Page 11 of Her Alien Mercenaries
“Of course! Anya may not love mornings, but we do.”
Antas, the older of the two males, raised his head and winked. “I do like mornings. Especially the ones we aren’t working. That way, we can keep ourmahayain bed all day.”
Jenna blushed, but Saral laughed and blew a kiss to her mate. “Yourmahayalikes that, too. In fact, I will tell Anya we need a few extra days off next week.”
“More than one?” they asked at the same time.
“Of course. Like mates and orgasms, days off are better when they come in multiples.” Saral chortled as she led them through the swinging door and into the main room.
A human female crouched behind the bar, both hands inside one of the bartending droids. “Ignore her, Jenna. Saral loves trying to embarrass humans. She thinks it’s funny that we’re so reserved about some things. And congratulations.”
Zanyr looked down and noted that Jenna’s cheeks had indeed darkened several shades.
“Thanks, Maggie. I guess this means I’m the first of the second group of colonists to experience thesharhal.”
“Seems so. I haven’t heard about anyone else falling prey to their pheromones yet. Which means your group will be bombarding you with questions the second they hear the news.” Maggie shoved her red hair back from her face and straightened up. “You might want to turn off your comm before word gets out.”
“Veth. That’s a good idea. I’ll do that.” She turned and looked up at Zanyr. “As soon as someone puts me down.”
“Good luck with that,” Torren joked. “If he puts you down before we reach our table, I’m picking you right back up again.”
Maggie snickered. “Welcome to the possessive males’ possession club. We meet every second Tuesday afternoon here at the bar. No mated males allowed.”
“Then we’ll wait for her outside,” Zanyr declared. No way was theirmahayagoing anywhere without them. She was theirs, and they would protect her at all costs.
Maggie shrugged. “You and every other newly mated male are welcome to lurk outside. Saral will even feed you if you ask her nicely, but you have to stay outside.”
Torren scowled at Saral. “You won’t let us inside?”
“Those are Anya’s rules. I just enforce them.” Saral chuckled and showed them to a table at the back of the large room. A few customers were already eating, and several Vardarians glanced up with curiosity. When each realized what was going on, they gave smiles and nods of acknowledgment of their good fortune.
The Bar None wasn’t a flashy place. The furniture was standard, prefabricated stuff made to endure constant use without needing to be replaced. The ceilings were high enough to accommodate the taller-than-human height of most Vardarians, and the chairs were a mix of styles that allowed a variety of builds and species to sit down comfortably.
“Sit,” Saral instructed. “I’ll be back with your meals. Nothing too heavy. I don’t expect you’ll be hanging around long enough to eat much.”
Torren pulled out a chair as Zanyr reluctantly set Jenna back on her feet.
“Wait. Saral. We didn’t order anything yet.”
The silver-scaled female chuckled as she walked away. “Trust me. I know what you want already.”
“Well, okay then. I guess today is a two-breakfast day.”
Zanyr claimed the seat to Jenna’s left. “We often let her decide for us. She knows her customers well.”
“But I’ve only met her once or twice.” Jenna glanced over at the now-closing door. “You’re sure?”
“Very,” Torren stated. “You can trust Saral completely. In fact, if you have any questions about all of this that you don’t want to ask us, she’s the one you should talk to. That female is one of Haven’s greatest treasures.”
“Yes, she is. Every community needs someone like her.” This tavern always made him think back to the better parts of his youth. It reminded him of his father’s kitchen—comfortable, practical, and filled with the same rich scents of food.
He could almost hear his mother singing whatever new song they were learning at the local choir as she went about her chores. He let the fragments of memory flow through his mind, each one polished until they lost the rough edges of reality and shone with a glow only time and distance could create.
Jenna shook her head. “If she’s all that, I certainly could have used someone like her back on Earth.” The little human sighed. “I should mention that I’m an orphan. I was raised in a corporate-run institution. There’s not a lot of kindness or wisdom to be found in places like that.”
It felt as if a band of pure ice constricted his chest. From what he knew, Earth’s hive cities were overcrowded, poverty-stricken places that were closer to breeding colonies for the corporations’ workforces than anything else. What had she gone through growing up in such a place with no one to watch over her and keep her safe?
Without thinking, he reached out and took her hand. “I can’t promise you wisdom. Torren and I have made too many mistakes in our lives to be considered wise, but I can promise you this. You will be safe with us, Jenna.”
