Because outside this window was space, there was no night or day. I had no idea what time it was or how long I had slept. I didn’t care. None of it mattered. I had two mates who craved me as much as I craved them. Oh, they were a little resistant, it seemed, but still… orgasms made me see rainbows and unicorns in my mind.
I was happy, right? Two mates. Lots of crazy sex. And out the window?
Everything my little stargazer’s heart could ever dream of. I searched for familiar constellations, Earth’s moon, anything to give me my bearings, but it all looked as if someone had taken the stars and thrown them into a blender. Nothing made sense. There were no patterns I recognized. Nothing familiar. No constellations I knew. Just points of light, some big, some small. The planets in this star system were so close I could see the nearest one, and it was three times larger than Earth’s moon. And red, not silver. A fleet of smaller ships of all different types and sizes floated in and out of view, moving through the emptiness of space just outside the window. It was like watching a live action sci-fi movie through my window.
I really was in an episode of Star Trek, but I wasn’t the red shirt ensign who always got killed off. Not in this movie. I was the heroine. The movie star who got to fall in love with the commanders of the fleet and wear their wedding band—or collar—same thing here—around my neck.
Except I didn’t, and I had no idea why.
I stood wrapped in just the chocolate-colored sheet I’d pulled from the bed, since I couldn’t find any closets or any kind of clothes. I wasn’t sure if they planned to keep me naked for a while or not. The idea had some good points, but my big boobs needed a bra.
“Hello!”
I turned at the sound of a woman’s voice. The door had opened and closed behind her without making any noise. “There you are! Erica, right? Did you get a good rest?”
The woman was small, tiny compared to me. She looked like she was part Asian, with light cream-colored skin and straight, jet-black hair, but her accent was pure American and she was speaking English. Someone from home!
I smiled. I couldn’t help it. First real day and I’d already met someone from home. It helped, made me happier than I’d thought it would. I didn’t feel so alone. At least that was the case, until I saw the golden collar around her neck.
So, she was a Prillon mate. Like me.
Except her males had claimed her, made it official.
She was staring, her smile fading a bit, the brightness in her eyes fading to concern.
“I slept like the dead.”
Her smile said she understood, but her black uniform surprised me. She was dressed like the warriors I’d seen. She even had some kind of space gun strapped to her hip. A mate and a warrior? Did they allow that? Not that I wanted to fight, but my mates had made me think no female was ever allowed to be in danger out here.
This Earth woman proved that to be a lie. A big, fat excuse not to give me what I had been promised. Why would the commander not put his collars on us and make us a family? What was he trying to hide?
“I’m Erica. Erica Roberts.” I held out my hand. She pushed it aside and came in for a hug, a bear hug. Guess she was excited to see someone from home, too.
“I’m Chloe and I came from Earth. I apologize for the uniform. I just came off a ReCon mission.”
“What? You go out on missions?”
“When I have to.” She let go but kept talking. “I’m so excited to have another woman her
e, one who knows what a cheeseburger is and what green grass looks like.” She was warm and friendly and I immediately liked her. I felt relief, surprisingly, with her sharing my same customs and upbringing. I wasn’t alone in my past out here. Someone would understand me.
“I’m also thrilled that Karter was matched. He tested a long time ago and I think he forgot all about it.”
“He’s a busy guy,” I said.
She nodded. “Definitely a workaholic. As for your second, I’ve never met him before, even though he’s in the I.C. with me. Strange.” She thought for a moment, then shook it off.
I had no idea what the I.C. was, but it sounded like they both had the same kind of job. “What’s the I.C.?”
Her eyes grew round, but she tilted her head, as if judging me, then shrugged. “You’re matched to Karter, so you must be a badass.”
A badass? “Not really.”
Her smile was patient, as if she knew I was lying to her. I wasn’t. “Whatever. You’re his, and Commander Wothar’s, so there’s no reason not to tell you the truth. The I.C. is the Coalition Fleet’s Intelligence Core, kind of like the CIA in outer space. I joined a few years ago, when I volunteered to serve in the fleet. I’m Commander Chloe Phan, at your service.” She bowed at the waist with a grace and flare that said she knew how to move, and probably how to fight.
“So, Ronan is in the alien CIA?”
“Yes. Doing shit so secret even I don’t know about it. He had something to do with the Varsten being wiped out. That’s why Karter’s so pissed off at him. That and they were friends from way back. Ronan has been off the grid for about five years. Everyone thought he was dead.”