by Frost Kay
Heat filled her cheeks and she gritted her teeth when he kept silent and scanned her from head to toe. She had nothing to be embarrassed about. The dress was fitted and flattering, but it wasn’t tight or revealing. “Did you hear me?” she demanded. “Or were you too busy ogling me?”
“I heard you.” He placed his glass on the table and leaned toward her. “In fact, I heard everything you said from the bar.”
Av hearing … one more thing to add to the ever-growing pile of weird things she experienced every day.
“Good. I meant what I said. You’ve been following me, and I don’t like it. I’m not interested in you, so stop it.”
He flashed her a smile, and then threw his head back, laughter escaping him.
Her jaw dropped. He had no right to have such a wonderful laugh. It was downright unfair. Allie shifted and rubbed the goosebumps that had broken out along her arms as she tried not to gape. She’d never seen him laugh. He barely cracked a smile at the lab.
His head tipped forward and he swiped at his eyes. “I haven’t laughed like that in a long time.”
“What’s so funny?”
He scooted to the edge of the booth and leaned an elbow on the table. “I’m not stalking you.”
She scoffed. “Sure thing, sugar.”
“Take a moment, Human, and think about it.” He raised both brows, looking smug. “You’re an asset. A valuable one. Why wouldn’t you be protected and watched?”
“Lev is having me watched?” she asked.
“Your history is on file. We know how many times you tried to appeal. A Lock had to drag you on board the airship and chain you to your seat. It’s not a stretch to call you a flight risk.” He leaned closer and dropped his voice to a whisper. “That evidence aside, I’ve not made one move toward you since that night. I'm doing my job, just like you’re doing yours. Stop assuming things … sugar.”
That heat now crept up the back of her neck. “You’re not stalking me?” she squeaked.
Another laugh. “If I was stalking you, you’d never see me.” He jerked his chin toward Sebastian. “And your Kanji friend couldn’t keep you from me, either.”
“Well, that’s not comforting,” she mumbled. Allie clenched and unclenched her hands, at a loss at what to do now. She’d called him a stalker and a creep. It would have been great if the floor just swallowed her, but life was never that easy.
Blowing out a deep breath, she held her hand out to him. Never let anyone say she didn’t have manners. “I’m sorry.”
Blade eyed her hand and then clasped it. “Accepted.”
She gave him a nod and pulled her hand from his as tingles ran up her arm. Allie cleared her throat and gestured to his drink. “Do you need something else?”
“No, thank you. I have everything I require.”
Allie nodded and fled back toward Bastian. She ducked under the bar and avoided looking at her boss. Still, she felt his gaze on her face. A knife and lime found their way into her hands and she began to slice them. The silence stretched on. It was like the entire place had gone silent.
“What?” she muttered.
The Kanji kept silent.
“It was an honest mistake.”
A snigger. “A pretty big one.”
“Shut up,” she grumbled. “Like you’ve never made an idiot out of yourself.”
“Not quite that splendidly.”
“He’s right,” Virgil piped up. “That was really something.”
Allie lifted her head and glared at Virgil. “Nobody asked you, traitor.”
His wrinkly face shifted. “When are you going to stop calling me that?”
She pointed the end of her knife at him. “As soon as you redeem yourself and I don’t want to stab you.”
“You’re a violent one, love.” He grinned at her. “I like it.”
“I’m not your love.” She eyed his empty glass, feeling a little remorse. He’d asked for another drink over two hours ago, and she’d played it like she couldn’t hear him. Yet he sat there quietly, never complaining. “Do you need another drink?”
“No, thank you. I’m on the clock.”
Allie looked pointedly at his cup.
He shrugged a shoulder. “That was before I started.”
She placed her knife on the counter carefully and brushed her hair from her face. “Then why are you even here?”
“To watch you.”
“Are you kidding me?” She turned toward Bastian. “Can you believe this?”
“I certainly can.” He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “You’re precious. Precious things need to be protected.”
