Mean Right Hook: A Sci-Fi Romance Novella

Michele Mills

Contents

Mean Right Hook

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Mean Right Hook

Leah’s first day at her new job is turning into a complete fiasco. She’s spilt coffee all over her work uniform—and then the elevator breaks down. Now she’s stuck in a tenuous mining cage with a silent, rugged miner with mighty fists, shocking fangs and a mean right hook, who keeps pulling her into his massive arms and inhaling her scent.

When the cage starts hurtling towards certain disaster she finds her bare hand accidentally clasped within his rough claw…and Leah’s about to discover the true meaning of the term, “mating compatible.”

But is she ready for this commitment, or is a human about to break an alien miner’s heart?

1

Leah wanted so badly for the first day at her dream job to be a success—which made the fact that she’d managed to already spill coffee onto the front of her brand-new work uniform so freaking tragic.

Damn coffee stain. And she had nothing to clean it up with, nothing.

“Do you like the room you’ve been assigned in the employee quarters?” her Xylan coworker asked brightly, in a language that was perfectly understandable because of the translation chip they’d implanted in her brain yesterday. “Was it comfortable? Did you sleep well?”

“Oh, I slept great. Thanks for asking,” Leah answered as she adjusted the credentials on her yellow safety vest, trying to hide the ugly stain blossoming on the fabric. Too bad this mess hadn’t happened earlier as she’d left her apartment and traveled to the admin building. Nope, she’d spilt her hot drink all over herself the moment she’d stepped out of the employee cafeteria and into the napkin-less hallway. Ugh. “Actually, I had a really good night’s sleep,” she responded airily, finally dropping her hands and giving up on the idea of hiding that stain. Wasn’t happening. Everyone would just have to avert their eyes. “The rooms are very spacious and comfortable. I like how the building is next to the transit station. It made it so easy to get to work this morning.”

Sulinda of Eight, the Xylan female who’d been Leah’s guide during this entire intake process, smiled, exposing super-sharp white fangs. “Oh good. I’m happy you like it,” she answered, slowing down a bit so Leah could catch up to her long stride. “I picked that location for you myself. It’s got a great view.”

It did have a great view. Timbur was a wild, beautiful planet with low population density. Leah had been admiring it that morning, standing in front of the spacious window of her new apartment, watching as the sparkling rain fell on the colorful flowers and vibrant, lush greenery—which was so completely the opposite of her own dry home world.

Hmm. That really was super-sweet of Sulinda. No one usually cared whether ‘Leah Hernandez’ liked something or was comfortable. She was lucky if anyone even remembered her name. Which was why she’d learned early on to speak up for herself—if she didn’t make her needs known, no one else would.

And she wasn’t sugar-coating any of her responses for the benefit of her new bosses. She really had slept terrific because the apartment they’d placed her in was the nicest place she’d ever stayed in her entire life. Well, the rooms had blood-red walls and heavy, ornate black furniture which was a bit creepy. But this was to be expected. The Xylan species had mainly settled this planet and their decorating skills ran toward dark and spooky, but still very luxurious. The bunk was huge and soft, the bathroom clean and modern, and the toilet so high-tech it had freshened the air while playing guttural Xylan war chants, which seemed to be the only music it was programmed to play. Not that their music was bad, it was just…okay, it was bad.

Leah chuckled quietly at the memory.

She felt like a kid in a candy store as she walked next to Sulinda and stared in wonder at the impressive rock-walled hallway they were passing through. This wasn’t some rinky-dink tunnel with exposed wires and dripping water—this was a perfectly ventilated, temperature-controlled passageway that could withstand an extinction-level blast.

It never ceased to amaze her how fancy this mining company was and—gods, how lucky she was to have this training position, soooo very lucky, even if it was temporary. Any amount of time spent working at Minecorp’s Timbur location, the only place in the universe that mined Illibrium, was time well spent. This would look great on her resume.

It was hard to hide her excitement and not have fangirl meltdown over the fact that she was about to meet and work alongside the most high-tech mining crews in the universe.

Employees rushed past, focused on their jobs. They all wore the same uniform and sturdy boots that she did, along with distinctive safety helmets and flashy eye shields. And every single one of them was a ridiculously tall Xylan, with long, silky hair that swept off their proud faces and down their backs in a series of tiny black and gold braids. Their skin was medium-toned (similar to her own) and they had deep, lined ridges on their foreheads and four claw-tipped fingers.

Leah had assumed there would be a variety of species on Timbur and only the actual miners who extracted the Illibrium crystals would be Xylan, but it turned out Timbur was a full-on Xylan species outpost.

Not that this was bad, it was just that as one of the few non-Xylan on this entire planet and human, she was going to stand out. New Earth had only recently gained independence from the Hurlians and humans declared citizens of the four sectors. So, everywhere she went beings were surprised to meet such a rare species. She was forever educating others on human physiology, language and customs. But hey, why stay on her primitive home world when the badass high-paying jobs were off-planet? Any annoyance she put up with as one of the first of her kind boldly living elsewhere was totally worth all that currency she’d eventually have in her bank account.

“Thank you for thinking of me,” Leah said to the tall, lithe female who was guiding her down the hallway. “I also really appreciated being able to travel here by transporter. Thanks for setting that up for me.” It really had been a great, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Normally, only the rich and famous could afford transporters.

“Oh, you’re welcome. Well, if you hadn’t transported, we would’ve had to wait a whole moon cycle for your arrival by supply ship. And we need your help now. You’re stepping-in and taking over for my sister, Lorinda. She’s going on an extended maternity leave.”

“Oh really? I didn’t realize I was covering for a maternity leave. How exciting for your sister that she’s having a baby. And how nice for you—you’re about to be an aunt.”

Sulinda grinned. “Yes, and since this is my sister’s first offspring, I’ll be a first-time aunt and this baby will be the first grandchild in our line. But my sister is unfortunately having a few physical complications and she needed to go on bed rest. We appreciate that you were flexible about your arrival date. It makes things so much easier for everyone, especially my sister, knowing you’re already here.”

“Oh, it’s no problem. Please tell her I’ll do my best to keep things running smoothly while she’s gone, and she won’t have to worry about returning until she’s finally ready.”

Sulinda’s eyes sparkled with gratitude. “Thank you. And yes, I’ll tell her you said that.” And then she pointed ahead to an area where employees were congregating. “That’s the lift station, we’re almost there. We’ll use it to get down to level 3400, where your crew has already set up operations.”

“Oh no, am I late?”

“No,” Sulinda chuckled. “No, of course not. You needed to go through intake and medical first. That’s normal, they knew it would take time. It’s only your first day. I’ll take you directly to them and make introductions and I won’t leave you until I’m certain you’re teamed with your new partner.”

Leah nodded and smiled as they stopped to wait for the lift. A set of doors opened and Xylan crowded in, leaving no room for Leah or her guide. “It’s okay,” Sulinda commented as she stepped back and let the doors close. She tapped a button on the panel. “The next lift will arrive shortly.”

Leah nodded and adjusted the gloves of the unmated that were annoyingly loose on her hands. She’d memorized the rules of the unmated ahead of time—no touching any Xylan’s hand unless absolutely necessary and even then, only through the fabric of the gloves. She could never be certain if a Xylan she was working with was mated or unmated, so it was best to always keep the gloves on, that way mistakes could be avoided. And under no circumstance was she to touch the bare hand of an unmated Xylan, this was a terrible no-no. And, she’d been told that morning that she needed to keep these gloves on and follow the same hand-avoidance customs as the other unmated Xylan because humans and Xylan were breeding compatible.

Breeding compatible?

She glanced covertly at all the males moving past and wondered what that would be like. Breeding and mating with a Xylan…?

She grimaced. Xylan didn’t pleasure mate and instead found their one-and-only life-long mate through some kind of ceremony they called “testing of mating compatibility”—where two Xylan formally clasped their bare hands at an altar in front of a multigod Priest and discovered if their bodies bonded to each other? It was kind of confusing. Apparently, a mated pair knew they were meant to be together forever just by touching hands? Which seemed totally weird and arbitrary. But, it must be true because everyone was taking this whole not touching of hands thing seriously. She’d seen lots of other Xylan wearing gloves of the unmated. Even Sulinda was wearing gloves.

Leah tugged again at her own gloves, finally deciding their looseness wasn’t important enough to mention. It was probably fine… None of this would matter anyways, this mating stuff wasn’t even a blip on her screen. She’d follow the rules, do her job, and everything would be fine.

“You said you were going to introduce me to my new partner?” Leah asked, hoping to glean some info about the being she’d be working with.

“Yes, you’re partnered with my cousin,” Sulinda answered absently. “He’s quiet and not very chatty, and his nickname is ‘The Hook’ because he’s got ridiculously huge fists and is known for his mean right hook. He’s got this amazing ability to deliver a single punch that packs the same strength as twenty warriors.”

Leah caught her breath. She was being partnered with a Xylan known for his skill in beating up other miners? She bit her lip and did her best to hide her uneasiness.

“Don’t worry, he’s a good male. My cousin is very knowledgeable and will treat you well.”

The door to the lift opened and two extremely tall Xylan males with long, dark braided hair rushed out, chatting to each other in deep voices. Sulinda swept out a clawed hand, motioning for Leah to enter first.

And then a loud noise started blaring.

“Oh sorry, that’s for me,” Sulinda explained as she took out her glass tablet. She tapped a claw-tipped finger on a blinking red light. “I need to check this out, it might be important, only a few beings have this alert code.” She gasped. “Oh no. It’s a message from Lorinda, my sister. She’s having early labor pains and she’s alone in her quarters. I…I…”

Leah’s hand flew to her chest. “Did she call emergency services?”

“Yes. She’s already called for help.” Sulinda glanced away, in deep thought. “Lorinda’s mate is stationed today at the lowest level of the mine,” she muttered. “And our parents are visiting our older sister in another community right now. So I’m…”

Aaah. Now Leah understood. “You’re the one who is closest to her, aren’t you? You’re the only one who can get to your sister in time before she goes to medical.”

Sulinda exhaled. “Right.”

“Then go. Go right now. What are you waiting for?”

“I can’t leave. What about you—?”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ve memorized maps of this site and I know where we were going. I can make my way down to the correct level and meet up with my crew. There will be employees I’m sure I can ask for help along the way if I get lost, right?”

“Yes. But, are you sure?”

“I’m sure. I will be fine, and I want you with your sister. She’d feel better if someone was with her right now.”

“Yes…okay,” Sulinda answered, clearly distressed. “Yes,” she gave a curt nod. “I’ll go, I really, really want to check on Lorinda. She’s probably terrified. Thank you for this.” She stepped into the lift and tapped a few buttons on the door panel. “This lift, or the mining cage as we like to call it, is programmed now to stop at level 3400. When you arrive there, I promise it will actually be super easy, you can—”

Leah waved her away. “Sulinda, don’t worry. I’m okay, go to your sister, she needs you.”

The female gave her a rueful smile and stepped out of the lift and back onto the hallway. The door began sliding closed.

“Good luck,” Leah called out.

Sulinda flashed her a last look of pure gratitude and then sprinted away.

The door clanged shut and Leah was suddenly alone in the grey square as it moved swiftly down to where the actual mining was happening, deep within the bowels of the planet. Her stomach tingled as it lowered. It was strange, having been in the midst of all that talking and rush of anxiety over the health of Sulinda’s sister, and now the lift was perfectly quiet except for the hum of equipment.

The cage didn’t get far though—it stopped abruptly at level 2.

