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

Chapter 11

11

S ’aad’s hand clamped around Jay’s skinny upper arm as he all but dragged the human back to the lab. His grip wasn’t painful, but it brooked no argument. Fury and fear warred within him, making his heart race and his jaw clench. The human stumbled along beside him, struggling to keep up with his longer strides.

“S’aad, I—” Jay started, but S’aad cut him off with a growl.

“Not here,” he snarled, the sound low and dangerous.

As soon as the lab doors hissed shut behind them, he released Jay’s arm and turned away to run a hand through his hair, trying to calm the storm of emotions raging within him. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and controlled.

“Do you have any idea how much danger you were in out there?”

He heard Jay’s sharp intake of breath but didn’t turn around.

“I… I just wanted to see what was happening.” Jay’s voice was small and hesitant. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

He whirled around, his eyes blazing with fury. “Didn’t mean to? Jay, those warriors could have seriously injured you without even meaning to. One wrong move, and you could have been hurt. Badly hurt. The kind of hurt humans don’t get to come back from.”

Jay flinched at the harsh words, his shoulders hunching as if trying to make himself smaller.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t think?—”

“That’s right. You didn’t think,” S’aad snapped. He took a step closer, looming over Jay. “This isn’t a game. The station can be dangerous, especially for someone like you.”

The human’s head jerked up, his eyes flashing. “Someone like me? What’s that supposed to mean?”

S’aad’s brows snapped together. “You know exactly what I mean. You’re small, human, and—” He paused, studying Jay more closely. “Wait… How old are you, anyway? Sixteen? Seventeen?”

“I’m twenty-one,” Jay said. “I’m not a child, and I can take care of myself.”

S’aad blinked, surprise rolling through him. He felt as if he’d been punched in the gut. Twenty-one? He stared at Jay, looking, really looking at him for the first time. Draanth . It was there. The set of Jay’s jaw, the hardness in his eyes…

“Twenty-one,” S’aad breathed. “You’re an adult.”

“No shit,” Jay’s voice was sharp, lifting his chin in challenge. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. I’m not some kid you need to babysit.”

Something shifted inside S’aad at those words. All the fear and worry he’d felt twisted into a new emotion. One he couldn’t quite name. It burned through him like wildfire.

“An adult,” he murmured, taking a step closer to Jay. The human’s eyes widened slightly, but he stood his ground even though S’aad could see it cost him. “And you think that means you can handle anything the universe throws at you?”

Jay swallowed, hard, small fists clenching at his sides. “Yeah, it does. I’ve handled plenty already.”

“Have you?” S’aad asked, his voice a low rumble. He leaned in closer, so close he could feel the heat of Jay’s smaller body even through their clothing. He locked eyes with Jay, noticing what a beautiful color they were. Deep dark brown, but with swirls of amber, like the woods from home. “You think you’re ready for everything out here?”

Jay’s eyes were wide, his pupils dilated. S’aad could hear the human’s quickened breath and smell a mix of emotions rolling off him. Fear, yes, but also something else… Something heady and intoxicating.

His gaze dropped to Jay’s lips. Without thinking about it he closed the gap between them, bending his head and crushing Jay’s lips beneath his.

The contact sent a shockwave through him. Jay’s lips were soft and warm, tasting faintly of the mint toothpaste he’d used that morning. A growl in the back of his throat, he crowded closer. He slid a big hand to the back of Jay’s neck, tilting his little human’s face up so he could deepen the kiss.

Jay made a small sound, somewhere between a gasp and a moan, and the sound sent a bolt of desire straight down to S’aad’s cock. He nipped at Jay’s surprisingly full lower lip, demanding entry. Triumph rolled through him when Jay’s lips parted, and he surged forward, driving his tongue deep to claim his prize—the sweet softness of the little human’s mouth.

The kiss grew more passionate, more desperate. S’aad poured all of his fear, all of his anger, all of his confusion into it. He nipped gently at Jay’s lower lip again, soothing the sting with his tongue as he savored the little shiver Jay made. Then Jay’s hands fisted in the fabric of S’aad’s shirt, pulling him even closer.

The feel of those small hands against his chest finally broke through the desire clouding his mind. He wrenched himself free, stumbling back. His hip hit one of the lab tables, and his chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath, his lips tingling from the kiss.

