I was an investigator. Head of security. I’d worked with the Intelligence Core, been trained to observe and assess threats. With Perro, I’d failed, blinded by loyalty and the habit of trust.
Perro was not the only male on The Colony to battle headaches and other effects from the Hive technology implanted in our bodies. I’d been reading reports that since the storms began, for many, the noise, the headaches, had grown worse.
In my years as a security officer, handling potential catastrophes, I’d never faced a disaster like this.
A bride. My perfect match. My mate.
What the fuck was I going to do with a bride? Claim her? I could not ask any female to tie herself to me. I would never so dishonor a female. There were others who were far more worthy.
I had an Interstellar bride. A perfect match?
No. This could not be allowed. I did not have a mate. I could not.
A fierce flash of silver lightning made me blink. “Are the transporters working in this storm? Re-route her to one of the battleships. It’s too dangerous for her to come here.” Already my pulse pounded in terror at the thought thatmy matewas traveling through the unpredictable energy fields surrounding the base. If she transported to a Coalition battleship, I could release my claim on her and request she be assigned to another male, a male worthy of her. A male who would not fail to recognize pure evil disguised as friendship.
“The stabilizers the Atlans installed appear to be working. Her signal is strong, Marz. She’ll be okay.” Kristin’s gaze softened and I worked to bury my concern. I did not need a human female looking at me with distress. “Her name is Rowan. Don’t worry. Earth girls are tough. She’ll be fine. Trust me.”
“She’s human? From Earth?” My cock hardened at the thought. So far, the few females brave enough to be matched to the condemned fighters on The Colony had all been human. Every. Single. One. Like Kristin, they were all beautiful.
What did my mate look like? Did she have dark hair? Black? Golden? Red? Would her skin be the same pale hue as Kristin’s? Or a soft, warm brown like Rachel’s?
Gods help me, I didn’t deserve a bride, but I fucking wanted her already.
“How long until transport completes?” I asked, my voice a shade too tight. No doubt matching the hardness of my eager cock.
“Less than five minutes, sir.”
Five minutes to process the fact that my life was about to change irrevocably. Five minutes to prepare to meet the female who was my match. My mate. My bride. A female I knew I could not properly protect or care for.
I wasn’t ready. Fuck. I needed my second. Vance would need to be stronger than I. Better. Smarter. A warrior who would not hesitate to end my life if I became a threat to our mate. Someone who would recognize danger when I did not. Someone with no loyalty to anyone other than our mate.
I turned toward the exit, my mind racing, searching my memories, ensuring Vance would be both willing and able to serve as my mate’s second. Base 3 housed many fighters, warriors and warlords. Males of worth, males I respected. Some I even considered friends. But there was only one warrior I could choose. Despite the chaos of my thoughts, instincts took over. If I could not re-route the female, she needed to be greeted by both of us.
I headed to the shuttle bay, where I knew Vance, one of our best pilots, would be working on his shuttle, repairing damage caused by the most recent storm. He was a fellow Prillon warrior and had served on the same battlefronts Perro and I had during the war. We shared the experience of being prisoners of war, though our wounds differed. Most of mine hid beneath the surface—nanobots infused in my bloodstream, forever reminding me of the horrors I had endured. My left eye flashed silver and I had a ring of silver around it, as if the Hive had punched me and left a mark. The silver-colored flesh wrapped around my temple and down the back of my neck to spread out like a river system across my back and shoulders. Vance’s wounds were more visible, with an augmented arm and burn scars that trailed up the left side of his face like bolts of silver lightning traveled through his dark flesh.
The doctor had asked him if he wanted a surgical repair. They could remove the scar tissue and place him inside a ReGen pod to heal. His face would bear no mark, no more scar.
He’d refused. Said he wanted to remember exactly what those fuckers had done to him so he would never growcomplacent. Never stop watching, never stop looking for danger. He would not make the same mistake I had.
“Vance,” I called out, my voice echoing across the bay.
He looked up from the generator he was repairing, faint surprise in the lift of his crows. “Captain,” he replied, setting down his tools. “What brings you here in the middle of this storm? Is everything all right?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “My mate arrives in five minutes, she will need her second.”
He blinked slowly, allowed my words to sink in with no visible reaction. Yes. He was not one to panic nor react without thinking. He was the correct choice.
“Congratulations. Why are you here, talking to me? You could have sent me a message over comms. Should you not be in transport, ready to greet your bride?”
“I need you with me.” I stared at the male I considered a friend and spoke truth for the first time since I’d come to this miserable fucking planet. “I do not trust myself. I did not see the signs of Perro’s betrayal. I’m responsible for every death he caused. I should have known, and I did not. I need your word that you will eliminate anyone you suspect is a threat to our mate, even if I consider them a friend. I need a second set of eyes and ears, as I do not trust my own. Alone, I cannot properly protect my female. I need your vow to care for her, to do what must be done, if I cannot.”
“Fuck, Marz. Perro wasn’t your fault.”
“It was. I should have known. There were signs.” I crouched down so our gazes were level. “I trust no one else. Years ago, you offered to be my second. Does that offer still stand?”
The request hung in the air. I hated the mix of desperation and uncertainty in my tone. This was not the kind of request that came naturally to me. I wasn’t a male who easily leaned on others. But in this moment, there was no one else I trusted tocare for my mate. I needed his word, his promise. My mate’s safety took priority over all other concerns, including my fucking useless pride. I could not deny that I had blood on my hands, that I should have died with Perro. Should have stopped him. Should haveknown.
Vance’s eyebrows lifted in a rare display of amusement. “Took you long enough. You’re sure?” He stood, so I did as well. “She may not like the look of me.” He lifted one hand and pointed at his face. “I am not a pretty male, Marz.”
