Her Alien Mates (The Drift: Haven Colony Book 1)

by Susan Hayes

  “Pattern recognition. You only ask for a full cleaning of your quarters when you are expecting company. That order is usually accompanied by one regarding the cleanliness of the rest of the ship. Given that you are experiencing the sharhal, I determined it likely you intended to bring your mahaya here tonight.”

  “You know I don’t like it when you think for yourself.”

  “I am aware of that. However, in this case, I thought you might make an exception, as you have already expressed frustration with your inability to think clearly.”

  “Thank you. But don’t make a habit of it or I’ll have you reprogrammed.”

  “Noted. Also, you have a training session scheduled at your preferred training center. Time and location noted as requested.”

  He changed quickly, but by the time he was done several servo-droids clustered around his door, waiting to tackle the mess. “Good luck in there,” he said as he stepped over them. He made a quick stop to grab his gear and headed out. He hadn’t picked up a kes’tarv since his last visit. It would be good to get some practice in.

  Walking into the practice center was like being transported home. Everything felt familiar—from the shouts and clang of weapons in the main hall to the scents of sweat, sand, and steel that filled the air. He placed his hand on a scanner, letting it log him in, tag his profile as active, and look for a sparring partner. He indicated his weapon choice and skill level and then left it to work through the current roster, scanning for a match while he found an open locker and put his things inside.

  He almost closed the door but then pulled his hand terminal out, looked up Denz’s contact information from the local directory, and sent the male a brief message asking if he had time to meet up sometime today. He let him know he’d be at the training center for the next bit. If things didn’t go well with Nesht, it might be a few days before he could make it back to the colony. Or longer, a voice inside his head whispered. He ignored it. He couldn’t think like that. All he was doing was making sure someone watched out for Shadow while he was gone. However long that might be.

  Maybe you’re not coming back this time, the voice whispered again.

  “I’m coming back,” he said, like speaking the words aloud would make them more likely to be true. He couldn’t start thinking that way. Doubt would only push him closer to the limit of his control. If he got any angrier, he’d be unsafe to spar with, and he needed to take the edge off before he saw Shadow again. He closed the locker, sealed it with a palm scan, and set out for the main floor of the arena. All he carried with him was his practice kes’tarv. When it was extended, the shaft of metal was almost as tall as he was. Contracted, it was only a little longer than his hand. Blades and blasters had their place, but he’d trained with a kes’tarv most of his life. Wielding one was as familiar and comforting as a hot bath on a cold night, and in his current state, he could use all the comfort he could find.

  Denz was reviewing the latest reports on the colony’s new predator problem when his hand terminal chirped for what felt like the hundredth time, announcing he had yet another message to read. He ignored it until he finished reading. At the end of the brief were several images of the creature. It was a massive animal more than a meter tall with an odd, bunched gait and brownish-gray coloring. Apparently, this one had dug under the fence, killed a large noat, and vanished again in a matter of minutes, taking the dead herbivore with it.

  The unnamed creatures hadn’t attacked any of the bigger livestock yet, but sightings were becoming more common. They would have to find a way to protect the colony and the animals they relied on for food from this new threat. He grunted and pinched the bridge of his nose. New problems meant more meetings. Joy.

  He touched the screen again and called up his messages. He had long since traded in his human-style comm unit for a hand terminal. The Vardarian technology had several advantages, including holographic communications and the fact it was flexible enough to fold up and slip into a pocket.

  A great many messages waited to be read, but the only one that interested him was from Kade. It was annoyingly brief, with no mention of what he wanted to discuss. It just told him where he’d be for the next while and asked to meet up when Denz had time.

  “Tab, what’s on my schedule this afternoon?”

  “You have no appointments. Do you wish to add one?” the AI replied.

  It was a ten-minute walk from his office to the training center Kade was using. “Not an appointment. Just mark me as unavailable for the next hour or so. I’m going for a walk.”

  “I have done so. Enjoy your exercise.”

  Denz wasn’t sure how enjoyable it would be, but he needed to get out of the office and stretch his legs. He could find out what Kade wanted to talk about at the same time. It might be nothing, but there was the possibility that Kade had changed his mind about sharing Shadow. If that was the case, the Vardarian was going to be disappointed in Denz’s reaction.

  The training centers were unlike any other building he’d seen before. They were huge, circular buildings that took up nearly a block of space and rose high into the air. The walls were solid at the bottom, but the upper levels had large openings and archways that combatants could fly through as they sparred. He hadn’t seen it yet, but he’d been told that when the weather worsened, the entire structure would be protected by energy fields, allowing training to continue year-round.

  Even two blocks away he could see flashes of sunlight on silver and gold scales, and occasionally one of the combatants would soar above the walls before diving out of sight again.

  Once he was inside, he took the stairs to one of the viewing areas and tried to spot Kade. It didn’t take long. He was engaged in a running battle with two others, all three of them armed with long, metal staves that hummed as they cut through the air and rang out with every contact. After a few minutes, it was clear that Kade was in a class of his own. The other two were working together to try and take him down, and he was leading them on a merry chase as they shouted and whirled in a hypnotic and violent aerial dance.