Leah’s eyebrows lifted with surprise. Wasn’t it programmed to go directly down to level 3400? The door slid open with a heavy clang and she watched with fascination, curious to see who would enter. Seconds ticked by and no one appeared. She stepped forward and looked both ways down the rock-walled tunnel. No one. Then she stepped back in and shrugged. That was weird.

The door began to slide closed.

“Wait!” a deep voice bellowed. “Wait.”

Leah’s jaw dropped as a giant four-fingered, gloved hand grabbed the edge of the door and stopped its motion. And then a tall Xylan male swooped inside, seeming to take up all the available space. He turned his enormous back to her for a moment as the door closed and checked the door panel for his next stop. She gazed at his long black-bronze braids which flowed over the back of his work uniform to a trim waist and his…perfectly sculpted ass.

Then he turned and slumped into a far corner.

And she sucked in a sharp breath.

The cage began its decent and Leah stared in awe at the enormous, hulking male who’d entered the lift. He lifted his chin and underneath the heavy ridges on his forehead, amazing hazel eyes with flecks of green and gold held her gaze for an intense, fiery moment. Holy shit. His eyes moved down as he lazily checked her out. Her stomach swooped with awareness and her cheeks immediately heated in response. After his examination of her from head to toe, he grunted and glanced back down at the screen of his hand-held glass tablet.

She blinked. What was that? Was he dismissing her?

And why did she care so much?

Meanwhile…How could she not continue to stare at him? This male was epic. He had to be close to seven feet tall. Two white fangs peeked past perfectly formed lips. His helmet was off and clipped to his belt, revealing a rough, handsome face. He wore the same work uniform that she had on, but with an additional tool belt that was looped loosely around his narrow hips. He looked like he’d already been working a long shift—the ridges on his forehead glinted with sweat and there was a smear of dirt on his clean-shaven jaw.

Did Xylan males need to shave? She had no idea.

He wore the exact same type of green gloves she wore, which meant he was unmated. And for some reason this was very, very important information.

She couldn’t believe her instant attraction to this guy. She’d seen lots of Xylan males at this point—in the transporter room, at the employee apartment building, in the cafeteria, the medical bay... Just, everywhere. All types of Xylan males and females. But this male—there was something striking and different about him, something very compelling.

She really needed to stop staring at his wide shoulders and bulky arms. This mining facility was huge. For all she knew, she’d never see him again.

“Who are you?” he asked abruptly.

“Me?” she blinked. “Oh, I’m Leah Hernandez, a human from New Earth.”

“Huh,” he grunted and glanced back down at his tablet. “A human…I assume this is your first day?”

“Yes. Today is my first day at the mine. I’m a new intern. I was being escorted to level 3400 by Sulinda of Eight to meet the crew I was supposed to start with today, but she got called away by an emergency.”

He lowered his tablet. “Oh? What emergency?”

“Her sister was exhibiting signs of early labor. They alerted the emergency medical team, and because Sulinda was the closest to her sister’s location, she left the mine to go be with her.”

He nodded. “Good.”

Leah nodded back, not sure what else to say after that.

He glanced back down again at his tablet, tapped on it and then looked up. “I’m going to that level too. I can show you around.”

“Oh, you are?” Her eyes darted over to the panel he’d checked when he’d first arrived, and she felt stupid. He’d never added a different stop. Duh. Of course they were going to the same level. Wait, did this also mean…? “Are we on the same crew?” she asked.

“Yes.”

She waited, hoping he’d elaborate, but there was nothing more. “Oh wow, we’re going to be working together,” she responded weakly, “that’s great.” She’d be seeing this male every single day? The guy who was making her blood boil. This wasn’t a good thing. She was here to do her job and nothing else. There would be no workplace romance during this internship. None. She needed this job and this reference, and nothing was getting in the way of her future plans of security and stability. This freakishly handsome Xylan with the sexy fangs and the muscular arms was not going to get in the way of her life goals. She forced herself to deny her cravings.

Then she thought of a very important detail.

Maybe this guy was also… “Um, are you Sulinda’s cousin?”

“Yes, I am.”

Oh gods. Out of all the beings at this site, Sulinda’s cousin had boarded the lift, and turned out to be the unbearably handsome Xylan she was lusting over? She glanced down at his gloved fists. Yep. Massive. It was definitely him, just as Sulinda had described. Leah could easily imagine those knuckles smashing someone’s jaw, which wasn’t nearly as scary as she’d first assumed. In person, this man seemed more of a protector than an aggressor.

Dear gods, she could spend all day staring at him. His work uniform draped perfectly on his body, nipping in at his waist and then expanding over his muscular chest. She wished she could climb him right now, like a mountain, and lick his perfect, golden skin.

She glanced away, her cheeks burning, embarrassed that she was panting over the miner who was going to be her immediate, daily coworker for the duration of this tenure. Shit, this wasn’t good. Sulinda’s cousin was specifically in charge of her training as an intern. This male was totally off-limits to her. Could she be more of an idiot? She should be focusing on her job, not on discovering loopholes in order to fuck her boss.

Never in a million years did she expect that this would happen. Normally she’d been so whatever about the males she’d known. She’d once tried having sex with her Creekan lab partner at university, but it had been basically an awkward, sweaty encounter that ended before she and the male had even gotten all their clothes off. Which left her still a virgin at twenty-four years old, a rarity among her peers.

“I’m surprised to see a human intern,” he remarked. “I’ve never met one of your species before.”

She nodded absently. He had to be the fourth Xylan that day who’d commented on that very subject. “I know. Humans are rare in the four sectors. But because your Imperial Military liberated my species from the Hurlians, we’ve been granted citizenship. I went to Kotholan University because I’m working towards my mining engineer certification.”

Some of his ridges raised over his left eye. “That’s a hard program to get into.”

“Oh, you think so?”

“Yes. And you must’ve been at the top of your class to get this job. They only pick the best.”

She bit her lip. “Thank you.” Why did he have to be nice? Handsome AND nice. She was going to be working daily with this male, while pretending he didn’t affect her in the least. Meanwhile he’d be physically unable to return her feelings and would treat her as the new hire he’d been required to train.

This was turning into the dream job from hell.

“What is your name and position?” she blurted out, realizing she really needed to know more about this male.

“I am Saxon of Nine, a Driller.”

Her eyes widened. A Driller? Wow. She was just a lowly tech mapping the mines, while this Xylan actually touched and bonded with the crystals. He was even more perfect. “How long have you been mining?”

“I’ve been working this mine for ten years. My proper name is Saxon but around here the crew calls me ‘The Hook.’” He grinned and reflexively clenched and unclenched both of his massive fists.

Her eyes widened. His face was ten times more handsome when he smiled. Did all the Xylan have such long, toothy fangs? She didn’t think so.

“You will perform a survey of recently opened sections,” he explained, “and I will decide the best way for our crew to safely extract the Illibrium.”

“Okay. Sounds like a plan.”

And then the lights cut out and the lift stopped working.

Holy shit, what had just happened?

2

Saxon glanced around, startled. What was going on? The lift was motionless, and every single light source had cut out. No sparks, flares or grinding of metal. No sounds of mechanical failure. They’d just…stopped. And now the two of them were standing in total darkness.

“What happened?” the human screeched.

He had no idea. Cages never broke down. The moving of equipment between levels was a priority on the mine and these lifts were scrupulously maintained in order to keep work flowing smoothly.

“W…why did the lights cut out?”

The formerly calm female was now clearly distressed. He monitored the sound of her frustrated single heart and her erratic breaths. She was upset but physically unhurt. “I don’t know why the cage stopped. But this lift has never broken down before.” He forced himself to stop staring at her panicked face and turn his eyes to the panel.

It was just…

He’d squeezed in between the doors of the cage before it closed and had been surprised to find a human standing there. He’d known Admin had decided to bring in a fresh-out-of-university intern to cover for Lorinda, therefore he’d been prepared to work with a clingy new-hire but…He’d had no idea of the intern’s gender, or what species it would be and he found it very surprising to find a human in their midst.

This female’s presence was disconcerting. He found it hard to keep his gaze off of her expressive eyes and shiny dark hair. Was he fascinated because this species was so rare? Or was it because he found her form and the sound of her voice interesting?

He didn’t know.

But, one thing was certain—Saxon could easily smell her intense arousal for him. The scent had blossomed in the small space the moment she’d gotten a good look at him. And for once he didn’t find this lust from another pleasure-mating species offensive, instead this added to her allure, knowing she immediately liked him enough to want to mate with him. Although he had no idea how their partnership at the mine was going to work out, considering Xylan remained celibate until the time of their claiming ceremony. He’d figure that out later. First, he needed to keep this human safe and calm.

Saxon’s jaw clenched as he checked the darkened displays on the control panel. The emergency com wasn’t responding. Huh. “Nothing works,” he told her. “This shouldn’t be possible. There’s a redundant back-up just for this type of situation.”

“Can you get ahold of anyone with your…?” she gestured toward his pocket. “You know your…”

He pulled out his tablet and flicked a claw across the blank screen. “No,” he gritted. “The tablet is dead too.” He glanced at the female and noticed she was staring at the space behind him and not making eye contact. Her eyes were darting back and forth, unfocused. “Human?” he questioned.

“What?” she reached out a shaky hand. “Is something else wrong?”

“No. Nothing else is wrong, beyond the obvious. But, can you see in the dark?”

“Of course I can’t see in the dark,” she huffed. “No one can. Wait. You can see in the dark, can’t you? That’s why you’re asking.” She stretched both hands out this time, trying to feel for his presence, but missed entirely. “Xylan can see in the dark? Wow. That must be nice. It’s pitch-black in here. I can’t see my hand in front of my face.”

He grunted. It must be difficult for a species who lost their vision when the light fell below a certain level. The ramifications were endless. He hadn’t worried when the lights cut out because it made little difference to him, light was good for bringing objects into sharper focus, but it wasn’t essential to continue working.

“Being stuck in here is um, starting to really freak me out,” the human commented with a shaky voice as she squeezed her hands together and shifted on her feet. Her heart continued to beat furiously. “Does this lift break down often?”

“No. It’s always in top condition,” he answered calmly in order to soothe the terrified female.

“Why is it broken today? What’s different? Even if you consider the lights going out as no big deal because you can see in the dark, doesn’t it worry you that we’re stuck here and can’t get ahold of anyone?”

“Yes, it does worry me,” he admitted. The maintenance crew and the techs had to be scrambling to fix this, but why couldn’t he contact them? The fact that his tablet wasn’t working meant this wasn’t a simple localized power outage. The communications array, employee housing and outbuildings in the community had to also be in blackout.

“Why would there be absolutely no energy on an Illibrium mining outpost? Isn’t everything here powered by the crystals you mine? What happened?”

He nodded in agreement at her statement, and then he remembered something important. “Actually, something different did happen today. There was a notice of scheduled maintenance. The network grid that monitors the energy flow for our entire mining outpost was being replaced and upgraded. It looks like something went wrong.”

“You think?” she quipped.

His lips twitched. “I think,” he responded. “So, we must be in the midst of a temporary cascade failure.”

“Oh gods,” she groaned, placing her hands on her head. Her soft, curvy form slumped against the wall of the lift. “What are we going to do?”

The female’s breaths were erratic now, and she seemed to be growing more upset by the nanco, but there really wasn’t anything they could do but wait. Humans apparently felt discomfort when surprised with total darkness. Hmm. How was he going to keep this frightened female comfortable and calm? “They’re going to eventually get us out of here,” he reminded her, “we just have to wait for the rescue team to restore power.”

“You’re sure it’s not something worse than that?” she asked. “Like an explosion or something? Is it going to drop?”

