He was going to be trapped with that bitch for life, just like she was stuck on Relon until she died.
The classes the shelter provided had said some aliens were basically set up by their families to marry. For others, it was about trade deals or making alliances. She wondered what York’s story was. He couldn’t have picked that blue bitch by choice. She was horrible to him.
The hover transport slowed and lowered, coming to a stop. Sara waited until the bigger aliens exited the craft before she got to her feet, not wanting to risk being trampled or groped. The blue couple walked ahead of her with the yellow alien at their side. They entered a store and she passed it. The blue alien woman smacked the big guy yet again, that time on the chest, but she couldn’t hear the words.
“Poor bastard,” Sara whispered.
A block down, she reached the bar and walked around to the side entrance. A big green alien with horns nodded at her and opened the door. She entered, put her lunch bag inside the cubby her boss had assigned her, and then tied on an apron. Minutes later, she was serving drinks.
Time passed fast, since there were a lot of customers. She dodged groping hands and tentacles. That still took some practice; a few of the aliens had six arms. One guy even sported pinchers. She avoided him entirely, fearing he’d take off body parts with those sharp appendages.
Her boss finally let her know when it was time for a break and she fled into the back to retrieve her lunch. The room she ate in was tiny but at least it gave her privacy. She finished and used the bathroom, washed her hands, and returned to work. Her boss jerked one of his two thumbs toward the dining area, and she was grateful to go. Most of the customers who came in for food weren’t drunk or grabby.
The other waitress caught her up on orders, which tables were waiting for food, and who had just entered. Sara took the electronic pad and walked to a table. “Welcome to Vay. Are you ready to order?”
The red-skinned devil-looking alien stared her up and down. “What are you?”
She really hated that question, seeming to answer it a hundred times a day. Her boss had ordered her to always be polite to the customers. “A human from Earth.”
He sniffed at her. “You smell like food.”
She took a step back, praying he didn’t try to take a bite out of her. “I’m not. I only serve it. Check out the menu. That’s what’s available.”
“Do you bleed red?”
That scared her even more. “I’ll give you more time to decide.” She turned and attempted to flee, slamming into a hard body.
“I’m so very sorry.” She looked up—and gasped. It was the blue guy from the hover transport.
“Did I hurt you? You’re quite a tiny human.”
He was a good foot taller than her, probably six-six or seven. Huge up close, and even more brawny than she’d thought; easy to tell, since she’d just slammed into him. His body was hard-packed with muscle. There was a blue insignia on his black uniform, probably the name of the ship he worked on.
And he knew what she was. That came as a surprise. Most aliens had to ask.
She peered up at his face. “I’m actually not tiny. I’m average-sized for a woman…well, from my planet. I’m so sorry I bumped into you. It’s my fault.”
“I’m big and difficult to avoid in small quarters.” He gave her a dazzling smile. “You couldn’t damage me if you tried. Are you sure I didn’t hurt you? I know humans bruise easily.”
That offhanded remark alarmed her, and it must have shown on her face.
The blue skin darkened on his face. “Not that I would ever hurt one. A few of my crew are bonded to female humans.”
That surprised her again, but she tried to keep her expression neutral. Bonded meant married. And so far, she’d been pretty sure women from Earth were only bought and sold by aliens to be sexual slaves. “I’m fine. Do you need me to show you and your party to a table?”
“It’s just me, and yes, I need a table.”
She turned, glanced around, and found an empty one in the corner. She led him there and pushed a button on her pad. A menu hologram appeared above the table. “Have a seat. I’ll give you a few minutes.”
He sat his big frame in the chair. “Thank you.”
She wondered where the two alien women had gone as she returned to the devil alien. He sniffed at her and made her uncomfortable again when he ordered raw meat. He was one of those. The fresher the kill, the better. There was a squid alien who came in sometimes who ate his food still squirming. His favored dish was live fish in a bowl.
She picked up a tray to serve another table and then returned to York.
“Have you decided what you want to eat?”
“I’ll have the Parri plate. It’s the only thing from my old planet that you serve.”
She tapped the screen, sending his order to the kitchen. “To drink?”
“Hoser.”
That was the equivalent of beer on Relon. She tapped it into the pad. “It should be five minutes for your meal but I’ll get your drink from the bar now.”
She began to turn away when he gently brushed her arm with his fingers. She startled slightly, then faced him.
“Sorry. I don’t know your name. I didn’t mean offense by touching you. Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“What are you doing on Relon?”
“I was taken from my planet and sold.” She hesitated. “The Relon police found me before I was handed over to the buyer.”
“I thought this planet was good about sending victims back to their home worlds?”
“They offered. I decided not to return.”
She didn’t want to explain that Earth officials had been responsible in the first place. It would probably only make the bad reputation of humans even worse.
She fled, getting his beer and picking up food for the devil alien. He sat at his table sipping something that looked like blood. A shudder ran down her spine as she placed his raw meat in front of him. The way he looked at her left little doubt that he’d prefer to eat her.
