stop it. I wanted to laugh long and loud. Here I was, hand in hand with my mate, my friend’s mate flying us faster than I’d ever travelled, with my best friends.

Life was never more beautiful.

Evelyn

I fell silent while Timcur, Olath, and Rachel discussed the mission further. Actually, being on a mission still kind of felt weird to me. I didn’t sign up to be a soldier. Though it felt good to help.

Like it or not, though, I had landed in a position where I could prevent people from being hurt. I couldn’t turn away from that, even if I found it scary. My own feelings just didn’t compare. Innocent lives were at stake and, if I could make a difference, I should.

“We’ll be roughly twelve hours from Tehglaish this time. She’s been moving at her usual clip and, now we’re roughly thirty-six hours out,” Rachel said, adjusting a few instruments.

Captain Timcur nodded. “Well done, Rachel. You really are an asset to the team.”

“Thanks, boss,” she grinned, glowing.

Timcur turned to me next. “You were instrumental in our success here, as well.”

I blushed. I felt my cheeks burning. “Thank you, Captain.”

Olath was standing to the side, thinking quietly. I’d come to learn that, when he ran his thumb across his lip or chin, he was thinking deeply.

“I just hope we can make it there in time,” he whispered.

“In time for what? That’s what I want to know,” Rachel said.

Timcur nodded. “We don’t know what and we don’t even know exactly how much time we have.”

My kehppû was scurrying around my feet so I decided to take her off to the kitchen. I didn’t want to cut in on the circle, but as I moved towards the door, Olath looked up, smiling.

“Thank you,” I whispered, leaning close so I could touch his cheek. “Thank you for my little friend.”

“It’s my pleasure,” he said softly. I could tell that making me happy really did make him feel good. He wasn’t faking it or attempting to placate me. He really was trying to make me feel good and that meant a lot to me.

My gaze and my hands lingered as I left, following the kehppû down the hall. She already knew where the kitchen was, so she often headed that way looking for free snacks. I walked away from Olath with reluctance. Being on the bridge and hearing the battle talk was scary, but I was beginning to appreciate being a member of the crew. It might be frightening, but I felt like I was with my family.

It was a strange feeling to have, stuck way out in space, marked as a fugitive, and fighting against slimy, scaly aliens. In spite of all that, I felt safe.

I hurried after the kehppû, chasing her through the kitchen door. I reached down, teasing her with my fingers until she batted at me with her paws. She jumped up on her hind legs and sent her tentacles after me, making me laugh. She was a lot like a cat.

She? He? Does it even have a gender?

That line of thinking just got me stuck into how the kehppû might mate and what their young looked like. For all I knew, they were hermaphroditic and reproduced asexually. I giggled to myself thinking that I shouldn’t apply gender restrictions on an alien being.

The kehppû headed for the corners, pouncing on dust bunnies. I headed further into the kitchen and started rummaging around. I knew that supplies had been bought at the last stop and that someone—perhaps Rachel or Thelkor—had put it all away, but the kitchen still looked like a bomb had hit it.

I pawed through the cupboards, finally coming out with a big bag of potato chips. I read the ingredients list very carefully to make sure it was from Earth or, at least, made from ingredients I recognized. I quickly realized that ordinary potato chips had a junk load of additives that I couldn’t pronounce, let alone identify.

I shrugged and popped a few into my mouth, deciding that they tasted great. I found a few slices of meat for the kehppû and headed back to the seating area, grabbing a soda on the way.

I sat down on the couch, handing out little strips of meat. I found it amazing that the kehppû was so much like an Earth cat in its body language. She tilted her head, raised a paw and, even though she didn’t ‘mew’, she did make an undulating, melodic sort of warble.

I was halfway through the bag of chips when Olath arrived. I sat up and smiled enthusiastically, making myself blush. I was happy to see him, and I couldn’t hide it. He grinned, heading over to me, but stopped to play with the kehppû along the way.

“Can I join you?” he asked politely.

I nodded. “Sure. But you might want to get your own bag of chips. I’m planning on smashing this one solo.”

His eyebrows went up and I could tell that he—or maybe his translator—was interpreting that in many different ways. He smiled.

“I wouldn’t dream of taking your chips. I’ll get something in a minute. I just wanted to check on you. I forget you have not had military experience like the rest of us.”

I shrugged. “Neither has Rachel.”

“No, but she’s a pilot. She’s accustomed to dangerous situations.” He reached out, holding my hand gently. “I know you’re not.”

I looked into his eyes, trying to think of something to say. I couldn’t think of anything, but that was okay. We were understanding each other without even talking. To me, that was some kind of magic.

I was beginning to get an idea about what love, real love, looked like. It seemed that a life-threatening situation was a small price to pay for what I was going to receive in return.

Olath

I went to the kitchen for a beer and a pizza roll, returning to find the kehppû bouncing around Evelyn’s lap. I sat down near her and the baby immediately leaped over to me, its tentacles reaching for the pizza bread.

I tore off a small chunk and offered it to the creature, amazed by how fast the tentacles flashed out to snatch it from my hand. After the morsel disappeared, the kehppû jumped to the deck and scampered about happily.

“She’s very cute,” Evelyn said, reaching down to pet her. I watched the creature hurry to her hand and rub against it, thinking that Evelyn must have a sweet heart, indeed, if animals responded to her so well.

I could feel anxiety rising in me, that we were off on a dangerous mission and Evelyn was caught in the middle of it. I loved her, I knew that already. I wanted her by my side at all times, but I feared for her safety. I couldn’t bear to lose her, especially since I had only just found her.

Evelyn scrunched up the bag of chips and tossed it into a nearby trash can that was near to overflowing. Someone really should do something about this room, sooner or later. We had a recycling unit that would turn any kind of trash into a usable material—such as a pile of screws or a new hammer—but no one had bothered to clean the kitchen or dining area for quite some time now.

“I need to jump in the shower,” she announced, wiping her hands. “I better enjoy this downtime while it lasts.”

“Yes, I agree,” I said, standing up. “I’ll walk you to your quarters, if you like.”

“Okay,” she smiled, her cheeks blushing the faintest pink. I was enchanted by these tiny changes in her, those moments that showed me what she might be like when all abstracts of civility are gone, wiped away by lust, passion, and desire.

She raised an eyebrow, cocking her head to the side. I realized I’d been staring at her for far too long without saying anything.

“Lead the way,” I said quickly. She started walking, shaking her head slightly.

I loved the deep look in her eyes as much as I loved her almost imperceptible reactions. I’d made it my own personal mission to discover what was going on in her mind, to know it as well as I knew my own.

I picked up the little kehppû as we went through the door, snuggling it against my chest. It made a cute little noise and nuzzled against me. I looked ahead and saw Evelyn sidestepping in the hallway to avoid Rachel and Thelkor.

The two of them appeared to have lost control only a short way from their quarters. Thelkor had Rachel plastered against the wall where she squirmed and gasped, writhing between him and the hard surface. Evelyn walked by without even turning her head. I smiled and shook mine as I passed them, knowing that they were completely unaware of anyone else.

I was happy for them. Displays like this didn’t disturb me, even though I did like to run a tight ship. I couldn’t blame either one for losing control like that, especially when my fingers ached to touch Evelyn’s skin and my entire body sang with need whenever she was near.

We headed into the guest quarters and I took the kehppû to the little nest of blankets Evelyn had made for it. I placed it down gently so it wouldn’t wake, rubbing its furry head. It purred gently, its paws and tentacles drifting a little in response to my caress.

Evelyn was standing at the end of the bed, her arms wrapped around herself. I was guessing that she wanted to undress for her shower and was waiting for me to leave the room. I bowed my head just a little and turned to go.

Behind me, I heard two quick footsteps. My breath caught in my chest, but I didn’t dare hope.

Then I felt her fingers on my wrist. I carefully turned toward her. She ran her fingers down my arm, wrapping them around my hand.

She didn’t speak. Her huge green eyes were focused on my face. I couldn’t talk, even if I’d had any words. My mind was wiped blank. My body was poised as if I were about to jump into a firefight.

I held myself still as she took a step closer, taking my other hand. I wanted to throw my arms around her and pull her body against mine, but I simply stood still, using every bit of my discipline to do so.

She raised one of my hands and put it on her cheek. I was falling into her eyes, falling so swiftly that my head swam. All I could see was her red mouth as it got closer and closer to me. I leaned down as if drawn by a magnet.

I could feel the heat of her body as we came even closer together. Her sweet breath rushed across my cheek.

Then her lips touched mine. Thrills sang through my blood. My body went hard with urgency, every instinct I had screaming to take her, to throw her on the bed and ravish her every moment for the rest of my life.

But I stayed still, my fingers loose in her hands. She rose on her tiptoes and pressed her chest against mine, her hands sliding up to my shoulders.

She deepened the kiss, not me. It was one of the hardest things I had ever done, but I stood still, keeping my urges in check and letting Evelyn decide how far we would go.

Evelyn

I felt Olath holding himself back, the tension in muscles trembling with a need he refused to give in to. I escalated the kiss, reaching between his lips with my tongue and pressing my body up against his.

He moaned, his hands coming up to gently clasp my waist. I was so moved by his desire, and his ability to control himself, that it made me burn even hotter for him. I pulled back and looked into his eyes.

“What do you want, Olath?” I asked softly.

“You,” he whispered, his voice thick with lust.

I smiled. “But what would you like to do first?”

His eyes flashed with uncertainty and his hands tightened on my waist. I could sense that this was a delicate moment, the kind of place where a man could be made or broken. I couldn’t lead him in then deny him passage—I was holding his dignity in my hands.

“I want to taste you,” he said, his voice husky. His eyes dropped down briefly. I understood exactly what he wanted. I wanted the exact same thing.

I stepped away from him, pulling my shirt up over my head. His eyes rounded as I pulled off my pants and panties, taking slow steps back toward the bed. When I reached it, I sat down, crossing my legs and beckoning him toward me.

His eyes darted between my eyes and my closed thighs. He lowered himself to his knees, reaching out to run his hands across my belly. I leaned forward, kissing him gently, before I leaned back and uncrossed my legs.

His gaze snapped straight to my pussy. I felt a bolt of desire strike through me more powerful than anything I had ever felt before. I could feel how much he wanted me, and I had never felt so special or so loved. His eyes flicked back up with an unspoken question in them. I nodded and smiled.

Olath ran his fingers down my thighs as he leaned down. The anticipation was building in me so strongly, I actually jumped when his lips touched me. He paused, but didn’t stop, using the tip of his tongue to gently tease my outer lips before slipping inside.

I moaned, leaning back and closing my eyes. His big arms wrapped around my thighs and he dragged me closer to the edge of the bed to get himself into a better position. Tension ran through me, making me tremble, but he held me so tight, I could barely move.

His lips crept upward, spoiling my clit with pressure and firm flicks from his tongue. I started to writhe against his mouth, my cries getting louder and louder until he pressed his mouth hard over the tight nub. He sucked on it until I screamed.

My legs spasmed, held tight in his massive arms. He released the pressure on my clit, reaching down with his tongue to make long, teasing strokes from my slick folds right up to my throbbing, oversensitive clit. I was gasping and almost crying, my hands clinging to the sheets.

Just as I got my breath back, he moved his mouth back to my clit, alternating between sucking on it and lapping down deeper between the delicate inner petals. My gasps and screams ran into each other so fast I couldn’t even make a real sound, only breathy, rattling moans.

As I came again, Olath kept the pressure on my clit, diving down to lap at my entrance as my climax shuddered through me. He paused, watching my face. When I could breathe again, I smiled and reached for him, hugging him.

“Was that pleasing for you, my love?” he asked earnestly.

I laughed. “Pleasing is not the word. Breathtaking, world-shakeing… Bone-shaking. Wow. Like, wow.”

He smiled even though I could tell the slight colloquialisms were lost on him. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

“Let’s get in the shower,” I whispered. His eyes lit up immediately and I got up, kissing him when he stood. “I’ll get the water running. You get your clothes off.”

He grinned as I hurried towards the bathroom. I twisted the faucets, feeling Olath behind me almost immediately. I turned around, admiring his naked body. I took a step forward, running my fingers over his skin, gently tracing his muscles all over and exploring all the way up to his horns.

He closed his eyes, shivering. I ran my finger along the curve of his horns again, watching the effect on his cock. I kept teasing, wondering how long it would take him to break.

