It wasn't just because she hadn't had sex in three years, but she was beginning to feel like she had just encountered one of the bravest men in the galaxy. Sysko was a hero. A man of high moral standards. Someone who had been fighting the scourge of the cyborgs for decades.
She let out a long sigh, just thinking about him. The look in his eyes. The set of his jaw. The way that he grinned at her. She rested her cheek in her palm, thinking about his dark eyes while picking at a thread on the old chair.
“You've got it really bad now,” Lottie teased.
“You know, Sysko is a hero?” she said.
“I've known that for absolutely ages. It's you that’s just getting around to it.”
“You understand why I was skeptical, don't you?” Freda asked.
“Sure. Healthy skepticism is important. You taught me that. But bull-headedness is a whole different story.”
“I wasn’t being bullheaded,” Freda said dreamily.
She didn't want to turn into a gushing twelve-year-old, but she felt that she was definitely headed in that direction. Sysko was handsome, powerful, strong, brave and good. What more could a girl want in a man? There was the little question of the transformation ritual. And she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to go through that. Even if that was the only way she could truly be with Sysko.
“I agreed to go out on another date with him,” she said. “But that's all. No one has gone through the transformation in millions of years. You do realize how frightening that is, right?” Freda asked.
“I can see how you would feel that way,” Lottie said.
“What if something goes wrong? What if the simulations weren’t correct? What if I get hurt or turn into a mutant?”
“What could be more important than love?” Lottie asked.
“Living, maybe?” Freda said.
“I guess you're right,” Lottie conceded with a smirk. “But you don't have any reason to believe that the transformation will kill you.”
“All I know is that when I kissed Sysko, it felt like my whole soul opened up. I don't know how he did it. But I am beginning to believe. Even though I liked him before. I genuinely did. He happens to be the most attractive man that I have ever spoken to in person. That certainly doesn't hurt. But the idea of being transformed into a dragon still doesn't sit well with me. I have things to do. I have a life to live and important work to continue. And I don't know how I feel about being our alien saviors’ science project.”
“I doubt that Sysko thinks of you as a science project,” Lottie said.
“I know he doesn't,” Freda admitted.
After the kiss, he had held her close and patted her back gently as they looked out onto the boats in the harbor. It was the most romantic moment of her life and she could no longer deny her deep longing to be with Sysko. She stood from the chair and started toward the bedroom, but stopped and turned back to Lottie.
“Sysko promised to find out what happened to our parents,” Freda said.
“If anyone can find them, it would be the Admiral.”
“The Draxos certainly have superior technology,” Freda said. “Sysko invited me to tour the spaceship on our next date. I have to admit that I am excited to go.”
“Why didn't you go tonight?” Lottie asked. “Spaceships seem like they’d be your thing.”
“I’m busy. I'm still working on my robotics experiments for my dissertation.”
“Why do you still care about your dissertation? You’re the fated mate of the Admiral of entire Draxos space navy. You can do anything you want with your life now.”
“I don't think being his mate and being able to do whatever I want are the same thing,” Freda said. “Besides, that doesn’t take away my need to contribute. We’ll need to get you enrolled in school soon. All the institutions are opening back up next week, and we should all return to life as usual. It's the only sane way for us to move on.”
“I wonder if I have the Draxos gene,” Lottie mused.
“Gene or not, you’re too young to enter their database. They require that females be eighteen years old.”
“Then I have something to look forward to on my birthday,” Lottie countered.
Freda sighed and turned back to her room. Lottie had been sleeping on the foldout couch in the living room since she’d come to visit. Freda needed alone time and she couldn't listen to any more of Lottie's romanticism.
For all the emotionality and softness that Lottie got, Freda was all edges and logic and numbers. She wished that she had a little bit of what Lottie had right now. Maybe it would be easier for her to find her way with Sysko. But she had to question everything at every turn, and it made it difficult for her to come to any final conclusions about what to do.
Regardless of her choices about Sysko, somebody would have to take care of Lottie. She was still just a kid, and Freda did not like the idea of leaving her alone. Even if the Draxos were offering the families of human brides two million dollars. Knowing Lottie, she’d blow through that in about two years.
Freda grumbled as she changed out of her dress and put on her flannel PJs. She climbed under the covers of her bed and turned off the light. But instead of falling to sleep, she laid awake, staring at the dark ceiling. She could hear the TV on low in the living room, droning on about the opportunity to submit DNA to the Draxos databases.
From what Freda understood, more and more human women were offering themselves up as brides of the Draxos. And as far as she knew, she was the only one who had already found a mate. Usually the Draxos thralled in a tournament back in their world. They fought each other with a female in the audience. As soon as the Draxos thralled, he knew his fated mate and so did she.
It didn’t seem to work the same way for human mates. If it had, Freda would have felt something for Sysko right away. Even after the kiss, she was more confused than ever. The new sense of attraction she felt for him had definitely made an impression. Yet, it had created more questions than answers. She still didn't know what she was doing or where she was going. In some ways, she didn't even know who she was anymore.