Jay stood where S’aad had left him, looking dazed. His lips were swollen, his cheeks flushed.

“S’aad?” Jay’s voice was husky, questioning. He blinked slowly, as if coming out of a trance, and took a step forward, reaching out.

S’aad held up a hand, stopping him.

“No. Don’t,” he said, his voice rough and raw. “Just… Don’t.”

Confusion and hurt flashed across the human’s face. “But I thought… I mean, you kissed me.”

“I shouldn’t have,” he said, closing his eyes. He couldn’t look at Jay at the moment, couldn’t bear to see the hurt in those beautiful, expressive eyes. “It was a mistake.”

“A mistake?” Jay repeated, his voice small. Wounded. “Is it… is it because I’m human?”

S’aad’s eyes snapped open at that.

“No,” he said firmly. “It has nothing to do with you being human. Nothing whatsoever. I’m your supervisor. It’s… it’s inappropriate.”

Jay wrapped his arms around himself, a gesture that made him look small and vulnerable. S’aad’s protective instincts flared a lightyear wide, warring with his sense of duty. He had to protect Jay…

From himself.

“I… I don’t understand,” Jay stammered.

The sound of that soft, uncertain voice was almost S’aad’s undoing. He saw the confusion in Jay’s eyes, and it tore at him, knowing he was the cause of that pain.

S’aad ran a hand over his face, trying to gather his thoughts.

“Look, Jay, I’m responsible for your safety here. I’m supposed to protect you, not take advantage of you.”

“You weren’t taking advantage,” Jay protested with a gasp that went right to S’aad’s cock again. Draanth, he was a pervert. A complete and utter draanthic. “I wanted?—”

“It doesn’t matter what you wanted,” S’aad cut him off harshly.

Jay flinched, and he winced. “I’m sorry, that came out wrong. What I mean is, there are rules, protocols. I can’t just…”

He trailed off, unsure how to explain.

“So, what happens now?” Jay asked, his voice small and uncertain.

He sighed. “Now, we forget this ever happened. We go back to being supervisor and assistant, nothing more.”

Jay nodded slowly, but S’aad could see the hurt in his eyes. It killed him to put that look there, but he knew it was necessary. He had to maintain professional boundaries, for both their sakes.

“I need some air,” S’aad said abruptly, unable to bear the tension in the room any longer. “Stay here. This time, please… just stay here.”

Without waiting for a response, S’aad strode out of the lab, the door hissing shut behind him. He leaned against the wall in the corridor, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths.

What had he done? How had he let things spiral so out of control? He’d crossed a line, one he wasn’t sure he could uncross. And worse, he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to.

He closed his eyes, but that didn’t help. All he could think about was Jay’s lips under his.

The kiss replayed in his mind. Jay’s scent lingered on his skin, a mixture of human and something uniquely… Jay . It was intoxicating, and he knew without thinking about it that it was embedded in his soul.

Draanth. He groaned again, running a hand through his hair. His honor beads clinked softly, a familiar sound that grounded him somewhat. He had to get himself together. But… He’d kissed Jay. He’d kissed a human. An adult human male who worked for him.

His mind raced, questioning everything he’d thought he knew about himself and Jay. He’d always assumed that his destiny was to find a female mate, but this… whatever it was with Jay had rocked him to the core. He felt the same sort of pull toward him that he’d always assumed he’d feel toward a female. It wasn’t like he was against same-sex relationships, not at all. He knew several warriors who were in committed relationships. But there was also the fact that he’d thought Jay was just a boy, someone he needed to protect. But the realization that wasn’t the case and that Jay was actually an adult sent a jolt through him, a mixture of relief and… something else. Something that made his skin feel too tight and his heart race.

He groaned again, closing his eyes.

But it was still wrong. Wasn’t it?

Jay was his subordinate. His employee. It was just the same as if he’d been involved with a warrior under his command. Worse, in fact, because Jay was human. Which meant he was smaller. More delicate. Fragile. He was supposed to be looking out for Jay, not…

His eyes snapped open. No… no, he wasn’t even going there. Guilt churned in his gut as he locked down the explicit thoughts racing through his mind, torturing him with things that couldn’t be. It would be too much of an abuse of power.

