Her Alien Mates (The Drift: Haven Colony Book 1) Read online

  “Exactly. And Denz has been around cyborgs enough to know that too.”

  He’d said as much to her the first time they’d met, but she’d sensed the unease he felt being around her. Hell, she hadn’t needed to be empathic to tell he avoided being in her company for long. Once she’d gotten more settled and started exploring, they’d crossed paths more and more often. Every time it happened he’d made himself scarce within minutes. Then, he’d volunteered to leave the colony on a diplomatic mission that had kept him away for weeks. She might not have a lot of experience discerning other beings’ personal motivations, but his had been as clear as the air above her. Denz Talorn didn’t want to be on the same planet as her.

  She shrugged. “I know he doesn’t blame me. But not holding me accountable for Zale’s death is a few hundred light-years away from wanting to share a meal or a drink…or any of the other dating rituals I’ve been learning about. I have no idea how to get him to think of me that way.”

  Skye’s peals of laughter carried across the water and blended with the burble of the river as it flowed beneath them. “I am about to tell you one of the secrets of the universe—a truth that was taught to me by the princess herself.” She leaned in and whispered in Shadow’s ear. “Males are not complicated. If you like him, tell him so.”

  “Nothing in life is that easy. What if he doesn’t like me?”

  Skye shrugged. “Then he’ll say so. It’ll sting for a few minutes. Phaedra also taught me that copious amounts of ice cream can be used to moderate emotional pain. She recommended chocolate.”

  “I don’t think I’m ready for that, but…I’ll remember about the ice cream. Just in case.”

  They reached the front doors of the Bar None and she followed Skye inside. This would be so much easier if she were Vardarian. They didn’t fall in love the way humans did. They scented their mates and were overtaken by the sharhal, the mating fever. It wasn’t emotionally driven at all. It was a biological response, pure and simple.

  She thought about that for a moment and then decided she didn’t want that either. She’d lived most of her life without the freedom to choose for herself. Given the choice between random biology and risking rejection… fraxx it. Maybe she’d just stay single.

  The corridor Denz walked down was so new he was surprised he couldn’t still smell the ozone-and-metal scent of fresh welds. How long ago had this docking arm been completed? He tried to remember if it had been here when he’d last been on the orbital platform. He didn’t think it had, which was yet another reminder that Vardarian technology was light-years ahead of anything seen in his part of the galaxy. Their recent allies had transported the pieces of the platform to the colony and assembled it with a minimal workforce. Most of the tasks had been completed by semi-autonomous robots, working with a speed and precision no flesh and blood crew could match.

  He was studying the coding of the artificial intelligence programs involved, and the more he read, the more he felt like he was a student in his first year of training again. He’d thought the work he and Zale had done together had been cutting edge, but compared to what he knew now? It made him miss his friend and kinsman even more.

  Zale would have loved the chance to learn more about nanotech from the Vardarians.

  Denz acknowledged his moment of grief but didn’t hold on to it. He’d gotten better at dealing with these sudden pangs of loss. Or maybe they weren’t as strong as they’d been before. He didn’t know which one he preferred. They both meant the same thing. He didn’t miss his friend as much as he used to. On one hand, he was grateful the pain was fading, but on the other, he wasn’t sure he wanted it to stop. The pain kept him focused on the task he’d set himself—forging Zale’s legacy.

  Zale had sacrificed his life to protect the spokeswoman for what was now Haven Colony. Since he couldn’t be here to see the dream take shape, Denz would do it for him.

  He reached the docking hatch he’d been instructed to find. The moment he arrived, the airlock door opened and a small, pink-haired female bounded into view, grinning like the lunatic he knew her to be. “Denz! Welcome back, big guy!”

  “Good to be back, Princess Pipsqueak.”

  She stuck her tongue out at him and then stepped in to give him a hug. “When I got promoted to royalty, I really thought you’d stop calling me that.”

