Alien Protector’s Mate (Latharian Mate Program #4)

Chapter 3

3

S he’d never been this far into the city.

Jade sat rigidly in her seat as the train rattled along tracks that definitely needed repair work, her eyes darting from the passing scenery to her foster father’s grim profile. The sharp stink of stale cigarettes, cheap whiskey, and urine permeated the carriage’s interior, making her stomach churn.

Her eyes widened at the towering buildings and bright lights as they passed by. She couldn’t remember ever traveling beyond their neighborhood, and the contrast was exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time. She got as close to the window as possible without pressing her nose against it. Who knew what had been smeared on the inside of the glass in the past? She wasn’t going to risk it.

But then she forgot all about that as she looked at the neon signs flickering in shop windows, their garish colors reflecting off the rain-slicked streets. Tiny people hurried along the sidewalks below, their faces hidden beneath umbrellas or the upturned collars of their coats.

Her gaze lingered on a young couple walking hand in hand and laughing as they dodged the puddles until the man turned and pulled the woman against him. She threw her arms around his shoulders. Even though Jade couldn’t see their faces, the movement and their body language spoke volumes. A pang of longing shot through her. What would it be like to have someone look at her with affection instead of contempt?

“Stop gawking like a fucking idiot,” Mr. Morgan growled, his words slightly slurred. “Anyone would think you’d never seen a city before.”

She quickly sat back in her seat, staring down at her lap. It didn’t matter that they were in public. Mr. Morgan was just as likely to lash out here as he was in the privacy of their own home.

“Sorry,” she murmured, her voice barely audible over the sound of the carriage on the tracks. “I’ve never been to this part of the city before.”

“No reason you would’ve been.” He snorted, and she shrank further into her seat. “Nothing here for a nobody like you.”

The words stung, but she’d learned long ago to hide her reactions. She kept her face carefully neutral. If there was nothing here for her, why were they here now?

“Where are we going?”

Mr. Morgan’s hands tightened on the metal bar by his seat. “Didn’t I tell you to keep quiet? You’ll find out when we get there.”

She fell silent again and tried to focus on the city around them without him noticing and berating her again. They’d passed through the area with the shops, and this area looked more industrial. The skyscrapers had given way to squat, utilitarian buildings, and the sidewalks were nearly empty. Only a few pedestrians hurried along with their heads down.

“This is our stop,” Mr. Morgan grunted, heaving himself to his feet and disembarking as the train pulled into the next station. He didn’t bother to check that she was following him, but then she realized he didn’t need to. Where else would she go?

The Morgans had been her family since she and Jared had been sent to them when they were tiny. Even though she was over twenty-one now, they’d managed to get her registered as a dependent so the payments didn’t stop. Unable to keep up with basic-level schooling. Unable to live alone… She’d seen the reports that had sealed her fate and kept them in control of her life.

Those reports couldn’t have been further from the truth. She’d passed all her basic schooling thanks to the public library two blocks away, not that she’d been able to print out her certificates and take them home. That wouldn’t have done her any good anyway because she hadn’t even been able to register in her own name in case the Morgans found out what she was doing. It would blow apart their carefully constructed lie about her inabilities, and they’d lose their care payments for her.

She trudged after Mr. Morgan, hunching her shoulders as it began to rain. Her jacket was thin and old, doing nothing to protect her from the wind and the rain, but she shoved her hands in her pockets anyway. Tucked away in the corner was the only thing of value she had—her twin’s old ID that she’d kept when they’d gotten rid of everything else of his. It was worn and old now, the photo showing him when he was five. The ident-strip would have been deactivated when the Morgans had registered his death, but she kept it anyway.

“Keep up, girl,” Mr. Morgan grunted as they turned the corner.

Her blood ran cold as she caught sight of a sign at the other end of the street.

“Latharian Mate Program,” it announced in bright lettering.

“No,” she whispered, her eyes widening in horror as she tried to backpedal. She’d thought they were picking up black-market booze or food from one of Mr. Morgan’s drinking buddies. Not this… “No, please, you can’t?—”

His hand shot out, wrapping around her upper arm in an iron grip.

“Shut your face,” he snarled as he yanked her up nose to nose with him. “You’re an ungrateful little bitch. Do you know how much it’s cost us to keep you all these years? It’s about time you paid us back.”

