REKKER

VAZNIK WARRIORS: BOOK ONE

AVA YORK

STARR HUNTRESS

CONTENTS

Lila

Rekker

Lila

Rekker

Lila

Rekker

Lila

Rekker

Lila

Rekker

Lila

Rekker

Lila

Rekker

Lila

Rekker

Lila

Rekker

Lila

Rekker

Lila

Rekker

Lila

Rekker

Lila

Rekker

Lila

Rekker

Lila

Rekker

Lila

Are you a STARR HUNTRESS?

Kyre: Sneak Peek

Rogue Mate

LILA

“Lila, it’s time!”

My sister Nora’s voice echoed through the old wooden barn. The little lamb I was trying to bottle feed squirmed in my arms and I muttered under my breath.

Of course it was time. Every Friday, just about now, it was always time.

“Lila!” Nora called again and I heard the squeak of the barn door opening.

“You’d better shut that tight behind you,” I yelled, even though I wouldn’t mind the distraction of having to round up the rest of the flock.

Especially today.

I scratched behind the little guy’s ears before withdrawing the empty bottle.

“I’ll be back in just a few minutes,” I promised and stood, brushing straw from the knees of my jeans.

Nora leaned over the stall door, rolling her eyes.

“You’re going to be late,” she chided.

“There’s not any way to be late,” I grumbled. “The lottery is going to happen if we’re there to listen to it with bated breath or not.”

The late spring evening wrapped the farmhouse in gentle shadows, still just a touch chilly from the last frost. Alfalfa had already started to come up, and the farm would be in full swing soon.

“What if you don’t know? Are you packed? What would you bring?” She bounced beside me as we left the barn and crossed the yard towards the house. “I’m packed. Just in case.”

Nora was the only person I knew who was excited about the lottery.

She was excited at the idea of going to strange new worlds, meeting aliens, having adventures.

All of that.

I was excited that we weren’t all dead or slaves at the hands of the Suhlik, but a treaty that involved my body, made without my input, that could turn me into a broodmare for some alien Mahdfel warrior I’ve never met?

No thanks.

I had other plans. The farm had other plans for me, even if I didn’t. I did my best not to even think about the lottery, the treaty, the testing.

Any of it.

Nora tugged me into the house, ignoring my grumbling. As usual.

“Come on, girls.” Mom’s voice drifted in from the family room, tight with worry as it always was on Friday.

Six daughters.

If it weren’t for the superstitious taboo that kept anyone from talking about the lottery, her friends probably would have teased her that she was tempting fate.

With six daughters, the likelihood that one of us would be selected, have our birthdate pop up on some random Friday, was higher than normal.

But the odds of being matched were the same for everyone, I reminded myself as I kicked off my filthy workboots in the mudroom and followed Nora in.

Our other sister, Jane, was already on the sofa, arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

As the third oldest, she’d just become eligible. just realized how quickly her life could change.

Posey, Farah, and Kate were too young. At fourteen, eleven, and nine, respectively, they could ignore it. Hell, I wanted them to ignore the whole thing.

Until they didn’t have a choice.

The government comms unit crackled to life and my mother froze, eyes fixed on it.

My father stopped mid-rock in the old rocking chair across the room, watching us all with the same hazel eyes I’d inherited from him.

Normally, we counted on the government communication unit for information about tornadoes, nasty hailstorms, the sort of things that you needed to know about on a rural farm.

But every Friday was lottery day.

“Good Friday, citizens,” the announcer said.

His voice was far too cheerful. Every single week, it grated on my frayed nerves.

Who on Earth had told him that this was even vaguely appropriate for the thousand, probably millions listening, waiting, hoping?

“Those lucky females born on February twenty-first should report to the testing facility nearest you.” My heart froze in my chest, as Nora’s wide eyes swung towards me.

“I repeat, February twenty-first is the date selected for this week’s lottery. Thank you for your attention and adherence to the treaty. Good luck, everyone!”

My luck had run out.

February twenty-first was my birthday.

Nora bounced up and down.

“You’re going!” she squealed. “You’re really going! Are you packed? I’ll bet you’re not even packed.”

I tuned her chatter out, my eyes focused on the bleak expression on my father’s face.

“Maybe you won’t be a match,” Jane whispered, reaching down to take my hand.

“Probably not,” I agreed, squeezing her fingers.

It was true. You had to be at least a 98.5% perfect match to be sent away. It was a crazy high level.

Still, it would mean being sent away to somewhere I’d never been, probably somewhere I’d never even heard of, to be the mate of some alien.

I’d spent my life training to be a veterinarian. It was all I’d ever wanted to be, the most wonderful future I could imagine.

Between that and growing up on my family’s farm, there was very little doubt in my mind what being someone’s mate would entail.

Would I even have a choice in the matter?

I swallowed hard, feeling faint.

“I know this wasn’t in your plans, Lila, but what have I always told you?” my father asked.

There was so much kindness and love in his eyes that I forced myself to look away.

“Never give up on your dreams, no matter what,” I recited.

The words he’d told each of us girls all our lives, that no matter what happened and no matter where we ended up, our dreams should never die. And despite my anger at being selected, I knew he was right.

Earth couldn’t be the only planet in the universe with animals that I could care for. I was sure I could be a vet anywhere, on any world out there in the black, even if it wasn’t on the farm that I’d poured my blood, sweat, tears, and love into my entire life.

I couldn’t imagine a life without this place or my family. I couldn’t imagine going even a single day without my sisters.

But I quickly pushed those thoughts from my mind. If I dwelt on them, I’d never leave, and it was that thought alone that broke my heart.

At that moment, a thought hit me. It was imperative that I report to the facility, but did I have to stay there?

What if I went and just … didn’t sign in? I was sure I could find somewhere to hide out for a week and then make my way back home. I’d just tell everyone I wasn’t successfully matched.

Hell, most women weren’t a match.

It seemed plausible enough, right?

“Lila, honey.” My mom’s voice broke, just a bit. “They’re here.”

Wait.

What?

REKKER

Damn, I was tired.

It had been a long mission.

Actually, it’d been long mission after long mission, so many of them that they blurred together.

I stretched, wincing a bit, as I headed down the halls of the Calliope to the med bay.

“What are you doing back here, Rekker?” Javik snapped.

He was a good medic, and a better science officer.

But not really one for the niceties of social interaction.

“Checking to see if you were done tormenting my pilot yet,” I snarled.

Alright, maybe I wasn’t at my social best, either. The day had nearly gone very, very badly.

Javik adhered a patch over Cedroc’s eye, the sterile white disturbing against Cedroc’s hunter green skin.

“Don’t tell me you lost one,” I joked, keeping my voice light in case Cedroc actually had.

The last battle against the Suhlik raiding party had been nasty.

Luckily, Sector Command had sent the Walkandro, a mobile command hub, as well as a dozen ships all our size or larger, to take care of the bastards.

Sure, the Suhlik hadn’t attacked Earth proper since the Mahdfel had driven them away, but that didn’t seem to stop them from sniping at the edges of every system they could find, looking for easy prey for their trafficking cells and breeding centers.

We’d taken superficial injuries, but no casualties, better off than some of the other ships that had been part of the operation.

The Calliope had taken damage, but nothing more than Kyre, my engineer, would be able to handle now that we were docked with the Walkandro, like a sleek spoke radiating out from a giant wheel.

A few other ships were still docked, as well, but the rest had already departed for new missions, or if they were lucky, some downtime.

“His eye will be fine if he quits squirming,” Javik spat.

Cedroc gave a tiny shrug. “Just a laceration around the socket from where that panel came loose. Doc wants me to keep it covered to avoid infection,” he answered, finally giving me the information I needed. “I’ll be ready to go when you give the order, Captain.”

“You’ll be ready to go when I say,” Javik corrected.

I watched as the tattoos on the science officer’s shoulder heated from gold to vermilion, indicating his annoyance.

All Vaznik Mahdfel had the same tattoos, broadcasting our emotions to the rest of our crewmates and families.

Not that one usually needed to guess.

“How long do you estimate it will take to heal?” I asked, not really caring that the vermillion now was a full-blown crimson against Javik’s natural deep blue. “You do realize I’ll need my pilot to get us out of this damn system, right?”

He snorted. “A week would be ideal. If you want your pilot not to lose that eye after all.”

A week, I thought grimly.

“Maybe I can make a deal,” Cedroc said, grinning. “I’ll take it easy for the next two rotations, and then he rigs up something that just covers the wound, and not half my vision?”

I left them arguing the details.

They’d figure it out.

They always did.

In the corridor outside, I came across Kyre, who was holding a thick wad of bandages over a pretty deep gash on his left arm, and Derrix, my weapons specialist, who had quite a nasty lump rising over his right eyebrow just below where his horn began.

“Shouldn’t you be in med bay, not waiting outside?” I asked them both.

“Doc’s in a cranky mood,” Kyre answered.

“He needs to find something new to poke and prod that isn’t us,” Derrix elaborated. “Maybe some nice rock would keep him busy.”

Kyre shook his head. “We’re taking on supplies from the hub, should be able to have most of the damage repaired in a day, maybe two.”

“Biggest hassle is, the teleport is down.” Derrix leaned back against the bulkhead. “We keep having to run and ferry the stuff into the cargo hold the old way.”

“We’ll take as long as we need to,” I decided. “We don’t have anything pressing, and I think Cedroc might be on restricted duty for a bit.”

Sure, we could all pull a shift at the helm, if need be.

But Cedroc was a damn master at it.

“Do you think you’ll be able to complete a systems test sometime before tomorrow morning?” I asked Kyre.

“Absolutely. Once the Doc gets me stitched up, I’m on it,” he reassured me.

“How’re the guns looking?” I asked, turning my attention to Derrix.

His eyes were a little glazed over, but he responded quickly enough that I wasn’t worried.

“One sustained heavy damage, but the other five are still operational. I’ve already put in the request for parts to get the damaged one running,” he said. “Would be faster if the teleport was working, though.”

“Thanks, Derrix. I’ll keep that in mind,” I answered.

Once I’d spoken to every crew member, I returned to the bridge and took a seat in the captain’s chair. A beam had come down near my cabin in the firefight, and while I had temporary quarters assigned on the Walkandro, it wouldn’t be the first night I’d slept sitting up.

I stretched my long legs out in front of me and folded my hands behind my head, creating a cradle against the headrest for my curved horns.

I couldn’t help but curse whoever designed this ship.

It wasn’t a Vaznik, that much I knew. If it had been, more accommodations would have been made for our anatomy, that’s for sure.

Whenever I got enough money to build my own ship, I was going to make damn sure the chairs conformed to the horns of every one of my crew.

My eyes lingered for a moment on the massive viewport before me.

Outside, the Milky Way was burning and alive.

Meteors raced through the dark sky, sprinkling the frozen vacuum with even more shards of ice. I couldn’t help but pause for a moment to take it all in.

In all the time I’d spent out here, I’d never tired of the infinite wonder of space.

Pluto was the only dwarf planet in Earth’s solar system and was also the farthest away from its only sun.

It was the perfect location for stationing the mobile hub, convenient, but not close enough to set off Earth’s alarm bells.

The small amount of light that did reach this far orbit was muted and barely visible, but enough to set the tiny planet sparkling far below our orbit. It was eerily beautiful and even though I wanted to get my ship away from this hunk of ice as fast as possible, I couldn’t help but appreciate the frigid beauty of it all.

The blaring of the comms system interrupted the peaceful moment.

As usual.

“Captain Rekker?” a gravelly voice demanded. “If he’s not there, get him on.”

Thank the void the comms was audio only.

“I’m here, Commander Strygan.” I tore my eyes from the glittering mountains. Strygan might not be able to see me, but I was certain he’d sense any lapse in attention. “Was there a problem with my report?”

“No, not at all. From all signs, looks like the Suhlik are running scared. Maybe we’ll have a break from them for a while.”

“That would be nice, sir.” But not likely.

“You mentioned the damaged cannon and teleport. Anything else structural? Anything major?”

And … that was strange. Commander Strygan wasn’t exactly known for checking up on his officers. He assumed we’d get in, get the job done, and get out.

Repairs weren’t really his focus.

“No, sir,” I answered without asking about anything else. I might be curious, but I wasn’t stupid. “My engineer reports that we’ll be able to leave in a day, possibly two, tops.”

“Good, good.”

The old man was working his way around to something. I just didn’t know what.

“I’m planning on sticking around the Walkandro for a day to fix the gun and give the crew some rest before we take off for the homeworld,” I reported.

“Actually, I have another mission in mind for you and your team,” Strygan said.

My face fell. I had been looking forward to returning home—we hadn’t been back in months.

“Is this an offer or an order, sir?” I asked, choosing my words carefully.

“A little bit of both,” he said.

“You’ve got my attention.”

There wasn’t really any choice, but I was starting to get curious.

“It’ll be an order if you refuse, Rekker, but after hearing the details, I think you’ll agree to take it,” he said.

“I’m listening.”

“It’s a retrieval mission. If you and your team complete it successfully, you’ll earn a two week furlough, as well as striking a blow the Suhlik aren’t expecting,” Strygan told me.

My team had just gone through hell and I wanted to decline, but I knew every single one of us could use a break.

“Just yesterday, the main comms team deciphered chatter on the Suhlik channels about an ancient and powerful device. We’re not yet sure what it’s for, just that it’s important. If they want it, we can’t let the Suhlik retrieve it before we do. We have the location, and the comms crew is trying to decipher the rest of the message now.”

“What’s the catch?” I wondered.

“I haven’t finished.”

“Sorry, sir.”

I was pretty good at taking orders, but I was also no stranger to getting ahead of myself.

“The catch is that the device seems to be located in a cluster of planets in a relatively uncharted area. We don’t know what’s out there, other than what appears to be three large gaseous planets with four moons orbiting each, as well as two dwarf, moonless planets. You’d be going in pretty much blind,” he explained.

The crew of the Calliope was one of the best teams the Vaznik people have ever assembled.

Our victory today only proved how capable we were and, even though I would’ve liked to have provided them with more rest, I knew they’d follow me anywhere.

“Permission to make a request, sir?” I asked.

“What is it, Rekker?”

“After this recon, my crew gets a two-week furlough back on Vaznik. They need time to recoup and spend time with their families. It’s been a long six months.”

“Granted, Rekker. So, you accept?”

“Yes, sir. Send through the coordinates—we’ll set course as soon as the cannon is back online.”

“Excellent. I knew I could count on you, Rekker. I look forward to seeing you back at base soon. Over and out,” Strygan said before the comms line went dead.

I sat back in the chair, looking out the viewport to the frozen wasteland below, but not really seeing it.

Here we go again.

LILA

“We’re here, Miss Kanes,” the older soldier said gruffly.

I noticed that he hadn’t met my eyes throughout the entire trip, even though he’d sat in the back of the transport with me rather than up front with the driver.

What did soldiers think about this particular assignment? Escorting women to be tested, possibly sent away from their families, maybe forever?

The allied Terran forces had fought bravely, desperately, in the war against the Suhlik, but they’d been horribly overmatched.

Peace had been hard won.

It must have annoyed some soldiers to realize that women bought that peace with our bodies, not the military’s strategies.

“Thank you,” was all I said though.

It had been a two hour journey from our farm to the testing facility.

The entire ride, my mind had whirled, trying to come up with plans, anything that would get me out of this.

I’d visited the testing facility once, every girl did in high school. I think it was supposed to make it less scary, but that wasn’t exactly the result.

Every girl I knew had nightmares for weeks.

I looked through the thick, reinforced window at the facility as we approached the low building.

It was larger than I remembered, but that made sense if this was the central point for all of the population of this area.

Dozens of other vehicles were lined up in front of it.

“Seems like May was a busy month,” commented the driver.

An unreasonable thrill of hope ran through me.

If there were lots of us, maybe that would make it less likely that I would be the one chosen.

I knew that’s not how it worked, I really did.

But peering out the window at the facility, all I wanted to do was to cling to irrational hope.

“I’m sorry, Miss Kanes, we’ve got to go.”

I met the soldier’s eyes for a moment, and just for a moment, I wondered if he’d let me go, if I could twist away from his hand under my elbow.

I was in good shape from working on the farm.

I could do this.

Not.

Irrational hope was one thing.

Downright delusional was something else.

I grabbed the small bag that I’d hastily packed, to Jane’s disbelief, and followed him down the stairs.

98.5.

Step.

98.5.

I repeated the number to myself over and over with each step.

It was a ludicrously high percentage. I’d never known anyone who was matched.

I wasn’t sure my parents knew of anyone who had.

I had nothing to worry about.

Until the soldiers stationed outside the facility opened the door and I saw the bedlam within.

I was obviously the last to arrive, and the driver had been right.

May must have been very busy. There must have been thirty or forty of us in the small waiting room, and for some reason, there seemed to be a delay.

Nerves already tuned to a breaking point had shattered and hysteria ruled the hour.

“I don’t want to go!” a buxom blonde sobbed. “You can’t make me!”

I agreed with the sentiment, even if not her method of achieving her goal.

I glanced around the room. All eyes were on the blonde as she sagged to the floor.

Next to her, a brunette wailed, “I’ll never see my home again!”

“Oh, brother,” my escort muttered. “It only takes one. Stay here, Miss Kane.” And then he waded into the sea of young women.

Quickly I glanced at the door we had just come through. No salvation there, though, the steely faced guards maintained their post.

“Quiet down, ladies,” my escort shouted, rounding up the other soldiers to try to gently tug their wards back into line.

“No one is sending anyone anywhere until you get through the test.” He tried to dislodge a third woman from his leg, but she refused to let go.

“What are you going to do if you are matched and you don’t have any tears left?” he asked. “Or if you aren’t matched, and you got all worked up for nothing?”

The line in the wall was faint, but surely that was a slightly recessed door to the side of the room.

I slid over to it, and with my hand behind my back, wedged my nails into the crack.

It slid just a bit.

Then a bit more.

Finally, it was wide enough for me to dart inside and I dashed through the narrow hallway.

Obviously, this was an employee-only area of the testing facility, but I didn’t really care. All I wanted to do was find a way out.

Maybe find a storage room, some corner where nobody would find me.

Sure, someone had picked me up, they’d have a record of that, but surely they wouldn’t find me yet.

It could be someone else’s day.

Three more turns, and I found myself in a narrow stairway. It looked like an access staircase, with dim lighting and military olive-green walls.

My heart beat nervously, but I didn’t have time to be scared. I took a deep breath and made it down two flights of stairs before a blaring alarm sounded, nearly deafening me.

Damn it.

I quickened my pace, but heard doors burst open from both above and below me and I knew I’d been caught.

There must have been cameras somewhere for me to have been seen.

Of course there were.

I froze on a landing as footsteps closed in on me from both directions.

I knew I had no choice but to go with them, but my brain had set too hard into fight or flight mode.

And if I couldn’t run, I’d fight.

Four of the younger guards took hold of my arms and legs, while my original guide shook his head.

“I really had hoped you wouldn’t, Miss Kanes,” he said sadly. “But I figure it’s always the quiet ones that make a dash for it.”

I kicked out as hard as I could, but with two of them holding my legs, it was no use—there was nothing I could do to throw them off me.

They brought me to a room I recognized as a testing room. I kept struggling so hard it took all four of them to secure me in one of the chairs. Thankfully, it was a comfortable one, cushioned and made of leather.

“This will be so much easier on all of us if you stop fighting, dear. You really have nothing to fear,” one of the approaching nurses said.

“Swap places with me then,” I snapped.

“All we’re going to do at this stage is take a little blood. It’s the easiest, most non-invasive way to tell if you’re a match,” she said, completely unruffled. “You do have your paperwork on file, correct?”

I wanted to fight her more, but I knew I’d only injure myself when she tried to stick me, so I allowed it.

Of course I did. Every woman eligible for the lottery kept their forms updated. It wasn’t exactly a choice. And it was the one decent thing out of this whole deal.

The dowry. Every matched woman was given a million credits, in exchange for the “disruption” to her entire life.

Or it went to her family, in case she didn’t survive the birth of the child.

98.5%. It was close. But not perfect. Things could happen.

I shuddered. I’d filled out my paperwork the day I turned eighteen. My family would get the money no matter what. It would help make up for missing a set of hands at the farm.

Maybe hire more workers.

But I couldn’t hope for it. That would mean the impossible had happened.

“This will only take a moment,” the nurse said cheerily, as if struggling women were brought to her every day. Maybe they were.

She was right—the blood draw was over quickly, and she swept across the floor to load the vial into a machine attached to a computer.

“This should only take five minutes to come up with a result. If it’s inconclusive, we’ll try something else,” she told me.

She was wrong this time.

It took less than a minute for the machine to emit a high-pitched, positive-sounding chime.

“Well, I’ll be … that’s the fastest we’ve ever gotten a match in this facility. And it’s perfect,” the nurse said, beaming.

Perfect wasn’t exactly the word I would have chosen.

It was my worst nightmare.

REKKER

“All hands, report to the bridge for a mission briefing.”

Damn. This wasn’t in my plan.

Worse, it was the opposite of what I’d promised my crew.

“By mission briefing, I assume you mean talking about where to go for some downtime, right, Captain?” Derrix commed back.

I repressed a snort. “I wish. Just get up here.”

His response was another noncommittal grunt, but I knew Derrix ultimately did what he was told.

It took them less than ten minutes to fully assemble. I looked out at them, surveying their injuries.

We’d be fine. Maybe a little slow in the beginning, but fine.

“We’re here now, Cap, don’t keep us waiting,” Cedroc said.

I could see the hint of knowing in his eyes, even with one patched up.

“First off, I want to say how well you all fought on this last mission. You did the job and sent the Suhlik back to their holes.”

They answered me with a bellowed war cry.

Someday, we’d do more than just fight back against those bastards. Someday, we’d wipe them from space, until they were only a memory, only a whisper mothers told their cubs about at bedtime.

But that wasn’t today.

“When I returned to the bridge today, I had a message High Command. Commander Strygan offered us another mission,” I said.

I was greeted with groans, just as I’d expected.

“I hope you told him to fuck off,” Javik said, never one to mince words.

“I did not. Not only because it would be rude, but also because he’s my commanding officer and doing so would get me thrown in the brig,” I told him, even though I appreciated Javik’s sentiment.

“Don’t tell me you took it,” Derrix piped up.

“I did. I didn’t really have a choice in the matter—Strygan presented it as an offer, but one that shouldn’t be refused unless I was prepared to have it forced upon us,” I told them.

“That’s bullshit. We were told after this last mission that we’d get to return home at the end of it. We’ve been out here skirting this damned galaxy for over six months now. When do we get to rest?” Javik asked.

His tattoos were full crimson, and understandably so. I, too, wanted to return home. With each day that passed, I grew more tired of living on a ship.

I wanted to be in my own home, in my own bed, back on the planet I was born on. I felt like it had been years since I’d seen its lush forests and teeming seas.

“Strygan promised each of us a furlough once this mission is complete. He gave me his word,” I said.

“What exactly is it? How long are we going to be gone for this time?” Cedroc said.

“I understand you’re tired. I’ve been assured that this is going to be a quick in and out retrieval—easy. It probably won’t even take a full week. The longest part will be the travel.”

“Okay, fine. What’s the prize?” Derrix asked.

“Aside from returning home to a two-week furlough? The bonus for everyone involved is five thousand credits,” I told them.

“What the hell does he want us to go get, Cap?” Cedroc asked.

He wasn’t stupid. For that price, he knew the mission was something important, and we hadn’t had two-solid weeks off in… I didn’t know how long, anymore.

“I don’t have many details at this point, just that we’ll be headed to an uncharted planetary system to perform a retrieval mission. That’s all I know.”

I watched as they exchanged glances with each other and finally looked back to me.

“We’re in,” Cedroc said, speaking for the entire crew.

“I knew you would be. For now, return to your quarters and get some rest. We’ll stay here at the Walkandro until we’re flightworthy, and depart tomorrow,” I told them.

“You know what would make us flightworthy faster,” Derrix commented, “a working teleport.”

Kyre rolled his eyes. “I can fix the ship, help you with the guns, or work on the teleport. Only one of those can wait until we’re underway.”

He turned to me, datapad in hand. “But I do have a list of supplies that would make all of this faster. I’ve been replicating items out of stock, but if Command can just ship over parts before we depart, it’d be more efficient.”

It was the least thing they could do after revoking our leave was the unspoken message.

I took the pad, skimming down it, ammo, heavy machinery, rations, more replicator stock in four different strains.

“I’m certain it can all be here in time,” I promised.

Hopefully I wouldn’t have to break that one.

As the men left, chattering to each other in low voices about our upcoming mystery mission, I turned back to the comms station.

If Strygan wanted us out there so quickly, surely he’d be able to get approval on the supplies faster.

But he wasn’t available, and instead, I had to deal with his assistant, a thin young man with a scowl on his face and a permanent sense of disapproval.

“This list is quite long, Captain,” he drawled. “Are you entirely certain that all of the supplies are entirely necessary?”

“Yes.”

Every single time I had to deal with this idiot, I wanted to reach through the comms and throttle him.

But chances were good that wouldn’t do me any favors with Command.

A deep sigh.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“If you could ask Commander Strygan to take a look, I’m sure he’d approve our requests.”

I was quite proud of myself—my tone was remarkably even.

“I don’t believe you understand,” the aide said in a shocked voice. “Commander Strygan is a very, very busy man.”

“Yes.” I held my breath, counted to three. “Of course. Please let me know if therere’ any additional complications or problems.”

I flipped up off the comms and pulled up the charts we had on file for the system in question.

Not much.

Not a huge surprise. In the endless expenses of space, there was no way every possible system could be adequately mapped and charted.

Especially since so much of our time was spent fighting the Suhlik.

A mission of peaceful exploration seemed almost laughable.

The comms pinged again.

Damn.

But this time it wasn’t Strygan’s annoying aide.

“Captain Rekker, good to see you looking well after the last few days. I hope your bunk over here is proving adequate.”

I relaxed, just a bit.

Base Commander Mozo was in charge of the Walkandro. He might not be flying directly into battle daily, but his assignment was no easier, moving the supply station to support our fighters, wherever they were in this quadrant.

“Glad you were around for this one. I’m pretty sure you saved our asses this time. I owe you a drink.”

Mozo laughed. “I’ll take you up on that another time, but for now, I think you ought to head this way.”

“Everything all right?” I asked, about at my limit for surprises in one day.

“Everything will be fine, but come over to my office,” he insisted, then cut the comms.

I rubbed the base of my horns, the tight knot of tension heralding an oncoming headache.

Fantastic.

I hit shipboard comms. “I’m headed over to the Walkandro,” I announced. “Cedroc, you’re in charge till I get back.”

As I went through the airlocks into the outer wheel of the Walkandro itself, I quieted my mind.

No point in speculating ahead of the facts.

But I couldn’t help but speculate a little.

Mozo met me outside his office, pulled me in. “I’d offer you a seat, but we don’t have long.”

“For what?” I asked warily.

He leaned against the wall, just as tired as I was, and I pushed my temper down.

Whatever was going on here, it wasn’t his fault.

“High Command has just informed me that as a reward for you and your crew’s actions in the last mission, you were entered into the matching pool.”

“What?”

Feeling around for a chair, I sat anyway, mind spinning.

I hadn’t considered being entered into the matching pool. Not for years.

Not now certainly. I didn’t have time to dedicate to a mate. None of us did.

Sure, with some reconfiguring, the Calliope could take more crew, but it was no place for women and their families.

Children.

My mind flipped through my crew, trying to imagine how each of them were going to handle this.

Which of them would be the first to be matched.

We’d have to rearrange spaces, and shifts, and …

“Worry about it later, Captain,” Mozo snapped. “Your match is on her way.”

What?

LILA

Isat, so in shock by the immediate match that I just stared blankly at the screen. I forgot to fight as one of the nurses swabbed at my temple with an anesthetic. The gel was cold and stung for a moment before it numbed my skin.

The nurse batted away my questing hand and another held them down while the first pressed a blunt tool to the numbed place.

She continued to smile through my discomfort, acting like I was there by choice. Like I had made an appointment for a simple physical rather than being forced to leave my family for a complete stranger.

“It’s a top-of-the-line translator. You’ll feel some pressure, and there might be a little dizziness, but it’s a small price to pay, don’t you think?” She readied her finger on the end of the device.

I squirmed and shouted out, “Get off me!”

I tried to fight the firm grips on my hands and my shoulders, to stop her from doing anything else to me.

But it was too late. It felt like being punched in the temple. My ears were ringing and the bastard nurses took advantage by leading me slowly out of the room. The floor felt like it was moving underneath my feet and I needed help moving down the hallway.

Someone put a temporary wrist band on me as we entered another room and I was assisted to a railing. Once I was stable, I tilted my head and tried to get my eyes to stop watering.

The nurse handed me a folder and I took it automatically, holding it tightly like it was some sort of life preserver.

“Wait. I’m really not ready for this,” I insisted.

I was sinking fast. Everything happened so much more quickly than I’d thought it would, and I was woefully underprepared.

I took a couple of deep breaths, then realized that I was alone in the tiny room, and my heart froze.

The teleporter.

I tried to gather myself to move toward the door, but it was too late. Light filled my vision and all I could hear was an intensely loud buzz of static.

When the light faded, a huge man stood in front of me.

Well, not a man at all, really. He was tall and had the broadest shoulders I had ever seen, even working on a farm all my life. The glint of golden tattoos shimmered over his arms and what I could see of his deep reddish-brown, almost burgundy, torso.

And there were the horns, of course.

Two dark gold horns protruded from his forehead, curving back.

Hard to miss.

He glared and growled something, but my ears were still buzzing from the teleport. I dropped the folder and scanned the room quickly for a weapon.

To the side of the platform I’d arrived on was a staff. Or maybe a mop. It didn’t matter.

I grabbed it and swung at him as hard as I could.

Mostly due to luck and the fact that he had stooped to speak to me at my height, I cracked him right in the jaw.

His face darkened and I swallowed back the nausea in my throat. He caught the end of my improvised weapon and tugged it easily from my grasp, then advanced on me, growling.

T’hoihj biuxiop nr goyulbjk!

Top-of-the-line translator, right!

“Get away from me!”

I turned back to the teleport, hoping that there was some instant recall, but he grabbed my arm before I could take more than a step.

T’hoihj still nr goyulbjk!

It was like being grabbed by a statue. My heart sank as he pulled me toward him and wrapped his arms around me.

I didn’t have a chance of getting out on my own.

Stay still nr goyulbjk!

Frustrated tears filled my eyes and threatened to spill over, but I couldn’t let that happen. My family needed me.

Stay still nr goyulbjk!

They needed me to be strong to get through this, figure out a way to get back to them.

I had to get back to them.

Stay still nr woman!

His arms were still tight around me, but I noticed that he wasn’t hurting me. In fact, he seemed to be taking great care not to injure me, despite his much larger size.

His torso behind me was warm and solid and irritatingly comforting.

Maybe the match was a mistake, a glitch in the system. The nurse had said it never happened that quickly or matched so well.

Maybe if I just waited for a few days, someone would be here to take me back home, with the pay as an apology for the confusion. I decided to look through the documents to see if I could find a loophole, anything to get me home.

His gravelly voice finally filtered through the fading buzz. “Woman, are you the one assigned to me? Can you understand me? I mean you no harm.”

His tone implied that he had said this several times already without any response from me.

I turned my head to face him, glaring ineffectually. “Yes, I was assigned, but don’t get used to it. I’m not staying.”

Maybe he was just perpetually grumpy, but the alien male finally released me.

Mostly. He kept a firm hand on my wrist, the one with the bracelet on it and I didn’t bother trying to pull free.

“Will you stop trying to run? Or fight?” He rubbed at his jaw with his free hand and frowned at me. “I’m not happy about the situation either, so I would appreciate it if you would calm down. I am not your enemy.”

I nodded at him, but my teeth clenched tightly.

“You’re not happy with the situation?” The nausea in my stomach burned off as the rage surged into my chest. “Then why the fuck are you in the system? You could have stopped all this from happening by just not registering!” Tears welled in my eyes but I pushed them back, too angry to care. “You uprooted my entire life! Took me from my family! But you’re not happy? What the hell is wrong with you? Is this a game to you?”

I pushed my hand into him, trying to shove him back. He didn’t even budge. He took a deep breath and pulled me carefully over to a bench.

He waited for me to sit and when I eventually did, he sat beside me. He was taller than me by about a foot if I had to guess.

If he was human, he would be one of those people who got asked over and over again how tall he was. If he was human, he’d probably be some kind of men’s wear model.

Those gorgeous, tough-guy, lumberjack types who sell jeans. Hell, he could probably sell jeans even with those horns.

It was a lot easier to take in the details now that I knew he could be polite.

Well spoken, even. But he still owed me one hell of an explanation.

He frowned at me frowning at him. “Woman, I wasn’t given a choice, either. Those above my rank have deigned to reward me with you. It was not something I chose. It was not something I believe I have time for. But it happened, nevertheless.”

He pulled a hand down his face and looked very tired for a second. And just for that moment, I wondered how hard this was for him, too.

Wait, I was a reward?

“I could no more turn you away than you could avoid being sent here. There’s no point in fighting this, not for either of us. It would be best if we simply worked with the arrangement.” He let go of my wrist and offered a strange sort of salute, right fist to the left side of his chest. “I am Rekker, Captain of the Vaznik warriors.”

“My name is Lila, and I’m not giving up. I don’t care if we’re perfectly matched. I don’t care that someone decided to reward you.” I poked one finger into his chest. “First off, I’m not a reward to be handed out like a treat. And I don’t care if you think it’s easier to just go along with this. I’m going to figure out how to get home to my family. If you’re not going to help, then stay out of my way. It’ll be easier on both of us.”

