by Lynnea Lee
A Chance for Arus - Tallean Mercenaries
Book Two
By Lynnea Lee
Copyright © 2020 Lynnea Lee
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or used in whole or in part, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction and the characters and incidents found within are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictiously. Any resemblance to persons, living or deceased, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
EPILOGUE
AUTHOR’S NOTE
ALSO BY AUTHOR
CHAPTER ONE
Mia loved her mother, but right now, she wanted to strangle her.
She stomped her feet against the alien soil as she ran, hands clenched tight into angry fists. She was pissed. She didn’t even enjoy running. In fact, Mia hated it. But if she didn’t run now, she was liable to snap at the first person she saw. So she ran.
Not only was Mia stuck rebuilding her life on Reka 5 after being rescued from a Dominion slave ship, but she was also stuck here with her mom. At first glance, you would think that was a lucky thing. And Mia had thought so too. She had lost almost everything in her life when she was stolen from Earth. But at least she had her mom. Right?
Wrong! Well, at least Mia didn’t think so in this very moment. Her mom, Bianca, had reverted to her favorite pastime—playing cupid. As always, she aimed her arrow at her favorite and only daughter. The only criteria for the man? Extra letters behind his name and a pulse.
It was her mother’s last attempt at matchmaking that had gotten them into trouble in the first place. She had gotten them abducted from Earth!
Several weeks ago, out of the blue, her mother had requested they meet up at a local café. Having been duped before into a surprise date, Mia had been suspicious. That morning, she dressed in her most unattractive clothes, pulled a baseball cap over her unwashed hair, and left for work with nary a swipe of lip balm. That evening, as she argued with her mom outside the busy downtown cafe, a Dominion ship had descended, rounded everyone up, and took off with its prize.
Mia had read all about the alien abductions in the news. Who hadn’t? Since the fateful evening the first ship emblazoned with the Dominion emblem darkened the New York skyline, it was all Earth’s media had talked about.
Since Bianca’s last attempt at setting Mia up had ended up so horribly, Mia had thought her mother would at least pause her matchmaking machinations for a few months. You know, to let Mia recover from the trauma of being abducted, freed, and relocated. But only four days after escaping slavery and arriving at Reka 5, a human-friendly colony, Mother Dear was up to her old ways.
Earlier this morning, as Mia headed out the door to her new job at the refreshment bar, an establishment similar to a coffee shop, her mother had cornered her. She’d told Mia that she had invited “the good doctor from Earth” to grab the evening meal with them, and she expected Mia to be there.
Too bad the good doctor was anything but good. In fact, he was dressed in orange when they’d first met. Most of the menfolk who had been taken as slaves were rounded up from an Earth penitentiary. While some of them were ready to turn over a new leaf, Dr. Daniel Ives still made her skin crawl. Dan Ives rhymes with hives. She couldn’t help but repeat the rhyme in her head.
Which was why Mia was now running angry laps around the park instead of going back to the dorms. Did she mention she hated running?
As if purposefully provoking her dismal mood, the sky darkened. The wind picked up, buffeting stray hair across her face. She glared up at the collecting clouds in dismay.
“Argh!” she yelled as she tripped over a root. This was what she got for paying attention to the sky when she should have been looking at the ground. “Why me?”
Large alien trees dotted the park; their canopy providing refuge from the sun. Their roots fanned out like thick snakes, anchoring them to the ground. Mia should have been more careful.
She tried to pick herself back up but realized the laces of her shoes were tangled around a gnarly root. She couldn’t believe her luck. How the fuck did shit like this happen?
She tugged at the laces, trying to untangle the knot, but in the low lighting, she only made a bigger mess. These were her only pair of shoes. It was the same pair she’d worn to work that fateful day they’d taken her from Earth.
Her stomach growled, reminding her why she was hiding in the park instead of enjoying a meal in the cafeteria. They had cheated her out of a meal on top of a quiet evening alone.
The sky chose that moment to land a big fat drop of rain on her forehead. She could take off her shoe and leave the whole mess here. Maybe she could come back in the morning when the sun wasn’t trying to leave her stranded and sightless. But the idea of walking back to the dorm with one bare foot didn’t appeal.
“What are you doing on the ground, female?” a low voice rumbled.
She looked up, up and up, at the biggest man she had ever seen. Correction, the biggest Tallean male she had ever seen. The alien was at least a foot and a half taller than her five-foot-two frame. But he wasn’t a beanpole. He was built too, with a big burly chest and thick arms. He was massive. His face, while not traditionally handsome by human standards, was rugged and masculine.
“What the fuck does it look like I’m doing? Smelling the fucking roses?” Mia snapped. She regretted her outburst immediately. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just frustrated. This tree root ate my shoelaces, and now I’m stuck. I can’t even fix it because it’s getting dark, and I can’t see shit.”
“I will help.” The alien knelt down to examine the mess of laces. “It’s wedged in the crevice. I don’t think we can get it out without shredding it.”
