Page 11 of Saved By the Alien Mercenary

That had me thinking: How well did I actually know my protector? All I had to go on were his actions, not his words, because we’d spoken so few of them. Even now that he’d stopped hiding, we still hadn’t had much in the way of conversation. Again, my brain helpfully pulled out the steamy encounter in the galley last night. An encounter that had woken me, achy and wet for him, this morning after struggling to fall asleep. So, we knew each other carnally, a little—that was not a good basis for trust. Or was it?

The fact was, from the moment I’d run into him back aboard the mercenary ship, I’d felt safe with him. Like he was the only one in the entire quadrant I could trust, without fail, forever. I knew what that kind of thinking could indicate, were I any species other than human. But humans didn’t have mates, especially not the fated type. I wondered if Hoxiam did;nobody seemed to know. All anyone talkingaboutHoxiams in the vast data streams seemed to care about was that they ate sentient flesh. Any meat would do, but they took great delight in meat that feared them for the monsters they were.

Rumcas was a planet I’d visited many times before, but it always surprised me how colorful the place was. The port’s tarmac and layout were practical and in straight lines, and yet purple curled sinuously in waves over the pathways. Blue water sat in pools or ran in delightfully curling little channels alongside.The channels were big enough for a Rummicaron to swim through, though that was not a common occurrence in the port itself. Not so once you hit the city, Avur. There, the channels were wider and regularly traveled. Tiled with extensive, beautiful mosaics, they were an explosion of artistry and color—made all the more delightful to see when schools of children passed, swimming and darting left and right through the water. Shark-like, but also playful like a dolphin. Not that I’d ever dare say to a Rummicaron’s face that their children were cute and playful.

They had banned flying vessels from the city limits and made everything accessible on foot or through public transportation. We had to take a “bus” to get to thenearbymilitary base. Normally, I found that walk peaceful. Rumcas was a very safe port, which was why it felt strange to have Brace at my side for protection. I couldn’t really see how Jalima would dare strike me as I walked to a military base,of all places. But I liked being with Brace too much to complain.

I pointed out my favorite little restaurant when I was in port.“We should eat there on the way back. You’ll love the food.” There was no terrace to sit on, but that didn’t matter, it was the winter season, and the air was crisp and cool. I’d never been to Rumcas in winter, but I’d heard it could be very bitter, so I was surprisedathow mild it still seemed on the streets. No cutting winds, no snow, and only a slight nip in the air. I’d still be happy to duck into the warm interior of Kali’s Bread and Fish. I’d gone in the first time only because the name had made me homesick for fish ‘n chips, which I’d loved to eat while in college.

All Brace did was huff in response, his snort blowing steam into the air. So it was colder than it felt,perhaps, or maybe I just wasn’t feeling the cold as much as I normally would. I had been unusually warm lately, but I’d been attributing that to having the hots for Brace. I eyed him again over my shoulder, and my heart started racing in my chest. He was so big, and he was hovering protectively behind me as we walked, his large stride adjusted to match mine. Come to think of it, maybe he was blocking the wind with his body, and he was pumping off all kinds of heat. It was no wonder I wasn’t feeling the chill, my bodyguard was going the extra mile.

On the bus, people scattered to sit at the front, while Brace remained standing at my side at the back. I felt bad when that meant people didn’t have seats,even thoughtherewere plenty of empty ones next to us, but it was their choice. I knew Brace would never harm them, but he wasn’t making them feel safe by giving them the coldest glare I’d ever seen.

I thought maybe the reception at the base would be less frightful and more disciplined. Rummicaron suppressed their emotions, so they should nothave beenso sensitive to basic fear and intimidation. The guard at the gate took one look at my escort and,with a fearful—definitely fearful—glance,stammered out a“Please wait here.”I’d made this particular fabric run twice before andhadnever required a full squad as an escort. This time, the guard returned with a dozen soldiers to guide us to their boss’s office.

The quartermaster I’d dealt with before was not alone either;standing uneasilybeside him weretwo more guards.The male I was supposed to barter with was offering me a chair and drinks, bending over backward to be polite. I had never been offered a drink before, not once. It was making me a little uncomfortable when I realized how terrified they were of me now that I was bringing a ‘leashed’ Hoxiam. The worst part came when the quartermaster offered to buy not just my bolts of gray fabric, but my slave.