I pushed myself to my feet and turned to stand in front of him, my arms crossed. It was easier to cut an imposing, determined figure when he was sitting.

Even though we were still eye to eye.

He seemed about to speak, probably irritated with me again, but I stopped him.

“And what the hell is that? What are you doing now?” I jabbed a finger toward his shoulder. One of the gold tattoos that swirled over his body was changing color.

Rekker’s gaze followed my finger and further accusations died on my lips. He looked utterly shocked and lifted a hand to trace along his skin. “I don’t believe it.”

As he spoke, the tattoo flared white, impossibly bright against his dark skin.

I took a step away and watched him carefully, waiting for an explanation. The odds were good that I wasn’t going to like it.

“What’s happening?”

REKKER

The human woman’s eyes left mine, inspecting the tattoo on my left shoulder. When I followed her gaze, I saw why: my mating tattoo was blazing white, a shining beacon against the deep burgundy of my skin and in stark contrast to the other golden swirls.

Dread filled my body from the bottom of my toes to the tips of my horns. None of my tattoos had ever been white before.

Crimson with rage, yes, but never white. I knew it meant that this human woman was truly my mate, whether indicated by a genetic test or not.

It was bred into my physiology to occur whenever I was close to the woman I was meant to spend my life with.

But I didn’t tell her that.

The last thing I needed was a feisty human getting in my way when I was on an important mission to an unknown planetary system. A mate was never part of my plan. There certainly wasn’t room in my life for one, no matter how pretty she was.

She really was very pretty.

Beautiful, even. Her hair was so rich and red and underlain with chestnut strands, reminding me of Vaznik’s autumnal season. It looked incredibly soft and I found that I wanted to run my fingers through it, despite my trepidation regarding our situation.

And I’d never seen anyone else with eyes like hers. They were a deep evergreen, with flecks of cinnamon, the pupils lined in a ring of gold nearly the same color as my tattoos. I didn’t want to, but I swear I could see every bit of my future laid out in them as they burned into mine.

“Why is only that tattoo white?” she asked finally.

Her voice had changed its timber, lowering an octave and softening into a subtle, delicate thing.

Clearly to disarm me. I swallowed, hard. It was working.

“It flares white when I’m supremely annoyed. The rest turn red when I’m angry, but that one’s special. Kind of like a birthmark, I guess,” I told her.

Lie, lie, lie, Rekker, I thought.

“What do you have to be annoyed about? It’s not like someone forced medical tests on you and then shuttled you away to be some breeding slave to someone you’ve never even met,” she snapped.

“You clearly know nothing about the Mahdfel race, do you?” I asked.

It took all the effort I had to keep my voice calm. She was mad enough for both of us.

“I believe I know the important details,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Do you know that my people were created by the Suhlik as a slave race? Made to do their bidding for generations until we eventually revolted? That’s the reason for the war between us and across these galaxies. They still abduct our children when they can.”

“That’s … that’s awful,” she said softly.

Her eyes were soft, too, and lined in silver. I watched as she swiped a hand surreptitiously across them, as if she didn’t want me to notice how upset she was.

“It is. It is awful. At least you were of age when this happened to you, and your family has been compensated. Imagine being taken as a child and your family never knowing your fate,” I said.

“I—I can’t. It’s too horrible.”

We fell silent for a few short moments, just staring at each other. I used it as an opportunity to survey her further, taking in her slim build.

She looked as though she’d been involved in some sort of labor all her life. Her muscles were long and wiry, but there was a sort of fineness to her. She didn’t look as breakable as I’d imagined she would be.

Absentmindedly, I wondered what she thought of me. If I couldn’t get out of this mess, it would be helpful if she found me somewhat attractive.

“Since we seem to be stuck with each other for the time being, I’ll need to find you somewhere to stay while repairs are finished on my ship, the Calliope. She’s currently docked here, but with luck, we’ll be leaving tomorrow,” I told her.

“I don’t even know where here is,” she said, her fire igniting again. “And I don’t need a place to stay, I need to go home.”

Well, I could help with one of those things.

“At the moment, you’re at the teleport station of the mobile command hub Walkandro.” I could see that didn’t mean anything to her. Of course not. I tried again.

“We’re in orbit around your dwarf planet Pluto.” There. That should be helpful.

“I’m on Pluto?” she said incredulously, her voice was so shrill it nearly pierced my eardrums.

“For crying out loud, Pluto isn’t even classified as a planet anymore!” she exclaimed, enraged. “Couldn’t they have sent me somewhere better than this dark, frozen wasteland? Good grief!”

I supposed telling her I thought Pluto was really quite beautiful would incense her further, so I didn’t say anything. Maybe later she’d like to take a look at those glittering mountains.

Doubtful.

“I can’t stay here, that’s obviously absurd.” She spun, throwing her hands in the air. “Pluto!”

When she started flailing about, pacing the floor and kicking anything that wasn’t bolted down, was when I realized she wasn’t going to calm down or accept her situation anytime soon.

Unfortunately, the beeping of the teleport unit signaled an incoming shipment of something. Hopefully the supplies we needed for the Calliope, but right now I didn’t care.

“We’ll need to move this discussion elsewhere.”

I bent at the waist and scooped her up, throwing her over my shoulder like a sack of flour. When her sternum hit the curve of it, she let out a small sound of surprise before resuming her tirade.

“Put me down!”

Her tiny, ineffectual fists beat against my back as if she could hurt me and I couldn’t help but laugh, which, of course, just made her angrier.

“How dare you treat me like this! Put me down immediately, you dumb brute! If you think this is the proper way to treat the woman who’s supposed to be your mate, I’ll never agree to it! I’ll die trying to get off this poor excuse for a planet before I ever stay with you!”

“You’ll do nothing of the sort,” I said, my voice a low growl.

The day had gone on long enough. That morning, I wasn’t even sure I’d be alive by the evening, and now I was stuck in a battle of the sexes I hadn’t asked for.

My patience was wearing thinner by the second.

There weren’t many Mahdfel left on the hub, other than its regular crew, but Lila was causing enough of a racket to get everyone’s attention.

All eyes turned toward us when I burst through the doors to the main hub of the base. Her yelling echoed throughout the tiny space, which was more than a little embarrassing.

I quickened my pace, crossing through the room to the other arm of the wheel, where my temporary quarters had been assigned.

Lila continued screeching, but seemed to have tired herself out at least a little bit. She ceased hitting me, although continued to demand that I release her. Unfortunately for me, the base was a great, hollowed out hunk of metal and her voice echoed throughout it.

One by one, my fellow captains popped their heads out of their own offices, wondering what was causing such a racket.

“Ignore us!” I yelled, barely acknowledging them and walking by briskly.

“Where are you taking me?” Lila asked.

Her voice had become a hoarse wail, as if she’d nearly resigned herself to her fate.

“We needed to leave the teleport chamber. But obviously, we still need to discuss some things. I have quarters assigned on the base, and you’ll be quite comfortable and safe there,” I told her.

Thankfully, she didn’t respond.

When I reached the door to my quarters, I tightened my grasp on her legs with one arm and laid a hand against the screen on the wall. It scanned my bioprint and hissed as it released, the door sliding free.

Once inside, I made my way to my tiny bedroom and dumped Lila unceremoniously onto the bed. Immediately, she tried to stand, but I forced her down again with a hand on her shoulder.

“We’re leaving tomorrow, so you’ll stay here tonight. I’ll lock you in, so you’ll be safe,” I said, taking a seat beside her.

“I want to go home now,” she said pathetically.

“After the way you’ve acted, I want the same.”

I didn’t care how beautiful she was or how much my body reacted to her—she was the last thing I’d ever search for in a companion.

It was truly a cruel twist of fate that the system thought she and I were a perfect match for one another.

The system, and the blazing evidence of my tattoo.

I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, but she reacted so vehemently to me that I couldn’t help but be offended.

If she would stop screaming, and I actually wanted a mate, we could be well matched.

But there was no time to figure that out. I had to get the Calliope up and running again as fast as possible so we could meet the loader in the Andromeda galaxy and begin the next mission. I wanted nothing more than to wrap it up as fast as possible and return home with my crew intact. They deserved that much.

Once Lila had somewhat quieted, I stood and made ready to leave the room.

“Where are you going? You can’t just leave me here by myself,” she said.

I thought it was real fear that I saw in her eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it’d come.

“You have nothing to worry about. No one here would hurt you.” An unreasonable flash of rage swept through me at the thought. “Besides, only I’m able to access these quarters. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“There’s truly no way off here? I can’t get back to Earth?” she asked with a tremble in her voice.

“Not yet. My crew and I have been assigned a mission that requires we leave as soon as possible.” Her eyes fell. “If, after we’ve completed it, you want to return to Earth, I’ll figure something out for you,” I added reluctantly.

Her eyes narrowed. “I’m sure I can figure something out by myself, if you could just point me to the right person to talk to.”

For a moment, I thought about unleashing her on High Command. They wouldn’t know what had hit them.

Then sanity wrested control.

“You’ve had quite the journey.” I pulled down the bunk and straightened the blankets. “I suggest you make yourself as comfortable as you can and maybe you’ll feel better about all this tomorrow morning.”

Her chin jutted out. “I doubt it.”

So did I.

“I have some work to take care of and will check in on you later. Please try to stay out of trouble,” I told her before turning and vacating the room.

Once outside, I used my hand print to lock the door to the bedroom, sealing her in. If I thought she’d been successfully chastised, I was wrong.

Through the door, I heard her screaming at me to let her out at once, that it was against her rights to lock her away like a princess in a tower.

It was going to be another long night.

LILA

My introduction to my alien “mate” hadn’t gone well.

To put it mildly.

I was exhausted from fighting the process every step of the way, but I couldn’t seem to stop.

Stopping would mean accepting this.

And I couldn’t.

I sagged against the bunk, every muscle sore from the teleport, and tried to think of a plan.

Even though I didn’t want to be locked up, I found myself appreciating the quiet.

Since the long ride to the testing facility, I hadn’t had a moment to think.

It was uncannily silent so far out in space, and I was grateful to have a moment to breathe and process what I’d been through.

Not that I wanted to dwell on it for long.

The last thing I wanted in my life was to be a prisoner. I grew up with so much freedom on the farm and adjusting to my new situation was proving to be extremely difficult.

Hopefully I wouldn’t be out here for long.

Hopefully this Mahdfel warrior, Rekker, and I could work together to get ourselves out of the mess we were in.

Hell, he didn’t want to be mated either … which kind of stung, just a bit.

Not that I wanted him!

Even if he was kinda hot. And his eyes were kind.

But I wasn’t about to become some random alien’s mate, just because of a genetic test.

Especially one who didn’t want me.

Clutching a pillow to my chest, I muffled my sniffles in the sheets.

Apparently not well enough.

“Woman?” Rekker’s gruff voice came through the door. “Lila?” He said my name carefully, as if it were important to him. “Are you injured?”

“No,” I called back. “Just tired. And scared. And I want to go home.”

His sigh was clear, even through the door. “I know. But I can’t do anything about that right now.” A long pause followed. “Would you like dinner? I’ve been researching which of our foods will be safe for you.”

That was surprisingly sweet.

Except my stomach chose just then to flip.

“I don’t think I should,” I admitted. “But thank you.”

“Ah.” I could almost see him nod, curved horns gleaming. “The teleport does occasionally upset the stomach. Perhaps in the morning you’ll feel better.”

“Maybe.”

If I ever felt better about anything again.

I pinched myself. Stop it, Lila, I kicked myself.

Moping wasn’t going to fix anything.

So I’d tried to escape before at the testing facility, and it hadn’t worked. So what?

I was still in my own solar system, but if I didn’t figure something out soon, I wouldn’t be.

“Where are we going tomorrow?” I called, but there was no answer.

A moment of panic swept me. “Rekker?” I didn’t want him. I certainly wasn’t going to mate with him. But he was the only person I knew here, even vaguely.

“I’m here,” he soothed. “I was just trying to figure out if you would be familiar with the star system. It’s not particularly well explored, even by the Mahdfel.”

Oh. Of course not.

“Probably not.” I flopped onto my side on the bunk. “I was just curious.”

He laughed, long and low and deep. A nice laugh. “I’m curious as well, to tell you the truth. We don’t know much about the mission yet.”

“Is that normal?”

“Not exactly.” Another long pause, but this time I could tell he was there, sense him behind the door, weighing his words.

While I waited, I peered out the tiny viewport. The sun was so far away there was barely any light, but it only made the stars burn that much brighter. Thoughts of my family back home invaded my mind as I looked out at the twinkling wonder of the universe.

I didn’t even know how long I’d been away from them and I missed them so badly my chest physically ached.

As a farmer and someone who’d spent her entire life on one planet, I wasn’t even sure how long in duration it took me to travel from Earth to Pluto.

In school, I’d learned it was roughly seven billion miles away, but how long it would actually take to reach here, I wasn’t certain.

“So tell me, Lila, what would you normally be doing, if you weren’t here?”

I pulled myself up to lean against the wall, closed my eyes until I could almost see the barn, my little patients. “Probably feeding the lambs.”

“The what?” He sounded confused.

“Lambs, they’re little baby mammals.” Well, that was technically accurate. I’d never had to describe livestock to an alien before. “One of our ewes had triplets.”

“That—” he paused, “does not sound comfortable.”

I laughed. “It wasn’t, not for her, nor for me, since I was the one out there with her at three in the morning trying to help.” I rubbed my forehead, just thinking about it. “But they all made it.”

“So why are you feeding her young instead of the mother?”

“There’s no way she’d have enough milk,” I explained. “Besides, little baby lambs are cute and snuggly. It makes up for the less cute and snuggly parts of the job, like mucking out stalls.”

Another pause.

“I’m not entirely certain that the translator has picked up all of the words it should have,” Rekker grumbled.

I laughed. “Never mind. Anyway.” My heart sank again. “My sisters will have to take care of all of that now.”

“Sisters.” Rekker sounded incredulous. “More than one? How many sisters do you have?”

“There are six of us,” I said dryly. “Plenty to be helping out with the chores.”

“So many,” he said in wondering tone. “Surely your family is blessed.”

I hadn’t thought of it that way.

I’d always thought of our overabundance of females as a risk.

A threat hanging over the heads of our family.

“We—” Rekker paused. “You know that if we continue with the match, we will not have daughters. My kind cannot.” He said it flatly, as if wanting to rush the words out without tasting them.

Oh.

I knew that. Of course I did.

The Suhlik had done something to the Mahdfel, made it where they could never have female children.

It was the reason they had to keep looking for mates on other planets, the reason for the lottery.

Suddenly the lottery didn’t seem quite so cold and oppressive.

It was desperate. The only means of survival of an entire species.

“Good thing I didn’t have my heart set on a little girl,” I teased, trying to break the awkwardness of the moment.

But I could imagine her and wondered. Would she have my hair and his horns?

Nonsense.

“It really is for the best,” he answered. “She’d have a crew of uncles ready to spoil her and we would never get her to do any chores.”

I laughed and for the first time began to think about it.

A crew of uncles. It would be like a family. Maybe.

“But speaking of chores, I need to get back to the ship, check on repairs.” Rustling came from behind the door. Had he been sitting on the floor, waiting for me to come out? Willing to talk about home and family until I calmed down?

“Will you be all right?”

I nodded, then shook myself when I realized that of course he couldn’t see me. “I will.”

“Good.” Heavy footsteps moved away. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

I tried not to think myself into melancholy, but I missed my sisters desperately. The thought of never seeing them again caused tears to gather behind my eyes, but I forced them away.

There were other things to see here. And I’d find a way to tell my sisters, all of them, about the wonders of space. Just as soon as I got home.

Too tired to sit upright any longer, I melted further down onto the bed. The scent of my Mahdfel mate wafted up from the bedding, invading my nose.

It was crisp and clean and manly and stirred something deep within me despite myself, an emotion I couldn’t and didn’t want to place.

Not yet.

I remembered the same scent clinging to him as he’d hefted me over his broad shoulder just moments ago, so it must be inherently part of him.

The fact that it was so appealing disturbed me, but I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply anyway, allowing it to wash over me and calm my frazzled nerves. If we couldn’t get out of the contract, at least he wasn’t a stinking brute. The match could have been so much worse.

I wondered where he was and what he was doing. He hadn’t looked as put together upon my arrival as I’d thought he would.

He’d said he had to repair his ship, but I couldn’t help but wonder if he was thinking about me. He’d probably already forgotten I even existed.

I opened my eyes so I could return my gaze to the viewport, wanting to see the stars but not wanting to sleep just yet. I couldn’t help but wonder if there were some sort of cosmic forces at work, pulling the two of us together. Neither of us wanted the arrangement, but here we were.

There must be something to the whole thing if two beings who had no desire to be matched were apparently “perfect” for one another.

I felt like there was something he wasn’t telling me. When I’d noticed the tattoo on his shoulder was glowing, he’d also seemed genuinely surprised.

He said it was only because he was angry, but I wondered if it had something to do with my being there. When he came back, I would try to get more information out of him.

If he came back, that was.

Unable to fight it any longer, as I finally fell asleep, my thoughts drifted to him again.

Would it be so bad exploring the universe at his side if he truly was my mate? Could we grow to tolerate one another, maybe be companions, if nothing else?

I’d think of something. I had to.

There had to be a way for us both to be happy, I just needed to figure it out.

Tomorrow.

REKKER

Sure, I needed to check on the Calliope.

I was the captain. There were things to do. There were always far too many things to do, honestly.

But I needed space from Lila.

Her voice. Her scent.

Everything about her was winding into my awareness, becoming natural.

Except, we had a problem. She didn’t want to be here.

Didn’t want me.

And if I was her mate in any sense of the word, I needed to make that right.

First stop, the easy conversation.

“I could use some good news,” I shouted across the clatter and clang of the engine room as I walked in.

Kyre ignored me, wisely choosing to focus on the engine coil he was calibrating.

Impatiently, I waited for him to finish.

“We’ll be ready tomorrow morning,” he said, then tapped the side of the engine, eyes focused almost through the metal.

I knew I may as well wait. Whenever he got that look, he was busy building something in his brain, adjusting it, improving it.

It was a quirk, a useful one.

With a shake, he snapped out of it.

“Never mind, I’ll figure that out later.”

He refocused on me and grinned. “You must’ve put some fire under High Command to get those supplies in so quickly,” he joked as he reached for a new set of calipers.

“Not my doing, I’m afraid. Strygan wants us out there, and fast.” A grimace twisted my lips. “I’m sure sending the supplies is just his way of pushing us out the door.”

Kyre shrugged. “Whatever works.”

He turned back to his repairs and I left him to it. If he said we would be ready, we’d be ready.

Next step, the slightly more difficult conversation.

“Doc, we’re going to need Cedroc to be able to fly us out tomorrow.”

Javik didn’t bother looking up from whatever device he was hunched over.

He’d filled the med bay with all sorts of equipment for testing the samples we came across on our missions.

“I wouldn’t suggest long shifts, if you insist on carrying out that plan,” he snapped.

“I’m not the one insisting,” I argued. “That’d be High Command.”

“It makes no difference.”

Javik straightened up to his full height, back cracking and snapping. I wondered how long he’d been hunched over like that.

“Either way, your pilot will be competent.”

“That’s all I wanted to know.” I glanced around the cluttered med bay. “If there’s anything that needs to be strapped down before we decouple from the hub, you may want to get started.”

I headed out before his tattoos started to burn with annoyance.

And now time for the hardest one.

I punched Commander Strygan’s code into the comms. This time, it went through to full video. Not ideal, but I didn’t have many choices. Not right now.

“Sir, first, I want to thank you for the supplies.”

“Of course. I don’t have a habit of sending my men out to missions without the tools they need to get them done.”

So much for easing into this with flattery.

“We do have one complication,” I started.

“Did the Calliope take more damage than you had reported?” he snapped.

“No, sir,” I paused. “You might not have realized, but someone in Command seems to have made a bit of a mistake.”

“Really,” Strygan’s eyebrows rose. “What kind of mistake do you think you’ve detected, Captain?”

I swallowed hard.

A smart warrior would stop now.

But I thought of the heartbreak in Lila’s voice.

I couldn’t give up.

“I seem to have been entered into the matching pool,” I tried again. “And I appear to have a mate.”

“Congratulations!”

That wasn’t the answer I had been expecting.

“Actually, sir, I think perhaps it’s a mistake.” I rolled on, staring over his shoulder. “She doesn’t want to be mated, and right now, with us heading into a mission with so many unknown parameters …”

I trailed off as his glare burned through the ether.

“Having a mate will make you more careful, a better warrior. Caring for your mate, having children, is part of your duty to the Mahdfel line.” He nodded sharply. “Don’t ever forget it.”

Well.

His face softened for a moment. “Every man has a moment of wondering about this, a moment of doubt. You’ll get through it. Just think of it as another battle.” He grinned, and I almost wished he hadn’t.

“Or a siege.”

AFTER TRYING to delay my return to my quarters for another hour, I eventually wandered back.

Once I’d arrived, I flopped down onto the couch in the main living area and threw an arm up over my eyes to block out the glare of the lights still burning brightly in the room.

It had been a long time since I’d felt so exhausted. It suddenly felt like all the battles and emotions of the past year caught up to me at that very moment and all I wanted to do was sleep, but my mind wouldn’t stop racing.

I wanted a solution to the problem that was Lila, but I couldn’t figure one out.

Just beyond the door to my room was a beautiful, angry human woman who was apparently my perfect match—my true mate.

I had never planned to rely on some test to tell me who I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with, but the fact that my tattoo lit up like a beacon when she entered the room had rattled me to the core.

I didn’t want this, but it seemed like fate had something else in mind for the two of us.

As I lay there on the not-so-comfortable couch, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

From our conversation earlier, it was evident she didn’t want me, but after I’d had some time to think, I wasn’t sure I could say the same.

I’d have to be an idiot not to think she was beautiful. I’d met humans before in my journeys through the universe, but none quite like her.

I hadn’t been able to get the thought of her fiery locks and gorgeous green eyes out of my head, even when I was speaking with Command and trying to convince them to send her back to Earth.

A long sigh escaped me as I thought about how I’d lied to her about what the flare of my tattoo had meant. I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d done the right thing in keeping the truth from her. Maybe I should have explained its true meaning, but I don’t even know if she would have believed me anyway.

The darkness outside weighed heavily on me and even staring out at the stars wasn’t helping lift my mood or lull me to sleep like it usually did.

My thoughts made it clear I wasn’t going to drift off anytime soon, so I sat up and made my way over to the door to my room.

I had to tell Lila she was required to be with me just a little longer, no matter how badly I wanted to put off the conversation and subsequent argument.

Just as I reached for the doorknob, it jiggled.

Apparently she wanted to talk to me, too.

I placed my hand on the bioreader and the door unlocked, just as before. I waited to see what she would do once she realized she was no longer locked in, but she made no attempt to open the door, so I turned the knob myself.

She was sitting on the bed. I’d never seen someone look so small. She looked completely dejected, disheveled, and distraught.

“Any chance you’re willing to speak to me rationally now?” I asked her.

“If I have to,” she answered.

“May I sit next to you?”

I didn’t want to have this conversation standing over her. In my experience, when two people were having a discussion, they should be on the same level.

I didn’t want it to come across as having any type of authority over her. Even if we weren’t going to stay together, I wanted her to see me as an ally, not an adversary.

She nodded after a moment’s hesitation. I approached the bed with trepidation and sat down beside her, close but with enough space between us to allow her some comfort.

Mates or not, she didn’t know me and the last thing I wanted was to make her feel threatened in any way.

“I went to speak to Command again about our arrangement, in the hopes they’d cancel the contract,” I told her.

I noticed she was holding her breath. She let out a long exhale before answering me again.

“And?” she asked.

“They denied my request to terminate.”

“I just don’t understand how nothing can be done. Neither you nor I want this, so how can we be forced to remain together? There must be something you can do.”

I watched her face as I weighed my next words, truly struck by how pretty she was. Despite myself, and knowing it would be foolish, I wanted to comfort her.

“I understand that you’re not happy with the result of my efforts. I wish I’d come to you with good news. Since there’s nothing we can do right now, I hope we could consider each other allies, if not friends. I’ll not treat you poorly and I’ll ensure you are well cared for,” I told her.

Perhaps despite herself, she softened at my words.

“I miss my family so much. All I want is to go home,” she said.

“I assure you, if it’s within my power to do so, I’ll get you home to them.”

She sucked in a breath as if to say something but stopped herself before sharing her thoughts.

“We could try being friends. I feel so lonely out here and it would be nice to feel like I have someone on my side,” she said.

As I knew it was customary on Earth to shake hands when two people come to an agreement, I extended one to her. She placed her tiny hand within mine and I shook it firmly, reveling in the softness of her skin.

“Tomorrow’s mission shouldn’t take long and I don’t believe you’ll be in any danger, but I ask that you listen to my commands should I give you any. I only intend to keep you safe. Once it’s finished, I’ll continue appealing to Command to see if they’ll allow us to terminate the contract,” I told her.

“Can’t you just leave me here at the base? Why do I have to go with you?”

“As my mate, it’s expected you’ll accompany me wherever I go until I can return you to my home planet to establish our home together,” I told her.

“But that’s not going to happen, so just leave me here.”

I sighed, trying to rein in my annoyance, especially as we’d seemed to be getting somewhere.

“If it were an option, I would. It’s not,” I told her.

She rolled those beautiful eyes once more but finally agreed.

“Thank you for at least trying. And for looking out for me,” she said, voice quiet.

“I will do so always. It’s my duty.”

Her resulting smile was enough to kick my heart into a furious staccato.

If she remained with me any longer, I knew right then that I’d lose it to her completely.

LILA

The morning came sooner than I wanted it to.

Under the darkness of night, I must have picked locks, jumped fences, and slipped up deserted corridors a dozen times.

Every dream found me breaking free from captivity, but just running aimlessly across the barren landscape, the compound getting further behind, but nothing getting nearer.

I may have had plenty of sleep, but no rest. It was like I spent so much time running, I woke up winded.

Unable to get back to sleep after the last harrowing journey, I was already dressed when Rekker knocked on the door.

To judge from the lag in his step, Rekker had gotten about as much rest as I had.

While the whole situation still rankled me, I had to admit gratitude for an even slightly familiar face.

We walked through the echoing corridors of the hub until he paused by a giant viewport and pointed out into the black.

“Well, there she is—the Calliope.”

My jaw dropped.

A spaceship.

A real, actual spaceship.

I had seen these ships flying overhead for half my life.

Once the danger from the Suhlik was over, I used to run, trying to stay underneath them as long as I could.

Trying to see how fast they were going, or how far.

They all seemed unattainable, so mythic in size that I never dreamed I might actually set foot on one. A fizzle of excitement rushed under my skin in spite of myself.

Getting bundled into an intergalactic mission was a far cry from my life on the farm.

That first look was overwhelming.

It wasn’t the largest ship I’d ever seen, but it was here.

Real.

And I was going to live on her.

“Are you coming?” Rekker stood halfway up the gangway, looking at me in that half-solicitous way he had cultivated.

My cheeks burned, but I was nearly wild to see the inside of the vessel. To his credit, once I began making my way up the ramp, my proposed mate didn’t linger.

Considering the immediate bustle that unfolded in front of me, it’s clear that he had already been far too lax in getting to the ship. Hub workers were still loading and shifting cargo and supplies in a neatly orchestrated frenzy.

A small throng of crew members swallowed him up, their uniforms making it clear they were part of Rekker’s crew, and he snapped into action, his frame seeming to swell into the role.

I’d never say it out loud, but he was very impressive.

As Rekker shook off whatever malaise he may have carried, a laser focus overtook his expression and words. His commands were spare, but not curt.

Rekker carried himself like a born leader.

“So, you’re her? The one they sent over?” A bulky Mahdfel came swaggering over to me with a friendly, if curious, smirk.

His skin was deep purple, in contrast to Rekker’s burgundy, but his facial structure and general build made me guess they were both from Vaznik mothers. Actually, everyone clustered near Rekker seemed to be from the same world, despite the wild variations in skin color.

The horns were a giveaway, too.

“I am. I’m Lila.”

“Derrix.” He offered his hand to me. “I’ve met a couple of humans. This is how you guys do it, right?” He seemed so unironically proud of knowing such a simple custom, that I couldn’t help but smile at the bravado of it.

“Yes, well done,” I said, taking his hand and giving it a shake. Despite claiming knowledge of the custom, he still seemed disarmed when I pumped his arm. “What do you do here?”

“Weapons. If you can shoot it or swing it, I’m your guy. What about you … um … .”

“Lila,” I repeated. “I grew up on a farm.”

“Farm work? You look pretty slender for that kind of thing.”

“I worked with animals.” My tone hardened, and I struggled not to feel offended. “Veterinary work, setting bones, basic medical work.”

“Oh, good,” he chuckled. “You’re used to working with bones. That’ll be useful now that you’re mated.”

My temper flared at the delight this brawny bastard took in his own joke. Before I could snap out a reply, another figure broke away from the group encircling Rekker.

“Wait, what’s that about medical work?”

The interloper was a slim, spectacled alien, with golden tattoos across his cheeks to accent his curious eyes and indigo skin. He fell in next to the laughing Derrix, and the difference between the two couldn’t have been starker.

“I’m sorry—forgive me for interrupting, but did you say you had medical experience?”

“Veterinary,” I said, cooling down a bit. “I grew up on a farm.”

“Really?” His curiosity seemed genuine and he extended his hand with none of the self-congratulatory flair of his compatriot. “I’m Javik, chief researcher and medical practitioner on board.”

“Lila. Lila Kanes.”

“Miss Kanes. It’s a pleasure to have you on board.”

“Well, not all of our pleasure.” Derrix leaned into the word ‘pleasure’ with obvious relish and shook all over with laughter.

“Will you stop it?” Javik’s irritation was more playful than anything. “Don’t mind him. He’s harmless.”

“Don’t tell her that, Brains! Lady, I’m far from harmless.”

The innuendo was so blatant, I couldn’t help but laugh, breaking whatever tension had been thrumming inside me. Derrix laughed with me, and I could begin to see where the rapport between us was going to lie.

High school buddies. Nice and easy.

I could do this, even if they were aliens.

In the midst of my laugh, I looked around to find Rekker watching me, an enigmatic expression on his face. It caught my gaze for a second, but the moment broke when a question over his shoulder pulled his focus back to the business at hand. I found myself having to mentally regroup after the curious gaze.

“Look, Miss Kanes, why don’t you come back to the med bay with me?” Javik asked.

“Careful Rek doesn’t catch you making off with his girl!”

“Don’t you have anywhere to be, Derrix?”

“Nope!” The two bickered for a moment, and I stole another look over, to find Rekker at the center of his little storm. A tiny pang of disappointment stung me when I found that he wasn’t looking my way. Somehow, I’d thought he would be.

“Miss Kanes?”

I snapped around as if I’d been caught, only to find Javik gesturing for me to walk with him. Our weapons expert opted to see to his own post, and I was relieved to walk without the constant reminder of my situation. The analytical alien fellow beside me was as inquisitive about my life as he was courteous in asking.

“When you say veterinary work, what is that, exactly? In your experience?”

“Oh, it’s difficult to say, really. I’ve administered vaccines, drawn blood, set bones, sutured lacerations. Pretty much everything that needs to happen on a working farm.”

“That’s very comprehensive.”

“Well … ” My immediate impulse was to be modest, but Javik put me at ease enough to own my accomplishments. “It is, I guess. I’ve even patched up a couple of people when the occasion needed it.”

“That’s very useful to know.”

After the initial chaos of the loading dock, the cool sterility of the med bay felt like a welcome haven, and Javik was a clear master of his domain.

In spite of the welcome sequestration, I couldn’t help flitting my gaze over to the door to see if Rekker would make an appearance. I was tempted to wonder why he hadn’t come looking for me.

“Javik, Captain Rekker is looking … oh. Hello.”

Peering through the doorway was one of the faces which had occupied the bulk of my prospective mate’s attention in the huddle.

The newcomer had a bit of a swing in his step but was nowhere in the same league as Derrix when it came to arrogance. More rakish than leering, he still helped himself to an appraising look as he spoke.

“Lila, right? You’re here with Rekker?”

“That’s right.”

“Why don’t you come along, too? He’s been anxious since you got out of sight.”

“Is that so?” Part of me itched to be flattered by the concern, but it could just as well have been fear that I had up and made a run for it.

Which wasn’t entirely unreasonable on his part.

Whatever was the root of Rekker’s concern, it was clear that the invitation was more than a mere request.

After the reprieve of feeling quietly useful, the duty of my situation settled its weight back on my shoulders.

“Cedroc. I fly this beast,” the newcomer said, introducing himself briskly with a wave of his hunter green hand as we passed through the corridors to the bridge. “She’s not the biggest out there, but large enough for what we need.” He grinned, suddenly very likeable. “And we might have made just a few modifications along the way.”

Rekker’s eyes lit up immediately when we strode onto the bridge. A look near relief crossed his face, lingering for a moment before a guarded cloud settled behind his eyes. Maybe I was reading into it because of my similar feeling.

“Settling in, Lila?”

All the air went still as every eye turned to await my response.

Even Javik looked with an attentiveness that had not appeared in him until that moment. Mouth dry, the best I could manage was a short nod.

My lack of a significant answer hung in the room until Javik leaped to my defense.

“You wanted to see me, Captain?”

“Hmm? Yes. The higher-ups had some questions regarding the specimens we collected on the last mission.”

The two swept into conversation and the bridge resumed its bustle, leaving me feeling completely stranded in this surprising new landscape.

The hive of activity hummed past without touching or demanding anything from me.

