Page 9 of Her Alien Cyborgs (The Drift: Haven Colony #10)

Hezza took them around the ship, showing them the various levels and areas.

She even gave them a brief tour of the engineering deck.

She didn’t want them to feel like she was keeping anything from them.

Eventually, they’d make their way back to Haven colony and get all the education and support they needed. For now, she was all they had.

They deserved better.

They asked her questions while they walked the decks of the Gambit .

They wanted to know about Haven and the beings who lived there.

She’d told them about the colonists, both the Vardarians and the cyborgs, and how the two groups were blending into one.

That led her to tell them the story of how her daughter had met her Vardarian mates.

“So this has happened before?” Kalan had asked as they made their way back to the main level. “Between our species and yours?”

“The sharhal ? Yes. When Archer mentioned the event that resulted in chaos and Dynamex losing a planet? That happened the first time our species made contact. The human involved is named Phaedra, and she lives on Liberty with her mahoyen and their daughter. One of her mates is the leader of the colony and a member of the royal family. His sister is the empress.”

“Empress Neha’s brother rules this colony?” Fyr’enth asked.

She noted that they knew about the Vardarian empress but nothing about the colony. Someone had carefully controlled what they knew, and that was never a good thing.

“One of the leaders, yes. There’s a ruling council with representatives from every species. They just had their first elections to select more members. A few stepped down, and other spaces were created to make sure everyone has an equal voice.”

“That sounds fair and reasonable.” Kalan scowled. “Which is not something I expected from members of the royal family.”

And there it was. Hezza stopped and turned to face the two males.

“I hate to say this, but I think you need to question a lot of what you’ve been told.

The Vardarian empire is far from perfect, but I know the prince personally, and he’s a good, decent male who cares deeply about the colony and everyone in it.

From what I’ve heard, his sister is less open-minded, but she’s not some evil tyrant.

Since we’re on the topic of trustworthiness, what were you told about the corporations? ”

They answered in perfect sync, their delivery so perfect it gave her chills. “The corporations are the caretakers of human-occupied space. They improve the lives of the citizens while ensuring prosperity for all.”

Then Kalan snickered. “Or that’s what we’re supposed to think. We’ve viewed enough vids and books to know the truth. They’re greedy, soulless, bakaffas with no interest in improving anything but their bottom line.”

Relief washed over her. They needed more information, but they weren’t brainwashed.

“You scared me for a moment there. Yeah, you’ve got it right.

Though not all of them are complete assholes.

A lot of them are run by beings like our friend Barrios.

They focus on following the rules and keeping things nice and tidy.

They’re happy to slap a coat of paint on top of all the suffering and shit and call it a day. ”

They reached their final destination in comfortable silence.

They were probably processing everything that had happened today.

She wasn’t talking because it took too much effort.

All she wanted was a hot shower and a cup of cocoa with marshmallows.

Instead, she planned to take a cold shower and down a dangerously large mug of ja’kreesh .

That should be enough to snap her out of her lust-fueled fugue. She wouldn’t sleep for a day or so, but that was fine. She had to stay up for the next nineteen or so hours, anyway. She’d rest once she was sure they were safe.

“These are your quarters.” She pointed to a pair of doors set across the passage from each other.

“Nothing fancy. I don’t have crew or passengers on board that often, but you should be comfortable.

There’s a bed, a vid screen, and a sanitation room attached to both cabins. That reminds me. Ship, you listening?”

“Always.”

“Good. I need you to add the males with me to the ship’s roster. Their names are Kalan and Fyr’enth.”

“Spelling?” the ship asked.

She smiled at them. “Tell the AI how you want your names spelled.”

They gave her matching bemused looks and did as she requested.

“There we go. Ship. Mark them as crew and give them full access to all standard systems. Oh, and assign them the standard pay and benefits package.”

“Done.”

They stared at her, disbelief and confusion on their faces. “Access to all systems?” Kalan asked.

“Pay and benefits?” Fyr’enth said.

She wasn’t good at pretty speeches, but her next words came from an unexpected place—her heart.

“We’re not getting through this unless we work together.

If you’re on my team, I figure that means you’re on my payroll, too.

” She lifted both arms from her sides in a gesture of openness.

“I trust you not to fraxx up my ship because if you do, your lives are in as much danger as mine. If you need something, the ship will now provide it to you. If you want information, you can use the ship’s database.

As far as I’m concerned, the Gambit is your home for as long as you want to stay. ”

She wasn’t sure who was the more surprised, them or her.

Did she mean what she said? Yes. Absolutely.

But there hadn’t been any time to really think about the situation they were in.

When had she decided to make them part of the crew?

Or invite them to stay on the Gambit ? She had no idea. But it felt right.

They must have thought so too because the next thing she knew, she was caught between two hard male bodies. Their scales gleamed like molten silver, and desire shone in their eyes. “You’re offering us everything we’ve ever wanted,” Fyr’enth said softly.