I was not cut out for this kind of acting, and if he weren’t Rummicaron,I was certain he would be staring at me in confusion by now. Savvy captain, bargaining for good prices for my goods, sure. Hardened slave owner and bully? Definitely not. “You want to buy Brace from me?” I said, stunned. “Why would you want to buy him?” That just didn’t make sense to me. This was the military of a very established species in the Zeta Quadrant. They had power, they had numbers,and territory. Why would they want to buy a Hoxiam?

I found myself picturing Brace deployed in battle, incited to fight under pain of the collar—possibly starved to make him more feral in combat.The imagery made my stomach turn, and I had to clasp my hand over my mouth to hold in a wave of nausea.

The Rummicaronquartermaster pinched his brows with two fingers, his mouth twisting in distaste. He did not enjoy having to explain himself, and he wasn’t going to. “Is he for sale or not?” he demanded. He rose to his feet and moved to a lockbox on the cabinet behind him. The guards in the room shifted uneasily on their feet when Brace rattled with a growl.

“Ah, excuse me, I think I have to throw up,” I found myself saying faintly. It was too much for me, thinking of people just callously wanting to buy another being. Combinedwith a restless, kicking baby and pregnancy hormones, the nausea won.As I clamberedto my feet, Brace caught me with one hand and helpedme up by my elbow. Then I was grabbing the windowsill and sticking my head out of the open window. Out came partially digested savory pie.

I was pale and wobbly when Brace gently escorted me back to the chair. He snatched the water glass from the desk and pressed it into my clammy fingers. “You pay my mistress now!” he snarled at thequartermaster. The male was already a pale gray, but at the corners of his eyes, his thick, shark-like skin went almost white. He fumbledwiththe lockbox, then pulled out stacks of credits and shoved them intoa bag. I saw the piles that went in, and I knew it was more than I’d ever been paid for that much fabric.

My ears were whooshing with the sound of the blood rushing, my voice a little tremulous. “I’ll inform the port master that your men have clearance to unload the cargo.” More firmly,I added, “My Hoxiam is not for sale.” If that made the males uncomfortable, they did not show it, and they did not protest either. I could see how the guard who opened the door for us pulled up his nose and felt heat flash over my face. He thought I was sleeping with my slave;he thought I was disgusting for doing so. On par with sleeping with livestock. Embarrassment made way for anger. Screw him.I definitely wanted to sleep with Brace, and there was nothing wrong with that.

Out in the hallway, Brace swept me off my feet and cradled me against his chest. He snarled again when that made the waiting escort of a dozen soldiers all raise their guns at his head. “Ah,stand down,” I said to them, waving my hand. “He’s just helping me down the steps.” I flapped my hand at my protruding belly, and that was enough. Even emotionally stunted males understood not to get in the way when a pregnant woman made demands. Certainly not these young males, fresh out of school and still in basic training.

By the time we’d left the base and entered the city’s outskirts again, I asked Brace to put me down. The nausea had passed, and though I liked how toasty warm it was in his brawny arms, I was starting to feel a little too much like an invalid. I didn’t mind getting preferential treatment on occasion—Brace was very good at making me feel pampered—but I didn’t need to feel useless. I had been pretty useless in that meeting. Considering the hefty bag of credits Brace was carelessly lugging, as well as my person, I knew I’d gotten far more than I normally would just because he was there. They had been scared of him, and,thus, of me. I wasn’t sure I liked that. That’s not how I wanted to do business, even if I could use the extra money.

“There’s no need to walk,” he said casually, with none of the growling or menace he’d shown back at the military base. He definitely knew how to put on a show. His warm hands shifted along my body, lifting me higher so easily that I felt light as a feather, even though I was as big as a whale right now. He dipped his head to peer into my eyes with his pretty blue orbs, a twinkle dancing there that made my breath catch in my throat. A playful Brace—that was a surprise. He was showing sides of himself I never believed he’d be willing to share. The fact that he was showing them to me made me feel so special.

