by Lynnea Lee
He hoped it was enough to convince her.
“I’m not looking forward to dealing with my mom tonight anyhow,” she said. “Tomorrow it is.”
They finished their meal. More accurately, Mia ate what she could, and Arus finished the rest of it.
As they got up to go, Mia giggled, and Arus looked questioningly at her.
“I just imagined the look on my mom’s face when she sees you,” she explained. “If she knew where I am and who I’m with right now, she would throw a hissy fit and pee her pants at the same time. She is both afraid of and hates anything new. She will probably faint if you tap your claws at her.”
“How is it she is so different from you?” he asked. “You are brave and curious. You don’t shrink back from new and alien things.”
“Nope,” she said, popping the “P.” A mischievous smile ghosted across her face. “I prefer to jump on them. I would love to jump on you!”
He growled. “You are nothing but trouble, my saucy dumpling. You think it’s fun to tease? Wait till we get back to the inn.”
“Promises, promises.”
They didn’t head back to the inn right away. The transport took them instead to a hill facing away from the bulk of the settlement. Arus sat down crossed legged and pulled Mia into his lap, careful to avoid hurting her with the claws on his feet. Reclining back on his chest, Mia sighed, contented. His arms wrapped protectively around her, and she felt safe and wanted. Even the chill of the evening air couldn’t touch her through the heat emanating from his massive body. All was right in the world.
They watched the sunset in silence. Mia traced the mesmerizing display of colors as they spanned across the horizon, each layer fading into the next in a seamless gradient. It was so beautiful and so familiar. How many times had she seen a similar performance far away on a small blue-green planet?
Suddenly, she felt homesick. She thought of her tiny west-facing apartment and how she used to stand on the balcony and watch the day end. She thought of her cat, Louie, and hoped that he survived the two-story jump to freedom once his automatic feeder and waterer ran out. She would never pet Louie again. She missed Daddy and his horrible jokes. She missed Aunt Lulu. She missed everyone.
Mia had been putting on a brave face since the day they took her, mostly because she needed to hold it together to keep her mother from falling apart. Now, sitting in the big mercenary’s lap, she felt the shield she worked so hard to build crumble. Her body shook. A painful sob escaped her lips.
Not now, Mia! she screamed at herself. Don’t you dare fall apart now!
She didn’t want Arus to remember her as the crazy lady who got all emotional on him. But the harder she tried to stop the tears, the more insistently they came.
“Mia.” Arus turned her sideways on his lap and looked her in the face. “What is wrong? Are you hurt?”
Mia shook her head. She didn’t trust herself to speak, didn’t trust the waterworks not to turn into an all-out bawl fest.
“Tell me what is wrong? I will fix it.” Arus seemed so sure, like he could just wave a hand and make everything all right. Mia wanted so badly to believe him.
“I miss my home,” she replied. “This sunset reminds me of Earth.”
“Oh, Mia,” he said. He pulled her close and wrapped around her again.
Mia wiped the traitorous tears from her eyes and recomposed herself.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be crying on you. You probably think I’m some whiny, useless girl.”
“No. You’ve been through a lot. You haven’t let yourself mourn. I’m flattered you feel safe enough with me to cry,” Arus said. “Cry all you need, little dumpling.”
He held her close, and Mia buried her face against his chest. They stayed that way until the sun dipped below the horizon and the stars claimed the night sky.
Finally, Arus spoke. “You see that cluster of stars over there?” He pointed to a series of five stars. “The bottom star is the sun Tal revolves around. I wasn’t born on Tal. I was born on one of the inner Dominion planets; I went to visit the mountains on Tal once when I was a boy. It was where my grandfather’s father came from. The planet I was born on was simply called Colony 2.”
“Wow, the Dominion is very original,” Mia noted sarcastically.
Arus chuckled and then continued, “Like you, I will never set foot on the planet of my childhood again.” Then he pointed at the sky again. “Somewhere there is the allied compound. It is a base for an alliance of mercenaries and merchants. The crew of the Defiant consider that home base.”
“Allied mercenaries? How does that work?” Mia asked, curiosity piqued.
“We share the jobs. Each crew takes the ones they are best suited for. We bail each other out of tough situations when we need to. Sometimes we trade crew members depending on whom we need for what job. Each crew gets to keep most of what they make, but a portion goes back to the compound.”
“If you are all on your ships, who lives in the compound?” Mia asked.
“Retired mercs and merchants. Also, mates and young ones.”
“Mates? Sala said mercs rarely take mates.” The words came out before Mia had the chance to filter them out. She hoped he didn’t read too much into it.
Arus answered with hesitation. “That’s one reason we formed the alliance. The compound offers a safe haven for mates to raise children. Few Tallean females enjoy living in space. Because of the compound, they can still spend time with their mates between missions. They can also join the males on their ship if they want to. Many males still prefer their mates on board with them. It’s a compromise.”
“I see. So, how did you end up working on the Defiant? You said you grew up in an inner colony. Sala told me her story. It seems difficult to get out.”
Arus didn’t speak for a moment.
“If it’s too private, it’s okay,” Mia assured him. “I don’t mean to pry.”