No gazes intentionally sought mine, but there was no question I was the focus of nearly everyone’s attention.

It was a small crew. A family.

And I was clearly the outsider.

I’d have to do something to fix that.

REKKER

Cedroc eased us out from the Walkandro, and as we turned away from the local star into the void of space, I noticed Lila staring wistfully at a display showing our view to the rear.

She was watching her sun fade away.

It was odd. Mahdfel warriors were in space for so much of our lives that I could barely remember what it felt like the first time I had left home. And even then, it had been with a cohort of Vaznik brethren.

Lila looked like I guessed she felt.

Very small, very human, and very alone.

Cedroc noticed my glances in her direction.

“You know I’ve got this, Captain,” he muttered. “Go on.”

“Are you certain?” I scrutinized the wound near the side of his eye carefully. “You know Javik’s going to say something about you straining or causing some sort of irreparable damage if I don’t spell you soon enough.”

Cedroc leaned back at the helm and grinned. “I get too tired, I’ll switch out with Derrix, I promise.”

“Void save us,” I said with a shudder.

I moved over to where Lila stood, peering at Javik’s scientific sensor array.

“So,” I started, a bit awkwardly, “I know you weren’t much interested in food last night. Want to see what we can find in the dining hall?”

She bit her lower lip and for a moment all I could think about was licking that soft curve.

Get a grip, Rekker.

“Yeah, breakfast sounds good.” She grinned. “Even if it’s probably lunch. Whatever, I’ll get used to the time change soon enough.”

“Right this way, my lady.” I guided her off the bridge into the elevator that dropped us the two levels to the general recreation floor.

While the Calliope wasn’t a huge ship, we were designed to stay on patrol for months at a time.

Which meant we needed more space than you might imagine.

Five big guys with short tempers required a lot of room.

Hand hovering over the small of her back, I brought her to the replicator panel.

“Here you punch in whatever it is you feel like eating.” I pulled up the menu and she blinked, shaking her head.

“I don’t think the translator implant covers written words,” she said sadly.

Oh. I kicked myself. “Of course not. I’ll get Kyre to put in subtitles for you first thing. And maybe find a language tutorial.”

“Doesn’t have to be first thing,” she protested. “Isn’t he the one fixing the ship? He should do that first. I like the idea of an entirely functional spaceship.”

She grinned and I laughed at her spark. She might be small and alone, but she wasn’t going to let it get her down.

“Trust me to order something for you?”

“Are you sure it’s safe?” She nibbled at that lip again, and I looked away to focus on the screen.

“Positive. Last night I made sure to have all human incompatibles reprogrammed into the replicator.” I punched up a request for a large serving of Eddonian prawns. “So anything that’s toxic for you will show this.”

An orange line crossed the green diagonally, flashing.

“Should be enough to get anyone’s attention and remind them not to serve you something that will make you sick.”

“You didn’t have to do that.” She blushed. “It doesn’t seem fair that everyone on your ship is going to have to work around my needs.”

“Oh, they can still order them if they want, they’ll just get the notice not to give them to you. Besides,” I shrugged, then dialed up my favorite dish. “Eddonian prawns are disgusting.”

Every time she laughed, sparks went off in my chest.

“Take a seat,” I said, trying to shove my own idiotic grin back in a box.

She pulled out a chair at the long table and shook her head. “I think I might need a booster seat.”

“We’ll figure something else out later,” I said, making a mental note to add it to Kyre’s growing list.

While the table was a little high for her, it was workable for a meal or two.

Dish set in front of her, she took a tentative sip of the broth, and her eyes widened.

“This is fantastic,” she moaned.

Suddenly I was very glad I was sitting.

That sound, the look of pleasure on her face, went straight to my cock.

“I’m glad you like it.” I cleared my throat. “Revellion soup is one of my favorites.”

The tip of her tongue flicked out across her lush lips to catch a stray noodle, and I bit back a groan of my own.

“I can see why,” she said, and got down to the serious business of food.

Thankfully, there wasn’t much conversation during the rest of the meal.

As we finished, I collected our bowls and put them into the disposal side of the recycler.

“Everything here will get broken back down, sorted into its type of component stock, and reused.”

“That’s amazing!” She bounced a little on her toes when she was excited. It was adorable.

“I can’t wait to see the rest of the ship.” Her face fell. “But you’ve probably got duties and things. Being captain probably keeps you pretty busy.”

Lila stood up straighter, her chin out just a touch. “That’s fine, I can explore the ship, see what there is that I can maybe help with, and I promise not to touch any giant red buttons.”

“That’s probably always good advice,” I answered, a little confused. There was definitely some reading material on Earth cultures I needed to catch up on.

But right now, there was something more important to do.

“You know what?” I grinned, feeling a sense of expansiveness in my chest that I hadn’t had in a long time.

Maybe not ever.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve done a top to bottom inspection of the Calliope. Let’s go see what we can find.”

I’d have to reshuffle an entire morning’s worth of work to make up for the delay, but Lila’s smile made it all worthwhile.

AND THEN, far too quickly, it was time for bed.

Giving her a room of her own would have been my first choice, not just for her sake, but for mine.

But we hadn’t had enough time to reconfigure the cabins so that she had her own space. She was right. Kyre’s priorities had been making sure the ship was spaceworthy.

Separate quarters had been further down the list.

And honestly, over the course of the day, I’d realized I liked being with her.

When we stood together in the dim light of my cabin, it wasn’t just her who felt uncomfortable.

The early days as a foot soldier usually meant being crammed in with a couple of hundred recruits, and getting your own cabin was a prize you looked forward to if you climbed the ranks.

I smiled to myself just a little, thinking of how hard I’d worked to get my own quarters, only finding that I had to share it anyway.

Lila tossed her hair and eyed me with a bit of defiance.

“Only one bed?” she asked, a hint of challenge in her even tone.

“You take it. I’ll sleep on the floor.” Surprise flashed across her features, barely there. I grabbed a few blankets and started setting myself up.

Throughout my military career, I’d slept in all kinds of strange places, and the floor would be pretty comfortable compared to some of them.

I tried not to pay attention to her as she got comfortable and slipped under the covers. Whatever my personal feelings about being tied down, she was very beautiful.

It was hard not to look at her.

The small lamp shed a warm glow that set off the red in her hair and added a deep, dark, inquisitive sheen to her eyes.

She wore her beauty without any vanity, and it made her even more attractive. She moved with simple grace and her body language spoke of years of discipline.

I supposed that living with animals most of her life, she had learned a quiet manner that put the beasts at ease. I smiled to myself a little as I thought that she soothed me with the same actions.

Perhaps in many ways, I was a reactive beast, too.

I spread out my blankets and pillows more comfortably, lying down flat on my back to stare at the dark ceiling.

I heard Lila moving around, the mattress making soft, whispering noises. I could imagine her shapely legs moving between the sheets and I felt a stirring inside that had little to do with my heart and a lot to do with my body.

The urges were easy enough to suppress, but they didn’t go away.

For someone of such strong discipline, that was like a personal failure. I commanded my body over and over again to calm down, but it did no good.

A spark of curiosity and passion was awake in me and nothing could make it sleep.

I closed my eyes, trying to relax. I heard Lila rolling over and looked up, seeing her lean over the bed to watch me.

“What are you thinking about?” I asked.

She shifted around under the sheets again, curling on her side.

“I miss my family. The quiet dawn when the animals would start to call for their feed. The middle of the day when we would all take a rest. The busy afternoon, putting the animals to stable before we all went to dinner.”

“It sounds nice.” Even though I could see the imagery evoked by her words, I had no empathy. I had never observed or been part of such simple routines.

She sighed deeply. “I wonder how it’s all going.”

“Were you integral to the running of the farm?”

She laughed softly. “No, not really.”

“Then why worry? Surely they can carry on without you. Your sisters will help, right?”

“Yeah,” she whispered. “Sure.”

She shifted around some more, clearly having trouble getting comfortable.

“Rekker?”

“Yeah?” I propped my head up on my hands, thinking it was probably best not to try and relax until she settled down.

“Can you tell me about your tattoos?”

Absentmindedly, I smoothed a hand over my chest and upper arm, the swirling marks slightly different from the rest of my skin.

I covered the tattoo on my left shoulder, rubbing at it with my right hand. It had felt strange when it started to glow, like it was tugging at my insides somehow.

“Some of them flash red when I’m angry. There is only one that glows white.” I took in a huge sigh before going on.

There was just no easy way to say this.

“It only starts to shine when I’m in the presence of my mate.”

I heard her breathing speed up just a little. She stayed curled up at the edge of the bed. I could practically hear the wheels turning in her mind.

“The computer assigned us as mates. Isn’t that kind of weird? Does the computer know what your tattoo will do?”

I grinned in the dark, happy that she couldn’t see my expression.

I wasn’t keen to go into depth on the topic, but it seemed like she really wanted to know.

“The computer calculates likely matches based on genetics. It researches a possibility for healthy offspring and compatibility to some extent. The computer can predict if we will have strong children, if … . ” I didn’t want to say the words, suddenly the abstract risk had become all too real. “If you survive childbirth.”

“But the tattoo?”

I found it hard to speak the next words. I knew what it meant, it was just hard to accept. I had no idea if she would find this good news or not.

“My tattoo glows when I meet my soulmate. It’s something more of the spirit than in the genes. My mark shines white when I’m in the presence of someone who will fulfill me, body as well as soul.”

When the silence in the room deepened, I sat up a little. I couldn’t see her eyes, I didn’t know if she was looking at me or not.

“The computer does its job well.” I decide to go on, hoping to cover any emotional reaction of hers with more information. “There is a high incidence of genetic matches calculated by the computer ending up to be true mates, as well.”

She still didn’t move. I started to feel worried she was offended.

I could relate. It’s not nice to find out your own body was working against you. How to escape the inevitable jaws of fate?

Not a pretty thought.

“How accurate is that tattoo thing?”

“It has never been wrong, not once in our entire history. It only glows for a perfect match.”

I tried not to lace my words with too much authority. The silence stretched out into the room as I realized she was too deep in thought to answer.

I felt slightly helpless, wishing that I was eloquent enough to explain further, hedge my words with reassurances. I couldn’t think of anything else to say and kept watching her in the dark, waiting for her to deliver a verdict.

Instead, she rolled over and wrapped the blankets around herself. I laid back down on the floor, trying not to sigh too hard. I’d told the truth, but I wasn’t sure if I would get punished for it or rewarded.

The last thing I wanted to do was upset her. She might be frightened by this knowledge, or even disgusted. Just because my body chose her didn’t mean she had to choose me back.

I shifted in my blankets, wondering if I could convince her of the power of the bond.

That it was more than a bunch of numbers calculated and spat out by the computer.

It was a mystical connection set into my body the same way planets are set into a path around a star. It was a universal conspiracy designed to bring us together.

I didn’t know if humans had the capacity to understand something like that.

The silence that stretched on in the cabin and her complete lack of reaction seemed to only enforce that fact.

Fated mates we might be, but if she didn’t choose me, all the signals in the universe wouldn’t be enough.

We would lose each other.

Forever.

LILA

It’d been two days.

Two days of getting used to living on board a spaceship instead of underneath a blue sky. Two days of learning all about Rekker and his crew, all the odd little details, from Javik’s persnickety mannerisms and complete focus on his scientific studies, to Cedroc’s dry sense of humor.

That behind Derrix’s overgrown frat boy façade, he was actually a decent guy.

Kyre remained a mystery, since he’d been so busy with the last of the repairs on the ship.

I’d taken to haunting the med bay and the bridge. The med bay because surely they’d be able to use some of my training there.

The bridge, well, that’s where I could find Rekker most often.

And something in me just liked being near him.

“Still nothing new about the mission, Captain?” Cedroc called out from the helm. “I’ve got a name of the world, not much else.”

“Where are we going, anyway?” I asked.

“Gravum IV.”

Yeah, that meant nothing to me.

Cedroc smiled and threw some maps up on one of the side monitors.

“See, here,” Rekker said. “We’re heading into the far end of the Martollian Sector.” He guided my hand over the screen, tracing a path with our joined fingers. “First step is setting a course for the Yulic Quadrant and then we’ll curve around to avoid a Suhlik supply base that’s rumored to be in the area.”

Javik sat at his station, flipping through a series of datapads faster than I could possibly imagine he could comprehend the information.

But obviously he could.

“There is a disturbing lack of detail about this system. It seems unreasonable that High Command would send us with so little preparation.” Javik grumbled.

Rekker met my amused glance and rolled his eyes slightly in Javik’s direction.

“Or, they might assume that we’ll be able to handle whatever gets thrown at us,” Rekker answered.

“Of course we will,” Javik snapped. “It would simply be more efficient to have the information in advance.”

“So,” I jumped in, hoping to unruffle the science officer. “What’s in the files? What do you actually know about our destination? Is it pretty?”

Javik tilted his head, as if trying to comprehend my question. “It’s a mid-size planet situated within a satisfactory distance from an early-life-cycle star. The gravity ratios are comparable to your world and the atmosphere is breathable.” He nodded, as if pleased with something. “It is relatively temperate. I do not believe you will experience any discomfort.”

I blinked rapidly.

“Thank you? Are there other people that live there?”

“I have no information about that.”

Well, at least I knew a little bit more now than I did before.

And apparently I wouldn’t be uncomfortable. That counted for something, surely.

“Captain,” Cedroc called out. “We’re heading into an asteroid belt. You probably want to sit down, just in case.”

I looked around quickly. Where was I supposed to sit?

“Just this once,” Rekker smiled, and patted his command chair.

“Do I get to make all the decisions now?” I teased as I wiggled into it.

It wasn’t comfortable in the slightest.

“Sure,” he laughed, “just make sure all your orders keep us on track for the mission. Manage that, and High Command doesn’t throw us into the brig.”

“That seems like it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Captain, brace for impact!” Cedroc’s shout rang through the bridge and I clung to the arm of the chair.

“Bank to starboard, now!” Rekker commanded, eyes fixed on the forward screens.

Following his gaze, I caught a patch of darkness, a blackness in the void, where I should have only seen more asteroids.

And from the center of the shadow, a growing circle of red appeared.

Nimbly, the Calliope rocked hard to the side in response to Cedroc’s maneuvers.

“Keep dodging, Cedroc,” Rekker commanded as he slapped a comms button on the arm of his command console.

“Derrix, a Suhlik ship just decloaked. Take them down.”

What?

“What’s going on, Rekker?” I whispered.

His jaw was tight.

“It’s a Suhlik warship. It was cloaked, waiting for us.” His fist clenched. “They must have caught one of our transmissions.”

“Warship?” My voice caught in my throat and came out as barely above a whisper.

I’d just started to settle in. I could have convinced myself this was a fun adventure, just like Nora always wanted.

Off to see new planets, unexplored worlds.

But something about the word ‘warship’ brought it all home.

The Suhlik and the Mahdfel were at war, had been for generations, would be for my entire life.

I froze.

“Lila.” Rekker placed his hand on my shoulder. “Get to the med bay, it’s the centermost point of the ship. If we have to go to lockdown, it’ll be the safest spot.”

Safest spot.

That sounded good.

“Now!” he ordered.

And still I couldn’t move, my mind stuttering.

The ship snapped to the side.

“Captain, we’ve taken a hit!”

The words were important, but I could barely hear them.

“Not too bad, I’m on it,” Kyre’s voice rang out through the comms.

Before I could register anything further, Rekker swung around, cradling me in his arms.

I buried my face in his chest, breathing in his comforting scent.

“I’ll be right back,” he called over his shoulder, and dashed down the corridor.

“I can take myself there,” I insisted as my brain emerged from its panicked fog. “I’m sorry, you need to get back to the bridge.”

“I need to make sure you’re safe,” he growled. “My crew is the best. They’ll manage without me.”

As he dashed towards the med bay, another sudden jerk sent us bumping against the wall.

“What was that?” I whimpered, too afraid to be embarrassed.

“Another hit.” His voice was grim.

“How bad is it, really, Rekker?”

“I don’t know.” He shook his head, eyes focused ahead. “But we’ve still got power, so we’re good.”

He glanced down as his face hardened. “Trust me. Trust my crew. They aren’t going to let anything happen to you.”

By the time we got to the med bay, my breathing was short and heavy, but my hands were steady enough to pour a small cup of water.

The lights flickered, and I flinched.

“Listen,” Rekker said, “I’ve got to get back to the bridge now. Just stay here until I come back for you.”

I nodded, my chest tight with tension.

I didn’t want him to go. I wanted to stay safe, curled up in his arms.

But it was true, he had his duties, and I had mine.

“It looked like Javik was busy out there,” I said, fighting to keep my voice even.

“His skills with the gravitational anomaly detector help us predict where a cloaked vessel is. With luck, and his talent,” Rekker admitted, “we can catch them while their shields are still partially down as they’re preparing to fire.”

“Right, then. Since he’s not able to be here, I should make sure med bay is ready, in case we have casualties.”

Rekker looked at me strangely.

“Go on,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound as panicked as I felt. “You have work to do. I’m sure it will be fine.”

He crushed me to his chest and for a moment all I could do was feel the bond between us, the silver strands that seemed to flare with the brightness of his mating tattoo.

Then without another word, he was gone.

And I turned to see how I could prepare the med bay for patients, and prayed that we wouldn’t need it.

REKKER

Walking away from the med bay was one of the hardest things I’d ever done.

But I did it anyway.

Lila would be okay. She would have to be.

The best way for me to protect her was to get my ass back to the bridge and my head back in the battle.

I burst onto the bridge, emergency lights flashing all around, catching myself as we rocked with the impact of yet another blast.

“Update, now,” I barked.

“They keep blinking in and out,” Cedroc snarled. “I’m dodging, but we don’t have much time.”

Derrix chimed in. “I’m sure I’ve clipped them a few times, but with all their damn cloaking, I can’t be certain.”

“Kyre, how are we holding up?” I asked.

“We’re holding,” he answered, “but I’ll be a lot happier when this is over.”

Another blast jolted us, and I grabbed the back of my chair. “This is ridiculous, how the hell are we supposed to fight an enemy we can’t see?”

“I’m working on it,” Javik replied calmly.

Our science officer could be an annoying bastard, easily aggravated and irritable.

Until everything went to hell. Then you wanted him on your side.

“I know you are,” I admitted by way of apology. “I’m just worried.”

He glanced up. “Interesting, but understandable.”

Cedroc swung us around and I saw another shot from the Suhlik ship cross our bow as it bounced in and out of vision, unveiling just long enough to get a shot off at us and then dropping back behind their cloak technology.

They danced around us, blinking in and out behind and between the asteroids.

Cedroc kept us moving, weaving his own dance between the rocks, never staying still, hoping for shelter.

It was hard when we never knew where the next blast would come from.

“Come on, Brains,” Derrix called out, “get me something!”

“The calculations cannot be rushed,” Javik answered calmly.

Derrix’s only reply was a low growl and another salvo of weapons fire that turned into a torrent of swearing as another blast hit us.

There was nothing I could do but wait.

I couldn’t tell Cedroc how to be a better pilot, I couldn’t tell Kyre how to fix the ship, and while I was good, I wasn’t a better gunner than Derrix.

Times like this, I hated being the captain.

“I have it,” Javik snapped, sending a string of coordinates to Kyre and Derrix.

Kyre moved fast as he had the information.

We had only a moment’s window.

Javik’s calculations showed the Suhlik location in real time, even cloaked. But there was no guarantee how long they would remain in each position.

“Give it all you’ve got,” I ordered.

Derrix blasted the darkness before us and, in a roar of flame and metal, the Suhlik ship’s cloak shattered, the vessel exploding against the black sky.

“Get us out of here,” I ordered Cedroc, but he was already moving us out of range as quickly as we could manage.

“I do not detect any survivors,” Javik said. “Pity, they might’ve been interesting.”

It was true that High Command liked it when we were able to retrieve prisoners from the Suhlik ships.

I didn’t want one of those golden-scaled bastards anywhere near Lila.

The urge to check on her grew, an itch I couldn’t reach deep in my chest.

But still, duty insisted I remain right where I was.

“Report, Kyre.”

“We’ve taken some damage, captain,” he said, sighing heavily. “I can fix some of it while we travel, but I’d be more comfortable if we made landfall, found a shipyard somewhere.”

I swore under my breath.

A delay in the mission wouldn’t thrill Commander Strygan.

But all of us dying in the black probably wouldn’t amuse him either.

“Cedroc, find us a place Kyre can work,” I ordered. “Derrix, if you’re not injured, give Kyre a hand.”

I checked over the data streaming into my console, damage reports, system updates.

It would all have to be dealt with, but there was nothing critical.

Nothing that required my attention at that very moment.

But something else did.

I stood, and stretched.

“Javik, if there’re any samples you want out of that wreck, speak up now.”

He didn’t bother looking up from his scope. “I don’t believe there’s enough left of the enemy ship to be of interest.”

Well then.

“I’ll be back shortly,” I announced. “Comm me if anything changes.”

Cedroc waved a hand behind him, eyes still focused on his console. “We’ll let you know.” Then he glanced over his shoulder. “I hope it didn’t scare her too badly,” he said softly.

I didn’t answer, but the phrase repeated in my head, echoing my footfalls as I raced down the corridor towards the elevator and med bay.

She didn’t want to be here to begin with.

And now she’d be terrified.

I rounded the corner and slid down the ladder to the next deck, throat tight.

And she was right.

She shouldn’t be here. It wasn’t safe.

This had been a minor skirmish.

We’d gone through dozens of them, maybe even hundreds. And I’d never been so terrified in my life.

As I slapped open the control to slide back the door to the med bay, I surveyed the room frantically.

“I didn’t quite get all of his samples, or whatever these are, strapped down tightly enough,” Lila said as she struggled to lift a heavy container back onto a shelf.

I took it from her and replaced it, then held her before me, pushing her hair back off her face so I could examine her more closely.

“Are you all right?” I asked softly.

She looked fine, a slight contusion on one cheekbone where one of the falling boxes must’ve hit her.

Otherwise unharmed, but still, I could see traces of fear in her eyes.

“I’m fine,” she said, then lunged towards me, wrapping her arms around my waist.

My tattoo burned carefully, gently, as I wrapped my arms around her and breathed deeply of the scent of her hair.

Lila shouldn’t be here.

It wasn’t safe.

And I didn’t want her anywhere else.

After a long moment, she stood back, brushing away the wetness from her eyes.

“I’m sorry, that was ridiculous.”

“Not at all,” I answered, already missing the feeling of her pressed against my chest. “I should go check on Kyre, survey the damage for myself.”

But she kept her fingers laced through mine.

“Will you be all right here?” I asked, my eyes lingering on hers.

“Of course,” she answered, but her voice trembled with some unspoken emotion.

“I’ll ask Javik to come down and give you a hand.” I looked at the mess. “It’s his own fault. I told him to better secure all of this.”

“See you in the dining hall when we’re done?” Lila gave me a tentative smile.

“We’ll call it a date.” The words slipped out before I could stop them.

And her beaming smile made me glad I hadn’t.

LILA

Exhausted, I tumbled into bed, sure that after the chaos of the day, I’d go straight to sleep.

Never in my wildest dreams had I ever imagined I’d witness a battle between two ships in the unending vastness of space.

Because I’d never imagined it, I was completely unprepared when it happened.

But Rekker was there.

He’d taken care of me, ensured my safety.

Held me when I was scared, until I could face it on my own.

I stayed curled up on my side, letting my thoughts reel around in my head. I tried to keep my breathing slow and steady so Rekker would think I just fell asleep.

He didn’t shift around much, his own breathing deep and slow. I figured sleep just came easy to him and was relieved that I could take a few minutes to think without trying to explain myself.

How could it be that we were fated?

But if we weren’t, what was this feeling that constantly drew me to him?

We weren’t even the same race. Physical genetics was one thing. On the farm, it was important to control the breeding program to make sure you ended up with the strongest characteristics, the widest possible gene pool.

Any farmer who didn’t monitor would breed his flocks and herds into extinction within only a few generations. The same could even be said for plant crops.

Throughout humanity’s history, various leaders had tried to manage human breeding programs, usually with disastrous results.

What did this mean for me personally? Did I get a choice? I never planned on falling in love. I wasn’t sure exactly why, but I had always believed the idea of finding a single person that could fulfill every need somewhat impossible.

I wasn’t expecting to get a literal flashing sign marking out the guy I’m supposed to be with.

The stubbornness, the arrogance of being human, made me resist the idea. It was difficult to think rationally because it was just too much to take in.

I literally had no idea how to process the information.

What would this mean for my family? My contract? The teeming thoughts in my mind were chasing their own tails.

Even though I had been pretending to be asleep so I could think, now I just wanted to switch the thoughts off so I could rest.

My muscles knotted themselves together all over my body. My neck started to feel like it was wrapped in iron bands. I stayed curled up on my side, arms tucked against my chest. I tried pushing away the thoughts, but they came frothing back into my mind like a strong tide.

One thought began to crowd all the others out of existence. Compared to that one strong, intoxicating truth, the rest disappeared like ash on the wind.

I was attracted to Rekker.

I didn’t even know how to explain it to myself. The longer I was around him, the more I thought that being his mate wouldn’t be so bad. I couldn’t stop thinking about the bulk of his muscles, the curve of his smile, and his intense eyes.

His kindness. His laugh.

The computer determined we were a match physically, but what about emotionally? Did his tattoo understand that much? What did being his soulmate even mean?

I rolled over onto my back and realized that parts of my body were throbbing, a low, slow pulsing in my nipples and deep between my legs, as if all the blood in my body was gathering there.

When I ran my hands down my body, those parts thrilled awake with electrical currents. The sensation was so intense I had to stop, blinking hard.

Was something wrong with me?

I didn’t know if I was sane and in my right mind, or not. That was scary.

I turned on to my side again, putting my back to Rekker, and clamped my legs together, trying to smother the fire building there.

The low throbbing intensified gradually, like the rising volume of an alarm.

I curled into an even tighter ball, screwing my eyes shut. I took a deep breath and held it, counting to thirty before I released it.

As if it was mocking me, the pulsing of my body just kept getting stronger. The ache between my legs seemed to stretch up inside me and twist my stomach into knots. My nipples and fingers tingled as if they were waiting for something.

I settled onto my back again, running my fingers down my body experimentally. My nipples flared and my clit became a burning, white-hot point. My cheeks flamed red, and I tossed onto my other side, pressing my knees together.

“Lila?”

Rekker’s soft voice cracked through me like a whip. I’d thought he was asleep and my private explorations were secret. I hope he didn’t know what I was doing.

“Yeah?”

“Are you okay?”

“Sure. Why?”

“You just haven’t stopped turning up there. Are you having trouble sleeping?”

“Yes. A little. I’m sorry I woke you up.”

“I didn’t actually fall asleep.” His voice had an edge to it, and I could sense that he was frustrated, as well. My throat closed, in addition to my red cheeks, and I prayed again that he didn’t know what I was feeling as I lay there in the dark.

He was my fated mate.

If I was allowed to fantasize about anyone in the universe, it was him, but that didn’t mean I was ready for him to know about it.

“Are you okay?” My own problems stepped back a little as I realized he might not be thinking about me at all.

“I’ve got a lot to think about. It’s hard to relax.”

“I feel the same.” I let the moment drag out, silence and withdrawal the only things in the room. He was not going to say anything. If I wanted to get closer to him, I had to be the one who took the first step.

The silence stretched on, darkness obscuring thought as well as vision. I worried he might have fallen asleep when I heard him shuffling around again.

“Do you want to come up here?” I tried to sound confident, but it didn’t come out as planned. I sounded like a nervy teenager, not a confident woman. “It’s silly for you to keep sleeping on the floor.”

“Sure.” He got up and put his arms on the edge of the bed. The mattress sunk towards his weight and I rolled towards him. His hands brushed against me and, for a second, I couldn’t breathe.

The fiery sensations in my nipples and between my legs increased tenfold. I didn’t think they could get any stronger, but the second he got close to me, it was like my tenderest body parts started screaming. I scuttled back across the bed, putting distance between us.

As he pulled himself up onto the bed, his subtle scent crept over me with the same gentle insistence as his body heat. As he lay down beside me, it was all I could do to stop myself from panting.

Intense excitement rose in me, anticipation edged with urgency. My hands almost twitched as I thought about touching him. My body wasn’t my own anymore, reacting to him all by itself.

Control slipped away as a warm fire flooded my body and teased me, pouring sexual images through my mind, my imagination enflamed with acts I’d never seen, let alone done.

It was as if my body had accepted a fate that my mind still questioned. Rekker settling beside me felt like the most natural thing in the world, but shyness strangled the urge to lie down beside him and wrap myself in his warmth.

I settled myself on my side, facing him but keeping a small strip of space between us. I wondered if his body was calling for mine. I wondered if this was what it meant to be fated mates.

Would we burn for each other, even if we were separated by light years? Had our bodies fallen into a pattern that would keep singing, no matter what our minds decided?

The sensations in my body were so strong, I couldn’t think. I tried to lie there casually, relaxed and open. I hoped that Rekker couldn’t feel my turmoil.

My body did not quit. It did not settle down and stop burning. It started to blaze even brighter every second he was beside me.

Close enough to touch. Close enough to kiss.

I felt hopeless and frustrated. I wanted him so badly, in every possible way.

I just didn’t know what to do about it.

REKKER

Iwas surprised when she asked me to join her, but I wasn’t about to refuse. I climbed up onto the bed slowly, making sure that I didn’t threaten her in any way.

It was as if my body could feel the heat from hers.

The urge to grab her, kiss her, wrestle her, roared through my body, but I held it at bay.

If I had any doubts before this that we were fated to be made one, they would have flown in that moment.

“Thanks for inviting me,” I said lightly, sure that she couldn’t see my smile in the dark.

“No problem,” she giggled softly. “We had seats to spare.”

I could tell by her voice that there might be some Earth meaning that I wasn’t getting, but it hardly mattered.

“I’m still struggling with this whole tattoo thing,” she murmured softly, as if now that I was in bed with her, she was afraid to disturb the silence. “How does it know? What makes it light up?”

“It’s been part of our genetic code for a long time. I suppose there are members of our race that could explain it better than me. It was a surprise to me, as well. I wasn’t exactly looking for a mate.”

“You read my mind.” Her voice was light and amused, but a dark tone lurked beneath.

I wanted to ask her a million questions. I felt like I had a unique opportunity to find out more about her. I stayed silent only because she was responding to me and I wanted her to keep opening up.

She sighed in the dark and I felt disappointed she didn’t elaborate.

“Why is it like I read your mind?” I prompted finally.

“I wasn’t looking for love.” She shifted in the dark and I wished I could see her eyes. “We have this whole fairy-tale thing going on with an Earth legend. It basically says that once you meet that one person, everything will go right for you. The entire universe bends to your will. All you have to do is have faith in love.”

I considered this, thinking it wasn’t too different from stories within my own race. To me, the concept wasn’t a strange one.

“The thing is, humans rarely find it. It’s kind of impossible. So, meeting someone who gets an actual physical representation of the person they are supposed to be with … it just sheds a different light on everything.”

Lila laughed softly to herself, and I chuckled too. We certainly did get a very real and physical ‘guiding light’ leading us to our love.

She slid a little closer to me, almost touching.

Something about her felt different tonight.

When her body brushed against mine, I felt bold. I caught her hand in the dark and held it firmly. She didn’t pull away.

Something passed between us in the silence. Not being able to see her face suddenly felt intensely erotic. Pain I had never felt before tugged through my body.

I reached out with my other hand, trying to draw her closer. I kept my grip loose so she could pull away if she wanted to. Even though her body was tense with resistance, I knew she wasn’t going to struggle.

Something in her was slowly caving away, like sand under a tide. Either she didn’t want to resist, or she couldn’t remember why she wanted to.

With both arms, I pulled her against my chest.

Her body seemed to be crying out for my touch. I could sense hot spots waking up all over her and wondered if it would be enough to open her up to me. She curled against me, almost completely relaxed as she pressed her cheek to my chest.

For a few seconds, there was nothing but our breathing. Her fingers curled softly against my chest, feeling like hot embers that slowly fed the heat inside me.

Touching her felt more natural to me than breathing. I waited to feel resistance from her, but it didn’t come. Instead, she crept even closer to me, resting her arm across my waist.

I stroked her hair gently, not wanting to push too hard. When she pressed her body against mine and turned her head up, it took every ounce of my strength to stay still and let her come to me.

Her lips touched mine, slowly and with hesitation. I kept myself in check, letting her set the pace. Slowly, she got up on her knees, running her hands across my chest and shoulders. When she trailed her fingers across my neck, spider soft, I shivered at the intensity of it.

I responded to the kiss without escalating it, feeling her confidence growing with each passing second. My hands moved by themselves, stroking her waist and pulling her closer. As her body pressed against mine, she wrapped her arms firmly around my neck and leaned into the kiss.

My hands tightened on her waist, my lips and tongue taking control. She bent over me, opening herself and letting me kiss her. My hands started roaming around her body, and she reciprocated my exploration.

I pushed upward and to the side, until she had to lie down, pulling me on top of her. With my hands touching her and my mouth pulling on hers, I felt something in me topple over, all of my attention becoming more insistent.

She turned her mouth to the side suddenly, crying out. I sat up immediately, disentangling myself with some difficulty.

“Are you okay?” My voice was husky as I tried to remain in control.

“I’m okay.” She didn’t sound okay.

I ran my hands over her gently, the swell of her hips and long thighs tantalizing under the fabric of her gown. She writhed a little, but I could feel that edge of resistance in her still.

“Will you let me pleasure you?” It was the only thing I could think of to say. My mouth was practically watering from the scent of her sex. Every part of me wanted in on the action, but if I got to feast on her, it would be more than enough for now.