“See?” Virgil gestured to Bastian. “He gets it.”
“Precious, my ass. More like valuable.”
“Semantics.”
“Not true.” She scooped up the cut limes and tossed them into their container. “Precious refers to someone you hold dear and don’t treat carelessly. Valuable is a thing or a piece of property that holds monetary value.”
“Not everything is black and white.”
“Some things are, like honor and Human decency.”
“I’m not Human.”
“Clearly, as you keep reminding me,” she groused, and glanced at her wrist comm. Dang, her shift was almost over. She glanced up to find Bastian watching her, his countenance serious. He lifted a hand and traced the skin underneath her right eye.
“You look tired. When’s the last time you had a full night of sleep?”
Her shoulders drooped. Too long. “The night before I received the news I had been drafted.”
He grimaced and pulled her into a hug. She sighed and leaned her cheek against his broad chest. It was shocking how comforting a hug could be. Her whole body wanted to sink into Bastian and never leave. His large hand ran through her hair and he placed a kiss on the crown of her head.
“You’re doing too much,” he whispered.
“I don’t have any other choice.” Allie twisted her neck and pressed her forehead against his chest. “If I do what they want, then this will be over soon. The mash is done fermenting today.”
“Are you ready to go, sweetheart?” Virgil’s gravelly voice asked.
She inhaled deeply, squeezing Bastian once more, and stepped back. But the pity in his gaze dissolved all her warm fuzzy feelings, replacing them with a spark of anger. “Stop looking at me like that.”
He crossed his arms, the feather-looking tattoos shifting on his forearms. “Why?”
“Because it makes me mad.”
He arched a black brow at her. “Again, why?”
“I don’t regret the decision I made. This was my choice. There’s no reason to feel sorry for me. When you pity me…” She waved her hands, waffling. “It feels like disappointment.”
“I’m not disappointed in you. I’m just worried.”
“Welcome to the club.”
She brushed the blond hair from her face that had escaped her ponytail and pinched the bridge of her nose. If things went her way, she could strain the mash, test the ph, and then move it to the still. She’d work her magic and then her job would be over. Her mind flashed to the outfit Lev had shown her the other night. Tension moved into her muscles. Well, almost done.
“Ms. Sai, are you ready to go?”
Allie fought a shiver at the dark voice. No one should have a voice that smooth.
“Yes,” she muttered, not looking in Blade’s direction. She still couldn’t believe she’d accused him of being a stalker. Allie tucked the humiliation away. She’d deal with it over a frozen treat with Jer later.
She tapped her wrist comm to log her hours. “Do you need me tomorrow since Mace is sick?” she asked, scanning the bar to see if there was anything else she needed to clean before she left.
“No, Allie. Spend the day sleeping. You look like hell.”
Her gaze snapped back to the Kanji’s laughing eyes. “Watch it, buddy. I get crazier when I’m not sleeping.”
He held his hands u
p. “I don’t think that’s possible.”
She punched his arm good-naturedly and ducked underneath the bar to escape from the center. “Let’s go, Virgil,” she demanded.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Allie hid a smile and called over her shoulder: “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“No, you won’t,” said Bastian. “I’ll send you home if I catch you here.”
“Sure thing, sugar.”
“I know what that means!” Bastian yelled.
She peeked over her shoulder. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” he smirked. “It’s the Earth way of saying f—”
Her eyes rounded at his language. “Sebastian!”
His smile grew wider. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
She smiled back and batted her lashes. “As a lady, I would never say such a thing.” Blade and Virgil sniggered while Bastian fought a smile. She spun around and sauntered toward the doorway with her head held high. “And it’s not an Earth thing, it’s a Southern thing.”
“Don’t let the door hit you on the butt … sugar.”
The darn Kanji always had to have the last word.
4
Nature vs. Prude
“I need you.”
Everyone stilled.
Zune blinked extremely slowly. “Excuse me?”