“No, it’s fine,” Arus said and started his story. “Many of the crew members working on the Defiant grew up in the outer planets or even in the alliance compound itself. But Vore and I came from Colony 2. My family didn’t have much to our name, but I showed a strong propensity for the sciences as a young male. The Dominion took children with special talents into their academies on scholarships. It was the only way for me to get an education. They trained me to be a chemist.”
Mia studied the big brawny male next to her. It surprised her he had gotten a scholarship on brainpower alone. Arus had both brains and brawn.
“My parents were never true believers of the Goddess’s teachings, but they taught me how to act and behave in public like the perfect citizen of the Dominion from a very young age.
“I met Vore in the academy. He was in engineering. We were both assigned to specialize in weapons, and shared a dorm. It soon became obvious we were very similar and believed in the same things.
“Graduates of the academy were expected to join the Dominion military. As specialists, we would have started with well-paying jobs. But we didn’t want to develop weapons for the Dominion. We talked about disappearing to the outer planets and starting over instead of joining the fleet. I was hesitant. I wanted to give my family a better life by sending home my earnings.”
He paused. Mia sat sideways on his lap with one arm around his neck. She reached up and scratched his scalp lightly with her fingertips. Arus leaned into her hands and closed his eyes.
He continued his story. “During a visit home, I confided in my parents what Vore and I planned. They encouraged me to leave if I could. They didn’t want to be the reason I lost the opportunity for freedom.
“I received a notice soon after. My parents had gone missing. Two days before the notice, they left me a message telling me to follow my dreams and to not worry about them.” He opened his eyes to look at her. “And so here I am.”
The big Tallean male just opened his heart to her. Mia didn’t feel so alone anymore.
&nbs
p; “I’m glad you’re here.” Mia meant every word of it.
Mia laid on the bed with Arus spooning her from behind. His breathing was slow and even. But Mia couldn’t sleep. They had an amazing evening, wonderful food, beautiful sunset, great sex, and even better company. She never felt this happy and connected with anyone before in her life. That was a bad thing. A very bad thing. Mia didn’t want to catch feelings. Arus wouldn’t be at Reka 5 for long.
What if he asked her to join him on the Defiant? Would she do it? Would she leave the life she just started carving out for herself and live tucked away on a ship? What about staying at the compound and waiting for him to come home after every mission?
Stop! Mia chided herself. That was not going to happen. He came to have some fun. This was just a prolonged wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am. She shouldn’t even think about what-ifs. He only shared about his life because she was being an emotional wreck!
She closed her eyes again and willed herself to sleep.
Arus took slow, deliberate breaths and tried to stay extremely still. Mia was still awake, and Arus knew it. Unlike last night when Mia had slept soundly, tonight she tossed and turned. Something was keeping her up. He wished he knew how to fix it for her.
His original plan had been to bed her and get her out of his system. He knew now how silly that was. The more time he spent with her, the more time he wanted. Yesterday, he had tried to compromise by asking her to see him again; maybe he needed just one more night to get enough of her. But that hadn’t help at all. He still felt irrationally possessive. Again, he pleaded for just one more night.
Like all Talleans, Arus heard stories growing up about the mating bond and how it manifested in couples. Usually, when one party felt a mating bond, the other would start feeling the same. It took time for the bond to develop for both sides. Arus knew that he was developing a mating bond with Mia. He rubbed at his chest. He had never felt it before, but he recognized it all the same.
Mia was human. Humans did not experience the mating bond.
His captain, Zeylum, had been lucky. His female fell in love with him and decided to stay and become his mate. Even without the bond, Ashe was willing to give up planetary life and stay with his captain in space. Even without the bond, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Why? Because she loved him.
Would Mia ever love him? Mia, with her dull teeth and creaseless face. Mia, with her little feet and no claws.
Arus knew the smart thing to do was to stop seeing Mia completely, to stop the bond from progressing. He didn’t know if he could do it. No, he decided, he couldn’t.
In his arms, Mia shifted. Arus reached over to pull her closer. He felt Mia’s body relax, and soon her breathing slowed, and she slept.
CHAPTER SEVEN
If her mother’s voice got any shriller, Mia would have to shield herself from shattering windows.
“Mia Angela Rossi, where were you last night?”
Her mom just used her full name, so things were not looking good.
“I got back to the room, and both of you were gone. And the good doctor has been avoiding me since.”
They were standing at the door to her room, and a crowd was building up in the hallway to watch. Mia hated being the center of attention like this. She was going to die of embarrassment. She wished a portal to hell would open up under her feet and just swallow her whole. Even hell would be better than this, she decided. Bianca never purposefully tried to embarrass Mia; she was just painfully unaware that other people were present, especially when she was riled up.
“You can’t just leave and go off like that! I worked so hard to get you set up with Dr. Ives.”
Mia was done responding to her mother. It wasn’t worth the words. She tried to go into their room but was blocked again. She wondered why her mother couldn’t at least scream at her inside their room where there wasn’t an audience.
“Let me through,” Mia grounded out through clenched teeth.
Bianca stood her ground, and Mia was tempted to just push her out of the way.