  Eventually Kade ended the bout by deftly disarming both of his opponents, who both had to shout out a warning to those below as they dove after their falling weapons. As Kade flew past, Denz called out to him, and a few seconds later Kade circled around and landed on the platform beside him.

  Denz grabbed a towel from a folded stack and tossed it to Kade, who caught it and started mopping the sweat from his face. “Thanks,” Kade said in Galactic Standard.

  Denz appreciated the gesture. He had a translator implanted, but the tech hadn’t been perfected yet. It was still easier for him to speak in a language he was already familiar with. “Interesting weapon. I haven’t seen one up close before.” Denz pointed to the metal stave in Kade’s hand.

  The other male handed it to him. “You probably have but didn’t know what you were looking at.” He gestured to the hand grip in the center of the shaft. “Twist the two halves in opposite directions.”

  He did, and the whole thing contracted until only the handle remained, small enough to fit onto a belt or into an inner pocket of a cloak. He had seen them before, but he hadn’t realized it was a weapon. “Interesting design. Can’t be fun if you take a strike to your fingers, though.”

  “That is an unpleasant experience. I spent a lot of nights icing my hands while I was learning how to use one.”

  “I’ll stick with a blaster, thank you.” He handed it back to Kade.

  Kade grinned ruefully. “I didn’t get that option. The joys of living in a martial society. It is the duty of all who can fight to do so to protect those who cannot.”

  “An honorable sentiment.”

  “Sometimes.” Kade leaned back against the railing, his wings still unfurled behind him. “Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  Denz tensed. Was the Vardarian going to call him out? Claim he wasn’t good enough for Shadow because he was not a warrior?

  Kade must have read
something in his body language or expression because he raised his hands in a calming gesture. “I just want to know how your date with Shadow went.”

  “Well. In fact, we’re going to continue seeing each other.” His words came out with an edge of defiance, like he was daring the other male to protest. It wasn’t intentional, but he didn’t back down either.

  Kade surprised him by smiling. “Good.”

  “I’m clearly missing something here. I didn’t think you’d be happy to get confirmation your mahaya is romantically involved with another male.”

  “Happy might be too strong a word, but I’m dealing with it, same as you. What matters is that Shadow is happy. I mean, if the timing had been different, you and she could have been in a committed relationship before I came along. So…” he shrugged, the motion mirrored by his wings.

  “So, we’re all trying to deal with it.” Denz rolled his shoulders, trying to ease the tension held there. “Is that all you wanted to know? I thought you’d have heard about this from Shadow.”

  “Shadow’s exploring the colony this afternoon. She needed a little time, and I’m trying to give it to her.” Kade glanced back at the arena. “So I came here to try and take the edge off.”

  “Did it work?”

  Kade’s lips twisted into a wry grin. “Some. Though I might owe a few of my sparring partners an apology for all the bruises.”

  “They’ll heal in a few hours. The joys of nanotech. Their egos might take a little longer to recover, but by the time you’re back, they’ll be over it.”

  The grin vanished. “Shadow told you I had to head to the orbital platform for a meeting?”

  “She mentioned it. Said you wouldn’t be gone long. I’m surprised you’re leaving considering everything going on.”

  Kade’s wings twitched. “If I had a choice, I wouldn’t be going, but the client is insistent. I heard from him again recently, and it might take longer than I thought to get things sorted. I wanted to ask if you’d take care of her while I’m gone.”

  That made Denz laugh a little as he recalled the way she’d moved to protect him from a perceived threat earlier today. “Shadow can take care of herself.”

  “I know.” Kade pushed his hair back from his face. “But just because she can doesn’t mean she should have to. She’s special.”

  “Yes, she is. I’ll take care of her. Now, and any time you need to be away.”

  “Thank you.”

  Denz wasn’t sure what was going on, but he got the sense there was more to Kade’s request. What wasn’t the other male saying? They weren’t exactly friends, but Kade mattered to Shadow, which meant he mattered to Denz, too. “This meeting you need to get to, is there anything I can do to help out?”

  Kade’s eyes widened a little. He was still for a moment but then shook his head. “Thanks for offering, but I have to deal with this on my own.”

  “If you’re sure.”

  Kade’s face split into a roguish grin. “I make a living being charming and likeable. I’ll get this sorted and be back before you’ve had time to miss me.”

  “The offer stands. This triad won’t work unless all of us support each other. It can’t just be about Shadow.”

  Kade extended his hand in human fashion. “Thank you.”

  Instead of shaking hands, Denz crossed wrists with Kade in the way of his species. “You’re welcome.” He met the other male’s gaze. “And for what it’s worth, I told Shadow you were a good, honorable male. I hope you’re not planning on making a liar out of me.”

  There was a bark of bitter laughter, and Kade pressed his scarred wrist to Denz’s for a moment before moving away. “Good and honorable? That might be higher than the winds can carry me, but thank you. I’ll do my best not to make you a liar.”

  “My reputation will survive either way. Don’t do it for me.”

  Kade nodded. “For Shadow, then.”

