by Susan Hayes
“You got that right. None of us had any idea how much was going to change when Piper came bursting into your kitchen that night. Speaking of Piper, have you heard from her? Is she okay?”
Aria beamed. “They found them. I was just about to contact you to let you know when you messaged me. She’s fine. So’s the alien dragon-dude who flew off with her.” She frowned. “I still don’t know how I feel about him. The man did abscond with my sister…” she shook her head. “It’s going to take me some time to process.”
“Yeah, I bet. But he’s bringing her home, safe and sound. That has to count for something.”
“It does. They’re coming back to the ship later today. We’re going to meet the shuttle when it arrives. Want to join us?”
“I wish I could, but I suspect by then Torel and I will be either having angry, Scorch-driven break up sex, or happy, Scorch-enhanced makeup sex.”
“Scorch driven? Are you still feeling the effects of that? I thought it only lasted two days?”
“It does. I didn’t meet Torel until I woke up in the medical center yesterday.”
“Well, that explains why you’re feeling everything so deeply right now. The mating fever made me so crazy that on day two I stormed out of Tarjen’s room with Melody in my arms and no idea where I was going to go next.”
Aria was the most level-headed, centered person she knew. If the Scorching had made her act like that… “That actually makes me feel a little better. Thanks. And thank you for talking me through this. I think I can work the rest out on my own, now.”
“Good. I’ve been waiting for this day to come. I’m glad I could help.”
“Yeah, yeah. You’re very smart. And a good friend.” She raised her hand to wave to Aria. “Talk later?”
“You bet.” Aria disconnected first, which was probably a good thing since Haley had no idea how to end the call without asking the computer for help.
Once she was alone, she went through her breathing exercises for a third time. She needed to be clearheaded before she made any more decisions. As she breathed, though, something else started to affect her. Emotions that weren’t her own slid around the periphery of her awareness, like shadows at the outer circle of a campfire.
As the minutes passed, the feelings got stronger. Frustration, confusion, and other emotions too complex to decipher. She focused on the feelings, then gasped as she finally understood what was happening. Torel. She was experiencing the bond he’d told her about, and it was more intense than she had imagined.
She closed her eyes and tried to take in everything she was experiencing. It was quickly evident that despite her earlier suspicions, this was no trick accomplished with hormones or alien technology. It wasn’t part of some ruse to convince her and the other human women to stay with their mates. She was connected to Torel. She could feel him.
“How did he think this was going to be nothing more than an intergalactic friends with benefits scenario? He’s in my head!” She rubbed her brow as if it would somehow quiet the emotional noise pouring into her brain. That was when she remembered what he told her when he’d come back from the medical center. He didn’t want her to leave, because it would be hard on them both. She had been too angry to listen to him then. She’d even accused him of making it up.
She huffed in frustration, then got off the bed and started pacing. Every time she passed the stack of printouts and reports, she felt a twinge of regret. Torel had done nothing to deserve her distrust. He’d been honest and attentive from almost the first moment they’d found themselves thrust together. He never pushed her into anything she didn’t want to do, and there was no denying the chemistry between them was off the damned charts. She started another lap of the room, but this time she paused at the window to look down at Earth. What’s left for me down there?
The truth hit her like a slap in the face. There was nothing for her back home. She hadn’t led much of a life since Jeff’s death. Aria, Melody, and Piper were leaving. She could walk away from her apartment and her job in a second. Her parents would take a little longer. Maybe two minutes to say goodbye, and at least one of those minutes would be taken up with disapproving stares and bitter sighs of disappointment. Jeff’s grave might be down there, but he wasn’t there anymore. He had moved on to the next adventure. It was time she did the same.
“If I do that, what adventure do I want to move on to?” She lifted her gaze from the planet to the myriad of stars that gleamed in the darkness of space. Even as she stared into the void, she could feel Torel’s presence in her mind. If she went with him, she’d have a partner again. Someone who challenged her and made her laugh. He wasn’t carefree and wild like Jeff, but he was passionate about the things that mattered to him. She could feel enough of his emotions to know she was one of the things he cared about. When she looked past her fears and guilt, she felt the same way about him. It wasn’t love. Not yet, anyway. But it was more than she ever imagined she’d feel for anyone ever again.
It didn’t take long to make up her mind. There were no guarantees in life. Love and happiness weren’t certainties, but she wasn’t going to find either one if she didn’t take this chance. Jeff had taught her life was all about taking risks. Wherever he was right now, she hoped he’d be proud of her for taking this one.
She turned from the window and headed for the door. She needed to find Torel, apologize, and tell him she’d made a decision.
Chapter Eight
Torel had read enough documentation on the mating bond to know how to temporarily mute the connection between himself and Haley: liquor. It had taken two drinks to start working, but he was finally free of it, at least for now. It wouldn’t stop the Scorching from returning, though. Soon, he’d have to face Haley again, and he had no idea how to make her understand how wrong he’d been about their bond, and how much he wanted her to stay. He also needed to convince her there was no nefarious plot to trick any female into going back to Pyros. Until he figured how to do all that, he was staying in the officers’ lounge, comfortably ensconced at the end of the bar. The servo-droid kept his glass full, the lounge was almost empty, and he had relative silence to come up with a plan.