“There aren’t any fires and we’re stable—I think we don’t have to worry about it being anything more sinister than a power failure. It will take time to restore power to this section. We’ll have to be patient. And if something strange happens, such as the clamps degrading, there’s a safeguard system that will catch us if we fall.”

“So, we’re going to be stuck in here for hours, in the dark?” she moaned. “I’m afraid of the dark.”

He tilted his head, confused. “But human, I don’t understand, you work in a mine.” Underground mines were some of the darkest places in the universe. If she was terrified of the dark, why would this female choose a profession where she could be plunged into utter darkness at the flick of a switch?

“Oh no,” she whimpered. “I thought I was over this.” She wrapped her arms around her midsection. A cry flew out of her mouth. “I’m sorry.”

“Human.”

She cried out, tossed off her helmet, and slid to the floor.

He was shocked at this sudden change in her behavior. “Human?” He crouched next to her, worried for this tiny female. She wasn’t getting better; she was getting worse. He’d never seen a being this afraid of simple darkness. He had no idea what it would be like to not be able to see if the degree of lightness changed, but he still did not think this condition was normally this debilitating for her species. Humans followed a diurnal sleepcycle, therefore darkness wasn’t new to her. What was wrong? Why was she this scared? Concern swept through his hearts and mind.

She moaned and curled into a ball.

The sound of her continued distress cut like a knife. He had to help her. He’d never met this type of species in real life before, but his eldest brother had recently mated a human. Daxon had recently sent a vid message, telling a fascinating story where he claimed his Bride enjoyed proximity and constant touch. Apparently, proximity to a mate was important to humans.

Saxon shrugged. This was no hardship. He wasn’t this female’s mate, but he could try and give her the proximity of another being in her time of need. Maybe this would help her find relief? Sitting next to the shaking female seemed a sensible action. He slid down and sat next to her with his back propped against the wall.

He was close now, but her heart rate and breathing hadn’t improved. She continued to whimper with agitation. Saxon clenched his jaw. He’d moved close to her, but this did not seem to be helping.

He brother had described how proximity to his female often required touching and yet strangely this touch did not always result in actual mating. Considering Saxon was still an unmated Xylan, this story sounded fantastical. But…

Maybe Leah of One needed proximity that involved actual touch? This had to be the solution. He could put her on his lap. This would work perfectly to keep the female off the uncomfortable floor and increase their proximity. Yes, it was highly unusual to pull her close, but it was the right thing to do to help this human, and they were both covered with occupational clothing from neck to feet. There would be no worry over accidental forcing of testing. He took a deep breath and crossed his legs. He could do this for her. He could. “Human, sit with me,” he ordered, reaching out for her. “Let me help you.”

“What? No,” she pleaded. “I just want to lay here. I don’t need you to…”

He ignored her polite protestations and lifted her onto his lap. She was light as air, and he found he liked the feel of her in his arms. She settled neatly into his lap as if she’d been fitted for this position.

“Oh no,” she gasped. “What are you doing? I can’t sit here. I was ordered to not touch any unmated Xylan. I’ll be okay, I promise.”

It was good that they’d taught her the rules of the unmated at intake. She certainly needed to understand Xylan physiology and culture. But, he didn’t hate this proximity—at all. Having her on his lap was surprisingly enjoyable. She was smaller than a typical Xylan female, but she seemed to fit well within his embrace. Having this human so close did not make him uncomfortable. “Don’t worry, female,” he breathed next to her ear. “I don’t mind this closeness. I’m helping you because I want to.”

“But they said I wasn’t supposed to…”

“I know. Just sit. You’re upset. I will hold you and you will feel better. I’ve heard that proximity is soothing to your species. You will sit here with me and this will help you to contend with the fact that you can’t see in the dark.”

“Well…yeah, that’s true. But, you don’t have to do this.”

“We are both fully clothed and touching only through fabric, so this will not accidentally progress into testing of compatibility. Yes, it’s unusual for an unmated Xylan to touch another unmated being, even through fabric, but these are extenuating circumstances and I only want to comfort you while the power is out. Rest, female.”

“Well, okay,” she answered with a trembling voice. She turned in his arms, closed her eyes and leaned into his chest.

He stared down at her soft shape and couldn’t help himself. He reached up and ran a gloved claw along the shiny flow of her fabulous hair, dark as ancient night. She sighed with contentment at his touch and pressed closer to his chest. Then she seemed to let go of whatever she was holding back, and tears began to flow out of her eyes.

Saxon stared in shock, surprised to see water leaking out of this human. He wrapped his arms tight around her as her shoulders shook with grief.

He felt terrible for this small, frightened being who had the misfortune to arrive at the mine on the exact day they were having a historic blackout. If any of his brothers walked in and saw him holding this weeping female in his lap, they would be stunned. He wasn’t known for his ability to provide solace to others. Usually he solved his issues (and anyone else’s) with his fists. But this female was bringing out a side of him he hadn’t know existed, a side that wanted to comfort.

Saxon lifted his gloved hand and again caressed her hair, then he rubbed her back, all in an effort to help her feel better. Finally, Leah of One quieted and settled in his arms. The tears stopped. He was glad to see that he’d been right, the proximity was working to bring her relief. But, he had a few more ideas on how to help this female. “Human,” he whispered, “I have two different items with me that I think you will enjoy.”

“You do?” she sniffed.

He reached down and flicked on his helmet lamp. The beam cut through the dark creating a spotlight on the doors and the control panel.

“Oh my gosh. I thought all the lights we’d brought weren’t working and that there was no way to turn on any light. Thank you. That is much better.”

“I can turn this lamp on because my light is powered by a different source…This.” And he pulled a second item out of his pocket, his small Illibrium crystal.

She let out a soft gasp.

He set the Illibrium on the floor next to them and tugged off one of his gloves. He reached down and brushed the crystal with the tip of his claw. It illuminated, throwing a soothing glow in the cage, helping to defeat the darkness scaring his female.

His female? That was a strange, subversive thought.

She remained in his lap and sat up straight, the top of her head tucking perfectly underneath his chin. Her back rested against his chest and her legs stretched out, propped on top of his crossed legs. He wondered what her gloved hands with the five crowded fingers looked like bare. Was it true that her species did not have claws? He’d have to ask his brother for details.

“That’s beautiful,” she said with awe. “Your crystal is white, but it glows light blue. I’ve never seen an Illibrium in real life, only in pictures.”

He smiled, enjoying this moment—introducing her to the crystal he’d bonded with and carried around with him since he was a youth in training. It brought him joy, knowing she liked his crystal, and that his personal Illibrium was attuned to Leah of One.

There was a furrow of concentration on her smooth forehead. “If I touched this crystal,” she asked, “it wouldn’t light up like that for me, right? It only does that for you?”

“Yes, this is my personal crystal and it has fever-bonded to me, but it likes you too.”

She chuckled. “How do you know your crystal likes me?”

“It wouldn’t power up like this if it didn’t accept you. Fever-bonded Illibrium only engages in the presence of sentient beings that are naturally attuned to its frequency.”

“Does that mean I’ll eventually fever-bond with a crystal too?”

“No. You are attuned to Illibrium, but Fever bonds require years of intense dedication. Training begins when we are children.”

“Oh. Wait a sec, you turned on the headlamp and touched that crystal like you were certain they would turn on with me nearby. How did you know that would happen ahead of time?”

“I know because you’re here, in the mine. You were tested at intake to make sure you’re attuned to Illibrium.”

She blinked. “I was? They tested me? When?”

“We always quietly test new-arrivals. You probably went into a closet or behind another door and they brought a bonded crystal nearby and waited to see if it would engage. And when it did, they knew you were attuned and allowed you to progress through intake. If it hadn’t engaged, they would’ve made up an excuse for you to return to your home planet immediately via transporter. This way we wouldn’t be wasting your time, or ours. There’s nothing wrong with a being who can’t attune, it’s in fact a rare gift. But we can only accept long-term employees who are attuned, and we have absolutely no idea who will be and who won’t until the moment they are here, on Timbur, standing next to a crystal. The Illibrium decides.”

Her shoulders slumped. “So, I wasn’t Admin’s first choice for this internship? I’m just one of many they’d brought here and the one who happened to pass the test, so they had to go with me?”

“No, you were their first choice and the only one they’d brought so far, hoping it would be you and I’m certain they were thankful you passed. In fact, you are highly attuned to Illibrium. See?” he pointed at his unnaturally bright crystal. “My Illibrium is glowing brighter in your presence.”

“It is?” she grinned, with a hint of delight in her tone.

“Yes. In fact, I’ve never seen it—"

“Sulinda gave me such a big smile early on,” the female cut in, “she must’ve been relieved that I’d passed because she really needed someone to start today.”

“Yes, she did. I checked my tablet after you told me about Lorinda. My cousin had already posted an update, letting everyone know Lorinda was safely in medical and she was with her.”

“Oh good. I hope everything turns out okay.”

“I do too.”

They both sat quietly then, lost in their thoughts. And Saxon felt comfortable, waiting for the power to be restored with Leah of One in his lap. And for some unknown reason, he found himself highly interested in the shape of her body. The slope of her back, the cushion of her plump human ass, her curvy hips.

“I can’t believe we’re experiencing a power failure in the middle of an Illibrium mine,” his female remarked. “It’s nonsensical.”

His lips twitched again. She was easy to talk to. Normally, he hated conversing with beings he didn’t know. He also hated conversing with beings he did know. “It’s true. Illibrium is the number one power source in the four sectors and yet the mine that produces the Illibrium is out of power. This will make a good story later for the vid channels.”

“Yep. And, you know, if you’d missed that door to the lift, you wouldn’t be stuck here with me,” she said. “You’d be free to help the others restore the power.”

He thought about that for a moment and frowned. “And if I’d missed the lift you would be in here, suffering alone. I am glad I made it on time.” He adjusted her position, pulling her closer. “You know what I still don’t understand? Why did you choose to work in the mining industry considering you’re terrified of the dark?”

She let out a bitter laugh. “Well, I’m not usually this upset. I’ve struggled with fears of the dark and confined spaces since I was younger, but I thought I was long past it. It hasn’t bothered me in years. I guess being in a new place is getting to me.”

He rubbed his gloved claw along her thigh. “Maybe. I have a hard time believing all humans are this afraid of the dark.”

“Oh, they aren’t, it’s just me, my specific problem. And in fact, I’m really embarrassed that you saw me like that. I thought I’d moved past this, it’s been so long since I’ve had an episode. My fears of the dark are a result of being left alone in a dark room when I was a small child. It traumatized me.”

His head jerked back. “You were left alone? In what type of room?”

“A closet. I was locked in a closet.”

His claw dug into her waist. “You were a child, left alone in a small closet in the dark. For how long?”

“For two diurnals.”

“What?” he shouted. “Your line left you alone for two full diurnals in the dark? Did you have food and water?”

“No, I had nothing. And it wasn’t my family that did this, but the people I was living with who forgot about me. My mother died when I was an infant and when I was five years old my father was snatched by the Hurlians and never returned. I assume he’s dead. I was raised by the neighbors in the area. This is why now that I’m an adult I take care of myself.” She grabbed his claw and held onto it with her own gloved hand. “When the power in the cage cut off so suddenly and I had no way to stop it, it threw me back into that exact same situation—being locked inside a dark confined space and not knowing when it would end and having no control over the outcome. Thank you for this…for doing your best to help me come out of my panic attack. I feel much better now. That was very kind of you.”

He heard the honesty in her voice. He was so attuned to her that he could sense her emotions and hear her truth. Were all humans this easy to get along with? This must be why his brother had mated with one of them.

