by Celia Kyle
“Warrior Argan?” She wasn’t sure where the brass ovaries came from, but they pushed her to go toward him, to press him for an answer. “What’s this about?”
Argan half-turned, his attention split between her and the others. He shot a glare at the males and they disappeared from sight, but she didn’t imagine they were gone.
“Many males have attended choosings.”
Choosings. Events at Preor Choosing Station Tau, where Preor and human females could meet and possibly find their mates.
“And?”
Argan’s voice dropped low, his words hoarse and rough. “And many males are less hopeful of finding a mate.” He met her eyes for a split second and then looked away. He was less hopeful. “Earth females express their distaste…”
She could just bet. “Is every Preor male happy about possibly mating with humans?” She shook her head, already knowing the answer. The battleship had almost been blown out of the sky because of warriors who disagreed with mixing species. “No, they don’t. So if Preors can have differing opinions and beliefs, can’t humans?” She moved closer, seeing the hint of vulnerability in the massive yellow male. He looked like a lost, winged puppy and she just wanted to give the big guy a hug. Instead, she laid her hand on his forearm. She pushed back the pain the touch caused and ignored the thrumming fire that filled her veins. “Not every woman is a superficial bitch. Not every woman is after status or rank or whatever else they’ve made you guys think.” She gave him a gentle squeeze, her heart breaking for him. “Don’t give up hope. Not yet.”
A deep thump came from the other side of that door. The one that separated her from Rendan. They both glanced at the sheet of metal that kept Rendan out, and then Argan met her gaze.
“As you say, Healer Car—“ She glared at him and he corrected himself. “Carla. As you say.”
He strode from the room, leaving her torn between two truths. The massive, battle-seasoned warriors were more than blade-swinging aliens. They were men, with hearts and hopes. Hopes that’d been stomped on by selfish women who were looking on the surface and not digging deeper.
The other truth? She swallowed past the growing knot in her throat. The other truth was that Rendan was on the other side of that door, his looming presence like a physical thing inside her. His nearness changed the flow of the Knowing, the jagged twists and turns now smooth and careful. They didn’t overwhelm her but merely drifted in the shadows. Nearly out of sight, but not out of reach.
Other things came to her—a sense of tension, a vibrating in her muscles that seemed to be hers, but… not?
How…
The recognition of genetically compatible mates also initiates a mental, psychic, connection between partners. The Knowing went on, describing their blunted tie. Blunted because they weren’t the same species, but that didn’t make the joining any less important.
It was simply further proof that she and Rendan belonged together.
Carla… still wasn’t sure. But apparently, they’d have time to figure things out.
Starting with dinner.
Tonight.
5
Dinner was like a blind date without the awkwardness of the “does he like me” worries. Carla knew he liked her. The Knowing pulsed in her blood and the sensual heat that slid between them was unavoidable. She’d never imagined herself tied to an alien—a massive winged male—but now she couldn’t think of anyone more perfect than Rendan.
Was that the Knowing? Pushing her to accept him regardless of her normal inclinations?
No, that new part of her rushed to give her assurances. The Knowing enhanced. It didn’t control.
But wasn’t that what an alien presence would say if it did have power over her? It could lie and—
“Carla? Is that okay?” Grace’s voice broke into her musings, snapping her back to the still uncomfortable evening in her new home. As temporary—or not—as it might be.
She shook her head and gave a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I missed that.” She flicked her gaze to Kozav—Grace’s Preor mate—and then Rendan. “What were you saying?”
Carla ignored the twin frowns coming from the men, concern etched in their faces. She’d witnessed other Preors with their mates, the males quick to suspect something was wrong if a woman so much as blinked too quickly. Drifting off during a conversation was sure to put their overprotective instincts on alert.
Could she spend the rest of her life being babied like that?
Looking at Rendan, his obvious concern coupled with what she’d learned from Grace, her ex-boss, maybe she could. To have a male—a dedicated mate worried about her happiness over his own career aspirations and love of the challenge—would be a wonderful thing.
Career aspirations… She recalled Rendan’s rank—Offense Master. Was that enough for him? How important was his job? How much did he love the challenge of war? How far was he willing to go for the rush of battle? For Carla’s father, nothing had ever taken precedence over—
“I asked if the schedule was okay with you? It’s best if you two remain on Earth and the new healing master and his mate arrived yesterday. They’re happy to work down here instead of the battleship. This way you won’t have to commute.”
Right. New healing master from Preor. The aliens wanted to spend more time learning about human anatomy and care so that mates could receive the proper medical attention when needed. Working side by side with the mated male was the first step.
And the fact that the healing master was mated? That was on purpose. So that any female who came into contact with the Preor male wouldn’t feel intimidated or concerned about sexual pressure.
“Yes, of course. Eight tomorrow?” At Grace’s nod, Carl smiled. “It beats ER hours, right?”
“Eee-R?” Rendan’s deep rumble slid through her, touching the deepest places in her body. She nearly trembled, her pussy clenching with those sensual sounds.
“Emergency Room,” Kozav supplied. “Our mates repaired humans—“
“And five Preor.” Grace quirked a brow and Kozav nodded, his expression softening to something like adoration.
