Page 10

Watching Zariah run across the fields and into the trees made my blood simmer. She is strong, thoughtful about her path, and pays attention to her surroundings. When she slid under the ropes course and popped up on the other side just to avoid the Talhuskin tracking her, my body begged me to snatch her up, make her mine, and shield her from all the others that crawled the fields. It was a nightmare to watch.

The aliens became savages, fighting one another over the blue-banded, the pinks, and the most precious female in the universe. They tackled one another, turning into snarling fights like rabid Earth wolves, clobbering each other like starved omenotau of my homeworld.

A small, wrinkled hand clutches mine. When I look over at her, I see Rosy’s eyes on the sky.

Zariah leaves the trees in the grasp of a Talhuskin.

“Wing breach!” she shouts as loud as a 200-year-old person can.

I rest my free hand on the glass, fearing what he plans to do with her. One wrong move could tear her delicate body into pieces.

A team of techs turns their attention to Zariah and the Talhuskin.

“Locked on,” a woman says.

Another “Pickup drones inbound.”

A puff of green smoke pops in the Talhuskin’s path. He changes course. But it isn’t until another of his kind crashes into him that he releases Zariah.

Rosy’s hand grabs mine harder as my Protected one falls. Even Rosy fears the limitations of the system they built.

A gasp evades my control. But I am helpless. “Let me out.”

I know I will be too slow. But I have to try, or I’ll never forgive myself.

Drones race in and target Zariah as the Talhuskin sinks to the ground like he’s drugged.

A metal claw beneath a drone catches her.

A young man calls out, “Racer is secure.”

They lower her to the ground while the Talhuskin gets his wings bound again by another drone that shoots a net around them.

“Flight is an unfair advantage many try to use,” Rosy says.

But now all eyes are on Zariah, and multiple males clobber each other on their way to get to her.

“This was a very bad idea,” I say to Rosy. “You should have rejected her application. Everyone has seen her. Everyone knows of her father’s reputation now.”

Rosy clutches my hand in hers and calls for Abr guards to control the massive tangle of males. Then she turns to me. “ Everyone deserves a chance to know love. She would have to commit a crime to be rejected.”

“Rosy?” Someone calls over the radio.

“Minimal force necessary,” she replies, releasing my hand to speak with her crew. “No weapons. That is a hard rule. You know that.”

Below us, an Abr security guard gets thrown back. Another takes a hit to the head and crumples.

“Let us help,” I say.

Keo comes up to Rosy and her team, with several others. “They need assistance.”

“Fine, yes. Go,” Rosy waves us out.

I scramble past the others who watch the race and am the first to the doors.

An Abr officer protests beside me. “This breaks our policies!”

“Let them through!” Rosy says with more force.

Charging down the steps and into the fields toward Zariah is a freeing sensation.

This feels right.

She is mine.

I will protect her.

I target the big Ginarigon who has made his way to her and has crouched over her in preparation for a bite. He’s going to drug her, make her submit when she wouldn’t choose to. It’s just in their nature.

Hot energy floods my muscles, anger my new strength. I move faster, approaching them in the field. I target his side and slam into him, launching him off of her with satisfaction.

The Ginarigon rolls, braces himself as he slides in the dirt, then shakes his head. I tumble but land on my feet. When Zariah is safe from him, I turn back to help her up, but I find I am too late. Someone else is in my place.

He is gentle as he helps her up, so I walk away. She deserves someone who treats her with respect.

The tangle of combative males is slowly tamed by other guards from Abr and personal security. I find the biggest males and lug them out of the mess.

“You have three minutes to find a female or be disqualified,” an Abr drone repeats.

This seems to help shake some sense into the racers and get them back on track with picking up the few women left. A drone encourages us to group up off to the side.

I stand with Keo among Abr guards and personal security, watching the racers with scrutiny.

The buzzer sounds, and I find Zariah being thrown over the shoulder of a Ginarigon, a different one.

I should’ve stayed with her.

“Why are there so many male racers breaking rules this round?” Rosy asks a guard. “Someone give me an answer!”

No one speaks up. But I have an idea.

