But when Cav used a ripped part of his chavan uniform to bind the wound, blew Natalie a kiss, and twirled around on the injured leg, Mia’s hands relaxed.
“I can’t stand the thought of Natalie having to watch this,” she said as Natalie called the Games Administrator over to talk to him.
“I have faith that the right warrior will win,” I assured her, reveling in the kindheartedness of my mate.
I had seen the expression on Cav’s face. He would not allow Natalie to be taken from him.
Just as I would never allow my beautiful Mia to be taken from me.
I was right, too. Cav swirled in on the power of his battle rage, spiked as it was by the determination to protect his mate, and within moments, the fight was over—Cav gained several points, took the yellow warrior’s weapon away, and ended with both swords poised over the back of Tiziani’s neck, prepared to decapitate his opponent.
Everyone in the stadium froze, waiting as Cav held Tiziani bent over for three long heartbeats and then simply nicked the other male’s skin.
“Come with me,” I said to Mia as Vos blew his whistle and the stadium erupted in noise. Below us, Natalie leaped over the barrier separating her from the floor and rushed to throw herself into Cav’s arms. “We should go congratulate the newly mateds.”
Leading her down to the floor of the stadium, I held Mia’s hand and pushed my way through the crowd, where we discovered that as we made our way to the floor, Tiziani had attempted to attack Cav yet again.
“Why would he do that?” Mia asked in a whisper.
“He is entirely without honor,” I said disdainfully. “That cannot be allowed to happen—not without some form of consequence.”
“Nice to see you again, Commander,” Cav said, one foot holding the other Khanavai down on the station floor.
“You as well.” I glanced down at Tiziani. “Looks like you have everything under control.”
“At least for the moment.” The guardsman under his heel began to struggle and Cav leaned on that foot to hold him still.
“You know,” I continued, keeping my tone conversational, “I know Prince Aranov. I think it might be best if I commed him about his guardsman.”
“Yes,” Cav agreed. “Perhaps the prince will have some idea how to handle him.”
“Oh, no,” Natalie said, a smile beginning to grow across her face. “I have a much better idea.”
I turned my attention to her. “Yes?”
“Vos,” Natalie said to the Games Administrator, “don’t you have a position open?”
Vos’s smile flashed across his face. “I believe I might, come to think of it.”
“No!” From his position on the floor, Tiziani began to protest, having regained his breath.
“What kind of position?” I asked.
“I could use an assistant between now and the next Bride Games,” Vos said. “And we have never had a failed groom returned to the games. It could be an interesting storyline next year.”
“No,” Tiziani groaned. “I can’t leave my life on Khanav Prime.”
Adopting a serious expression, I shook my head. “Oh, I don’t believe you’ll be having any say in it.” I glanced down at Mia and squeezed her hand. “Besides, it might teach you something about how to interact with Earth females.”
Turning, I bowed to Natalie. “Congratulations, my dear. To Zont, I said, “I’ll take over here. I think you and your mate have a ceremony to plan.”
The matched pair smiled at one another and, as they turned to leave, I let go of Mia’s hand long enough to help Tiziani stand. “Come with me,” I said, pulling him toward the backstage area. “You have a future to plan, as well—though I doubt it will be as pleasant as Natalie and Cav’s.”
Chapter Eleven
Mia
I spent the next several days trying to figure out how to get off Station 21 and back to Earth.
Originally, the plan had been for Commander Gendovi and me to go through a series of Bride Games immediately. I had panicked at the thought but luckily—for me, anyway—pretty much everyone on two worlds was completely engrossed in the saga of the runaway human bride and her pursuing alien as it was playing out on Earth between Zont and Amelia. Vos had agreed to put off our games until those antics were over.
He would do almost anything for ratings, I had realized.
But watching Zont as he talked to his team, preparing to hunt down the woman who had tried to get out of being a bride at all had also convinced me of one important thing: getting away from a determined Khanavai warrior who believed he was your mate was just about impossible.
Running from Frank had been easy by comparison.
I spent my nights pacing the confines of my bridal room, trying to come up with a scenario that would allow me to get down to Earth, grab Josiah, get both our trackers replaced, and then get away from North America entirely.
It hadn’t occurred to me that I was being watched by vidglobes all the time until the morning Thorvid showed up in my room with a worried expression on its face, its lizard-like rill fluttering up and down on the back of its neck as its nose-braid quivered.
“Do you feel like a caged animal?” the Poltien asked as soon as the door closed behind it.
I blinked, trying to figure out where the question was coming from. “A little bit,” I admitted.
Thorvid drew me into the lav, turning on the sanicleanse and punching in a code on the mirror com, presumably to give us some privacy. “Vos called me into his office and ordered me to find out why you have been pacing in your room at night.”
I gave the Poltien a blank stare. “Shit.”
Thorvid tilted its head back and forth, examining me from all angles. “Defecation? That makes you need to pace? If you are having gastrointestinal difficulties—”
I snorted. “Shit was not an explanation. It was…” I paused as I tried to figure out how to explain that I’d been cursing. “It was an expression of dismay.”
