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“I can’t disagree with you there,” Tegor said. “Seriously though, you should think about it. You could travel the star system, selling your fancy pieces of art. Collectors will go crazy for them.”

“Not this one,” Elias said. “This one’s a gift.”

Tegor waggled his eyebrows. “A gift for someone special?”

“Maybe. I’ve not decided yet.”

Tegor laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “You keep your secrets, my friend. I’m sure Hayley will love it.”

Elias grinned at him. “I’m hoping she will.”

“Can you fix me up with a watch for my sister?” Tegor said. “I never know what to get her for her birthing day. Something like this is unique. She’d love it. Have you got anything in your collection you’d be willing to part with?”

Elias tapped a finger against his chin. “I’ve got several that will be suitable. Are you looking for something that works?”

“Of course. If you can put one of those fancy inscriptions on the back that will be perfect.”

“I’ll take a look and let you know,” Elias said.

The door to the docking bay opened. A heavily pregnant woman walked slowly into the dock, one hand on her stomach.

Elias recognized Vegas Munro from My Single Alien. She was Hayley’s boss and a regular visitor to the dock when welcoming a new client.

“Looks like it’s action stations,” Tegor said. “The Class One is a few minutes out. I can’t wait to get my hands on that thing. You Retars know how to make beautiful ships.”

Elias looked around and nodded as he watched the flurry of activity. Retar Class One ships were huge. It would need careful handling as it arrived.

He tidied away his watch repair equipment and walked closer to the external docking bay doors, looking through the window to catch a glimpse of the ship.

Elias squinted into space as the ship came into view. His heart skipped a beat. The insignia on the side of the ship indicated royalty.

His stomach lurched, and his mouth went dry. They hadn’t been informed Retar royalty were docking on Prodigy. He took a calming breath. This wasn’t a problem. The royal household was vast. It was most likely some third cousin of their king or a nobleman who’d been given the privilege of using a royal vessel. He had nothing to worry about. It would not be Princess Isolt on that ship. She always declared she hated to travel and never had a reason to leave her beautiful home. That suited him just fine.

Elias walked over to stand near Vegas and nodded a greeting. “Are we expecting Retar royalty?”

She smiled at him. “It’s all been hush-hush. Until the last minute, we weren’t sure it would happen. This is a gamble for My Single Alien. It will be our first trial of a female alien and a human male pairing. We’ve worked hard to get the compatibility right.”

Elias nodded as the tension left him. My Single Alien did an excellent job of creating successful matches between humans and aliens. They would never have paired Princess Isolt with a human male. She would only eat him. That would end in disaster.

“Docking bay shield in place,” the computer announced. The shield enabled the docking bay doors to open without sucking anyone into space while allowing ships in.

A small Retar ship entered the bay first. Elias watched its progress, recognizing a Retar guard ship. With royalty on board the Class One, the guards would do a sweep of the area to determine threat level before anyone else entered.

The ship docked, and as he’d predicted, six Retar guards marched out dressed in form-fitting dark blue uniforms, their faces partially concealed by headgear.

Vegas walked over and greeted the head guard.

“Welcome to Prodigy,” she said. “I have been briefed on the security protocols you require. You have full access to the station.”

“Commander Thean,” the Retar said. “I appreciate that. My guards will be discreet. We do not wish to disturb the station’s smooth running. We will do an initial sweep of this area before our Princess disembarks.”

Elias’s stomach tightened again. A princess? There were perhaps three dozen princesses he was aware of in the Retar royal household. It couldn’t be Princess Isolt. She wouldn’t come here seeking a human mate. Elias couldn’t imagine humans permitting such a match. If they did, they’d have effectively signed the man’s death warrant. She’d eat him after sex, even if he was from Earth.

“Our ship will require servicing while in dock,” Commander Thean said. “And our Class One ship has a malfunctioning receiver. That will need repairing before we can leave.”

Vegas glanced over at Elias and raised her eyebrows. “I’m sure that won’t be a problem.”

Elias looked around to see if his boss, Claydon, was about, but he was nowhere to be seen. He handled the priority jobs. Elias walked over and nodded a greeting at the guard. “I will be happy to work on your ships. It will be a privilege to serve the royal household.”