Finally, his hands flashed out and grabbed my hips, pushing me back into the water. I cried out in delight as he lifted me, his hands going under my ass. I wrapped my legs around him, feeling the cold wall press against my back as the warm water pounded down on top of us.

I writhed against him, looking into his eyes with a smile. He smiled back and the sense of connection I felt right then obliterated anything I had ever felt before. I made a violent motion with my hips and screamed in joy as I felt his hard cock slam into me.

For a few seconds, both of us just breathed. Olath had his head thrown back, his eyes closed. I could feel him trembling as his cock started to move inside me. A long, low moan ripped from my throat as he started to thrust.

His eyes snapped open, meeting mine. I clung to him with my hands on his shoulders, my thighs digging into his waist as he put his hands against the wall and thrust his hips up.

I linked my hands behind his head and kissed him, feeling the absolute magic of the mate bond. I couldn’t believe I had lived my whole life without him, because this was the first time I had ever felt truly complete.

I kissed him harder as my nerves started to shake with the next orgasm. Everything faded except for his body against mine. There was a sense of completion, as if our hearts had become one. There was also a sense of promise, of destiny and a long future. That was our souls finding each other, an ancestral knowledge that I could now accept.

I was made for him and he was made for me. It was a gift, and my only regret was that it had taken me so long to accept it.

Olath

My arms were wrapped around my mate, holding her tightly to my chest. She slept, her breaths deep and long. I stretched out in her bed, loving the feel of our bodies shifting beside each other under the soft blankets.

I had never known contentment, not once in my entire life. I only knew that, right now, at this moment, Evelyn fulfilled me. She satisfied my body and calmed my heart. All I would ever need was this—her warm weight in my arms, her scent all over me, and the knowledge that she was satiated and safe.

I groaned with pleasure, stretching out a bit further. That was when I felt something on the bed.

It’s nothing, I told myself. Don’t be ridiculous.

The thing moved. It felt like it pounced, actually. I felt a moment of uncertainty, wondering what could possibly be attacking me here. Before I could sit up and look, it jumped even closer to my face and I saw that it was the kehppû, of course.

I smiled at the little thing as it batted my face with a paw. When I didn’t get up, it sent one of its tentacles across my face, making me sneeze as it investigated my nostril.

“Evelyn?”

“Hmmm,” she murmured, not opening her eyes.

“No, seriously, Evelyn,” I said, a bit louder. I couldn’t defend myself against the kehppû because my arms were trapped under Evelyn.

“Yes?” She opened one eye.

“I think the baby is hungry.”

“What?” she yawned. “Why would you say that?”

“Because it is on my face with one appendage up my nose and I think my right eyeball may be in serious danger.”

“Aww.” She sat up, gently disentangling us and lifting the kehppû off my face. She patted it on the head, making it warble in pleasure.

“You’re a cutie,” she whispered.

I watched her interacting with the little creature, thinking about how much I had changed. Not so long ago, I’d only paid attention to creatures if I was planning on eating them. This form of companion bonding was all new to me. I had a lot I still wanted to learn about Earth cats. Surely they were a worthy foe for any warrior, but if I could be gentle, like Evelyn, maybe they would sit in my lap and not bite me with their poisonous fangs.

Such an idea was fascinating. I wondered how big these ‘cats’ grew. I was thinking about things I had never even dreamed of a few weeks ago. I watched Evelyn get up and snuggle the kehppû as she hunted around for some clothes.

“We better head to the kitchen,” she said, putting the baby down. “I’m hungry, too, and I don’t want my little friend trying to eat bits of you.”

“Certainly not,” I laughed, getting up and finding my clothes. As we left the room, Evelyn bundled the kehppû into one arm and reached out with the other to hold my hand. It gave me a thrill from my fingers all the way to my toes, not just the touch, but the comfortable, familiar way she reached for me.

When we reached the kitchen, Thelkor and Rachel were already there. Both of them were drinking beer and eating a pizza. When we walked in, Thelkor raised his glass and whooped. Evelyn blushed bright red.

“Well done!” Thelkor announced. Evelyn bit her lip, but Rachel hurried over and hugged her, making her laugh.

“Congratulations,” Rachel said, smiling. “I’m truly happy for you.”

“Thank you,” Evelyn said, sitting down with her and grabbing a slice of pizza. The kehppû jumped up into her lap. Evelyn fed it small morsels as I sat down next to Thelkor, grabbing a beer for myself.

“Hey, baby.” Rachel wiggled her fingers, trying to get the kehppû to follow her hand. It sat there and tilted its head, showing no interest in moving.

“Maybe I should command you to sit instead. Kehppû, sit!”

The baby immediately stood up and sauntered across the table, rubbing itself on Rachel’s arm.

“Well, I guess I won’t be teaching it any tricks!” Rachel said, laughing. Evelyn smiled, shaking her head.

“Come, baby,” she said coaxingly. It hurried straight to her hand and she held up a small morsel of meat for it.

“Get the treat,” she said, holding the meat high. Immediately the kehppû sat up on its hind legs and stretched out its tentacles, reaching the meat easily. Evelyn patted it on the head, smiling.

“Good baby,” she said.

“How did you do that?” Rachel asked.

Evelyn shrugged. “I had my cat trained to come when I called and do a few basic tricks. It’s not easy to teach a feline. They are very smart, just a bit arrogant. The kehppû is actually quite agreeable.”

“Earth cats are arrogant as well as poisonous?” I exclaimed. The more I learned about those things, the more dangerous they sounded.

She smiled. “You’d have to meet one to understand.” I didn’t know if I should hope to meet one or pray that I never did.

I knew that the real world was going to catch up with us sooner or later. I wasn’t sure how long we had been tangled together in Evelyn’s room and it was as if I could feel the up-and-coming mission looming over me. For the first time in my life, all I really wanted was to go back to bed.

I squeezed Evelyn’s hand and smiled. When she grinned and squeezed back, it felt like my life had been made anew.

I have my mate, finally, I have my mate!

I wasn’t given much time to enjoy the moment. Timcur entered the dining area, and I could tell by his face it was time to get serious. Like it or not, it was time to fight.

Evelyn

“The situation is dire,” Captain Timcur said, his deep voice grave. He stood at the head of the table, hands resting on the tabletop, his shoulders tight with tension. Then and there, he seemed like a king ruling over his council, ready to raise his army and go to war with the entire world. Or galaxy, if you will. “The Suhlik have set up a clever trap, and they’ve turned us into pariahs. From this moment on, we’ll be chased down everywhere we go.”

“Damn, cap,” Thelkor said with a whistle, “I hope you never consider a career as a motivational speaker. ’Cause let me tell you, you suck at it.”

Timcur glared at Thelkor, but the imposing gunner wasn't intimidated by his captain’s hard stare. He just shrugged and took a swig of his beer. He smacked his lips together and let out a satisfied sigh.

“This is serious,” Timcur continued. “We need to come up with a plan, something that’ll help us get out of this mess. Now, more than ever, we need to be smart and efficient. Our survival—as well as the survival of millions of innocent lives—depends on it.”

Rachel cleared her throat. “I know it’s risky to send a message now that the authorities are looking for us, but I’d like to contact the urchins at Diana’s Arrow.”

“The Urchin Information Network,” Thelkor laughed but quieted down when he saw Rachel’s frown.

“Anyway,” she continued, “they were pretty helpful the last time we were there. I believe they’re the fastest way for us to find out more about the Suhlik’s plans. They’re discrete, nobody pays them any attention, and they’ve taken a liking to our crew. You ask me, they’re our best bet.”

“It’s risky,” Storgin said, his voice a low whisper. His eyebrows were knitted together, and I could almost see the gears turning inside his head. “The authorities have our drive and comms signatures, so we have to assume communications will be monitored. Even so…” He clicked his tongue. “I think I can mask our signature enough. It’s still a risk, but I agree with Rachel—we need the urchins to gather new intel.”

“It’s settled then,” Timcur said with a tone of finality. “As soon as we’re within range, we’ll try to contact Rachel’s informants.” He paused, waited until everyone was looking at him, and only then did he continue. “Even so, this doesn’t change that we’re heading toward Diana’s Arrow. No matter how we look at it, that place is going to be dangerous for us. The urchins might give us valuable intel, but we still don’t know what to expect once we dock.”

“That’s my department,” Thelkor said, a note of amusement in his voice. He took another swig of his beer, realized he’d already finished it, and tossed the can into one of the bins. “I’ll make sure all of our equipment is ready. Weapons, body-armor, ammunition...you know, the works.”

“Perfect,” Timcur said. “It’s good we’ll be ready for confrontation, but I want everyone here to remember this: just because the galaxy believes we’re terrorists, that doesn’t make us terrorists. We’re not shooting at anyone unless they shoot at us first. Even then...let’s try not to kill the good guys, alright? Some people might shoot at us, but they’ll still be on our side.”

Everyone murmured their agreement, then Timcur half-turned to leave.

“Rest up,” he said, scanning the crew“Things are going to move quickly once we dock, so we all need to be at our best.”

He nodded to signal that he was done, and the rest of the crew started filtering out of the room. Behind them, the table remained littered with empty beers and dirty trays.

These guys need a cleaning lady, I thought. Rachel tried tidying up the kitchen every now and again, but the rest of the crew insisted on making a mess of the whole area every time they gathered for a meal. Needing something to do, I took that responsibility upon myself.

I started gathering the glasses, plates, and trays, and carrying them toward the recycler in the corner. I was loading it up when Olath approached me. Despite his size, he could be as silent as a mouse when he wanted, and I only realized he was standing there when he touched my waist.

“You alright?” he asked me, his voice tender and caring.

The first time I’d seen him, I’d been intimidated by his size and demeanor. The Vaznik warriors had all seemed like heavily armored frigates with hands, a brain, and an attitude. Once you got to know them...you quickly realized there was more to them than met the eye.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied, smiling. It wasn’t exactly the truth—this whole situation had turned me into an anxious wreck—but I was much better than when we’d left Tehglaish. Even if the situation was dire, as the captain had put it, I trusted Olath and the rest of the crew would get us out of it. “It’s just that...it’s all a bit too much, you know?”

“I know it is,” he whispered, and there was something in his voice that made me feel safe. Slowly, he brushed the hair away from my face, tucking a stray lock over my right ear. “You never asked for any of it, Evelyn, and now…” He waved a hand at the four walls that surrounded us, but I knew he was waving at the galaxy itself, and all the dangers that it had in store for us. “But I promise you, we’re going to fix this. We’re going to get out of this mess. I give you my word. And the word of a Vaznik warrior is as good as—”

“I don’t need the word of a Vaznik warrior,” I said. “Your word is enough.” I looked into his eyes, went up on tiptoes, and brushed my lips against his. Despite all the craziness that surrounded us, this felt right…

Olath felt right.

Olath

Rachel hurried towards the bridge to send her message and begin plotting the course. She would have to reward the little urchins at some point, but they were easy to please. They liked her a lot, as well, and we all knew they’d go the extra mile to get the intel we needed.

Using children as informants, I thought to myself. Not exactly my plan when I’d first joined the military, but it was effective, nonetheless.

I stood near the door to the dining area, watching Evelyn play with her kehppû. She looked up at me, one hand still down petting the baby’s head. She smiled, but I could see sadness in her eyes. Even if it was far away, it was very real.

“I haven’t even named her—him? —yet,” she said.

I shrugged. “I’m not sure the kehppû minds. It looks pretty happy.”

“Yeah,” she whispered, letting it snuggle against her. “I better take it back to my room. Do we have anything I can use for food and water bowls?”

“Ah…” I thought heavily of the chaotic kitchen, the many open, yet empty, cupboards and small selection of broken crockery and cutlery.

Evelyn smiled and shook her head. “I’ll just grab a couple of mugs. You won’t mind, will you, sweet baby.”

She gave the little creature a big hug, then went into the kitchen. She returned with two mugs, one full of scraps and the other empty. She picked up the baby with her free hand.

“I’ll just get him set up,” she said. “I’ll fill up with water when I get there and make him a new bed. Do you know if these guys need anything else? I don’t know. I don’t want to do the wrong thing.”

I shrugged. “I really don’t know. Did you check the care manual?”

She frowned. “I did, but it’s all very specific. I don’t think the person who wrote it was really thinking about their emotions or state of mind.”