“Ma’am, please let Mia through.” Arus took a step forward and stood next to Mia. For the first time, her mother noticed the imposing male.
Her mother froze, shocked, and terrified. Her mouth hung open. If it weren’t for the door frame she was leaning on, it looked as though she would collapse from fear.
“Let me through,” Mia repeated.
Her mother just stared at Arus as if he was about to attack her.
Great, more awkwardness and embarrassment.
“Tal…, Tal…,” Her mother stuttered. She looked down, saw Arus’s large talons, and went mute.
Good! Mia needed silence.
“Yes, I’m tall,” Arus agreed. It wasn’t what her mother tried to say, but Mia didn’t correct him. Arus continued, “I’m her bodyguard. Mia was attacked last night. The guard left her with me to keep her safe.”
Mia noticed as Arus stoop slightly, giving himself a less menacing countenance.
“I’m just escorting her so she can safely pick up her stuff. There are males here who are dangerous to lone females. I do not want her to be attacked again.”
Her mother finally recovered her aplomb.
“Well!” her mother huffed. “See Mia. This is what happens when you run off. If you had just stayed with Dr. Ives, you wouldn’t have been attacked.”
Oh, that was it. Seeing red, Mia couldn’t hold her tongue anymore. All the pent-up frustration from every horrible date and awkward situation her mother had ever put her through spilled out in an angry verbal mess.
“Mom, will you please shut up! Dr. Ives was the asshole who attacked me. He attacked me because he thought I was a lesbian. He tried to rape me to turn me straight. You put me in that room with him. You gave him the idea I was a lesbian. You want to blame someone? Blame yourself! This is all your fault!”
“But, but—” her mother sputtered.
“I’m not staying here. If the doctor is so good, why don’t you marry him?” Mia knew she sounded immature, but she was past caring. “Now quit blocking the door with your fat ass and let me get my stuff. I’m moving out.”
Her mother gasped.
“Move!” Mia was this close to just barging through the blocked door.
“Ma’am.” Arus voice was calm. He took another step forward towards the door, and Bianca scrambled back to keep away from him.
“Yup, just scramble away from the big scary alien,” Mia said, rolling her eyes. “Because we all know that all aliens are horrible monsters who would never protect a woman. I’m sick of your prejudice!”
Mia grabbed all her things and stuffed them angrily into the bag Arus lent her.
“I wish Auntie Lulu was here instead of you!”
She stomped out the door, still seeing red. She didn’t stop or slow down until she was at the entrance to the housing office. Mia paused with her hand on the door. She blew out a breath and looked apologetically at Arus.
“That didn’t go well, did it?” She deflated. “I just exploded at her.”
He squeezed her shoulder. “She was being difficult.”
“Tell me about it,” Mia said dully. “I think it’s my fault. I let her do this my whole life and never stood up for myself. I didn’t mean to just blow up in her face. She blamed me for being attacked, and I just lost it. She didn’t even ask if I was okay!”
“It’s not your fault.”
“I know.” She bit her fingernails, a habit that came back when stressed.
“Mia!” It was Sala. “I caught the tail end of that exchange. Are you alright?”
Sala caught her in a hug. Mia was glad her friend was here.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she assured Sala. “I’m just going to see about a new room assignment.”
They went into the housing office, and Mia greeted the same blonde who had helped her last time: the one she saw at the bath. Mia squinted at her name tag.
&nbs
p; “Hey Angie, I sent a message yesterday asking for a room change. Were you able to assign me another room?”
“Yes, I got the message. It’s Mia, right?”
Mia nodded.
“This sounds cliché, but I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I found some openings for you. The bad news is that all the openings are roomed with men, except for one.”
Arus growled behind her.
“Mia was just attacked by a human male yesterday. It is not safe for her to live with one.”
“That was you, eh? I heard about it. I’m sorry you had to go through that.” Angie looked around, making sure no one else was in the room. “I know you came in with the new group from Earth, but honestly, we’ve been having some trouble with a few men from that group. The ones already here are escaped slaves like myself. We understand how good we have it here and how bad it could be. We’ve had time to come to terms with living the rest of their lives away from Earth. This new group? Some of them are still talking about going back to Earth. They are too fresh and have no respect for the colony. You get me?”
“Yeah, I do. My mother dragged me to a meeting yesterday, where they were complaining about things here and trying to find ways to get home. I hated every moment.”
Angie looked at Arus and Sala. “I’m glad you are not having any trouble settling in. You’re making friends and learning the culture. I even saw you at the baths the other day!” She gave Mia a cheerful smile. “You’ll do fine here!”
“Thanks.” Mia appreciated her vote of confidence.
Arus’s comm beeped. “It’s Director Ryek. It’s probably about the fencing issue. I have to take this.”
He stepped outside.
“You said all the rooms available are shared with men, except for one. What about that one?” asked Mia.
“It’s not available for four more days.”
“That sucks, but I’ll take it. I’ll figure something out until then.”
“Perfect! It’s yours then. Come back in four days, and I’ll have the keys ready for you.” Angie pressed a few buttons on her touch screen. “Done! What are you planning to do until the room is ready? Are you going to stay with that hottie out there?” she asked, clearly referring to Arus.