Bride for the Space Cowboy (Match Made in Space #2)

2. Kayden

Chapter Two

KAYDEN

A few days later

I resist the powerful urge to look over toward Nadine. She’s standing beside Jane, our people’s new princess. Jane smiles while she talks to her. Nadine brushes her hair back from her shoulder, turning to look around. The light briefly illuminates the bruising around her eye. Anger slices through me like a blade, the heat of the emotion cooling to an intense protectiveness.

When I watched Asher, my best friend since childhood, fall for Jane, I’d mentally scoffed. Not because I don’t believe the infinity pulse is real, but because I thought he and I were too cynical for it.

Both of us have parents who were deeply in love. Even though the infinity pulse exists for our people, not everyone finds it. I assume I won’t. Maybe because I’m bitter. Even though my parents had it, it had all fallen apart when my mother died in a raid. My father still pines for her, and I don’t want to lose a love like that.

Asher stops beside me, cuffing me lightly on the shoulder. When I slide my gaze sideways to meet his, his eyes are twinkling.

“What?” I prompt.

“Jane thinks you are meant for Nadine.”

“I like Nadine,” I reply, striving to keep my tone dry.

“Helena saw you kiss her,” Asher adds, waggling his brows.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I mutter as I lift a hand and run it through my hair.

“She thinks there is a pulse,” he adds.

“Of course, there’s a pulse,” I counter. “My heart is beating, just like yours.”

My old friend studies me for a moment as his gaze sobers. I’m hedging, and he knows it.

Infinity pulse is what our people call the connection, the very bond that links true mates. I never expected to feel it and even hoped I wouldn’t be one of those who did.

I know Asher once thought the same. We’d joked for years about not worrying about being foolish.

“You don’t always get to choose, my friend,” he finally says.

I’m sworn to protect Asher. My family has served his family for generations, and loyalty is part of our nature. We are a protective people. That is how our planet has stayed strong, and we have taken care of each other. I’m Asher’s primary bodyguard, just as my father has done so for Asher’s father.

“I know I can’t control everything,” I finally say. “It’s just—” I glance away and run my hand through my hair again. “My father still mourns my mother.”

“Do you think your father would choose otherwise, after what he shared with your mother?” Asher asks, his tone almost soothing.

I finally glance back at him as I take a slow breath. “You know he wouldn’t.” Although I want to lie, I can’t. Asher knows me too well.

“I can’t change my infinity pulse with Jane and wouldn’t choose to. I will fight for her again if I must.” Our leadership has been facing an uprising from a town on the other side of our planet, a group of purists resistant to mating with humans even though we descend from them. They kidnapped Jane recently, and Asher fought with our elite fighters to rescue her.

“We’ll see,” I finally say. “It could be lust. It might not be a true pulse.”

My friend’s gaze turns knowing as he studies me for a few beats. “Fair enough. Maybe not. It’s worth it if it is.”

I let out a sharp breath, rolling my eyes slightly. “Point taken.”

Just as Asher opens his mouth to say something else, Jane approaches, his princess, the very woman who’d stolen his heart in a matter of minutes. He holds her gaze. “My love,” he murmurs.

Jane stops beside him, smiling between us before he catches her hand in his and laces his fingers with hers. “Yes?” he prompts.

“I was coming over to tell Kayden that we have an event this evening,” she replies, her gaze shifting toward me.

“For what?” I ask.

“Matches,” she says. “Nadine will be there if you are considering something.”

I bite back a frustrated sigh. “Considering something?”

Jane, who I’ve only known for a short time, waggles her brows. “I may be new to Aphroditea, but I know about things.”

“What things?” I nearly growl.

“Helena told me about the kiss,” she says archly.

“Of course, she did,” I mutter.

“I do understand you’re known for being uncommitted, but…” Jane shrugs.

“But what?” I can’t stop myself from pressing.

“You know how important this is. That storm killed so many women on Aphroditea. Without mating with humans, our people will be lost,” Jane points out.

Despite how new she is to our planet, I feel a rush of pride that our princess has embraced her role as one of the leaders and protectors of our people and planet. Our people worship women as we should. They make life, and they raise us. Without them, none of us exist. For centuries, we’ve had an annual festival in honor of women. When a space storm blew in during the festival a few years ago, it killed so many women. We have reeled since then. In response, our leadership hatched a formal plan to recruit women from Earth to mate. Our people have mated with humans for centuries, from when cowboys from the United States West and France traveled here. It’s strengthened both of our people. It’s continued since then, yet we never had a formal plan to recruit mates. We never needed one, yet now, we are desperate.

“I know,” I reply, nodding solemnly.

“I think things have been rough for Nadine on Earth,” Jane adds. “She deserves a man who will protect her.”

I know I have a problem when my heart twists sharply in my chest. I recall the bruising around Nadine’s eye. I know things aren’t easy on Earth for any woman. They’re often treated terribly and abused. It’s a good thing I don’t live on Earth, or I would track down the man who hurt Nadine and make him regret ever touching her.

Although I don’t worry about men on my planet harming her, the moment I contemplate the mere idea of her being with someone else, my fate is sealed. I glanced toward Nadine. As if she can feel the heat of my gaze from across the room, her head turns slowly, and her eyes snag mine. Even from a distance, I can feel the pulse, that draw to her as if heat and electricity vibrate through the air between us.

I force my eyes away only to find Asher and Jane studying me. Jane’s gaze is knowing, and Asher’s is laced with an understanding.

I let out a resigned sigh. “I would like to speak with Nadine privately. Can you arrange that?”

Jane nods. “Of course.”