“Huh,” I muttered, feeling like my mind had just been split open by a cleaver.

Animals have feelings? I supposed that made sense, but I’d never thought about it before.

She cuddled the kehppû against her chest. “For all I know, he has a special tree that he likes to nest in, or something.”

“We can look into it,” I said, noticing Thelkor heading out. “Take it back to your room for now, so we can get ready.”

She raised her eyebrows, giving me a strange grin. “Whatever you say, boss.”

I headed down the hall after Thelkor, slightly mystified at her words. Thelkor giggled at me. The man actually giggled.

“What’s so fucking funny?” I asked.

“That, my good man, is extreme sarcasm. I know you’re familiar with the form of speech, but this extreme version is only practiced by Earth women. Basically, it means, you’re in trouble.”

“Trouble?” I asked in alarm.

Thelkor nodded. “Trouble. You gave her an order.”

“I did not!”

“It kinda sounded like one, and that’s the point.”

I shut my mouth as we walked into the armory. I was in strange territory now, and it seemed getting physically intimate had only complicated the situation further. I watched Thelkor whistling to himself as he strapped weapons to his chest and got down some gear bags. He was much happier than before he had met Rachel, so I had to trust that everything would work out.

“Storgin coming?” I asked, loading up with ammo.

Thelkor shrugged. “Most likely. I’ll take a kit over to him. He said he had some samples to put away.”

“What is he even doing in that lab, man?”

“I have no idea. Maybe you should ask him.”

“I did, once. He started using scientific jargon with such enthusiasm that it hurt my ears.”

Thelkor shrugged. “Big words hurt my ears if they are enthusiastic or not.”

I laughed, knowing that Thelkor was pretty smart—an absolute genius with weapons, actually—but definitely not a deep thinker.

Evelyn arrived a few minutes later and I gave her a kit before we headed up to the bridge. She looked nervous and I couldn’t blame her. She was doing really well for someone not experienced with this kind of life, but I also couldn’t imagine how she would feel today. If things went wrong, she could end up in a maximum-security jail.

Nothing will go wrong.

I simply wouldn’t allow it.

We reached the bridge and gave Storgin his kit. He vanished into the lab at the same time Evelyn arrived. For a moment, time stopped.

The fabric of her black fatigues was snug and smooth. Her long legs and tight ass were shown off to their full advantage. Something about this was far sexier than her being naked, and the body-armor and accompanying ammo just made her look even more tasty. Her long hair was pulled into a rough bun at her neck. Just when I thought she couldn’t get any more gorgeous, she hefted a large knife in her hand, playing with it a bit before sheathing it at her thigh.

“Thelkor, get Olath a towel,” Rachel called from the pilot’s chair.

“What, why?” Thelkor asked, surprised.

“So he can mop up that puddle of drool.”

It took me a minute to catch on, even though Evelyn, Rachel, Timcur, and Thelkor had a good laugh. I strapped myself in, grumbling, as Evelyn took a chair next to me.

“Storgin’s staying in the lab, I think.” I called to Rachel. She shook her head as she adjusted the ship’s course to align with Diana’s Arrow.

“Why couldn’t you just put a full rack of secured chairs in here?” she muttered.

“It would clutter the deck,” Timcur said absently.

“They said the same thing about the Titanic, bro,” Rachel said. Evelyn laughed.

“What is that, a ship?” Timcur asked, curiously.

Rachel nodded. “Not a great story to tell at this particular time,” she said. “Strap in, all, I’m starting our run. Docking in five minutes.”

Evelyn

The ship shuddered as it made dock on the transit deck of the Arrow. Rachel’s flying was so skilled, and Goldie was so smooth, that I could barely feel a thing, but I still clung to my seatbelt pretty hard. I was nervous more about the mission, not the docking process.

The second everything settled down, I took off my harness, feeling like it was strangling me. I was trying as hard as possible to be cool, but my nerves were getting the better of me. I was just a girl, a nobody. How could I take on the evilest aliens in our galaxy? I honestly didn’t think I had the skills to thwart a major attack.

Then Olath turned and took my hand. His eyes were soft and gentle, the pressure on my fingers firm and comforting. I took a deep breath and felt my heartbeat begin to steady. We were together and that gave me faith that I could handle anything.

Before anyone could get up, the teleporter started humming. A small child in rough clothes came running through the ship.

“Where did he come from?” I whispered to Olath.

“Rachel gave them certain secure codes. They can get in and out of here easily as well as access supplies through an account she made just for them.”

I looked at the kid’s bony knees and dirty clothes.

“We aren’t paying them enough.”

Olath snickered. “They have better clothes than that and they live in a nice hostel. They still beg and steal at the market, though, just for kicks and extra goods. If they aren’t running around the market, they can’t gather intel for us, but Rachel made sure their basic needs were met.”

“Oh, okay,” I said softly. The urchin whispered with Rachel for a few minutes, then took off again, back to the teleporter.

“Suhlik have been spotted on the agricultural deck,” she announced. “They look shifty. I’ll stay here so I can ensure a quick getaway, and I’ll look after the kehppû for you, Evelyn.”

“Thanks,” I smiled, getting up and checking my gear. “We should name him soon.”

“I vote for Rover or Spot, something like that. Really mundane, you know?” she grinned.

“I’m thinking. Spot sounds nice.”

“It has spots,” Olath said thoughtfully. “It’s kind of grayish brown with small white spots now but it will violently change colors as it gets older.”

I blinked slowly. I realized that the kehppû had slowly and subtly changed color since the first time I saw it.

Color-changing pets. Flavor-changing ice cream. Would I ever get used to space?

“We ready?” Timcur asked, seeing Storgin hurrying down the hall. Olath nodded. Timcur gestured with his head towards the lab. I tried to stride like I was center stage on a big screen movie, but I was just too nervous.

“Maybe I should stay with Rachel,” I murmured to Olath.

He shook his head. “We might need you. As a mechanical engineer, you could get us out of a lot of potential situations, not to mention screwing up the Suhlik if we get close enough to their equipment or ship.”

He had answered so automatically, I realized I was actually important to the mission. I had to swallow down my anxiety and get with it. We could save a lot of lives here, as well as our own. I sighed, pulling out a blaster, and checking the knife on my leg.

We all clambered onto the teleporter and beamed out, the sensation disorienting, but not as bad as my first time. When the light cleared, I gasped as the new world was revealed to us.

Right in front was a field of what appeared to be wheat. It stretched as far as I could see, as if the room were endless. I could see strips of green in nearby spaces, low plots of vegetables and higher rows of trees. The light filtering from above looked and felt exactly like sunlight. As we stepped off the teleporter into the wheat, I reached up to touch one of the heads, crumbling the dry seeds into my hand.

“What is it?” Thelkor asked.

I just shook my head, looking at the ground. It appeared to be rich, dark soil. I found it hard to believe all of this was inside a spaceship floating in a vacuum.

“It’s so big,” I murmured.

Olath shrugged. “The population of Diana’s Arrow is huge, not to mention travelers coming and going, as well as official vessels. This is only a portion of the agricultural section, too.”

My eyes opened even wider. “This is just a piece of it?”

“Yeah. There are animals and stuff around here somewhere.”

I decided not to ask any more questions and just absorb the moment. I started creeping along the field, keeping my head down under the line of wheat.

With quick handmotions, the guys arranged themselves.

Timcur and Storgan broke right, moving in a wide circle to come around the flank.

Thelkor led the way for our party and Olath brought up the rear, making sure he kept me in sight.

Sweat dripped down my temples and I wiped at it with one hand. The sight of a slice of earth stuck inside a giant ship was really wigging me out. Parts of my brain screamed ‘we’re home!’ while other parts of my mind collapsed, screaming because this wasn’t home, no matter how much it looked and smelled like it.

The stalking through the fields was also affecting me. We were about to enter a full-on battle, putting our lives on the line. We had to do it. If we didn’t—or if we failed—we were as good as dead anyway.

I set my jaw, pressing my teeth together, as I gripped my blaster even harder. I had come so far and gained so much strength. Most importantly, I now had love to fight for. I glanced back at Olath, seeing him well-camouflaged in the tall stalks of wheat.

I wouldn’t let anything keep me from his side, ever. A few scaly lizards had no fucking chance against me protecting my love. I held my gun with determination, narrowed my eyes, and hurried forward. I knew we would not fail.

Evelyn

I followed Thelkor in a crouch past the fields of wheat until he halted at the edge of the last wheatfield. Olath and I knelt close. Thelkor leaned over my head when we caught up, whispering at Olath.

“Do you see them?”

Thelkor only seemed to know how to stage whisper. I shushed him, my hand covering his mouth, my eyes darting about, paranoid we had been detected.

A fuzzy old memory of watching Predator with Dad late one night, on a hideous, well-worn, heirloom couch flashed through my mind. I swallowed a giggle before it could escape my mouth.

The insects and small animals required to sustain most plant life had fallen silent around us everywhere we went. For a moment, I worried we would be detected by the bubble of silence surrounding us. Olath risked a quick second look around the undulating column of wheat.

“Two Suhlik. Looks like a patrol. Backs to us for the moment.”

Olath looked back at Thelkor. “Thelkor, you’re up.”

Thelkor grinned, loosening the strap of a grenade launcher from his shoulder. Olath shook his head.

“No explosions.”

“Aw, but Olath…”

“No. Explosions. Do. Not. Give away our position.”

Thelkor growled.

“Acknowledged.”

Thelkor sighed, tightening the grenade launcher’s strap and unslinging an energy rifle from the other shoulder. Olath and I scurried back from the intersection, out of Thelkor’s way.

Thelkor stretched out on the rich soil. The earthy odors of life, of home, wafted up from where he disturbed the ground, belly-crawling into position.

He lined his rifle with his eye to aim. Thelkor’s movements became small, smooth, and precise. He drew in a measured breath, released it, and fired.

Two bolts streaked across the field. Two sizzling thuds later, Thelkor chuckled. “Got ’em.”

Olath clasped Thelkor’s shoulder. “Good job.”

Thelkor scurried up to the edge of the wheat. His head snapped from one side to the other, then he flashed us a huge smile over one shoulder.

“Clear.”

“Advance in formation.”

“Aye, XO.”

Thelkor hopped to his feet and sped across the small dirt tracks which divided the fields into neat rectangles. I followed Thelkor, and Olath followed me.

We advanced down a row of six-foot tall, neon-blue bushes. Large red flowers opened when we passed, waving small, glowing, pollen-covered stamen.

I remembered my Introduction to Interstellar Survival 101 professor, Dr. Motumba, lecturing on Lakima’s Theory of Starship Design. After humanity first discovered we were not alone in the universe, the course had become mandatory for all course curriculums.

A starship as large as Diana’s Arrow supported thousands of lives every standard day cycle. Most of those beings required fresh oxygen. Plants turned out to be a superior method of maintaining the perfect atmospheric balance to sustain many forms of life traveling by starship in the galaxy.

We wove through the patchwork of fields and orchards. Halfway through a square forest of tall, teal-barked, silver-fronded trees, Olath cried out.

“Down!”

We all ducked, flattening ourselves to the ground. Laser rifle bolts flew over our heads. Thelkor bellowed and charged. Before I could even feel surprise, Olath sprinted after Thelkor.

They moved so fast, I forgot to breathe. I had seen them fight before, in the cave of Tehglaish, but they had been fighting in a confined space then. Now, they sprinted in long, powerful strides.

Two Suhlik crouched at the edge of the small forest. One aimed a bolt at Olath. Olath dodged around a tree. The bolt burned a hole in the bark, and the tall limbs shuddered. The tree groaned, its trunk quivering.

I pulled my blaster from the holster and held it up to my chest like a security blanket. The Suhlik fired while Olath and Thelkor dove for cover. I dove next to Olath. Every tree in the entire square forest rattled, groaning.

Large, hard, spike-hulled fruit fell from the branches of the trees above the Suhlik. The Suhlik covered their heads with their arms. The trees bombarded them, dropping the heaviest of their crop.

The Suhlik stumbled under the onslaught. Their boots slipped on the grounded fruits, and ankles rolled, and knees wobbled. In fewer than sixty seconds, the Suhlik lay crushed under a pile of hard fruits.

The trees shook one last time before settling into a gentle sway. Thelkor leapt to his feet. With great care, he walked over to the pile of Suhlik and nudged a boot sticking up out of the heap, then turned to Olath.