  “Never going to happen.” He hugged Phaedra lightly and then moved back before either of her mates could take offense.

  “Relax, they’re not here. They’re stuck in yet another holo-meeting with Neha, so I volunteered to come get you.”

  “They’re still not letting you speak to the Empress?”

  “Apparently telling my sister-in-law she needed to put on her big-girl panties and pull the stick out of her ass was not considered helpful.” Phae grinned without a hint of remorse, gesturing for him to come aboard the ship.

  “Diplomacy is a foreign concept to you. Isn’t it?”

  She laughed and tapped a spot behind her ear. “Sorry. My translation program doesn’t recognize that word. Can you explain it to me?”

  “Brat.”

  “And proud of it.” She stepped onboard, and he fell in behind her. After a quick look around, he realized the vessel was one he knew.

  “You’re flying Sevda’s ship? Uh, does she know you have it?” He’d known Phaedra long enough to know she was more than capable of bending and outright ignoring laws when it suited her.

  “Yup. She knows.”

  “Technically, I am flying myself. Hello, Denz. Welcome back to Liberty,” the ship’s AI joined the conversation.

  “Hey, Eddie. Thanks. Everything okay with Sevda?”

  “Pilot Rem is in excellent health. However, she is restricted to atmospheric flights only for the duration of her pregnancy.”

  “And believe you me, she’s not happy about it.” Phae took a seat and curled into it, leaving as much room as she could for Denz. The little scouting vessel wasn’t built for passengers, but he managed to stow his gear and get settled without doing any permanent damage to himself. Thanks to his Torski fathers, he was more than two meters tall and rarely fit well into spaces designed for smaller species…like his human mother.

  “I am awaiting permission to depart the platform and descend. Please remain seated until we are underway,” Eddie informed them.

  “Thanks, Eddie,” Phae said and then turned her attention to Denz. “So, how did everything go? I have about a million questions, and this is a short flight. So start talking.”

  “Things went relatively well. All your friends say they miss you and hope you come back to visit before long. Zura was talking to her husbands about taking some time away to come see you and introduce you to the twins.”

  “And Chance? How is she?”

  “You mean how’s the cyborg you indirectly convinced to escape the colony and break our agreement with the corporations and the Interstellar Armed forces?” The planet Liberty had been gifted to the Vardarians as a colony world in exchange for all sorts of tech and trade agreements, but after the aliens had invited the cyborgs to join them, the corporations and the military had balked. They weren’t comfortable with the idea of several hundred newly rescued and emotionally unstable cyborgs being free to wander the galaxy. To ease their worries, the agreement included a rule that the cyborgs could not leave the planet. It hadn’t taken long for that rule to get broken.

  Phae’s lips quirked up at the corners. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I just told her stories about my time on the Drift and my friends there.”

  “Uh huh. Sure. I don’t buy that and neither does Colonel Archer, but since Chance is happy and has agreed to work for the Interstellar Armed Forces as a consultant, he was willing to let it go. He did, however, curse your name in several languages on more than one occasion.”

  “So long as Chance is happy… I’m fine with being cursed at.”

  “She is. I have no doubt she’s where she belongs. And neither does Erik.” />
  “Of all the guys on the station, I never imagined she’d end up with him. He’s good to her?” Phaedra asked.

  “Utterly devoted. Smitten, even.”

  “Good to hear. She was never going to be happy at the colony.”

  “There’s a place for everyone. Chance has found hers,” he agreed. He let the silence stretch for a few moments before asking oh-so casually, “Speaking of finding their place, how is Shadow settling in?”

  “From what I’ve heard, she’s adjusting quickly. No behavioral issues, and she’s integrating well with the other cyborgs at the colony. She’s still a bit of a loner, but that’s to be expected considering what her life was like before she was freed.”

  “Good. I…” He rubbed his bearded chin and started again. “I met with Nyx while I was on the station.”

