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

Chapter 15

15

“ A re you feeling alright, Jay?” S’aad asked her as they walked to the lab the next morning. “You seem a… little distracted this morning.”

Jade swallowed hard, his deep voice making heat bloom in her lower stomach as she recalled him groaning her name the night before. She forced herself to look up at him. “I’m fine,” she managed, her voice sounding strained even to her own ears. “I just… didn’t sleep well.”

His brow furrowed, and he reached out as if to place a hand on her shoulder. She flinched, and he pulled back, hurt flashing across his face for a moment before he shuttered his expression. “If you’re not feeling well, perhaps you should take the day off. I can manage on my own today.”

“No!” she said quickly, too quickly. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “I mean, I’m okay. Really. I want to learn, to be useful.”

He studied her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he nodded. “Very well. But if you start feeling worse, I want you to tell me immediately. Understood?”

She nodded, relief washing over her. As they continued their walk, she stole glances at his powerful form from under her lashes. The memory of him in the shower, water cascading over his sculpted muscles, flashed through her mind. Heat bloomed in her cheeks, and she quickly looked away before he could notice.

They arrived at the lab, and she settled into her workstation, trying to focus on the tasks at hand. But her mind kept wandering. The memory of his voice as he’d called out her name, her pretend name, echoed in her ears, and she squirmed in her seat.

A gentle chime announced the arrival of their first appointment, not a moment too soon. She’d felt like the silence was stifling her, cutting off all the air in the room. Her breath caught in her throat as a young woman entered the room, her eyes wide.

“Welcome to the mate program,” S’aad said, his voice low and soothing. “I’m S’aad V’Renn, and this is my assistant, Jay. We’ll be handling your intake appointment today.”

Jade watched as S’aad went through the familiar routine, explaining the process and answering the woman’s questions. She tried to focus on her work, inputting data and running preliminary scans, but her attention kept drifting to the interaction behind her. Moving her chair slightly, she angled it so she could see them out of the corner of her eye, telling herself that if she learned how to do the intake appointments, it would be one more reason for him to keep her around. In reality, though, she was just watching him.

“Alright, let’s get you prepped for the genetic sampling,” S’aad said, his deep voice reassuring. He reached for a translucent band, holding it up for the woman to see. “This might feel a bit tight, but it’s just to make the vein easier to find.”

The woman nodded, extending her arm slowly. “I’m not great with needles,” she admitted, a nervous laugh escaping her lips.

S’aad smiled, the skin at the corners of his eyes crinkling in a way that made Jade’s heart flip-flop. “No worries. I promise you’ll barely feel a thing. I’ve had a lot of practice as a blood-taker. Sharp scratch coming up.”

The woman bit her lip, turning her head away. Jade held her breath, watching S’aad’s movements with rapt attention. The needle slid in smoothly, and the woman’s shoulders relaxed.

“There!” S’aad announced, his voice warm. “All done.”

The woman’s eyes widened in surprise. “Is that it? That’s all you needed?”

“Absolutely,” S’aad chuckled, the sound sending a shiver down Jade’s spine. “Just a few patches now,” he explained, holding up two small, translucent squares. “One is a standard biotic in case you react badly to anything aboard the base, and the second contains a neuro-translator so you can understand what everyone’s saying.”

The woman gasped as the patches dissolved. “Wait, what… where did they go?”

“They’re absorbed into your skin,” he explained patiently, and she wondered how many times he’d done this. “The patch then integrates with your nervous system and allows for real-time translation. Follow me, I want to show you something.”

He moved over to the workstation, his powerful frame graceful despite its size. He waved the pendant he wore around his neck in front of the screen, and the woman’s eyes widened in wonder.

“Hey!” she exclaimed. “I can read that!”

S’aad’s smile was genuine. “Perfect! That means it’s working. Now, let’s see what the genetic analysis shows us.”

S’aad prepared the blood sample for analysis, and Jade noticed the woman’s expression tighten. She recognized that look… It was the fear of rejection, of not being good enough. Jade’s chest tightened with empathy. She knew how it felt to worry about not being good enough. It was her entire life.

The machine chirped, and the big Latharian turned to the woman with another reassuring smile.

“All looks good so far. You’re definitely human,” he said with a wink. It was so practiced and slick that Jade realized he probably made that joke with every new arrival. It will take us a few hours to run the matching program to see if there are any matches for you, so you’re good to go. Head on out and enjoy the rest of your day.”

“Really?” The woman stood, a grateful smile on her face. “Thank you so much. This was much easier than I thought it would be.”