“Yeah…these guys are neutralized, XO.”

“Excellent.” Olath turned to me and smiled. He held out a hand. “May I?”

I smiled and took his hand. He pulled me to my feet in a single, graceful motion, then shook his head at Thelkor.

“Can’t wait to tell Rachel how that tree really saved your ass.”

“I don’t know why you do this to me. Storgin is the one who thinks your shit is funny. Go annoy him.”

“But Thelkor, this is precisely why I enjoy you so.” Olath shook his head. “Back on mission.”

Thelkor saluted Olath.

“Yes, sir, XO, sir!”

Olath growled at Thelkor, who just laughed and trotted off in the direction of a large warehouse. xxx

Large, translucent, green-tinted domes arced over a twenty-foot tall, metallic first story. Windows glowed around the door. Large pipes ran complicated circuits around the structure and two, tall ventilation stacks stretched higher than either of the two domes.

We snuck up behind a small garden hovercart trailer filled with a load of what smelled like rich fertilizer. Three sets of eyes and two sets of horns peeked over and around the trailer.

Small fans and blinking lights speckled the entire building. Near the front entrance, doors large enough to allow one of the massive farm machines to back up into it and drop a load. Suhlik walked concentric circles around the building.

Olath turned to me. He took my hand, smiling. His warmth soothed my nerves. I realized excitement bloomed in my chest. I returned his smile.

“Are you ready, Evelyn?”

“Yes, Olath.”

“Will you stay behind us, and let us take these overgrown lizards out for you?”

I laughed. “I couldn’t outrun any of you if I tried. Have at it. I’m ready when we need a wrench.”

“Storgin packed her a toolkit, XO,” Thelkor reminded him. “You know he embraces the philosophy of better to have it and have to throw it away to make a quick getaway than to need it and not have it and die a horrible death.”

Olath looked at me. I looked at him. I grabbed his face in my hands and kissed him deep.

“Ok, now I’m ready.”

Olath

“Let’s take out these guards. We don’t want any Suhlik sneaking up on us when we open that warehouse.”

“Yes, sir, XO.”

Thelkor saluted again and might have almost meant it.

Maybe there was a reason Captain Timcur always made sure Storgin was on his team when we split up...

Ten guards walked a perimeter around the Agricultural Deck warehouse. Every thirty-five seconds, the tallest of the building’s processing towers belched a small flame.

We crept closer to the building still several rows away. The neat squares of plants made way for large, square livestock pens. In the distance I could see large, square aviaries, filled with the finest galactic fowl.

Thelkor halted at the corner of another intersection of tracks. Evelyn, and I crouched, kneeling nearby while he scouted.

Then a large eye, bulbous eye stared at me through the fence panels next to my face.

A large snout wiggled through the slats of the fence. After a few proto-trunk snuffles, a long tongue darted forth from the end. The thin tongue rasped across my face like sandpaper. I tried to wave the tongue away, but it dodged, flailing wildly.

I fought it with both hands. The tongue tried to whip my eye. I leaned back, out of its range. More tongues wiggled forth from the fencing. Thelkor and Evelyn eeked. I shushed them both.

Everyone moved one step away from the fence, then I heard boots tromping along the hard-scrabble tracks. We flattened to the ground below. I motioned to Thelkor and he nodded, smiling.

Thelkor crawled up beside me. We stalked the first couple of Suhlik soldiers between us and our target. They stepped within reach. I launched myself from my crouch, tackling the first Suhlik. Thelkor launched himself at the second Suhlik within moments of my attack.

The Suhlik hissed, croaking with rage. The one I tackled pounded my back with hard fists. I shoved a shoulder into him, pushing into his chest. He resisted on instinct, bracing his feet and struggling against me.

I quickly pulled my blaster, aiming at the Suhlik’s belly. I pulled the trigger twice, in rapid succession. With a last screech, the Suhlik’s knees collapsed beneath him. He crashed into the dirt.

I spun, looking for any Suhlik reinforcements. I saw none and checked on Thelkor. He held the Suhlik he fought above his head with both arms. The Suhlik’s arms and legs flailed. With a grunt, he threw the Suhlik over a pen’s fence.

Large tongues shot up, over the top of the solid panels of this pen. Three stuck on the Suhlik. The tongues retracted in a blur. They retracted in different directions, tearing the Suhlik apart at the joints.

We all sprung back in horror. I looked at each member of my wide-eyed team.

“Let’s stick to the middle of the tracks. I know it’s a risk, but…”

I looked back at the solid panels. This time, Evelyn joined for a chorus of, “Sir, yes, sir!” She even saluted, the most delicious smile on her face, too. As much as I loved that smile, I was thankful Thelkor didn’t salute me with the same look.

We fell into formation, jogging down the center of a track. I failed to repress the grin Evelyn’s smile brought to my face. We traveled at an easy pace for a Vaznik Warrior, but a steady pace for Evelyn.

We slowed near another intersection next to an apparent pen full of electric-blue Earth sheep.

Evelyn melted a little at her first sight of one, until it bared a mouth full of needle-sharp teeth. Thelkor hissed, demanding our attention. He pointed ahead. Our three heads swiveled to where he gestured.

Two more Suhlik walked into view, headed our way. I eyed the electric-blue sheep. My eyes darted between the dubious cover of the sheep’s pen and the approaching Suhlik who could spot us any moment.

What a nightmare.

Evelyn and Thelkor looked at me. I was Goldie’s Executive Officer. When Captain Timcur was gone, deciding what to do became my responsibility.

I grinned.

“Charge.”

Thelkor, and I sprinted for the Suhlik. Evelyn fell behind our superior Mahdfel speed. To their surprise, the Suhlik noticed our advance. They fumbled with their weapons before aiming their rifles for us.

I tensed, ready to weave and dodge incoming fire. A bolt blast shot past us. It left a smoking hole in one Suhlik’s chest. The other flinched, his rifle blast going wide. Thelkor leapt, slamming into the Suhlik’s body head first.

Thelkor’s horns pierced the Suhlik’s light armor, goring his scaly chest and they went down in a heap. I ran to help pull the Suhlik off his horns. From the corner of my eye, I saw two more Suhlik running down the cross track.

The warehouse they guarded loomed over us, only two more livestock pens away. I spun around to face the new attackers. I crouched, aiming my blaster and fired off two bolts. The first struck one of the Suhlik in the chest. He fell forward onto the smoking hole the blaster left.

The other Suhlik dodged for cover near a tall pen. A large, pulsing, bulbous head arched up over the top of the fence. The creature undulated and spat. A huge glob of thick, milky fluid dropped onto the Suhlik.

He screamed, sizzling everywhere the spittle touched him. I leapt back and shuddered, returning to the team. Evelyn had caught up and Thelkor’s horns had been freed from the Suhlik without a single stress fracture.

As magnificent as Mahdfel horns were, a little too much of the wrong kind of pressure, and they could crack. I felt relieved Thelkor would not suffer the shame of a broken horn.

We trotted past the last of the pens. Only two Suhlik remained.

Unable to stop grinning, I sprinted up to them, swinging my blaster up before they had even managed to lift the noses of their rifles and fired twice. Twin bolts streaked from the glowing tip of the blaster, striking the Suhlik directly between their eyes.

Twin tunnels burned through their skulls smoked and they fell.

We jogged up to a service door to the side of the warehouse’s large two-story high bay doors. We took a moment to catch our breath, and Captain Timcur and Storgin emerged from the shadows, disheveled uniforms silently commenting on their own adventure crossing through the nightmare farm.

“Any trouble?” Timcur asked me.

“Nothing we couldn’t handle.”

“Good.” He nodded and turned towards the door, studying it.

I looked at Evelyn. “When you’re ready, we will, finally, foil Zarklac’s evil plan.”

She smiled. “Let’s take these jerks out.”

Evelyn

“Oh, shit,” I whispered.

My mind was running on a frantic loop. Despite my brave words, I’d never been so scared in my entire life. Inside the warehouse, we found a giant pile of manure. Atop the steaming, odiferous mass, a device blinked. Olath’s next word hit me like a falling tombstone.

“Bomb.”

Shit, shit, shit!

Olath, Storgin, Timcur, and Thelkor gathered around the bomb. It had two glowing, green orbs set before a row of canisters. Through the clearer parts, I could see bubbles, as if the thing were percolating. The guys stood over it talking in loud voices and I couldn’t make out the words.

It’s a bomb. A real, live, fucking huge bomb.

I knew that it had to contain enough explosive to take down the Arrow. It was big and, from what I knew about explosives, even a bomb a quarter of this size would blow out a nice chunk of the ship. Especially when fueled by all this...shit.

What I know…

I tilted my head, taking a step closer. A wave of tingles ran through me. I realized I recognized parts of the mechanism. The guy’s voices were getting louder as they stood over the bomb. I couldn’t stop staring at it. My feet just kept bringing me nearer. I wasn’t as scared of it now…because I understood it.

I bumped Olath’s shoulder as I approached, barely noticing him. He turned towards me, grabbing my arm.

“Evelyn, you have to get out of here. Teleport to the ship right now!”

“And tell Rachel to take off,” Thelkor added. “Immediately.”

“That’s an order!” Timcur shouted.

The words barely made an impact on me as I took another step, slowly lowering myself to my knees. I pulled a slender screwdriver out of my pocket and in the blink of an eye, pulled off the front panel.

All the guys took a step back except for Olath.

“Did you see that?” whispered Thelkor.

“I did,” Storgin replied. “I’m just not sure I believe it.”

I grinned, reaching into the panel. I actually laughed aloud when I saw the parts inside.

“Evelyn, are you alright?” Olath asked quietly.

I looked up, grinning. “I know these parts! They made this out of a slow combustion engine. Anyone could rig up one of these in their back garden, if they wanted to.”

“You… You recognize the machinery?”

I nodded, reaching in for the wires. “Some of the parts are a little strange, but they are almost exactly the same as the engines I built in my studies. Aha!”

I pulled out a small control board covered in circuits with wires trailing from it. Now, I frowned. How could I know what an alien would do setting up the inner workings of the explosive?

There was only one thing to do. I started following the wires back, trying to see where each of them went. I had a good working knowledge of how the parts would have to fit together to make the ‘BOOM’. I just had to figure out which wire to cut. Cutting the wrong one could—most likely would—trigger a feedback reaction that would detonate the bomb instantly.

I could hear the guys arguing, again, and I had a pretty good idea why. They would want me out of here, even if it meant sacrificing their own lives. I was never going to let that happen.

Suddenly, the bubbles inside started moving faster. A gasp slipped from my throat as sweat began to drip down my sides. It was approaching fission. I couldn’t tell exactly how much time we had, but not enough for me to figure out all the wires.

“Guys, it’s going critical. We need a better plan, I don’t have time to disarm it.”

“Where’s the nearest airlock?” yelled Thelkor, ready to grab the bomb.

“No,” Timcur shouted. “You can’t get it far enough away from the Arrow. You’ll blow us all up and everyone else on board.”

“Is there a safe room nearby?” Storgin asked. “Some very rich passengers have fully insulated rooms with their own power supply. They do it for exactly this reason, but if we could find one, it would contain the blast.”

“Not enough time,” Timcur muttered. “Not enough fucking time!” He glanced down at the bomb, his eyes widening as he saw the bubbles speeding along the inside.

There was a tense moment. I went back to playing with the wires, wondering if I should just cut one and be done with it. We were going to get blown up anyway, so I might as well try.

A line of bullets ripped up the soil near me, making me dive behind the bomb. I almost laughed at the stupidity of it. When I looked up, I saw a group of Suhlik charging at us. The guys went forward to meet them. For a few minutes, there was the sound of gunfire and screaming.

These Suhlik are tough. These guys must know they are going to die if they are still here, but they are still trying to stop us. They really want this bomb to go off.

I heard footsteps behind me. I jumped up, grabbing my gun instinctively. I pointed it and fired a wide spray, my arm swinging as I tried to hold the blaster through the recoil. It turned out to be an excellent move, as I hit all the Suhlik that were sneaking up on me before they could fire.

I turned back to the bomb and stared at it as if I could unlock its secrets, stare right through it. I heard the guys running towards me and my mind flicked through the options again. Really, there were none. There was only one thing left to do.

Cut a random wire and pray.

