by Lynnea Lee
Holden lived just below Ryek’s more extensive suite. Despite being the colony director, Ryek had never moved out of the guard’s housing complex. Ryek would approve of having Angie with them instead of alone at her apartment.
They arrived in front of the guard housing, and Angie woke as the vehicle slowed to a stop.
“Oops! You accidentally drove me to your home.”
“It wasn’t an accident. You are staying with me.”
She frowned. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I really should get home.”
“You don’t have a choice, Trouble. Now, are you coming, or do I have to carry you? We both know I can carry you up to my place with one arm.”
“But I don’t want to go to your place.”
“Fine, we can both head up to Ryek’s and wait for him there. He’s only one floor up, and I have his access code.”
She looked at him suspiciously. “We’ve tried this before with other males, Holden. The sex was great, but things got awkward after. You got jealous.”
“I don’t feel that jealousy when you are with Ryek. You know of mating bonds that didn’t trigger because the couple was supposed to be a triad. Maybe that’s what has been stopping our bond.” He knew he sounded hopeful. Holden had mean to talk to Ryek about it, but things kept cropping up.
Her face crumpled.
“Stop, Holden. Just don’t go there. I’ve given up on this mating thing. It’s not going to happen. And as much as I’ve enjoyed the two of you teasing me, I don’t think we should do this. Those guys we invited into our bed before, we never saw them afterward, not even as friends. I don’t want to fuck up your friendship with Ryek.”
Holden didn’t want to hear it; her fears were unfounded. He continued pulling her towards his apartment. She chewed on her lip, hesitating at the door. Holden didn’t plan on letting her back out now. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.
“Ugh! You barbarian.” But she didn’t struggle, though he wished she had. When she struggled, it usually ended up as foreplay.
He strode into his home, carried her to his room, and dumped her on the bed.
Angie knew better than to struggle when Holden got this way. Struggling just got him to manhandle her body more aggressively, getting them both turned on. She tried another play instead. “Fine. But I’m taking a shower right now, alone. I didn’t have time this morning for a shower, and I stink.”
But instead of letting her up, Holden pushed her flat and buried his nose into her stomach. “You don’t stink. You smell like mine.” A purring sounded from his chest.
Angie shoved at the top of his head. She didn’t want to encourage him. She had made a promise to herself that she wouldn’t do this again just this morning!
His comm buzzed, and Holden swore. “Fuck!” He punched the mattress next to her. He squinted at the offending device. “Shit! Someone is fucking with the perimeter fence. Ryek and I put up hidden cameras, we thought we’d caught the culprit already, but it’s happening again. You stay right here, Trouble. Don’t you fucking move.” Then he stormed out of the apartment.
Saved by the buzzer! She ignored Holden’s request for her not to move and jumped into the cleanser unit. Angie knew what Holden was up to. He was still trying to find the thing, or in this case, the person that would trigger his mating bond. Angie didn’t want to disappoint him. Ryek wasn’t a sure deal, and it wasn’t worth the possible fallout if things didn’t work out.
Though she wasn’t sure if she already did that by spending time with Ryek today. But Holden practically threw her at him, so it wasn’t really her fault. Was it? She knew she shouldn’t feel guilty, but it didn’t help the knot forming in her stomach at the thought of messing up their decade-old rapport.
Turning off the water, she let the air from the ceiling vets dry her hair and body. She bent over and turned her head upside down, allowing it to dry that way gave volume to her straight blonde hair. She hoped Holden didn’t walk in on her like this, bent over, it would be near impossible to stop his ardor then.
Hair dried, Angie contemplated her next move. She had to go out there and face Holden eventually. She poked her head out, but Holden was still nowhere to be seen. She could take off now and walk over to her apartment, it was dark out, but it was relatively safe in the colony. A sense of guilt crept in, but Angie pushed it back.
Just this morning, Angie had promised herself not to give in to the temptation of falling into bed with Holden again. What a failure she would be if she couldn’t even keep that promise for one day!
She dressed quickly, checking to make sure she had her keys and comm, and rushed out the door. This walk again, twice in the same day. She really needed to quit this habit.
Holden thought she went home with the males she picked up at the baths. But the truth was, she went for food with them after and nothing more. Angie just made a show of leaving with other males so that Holden would let her go. But she hadn’t let go herself. She hadn’t been tempted by any other male. Until Ryek, that was.
Her body had come alive under Ryek’s touch. And she felt so guilty. Angie still cared about Holden a lot, and Ryek was literally the worst possible person she could sleep with if she didn’t want to hurt him. What the fuck had she gotten herself into?
She suddenly felt cornered by the two males. She had to get away. Her fingers itched, and she took out her comm. On an impulse, she messaged Ryek.
Ryek, I’m sorry. But I don’t think we should see each other anymore. Please put me with another team for training.
Angie.
It was for the best. The only way to be fair was to stop seeing both of them. She needed to be firm. Her wishy-washy behavior had ruined hers and Holden’s life for long enough.
A message from Holden buzzed on her phone as she unlocked her door.
