Chapter 3

Sadie paused for a moment and took a deep breath before she entered the engineering bay, the sliding doors opening in front of her with a soft hiss. She resisted the urge to shrink in on herself and make herself smaller, instead forcing steel in her spine as she carried on. This section of the station was unknown to her, far from the safety of the human section, and she stood just inside the door, looking around.

The engineering bay was both not what she expected and somehow familiar at the same time. It was a hive of activity, the air filled with the hum of machinery and the murmur of deep voices. She looked around, eyes wide as they roamed over the multitude of consoles and equipment, gleaming metal panels, and the heavy-duty ladders to higher decks. She recognized some of it… like the power core in the center of the room and what must be the master control unit in front of it. Engineers clustered around it like bees around a hive, but a lot of the technology here was beyond her. She suspected it was beyond most humans.

Raised platforms around the perimeter gave access to upper levels and more systems, cables snaking across the ceiling high above. She caught glimpses of engineers working up there, their movements nimble and sure as they moved across catwalks and down ladders.

She winced a little as she realized that her arrival had caused a ripple, the engineers pausing in their tasks to stare at her with interest. She looked away, not wanting to be caught staring.

The smells, at least, were familiar. The ventilation system stirred the air, carrying the scents to her nose. They were oily and metallic with an acrid undertone… similar to every factory she"d ever worked in. The smell of her mother"s overalls when she"d come home from a shift. A familiar mix of sweat and perfume that took her right back to being a little girl.

Refusing to be deterred, she fixed her gaze somewhere in mid-distance, not meeting anyone"s eyes, and made her way further inside. Multiple sets of eyes tracked her progress, making the skin between her shoulder blades itch. She ignored it and focused on her mission. She needed to find the Chief Engineer and convince him to give her the job she"d seen on the station's vacant positions board this morning; and he wasn"t going to do that if she couldn"t even walk through engineering.

Her jaw tightened. She needed this job. It was an opportunity to prove herself after managing to almost get her sister killed. But seeing the Latharians like this was an eye-opener. Back home, everyone competed for positions, food, and every resource there was. Getting ahead meant someone else lost out, but no one cared. You couldn"t. If someone couldn"t do a job, there were hundreds ready to take their place. Individuals were just cogs in a machine, valuable only for their labor. Easily replaced.

But as she glanced around, she saw something different. The engineers here moved with purpose, working in sync, but there was no underlying current of rivalry. They looked at her with curiosity, but not suspicion.

She knew they had no women thanks to some plague, and most of them would give their left arm to be accepted into the Mate Program, but the reverence in their eyes when they looked at her was... Odd. It freaked her out a little. Back on Earth she was just another single mom barely scraping by, invisible unless she caused problems. But to the Latharians, her simple existence was valuable.

She made it halfway across the bay before she spotted a familiar figure on the other side of the master systems unit. Even from a distance, Vaarn"s tall figure was unmistakable, his silver hair a beacon. The other personnel gave him a wide berth as he spoke with another engineer, a mountain of a man with dark hair that fell almost to his waist. Vaarn faced away from her, deep in conversation. There was tension in his broad shoulders as he gestured with his hands.

What were they talking about? She"d never seen him so animated, so she took the opportunity to just look at him, drinking in the sight. He wore the same dark, close-fitting pants and open jacket as the other engineers, but they were molded to every hard-packed muscle on him. The fabric gleamed as it stretched across his back and hugged his thighs. She swallowed, heat rising in her cheeks as she traced the contours with her eyes. Holy hell, he should be the centerfold in one of those glossy holo-mags.

She tore her gaze away, cheeks burning. What the hell was she doing, ogling him in front of everyone like that? She didn"t know him, and he had shown no interest in getting to know her. The least she could do was treat him with courtesy when their paths crossed. Steadying her breathing, she straightened her shoulders and made her way over. He at least was a friendly face, and he might be able to point her toward the Chief Engineer.

He glanced her way as she approached, his expression set in hard lines, jaw clenched and brows drawn together. For a moment, her steps slowed. Then he turned back to his companion and carried on his conversation.

"Check the sub-levels on the mall and under the Tev Corp tower. I don"t think we"ll have a problem, not with their level of tech, but let me know if their guys give you any trouble."

She hovered nearby, unsure whether or not to interrupt.