Olath

I was running back towards the bomb, towards Evelyn. Everything seemed to slow down. I had seen this happen before in combat conditions, but this was the worst I’d ever experienced. My legs felt like they were caught in wet concrete and I couldn’t pump my arms.

I knew what she was going to do.

She knelt down and I saw her pull a small knife out of her pocket. Her shoulders were set with determination as she felt around for the wires.

“No!” I screamed, willing my body to go faster. I thought that I would never make it in time. I put on a burst of speed, rushing up on the scene far too fast.

I dove at Evelyn, tackling her. We rolled across the ground. She cried out in pain, but a few bruises were nothing compared to the alternative.

I rolled through the tackle, coming up lightly on my feet. Evelyn crouched on the ground as I pivoted off my toes, grabbed the bomb and ran.

She cried out behind me, but I didn’t slow down. I bolted for the teleport, putting more speed on with every stride. I had a good head start and the others would stay to look after Evelyn. By the time they thought about chasing me, I’d be far enough away they couldn’t find me.

I thought about holding Evelyn in my arms, her soft skin against my calloused palms. I thought about her glittering hair, so silky, long, and fine. I loved how it spread across the pillows like a wave of fire. I loved the way she laughed when we held each other in the dark, sated from our love making and talking until we fell asleep.

My throat burned as I poured on more speed. I would not let her down. I was going to save us all. There was no other choice.

I finally reached the teleport and leaped on, smashing the buttons before I was even positioned on the pad. When I materialized in the lab, I took one deep breath before roaring at the top of my lungs.

“RACHEL!” I ran from the lab towards the bridge. Rachel was sitting up in the pilot’s chair, half a sandwich in her hand and her mouth full, the kehppû on her lap. Both of them cocked their heads at me, in opposite directions.

“What?” she mumbled, barely audible. Her gaze dropped and, when she saw the bomb, the sandwich fell out of her hand. Kehppû immediately jumped to the deck for cleanup duty.

“What the fuck is that?” she screamed.

“It’s a bomb—”

“I know it’s a fucking bomb! What is it doing here?”

“Fly, Rachel.” I clung to the bomb, my eyes wide and pleading. “Get us out of here. It’s our only chance to save the others.”

She didn’t hesitate. I saw determination sweep her face and she turned towards the controls, locking her eyes on to the front viewscreen. I heard the clangs under the ship which meant she was beginning the undocking process.

“Where do we go, Olath?” she asked very softly. Her voice didn’t waver, she was a brave woman.

“As far away from the Arrow as possible,” I said softly. She nodded, not turning to look at me. The kehppû took a few steps towards me, its big yellow eyes getting even wider. It warbled at me, a query.

“Sorry, little mate,” I whispered. “I guess you’re going to die nameless.”

“We are not going to fucking die!” Rachel yelled, pulling Goldie out of the bay, and pointing her at the expanse of starry sky. “I’ve seen enough fucking movies about this, as well as having at least two brain cells to rub together. Get to the airlock!”

I glanced at the kehppû one last time and turned to run down the hall.

Weren’t there similar creatures that could swallow bombs like these? That would certainly be convenient.

The thing vibrated, bubbling in my hands. We didn’t have much time and my only hope was that we could minimize the damage to the Arrow. If this thing was big enough to truly hurt the big vessel, it would be one hell of a bang. I didn’t think we could get far enough away even at this pace.

I hurried into the cargo bay, realizing I didn’t have time to move all the gear. There wasn’t time for anything. I was going to have to jettison the bomb and tell Rachel to punch it in the other direction so we could get clear of the blast.

Could we?

I didn’t think so. I took a look at a nearby nav read out, counting the clicks away from the Arrow. I had never seen Goldie move so fast. Rachel must be one hell of a pilot. Of course, I knew that, already, but I was still astounded by her skill.

Maybe, just maybe, she could get us out of the blast zone. If an explosive this size didn’t have to be on board the Arrow to cripple her, though, Goldie was going to get vaporized.

I felt sorry for Rachel. Maybe I could force her to teleport right before I blew the bomb out the airlock, but then I really would have no chance of getting away—I’d have no pilot.

I even felt sorry for little kehppû. Poor bastard, to get caught up in something like this. So much emotion welled in me at that moment I actually hugged the bomb tightly, closing my eyes.

Evelyn.

She was all around me. I could smell her, feel her, taste her. I smiled, letting my memories comfort me.

Then I opened my eyes and strode determinedly to the airlock.

Time to do this.

Evelyn

I stood there, watching Olath run away from me. No doubt, he had known that I was about to do something seriously risky, and now he wanted to make sure I couldn’t—by doing something even more dangerous.

“Olath!” I cried, knowing that he wouldn’t stop. The others gathered around me, Thelkor still watching the surrounding walls of vegetation to make sure no more Suhlik were lurking around.

“What’s he doing?” muttered Timcur.

“Something stupid,” Storgin replied. Thelkor just kept his eyes on our perimeter.

“What do we do?” I asked, my voice very soft.

“We head for the teleport. That seems to be where he’s heading and we can find out where he went, at least.”

I nodded, walking quickly behind Timcur as he set off. Storgin and Thelkor kept their eyes out, searching through the rows of tall plants for signs of attack. I was tired and wrung out, but a nervous energy was running across my skin. I had gone from being ready to blow myself up to freaking out that I wasn’t actually going to get blown up—because my lover was going to blow himself up.

“My head hurts,” I wailed.

Storgin rubbed me on the shoulder. “If we don’t get blown up, I’ve got some medication back at the lab. It’ll be better than anything you’ve ever had on Earth.”

“I think I just need to lie down,” I moaned.

The teleport pad came into sight and we hurried towards it. Before we could examine the last destination code, Timcur’s comm buzzed.

“Captain?” Rachel’s voice came through, high and strained.

Fuck.

“Rachel?” Thelkor roared, ripping the comm from Timcur’s belt. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Take it easy, baby,” she said gently. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

“No,” he moaned. “Don’t tell me. Don’t.”

“Give me that!” Timcur grabbed the comm and wrenched it away from Thelkor. “Rachel, report.”

“Olath’s here, boss. We’re leaving the Arrow behind at a fast clip. He’s going to jettison the bomb.”

“Shit,” Storgin muttered.

Thelkor clenched his fists and ground his teeth together. “I will fucking kill him.”

“Not if I get there first,” I muttered.

“Rachel, are you aware of the blast radius? That thing is powerful enough to cripple the Arrow even from a distance. Are you sure you can get away in time?”

Long silence. I heard the kehppû warbling. My eyes filled with tears.

“I’m gonna do my best, Captain,” Rachel said, her voice full of determination.

Storgin ran to the computer terminal beside the teleport pad and quickly punched on the keys. He brought up Diana’s Arrow and a basic view of all her docked ships and nearby objects. One of them was very small and sped away at an incredible pace.

Goldie.

“Fuck!” Thelkor threw his gun on the ground and stepped away. He couldn’t look at the screen. Timcur watched him, but obviously knew if he approached, Thelkor was going to completely lose his shit.

I could relate. I thought my world had been destroyed once, everything I knew cut out of my heart. This blade was different. Jagged and rough, it cut all the way to my soul.

My eyes burned as they continued to fill with hot tears that spilled down my cheeks. I could feel Olath all around me, his hands, his skin, his voice. A great, terrible pain lanced through my chest and I started to tremble.

No, baby no. Please don’t do this.

I couldn’t lose him, too. Not now, after everything we’d had together. He remade my world. How could I live without him?

I wanted to scream into the comms and curse him. I wanted to wail and punch the ground. But all I did was stand there, watching that tiny, blinking light.

The signal began to fragment, and the screen blurred.

Storgin cursed, tapping it. “It’s the bomb. It’s reaching ignition and interfering with the signal. Detonation will be in about five seconds.”

I couldn’t move. I felt someone’s hand take mine and looked up to see Thelkor. I squeezed his fingers, wordlessly thanking him. His face twisted as he saw my eyes, then looked back at the screen.

The view was bad, jumping around and full of static. Storgin counted down, calculating the ignition. I knew his calculations were almost always right, but did I really want to know the exact moment my lover died?

“Three, two, one,” whispered Storgin.

The screen went black. The lights overhead flickered and there was a far-off rumble that made the breath rush from my lungs.

Thelkor was gripping my hand so hard I thought he might pull it right off, but I was clinging to him, too. Storgin quickly rebooted the monitor and searched around the Arrow for vessels.

The sky was empty.

Timcur pounded a button on the comm. There was a crackle, but nothing more.

“Goldie?” he whispered. “Rachel, do you read?”

Dead air. Nothing. Beside me, Thelkor made a strange sound, as if he would wail with grief but was way too tough to actually vocalize his emotions.

The comm crackled and all of us jumped. Timcur stared at it. We all did.

“Captain?” came the voice.

“Olath!” I screamed, dropping everything and grabbing the comm. “You fuckwit, you absolute fucking dick! I’m going to kill you!”

He was laughing, the bastard was laughing!

“Stop it! This isn’t funny!”

“I’m not laughing because it’s funny, Evelyn,” he said seriously. “I’m laughing because it’s just so damn good to hear your voice. A few seconds ago, I wasn’t sure I’d ever hear it again.”

I moaned, tears pouring down my cheeks. Thelkor hugged me and Timcur took back the comm.

“Report, Olath. Is Rachel okay?”

“Yes, sir. She’s more than okay, she pulled some smart maneuvers to get us out of there. Goldie’s fine, too, but we lost a bit of equipment from the cargo bay.”

Timcur laughed, a sound of shock and relief mixed in one. “Don’t worry about it, soldier. All that matters is that everyone’s okay.”

I had to know how this miracle happened.

“How did you make it out of the blast radius in time? You shouldn’t have had enough time...”

“The power modifications you made to propulsion, Evelyn!”

Rachels’s voice rang out from the comms. My eyes grew huge.

“I forgot about that in my calculations!”

“It gave us just enough speed.”

I found myself holding Thelkor’s hand, again. We grinned at each other and I knew both of us were feeling the exact same thing.

Relief so deep it seemed to melt the joints, as well as a terrible anxiety driving us to get to our mate as fast as possible, grab a hold and never, ever let go.

Olath

I stood by the teleport pad, watching it light up. We were close to the Arrow now, but we probably wouldn’t need to dock there again. I had been waiting for Timcur to relay a plan, but he didn’t have time. Evelyn and Thelkor just took over the teleporter pad to get back to Goldie as soon as possible.

The pad glowed. Before their forms could even fully materialize, Evelyn was leaping from the pad, her arms out. I caught her as she slammed against my chest, wrapping my arms around her. She was crying and laughing all at once and I did the only thing I could do—I kissed her.

She squirmed against me, her lips and tongue searching mine with frantic determination. I could feel the fear in her, still running hot, even though all was well. I lost myself in her, gave myself up to the moment. She was my entire world, in this moment and for the rest of my life.

Finally, a lack of air forced us both to stop. She pulled back, but she didn’t let go of me. Her fingernails dug into my shoulders as if she were one of those scary earth cats.

I spared a quick glance across the room and saw Rachel and Thelkor twisted in a fierce embrace in the corner. You could barely see any space between them, and they didn’t even pause when the teleport pad flashed again.

Timcur stepped down, grinning. He reached out to shake my hand while Storgin slapped me on the shoulder.

“I have to tell you, simply from a chain-of-command perspective, that your actions were reckless and if you do anything of that nature in the future, we will need to build a brig to lock you up in.”

“And unofficially?” I grinned.

“Good work,” Timcur said, giving my hand a handshake. “Damn good work.”

I swept Evelyn into my arms as we headed down to the galley. Storgin and Timcur hurried out the back to grab bags of chips and cold bottles of beer. Rachel and Thelkor had yet to separate and I didn’t feel like taking a hand from Evelyn, even if it was to reach for a beer.

Something pawed my leg, making me jump. I looked down and saw the kehppû, its tentacles slowly winding out of its face. Its eyes were big, round and yellow with huge black pupils. Evelyn jumped out of my arms down to the deck to pat it.

“Poor baby,” she said, stroking it. “Let me get you some meat.”

She ran to the kitchen, coming back with a big tray of meat and cheese. I happily stuffed my face with salami and crackers. Nothing like almost going out in a massive explosion to give a guy an appetite.

I watched Evelyn feeding the little guy some scraps of meat. She looked up at me and stood up to kiss me, one hand going down to the kehppû as it explored her leg with its tentacles.