“And five Preor, when sudden injuries occurred. I and four others would have died without my mate and Carla.”
Five Preor. Right. Carla remembered when Kozav and four others were shuttled into East Fortuna Medical’s emergency room and… left to die by the doctors. She and the other staff had been ordered to leave them alone. Let Preor med deal with them when they finally show up.
Carla had been too weak, too scared, to go against the shift doctor. Too afraid of losing her job.
Grace hadn’t. Grace had the strength to stand up to anyone, to push around and shove past any obstacle in her way.
“Honorable.” Rendan tipped his head. “Thank you for the lives of our warriors.”
“I didn’t—“
The soft touch of her friend’s hand on her forearm had Carla snapping her mouth closed. “You did.”
Eventually.
Carla needed to get them back on track. “Scrubs okay? I didn’t really bring much from the ship. It’s what I wore with Whelon and Yazen.”
“Perfect,” Grace beamed.
“You can purchase anything else you need, shaa—“ Rendan’s voice drew her attention and the beginning of that endearment had her pulse increasing.
He was about to say shaa kouva. My beloved.
And if he’d gotten the words out, she probably would have returned them. What did that say about her? She was ready to dive head first into a whole thing with a violent, military male at the drop of a hat.
Or rather, the rush of the Knowing.
Rendan cleared his throat before he spoke again, his tone respectful, but she couldn’t miss the wanting in his gaze. The yearning in his eyes. “I have traded a diamond for a pree-payd card. It has one hundred of your credits.”
“I, uh, have my own cred—“
Grace gave her a narrow-eyed look. Or rather, another narrow-eyed look telling her to accept
what he was giving already. “I think Rendan means one hundred thousand credits.”
Carla wheezed, breath rushing out of her lungs. “A hundred thou…”
“Is it not enough?” Rendan frowned. “I have many others. I will speak with—“
“No.” She realized she shouted and softened her tone. “No, that is…” She shook her head. “That’s more credits than I’d earn in several years. That’s more than enough. I don’t need anything.”
His face hardened. “My mate will have all she desires.”
Carla stared at him, his harsh tone familiar. Not because she’d heard him so intent in the past, but because her father sounded similar when he’d done something he wasn’t proud of and needed to make it up to her. Money was a salve to his conscience.
What did Rendan feel guilty for?
She didn’t need Grace to tell her to give in. At least for now.
Her military father had been the same way. He made a proclamation and wouldn’t be argued with in public. He wouldn’t really be argued with in private, either, but Carla refused to end up in a marriage—mating?—similar to her relationship with her dad.
She’d spent over twenty years being her dad’s doormat. She wouldn’t be Rendan’s.
“Thank you.” She really did appreciate it, even if she didn’t need that much money. “I hope it didn’t hurt you financially to part with the diamond.”
The quirk of his lips, the sparkle in his dark eyes, was the first hint of happiness she’d ever seen in him. “It is a secret to humans, but the Preor consider the diamonds nothing more than small rocks on our planet.” His small grin turned into a larger smile. “When dragonlets first discover their fire and their scales, some of their mishaps result in what Earth calls diamonds.”
Carla tilted her head. “You mean what humans are so excited about are actually just from kids being kids?”
She couldn’t help but return his wide smile, laughing along with him. They shared that snippet of mirth, gazes tied to one another, the first moment of connection between them. Their first moment… as a couple.
She felt the weight of Grace and Kozav’s stares, but she only had eyes for Rendan. Her mate. Each moment in his presence solidified that concept in her mind.
The soft tinkle of silverware snapped her out of her intense focus on her mate and back to the ongoing dinner. She flicked her attention to Grace, noticing that her friend had finished her meal. It seemed Kozav and Rendan were done as well, and Carla rose from her seat.
She grabbed Grace’s plate and her own. “Let me clear this mess away really quickly.”
And escape to catch her breath—to find her center once more.
“Oh, I can—“ Grace tried to help, but Carla whisked the dishes away before she could finish.
“I’ve got it!” She didn’t care if she was hiding from Rendan. She simply needed a second alone.
Carla placed the two plates in the sink and then stared at the metal pipe that rose from the edge. A quick turn of a knob and water flowed from the spigot.
Real water. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed real water in any capacity. Definitely not to wash dishes. The clear liquid cascaded over the soiled plates, rinsing away some of the remnants of dinner. She grabbed a wash block, designed to work with water. Between the rough surface and the cleanser it held, it was supposed to wash dishes.
She wondered how often she could do the chore, her fingers experiencing the flow of clean water through them. She let the liquid soak into the wash block before she lifted a fork and scrubbed. A heavy, ground-shaking thud told her someone approached, and her nerves vibrated. They trembled while she waited to see who drew nearer.
There were only two options—Kozav or Rendan. Which did she prefer? Carla thought about it and… couldn’t decide. There were pros and cons to each male.
Then it didn’t matter because a large, pink-winged warrior came around the corner and entered the kitchen, plates in his hands. He paused just inside the threshold, standing uneasily in the smaller space. Well, smaller than the rest of the apartment anyway. It was still larger than anything she’d had in the past.
