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  “Ah, three.”

  “All were quite understanding once we explained our purpose. In fact, the last, Ruth, directed us to you.”

  Great, now everyone in the corridor would blame her for the disturbance and Ruth would smirk at her tomorrow in the dining hall.

  “So, will you please honor us with the presence of your company? At any time that is convenient.” Felix smiled at her, and it was difficult not to smile back.

  “There is a wilderness area nearby. You might enjoy seeing the native flora,” Mikel added. “There are trails, waterfalls, and vistas.”

  Alisa opened her mouth, ready to say no yet again, when a new, feminine voice rang out in the evening air. “Go out with them, Alisa. You never leave here. You two are nice enough fellows, aren’t you? Not going to go out with a woman and maul her or anything.”

  It was Ruth, her tone oozing with friendliness. She sounded like she wouldn’t mind a mauling. Both Alphans sketched a quick wave in the direction of the other woman’s room, and Alisa frowned.

  “We are perfectly civilized and are heirs to well-respected lineages.” Felix stood even straighter. “Your safety is assured in our company.”

  “We would defend you against any challenger. We are decorated combat veterans with awards for valor,” Mikel added as he squared his shoulders. Alisa thought she heard Ruth make an appreciative noise. She’d grown used to the sight of the aliens in the months she’d been at the compound, and their curving horns, golden skin, and stalwart physiques no longer startled her. The two men in front of her were also quite handsome, she couldn’t deny that. As she mulled that realization, another one of her neighbors spoke up from the other side of her window.

  “Go on. Say yes so we can all get back to sleep, please.”

  Alisa didn’t recognize the speaker, so there was no way she’d be able to apologize later. The Alphans tilted their heads to acknowledge the other woman’s contribution, but didn’t take their eyes from Alisa. She could tell they were staring even though the evening was nearly full dark. Her breath caught in her throat.

  “Fine, yes, a drive would be all right.” Maybe she could claim a headache and get them to turn around and bring her back fairly quickly.

  Their white teeth flashed in the shadows. “Very good. What time might we come to you?”

  “Don’t you have to work?”

  “Not at all, our day is yours to command as you will.”

  Not a whole day. Just a quick drive, she reminded herself. An hour at most, their curiosity about her would be satisfied, and they could leave each other as mild acquaintances. Gusting out a sigh, she contemplated her schedule. “Fine. I’ll see you at two.”

  “Shall we come to your rooms?”

  “No, no, that’s not allowed. I’ll meet you,” Alisa paused, unsure where the best place was. She rarely went out, and never with men. “I’ll meet you at the main gate. By the guardhouse.”

  “Very good. We’ll see you at two in the afternoon. Tomorrow. At the entrance.” Felix repeated everything back to her like he was afraid she might forget. Mikel nodded along, and with a quiver, Alisa realized she’d just embroiled herself in some intensive socializing, despite her usual habit of retreating from such matters, especially when men were involved. Alphan men, human men, it didn’t seem to matter to her nerves.

  They stood there, big, immobile dark shapes in the gloom, and she wondered when they were going to leave.

  “Goodnight.” Maybe that simple word would give them the impetus to move along.

  “A very good evening to you. Peaceful slumber.” Mikel’s voice called out from the dark, and she saw their silhouettes bobble among the shadows under the tree. Were they bowing?

  Raising a hand in response, she waved and stepped back from the window as she closed it. A vague feeling that she’d been dismissive trickled in, and she shook her head to dispel it. They’d come to her, asked a favor of her, and she’d accommodated them all she needed to. So what if they were still standing there on the sidewalk staring at her window? She certainly wasn’t going to invite them in.

  Chapter Three

  Mikel knew he was talking too much, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop. They were walking along a path in a forest thick with underbrush, and he couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off Alisa or shut his mouth. She walked between him and Felix. The path was too narrow for both he and his bondmate to stand on either side of her, so they were trading places to be close to her. It was awkward, but the only fair thing to do when they both desired her so much.