“We should name him,” I said, thinking about the horrible moment where I thought the little guy might die without one.

Evelyn nodded. “Considering our situation, we should probably call it Lucky. It’s a common name on earth for black cats.”

I raised an eyebrow. The kehppû—Lucky—was now a very dark purple with black stripes. The tentacles were dark maroon, its eyes big and yellow.

“We don’t know what color it will turn out to be,” I said.

She shrugged. “I think Lucky is the perfect name. Maybe he’ll have nine lives like an Earth cat.”

I wasn’t sure I’d heard correctly. “What did you just say?” I asked, my voice strained.

You mean they are carnivorous, poisonous, and immortal?

“Oh, it’s just an Earth saying. Because cats are long lived and lucky. They get out of accidents easily and heal fast.”

This did nothing to reassure me, especially considering what I had planned. I started to feel anxious, but before I could even try to think my way out of the situation, the teleporter began to buzz.

“It’s someone to see you, Evelyn,” I said, putting down my beer.

She looked up in surprise. “Really, who?”

“Let’s go.” I smiled as I took her hand and we headed down the hall, arriving just as the light flickered out around the pad.

Sitting right in the center was one of the most majestic creatures I had ever seen. He was quite large—larger than I expected. His body and tail together were longer than my arm. His fur was white and extremely fluffy, with a saddle of tawny brown that ran along his back. He regarded us regally with big green eyes, sniffing the air.

“Fluffbutt!” screamed Evelyn, charging the little creature.

With a weird, predatory whine it leapt from the deck straight into her arms. She cried into his long fur, rubbing his head. The thing made a very alarming humming sound as she tickled its ears and chin, making me and Lucky take a few steps back.

Who knows what crazy powers it has? I thought, worried. My suspicions were practically confirmed when it looked over Evelyn’s shoulder and regarded me with a blank, disapproving gaze.

Then it pulled back its lips and showed its poisonous fangs, hissing at me. I jumped back so hard I fell against the wall with Lucky on top of me.

“Oh, Mr. Fluff!” Evelyn laughed, rubbing his head. He half closed his eyes and jabbed his head at her chin, making that horrible sound again. Then it looked at me and stuck out its tongue.

“Evelyn… Is it safe?”

“Of course,” she laughed. “Purring means he’s happy.”

“So why did it stick out its tongue? Does it want to eat me?”

Evelyn gave me a weird look. “Cats do that sometimes. Honestly, Olath, it’s just a cat.”

I stood up slowly, watching Lucky walk towards Evelyn. She put Fluffbutt down gently. He was a bit bigger than Lucky, but Lucky’s tentacles made him appear larger. Mr. Fluffbutt was full grown, and Lucky was barely out of babyhood, so there was still a long way to go in comparing them.

Lucky sat down and extended all of its tentacles, curious. Fluffbutt stood up tall and I noticed that his paws were extremely mobile, where Lucky’s were pointed and firm. Lucky also did not have claws. Come to think of it, neither did Fluffbutt.

“Where’s his claws?” I whispered.

Evelyn threw me an impatient look. “They’re sheathed. They only come out when he wants to hunt or play.”

Right. I remembered now. Biting, scratching, and deadly infection were signs of affection to these monsters.

Fluffbutt raised his tail and stalked back and forth, stroking his body against Evelyn’s legs. Lucky warbled, not getting up, but extending tentacles.

I swore that the cat was doing some kind of ownership display. Though unfamiliar with the beast, it certainly looked like he was showing his claim on Evelyn. The pheromones in the air suggested the same.

“Go on, Mr. Fluff,” Evelyn ordered. “Make friends.”

To my astonishment, Fluffbutt crossed the deck and smooched his face on Lucky. Lucky warbled happily and, when Mr. Fluff rubbed bodily against him and purred, Lucky tried to imitate the sound.

“See,” Evelyn said, stroking them both. “There’s enough of me for you both.”

I knelt on the deck with her, gingerly reaching out to meet the cat. I had a feeling if I were going to have a happy relationship with it, I’d have to accept its authority.

Evelyn

“This might be the best day of my life,” I said, tugging on Olath’s hand as I led him through Goldie’s narrow corridors. Fluffbutt and Lucky had remained in the galley, chasing after each other happily. With Rachel and the rest of the boys distracted by the two creatures...well, I decided to seize the opportunity.

I made a beeline toward my quarters, punched the side-panel in a hurry, then stumbled into the room. Olath followed after me, his hands going straight for my hips. He spun me around so easily you’d think I was weightless. He pinned me against the closed door.

“What?” he asked me, looking straight into my eyes. A devious grin bloomed on his face. “I thought you’d dragged me here for a celebration. Did I misread the situation?”

“I don’t think so,” I whispered, my voice coming out as a seductive purr...a very seductive purr. I placed both hands on his chest. As slowly as I could, I let my fingers wander down to his belly. I flattened my hands over his washboard abs, his muscles like solid iron under my fingertips, and dragged my teeth over my bottom lip. Could Olath be more sexy than this? “We deserve a celebration.”

“We do,” he agreed, his fingers roaming over the naked skin between my pants and shirt. The pitch of his voice dropped into the rumble of thunder. My knees threatened to buckle. This wasn’t our first time together, but Olath still made me feel weak in the knees.

He moved fast.

He pulled my shirt over my head with a single motion, then unclasped my bra. My breasts spilled free and Olath leaned in. He brought his mouth down to the valley between my breasts. My nipples hardened. Electric pleasure crackled under my skin. Pleasure radiated outward from my breasts. A scorching heat ignited between my legs.

“Oh, God,” I moaned, as Olath’s tongue climbed up my right breast. He twirled his tongue around my nipple, wrapped his lips around it, then sucked it into his mouth. He flattened his hand between my legs, forcing me to press my ass against the wall.

“I want to taste every inch of you,” he whispered, his lips moving against my nipple.

As if to prove his point, he dropped down to one knee, his hands back on my waist. He tugged my pants down my legs and I flung them to a distant corner of the room. Standing there wearing nothing but a skimpy black thong, I felt more exposed than I’d ever felt...and I loved it.

“I’m right here,” I whispered, gently wrapping my fingers around his horns. I felt the smooth bone against my palms and, as carefully as I could, I pulled Olath into me. He offered no resistance—his mouth crashed against the patch of fabric covering my wetness. With a growl, he slid his fingers under my thong’s elastic band.

Instead of pulling my underwear down, he tugged at the elastic band until it snapped. I trembled in place, the cool air of the room lapping at my wetness. That’s when Olath went for the kill.

He placed his hands over my ass, his fingers digging into my flesh, and put his mouth right back where it belonged. His tongue ran up the length of my inner lips and danced around my clit for a moment. Fireworks exploded behind my shut eyelids. To say that he knew what he was doing would be putting it mildly.

“It feels so good,” I breathed out, relishing the sweet punishment his tongue was inflicting on me. He used it to whip at my clit, exerting just the right pressure then slid it back down to my wet lips.

Over and over again, Olath repeated the pattern with his tongue ‘til my moans filled the entire room. Then he kicked it up a notch. With a hungry movement, he brushed his hand against my aching pussy. His mouth focused on my clit. He slid two fingers deep inside of me.

“Holy shit,” I said through gritted teeth, my eyes rolling in their orbits. I felt my inner walls tightening around his fingers, but that didn’t stop him—instead, he just curled his fingers into a hook, then pushed them all the way in. He only stopped once his fingertips were pressed against the hidden ridges deep inside of me. He started to massage the perfect spot.

“You’re so fucking delicious,” he whispered against my clit, the vibration of his voice making me even wetter than I already was. I was dripping. Dripping! And yet, it couldn’t be any other way.

Olath was devouring me as if his survival depended on it. That made me feel as delicious as he’d told me I was. More than just that, I felt like the luckiest woman in the entire galaxy. Again, it couldn’t be any other way—after all, to have Olath by my side was...hell, I didn’t even know how to describe it. It was better than anything I could’ve ever imagined.

“I think I’m gonna…” I trailed off.

My insides clenched. My entire body tensed, preparing itself for the inevitable. The effort proved futile. Nothing could’ve prepared me for that orgasm.

Pleasure hit me with such force my moans turned into a violent scream, wicked enough to shatter glass. Ecstasy rushed through my veins like acid, my thoughts scattered like birds after a gunshot. Every single nerve ending I had bloomed like a spring flower.

It was perfect.

Olath pulled back from me and looked up, his chin glistening with my juices. His eyes found mine, and a lazy smile spread across his lips.

“You have no idea how much I want you.” He rose to his feet and, once he was towering over me, he brushed his thumb against my lips. “I love you so damn much, Evelyn.”

“Then prove it,” I whispered back at him, my fingers going for the hard shape straining against his pants. “Right now.”

He grinned.

“Easy enough.”

Olath

This woman…

I’d been longing for a mate, even before Evelyn had stepped foot inside Goldie. Only at this moment did I truly realize what it was to love someone. For Evelyn, I’d do everything. I’d cross the galaxy, slay the most wicked of monsters, and topple all of the ancient empires. I’d live and die for her, then I’d do it all over again.

This woman…

Ah, this woman was my everything.

I laid a hand on the nape of her neck, threaded my fingers into her flaming hair, and crushed my mouth against hers. With my eyes closed, I savored the velvet in her lips and allowed our kiss to deepen. Our tongues started by dancing around each other, but soon enough, they were wrestling.

“You have no idea how much I want you,” I whispered against her lips, the heat radiating from her body almost too much for me to take. It would be easy to lose myself in her. “You have no idea how much I need you. Ever since I first laid eyes on you...”

I let the rest go unsaid. This wasn’t the time for words, after all. I let my body do all of the talking. Evelyn seemed more than okay with it, judging by the way she willingly melted into my embrace. She thrust her chest out, pushing her naked breasts against me, and let out a soft whimper.

“Make me yours,” she breathed out. The sound of her voice coiled itself around my thoughts. “I want to be yours.”

“But you already are,” I said, whispering those words into her ear. “You’re mine, Evelyn, now and always. Just as I am yours.”

“Yes…” She pulled my shirt out so hastily the fabric caught on my horns. The shirt ripped apart, but I didn’t care. I just threw its ragged tatters away, eager to feel Evelyn’s skin on mine. I pulled her close against my chest.

My heart skipped a beat. I felt her hard nipples on my skin. My heart skipped another when she hooked her fingers on my waistband. One hard tug and my pants slid down my legs. My boxer briefs followed shortly after, and my hard cock sprung free, burning with anticipation.

I pulled Evelyn up and into me. She threw her arms over my shoulders and coiled her legs around my waist. I lowered her just a couple of inches, and felt her inner lips gripping the tip of my cock. She dropped her head, her hair spilling down her shoulders, and let out a long exhale.

“You’re my everything,” I told her, relishing the warmth and tightness of her body.

By everything that was sacred, could this woman be more perfect than this? I took a step forward, put her back against the wall, and thrust. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, and I thrust even harder. Soon enough, we were lost in a feverish embrace, our two bodies melting into one.

Still with my hard length inside her, I crossed the room and laid her onto the mattress. It shifted under our weight, welcoming our naked bodies, and that’s when we really went for it. Or, rather, that’s when Evelyn went for it.

Still with her arms over my shoulders, her fingernails clawing at my back, she twisted her hips with a jerking motion. I didn’t know how she did it, but I found myself on my back, Evelyn on top of me. She leaned forward, buried her fingernails into my chest, and offered me a wicked grin.

“My turn now,” she said, her voice brimming with the sweetest of promises. When I tried to sit up, she slammed her palms against my chest, forcing my back onto the mattress again. “No.”

It was just a word, but its meaning was clear enough. Evelyn wanted to be in charge, and I was more than happy to let her. When she started rocking her hips, her body swaying like the surface of the ocean, that happiness turned into full-blown euphoria.

Evelyn rode me straight into oblivion, her movements so damn perfect it was hard to believe I wasn’t dreaming—but I wasn’t dreaming. The moment was as real as anything I’d ever experienced.

We came at the same time, rapture crashing against us both like a tidal wave. It blanketed both our bodies and mind. Then it pulled us under, dragging us into a world where everything was perfect. I felt my cock throb hard, my seed spilling into her, and that’s when I knew.

“I want to have a child,” I said without thinking. “One as beautiful and smart as you are.”