“So we need to know what you want in return,” Kalan said.

“We can protect you,” Fyr’enth said, his mouth close to her ear.

“Or pleasure you.” Kalan’s eyes locked with hers. She saw his need but also the uncertainty.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could figure out what to say, Kalan’s mouth crashed down on hers.

A firestorm of need consumed her in seconds, burning away every rational thought.

Instead of pushing him away, she reached up to tangle her fingers in his hair, using it as leverage to pull him closer. His next growl buzzed against her lips, and she answered with a low, throaty moan.

Fyr’enth pressed a hot, open-mouthed kiss to the side of her neck. She drowned in a sea of sensation. The rough touch of their beards against her skin, their hard bodies crowding hers, the low, primal growls and groans that filled the surrounding air.

Kalan’s tongue tangled with hers in an erotic dance that made her head spin.

It took far too long to find the brain cells and willpower to protest. “Stop,” she finally managed to whisper. “We need to stop.”

They both pulled back an instant later, and she had to fight the urge to chase after another kiss.

“Thank you.”

Kalan was still so close his breath fanned her face. “For what? Kissing you?”

“Or stopping?” Fyr’enth asked.

She noticed they had a habit of finishing each other’s sentences. It was too soon to know if it was going to be an endearing quirk or an annoyance.

“Both,” she said and then realized she needed to tell them something.

“But in the future, remember to ask permission before doing something like that. I know consent is a new concept for you both, but it’s important.

Touching someone without their permission is disrespectful.

Plus, it can get you into a mess of trouble. ”

She smiled to lessen the sting of her words. “But since we’re all under the thrall of this blasted mating fever, allowances should be made. I shouldn’t have touched you either.”

Feeling slightly abashed, she belatedly released Kalan’s hair and lowered her arm.

“Consent,” Fyr’enth spoke the word slowly. “I see. I give you my consent to touch me any time you like, Hezza.”

“Me too,” Kalan agreed.

“That’s not exactly how it works but close enough.” She gestured to Kalan. “Time to take a step back, Kal. Proximity to each other makes this more intense, and I think we could all use a time-out.”

She caught their confused expressions and winced. “Right. Your language database won’t include many colloquialisms and slang. I’ll try to remember that. I’m saying that we need some time apart. A lot has happened, and there’s been no time to process any of it.”

“The more time we spend together, the more it affects us?” Fyr’enth asked.

“As far as I understand it? Yes. I’ll tell the ship to dial up the air scrubbers to maximum.

That should help for now. There’s more I need to tell you about all this, but first I have to make sure I know what the hell I’m talking about.

You’re welcome to read up on it, too. Or anything you’re curious about.

If you need more information, we’ll put in a request for it the next time we’re in port. ”

They both nodded, and she got the sense they wanted to hurry to their rooms so they could start learning. It was a good time to step away.

“I’ll leave you to it. If you need anything, ask the ship. If you want to talk to me, just tell the AI to connect us.”

She walked away and headed toward her own quarters, which were only a few short steps from the cockpit. She had work to do, but first she needed to pull herself together.

“Ship, what’s the current temperature in the freezer section?” she asked.

“The temperature in that compartment is currently minus eighteen degrees Celsius.”

Perfect. Hezza made haste to the nearest ladder to the lower levels.

Why waste time with a cold shower when she had a better option?

She’d simply walk into the bracing air of the freezer and stay there until she could think straight.

“Hey, ship, send an extra-large serving of ja’kreesh to that area. Will you?”

“Request confirmed. However, I must remind you that consumption of that much stimulant is not recommended. Do you wish to proceed despite this information?”

“Yes, I wish to fraxxing proceed,” she muttered and then raised her voice to be sure the system heard her. “Do it.”

“Confirmed.” The ship’s flat reply held an almost imperceptible hint of reproach.

Wonderful, now she was being judged by a machine. Or, she admitted to herself, maybe she was projecting. As hot as that kiss had been, she still didn’t feel right about it.

Her cyborg companions didn’t need a mate. They needed a mentor. Someone who could guide them as they learned to navigate their new lives. Could she do it? Yes. But they deserved more than a gray-haired cynic with a long track record of questionable decisions.

She slid down the ladder to the next deck, her hands and feet on the rails instead of the rungs. Was it the safest way to navigate the ship? No, but it was fun… and yet more proof the two cyborgs deserved someone better.

In a fit of pique, she raised one fist and glared up at the ceiling.

“I’ve heard that the Vardarians believe they find their mates with the help of their ancestors.

If any of you can hear me, I’ve got a message for you.

You fraxxed up. Badly. If there’s any way to undo this sharhal thing, do it.

Let them have a chance to discover who they are before they’re mated for life.

They deserve to enjoy their freedom. And then, when they’re ready, maybe you could find them a pretty young thing who isn’t as old and jaded as me. ”

Once she put her feelings into words, she felt a bit better. Would it change anything? Probably not. The universe had never listened to her before, so why start now?