Chapter 13
Sysko left Freda's apartment with a song in his heart and a smile on his lips. He was not unfamiliar with pleasures of the flesh, having visited the Galactic pleasure houses from time to time in his youth. But his kiss with Freda was beyond compare. Her soft lips. Her luscious curves and the thrill of her taste on his lips.
He couldn't calm himself down as he boarded his speeder and flew back to the Black Phantom. He was still bemused as he walked on the bridge and his officers stood in salute. Everyone sat as he took the captain’s chair and looked out at the little blue-green planet orbiting below.
His heart pounded in his chest, and he was driven to distraction by the urgency of his inner dragon. He had found his fated mate and he had kissed her. His inner dragon wanted nothing more than to return to the planet and claim her at once. But even if the little human agreed to the claiming, the process would be lengthy. She would need a great deal of preparation to make it work.
His sister Joon’s contribution to the discovery of the mating ritual could not be undervalued. However, they did not have absolute certainty the transformation was safe, even after dozens of simulations. The ritual was still untested in the flesh. The ancient reference had been found in a book of mythology, not a book of science. He hated the idea that his little mate would be the first to undergo the transformation in millions of years. What if he went too fast? What if he did something wrong? He rubbed his forehead with his hand.
“How was the date, Sir?” his science officer asked him.
“Beyond compare,” he said. “She has agreed to my continued courtship. We will tour the Black Phantom and she will learn the ins and outs of Draxos technology and culture. But that will not be for another twenty-four Earth hours,” he said.
“It sounds as if she's coming around,” his science officer said.
“She let me kiss her,” he said in a low tone. “It was
the most magnificent thing to happen to me in my life.”
“Congratulations, Admiral. I must admit, I envy you.”
“Perhaps you will find your mate as well,” Sysko said.
He spent several hours getting updates from human dignitaries on the other side of the planet, then retired to his quarters to sleep. When he woke, he continued his work in engaging with humans and trading technology for their cooperation.
The Draxos were exceptionally careful with the technologies they exposed the human population to. First of all, the humans needed to protect their computer networks from the cyborgs, so the Draxos had helped upgrade the entire human network security. They also needed a clean and renewable source of energy, so that was the first thing that the Draxos decided to share with them. He wanted the humans to get used to the idea of renewable energy before they added anything else. That alone would send their entire socioeconomic system into disarray.
He only allowed the technology to be shared with a select few scientists across the world so the humans could slowly integrate it into their systems. Sysko would not allow the presence of the Draxos to interfere with the course of their lives in a negative way. He got updates from these scientists every day on their progress in interpreting and using the Draxos technology. The first prototypes for a free energy device were going to enter the main population within the year. Sysko and his team believed that this was soon enough. Technological advances could cripple a society if they happened too quickly. That was the last thing he wanted to happen to his new allies.
More women were volunteering to have their DNA tested for dragonoid genes, and little by little, the list of potential human mates was growing by the day. Many wanted the adventure, many more wanted the money for their families. But their motivations didn't matter so much as their willingness to travel to Draxos and be present at the tournament.
He had already decided he would accompany the first batch of females back to Draxos for the first tournament. However, he had no idea when that would be. In the meantime, he had his own thrall to worry about.
When the time to leave the ship to meet Freda arrived, he dressed in a human suit and left in his speeder. He arrived at her door with another bundle of flowers, this time a mixed bouquet of fragrant lilies. When he got there, he knocked on the door and her little sister Lottie opened it. His face dropped as he looked over Lottie's shoulder, not seeing Freda anywhere in sight.
“Where is she?” he asked.
“I think she’s still at school,” Lottie said.
“I will find her,” he said, swiping his finger over his wrist com.
The Draxos had linked their wrist coms into the cellular network on Earth and could make phone calls or send text messages the same way that humans did. He tried to contact her first by text as Lottie invited him into the apartment. He sat in one of the tiny human chairs, his knees sticking up awkwardly. Then he called her to no reply.
“Sometimes she gets distracted like this,” Lottie said. “She had a total change of heart last night, though. You should probably know that. Because she might tell you otherwise.”
“Freda is a challenging woman,” Sysko said.
“You can say that again. She's always so serious and so determined to achieve things. I think she should come down to Earth once in a while.”
“Your sister is a strong and brilliant woman. And she is my mate. I respect her and treasure everything about her.”
“Well, you should,” Lottie said, walking to the kitchen. “You want some water?”
“Sure, thank you,” Sysko said.
Lottie returned a moment later with a glass of ice water and handed it to Sysko. He drank it down and set the glass on the coffee table.
“She wants to finish her dissertation. I don't understand why, now that she has you as a mate. But that's Freda. She is the most stubborn person I've ever known.”
“Sometimes being stubborn is good,” Sysko said. “I'm stubborn myself. I haven't given up fighting the cyborgs. We have prevented a dozen species from being incorporated into the collective, and that is due to the stubbornness of myself and my crew.”
