He wondered if the females knew they were destined for the Ohirins.
Chapter 9
Airlock
The inner door of the airlock wouldn’t open. The outer hatch which had formed the ramp had closed and they were trapped.
“What happens now?” Aelanna muttered, holding down panic.
The lights dimmed and a buzz started up.
“We’re gonna be fried alive,” whispered Kora.
“They know we’re in here. Decontamination apparently happens in the airlock,” said Nayli, squinting up at the ceiling.
The temperature dropped first, then a tingling across Aelanna’s skin as a beam passed over her. It smelled faintly metallic. She gasped when the beam shifted from gold to blue, scanning them in a slow vertical sweep.
Kora muttered, “If my skin burns, like in one of those cheap tanning salons, I’m suing someone,” while squeezing her eyes shut.
Nayli stood like statue, not daring to move.
It was over as soon as it had begun, and the inner door slid open automatically. As they moved into the corridor on the other side, the air warmed, scented with pine, fresh, like how Aelanna imagined a forest would smell.
And then they saw him.
He was waiting for them.
He filled the corridor: seven feet of sculpted, cherry-tinted warrior, long silver hair pulled into a precise knot, light blue eyes that seemed to glow from within as they stared, but not with any hint of threat. No beard, no imperfection — justthe most beautiful man Aelanna has ever seen.
He seemed as surprised as they were.
Aelanna’s throat closed midway through a breath. Her mind emptied but for one thought: a sense ofOh, it’s you.As if she’d been waiting for him without knowing it. She wasn’t ready to want someone new, but her body and instincts hadn’t got the memo.
She squeaked a soft, “Hi.” It sounded like a squeak to her ears, anyway.
“Welcome aboard the Pioneer, females from Earth. I will take you to your cabins,” he rumbled, his voice low and resonant.
Aelanna’s insides were a riot of nerves, and she tensed with the effort to keep them hidden.
“My brothers and I are your bodyguards and our orders are to escort you to the planet Ohiri. We will protect you.” The alien bowed and Aelanna almost fainted. She knew that was an idiotic reaction, but she couldn’t help herself. Then she came to her senses and put her protective walls up.
What is wrong with you? He’s a man. Well, he’s not human, he’s an alien, but he’s still a male and you can’t trust him.
Kora, who was normally reliably snarky, appeared struck dumb. Her mouth opened and closed like a landed fish.
The alien frowned, taken aback by their reaction to him.
“Are you sick?” he asked.
“No,” they replied separately.
“It’s a bit much, that’s all, all this... ” said Aelanna.
“O T T,” added Nayli.
Kora said, “They mean intense... overwhelming.”
Their explanations hadn’t helped; he still looked confused.