He grabbed her foot and lifted it to the side. His rough hands were warm as he worked on the tangled mess.
“If you have a knife,” Mia said, “we can cut it and tie the ends together.”
“No knife, but I can cut it.” He turned to her then, looking serious. “You are human.” He leaned in closer and inhaled.
“Um, yes? I’m human.” Was he sniffing her? Did she smell bad from all the running and sweating? Suddenly self-conscious, Mia leaned away.
“Humans are frightened of our claws,” he stated. “Do not be scared. I will not hurt you.”
Mia considered the claws that tipped the toes of the Tallean’s large feet. They looked formidable, deadly. She wasn’t scared of them, though. If he wanted to hurt her, he would have done so by now. She knew some of the rescued humans were terrified of Talleans. She wasn’t one of them.
“Your talons are very impressive. They are big and look very sharp, and I’m sure they are lethal. But they don’t frighten me, unless you attack me with them,” she assured him. “Please help me cut the laces.”
Did his chest puff up a little when she called his talons impressive? It did, she decided.
Mia got up, glad to be off the ground. Standing, she realized just how huge the alien was. She couldn’t help but admire his physique.
“You came in with the Second Chance.” His words were more of a statement than a question.
The Second Chance was the English name given to the Dominion spaceship formerly known as the Stellar Fortune. With a stroke of good luck and some help from a group of Tallean mercenaries, the human cargo had taken over the ship. The human slaves commandeered the ship and threw what was left of the crew out the airlock. The name seemed fitting, all things considered.
The Second Chance now belonged to one Trenton Walker of Earth. Leading the ragtag team of humans to victory, he had ultimately saved every human on board from a life of slavery. Now that was the type of men Mia was interested in! But after dropping off most of the humans at Reka 5, Trenton had left with Second Chance to start his new life among the stars.
Reka 5 represented a fresh start for many of its inhabitants, both Tallean and humans alike. Many humans have assimilated seamlessly into the culture and truly thought of Reka 5 as home.
“Yes, I sure did,” she said, sticking out her hand. “My name is Mia.”
Instead of shaking it, the big alien took her hand and held it. His hand radiated warmth, and Mia realized how chilled she was getting now that the sun was going down. She looked up from where their hands connected, and her eyes met dazzling chartreuse orbs. Every Tallean she had met so far had some shade of green eyes. His were the lightest she had seen.
“I’m Arus. I’m part of the crew of mercs that helped the Second Chance get to Reka 5.”
Mia remembered the Tallean mercenary ship that had liaised with the newly freed humans. They helped Trenton trained a new crew for his ship.
“Thanks for your help! I mean, both now and on the ship.” If it weren’t for their help, Mia wouldn’t have made it to this colony. She relaxed a little. At least she knew that Arus was a good guy, willing to help people in need. He wasn’t just some random pervert roaming the park at sundown.
“Isn’t it time for the evening meal at the new colonist cafeteria? You should head back so you don’t go hungry. You are so small, and you need to eat.”
Her? Small? Okay, so she was short, but nobody ever referred to her as small.
“I will probably miss it anyway, even if I head back right now.”
The sky took that moment to send a few more droplets spitting down onto her face. One landed on her nose, making her blink.
“Why don’t you come have a meal with me?” He wiped the droplet off her face as he spoke. His hands were exceptionally gentle, considering their size. “There’s a great place nearby, and it’ll get us out of the rain.” He smiled at her and flashed some sexy fang. Mia felt a tingle start in her core.
Was he trying to ask her out? Say yes, say yes, her body shouted. She didn’t trust her body, so she asked her brain. Yes! it agreed. Crap. No help there.
For a moment, she almost agreed to go to dinner with the big Tallean. Then she remembered that she didn’t have any credits to her name yet. Mia always split the bill when she went on dates. She hated feeling like she owed her dates anything.
“I can’t.” She decided honesty was best. “I haven’t had my first payday yet and I always insist on splitting the bill.”
He nodded but looked disappointed. “My captain is mated to a human female. Ashe doesn’t enjoy spending his credits either. Once mated, males are expected to provide for their mates. But some Tallean females choose to pay their own way as well, when they are seeing a male casually. I understand. Let me walk you home instead.”
Mia protested, but Arus continued, “It’s going to get dark soon, and it’s raining. You shouldn’t be alone.”
“I can take care of myself.” She didn’t want any man, alien or human, to think her weak and in need of coddling.
“I believe you. Humans have no claws and no fangs, but you are tough. I’ll be honest. I’m walking you home because I wish to spend more time with you.” He sounded genuine.
“Well, if you put it that way. Thank you; I accept.”
They headed towards the bridge to the new colonist housing. The rain was light. The droplets were warm and felt pleasant on her skin. It wasn’t until she was almost home that Mia realized Arus still held her hand.