Rosy glances at me, then the rest of the joint group, and sighs. “ We’re going to have to break a rule to keep everyone safe. Private guards around the event arenas. Brief them.”

Rosy walks off with assistance from her main guard.

An Abr security officer directs our group in areas through the complex, where we will be permitted to stand and observe. But while we’re out here talking in the field, I’m worried about what’s happening inside.

I cannot leave my post without exacerbating the situation. I’m supposed to be a human guard. I must act like one.

They cluster us up in rooms adjacent to the mingle celebration with cameras watching the festivities.

A security officer pulls me aside. “Care to explain this?”

He shows me a video recording of me body slamming a Ginarigon almost twice my thickness.

“Momentum and MAMA.”

He frowns. “No one is stupid enough to believe that. Even the news is commenting on how strange it is that a human man was able to tackle a Ginarigon with such force. Don’t do it again.”

“You’re telling me not to protect my client.”

He snarls at me. “Yes, Elix. Show some restraint.”

I have no such plans. When I look up at the camera, I see Zariah running to her room and narrowly slipping inside before a Ginarigon tries to smash it in with a fist.

I’m desperate to protect her and track down Rosy.

“This place isn’t safe for Zariah. Do I have permission to pull her out? Can you eject her? Is there anything we can do?”

Rosy stops in the hallway and turns to me with some effort. “Only if she breaks a rule can she be ejected. Only if she chooses, will she be welcome to leave. We protect women at all costs. Just ask the three of my guards in the infirmary right now.”

“This can’t be getting good publicity,” I remark.

“Quite the opposite. We now have extra patrols arriving in orbit. More teams of security arrive in an hour. Ratings and viewers are soaring.”

“So you’re using her?” I snarl.

“No. I don’t give a damn what people think.” Rosy points a bony finger up at me. “I care about preserving humanity, about women’s choices . This game isn’t about wants. It’s about needs, about finding the ones that make our hearts, sparks, and cores ignite.

“What do our genetics demand? Our bodies respond when they find a match. Our hearts and minds just need to confirm it. The more raw and primal this race is, the stronger the breeding stock we create. That is how we survive.”

I pull a page from her Abr founder’s notes that I skimmed during the application process. “What does survival matter if we do not create the only thing that does not exist on its own without us?”

She stills, all irritation slipping under a mask of sudden pity. “You applied to race? When?”

“Several years ago when the emptiness started driving me crazy. You rejected me.”

“That doesn’t make sense. I rarely reject anyone other than criminals.” Rosy shakes her head. “I’d remember your application if I’d seen it.”

“I’m registered with Sol and Terran security systems. Maybe you need to look into your team. There are several males who show signs of being bounty hunters, marauders, that type. Gear, tattoos, scar brands, and the way they all clustered up over a bounty hunter’s daughter. You have to see, something doesn’t add up.”

Rosy rubs her face. “I was hoping this last race would be a fun way to go. This is getting out of hand. I cannot keep up with the technological changes anymore.”

“I’ll look into it, ma’am,” her guard says. She nods and motions for him to contact the team about an audit.

When he walks away, she looks up at me. “I want you to do that, too, just don’t get caught. Report back to me.”

I nod as a tone comes over my wristband and an AI voice says, “Elix, Zariah wishes for you to escort her to the lunch hall.”

She can’t have figured out it was me.

“Go.” Rosy motions me out. “Give us a chance to look into this, some time for things to settle, and more for security to move in before you try to convince her to leave. It’s safer for you both, after that stunt you pulled.”

“I did not consider trying to show human strength when Zariah was at risk.”

“I know. But now the whole galaxy knows something is different about you.” Rosy gives me a warning glance and shuffles off to where her guard speaks with squad leaders.

I have to stay focused on protecting Zariah. I need her to trust me. But it’s getting harder to not fall victim to the growing desire I have to make her mine.

I ponder the consequences of exposing who I am to her. But with the human skin tone concealer, I think it’s best if no one finds out I’m an alien, not even her.

On my way to her room, I pull up my collar and draw my hat down hard over my head. I want to tell her. But if anyone sees me, I’ll only bring more attention to her. Zariah deserves much better treatment and a lot more respect.