If she could just trust me, even if only a little, I could bridge the gap between us. I just knew it.

She stayed quiet for some time, enough for me to think she was going to send me back to the floor. I started to talk myself out of anything happening, when she spoke one beautiful word.

“Yes.” It was soft but unmistakable.

I ran my hands up her thighs, pushing up the gown. I moved slowly, keeping to the gentle pace she had set. I wanted her to know at all times that I would stop the second she told me to.

“Just trust me,” I whispered as I fell on my belly between her thighs, lifting her legs over my horns to rest on my shoulders. Tension ran through her and I knew she was scared. I could also feel she was so aroused and curious it was going to overtake her fear.

“Trust me,” I whispered again as I drew my face nearer to her pussy. “Relax and let me pleasure you.”

Just before I touched her with my mouth, I felt tension running right through her. It was as if she was about to run or fight me. Then I parted those sweet inner lips with my tongue and caressed her clit with the tip.

“Sweet mate.” I took another taste, deeper this time. “Delicious mate.”

Lila gasped, gripping the sheets in both fists. As I opened my mouth, licking deeper and caressing her inner folds, she writhed, hips gently surging up and down. I couldn’t help smiling as I worked my lips even deeper, knowing that she was over the fear now.

She thrust her hips up and down, ragged gasps tearing from her throat. I rode through those first moments of high sensitivity, carefully licking at her clit and moving lower to tease the inner lips and pressing my tongue into her slit.

When I kept putting pressure deep into her pussy, teasing my tongue inside, I felt her whole body relax. She let her head fall back, moans rising in her throat. I could feel her getting wetter and it only made me lick deeper into her, desperate to taste her juices.

She started to rock slowly up and down, keeping up a rhythm between her clit and the deep cave of her pussy. I moved with the pace, letting her pleasure herself while I held out my lips and tongue as a sacrifice to her awakening lust.

As she started to cry out, I gripped her ass hard. I pulled her towards me and wrapped my lips around her clit, licking at it firmly and sucking on it. Her limbs were shaking, her skin was flowing in waves of goosebumps. I could sense the great tremors coming from far away and kept up my slow, careful attention.

The orgasm rocked through her, her clit pulsing in my mouth. I enjoyed the sensation for a few seconds, moving down to her pussy to taste the wet waves as they started to flow. She went loose and still under me, murmuring nonsense as I ate the orgasm from her, encouraging a chain of smaller ones that made her buck and thrash.

I licked across the hot, plump lips once more as I sat up, crawling up her body.

I took her in my arms and pulled her close to me, trying not to think in this beautiful place of sensuality and growing trust.

LILA

Everything changed, but in an odd way, it didn’t. I felt like time stood still as we settled into new routines.

Each day felt more comfortable than the last. Slowly but surely, I was adjusting to life aboard the Calliope.

Kyre repaired what he could before we reached a proper shipyard.

I tried to help, but after realizing half of his tools were too heavy for me to lift, I gladly ceded my spot to Derrix.

During the day, I tried to help Javik organize his varied collection of samples, experiments, and things that were simply ‘interesting’ in the med bay.

And at night, I shared the bed with Rekker.

We hadn’t done anything since that first night together.

It certainly wasn’t for lack of desire.

There was plenty of desire, but I wasn’t yet sure how far I wanted to take this. When we were in bed together, in the dark with no one else around, it was easy to get swept up in the intensity of things.

When his head was between my legs, I wasn’t thinking about anything but how I wanted to stay suspended in that moment forever. That wouldn’t be a problem if I didn’t have my family to think about.

I still needed to get back to them.

I knew the payment they’d received in compensation was more than enough to make up for my absence, but that didn’t matter.

I belonged on Earth, on the farm, with my family and my animals.

Didn’t I?

“You look like you’re contemplating the origins of the world,” a voice said, startling me from my thoughts. I looked up to find Javik.

“No. I’m just thinking about my family.” I saw no point in hiding the truth.

“You miss them?”

I nodded. “Terribly.”

“Once we complete this mission, I’m sure Rekker will arrange a way for you to contact them.” Javik didn’t speak with reassurance, he spoke as if his words were an obvious fact, which was ultimately more comforting.

“I’d like that.” I swallowed, clearing my throat. “Speaking of Rekker, have you seen him?”

Rekker and I had developed a routine of sorts. Rekker woke up earlier than I did to start his daily duties aboard the Calliope. I knew he met with the crew every morning to debrief. While he did that, I showered and dressed.

When I’d been unceremoniously shipped off to Rekker, I only had the pack I’d brought with me. It contained only a few articles of clothing, all of which were now worn and dirty. As I spoke to Javik, I wore one of Rekker’s shirts, folded and tied so that it better fit my frame.

It was midmorning now. By this time, Rekker usually joined me on the bridge for a late breakfast.

“You were speaking of me?” Rekker approached the table with an easy smile. “Nothing bad, I hope.”

“Exclusively bad,” I teased.

“I’ll leave you to your breakfast,” Javik said with a slight bow. “I trust you’ll visit the med bay when you’re finished here?”

It wasn’t just helping Javik organize the med bay, no matter how badly it needed it. I greatly enjoyed learning from him. To my surprise, alien doctors and Earth veterinarians weren’t all that different.

He and I were able to converse easily. It was one of my favorite parts of the day.

“Glad to see you’re making friends,” Rekker said as he slid into the chair across from me.

I’d taken it upon myself to fetch our usual breakfast from the galley. Unfamiliar fruits, something that resembled oatmeal, and a tall glass of thick, pale blue liquid that tasted somewhat like watermelon.

“Javik and I have a lot of common interests,” I replied.

“He must think highly of you,” he said thoughtfully. “Javik isn’t one for conversation.”

“He’s taught me a lot about the Mahdfel. I now know all of your weaknesses.”

“You should,” Rekker grinned. “You’re one of them.”

My smile faltered.

“Because I’m your mate, right?”

“Indeed.” He dropped his gaze. “Does it bother you to talk about it?”

“About being mates? No,” I said after a moment of consideration. “But I’m still adjusting to the idea.”

“Of course,” he said quickly. “You don’t have to act a certain way now that you know. You’re still your own being. You aren’t obligated to do anything now that you know.”

“I’m still obligated to fulfill my contract,” I muttered.

“That’s different. I despise the contract as much as you do. Though I can’t say I’m upset that it brought you to me.”

“I wonder how things would be different if we were allowed to meet in a more natural way,” I mused. “I probably wouldn’t have struck you in the jaw with a mop handle.”

“I should hope not,” Rekker laughed.

The tension fizzled out around us as we settled back to our breakfast.

“You were talking to Javik about your home,” Rekker said.

“Just that I miss my family,” I said. “And the farm.”

“Once we get through this mission, I’ll make sure you can get in touch with them.”

A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. “Javik said you’d say that.”

“He knows me well.”

We fell into a comfortable silence. As we finished our food, I started wondering about Rekker’s profession as a captain.

“Do missions like this make up most of your work?” I asked.

Rekker shook his head. “Not at all. This one is highly unusual.”

“What would you call usual?”

“My team and I are usually called in to deal with violent Suhlik,” he explained. “Just before we were assigned this mission, we spent weeks tracking down and dismantling a Suhlik breeding ring.”

I clamped a hand over my mouth. “How awful!”

“It was. We almost didn’t make it back.” Rekker’s eyes clouded with memories that haunted him.

“Was that the worst mission you’ve ever done?”

“No, but it was close,” he said. “We’ve been through some bloody battles together. We’ve all saved each other’s lives on more than one occasion. I almost took a projectile in the heart. Cedroc was able to keep me alive until Javik could patch me up.”

Scars of all shapes and sizes tracked across his body, though most of them blended in with his skin. I wanted to know the stories behind all of them.

But before I could ask, we were interrupted.

“Captain.” Kyre, the engineer, appeared at the table.

“Yes?”

“We’re near Silva. They’ve got the best shipyard anywhere near our route.”

From what I’d gathered, the Calliope could still function, just not as efficiently as she was capable of. At least it wasn’t scattered through space as debris, like the Suhlik ship. We’d been more or less ambling through space over the past few days, rather than zooming.

“Excellent,” Rekker said. “Tell Cedroc he has permission to land.”

“Yes, Captain.” Kyre hurried away.

“What’s Silva?”

“It’s a small planet, barely bigger than your Earth moon.”

“Another planet?”

The words caught in my throat. Though it seemed silly, the realization that I truly wasn’t in my own galaxy anymore hit me harder than expected.

“Are you all right?” Rekker asked.

“Yes,” I stammered. “It’s just that I never imagined I’d leave the Milky Way Galaxy, ever.”

“I know it’s daunting. Silva is a relatively safe planet. It has a single outpost where species from all over the galaxy congregate. It’s neutral ground, for the most part. The outpost itself is small, though it’s packed with all kinds of supplies and goods. The Suhlik usually don’t bother with Silva since it’s out in the middle of the black and doesn’t have much as far as loot-able goods go.”

“That makes me feel better.” I laughed nervously. “I’d like to live through my first week in space.”

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said with surprising seriousness. “That’s what being mated to a Mahdfel means. You’ll never have to worry about your safety as long as I’m nearby.”

My heart fluttered against my ribs. I knew he’d just told me I wasn’t obligated to do anything or feel a certain way now that he was my mate, but damn! He sure made it hard not to completely fall for him.

My mind flickered to my family almost immediately, like a self-timed punishment. Guilt flooded my mind, stamping out the fluttery feeling Rekker awakened in me.

I shouldn’t feel as torn as I did. Rekker was a stranger.

My family was the most important thing to me. The farm was my life.

It was no question that I needed to go back, even though something in my heart whispered for me to stay close to Rekker.

“We’re going to land soon, so hang on tight.” Cedroc’s voice came over the speaker mounted on the wall.

Rekker let out a long-suffering sigh.

“No matter how many times I go over the proper landing procedure, he never sticks to it.”

“Will he land safely?” I asked.

“Without a doubt,” Rekker assured me. “He’s one of the best pilots I’ve ever worked with. It’s just that no matter what I do, I can’t get him to say ‘All hands, secure yourselves and all precious cargo. Initiating landing sequence’.”

I stifled a laugh. “Do we need to secure ourselves?”

“Not really.” Rekker shrugged. “Cedroc is a smooth lander. You can watch from the viewport if you like.”

The idea of seeing a new planet was too much to resist. I walked to the nearest viewport and looked out. Below me was what I originally thought to be snow-covered plains. As we drew closer, I realized it was a sea of white-leaved trees with deep blue trunks and branches.

“It’s beautiful!” I gasped.

“The forest sits atop a lake that spans most of the planet. The outpost is built on bridges and platforms between the trees suspended over the water. It’s a small settlement. People who want to settle here have to apply, sometimes even wait for years, otherwise the very beauty that attracts them would be overrun.”

“Will the Calliope fit?”

He nodded. “Certainly. I’ve brought the Calliope through here several times. It’s one of my favorite places.”

“I can see why,” I said, marveling at the beautiful landscape.

Before long, the outpost appeared. I spied a long dock filled with spacecraft like the Calliope. Thankfully, the dock didn’t appear to be full.

The Calliope tipped to one side as Cedroc brought her around. I lost my balance. Rekker reached out and pulled me to him before I fell over. I leaned into his chest as the ship lurched again.

“Maybe Cedroc isn’t as smooth a pilot as I made him out to be,” Rekker chuckled.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” I joked.

“No. But I’m prepared to take advantage of the situation.”

With a smile on my lips, I relaxed against him.

As we approached Silva, I couldn’t help but feel excited.

I couldn’t wait for Rekker to show me this beautiful new planet.

REKKER

The Calliope docked between two streamlined space vessels, each about half her size. Very few permanent residents owned space vessels on Silva. It was a simple place with simple people.

Not a bad life actually. I wouldn’t mind living in a place like this when I retired, if I ever retired.

Lila’s fingertips brushed over my skin as she took in the view. My arms were still draped around her, though she no longer needed me for balance. As she watched this new world unfold before her eyes, I watched her face.

My mate was a sight to behold, no mistake.

“I hope you braced for that landing.” Cedroc’s voice came through the intercom, disrupting the moment.

Lila barked out a laugh as she stepped away from me. Cold air filled the space between us. I would’ve gladly stood like that with her for hours.

“Was that for the purpose of annoying you?” she asked.

“I think so,” I chuckled.

“I suppose it’s his way of making the job fun.”

“Because exploring the unending vastness of space and not having to pay for the fuel isn’t fun enough.”

“You don’t pay?” She tilted her head.

“I can sign against the Mahdfel military. They pay for fuel, weapons, ammunitions, repairs, and even the food we store in the galley.”

“Wow.” That impressed her for some reason. “The price of fuel for our vehicles back home is half the reason why I never went anywhere.”

“That must’ve been frustrating.”

“Not really,” she said, and shrugged. “I liked working the farm every day.”

A familiar tension crept between us once more. Though I didn’t directly take her away from the life she loved, I was the reason she was here. There was no changing that.

“Captain.” Kyre appeared at my shoulder. “I’m ready to start repairs.”

“Good. Get to it.”

Kyre nodded and strode briskly away.

I turned to Lila. “Shall we?”

She blinked in surprise. “Shall we what?”

“Don’t you want to see the outpost? We have time to spare.”

She hesitated.

I feared she was going to say no. She looked out the viewport once more, taking in the trees, the silver water, and the wooden buildings and bridges that made up the outpost. When she turned back to me, she was smiling from ear to ear.

“Let’s go!”

She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the ship’s entryway with more enthusiasm than I would’ve expected.

I laughed as she dragged me, paying no mind to the curious glances we solicited from the rest of the crew. Cedroc and Derrix looked like they were ready to bust a gut.

“Mind the ship,” I called to them.

“You mean we have to stay here?” Derrix shouted back.

“I wanted to get a drink,” Cedroc grumbled.

“Be good and we might bring you treats!” Lila called.

“You better!” Cedroc said after us.

We slowed our pace when we stepped onto the dock. The silver water was shrouded in mist and the dock was slippery as a result.

“You’re a surprising creature,” I said to her as we made our way toward the outpost.

“Am I?”

“I expected you to shrink away from exploring a new planet. Most would find it a daunting task.”

“It is,” she confirmed. “But you’re supposed to protect me, right? That’s part of the whole mate thing?”

“It is,” I chuckled. “And this outpost is far from dangerous.”

“Exactly. I figure that if I have a big, burly alien who’s sworn to protect me in a place where I’m not likely to need protection, there’s no point in missing an opportunity my sister, Nora, would kill for.”

“Nora?” I repeated.

“She’s the adventurous one. I think she was jealous that my birthday was called in the lottery instead of hers. She’s dying to get off the farm and see the universe.”

“Next time you see her, you’ll be bursting with stories,” I said.

She glanced up at me from beneath her thick lashes. “Do you really think I’ll see them again?”

“Of course,” I assured her. “It just might not be as soon as I anticipated. This giant inconvenience disguised as a mission is taking longer than expected.”

Lila smiled up at me. She looked as if she was glowing from the inside out.

“I’m happy knowing I’ll get to see them again.”

“You didn’t think I’d keep you away from your family forever, did you?” I asked.

“I’m not sure.” She frowned. “I wasn’t told much about how all of this works. I was put in a room, tested, and shipped off all within the span of a few hours. The way it was presented to me made it seem like I was your property.”

“You’re my responsibility, not my property,” I clarified. “I don’t own you and I don’t intend to behave as if I do. However, since you’re my responsibility, it’s discouraged for you to travel alone now.”

“So, when I get to see my family again, I won’t go alone?”

“No.” I shook my head. “The Calliope will accompany you.”

“But why?”

She didn’t sound upset, just curious.

“Suhlik have been known to kidnap the mates of Mahdfel,” I explained. “It’s a two-pronged attack, you see. They get a fertile female for their breeding farms and cause extreme psychological torment to the Mahdfel who’s mate is taken.”

“I see,” she said thoughtfully.

We left the dock and passed into the heart of the outpost. Wooden buildings connected by a series of wooden walkways and bridges extended out before us. One street was significantly busier than the others.

“That’s the market.” I pointed, glad to move onto another topic. “It might appear crowded but, from the look of it, this is a slow morning.”

“Can we go see?” she asked, excitement flooding her voice.

“Of course.”

I led her over to the busy market street. As we walked, I noticed something was off. There weren’t as many people as I remembered from last time. When I looked around, I saw many forlorn looking males of all races slowly going about their day. There were hardly any females or children. Last time I came here, I recalled this place to be bursting with families.

“You have a strange look on your face,” Lila said.

“Something’s not right,” I said.

We entered the market street. There were nowhere near as many stalls and open storefronts as there was last time I was here. What stalls were open were scantily stocked.

“What’s wrong?” Lila asked.

I frowned. “I’m not sure, but I know someone we can ask.”

I led Lila to a storefront on the corner. It looked closed, though the front door was open.

“This is my friend’s shop,” I explained. “His name is Binuf. He’s of the Yuve race. They’re avid stargazers and most pursue careers in navigation or astronomy. Binuf carved out a living manufacturing and selling telescopes.”

“Interesting,” she murmured as we stepped into the dim shop.

“Binuf?” I called.

“Who’s there?” a wobbly voice answered.

“Rekker, of the Calliope.”

“Rekker?”

There was a great deal of shuffling before Binuf came around the corner from a back room. He was a hulking creature with skin as blue as the night sky. He looked at me with tear-filled eyes, like silver coins.

“Rekker,” he said with a sigh. “Something terrible has happened.”

“Tell me.”

“The Suhlik came through. They took people, women and children, for experiments. There were so many of them. They were all heavily armed. There was nothing I could do.”

A heaving sob shuddered through his chest.

“They took my wife and daughter. A dozen, maybe two dozen, more.”

Lila let out a soft sigh and moved to stand beside Binuf. She placed a hand on his beefy arm, watching him with a sympathetic gaze.

Rage boiled up in me. Silva was a peaceful planet. There were no military bases or strongholds here. The people who lived here were honest and hardworking.

The Suhlik had never bothered to come out here before. Why now?

“How long ago?” I asked through clenched teeth.

“Two days,” Binuf replied.

“Has anyone gone after the ship?”

“There’s no one with the firepower to go after a Suhlik vessel. They didn’t just take women and children, they killed most of the men who tried to protect them. It’s a disaster.”

“There must be something we can do,” Lila murmured softly.

“The outpost council wants us to pick up and carry on as if they’re dead.” Binuf’s voice sounded strangled. “How can I do that? I can’t do it!” A fat silver tear rolled down his pudgy cheek.

Lila ran her hand up and down his arm. “Of course you can’t,” she said softly. “They can’t possibly expect that of you.”

“But they’re right.” Binuf sniffled. “Once the Suhlik take someone, they’re never seen again. I just can’t stomach it, knowing my wife and daughter are somewhere on a ship in the middle of the black being treated like cattle. It’d be easier if they truly were dead.”

“You don’t mean that,” Lila soothed.

“You’ve never met a Suhlik. They’re brutal, unfeeling creatures. They’ll use my wife and daughter, and everyone else taken from here, for their own twisted purposes until there’s nothing left of them.”

Lila looked at me, her eyes filling with tears.

“The Calliope will go after the ship,” I said through gritted teeth. I tried not to let my anger bleed through. I didn’t want to cause Binuf any more distress.

“You will?”

I nodded. “Suhlik trafficking ships are fast, but not faster than the Calliope. If we leave today, we can catch up to them before they reach the nearest breeding hub.”

“Thank you!” Tears flowed down Binuf’s face as he fell to his knees. I was amazed the wooden floor beneath him didn’t crack.

Lila sprang back to avoid getting her toes smashed.

When she looked over at me, I swore I saw pride in her eyes.

That alone made my choice worth it.

LILA

“For what it’s worth, I think you made the right decision,” I said to Rekker as we made our way back to the Calliope.

“I didn’t feel that there was a decision to be made,” he replied, his eyes cast straight ahead yet seeing right through everything before him. “People were taken. Someone has to go after them and I’m the only one here with the means to do so.”

“You aren’t the only one with a ship,” I pointed out. “Surely someone else could go, since you’re already engaged in a mission.”

“A mission that’s starting to feel like more of a pain in the back end than it’s worth,” he said with a wry smile. “Besides, no one who owns those ships will be lending their aid.”

“How do you know?”

“This is a tight-knit community. The fact that I, an outsider, was asked speaks volumes.”

“What volumes, exactly?” I still didn’t understand.

“Anyone who lives here with the means to pull off a rescue is either dead or taken by the Suhlik,” he clarified. “I’ve been here enough times for the local folk to consider me trustworthy.”

“That’s why your shopkeeper friend looked so relieved to see you,” I concluded.

“He likely started thinking of his wife and daughter as dead until I showed up.”

“Is he the only one putting his hopes on you?”

“At the moment, probably. Give it a few hours and that will change. Word travels fast here, as you can imagine.”

I could. Just by looking around, I doubted more than five hundred beings called this place home permanently.

If a dozen women and children had been taken, it would touch the lives of every family here.

Of course, the forest was so tall and thick that the outpost could stretch on for miles without my knowledge.

“So, you see what I mean when I say there wasn’t a choice to be made.”

“I think there was,” I said with a decisive nod. “I think it was more than just duty that compelled you to make the right choice.”

“Since when do you think so highly of me?” He looked down at me and smirked.

“Oh, I see how it is.” I rolled my eyes. “Pay an alien male one compliment and he gets all big-headed about it.”

“I’m not big-headed!” Rekker protested. “I only—”

“Want to play the hero? Soak up a little extra glory?” I teased.

“I just want to do the right thing.”

“I know.” I gave him a playful nudge.

The easiness between us had snuck up on me. I never imagined he’d be someone I could laugh and joke with without a second thought.

Conversation flowed and shifted between us much like the silver water that flowed through the outpost. The thought brought a smile to my face.

“What’s that smile for?”

“I shouldn’t be smiling at all,” I said quickly. “People have been stolen from their homes. They must be terrified. If anything like this happened to my sisters, I don’t know what I’d do.” Nausea rolled through my body at the thought of it. “Which is why I’m smiling.”

Rekker’s strong brow furrowed. “I don’t follow.”

“The people of Silva who were taken won’t be terrified for much longer because of you. Because you’re good enough, brave enough, and hopefully smart enough, to rescue them.”

“What do you mean by ‘hopefully’?” Rekker arched a brow.

“Exactly what I said.” My smile returned. “Will the Calliope be in any condition to chase the Suhlik ship?”

“That’s what I’m going to find out.”

We reached our space on the dock. Kyre’s legs stuck out of a panel on the side of the ship.

“Kyre.” Rekker wrapped his knuckles against the hull.

“Captain.” Kyre slid out, grinning broadly. “Repairs are going well. We should be out of here in two days’ time, with every last bit of my to-do list settled.”

“We’re going to depart within the hour,” Rekker said. “Focus on the engines and the weapons.”

“An hour?” Kyre exclaimed, his smile gone, replaced with shock.

“The Suhlik came through here two days ago and took wives, children, and many others. We’re going after their ship. Do what you can to make sure we stay airborne and don’t worry about anything else.”

“I can do that.” Kyre nodded and swiftly returned to his work.

I followed Rekker aboard while he spoke into his radio.

“Derrix, report to the bridge immediately.”

“Yes, Cap,” Derrix’s replied through the radio speaker.

He was there waiting for us when we arrived on the bridge.

“You’re to go into the outpost,” Rekker ordered. “Buy whatever heavy-hitting gunnery you can outfit the Calliope with within the hour.”

“The hour?” Derrix balked. “That doesn’t give me much time.”

“Figure it out,” Rekker barked.

“Yes, Cap.” Derrix took off at a jog toward the entryway of the ship.

“What else?” I asked. “Is there anything I could do?”

Rekker looked surprised.

“You know medicine, right?”

His question caught me off guard. “For animals,” I said. “And I know some basic first aid.”

“Good. Find Javik and go to the market. There are two shops that sell things for healing. Between the two of you, we should leave here with enough to handle the injuries of a dozen or more.”

“You’re expecting to find them injured?”

“The Suhlik aren’t a gentle people,” Rekker warned me. “Expect more than a fair share of injuries.”

“Got it.”

I immediately set off to find Javik. As I made my way to the med bay, I made a list of the supplies I’d buy if I was on Earth. Hopefully, I’d find acceptable substitutions here.

“You’re early,” Javik said when I entered the room. He didn’t look up from his microscope.

“What are you looking at?” I asked.

“I collected a sample from the asteroid belt we went through,” he explained. “I’m looking to see what’s there to be discovered. There’s hardly anything else for me to do.”

“Then I come with good news. Do you know where the medical supply shops here are?”

“They aren’t called that, but yes. Why?”

“The Suhlik kidnapped a bunch of people. We’re going to rescue them and we need to stock up.”

Javik lifted his head from the microscope, his eyes gleaming with excitement behind his goggles. “How exciting!”

I must’ve made a face, for Javik quickly amended his speech.

“I mean only that I’m anxious to rescue those taken by the Suhlik,” he said. “Of course, I’d prefer it if they weren’t taken in the first place.”

“We don’t have time to waste,” I said with more sharpness than I meant to. “Rekker—I mean the Captain, wants to leave within the hour.”

“Only an hour? Why didn’t you say so! We must move quickly.”

“That’s what I just said,” I exclaimed as I followed Javik out of the med bay. I had to run to keep up with him. The Vaznik, probably all the Mahdfel, were so damn tall!

“Do you know what we need?” Javik asked when we reached the market street. Even with a large part of the outpost’s population gone, the narrow wooden street was still bustling.

“I only know how to treat farm animals,” I replied. “You’re the one who’s supposed to know all of this.”

“Do you have any idea how many sentient species there are in the galaxy? Even the ones that have just made a home here on Silva? Most of them share physiological markers, but not all of them.”

“I don’t know why you’d think I’d know better than you,” I replied.

“I don’t. I just wanted to test you,” he grinned.

“Why?” I barked out a laugh.

We reached the first of the two shops described by Rekker. It was filled to the brim with things I didn’t recognize.

Oh, no, that wasn’t true. There were bandages.

I recognized those and nothing else.

“Call it part of my vetting process,” Javik said as he filled a basket with what I assumed to be general medical supplies.

“Vetting? Why am I being vetted?”

“For one thing, I choose my friends carefully,” he explained. “For another, I have to make sure that any female who seeks the company of my Captain, mate or not, isn’t going to be a disruption.”

I pondered his words carefully. “By disruption, do you mean break his heart?”

“That’s a possible interpretation, yes.”

He brought the basket to the shopkeeper. From the look on her face, I’d wager she already knew who we were.

She gave us a hefty discount.

“Please, bring them back to us,” she whispered to me as we left.

“We’ll do our best.” I offered her a reassuring smile, wishing there was more I could do, then turned back to Javik. “I don’t intend to break his heart.”

“But you want to return to your family.”

“Is that a crime? I simply don’t see why it has to be one way or the other,” I huffed.

“So, if you were allowed to see your family, you’d still come back to us?”

“I don’t know.” I chewed on my bottom lip. “I haven’t exactly had time to process everything. It’s still so new. I’m still getting used to the fact that I’m on another planet in another solar system.”

“Right.” He sighed. “I forget that long-distance space travel is a novelty to humans.”

I laughed. “Could you possibly sound more condescending?”

We walked into the other shop that appeared to focus on herbs, salves, and other natural remedies. Javik looked through the shelves with a critical eye.

“You don’t seem like the plant-healing type,” I commented.

“I’m not foolish enough to discount certain types of medicines just because they aren’t crafted in a lab.”

We paid quickly and left the shop. We’d been gone from the ship for forty-five minutes. We’d be back just in time for liftoff, assuming Kyre made the required repairs and Derrix secured the necessary gunnery.

“Why are you so worried about what I’m going to do?” I asked.

“Ever since you came to us, the Captain seems,” he struggled to find the right word, “sharper.”

“Sharper?”

“He’s more focused, more decisive. It’s not that he wasn’t those things before. He’s the Captain for a reason, after all. But with you around, he seems different in a good way. I’d hate for him to lose that. He’s my friend. As are you.”

“I am?” I grinned.

“Yes, you’ve passed my vetting process.”

“I’m honored.” I bent at the waist in a mock bow. “You’re my friend, too.”

A huge smile spread across Javik’s face.

Basking in our newly solidified friendship, we carried our goods back to the Calliope, and prepared for battle.

REKKER

Lila and Javik returned quickly with the medical supplies. I followed them into the med bay to double-check their stocks. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust them, I simply wanted to make sure we had everything we needed before setting off. We wouldn’t have another chance to restock until we returned to the outpost.

“Greetings, Cap,” Javik nodded. “Here to inspect?”

“Indeed,” I said, and nodded. “I trust you found everything.”

“Not quite,” Javik said. “There were a few things the shops were out of, but they aren’t vital. As long as we can disinfect and bandage the wounds we come across, we’ll be in good shape.”

“What about viruses?”

“I picked up a few general antibiotics. However, they aren’t universal to all races. We may encounter some captives who can’t be treated with what we have.”

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

“I also purchased a good amount of sedatives for the disturbed.”

“Disturbed?” Lila said. Up until now, she’d been happily organizing the medicine cabinets.

“The Suhlik have a talent for breaking the minds of those they take captive,” I explained. “They usually start by isolating their victims in darkness. They’ll use fear and disorientation to break the wills of others. Remember what I told you about the Suhlik kidnapping Mahdfel mates?”

“I do,” Lila said solemnly.

“The Suhlik love to do things like that. They’ll take a mother away from a daughter and torment her to force the daughter into submission.”

My mind went to Binuf and his family. I knew Lila’s mind followed the same train of thought.

“They’d use my sisters against me if they could,” she said quietly.

“Without a doubt,” I said. “That’s why I was given legal responsibility over you. It’s for your safety and the safety of your family.”

Lila looked pale. I felt terrible bringing up her sisters in this context, but if it helped her to understand the gravity of the situation, it was worth the shock.

At that moment, Cedroc entered the med bay.

“Coordinates?” he asked, as brief as ever.

“Any reason you’re not using the radio?” Javik asked.

He shrugged. “I don’t know how long a flight I’m in for. I wanted to stretch my legs.”

Lila swallowed a laugh.

“Well, you and Javik are going to have to figure it out,” I answered, then held up a hand to stop their questions. “I asked around the settlement for more details about the size of the Suhlik ship. It’s a smaller vessel, one of their raiders.”

I rubbed the base of my horns. I didn’t like this, but it was all we had. “I don’t think it would have the space or fuel to transport so many prisoners all the way to the nearest breeding facility.”

“Then where did they go?” Lila asked. “Is there a way to track them? Don’t ships leave a trail or something?”

Javik shook his head. “The ion trail would be long dispersed by now.” His mouth tightened into a thin line. “Once they left orbit, they could have traveled to anywhere in the galaxy.”

Lila looked devastated. “Then how are we going to find them?” She rested her hand on my forearm. “You have a plan, right?”

Warmth spread through my chest at her trust.

“I’ve checked the chatter from other captains who have been through this area recently,” I continued. “It’s not certain, but they suspect there’s a cloaked Suhlik supply hub at these coordinates.” I tapped a sheet of plex. “A ship that size might drop off a group of prisoners there and have a larger ship come and pick them up later to take to be fully processed.”

“I’m not sure we should investigate rumors,” Javik said. “It could be nothing more than a wild goose chase.”

“It’s what we have,” I answered. “Besides, apparently a number of smaller ships have gone missing in the area. There’s no other astronomical effect that would account for it.” I cocked an eyebrow. “Unless you don’t think you’re up to the task …”

Javik’s eyes narrowed. “I had thought such petty manipulation to be beneath you.” But then he relaxed. “Of course I can do it. If there’s something there, I’ll find it.”

He and Cedroc headed for the bridge, plotting out the first step of the journey.

“What if they aren’t there?” Lila asked softly.

“Don’t worry about that now,” I advised her. “If you allow yourself to get caught up in what-if’s, you’ll lose yourself.”

A sad smile flickered at the corner of her mouth.

“I used to tell my younger sisters stuff like that all the time.”

I smiled at her. “It’s good advice. Listen to it.”

“I’ll try.”

I had no doubts they’d figure it out. It was a dice roll, betting that the prisoners had been taken to a supply hub that we weren’t sure existed, and were still there.

Now for another gamble. And this one wasn’t as sure of a bet.

Lila resumed her task of stocking the shelves and drawers in the med bay. For a few moments, I allowed myself the pleasure of just watching her.

I noticed a change in her movements. She no longer looked relaxed. She looked tense, stressed, and a little scared. I had to constantly remind myself that all of this was new to her.

The crew and I had become desensitized to charging after Suhlik war vessels and diving into battle without hesitation. Lila had never even seen a Suhlik before. It wasn’t surprising that she couldn’t fully wrap her head around what’s happening or that she’d be shaken by the harsh realities of war.

“Lila,” I said. “I have a different assignment for you.”

“Yes?”

“Come with me, I’ll explain on the way.”

Lila looked confused, but she didn’t argue. She followed me out of the med bay, back to our shared room.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Grab your pack,” I instructed.

“Why?” She tilted her head.

“I’m going to ask Binuf to look after you while we go after the Suhlik vessel.”

“What?” Lila’s eyes widened with anger.

I was confused.

“Does that not please you?” I asked slowly.

“You’re leaving me behind,” she snapped. “How is that supposed to please me?”

“It’s for your safety,” I tried to explain, but she was having none of it.

“What happened to everything you said about having to stay with me because I’m your responsibility? Does that only apply when you want to be responsible for me? Are you allowed to send me off to others when you don’t want to deal with me?”