“Oh, we keep the probes strictly for the warriors.” S’aad winked. “And you’re very welcome. Take care of yourself.”

“I will. Goodbye, and thanks again.” With a final nod to both of them, the woman left the room.

When the door closed behind her, Jade turned to face S’aad, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled to find the words.

S’aad’s lips quirked into an amused smile. “Something on your mind? You look like you’re about to burst. Go on. Spit it out.”

Jade took a deep breath, her cheeks burning as she blurted out, “How do humans and Lathar actually… you know… fit together? You’re so much bigger than we are.”

The moment the words left her mouth, she wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole. S’aad’s eyebrows shot up, surprise evident on his face before it morphed into something… darker and more intense.

“That’s quite the question,” he said, his voice low and rich. He leaned in closer, and his scent surrounded her, making her head spin. “Are you asking out of concern for our potential mates, or is your interest of a more… personal nature?”

Jade’s heart leapt into her throat. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped, turning back to her workstation, her cheeks burning. “I’m just curious about the logistics. That’s all. For science.”

“Science, huh?” His breath ghosted over her ear as he leaned in. “You know, if you were curious, you could have joined me in the shower last night. I wouldn’t have minded.”

She froze, her mind reeling. He’d known? She gripped the edge of her desk, her knuckles turning white.

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she managed in a whisper.

He chuckled, low and deep, the sound sending shivers down her spine. “Don’t you? I could have sworn I felt someone watching me. And the way you’ve been avoiding eye contact all morning…”

Her breath came in short, sharp gasps. She wanted to run, to hide, and to confess everything all at the same time. But fear kept her rooted to the spot, her mind racing with possible outcomes, none of them good.

“S’aad, I…” she began, not even sure what she was going to say.

A loud chime from the lab door interrupted her, announcing another visitor. S’aad straightened up, his professional demeanor sliding back into place as if nothing had happened.

“We’ll continue this discussion later,” he said softly, his tone leaving no room for argument as he turned toward the door and called out. “Come in.”

She started to turn back to her workstation as the door slid open, her mind reeling. He knew she’d watched him. He didn’t seem angry, but… what did that mean? And how was she supposed to maintain her disguise now?

Jade’s heart raced as she stood in the corner of S’aad’s lab, her eyes darting between the towering Latharian med-tech and the imposing figure who had just entered. Who was definitely not the next intake appointment they were expecting. S’aad mostly processed the women because he had a good “bedside” manner and didn’t scare the bejezus out of them, but he’d told her if he had to process warriors, he did so in blocks, so unmatched males and females didn’t encounter each other.

“Chief Z’yan,” S’aad said with a frown, “what can we do for you?”

Z’yan’s gaze swept the lab, and she fought the urge to shrink into the corner, forcing herself to stand still. His eyes were a piercing grey, so pale they were almost colorless, and they seemed to see right through her carefully constructed facade.

“After the incident yesterday…” Z’yan’s voice was deep and gravelly, like stones grinding together, “I’m here to discuss security protocols.”

S’aad’s brows snapped together. “I’m afraid there may be some misunderstanding,” he replied, his words measured. “That kind of discussion should be with the mate program director. I believe that position belongs to the emperor.”

A flicker of something crossed Z’yan’s face before it settled back into an unreadable mask.

“You haven’t heard, then,” he said, his voice low and intense. “Command of the program has been transferred to Duke Kaarigan, a kinsman of the emperor.”

S’aad blinked, surprise washing over his handsome face. “Really? When?”

“As of this morning,” Z’yan said, and his expression eased a little. “I need to ensure I’m not caught napping on the job. I’ve had… run-ins with the duke before. Kaarigan hates me, and I can’t afford any mistakes.”

S’aad arched an eyebrow. “I still don’t understand why you’re talking to me about this.”

The chief’s eyes narrowed. “Because no one knows the security needs of this program better than you do,” he growled. “I need you to walk me through every security issue that’s cropped up since the program opened. Every detail, no matter how small.”

S’aad nodded. “Of course, I’ll assist in any way I can,” he said. “I assume this has to do with the incident involving M’lak and his friends?”

Z’yan’s jaw tightened. “Partially. That situation highlighted some weaknesses in our security protocols. If you hadn’t been there to intervene…”

“M’lak’s actions were inexcusable.” S’aad’s voice held a hint of steel. “But surely you don’t think he poses a genuine threat to the program as a whole?”

Z’yan snorted in amusement. “One warrior? No. But he’s not the only one growing impatient. The longer this program runs without producing results for everyone, the more desperate people become. And desperation breeds recklessness.”