He needed to get it together. Now. Growling to himself, he pushed off the wall and began pacing the corridor. He could do this. All he had to do was maintain a professional distance. He could?—

The sudden hiss of the main doors sliding open cut off his internal lecture to himself. He turned, expecting to see one of the other staff members, excuses already on his tongue for why he was prowling the corridors. Instead, a towering figure strode through the doors, radiating power and authority, and S’aad’s eyes widened in recognition.

Daaynal. The emperor.

Straightening immediately, he snapped to attention. Even though the emperor was dressed as a simple warrior, his dark hair filled with braids and honor braids flowing over shoulders broader than a shuttle, he was instantly recognizable to everyone in the empire. Respected by everyone in the empire… perhaps because he wore no outward sign of his rank or status. He was one of them. A warrior just like the rest of them, just one who had responsibility for more than a simple combat unit but the entire empire.

“Your Imperial Majesty,” S’aad said with a bow. “We weren’t expecting you. If we’d known?—”

Daaynal waved a hand dismissively, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. “At ease, V’Renn. I decided to drop in unannounced. I find it’s the best way to see how things are really going.”

“Yes, of course, Your Majesty,” he said, sneaking a look past Daaynal for the four massive drakeen that usually accompanied him, controlled by the emperor himself. Until recently, he’d been the only pilot who could control more than one of the heavily armored war machines, but then a human female had used three of them to fight a pod of Krin on one of the sentinel stations. The war commanders on the council were still freaking out about that as far as he knew.

He fell into step beside Daaynal as they walked down the corridor. “How can we help you today?”

Daaynal turned, green eyes pinning him in place like a specimen on a slide. “I wanted to check on progress here. I’ve had some… interesting reports.”

S’aad froze for a moment. Did the emperor know about the discrepancies he’d found in the program’s code? But how? He had only told Maax. Unless there were more reports somewhere…

“Oh?”

Playing dumb with Daaynal K’Saan was dangerous. The emperor might act and dress like a simple warrior, but he was anything but. He’d been born and bred in the crucible of the throne, and the reason he’d lasted so long was because he was both utterly ruthless and always informed. About everything. S’aad had no idea how he did it. Fortunately, neither did Daaynal’s enemies.

He let his professional mask slip into place as he answered, playing it safe. “We’ve had several successes recently, Your Majesty. The compatibility algorithms have been refined to include personality profiles and other markers, and we’ve had a fifteen percent increase in successful matches over the past month.”

“Fascinating,” Daaynal murmured, his gaze sharp and assessing. “And there are other issues?”

S’aad tensed, his stride faltering for just a moment. He plastered a neutral look on his face and shook his head. “None that I’m aware of, Your Majesty. With the program, at least. We’ve had some issues with impatient warriors, though.”

Daaynal frowned, his expression tightening. “What kind of issues?”

S’aad smiled and waved it off. “Nothing that we haven’t been able to handle so far.”

Daaynal speared him with a look. “And none of the human females have been hurt?”

“No. Not at all,” he confirmed as they reached the lab door. The emperor paused. “Perhaps we should continue this discussion in your office, V’Renn. I… wish to discuss my file.”

S’aad’s heart rate spiked, the instinct to say no to the emperor himself right there on the tip of his tongue. Jay was in his lab. But no one said no to the emperor. He barely managed to stop himself from getting between Daaynal and the door as it slid open with a soft hiss, revealing Jay hunched over a console at the back of the room.

The young human looked up at the sound of the door, his eyes widening as he saw the emperor. He scrambled to his feet, nearly knocking over his chair as he backed up.

“Your Majesty,” S’aad said quickly, stepping into the room. “This is Jay, my new assistant. Jay, this is His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Daaynal K’Saan.”

Jay managed an awkward bow, his face pale. “It’s an honor, Your Majesty,” he stammered.

Daaynal’s gaze fixed on Jay. “A human male? How… unexpected.”

S’aad moved in a heartbeat, positioning himself between the little human and the emperor. “Jay is an exceptional individual, Your Majesty. His skills have been invaluable to our research.”

A smile spread across Daaynal’s face. “I see. And how long has your human been working with you?”

He fought to keep his expression neutral when every instinct he had screamed that the emperor was a threat. That he needed to grab Jay and get him out of there. Away from danger. “Jay has just started with us, Your Majesty.”