“What? No!” I shook my head, taken aback. Somehow, I’d made an error and offended her. “My job is to keep you safe and I feel that leaving you here is the best way to do that.”

“What about what I feel?” she shot back. “Did it occur to you to ask me?”

“I assumed you’d be relieved. You looked nervous after hearing about the Suhlik’s methods of psychological torture.”

“Of course I was! It’s horrible. That doesn’t mean I’m going to hide in the stockroom of some shop on an alien planet where I don’t know anyone.”

“Binuf will treat you with kindness,” I assured her.

“That’s not the point.” She groaned. “What if something happens to you? What if the Calliope doesn’t come back? I’m not about to risk getting stuck on a tiny planet in the middle of the black with no steady transport anywhere else.”

“The Calliope will return for you,” I promised her. “I will return for you.”

“I’m going with you.” She folded her arms across her chest and fixed me with a withering glare.

“No, you’re not.” I frowned. “I can’t do my job properly if I’m worried sick over you. If you’re somewhere safe, I’ll be able to focus.”

“This outpost isn’t safe anymore. The Suhlik have seen to that.”

“This isn’t up for debate.”

“Why? Because I belong to you now? You think you can just order me around and I’ll obey you like some kind of mindless creature?”

“Why are you being so difficult?” I growled.

“You’re the one being difficult. Why did you send me to get medical supplies with Javik if you didn’t want my help?”

“I hadn’t had the chance to accurately assess the dangers. Now that I have, I’m unwilling to drag you into such an uncertain mission.”

“Then you should’ve left me at that first base,” she huffed. “At least there, I could’ve gone back to my family while you ran around being a hero, but no! I needed to come with you. Now I’m here. You don’t get to cast me off whenever you please.”

“Lila,” I pleaded.

“Don’t use that voice on me,” she snapped. “I’m coming with you. That’s final. I’m not part of the crew. You’re not my Captain. You can’t tell me what to do.”

“I’m more than your Captain. I’m your mate.”

“No, I’m your mate. There’s nothing about your glowing tattoo that indicates it’s a two-way street.”

Her words stung. I saw regret pass through her gaze the moment she finished speaking.

“I’m sorry,” she sighed, pressing her hand against her forehead. “That came out wrong. I’m just frustrated.”

“I can tell.” I offered a smile, but she wasn’t ready to play nice yet. “No more shouting. Let’s talk about this rationally.”

“I can do that,” she nodded.

We sat on the bed beside each other.

“Why don’t you want to stay behind?” I asked her. “It’s arguably safer.”

“I realize that,” she said. “I need you to understand something about me. I grew up on a farm. In order for the farm to survive, everyone has to pull their weight. There are no free rides and no freeloaders. It was ingrained into me at an early age that if there is something to be done, you get up and do it. No excuses, barring illness or broken bones.”

“I see.”

“So, when people have been taken from their homes,” she leaned towards me, expression intense, “and I know they’re scared and probably injured, every inch of my being screams for me to help in any way I can. The idea of sitting idle in Binuf’s shop while everyone else puts themselves at risk is unbearable to me. I can help, too. You know I can.”

I sighed, knowing the sound of my own defeat.

She pressed her advantage. “I can administer injections, stitch up wounds, set broken bones, and bandage just about anything. Imagine if you reported that to your superior and he told you to ignore it. How would you feel?”

“Terrible,” I admitted. “It would go against everything I stand for.”

“Exactly. Can’t you see that’s how I would feel if you made me stay behind?”

“I can. And you bring up a good point. The people on the Suhlik vessel are going to need care.”

“So, can I come along?”

I still didn’t like the idea of bringing my mate into danger.

It went against my most primal instincts. However, one look at Lila’s steely gaze told me she was asking permission as a courtesy. She’d fight me every step of the way if I tried to remove her from the ship.

“You can come on one condition.”

She eyed me warily. “What’s the condition?”

“If you’re going to be involved in missions, you’re going to need some training. I’m going to teach you how to defend yourself.”

“I can throw a punch.” She shrugged. “And I’m stronger than I look.”

“I’m sure you are,” I replied dryly. “But the Suhlik are highly trained from the moment they can lift a weapon. You’re going to need to know how to do more than punch. Do you accept my condition?”

“Absolutely.” She beamed, throwing her arms around my neck. I held her against me, burying my nose in her hair.

“You’re a tough negotiator, you know that?”

“I’ve been told,” she laughed, then went quiet. “Rekker?”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry about that mate comment. I didn’t mean to make it sound like I don’t care about you. I do care.”

“I know you do.”

At least, part of me did.

But was it enough?

LILA

“When does my training start?” I asked, pulling away from his embrace. More and more often, I found myself wanting to be nearer to him.

When the Calliope landed on Silva and I’d stumbled into his arms, I was hesitant to step away from him. I only did so when I felt like it would be awkward for me to do otherwise.

It felt nice to have his arms around me, to be encased in such tangible strength. I knew we didn’t have much time, but I didn’t want to see the creature capable of forcing his arms open to get to me. I was beginning to doubt such a creature existed.

The rumble of the engines let us know that Cedroc and Javik had lifted off.

We were on our way to somewhere terrifying, but with Rekker beside me, I wasn’t afraid in the slightest.

“Are you ready now?” he asked. “We’ll have some time before Cedroc gets to the first area Javik needs to search.”

“I’m more than ready.” I beamed. “Will I get to use weapons?”

Rekker gave me an assessing look.

“You’re more bloodthirsty than you let on,” he said, eyes narrowed.

“I’m not bloodthirsty!” I cackled. “I just like the idea of giving a Suhlik a good wallop.”

“Don’t we all,” he smirked. “But you won’t be walloping anything if I can help it. I’m teaching you some basic things so I can protect you even when I’m not in front of you. I’m going to arm you with knowledge.”

“And a weapon?” I grinned.

He nodded. “And a weapon.”

He stood and offered his hand, which I took. When he pulled me up, I allowed myself to fall against his chest.

“Weren’t you ready to shout me into oblivion only a few moments ago?” His voice was low and rumbling in my ear, the words vibrating through his chest.

Something inside me stirred. Suddenly, all I could picture was the smooth, muscular chest I knew to be hidden beneath his shirt.

“That doesn’t sound like me,” I teased.

He laughed. “Doesn’t it?”

He took me by the hand and led me along a corridor I hadn’t been down before. In a room at the back of the ship was a small training space.

Weapons lined the wall on the right. I figured this room must’ve doubled as an armory as well.

On the far end was a row of targets. The wall to the left was made up entirely of mirrors.

“It’s not much,” Rekker said and shrugged. “But it’ll suit our purposes today.”

“Does the crew train here regularly?”

He shook his head. “No. They don’t have much use for a space this small. The targets on the wall are more suited to a game of darts than target practice in their case.”

“Are all of the crew trained with weapons?”

“Yes,” he said, nodding. “Though they each have their own strengths. Derrix is proficient in every weapon you see there on the wall and more.”

“As a weapon expert ought to be,” I laughed. “Which one should I start with?”

“Let’s start with just your fists. I know you can throw a punch, but I’d like to test that out myself. Hit me.”

“What?”

“Hit me.”

“I don’t want to.” I let out an awkward laugh.

“Why? You’re not going to hurt me. Do you have any idea how thick my skin is?”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” Rekker grinned. “Hit me.”

“I’m sorry in advance.”

I formed a fist, wrenched my arm back and drove in between his pectorals. All my knuckles cracked on impact. It was like punching a solid wall.

“What the fuck?” I yelped, clutching my hand to my chest. Rekker tipped his head back and let out a rumbling belly laugh.

“I’m sorry.” He struggled to speak through his laughter. “I tried to warn you. Are you alright?”

I shook the soreness out of my hand.

“I’m fine,” I assured him.

“To your credit, that was a fine punch.” He nodded with approval. “If I were a human, that would’ve knocked me back a step.”

“I don’t expect I’ll be fighting many humans.”

“No, I’m just trying to make you feel better.”

“Since my fists are essentially useless, can I move onto weapons?”

“I think that’s wise.” He jerked his head toward the weapon wall. “Pick your favorite.”

“You’re going to regret giving me that much freedom,” I taunted as I approached the wall with a critical eye.

There was a wide array of guns and blaster-type weapons I didn’t recognize. My father taught my sisters and me how to shoot rifles and shotguns, but we didn’t have any firearms imbued with alien tech.

There were also rows of knives in all shapes and sizes. I was tempted to pick one, just because they were familiar.

When working on the farm, I always had my handy pocketknife tucked into my boot. I used it for everything. I hadn’t been allowed to take it with me to the testing facility. It was probably still on my nightstand beside my bed.

I reached for a knife with a pearly blade when something mounted at the far end of the wall caught my eye.

At first, I thought it was a pitchfork. It certainly looked like one. As I approached, I realized it was much more than that.

The weapon consisted of a long, retractable staff. At the top of the staff were three prongs surrounded by a faint, pulsing energy that rippled iridescently through the air like a muted aurora borealis.

I pointed. “I want that one.”

“That one?” Rekker looked at me, wide-eyed. “Are you sure? It packs a punch.”

“Good. Since apparently I don’t.”

Rekker approached the wall and carefully removed the staff.

“See that?” He pointed to the shimmering energy cloak around the prongs. “That delivers an electrical charge strong enough to stop the hearts of fifty Mahdfel.”

“Then why do you leave it powered on?” I exclaimed.

“Because it takes forever and a day to power up. I prefer this heavy hitter to be ready whenever we might need it.”

“It sounds like you’re playing with fire or, in your case, a dangerous amount of voltage.”

“What can I say?” He fixed me with a smoldering stare. “I like to live on the edge.”

“Oh, do you?” I arched a brow and smile.

“Yes.” He leaned closer to me. For a moment, I thought he was going to kiss me. I closed my eyes, ready to feel the gentle pressure of his lips against mine, but the sensation I craved never came. I opened my eyes when I felt his presence shift away from me. He looked at me with a smug grin.

“For training purposes, I’m going to power this off.” He flipped a switch on the trident. The shimmering waves of energy faded away.

“Tease,” I mumbled under my breath.

“What was that?”

“Train me, please,” I said loudly.

Rekker let out another full belly laugh. It was a lovely sound. It was impossible not to smile when I heard it. He tossed the trident back to me and looked surprised when I caught it.

“What?” I asked. “I’ve wielded similar weapons before.” I purposefully left out the fact that my weapons were used for hoisting hay, not impaling enemies.

“Oh, really?” His eyes lit up playfully. “Block me.”

Without warning, he charged at me. I leaped out of the way with a squeal.

He chuckled. “Is that your usual tactic?”

“I’ve never had a giant horned alien charge at me before!”

“You have cattle, do you not? They have horns. What do you do when they charge at you?”

“They know better than to try.”

“Ah, you use intimidation. I want to see that.” Rekker backed up a few paces. I realized he meant to charge at me again.

“I don’t see how this is going to help me defend myself against Suhliks,” I pointed out.

“Don’t question my methods.” He lunged toward me. This time, I swung the trident just before he got too close. I didn’t want to actually hit him, I just wanted to make him think I was going to. Apparently, Rekker didn’t have an ounce of fear in his entire damn body. He didn’t even flinch! Instead, he swerved around my swing and grabbed me by the waist.

In my efforts to avoid hurting him, I dropped the trident just as he threw me over his shoulder.

“Not this again,” I giggled.

“Don’t worry, I’m not locking you in a room this time.”

He started to spin me around. I laughed uncontrollably like I used to when I was a little girl running through the dandelion field behind our house.

“Stop!” I cried through my uncontrollable laughter. I beat against his back until he set me down again. I was dizzy as hell. I tried to take a step but stumbled, and kept stumbling until I was lying on the training room floor, alternating between bouts of uncontrollable giggles and gasping for air.

Rekker’s face appeared above mine. He hovered over me, not yet touching any part of my body.

“Is this your usual training curriculum?” I asked through my laughter.

“No. I designed this one just for you.”

“What’s the next step?”

I was suddenly aware of how close he was. I wanted him closer. I arched up beneath him and slid my arms around his back. His eyes watched my face with such a deep intensity I grew hot all over.

He dipped his head and pressed his lips against mine.

His kisses started out gentle but quickly grew into something frantic and ravenous as our desire for each other climbed higher and higher.

I tore the shirt from his body. He lifted my torso to remove my top.

He kissed from my belly button, over my breasts, up my neck, and back to my lips.

By that point, I was dizzy with desire, fevered, and panting to touch him, to have him touch me.

The rest of our clothing was quickly shed in a flurry of tangled arms and clumsy fingers. I lay naked on the training room floor with his hips wedged between my legs. I felt the broad tip of his cock tease my entrance. A shudder rippled through me.

I still hadn’t seen him naked, and something way in the back of my brain thought I should see Rekker first, know what he was like down there.

But right now, I didn’t care, couldn’t care.

“Please,” I begged.

“Are you sure?” His eyes were glassy with desire.

“Yes,” I gasped. “Please, I need you, I want you.”

He entered me slowly, allowing me to savor the sensation of his thick cock slowly claiming me. My eyes rolled back as I allowed myself to give in to the new pleasure, as swollen knots running down his cock hit my clit over and over until, finally, he was all the way in me.

I ran my hands over his back, tracing his tattoos with my fingers. Each time I brushed one, he shuddered.

“My tattoos are sensitive to the touch,” he groaned between thrusts.

“Oh, really?” I purred. I traced lazy patterns over his tattoos until Rekker let out a guttural moan.

A primal urge seemed to grip him as he slid out of me, grabbed me by the hips, and flipped me over. Excitement fluttered in my belly when he pulled me onto all fours.

He positioned himself behind me before entering me once again. This time, he wasn’t gentle and I was glad for it, crying out as he thrust into my heat.

“This is how a Vaznik claims his mate,” he growled in my ear. The sound of his voice was almost enough to drive me over the edge.

He looped an arm around my belly, helping me to stay up as he ravaged me. His chest flattened against my back. I tossed my hair to one side so I could look at him over my shoulder.

“Look straight ahead,” he urged me, his cock plunging into my depths.

I did as I was told.

Our eyes met in the reflection of the mirror. I let out a gasp as I took in the sight of us.

We were wild, crazed with lust, drunk on each other.

And it was right.

Perfect.

Rekker straightened up and gripped my hips with both hands. I watched his face as he took in the sight of me presented beneath him. Every stroke of his cock pushed me closer and closer to my climax.

Then Rekker reached underneath me, slowly circling my most sensitive place with the pad of his thumb. I shattered beneath him. Every limb trembled until I couldn’t hold myself up any longer. He supported my body as I gave in to wave after wave of pleasure.

He brought me against his chest when he reached his peak, his arms around my body and his mouth pressed against my neck, biting gently. With a shudder, we slowly collapsed onto the floor.

Rekker pulled me against him. He stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head.

“Wow,” I gasped. “You’re a good trainer.” I snuggled into him. “As soon as I catch my breath, I think I’m going to need another session.”

REKKER

It was hard to get any sleep.

Lying in bed, hands folded behind my head, I stared at the ceiling while Lila slept peacefully next to me.

Her head lay on my chest, one arm draped over my torso. Locks of stray hair covered her face, framing her delicate features, accentuating her beauty.

After our session in the training room, we’d moved back to our room.

Ours.

And I’d claimed her again, until the walls rang with her cries of pleasure.

Gently, I caressed her cheek with the back of my hand and smiled. I still hadn’t wrapped my head around her fragility.

She looked so delicate and tender. And yet, there was a certain fierceness about her. It was a perfect blend—in a way, all those conflicting traits were in perfect harmony.

I warned myself not to think too far ahead. What happened in the training room was one of the best experiences of my life, but I knew it didn’t mean Lila was determined to stay by my side of her own volition. Yes, she said she cared for me, but I knew she’d return to her family if she had the option.

She was my mate, of that I was certain. She brought up a good point during our earlier argument, even though she apologized for it later. Just because she was my mate, it didn’t mean I was hers.

She had no tattoos that would reveal her inner workings. This mess would’ve been much easier to figure out if she had some sort of indicator like I had.

Until she processed her feelings and made her choices, she was an enigma.

Suddenly, my comms unit started blinking, its pale light flooding the room. Moving as quietly as I could, I pushed Lila off me and swung my legs off the bed. Turning the knob on the unit, I lowered its volume and only then did I accept the incoming transmission.

“Captain, you awake?” Cedroc’s voice crackled through the comms.

“Go on.”

“Javik thinks we’ve found the Suhlik supply base.”

“Good. Are they aware of our presence?”

“Negative. We’ve lowered our energy signature as much as we could, and I’m trying to keep a small asteroid field between us. They seem to be stationary, so we’re good for now.”

“Alright.” Getting to my feet, I raked one hand over my face. “Keep an eye on them. Two minutes and I’ll be there.”

I was halfway through getting inside my pants when I heard Lila stir in her sleep. Seconds later she was sitting up, the bedsheet bunched up against her chest as she looked at me.

“What’s going on?” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. “Did something happen?”

“We found the Suhlik,” I replied, and my stomach dropped as she jumped out of bed. Part of me still wished I had left her back on Silva. She would’ve hated it, of course, but at least she’d be safe. “Listen, you can go back to sleep. We’ve got this covered, so I think that—”

“Are you trying to sideline me?” Crossing her arms, she looked me straight in the eye as she tapped her foot on the floor. She didn’t look too happy. I didn’t want to have this argument again.

I sighed. “Very well. If you want to come, then come.” It’d be much better to sideline her, as she had put it, but I knew I’d never be able to convince her. Lila wanted to be a part of it, and she wouldn’t take no for an answer.

At least if she was by my side, I’d know she wasn’t sneaking off, trying to rescue the prisoners by herself.

My stomach knotted, imagining her roaming the halls of a Suhlik station alone.

Void knew, if Lila thought it was the right thing, my fierce little mate would do it.

Smiling, she dressed swiftly, and we left our quarters at a hurried pace.

When we finally got to the bridge, Cedroc and Javik were arguing over the precise location of the station while Derrix tried to come up with an attack plan.

“I don’t know how we’re going to have a reasonable strategy going in blind,” he muttered.

“Because we’re not,” I answered. “Javik, from your readings, what would you estimate the mass of that station to be?”

“I’m unable to be entirely certain,” he started. “The gravitational anomalies would suggest, however, a range of–”

“Just a mass,” I snapped. “Your guess is as good as a reading.”

He blinked rapidly. “Between four and five Tharinan tons.”

“Great. Now, all of you.” The bridge was silent, and I hoped to the black this would work. “High Command has blueprints of all known Suhlik craft, right? And they’re not exactly engineering innovators?”

Cedroc nodded slowly, then pulled up a dizzying array of blueprints.

“Narrow it down to hubs—either mobile or orbital. No ships,” I commanded.

Half the screens disappeared.

“Filter it again for anything outside of the mass Javik estimated.”

“Captain,” Javik interrupted, “I must insist that—”

“Insist in a minute.”

Slowly, screen after screen went black, until only one remained.

“Alright, now.” I waved to Javik. “See if that matches your readings.”

A tense hush fell over the bridge.

“Perfectly, Captain,” he admitted after a few moments’ scrutiny. “But while they are cloaked, I’m unable to tell you where we can best force an entry, even knowing the blueprint.”

“We’re not going to attack it, are we?” Standing behind me, Lila stared at Cedroc’s screen with wide eyes. “That thing is huge.”

“A frontal attack would have been a bad idea, anyway,” I said. “If that ship is carrying everyone they kidnapped from Silva, we’d be risking the prisoners’ lives with an attack. We need to think of something else.”

“To go all out against the Suhlik might be a bad idea, but the Calliope is still faster than them.” Leaving his console, Kyre joined our impromptu war cabinet and tapped the screen with one finger. “You see those engines at the rear? The hub is designed for endurance and stealth, not maneuverability. We can just harass them for a while.”

“Great.” Derrix smirked. “Let’s annoy them. What good does that do?”

“No,” Lila spoke up. “It’s not just about annoying them. The Calliope can distract them while someone else goes in and looks for the prisoners.”

“You want to board a Suhlik hub?” Laughing, Derrix slapped his knee so hard that some of the other crewmen turned around to look at him. “For such a small creature, you sure have a lot of heart!”

“She’s right, though.” Still eyeing the image of the Suhlik war vessel, I did my best to come up with a workable strategy.

We’d have to be careful and fast.

“But how do we know where to board them?” Lila wondered.

Cedroc grinned. “I’ve been thinking about that.”

“Why am I suddenly worried?”

“They’ll have to decloak to fire, right?”

“True … ” I didn’t like where this was going.

“I stay here and harass them, and when they decloak to return fire, you find a docking bay. Easy.”

Easy.

Not exactly.

But … I thought it through. It might work.

“If that’s the case, I volunteer for the boarding team,” Kyre said, already cracking his knuckles. “I’ve got an idea from that blueprint where they might be holding prisoners.”

“I want to volunteer, too,” Lila said, and my stomach dropped for the second time that day.

To have her aboard the Calliope was one thing, but there was no way I’d make her a part of the boarding team.

Taking her hand, I dragged her away from the guys and into a more private corner of the bridge.

“There’s absolutely no way I’m going to take you.” Putting on a serious expression, I looked straight into her eyes. She held my gaze without even blinking, all her fierceness on display. “It’s going to be dangerous, and you don’t have any experience—”

“I’m your mate, right?” she cut me short. Sighing, I nodded. “Then, just as long as I’m standing next to you, I have nothing to fear. That’s what you told me, right?”

“Yes, but I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Look, I get it. You don’t want to have a human rookie on a mission like this, but I can help. You said yourself that the Suhlik are brutal, so a lot of those prisoners will need medical assistance right away. I might not be a trained fighter, but I can help ensure the prisoners get out of there alive.”

“We have Javik for that,” I said, even though I felt like I was already losing the battle once again. Whenever Lila set her mind to something, she didn’t stop until she got exactly what she wanted.

Like how much she wanted to go back to her family.

And not stay with me.

“From everything you’ve said, there’ll be far too many wounded for just one medic to handle,” she threw right back at me. “Javik needs me there or you’re going to be bogged down trying to carry them out. You need me there. I mean, we’re trying to save people here, right?”

“When I allowed you to come along, I imagined you’d treat people here, not on the Suhlik ship.”

“That’s not a viable option,” she argued. “We won’t know until we board the ship how many will need assistance. I’m going.”

Sighing, I considered my options.

A mission like this was definitely too dangerous for Lila, but she had surprised me before. As beautiful as she was, she wasn’t exactly a delicate flower that needed to be sheltered from the universe.

She had fire inside her.

“Fine,” I finally said. A bright smile immediately spread across her lips, but I noticed a hint of nervousness there, as well.

As much as she had fought to be included in this mission, she wasn’t blind to its dangers. Good. “But you have to do exactly what I tell you to. Deal?”

“Deal.”

LILA

I’d imagined the shuttle to be a tiny little thing, something that compared to the Calliope like a rowboat to a yacht.

Instead, I found the Calliope’s shuttle could qualify as a space vessel on its own. It was a long, sleek vessel cleverly stored along the bottom hull of the ship.

It reminded me of a slender needle, and I imagined it could easily disappear in the black if I looked at it from the right angle.

“My lady,” Kyre said with an overdramatic flourish as he extended his hand.

“Why, thank you, my good sir.” I echoed his tone and took his hand. Rekker held my elbow to help me balance as they helped me into the shuttle. “I’m sure I could’ve managed that on my own.”

“I know,” Rekker said. “However, I don’t want to take any chances. It wouldn’t do if you twisted your ankle before we got to the Suhlik ship.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’d prefer that?” I said with a wry smile.

“Because then I wouldn’t have to worry so much,” he replied.

“You’re going to worry no matter what,” Javik observed. “It’s part of our nature to be hypervigilant of our mates.”

“What you’re telling me is that this won’t stop?” I laughed.

“No.” Javik shook his head. “He’s going to be like this until he expires.”

“You’ll go running back to your family after this for sure,” Rekker joked, but I spotted the genuine fear in his eyes.

Yes, of course I wanted to go back to my family, but I was no longer sure I wanted to leave Rekker and the Calliope behind for good.

What Rekker mentioned on Silva about visiting my family sounded like the perfect solution to my dilemma.

Just the idea of leaving Rekker made my chest hollow, my throat tight.

But I couldn’t let myself think about it now.

Rescuing the people of Silva had to be the center of my focus.

I slid into the seat beside Rekker and wrapped my fingers around his.

There were plenty of open seats for the kidnapped victims, though we still didn’t know exactly how many had been taken.

From the viewport, I could see the Calliope dart forward, then pull back, again and again against the invisible enemy.

“Are we sure the supply station is there?” I whispered.

Then I gasped, as the massive space station decloaked, obviously deciding that since they’d been found, there was no need to stay hidden.

I watched in horror as huge guns appeared from the side of the ship, rotating to point right at the Calliope.

My heart clenched when the guns began to fire.

“Don’t worry,” Rekker soothed me, his hand tight around mine. “Cedroc and Derrix know how to play this game.”

“You should take your own advice.” I tried to tease him, but my voice fell flat.

“Watch,” he urged.

Cedroc expertly maneuvered the Calliope closer to the Suhlik base, while Derrix sent targeted blasts into its hull.

“What are they doing?” I gasped.

“Getting out of range,” Javik said. “Those guns can’t fire at something so close.”

I watched in awe and horror as the Calliope danced in front of the Suhlik ship.

“Cedroc’s really putting on a show.” Kyre laughed. “The Suhlik must be losing their minds over this.”

“Good,” Rekker said. “With a little luck, they won’t be watching the back entrance.”

Sure enough, when the shuttle slid up the back side of the Suhlik vessel, there were no guards. Rekker disembarked first. I slipped out after him in case he tried to make me stay on the vessel.

“There’s a sensor to open the door,” he said.

“Leave that to me.” Kyre stepped forward with a hand-held device.

“What’s that?” I asked, peeking over Rekker’s shoulder.

“I made it a few weeks ago,” he explained with a proud grin. “In theory, it’ll mimic the hand of a Suhlik.”

“How does it work?”

“Watch.”

He approached the sensor and aimed his device at the pad. Light flashed. What looked like a wide, flat laser moved up and down the sensor pad until it lit up green. The door slid open.

“Amazing!” I beamed. “Kyre, you’re a genius.”

“So I’ve been told,” he preened.

“Not by any of us,” Javik joked.

I looked over my shoulder at him. “You make jokes?”

“From time to time,” he nodded.

“Activate stealth protocols.”

Rekker tapped something on his shoulder. The seams of his tactical shirt lit up for a split second. The others did the same.

“What was that?” I asked.

“It helps mask our heat signatures,” Javik explained. “We won’t activate any cameras as we move through the ship.”

My eyes went wide.

“I don’t have a shirt like that. Won’t I be spotted?”

“The tactical wear covers a larger radius,” Rekker explained. “Stay close to me and your heat will be masked, too.”

“I wasn’t planning on leaving your side,” I said, and laughed unsteadily. Now that I was actually there, I’d begun to think that waiting on the Calliope was the smart idea.

But it was too late.

Rekker grabbed my hand and squeezed.

“We’ll get in, find them, and get out,” he assured me. “It’ll be over before you know it.”

I forced a broad grin. I didn’t want him to know how scared I was. The last thing he needed was an extra dose of worry on top of what he already had to deal with.

We stepped into the ship. Immediately, the corridor split into two pathways.

“According to the schematics, the likely locations for the prisoners could be in either direction,” Javik growled.

“Lila and I will go to the right. You two, take the left.”

“Yes, sir,” Kyre nodded.

I clung to Rekker’s arm as we moved through the corridor.

“They’ll probably be somewhere on the lower decks,” he whispered. “Unless they’ve modified this base from the blueprint, the lower the deck, the larger the rooms. The rooms near the front of the ship will be smaller.”

“So, lower back rooms?” I guessed.

He nodded.

We found a stairway and followed it down to the deck below.

“I think this deck is our best bet,” he murmured.

“You’re the expert,” I whispered back.

We passed through another docking bay, this one holding a tiny shuttle, not even half the size of the sleek craft we’d come in on.

Scorch marks covered one side. Rekker stuck his head in for a minute while I bounced on my toes.

“What are you doing?” I hissed.

“Seeing who else might be here.” He stood straight, glancing at the floor . “Craft seems functional, but … ”

I looked at the dark smears on the bay floor.

“I don’t think there’s another group that will need rescuing,” he finished. “Come on.”

Most of the doors were inset with small windows. Rekker and I checked the corridor and found nothing. We moved to the deck below, with the same result.

“They must be in the hold,” Rekker said. “Normally, that space is used for weapon and auxiliary supply storage. If this ship was near the end of its rotation, the hold might’ve had enough room to fill with prisoners.”

“You mean, the attack on Silva wasn’t planned?”

“It’s difficult to say for sure. Sometimes the Suhlik make trips specifically to capture people. Other times, the captain might be feeling particularly cruel.”

I shuddered. “That’s so horrible.”

“We’re going to find them.”

We moved through the lowest level of the ship, until there was only one door. Thankfully, it had a window.

“They’re here,” Rekker said when he peered through.

“The door’s locked,” I said after frantically tugging on the handle to no avail.

“Step back,” Rekker ordered. He produced a small, narrow tool from his pocket. “Cover your eyes. It’s about to get bright.”

I did as I was told. Even though my eyes were closed, bright light bled through my eyelids. I heard a gentle cracking noise. The air around us hummed with electricity.

“You can open them now.”

I opened my eyes to find a hole where the handle had been.

“What did you do?”

“Humans need to learn the practicalities of pocket lasers.” Rekker flipped the tool and stuck it in his back pocket.

“You’re sure it’s powered off all the way?” I asked. “I like your ass. I’d hate for it to be singed off in a terrible laser accident.”

“I’m sure, but I appreciate your sentiments about my ass,” he said, and grinned.

He pulled the door to the hold open, revealing clusters of people huddled together on the floor. Dozens of pairs of eyes turned to us, faces of several species watching with caution through the dim light of the room.

“We’re here to help,” Rekker announced. He turned to me. “Begin your examinations. I’ll signal the others that we’ve found them.”

I stepped into the room. The Silvan prisoners scooted away as I came nearer.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” I said gently. The translator injected into me before I was sent off to Rekker worked for the Mahdfel lineages, but did it work for others?

I hadn’t thought to ask, but it had worked talking to Rekker’s friend Binuf.

It should work now, right?

“I’m a doctor.” Some looked at me with understanding, while others still looked confused and wary. “A healer,” I clarified.

Now they all looked at me with relief in their eyes.

It felt strange calling myself a doctor when most of my patients were animals, but I didn’t think the word veterinarian would translate well.

I moved to the center of the room with caution. I nearly tripped over someone dressed in dark clothing lying on the floor. It was only when they didn’t react to my boot connecting with their side that I realized they were dead.

As my eyes adjusted, I realized there were several bodies strewn about the room. I swallowed my tears and tried not to look at them.

There was nothing I could do for them now.

“Do you have food?” A small child with tiny green horns looks up at me with wide eyes.

“I don’t. I’m sorry. But there’s plenty of food on my friend’s ship that you can eat,” I explained.

“I haven’t eaten since I woke up at home,” the child whined.

The Suhlik hadn’t given any of these people food since they were taken.

I was willing to bet they hadn’t been given water, either. I needed to get them out of here, now. A human could only survive three days without water. I didn’t know how long any of the species here could survive without it, and I didn’t want to find out.

“We have food and water back on our ship, but first we need to get you out of here.”

Rekker appeared in the doorway with Kyre and Javik in tow. Javik immediately stepped into the room and began identifying the most serious injuries.

Thankfully, none of the surviving prisoners were too badly injured to walk, even if they needed help, but the women and children recoiled from the massive frames of the Vaznik.

“Don’t touch me!” one woman cried as she flinched away from Javik.

“Shhhh,” I murmured, holding her hand. “He’s safe, I promise.”

She stayed coiled within herself, refusing to look at him.

“Can I examine you, instead?” I asked, heart cracking. “He’ll go take care of someone else.”

Sure, Javik and the others were strangers. And sure, they were strong, massive warriors.

But I could only think of one reason she was so afraid of having a strange man touch her.

And she wasn’t the only one, I was sure.

There were some broken bones, plenty of sprains, and nearly everyone suffered some kind of bruise or abrasion. I spotted a few potential concussions.

“I have the appropriate brain scanners in med bay,” Javik said, “but you’ll have to help me.” His voice was dark, angry.

While I agreed with the sentiment, it didn’t help. Not right now.

“Good.” I nodded, and gave him a look. “It looks like everyone here is mobile. Let’s get moving.”

“We’ll go in groups to avoid attracting attention,” Rekker decided.

“I’ll take the first group,” I volunteered. About a quarter of the women avoided Rekker and his crew, but came with me.

It wasn’t ideal, but we didn’t have any other choice, not if we were going to get out of here in the time Cedroc and Derrix could buy for us.

I managed to find my way back to the shuttle with only minimal difficulties. Once my group of prisoners was loaded into their seats and crammed into every available space that would hold them, I turned back to rejoin the others.

Moving through the stairways and corridors on my own was an unsettling experience. The natural creaks and groans of the Suhlik hub put me on edge.

I rounded the final corner. Rekker and the others were in sight, but they were looking in another direction.

I started to raise my arm to signal them, but a rough hand clamped over my mouth and eyes.

I was violently yanked back, my scream swallowed by the thick material of my attacker’s glove.

REKKER

The guards came out of nowhere.

“More volunteers,” a lean Suhlik with an electrified club sneered.

With a quick slash, I laid him out, but then heard a cry from behind me.

I spun, and my heart froze.

At the end of the hall, I spotted Lila being taken away by a guard. She struggled as she tried to break away, but her attempts were futile.