  Phaedra just nodded without saying anything, so he kept talking. “I thought she’d be more like Echo. It’s strange. All three of them look identical, but their personalities are quite different.”

  “That’s because they had very different lives.”

  “Yeah. I mean, I knew that, but it helped to talk to Nyx.”

  “Good. Does this mean you’re done avoiding Shadow now?” Phae’s words caught him off guard.

  “I’m not avoiding her.”

  Phaedra’s brows shot up, and she stared at him in bemused silence.

  “I’m not,” he repeated.

  More silence.

  “Okay, fine.” He finally relented and waved a hand. “I’ve been giving her space. She’s got enough to deal with without having to make small talk with me. It’s…” He grunted and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s complicated.”

  Phaedra snickered. “Holy fraxx. I think I get it now. I was worried you had a problem with her being at the colony and I was going to have to figure out a way to smooth things over. But that’s not it. Is it? You like her.” She chuckled again. “How did I miss it? I must be slipping. Anyway, that’s great. It’s about time you started living a little. We all miss Zale, but life goes on. He wouldn’t want you to stay locked down forever.”

  Several of his friends had said much the same thing during his last visit. For that matter, so had his mother in her last message. “Why does everyone keep saying that to me? I am busier than I’ve ever been.”

  “Busy isn’t the same as being happy. Maybe Shadow can help you with that.”

  “I’ve barely spoken to her,” he protested.

  Which was true enough. He’d expected to feel something the first time they’d met. He hadn’t been prepared for the gut-punch of desire he’d experienced when she’d looked up at him with a shy, uncertain smile and offered her condolences for Zale’s death. Then she’d watched him, so wary and on edge he thought she might bolt if he moved too fast. He’d gone into that meeting expecting to meet another battle-scarred cyborg and wound up meeting a soft-spoken female with haunted gray eyes.

  “Well, that’s easy to fix. When we get home, talk to her.”

  “About what?”

  Phaedra snorted. “Veth. The guys at the Nova Club were right. Males do need a dating handbook. Talk to her about anything at all. The weather. Your trip. The fact you met her batch-sister. It’s not complicated. Either you like each other, or you don’t. If you do, great. If not…” She grinned. “I guess you’ll have to wait until we start bringing more human women here from Earth. We made progress on that while you were gone, by the way. The first volunteers are being vetted now. Haven will have a batch of new residents before the summer ends.”

  “That is good news.” He’d heard enough about the conditions in Earth’s hive cities to know that the last few habitable places on the planet were overcrowded and slowly falling apart. The corporations hadn’t been thrilled about the idea of giving up a portion of their most lucrative recruiting pools, but eventually they’d agreed to allow a small number of women from the planet a chance to start a new life at the colony on Liberty. The volunteers were young, healthy, single, and understood that the only males available to them would be Vardarians, cyborgs…or him.

  And that was the other problem. From the time they’d been younglings, he and Zale had planned to choose a mate together. Now, Zale was gone, along with the future family he’d always envisioned. As much as he loved his new home, he was the only one of his kind here. Even if he was ready to consider forming a new family, who could he build it with? Most Vardarian males had their anrik already, and the cyborgs were bonded through their shared experiences.

  Shadow isn’t bonded to the others. The thought came to him unbidden. Phaedra just said she was a loner.

  “It is great news.” Phae tugged at a lock of her bright pink hair. “But I don’t think you should wait that long to get back into the swing of things. If you like Shadow, do something about it.”

  “I’ve got a lot of work I need to catch up on…”

  Phae snorted. “You can make time to talk to her. Your schedule isn’t that crazy. Just think about it. Okay?”

  “I’ll think about it,” he agreed.

  Now that Phaedra had planted the thought in his mind, he couldn’t stop thinking about Shadow. He did want to get to know her better. Maybe ask her out for a drink and find out if she had any interest in him. They were both outsiders in some ways. It might work. Or it could crash and crater spectacularly. But still… it couldn’t hurt to try. Could it?

