by Susan Hayes
“Oh, it still matters to some people. Especially the ones who come from old money like my parents. My mother never worked a day in her life, and my father inherited the family business, a newspaper. The only reason Mom got over the idea of me working at all was because I was their only child, and Dad wanted me to learn the trade so I could take over someday. The day I told them I was engaged to Jeff, Dad gave me an ultimatum. Leave Jeff or leave the newspaper.”
Stunned to silence, Torel set aside his meal and moved in closer to Haley, nearly upsetting several of the dishes on the way. He set his hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. “You deserve to be happy. Why wouldn’t they want that for you?”
She looked up at him, and for one brief second, he saw a flash of hurt and confusion but as quickly as it came, it was gone again, replaced by a sardonic smile. “You’d have to ask them. Jeff’s gone, I work for my father again, and they still haven’t forgiven me for my little rebellion.”
“You went back to work for your father after what he said? Why? Perhaps you should come to Pyros. No one would try to curtail your choices there.” The words slipped out before he could stop them.
She stiffened, and her next words came out clipped and terse. “I went back because there wasn’t any point in fighting with them any longer. Jeff was gone, and our plans died when he did.”
“As for going to Pyros, what the hell would I do there? I don’t even know your language. It’s hard to be a journalist if you can’t write in a language anyone can read. Besides, neither of us wants the messy reality of a mate, remember?”
“I remember.” Torel wasn’t even sure why he was discussing this. They had an arrangement already. She would stay on Earth and live her life, he would return to Pyros and his work. Simple. Uncomplicated. If she were on Pyros, things wouldn’t stay simple.
“And how would it be on your world? Do mated couples often live separately there? I bet they don’t. I wouldn’t be escaping my problems, I’d just be exchanging them for different ones.”
“I don’t like the idea of you being unhappy, otama. We may be mated in name only, but the bond will still be there. I will know when your parents cause you upset.”
“But you’ll be halfway across the galaxy, how can you be sure the link will even stretch that far?”
“Your eyes turned gold. That’s an indication your Pyrosian genes are no longer dormant.” Yet another reason they were going to need some distance between them, it should weaken the effect of their bond.
“So, not everyone’s eyes do this?” she asked.
“No. In fact, there’s only been one other human whose eyes have turned gold…” He stopped as he realized there was something he’d forgotten to mention.
“What. What happened to the other woman?”
“Her name is Gwen, and she’s fine. It’s just that I failed to mention another possible outcome of our mating.” He got out of bed, took a few steps away from her, and extended his hand. “I’m not actually sure how to—” A flame appeared in the middle of his palm. “Well, that was easier than I expected.”
“What the flaming fuck are you doing?” Haley demanded, staring at his hand.
“My ability to manipulate fire has been unlocked by our mating. It will take some time for me to be able to control it fully, but it shouldn’t be an issue. As a precaution, all the furnishings and linens on this ship were made from fireproof materials.”
“Hello. What about me? I’m not fireproof!”
“As my mate, you’re immune to my fire.” He snuffed out the flame and turned to face her. “As I am immune to yours.”
“Mine? My what?”
“As I said, the only other mated human female I know with gold eyes is Gwen. She is also the only human female I know who can manipulate fire like a Pyrosian.”
“Well, shit.” She held her hand up. “I really hope this doesn’t work.”
He stayed silent as her brow furrowed and focused on her hand. Nothing happened. She shook her fingers and tried again, but no flame appeared. “Looks like you were wrong. No smoke. No fire.”
“It might be too soon. You could try again in—” She cut him off.
“Nope. It’s not happening. I have exceeded my capacity for weirdness for the year already. No Firestarter roles for me.”
“That’s not how it works.” As much as he hoped she never manifested that ability, or anything else that indicated their bond was too strong to ignore, he knew her logic wasn’t sound.
She fixed him with a determined stare. “Yes, it is. And even if it isn’t, humour me and pretend. I just want to eat, talk, and hopefully get a little sleep before the Scorching makes us both lose our minds again.”
He smiled and sat back down on the bed. She was clearly overwhelmed. Given how much she’d been hit with since waking up, she was coping amazingly well. He could humour her, for now. He pointed to one of the dishes. “I think you’ll like this. It’s Pyrosian, but many of the human females enjoy it. Apparently, it is very similar to something your people call a perogy.”
She speared one of the dumplings and sampled it with obvious enjoyment. After that, they both did their best to keep the conversation light. By the time they had eaten their fill and set the dishes back on the service droid, Haley was yawning.
“It’s time to rest, otama.” He pulled back the covers and gestured for her to climb into bed.
“What’s an otama, anyway?”
He settled in beside her and covered them both with the blankets. “It’s a term of endearment that doesn’t really translate into your language. I suppose it would be something close to sweetheart.”
“If you’re going to keep calling me that, I should have a nickname for you, too.”
“You already do. You are the only person in the galaxy to ever call me Tor.”
She snuggled into him with a contented sigh. “How long do you think we have before round two starts?”
“Long enough for us to get some rest.” He draped an arm around her waist and pressed a kiss to the curve of her shoulder. “Sleep well.”