Allie glanced around the room and thought about her words. She groaned and placed her forehead on his table, her blush burning to the tips of her ears. “That’s not how I meant it. I’m sleep deprived, hungry, and hot. I need someone to help me strain the mash.”
“Okay.”
She nodded her head, the smooth surface squeaking with the movement. Her eyelids were so heavy; her arms weighed a million pounds. A curse slipped from her lips as she forced herself to stand and move back to the fermentation bucket.
Zune paused by her side, quiet as ever, and gazed down at her. Allie pointed to the mash. “I need you to siphon the mash out of the liquid and into a separate container while I get the sieve ready.”
“Okay.”
Allie left him to his work and pressed the cloth against the sieve. She moved back to the red-haired Kiterra’s side and hauled another bucket over, holding the sieve over it. “Now, I need you to pour the mash water through the sieve as slow as you can. You need to be really careful. The less solid materials and sediment, the better the moonshine.”
Zune nodded, hefted the large bucket up, and began to pour. Allie shifted closer to him and tipped her head to the side to make sure they weren’t spilling anything. Zune sniffed loudly, causing her to lose her concentration. She eyed him and raised an eyebrow. Did she stink?
“No wonder you’re so hot.”
“What?” she stammered. Did he just call her hot? That was new.
He paused his pouring and smiled somewhat wondrously. “You’re in heat.”
He did not just say what she thought he had said. “Tell me you didn’t just say that.”
Zune shrugged a broad shoulder. “It’s the truth. I can smell it all over you.”
“All over me?” she squeaked, mortification washing over her.
He inhaled deeply and grinned boyishly. “Yep. You’re fertile right now.”
“As soon as she came in, I could tell,” Eve called.
Horror. That’s what she was experiencing. Gut-wrenching horror.
Zune frowned when he caught sight of whatever expression was on her face. “Why do you look so distressed? Fertility is a rare thing on Sars. Something that’s celebrated. Be happy.”
“Yeah,” Kale added, sauntering up to her side. “Kanji women only come into season once in a five-year period, and Av women even longer.” He winked at her. “Your scent must be driving Blade nuts.”
With careful movements, she placed the sieve on the work table and then straightened. She had not signed up for this. “Are you serious?”
Kale’s mouth opened, and she held up a trembling hand. Allie kicked off her heels, losing five inches of height, and brandished one. She eyed it and flicked a glance at the mouthy Kanji. “Run.”
His eyes rounded, and he spun on his heel. She lobbed the shoe, nailing him right between the shoulder blades. God, that was satisfying.
The room descended into silence as her heel clattered to the floor. She glared at everyone and clenched her trembling fingers into fists. Blade even appeared out of some darkened corner to watch her unravel. How wonderful.
Lev held his hands up and approached her. “No more throwing shoes. There’s no need to hurt others while you’re in heat.” His brow furrowed. “Wait. Are Earth females violent during their heat? I don’t recall reading anything about it.”
“You…” she hissed, taking a step in the blue-haired Av’s direction. Did no one respect privacy? “You all…” She spun in a circle, her finger pointing at everyone. “Is nothing sacred?”
“Well, fertility is,” Coal piped up.
“I didn’t ask you, knave!” she hollered.
Coal’s mouth snapped shut, but he had to ruin it by asking Virgil, “What’s a knave? My translator can’t find a match.”
“For heaven’s sakes,” she groaned, running her hands down her face. “I’m tired of the sniffing. Stop sniffing me!”
“We can’t change who we are any more than you can change that you’re Human.” Lev sucked in a deep breath and paused, his face screwing up. “Stars above,” he growled. His gaze snapped to Blade. “How can you stand it?”
Blade shifted and crossed his arms, his dark eyes pinned to her. His jaw clenched as he turned to Lev. “The fact that she’d shoot me.”
“Damn straight,” she said.
“That’s some serious self-control,” Virgil commented. “I remember what it was like when my wife went into season for the first time…”
Everyone groaned.