Z’yan’s gaze snapped to Jade, and she fought the urge to shrink back, to hide.

“And what about him?” he demanded. “The human boy from the market. What’s he doing here?”

S’aad glanced her way, and she was surprised to see a flicker of protectiveness in his eyes. It made something warm and fuzzy uncurl in her chest.

“You don’t need to worry about Jay,” S’aad said, his tone firm. “He’s human and not a threat to the mate potentials.”

A harsh snort escaped the security chief.

“Don’t be fooled by a human’s innocent act,” he said, his voice hard. “At least two of the trafficking rings we’ve stopped so far had human females in command. Ones we initially discounted or thought were victims themselves. Humans have no honor. They’ll do anything to further their own aims.”

Shock washed over S’aad’s face, his eyes widening in disbelief.

“What?” he exclaimed, his voice rising slightly. “Human females selling their own kind ?”

She had to bite back her laugh at their shock and outrage. Oh lordy, if only they knew the things people were willing to do to survive or gain power. They’d never look at a human the same way again. But she didn’t want to be the one to burst their bubble.

“The universe isn’t as black and white as you might like to believe,” Z’yan said, his voice low and dangerous. “I can’t allow the boy to stay, though. He doesn’t have security clearance for this conversation.”

S’aad’s jaw tightened, the muscles working beneath his skin. She could almost see the thoughts racing behind his eyes as he wrestled with the decision. Finally, he turned to her, his voice softer but still carrying an undercurrent of authority.

“Jay, I need you to go help at the front desk with the new intake of mate potentials. I’m going to be delayed here for a while, so can you explain the process to the ones who are waiting? It will speed things up when we get them in here.”

“Of course, boss.” She nodded and headed for the door.

As the lab door closed behind her with a soft hiss, she took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. She would have to interact with humans, up close, and every one of them might be the one to see through her disguise. She bit her lip as she headed for reception, the murmur of voices getting louder with each step.

She could do this. She had to do this. It was that or explain to S’aad why she couldn’t be around other humans.

She paused for a moment in the corridor and then took one final steadying breath before stepping through the door, game face on. Or rather, Jay’s face on.

The reception area was packed. Human women milled about, their faces a mixture of excitement, fear, and confusion. The LMP staff moved among them, offering reassurance and drinks as they got the women settled in the comfortable seating around the room.

Mara caught sight of her and hurried over. “A new load just arrived,” she explained in a low voice. “They’re always skittish at first. They’ll settle down once we get them assigned to rooms, and they can rest.”

“Oh, okay.” She nodded. “S’aad sent me out to prep our next intake appointment while he talks to the security man.” She looked around but there was no chance of spotting who was waiting in the chaos around them.

“That would be Janice Weatherby,” Mara replied, a smile fixed in place as some of the new arrivals looked their way. “She canceled, said she didn’t feel well.”

“Ah…”

Hope sparked in the older lady’s eyes. “But if you’re free at the moment, I could really do with the help getting this lot settled down. I swear they get younger and younger.”

Jade’s gaze fell on the women. Mara was right, some of these girls were barely scraping eighteen, which made the older women in the group stand out more. Mara followed her look.

“Yeah, or desperate.” Her lips compressed. “We’ve had a fair few instant divorcees as well.”

“Instant divorcees?” Jade looked at her in confusion.

“Uh-huh.” Mara nodded. “Women whose husbands have filed online using the new laws and kicked them out. Assholes are married again within the week to a younger model to avoid losing their housing and food chits. Their only option is to head to the signup office.”

Jade winced. Yeah, there wasn’t much people wouldn’t do to get ahead.

“Yeah, I can help,” she said, catching sight of a young woman, no older than her, standing alone in a corner. The girl’s wide eyes and trembling hands spoke of a fear she knew all too well.

Taking a deep breath, Jade straightened her shoulders and approached.

“Hey there,” she said softly, pitching her voice low and gruff. It was getting easier, even if the sore throat it caused wasn’t going away. “Welcome to the mate program. Can I help you with anything?”

The girl’s eyes snapped to Jade’s face, relief washing over her features at the sight of another human. A nonthreatening one because even if she was pretending to be a boy, she wasn’t a physical threat to pretty much anyone in the room.

“Oh, thank goodness.” She breathed. “I… I don’t know what I’m doing here. Everything’s so strange, and I…”

With a small smile, Jade gestured to a nearby seating area. “Why don’t we sit down? I’m Jay, by the way. I work here with one of the healers. We call them doctors. Would you like me to explain how the program works?”