She jumped back. “Karuk?”
“Why are you here?” he asked.
“Uh, well,” she started, stepping into the room, and he backed up to give her space as she spoke. “Re-lee came to get me, saying there was something we needed to discuss.”
His mind shifted.
Maybe this wasn’t about his past at all. Had he broken some kind of rule, speaking with her so casually? He didn’t remember any such regulation. That didn’t mean that there wasn’t an unwritten directive. If so, he wouldn’t put it past Cher and Bardon to notify the foreman about it.
Anything to get him in trouble, and possibly off their team.
“Did she want to talk to you too?” Jenny asked.
“Re-lee,” he said, trying to think who that was.
The female in question spoke, making her presence known to him. “You two know each other? That makes this so much easier.”
“Oh, wow. How funny,” Polly said, grinning.
“That makeswhateasier?” Karuk asked. He moved, so he was next to Jenny, positioning himself in a spot to protect her, separating her from the other female.
Jenny put her hand on his arm, stepping around him
He grimaced.
She didn’t seem to notice. “What should be easier? What’s going on?”
“You two mating!” Re-lee said, a wide grin on her face.
“What?” both he and Jenny said at the same time.
“Aww, that’s so cute, they’re already syncing up,” Re-lee said. “They’re speaking at the same time.”
Polly started coming closer to them.
“No!” Jenny said, shoving Karuk away from her. “I didn’t come here to find a date! I’m a bioengineer, and I’m here toexplore new, new, uh, medicines and technologies!” Her cheeks turned pink, and she stomped her foot.
He couldn’t help it. He smiled at her stammering.
She glared at him. “Why are you smiling? You should be just as outraged as I am!”
This made him grin more.
“Karuk!”
He looked down, avoiding her expression, and neutralized his own, before bringing his head up.
That Jenny looked ready to yell again made it hard for him to remain neutral.
He shouldn’t find this humorous. He really shouldn’t. It seemed that the Universe had put him on the most unusual path, and this just added to the oddity of it.
But instead of being ready to be shipped off, and likely assassinated by his people for his crimes, he finds himself chosen by their database to mate with the one Earthling he’s drawn to?
Yes, the Universe has some interesting ideas.
Jenny still looked upset.
“It will work out,” he said softly.