He thought about what she’d admitted about her childhood, how she’d had no line and had been raised by a succession of uncaring caretakers. His chest burned with pride for this fierce female. Despite the assholes in her life, and the lack of any support whatsoever, she’d managed to create a career for herself beyond her home world. It made him realize how lucky he was to have his own line. Lately he’d found himself wanting independence from the infuriating brothers he spent every single waking moment with, but now he found himself grateful for their support, no matter how misguided. “I am happy to help you, female. You are in my charge and I will make sure you are safe.”

She shifted in his lap. “I’m still worried though.”

He couldn’t stop himself from yet again reaching out to touch her shiny hair. The scent of her arousal had returned. This meant his female was feeling better. “What do you have to be worried about, besides your fear of the dark and waiting for the power to come back on? And neither of these are true fears because I’m here.”

She chuckled. “I’m worried I’m going to screw up this job and I’ll have to end up accepting a position as a mining tech in a third sector asteroid belt.”

He winced, that would be awful. The miners in the third sector were constantly having to go on strike to gain basic rights from their miserly Admin. “That won’t happen. You will be a good fit here.”

“Thank you for saying that,” she breathed. Her gloved hand moved again to rest on top of his. Did she even know she was doing this? And the visual of her hand on his claw was not nearly as disturbing as it should be.

In fact…

He shook his head. Why had he taken so long to understand the obvious? Saxon buried his nose in her hair and inhaled great gulps of air.

“What are you doing?” she laughed. “That tickles.”

Her scent invaded his nostrils and filtered into his lungs and lit up possessive reactions he’d never before known. And then it hit him like an asteroid. He sat up straighter and lifted his chin. He’d enjoyed the sound of her voice, her residual smell, her proximity and her conversation…despite the fact that she wasn’t even of his own species, and despite the fact he never felt this way about anyone.

He’d lived his entire life on Timbur and met all the unmated Xylan females in the vicinity. He’d never once scented his mate. Therefore, he’d begun to wonder if he was going to have to enter the Xylan mating database in order to find his Bride somewhere off-planet. But since he hadn’t been ready for something so extreme, he’d been reasonably content working a job he enjoyed while living in the compound with his brothers who were also unmated.

But now, his life was going to change irrevocably. For the better.

“Saxon? What’s wrong?” his Bride asked.

“Human, you are my mate.”

3

“What?” Leah gasped. “Your mate? That’s not possible.” Had Saxon lost his mind? What was he talking about? “All we’re doing is sitting here together while we wait for the power to come back on. This isn’t—”

“You’re my mate,” he repeated with absolute certainty.

“No, no I’m not—”

“Yes, you are.”

Her eyes widened. He was serious. Oh gods, she was soooo going to lose her job over this. LOSE. HER. JOB. “No, no no! This is terrible.” She tried to scramble out of Saxon’s lap, but he held her tight with two giant claws on the sides of her waist. “Let me go,” she growled. “This can’t be happening.”

“It is happening.”

“It isn’t.”

“It is. Sit,” he ordered.

She slumped back against him. “Saxon, you don’t understand, they’re seriously going to fire me for this. I wasn’t supposed to show up here and become someone’s Bride. Admin’s number one priority during intake was these damn gloves. I signed a release promising I’d keep them on during shifts and even off-shift. I’m following the same protocol as an unmated Xylan. I’ve had my gloves on the entire time, just like I promised. We haven’t touched each other’s bare palms. I told you we shouldn’t be this close.”

“Female, stop, they won’t revoke your internship.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do, because I’m your boss. And you haven’t done anything wrong.”

She twisted around and stared angrily into his eyes. “What about Sulinda? And the Doctor in med bay? And the other Admins? Will they agree?”

“They will all defer to me in this. Gods, you’re magnificent when you’re irritated,” he grinned. “Your brown eyes flash like sparks of lightening and your golden skin glows beautifully. Even your strange ridge-less human face is becoming more appealing by the nanco. I can’t believe it took me this long to realize what was happening here.”

Oooh, this man. “Saxon, focus. This is my career we’re talking about. I’m here to do my job and hopefully learn more about my profession. I need this internship to graduate. Getting fired from here can ruin everything for me.”

He shoved his nose into her neck again and inhaled. And she couldn’t prevent the giggle that escaped her lips. She placed her hands on his massive shoulders, trying to motion for him to stop. Yes, she was mad that he wasn’t taking her career seriously, but on the other hand his nose against her skin was sexy as hell. This big, gruff miner thought she smelled good? It was cute, if somewhat misguided. “Saxon. Stop that, I need to concentrate. First, explain to me why you think I’m your mate even though we haven’t touched.”

He lifted his chin and stared at her with those gorgeous hazel eyes and impossibly long eyelashes. “My line can scent their future mate,” he explained. “This gift is passed on from generation to generation. Only a few other Margol clans have this same ability.”

“Hold on. So this isn’t about touch at all then? You think I’m your mate just because you think I smell good?” She threw her hands up and sighed with exasperation. “Saxon, what if you’re wrong? Maybe you just like my perfume.”

He leaned in, pulling her close and ran his nose against her neck, inhaling. A shiver of delight raced across her spine. And she shifted again in his lap, trying to relieve the wet heat that had consistently flared between her thighs since the moment she’d met him. She was so wet now it was embarrassing.

“No,” he answered. “I can smell that strange pseudo scent you’ve coated yourself with, it’s not that. You—” he licked her neck “—are my future mate. I can smell the mating scent that binds us together right here, on your body and in your hair.”

She shivered with delight. Oh gods. He’d licked her. And it was basically the best moment of her life. Great. She was stuck in a lift with a Xylan miner who thought he could smell that she was his mate. Not once had her instructors at intake mentioned the possibility of this type of situation.

What should she do now?

She had no idea.

He took hold of her gloved hand and stared into her eyes, a serious look on his harsh face. “You do not have a Manager or Champion for your line, so I will instead set aside formality and ask you directly. Leah of One, will you test mating compatibility with me?”

Her mouth dropped open. ‘The Hook’ had just proposed to her? She forced herself to stifle the grin that threatened to spread across her face, because somewhere, deep down, she was secretly delighted at this crazy situation. But, this was still all kinds of wrong. They couldn’t jump from strangers, to coworkers, to mates in two point five seconds.

And, what the hell was wrong with her? How could she even remotely be considering this proposal? Since when did Leah Hernandez—the girl who’d basically raised herself and busted her ass to make first in her class at university—care for something or someone, more than her career? No, no, no. She had to be strong. No one could get in the way of her life goals. No. One. He probably wasn’t even that serious about this. For him, this was an easy request, and if it proved wrong, would change nothing for him. But for her this could fuck everything up. Yes, she wished Saxon’s species pleasure mated so they could have some kind of hot, torrid affair while she was working here—but even that wasn’t the smartest of ideas considering he was her boss.

Saxon was Fever-bonded to Illibrium, so he had this job at the mine forever. And she guessed his entire family lived and worked on Timbur. Therefore, his life was exactly the opposite of hers—filled with close family and job security—so of course he’d never understand her fears in this matter.

Leah pursed her lips and gave a tight shake of her head. “Saxon, that’s sweet of you to ask to test with me, but this is all happening much too fast. You don’t know me. I don’t know you. I know testing is just that—a testing. But, we can’t clasp hands and test because I need to focus on this job like I promised I would. Also, let’s not forget that we’re not even the same species. We’re in a strange situation and this is probably messing with your senses and creating a false positive reading. I’m sure your real mate is a Xylan female already living on this planet and you just haven’t scented her yet.”

“Leah of One.” He shook his head and reached up and cupped his giant gloved claw against her hot cheek. Her heart beat fast in her chest as she stared at this imposing male who was entirely focused on her. “You don’t understand,” he rumbled. “I’ve never asked another to test compatibility with me. I’ve said no to all requests from other Managers because all I have to do is quietly stand close and inhale a female’s scent and I know she’s not my mate. I’ve no need to waste anyone’s time with compatibility tests. I know with one hundred percent certainty that you are my mate. The compatibility ceremony is only to confirm the legality of our mating, and to initiate our mating hormones.”

She sucked in a breath. “Initiate our mating hormones?” Oh gods.

“All Xylan are celibate until our mate enflames and awakens our sexual urges.”

Leah swallowed hard against her suddenly dry throat. All she could think of was the idea of Saxon’s body awakened and ready for sex. His uniform off, and all that luscious golden skin exposed for her touch. And other parts of him hard and ready for her to lick and suck.

Oh gods, she wanted him so bad.

“Female, I can smell your arousal,” he said with a deep, growly voice. “But I am unable to tend to you because my species does not pleasure mate. I need your touch to ignite my body.”

“You can smell my arousal?” A flush swept across her cheeks. This had to be the most embarrassing moment of her life, almost worse than when he’d watched her panic attack. She’d thought this whole time she was doing a great job of pretending she thought of him as only a coworker and nothing more, and instead he’d known all along that she was panting for his touch. And he wanted to help her with that? “Really? You want to tend to me?”

“Yes, you’ve wanted me since the moment we met. Let me take care of you. Xylan are dormant until they clasp hands with their confirmed mate. When we touch, bare palm to palm, the rush of mating hormones at that point of contact awakens our bodies and we are ready to mate. I’ve been waiting my entire life to claim my Bride. I will claim you hard.”

She cleared her throat. “But, um, you can only take care of me if we clasp hands first?” The beam of the head lamp and the light of his blue crystal in the dark cage was giving the small space a strange trance-like atmosphere, like they were the only two beings left on the planet. All of life had narrowed down to the two of them, here, in this moment. This man who wanted to claim her, hard. Except there was one problem. “You can’t touch me like you want, or even simply kiss me, unless we clasp hands first and confirm that we’re mates?”

“Yes, Xylan don’t pleasure mate. This has not been difficult for me because mating hormones are not flooding my body. I don’t miss what I don’t require. But, in order to bring pleasure to my Bride, I need my mate to touch my hand and start the chain reaction of hormones, only then can I touch you with passion.”

“Oh wow.” Hearing him talk this way was pure torture. They couldn’t just have an affair or a quickie during her tenure. There would be no dating or getting to know each other first. To simply kiss this male, she’d have to marry him first.

“Leah,” he whispered against her ear, “your body understands that I am your mate. Your heart and mind will follow.”

She whimpered. Was he right? He’d so easily talked her into crawling into his lap and staying there. This must be why she’d been ready to remain in his embrace. It wasn’t like she normally agreed to sit in the lap of men she barely knew.

He hadn’t been demanding sex—Saxon had been a perfect gentleman, snuggling without wanting more. Despite his size and rough demeanor, this man had been gentle and kind. And now he was sniffing and licking her neck and she was letting it all happen, perfectly content in the circle of his arms. And jeez, he smelled terrific, like wood, soil, and leather. A manly concoction of scents designed to practically sedate her with its potency.

A wave of distress hit her hard, because, in order to mate with this miner, she’d have to give up everything she’d worked so hard for. “Saxon,” she cried. “How can I make a decision like this? You, or my career? I can’t have both.”

He looked confused. “You don’t have to choose between the two. You can have me and your career.”

“No, I can’t, I’m just here temporarily until Lorinda returns. Then I return to University to finish my engineering certificate. And after I graduate the chances of finding a position at this same mine with you are slim and none. Jobs almost never open up here for non Xylan.”

“Jobs open up here often. Xylan Margol mainly receive those positions because we’re attuned to Illibrium at a higher rate than all other beings. But you’ve already been vetted, plus you’ll be my Bride, therefore you’ll be hired instantly.”

Her jaw clenched. “I don’t want a job on this mine just because I’m your mate. I want to earn a position because I’m the best candidate.”