“Ah. That makes more sense,” Thorvid said. “Would you like to explain to me why you’re dismayed?”
“Not really. I guess you can tell Vos I suffer from insomnia.” I crossed my arms over my chest and tapped my chin with my forefinger. “I need to make him less suspicious of me.”
Thorvid mirrored my stance, crossing its own arms over its thin chest as it peered up at me. “The Games Director has instructed me to get you ready for a date with Commander Gendovi. I suggest you bathe, and then we will choose an appropriate outfit for you.”
“You really think I should?”
“Yes. You will assuage Vos’s concerns about you by going on an outing with the commander.” Thorvid gave me an assessing look. “You should probably know that according to recent polls, Commander Gendovi is fast becoming a fan favorite on the Bride Games. Vos is looking for footage that will encourage that impression of him.”
And thereby improve the Bride Games’ ratings. Right.
“So you’re suggesting that I should play up to Eldron if I want to make Vos less suspicious of me?” Could it be that even without knowing what I wanted, Thorvid was on my side?
Yes. The Poltien really was trying to help me, I decided—not as in help me land a husband, but as in help me obtain what it was that I most wanted.
No matter what that might be.
I had to blink back tears. It had been so long since anyone but Becca had truly cared about me. I had almost forgotten what it was like to have a friend.
“That is exactly what I mean. Whatever you are planning, you need to be prepared for a variety of outcomes.”
That was certainly true. I’d learned not to plan too far ahead as I had gone on the run from Frank. Get everything in order and be prepared to take whatever opportunity presented itself.
“I’ve grown to like you,” Thorvid said. “I don’t want to see you hurt.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but the Poltien continued speaking. “That said, Commander Gendovi is a good Khanavai male. Whatever
it is that you’re afraid of, I feel certain he can help. I strongly encourage you to tell him whatever it is that’s bothering you. The Khanavai protect their mates. He will make sure that nothing ever harms you.”
Oh, God. Part of me longed to do exactly that—go straight to the commander and tell him about Frank, about Josiah, and beg him to save us.
Don’t be foolish, I admonished myself. You can’t afford to be weak. You cannot risk your life or Josiah’s in that way.
“Thank you,” I said to Thorvid, not committing to anything. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll shower now.”
With a long, final look at me, the Poltien exited the lav.
My handler had at least one thing right. I wasn’t going to be figuring out how to get off the station by hiding in my room.
I might as well get dressed.
As I stepped into the shower, I decided to take at least part of Thorvid’s advice.
I would go on a date with Commander Eldron Gendovi. I would play it up for the vidglobes that were sure to be floating around us, filming our every move.
But I would also be using that time to watch for some way out of my predicament. Preferably some way that I could arrange myself. One that didn’t rely on anyone else.
There were parts of South America that were still remote by Earth standards. If I could get back to Earth, maybe Josiah and I could disappear there.
I knew, though, as I moved into my room and prepared to allow Thorvid to help me dress, that spending more time with Eldron was going to cause at least one problem.
The longer I was around him, the more I liked him.
Being around him made me feel safe and comfortable—and that was dangerous.
Falling in love with him would be the stupidest thing I could possibly do.
I just didn’t know if I could keep myself from it.
But it didn’t matter how I felt about the gorgeous, muscular red alien.
As soon as I could, I was getting out of here.
Chapter Twelve
Eldron
“The Alveron Horde is tracking Amelia Rivers on Earth.”
I spun around from where I’d been examining the latest readouts. “How did they get past our scans?”
Lieutenant Drais, Wex’s replacement, gave me a sheepish glance. “We weren’t scanning that part of the sky—we have been focusing all our attention on the quarter that you directed us to scan.”
Simply because we focused on one area didn’t mean we should ignore the others. I had to fight back an urge to reprimand Drais.
“We need to scramble help to them,” I ordered. “Send down two squadrons for direct combat. And while you’re at it, put together enough of a force to create a scanning net around Earth. We are going to need to protect our bride-source planet more carefully from now on, I believe.”
“Yes, sir.” The lieutenant spun around and began snapping out orders.
I paced back and forth in the command center.
There was something more to this strange move on the Horde’s part. I knew, somehow, that this was connected to the creeping feeling I’d been having that the Alveron Horde was planning something.
Why would they go after one person on Earth?
She was one of our brides—and the Horde had poisoned our DNA so that we could no longer breed with our own kind. Maybe they wanted to keep us from mating with humans, too. But that wasn’t all that was going on here. I was certain of it.
And speaking of brides, Mia and I were supposed to meet for our first date. I checked my com, relieved to find I still had time before I was supposed to meet her for dinner in the station’s common area.
“Our forces have been deployed,” Drais reported sometime later. “There is nothing more to be done here at the moment.” He shot a glance at me out of the corner of his eye.
Looks like everyone on board the station knows I’m supposed to have a date.
Not surprising, I supposed. I had not intended to find a mate on this trip—but I also had not realized how intrusive it would be to have every move of my courtship broadcast to the entire galaxy.