Her mind reeled as she leaned back to get away from his whiskey-rank breath. She’d heard whispers about the Latharian Mate Program. Everyone had. The newsfeeds painted a wonderful picture of lonely alien men looking for human women to fall in love with, but rumors on the street said it was little more than human trafficking. Girls who went into those offices were whisked away and never seen again.

“Please!” she begged as she pulled on her arm, tears stinging her cheeks. “I promise I’ll be good. Don’t take me in there!”

“Oh shut your fucking whining,” he snapped as he dragged her along toward the door. She stumbled against him, her heart hammering against her ribcage like a trapped bird. She couldn’t break his grip. He towered over her, his well-fed gut straining against a sweat-stained sweater. He might be a drunk, but compared to her, he was a well-fed drunk.

Even so, his breathing was a little labored before they got halfway there.

He looked her up and down, his lip curling in disgust. “Fuck, you’re getting fatter by the day. Lucky for you, that don’t matter where you’re going. All they’re bothered about is that you can pop out babies.”

She froze at his words, trying to wrap her arms around herself protectively, but he still had hold of her left arm. His gaze raked over her curves where her clothes had twisted against her in her struggle to escape, and a predatory gleam that made her skin crawl entered his eyes.

“You know…” he said, each thought clinking against the next like a line of slowly falling dominoes. “If the aliens don’t want ya, one of my buddies was interested in taking you on. Said he’d pay good money for a plump little thing like you.”

Her stomach churned, bile rising in her throat, and she swallowed. Hard. Mr. Morgan chuckled, obviously enjoying her fear.

“But turns out, we can get even more for you at them LMP offices,” he said. “So you should think yourself lucky, girl. You’re about to become mighty valuable.”

She tried to prize his hand off her arm, looking around frantically. If she could get away from him, she could run, lose herself in the city streets…

“Don’t even think about it,” he growled, his fingers digging into her flesh as he hauled her up against him again. His fetid breath washed over her face, making her flinch. “One wrong move, or if’n you embarrass me in there, and I’ll take you back to Ron instead. Understand me, you little bitch?”

She nodded as she stumbled along, her legs weak with fear. She’d met Ron a few times, enough to know she absolutely did not want to be in a room alone with him. Ever.

The building loomed before them, the bright sign reflected in the puddle on the sidewalk in front. As they approached the door, she caught sight of her reflection in the window. A pale, frightened face stared back at her, eyes wide with terror.

This was it. This was really happening. She felt like she was watching from outside her body as Mr. Morgan herded her through the door in front of him and approached the reception desk. The receptionist, a middle-aged woman with washed-out brown hair and a pinched expression, looked up from her computer screen.

“Welcome to the Latharian Mate Program. How can I help you?” she asked, her tone bored as though she had better things to do than deal with customers. Jade frowned. Were people coming in here considered customers, or was that the aliens? How did it work? Did they get to pick a woman from a book, like picking a set of shelves from a catalogue?

Mr. Morgan leaned in, lowering his voice. “Yeah, I’m here to see him. He knew I was coming.”

The receptionist’s eyebrows raised slightly. “Oh, I see. And you have a… package for us?”

Mr. Morgan nodded, jerking his head slightly toward Jade. “I sure do. He told me to bring it here, said there would be some paperwork for me to sign and a payment.”

The woman barely graced Jade with a look and nodded. “I see. Let me pull up the paperwork for you.”

Jade listened to their exchange, her head down and heart pounding. Mr. Morgan was selling her to the aliens…

The receptionist tapped at her keyboard with talon-like nails and then frowned. “It seems there’s been a change of plans. He has a buyer, so he wants the package processed immediately.”

Mr. Morgan’s grip on Jade’s arm tightened, and she winced in pain. “That wasn’t part of the deal,” he growled. “He said I’d get paid first.”

The woman’s lips thinned into a disapproving line. “I’m sure he has his reasons. If you’ve changed your mind, there are other… packages.”

Mr. Morgan grumbled under his breath but then nodded. “Fine. Where do I sign?”

The receptionist pulled out a stack of forms and slapped them down on the counter.

“Just sign here, here, and here,” she instructed, one blood-red nail tapping on various lines on the flexi-docs. “Once that’s done, we’ll take ownership of the package.”

Mr. Morgan scrawled his signature across the papers quickly, signing her away without even a look at her.

“When do I get paid?” he demanded as he pushed the signed forms back across the desk.