  He was just starting a story about how he’d lost his lash in a quick skirmish on the frozen moon of Idnsey when Felix crowded his shoulder and interrupted.

  “Alisa, please tell us about yourself.”

  It was a mild rebuke. Mikel pressed his lips together and fell back, content to watch her walk. She had a very pleasing form, round and soft everywhere he’d managed to touch her. He wanted to find out if she was equally round and soft under the concealing clothes she was wearing today.

  “I’m not sure what to say. What do you want to know?” Her voice, as clear and light as birdsong, resonated in his ear. Everything, he wanted to say, I want to know everything about you. When he and his bondmate had appeared at the compound a few hours before to retrieve her, she hadn’t been waiting, and his heart had sunk. Felix had turned to him, worry apparent on his face, but before they could reassure each other, she’d appeared from behind a pillar, walking quickly with her chin held high.

  Her green eyes sparkled, and he liked to think she was as excited to see them as they were her, but he knew better. She was nervous and on edge, clasping her hands together, biting her lip, starting at sudden noises and movement. Perhaps she was still upset by the encounter they’d had on the drive to the park? Several humans had shouted some epithets their way when they’d been stopped at a crossroads. Not everyone on Earth had much appreciation for Alphans or the women who were seen in their company. Mikel had been offended for Alisa’s sake, and would have happily snapped the long bones in each man’s body for the insult, but diplomacy forbade such an interaction. Alisa reminded him of Alpha’s redont, a small, gentle creature preyed upon by nearly every predator in the food chain. He longed to protect her.

  Felix asked what her favorite foods were, what she liked to do in her free time, why she was creating a garden at the compound, and Mikel soaked up her hesitant answers. They were approaching the location where they’d parked the vehicle, and a pang went through his chest. He didn’t want to take her back to the women’s quarters and leave her there as the gates closed between them. She should stay with Felix and him, have a meal, return to their quarters for more conversation, perhaps some exchanges of affection. He was inclined toward very intense exchanges of affection at this point. If she were inclined, he would happily utilize his mouth, fingers, and staff to bring her as many climaxes she might desire. The happy haze of his increasingly explicit fantasy was abruptly torn away when they reached the parking area and found their borrowed vehicle defaced.

  Mikel immediately scanned the area for trouble as Felix flung a protective arm around Alisa, who was gaping in shock. Unfamiliar words blazed from the doors and panels, and all the tires were deflated on the Earth vehicle. A quick circle of the lot didn’t reveal any vandals or evidence, so Mikel ventured into the undergrowth surrounding the cleared area, mindful not to make a noise as he searched. By the time he’d surveyed a perimeter several hundred meters in circumference, an Alphan hovercraft had arrived with several of their fellow security officers in tow, along with a smooth-looking diplomatic functionary. Alisa was nowhere in sight. He trotted up to the group assessing the vehicle and immediately questioned Felix as to her whereabouts. They’d only managed to get her to trust them enough for this simple outing, so to have it ruined in such a vile way filled him with anger.

  “She’s in the lander. Please go—”

  His bondmate didn’t need to finish the sentence. Mikel was already loping to
ward the open hatch of the hover. He slowed his pace so as to not startle her and entered cautiously. She was sitting in the back, staring at him with wide eyes.

  He wanted to ask how she was, but anyone with sense would know this had to be upsetting. All the words he’d found so difficult to stop earlier were now stuck in this throat. He didn’t know what to say.

  “Where did you go?” Her voice was breathy, and she leaned forward to look at him as he carefully took a seat near her. He could hear the other men speaking Alphan outside, but didn’t make out their words.

  “To look for the perpetrators and secure the area.”

  “You were there and then you were gone.”

  “But I’m back now.”

  She smiled, and some of the anxiety over her mood lifted from his heart. “For a large person, you move quickly. And quietly. You both do.”

  “It’s an asset in battle.”