He wrapped his mighty arms around her shoulders and pulled her in close. “Your fierce dedication is honorable, but you have to understand that no one on Timbur is hired according to nepotism. The Illibrium chooses first, then the CEO confirms. This is how it has always been.”

Her shoulders softened. “Okay, but I still need to return to University to finish my training.” How could she mate with Saxon and then be separated from him for the last year of her degree on Kolothan? It wasn’t fair.

He shook his head. “No, you don’t. You can finish your certification here, on Timbur.”

Her mouth fell open. “I can? You’re sure?”

“Yes. We’ve done that for several other junior engineers. It would be easy to set you up with on-the-job training.”

A slow smile spread across her face. “So, I can have you and my career?” This was getting better and better.

“You can. Also, there’s something else you need to know that’s important. For Xylan, the whole point of mating is to breed. After we test—which I’m certain will be positive—I’ll immediately claim you. And if you’re in your breeding cycle, this means you’ll be instantly pregnant with our offspring.”

“What?” she breathed. The shocking revelations just kept rolling in like timed explosions. Leah scrambled off Saxon’s lap. He let go and allowed her to stand in front of him, her breaths erratic. She placed her hands on her hips and paced around the small space.

Not only did he want her as his mate, he wanted her pregnant?

Seconds ago, she was a single girl, working hard to make her way in the universe, and now she was going to be married with kids? “I can’t believe this. I only meant to come here for an internship. I had zero thoughts of getting married and having kids.”

Saxon rested his perfect veiny forearms on his knees and met her gaze. “Do you want children?” he asked.

She closed her eyes, took a calming breath and went ahead and told him the secret she’d long held in her heart. “Yes, I’ve always wanted offspring,” she responded, then opened her eyes again and looked at him. Looked at the man who wanted to marry her and become the father of her children. She wrung her hands. “I can’t believe I admitted that. I don’t remember my mother, she died when I was born, and memories of my father are hazy at best. But yes, I’ve always wanted one day to have children, and give them what my parents couldn’t—a loving family.”

His eyes softened. “I want that for you too.”

“Thank you.” She swallowed against the lump in her throat. “And what about you? Do you really want offspring, or are your hormones forcing you into something you secretly don’t want?”

A slow, possessive smile spread across his features as his eyes roamed down her midsection. “I’m not forced into anything. I’m eager to plant my seed in my Bride and see her grow large with my offspring.”

Warmth radiated throughout her entire body at his heated gaze. She twisted the fabric of her uniform in her hand. “But, Saxon don’t you care that because I’m human your offspring won’t be fully Xylan? Doesn’t that bother you?”

“No.”

Leah bent down and sat next to this man who wanted to be her husband. She reached over and slowly grasped his bare claw with her gloved hand. A smile lit his face at her touch. He reached out, scooped her up and then deposited her back onto his lap. “Saxon,” she giggled, secretly delighted to be back in his embrace. “Are you sure you want this? What if we clasp hands and what you say is true? Then you’re stuck with me for the rest of your life.”

“And this is bad because…?”

“Because maybe human and Xylan aren’t really that compatible.”

“It will be fine, my brother is mated to a human.”

“What? Are you kidding? You said I was the first human you’d ever met.”

“Why would I joke about this?” he answered nonchalantly. “You are the first human I’ve met. My eldest brother is mated to Darcy Chopra from New Earth. We haven’t met because they don’t live on Timbur. My brother is a Bounty Hunter. They reside on the new Hunter Station.”

She gave him an incredulous stare. “Your brother married Darcy Chopra? Oh wow. Darcy Chopra won a planet-wide beauty competition and was declared the most beautiful female on New Earth. She’s super famous.”

He shrugged, totally unconcerned. “She’s just a sentient being. Like you. Like me. The most important thing here is that this confirms that humans and Xylan can mate and have offspring and remain happy.”

She gave him a watery smile. “True. That is the most important point. But, what about your parents? What will they think of another pesky human joining their line?”

“My parents passed away two planetary cycles ago in a cargo accident.”

“Oh no,” she gently squeezed his forearm. “Saxon, I’m so sorry. That’s terrible.”

He rested his chin on top of her head and wrapped his arms around her torso. “They would’ve liked you.”

“You think so?”

“Yes, especially my mother… Female,” he said, with a hint of exasperation in his voice, “do you accept my request for testing? You still haven’t clearly answered my question.”

She bit her lip.

It was just so startling. They were together forever, or not at all, and there wasn’t an in between. Should she marry this miner she’d just met? Was this a smart decision, or was she being stupid, tying herself up to a man who could turn out be a huge disappointment? How many times had she seen other couples marry at the drop of a hat and then divorce a few years later? She’d always assumed that when she finally, finally found the male she wanted as her partner and the father of her children—he’d be a keeper, someone she’d stay with for the rest of her life. And if she never found a male who could give her the same devotion in return…well, she’d been prepared to remain single for the rest of her life, if that’s what it took.

But this huge alien miner was quietly holding her with tender care, comforting her, scenting her, patiently waiting for her decision. His fangs, claws and massive muscles should be scarier, and the fact that he wasn’t of her own species should be worrying her more. But, she had to admit he was right—there was something special between them, unlike anything she’d experienced before. She felt so comfortable in his presence, like they were already best friends. His mere presence filled her with safety and warmth.

She’d been alone for so long now. Maybe it was time to share this life with someone else. Let someone in with her.

“Are you disappointed with the idea of me as your mate?” he questioned with a rough voice.

“No,” she answered truthfully, turning to fully face him. “No, I’m not disappointed.”

When she was a girl, Leah had wanted nothing more than family and security. And this was what she saw in the eyes of the male staring back at her, waiting for her answer. And she glanced down at his one bare claw and solid wrist, which seemed terribly sexy. Four long, thick fingers tipped with claws. A hand that could easily beat another miner, gently brush a fever-crystal, or touch her with tenderness. The claw she was going to clasp in some kind of special ceremony in order to confirm that this man her mate. “Yes,” she answered with determination. “Yes, I accept your proposal.”

His face lit up like a sunrise. Emotion shining in his eyes. “Yes?”

“Yes,” she giggled, relief flowing through her. “Yes, I’d love to test mating compatibility with you. How does it work?”

“For most other Xylan, testing of compatibility ceremonies are performed again and again in order for Xylan to finally find that being who is their confirmed mate. Fifty percent of ceremonies are non-matings. But for us, this will be merely a formality to confirm what we already know. But the testing must still be done according to the Scales of Xylan Law.”

“Here?” she squeaked. “Right now?”

“No,” he chuckled, “not here. This mining community has a holo deck where we can program a setting to recreate the main multigod altar on Chronos. After this lift is fixed and the power restored, I’ll message the Manager of my line and she’ll set up the testing for us. We will invite my line, and anyone you would like from off-planet, as guests to witness the testing.”

Leah leaned forward. “That sounds lovely. I’m—"

She was cut off by a horrific noise of grinding metal. A screech that could wake the dead. “What the—?” And then the entire cage shuddered and lurched to one side, causing them to both tip over. The beam of light from Saxon’s helmet and the glow from his crystal streaked crazily across the walls. “Saxon?” she yelled out.

“Hold onto me,” he shouted back. “We can ride this out.”

“Ride what out?”

The lift started rushing down and they were free falling in a small metal box.

4

Holy fucking crap. It was terrifying.

One minute she was tangled in Saxon’s arms and the next she was flying in the air, her stomach in her throat. She fell backwards and then rolled to the other side of the lift and slammed against the far wall. Ouch.

“Leah,” Saxon bellowed. “Lie flat on your back.”

How did he expect her to do that when she was floating above the floor?

The cage kept falling and falling, and she was flopping around like a doll, and a terrifying thought flashed through her mind—what if the lift never stopped? What if Saxon was wrong about the safeguards and the cage smashed to pieces at the bottom of the mine; a weight ten times heavier than her own body crushing her on impact.

Were they about to die?

She’d just met the man she was going to marry, and they were both about to die in a horrific crash? How could life continue to be so unfair?

And then Saxon grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her. He twisted them both and she was pressed against his chest with him underneath and she on top.

The lights of the elevator suddenly rushed back on with blinding intensity along with the hum of restored power. Red lights began flashing and a siren blared.

“Fuck yeah,” Saxon shouted. “Systems restored. It’s going to stop now, but hold on, this is going to hurt.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, terrified of what that meant.

There was a horrific grinding noise as the clamps deploying and what she supposed were the safeguards? There was a slight slowdown, a rolling bump, and then they hit stop with such force that her teeth clicked, and her body pounded against Saxon’s rock-hard muscles.

Afterwards she lay splayed out on top of Saxon, blinking and breathless, thankful to be alive. All was now calm. The elevator had stopped, and the power was on. And Saxon was laying freakishly still with his eyes closed.

“Saxon? Saxon are you okay?”

He’d taken the brunt of their fall, absorbing the hit of their chaotic stop with his back against the floor of the cage. She pressed her ear against his chest, grateful to see the slight rise and fall of his torso and to hear the comforting beat of his two hearts.

She was about to lift her hand to shake him awake, but, oh shit…she could see that in the commotion one of her gloves had flown off and his claw was clasped around hers. They were holding hands. Bare skin to bare skin. And that pressure point where their hands met—it was throbbing between them with heat and awareness. Like two live wires joined together.

“Uh oh.” Would he be upset they’d joined hands now, in a mining cage instead of at an altar in front of his friends and family?

Saxon’s eyes flashed open, and he sucked in a great breath. He paused, and it was obvious the memory and sensation of what had transpired returned with full force because he focused on her with the heat of ten thousand suns. He lifted their joined hands and kissed her fingers. “My Be’Ih,” he growled.

“Oh gods.”

He didn’t seem upset at all. And he’d been right all along, they were mates. And they’d accidentally performed a testing of mating compatibility, here, in the broken cage, which meant they weren’t just “fiancés planning their wedding” anymore, they were now mates.

And she’d released the Kraken.

She could feel his thick erection prodding against her stomach, between two different layers of occupational work uniform.

“Saxon,” a frightened male voice boomed from the emergency panel. “Saxon? It’s Bayzon. We’ve managed to get the lift systems powered and the clamps fixed. Are you and the human okay?”

Saxon took deep breaths, his fangs elongated, and his eyes blazing with scorching heat. “I’m here,” he answered with a voice that sounded like grinding rocks. “We are both unhurt, but during the free fall we lost our gloves and accidentally tested mating compatibility. The test is positive, Leah of One is my Bride.”

“Oh hell. Thank gods you’re both okay. Is she in her breeding cycle?”

Saxon took another deep breath. “Yes, she is. I need to claim my mate immediately.”

“I understand. There was a glich in the system and it caused the clamps to temporarily fail before we could get them back online. You’re stuck between floors now. We’ll repel down and be there in a matter of nanco.”

A growl rumbled in Saxon’s throat and he lurched over.

“Oh!” she gasped. He’d shifted them and they slid to their sides, and now she wasn’t on top of him, they were instead lying face to face in the cage, staring at each other, with their hands still clasped between them.

“You’re my Bride.”

“I am,” she breathed.

And then Saxon cupped the back of her head with his one free claw and kissed her with all the pent-up passion of a male who’d never kissed anyone in his entire life. It was sudden and dramatic, filled with white fangs and a flood of hot hormones. And it was easily the best kiss of her life. She returned his passion tenfold. He swallowed her kisses whole and she could barely breath, but she didn’t care, because she’d been kissed before, but never like this. Not with the intensity of a man who was claiming her as his. Marking her with his kisses and transferring their bond with a tangle of tongues and a rush of hormones.

