Page 7
“You should see the symbiotic coupling I achieved today.” Hoan rubbed his hands together.
“I’m happy to hear your work was a success. At least one of us had a good day.”
“There’s more to do,” Hoan said. “I can help you with the gauge anomaly in a few days.” He walked to Loka’s desk. Sitting along the back were a dozen pieces of coal Loka had selected from his personal collection.
On the Picar home planet, coal was highly desirable. Pieces went for considerable sums, and females often flaunted their coal gifts to others, displaying the largest and best pieces for others to admire, demonstrating the love and commitment their mate had for them.
Hoan lifted a piece of coal. “This is quite a collection. They are for your future mate?”
Loka strode over and plucked the coal from his fingers. “Something like that. I discovered these myself.” Pride laced his words. He didn’t buy his coal from dealers. He liked to find it. He would happily explore and dig for weeks on his own, excavating lumps of coal. It made it feel more personal when you discovered it for yourself.
Hoan nodded. He selected another piece and turned it over. “Mate gifts are something that occupies us all.”
Surprised by the protectiveness he felt for this coal, Loka snatched the piece away and set it back on the desk.
Hoan did not seem to notice. “My own mating urge calls to me at times.”
Loka’s brows rose. “You seek a female?”
Hoan pointed at his groin and smiled. “Not consciously. There is a part of me that yearns for one. I awoke the other night covered in my own excretions after a particularly vivid dream involving two female humans. I have not done that since my youth.”
Loka pressed his lips together. He’d had similar dreams, always involving Heather. “You have not thought to relieve yourself? There are available females on the space station. The Enchanted Captain is the place to go if you need some... light relief.”
“We could do that together.” Hoan nodded. “You can be my wing man. I think they call it that.”
“I’m not interested.”
Hoan’s lips tugged down. “Why do you have this collection of mate gifts if you are not thinking of a female in your future?”
“I mean, I’m not thinking about obtaining relief. I do not want a casual female encounter.”
Hoan grinned. “You are thinking of finding a life mate. Do you have someone in mind? Another Picar? I hear many are joining with those of military rank only these days.”
“I have not found a Picar I would like as my life mate.” Loka focused on the coal.
“Then who? I know you have been giving your coal away. Your collection was twice this size when we arrived on Prodigy. I helped you carry it in.”
Hoan was too observant for his own good. It meant he was an excellent scientist but had no filter when it came to more personal matters.
“Nobody you know. She’s not even aware of my interest. As it should be. We are not here to mate.”
“Is it a human?”
Loka looked up swiftly. “What makes you say that?”
“There are a lot of Earthlings on the station. Statistically speaking, it is more likely to be a human than any other alien.”
Loka spent a moment rearranging the pieces of coal. “There is an attraction to someone. Now is not the right time to gather a life mate to my side. We have to complete our mapping program.”
“I understand. A life mate is a bonus but also a distraction. They need certain attentions paid to them.” Hoan pointed to his groin again.
“I do not have time to offer them my personal attention. I need my energies to complete our work.”
“You will need an understanding female,” Hoan said, “someone who has her own project. If she is occupied with her work, she will not mind you dealing with our matters.”
Loka nodded. That was something he did admire about Heather; she was always occupied. She clearly enjoyed the work she did at My Single Alien. When she was happy, she had a delightful laugh that carried out of the office and along the corridor. He’d been drawn to it on numerous occasions. He hoped one day she would laugh for him.
Hoan clicked his horns against Loka’s. “Our time will come, brother. When our work is complete, we will have access to our life mates. We can focus on that. Focus on growing our families.”