Another group of customers came in. She got them a table and found out what they wanted, then she picked up York’s order, taking it to him. As she approached, she noticed he looked depressed, maybe sad, until she put the plate in front of him. His food appeared to be cooked meat with some kind of rice.
He smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Enjoy. Wave at me if you need something before you finish.”
“You could tell me your name.”
She met his eyes. They were beautiful. A dark blue framed by long black eyelashes. “Sara.”
“Thank you, Sara.”
She turned away, glancing around the room. The dining area was small, only ten tables. All the customers had food. She spun back around. “May I ask you something, York?”
His head snapped up and he stared at her. “How did you know my name?”
She felt her cheeks warm. “Um, we were on that hover transport from the city together.”
“We were?” He frowned. “I didn’t see you.”
“I was seated in the corner. You were sitting near me. I kind of overheard some things.”
“Oh.” His face darkened again. She hoped it wasn’t anger that made his pale blue skin turn that color.
“Forget I said anything. I’m sorry. Enjoy your meal.” She started to flee but he reached out, lightly grasping her arm. She met his gaze.
“What did you want to know?”
“It’s none of my business, but…you seem like a nice person.” Alien. Whatever. “Your woman…isn’t. Are you being forced to marry her?”
He released his gentle grip on her arm. “No.”
That confused her more. “Then why? She’s kind of…” She paused, not wanting to insult him.
He glanced at her and his face darkened again.
“My apologies. Humans are curious. Please forget I said anything.”
“No. It’s fine.” He sighed. “Two of my c
rew have bonded with females. They seem so happy, and… It makes me lonely. There are a lot of single females on Relon. I went to one of those places that find ones who want bond mates, and they eventually paired me with Nodo.”
“Oh.”
“I frightened the other women. It’s my size. They think I’m dangerous and violent. Nodo was the only one interested in bonding to me.”
Sara frowned. “The woman was smacking and punching you. And you just took it. Anyone with violent tendencies would have knocked her on her ass.” She paused. “I would have.”
He grinned. “You’re funny.”
“I’m serious. I hate being hit.”
All humor fled from his face. “Who hits you? Do you need help? Point them out to me and I’ll make sure they don’t do it again. I’d never hit a female, but I would pulverize a male. There’s no excuse to abuse someone as delicate as you.”
Her heart missed a beat. He looked sincerely outraged, and she’d never been called “delicate” before. Stout. Big boned. Pudgy more times than she could count. Never delicate. Sara found she liked it. “It was while I was on Earth. Thank you, though. The shelter people take good care of me. They gave me this job.”
One of her customers caught her attention by waving a tentacle. “I have to go.”
She fled to get a drink refill and serve other tables…but her gaze kept returning to York. He used some kind of data-communications pad while he ate. When he finally finished, she walked over to him.
“May I get you anything else?”
“I’m good. I must pick up Nodo and her best friend. They’re probably done eating by now.”
“Why didn’t you eat with them?”
Misery flashed in his eyes. “She didn’t want me to.”
That revelation filled her with sympathy for York. She held out her tablet, and he pressed his thumb to it to transfer credits to pay his bill. He stood, and Sara lifted her chin high; he really was tall. He began to walk around her, but she reached out to touch his arm that time.
He stilled, looking down at her.
“There’s this saying on Earth. Run, don’t walk to the nearest exit.”
“I don’t understand. I’m leaving.”
“I meant from Nodo. She’s horrible. You could do much better. Much,” she emphasized. “I would return to your ship and fly away without her. You might be lonely, but that’s better than being with someone who makes you unhappy. That woman is pure misery.”
He sighed. “I have no choice.”
“You said you aren’t being forced into it.”
“She’s the only one willing to leave the surface and bond with me. My two best friends have females, and now spend all their free time with them. The rest of the crew keeps to themselves. My kind doesn’t do well with silence for long stretches. I need companionship. I’ve been suffering depression, and it’s growing worse. I need a bond mate. At least Nodo will talk to me.”
“She doesn’t even care enough to remember your name, York. And I heard you say it more than once. You’re a handsome guy. Big, sure, but you seem super nice. You deserve better. Please don’t settle. That’s another Earth saying. You’ll find someone who won’t treat you so badly.”
“You don’t understand…”
Maybe she didn’t. He looked unhappy but determined. She knew it wasn’t worth arguing with him. It was his life. There was a lot more to learn about aliens than the little she had gleaned in a week.
She released him and backed away, giving him one last imploring look before moving to another table.
York left but Sara kept thinking about him during the hours that passed until her shift ended. She clocked out, walking back toward the transport that would return her near the shelter.
Aliens stared at her, and Sara tucked her head down. A few of them called out to ask what she was. She just kept moving.
“Sara!”
The booming deep voice had her spinning, and she spotted York moving through the crowd, his height making him taller than everyone around him. She waited for him, surprised, and gazed around, looking for Nodo while wondering why York wanted to talk to her.
He stopped in front of her. “Let me escort you home.”
“Where’s Nodo?”