Lila disappeared from the hall, and before I could follow her, I was knocked back into the fight.

My back ached at the impact. I rolled before my opponent struck me. He struck again, but I kicked the blade out of his hand. It flew, landing several feet away. Grunting, the guard pulled out a laser gun and aimed it at my head.

“I got you, you—ugh!” The guard fell over when Kyre knocked his head in with a sickle. After crushing the guard’s head further into the floor, Kyre grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet.

“You alright, Captain?” Kyre asked through labored breaths.

Before I could answer, another guard charged. I pulled out a blaster and shot him in the face.

The guard fell forward but, in my fury, I shot him twice more before whirling to find another target.

My skin felt like it was on fire as my tattoos blazed red. Never in my life had I felt so much fury.

Kyre took a cautious step back, drawing Javik’s attention after he took down two more guards. They eyed me with concern, wariness in their eyes.

We were the only three left standing, at least for that moment. In the distance, I heard yells and footfalls coming in our direction.

I turned to the noise and then to my crew. “Get the rest of the prisoners to the shuttle and get out!!”

“What about you?” Kyre asked, his worry clear.

“I’m going after Lila and we’ll make our own way back. She’s been kidnapped and I need to find her.”

“Kidnapped?” The two gasped in surprise, their eyes widening.

“Do as I say, now!” I shouted before dashing along the hall as fast as I could.

My heart hammered loudly in my chest, the beats filling my ears in an urgent rhythm. It was almost like it was going to pop, to explode.

My skin burned with a rage I had never felt before.

It was if I was going to burst into flames. I was sweltering as sweat streamed all over me, but I ignored it. I ignored the pain and tried to focus. I had to focus. I had to focus. I had to focus.

Damn it, I had made sure I was always with her and now she had been taken from me. She had been taken. I had to get her back. I had to get her back, but I didn’t know where she was. Where could she be?

Where did that bastard take her? When I found that bastard, I would surely kill him.

This hub was huge, like a giant maze. All the halls were identical with the same sick green lighting, but they seemed to get narrower and narrower the further I went into their cold depths.

Cold was replacing my heat. The air inside slowly chilled but I didn’t care. All I cared about was getting Lila back. That was all I cared about. I had to save her. I had to save her right now.

I had to rescue Lila before it was too late. I had to. I had to.

Before I advanced further, a huge Suhlik guard came barrelling towards me. He wore heavier armor of a stronger material and had a helmet hiding his features, except for his eyes. I didn’t want to see his features anyway, since I assumed he was ugly beyond all things, just like the rest of those sick, twisted bastards.

The guard carried a giant spiked mace, and immediately started swinging towards my direction. I kept dodging as I advanced forward, but a few times I had to jump back to avoid him. I pulled out my blaster and shot him in the chest, but the armor blocked it. It only left a small scratch on the armor.

The Suhlik laughed and laughed as he hammered direct hits at me. I dodged as I tried to figure a way inside his guard. The only opening was a small area on his neck. Inhaling sharply, I aimed the blaster at his neck and scored a direct hit.

Gasping and gurgling, the guard dropped his mace and tumbled to the ground. He tried to rise as he spat out curses.

“Damn you! Damn you to—”

I struck his neck with the lance, and twisted the blade further into him to shut him up. He was finally dead, but I wasn’t satisfied. Not the least bit.

There were still too many of those bastards around.

Far too many for one lonely supply hub.

What were they all doing here?

And where was Lila?

My fury knew no bounds as I rushed my way through the forsaken ship, a maze that went on for far too long. I cut through more guards like they were nothing, and blood splattered all over me. I reeked with Suhlik filth, but I didn’t give a damn about anything at that moment.

I was angry beyond anything and I swore my body was going to have scars from how much it was burning. There was a fire burning within me and out, and there was nothing that was going to vanquish the burns until I found Lila.

As I traveled on further, my stamina started to wane, but my heart insisted that I keep going. It was practically shouting in my ears to keep going.

I could feel her, feel my mate calling to me.

Our bond was true, and if I could just get my breath, I’d find her.

But there were too many guards, and with my failing strength, I couldn’t take down all of them. I had to hide somewhere for a moment to gather strength, so I slipped into an empty room to regroup.

The room was small and dark, a perfect hideout for me. I kept myself still and hidden in a corner, the only sound being my beating heart. My heart kept hammering, urging me to leave at that instant, but I soon heard guards shouting to each other from beyond the wall. I didn’t pay attention to what they could’ve been shouting, it was all gibberish to me.

I glanced briefly into the hall to watch them go. They shouted out orders to one another in loud, annoying voices. It started to give me a headache. When they were gone, I escaped to the opposite side.

As I wandered to a lower floor, I could hear more guards speaking close by. This time, they were guarding a particular room with glass lining the walls.

None of the other guards were keeping watch on a room, so why was this one so special? As I drew closer, I could vaguely see Lila inside with another guard. Before I could react and burst in, the guards spotted me.

“Hey, you!” They shouted in loud voices and unsheathed their weapons.

Through wasting time, I struck down the guards before they could charge. More blood splattered on my face and my nose scrunched from the repulsive stench. However, my attention was focused on the windows into that room.

Lila sat in a chair, gagged and tied down by ropes. She struggled to stay calm, but there was so much fear in her eyes.

So much so that I couldn’t stand seeing her so small and vulnerable in that chair. My heart tore itself to pieces seeing her like this.

Standing across from her was a familiar face.

And suddenly the extra guards made sense.

Aeritz was a notoriously cruel Suhlik general, who had kidnapped and tortured so many innocents, it was impossible to know how many lives he had taken.

It must be in the millions. The worst thing he had done, however, was that he’d destroyed an entire race by poisoning their planet when they refused to allow him to establish a base in their low atmosphere.

We’d run against each other in the past, but it had always resulted in a draw.

But none of that mattered now.

What was he even doing here?

What was he planning?

That’s what I should have been wondering.

That was the information High Command would have wanted.

But I only cared about one thing.

How could I get to Lila?

LILA

Istared apprehensively at my captor, it was all I could really do. They’d bound me to a chair, my gag so tight all I could produce were muffled grunts. Harsh, bright lights glared above.

Why did it have to be so bright? White light flashed, cold metal walls surrounding me. Goosebumps crawled all over me and the hair stood up on the back of my neck. My heart beat swiftly in my chest and I struggled to breathe, especially with a cloth stuffed in my mouth.

My captor was huge, he towered over me with crossed arms and a smug look on his ugly face. Two jagged scars crossed his face, and his eyes blazed a deep amber color. It was like staring into angry flames that never went out.

Despite their fire, there was no light in them, no warmth, just like this bright, cold room.

It was so cold I couldn’t stop shaking.

The hunger in his gaze disgusted me. His smile grew as I glared at him, showing rows of yellow teeth that shone like gold coins.

Repulsive breath spilled from his mouth and my nose scrunched with disgust. He began pacing the small room, his large feet pounding the floor.

The room was empty except for a metal table and the metal chair I sat on. It was like some sort of interrogation room.

For some reason, it looked like the room was getting smaller the longer I stared at it, but that was not possible.

What kind of people needed to have interrogation rooms in a supply station?

My throat felt dry and I couldn’t stop shaking. I couldn’t. I couldn’t let fear overwhelm me, but my body couldn’t handle the stress of captivity.

How could I have been so stupid? I should’ve stayed with the others, stayed on the Calliope.

Now Rekker would be in danger, just because of me.

I tried to yank myself free from the ropes, but it was futile.

The Suhlik chuckled as he walked up to me. He grabbed my chin and yanked it forward. I gained a good look into that hateful, burning gaze.

“Well, aren’t you a feisty little one.” He brushed a strand of hair from my face and I tried to turn away, but he had a good hold of my chin. His fingers were so cold.

I shuddered at the touch and felt my stomach twisting and turning like I was going to throw up. I grunted through the cloth that gagged me and tried to spit it out, but it was wrapped tightly around me.

“Lots of fire,” the guard chortled. His cold voice was filled with so much malice. Everything about him was cruel and unnerving. A chill shivered up my spine and I shuddered.

But I tried not to be scared. I tried not to. He didn’t scare me. He didn’t. I had to stay strong. I had to.

“Let me get a better look at that mouth of yours.” The guard took off the gag and I coughed. He traced a finger below my lip and brought it into my mouth.

In immense horror, I bit his finger and the guard yanked his hand away.

“You little bitch!” he exclaimed and raised a hand to slap me.

I squeezed my eyes shut, but nothing happened. Slowly, I opened my eyes, and the guard stood, there taking slow, deep breaths as he glared at me.

He had such a hateful glare. Even when he chuckled, his smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“Mmm, no, beating you first would be no fun.” He bent down and grabbed my chin, yanking it forward once more. “A good fucking would be much more entertaining, see how long you can fight. Yeah, I’d like that very much.”

Every fiber of my being numbed as my fear finally took hold. Nausea flashed through my head and the white lights were growing brighter and brighter. So much brighter. It felt like I was going to go blind right there.

I shut my eyes, wanting to scream, but my throat was so dry that only a whimper crawled out. I couldn’t even say anything. I was so helpless.

I thought about the women in the hold, the ones I’d led to the shuttle. They’d survived.

They’d get out of this. Rekker wouldn’t let them be taken again.

They’d go back to their families, those children would be fed.

Before I succumbed to my fate, the door slammed against into the wall with a metallic clang. My eyes flew open, and there was Rekker, bursting into the room.

My mouth dropped and, as I was about to shout his name, Rekker threw a fist at the Suhlik’s face, shoving him backwards.

The guard slammed into the wall but surged back to his feet with a roar. As he did so, Rekker directed his lance in the guard’s direction.

There was so much anger and hate in his eyes, it almost scared me. I was struck speechless. Unlike the guard who stared on with an empty, cold chuckle.

“Well, well, well, this is quite a surprise,” he said, as if the two were longtime friends. Who would ever be friends with such a monster?

Before my captor could say anything else, Rekker rammed another fist into his mouth.

The Suhlik’s head knocked back and he staggered to the side, holding his bleeding jaw. The Suhlik spat out some blood and his empty expression changed to that of unbridled rage, and he released a deep and frightening snarl that twisted and turned my stomach until I felt like throwing up.

He pulled out a spiked mace and rammed Rekker back into the opposite wall. The two collided into it, but Rekker kept his ground and attacked back.

He used the lance to shove the guard to the ground, but before he could strike again, the Suhlik took out a hidden knife and stabbed Rekker through the leg.

“Rekker!” I screamed so loudly my throat ached.

Rekker dropped to his knee, but he was able to rip the knife from him and toss it away. The guard got back on his feet and smirked down on him.

I wanted to break out of my bonds so badly, but no matter how much I fought against the ropes, it was useless.

“Give it up, you’re about ready to collapse,” the Suhlik hissed and raised his mace to strike.

“Rekker!” I yelled again, wrenching to escape my bonds once more. My arms strained, the ropes cutting into my forearms.

Rekker griped his lance and struck the guard across the head, knocking him backwards. He staggered while Rekker stood, breathing labored, shifting into an offensive position.

He was trembling and I worried that he really would collapse.

However, there was so much fury in his eyes that he wouldn’t give up right there.

Not a chance. He wouldn’t give up until that monster was dead. Rekker charged forward, meeting the guard’s attack with a heavy crash.

Their weapons clashed together, and the clang of weapons colliding bounced in deep echoes about the room.

They grunted and yelled as they kept clashing and lunging at each other.

There didn’t seem to be an end, but Rekker appeared to be slowing down. My stomach clenched.

However, that fury in his eyes didn’t waver. He kept fighting on, despite the exhaustion weighing him down. He kept fighting despite having a bleeding leg. He kept fighting no matter what.

My breath caught in my throat, as Rekker kept standing and kept fighting, no matter how tired he appeared. He charged once more at the guard, and this time managed to strike him back onto the floor.

Rekker huffed and took a moment to breathe, but it was long enough for the guard to rise back to his feet.

“You are as annoying as a Xanderian gob fly … ” my captor grumbled as he caught his breath as well. He clutched his heaving chest. “I should’ve killed you when I first had the chance.”

“I can say the same for you.” Rekker spat out a ball of blood and clasped his fist around his lance.

“Heh, I wish we could talk further, but I really want to have a taste of your blood right now.”

“And I want to tear out that tongue of yours so you can shut the hell up,” Rekker threatened in a voice that caused a chill to crawl up my spine.

Rekker was huge. A warrior. I knew that.

But he’d never sounded so malicious before. Dangerous.

He was almost as terrifying as the Suhlik, but I had to keep myself focused. I also had to try and get out of these bonds.

“Heh, heh, heh.” The guard chuckled and dragged his feet forward. He was losing strength now, not to mention he was coming in my direction. Here was my chance. Rounding up a boost of strength and confidence, I slammed my foot into my captor’s knee and he dropped to the floor.

“You bitch!” he yelled as he clutched his injured leg.

Rekker towered over him and, before the guard could get up, he shoved the lance into his chest. Over and over again, he stabbed him until his face was smothered in blood.

Finally, Rekker stopped and dropped his weapon. He inhaled sharply and turned to me. The anger in his eyes finally vanished and I sighed with relief.

“Lila … ” he breathed out in a shaken voice. He swallowed and came over to free me from my bonds.

Once he’d freed me, I threw my arms around him. I wanted to cry and hug him as tight as I could and never let go.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I whimpered into his shoulder.

“You did nothing wrong,” he assured me as he hugged me back. Unfortunately, the hug didn’t last and we needed to go. “Come on.”

Rekker helped me off the chair, but before we got going, I asked him, “How’s your leg?”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” He took my hand and we dashed out of the room.

I was surprised he still had the strength to run after all that fighting, but I was thankful for that as I heard guards coming our way.

We had to hurry, and I was sure that Rekker had had enough of fighting.

He tightened his hold on me as we made a run for it. “Come on, we’ve got to get out of here.”

The guards’ footsteps were drawing closer and closer, and I could hear them shouting for us to halt.

I had Rekker back, and we were on our way to freedom.

I wasn’t stopping, not for anything in the world.

REKKER

My leg throbbed as I thundered down the corridors, hugging Lila as close to me as I could. If anyone happened upon us, I was determined to put myself between her and any danger.

She clung to me like she was drowning, completely shell-shocked from everything that had happened to her.

It only made me want to hold her tighter, even lift her off the ground so that I could bound toward the docking bays.

Flashing alarm lights cast intermittent glows into the darkened passages, but we managed to make our way without encountering any other adversaries.

“Thank the void.”

We’d wound our way back to the other docking bay, where the captured shuttle still rested.

I tossed one of Kyre’s little gadgets on the dock control panel, then sealed the door shut behind us.

“Rekker, are you sure this will work?”

“Sure?” I shrugged. “It’s our best bet. Does that count?”

“Sure,” she grumbled, climbing in behind me. “Today you get a pass on definitions. Tomorrow, we’re going to work on clarity in language.”

Once inside the shuttle, I grabbed the mate to the gadget that was still on the control panel.

“Step one,” I muttered, “seal us up.” With a hum, an electrical field surrounded the shuttle.

“Rekker,” Lila whispered, all teasing gone from her voice now. “They captured this shuttle once before. How can you know they won’t take it, and us with it, again?”

I pulled her against me quickly, then strapped her into the copilot’s seat before returning to the controls.

“The poor bastards who were taken before didn’t have Kyre on their side.”

Using the remote, I opened the doors from the interior of the hub into the bay and waited for the Suhlik to race through.

Then I blew open the bay doors into the black, and watched their screaming bodies be sucked into the void.

With the sirens blaring around us warning of the hub’s depressurization, I steered us out of the docking bay and into the stars.

“Or me.”

While I’m no Cedroc, the stranger’s shuttle was smooth and streamlined, incredibly easy to steer and turn.

It didn’t have any artillery of its own, but made up for it with superior speed and excellent maneuverability.

The Suhlik fired at us with everything they had. Blast after blast showered around us. The shuttle lurched as I whizzed us between the flares. We caught a glancing blow, and Lila screamed as we jerked hard from the impact.

A profusion of blinking lights lit up my control panel and an alarm blared above us.

“It’s alright,” I called to her through the din, darting my fingers around, tripping the warning signals. “Just a scratch.”

As I dodged and swerved, the guns of the hub fired again, then suddenly stopped.

Righting us again, I pushed even harder to accelerate beyond range. The vessel shook with the exertion and I forced it to the limits of its capacity. Lila clamped her hands onto the edges of her seat until I thought her fingers might break from the tension.

The amber tracking star on my console went dark, and I gasped out a laugh.

“They’ve got some new problems to deal with,” I answered Lila’s unspoken question.

Immediately easing back on our speed, the vessel groaned down from its redlines and fell into its natural rhythm. Only after I slumped back into my seat did I realize that I was drenched in sweat.

Looking over at Lila, I could see that she was completely spent. But we had made it.

“One last task.” I pinged the Calliope on the emergency channel, waited for the encrypted response, then swore.

“That son of a bitch.”

“What?” Lila asked.

“Oh, nothing. Cedroc just bounced the Calliope into the furthest corner of the system.”

“So, what does that mean?”

“It means meeting back up is going to take a while.”

She sighed lightly in response, and I looked over to see her slumped in her seat. Unbuckling myself, I eased over to her and took her hand, working each joint in succession. She laughed at my attentions.

“Rekker, what are you doing?”

“Checking for broken bones.”

“Nothing is broken.” She slipped her hand from mine. “Just very sore, and strained.”

When I tried to stand, my leg gave out a little under my weight. Lila immediately snapped to attention and her hands flew to my shoulders.

“Rekker! Here you are looking after me when you’re the one who’s gotten the worst of it. Sit down.”

She eased me back until I was sitting on the floor, then clambered down next to me. Now that all the adrenaline was ebbing from my system, a host of aches crowded in.

The entire front of my leg was dark with blood, and Lila nudged at the edges of the wound.

“We should get you out of these pants so I can get a better look at everything.”

“You’ll be able to see everything alright.”

“Stop it.” She swatted at my arm. “I’m talking about the wound, Rekker.”

Together, we eased me out of the blood-soaked pants and she set about looking over the gash. Ripping a bit of fabric, she dabbed away some blood, but the worst of the bleeding was over. I used another bit of fabric to clean the rest of the Suhlik blood from my face and looked around the cabin for a some water.

As her hands wandered over my leg, I couldn’t help the gentle stirring of my fully exposed member. Even as she tried to focus on her ministrations, I could tell she was aware of the awakening, as well.

Her eyes cut to mine with a gently accusing slant.

“What?” I shrugged. “It’s not like I can control it.”

“Oh, no?” Her hand slid slowly up my thigh, forgetting the wound. “You seem to have pretty good control of everything down there.” Her palm brushed lightly along the side of my cock, coaxing it from an easy stiffening to full attention.

It’s amazing what being close to her could do to me. Even the mildest touch inflamed me and left me pulsing gently, begging her to brush against me again. Instead, she rocked back onto her heels, kneeling to face me.

“How long did you say it was until we reached the ship?” The implication in her eyes set my heart pounding.

“We have plenty of time.”

She gave a small nod and pulled her top over her head in a single, deliberate move. I was moving more creakily, but I stripped my shirt off, as well. Once my eyes were clear, I took a moment to drink in the smooth, intoxicating expanse of her skin.

The generous curve of her breasts prickled over with tiny bumps, puckering into the hard, pink knots of her nipples.

I followed their gentle sway as she shifted forward and pushed herself out of her pants, then kicked them aside on the floor. Every bend and swing of her movements revealed and obscured the dazzling facets of her body.

By the time her eyes met mine again, we were both short of breath, panting with hunger for each other.

“Rekker, I didn’t think I would ever see you again, that I would ever see anyone again. When you came through that door … ” She was at a loss for the right words, but the look on her face spoke the depth of her feelings.

“Knowing you were in that kind of danger was the most terrible thing I’ve ever had to experience. There was no choice, I had to come for you.” I leaned forward and took her hand. “If there’s one thing I can promise you, it’s that nothing like that will ever happen again. You are my mate, and I will spend my life keeping you safe.”

Her eyes glistened around the edges, and she bent forward to press her lips to mine. It was more than a kiss; it was a promise that we were pledging to keep for each other. After a moment, she deepened the kiss, pressing more firmly into me and darting her tongue between my lips.

Lila’s hand found me again, more insistent this time. The gentle graze of her first pass gave way to firmer, more deliberate strokes. The dizzying tingle sent a shudder up through my body, and the aches which had seemed so present melted under her touch.

Pulling her lips from mine, she began to work lazily down my chest, marking her path with a trail of kisses. As she made her teasing descent, I hardened to near delirium, pulsing in her hand and begging for the inevitable attention of her mouth. In a moment, the firm slick of her tongue dragged from my base all the way up along the underside of my shaft.

I quaked under her, and she took my crown into her mouth, tracing along the contours and pulling me deeper with each suck. As her head bobbed lightly over me, I reached forward to run my hands along the splendid curve of her spine, ducking along the ridges of her ribs and under her to cradle the sensual heft of her breasts. As I worked them lightly, she let out a groan of pleasure and vibrated my pulsing member.

Ferocious with desire for her, I pulled her mouth back up to meet mine, encouraging her to straddle me as she settled into the kiss. Lila answered each instinct, settling herself over me and using my glistening head to tease herself with delicate pressure. Then, all at once, she sank down onto me, tipping her head back with a low moan as she pressed me deep inside her.

We began to rock with each other, indulging in the thousand tiny ecstasies we found in this slow grind. Our bodies answered each other, and we mingled our breaths in hot, hasty gasps.

It was a good thing Cedroc chose to stash the ship so far afield, because we both needed to make very intentional use of that time.

As it was, we barely had time to dress before we docked and met the crew.

LILA

While Javik and his tools might have been in the med bay, there was no way we’d fit all these people in that crowded room.

Heck, even if it was empty and organized, they wouldn’t fit.

Somehow, Javik and the crew had managed to put together pallets for everyone in the cargo hold.

Some managed to sleep, while others were wide awake and staring off blankly into nothing. Most of them were underfed and dehydrated.

Some children were crying and being comforted by their parents, while others didn’t have parents any longer.

I came over to one little boy who had an injured arm. I didn’t recognize his species, but he had light green skin and grayish-blue eyes. A pair of tiny horns stuck out from his forehead, too. The little boy cradled his arm with his good one, and looked at me with such glassy eyes, my heart ached.

“Hello, what’s your name?” I asked him in a quiet, soothing voice.

“Eroh … ” the boy mumbled, glancing down at his dirty bare feet. He had one extra toe on each foot.

“May I see your arm, Eroh?” I asked him.

The boy nodded and allowed me to look at his arm. It looked like it had a pretty bad fracture. While I tended to it, I asked him in a small voice, “Might I ask … are your parents around … or any relatives?”

The boy’s mouth trembled as tears tumbled down his cheeks. Shit, I shouldn’t have said anything. I bit down on my lip.

“I’m sorry,” I told him.

“My … my parents … they protected me from those monsters … ” the boy whimpered. “They protected me and … I couldn’t do anything.” The boy sniffed and wiped tears from his eyes with his good hand. “I … I do have an aunt and uncle back at the outpost. Are we going back there?”

“Yes,” I confirmed with a small smile, but I knew it wasn’t enough to comfort the boy.

“Good.” A ghost of a smile appeared on his tearstained face. “What’s your name?”

“My name’s Lila,” I answered him.

“That’s a very pretty name.”

“Thank you.”

“Does it mean anything?” he asked curiously.

“I’m not sure.” I shrugged. “Probably something to do with flowers, back on my homeworld.”

My homeworld. Funny how easily that rolled off my tongue.

And how different that was from my ‘home’.

“Flowers are pretty. Can I call you that?” Eroh now asked as he tilted his head. His grayish hair fell over his eyes but he brushed it off.

“Sure.” I chuckled and finish up tending to Eroh’s arm. I wrapped it in a cast with a bandage slung around his shoulder. He appeared a bit more contented than he did before, but there was such sorrow in his eyes. I wished I could do more for him.

Glancing about the room, I spotted a few children around his age sitting on a bed together. They were playing with a small ball as they tossed it to one another. But they did so calmly and quietly so as to not disturb anyone.

“Why don’t you hang out with those kids over there?” I suggested as I gesture to them.

Eroh hesitated for a moment, but he finally settled for a nod and hopped off his bed. He gave me a quiet thanks before he went off to say hi to the kids. Soon enough, they allowed him to join their little game.

After making sure that Eroh was settled, I tended to the other patients. I made sure that they were comfortable as I checked in on them and tended to their wounds, but as I did that, exhaustion kept reeling me back.

I had to sleep so badly, but I need to help these people more

And then, the next person I saw was a human woman.

I jumped back in surprise, and she did as well.

“How did I miss you before?” I gasped.

She pushed back the fold of cloth she’d draped over her hair until it fell away completely.

“I wasn’t really paying attention, I think.”

Messy black hair framed a fair, freckled face and fell to scrawny shoulders. Her face was dirty and her hand covered her right eye, her good eye was a deep, deep forest green. She smiled despite the pain she must’ve been enduring.

“I’m so glad to see another human here,” the woman said in a quiet voice. “My name’s Coco, and you?”

“Lila,” I answered.

She sighed gratefully. “It really is nice to see another human … thank you so much for helping us. Thank you. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Can I see your eye?”

Coco nodded and placed her hand on her lap. Her eye was bruised and bloody, a sick combination of red and purple. The air got trapped in my throat, but I managed to get it together, as usual, and started cleaning it up.

“Tell me if I’m hurting you or anything,” I told her.

“You’re fine, thank you again. Thank you.” She had a very sweet and soft-spoken voice. She must’ve been around my age, if not a bit younger.

Coco was small, too, especially since she was hunched on the bed with droopy shoulders. Her body trembled slightly as I applied the medicine, but she kept calm and had a timid smile on her lips.

“Are you alright?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said, but there was something in her good eye that indicated that something was troubling her. “No … actually, um, so back at Silva I was visiting with a Mahdfel soldier, my mate … um.” She cleared her throat, but tears built up in her eyes. She started to tremble more and I rubbed her shoulder.

“I’m worried that he … he might’ve been killed when the Suhlik came.” Coco sobbed and she covered her face. I brought her into a hug, and she sobbed quietly into my shoulder. I kept patting her back in hopes to comfort her, but it wasn’t enough.

I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if I’d lost Rekker.

She sniffled and hiccupped, but soon she pulled away and I looked into that bloodshot eye of hers.

“Can I get you anything? Water, maybe?” I asked.

“Yes.” She nodded and I quickly left to get her some water.

When I returned, I handed Coco the cup and she gulped it all down before sighing heavily.

She had stopped sobbing and was breathing in and out slowly to keep her composure. She huddled her torso with one arm while the other held the cup.

“I’ll be fine, I’ll be fine,” she repeated quietly, mostly to herself. She placed the cup on a nearby crate, but she almost tipped it over due to her still trembling hand. She used both arms to huddle herself now.

“Can you tell me his name?” I asked quietly. “Maybe I met him on Silva.”

“Yes, it’s Tuiru. He’s very nice, and sweet, and … oh, I wish I could see him again.”

“I’m sure you will.” I smiled to Coco and patted her hand.

Coco smiled back but it was small and tight. “Thank you … thank you again.”

I patted her hand again and glanced at the empty cup. “Do you want some more water?”

“I think I’m good, thank you,” Coco said. She cupped her hand over mine, her hands were a bit cold. The coldness nearly caused me to flinch.

“Why don’t you rest?” I suggested. “You look exhausted.”

“You do, too,” she noted as she peered closely, blinking quickly with her good eye.

“I can’t right now, there’s still a lot of people I need to check up on.”

“You’re so kind, Lila … helping all of us, you’re so kind.” Coco stood up, straightened her shoulders. “Worrying about things I can’t change isn’t going to help anything.” She nodded towards Javik. “I’ll take a turn as his assistant. You go get some rest.”

Weariness ran through me. “Thank you.”

I was about to leave, but Coco asked, “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“Don’t you have a mate, too? Rekker, right?”

My cheeks heated up and I sat down on the bed. “Yes, that’s right.”

Coco giggled and she straightened her clothing, pulling her hair back from her face in a quick braid. “Tell me about him.”

I felt even more flustered, but I got myself together and said, “Well, he’s also very kind and sweet, and he saved my life back on that ship.”

“That’s wonderful! So, you think you two are truly meant to be?” Coco asked as she leaned forward with anticipation.

“Well, he is my mate, after all, so yes,” I answered.

Oh.

It was the first time I had acknowledged Rekker as my mate.

My heart fluttered, and butterflies swarmed my stomach. He was my mate. Rekker was my mate!

He was mine and I was his.

And I needed to tell him.

REKKER

“We’re going to land soon, so hang on tight,” Cedroc’s amplified voice boomed through the speakers.

Exchanging a knowing glance with Lila, I leaned against the wall and watched as she addressed the crowd of liberated prisoners.

“Just a few more minutes and you’ll be home,” she said, her words brimming with enthusiasm. “Hang on to whatever you can during the landing, just so no one gets hurt.”

With a smile still on her face, she climbed down the stairs that led into the cargo hold and started helping the more vulnerable ones sit down.

The Calliope wasn’t designed to carry this many people and, as such, we’d had to place all the Silva inhabitants in the cargo hold.

They didn’t seem to mind. The trip back to Silva wasn’t long.

Besides, a few hours of discomfort in a ship’s cargo hold sure beat a lifetime of slavery at the hands of the Suhlik.

Pushing myself off the wall, I leaned against the railing of the upper deck and watched as Lila worked her magic.

She waltzed between the survivors with effortless grace, distributing smiles and kind words to everyone she could. Everyone seemed to be enamored by her, but that didn’t surprise me.

It was Lila, after all.

Wrapping my fingers around the railing, I held on tight as the ship lurched. A few of those on the lower deck yelped, but it seemed like Cedroc was being extra careful this time around—aside from the initial lurch, the ship stabilized with expert smoothness.

“Landing procedure is completed, Captain,” Cedroc said through the comms unit.

“Can I open the ramp?”

“Affirmative,” he replied. “But it’s going to be chaos. There’s a crowd coming our way. I can already see them from up here. Should I send someone down for extra security?”

“No need.” Placing the comms unit back on my belt, I held one hand up and waited until I had everyone’s attention. “I’m going to open the loading ramp, but I want you to make an orderly exit.”

There were a lot of nods and mutters of agreement, but they didn’t mean much. The moment I punched the button that opened the Calliope’s loading ramp, it was just like Cedroc had promised—absolute chaos.

Anxious to be reunited with family and friends, almost everyone rushed toward the exit, even as the townspeople were pushing to get on board.

People were crying and laughing, and the atmosphere in the cargo hold was vibrant with joy. A small, somber cluster stood in one corner with Javik, as he confirmed the loss of their loved ones.

It was awful, but could have be so much worse.

Thankfully, people seemed to be mindful of each other.

Despite being in a hurry to get off the ship, there was an effort not to push people out of the way and risk trampling others.

Pushing her way out of the departing crowd, Lila climbed up the stairs and stood beside me, her eyes alive with happiness.

“This is quite a sight, isn’t it?” she asked, softly laying her right hand on top of mine. I felt her delicate fingers against my skin, her touch warm and pleasant, and my heart started beating just a little bit faster.

“It sure is.”

“Is this why you enjoy being a soldier?” Looking up at me, she smiled. “It must feel great to help people out like this.”

“It does feel great, but it’s not always like this. Most of the time it’s just senseless fighting. And we don’t always make a difference.” As I held her gaze, I found myself returning her smile. “But, from time to time, we get lucky. Sometimes we do make a difference.”

“Then let’s enjoy it.” Grabbing my hand before I could react, she dragged me down into the cargo hold and toward the exit ramp. We stopped atop the ramp, too stunned to continue down. The crowd was so large that it surrounded the entire ship, and everyone seemed to be completely ecstatic.

Most people never really thought those the Suhlik had taken would ever return, and they were reacting to all this as if a miracle had happened.

Truth be told, they weren’t that wrong.

A lot of things could have gone wrong on this operation.

The Suhlik could’ve gotten away, or we could’ve caught up to them only to find that they had already unloaded their ‘cargo’.

They could have kept Lila.

We had gotten lucky.

“Rekker, Rekker!”

Narrowing my eyes, I tried to find whoever was calling my name.

It should’ve been impossible, but I eventually found Binuf’s burly figure cutting a way through the crowd. Tears glimmered on his face, and his smile was so wide I could almost count every one of his teeth.

“Rekker!” He continued to shout my name as he climbed up the ramp. The moment I was within reach, he wrapped his arms so tightly around me I could hear my ribs cracking. “You did it! You really did it!”

“I’m a man of my word, Binuf.” Amicably slapping his back, I took a step back and tried to create some distance between us.

As much as I understood his need to thank me, hugs weren’t really my thing.

“That you are.” Still beaming, he kept his tearful eyes on mine. “My family, they’re alive. I still can’t believe it, Rekker. I had already lost all hope, but when I saw you walk into my store … I knew there was a chance. And I was right.”

Wiping the tears off his face with the back of his hand, he cleared his throat and straightened his back. “I know repaying you for this will be impossible, but I’ve taken the liberty of talking with Adruf. He’s willing to repair the Calliope for free.”

“Seriously?” Cocking one eyebrow up, I crossed my arms over my chest and wondered if I should believe Binuf. His friend Adruf ran the largest shipyard on the outpost, and he was one of the most tightfisted natives I had ever met.

“He actually asked me to tell you,” Binuf said with a casual shrug. “His sister was taken by the Suhlik, as well, and he wants to repay you for bringing her back.”

“That really isn’t necessary. We were just—”

“Nonsense,” he cut me short. “Your money here is no good. Not today.”