She was instantly pushed into the most blinding lust of her life. Her breasts pressed against his hard chest. His fangs tracked against her tongue and his taste exploded in her mouth. She groaned and slid a free arm around his neck, her fingers twined into his silky braids, relieved that it was finally happening, that their bodies were meeting, and she was tasting this male. They kissed and kissed, drawing power and pleasure from each other. She could literally feel the bond transferring between them.

He slipped a thigh between her legs and she began to rut against him, trying to relieve the explosive ache at her core. She’d been aroused since the moment she saw him, but now she was ten times worse. Her panties were drenched. What was wrong with her? She was going to die if she couldn’t touch him. Die, if he didn’t touch her!

The vortex of desire was too much. She wasn’t simply hot and flustered, as she’d been the entire time in the cage with Saxon, she was now at some whole other level of turned on. She could barely focus. It was clouding her mind, enflaming every part of her body and causing a super nova of despair. She writhed underneath him with an anxious need to be claimed. She broke their kiss. “I need you,” she begged.

And then he tore the front of her uniform in two and his claw was cupping her mound. She let out a sigh of relief. His touch seemed to be the only thing that could cool the blazing heat. He rested his ridged forehead against hers. “I want to claim you right now, but I can’t. In order for our ceremony to be legally binding I must plant my seed for the first time inside your womb, within the confines of an approved Xylan claiming forest.”

She whimpered. “But, I need you. Now.”

“I know Be’Ih. They’ll be here soon to help. I promise.”

She growled like a wild beast and attacked him, trying to remove his uniform. She had to touch him. Had to feel him inside of her. He grabbed her flailing hands and pinned them down. The door rushed open and Xylan workers rushed inside. It was all a blur, she was just lying there, a total mess, with her new husband on top of her. She thrashed and snarled, not caring one bit what she looked like to them.

Saxon pulled away with a pained look on his face, as if it physically hurt him to separate from her. “My Bride is in her breeding cycle and suffering from the hormones. She requires sedation. Tranq her, fast.”

She bared her teeth and growled deep in her throat.

“Don’t worry my Be’Ih. I will prepare our ceremony on the holodeck and claim you properly. The next time you see me, we’ll be in a Xylantic forest.”

Whut?

Then there was a shot in her arm, and her world went black.

Leah awoke on a gray-green meadow of sparkling wet grass—in the middle of a dark forest, surrounded by gigantic trees soaring into the nighttime sky. She sat up and pushed her hair off her face, disoriented for a moment.

Where was she? What was happening?

Then it all came rushing back in a flash—the cage dropping into free fall, and the aftermath of that terrifying event. Her cheeks heated with embarrassment. That damn loose glove had slipped off during the chaos. And when Saxon had grabbed her to keep her safe, he’d connected with bare skin... And yes, he’d been right all along, they were mates.

Hormones had ignited between them and her gentle miner had morphed into a sexy beast. Saxon kissed her raw, and she’d lost her mind as the mating hormones swept between them, basically turning her into a wild animal in heat.

She dropped her face into her palms.

She’d tried to grope her new husband and force sex right away. Ugh. And, oh gods, he’d had to yell out for help. The emergency team had rushed in and tranq’d her because she couldn’t calm down. This was even more embarrassing than when she’d found out Saxon could smell her arousal, or when he’d witnessed her meltdown over the confined darkness.

She lifted her head and then noticed what she was wearing.

Oh jeez. Where were her clothes?

She wasn’t in her work uniform anymore. Someone had changed her clothing and she was now wearing only a silky blue tunic that went down to her thighs, and underneath she was completely naked. No slippers, underwear, bra or panties. Nothing but the slide of the fabric and the insistent throbbing of her wet core. Her dark hair was completely loose and flowing down past her shoulders. Her nipples two hard points of needy attention.

She glanced around, rubbing her hands on her thighs in agitation. Who’d changed her and seen her naked? How had this happened? Where was she?

Saxon had told her that directly after a confirmed clasping he’d take her away and have sex with her in some kind of special Xylan ceremony, which was essentially their wedding. Was this that claiming ceremony?

So many questions and so few answers.

She stood up and looked around. There were enormous trees everywhere, all of them jutting so far into the nighttime sky she had to practically lay on her back to see the tops. Stars glittered far above, and two different pale-yellow moons were producing twice the amount of moon glow she was used to. This had to be a holo deck setting because those moons weren’t the same as the one on Timbur. This had to be a recreation of a claiming forest on Chronos, Saxon’s home world.

And where was Saxon? She was achy-aroused and ready for her male to claim her. But instead she was all alone in a spooky midnight forest.

A cool breeze blew across her heated face and swept her hair back. There was a rustle of leaves, a snap of twigs and the sound of footfalls. Leah turned to see Saxon striding out of the shadows at the edge of the forest, entirely naked.

She let out a dreamy sigh and bit her lip. Holy crap he was gorgeous. Thank gods that shape-less work uniform was gone, as was the tool belt, and now she could see all of him. She watched him like her life depended upon it, tracking every movement and detail.

The hulking miner stopped in the middle of the meadow, illuminated by a spotlight of moon glow. Saxon was crazy-tall, with broad shoulders, narrow hips and long braids. His legs were utter perfection, with huge muscular thighs and calf muscles fit for a bronze sculpture. And even from this distance she could see the dip and curve of his hard-as-rock chest and stomach. And…and his enormous erection was pointing toward his stomach.

She whimpered.

This was the male she’d mated—the male about to take her virginity?

How did she get so lucky?

He began speaking in formal, guttural Xylan, in a ritualized language she found hard to understand. She’d been given a language implant and could easily understand and speak Saxon’s language, but this was different. Was he reciting the script of the ancient claiming ceremony? She couldn’t understand the context of his words. But she honored him by standing patiently waiting, listening to his deep voice while he spoke the language of his ancestors.

He was probably explaining the rules, which she already knew. This ceremony was essentially a chase; a loving demonstration of a warrior’s strength and protection. In order to prove their power, Xylan males were expected to overtake their Bride and bring her to the ground and claim her. This show of force was essential for bonding. Males left claiming ceremonies with wounds and broken bones, which they proudly displayed, purposely delaying recovery in med bay to flaunt the marks of their Bride’s fierce resistance.

Leah knew she had to make this chase hard for him, as a wedding gift. Saxon needed a reminder of their first time together—a story to retell later to his family and offspring. The longer she was able to evade him, and the longer it took for him to capture her and claim her, the better. And if she could make him bleed and walk away limping? Perfect.

Saxon stopped speaking and took a deep breath. Leah shifted on restless feet. The forest was quiet now, except for the sound of leaves fluttering in the breeze.

And then he pronounced: “You may run.”

She blinked. Run? He wanted her to run? She glanced around and took a tentative step back. Actually, this wasn’t such a bad idea. She’d been doing strength and cardio training during her studies on Kolothan. Keeping fit always seemed another way she could be ready to take care of herself. So, the idea of running through a midnight forest wasn’t such a stretch of the imagination. She clenched and unclenched her hands, feeling antsy due to the flood of adrenaline pumping through her veins.

And then she turned and sprinted away.

The claiming had begun.

Saxon was giving her a head start. He’d be after her in minutes. So, she ran faster than she’d ever ran in her entire life, her heart pounding and short puffs escaping from her lips. Her hair was flying out behind her.

And strangely she found this fun. There was a smile plastered on her face and she tried to think of a plan. He was so much taller and stronger than her—how was she going to keep this lead and hide from him in this forest? She thought about the terrain. There were trees, and flat land. And…wait, was that the sound of running water? She turned her head. There was a river. She’d cut across the giant meadow and entered the dense forest to hide among the trees. And now she turned toward the distance peek-a-boo of a glinting stream of fast-moving water.

A thunderous roar echoed behind her. Oh hell. Saxon. He was chasing her now. She could hear, even in the distance, the grind of his pounding charge.

She pushed forward, her breaths escaping in short bursts, her lungs burning and her thighs pumping. She kept her arms at precise right angles. She leapt over a log. Ouch. Her bare feet seemed to be hitting every single pebble and stick on the forest floor. But she kept going, faster and harder.

She had to make this hard for him. This couldn’t be easy.

One moment the sky was clear and the next there were dark clouds sweeping overhead and blocking the moons. It was even harder to see now, and rain began hitting the ground. Dammit. A rainstorm was the last thing she needed.

She stopped and stood at the bank of the river, her chest heaving. Her gaze darted around as she desperately sought a solution. And then she looked at the opposite bank and had an idea.

Leah waded into the river, feeling very brave and bold at the way she attacked the risky water barrier without pause. No one on New Earth was used to rivers. Her home planet was semi-arid and rivers were rare. But, she’d lived on Kolothan and they had rivers and lakes. There was a whole ocean of water near the university. So, unlike most humans in the four sectors, Leah could swim.

Shit, it was cold. And she hated cold water, especially when it crept up her bare back. But, she sucked up the discomfort like a big girl and kept going. The depth wasn’t as bad as she’d thought, but the current was swift and she had to use all her strength to get across to the other side and not get swept downstream. She made it over and scrambled up the opposite bank and took a few deliberate steps in the mud then backtracked into the river. She managed to hide in the prickly bushes and bramble at the bank at the exact moment Saxon came charging after her.

He easily forged the river that had been a complete bitch for her to cross. As soon as he crossed to the opposite bank and began following her false trail, she darted out of her hiding place and ran in the opposite direction.

It was hard to not laugh. He’d fallen for it! Ha. Now she’d—

And then suddenly he was right behind her. Enormous and scary. How the hell did he do that? He grabbed her from behind. Dammit, he wasn’t so easy to trick.

And right then the rain began falling in a torrent of wet bullets. Between the rain and the river, she was drenched and her tunic stuck to her like a second skin.

A primal anger of epic proportions swept through her body.

She snarled and struggled, then whipped around and raked her nails so hard across his chest blood welled up in diagonal lines. He yelled out in surprise. Then she gripped his giant shoulders, jumped up on her tip toes and bit him in the neck. She gave it everything she had, growling in her throat as if she were a beast taking down its prey. A coppery taste burst into her mouth as she managed to break his skin. Leah had no fucking idea what had gotten into her, but she was going with it.

Saxon grabbed her waist and dislodged her from his neck. She backed away in quick, jerky steps. The rain ran in rivulets down Saxon’s bared fangs and heaving, bloody chest. Fuck, he was terrifying.

He snarled and tossed her backwards. Her eyes watered as her back hit the ground with a sickening, muddy squish. Saxon fell on top of her, his knees in the mud.

“No,” she screamed and slapped him across the face. She flailed and fought, scratching and biting, trying to get him the hell of off so she could continue the chase.

A fist slammed into the ground next to her. “Stop,” he roared. “Enough.”

He grabbed her hair, wrapping the length around his claw and yanking her head back. She gasped and then his mouth was on hers, with a bite of fang and a hint of pain. Lust and possession radiated off him in waves. His desire was white hot. And that huge erection was poking her in the thigh.

He used his claw to tear her tunic off and toss it to the side. Holy hell, he’d just torn her clothes off in one swipe of his giant claw? And now she was as naked as he was. And the warm rain was still falling on both of them.

The moonlight illuminated Saxon’s harsh features—the elongated fangs, the mean curl of his lip and the fierce gleam of dark promises in his fiery gaze. He pushed her legs apart and gripped the meaty part of her thigh. “You are mine,” he growled.

She was his? Tears stung her nose. She’d never been anything to anyone.

And that was all it took. That one declaration, and she softened underneath him, giving him her acquiescence. She splayed her legs, making it easier for him to lower his hips into the cradle of her thighs and notch his monstrous cock at her sopping wet entrance. Her eyes widened as the crown rubbed deliciously against her swollen clit then slipped down and barely inside her cunt. This was the moment she’d been waiting so long for, with this man.