  “For Shadow.” He still felt like Kade was keeping something from him, but what did he expect? They didn’t know each other well. Veth, none of them knew much about the others, yet. It was supposed to have been him and Zale finding their mate and making plans together. Instead, here he was on a new planet, running a colony with an alien race they’d only recently learned existed. Zale was gone, and the beings he was considering sharing his life with were in a relationship that was unbreakable and intimate in a way he could never share.

  The conversation drifted to safer topics as they descended the stairs to the main level. He left Kade to finish his session and was on his way back to the office when two messages arrived. One was from Kade. All it said was “Thank you.”

  The other was from Shadow. She had spent the day exploring the Vardarian areas of the colony and had sent along pictures of the shops she’d discovered and an eatery she wanted to try the next time they were together. He read her words twice, smiling at her enthusiastic descriptions. She’d also sent an image of a residential area that had recently been completed. The picture had a single word beneath it. “Home?”

  He stopped walking to send her a reply, grinning the whole time and not caring who saw him. They might not have the same bond that she and Kade shared, but even in the midst of the mating fever, he was still in Shadow’s thoughts. That had to be a good sign.

  10

  Shadow’s day had been enjoyable, but the longer she was away from Kade, the more agitated and unsettled she became. At first she thought it was emotional fallout from everything going on in her life, but she quickly realized it was more than that. By the time she reached her habi-pod, she couldn’t wait to tear off her clothes and step into yet another cool shower.

  It wasn’t just that her libido was at full throttle. Over the afternoon her skin had become hyper-sensitive and no matter how much she ate, she was perpetually hungry. She was emotionally and physically on edge. It had to be the sharhal.

  Even more frustrating, her thoughts were like a swarm of micro-meteors bouncing around her head too quickly to catch. They careened into each other, flying off at strange tangents that made it impossible to stay focused on anything for more than a few minutes. All she could think about for long were her males. Where were they right now? What were they doing? Did Kade feel this same burning need to be with her as she did? Was Denz thinking about her and the kisses they’d shared?

  The more she thought about them, the more turned on she got.

  She tried to take the edge off with some self-pleasure, but it didn’t help. She didn’t want to feel her own hands on her body. She wanted it to be Kade, or Denz, or both. Release eluded her, and by the time she gave up and got dressed she was in a worse state than before.

  She went through her new purchases, pulling out a Vardarian-style top and skirt. The shop she’d discovered was Vardarian, but it offered outfits that were modified slightly to appeal to cyborg customers. This one didn’t have wing slits in the back, and the skirt had a slit up the side that would allow her a full range of motion. She donned the outfit, grateful she’d bought it. It was light and loose-fitting, which made it easier to wear against her sensitive skin.

  She paced in circles for a few minutes, but she knew she was only postponing the inevitable. Kade had promised to give her time, but the sharhal wasn’t going to let that happen. She’d spent her last moments as a single woman.

  She picked up her hand terminal and sent him a request for a vid call. He answered so quickly he must have had his terminal in his hand, and she felt a brief pang of guilt for making him wait this long. He had to be in the same condition she was, if not worse.

  “Hello, my mahaya.”

  “Hi.” Seeing him, even by on a vid screen, was enough to trigger another powerful surge of need. “So, it’s afternoon, now.”

  He grinned. “Indeed it is. I’m looking forward to seeing you again. I enjoyed getting your messages, but they’re not the same as having you with me.”

  “I’m looking forward to being with you, too.”

  “We could go flying
again. Or I could give you a tour of my ship.”

  “As amazing as flying sounds, I think we should save that for another time.” She hesitated and then decided to just be honest. “I’m losing my mind, Kade. The sharhal… I can’t wait any longer.”

  He sucked in a sharp breath and nodded, not bothering to hide the hunger in his eyes. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that. I’ll come get you. Unless you’d rather we stay at your place?”

  She laughed, trying to imagine the two of them fitting on her single bed. “If your bed is big enough for two, I think we should probably use that one.”

  His smile turned utterly wicked. “Who said anything about needing a bed?”

  “I…” she didn’t know what to say to that.

  “I’ve got a big bed and a soundproof ship. I’ll come get you.”

  “Or I could start walking and we could meet in the middle?”

  “I like that idea. When?”

  “Now? Unless you have something else you need to do first?”

  “Nothing is more important than you, my dyna. I’ll be there as fast as the winds will take me.”

  She felt a thrill of anticipation and nodded, pressing two fingers to her lips and then to the screen. “Hurry.”

  He signed off without another word, but his smile spoke volumes.

  She dumped her terminal into a bag, threw in a hairbrush, and hurried out into the heat of the afternoon, her eyes already scanning the sky and looking for Kade.

  It didn’t take him long to appear. She hadn’t even made it to the bridge before she saw him. She stopped and waved. He banked and then fell into a dive so steep she was afraid he wouldn’t be able to pull up before he hit the ground.

  He landed hard enough he dropped to one knee, and the wind from his wings ruffled her hair and made her skirt swirl around her legs.

  He rose to his feet, his wings still outstretched. Closing the last steps between them, he swept her into his arms. “Hello, my beautiful mahaya.”

  “Show off.”