“You’re fast for being so pregnant.” I touch her belly and give her a hug.
“It’s the young. I think he gives me energy.” She rubs her abdomen. “We’ve already named him and he knows the name, because when we say it, he kicks. Watch.” She clears her throat and looks down. “Jasper, this is Kianna! Say hi!”
A moment later, her belly bulges out.
“Did you see that?” She practically glows with excitement. “Also, he kicks whenever my mates have sex with me,” she whispers into my ear.
Mykl looks as uncomfortable as I’ve ever seen him. His face flushes a deeper purple. “Please save the personal discussion for later.” His voice is stiff. I know he heard what Amber said—this Zandian can literally hear for miles.
The image of Amber getting sexed up by her two mates pops up in my mind, and I try to shove it away. I wouldn’t know what it’s like to mate with one Zandian, much less two or more. I slide a little glance over at Mykl’s strong form. Stars, he’s looking at me again. My own face gets hot and I have to look away, because my brain is coming up with wild, impossible scenarios involving him bending me over the workstation and having his wild way with me.
“If you two can tear yourselves away from your chit-chat, perhaps you could engage in our actual jobs.” Mykl busies himself with the test module. “We need to finish this battle module right away because King Zander asked me to prepare the energy collection banks for the upcoming Crystal Eclipse.”
“Can that even work?” I widen my eyes. “The energy banks? We haven’t perfected that technology.”
“Well, we won’t know unless we try,” he responds. “And by try, I mean actually get our work done.”
“For a being who claims to dislike sarcasm, you’re quite skilled at it,” I can’t help but point out.
“I didn’t say I was ignorant of the technique.” He steps closer to me and the heat from his body radiates into mine, stoking the fire between my legs. “Merely that I dislike hearing it from your lips.”
Now he’s talking about lips. I gaze up at his. So full for such an angular face.
“What would you like to hear from my lips instead?” I can’t stop looking at his alien form, tracing with my gaze his hairless jaw, the dimpled chin.
Another step closer and he pins me against the work station, one hand on either side of my hips. My breath stalls in my throat. His eyes are dark, gaze smoky. They’re on my mouth. For a brief moment, I think he’s going to kiss me, but he abruptly steps back and turns away. “What I would appreciate, Kianna, is for you to complete your assignments as outlined without any sass. Is that too much to ask?”
“No. I mean, yes, I can do that.” Subdued, I steal a look at Amber. She tips her head at him and gives me a questioning glance. I shake mine and make a face.
“What are the energy banks for?” Amber looks at me. “This is the first I’ve heard of them.”
“King Zander wishes this solar cycle’s crystal ceremony to be a success.” Mykl’s voice is stiff. “He hopes it will encourage many more Zandians and humans to, ahem, choose mates. And he would like us to create the technology to absorb the extra radiation so we can use it later.”
Zandians survive mainly on energy from the crystals embedded in the core of their planet. Light beamed through these crystals amplifies its life-giving and healing powers, as they discovered when they were forced to live off-planet.
I tap my lips. “Because this is such a powerful surge? It only happens once every thousand solar cycles.” I consider. “And the burst of energy is a life-force like no other. It’s perfect timing that it’s happening now, as the planet and population are working to rebuild.”
“It makes sense to absorb as much of it as we can.” Mykl inclines his head at me with that rare look of pride he sometimes allows to show through his gruff act, and I flush. I’d like to absorb something from him, that’s for sure.
“Since I already have mates”—Amber wiggles and smiles—“we’re going to use the energy we absorb to help our baby be strong and healthy, and deepen our bond. I can’t wait. I’ve heard that when you stand in the rays of the heightened energy with someone you love, it’s indescribable.”
“But we don’t even know if it’s safe for humans, yet,” I caution her. “At the peak of the solstice.”
“Actually, this is breaking news.” She smiles and touches my arm, clearly excited. “I just heard from Bayla. She said she and Dr. Daneth completed a simulation this morning and all of their test subjects passed, humans and halflings both. So everyone will be free to bathe in the light. They’ll announce it planet-wide as soon as possible.”
“That sounds amazing.” My voice comes out forlorn, and I curse under my breath. “I can’t wait to hear more about it all.”
“King Zander declared a free-for-all for mating during Zandian Lights. All bonds will be recognized without petition—even single couple bonds. I think it’s a boon for warriors who don’t wish to share with another male, and a push to get unmated human females to choose a mate or mates.” Amber lifts a pointed brow at me. “Exciting times, Kianna.”
Nausea hits my gut. I know she’s trying to encourage me to take the plunge and accept mates like she has, but I just can’t get excited about it.
“What if a being rushes into a bad choice?”
“Actually, King Zander addressed that, too. He said bonds could be re-evaluated at the next Zandian Lights, or he would take petitions to dissolve bonds made any time.”
There are two Zandians who have made their interest known.
Archer and Bow, two strong warriors, who seek me out every time they can. They’ve let me know they want to give me their crystals. Two handsome aliens who deserve a mate. And they want me—the human female who’s been the longest here without selecting a mate—nearly an entire solar cycle.