And she had no idea how that huge thing was going to fit.

She panted, her heart racing. She wanted him so bad, and yet—

He paused to meet her gaze and held it, “my Be’Ih,” he gritted, then he entered her with one swift shift of his hips. Long, hot and scorching. She threw her head back and screamed.

Holy crap that hurt.

He leaned down and licked her neck. A comforting rumble hummed in his chest. He remained still, giving her time to acclimate. It hurt like a motherfucker, but strangely the blinding pain was already fading. This had to be a sign of their bond. She was so wet, ready and hormonal—he began to slide that enormous cock in and out and it immediately felt better and better. She dug her heels into his ass and began to claw her nails at him in her desperation to be fucked.

And Saxon fucked her like a beast. Bared fangs, a flash of claw and grunts and snarls. He lifted her hips and drove into her with sharp thrusts, all of which brought her closer and closer to the edge she was already on. She tossed her head side-to-side, desperate for that huge, scary release that was building and building.

And then it hit. The mother of all orgasms. She screamed into the night as the pleasure crashed across her senses and rippled and lingered through her muscles.

Saxon pumped a few last uneven thrusts, then he stilled and threw his head back and roared as the heat of his release jetted inside of her. Gods, she loved the feel of his cum.

He gently fell on top of her and their hearts thundered in her ears.

The rain softened to a light mist and her new husband tangled his claws in her hair and whispered words of love in her ear. And she fell asleep with a smile on her face.

5

Saxon smiled and reached down to place his claw on his Bride’s stomach. He’d planted his seed in her womb last night and his new offspring was already growing in this exact spot. Warmth spread across his two hearts as he basked in the glow of the claiming of his Bride and the start of his line, the moment he’d been waiting for his whole adult life.

He listened to Leah’s soft breaths as she continued to sleep in his arms. They were in bed together, in her newly assigned employee quarters, which he’d decided would now be their place of residence. His Bride had no idea the blaster shot she’d dodged with his quick-thinking decision to move them into her quarters.

He had his face in her neck, inhaling that sweet mating scent. He kept his lips and nose against her skin, inhaling her amazing scent. A combination of sunshine, fresh rain and flowers. A scent all her own and specifically designed to ignite every possessive bone in his body. He could never get enough.

He moved his claw to clasp her bare breast, loving the feel of his soft human. She murmured in her sleep as he carefully ran a single claw along the luscious underside of each full breast and over her still-flat stomach and across the curve of her hips. She might seem defenseless at first glance, but his Bride had a fierce pride and work ethic. The neck wound she’d gifted him, with her smooth teeth, was now covered in a crusty scab. It still throbbed with lingering pain, and the scratches on his chest were still highly visible and stung like holy hell. And he was taking great joy from these violent marks of her possession.

He continued to gently touch his Bride, his claw lightly delving past her mound and into the wetness down below. She was still slick and so very ready. He could easily slide in and bring her instant pleasure. Her entire form was made to elicit his desires. He enjoyed her sultry brown eyes. The quirk on her lips when she begged him last night to take his clothes off. Begged him to make it harder. She was smaller and softer than the females of his own species, but she was fierce in both spirit and mind. And he found he adored her soft skin and overflowing breasts. He cupped both of the teats into his claws and sucked yet again at her brown nipples. He’d fucked her yesterday in the claiming forest, and then twice overnight in their bed. And now he was ready again late this morning, as if he’d never come inside of her before, as if this was the first time all over again. He’d spent his entire life saving his seed just for her.

He heard the sounds of her waking. He popped his mouth off of her breast. His Bride stretched and turned toward him. “Saxon.” She sighed with delight at his touch and reached out to wrap her five fingers around his leaking cock.

He let out a deep, guttural groan. This was when her extra fingers came in handy. “Are you sore?” he asked. He’d fucked her virgin pussy twice last night and was ready for more, but he should hold back and let her heal.

“Yes,” she pouted. “A bit sore. But this in no way means we can’t keep going.”

A satisfied grin spread across his face. “Good. I want to plant my seed in you again, but before I fill you with my cock, I have to taste you. Your cream is addictive.” He bent and lifted one of her adorable human feet to kiss and then moved between her legs and easily placed her thigh over his shoulder.

She gazed down at him with lust-filled brown eyes. “Oh baby,” she crooned. “I love it when you do that.”

He moved closer to visually feast upon the pussy he planned on pleasuring for the rest of his life. He’d tasted her last night, but the room had been dark. Now, in the bright morning light streaming through their window in the high-rise, he could see the glint of her juices and the bud of her swollen clit.

He licked his lips. She was perfection. He loved everything about this female. He was thrilled at the idea of spending all of his future with her—learning more about her, spending time together, and starting a family line.

The tight dark curls on her mound were delightful, and her damp pussy was ready for his cock. This part of her was so gloriously different and human. His species had hair only on their heads and nowhere else. But he’d discovered his Bride had a hairy pussy that he liked very much.

His claw gently grazed her clit and she gasped with delight. The breathless note in her voice was irresistible. He was primed and ready to release his newly emancipated passion upon his Bride. Again and again.

“Pinch your nipples,” he ordered.

Her eyes widened, but she did as he asked.

“Good,” he murmured. He dragged his tongue along her slit, getting his fill of her taste. And then he bent down to suck rhythmically on her clit. And he pushed one thick claw into her soaked entrance. She was so tight, it was hard for him to fit a single finger, but her slick heat was making it easy to slide in and out. He kept it up, licking her sensitive bundle, while curving his claw in the exact spot he already knew she liked.

She grabbed for his hair, threading her fingers in his braids and pulling tight. “Oh, oh, I’m going to—” And her back bowed off the bed as her orgasm tore through her. Her pussy clenched his finger as he continued to suck her clit and help her ride out her pleasure.

Finally, she stopped shuddering and lay there, heavy-lidded. He carefully pulled out his claw and lay next to her, his cock painfully hard and waiting for release. He gripped his shaft and gave it a few tight strokes. “This is for you, and only you. You need to be fucked.”

She nodded weakly. He pulled her on top of him, grabbed her hips and positioned her above him. Then he moved her down slowly onto his straining erection.

“Saxon,” she cried out and braced her palms on his chest.

He groaned as she sheathed his cock. She was so perfectly tight and hot. His entire length was clenched in her wet heat and he was ready to pass out from the pleasure and he hadn’t even moved yet. He gave an experimental pump of his hips. A moan escaped from her lips. He loved how responsive she was to him, shuddering and trembling under his touch. He grabbed one breast and pinched as his claw slipped between where they were joined and rubbed against her clit.

Last night, during the claiming ceremony he’d taken her rough, in the way of his culture and she’d fought with honor, proving her strength and his own. But today he was continuing at his female’s lead. He wanted to tear at her smooth flesh with his fangs, but he’d wait until she was ready for that type of Xylan blood sport.

“Harder,” she begged.

He hoped she’d be ready soon.

He pulled her up just so he could slam back into her again. She whimpered with delight. Everything about the way her body gripped his was utter perfection. He’d promised to fuck her hard, and he planned on keeping his promises. Thrust after thrust, he kept pushing and pulling, driving into her with all the force she required, sliding her up and down his thick length.

His gaze met hers and something seemed to pass between them, more than just the desire and the need, something deeper and lasting. “I’m going to come inside of you,” he rasped.

And then she exploded. His female threw her head back and screamed out her pleasure as she pumped up and down and rode out her orgasm. Her pussy clenched around him and his own release raged through his body. He gushed his seed inside of her.

Mine. She’s mine.

They both slowed down and she flopped down on top of him, sated and happy, leaving them still joined. She pressed her face against his sweaty chest and inhaled.

Saxon grinned. His female loved his scent as much as he loved hers.

And there was a chiming sound.

She lifted her head. “What is that?”

Saxon groaned. He knew exactly what that was. “It’s the apocalypse.”

His Bride laughed and slapped an open palm against his chest. “What are you talking about?”

The chime sounded again.

“Isn’t that the front door?”

He pulled her off his dick and watched as his seed seeped out of her sore pussy. He gave her one last longing look—the luscious jiggling breasts, the nipples and the soft slope of her hips and—he redirected his mind because he needed to will his ever-hardening erection to stand down. They were here. All of them. And they’d have no peace until he could get them to leave. “The crew is here,” he told her.

“The crew? What crew?”

“My brothers.”

The color drained from her face. “Your brothers? They’re here? But, don’t you have like, seven brothers?”

He’d admitted to her late last night, as he’d moved in, just how many brothers he had. “Yes, well, actually I have eight brothers but only seven of them live on Timbur. Six of us are miners and the youngest is about to go through initiation. I’m sure they’re all here. They tend to travel as a pack. But don’t worry, I promise they’ll treat you with respect.”

His brothers were annoying assholes but at least he knew he could count on them to lay down their lives for Leah’s. They’d put her honor first. He didn’t even need to ask.

Someone pounded a fist on their front door. “Open the door Hook,” a muffled voice shouted, “or we’ll break it down. We want to meet her.”

It was Bayzon, the Chief of their crew.

His brothers had started with the door chime only for the benefit of his Bride. She had no idea what they were usually like. This was them being polite. Normally they would’ve broken the lock and flooded into his quarters as if it were their own. He had to admit they were making concessions for his human Bride, which he was grateful for.

She met his gaze, surprise clear on her human features. “Your brothers are so loud it’s as if they’re in our room.”

He chuckled. Again, she had no idea.

His Bride sat up and the sheet puddled in her lap, exposing her tempting teats. “Saxon, I want to meet your brothers, but I need time to get ready. I have to get cleaned and dressed.”

He stood up and tossed her one of his shirts, the one he’d worn yesterday. “Put this on, quick,” he ordered. “We need to hurry.”

She caught the shirt, a frown on her beautiful face. “If you’d give me a few minutes I could get dressed in my own clothes.”

“No. I want you wearing that and smelling like me. Let’s go.”

“But, I smell like sex. I can’t meet your family like this. I was hoping you’d go out there first and greet your brothers while I go into the restroom and use the cleansing unit.”

He grinned, loving the idea of his brothers seeing his well-fucked Bride who still smelled of his seed. “You look perfect the way you are. You need to come out and greet them with me first, then you can go get cleaned up later, after they’ve all settled in.”

“Settled in?” she squeaked. “They’re staying?”

He nodded. “Good point. We don’t want them staying. We want to continue our human honeymoon. I’ll greet them, make introductions, then we’ll kick them out as soon as possible.”

“Well, okay. I guess I can go out like this if it’s just a quick meeting. Hopefully they’ll understand.” She stood up, pulling the shirt over her head and smoothing it down her exaggerated human curves. He wished those hands were touching him instead. “Is this enough? Am I presentable?” she asked.

His eyes roamed up and down her sexy body, greedily taking in all of her golden skin and the outline of her soft, generous breasts and the curve of her hips. The fabric reached to her thighs and covered enough of her nakedness. He was proud to show off her tousled hair, kiss-swollen lips and the look of heat in her eyes when she glanced his way. She was his. They would see.

He bent and yanked on his own trousers, leaving his chest and feet bare. He was getting rid of his brothers as soon as possible.

“Hook!” a chorus of deep voices roared from the front room.

“They’re inside our quarters?” she gasped. “How did they get in? The front door was locked!”

“They can break any lock.”

“Your brothers break inside places without permission?”

“Yes, all the time.” He reached out a claw and wrapped it around her tiny palm. His eyes greedily dropped to the sight of their bare hands threaded together. “Ready to meet my line?” he asked.

She gave him a tremulous smile. “Ready.”

