Page 14 of Her Alien Mercenaries
“I like blossom too!” she called out, hoping Torren heard her. She had no experience balancing the emotional needs of two males, but she guessed that having them compete for attention would never lead anywhere good.
6
Torren flewafter hisanrikand their mate, following only a few wingbeats behind them. As much as he disliked being parted from Jenna, he needed a few minutes alone. So much had happened today, and he’d been reacting to the situation with no chance to make a plan.
Life as a mercenary had taught him to always be prepared for the unexpected, and his role as a sometimes-assassin showed him that anyone was vulnerable. However, his easiest marks had been the ones who couldn’t adapt when the wind changed. He prided himself on his ability to make a plan but change it on the fly. Finding Jenna meant adapting quickly, and to do that, he needed time to think.
Moving her to the farm wouldn’t be an issue. They had more than enough space, and they’d made the decision to furnish the largest bedroom with a bed, dresser, and other basics. Jenna could decorate it however she wished, but at least they could show her that they had planned for the day they found their mate.
Transport would be an issue. They’d need to acquire a land vehicle Jenna could drive into Haven and back. The farm was too far from the colony to walk easily, and she couldn’t fly. It would be strange to have a mate without wings. They’d have to adjust some things, but nothing of real import. If she wanted to learn, they could look into buying a small aircraft of some kind. Surely the humans had that kind of thing? Then she could fly with them.
By the time they reached the shores of the ocean, he’d used his com to record two separate lists. One was a series of questions for Jenna. Her likes and dislikes, preferred foods, and a host of other details. The other was for him and Zanyr and itemized all the things they’d want to consider and then address to make their place welcoming for theirmahaya.
At the top of that list were two things they needed to do quickly—select a blade to gift to their mate and commission a set of armbands for all three of them to signify their new status. He knew several artisans who could do the work, but Damos and hisanrikTra’var were the best forgemasters in the colony, and Jenna deserved the best of everything.
It was a simple, straightforward set of plans. The hard part would be figuring out how to tell her that she was mated to a pair of former mercenaries with a past strewn with bodies, blood, and brutality.
He landed and watched as Jenna kicked off her shoes and ran toward the water. Her laughter danced on the ocean breeze as she raced across the sand. She yelped as the first wave washed over her feet, nearly leaping into the air with surprise.
“It’s warm!”
“The sun has warmed the sand, which heats the water as the tide comes in. Further out it cools off quickly.” He’d discovered that fact for himself the first time he’d swum out to deeper water.
So far, the biologists hadn’t found anything in the local waters that posed a threat to the colonists, but they still had more to learn about the currents and tides. The ocean, like everything else on this planet, was relatively unexplored and full of mysteries.
Jenna seemed aware of this because she didn’t go in past her ankles. She seemed content to wade in the shallows with her skirt in one hand to keep it out of the water. She picked up shells, rocks, and anything else that caught her eye, but she placed everything back where she’d found it.
Struck with inspiration, he sent a message to Zanyr, and they both set to work looking for some small treasure for her to take back as a memento of the day.
“You think there are any gemstones here? Or are we going to wind up giving her something as mundane as a stone?”Zanyr asked via their link.
“If you manage to find aqarfinggem on the beach, we’ll get it polished and set into aharanifor our mate. But I’m pretty sure that’s not how mining works.”
“You found our mahayaon your way to work. If we were ever going to get that lucky, today would be the day.”
They finished their impromptu treasure hunt not long before Jenna retreated from the water’s edge. Her dress was damp, her hair disheveled from the wind. Her smile made him wish he had the cyborg’s ability to capture a memory and record it forever.
She looked relaxed, happy. Beautiful… and may the ancestors give him strength, utterly fuckable.
Only it was too soon. Too quick. They had to give her time, no matter how much he ached to be inside her.
His balls tightened and his cock twitched in his pants. Turning away from her, he tried to adjust himself, but the discomfort continued.
Zanyr’s laughter buzzed inside his head, but thebakaffawas suffering as much as he was.
“Cold shower before bed tonight?”He sent back to Zanyr. It was something he’d heard the cyborg males joke about. It sounded barbaric, but maybe it would help them get through the night.
Thesharhalwould only intensify as time passed, though it was worse when he was in her company. It was the same for Zanyr. The blending of their blood was more than a symbol of their bond. It linked their nanotech and altered their bodies’ chemistry, greatly increasing the odds that they’d bond to the same female.
It would be a long night for them both. Possibly for Jenna, too, but he couldn’t be sure how the mating fever would affect her. He didn’t dare ask, either. He’d seen the way Jenna reacted to Saral’s comments earlier. Humans weren’t as open about sex as his race. At least, that’s how it seemed to him.
Jenna called to them, her smile still brighter than the afternoon sun. “Can we come back here sometime? Maybe have a picnic? It’s wonderful!”
“Of course,” Zanyr replied. “Anywhere you want to go, we’ll take you.”
“You mean, anywhere on the planet,” she corrected him gently. “You are allowed to leave, but I’m not. At least, I won’t be once I accept the medi-bot treatment.”
Zanyr scowled and cracked the knuckles of his right hand. “As our mate, you’ll go where we go.”