“Please spare us the details,” Zune pleaded. “I have more information about your love life than I ever wanted.”
Allie gaped at everyone and looked to Eve for support. “Y’all talk about this stuff together?”
Eve shrugged a delicate shoulder. “It’s just nature. There’s nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about.”
“Yes, there is!” Sniffing people was so rude! The blood drained from her face. Would they know when she was on her period, too? She shoved the idea into the dark recesses of her mind. There was no time to deal with that can of worms.
“Humans,” Coal muttered. “Such prudes.”
She glared in his direction. “I am not a prude.”
“But you’re acting ashamed of being fertile,” Eve commented, her brows furrowing.
That wasn’t how Allie felt at all. It wasn’t anyone’s business what was going on with her body. “I’m not ashamed of being fertile. I’m proud to be a woman, but that doesn’t mean I want everyone to know what’s going on with my body all the time. And I don’t like being sniffed!” She huffed out a breath. “It makes me self-conscious.”
“Why?” Virgil asked. “You’re lovely.”
“What if I smell weird?” she blurted.
Her team froze and then slowly broke into a round of chuckles. They laughed at her! She was the alien here, the outsider. Hurt and embarrassment rolled through her. “Have your laugh at the stupid Human girl. I’m done.” Allie glanced at Zune. “Just finish straining that. I’ll finish it tomorrow.”
She yanked off her other heel and tossed it on the table before storming toward the doors, her bare feet slapping against the slick floor. It was too much. Her emotions bounced everywhere. Heat burned behind her eyes. Oh, no. Now she was going to cry. Perfect.
“Wait!” Coal called. “Your scent isn't bad, if that’s what you’re worried about. Lighten up.”
Lighten up? Like she was the buzzkill … like she didn’t have any reason to feel offended. That was the last straw.
Allie rounded on Coal and marched in his direction. The bastard just smirked at her as she drew closer. The joke was on him. He was tall, but not impossibly so.
When he was within arms-reach, she lifted onto her toes with a smile and slapped him on the cheek with all her might. Immediately, her hand tingled and pain shot down her arm, but it was worth it to see her red handprint against his cheek as she pulled away. Slowly, he turned his face to glare down at her. Her stomach dropped at the anger she saw in his gaze, but she wasn’t backing down.
No one would bully her.
“Don’t you dare make fun of me.” Allie swallowed to keep her voice from cracking. “I’ve been ripped from my home, friends, and family, and deserted on an alien planet I know nothing about.” A sneaky tear slipped out. “Then, I was blackmailed into working for the Lock sector. Time after time I’ve been made fun of and I’ve taken it to protect my friends.” She angrily swiped the tear from her face and rolled her shoulders back. “You’re the aliens. Some of you literally look like monsters from stories I was told as a child. But your looks don’t make you a monster.” She met Coal’s silver eyes. “What makes you a monster is how you treat people by throwing disdain and sarcasm around.”
Allie pulled her gaze from his and met Lev’s stunned blue gaze. “I’ll finish up tomorrow and then we’re through. I’ve brewed your moonshine just like you asked me.” She took one step to leave when a large hand grabbed hers. Slowly, she followed the arm back to its owner. “Get your hands off me,” she snarled.
“You smell like sweets,” Coal said.
“What?”
He released her hand and rubbed at the back of his head, a sheepish smile on his face. “Normally your scent is similar to spices. Today it’s like sweets.”
Allie blinked. “Sweets?” Why was he talking about her scent?
“Like honey.” He offered a small smile. “Blade? Back me up?”
She pulled her gaze from Coal and peeked at Blade, who had moved closer. His fathomless gaze latched onto hers and he smiled. Her breath stuttered. When he smiled, he morphed from dangerous to ruggedly handsome. With the pointy ears and the muscles, he was like a pirate prince come to life. She shook herself when she realized he’d been speaking. “What was that?”