Evelyn said nothing.

She just looked into my eyes, her lips slightly parted. Locks of hair tumbled over her face, framing it in the dim light of her quarters. At that moment, she seemed like a portrait of herself. For a split second, I thought I’d said the wrong thing. Then a smile spread across her lips.

“I’d like that.” Her voice was low, nothing but a faint whisper, but it was everything that I needed to hear. “I’d like that very much.”

Even though we’d just come, Evelyn swayed her hips gently, and I remained hard. We rolled to the side and, once I was back on top of her, I started thrusting again.

“You know,” Evelyn said. “I might not get pregnant on our first try.”

“Then we’ll just keep trying.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “As long as it takes.”

And so it was.

Goldie drifted through the void, the purr of its engines coming through the walls. The faint laughter of the crew in the galley was there as well, and I imagined them giving chase to the kehppû and Evelyn’s cat.

I was a military man, through and through. I’d always known that I’d find a family in my brother’s-in-arms. Now that Evelyn was here though, my family had grown, and if we were lucky…

Yes, we’ll be lucky, I thought. And we’ll be happy.

Timcur

I sat on the bridge, watching the darkness swirling by, lit by streaming stars. Rachel and Thelkor were in bed, as were Evelyn and Olath.

So, they should be, I thought. They deserved to be together under any circumstance, but especially after the recent events. I didn’t know where Storgin was. He could be in the galley, the lab or in his bunk.

After the party and the great introduction of Fluffbutt—who captured my heart with his regal attitude and his love of ear rubs—I came up to control to contact my superiors. I had a really bad feeling about this, and I didn’t know why.

We should be heroes. We saved the Arrow, and we foiled the Suhlik. Of course, those criminals were still on board, and most likely cooking up a new scheme. I expected that my first orders would be to round them up.

So why was I sitting here with my hand poised above the controls, nervous about contacting command? My instincts were screaming at me that something was not right.

I slapped the main button, punching in the codes. The screen blinked, but nothing happened.

“This is Captain Timcur of The Golden Meridian. Come in, Command.”

The screen flickered, white static on black. My heart started to pound, and I fired up a different terminal to do a quick search on Diana’s Arrow and any recent news events. I put in a few command codes on the other screen, trying to get into a secure channel.

Within seconds, the information network was feeding me tons of images and stories. Bombs gone off, hundreds of people injured, and major hubs damaged or completely destroyed.

My chest got so tight it felt like my heart was having trouble beating. I couldn’t take it all in. It looked like the attack on the Arrow was just a distraction, diverting us while the Suhlik hit other places all around the galaxy.

I was looking at one particularly nasty shot of a blown open moon base with corpses strewn about when one of my security codes finally worked on the other terminal. This made sense. If the Suhlik had attacked all over, they must have locked down right across the network.

“Captain Timcur?”

“Yes! Command, this is Captain Timcur, ready to report on the situation at Diana’s Arrow.”

“Good of you to call in, Captain. This is Security Officer Delvin. I’m managing the crisis.”

“I was calling in to tell you that the mission at the Arrow was a complete success. I did not realize that the Suhlik were planning on other attacks, at the same time. We didn’t gather enough intel to be able to prevent it.”

My voice took on a slightly desperate tone. I couldn’t believe this had happened. More units should have been dispatched. We shouldn’t have allowed this to happen.

“We appreciate your report, Timcur,” Delvin said, his tone very light and impersonal. “We weren’t expecting you to contact us. Are you prepared to give us mission details?”

“Yes, of course,” I said, turning back to the other screen. I flicked through the images, seeing dozens of attacks. So much carnage. The Suhlik had a lot to answer for and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them.

“Can you give me details on the other attacks?” I asked. “The locations on the news stories are vague. The damage reports are incomplete, and I want a correct number of how many have been killed.”

“I tell you what,” Delvin said smoothly. “Why don’t you come on in, Captain? We can give Goldie a tuneup and debrief you properly.”

Something was very wrong with his casual, even tone. It was way too persuasive. My instincts were going berserk. Something was telling me to cut off comms and run, now.

“That sounds like an unusual procedure,” I said, stalling. “Why do you need us to come in?”

“As I said, Captain, we can debrief you and you can give us your information. By all means, start talking if you have any news that would be of value to us.”

His voice had taken on a hard edge. I ignored him and the screen while I flicked through the news stories. There had to be something in here about the Suhlik terrorists.

Then, a page came up that made my blood run cold. I literally felt chills creeping across my bones.

It was a picture of us, taken not long after the last mission. Rachel was grinning, giving the camera a thumbs up. Thelkor had an arm around her and Storgin, Olath, and I were standing just behind them, smiling.

The caption read, ‘The crew of The Golden Meridian have left data signatures on all explosive devices and intel has been forwarded to command centers showing their plans to attack innocent people in multiple locations at once. The reason for the attacks is unclear, but there is no doubt that these soldiers have become criminals. They are extremely dangerous and should not be approached. If they are encountered, alert the nearest authorities immediately.’

I sat, frozen to my chair. Delvin called out to me.

“Captain Timcur, are you there? What is your closest base or hub location? We can come out to meet you—”

“Shit!” I screamed, breaking the connection. They had probably been tracing me. We had to get out of here now.

I didn’t understand any of this. The deaths of so many people affected me deeply. I still couldn’t process it. Having a frame job thrown on top of that completely destroyed the calm demeanor I’d cultivated for most of my life.

I honestly don’t think I can keep my shit together this time.

Numb with shock, I ran to wake up Rachel. We needed to fly, and we needed to do it now.

* * *

Keep reading for a sneak peak or click to get Timcur now!

Timcur: Sneak Peek

Nora

The full-spectrum recorder I checked out of the University’s Student Media department floated near my shoulder. The world had become a much larger place since Earth discovered life in the greater galaxy.

The woman who approached me could barely keep her comments to herself. I smiled. The upcoming local city budget proposal might not be the most glamorous event to cover for my Political Science class project, but Professor Eggers liked to see his students out talking to the masses.

“How do you feel about the budget pro…”

Her words exploded from her mouth.

“Well, let me just tell you. Councilman Rogers has no idea what he’s talking about. That man couldn’t find his ass with both hands and a map…”

This lady is gold. She’s the perfect face of community outrage. This is going to look great in my project.

The woman continued to complain, giving me everything I needed to wrap up my short documentary project in a matter of minutes. Fifteen minutes later, I had my equipment packed. The project didn’t specifically call for full-spectrum recording, but I like to think big.

Many species in the galaxy saw light spectrums human eyes couldn’t and I wanted my professor to see I was thinking beyond just Earth. Politics always excited me. I salivated at the thought of running for office, and not just for the excitement. I really wanted to make the galaxy a better place.

And find Human women an alternative to the Lottery…

First, though, I must learn to play the game…and edit together clips of the outraged masses. With the full-spectrum recorder carefully packed so I could return it without losing my deposit, I headed home.

I walked through campus, past the majestic buildings and carefully manicured lawns. Large, old trees planted hundreds of years ago, when the University had been founded, shaded my path. The light breeze ruffling my blonde ponytail hinted at warmer temperatures to come.

My comms bracelet buzzed on my wrist.

“Hi, Mom. I’m so glad you…”

“I’m happy to hear your voice, too, Nora. Now, don’t get too worked up. He’s fine, now…”

“Who’s fine?”

“Your father had a medical incident. He’s going to be ok…”

I froze in my tracks. My heart raced.

“Medical incident?! Mom, what happened.”

“Well, you know his heart hasn’t been the best.”

“Mom, get to the point.”

I heard Mom sigh over the phone.

“Mom?”

“Your father had a small heart attack…”

“What the f…small? Heart attack? You act like this is normal…”

“I’m not acting like it’s normal, Nora. Well, I guess this is the new normal. Dad will be fine if I can convince him to follow the Doctor’s recommendations.”

“I’m coming home right now.”

“Don’t you dare. You can’t leave your classes now.”

“Mom, I’m coming home. Dad is way more important.”

“No, Nora.”

I heard mom sigh again.

“Mom…”

“Nora! Listen for once. I’ll have him call you tonight, ok? Don’t you dare waste the education we’ve worked so hard to pay for.”

“Ouch.”

“Sorry. It’s just… Nora, find a place to sit. Don’t say anything, yet. Let me get through this. Honestly, having to have this conversation with you is almost worse than driving your father to the Emergency Room.”

I dropped onto a nearby bench. I took a deep breath.

“Ok, I’m sitting. Let’s…just say what you need to say.”

“I know we promised to put you through University…”

I heard Mom draw in a deep breath. When she spoke, her words came out in a rush.

“Yeah?”

“With…with this…heart thing…”

“You need the money to take care of Dad.”

“I’m so sorry. It’s getting so hard to make ends meet. I…I just don’t know what to do, but your father is going to need some therapy and the new medications…I just don’t know what else to do, Nora.”

“Mom, don’t cry. It will be ok. Give me a minute to…to digest all of this, ok? There is a solution, just let me think.”

“Ok. I’m so sorry…”

“No, Mom, don’t be sorry. Of course Dad needs what he needs. That’s no one’s fault. Just…let me think. We’ll talk later, when you have Dad call, ok?”

“Ok, Nora. I’m so sorry.”

“Hush, Mom, it will be ok. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

I sat on the bench long after the call ended. I tried to think, but my thoughts kept hitting the same walls—Dad. Money. My future. Mom sounding so worried.

Mom has enough to deal with, now. She doesn’t need to worry about both Dad’s health and my future. Mom needs to focus on Dad. What am I going to do? Where am I going to find enough money?

I shook my head to clear the tangle of thoughts warring inside. I took a deep breath and decided to take care of what I could at the moment and headed to the Media department to return the full-spectrum recorder.

I walked in a daze, head filled with newly born anxieties and impossible choices. Before I knew it, I stood at the Media department counter. I downloaded my footage, wiping the recorder’s memory.

“Are you ok?”

“What?”

My head snapped up. The woman behind the counter looked at me like I was a lost child.

At this moment, maybe I am.

“Are you ok?”

When I opened my mouth to assure her I was fine, the tangled mass of my thoughts came out, instead.

“I just found out my father had a heart attack, and my parents are struggling to handle the medical bills and now I don’t know how I will be able to pay for school and I hate myself a little for worrying about my school when Dad’s sick and Mom is so worried and…”

I broke down in chest-heaving sobs. Big, fat tears erupted. My knees gave way. I wrapped my arms around my core as if to hold in my shock and grief. I plopped onto the floor, dropping my bag.

“Sorry, I’m sorry…”

The woman wrapped her arms around me. She petted my hair and made soothing sounds, rocking me while I ugly cried on her shoulder.

“Nothing to be sorry for.”

We sat there, on the floor ‘til my tears emptied themselves. To my relief, no one else stopped by to interrupt us. As soon as I could, I pulled myself together enough to pull back.

“Thank you. I’m so sorry, I think I snotted all over your shirt.”

She laughed, this stranger who had taken time out of her day to comfort me when she didn’t have to.

“It will wash. Feeling better?”

I nodded, digging tissues from my bag and blowing my nose.

“Yes, thank you. I’m Nora.”

“Hi, Nora. I’m Jeannie. It sounds like you have a lot on your mind right now.”

I laughed.

“Yeah.”

“Have you considered Student Services? They have counselors you can speak with.”

“I, literally, found out right before I got here. Returning the recorder was the only thing I could concentrate on, after Mom’s call.”

She nodded.

“That makes sense. Look, I don’t know the details of your situation, but my best friend was in, what sounds like, a very similar situation.”

I looked at her, the desperate need for hope gripping my guts.

“What did she do?”

“She volunteered for the Lottery.”

I blinked.

The Lottery?

“What happened?”

“It worked out for her. Her family got the million dollars and she fell in love.”

“Well, shit. You make it sound not so bad.”

Jeannie laughed, then shrugged.

“It was a long shot, anyway, matching an alien. So few match. But she did and she’s happy.”

I could split the money with Mom and Dad…

Timcur

Cloaked, The Golden Meridian floated in the blackness behind Ginaaak V’s fourteenth moon. Diana’s Arrow, the starferry, had drifted on along her route many hours ago. The edges of the planet peeked around the moon behind which we hid.