  “Of course. I forget about that.” With a little sigh she leaned back in her seat, and he wanted to follow. There was a rattle from outside, and she jerked up, her shoulder and thigh pressing against his. “What’s happening?”

  “Do you want me to go and find out?”

  “No, don’t leave again.” Her plea was accompanied by the press of her small, cool hand against his, and he had to force himself not to grasp her tighter, not to pull her onto his lap, not to press his mouth to her neck. Just the thought of tasting her made his tesak throb and his staff stiffen.

  “The vandalism, those words, I don’t know what they mean, but I assume they are derogatory in some way.” Perhaps he shouldn’t have brought it up, but he needed to know his enemy. Alisa shrugged her shoulders but didn’t pull away.

  “Most of them had to do with me, disparaging my, ah, sexual morals.”

  Mikel considered this. How could engaging in the delights of sex ever be perceived as a negative character flaw? “Did any of them reference Felix or me?”

  She looked at him then, her bright eyes twinkling. “Yes. Some people call Alphans, well, goats.”

  “This is a bad thing?” He knew it had to be since one of the scrawled slurs had been “dirty goat cocksucker”, but he was curious about what she might say on the matter.

  She nodded once and tightened her hand around his, as if to reassure him. Delightful. “It’s because of your horns. Some humans are, ah, disgusted by them.”

  Mikel noted she didn’t provide an explanation of cocksucker, which he hoped indicated she didn’t consider this an unsavory activity. “And what is your opinion of our horns? Do you find them unattractive?”

  She glanced up at his head, and her cheeks pinked, a lovely contrast to her creamy skin and bright brown hair. Before she could answer, there was a rustle at the door and Felix hopped in, his face relaxing as soon as he saw them. Despite Felix’s untroubled expression, Mikel could still pick up a tremendous amount of tension emanating from his partner.

  “Alisa, are you well? Did this one offer you something to drink? You must be thirsty after our walk, and to be kept waiting like this…” Felix nattered as he rummaged through drawers on the hover, finally locating a bottle of water and handing it over to her. She pulled her hand from Mikel’s in order to take it, and he wanted to touch some other part of her body immediately.

  “What’s happening?”

  “Some disagreement over how to deal with our dilemma. Apparently this isn’t the first such incident here. Our men want to increase patrols and install more security at the settlement, but the diplomats don’t want to antagonize the humans by overstepping our bounds.”

  “What do you mean this isn’t the first incident?” Alisa clutched at her bottle of water and glanced between them.

  “Nothing to fear. We won’t let any harm come to you.” Felix tried to soothe her. Her eyes narrowed.

  “Of course harm may come to me, at any given moment, anywhere I am.” Even though her voice was steady, Mikel sensed the fear underlying her declaration, her resignation that terrible things were inevitable in life. The world of experience in those few words pained him in a way he’d never felt before.

  Mikel wanted to say she was wrong, but how could he? She’d soon be back at her rooms, alone, going about her daily tasks on her own. Granted, the women’s refuge was fairly secure, but certainly not impregnable. Witness his and Felix’s easy scaling of the outer fence the day before. “We understand your circumstances. To be captured, threatened with slavery and pain would make anyone afraid for a long time to come.”

  Alisa nodded rapidly and drew in a shaky breath. “I’m better than I was, believe it or not. Now I only get upset when I think I might be hit, or by expressions of anger like those.” She gestured in the direction of the defaced and damaged vehicle outside.

  Felix knelt in front of her and opened the bottle for her. “Perfectly understandable. If you don’t feel safe at the refuge, we could help you find better lodging.”

  Alisa shook her head once. “Where? The compound has a fence, and alarms, and locks. And the Alphans who screen our visitors.”

  Mak would be a formidable opponent to humans bent on mischief, but only if he spotted them. There were several buildings and extensive grounds at the refuge, but there was only one man on duty per shift. “You could stay with us.”

  From the way she stiffened and widened her eyes, he knew he’d made an error.

  “It might seem presumptuous, but it would be far more secure than your current situation.” Felix remained crouched down as he gazed up at her. Mikel was relieved his bondmate had come up with such a smooth endorsement.

