Chapter 3

MANDY

I watch as two of Ned’s grandsons, both of whom are older than me, carry his unconscious form out of the beauty salon. Relief fills me to have him removed from my presence. I sink down in the waiting area, unable to cease shaking.

I can’t stop thinking about the huge Darrvason male who harassed me, as well as my curious physical reaction to him.

Thank the heavens I’m not on the list . I won’t have to worry about marrying one of the domineering aliens, especially not one as infuriating as Chief Kameer. I still can’t believe he’d touched me and smelled me.

Warmth suffuses my entire body as I recall how he’d pressed himself against me. Something massive and hard in his pants had nudged my stomach. A shiver rushes through me even as heat pulses in my core, that same strange pleasurable sensation I’d experienced in Chief Kameer’s presence, particularly when his deep voice had vibrated through my insides, rousing something delicious and forbidden to which I’m unable to put a name.

But he’d also frightened me. Very much so. I can’t fathom being married, or mated, to a male who unsettles me in such a visceral way. The truth is, despite the excitement I felt in his presence, I find Chief Kameer to be downright terrifying. The thought of becoming his mate, or the mate of another Darrvason male, causes me to tremble harder.

I take a series of deep breaths as I try to calm myself.

In one week, I’ll be married to Ned.

Married to a ninety-two-year-old man who wants me to leave my profession because it embarrasses him. He’s a wealthy Founder and there’s no doubt that he thinks he’s above me. And while I would never wish death on him or anyone else, I can’t deny it’s unnerving to know the men in his family have a habit of living beyond one hundred.

Will the years we share be tolerable or miserable? I won’t delude myself into thinking we’ll be happy together, but I would be fine with tolerable.

My parents and Tasha rush into the salon with a sense of urgency, but relief crosses their faces when they see I’m unharmed. Well, Mom and Tasha appear relieved. My father simply stares at me with an impassive expression.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” I stand up and accept a hug from my sister.

“The workers locked Deck Fifteen’s mess hall down when the fighting broke out in the corridors,” Mom says. “We weren’t able to leave until a few minutes ago.”

“Where is Ned?” Dad scans the salon as though expecting my fiancé to be seated in one of the client chairs receiving a beauty treatment.

“Not long after the fighting started, he took some medication and fell asleep on the floor.” I shrug one shoulder. “I wasn’t sure what to do with him, so I contacted his family and two of his grandsons came to retrieve him.” It’s then that I notice the cane that was left behind. My father follows my gaze and bends down to pick it up.

A deep frown mars his face. “How could you allow them to leave this behind, Mandy?” His voice is gruff, and I instinctively shrink back. “You ought to pay better attention, you stupid girl. This is his favorite cane.”

“I’m sorry, I-I was frazzled from the fighting.” I’m not going to tell him, or anyone, about the Darrvason male who entered the salon and announced he wanted to claim me as his mate. Instead, I’ll let Dad think my fear of getting caught in the crossfire between rebels and security officers is what caused me to make such a blunder.

“You should return the cane to Ned’s quarters, sweetheart,” Mom says in an overly soothing tone. As if she would ever call my father out for behaving like a dick. She steps between Dad and me, clearly anxious to keep the peace. “Maybe make some of those cookies he likes and bring them along too. We have enough extra rations for the ingredients.”

Frustration builds in my chest. The last thing I want to do is visit Ned’s quarters. Especially when we’re set to get married much sooner than I anticipated. Especially when he thinks my job as a beautician is an embarrassment. I still can’t believe he expects me to quit the profession I love. I accept the cane from Dad and quickly face the viewscreen to peer at the Darrvason ships, not wanting my family to notice how stricken I feel. I’ve never been good at hiding my emotions.

“Mandy, darling,” Mom says. “Are you okay?”

“Yep, I’m fine. I’ll return to our quarters and make those cookies for Ned now. Pretty sure we already have the ingredients on hand, so I won’t need to visit the commissary. See you guys later.” I’m fast to depart the salon, and the second I reach the corridor, I find myself blinking back tears.

“Hey, sis, wait up!”

I glance over my shoulder to see Tasha following me. Crap. I don’t want to burden her with my problems. She’s suffered enough in her short life. I’m glad she’s better. Glad she’s walking and talking again and is the picture of perfect health, though Doctor Zahhn says she needs at least two more treatments. I’ve always tried to shield her from the darkness in the universe. Even though she’s made a miraculous recovery from the rare alien virus that once afflicted her, I’m still in the habit of protecting her. She catches up and takes the cane from my hand.

“I’ll help you make those cookies.” She winds an arm through mine, and we continue toward the elevator. “Sorry Dad is making such a fuss about being nice to Ned. Now that the final list was released and your name wasn’t on it, I don’t get why he’s still in ass-kissing mode.”

“Well, Ned’s not only a wealthy Founder, but he’s friends with Captain Warren. Though he’s not on the command team, Ned still wields a lot of power on this ship. I guess that’s what has Dad so worried. Hopefully he’ll calm down once Ned and I are finally hitched, which, by the way, is going to happen a lot sooner than I expected.”

“What do you mean?”

I give Tasha a long look, then we board the elevator. Thankfully, we’re the only occupants. Once the door slides shut, I face my sister and try to think of a gentle way to break the news. Not just the news about my wedding date getting moved up, but also the news that Ned says I must quit my job. I draw in a deep breath, dreaming of a day when I can finally make my own decisions about my own life.