He had barely finished speaking when a little robed man started climbing up the Calliope’s loading ramp. He had curved ridges on his forehead, right above his eyes, and his milky skin was practically translucent—I could see purple blood running underneath his skin, and if I narrowed my eyes, I was pretty sure I’d be able to see his bones.

“This here is Chief Anuk,” Binuf rushed to introduce us, politely bowing at the newcomer. “He runs the outpost.”

“That is correct,” Anuk said in a mellifluous tone, a pleasant smile on his thin lips. He bowed to us, and I returned the gesture as politely as I could.

It was hard to know how to deal with races I had never interacted with before, but a good rule of thumb was to follow their lead. “You’ve done us a great service, Captain Rekker. As I’m sure Binuf has already told you, we are in your debt. It’s not much, but we would like to hold a feast in your honor tonight.”

“It wasn’t just me that—”

“A feast to honor the Calliope’s crew then,” he quickly corrected himself.

“I don’t know if—”

“We would love that.” Shutting me up with an elbow to the ribs, Lila stepped forward and bowed at the outpost’s chief. “We’re grateful for your generosity.”

“We’re the ones who are grateful.” Bowing one more time—whatever race this guy belonged to, they sure seemed to like bowing—he finally turned around to leave. “I’ll see you tonight, then.”

“Did I hear someone talking about a feast?” From behind me came Derrix’s loud voice. He was standing on the cargo hold’s upper deck, Javik at his side.

“I’m not going crazy, am I, Captain? I heard it right, didn’t I?”

“You sure did,” Lila replied before I could say anything. Then, turning on her heels, she slapped my arm playfully. “What’s with the long face, Rekker? We’re gonna have a party tonight.”

“I guess I’d rather just leave and get on with the mission.” As unhappy as I was with the current mission I had been assigned, I always did my best to handle things as fast as I could.

A party would only delay us.

“You deserve a little fun after all we’ve been through,” she said, closing the distance between us and going up on her tiptoes. She brushed her berry-sweet lips against mine, and I laid both hands on her waist. “Besides, your crew needs a night off, too.”

Looking over her shoulder, I saw as Derrix made his way toward the crowd. He’d dragged a barrel of Vaznik liquor all the way here, and Derrix was already busy showing them the ancient art of ‘drinking everyone under the table’.

“Yeah,” I said. “I guess you’re right.”

“Perfect.”

A wink, a kiss, and she was gone.

And that was it—tonight there’d be a party.

LILA

“I’ve been looking for you.”

Lightly tapping my shoulder, Coco made me turn around. Standing in one of the market’s busy little streets, I turned to face her. Her eye was still bruised, the skin around it a blend of dark green and yellow, but she seemed much better than when we’d found her.

Probably because now there was a huge smile on her face.

“Coco,” I cried out, quickly pulling her in for a hug.

It felt good to see a friendly human face, even if everyone on Silva was treating me like royalty. “How are you doing? Feeling better?”

“Never better.” Dragging her teeth across her bottom lip, she allowed her smile to grow wider. “I found him, Lila. I found Tuiru. He was knocked out during the Suhlik attack, and he was left for dead. He’s a bit bruised, especially when it comes to his ego, but otherwise he’s fine.”

“That’s so good to hear.” Before I could stop myself, I embraced her again. Maybe it was the fact we were the only two human women on this outpost, but I felt a connection with her. Of course, it didn’t hurt that she was a Mahdfel’s mate.

More than just being a human, Coco knew exactly what I was going through when it came to Rekker.

“I’d like you to meet him, if that’s okay,” she continued. “We heard the outpost chief is going to throw a feast in your crew’s honor, so I thought you could get ready at my place.”

“Why not?” Against all odds, it seemed like I was about to experience a regular slice of human life again. I never really thought I’d end up getting ready for a party on the other side of the galaxy, but I was slowly getting used to all kinds of surprises.

Following Coco through the maze of cramped market streets, it only took us about five minutes to reach our destination.

She was staying at a small inn with Tuiru, and the place was the textbook definition of a hole in the wall. The windows were nothing but slits in the stone wall, and even the front door seemed to have seen better days, its hinges in a close relationship with bleak orange patches of rust.

“It’s not that bad once you get inside,” she promised as she pushed the door open. She was right. Despite the gloomy appearance on the building’s facade, the inn’s reception area was pretty cute. The walls had been freshly painted, there was a red carpet on the floor, and the counter of what I assumed to be native wood had been polished to a shine.

Not a five-star hotel, but at least the place was clean. “We don’t have a lot to splurge with when on the road, but we always try to get a clean place to spend the night.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “And that’s the important part, right?”

I smiled. “Right.”

“Here we are.” Coco stopped in front of a set of wooden double doors. She rapped her knuckles against them twice, and then pushed them open. Tuiru sat in the corner of the room, hunched over a small computer terminal, and he quickly jumped to his feet once he saw us walk in.

His skin tone was similar to Rekker’s, but he was at least a head shorter, without the horns. Despite that, he had the same muscled frame every Mahdfel seemed to share.

“I take it that you’re Lila?” he asked, offering me his hand while a toothy grin took over his face.

“That’s right.”

“I owe you, then.” Shaking my hand, he gave me a heartfelt smile. The Mahdfel weren’t exactly in touch with their emotions, but this one seemed like an exception. “If it weren’t for you and your crew, Coco would … .” He trailed off, his smile turning into a straight line.

“There’s no need to thank me,” I said. “Captain Rekker was the one behind it.”

“Rekker, yes, I’ve heard of him.” His smile returned, and his tone of voice evened out. “He has quite a reputation. I’m going to pay him a visit and report to him, if that’s alright. I assume he’ll be interested in Suhlik activity in this sector.” With that, he peeled his gaze away from me and turned all his focus on Coco.

His eyes softened as his smile widened even more, and every single line on his face seemed to change. As he placed both his hands on her waist and pulled her close, there was no doubt in my mind—these two were in love.

Or, as Rekker would put it, these two were mates.

True mates, without any fears or boundaries between them.

“You guys want me to leave?” I laughed, my eyebrows shooting up in an arch as their kiss grew in intensity.

Only at the sound of my voice did they pull back from each other.

“Sorry,” Tuiru laughed, and then he clicked his heels together and left the room. I exchanged an amused glance with Coco, smiling as I noticed the crimson tone that had taken over her cheeks.

“You’re a lucky one. He seems to really like you.”

“Rekker seems to like you just as much,” she said, and now it was my turn to feel warm blood rushing to my cheeks. “Oh, come on. This isn’t a surprise for you, is it? The way he looks at you … that man would lay down his life for you.”

“I know that,” I muttered quietly.

“I know it can be a bit of a harrowing experience, but it’s all worth it,” she continued, and then placed one hand across her belly while she smiled. It took a second for me to realize what she was trying to say, but once I did, I had to make a conscious effort not to let my jaw drop.

“You’re pregnant?”

“That’s right,” she laughed, her voice bright and energetic. “We just found out this morning at my checkup.”

“Congratulations,” I squealed.

“Just goes to show that it’s worth it. It might be tough and disorienting at first, but when it works … it just works. I’ll be honest, Lila. If given the chance of having a normal life on my home planet, I wouldn’t take it. Don’t get me wrong—I loved my old life. But this … there’s nothing better.” Once more, she flattened her hand over her belly, her fingers gently caressing. “All of it.”

I didn’t say a thing. Her words echoed inside my head, and I wondered if I’d ever feel like her. I never really thought I’d come to terms with my situation, but after getting to know Rekker … well, it wasn’t that bad, was it?

And the thought of having a child with him wasn’t unbearable, either.

“Now, let’s find you a dress.” Taking the lead, Coco went to the wardrobe at the back of the room and started rummaging through it.

She started throwing countless dresses on top of the bed, and I wondered how a couple that traveled so much could be lugging around that much clothing.

“Most of those I bought locally,” she continued, almost as if she could read my mind. “I don’t really have the chance to wear any of these dresses, but shopping helps calm me down whenever I’m stressed, and it’s a great way to meet local people, hear the news.”

“I feel you.” I laughed, feeling slightly embarrassed as she grabbed a black dress and pressed it against my body. She creased her brow, narrowed her eyes, and then nodded to herself.

“I think this one will look great on you. Go on, try it on.”

Two minutes later and I was standing in front of the room’s mirror, Coco’s tight black dress hugging my curves perfectly. The fabric was cut just above the knee, and it showed just the right amount of skin, especially when it came to my cleavage.

“You like it?”

“Yeah,” I muttered. “I do.”

I’d never really had a chance to pretty myself up while working on my family’s farm, and to see my dolled-up reflection in the mirror was slightly disorienting.

But, hell, I loved it.

“Now let’s do something to that hair of yours,” Coco continued and, without a moment’s hesitation, she ran her fingers through my hair.

With one hand on my shoulder, she forced me to take a seat in front of the mirror and got to work. I said nothing as she straightened my hair, but it was hard not to be amazed. By the time she was finally done with my hair and make-up, I barely recognized myself in the mirror.

“Think that’s enough to impress Rekker?” she asked, nudging me with her elbow and winking.

“I think so,” I replied, suddenly realizing that I wanted nothing more than to impress him tonight. “In fact, I’m pretty sure of it. All thanks to you.”

Half an hour later and the two of us were leaving the inn, arm-in-arm. I was in an outpost on the other side of the galaxy, a place where the unthinkable had happened, and yet … .

I felt just like a girl on prom night.

It wasn’t the dress, or the makeup or the hairstyle.

It was all because of Rekker.

REKKER

The moment I saw her, my heart stopped beating.

The world around me froze in its entirety, and the only thing that mattered in the entire universe was Lila Kanes.

Everything paled in comparison.

The outpost market had been cleared off, and long tables set up along the walkway. Some of the Calliope’s officers and I sat at a head table of sorts, sharing the place with the outpost’s chief and some other dignitaries, and everyone else occupied the dozen tables set up in front of ours.

There was raucous laughter all around, and mead and liquor flowed freely as the scent of roasted meat and spiced vegetables wafted into the air.

Despite the chaos of festivities, everyone fell silent the moment Lila showed up.

Walking arm-in-arm with the other human female we’d rescued from the Suhlik base, she gave her a parting smile and then looked around, trying to find an empty seat.

Even from a distance, I could tell that she was embarrassed. Everyone was looking at her.

“Lila,” I called out, and she managed a nervous little smile as I pointed to the empty seat next to mine.

As she strolled through the confusion, her eyes on mine, the crowd’s attention finally started to drift and the sound of the party returned with double the strength.

Once she got up to our table, she bowed politely toward the outpost’s dignitaries and only then did she sit down. “Why did everyone shut up all of a sudden?” She chuckled, her tone betraying how nervous she was.

“What did you expect?” I asked her, and my eyes were drawn to hers. “You look stunning.”

To be fair, stunning probably wasn’t the word I wanted to use, but it would suffice for the time being. After all, her beauty was so striking that I was struggling to think straight.

Her reddish-brown hair had been straightened out, and a few locks of it had been braided in a circle at the top of her head. The makeup on her skin was barely noticeable, but it still made her hazel eyes sparkle under the feast’s bright lights.

The crowning piece was, of course, her dress. The fabric clung to each one of her curves like a lover’s hands, gentle and firm at the same time, and I knew I’d have a hard time looking away from her throughout dinner.

“Thank you,” she muttered softly, the crimson color of her cheeks making my heart beat slightly faster.

How could anyone be this perfect? Everything about her made my heart race—from her fluttering eyelids to her softly curved lips, from her slender hips to her full breasts … she was what fantasies were made of.

The next hour was spent drinking and eating, but even the expensive delicacies the outpost’s chief had brought to our table did little for me. I took part in all the toasts, and even though I did the polite thing and engaged in small talk whenever someone approached, thoughts of Lila never left my mind.

“Now, music,” Chief Anuk proclaimed suddenly. Pushing his chair back, he clapped his hands together and grinned. His translucent skin had acquired a lilac tone, and it didn’t take much to realize that had to be a consequence of all the liquor he had been downing.

On cue, a mismatched troupe of natives dragged a variety of instruments to the far end of the market square. Without Anuk needing to order it, tables were pushed to the sides and a dance floor was improvised. The band started with a mellow song, one of the rare Mahdfel ballads our culture had ever produced, and the high notes immediately brought me back to childhood. For a tiny outpost in a dark corner of the universe, Silva surely knew how to make their guests feel at home.

“Please, Captain,” Anuk continued, offering me a smile as he waved at the empty dance floor. “Do the honors.”

I stood still for a moment, wondering if I was being asked to dance. Then, remembering that I had the ideal partner, I offered Lila my hands as I rose from my seat. She looked up at me, eyes wide and lips pursed tight.

“I don’t know how to dance,” she whispered.

“I’ll show you.” Before she had the chance to protest, I took her by the hand and led the way toward the dance floor. As the ballad’s rhythm swelled, I laid one hand on Lila’s waist and pulled her toward me. “Now, one hand on my shoulder and the other on my waist.”

She followed instructions, even though the results were somewhat comical. As a human, she was far shorter than me, which meant that by placing her hand on my shoulder it looked like she was trying to reach for something on a shelf that was out of her reach.

I didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was that we were here, together.

Eventually, we settled into a comfortable rhythm, our bodies moving back and forth over imaginary lines. Her look was one of pure concentration, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You’re too stiff,” I told her. “Relax. Move your hips instead of your whole body.”

“Are we talking about dancing or … ?” Her mask of concentration was cracked by a wicked little grin, and I felt my blood boiling inside my veins.

“Dancing,” I replied. “You don’t need instructions when it comes to the rest.”

“Makes for two of us.” Dragging her teeth across her bottom lip, she finally relaxed and started swaying her hips, our moves finally matching the ballad’s tempo perfectly.

A couple of seconds later, a few more couples started drifting towards the dance floor, and I breathed out with relief. I only knew the basics, and the last thing I wanted was to make a fool of myself in front of everyone.

“Thank you,” I said, the words escaping from my mouth before I could stop them.

“What for?”

“For staying,” I replied. “For giving us a chance. For trusting me and the crew. I’m grateful for it. And I’m grateful for having you in my life.” I sucked in a deep breath, and then just let it all out. “I don’t know how I ever got through anything without you. You’re the fire in my blood, Lila.”

She held her breath for a moment, her eyes brimming with emotion, and then she sneaked a glance at my tattoos. They were so white they were glowing.

Gently laying one hand on my chest, she smiled.

“What do you say we get out of here?”

“Right now?”

“You think anyone will miss us?”

I looked around, to see the dance floor completely packed. Some of my officers had remained by the tables, and they were busy stuffing their faces and trying to outdrink Derrix. In less than an hour, they’d all be too drunk to notice my absence.

“You’re right. Let’s go.” Taking her hand in mine, I cut a path through the crowd until we finally got to a deserted alleyway, the sounds of the party drifting after us.

“Where are we going?” she asked, finally realizing we weren’t heading back to the Calliope.

“I got us a place for tonight,” I replied, and then kept my mouth shut until we got there. One of the most expensive locations in Silva, though that wasn’t saying much.

There were only two places of lodging in the outpost that weren’t frequented by dockworkers. Once we stepped inside the room, Lila cocked one eyebrow and laughed.

“I wasn’t expecting this,” she said, then pushed aside the curtains leading to the wooden balcony. A warm, gentle breeze snuck into the room, and I joined Lila on the balcony, the maze of streets underneath us like a brightly lit cobweb. In the distance, the party carried on, the market square now so bright you’d believe there was a bonfire going on there.

“It’s a beautiful sight, isn’t?” I asked, even though I wasn’t really talking about Silva’s nightly brightness. I was talking about her. And to think that sooner or later we’d have to part ways. “Listen, Lila, as painful as it is, I know this is only temporary. I know that you want to go back home, and I’ll do whatever I can to make that—”

“I love you.” Turning on her heels, she placed one finger over my lips and hushed me. “I love you, Rekker, and that’s all that matters.”

“I love you, too,” I repeated, my heart beating so fast you’d think I was in the middle of a life-or-death situation. I had never felt anything quite like what I was feeling. “What about your family, Lila?”

“We can visit, right?” She bit her bottom lip.

I gave her a quick nod.

Of course we could visit them. Truth be told, I was eager to see where Lila had come from. “Then no more talking tonight,” she continued, and went on tiptoes and crushed her mouth against mine.

It was far too much for me to resist.

Resting both hands on her hips, I pushed her back until she was against the balcony railing. Slowly, I moved one hand underneath the hemline of her dress and only stopped when I felt the drenched fabric of her underwear against my fingertips.

“I want you,” I growled, hooking my fingers in her underwear’s elastic band and pulling the fabric against her outer thigh. There was a tearing sound, then I opened my hand and dropped her thong to the floor. Using nothing but one fingertip, I traced the outline of her wetness, taking my time as I went over her wet inner lips. “I need you.”

With that, I pressed down on the patch of skin right above her clit and started to massage. A series of moans tumbled out from between her parted lips, and I became so damn hard that I was surprised my cock hadn’t ripped its way out of my uniform.

Not that I needed to worry: Lila was more than happy to take care of it.

Still kissing me, she tore my uniform off my body, her hands moving in a frenzy as they worked on my clothing. By the time she had me naked, I reacted on instinct and pulled her dress over her head.

Naked, she was even more beautiful.

“Claim me, my mate,” she whispered softly, bringing both her hands up to caress her hard nipples. Grinning, I allowed lust and desire to take me and grabbed Lila’s delicate body. Turning her so her back was to me, I had her bend over and place her hands on the railing.

Closing the distance between us, I let Lila jut her ass and then grabbed my cock and angled it down. Its tip went down over the valley between her ass cheeks, and I only stopped when I felt her inner lips wrap around my hardness. I didn’t even bother with teasing—I just thrust and slid all my length deep inside her.

“You’re mine,” I whispered into her ear as I thrust, each time I rocked my hips forcing her to moan. She was doing it so loudly I wouldn’t have been surprised to find out everyone at the party could hear us. But so what? Let the entire universe hear us having the time of our lives.

Tangling my fingers in her hair, I yanked her head back and thrust one final time. I could feel her inner walls tightening around my hard thickness, and her moans were charged with electricity.

She was close.

Or, rather, we both were.

Gritting my teeth, I felt her inner walls spasm, and that was the deathblow for me. I exploded inside her with a deep groan, resting my forehead against her delicate shoulder as we came. In that moment, we were one.

We stayed like that for almost a minute, neither of us saying a word.

We were just enjoying the moment.

“You’re mine,” I repeated one final time, and her reply came a fraction of a second later.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, I am.”

LILA

“You’re certain you must leave now?” Coco smiled, but I saw genuine sorrow in her eyes.

It must’ve been lonely, being the only human on Silva. At least she had many friends on this planet, as well as a dedicated mate.

And they’d travel on soon enough.

“Rekker and his team are on a mission,” I explained. “We weren’t even supposed to come here in the first place, even though I’m glad they did. I know they’re eager to move forward. Once they complete this mission, they finally get a vacation.”

Coco nodded. “Oh, I see.”

“I still wish we could stay another day or two. There are some broken bones and stitched up lacerations I’d like to keep an eye on. It would be so fascinating to see the healing process for different races.”’

“It’s not as grand as you’re imagining,” Coco laughed. “Though they all look different on the outside, their inner workings are more or less the same when it comes to body repair.”

“The medical staff here will be able to handle everything, right? I can’t imagine they see mass injuries like this too often.”

“No, but they’ll be glad for the work. Will you visit?”

“Of course!” I grinned. “You’ll have to visit me, too, when I finally settle down somewhere permanent.”

“I’d love to.”

“How about you come visit my family’s farm next time I’m there?” I offered, assuming she’d jump at the chance to spend time back on Earth.

“That’d be perfect!” Her smile stretched from ear to ear.

“I’ll leave the farm’s information with you for now. If you send messages to me there, my family will be able to pass them on. I have no idea where I’m going or how long I’ll be there, but I’ll find a way to get in touch regularly once I know where I’m going to be.”

“It all sounds so exciting!” Coco gushed. “As much as I love hopping from planet to planet for the Council, I find myself longing for the simple, familiar life I lived back on Earth. I wouldn’t give this up, though, no matter how exhausting it gets.”

“Sounds like you need a vacation as well,” I chuckled.

“Indeed.”

Coco and I embraced. I gave her the information to reach my family’s farm. She escorted me to the dock where the Calliope was getting her final inspection by Kyre and Rekker.

“Everything looks good,” Rekker nodded.

“Adruf wasn’t pleased about doing this for free,” Kyre chuckled. “I don’t believe he would’ve done it had Binuf not volunteered him.”

“Why do you think I avoid dealing with him?” Rekker chuckled. “The work you do is just as good.”

“But Adruf has great materials at his disposal,” Kyre replied. “We won’t have to replace these panels for years.” He affectionately slapped the side of the ship.

“How’s everything looking?” I asked.

“We’re ready to depart,” Rekker replied.

“So, everything is shipshape?”

I received blank looks from Rekker and Kyre.

“Oh, for goodness sake.” I rolled my eyes and looked at Coco. “None of these fools appreciate my Earth humor.”

“I thought it was funny,” Coco laughed.

We embraced once more. She waited on the dock, waving until I disappeared inside the Calliope.

“I’m sorry you have to leave your friend,” Rekker said.

“It’s all right. We’re going to stay in touch. I know you’re anxious to complete your mission.”

“You have no idea. I’m meant to hear from my superiors soon. Hopefully, they’ll shed some light on what it is we’re actually doing.”

“Isn’t it a retrieval mission?”

“Yes, and that’s all I know about it. Never have I been part of an assignment with so little information available to me.”

“Doesn’t that bother you?” I asked.

“Of course, it does. It’s completely impractical. I don’t know how to prepare, I don’t know what supplies I should have, and I have no way to keep my team abreast of the potential dangers.”

“Right,” I nodded. “But what I meant was, doesn’t it come off as suspicious?”

“Suspicious?” Rekker furrowed his brow. “How do you mean?”

“Usually information is withheld for a reason,” I said, choosing my words carefully.

“The Suhlik have occasionally been able to tap into our networks. I can only assume my superiors are being so stingy with information because there is a security threat and they don’t want the Suhlik to know we know.”

“That makes sense.” I nodded, but something about this situation still felt off to me. I brushed the feeling away. What did I know about any of this? Still, I couldn’t fully shake the suspicious feeling in my gut.

“Come on.” Rekker looked down at me with a gentle smile. “Let’s prepare for departure.”

“I’ll make sure the med bay is in order.”

“I’m surprised that Javik is so willing to share the med bay with you. He can be rather territorial.”

I shrugged. “He’s been nothing but welcoming since he figured out I know my stuff.”

“Who has?” Kyre asked as he wiped down his stained hands with a dirty rag.

“Javik,” I said. “Go wash your hands properly. You’re only making them dirtier with that rag.”

“I’m just going to get them dirty again when I start working again,” Kyre said, and shrugged.

“Do you plan on touching anything between now at then?”

“I have to,” he laughed.

“Then go wash your damn hands,” I chuckled. “Honestly, how are you the more advanced species?”

“Because we can travel through space within a reasonable amount of time,” Rekker said.

“Because we can compile every useful human tool into one instrument,” Kyre added.

“Because we can eradicate most diseases with a simple pill,” Javik added.

“When did you get here?” I asked.

“I was standing over there the entire time,” he replied.

“I suppose Cedroc is lurking nearby, too.” I peered around looking for him but saw nothing.

“He’s in the cockpit, preparing the ship as we all should be doing.”

“Where’s Derrix?” Kyre asked.

“I’m in the training room,” his voice came through everyone’s radio.

“How did you know we were talking about you?” Kyre asked.

“I’m willing to bet Cedroc is pressing the comms button down so he can eavesdrop,” Javik said.

“You’re right,” came Cedroc’s voice.

“You’re ridiculous. All of you,” I laughed.

“Why is my trident powered off? You know it takes at least an hour to generate its current,” Derrix said.

“I turned it off,” Rekker said. “I was teaching Lila how to wield it. I didn’t want her to kill herself, or me.”

“Smart,” Derrix nodded. “Humans are pretty terrible with weapons.”

“I can hear you, you know?” I said.

“Oh,” he said, surprised. “Well, I stand by my opinion. Besides, we all know not a lot of training happened that day. At least, not with weapons.”

The other team members chuckled.

I looked at Rekker, a blush burning my cheeks.

Rekker looked like he was about to reprimand his team, but I had a better idea. I moved closer to Rekker to make sure I spoke directly into the radio.

“You’re all just jealous because none of you are getting any.”

Rekker tipped his head back and let out that full, rumbling belly laugh I loved.

“Rekker, you’ve got yourself one hell of a mate,” Derrix said through his laughter.

“Don’t I know it,” Rekker replied. “Now get to work, assholes. Cedroc, can you tell me how long it’ll take to get to Gravum IV?”

“How much effort do you want me to put in?”

“All of it.”

“We can get there within thirty hours.”

“Perfect. Set your course. Depart at your leisure.”

“Are you sure about that, Cap?”

Rekker rolled his eyes. “Depart within the next thirty minutes or I’ll shoot you out of the airlock.”

“Yes, Captain.” Cedroc chuckled as he clicked off his radio.

“It’s amazing how much you let him get away with,” I said.

“Maybe, but it’s damn entertaining. There’s not much to do for fun when we’re drifting through the black.”

“Fair enough,” I laughed. “Javik, shall we go to the med bay?”

“Indeed.” He nodded and walked briskly away.

“I’ll see you later,” I winked at Rekker and hurried after Javik.

“How much of the supplies did we go through?” I asked.

“Nearly everything we purchased on Silva plus some from our regular stock,” he informed me. “Don’t worry. I restocked while Kyre checked over the repairs.”

“Good.” I sighed. “You should’ve told me you were going. I would’ve gone with you.”

“You appeared to be bonding with the other human female,” Javik said.

“Coco,” I said, and smiled. “Yeah, she’s really nice. She might visit soon.”

“You’ve only just met her, yet you’ve formed a pack bond with her?” Javik asked.

“Humans call it friendship, but yes,” I chuckled.

“Humans form friendships easily, don’t they?”

“I suppose so. Though it varies from human to human. It didn’t take long for us to become friends, did it?”

“No, it didn’t.” Javik offered me a rare smile. “What an extraordinary ability to have.”

“Do Mahdfel not make friends easily?”

“It depends on the mother’s base species,” Javik explained. “We’re half Vaznik, a warrior race.”

“Warriors can’t have friends?” I joked.

“We’re bred for other purposes.”

I wasn’t sure what to say. It was so easy to forget that most of the Mahdfel race had been designed and bred for a purpose, not born from love.

“You might’ve been bred for one reason, but that doesn’t mean that’s all you’re allowed to do with your life.”

Javik slowly turned to me.

“What?” I asked.

“I just,” he appeared to struggle for the right words, “I just hadn’t considered it that way before.”

I grinned. “Now you can.”

He smiled back. “Are you excited to see another planet?”

“Absolutely! I hope the next one will be as beautiful as Silva. Rekker said Gravum IV was unpopulated, is that true?”

“I believe so. We have little information on it.”

“How exciting!”

“You appear to have warmed up to the idea of space travel.”

“I have,” I smiled. “I suppose I just never considered how big and beautiful the universe is. Now, I want to see all of it!

REKKER

“Captain,” Cedroc’s voice came through my radio earpiece.

“I’m at dinner,” I said quickly.

My nightly dinners with Lila weren’t something I liked to have interrupted.

“Commander Strygan wants to speak with you.”

“I can speak to him in the morning.”

“Sir.” Cedroc sounded tired. Just about everyone sounded tired after talking to Strygan.

“All right,” I sighed. “Tell him I’ll reach out to him via holoconference in ten minutes.”

“Thank you, sir.” Cedroc sighed with relief. I didn’t blame him. I’d been on the receiving end of many of Strygan’s disappointed rants.

“Duty calls?” Lila smiled at me from across the table. She didn’t look angry, or even annoyed. Instead, she started gathering our plates. “Go ahead. I’ll start cleaning up.”

“You cooked,” I argued. “I promised I’d clean.”

“You have important captain business to attend to.” She smiled understandingly. “Cook and clean tomorrow.”

“All right,” I agreed reluctantly. Lila must’ve heard the hesitation in my voice, for she set our plates down and moved to my side.

“I’ll be here when you get back,” she chuckled.

“I know.” I smiled and pressed a kiss onto her forehead. “Last time I spoke to Strygan was the day he forced me into this match. I wasn’t happy with him then.”

“And now?”

“I’m happy I have you. I wouldn’t change that for the world,” I assured her. “However, he’s responsible for your abrupt departure from your family. He made sure I was assigned a mate as a reward even though he was about to send me off on a mission. He’s the reason you’ve been put through so much.”

“I wouldn’t change that for the world, either.” She ran her soft hand over my arm. “I could’ve done without getting snatched on the Suhlik hub, but everything else has been just lovely.”

I shook my head and laughed.

“Even the part where I locked you in my quarters?” I joked.

“I’d forgotten about that.” Lila laughed. “It’s funny now, but if you try that again, I’ll do more than hit you with a mop handle.”

“Now I’m tempted to try,” I teased, bending down to kiss her neck.

“I dare you,” she murmured against my ear.

“You’re making it very difficult to leave.”

“That’s part of the fun,” she giggled, and stepped away. “Go talk to your boss.”

“If I didn’t want to before, I really don’t want to now,” I groaned. “I’d rather stay here and make good use of the cleared table.”

“Oh?” Lila arched her brow. “Maybe there’ll be a reward on the table when you get back.”

Just looking at her made my blood grow hot.

“What sort of reward?”

Lila smirked over her shoulder as she collected the rest of our plates.

“I’m not telling. You have to go do your job if you want to find out.”

I couldn’t argue with that.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

She winked. “You better.”

It took all my self-control to walk out of that room.

The circular conference room was behind the cockpit, across from Kyre’s workshop.

Aside from the viewports looking out into the black, the walls were made of monitors. I wouldn’t need to use those monitors today. Instead, I stepped onto a circular platform in the middle of the room. There was a green button at my feet, which I pressed with the toe of my boot. A console rose out of the floor.

The console scanned my body, then prompted me to input Commander Strygan’s information. Across the room, a light dropped from the ceiling and beamed straight down. Commander Strygan’s holographic form appeared in the beam of light.

“Took you long enough,” he grumbled.

“I was in the middle of dinner,” I replied, bowing my head as a show of respect, though I didn’t want to.

“With your mate?” Strygan’s mouth curved into a smile.

“At it happens, yes. The computer mated me to my blood mate.”

“It all worked out for the best, then. I knew I was right to award her to you.”

I gritted my teeth. “What can I do for you, Commander?”

“I want you to explain why the hell you went so far off course,” he demanded. “You should’ve reached Gravum IV days ago.”

“My team and I were needed in assisting a group of civilians targeted by the Suhlik,” I explained.

“I’m the one who decides where you’re needed,” Strygan snapped.

“Will all due respect, sir, are you telling me that I should’ve let the Suhlik kidnap dozens of civilians for their breeding farms?”

I was pressing my luck and I knew it. I couldn’t stop myself. I was annoyed, verging on angry. I thought of Lila in order to stop my tattoos from glowing red.

“I’m telling you that your job is to follow orders,” Strygan growled.

“My orders are to protect innocents from the wrath of the Suhlik. If you’re asking me to apologize for doing that, I won’t.”

Strygan considered my words.

“You’re lucky I like you, Captain. That’s the attitude that allowed you to rise through the ranks as you did. Don’t push your luck.”

“I’m not trying to push anything.”

“Captain!” Strygan snapped.

“Apologies, sir,” I muttered.

“That’s better.”

“Is there something I can do for you, sir?” I asked.

“When do you plan on arriving at Gravum IV?”

“According to my pilot, we should be there tomorrow.”

Strygan nodded. “That’ll have to do.”

“Sir, once again, our mission dossiers are all but empty. I believe I’d be better able to prepare for this mission if I knew more of the details.”

He waved a hand. “It’s a simple retrieval mission.”

“I recall. However, I know nothing about the environment we’re entering.”

“Gravum IV is undeveloped. You shouldn’t have much to worry about.”

I noticed Strygan wasn’t looking into his camera anymore.

“What sort of local life can we expect?”

“There’s no reported life on Gravum IV.”

“None at all?” That struck me as odd. Only a small handful of planets were completely devoid of life. They were about as useful to us as a pile of rocks. If Gravum IV fit that description, I couldn’t think of why this mission would be treated with such a sense of urgency.

“None worth investigating.”

“So, there is life on the planet?” I prodded.

“None that’s been reported.”

“It can’t be both.” I laughed so I wouldn’t yell. My frustration mounted by the second.

“It’s an uninvestigated planet with no obvious signs of life.”

“This planet hasn’t even been investigated?” I exclaimed. “Didn’t you think that was worth mentioning before I volunteered my team for this? Our dossiers are empty because you don’t know what we’re going into.”

“Enough, soldier,” Strygan barked. “This mission is of great importance. I suggest you let those who are qualified worry about the details.”

“What details? How can you have details if the planet hasn’t been investigated yet?”

“You’re dangerously close to losing your team’s furlough,” Strygan warned me. As much as I didn’t want to, I dropped my line of questioning. I got my team into this mess of a mission. The last thing I wanted to do was cost them their furloughs.

“It’s my duty to keep my team safe,” I said. “I can’t do that if necessary information is being withheld from me.”

“You have the necessary information,” Strygan insisted. “Should I start questioning your ability to do your job?”

“When I went after the kidnapped civilians, I was able to kill a wanted Suhlik general. You’ve wanted his head for months. Now you have it, thanks to me. Does that sound like I can’t do my job?”