“She wanted to spend her last night on Relon with her best friend. I won’t see her again until tomorrow morning at the records department.”
“Well…I live in Mors.”
“That’s where I’m staying, too, and will be bonded there in the morning. Please, let me escort you.”
“Pretty.”
The creepy voice had Sara turning her head to stare up at one of those rabbit-looking lizard aliens. He’d snuck up on her, his beady gaze locked on her breasts.
“Move on, Yuna,” York snarled, his voice turning harsh. “The female isn’t interested.”
The alien sniffed long and loud. “Not yours.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a credit bar. “Come with me and I pay to touch you.”
She sighed, beyond irritated with those kinds of offers. “I’m not a sex worker.”
“Go away.” York gently cupped her elbow and pulled her closer to his body, glaring at the smaller alien. Then he curled his upper lip, flashing two vampire-like fangs.
The Yuna hissed and backed off before fleeing.
York frowned and looked down at her. “Do you get that often?”
“Every day, at least a dozen times. I’ve been told I’m a curiosity.” She lifted her wrist, showing the red bracelet. “Most of them flee when I make it clear I’m not interested and flash this. In an emergency, I can press these two buttons together. It’s a personal alarm from the shelter. The police are supposed to rush to me.”
“I’ve seen a few of those but never knew what they were for.”
She let her hand drop. “Women freed from slavers get them while we’re under the protection of the shelter. It’s to prevent us from being snatched and sold.”
“Now I insist on escorting you home.” He glared at the aliens around them. “To make sure no one else bothers you.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
He smiled. “I want to. There aren’t a lot of humans this far out in space. I like the ones who bonded to my crew members.”
“Were they rescued from slavers, too?”
“I’ll tell you on the hover transport.”
“I’d like that.”
Chapter Two
Sara grinned. “Nara actually did that?”
York nodded, a smile curving his lips. “She fell in love with Cathian and wasn’t about to lose him.”
“Is he like you?”
York chuckled. “You mean a Parri? No. Cathian is a Tryleskian. We’re about the same size though.”
The information surprised her. “And they…work?”
York lowered his voice. “Yes, if you’re talking about sex. They want to have a litter with his next heat.”
A litter? Heat? As in, going into heat? She was bemused by those terms, but she guessed a Tryleskian had to be some type of animal alien.
“The scientists they consulted are certain it will happen. They are biologically compatible to have young.”
“It’s great that they can have kids. I mean, you know, being from different planets.”
He nodded. “It’s the theory of the Seeders.”
“What’s that?”
“Some scholars on various planets believe there used to be an ancient alien race that left life on each planet. They were great-distance travelers, and they might explain why some of our genetics are somewhat compatible. The scholars believe that, long ago, we were all the same race. But life on each planet, depending on its conditions, mutated over time.”
She glanced around the hover transport and spotted a pink alien who resembled a large sponge. It didn’t have arms or legs. “That’s difficult to believe.”
He followed her gaze and chuckled. “You and I are not compatible with the Yo. Few races are.”
“I really need to learn more about aliens.”
“How long have you been on Relon?”
“Only a week. This is the first alien world I’ve ever visited, and now I live here.”
“It must be overwhelming.”
“You have no idea. I’m scared all the time. Everything is so vastly different here than on Earth.”
“Why don’t you return to your planet, Sara?”
“That’s an embarrassing question.”
“You saw me with Nodo…”
She nodded, acknowledging his point. “I’m considered very poor on Earth, and there are way more women than men on my planet. That seems to make us commodities in the minds of some jerks. They sold me to aliens.”
“Who did?”
“Earth. As in, the government made a deal with aliens, and the military handed us over to them. I didn’t volunteer for this. They forced me. Women-for-technology kind of trade deal. It’s why I can’t risk going back. They’d probably just arrest me and shove me onto another transport off world. Next time, customs might not find and rescue me. And some alien with a harem of women had bought me to be a sex slave. No thanks.”
He looked angry. “Some planets frequently sell their own people for gain. I’m sorry it happened to you, Sara.”
“Me too.”
“You must miss your family very much.”
“I didn’t have any. It was only me and my mom. She passed away two years ago.”
He reached out as if to take her hand, but then stopped. “What about your father?”
“My mom got around.”
“She traveled?”
Sara smiled. York had no clue what she meant. It was rather charming. “She slept with a lot of men. When she got pregnant, she wasn’t sure who my father was.”
“She wasn’t bonded to a male?”
“No. She never married.”
“My race can have sex with others, but not create children until after a couple has bonded. Once we do, it changes the chemicals in our bodies, to make us fertile. After the bond, I’ll only want that one female.”
She let that information settle in…and liked what she heard. Her mother hadn’t meant to get pregnant with Sara. It had been rough growing up without a dad and being taunted by others for it. That wouldn’t happen with a Parri, if only bonded pairs had kids. The idea of a couple only wanting the person they’d bonded with sounded nice, too. She’d heard some races mated for life, never cheating or straying on each other.
York (The Vorge Crew Book 3) Page 2