Perhaps, I should have moved on long ago, but I struggled to find direction. The Mahdfel authorities had abandoned Goldie, believing the lies of that slimy, snake-headed Suhlik terrorist, Zarklac. Now, my own superior officers believed Goldie and her crew had attempted multiple acts of terror across this sector of the galaxy.

Something deep inside me strained, stretched near to my limit. I had dedicated my life to my people, followed every order, respected every regulation…

How could the Mahdfel, my own people, have turned against me so quickly?

Guilt gnawed at my gut.

And, now, Goldie and her crew had been declared outlaws, rogues.

Pain and frustration fueled the roiling chaos of emotions inside. My eyes searched the spectacular ruin of below. Some tragic cosmic event had smashed another planetary body into Ginaaak V long ago. Only three quarters of a planet remained. The missing quarter made up the fourteen orbiting moons.

I felt like that shattered planet. My superior officer’s betrayal had hit me like that rogue celestial body cracked and sundered Ginaaak V. All I thought I knew, and could rely upon, orbited me the way the planet’s shattered pieces orbited its frozen landscape.

How do I even put myself back together? Can I even put the shattered pieces of myself together? Or will I forever remain fractured?

Goldie’s intercom crackled to life, drawing me from the dark thoughts swirling in my mind. Rachel’s voice spoke to me in the darkness of my quarters.

“Captain! Message from the urchins on Diana’s Arrow.”

I jabbed the intercom button, energized by the prospect of actionable intel.

“On my way.”

I rose from my chair, shoving my worries deep into the dusty recesses of my mind. I squared my shoulders and walked through the corridors. Halfway through the galley, Mr. Fluffbutt Clawson, Evelyn’s cat, nearly tripped me. I dodged at the last minute. Fluff wasn’t after me, he was stalking Lucky, Evelyn’s kehppû.

The tentacle-mouthed kehppû jumped Fluff and I left them to their play. I had never intended to travel with pets, but who could tell Evelyn, “no”? Besides, at this point, were anyone to try, I felt certain the Human women on Goldie’s crew wouldn’t allow it. I chuckled.

The Human women had, originally, joined Goldie’s crew as DNA mates. They also quickly took over.

And seriously improved all our lives.

I stepped onto the bridge. Rachel, our pilot, turned and smiled.

“Morning, Captain.”

“Is it? Let’s hear this message.”

Rachel punched a button on her console. A child’s thin voice spoke.

“To the Captain and crew of The Golden Meridian: Greetings. Big Momma invites you to meet at Diana’s Arrow. We believe we have evidence which could help prove your innocence. Please respond.”

Rachel looked at me, cocking an eyebrow. Hope blazed to life in my chest, fueled by all of my guilt, frustration, betrayal…

Mahdfel HQ may have turned their back on Goldie, but I have not turned my back on my crew. Every person on Goldie deserves the chance at exoneration.

“Would you like to respond, Captain?”

“Yes, I would.”

“Recording.”

“The Golden Meridian accepts. Will transmit docking number upon arrival on Diana’s Arrow.”

“Sent, Captain.”

“Thank you, Rachel. ETA?”

“Two hours.”

“I’ll be in the galley. I’m craving slox.”

“Right, Captain. Do us all a favor and stay away from the news feeds, ok?”

I groaned.

“Why? What are they saying, now?”

Rachel’s eyes narrowed at me. She sighed.

“Someone released a video of us on the Diana’s Arrow Ag deck.”

“And?”

“And, it makes it look like we planted the bomb.”

“But! We saved them from the bomb!”

Rachel patted my shoulder.

“I know, Captain. I know. So, we’re going to have to fiddle with the transponder a little and be careful when we return to Diana’s Arrow, is all. I’ll get Evelyn on it. Go have your slox. We know the Urchin Information Network is on our side.”

I nodded.

“True, true, and we need all the help we can get.”

“I’ll let you know when we get close, ok?”

“Thanks, Rachel.”

“No problem. If you see Thelkor, tell him to come give me a kiss.”

I spun on my heel and left for the galley, grumbling about nothing in particular. I struggled to maintain my normal, jovial attitude.

I entered the pantry and grabbed my box of slox and sat at the galley’s booth. I shoved a handful in my mouth. For a moment, I thought of nothing but the citrusy, sour notes of the crunchy slox. I couldn’t imagine why I was the only one who enjoyed the flavor of the little, preserved bugs.

I shrugged, deciding their loss was my gain. I, soon, lost myself to my thoughts and the citrusy sour of my slox. Rachel’s voice over the intercom broke into my thoughts.

“Docking in ten minutes.”

I recycled the slox packaging.

This kitchen is a disaster, again. Someone has got to do something about that, eventually.

Olath and Evelyn jogged by on the way to the bridge, hand in hand. While passing me, Evelyn smiled.

“I masked the transponder, Captain. Now, we look like a freighter called The Horse Face.”

“Excellent. Thank you, Evelyn. Goldie has never run more smoothly.”

Evelyn, our Engineer, grinned from ear to ear.

“Thank you, Captain!”

Olath, her mate and my Executive Officer, wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him.

“See, my love, you’re awesome.”

Evelyn kissed him. For a moment, I wished I also had a mate, but I couldn’t complain. The crew had never worked better, since Thelkor and Olath had found mates. Everyone but Storgin, our Medical Officer/Doctor/Scientist, who preferred to travel in his lab, was strapped into the seats on the bridge.

With her usual awe-inspiring skills, Rachel docked with Diana’s Arrow and transmitted our docking number to the UIN. Evelyn insisted we dress in some hooded cloaks. I wondered where she had gotten them but decided it better not to ask at the moment.

“Thelkor, Olath, let’s go.”

“Yes, Captain.”

We opened Goldie’s hatch and stepped out into the busy corridor beyond. We attempted to look casual, though I was certain Rachel and Evelyn were probably laughing at us. A small child casually approached our position.

Before I could make contact with the child, a Mawkwil flanked by two security officers caught my attention. Eight-feet tall, a bipedal alien with a three-foot long neck dressed in a, decidedly official, suit, the Mawkwil walked right up to our party.

“Captain! Captain Timcur?”

Oh, no. They must think we’re terrorists, after the news feed…

“Captain! I must speak with you…”

A crowd began to gather. The young urchin jumped between the Mawkwil and I.

“Captain Gratham, we don’t need no trouble, here…”

“Stay out of this, child.”

The urchin flashed a shank at Captain Gratham.

“Captain…if you’re here to arrest anybody, I promise you trouble.”

Thirty urchins stepped out of the crowd, flashing their own shanks and shivs. The crowd grumbled.

Please let this not be a war…

Nora

“Mom…”

“Nora, there has to be another way…”

“Mom…”

“I’m just not sure this is the best idea…”

“Mom! Listen for a second…”

“Nora…”

“The chances my DNA will match some random alien are astronomically low.”

“Well, I know, but…”

“And, even if I DO match, we’ll split the money. Half-a-million dollars will set me up for the rest of my schooling and you can’t tell me half-a-million wouldn’t help you and Dad.”

Mom fell silent. I held my breath, waiting for her to process the idea.

“But…Nora, what if you don’t come back?”

I laughed.

“Mom, nothing, and I mean nothing, will keep me away from you and Dad for long. I’ve never even heard of a DNA-matched Human woman complaining. Everything I have managed to research says the DNA matched women are happy. And, it will look great on my resume! Galactic experience, are you kidding me? Everyone in Polisci would kill to get galactic experience on their resume, especially at this point in their career…”

Mom sighed.

“Are you certain, Nora? This is a huge decision.”

“Mom, I’m sure. I’ve thought it all through. It’s not that much different than when I left for University…”

“Nora! This is, literally, millions of miles away from leaving home for college.”

“Ok, well, one weak analogy doesn’t change the fact that I feel this is an acceptable risk.”

Mom chuckled.

“You always were hard-headed.”

“I prefer to think of it as confidence in my life choices.”

“I know you do.”

Mom sighed.

“Mom. You know I love you and Dad. You aren’t losing me.”

“I believe you, I just never, really, thought about you coming back from University with a half-alien child.”

I laughed long and deep.

“Well, that’s one way to look at the bright side. Would that really be so terrible?”

“Ask me next week, when I’ve had time to think about it.”

I laughed.

“Momma, I love you.”

“We love you, too, Nora. What are you going to do about your things?”

“Well, I don’t have much. I mean, I’m living in the dorm. But, I spoke to the University. Apparently, Earth Authorities have worked out a deal for students who DNA match. The Testing center notifies the school, the school packs your things, and sends them to the student’s permanent address. Unless you don’t want to store my stuff…”

“Don’t be ridiculous, of course we will. Just…Nora, just call me IMMEDIATELY as soon as possible, ok? I’m not going to stop worrying ‘til I know you are ok.”

“I will, Mom. I will. I’m outside the testing center now. I’ll let you know as soon as I can, ok?”

“Ok. Let me get Dad. These new medications make him real sleepy…”

“Is he napping?”

“Yes, but I can wake him…”

“No, Mom, let him sleep. If his body needs the rest, I’d feel terrible about you waking him for something that, in all likelihood, will turn out to be nothing. If, by some miracle, I do match, I’ll have plenty of time to call him later. Don’t worry.”

“Well, there’s no way I couldn’t worry, but I appreciate the sentiment. I love you, Nora. Take care of yourself for me.”

“Oh, Mom, I will. You know me…”

Mom chuckled.

“Do I ever. Ok, well, if you’re going to do it, go ahead and do it. No use talking about it more now.”

“I’ll talk to you soon. I promise.”

“Love you.”

“Love you, too, Mom. Give Dad a huge hug for me.”

“I will.”

I hung up before Mom could cry. I wasn’t certain I could walk through the doors of the University’s Testing Center if Mom started crying. For all my big talk to Mom, my stomach fluttered. I took a deep breath and stepped through.

I walked up to the counter. The receptionist looked about my age. She smiled.

“Hi. How can I help you? Are you here to be tested?”

I took a deep breath.

“Yes.”

“Excellent. Just step this way.”

She rose and led me past the counter and down a hallway. We passed several doors before she opened one. She waved me inside.

“Here you go. A technician will be with you, shortly.”

“Thank you.”

She smiled and left, closing me into the small room. I picked up a random magazine, prepared to wait patiently. I looked at it, but my mind saw nothing on the page. I fidgeted. A few minutes later, a technician opened the door and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

“Hello, my name is Darriel and I’ll be your technician, today. We just need a small blood sample.”

“Hi.”

He reached for my hand, pricked my finger, and collected a drop of my blood with a pipette. He squeezed the drop into the collection well of a complicated-looking device built into one wall. On the device's screen, a circular loading message flashed.

Darriel and I watched the loading symbol circle long enough for my mind to wander. The screen flashed, “CODE 459”.

“What does Code 459 mean?”

“Uhhhhh…give me one second to find out. I’ve never seen this before. I’ll be right back…”

Darriel rose, exiting the room. My nerves jangled my knee.

What could that mean? Is there something wrong? Am I dying or do I have some terrible gene hiding in my DNA? Am I about to find out I have some horrible genetic disease? Maybe it’s just the machine…maybe it just needs servicing…

The door to the testing room opened and a uniformed man entered.

Earth Authorities? Why would…

A strained smile spread across the man’s face.

“Hello, Nora. I have some awkward news. First, you have matched to a Mahdfel. Unfortunately, that Mahdfel is a wanted terrorist.”

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Rogue Mate

Science fiction romance is the destination of the Rogue Star…. Hop on board!

Our rescuers are a group of pirates. Or smugglers. They're not exactly answering questions, either.

More importantly, they're giant, golden skinned aliens...

And their rogue of a captain seems very interested in the little human commander.

Me.

Rogue Mate is the first in the Rogue Star science fiction alien romance series. Click now to start the adventure!

Kazan

A mate is the last thing on my mind.

Especially one as sassy as the human female they say is my match.

Even if her lush curves call for my touch, and her fiery spirit is equal to my own.

I will endure the thirty days demanded by the Protocol.

But with every look, every word, I can feel us bound closer together.

Will I be able to leave her, even for her own safety?

Kazan is the first book of the Jorkan Protocol Mates. Click now to spend the night with this perfect steamy, funny science fiction romance escape. There's no cheating, and a guaranteed HEA for each alien warrior and his mate!

Copyright © 2021 by Ava York

All rights reserved. These books or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the Author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This book is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and situations within its pages and places or persons, living or dead, is unintentional and co-incidental.