"Of course." The other Lathar inclined his head, giving her a curious look before walking off.

Vaarn turned back to her and folded his arms across his broad chest, biceps testing the seams of his sleeves. His eyes bored into hers, his expression hard and closed off. She resisted the urge to fidget. Or just outright run. Yeah, running might be good right about now.

"What are you doing in here?" His voice was a low bark of demand.

"I"m looking for the chief engineer…"

"I am the chief engineer." His eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

His brusque tone made her stomach tighten. She"d rehearsed this conversation a dozen times on the walk over here, planning how she would explain her experience in one of the biggest mech-factories in the city, and then her administration experience from her bar work, but now she was here, the words stuck in her throat.

But they did say in for a penny, in for a pound. What did she have to lose? A job she didn't have yet?

Lifting her chin, she met his gaze head-on. "I wanted to speak with you. You"re listed as the contact for the engineering and administration position listed on the station job board. I want to apply."

"That was a mistake. There is no job. Come with me."

Before she could respond, his large hand wrapped around her upper arm. She gasped as the heat of his palm seared through the thin fabric of her shirt and allowed herself to be all but dragged along. He set a punishing pace, long strides eating up the distance and she struggled to keep up on her shorter legs.

"Hey!" she said as they reached a door, and he pushed her inside ahead of him. "What the hell was that about?"

He released her arm and rounded on her as the door slid shut behind them with a hiss, silver eyes blazing.

"What were you thinking, coming here without an escort?" he demanded, looming over her.

"I was thinking I wanted to apply for a job," she snapped back, lifting her chin in defiance. "What"s wrong with that?"

"You cannot just wander out of the human section," he said. It sounded like his teeth were gritted. "And you can"t just wander in here. It"s dangerous for those unfamiliar with the systems."

"How am I supposed to become familiar with them if I"m not allowed in?" She shot back.

His jaw clenched. "Your protection is my primary concern."

"Oh, I"m just a silly human who needs protection?" She cut him off. "I"m not made of glass. I can handle myself."

"Can you?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous as he looked down at her. "You know nothing of our technology. One wrong move could kill you."

"I"m not useless," she ground out. "I"m smart, and I learn fast. If you would just give me a chance instead of dismissing me outright?—"

"This is not about you," he said, his voice sharp. "The engineering bay contains dangerous equipment requiring specialized knowledge. It is off limits to untrained personnel."

"Then train me!" she said, her voice tight with frustration. "I want to work!"

He shook his head. "Why? You need to find a mate to protect you and provide for all your needs."

"I don"t want a man to provide for me! I want to work, be useful!" Her cheeks burned but she refused to back down.

She was so sick of her only value being seen as a potential mate and mother. Ever since coming to the station, she"d been buried under the weight of expectations about joining the Mate Program, settling down, and having babies. It was suffocating.

"I want to use my mind. Not just be some... broodmare."

His eyes widened in shock. For a moment, the office was dead silent.

"Is that what you think your only purpose here is?" he asked in a low voice. "To bear young?"

"It"s what everyone seems to assume." She couldn"t keep the small note of bitterness out of her voice. "As far as I can tell, my only worth is in the fact I have a functioning womb."

He watched her long enough that the hairs rose on the back of her neck. She forced herself to stay still, forced herself to hold his gaze. She didn"t care if he was pissed off, it was the truth. He stepped closer, crowding into her space. Her breath caught, but she stood her ground, tilting her head back to look up at him.

"You think I see you as nothing but a womb?" He tilted his head as if she were a puzzle to solve. "You think your mind holds no value?"

The mockery was gone from his voice, leaving something more intense in its wake. His gaze bored into hers, stripping away her defenses, and she swallowed. His masculine scent enveloped her, leather and smoke and something uniquely him. It clouded her thoughts, scattering her anger like it had never been.

"I..." She trailed off, grasping for the righteous fury that had fueled her rant before but couldn"t summon it.

His gaze dropped to her lips and her mouth went dry, heat burning across her cheeks and up her neck. The air between them was charged with tension and a dangerous potential. She didn"t know if she wanted to run away or throw herself into his arms.

He stepped back, and the spell was broken. She sagged against the desk as he turned away, her legs unsteady and her mind spinning.