I had tried to convince Vos to cancel our participation in the games altogether, saying, “Surely the bride hunt on Earth will give you enough material for this year.”
But the Games Director had refused, even after General Clovad had given him a call. “These are the most-watched Bride Games of all time,” Vos declared. “Your participation will only enhance those numbers.”
“Keep me apprised of any news,” I now ordered Drais as I prepared to leave the command center. “I will be nearby.”
On our third date, Mia insisted on choosing our outing. The last two days, we had participated in what Mia called “traditional date-night activities,” having gone for a meal the first time and for a group showing of an Earther vid, which Mia called a “movie.”
“This is what Earthers do for entertainment, is it not?” I asked over the com.
She laughed, leaning back in the chair in front of her mirror, but agreed. “Yes. Dinner and movie are as human as…well, I guess as much as betting on duels is a Khanavai tradition.”
“So why are you objecting to it?”
“I’m not objecting. I just think we should try something different tonight.”
I frowned. “Without a Bride Game to structure it, there is not much to do on Station 21.”
“There’s a gym, isn’t there?”
“There is a physical recreation area, yes.”
“And a garden?”
“That, as well.”
“Hm. Okay, then. Meet me outside the garden at our usual time, then. Dress casually.” As she signed off, I detected a gleam in her eye.
What does my mate have planned?
I arrived at the appointed time wearing one of my usual chavan uniforms, but without the vandenoi strap with my battle decorations.
Mia arrived before me and was waiting on one of the benches near one of the walkways leading into the garden area. Beside her sat a bag with the Station 21 gymnasium’s logo imprinted on the side. She moved it off the bench, leaving a place for me to sit next to her.
“What did you bring?” I asked.
“It’s a surprise.” She eyed me up and down. “You are a soldier, right?”
“That is the meaning of my rank of commander, yes.”
“How much time have you spent training for ground combat?”
I frowned at her. “It has been a while, but yes, I have ground combat training.”
“Well then, it’s time for more practice.” She grinned, and I realized that I had rarely seen her smile. Unzipping the bag, she pulled out two unfamiliar weapons.
“You can’t shoot projectile weapons on a space station,” I reminded her. “You could damage the hull, and any breach could cause a decompression.”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s a paint gun.”
“A paint gun?”
“It won’t damage anything—just make whatever it hits a little messy.”
“So the idea is to shoot one another, but with paint?”
“Yes. We’ll take turns—kind of like hide and seek, but with paint guns.”
“Hide and seek?”
“It’s a game. One of us hides, the other seeks. We track each other down and the first one to get hit loses that round.”
This was nothing like any Earther courting tradition I had ever heard of. “You want to spend our evening together playing a wargame?”
When Mia threw her head back and laughed aloud, I admired her long, slender neck, and her contagious laughter made me want to grab her and kiss her right there.
“This is one of my favorite things to do on my days off,” she said. “I go with—” Her face shut down as quickly as it had opened up when she laughed. “I do this sometimes on my days off.”
A wave of sick envy rolled through my stomach. Who else does she play these courting games with?
I almost asked, but I sensed the question was off-limits. A
nd more than anything, I wanted to see her smile again, so I changed the subject. “How did you arrange for this?”
Her expression lightened. “Oh, you know.” She shrugged and waved a hand airily. “I got Vos to tell me who to talk to for the materials. I’ve been all over the station today planning for this. Oh. That reminds me.” She handed me a pair of goggles. “You don’t want to get this stuff in your eyes,” she warned me. “It stings.”
I slipped them on and peered out at her, certain I looked like a wide-eyed fliptiani night bird. Then I took one of the guns from her and said, “I’ll hide first. You seek.”
“Okay. I’ll close my eyes and count to a hundred. And then,” she waggled the other gun at me, “I am coming to get you.”
It was a better game than I anticipated—and she was much better at it than I expected. She found me quickly during her first round, so tiny and quick that I didn’t see her coming.
“You shot me in the back,” I objected.
My mate’s self-satisfied snicker made me grin, as well. “You really should have been watching your six,” she said.
“My what?” I twisted around to peer at my backside. “I don’t have six of anything at all back there.”
“No. ‘Watch your six’ means to watch your back. It’s like the numbers on the clock.”
Involuntarily, I glanced down at my wristcom.
“Not that. An old-fashioned Earth clock. It’s a circle and six is at the bottom…” She gave up trying to explain. “Just trust me. You need to pay more attention to what’s behind you.”
When my turn came to track her down, she surprised me again, leaping out of a stand of yontar reeds that I had automatically dismissed as too small to hide an enemy.
I clearly needed to update my thinking to include tiny humans.
Again, she waited until I was past her to leap out and shoot my back with the bright green paint.
“Watch my six?” I said sheepishly.
“Exactly.” Mia turned to head back toward the bench where we had left the gym bag, and I took a moment to admire her ass, shapely in her casual wear—a pair of formfitting pants and a t-shirt that came only to her waist.
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