Though, she figured this would be normal for a Preor. What with the whole wing clearance thing.
She decided she’d have to be the one who got the relationship ball rolling. If she knew anything about military men, they were cautious when an outcome was not guaranteed. If that was the case, she’d be waiting forever for him to reach out.
“He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not will be victorious.” Sun Tzu and the Art of War, her father’s favorite book. Thousands of years old and it still applied today, he’d said. Carla practically knew its teachings by heart. Not on purpose, of course. But… yeah.
“Hi.” She took a step toward him. “You didn’t have to do that,” she held out her hands to take the soiled plates, “but thanks.”
Rendan shook his head. “No, you cooked and I shall clean.”
He said the words as if they’d been drilled into him and she smiled, recognizing Grace’s hand in this. Grace and Kozav were both being amazing friends with this situation, helping her and Rendan navigate this weird initial meeting. If it hadn’t been for the way they’d met, him half-crazed by pain and finding her while she was scared out of her mind, the couple wouldn’t be needed.
But, shit happened. And now they were working to get back on the right footing.
“How about you help me?” She raised her eyebrows with the question.
He narrowed his eyes, doubting her. “This is a trick. Kozav has warned me that—“
Carla couldn’t help it. She laughed out loud, shaking her head with the giggle. Those eyes narrowed further and she tried to speak between laughs. “I’m sorry, it’s just…” she giggled and snorted. So not attractive. “It’s just that you’re so like a…” A man. But he wasn’t. He was male. She swallowed her remaining chuckles. “Human men are usually skeptical around women, too. That’s all. You just… surprised me.”
He tilted his head, confusion in his eyes, and he looked so like a befuddled puppy. “I am a Preor warrior—the offense master. I am trained to be wary, but I do not wish to be so with you. Yet Kozav has warned…”
She went to him, slowly taking the plates. “I’m sure there will be times when he’s right. At the moment, it’d be great to have your help with the dishes.” She placed the plates in the sink and grabbed a nearby towel, holding it out to him like an olive branch. “I’ll wash. You dry.”
Rendan stared at her a moment longer, gaze searching hers. One second ticked past and then another, and then he moved toward her, pulling the towel out of her grasp.
“Very well.”
The door to Carla’s apartment slid closed behind Primary Warrior Kozav and Grace, leaving Rendan alone with his mate.
His mate. He did not like that they did not share the same dwelling, but nothing more than a door separated them now. If needed, he could be at her side in a matter of moments. He would not be in her bed, but he could still protect her.
His Carla sat on a couch, leaning against the arm rest with her legs curled beneath her. The tension and worry she had shown when he had arrived were now gone. They had faded slowly as the night progressed, finally vanishing when he ended up with a face covered in soapy water.
Her laugh—even if it was at his expense—was something beautiful to behold. It tinkled with joy, dancing through the air and filling his ears like music. He wanted that sound in his life until he took his final flight, until he joined the stars in the skies for eternity.
Carla sighed and propped her chin on her palm, elbow on the armrest. The sound wrapped around his cock, his length hardening within his katoth pants. He was glad Kozav recommended the thick material of his uniform for the evening instead of something less formal. Not because he wished to show his status, but because it would hide some of his need from her view.
And he needed. Desperately. From the moment he’d woken withou
t her, he’d been filled with an unquenchable desire for his mate.
Now he had her near him. Close, but not close enough.
Patience, Grace had said.
Rendan was the fleet’s offense master—he was a master of patience, of when to wait and when to strike.
It was not time to strike. Yet.
To distract himself from her lush body, the vision of her curved breasts due to the low neck of her top, he stared at the setting sun in the distance. Summer grew nearer, sunset not arriving until after eight in the evening. The rays painted the sky in shades of pink, purple, and yellow.
A sigh came from his Carla and he glanced at her, seeing her attention was focused on the sunset as well.
“You like watching sunsets, shaa—“ he cut off the endearment once more. Patience. “Carla?”
“They’re beautiful.” Her small smile had him throbbing even harder, his body aching even more. “They’re the end of a day. Good or bad, that’s the end and tomorrow starts a new one. Like, hope. Possibilities.” She shrugged. “Who knows what tomorrow will bring?”
“Only the skies,” he murmured and refocused on the world outside the small apartment.
The balcony door stood open, letting the cool breeze from the sea slide over his skin. He’d hoped the coldness would dampen some of his craving. But it did not. Another gust brushed against him, the salted air sliding over his wings, and they twitched with the drying of his scales. He would have to spread oil over his wings before he retired for the night. The sea air was refreshing and a challenge when flying, but stinging and drying.
“Rendan?” He turned his attention to her once more.
“Hmmm?” She should not speak ever again. Not unless she wished to have him buried inside her for hours.
“Do you… What…” Her face flushed red. Embarrassment.
He was not sure why she felt such emotion, but she should not. “Yes?”
He would say yes to whatever she desired if it meant being at her side. Until they were tied together, completely bound, he would strive to be as close as possible.