The chime on the door behind them jangled as a group of young women piled through it, their laughter and excited chatter filling the space.

One girl, her auburn hair styled in an intricate braid, gestured animatedly as she spoke. “Oh em gee! I can’t believe we’re finally here! My sister’s workmate’s cousin met her mate through this program, and she says it’s the best thing that ever happened to her.”

Another, a petite blonde with a smattering of freckles across her nose, nodded eagerly. “I know, right! Can you imagine it? Meeting a handsome alien warrior who’ll cherish you forever…” She sighed dreamily. “It’s like something out of a romance novel!”

As Mr. Morgan moved to the side to let them pass, Jade saw her chance. Time seemed to slow as adrenaline surged through her body and, without thinking about it, she darted past them and slipped out through the still-open door.

The cool night air hit her face as she burst out onto the street. For a split second, she froze, overwhelmed by the unfamiliar surroundings and the enormity of what she’d just done.

Then she heard Mr. Morgan’s enraged bellow from inside the building. “Dammit, girl! Get back here!”

Panic lent wings to her feet. She ran, her heart pounding in her ears.

Behind her, she heard Mr. Morgan’s heavy footsteps and labored breathing as he gave chase. But she was younger, faster, and fueled by desperation. She darted down a narrow alley and then another, zigzagging through the unfamiliar streets in an attempt to lose her pursuer.

The sounds of the chase faded, but she didn’t slow down. She ran until her lungs burned and her legs ached, right through the industrial area until she was back on the bustling streets filled with shops. Slowing down, she merged in with the evening crowd, hiding herself within them.

She had no idea where she was going, but she was out. She had escaped. And no matter what happened, she was never going back to the Morgans.

The harsh smell of exhaust fumes from the traffic mingled with enticing aromas from nearby restaurants that made her stomach growl in protest and reminded her she hadn’t eaten since the quarter-bite of nutri-block she’d had this morning.

She shivered as she wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly very aware of how out of place she must look in her threadbare jacket and ill-fitting clothes. Her hair was damp with sweat, clinging to her forehead and neck as she tried to catch her breath and gather her thoughts.

What now? The question echoed in her mind. She had escaped, yes, but now she was alone in a strange part of the city with no money, no ID, and nowhere to go. She bit her lip as she realized how fucked she was, and she looked around, as though the answers to her problems might leap out at her from thin air.

As her steps slowed, panic threatening to overwhelm her, a group of teens passed by, their excited chatter drawing her attention. They were a few years younger than her and had backpacks slung over their shoulders, their faces alight with anticipation.

“I can’t believe we’re actually going to Devan Station!” one girl exclaimed, not even seeing Jade as she walked right past her. “Do you think we’ll see any Lathar warriors up close?”

“Is that all you can think about? The men?” Her friend laughed and playfully shoved at her shoulder. “We’re supposed to be focusing on the cultural exchange. Remember?”

“Oh, come on,” someone chimed in from behind them. “You can’t tell me you’re not at least a little curious about those alien hunks.”

Their laughter faded as they moved past, but Jade’s mind whirled with a new, possibly insane idea. A field trip to Devan Station? This could be her chance. Without giving herself time to second-guess, she fell into step behind the group, careful to maintain a distance that would both make her seem a part of the group to onlookers but wouldn’t arouse suspicion if any of the teens looked back and saw her.

They made their way toward the spaceport, and her heart raced with nerves and exhilaration. The sprawling complex loomed before them, its sleek, futuristic architecture the total opposite to the city around it. She couldn’t help gawping for a moment. She’d never seen anything like it outside of holo-vids. Then she reminded herself she was supposed to be part of the group and, thus, should have seen the space port before.

The group ahead of her moved quickly and clearly knew where they were going. She followed in their wake, her eyes darting nervously from side to side as she took in the bustling crowds and the security checkpoints. She watched carefully as the students presented their IDs and tickets at the security booths. She didn’t have either, so what did she do now?

She lingered in the center of the departures area, pretending to study a large holographic map of the spaceport. Grabbing some promo flexi-flyers, she took them back to a seating area and made a show of leafing through them. In reality, she was watching everything around her.

The school group had long since gone, but a steady stream of people flowed through departures. A traveler dropped onto the bench next to her, his attention all on his personal comm unit as he frowned and then looked up at the departures board hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the hall.