“Sounds like you and Freda are perfect for each other,” Lottie said, sitting on the couch across from him.
The door swung open behind him and he turned to look over his shoulder. It was his little mate Freda in a pair of sweatpants and sweatshirt, a heavy backpack slung over her shoulder. Her hair was up in a ponytail and she wore no makeup. She was the sight of perfection and a beauty to behold. He stood quickly, with the desire to pull her into his arms, but instead he stood back and gave her space.
“I know I'm late,” she said.
“That's quite all right,” Sysko said patiently.
“Just let me get changed,” she said.
Her frown turned into a smile as she passed him. He wanted to know what she was thinking. He wanted to know how to make her happy. He wanted to be the man of her dreams, and he was determined to win her trust and her affection. Knowing she’d had a change of heart last night filled him with hope as he watched her walk to the door at the end of the hall and close it behind her.
“She doesn't always look like that,” Lottie said, pouring herself a bowl of cereal.
“She looks beautiful,” Sysko said.
“They say love is blind,” Lottie said, chomping on Cheerios.
Sysko stood in the hallway waiting for Freda to emerge. When she did, she was wearing a pair of formfitting jeans, a black T-shirt and a pair of sneakers.
“I'm sorry, my outfit doesn't match yours, but my dress was the only fancy thing I had, and I didn't want to wear the same outfit two days in a row.”
“You look perfectly beautiful.”
“I left you money for pizza,” Freda said to Lottie. “You can’t just eat cereal for every meal.”
“You aren’t my mother,” Lottie said.
Freda groaned and rolled her eyes as she walked out the door with Sysko. She turned back and looked inside. “I want you in bed by eleven.”
She saw Lottie stick her tongue out at her out of the corner of her eye as she closed the front door.
“Have you heard anything about my parents?”
Sysko had had his information officer, searching for signs of her parents through every human database and system available. So far, they had not been able to locate them, but he didn't want to disappoint her right now.
“We are still searching, but we're hopeful,” he said.
“I don't know how to thank you,” she said.
“You can thank me when we find them.”
“They continued down the hall and out of the building to where Sysko’s ship was hovering above the parking lot. Her eyes widened at the sight of it and she stopped in her tracks.
“I've never ridden in a spaceship before.”
Chapter 14
Freda climbed into Sysko’s ship and was immediately awestruck by the level of technology inside. She sat in the passenger seat of his craft as he slid his fingers over the holographic control panel and the vehicle lifted into the sky. She gasped as it accelerated through the clouds, rising toward the edge of the atmosphere. The craft burst through with a fiery blast. In several seconds, they rushed into space, leaving Earth behind.
She marveled at the sight of her planet below. She could see the outline of the East Coast and the Atlantic Ocean. Soon, she saw the expanse of the United States, the entire Atlantic, and half of the globe. Her heart slammed in her chest as her eyes widened in awe. She had never seen anything so magnificent or so beautiful. Just the sight alone was enough to inspire her into an entirely new state of being.
The attack on the Earth by the cyborgs and the subsequent saving of the human race by the Draxos was one thing, but actually being in space and seeing her planet from above, made her realize for the first time that humanity had truly entered a new era. As Sysko turned the ship toward a mighty space fleet orbiting the Earth, she saw the moon hanging over the planet. Sysko’s smal
l spacecraft flew through a hatch into the larger ship and they landed in a landing bay as the hatch closed behind them.
“This is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me in my life,” Freda said with awe.
“I hope that you will experience many more exciting things with me during our lives together,” he said.
She looked over at him and tried to read the expression on his face. But all she could see was his complete sincerity and seriousness.
“I hope so too,” she said in a low voice.
They exited the spacecraft into the landing bay and were met by several of Sysko's crew. The seven-foot-tall and obscenely gorgeous, dragon shifters were dressed in skintight gray uniforms with silver circlets around their wrists. She knew that the wrist device enabled his clothing to deconstruct and reconstruct at will, and also acted like a hyper advanced smartphone.
“Admiral,” one of the men said. “We need you on the bridge.”
“I have brought my bride to show her the ship. Can this wait?”
“We have the president of the United States on the line and he needs to speak with you urgently.”
“Do you mind?” he asked her.
“You have to meet with the president right now?” Freda asked, feeling silly that he was even asking her if she minded. “Of course I don’t mind.”
They hurried through the landing bay and continued through brightly lit hallways up an elevator into the spacious bridge of the ship. All the officers on the bridge stood in salute of their captain. Freda could see the image of the president on a big screen that must have been the front window of the ship.
“President Carver,” Sysko said. “How can I help you?”
“I must apologize for the unscheduled meeting. But this can't wait. Our allies in Europe have asked us for help in the capture of rogue cyborgs who have been spotted on their soil.”
“Why didn't they come to us themselves?” he asked.
“They knew that we had direct access to you. It is a very small country, and they had not come into contact with you.”
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