“Taking down the general was an impressive feat,” Strygan admitted. “I only wish you’d followed protocol for that situation.”

“You mean, taken him hostage? Bring him on the ship filled with the rescued civilians he’d just tried to enslave?”

“Protocols aren’t always pretty, but they’re there for a reason.” Strygan sighed. “We could’ve gotten information from him.”

“He was a direct threat to my life, the life of my team members, and the life of my mate. I don’t regret the course of action I took. I believe it was the only course I could’ve taken.”

“Maybe so,” Strygan grumbled. “I’m still waiting on a full report of the incident.”

“It’ll have to wait until I complete the mission you’ve sent me on.” I knew I was pushing it. I waited for another reprimand from Strygan, but it didn’t come.

“Just get to the damn planet. Once you’re there, we’ll get in contact so I can tell you exactly what you’re looking for.”

Commander Strygan terminated the holoconference.

I slammed the button at my foot and stormed out of the room.

“How did it go?” Kyre asked as I passed him.

“We’re still blind on this mission,” I grumbled without stopping. Kyre knew better than to keep asking questions.

I returned to my room to find Lila sitting on the table in nothing but one of my shirts.

“I didn’t pack any lingerie, so this will have to do,” she giggled. Her smile faded when she saw my face. “What’s the matter?”

“Frustrating call,” I sighed. Before I could stop her, Lila slid off the table and rushed to my side.

“I’m sorry.” She frowned. “Did you learn anything new?”

“No, and I got a tongue lashing for going after the Suhlik victims.”

“You got in trouble for saving innocent lives?” Her brows drew together in anger. “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?”

“Exactly my argument.” I tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “I don’t wish to think about it anymore tonight.”

“I’m sorry, darling.” She wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head on my chest.

“It’s all right.” I hugged her close to me. “Now, be a dear and get back on that table for me.”

“Yes, Captain!” She winked.

LILA

“What’s that over there?” Cedroc’s voice came through the intercom speakers. My stomach clenched.

“Tell me he’s joking?” I glanced up at Rekker from the corner of my eye.

“He is,” Rekker chuckled. “Most likely.”

I gingerly whapped Rekker on the arm.

“Don’t tease,” I chided. “It’s impossible to tell with Cedroc.”

“You’ll get better at discerning when he’s joking,” Rekker assured me. “Granted, it’s much harder to tell over the intercom.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Come on.” He pressed his hand into my lower back. “Let’s watch our arrival.”

I sighed. “I feel like we’ve been waiting for ages to see this planet.”

“My superior is going to get an earful when I finally get ahold of him,” Rekker muttered. “We still don’t know the full parameters of the mission.”

“Do you think we’ll stay a while?” I asked.

“I should think not,” Rekker said. “We won’t know for sure until we get there. Why do you ask?”

“I’ve gotten a taste for exploring new planets.” I grinned. “I want to have as much material as possible for when I write to my sisters. Nora wants every single detail. She’ll send me a telemessage if she thinks I’ve left anything out.”

“You can send them a message at any time,” he reminded me.

“I know.” I leaned closer to him so that my cheek rested on his arm. “Nora will still want letters, though. Jane likes to save things as well. She’ll probably have the letters framed or pressed into one of her scrapbooks.”

“Scrapbooks?”

“It’s exactly what it sounds like,” I laughed. “Humans like to keep photos, leaves, bits of ribbon or string, and keep them in books.”

“Why?”

“We’re a sentimental species. My mother has the ribbon she wore in her hair on her wedding day saved in a book. Nora saves old newspaper clippings of things she thinks are exciting.”

“What do you save?”

“Nothing really.” I shrugged. “Sometimes, when an animal I love passes, I’ll take a clip of their mane or coat to remember them by.”

It’d been some time since I’d thought of my animals. For once, instead of the thought filling my heart with anxiety, I felt calm.

They’d be alright.

They’d all be alright.

And so was I.

“That’s a nice idea,” Rekker said thoughtfully. “Maybe we can take something from this rock so you can carry on the tradition.”

He jerked his head toward the planet looming in the viewport. Now that we’d passed through the atmospheric layer, I could finally get a good look at the place we’d been trying to reach for so long.

“What’s it called, again?”

“Gravum IV.”

I must’ve made a face because Rekker laughed when he looked at me.

“It’s not to your liking?”

“It’s not a very pretty name,” I replied. “Not like Silva.”

“I didn’t realize names had to be pretty,” Rekker chuckled. “This one was named after the research team that found it.”

“Interesting. Even if the name isn’t pretty, the planet sure is.”

From what I discerned, there was at least one big continent on Gravum IV. Trees lined the coastline. As we moved closer to the planet’s surface, I could tell it was a swamp, as opposed to a forest. Light bounced off the water between the canopy.

A mile in or so, the swamp abruptly gave way to a flat stretch of desert.

“Brace for landing,” Cedroc said through the intercom.

“Cedroc,” Rekker said into his radio. “You’re getting a raise.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Kyre, who was on the opposite end of the room hunched over another one of his projects, didn’t bother to hide his laughter.

Rekker smirked. “Too bad it’s not in my power to give him one.”

Cedroc brought the Calliope down gently on the flattest stretch of desert.

“So, he can land without knocking me off my feet,” I chuckled. “I knew he did that on purpose.”

The hum of the Calliope lowered to a dull rumble as the ship powered down.

“I recommend we leave our food processors running,” Kyre said. “We don’t know what kind of resources will be available to us here.”

“Hopefully, we won’t be here long enough to need them,” Rekker said.

“Shall I signal Command?”

Rekker nodded. “Establish a secure connection to the Command base. I’ll return shortly when I’m ready to discuss the parameters of the mission.”

“Return?” I looked at him with a curious expression.

“Yes.” He smiled down at me. “We’re going exploring.”

A broad grin stretched across my face.

“Are you sure?” I asked. “Don’t you want to check in with your boss?”

“If he knew what we’ve gone through, I think he’d grant me an hour or two to enjoy myself.”

“What if it’s dangerous?”

“Are you doubting my ability to protect you, or do you just want an excuse to use the trident?”

“A little bit of both,” I laughed. “Mostly the latter.”

“Good. I’d hate to think my mate doubted me.” Rekker pressed a kiss into the top of my head. “And, no, you can’t use the trident.”

“Damn it,” I muttered.

“Cedroc,” Rekker called through the radio.

“Yeah?” Cedroc’s voice came from behind us. I whirled around, clutching at my chest as my heart sped up.

“How long have you been standing here?” I gasped.

“Long enough to know never to let you have the trident,” he smirked.

“What’s the local time?” Rekker asked, obviously used to Cedroc appearing and disappearing at will.

Cedroc pulled a small metal stick from his pocket. When he touched it, a holographic screen flickered to life.

“Night will fall in an hour or so,” Cedroc said, “but I’m reading no signs of sentient life, just smaller animals.” He closed his map with a snap. “More importantly, we’re having trouble with the comms. There’s something in the atmosphere that’s interfering with the signal.”

“Ah.” Rekker frowned. “Looks like we’ll be here overnight.”

“Can we sleep outside?” I asked.

Kyre, Cedroc, and Rekker gave me strange looks.

“You want to sleep outside?”

“Why not?” I shrugged. “My sisters and I used to camp in the back fields all the time.”

“Did you not always have shelter?” Kyre asked.

I laughed. “We had shelter. We did it for fun!”

“I don’t understand humans.” Cedroc shook his head and walked away.

“Kyre.” Rekker turned to his engineer.

“Sir?”

“Get the others and start setting up a camp,” he ordered. “Secure a perimeter, just in case.”

Kyre grinned. “Yes, sir. It might be nice to be off the ship for a while, have a little more space.”

“It’s going to be fun, I promise!” I insisted.

“We’ve camped many times,” I mused. “However, it was always for survival or necessity, when we needed to station a base in a location the Calliope couldn’t reach. I’m curious to see how much fun it is without the threat of death.”

“Much more fun,” I laughed.

“Good. Are you ready to explore? We only have an hour.”

“Yes!” I bounced excitedly on the tips of my toes. “Did you see the swamps as we landed?”

“I did.” Rekker and I walked through the ship to the main entryway, which Kyre had already opened for us. Warm desert air swept through the ship. Unable to help myself, I ran forward down the ramp.

Fresh air kissed my skin. I turned my face upward to soak up the natural light. Being stuck on a ship for hours, even days, on end, made me realize how much I needed fresh air and sunshine. I felt like a wilting flower.

“Enjoying yourself?” Rekker called as he sauntered up to where I stood.

“I’m not meant to be kept indoors,” I replied. “From the time I could walk, I spent every day of my life outside from sunup until sundown.”

“I’ve spent so much of my life on ships in transit, I sometimes forget the way sunlight feels on my skin,” Rekker said thoughtfully.

“Soak it up,” I urged him. “We won’t be here long.”

“When we go to visit your family, will you show me how to work on the farm?”

His question was both touching and endearing.

I grinned. “I’d love to.”

I pivoted to take in the rest of the view, gasping when I saw the blue and purple peaks of the most glorious mountain range I’d ever seen.

“Look at that!” I cried. “They’re incredible!”

“You like mountains?”

“Farmland tends to be pretty flat.”

“Come on.” Rekker extended a hand to me, which I took. Together, we walked toward the mountains. There was no way we’d come close to the foothills within the hour we had at our disposal, but with every step, the mountains looked more and more awe-inspiring.

There weren’t any man- or alien-made structures on this planet, from what I could tell. I hadn’t spied any from the sky and I didn’t see any now. It was desolate, but that was part of what made it beautiful. The landscape was allowed to be what it was meant to be without interference.

“It’s good to see you like this,” Rekker murmured.

“What do you mean?” The desert wind caught my hair and blew it around my face. Rekker reached out and tucked it behind my ears. He cupped my cheek with one hand.

“You look happy,” he said. “I love seeing you happy.”

I stood on my tiptoes so I could wrap my arms around his neck.

“You make me happy, Rekker.”

“You make me happy as well, Lila. I thought I knew joy from a successful mission, from achieving our goals. But I was wrong. I didn’t learn what it truly was until I met you.”

His sweet words stole my voice. Unable to fully communicate just how full he made my heart feel, I pressed my lips to his and told him through a kiss.

His hand cupped the back of my neck, holding me to him. Our bodies pressed together as I lost myself in his kiss. At some point, we lowered ourselves onto the sun-warmed sand. I lay on his chest, smiling down at him while he stroked my hair.

“Are you sure we have to be back in an hour?” I grinned.

“We can stay here as long as you want.”

“Good. I want you all to myself for a long, long time.”

He brought me in for another kiss just as the first stars began to glimmer in the evening sky.

My mate. My love.

Our future.

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KYRE: SNEAK PEEK

Ferne

“LEAN BACK and spread yourself out against the rockface,” I called down the line. Everyone was pouring sweat, but each face beamed with elated, nearly maniacal smiles. The ledge was so narrow, some of the men couldn’t point their feet directly out in front of them, but had to keep them turned out to the sides.

Just past the lip of the footing, the deep scoop of the ravine banked off to a range of tree freckled mountains on the other side of the valley. We were closer to the clouds than we were to the bottom of the drop. A host of birds whirled and swooped in the haze before us. All that pristine beauty tickled with the frenetic vibrancy of danger.

No guard rails, nothing to hold onto but the odd bit of scrub. Nothing dividing us from oblivion but will and scrappy determination. I’d never wanted to live any other way.

I didn’t honestly think I could.

At an elevation of seven thousand feet, pitted against nothing but self, was the most alive a person could feel. That’s why I led these expeditions. The five people who trailed me were perhaps the most experienced hikers I’d ever brought out. Most groups wouldn’t get to come on a stretch like this.

These folks were big spenders and only came to this region for the climbing. Not that there was much else to entice people to this area. To call Postpike a town would have been paying it a compliment. It wasn’t much of a spot on the map. Only about four hundred full time residents held down the fort for the tourist trade that picked up during the warm seasons.

Most of the trade came from families looking to get in on the mineral springs tucked away in the cracks of the stony landscape. They were nice, but not much to look at when push came to shove, so a couple of eateries and bars did their best to suck up the overflow. The more adventurous families might book me to take them on a hike up into the moderately exciting passes.

Cash from that sort of thing was good enough to keep me going, but what actually kept me going were groups that really wanted to test what our little corner of the world had to offer. There were some incredible, difficult climbs, and I was the only guide taking folks out. That meant I could pretty much name my price and most high-risk climbers were ready to pay it.

While I would never point it out, I could see my own cabin from where we were standing. It was about a quarter of the way up a ridge from the center of Postpike and gave me as much seclusion as a person could want.

And I wanted plenty of it.

I liked being alone. Depending on nobody but myself.

Because when it came down to it, that was all you had.

In truth, I’d rather be making this climb by myself, even if it was for the thousandth time—but the cash was necessary.

The best thing that could be said about Postpike was that it let me fly well under the radar. It seemed like most people who settled there were looking to escape from something back in civilization, and I was no exception. Most of them were bail jumpers or petty thieves, but I was something tantamount to a state criminal.

And what was it that kept me lying so low?

Not wanting to get married off to a stranger. My birthday had been called for the Friday lottery. I had two choices. Get processed or get out.

There was no doubt which one I’d chosen.

My parents had been keeping some identity documents tucked away for me since I started stomping my feet about this unjust system when I was twelve.

They’d split up when I was a kid, but on this issue, they’d stayed united.

When the day came, those papers got shoved in my pocket with enough money for me to hop a couple of ground transport units and get the hell out of there.

Did I miss my parents? Yes. Every day.

Did I miss the constant threat of getting ‘matched’ with some stranger alien and married off as recompense for defense?

Not so much.

I knew my chance of being a genetic match was low, but it was the principle of the system I stood against.

“Ferne,” came a voice from the back of the group and snapped me out of my meditation. Julie was the shakiest of the bunch, yet still a far cry ahead of the majority of climbers that came to Postpike. The edge to her voice told me I needed to get a set of eyes on her.

Bracing my backside on the rock face, I craned my shoulders out and looked hard to my left. The exhilarated smiles had dimmed into something slightly more troubled, and cautious eyes darted back and forth between me and the woman at the back of the line. As I leaned to look, that tingly pit set to work in the base of my stomach—the best feeling in the world. Maybe only bettered when coupled with that cold, jelly feeling that tucks in the back of your knees.

Yeah, Julie was on the edge. She hadn’t yet tipped over into full panic, but it was coming. Much though I hated to admit it, moments like this one were always my favorite part of the job. Not for the poor wreck going through the ordeal, but because these situations always called for me to push my own limits.

“Hang on, girl. I’ll be right there.” Now that I had said it, I had to make good on the promise and actually get past four other people on this tiny ledge and get to her. To my right, the outcropping we were passing actually widened out to just over a foot. That ought to be enough.

“Alright. Harry, Yazmin, Tate, Viv—you guys follow me. Julia, you stay put. This will only take a second.”

It was a big promise considering I wasn’t entirely sure how this whole thing was going to work, or what I was going to do when I reached her. Still, there’s nothing like having a task to stir up the blood. The four others fired up with a wicked gleam of determination, and started shuffling after me.

When I hit the widest margin of our footing, I inverted my feet and did a quick spin, slamming my stomach flat to the rock face and pressing hard so that the momentum didn’t carry me over into a freefall.

“Holy fucking shit!” Harry’s eyes were wide and I could see fresh sweat beading upon his face.

“Don’t even think about it. You are nowhere near ready for that kind of thing.” I inched further down the path and coaxed Harry to the place where I had just been standing. “Come on.” He crept into place, watching me for instruction.

“Alright, flatten as hard as you can.”

He did and I slid back over to him, placing my right hand on the far side of his chest, and my foot on the gap between his. I began to inch past him.

“Put your hands on my waist and lean back into the rock as hard as you can.”

He obeyed, and I pressed my body against his and snugged across him. As I did, I could feel his hard piece digging up against me. Turning my face to his, we were nearly nose to nose as I stared into his eyes with my best no-nonsense glare.

“Really?”

“Couldn’t help it.”

Couldn’t argue with that. These situations gave rise to all kinds of reactions. Landing on the other side of him, I looked at Yazmin.

“You got the idea?”

She nodded, and we repeated the process until there was nothing between me and Julie but about fifty feet of narrow rock. After all the wriggling I had just done, this ought to be a piece of cake.

“Julie, can you hear me?” She nodded but didn’t turn to look my way. She was in full lockdown mode, and it was apparent the fringes of panic eating at her earlier had blossomed into the full thing. This might be trickier than I thought. Harder even than whatever Henry had been packing when I slithered over his body.

“Listen. I’m going to come over to you and take your hand, okay?” Julie nodded again. “Good. Now, I know you don’t want to look but just focus on the sounds of my feet on the ledge. See if you can hear how much room I’ve got over here.” I made sure to shuffle more than usual, moving quickly to demonstrate the ease of it.

Within seconds, my fingers laced with hers, prying her hand away from the rock. She gripped so hard, I could feel the bones in my hand buckle.

“I don’t get what the big deal is. You’ve already passed the narrowest part of the pass,” I lied. “Everything ahead of you is wide open compared to what you just went past.”

“Really?” The tension in her neck broke just enough for her to turn her head to look at me.

“Are you kidding? I do this pass in my sleep. I mean, look out at that view. It’s what you came up here for.” It was a risky move on my part, getting her to look out, but it paid off immediately. Her breath settled deeper and her shoulders dropped.

“Not bad, huh? Just keep your eyes on the horizon and follow me.”

We crept along, every foot gained a major victory for the group. Just as we were about to reach the other four, my foot lost purchase. It was my own fault for keeping my focus so intently on Julie. But when that telltale scrape skittered up under my foot, I couldn’t do anything but look at Julie.

“Let go of my hand.”

“What?”

Even if she didn’t seem to understand, her body heard me and she turned loose her grip as I rocked backward off the ledge and out into the open air. My body went cold, and somebody turned out the lights.

Kyre

THREE DAYS AGO, we’d arrived on Gravum IV and had been stuck there ever since. The original plan was only to touch down for a night, enough to get our bearings and recoup from the journey, but the comms systems went down as soon as we’d landed.

Something in the atmosphere was causing interference, and no matter what tests I ran, everything came back inconclusive.

With no way to get in touch with command and no details provided about the mission upfront, we were essentially stranded. There was nothing for us to do but wait.

The first night, at Lila’s insistence, we’d set up camp outside under the stars. She’d told us about how she and her sisters sometimes used to sleep outside for fun and had made it seem like an adventure, far from what the team was used to when we’d be forced to camp on other missions. She was right—when you weren’t worrying about being killed by enemies or consumed by the native fauna, sleeping outside was enjoyable.

By the second day of our grounding, my teammates, Captain Rekker, Lila, and I had become understandably restless. To keep ourselves both sane and busy, we’d focused on various tasks around our stations. Derrix went to work disassembling and reassembling weapon after weapon, cleaning and polishing them until they shined. Cedroc checked and rechecked all flight systems. Javik, with the help of Lila, set about tidying up and reorganizing the infirmary. By the end of the day, nearly everything was back to working order.

Except for the comms. I’d done everything I could, all day, to figure out why nothing worked. I’d rewritten codes, fiddled with wires, rerouted through satellites and nothing. For some stupid reason I couldn’t figure out, The Calliope was floundering in the dark.

The thought of being isolated on an unknown world without comms abilities didn’t sit well with me. In fact, it downright freaked me out and I threw myself into finding a solution.

Since I’d tried everything, the only thing left to do was work on extending our wave range. Gravum IV was far out in an uncharted system, so we were likely inaccessible to satellites, preventing us from receiving transmissions properly. If I could figure out a way to rig something up to our main transmitter, I might be able to extend our signal just far enough to hit a satellite closer to the High Command base.

If that idea didn’t work, then I guess we’d be on our way back to base sooner than we thought. Rekker was good at following orders, but he wouldn’t just leave us out here. Not when he was already pissed that he’d been given next to no information about this place. If I couldn’t fix this mess, at least my inability to do so would get us out of here.

I spent the third day exploring the ship, visiting various stations to inspect and collect anything that might remotely work to extend our range. Anything made of metal was fair game, regardless of its size or its previously intended use. I took old weapons parts from Derrix, used scalpels and needles from Javik. Even Cedroc had a steering mechanism he wasn’t using anymore that he let me add to my growing menagerie of junk.

By the time I returned to my workshop, I’d assembled quite the trove. I laid them all out, examining each item individually, and cataloged them as best I could according to what I thought would actually work. Once everything was assembled in front of me, I saw that my options were grim indeed.

I wasn’t an idiot, by any means, but the items I’d collected were basically garbage. I wracked my brain thinking of any and all possibilities for a device I could create to hook up to Calliope, but no ideas presented themselves. For the first time in recent memory, I was truly at a loss.

Around midday, I decided to take a break. I needed to pull back, clear my mind, and do something else to focus my thoughts. Whenever I’d been faced with a tough puzzle in the past, I’d often found that distracting myself with another task helped me see the forest instead of the trees. I felt mired deep in the weeds and desperately needed something to pull me out of it. I wasn’t getting anywhere just staring at glorified trash.

My rumbling stomach determined where to best occupy myself, so I wandered to Calliope’s mess, intent on rustling up something to eat. To my surprise, I found Rekker seated at one of the long tables, stabbing angrily at a meal of his own. His eyes lit up a little upon noticing my arrival.

“Come sit with me, Kyre—I need an update,” he said, pulling a chair out for me.

“Permission to grab something to eat first, Captain?” I asked, half-jokingly.

Up until that point, I didn’t think I’d seen him smile at another crew member since we’d touched down on Gravum IV. I’m sure he’d smiled at Lila, but none of us Vaznik warriors were as pretty as his human mate.

“Of course,” he said, gesturing to the long table near the front of the room that had already been laid out with food from the replicator.

I quickly made my way over and piled a plate high with various items, unable to avoid thinking of how quickly we’d run out of rations if I didn’t get comms back up and running to get the transporter up. Without the comms working, the signal to other transport pads wouldn’t connect. Once the plate was filled, I returned to join Rekker at his table.

“Where’s Lila?” I asked.

It couldn’t hurt to disarm him with a little mindless chatter before telling him I’d not made any progress. He was already irritated enough that Strygan had refused to tell him anything about the mission. Leading with my ineptitude would only make his mood worse.

“She’s down in the infirmary with Javik. They organized the place yesterday, but she has an idea in her head on how they could make the space more efficient during emergencies. I’ve never seen Javik willingly listen to anyone else or take suggestions on how to run the infirmary before, so I’m letting her take point on it,” he said with a laugh.

“She’s a great addition to the crew, Captain. Saying I’m surprised is not technically the right way to phrase it, but I’m impressed with how well she’s amalgamated to us. I never would have thought a human woman would be an asset to our team.”

Rightfully so. The Vaznik Warriors preferred to operate as a cohesive unit, without outside influence or additions. We worked and lived together and were more like family than colleagues. I’d never imagined a human female would integrate into our ranks nearly effortlessly.

Maybe it had something to do with her mate being one of us, but we’d need further evidence to confirm that. I couldn’t see us getting another human-Vaznik mated pair onboard anytime soon.

“Thank you for saying that, Kyre. I admit that I was troubled over how all of you would feel about Lila’s presence here,” he said.

“It was touch and go at first, but she’s part of us now. I think I can speak for us all when I say we’d protect her with our life, as we would any other,” I said.

He cleared his throat before speaking again, as if some kind of emotion had gotten trapped there.

“How’re things with comms? I saw you running around the ship this morning collecting various items—have any of them proved satisfactory? Will we be back in business by the end of today?” he asked.

“I can’t say for sure, Captain. At this point, I’ve tried everything I can possibly think of to get us up and running and nothing has worked. I think we’re just too far out of range. I’m trying to reason out a way to extend what we currently have but … so far it’s not looking good,” I said.

Rekker sighed long and deep, leaning back in his chair. “I’ll have to talk to the rest of the team, but if we can’t find a way to contact base we won’t be staying here much longer. Maybe we should try to ascend through the atmosphere just a little to see if that brings us back up?”

“Let’s make that a last resort. I’m sure there’s a way to make this work, I just have to … .” my voice trailed off as my mind wandered back to the puzzle.

“Is there anything I can do for you? You didn’t raid my personal stores,” Rekker said with a laugh.

“And I wouldn’t, Captain, not without your permission. I often find that focusing on something other than the task at hand helps me come up with ideas. If you’re willing, maybe you could tell me more about Lila? Are you happy with your arrangement now? I know it wasn’t so when she’d first arrived.”

Thankfully, he obliged me.

“We’re very happy, Kyre. The relationship was not expected, but I’m glad for it now. Part of why I want to get this mission over with so quickly is so I can return to the outpost and find her a ring—it’s a human custom to give one to the woman you wish to marry. A diamond, apparently, which will likely be hard to find out here but I’ll try nonetheless.”

“A diamond,” I said, the word taking root in my mind.

“Yes, a clear, white stone. They’re rare on Earth and highly coveted by human females. My research tells me they can fetch quite the price. Even small ones are worth thousands of Earth dollars.”

“A diamond,” I repeated, barely hearing Rekker’s explanation. “That’s it! If I attached some sort of gem—or—crystal to a metal arm on top of our satellite, I’m sure it would extend the range!”

“But where are you going to find something like that all the way out here on Gravum IV?” Rekker asked.

“Permission to explore the surrounding territory, Captain?” I asked, unable to keep the hope from my voice.

“Permission granted, Kyre. Let’s get this mission done and get the hell off this rock.”

Ferne

THE NEXT TIME I opened my eyes I discovered—bewilderingly—that I was in the process of being airlifted from the side of the mountain pass. My body was wrapped tight and secured onto a long stretcher, the hard planes of it pressing roughly into my aching back. Not only was I bandaged from head to toe, but I was also quite obviously strapped down to keep my body still, but the cords felt too tight across my chest and made it difficult to breathe.

I couldn’t move, but as I returned to consciousness, I recalled what happened. I’d gone back down the ledge to help Julie through a particularly difficult section of the climb and slipped. Knowing I’d take her down with me I’d ordered her to let me fall and she had. I held no ill will towards her for doing as I’d instructed and I hoped I was the only one who’d suffered this fate.

I couldn’t help but wonder exactly how far I’d fallen. A sick part of me thrilled to discover the distance. Once a daredevil, always a daredevil.

As my mind woke and started processing what had happened, the pain came flooding in alongside the memories. My arm throbbed so excruciatingly it had to be broken, at least in multiple places. Fleetingly, I’d hoped it would be able to be repaired and wasn’t so badly mangled that it would have to be amputated. I’d be determined and stupid enough to learn how to climb with only one arm, but I’d really prefer not to.

I could only move my head a fraction of an inch, but it was enough to see that my hands had been left exposed and were covered in scratches and bruises. I knew some of them were old wounds, but there was fresh blood where some of my nails had been torn off. I’d likely scrabbled for purchase along the cliff face as I’d fallen, ripping them off on the stone as I’d tried to save myself.

At least I’d have a good story if I made it out of this alive.

When the stretcher finally reached its destination inside the medivac chopper, I was greeted by two flight nurses. They already knew my name and provided theirs, but my head was so sore I couldn’t remember them. When I saw their faces, I realized they meant to take me to a hospital, which was the last thing I wanted.

Even though my head was pounding and my mouth felt like it had been stuffed with cotton, I begged them to reroute to a remote cabin close by where a friend of mine could patch me up. She lived alone near the base camp of another peak and had treated many of the various injuries I’d received over the years. She’d have no problem doing it again.

I couldn’t go to a government-run hospital. Better I’d died falling down that mountain than end up in the hands of the feds.

The nurses would have none of it.

“Don’t be silly, dear,” the head nurse, an older woman with a no-nonsense attitude clucked. “you’re lucky you’re not dead, or significantly brain damaged.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Although if you keep insisting on unreasonable things, I’ll have to rerun that scan.”

“Really, I’m fine,” I ground out.

“Really, the hospital is the best place for you,” she snapped. “You’ll be safe there.”

If only they knew.

I watched helplessly as they started their assessment of my injuries.

“Right arm is definitely broken, possibly in three places. Head trauma is likely, as evidenced by the patient’s slurred speech and nonsensical requests. We can’t yet rule out internal injuries—she’ll need a full-body scan to assess that,” one of them said.

The other nurse was typing all of this up onto a portable tablet, but her brow was furrowed. I didn’t think my heart could sink any further, but I was quickly proven wrong.

“I’m trying to add your notes to the system so the hospital can access them prior to our arrival, but I can’t find her. You sure her name is Ferne Whittaker? With or without the ‘e’ at the end?” she asked.

“With. Try it without?” the other nurse suggested.

It didn’t matter, they could spell it however they wanted; they wouldn’t find me in any of their tracking systems. I was a ghost.

“That’s odd,” I laughed, but even to my ears it sounded weak. “Maybe it’ll be easier for everyone if you just take me to my friend. She’s pretty close, right?”

She just ignored me, typing away, searching for information.

I tried to knock the tablet out of the nurse’s hands, but I was so weak I could barely think straight, much less physically assault an unrestrained nurse in perfect health.

My head was so sore it felt like it was about to split. I couldn’t keep my eyes open and it was evident that the nurses had given me some sort of sedative, but whether it was before or after I’d tried to fight them I wasn’t sure.

Before I knew it or could say another word, I’d passed out again.

I opened my eyes again once we’d landed, the jolt of the chopper hitting the concrete shaking me back to reality.

My mind could focus on nothing but the fact I was being wheeled into a hospital. It was pristinely white, even on the outside, clinical and foreboding.

Once inside, they brought me straight to surgery. There was no time to form words before they hooked me up to even more machines and pumped me full of anesthetic, dragging me under again to where everything was black and painless.

When I woke for the third time, I was lying in a basic, yet comfortable hospital bed. Someone had taken great care in treating me, tucking the sheets around my aching body and dimming the lights so as not to hurt my sensitive eyes once I woke. I felt a sharp surge of gratitude for whoever had done so.

But my contentment was short-lived as the memories of the chopper flight flooded back. My guts roiled as I recalled the nurses’ conversation about how they couldn’t find my name in their system and how I’d tried—and failed—to discourage them from bringing me here. I knew it was only a matter of time before I’d have a government officer on my trail.

I calmed my rapid breathing as my eyes attempted to focus. My right arm was splinted and the cuts and bruises on my body were treated. Thick white gauze had been taped down all over my skin. I tried to pull myself up into a sitting position, hoping I could see out of the window in front of me and signal a doctor over, but I could barely move without my entire body barking in pain.

“It’s probably not a good idea for you to be moving so much,” a voice I didn’t recognize said from near the foot of the bed.

I shot straight up despite the pain, locating what could only be a government operative sitting in a hard, plastic chair, eyes trained on me and holding.

“Who the hell are you?” I asked, my voice croaking out of me.

“You must know that evading registration is a criminal offense. Otherwise, why would you have told the nurses not to bring you to the hospital? You would have died,” the operative said, a cunning smile playing on his lips.

“A friend of mine who’s a healer lived closer to the site of my accident than this hospital—I figured she could help me faster,” I lied.

The operative only stared at me, his face a blank mask.

“Besides, forcing anyone to enter into a database for the sole purpose of putting them into a breeding program against their will is disgusting. I reserve the right to have no part in it,” I said before I could stop myself.

The operative’s face remained completely emotionless. He was silent for a long moment before he spoke again.

“You have two options, Ferne Whittaker. You can go to jail for upwards of twenty years for failing to register, or you can be tested right here, today, for your mate. Choose.”

“No,” I refused.

It was a risky game to play.

“Choose now. You don’t want me choosing for you—I have no pity for criminals of any sort.”

“It’s not a crime to demand sovereignty over my body,” I snapped.

“It is when it violates a peace treaty that’s kept hostile aliens from invading our planet again,” he retorted. “Make your choice.”

Fuck that stupid treaty.

“I’ve just come out of surgery. I want more time to think about this—I need more time to think about this.”

“You’ve had more than enough time to think about this while you were out here pretending to be something you’re not. Choose.” His expression remained implacable, but subtle malice glinted in his eyes.

My thoughts were racing a mile a minute. If I went to jail I’d be utterly and completely trapped, no chance of getting out for years to come. If I chose to get tested, maybe I could eventually escape to another planet. I was nothing if not resourceful—at least I’d have options if I went the testing route.

And what were the odds I’d even get matched anyway? Slim to none? I’d probably be fine and then this doofus would be forced to leave me alone.

I hoped I wouldn’t live to regret my decision.

“Fine. I’ll get tested, but please, let me get some rest first?” I asked.

A rictus grin took up residence on his previously bland face, striking fear into the very marrow of my bones.

“Nope,” was all he said, lips popping on the ‘p.’

Before I could utter a word of protest, someone—a nurse, I assumed—entered the room and began fiddling with my bed. She was quick and efficient and whisked me, bed and all, out of the room and down several long, winding corridors. By the time we stopped, it was clear I was deep within the hospital.

The room she brought me to was small and windowless, filled with many machines and devices I’d never seen before, clearly alien tech. She remained silent as she worked, moving me this way and that, using so many machines on me I lost count.

By the time she was finished, my body was completely healed, including my mangled arm. She’d scrubbed and groomed me, and I couldn’t recall the last time I’d ever felt so clean.

Lastly, she took a blood sample from one of my fingertips and loaded it into a computer. The test took no time at all to run, emitting a cheerful chime within a minute or so.

“That’s a match,” she said, smiling as she turned to look at me. “We’re implanting you with a translator.”

I’d been healed so I could have fought her, but my brain was far too addled to process what had happened.

That moment’s hesitation was all she needed to paralyze me momentarily so that they could load me into the teleportation room.

CLICK TO GET KYRE NOW!

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!

Copyright © 2019 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.