  “But I wouldn’t be entirely safe, would I?” Alisa tightened her mouth and dropped her gaze to the water bottle she held.

  “What do you mean?”

  Mikel thought a blush rose in her cheeks again, but it was difficult to be certain in the shaded interior of the hover. “You want to have, ah, an affair with me. A physical relationship. Both of you.”

  The temperature of the cabin seemed to spike. Felix glanced at him, a question in his eyes. Yes, they certainly wanted that, and he was relieved that she understood at least that much about their intentions. He knew the more usual arrangements on Earth involved two parties, so at least they wouldn’t shock her with declaring their desire for three in the bed.

  “We would keep you safe in that as well,” Felix offered, his tacit confirmation gentle enough not to startle their sweet Alisa.

  She looked up then, and gave them each an evaluating look. She was hard to read. Mikel didn’t know if she was repulsed, indifferent, or curious. He desperately hoped it was the last.

  “I don’t, I mean, I haven’t done that sort of thing.” Her voice was quiet, but she wasn’t drawing away.

  Mikel reached out for her hand again, using as much courage as he’d ever had when approaching a battle. Her little fingers quivered in his, and he was heartened when she didn’t pull away when Felix gently removed the water bottle and grasped her other hand. Just that little physical connection among the three of them was like a zap of electricity along his nerves.

  “We haven’t either,” Felix said, then paused when Alisa frowned. “I mean, we have, but not in the way we’d like to, with you.”

  “Would it hurt?” Her soft question nearly undid his control. What sort of tales and warnings were these humans spreading about Alphans? Before he could reassure or refute, there was a rattle at the hatch and Ivar leaned in with a scowl on his features.

  “The local authorities have arrived, and we are dismissed.” The disdain in their commander’s voice was clear, and his brows pricked up when he took in their tableau. “It’s regrettable you have been involved in yet another irregular incident. I thought you understood my wishes for you to behave without reproach.”

  “Commandant Ivar Offen, I’d like to introduce Alisa Sorrel. She’s—”

  “I’m aware of her identity.” Their commander barely glanced at her. “She will need to go back to the compound immediately. One of the centurions outsi
de will take her.”

  “Sir, we can take her—”

  “No, you are both to remain.” Commandant Offen glared at them, irritation at their fumble clear in the way he frowned and furrowed his brow.

  “Why?”

  “Because the local sheriff needs a report from you, and another human arrived with many questions and forms. An insurance adjuster, I believe he called himself.”

  ****

  Alisa was again at her window, not because of a noise, but because of a tickling sense of awareness that Felix was outside, standing guard on the other side of the fence. She knew it was him, didn’t even have to see his face to identify that tall shadowy form. She was unable to sleep even though it was past midnight, and her thoughts raced after all the bizarre events of the afternoon. She’d thought spending a few hours in the Alphans’ company would be incredibly stressful, but they’d been wonderfully attentive, interested in what she had to say, and she had to admit she’d been impressed by their instinctive protectiveness. No, what was bothering her now was how unsettling the bigotry and vandalism was. She couldn’t stop thinking about how some members of her own species would be glad to see her punished for being seen with Mikel and Felix, as well as elated to see the Alphans banished from Earth, or even harmed. It frightened her and made her angry in equal proportions. The men who’d courteously brought her back to the compound, Mak greeting her with sincere pleasure, and most especially the two men who’d been so happy to give her part of their day, all these Alphans were good people. It was a strange concept, but she couldn’t deny the evidence.

  A trickle of unease crept along her back, and she stood, reaching for the small com device Mikel had pressed into her hand before he and his bondmate had left the hover to face the sheriff and the insurance claims man. She was unsure of how it operated and studied it for a moment before pressing her finger against a large depression in the side of the grey resin box. Tiny blue lights erupted around the edges, and she waited for a response. Silence. She pressed the smaller dent on the other side, and pink lights raced around.