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

Chapter 8

8

H e had no idea why he’d offered the scrawny human boy a job and a place to stay.

As they walked, S’aad studied the human walking beside him from the corner of his eye. Jay was diminutive, his slim frame and delicate features marking him as a youngling. S’aad shook his head, trying to figure out what the wave of protectiveness that washed over him whenever he looked at Jay was about. It was odd.

He’d only met a few human males, and he hadn’t reacted this way to any of them. But then, they had all been fully grown males, and if he was honest, he was half-convinced their DNA had a higher-than-average level of Latharian in it anyway. They just looked a little shorter than the average warrior.

He cut a glance at Jay again. Jay was a different matter. He was way too slender and slight to have practically any Latharian DNA and appeared entirely human. It must be because he was so young. As young as S’aad had been when he’d been forced to leave home for the first time.

“You can stay with me until we can get you registered with station administration and they assign you quarters of your own,” he said, keeping his tone even and unthreatening. The last thing he wanted was for the young human to think he had ulterior motives like many of the predators that lurked on the station.

“I’m lucky,” he continued talking, covering the silence from the little human as he paused in front of the door to his rooms. “I actually have a two-bedroom quarters. Most unmated warriors only rate a single room, but this was the only available unit near the mate program sector when I transferred here, so they lodged me in this larger space.”

Standing back so as not to crowd Jay, he gestured for the human to go first.

Wide-eyed beneath the brim of his tattered cap, Jay’s gaze swept over the modest but comfortable interior as he took a step across the threshold. S’aad studied him without making it obvious what he was doing. Jay had a brash manner, but when he thought no one was looking he had an air of almost delicateness about him. His features held the soft plumpness of youth and the smooth skin of his jaw confirmed he wasn’t old enough to shave.

S’aad kicked himself. All his research into humanity had focused on the females—women, he reminded himself—but he knew little to nothing about developmental stages for males.

“Okay, so we have the main sitting room and food prep areas out here,” he said, leading Jay on a brief tour. “Through here are the bedrooms,” he added, opening doors as he went to reveal the two sleeping chambers. “And each has its own door into the facilities. Both are lockable from the inside, for privacy.”

Jay nodded as they walked into the second bedroom.

“This will be you,” S’aad said, looking around. It was the mirror image of his own room. Sleeping platform with bedding materials, a trunk, and a door to the closet opposite the one to the bathroom. “I’m afraid I don’t rank highly enough for a window, so…” he shrugged and then his gaze fell on the boxes piled on the floor at the end of the bed.

“Sorry, let me just move these out of the way. It’s spare clothing for the females in the mate program. I’m just storing them while one of the offices is renovated.”

“No problem,” Jay murmured, his eyes widening as S’aad easily hefted the cumbersome boxes and stacked them in the closet.

“Are all Latharians as strong as you?” Jay murmured, the awestruck rasp of his voice raising the fine hairs on the back of S’aad’s neck.

“Some, not all.” S’aad chuckled, shrugging as he walked back through into the main rooms. Jay had seemed uncomfortable in the smaller space of the bedroom with him, so S’aad made sure to put the broad kitchen prep counter between them. He could vault the barrier in less than a heartbeat, but Jay didn’t know that. And the illusion of safety seemed to ease the tension from his hunched shoulders. It was an odd dichotomy, that vulnerability he kept catching glimpses of, which was so odds with the feisty defiance he’d seen from Jay earlier.

“Have you eaten anything since the pastry you…acquired this morning?” he asked carefully, keeping his tone neutral as he moved around the food prep area gathering utensils and ingredients.

A fleeting look of remorse flickered across Jay’s features before his expression shuttered. “I didn’t have a choice,” he mumbled, scuffing the toe of his worn boot against the pristine floor. “Hadn’t had anything to eat sin?—”

He cut his words off, and the mulish expression told S’aad he wasn’t going to say anything else. He bit back his frustration, wanting nothing more than to fire questions at the human. However, instinct told him it would do more harm than good and probably make Jay clam up and refuse to answer anything else.