“You, too.”
As they both drifted off to sleep, Torel found himself wondering what it might be like to go to sleep every night with Haley in his arms. Not that it mattered. They weren’t going to be together that often.
Chapter Five
Haley was curled up in one of the two chairs placed in front of a floor to ceiling window in Torel’s quarters. The chair molded to her form, cradling her comfortably, and there was a stunning view of Earth rotating just beneath them. She should be drinking it all in while she could, but she wasn’t. There were more interesting things to look at. One was the breathtaking display of male beauty sitting across from her. Torel was comfortably sprawled in the other chair, completely naked. Neither of them had bothered getting dressed since they’d given in to the Scorching the day before. There wasn’t much point when they never got more than an hour or two between rounds of mind-melting sex.
The other points of interest were currently scuttling around Torel’s quarters, tidying up. She had discovered there were several different models of service droid, all with different functions. One droid was cleaning away the remains of their breakfast from the table between them, while another made up the bed with fresh linens. “I’m really starting to like having droids around to do all the work.”
Torel glanced up from the tablet he’d been reading. “They do make life easier. I’m going to talk to Vadir about getting you one. It might take some time, though.” He tapped the screen of the tablet. “I’ve been catching up on what’s been happening, both here and on Earth. Some of the bombers have been captured, and the humans are working to identify others. Vadir and Prince Joran have been in almost constant contact with the many governments and leaders of your world, offering aid and trying to untangle this diplomatic mess.”
“I think diplomacy takes precedence over my desire to have a robot to boss around, but thank you for thinking of me.” In the short time
they had been together, Torel had done that a lot. He’d anticipated her every want and need, in bed and out of it. Took note of the smallest details, down to what juice she preferred and how she took her coffee, then make sure that the next time, it was all just how she liked it. He’d arranged clothing to be delivered in her size, and while the fabrics and cut were a little different, she’d liked everything he’d selected.
Torel kept getting her to open up, too. She found herself chatting about everything from her work to her love of shoes, and in return he’d shared stories about his first trip to Earth, his parents and siblings, and the vacation he’d taken with them just before this mission. His affection for his family was obvious in the way he spoke of them, especially his mother.
He was finding ways past her defenses, and it worried her. She liked her life the way it was, safe and emotionally uncluttered. Aria was the one exception to that rule, and not even she knew everything about Haley’s life.
* * *
“Obtaining a droid for you is a small matter. We may not be mates in the traditional sense, but I would still like to help you any way that I can.” He shrugged, a gesture she had come to appreciate greatly. She loved the way his shoulder muscles flexed and moved when he did it.
“You don’t need to give me presents or help me. I’m doing fine on my own,” she replied.
“As you’ve already noted, I have the means. It would make me happy to be able to take care of you. I could find a droid with basic security functions. Your home is not the safest place, I’d like to know you were protected.”
“My home is fine.”
Torel set down the tablet on the table with a thump. “I was not referring to your domicile. I meant your city—your world. The attack the other day would never happen on Pyros. We have moved beyond that kind of fear-driven violence. Your people have not. I didn’t understand how dangerous this world was. The attack did not kill any humans, but there were Pyrosian deaths. Young, hopeful males who came to Earth to claim their mates. This was supposed to help my people rebuild, not reduce our numbers further. This world is still very primitive in some ways. It’s worrying.”
She felt a stab of remorse. “I didn’t know about the deaths. I’m sorry, Torel.” She left her chair and circled around the small table to reach his side. He reached out a hand and she took it, letting him draw her into his lap.
“And I am sorry for my outburst. None of this is your fault. You were a victim, too. I just…” He smoothed her hair back from her face and kissed her brow. “I don’t want anything to happen to you while I’m gone. We’re connected, and that means I’ll know if you are hurt with no way to get to you.”
She still didn’t really believe they’d be bonded that way. After all, she couldn’t summon fire or do any of the other things the other mated human women could. She didn’t have any powers or abilities. The only thing that had changed so far was her eyes. “I’ll be fine. You’ll be able to see for yourself the next time you come to visit. I live in a nice, safe building, I drive the speed limit, and the only thing I do to excess is drink wine with my friends.” She stilled.
“Shit. Aria and Piper. While you were looking up the news, did you see anything about either of them?”
“I haven’t checked recently.” He twined one of her curls around his forefinger as he lifted his voice and began to speak in Pyrosian. The computer responded in the same language, and whatever it said must have been good news, because Torel started to smile.
“Well?” she demanded, impatient to know the details.
“Your friend Aria and her child are safe. In fact, she’s on board the Firebrand.”
She was so relieved she felt downright giddy. “Great! When can I see her? Is she okay? What about Piper?”
“There’s no mention of medical treatment, so I would assume they are both in good health. As for your other friend, she is now listed as missing. I’m not sure what that means. The blast site has been thoroughly scanned and searched. Perhaps she was taken to a human hospital?”
“Maybe. You’re sure there’s no way she could still be at the stadium?” The idea of Piper being trapped under rubble, in pain and in the dark, made her stomach curdle.