"You should go," he said over his shoulder. "This discussion is over. There is no job, the listing was a mistake. A test message that should not have gone live."

The dismissal slapped her like cold water, dousing the heat of the moment. He was lying. Anger and embarrassment warred within her, but rather than argue, she snapped her chin up. She knew a losing battle when she saw one.

"I see," she said, voice icy. "Well, thank you for your time."

Hands curled into fists, she marched past him to the door. As it slid open, she glanced back at him just as he looked at her. His expression was shuttered but she thought she detected a flicker of something almost like regret in the depths of his eyes. Before she could work out what it was though, it was gone.

Lifting her chin, she swept out of the office without another word. If he didn"t want her, then she would just have to find someone who did.

* * *

"No job,my arse! Fucking asshole didn"t wantto give me the job is more like it!"

Sadie slammed the pot down on the stove, the clang echoing around the small kitchen. With a sharp flick of her wrist, she cranked the heat up to high and chopped the vegetables with more force than necessary, envisioning the weird pink carrots as a certain silver-haired Latharian"s head. How dare he speak to her that way… just dismiss her like that? Didn"t they have laws about diversity and inclusivity up here? Even Earth, which the Lathar was always telling them was so backward that it might as well be in the dark ages, had eliminated gender-based recruitment. There was no job on Earth that she was barred from just because she was a woman. Technically anyway.

She huffed to herself. They weren"t talking about Earth though. They were talking about Devan Station and the "enlightened" Lathar. But he"d dismissed her out of hand. After she"d mustered the courage to enter the engineering bay on her own and everything. She knew she didn"t belong there, and she knew she didn"t know anything about their technology, but she was trying. Was willing to learn. Didn"t that count for anything?

Apparently not to the great Chief Engineer Vaarn T"Kaan. No, he had just dismissed her. She slammed her knife down on a green turnip, slicing it in half, and blinked back the hot tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks.

This was ridiculous. Crying over a man, especially one who didn"t think she was worth his time, was pathetic. She was stronger than this.

Scooping up the mutilated vegetables, she dumped them in the sizzling pan. Good thing they were having stir-fry tonight.

The door chimed, and she froze. For a fleeting moment, she thought it might be Vaarn coming to apologize, but it wouldn't be. He thought he was in the right, always in the right. He would never lower himself to apologize.

"Come in," she called out, plastering a smile on her face as the door slid open.

Her sister Halle walked in, her tall mate Kaas behind her. Sadie"s breath caught as she saw Prince Rohn just behind them, holding a squirming Ollie in his arms.

"Surprise!" Halle said with a wide smile. "I hope you don"t mind us being a little early? Ollie was ready to come straight home after his checkup."

"Of course not. Thank you for taking him," she said brightly, holding her arms out for her son. He leapt into them, almost bowling her over with his enthusiasm. She squeezed him tight, breathing in his little boy scent. This is what mattered, not some arrogant Latharian.

"Mommy, mommy! We played with blocks today!" Ollie vibrated with excitement. "I builded a big tall tower and it was this many!" He held his little arms out wide. "But Dekk knocked it over by accident. He didn"t mean to."

Ollie scrunched up his nose. "Miss Emma readed us a story about a crazy monkey. He was silly. And we got to paint pictures too! I made you one, see?" He showed her the piece of paper he was holding, all scribbles and smears of color.

"It"s wonderful, angelcake." She kissed the top of his tousled curls as she walked through the kitchen and into the lounge area.

His happy chatter filled her heart. He"d been so ill and silent for months so it was nice to see him acting like a normal little boy. Memories of his illness still haunted her. The helplessness and terror she"d felt watching him waste away, not knowing if he"d survive… she"d come so close to losing him forever. Never again. She would build a new life for them here, where he had access to excellent medical care and the best nutrition.

Setting Ollie down on the couch with his favorite stuffed cat, she turned on a children"s program about shapes and colors and said, "Mommy will be right in the kitchen making dinner if you need me, okay sweetie?"

Ollie"s eyes were already glued to the screen, enraptured by the dancing shapes. Smiling, she returned to the small kitchen and sliced some kind of purple meat that tasted like chicken into strips for the stir-fry. The two alien men had already retreated to the end of the counter, deep in conversation about training schedules.