“It’s okay. I paid the vendor for what you took, so it wasn’t actually stealing,” S’aad reassured him with a smile as he prepared some field cake, his movements swift with the ease of long practice. From the corner of his eye, he saw Jay draw closer to the counter, fascination on his face as the human watched his every move.

“I’ll pay you back out of my wages,” Jay said.

He nodded as he mixed the batter, glancing up to find the human watching him with open curiosity, his delicate features unguarded.

“You… are you going to pay me?” The faint lilt of uncertainty in his voice made S’aad’s heart ache. “I mean, I just… kind of assumed I’d be getting paid. For work, I mean.” The boy shrugged one bony shoulder in feigned nonchalance. “Getting bed and board here would be more than enough, though. This place is real nice. Luxurious even.”

S’aad arched his brow. That he considered basic warrior’s quarters luxurious said a lot about Jay’s life so far. A renewed surge of protectiveness washed over him.

“What are you doing?” Jay asked, nodding toward the mixture S’aad was stirring.

“Preparing something for you to eat,” he replied. “I have obligations elsewhere this evening, but I didn’t want to leave you hungry.”

Jay’s eyes widened, his stomach growling as if on cue.

“Why?” he asked at last, his cheeks pink and his voice rough with wariness as he held S’aad’s gaze. “Why are you doing all this for me?”

S’aad considered his words as he slid the field cake into the heater. Few truly understood the oaths that bound his bloodline or the weight of duty that rode upon his shoulders.

“My family’s legacy goes back further than we have records,” he said. “Long ago, my ancestors took vows to shield those unable to defend themselves. Ever since, we’ve felt an innate drive to protect others however we can. I am trained as a healer, and the compulsion of those oaths from my ancestors course through me all the same.”

Jay’s brows knitted together, and S’aad could see the questions churning behind his eyes.

“My cousin is a sentinel, defending us all from the unthinkable,” he added but didn’t elaborate. Jay was still processing the dangers on this base. He didn’t need to know about the Krin as well. “We are last of the V’Renn.” His lips curved slightly in a rueful smile. “Our line grows dangerously thin these days, the same as all of the Lathar clans. Without females we are almost to the point of extinction.”

The heater pinged, and he removed the field cake, cutting it and piling it up onto a plate to slide across the counter to the rapt human. Up close, he could make out the dusting of freckles scattered like stardust across Jay’s pert nose. “Eat up,” he urged gruffly. “You’re far too skinny.”

Jay blinked rapidly before tearing his gaze from S’aad’s and looking at the plate. Cheeks flaring with color, he shoveled forkfuls of the rich, dense cake into his mouth. S’aad politely averted his gaze, busying himself with gathering up the box of pastries he’d bought at the market earlier.

“I’ll be out for the evening,” S’aad told Jay as the human continued to demolish the field cake, crumbs clinging to the corners of his full lips. “Feel free to use any of the facilities here,” he waved a hand at the entertainment unit in the seating area behind him. “There are spare workout clothes and such in one of the storage trunks in my room if you need something to wear.”

Jay nodded around another bite, his eyes wide and solemn above hollowed cheeks. He looked so painfully young that it made S’aad’s chest ache again. He would have to get the boy into training. Good nutrition and some combat training, and he would soon start to bulk out and be able to defend himself.

Clearing his throat, S’aad lifted the box in his hands. “I should be going. I have…” He trailed off as he realized he didn’t want to leave. “Matters to attend to.”

Sliding from his stool at the counter, Jay ducked his head sheepishly.

“Right. I’ll just…get settled then. Thank you. For…” He motioned around them and then to the food. “Everything.”

S’aad inclined his head. “You are most welcome.”

With that, he turned on his heel and strode from the room, box of pastries in hand.

The door hissed shut behind the big alien, leaving Jade alone in the suddenly too-quiet space. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, her shoulders sagging as the tension drained from her body.

