Page 15 of Commander's Mate
“Well, that’s really discreet, Scarlet,” I said and laughed. “According to Zared we are soulmates and I am his fated mate---for life.”
“We figured there was something between you two the way he was holding you after we found out that we probably can’t ever get back to Earth,” Zoey said.
“What’s going to happen to us?” Nora wanted to know.
“Right now, we are on our way to the Consortium to return Kyanna to her family. Zared says you can either take asylum with them, or on Farseek, where these warriors are from. It’s possible you might find your own mates among the crew. But he says that Farseek would be roughing it. While they were off fighting for the Consortium, the enemy all but destroyed their world and took most of their people as slaves.”
“That’s horrible,” the three murmured.
“Zared doesn’t know if his family is alive or dead. They were all gone when he and the crew got there and most all the buildings on the planet were destroyed,” I explained to them. “They got hired to rescue Kyanna from the slavers. Two of those from the ship that brought us, were from Farseek. They hate slavers and slavery, so they just took us all.”
“It sounds like it would be like the pioneer days back on Earth,” Zoey said. “I love you guys, but I’m not sure I’m up for that. I always said roughing it for me was a hotel without room service. I think I want to see what this Consortium has to offer---modern conveniences, I hope.”
“I’m with Zoey,” Nora said, “---unless I find a big, hunky warrior man like Harper’s.”
“I think I’m going to throw my lot in with the Farseek crew,” Scarlet said. “I was getting discharged just before the slavers got me. They have women in their company. I should be able to fit in. They save our asses from slavery. I feel like we owe them.”
“Well, I don’t know anything about soldiering, and I don’t want to live like they did back in the pioneer days,” Zoey grumble. “The best I can do is give them my thanks. Honestly, I would like to find a rich Consortium husband to hook up with.
“Who can blame you after what we’ve been through?” I said. “I might feel the same way, if this thing with Zared hadn’t hit me the first moment our eyes met. I already made my choice, but if that’s what you want, Zoey, you should go for it.”
“I’m not sure yet, but I want to see how I might fit in there before I decide,” she replied.
“I do, too,” Nora added.
“Just be careful,” I warned them, “I got the impression our mercenary friends don’t think much of the Consortium. They believe that the Consortium deliberately withheld the information about the attack on Farseek to keep them fighting their war.”
“That sucks, considering what happened to Farseek,” Scarlet said. “All the more reason to stick with our mercenaries.”
“They are going on to another world to rescue some more of their people after Kyanna is returned to Halor. Zared hinted that things could get dicey---but they’re going to rendezvous with another of their ships like this one,” I said. Roughing it on a world in ruins was not my idea of a good time, but I didn’t trust the Consortium. They sounded like a bunch of elitists that though the people of Farseek were expendable.
“The Farseeker’s are really hunky guys except for their weird coloring,” Scarlet said, “it’s not quite gray and not exactly blue.”
“Not as strange as their hair colors,” Nora said.
“Color is only skin deep,” I said. “Zared said, if we weren’t genetically compatible, he would not have recognized me as his fated mate.”
“Do you love him?” Nora asked.
I shrugged, because I didn’t really know yet. “I think I will,” I said slowly. “They do things a little differently here. These guys have a keen sense of smell and they can tell by scent if you are their fated mate or solmatu. They feel it is a great blessing and you will be treated well.”
“Even if I don’t find a soul mate, I’m inclined to stick with this bunch. They pulled us out of the slave auction when they didn’t have to---and the Consortium left their world undefended in favor of their defending their wealth.” Scarlet said. “We owe them. But you two can do what you want,” she said to Zoey and Nora.
“When you put it that way,” Nora said, “we kind of do owe them.”
“You’ve got a couple more weeks to decide,” I said. “that’s how long it will take us to get there. You will get to meet some more of the crew---men and women. If you get to know them, you might like to stay with them or not.”
I was going to say more, but someone strode into the conference room behind me. Zoey giggled and Scarlet smirked while Nora looked off to the side. I knew it had to be Zared by their reaction, and I was a little annoyed. They were acting like school girls. Then I laughed because they were behaving like they normally would if we hadn’t been kidnaped by alien slavers and taken so far from Earth no one knew how to get us home.
“All right you three,” I said. “Stop acting like we’re back in high school.”
“Ladies, would you like to get out of this conference room and see some more of the ship?” Zared asked.
I turned around and smiled at him. “We would,” I said. I keep my hands clasped in front of me so I would reach out and caress him to emphasize my claim, as I saw some of the alien females looking up at him with interest.
Zared turned toward the contingent at the other end of the room, variety of humanoid species and asked again. Some of them got up and came to join our little group. There were ten of us all together. The other seven seemed too shy to even answer.