Halle leaned against the counter, studying her sister with a frown. "Alright Sadie-bug, what"s going on with you? And don"t say "nothing"."

She sighed, shoulders slumping. "It"s stupid. I went to the engineering bay today to ask about getting a job. But Vaarn shot me down. He was so condescending like I was just a dumb little girl wasting his time."

She sliced up more purple meat with vicious movements. "He didn"t even consider giving me a chance! I may not know Latharian tech, but I"m willing to learn. How am I supposed to provide for Ollie and be independent if no one will hire me?"

Halle reached out to rub her shoulder.

"I"m sorry he was such a jerk. You don"t deserve that." She shot a pointed glance at Kaas when he looked over.

"My apologies, I did not mean to eavesdrop," Rohn said and Sadie shrugged. She was more than used to the Latharian ability to focus on multiple conversations at the same time. And they were the worst gossips she"d ever met. "Perhaps I can be of assistance?"

"It"s fine, Your Highness." She flushed. "I shouldn"t be venting so loudly."

Rohn dismissed her apology with a wave of his hand.

"Nonsense. But please, call me Rohn. We are family now." He flashed a charming smile.

She wasn"t sure that was correct, but even she knew you didn"t argue with a prince. No matter how charming he was.

"So… I happen to know Vaarn will be undertaking a trade mission to Krantav Three soon. There"s been a problem with one of the components on the station and he"s looking for a viable alternative."

She blinked in surprise. That wasn"t information she would expect a prince to bother himself with. "Oh. Well, I hope the mission goes well for him."

Rohn grinned. "Indeed. Although perhaps such a mission could benefit from a human advisor? Someone perhaps skilled in mass manufacture. I believe you held such a position on Earth?"

She nodded. "I was part of a quality control team on a production line." She tilted her head in curiosity. "Why are you telling me this?"

Rohn"s grin turned roguish. "Let"s just say I have a certain... interest in Vaarn"s mission."

She stared at the prince, not quite believing what she was hearing.

"I... appreciate the thought, Your High—I mean Rohn," she managed. "But I"m sure Chief Engineer Vaarn has his team selected already. He made it quite clear he has no interest in including me."

Rohn arched an eyebrow. "That"s not the kind of response I"ve come to expect from human females. I thought you were all take no prisoners, can do anything types."

Before she could respond, Halle jumped in. "In this case… absolutely not. It"s far too dangerous. She's never done anything like this before. She doesn't have the training!"

Her sister folded her arms, staring Rohn down with the kind of confidence Sadie only wished that she had.

But she found some from somewhere, shooting Halle a look. "Shouldn"t I get to decide what risks I"m willing to take?"

Halle winced a little and Kaas placed a soothing hand on his mate"s shoulder. "Perhaps this could be a good opportunity for Sadie," he said, his voice a low rumble. "With proper precautions, the risks could be mitigated."

Halle looked unconvinced, but Rohn nodded. "Exactly. Vaarn is an extremely experienced warrior. Sadie will be safe with him, and Krantav Three is in a secure system with no history of trouble."

A small spark of excitement ignited within her. A chance to do something meaningful for the station and to learn a little about how the systems worked… and to maybe prove herself to Vaarn. Then she deflated. It was tempting, but she had her son to consider.

"I couldn"t leave Ollie," she said but to her surprise, Kaas spoke up.

"I would be honored to care for Ollie while you are away. He has been quite the little assistant to me while working in the Medical Center. He"s a firm favorite with the longer-term patients."

She blinked at him in surprise. Halle looked just as stunned, then gave Kaas a tender smile. "We both will," she said. "It"s been too long since we had a movie night."

Relief washed over her. Kaas and Halle"s offer addressed her main concern. She knew Ollie would be safe and happy with them. Glancing between her sister and her mate, a pang of longing rolled through her. Their easy intimacy, the way they looked at each other with such love and trust. She wanted that closeness for herself someday.

Rohn"s voice broke into her thoughts. "In all seriousness, I would trust Vaarn with my life. He"s as grumpy as draanth, but he is one of the good ones. You have my word, no harm will come to you."

Looking at Rohn then Kaas", she met their steady gazes and felt supported, like part of a family. Her loved ones would care for Ollie, while she seized this chance to better herself.

Drawing a deep breath, she lifted her chin. "Alright, I"m in."