Where the fuck are you, Trouble? You get your ass back here, or I’ll blister it good next time I see you.
The white words were bold against the dark background. There was going to be hell to pay next time Holden got his hands on her; if he got his hands on her.
All she texted back was:
Goodnight.
Chapter 7
Holden had an inkling she was gone before he even got to the door. The hallway to Angie’s apartment scented of her, and the trail was recent. Still, he knocked on the door. Nothing. He had gotten up at the crack of dawn to hunt her down. She owed him for disappearing on him last night. Putting his ear onto the door, he listened. Again, nothing.
He still had her key. He had never given it back, and she probably didn’t even know he still had it. He hadn’t used it in years, and it seemed a bit wrong to use it now. But one thought of how he had gone home last night and found her gone, and Holden decided to use every trick he had. Fuck being fair.
As expected, her apartment was empty. She must have gotten up right at daybreak just to avoid him.
On a whim, he grabbed a large overnight bag from her dresser, the one she used to bring over to his place, and stuffed it full of clean clothes and some personal hygiene products. Until this mess with the Dominion was over, he wanted Angie over at his place, or at Ryek’s.
He was sure that Ryek would agree. What if the Dominion sent more forces than was reported? These next few days could be their last, and Holden wanted to spend as much of it with his not-quite-mate, and his friend, as possible.
Locking her place back up, Holden followed her trail out to the road. It disappeared where she had gotten into a transport.
He brainstormed all the places she could be. Maybe she didn’t check her comm and didn’t know that she didn’t need to head into work today. Ryek had shut down the new colonist and housing office until further notice. There was no reason for the housing office to be open right now. With the Dominion’s threat looming, no one should be moving homes, and they hadn’t taken in any new colonists recently.
He made the short drive over to her workplace. She w
asn’t there either. But he had expected that.
Angie recently started a habit of visiting the Daily Dose now that Crox hired Isabella as a barista. He headed there next.
“Hello, Holden!” Ever cheery, Isabella was an eccentric, older Earth female with thick glasses. Despite having access to the technology to fix her eyesight, she preferred to keep her glasses on, claiming it was part of her charm. At least she had gotten the frames fixed, and they no longer needed thick, white tape at the bridge. “How can I help you today?”
A quick glance around told him that Angie wasn’t here. Maybe she had already left.
Since he was already here, he ordered a crown puff, a local pastry.
“I’m looking for Angie. Have you seen her around?”
“No. Angie hasn’t been around,” Isabella said as she removed the pastry from the case and handed it to him. “I’ll let her know you’re looking for her if she comes by.”
“Thank you, Isabella.”
Holden was sure Angie already knew he was looking for her. He walked back out to his vehicle.
Last night, when they had rushed to the location of the tampered fence, the perpetrator had already left. They knew who it was, one of their own guards, a male Holden had even trained with a few times. They had video evidence. This guard had not reported in to train his assigned group yesterday, and two other guards had stepped up to take the extra colonists.
They had been unable to track him down. He had used olfactinull, a scent deadening compound to mask his trail. They’d broken the door to the guard’s room, but it had been empty, completely stripped of his belongings as if he had never lived there.
Holden hated knowing the there was an enemy among their midst, one that they had once trusted. It was even worse now that Angie was nowhere to be found. He needed to know that she was safe. She had a way of courting trouble.
Angie reached her arms up in a long, slow stretch as she eyed the patrons at the baths. She usually visited the baths after work, but after receiving the notice that the housing office was closed today, she’d left bright and early to enjoy herself. A hunch told her that either Holden or Ryek would come knocking at her door this morning, and she wanted to be well away if and when they showed up.
“Over here!”
Angie followed the sound to the mass of flame-red hair; Samantha waved wildly at her from inside a medium-sized tub. She sat with the rest of her crew. In their midst was a woman Angie hadn’t seen last night.
She waved back and headed towards the group.
“I’m so sorry, but I totally forgot your name. I met so many people yesterday.” Samantha looked apologetic.
“It’s Angie. And no worries, I’m horrible with names too. I remember you, Samantha, but I don’t remember the names of anyone else on your crew.”
“You can just call me Sammy. This is Bax, my mate.” Samantha smiled up at the Tallean male she was sitting between the legs of. Then she gestured to the other two aliens sitting across from them. “And this is Toren and Casch.”
Angie nodded to each of the males, repeating their names.
“And this is Kiana,” Samantha said, jerking her thumb at the gorgeous woman with long dark hair and perfectly tanned skin.
“Hey, Kiana.”
“Come join us in the bath.” Sammy grinned.
Angie slipped into the spot next to Bax and Samantha, humming happily as the hot water enveloped her body. “Nothing like a hot bath.”
“This is my first bath since Earth. It’s bliss. I heard so much about Reka 5 when I was a slave. I’m so glad I finally get to see it for myself.”
“Many places are closed right now, and everything else closes early. I found out this morning I didn’t have work so I decided to visit all my favourite places. Things will be so much better without the Dominion looming overhead.
