I thought about taking off my clothing and climbing in beside her, but she would startle when she woke, and that beautiful pink blush would make its way from her chest to her delicate face. I knew, because I’d already tried it, more than once. If I wanted to fuck her, she would let me, and she’d be hot and wild and responsive in my arms. When we were done, and I’d wrung every drop of pleasure from her body, she would turn away from me and get dressed, claim she needed to be in class.
Dare had arranged for her to work with the young ones on board the ship. She had transformed them, bringing songs and games from Earth to our children. The little ones loved her as I did, and her eyes glowed with happiness when she was surrounded by their youth and innocence.
When I watched her with them in the surveillance room, my heart actually hurt, as if she’d stabbed me with a knife and left the blade embedded. I watched her often, feeling like a foolish stalker and not her chosen match.
I definitely needed expert help.
Decision made, I gently shook Hannah’s shoulder and woke my bride. I watched her move, studying the soft lines of her curves, enjoying her grace as she dressed. Once she was covered, I took her to the transporter station. Captain Hendry and his bride were expecting us. Anne was human, from Earth. Hendry was her matched mate. If anyone could help me figure out what to do with Hannah, it was he.
In the transporter station, I took Hannah’s hand and led her up to the transportation platform. She spun around, looking at the floor.
“Where are the little circles?”
“There are no circles.” She was talking nonsense, but her confused look was so beautiful, I couldn’t resist stealing a kiss. When I was done with her, she was panting, and I could smell her arousal, feel it burn her up through our link, but she pulled out of my arms and turned in a circle, looking from the floor to the ceiling and back again. Over and over. “Hannah, hold still so we can initiate the transport.”
“But where are the circles? How am I supposed to know where to stand?”
“My mate, there are no circles.”
“But, isn’t it like Star Trek? You know, stand in the circles and ‘Beam me up, Scotty’?” Her pulse raced and I could feel her unease.
I stepped closer and pulled her against my chest, wrapping my arms around her to hold her in place. I used my hand to hold her cheek over my heart. “Hush, mate. There are no circles on the floor. Just hold still. I’ve got you.” I nodded at the transport engineer and felt the odd wrenching and twisting for a few moments that meant we were traveling from my battleship to Captain Hendry’s smaller cruiser.
Hannah was trembling in my arms and when I looked down at her face, I saw that her eyes were closed. “Hannah, you can open your eyes. It’s over.”
“Wow. I was asleep last time. That felt like riding the down side of a rollercoaster that never stops.”
“What is a rollercoaster?” I wanted to know her, to understand her, but it was like she was speaking another language, like she was from a
nother world. Which she was. My heart felt heavy with the thought, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it.
“Welcome, commander! Lady Deston.” Captain Hendry and his mate stood at the edge of the transport.
Hannah turned in my arms and I let her go. “Anne!” The women hugged and Anne pulled out of Hannah’s arms with a warm smile. “Come, Hannah. I want to show you around. I’ve heard so much about you from my daughter. She loves you already.” The women exited the room and I watched Hannah until the door slid closed behind the women.
“I assume my mate will be protected on board your ship, captain?”
He grinned at me. “Two of my best men will be three steps behind them.”
“Good.” I stepped from the platform and we greeted each other in the way of warriors, our forearms pressed together as our arms locked in friendship. “Now, where’s the alcohol?”
Hendry laughed at me. “Drink all you want, commander, it won’t do you any good. My ship will simply pull the poison from your blood as fast as you can drink it.”
I sighed. Sometimes, I really hated technology. I remembered the days of my youth, when I could actually drink myself into a stupor. “I know. Damn it anyway.”
He thumped me on the shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go somewhere we can talk about that pretty little mate of yours.”
I followed him to the command deck of his ship, then inside the small, attached war room very similar to mine. We were alone.
“Talk to me, Zane. What the hell has you so desperate you’ve come over here to ask me for advice?”
As uncomfortable as this conversation made me feel, it was the reason I’d come to this ship. I needed help winning my Hannah’s heart, and no matter how gentle and considerate I tried to be with her, no matter how much pleasure I gave her, she kept her heart from me. “She is my match. I saw the reports myself. Nearly one hundred percent compatibility. But she chooses my second, and turns away from me. She is afraid of me. Dare says she senses I am holding back. She never lets down her guard. I know I scare her, but the more I try to rein myself in, the worse it gets.”
Hendry sat down at the head of the meeting table and watched me as I paced the room. “And what else does Dare have to say about it?”
“That she lost her parents and was poorly used by men on her world. Dare says I need to talk to her more, to tell her about my more dominant ways.”
As an old and trusted friend, he knew of my baser proclivities. He had them too.