  He and Phaedra spent the rest of the trip talking about everything that had happened while he was away. By the time they touched down, his head buzzed with information on harvest estimates, plans on where to house the human women when they arrived, and a disturbing discussion about a new predator that no one had seen yet but was responsible for several attacks on their livestock. Yet, even with all the new information, Shadow was still foremost in his mind.

  “And that’s enough information for one day. I’m going to drop off my gear and go enjoy a drink and a meal that didn’t come out of a food dispenser,” he said.

  Phae shuddered. “I miss some things about my old life, but nutri-gruel and shipboard meals are not on that list. See you at tomorrow’s meeting.” She darted in for another hug. “And welcome back.”

  He gave her a one-armed squeeze. “It’s good to be back.” And it was. He’d missed this place—a proper atmosphere, dirt under his feet, and the comforting pull of real gravity. Haven wasn’t just where he lived anymore. It was home.

  2

  Kade sat in the dim sanctuary of the local tavern and let the conversations swirl around him. He had discovered he could learn a great deal just by staying quiet and listening.

  He wasn’t actively spying. Anything he learned was freely offered up in conversation. All he did was listen and relay information of note to certain interested parties. Or at least that’s how it had worked until now. This time, Nesht had demanded something more tangible, and it wasn’t sitting well with him. Kade knew his moral compass had a tendency to swing like he was standing on a super magnet, but he still knew right from wrong. This felt wrong.

  He tried to wash the bitter taste out of his mouth with another sip of his drink. He had no idea what it was called, but the droid at the bar had recommended it.

  The tavern was an interesting blend of technology and practical comforts. The furniture was sturdy, easily cleaned, and looked like it had all been mass produced at one of the factories on the outskirts of the colony. The walls were painted dark colors that made the space feel smaller than it was, and every table had an electronic menu that sent their orders straight to the kitchen or to the droids that zipped back and forth behind the bar. The neat setup kept staff to a minimum while still ensuring the customers had everything they needed.

  The most surprising thing about the place was that it was run by a human female. So far, he hadn’t been able to learn much about her other than her name was Anya and she was friends with Prince Tyran’s mahaya, Phaedra. That last detail explained how she had managed to get permission to set up shop on a plan
et that wasn’t supposed to have ordinary humans on it. At least, not for the moment. Rumors said the colony would eventually be home to human females trying to escape the dying remains of their home world.

  This place could definitely use more females, especially ones who could potentially be mated to his Vardarian brethren. Finding mates wasn’t easy for males of his species, and he knew more than a few of them had come to this colony hoping to meet the one they were destined for. He wished them luck. After all, if they didn’t, who would he sell future shipments of goods to?

  He popped a morsel of richly spiced meat into his mouth and let his gaze wander to the one group of females present. They were seated at a table near the door, laughing and sharing several platters of appetizers between them.

  Cyborgs, he noted, and judging by the way the other males were watching them, they were unclaimed. He took a longer look. They were all attractive and similar in many ways to Vardarian females. He hadn’t taken a human or a cyborg to his bed yet, and he was more than a little tempted to try enticing one there before he left.

  Hunger hit him hard all of a sudden, and he let his focus return to his meal. It was simple fare, but a Vardarian must be on the kitchen staff because the food was good enough it could have come from any eatery on his home world. Skewered gharshtu meat, slices of freshly baked bread to sop up the juice, and a small salad of greens, many of which were new to him.

  He finished his plate and discovered he was still hungry, which was odd. He drained his glass next, but that didn’t satisfy him either. He was about to order another drink and maybe a dessert when he first caught the scent drifting on the air. It was enticing and unfamiliar, and when he took a deep breath, it triggered another surge of hunger.

  A female laughed and the light, musical sound pulled at him, drawing his gaze back to the group gathered across the room. Her. The one with hair like sunlight. She had a lovely, lilting laugh and was the source of…