“Especially if he does that growly voice of his,” Kristin added, chuckling. “He’d be the most intimidating Santa in the galaxy.”
“Or the most protective,” Mikki said, smiling. “No one would dare be naughty.”
“Oh, I would.” Caroline’s eyes widened and she pressed her lips into a thin line. “So naughty. So, so naughty.”
We all giggled. I nearly fell off the bench I was sitting on when Rezzer crossed his arms and glared at all of us as if he’d heard every word. The thought of the huge Atlan dressed in a red suit, his imposing figure softened by a white beard and a bag of toys slung over his shoulder, was absurdly perfect. The image danced in my mind, filling me with warmth and a sense of lightness that I hadn’t realized I needed. It was the kind of laughter that brought tears to my eyes and loosened the tightness in my chest.
“Caroline? Do you need a spanking, female?” Rezzer’s booming voice made us all gasp in shock, until she shouted back.
“Yes! I’m being very naughty over here!”
Rezzer’s grin made Caroline squirm in her seat as we all tried to hide our glee behind false coughing and averted faces. I couldn’t stop smiling, despite the knot of worry that still sat in my chest. I had to admit, the Warlords were huge, but handsome, especially when they smiled, like Rezzer and Braun were doing now.
The thought of celebrating Christmas, even on a different planet, was a comforting one. It reminded me of simpler times on Earth, of a world I was still struggling to forgive. The happiest times in my life had been at Christmas when I was young, before my parents’ divorce turned me into a football tossed back and forth between them. Being with Marz and Vance had made me the happiest I’d been since childhood. It seemed right to introduce them to my favorite holiday.
“I would love celebrate Christmas,” I said, my voice steady and certain. “I’ll help decorate. It’ll be good to do something…normal.”
Rachel gave me an encouraging nod. “It’s wonderful to have you with us, Rowan. We can really show you how we make things work around here.”
I smiled back, but my mind was already wandering again. This time, not to Marz’s hands or Vance’s gaze, but to the storms. I wasn’t used to feeling helpless, and I didn’t want to start now. I needed to talk to my mates, see if there was anything I could do to help. I wasn’t a soldier, but that didn’t mean I had to sit on the sidelines while potential threats loomed. I was still a scientist, after all. Maybe there was something in the ground contributing to the storms. Geological activity? Did this planet have volcanoes? Base 3, according to Marz, was primarily responsible for the planet’s security while the other bases focused on mining. They didn’t have a mining team here, which also meant no one like me was usually needed. I was a geologist. Sure, I’d studied Earth, but a planet was a planet. The forces at play, the elements in the soil, should all be the same.
The conversation shifted, with Caroline talking about how her twins had made it their mission to learn how to climb every tree in the garden, and had already required multiple trips into the ReGen pods for their daring. I listened, but it was hard to concentrate. It felt like a strange kind of betrayal to be sitting here, laughing with other women about Christmas plans when my mates were preparing to face real danger out in the storm. Then again, maybe this was exactly what we all needed—something to remind us that we were still alive, still connected to something other than survival and military threats. Something to make the children happy, rather than worried and scared.
As I helped the others sketch out ideas for decorations and organize who would gather supplies, I found myself glancing toward the garden entrance, half-expecting to see Marz or Vance appear. They were working, doing whatever it was they did around here. I hated not knowing where they were, not knowingif they were safe. I had been told the sensitivity of the collars would increase over time, that I’d be able to feel their emotions even when they were not nearby. But for now, when they left my side, I was completely in the dark.
Which was probably a good thing, because when they left me alone all my doubts and fears crept in, and I didn’t want to distract them with that. Those were my personal demons to fight, not theirs. Unless they refused to open up and share their secrets, kept me at arm’s length. Unless I wasn’t supposed to be here, and I wasn’t Marz’s true match. Maybe the storm affected their entire computer-electronic bride matching system? Everything in the Coalition Fleet was connected. Could the storm be causing problems in other places? Was me being here a mistake?
For now, I pushed those thoughts aside. I had something to do, and it felt good to focus on something tangible, something that would bring joy to the children and maybe even help the ladies feel a bit more at home. The warmth of their welcome wrapped around me, even if my mind kept drifting back to Marz, to the way his touch had made me come undone, and Vance, whose promise to fuck my ass during the formal claiming echoed in the back of my thoughts like a forbidden temptation.