“Our equipment is far more advanced than anything on your world. She isn’t there.”
She sighed. “Well, that’s something. She’s one of the feistiest women I’ve ever met. Whatever happened, she’ll find a way home.” She hoped like hell she was right. Aria had already lost her parents. Losing Piper would destroy her.
“May the Gods make it so.”
“Aria is probably out of her mind with worry. I should go see her.”
Torel’s arm tightened around her and his jaw flexed. “Not now.”
“You might be my mate, but you’re not my master. You can’t tell me what to do all the time, Tor.”
“I’m not your master, but I am the one responsible for your wellbeing. You haven’t rested enough today, and we’ll be caught up in the Scorching again soon. We can go see her during our next respite.”
“You’re making sense, but I still don’t want to wait.”
“But you will, because as stubborn as you are, you know I’m right.”
Torn between laughter and grumbling, she opted to laugh, though she didn’t actually agree to stay in bed. He might be right, but she needed to see Aria.
He gathered her into his arms and rose from the chair in a display of strength that made her brain melt a little around the edges. He carried over to the freshly made bed and set her gently into the middle of it. “Get comfortable and try to get some sleep. I will join you soon.”
The first stirrings of desire filled her, and she reached for him, grasping his hands and tugging him down onto the bed. “How about you join me now, instead?”
He gave in for a moment, kissing her with a fiery passion that made her heart race and her entire body ache with need. She’d always had a healthy libido, but when it came to Torel, she was insatiable. It had to be the Scorching. When it faded, all of this would fade, too. Once he was gone, it would be a wonderful memory, and that was all. That’s how it had to be. Anything more would be a betrayal of her vows to Jeff.
When he ended the kiss and left the bed, she almost pouted. “Where are you off to?”
He crossed to the stretch of wall that concealed his closet and opened it with a wave of his hand. “I need to fetch a few things from my office. Research notes, mostly, but I should also check on the status of the high-risk patients while I’m in medical. I won’t be long.”
“I know it can’t be easy being cooped up with me when you’re used to working all the time.” She shooed him toward the door. “If someone hadn’t ordered me to rest, I’d be trying to get down some of the ideas I have for my new series of articles.”
Torel dressed quickly and then headed for the door. “You’ll sleep better if you close your eyes.”
“I’ll close them once you’re gone. Right now, I’m enjoying the view.”
He was gone seconds later, but not fast enough to hide the fact her comments made him blush.
She counted to thirty before getting out of bed. Once she was sure he wasn’t coming back, she bounced over to the closet and grabbed one of the outfits he’d had made for her. She’d tried them all on already to make sure they fit, but this was the first time she’d actually worn one for more than a few seconds. The dress was a simple, flowing design, and the pale gold fabric complimented her skin tone nicely. Good thing, too, because she was going without makeup or any of her usual hair products. Her hair had exploded into a riot of curls, but there wasn’t a thing she could do about it. None of her belongings, including her purse, phone, and the clothes she’d been wearing, had survived the bombing.
“Computer, do you speak English?” she asked as she did her best to tame her hair.
“I do. What can I help you with?”
“I need to find a human woman – uh, female – onboard this ship. Can you do that?”
&nb
sp; “Affirmative. Who do you wish to locate?”
“Aria Frasier.”
“That female is currently located in the ship’s nursery. Do you need directions?”
Yeah, there were definitely some appealing things about the Pyrosian lifestyle. Service droids, helpful computers that didn’t tell you what to do or question your life choices…
“Directions would be great, thanks.”
A minute later she was out the door and headed down the empty corridor at a run, muttering the directions repeatedly so she didn’t forget them. The last thing she wanted to do was get lost. She rounded the last turn and careened into someone walking out a door.
“Sorry! I’m trying to find the nursery. Where is it?” The other woman turned to face her and Haley squealed in delight. “Oh my god. Aria? Is that you?”
“Haley?”
The two women stared at each other for a moment. Aria looked good. In fact, she was glowing, and so were her eyes.
“You’re mated to a Pyrosian?” Aria spoke first.
“And so are you! I’m glad you said yes.” She couldn’t believe that her oh so cautious friend had taken the plunge and accepted her match. As she spoke, a big, gruff looking Pyrosian stepped into view and headed straight for Aria.
She thought she recognized Tarjen from the photo, though the image hadn’t done justice to the reality of the big, sexy alien. “Whoa, is that him? He’s way cuter in person.”
Aria blushed and beamed. It was the happiest Haley had seen her. After a brief round of introductions and a quick round of catch-up, Haley finally got to tell her friend what happened during the bombing. It wasn’t easy to look Aria in the eye and admit that she was likely the reason Piper was missing. “Once the first bomb went off, we ran for it. She was behind me when we both got caught in a blast. Part of the stadium smacked me in the head, and that’s all I remember. I’m sorry. I don’t know where she is. No one seems to.” Guilt rolled over her like a runaway Zamboni. “I should have made her go ahead. I wasn’t able to run very fast in my heels, but she wouldn’t leave me.”