He dragged her out to the front room and glanced around. His crew had already crowded into the living area of the single-employee housing unit. They all turned to stare at his Bride. Saxon pulled her forward, proud to show off his gorgeous female to his brothers.

“This is my Bride, Leah of One,” he announced to the seven males who were either lounging on chairs, or leaning against walls and counters. “She is a human from New Earth who arrived here two diurnals ago in order to complete an internship. She was hired as Lorinda’s maternity-leave replacement. I met her in the cage we were stuck in together, during the power outage. We accidentally tested compatibility and discovered that we were mates. I have claimed her and planted my seed according to the Scales of Xylan Law.”

They all nodded and mumbled words of welcome. He was amazed at their collective politeness. He hadn’t seen his brothers this well-behaved in front of a female since their mother was alive.

Saxon looked down at his Bride, who was staring at his brothers with wide eyes. “I’m going to introduce you to them. It’s okay if you don’t remember everyone’s name today,” he told her. “These are just introductions. There will be plenty of time later to get to know everyone better.”

“Okay.”

He pointed at the brother who happened to be standing close by. “This is Cayzor of Eighteen, he is the rudest of my brothers.” Cayzor lifted a claw, acknowledging this accurate description.

“Nice to meet you,” his Bride responded with genuine good humor.

Cayzor nodded and smiled back at Leah. Smiled. Which was stunning because Cayzor, whose nickname was Scar, hadn’t smiled at anyone since before their parents died.

Another wave of warmth flooded Saxon’s hearts as he gazed down at the female who’d caused his grouchy brother to break out of his shell. He loved this female so, so very much.

Saxon continued going around the room, introducing his brothers to his Bride, from the youngest to the oldest: Maxon, Gorzan, Ruxon, Cayzor, Texon and finally, Bayzon. He didn’t bother with all their crew nicknames and the stories behind each, there was plenty of time for that later.

“Is there anything to eat in here?” Gorzan groused.

Saxon groaned. His brother, the male who was closest to him in age, was already making himself at home, rummaging through their kitchen as if it were his own. He was opening and closing cabinets and drawers, leaving some wide open, not caring one bit that this apartment was not his place of residence.

“Uh yeah, actually the kitchen is fully stocked,” Leah answered. “Sulinda of Eight made sure I had everything I needed when I arrived. Also the—”

Gorzan opened the cooling box and grabbed a tub of food. “This looks good.” He lifted the lid and smelled the contents, then grabbed a utensil and began stuffing the meal into his mouth.

Leah blew out a breath. “I was saving that for lunch,” she whispered dejectedly.

Saxon placed an arm around her shoulders and squeezed, trying to comfort her. “Get used to it, Gorzan’s nickname is ‘Cannibal.’ He eats everything in sight, no matter who it belongs to, including things that are borderline edible. Last moon cycle he ate my entire birthday roast.”

Gorzan swallowed and let out a belch. “I didn’t eat all of it,” he disagreed.

“He did leave you one bite,” Ruxon confirmed.

Gorzon grunted and waved his fork, trying to point out his magnanimous concession.

Saxon rolled his eyes. “You’re as bad as a swarm of Tocusks.”

“Tocusks?” Gorzon snorted. “I’d like to see a swarm eat more than I could.”

Saxon shook his head. His brother was always remarkably proud of his prowess when it came to consuming ridiculous amounts of food.

“Have any of you noticed that the Hook is talking more than usual?” Bayzon cut in. “He never talks this much. Saxon is usually the quietest of all of us.”

Everyone in the room turned to stare at him.

“It’s true,” Scar remarked. “He is talking more than usual. Usually Hook stands in the corner with his arms crossed, quiet and judgmental.”

“Saxon is usually quiet?” His Bride lifted her chin and looked at him with love shining in her eyes. “Sulinda said that about you too, that you’re quiet. But I haven’t noticed it. You’ve talked to me a lot since the moment we met.”

“I talk to you because you’re my Bride,” he answered with a smug grin, “and also my best friend.”

She grabbed his arm and leaned into his side. “You like talking to me?”

His eyes dropped to her lips. “Yes. Only to you.” He could hardly wait to have the feel of that mouth on his skin again. These introductions were taking too long. He needed to get his brothers out of here.

“Leah, what about your human family?” Maxon, his youngest brother broke in and innocently asked. “You’ve met us, but when will we be able to meet your line?”

“Oh, I don’t have any family,” his Bride answered matter-of-factly. “My parents are dead.”

The entire room went quiet. Gorzon put his food down. All of his brothers stared at her with disbelief.

“You have no line?” Bayzon asked, clearly confused. “Not even an adopted line? In our culture if you lose your line you are taken in by another line. No one is left alone.”

“No, I don’t have a line. Well, I guess I did at first. My mother died when I was an infant and my father tried to raise me alone but then he was captured by the Hurlians when I was little. My neighbors took up a collection and kept me in school and let me live with them. I was moved around from house to house. And then I left to go to college at Kolothan. I keep in touch with the people who believed in me. But I don’t have any actual family.”

He could see his female was used to telling this story. She lifted her chin and tried to act like this type of life, without the love of an extended line was acceptable for her. But he knew different. He met Bayzon’s gaze. His brother gave him a curt nod of understanding. His Bride was no longer alone.

“Welcome, Leah of One,” Bayzon told her. “You are no longer alone. You have found your family. You and the child you carry are now part of our line. You are our sister. We are one.”

“We’re all going to be uncles now,” Zayzon yelled out. “Whoo Hoo!” There was a loud swelling of deep voices as they all began shouting and clapping each other on the back.

“Wait? I’m pregnant?”

Saxon looked down into his Bride’s wet eyes, spilling over with happy tears. “Yes,” he answered. “Last night you were in your breeding cycle, so when I claimed you we started our line.”

“We did? And you know for sure that right this second, I’m pregnant? Don’t I need to check med bay to make sure? Aren’t we all just guessing?”

He shook his head. “No, I can already smell the change in your hormones. I am certain that you are pregnant with our offspring.”

“You can smell our baby?”

“Yes, right now I can smell the sweet scent of our offspring.”

“I can smell it too,” Zayzon confirmed. “You are breeding.”

“I can smell the change too,” Texon agreed. “In fact, we can all smell that you are breeding. It’s faint, but the scent is there.”

His Bride placed a tentative hand over her lower stomach, clearly amazed at this turn of events.

“This place is nice,” Gorzan yelled out from the kitchen. “But when are you two returning with us to the compound? I’m ready to go home and eat some real food.”

“Wait,” his Bride gave him a sharp look, “didn’t you tell them?”

Bayzon narrowed his eyes. “Tell us what?”

Ah fuck. This wasn’t going to go well. Saxon rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. “I’ve moved out,” he told them all. “Leah of One and I are living here. When we have our offspring we’ll upgrade to employee family quarters.”

“Actually,” his Bride cut in quickly, “I can stay wherever makes you happy. We can live here, or the compound. I don’t mind.”

He looked down and gave her a quelling look. Her eyes widened. “No,” he said. “We are not returning to the compound. There is no privacy there. We would be mating and sleeping in a tiny room with a lock that would be considered optional. And Gorzon will eat all your favorite foods. Plus, they’re slobs. That place is filthy.”

“You prefer new-employee housing to your own home?”

“Yes,” he said emphatically. He pointed to the pile of clothing, equipment and ceremonial weapons he’d already brought. “Those are my items. We’ll start our own Cabul here and grow our family. Believe me, you don’t want to live with my brothers. Our crew has been demoted to the worst quarters on the planet.”

“I’m sure it’s fine…”

“No, it’s not. That’s why you and I are living here. The compound is not appropriate for my Bride.”

“Why did all of you get demoted?”

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later. And believe me, you can also ask any of my brothers, they would love to tell you the story again and again. Cayzon especially loves to complain about the unfairness of our situation.”

“This isn’t fair,” Scar cut in. “Hook gets out of living in the compound just because he mated, but the rest of us still have to stay in that hell hole?”

“No, he isn’t getting out of this. Hook isn’t serious,” Bayzon answered. “He and Leah of One are coming back to the compound today. We’ll stay here, help them pack and move them back in with us. Our home isn’t the best living situation on the planet, but it’s all we’ve got and we need to stay together.”

“Bayzon, it’s time for you to leave and go back to the compound,” Saxon growled. “She’s mine and I’ve been mating her, and I need to continue planting my seed.”

His Bride groaned and her cheeks were unnaturally pink. What was wrong?

“You’re not moving out,” his brother snarled. “I am ordering the two of you to return with us to our compound right now. We are all leaving together.”

Who did this asshole think he was, telling him what to do with his Bride?

Saxon stepped forward and punched his brother in the face.

His Bride screamed.

Bayzon dropped like a bag of rocks. He hit the ground, passed out cold.

Saxon widened his stance and stood over Bayzon, taking deep breaths, both of his fists clenched into two tight balls of granite. He turned his head and carefully met the gaze of each of his brothers, warning them with his declaration: “Leah of One is my Bride and carries my offspring. No one tells me how to look after my Bride or decides where we will live. No one.”

None of them said a word in reply.

His Bride watched him with a shocked look on her face.

He pointed at his female. “She and I are living here. We not returning to the compound. You can visit us. We will come and visit you. And I will still see each of you every day at the mine. We are still crew, and brothers. But my Bride and offspring are now my immediate line and they come first.”

He exhaled as he finished his speech. Now that really was the most he’d spoken in the last few moon cycles.

Then he walked over to Leah of One, bent down and swept her up into his arms.

“What are you doing?” she giggled.

“You’ll see,” he growled. He turned his back on his brothers and carried her into their room and touched the panel, shutting the door behind him. He tossed Leah onto their bunk and fell on top of her, pushing her thighs wide and placing his hips in the cradle of her legs.

He was hard as stone. It was so very convenient that she was naked underneath his shirt.

“But Saxon, we can’t…You punched out one of your brothers and the rest are still out there.”

“I don’t care. I need you now.”

“But…but they’ll probably hear us and know what we’re doing.”

“Good, maybe they’ll leave.”

She barked out a laugh. “Oh gosh. I still can’t believe you punched out your older brother.”

“I can. He deserved it. It’s been a long time coming.”

“I can totally see now why they call you the Hook. You really do have a mean right hook. You hit Bayzon so hard he rose up into the air then fell back on the floor and passed out. I’ve never seen anything like that in real life. And he’s taller and wider than you.”

Saxon grunted in response and then his lips nipped hers and his claw went down to test her core. “You are so wet,” he moaned.

Her arms went around his neck. “Only for you.”

He leaned back and loosened his trousers and started stroking his impressive length. His Bride let out a sexy sigh of delight.

“You’re mine. My brothers can act like assholes sometimes, but they are your family too. They would all lay down their lives for you and our child, as would I. You are now part of our line and part of our crew.”

Tears leaked down her cheeks. “You know, I only came here for a job. I had no idea I was getting so much more.”

He bent and cradled her face with his claw and notched his cock at her entrance. “Does this make you happy, that you received more than you expected?”

A genuine smile blossomed across her face. “My heart is bursting.”

Without thinking he tapped a series of kisses on her cheek, her smooth human forehead and the tip of her delicate nose. “You were alone, but now you are not. You have me. You have my brothers and next you will also have our offspring.”

Tears began to flow from her eyes. “I’m not used to anyone caring about me, or making sure I’m included.”

“You need to get used to being taken care of because I am going to make it my life’s work. I will give always give you the proximity you desire.”

“I love you,” she sighed.

He gave her a wicked grin. “I know, my Be’Ih. I know.” He covered her mouth with his and began sliding inside her wet heat.

And he fucked her just how she liked. Because she was his.

THE END