Rachel, the governor’s wife, turned toward me with a curious, playful smile. “So, Rowan,” she began, leaning forward slightly, her voice rich with a blend of curiosity and teasing, “your mates have barely let you out of their site. We haven’t interrogated you yet. Where are you from?”
“Montana. But I moved around a lot.”
Mikki clapped her hands together. “I’m from Hawai’i. Montana is so cold. Were you a cowgirl? Did you grow up riding horses?” She rubbed her palms together in anticipation. “I always thought cowboys were sexy.”
I snorted. “They smell like cows and dirt.”
“That’s what showers are for,” she insisted.
I didn’t argue. I loved getting my mates in our oversized shower.
Rachel interrupted my pussy-clenching train of thought. “We’ve all been so distracted by the storm. I’m sorry. I haven’t really had the chance to ask how things are going with Marz and Vance. Do you need anything? We all want you to be happy here.”
My cheeks heated instantly, warmth blooming across my skin like a flush of summer. The lingering scent of wildflowers tickled my nose as the artificial breeze rustled the leaves in the large tree above us. “It’s…they’re wonderful.” My lips curved into a soft smile. The word felt inadequate to describe the intensity of what I was experiencing, but it was true enough. The memory of the way their hands had explored every inch of me just a few hours ago lingered on my skin.
Kristin, the security officer who worked with my mates, raised a brow, her grin widening as her fingers traced the mating collar around her neck. “Prillon mates can be a lot to handle,” she teased, the light in her eyes sparkling with personal experience. Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial tone, and I could feel the others leaning in closer, the air around us thick with camaraderie and curiosity. “I personally believe two mates is better than one.”
The chuckles from the group carried a warmth that matched the heat still in my core. I couldn’t help but agree, my fingers twisting the edge of the sleeve of the burgundy gown Marz had generated for me, the material cool and soft against my fingertips. He’d seen me wearing his family color, then promptly taken me out of it. With Vance’s enthusiastic help, of course. “Well,” I admitted, my voice a little breathless, “we’re definitely…compatible.” The word lingered, and the truth in it made my pulse flutter.
“That’s one way to put it,” Caroline said with a knowing look, her expression softening as she adjusted the bright shawl draped over her shoulders. The mingling aromas of leaves and the faint tang of moisture in the air seemed to grow stronger, sharpening my awareness of everything around me. “It’s good to hear that you’re settling in, though. It’s not easy, adjusting to a new mate—or two—and a new planet all at once.”
“It has been an adjustment, but it’s been worth it.” I couldn’t keep the tenderness from my tone, the love that colored every word as I thought of my mates. Now who was burying dark shadows, secrets and doubts, behind blind hope that everything would work out in the end? I was just as bad as my mates, but I didn’t want to ask about the darkness I sensed in them with everyone here. I needed to talk to one of the other women who was mated to Prillon warriors. Probably either Kristin or Rachel. I needed to get one of them alone. Discover if their mates were the same way. Maybe not Kristin. She worked with Marz every day. I didn’t want her to know I was having doubts about me being the perfect match.
Mikki exchanged a glance with Lyndsay, the public relations officer, before grinning at me, her eyes gleaming like sunlight on water, her straight black hair a tribute to her Japanese heritage. She was also mated to a pair of Prillon warriors, but I barely knew her and definitely didn’t want her in my personal business. “The mating collar can make things uncomfortable for a while. Our mates are pretty intense. You’ll get used to it. I promise.”
Had I somehow allowed my doubts to show on my face? The hum of the conversation stilled, like the hush before a storm. I felt my blush deepen as all attention zeroed in on me, the heat rushing up my neck and spreading across my face. Even the cool air couldn’t dampen the flame of embarrassment fluttering in my chest. Of course they had noticed. I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or mortified to know that I wasn’t imagining the tensionthat simmered in my body when I had time to stop having orgasms and actuallythink.
Kristin leaned in conspiratorially, her voice dipping low. “Don’t worry,” she said, a knowing smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “You’re not the first woman on The Colony to be caught between two very intense men. It’s practically a rite of passage.” She glanced at Rachel. “What did Jessica call you? The creamy filling between two hard Prillon Oreo cookies?”