Daaynal’s smile widened as he glanced over S’aad’s defensive posture and the way he’d positioned himself. “It’s good to see that your line’s oaths haven’t weakened over time. Your protective instincts are clearly as strong as ever.”

S’aad was caught between a rock and a hard place, between his respect for the emperor and his need to protect. He felt Jay trembling slightly beside him, and it took every ounce of his self-control not to reach out and offer comfort.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” He inclined his head. “Now… you wanted me to check your file again?”

Ushering Jay to the other side of the room, he opened the data they had on the emperor and displaced it on screen.

“I’m afraid there is nothing yet, Your Majesty,” he said. “But I’m sure there must be a match out there somewhere for you.”

Daaynal nodded, the look in his green eyes shuttered. “Have you included all the new data from the human penal colonies?”

S’aad tilted his head curiously. “No, not that I know of. I wasn’t aware that we had a new corpus of data.”

“We do,” Daaynal replied, the soft leather of his uniform jacket creaking slightly as he crossed his arms over a chest twice the size of S’aad’s. “President Murphy has given us leave to check all the genetic information on females within the human penal system. If a match is found, he has permitted us to offer them an alternative to any sentence they are serving.”

“Oh. I wasn’t aware of that. That’s… good.” Surprise washed through S’aad. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Jay stiffen, shooting the emperor a look from under his lashes. That was odd. Did Jay know something about the human prison system they didn’t. He wasn’t going to ask now, though, in front of the emperor.

“I’ll compile that, add it to the database, and run the algorithms again. It will take some time, though, I’m afraid.”

Daaynal gave a deep grunt, nodding. “I’ve waited this long for my mate, a few more hours or days will be of no consequence. I’m pleased with the progress the program is making. Keep up the good work.”

With a final glance at Jay, the emperor swept out of the office. The tension in the room seemed to leave with him, and S’aad let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

He turned to Jay. “You okay?”

Jay nodded shakily. “I think so. That was… intense. Is he always so…”

“Intimidating?” S’aad supplied, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“Terrifying,” Jay corrected, wrapping his arms around himself. “I mean, I know he’s the emperor and all, but… how will any woman react to being matched with someone like that? He’s so overwhelming .”

S’aad opened his mouth to reassure Jay but paused as his words hit their mark. Jay had a point. The human females he saw on a day-to-day basis would be terrified of someone like the emperor.

“Draanth, you’re right,” he murmured, pacing as his mind raced. “We have enough with the cultural differences, but add in?—”

“Intimidation factor?” Jay suggested, eyebrow raised.

He nodded. “What if she rejects him? Rejects the emperor himself?”

It would be a complete and utter disaster.

Jay watched him, curiosity sparkling in the depths of his dark eyes. “So, what does that mean for the emperor’s matching?”

He stopped pacing, turning to face Jay. “It means you’ve given me something else to think about when we’re matching our couples. Thank you.”

Without thinking, he reached out and squeezed Jay’s shoulder. A spark of electricity arced between them. His breath caught in his throat as memories of their earlier kiss filled his mind. Jay’s eyes widened, darkening as his tongue darted out to wet his lips. It took everything S’aad had not to lean in and capture those lips with his own once more.

He snatched his hand away as he took a step back. Hurt and confusion flashed across Jay’s expression, and his heart ached like he’d taken a blow to his chest.

“I… I apologize,” he said stiffly, struggling to regain his composure. “That was inappropriate of me.”

Jay’s face fell, his shoulders slumping slightly. “S’aad, I?—”

“Could you get us some coffee from the front office?” S’aad interrupted, unable to bear hearing what Jay might say. “I think we could both use it after that visit from the emperor.”

Jay hesitated for a second, looking as though he wanted to say more. But then he nodded, his expression closing off. “Sure. I’ll be right back.”

The moment Jay left the office, S’aad slumped into his chair and buried his face in his hands. What the draanth was he doing? He allowed himself one moment of weakness, one last indulgence in the memory of that kiss. He could almost feel Jay’s lips against his own, could almost taste him…

The console in front of him pinged with an incoming message. He pushed the memories away and straightened in his chair, his jaw set with determination. He had work to do, challenges to face. He couldn’t afford to be distracted by these… feelings.

He tapped the console, bringing up the message. It was from Maax.