“Apparently, Ned wants to move the wedding up. It’s going to happen next week. Ned says Dad already agreed. Captain Warren will officiate, and it’s going to be a small and quick ceremony. Just an exchange of vows. Ned says he’s eager for me to live with him .” I watch as sadness flickers across Tasha’s face.

She reaches for my hand. “Oh, Mandy, I’m so sorry.”

“There’s more.”

“What is it?” Tasha goes pale as she regards me with deepening worry, and I hate that I’m the cause of her disquiet.

“Ned says I must quit working at the salon. He says my job serving Founders is embarrassing and that today is my last day.” I sigh, retract my hand from Tasha’s, and lean against the wall with a sense of defeat. “Mom’s going to be devastated. We love working together. As you already know, we planned to open our own salon on planet 58-Zallnanis.”

“Oh God, Mandy, that’s awful. Ned’s such a hoity-toity dick. How dare he put you down like that and try to control your life? Are you going to listen to him? I mean, surely he can’t force you to quit your job, can he?”

“I don’t know.” I tap a finger to my chin. “Though we’re engaged, I can’t claim I know Ned very well. It’s possible I might succeed in changing his mind. But he definitely looks down on non-Founders like us.” A horrid thought enters my mind, though I don’t voice it aloud.

What if Ned doesn’t want me to see my family very often because they’re non-Founders? I’d hoped to convince him to live with my parents and sister on 58-Z, but I’m starting to doubt he’ll agree to that. True, we haven’t discussed our living arrangements on 58-Z quite yet, but that’s because everyone will live on the landed Jansonna until the first stable shelters are constructed. The more I think about it, however, the more I realize he’ll probably want to build a grand house for himself and his descendants on 58-Z, and lucky me will have to live there too, isolated from the people I care about most.

Again, I recall the unsettling way he gazed at my bosom. Does he want me around to help take care of him, or is he more interested in… other things? Forbidden things?

What if being married to Ned is worse than being married to a Darrvason?

The brutish alien who’d accosted me in the salon earlier comes to mind, and I dash this particular worry aside.

Marriage to Ned probably won’t be filled with happiness, but it won’t be anything like the terror of being mated to a domineering alien male who wants to breed me.

I suppress a shiver and tell myself Ned is the better option. The only option. I’ll simply have to make the best of it.

“I can’t believe Mom suggested you bake cookies for that jerk,” Tasha finally says. “I won’t tell if you sneeze in the batter.”

I chuckle. “Don’t tempt me.” I push off the wall as the elevator comes to a stop and the door slides open.

I gasp at the sight of Chief Kameer.

The huge Darrvason stands in the doorway, his massive body blocking our path. Yet he continues standing there, staring at me with his nostrils flared as he takes deep breaths.

Though he doesn’t spare Tasha a single glance, I move in front of my sister and reach around to grasp her hand.

“Excuse us,” I say, lifting my chin. I won’t allow this beast to intimidate us. His pronouncement that he wants to claim me as his mate still frightens me, but I remind myself that I’m not on the list. I’m safe. Although it probably wouldn’t be wise to find myself cornered by the alien male again, and I make a note to avoid traveling the corridors alone if I can help it.

A wicked smile spreads across Chief Kameer’s infuriatingly handsome face. I don’t like that I find him so attractive, but damn it, I do. He’s quite possibly the most handsome Darrvason male I’ve ever seen. Suddenly, I have difficulty breathing, and heated pulses affect my nether area.

The alien finally steps aside and makes a sweeping gesture with a big, six-fingered hand. I clutch my sister’s hand harder and guide her off the elevator, giving Chief Kameer a wide berth as we step into the corridor, though I still somehow feel the heat of his body, a beckoning wave of warmth. I also experience an odd tingling sensation on my upper arms, almost to the point of itchiness. How very strange. Perhaps I’m allergic to the alien.

A huge breath escapes me once we’re several feet into the corridor, relief pelting me that we’re in the clear. There are dozens of people in the corridor, as well as a few security officers. It’s not as though Chief Kameer can grab me again. At least not without drawing lots of attention.

I hasten down the corridor, and Tasha nearly trips as she tries to keep up. I must get away from Chief Kameer. As quickly as possible. I curse my luck for having drawn the attention of a Darrvason male. It’s the last complication I need right now.

“What the hell, sis?” Tasha tugs her hand from mine. “Slow down, girl. That Darrvason can’t hurt us. He’s not allowed to touch us. I know he’s big and scary looking, but please relax. The Darrvason-human alliance dictates that the engineers and dignitaries who visit the Jansonna aren’t allowed to?—”

“I know what the alliance dictates,” I snap. I slow my steps and give Tasha an apologetic look. “Sorry. He just startled me, that’s all. Come on, let’s go make cookies and listen to music.”

“It’s okay.” She smiles, always so forgiving. Just like Mom. It’s my father and I who are more prone to holding grudges. “Yes, an afternoon of making cookies and listening to music sounds great.”

Though I know I shouldn’t look back, I can’t help it, and just before we round the corner, I peer over my shoulder.

Chief Kameer is still standing in front of the elevator, his glowing red gaze fixed directly on me. The words he’d uttered earlier in the day come rushing back. I’ll be watching.