The silence was broken when a familiar voice sounded from behind him. “I’d call you out for drinking while on duty, but I happen to know you’re not supposed to be on duty right now, so what’s with the uniform?” Commander Kash Denza appeared to his right. He was out of uniform and smiling, something he did a lot more of since he’d found his mate and accepted the mating bond.
“I got called in for an emergency. Keth wasn’t reviving from stasis, and it was looking like he might not survive.”
“I heard he’s awake now, though. No one told me that was your doing.” Kash gestured around them, his sweeping hand taking in everything from the lone droid serving drinks, to the near empty room, and the vista of stars visible outside the viewports. “It also doesn’t explain why you’re here, drinking instead of spending time with your mate.”
“She’s not pleased with me right now. She uh, requested I leave our quarters.”
Kash tried, and failed, to suppress a chuckle as he took the seat next to Torel. “Things not going well?”
Torel drained his glass. “She read my research notes while I was away, and when I returned, she accused me, and all of Pyros, of lying to her people. She thinks we want to use the human females as breeders.”
“Did you explain? Where the flames did she even get such a notion?” Kash stared at him. “What was in those notes of yours?”
“She didn’t give me a chance to explain. Haley can’t read Pyrosian, so she had the ship’s computer translate. I believe the computer wasn’t up to the task and made some errors. While she was expressing her outrage, she became sufficiently upset that she triggered her ability to summon fire, and after that…” Torel shrugged and gestured for the droid to refill his glass.
Kash burst out laughing. “I remember how that went for Gwen and me. At least there were no fi
re alarms triggered this time, and no one was doused in foam. I would have gotten a report if that had happened.”
“How did you convince Gwen to stay after that happened? I was there, I saw how unhappy she was. Haley is angry right now, and I have no idea how to make her listen.”
Kash shook his head. “The first thing you need to understand is that you can’t make her do anything. You and I are used to giving orders and having them obeyed without question. That isn’t going to happen with your mate. Flames, Joran’s heir to the throne and not even he can tell Maggie what to do.”
“They really aren’t like Pyrosian females, are they?”
This time, Kash laughed so hard a small group of officers at the far side of the room turned to look over at them. “They’re exactly like our females. Do you think your second in command would blindly obey her mate? I know my mother doesn’t. My father might command armies and have the ear of the king himself, but he wouldn’t dare try and order my mother around, and she’d set the house on fire if he tried.”
“Then why don’t the males matched to Pyrosian females have these problems?”
“Because our females know what will happen when they meet their true mates. It’s part of our culture, taught to both male and female younglings in the learning centers and in everyday life. Human cultures are very different. They are far more diverse, and none of them have anything like the Scorching.”
None of this was news to him, but somehow, having Kash say it aloud helped put things in perspective. Torel stared into his drink and muttered, “You didn’t used to be this socially aware.”
“My mate has taught me a great deal. After witnessing some of the challenges that arose with this new round of matches, she suggested we teach our males even more about human culture. She also wants to us to be more open about the Scorching and all that it entails. The princess agrees with her.”
“If that’s the case, then the next group to come here will no doubt be better informed, as will the humans.”
Kash sighed. “We’re not coming back here for a while. It’s too dangerous. The ones who attacked the Gathering are either dead or captured, but their leaders have not been found, yet. Until we can be sure it’s safe, there will be no more Gatherings.”
“Flames. I told Haley that if she wished, she could return to Earth, and I would visit her during our next Gathering. Are you telling me that isn’t going to happen? She’s going to think I lied to her about that, too.”
“How can that be?” Kash asked, perplexed. “You’re linked, aren’t you? Even if the link is weak, she should be able to sense when you are telling the truth.”
“The link is one-sided. I have been able to sense her for some time now, but she cannot sense me. At first, I hoped it was a sign our bond was weak enough we could continue on as if we were never mated. The only reason she agreed to any of this was because I promised her it didn’t have to permanent.”
“If she manifested her ability to manipulate fire today, maybe the bond was slow to develop, too?” Kash shrugged his big shoulders. “This is your field, not mine.
“Maybe. It’s another area I need to study. There’s so much we don’t know about the humans and how they react to the activation of their Pyrosian genes.”
“Worry about your research later. For now, you need to focus on your mate. Your bond is strong, right? How’s she feeling? Is she calmer?”
Torel pointed to his half-empty glass. “I have no idea. Alcohol suppresses the link. Her anger and guilt were making it impossible for me to think clearly.”
Kash pushed Torel’s glass out of reach. “So that’s why you’re drinking. The liquor isn’t helping you think clearly, though.”
“True,” Torel agreed. “And I’m running out of time to think of a plan to win her over.”
Kash glanced behind him and grinned. “You’re right. In fact, I’d say your time is up.” He rose from his chair and clapped Torel on the shoulder. “Remember, you can’t make her do anything, but you can tell her what you want, and why. Don’t forget the why.”