“You need to come back once things are back to normal.” Angie paused, suddenly acutely aware that things might never go back to normal if the Dominion get a foothold on the colony. “If things go back to normal.”
It was Bax who spoke. “Don’t give up yet. Reka 5 has a lot of supporters. Many are willing to come to your aid because we want this colony to survive.” He gazed lovingly at his mate. “We wish to settle here one day.”
Kiana spoke up as well. “I’m considering staying here too. Sooner, rather than later.”
Across from Angie, Casch growled. Kiana ignored him. “I heard there’s a great refreshment bar nearby.”
“There is. I’m heading there after the baths. They serve something similar to iced coffee. Don’t say that to any coffee connoisseurs, but it hits the spot for me. You guys should come with.” Angie loved making new friends, one of the reasons she loved her job at the housing office. She got to meet all the new colonists coming into Reka 5 and make sure they felt welcomed.
“Why don’t you females go,” Bax said. “We had a message come in earlier this morning, and Director Ryek has more work for us. We will come to pick you up after.”
Ryek. That reminded Angie of the awkward situation she found herself in. She couldn’t avoid both males forever. And did she even want to avoid them? And was it even possible? Her track record for avoiding Holden was abysmal. She would guess that Ryek was probably even harder to elude, especially with her body reacting so explosively to him.
But now was not the time to agonize about their predicament. She came here to relax. Angie closed her eyes and leaned back onto the ledge, letting the water swirl around her. The next few days were going to be uncertain, and she wanted to enjoy this moment before it all went to shit.
“Angie, my dear! Come here and let me give you a hug!” Isabella walked around the counter and clasped Angie in a warm embrace. “I see you brought new friends. By the way, Holden was looking for you earlier.”
“I thought he might look for me here.” Angie shot Isabella a conspiratorial grin. “I went to the baths instead.” Then she noticed the older woman’s new dye job. Isabella’s grey roots had been coming through strong. She now had bright red hair again. “And I see you found some hair dye.”
“I did!” Isabella pushed up her heavy, cat-eyed frames. Then to Samantha, “Another redhead! Though you are a natural. Me, I need the box dye to keep my red now.”
Angie introduced everyone, and they sat down for some pastries and refreshments. Since it was quiet at the shop, Isabella joined them at the table.
Samantha paused mid-sip. “This is good! It’s like a hazelnut latte but nuttier and fresher.”
“It is! It’s my favorite.” Angie inhaled the complex aroma of her hot drink, getting a face full of steam. Like coffee, the nutty beverage called joulka, gave her a little bit of pep. But it never made her jittery. She turned to Isabella. “How do you like working here?”
“Oh, it’s a living. And it helps that Crox is so easy on the eyes.” Isabella’s face took on a dreamy look for a moment before a look of utter frustration kicked in. “But we aren’t on speaking terms right now.”
“Crox owns the Daily Dose,” Angie explained to the two newcomers. “Why? What happened? Did you two fight? I thought things were going well between you two.”
“He was pissed when I showed up in his training session. He insisted I stay hidden away with the children and the elderly! Can you believe it?” Her voice rose to a shrill pitch. “I’m not that old!”
Angie had never seen Isabella angry before. She was usually very cheerful.
“Ouch! Only the real elderly are staying with the children. But I’m sure it’s only because he’s worried about you.”
“These Tallean males can get overprotective sometimes,” Sammy agreed.
“You’re telling me,” said Kiana.
“I’m not going to hide in a basement when I could shoot some Dominion ass!”
All three younger females agreed.
“Where is old Crox right now?” Angie asked.
“He’s temporarily back on gu
ard duty.” The older lady’s face was very expressive, and her worry showed despite her anger. “But enough about me.” She turned to Samantha and Kiana. “Tell me how life is in space.”
Then the conversation shifted over to the adventures and experiences the two women were having on the Nimble Star.
The door to the Daily Dose opened, and they all looked up at the new patron. The male was in a guard’s uniform, but it looked dirty, and his hair was a mess, hanging loose to his mid-back. The security guards on Reka 5 usually had their hair tied back and out of the way. The scowl on his face spoke of bad news.
Isabella stood to greet her new customer, smoothing out her apron. “How can I help you?”
But the sentry ignored her. He scanned the area, his eyes landing on Angie. A sense of unease settled in the pit of her stomach, and she shrank low in her chair.
Isabella tried again. “What’s going on? Is there an emergency?”
The guard stalked towards Angie and, without warning, gripped her roughly by the hair and pulled her up to standing. She hissed, her hands shooting up to protect her hair from being ripped out.
“What are you doing?” Isabella demanded.
But again, no answer, as the guard dragged her out of the Daily Dose.
Chapter 8
Ryek followed behind Bax and his crew as they entered the meeting room. He knew where Angie was now. She was spending time with the females from the Nimble Star at the Daily Dose. It was just like Angie to make new friends with possible future colonists. She really was the one female welcoming committee to Reka 5.
Bax’s comm buzzed, and he dug it out of his pocket. His mate’s frightened face showed on the screen. Something was wrong, and Ryek’s first thought was that Angie was with them.