“Where have you been, Mia? I can’t believe you’re so late!” her mom yelled in the middle of their shared dorm room after Arus had seen her home. “I told you before you left this morning that we were having dinner with Dan. He was so upset that you stood him up.”
Mia hoped the walls were thick and soundproof.
“Mom, I couldn’t have stood him up because I never agreed to meet him for dinner.” She spoke calmly, hoping her mother would take the hint and lower her voice. “I know you mean well, but you need to stop trying to set me up.”
“Oh honey, it wasn’t really a date,” her mother backtracked, a few decibels lower. “I was there too. It was just dinner. But it’s still rude to not show up!”
“It’s not rude to bail on plans I didn’t even make. You can’t keep making plans for me and expect me to follow through just because you say so. I’ve told you many times, I don’t want to be set up with anyone. I wasn’t looking on Earth, and I’m definitely not looking now.”
Mother Dear changed tactics. “Mia, honey, you aren’t getting any younger. If you don’t look now, you’ll miss your chance! You don’t want to be alone forever like your Aunt Lucia, do you?”
They’ve been down this road many times before.
“You mean, have a fun and amazing life like Auntie Lucia? Yes, please!”
Auntie Lulu was a badass babe who rode a motorcycle at sixty-five and owned a tattoo parlor. Mia didn’t think Lulu lacked in male company either, considering she still looked like a million bucks. How two sisters turned out as different as night and day as Lucia and Bianca was completely beyond her.
Bianca was fearful of anything different or new. Thrown into a strange situation like the one they currently lived in, her mother had doubled down on her old ways of thinking. She operated as though they would wake up back on Earth tomorrow, and resisted accepting the truth. She refused to go to the hiring office and wouldn’t talk to any Talleans. She even avoided other settlers from Earth that had arrived at Reka 5 before them.
Meanwhile, her aunt was independent and full of curiosity. Lulu would’ve had a blast here! Like Mia, she would have gotten a job right away to earn her own credits, immersed herself into the new culture and had a grand ol’ time.
“My sister never got married, never had kids. You’re thirty-four already, don’t you want children? You won’t deprive me of grandbabies, will you?”
Oh no, not this again! Mia blew out a breath. She knew that once her mom brought up the absence of grandkids, it was only a matter of time before the waterworks started. She inched towards the bathroom.
“I know you are doing this because you don’t want me to be lonely. But I can’t just latch onto any guy just to have babies.”
“Daniel isn’t just any guy!” her mom started. Mia knew what was coming.
“He’s a doctor!” They both said at the same time. Mia matched her mother’s tone to a tee. Her mother had thrown every doctor and lawyer she knew at Mia.
“Mia, he’s a great catch. Dr. Daniel Ives is the only human doctor on this entire planet! And he’s interested in you. He’s the only one here good enough for my little girl. You saw the rest of them. They are all crooks and criminals.” Her mother made a disgusted face as she flopped down onto a chair.
“You know Daniel was taken from the same prison as all the other men, right? Did you ever ask what he was in for? I bet you have no idea.”
“Well, no. But he seems a decent fellow!” It came out as a desperate wail.
“Just because
a man has letters behind his name doesn’t mean he’s a good person.”
“Doctors make a lot of money. He has a suitable job. You’ll be happy like me and your daddy!”
Bianca had gotten lucky. Mia’s dad was a lawyer. He was an upstanding man and had given them a good life. Mia knew that her mother only wanted the same for her. She just went about it the wrong way.
“Technically, he’s unemployed right now and living off the colony.”
Her mom made an exasperated sound. “Well, when we get back to Earth, you will be sorry for not giving him a chance. And anyway, he’s human. So that’s better than one of those monsters.”
Her mother feared the human convicts, but Mia knew she was completely terrified of the Talleans. She would shrink back anytime one of them got close.
“Those ‘monsters’ gave us a place to stay and welcomed us into their colony. Listen, I’m tired. I’m going to take a shower and head to bed.”
Before her mom could protest, Mia went into the bathroom and locked the door. She jumped into the cleansing unit.
Her mother wasn’t always the easiest to get along with, but Mia loved her. She just couldn’t live with her.
Besides, thirty-four was not old! Sure, she had a moment of insanity on her thirty-third birthday when she’d downed a pint of Ben and Jerry’s and cried herself to sleep in her studio apartment. But her singleness wasn’t for the lack of male interest. She went on plenty of dates and had her share of sex. She just had found no one she wanted to chain herself to for the rest of her life.
Besides, she wanted to prove to herself that she could make a life of her own without the help of any man. Now that she was shanghaied on a new world with new rules and opportunities, proving herself became even more important. She wanted to make her own decisions, go on her own adventures. She didn’t want to be tied down.
Of course, she wanted to settle down, eventually. Mia admired her aunt, but she also knew that Auntie Lulu was often lonely. Mia still wanted someone to grow old with. She wanted someone who would love her and respect her for the life she built, someone who would never ask her to give up any part of herself. But she wanted that after she made something of her life.