Torel turned and spotted Haley coming towards him. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and he damned himself a fool for leaving her alone, even if that was what she’d asked him to do. If they got through this, if he found a way to convince her to stay with him, he would do better in future.
Kash called to the handful of officers still in the lounge as he walked. “All of you, come with me. The lounge is closed for the next hour. Take your drinks.” As the others scrambled to their feet, he leaned in and said something to Haley in a voice pitched too low to hear. Whatever the commander said, it made her smile for a moment before she squared her shoulders and marched over to Torel.
In the brief seconds he had before she reached him, he rose to his feet and sent a silent prayer to the Gods for help. He would need it.
Haley walked through the door into some sort of recreational area. The walls were painted a deep burgundy, with mosaic-like patterns breaking up the straight stretches of colour here and there. There were tables and chairs for several dozen beings, though only a single table was in use at the moment. There were large viewports, like the one in Torel’s quarters, set into the far wall, and to her left was a long sweep of counter with a droid operating behind it. Two men were at the counter. One was Torel, and the other was a hulking bruiser of a man with a scarred face. He said something to Torel, laughed and then came straight towards her. As he moved, he started barking orders in Pyrosian to the handful of crewmembers in the room. She didn’t know what he said, but it got the others moving fast.
She wasn’t sure what this big male wanted, but as he got closer, he gave her a lopsided smile, then leaned in close and spoke in almost unaccented English. “Torel’s a good male, and he cares deeply for you. I hope you two can work it out, but if not, try not to set the place on fire, okay?”
“I’ll do my best, but I make no promises.”
His smile broadened. “You sound like my Gwen. I annoyed her so much she set fire to our quarters the first time her powers manifested. We worked through our differences then. I hope you can do the same.”
She offered him a hopeful smile. “So do I.”
He nodded and moved on. A few seconds later, she and Torel were alone.
He was on his feet by the time she reached him, and the moment she was in range, he reached for her, then stopped. “May I?”
She closed the gap between them in a single leap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and squeezing him tight. “Yes.”
“This is a better reception than I expected.” He folded her into his arms and buried his face in her hair.
“I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you before. I get it now. The bond finally kicked in for me.”
“It did?” His voice was so full of hope it made her heart swell. “So, if I swore to you that I am not trying to use your race as breeders, you’d know I was telling the truth?”
“I can do that? How?”
He stroked a hand down her back, pulling her in closer. “You can. Just close your eyes and focus on the bond while I speak. I’ll show you the difference by telling you a lie, first.”
“Okay.”
“I want you to go back to Earth instead of staying with me.”
She immediately felt the disconnect between his words and his emotions, followed by the impact of what he was telling her.
“You want me to stay?”
“He lifted his head and cupped a hand under her chin, lifting her head so their gazes met. “I do.” She could feel the truth of his statement resonate deep in her heart.
“And you swear to me there’s no trickery or coercion going on?”
“There’s no trickery. No plot. No one is being used as a breeder. What you read was a bad translation of my notes. If you wish, I’ll arrange for you to have the cognitive upgrade, so you can speak and write Pyrosian. Then you’ll be able to understand my notes yourself…though I make no promises about my handwriting.”
There was no sign of deception, not even the slightest disconnect. She breathed a sigh of relief. This bonding thing had its advantages. “I believe you.”
“Thank the Gods.”
“I’m not sure we should be thanking them, yet. They haven’t exactly been gentle with us.”
“They have not,” he agreed. His thumb stroked over her cheek, and then he bowed his head to kiss her. It was a tender kiss, slow and sweet and full of promise, and as his mouth claimed hers, she could feel his emotions, too. It was even more intoxicating than the raw need of the Scorching. She kissed him back, craving the comfort of his touch and this time she knew it was more than hormones fueling her desire.
It was Torel who broke the kiss first, lifting his head with obvious reluctance. “Before we do that again, there’s something else I need to tell you.”
“Good or bad?” she asked.
“That depends on whether you decide to stay on Earth. When I told you I could come and visit whenever we returned for another Gathering, I didn’t know my prince and his advisors had decided there will not be any more Gatherings until the danger passes.”
The decision wasn’t surprising. If she’d been thinking clearly, she would have come to the same conclusion. Her people needed more time and more information about their new allies, and even then, there would be those who feared change too much to ever accept their new reality. “So, if I go with you, I won’t be coming back for a while?”
“It would be best to assume so,” he replied, then blinked, his mouth falling open. “You’re considering going with me?”
His reaction flowed through her, a heady mix of confusion and delight. “I am. In case you haven’t sensed it yet, I care about you, Tor. That’s really why I was so uh, volatile earlier. I loved my husband deeply, and when he died, I swore I would never let myself be hurt like that again. Then you came along and…I was scared and confused.”
“I care about you, too.” His expression turned sheepish. “I should make another confession, now. I may have imbibed enough liquor to temporarily suppress the link between us.”