“Shit, I’m late!” he hissed and took off again. He’d almost been swallowed up by the crowds before she realized he’d left his hat on the bench—a peak cap from some sports team or other.

“Hey, your hat!” she called out after him, but he was gone, disappearing past security before she could catch his attention.

Looking down at it, she debated leaving it there… then shoved it on her own head, hiding her hair.

Returning to the benches, she found a perch on the end for a moment. She’d noticed what looked like a service entrance a bit before the security checkpoints. A steady stream of people in matching uniforms moved through it, their badges identifying them as cleaning staff and maintenance workers.

Pretending to look at a flexi-flyer on trade routes from the spaceport, she wandered closer to the service entrance, her movements as casual and unhurried as she could make them. She positioned herself near a bank of vending machines, pursing her lips as she pretended to deliberate over her choices. All the while she watched the service entrance and the comings and goings of the staff.

As luck would have it, a shift change seemed to be underway. Exhausted-looking workers walked out, replaced by only slightly less tired-looking employees streaming in. Not all of them were in uniform anymore, and there didn’t seem to be any security pads on the door, just a bored-looking guard. Her breath caught in her throat. This might be her only chance.

With a silent prayer to whatever higher power might be listening, she slipped into a group of incoming workers. Keeping her head down, she moved with them, mimicking the tired shuffling of those around her. Her heart hammered so loudly that she was certain someone would hear it and know she was an imposter.

But no one gave her a second glance. It was like she was invisible. The guard barely looked up from his holo-flex as he waved the group through, more concerned with finishing his game than checking each face.

She tried not to hold her breath as she walked with the rest of the group, letting them sweep her along and around the corner. As soon as she could, she slowed down and moved to the side of the corridor, kneeling down as if she had a loose shoelace. As soon as she was alone, she ducked into a side corridor, taking two more turns before she stopped. Leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes and tried to calm her racing pulse.

“Hey! Whatcha doing back here?”

She jerked upright, heart stalling in her chest at the harsh shout. A guy wearing a high-vis vest stood at the end of the corridor.

“You’re with the new crew. Right?” he asked. “John’s kid cousin. What was your name?”

She had no idea who John was, but her fingers brushed Jared’s ID card in her pocket.

“J…” She cleared her throat, making her voice deeper, rougher. Like Jared’s would be now if he was still alive, if he’d grown up. “Jared. It’s Jared.”

“Well, come on then, kid. These cargoes won’t load themselves.”

“Sure, thanks.” She nodded, hunching her shoulders as she caught up with him. Ducking her head as she passed, she made sure most of her face was concealed so he didn’t see she was a girl rather than a boy. But he didn’t even spare her a glance, and her spine straightened. Okay, from here on out she wasn’t Jade anymore, not a scared young woman running from whatever Mr. Morgan and his friends had planned for her. From now on, she would be Jared, a young man with every right to be wherever he was.

It didn’t take them long to reach the loading bays, and any worry that she would be caught out died a quick death. The space was huge, filled with loud machinery and ground crews hurrying there and there.

“You’re on team four,” her companion shouted over the din and motioned toward a big brute of a vessel with “KS-047” emblazoned on its side in orange letters. “Go on over and join them.”

She nodded and ambled that way, doing her best to emulate the unhurried swagger of a teen boy. Her gaze was sharp as she studied the ground crew loading cargo, their efficient movements speaking of long practice.

Turning her head, she saw that the first guy had gone, probably to join another ground crew. No one was watching her.

Heart in her throat, she darted sideways, hiding in the middle of a group of crates and containers ready to be loaded. The one she crouched behind was labeled “Fragile: Perishable goods.”

With a strength born of desperation, she pried it open and squeezed inside. The interior was dark and cramped, and whatever she landed on was soft and crinkled slightly. Bags of something. She wriggled and curled herself into a tight ball, trying to make herself as small as possible among them.

Something knocked against the side, and she held her breath.

“Hey! Careful with that!” The voice was muffled by the sides of the crate. “That one needs to go into the pressurized section or that lettuce will freeze.”

Her eyes widened as a new horror she hadn’t even been aware of was unlocked. What if she’d hidden herself in a crate that was open to space… she’d have suffocated or frozen to death in minutes.

The crate jostled as it was sealed and lifted. She closed her eyes as she prayed silently to anyone who would listen. There was no turning back now…