“Exercise is good too, you know,” I told him, starting with my most powerful argument, hoping to score a hit. I was pretty sure he’d do anything, as long as he thought it was in my best interest. He huffed, still amused, but began to put me down, slowly sliding me along the soft pelt that covered his chest. Feeling positively tiny when my toes touched the ground, I felt precious again. He was so gentle in the way he touched me, and that felt extra special because he was so big and so very strong.

Standing on the ground, I only came up to his freaking belly button, not that I could see it, on account of his fur. He kept his arm around my shoulders, holding me close to his side, and then he carefully matched his huge stride to mine. That forced him to shuffle along awkwardly, but he was still smiling, as if he were happy. Now I felt bad for making him shuffle so slowly, but at least we were coming up on the short shuttle bus ride to reach the port.

It was over all too soon, and this time I hardly paid attention to the stares Brace was getting. My head was filled with thoughts of the future—of what I’d do once I reached Ker—and I wondered why that kept feeling more and more claustrophobic. I was determined to do right by my child, and settling in one place, with humans and Kertinals to play with, seemed right. It just felt so lonely, so boring, so dangerous.

I was thinking of my family, the family I’d lost in the fires on Earth. My head grew heavy and somber as I recalled my abuela’s empanadas and my mama’s pedre recipe. I couldn’t get the ingredients for any of those dishes here, and I missed them. Not that I’d be able to cook any of it either—I sucked in the kitchen.

“Are your thoughts heavy?” Brace asked in a quiet murmur as he helped me step off the Rummicaron’s ever-so-efficient public transportation. It was a short walk back to port now, and I was eager to get back to theFinix’s safe confines. There did not appear to be any danger lurking around, and I was feeling silly for having been assigned a “protective detail” by a mercenary captain with no stakes in my survival.

“Yes,” I sighed, halting for a moment to catch my breath. It was getting late in the day, and the air was growing cooler. My breath misted in the air, just as Brace’s had been doing all day. “I miss my family. I was thinking about the foods my abuela used to make.”

I found myself talking about my family to Brace as we continued walking through the busy port. As ships came and went, getting loaded and unloaded by port drones and workers, I explained to him my Chilean heritage—the rich culture, the food, the family life. I talked about my brothers and sisters, my many cousins, aunts, and uncles, and how much my family had filled my life—until one day it didn’t, because they were all gone.

I couldn’t get through the part about the horrible citywide fire without crying, so all I said was that they were dead. That’s why I’d left Earth, left the UAR, and eventually even left the Alpha Quadrant. I couldn’t stand being in one place long enough to remember what I missed so much. I had never told anyone the full story. On Earth, all I had to say was where I came from, and people would look at me with sympathy. In the Alpha Quadrant, saying I had no family was enough to bring on the pity. But out here, in the Zeta Quadrant, nobody gave a shit about a lonely human.

“I’m sorry,” he said when I fell silent, left with tears on my tongue and a knot in my throat. “I know what it’s like to lose your family. Mine are all dead too.” I reached out to curl my fingers around his, his huge hand dwarfing mine and then some. His fingers were rough with calluses but deliciously warm. He was getting better at accepting my affection, too, his fingers squeezed with gentle pressure.

“I…” Brace began, his blue eyes locked on my face with that familiar tenderness. I was all too willing to fall into that gaze, to let myself forget the past and think only of the future—a future with him in it. “Blazing stars, stay here, Ruby. There’s someone on the ship.” The abrupt change in his behavior threw me. He picked me up and pushed me between two tall metal crates recently unloaded from theFinix. I recognized them because the brand of the fabric merchant I’d gotten them from was emblazoned on the side.

“Take this,” Brace growled roughly, pulling a laser pistol from a pouch dangling from the belt that held up his loincloth. The metal of the grip was warm against my fingers, but I fumbled the heavy weapon before I righted it. I had never suspected he’d been carrying a gun around, and I didn’t think anyone else had either. We would never have gotten onto the military base with that gun if they’d known about it.

“What’s happening?” I asked, but he took up so much space in front of the impromptu hiding spot that there was no way I could see around him. He didn’t answer, his face dark and his expression edging on feral as he spun away and stalked toward the airlock of theFinix. Now I could see what he’d already noticed: the airlock had been opened and left ajar, wedged that way by a narrow metal bar. My stomach went as cold as the crisp evening air around me. Someone had broken into my ship?

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