“I’ll never understand men,” she muttered softly. She’d heard the line in the rom-coms she’d watched in the library and never really understood it before. But then, she’d never met that many men. The Morgans had kept her away from everyone, not wanting to risk losing their golden goose. Taking in foster kids was all well and good, but they tended to do inconvenient things like age out of the system. But an adult dependent they could use to milk the system for years… that was worth protecting. They couldn’t risk letting her near anyone who would realize that she wasn’t a dependent at all. So the only place they’d let her go other than the local store was the library, and then only in the day when few people were around.

Memories of those stolen moments in the library washed through her. Old Mrs. Withenby’s stern face, lined with disapproval as she caught Jade watching something other than educational programs. The guilt that had gnawed at her gut, warring with the desperate need to see something—anything—that resembled the normal, happy life that she’d never have.

Shaking her head, she banished the memories. She was here now, miles away from that life. She had to focus on the present, on surviving here and now.

With a sigh, she pushed herself away from the table to gather up her dirty dishes. S’aad had been good enough to cook something for her, so the least she could do was make sure he didn’t return to a mess. Rounding the huge kitchen counter, she padded over to the sink, the weight of the bowl in her hands oddly comforting and familiar.

As she washed up, her mind wandered to the job S’aad had offered her. No, not her. He’d offered Jay Ashfield a job. She worried at her lower lip as she rinsed the dishes in cold water and set them on the draining board before looking around for a towel. Could she really pull this off? Could she pretend to be a boy, day in and day out?

Her stomach clenched with anxiety, but she really didn’t have any choice. S’aad thought she was a boy. She couldn’t reveal who she really was. The first thing he’d do would probably be to march her to that breeding program and give her to some other alien warrior. Or keep her for himself.

Her cheeks burned at that thought as she dried the dishes and then turned to put them away, only to be stumped by the height of the cupboards. Even on her tiptoes, she couldn’t quite reach. A frustrated huff escaped her lips as she set the bowls and utensils neatly on the counter. Was everything here built for damn giants? She’d never felt as much like a child since she’d left childhood behind years ago as she did since she’d come to the station.

With nothing left to do, she explored the apartment. Now that S’aad wasn’t here, his overwhelming presence taking up all the space, she felt a little more at ease. Her fingers trailed along the smooth surfaces of the alien furniture. It all looked so familiar but then not, all at the same time.

She yawned widely, the events of the day catching up with her. She should get some sleep before S’aad returned. That way she would be awake and aware during the night. Slipping into the bathroom, she searched the vanity cupboards to find alien versions of a toothbrush and some kind of minty paste. She brushed her teeth thoroughly, savoring the crisp, sharp taste so different from the cheap paste she’d had to use before.

As she rinsed, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and froze. A stranger stared back at her. Her hair was still under her cap, and her face was thinner than she remembered with dark circles under wary eyes. Her clothes hung loosely on her frame, hiding her curves.

Then exhaustion crashed over her like a wave, and she stumbled out of the bathroom, her limbs feeling leaden and uncoordinated. The bed in the spare room called to her, tempting her to crawl onto its padded surface and let sleep claim her. But old habits died hard, and the ingrained need for safety overrode her desire for comfort. Dragging the covers off the bed, she pulled them over to the closet and opened it up.

She smiled softly. It was way bigger than the closet she’d been forced to sleep in at the Morgans, little more than a covered-over balcony that had been closed in with wood. She’d all but frozen in the winter, baked in the summer, and never been able to stretch out properly. This one, though, was a palace by comparison.

With the ease of long practice, she crawled in and made a small barricade with the boxes in there. Using the spare blankets, she made a little nest, hidden from view if anyone opened the closet door. It wasn’t the most comfortable arrangement, but it made her feel secure in a way the open expanse of the bed never could.

She settled down and sighed. She was warm, her belly was full, and for the first time in longer than she could remember, she felt relatively safe.

Questions about S’aad swirled in her mind… Who was he meeting tonight? Was he really on the level? Was this job real or some kind of cruel joke?

She didn’t have the answers or even the mental energy to ponder them much. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, curled up in her hidden nest with the taste of chocolate still lingering on her tongue and the memory of piercing green eyes following her into her dreams.