Alien Read online

“So you are going for it?” Zane asked hopefully.

  “Yes, I do believe I am. This is all thanks to something that you said, you know,” Andi pointed out as he opened the door to their place. Kicking off her shoes, she walked directly to the kitchen area.

  “And what did I say exactly?” Standing in the doorway, Zane stripped off his oil-splattered tunic.

  “You said that I need to do what I came here for.” Pausing for a moment, she winked at him. “Live. You said I needed to live.”

  “And they are the key to living?” Slipping on a fresh tunic, Zane watched her closely.

  “I feel more alive with them than I have in a long time, Zane. It’s weird but there is this…bond between us.” Andi grabbed the dirty tunic from him to hang up for cleaning. “How the hell do you get so dirty in one day?”

  “We had a few mechanics transfer to Squadron Two recently so my workload has doubled this last week,” Zane explained, then turned serious. “I am glad they make you feel alive, Andi. Truly.”

  “I know you are.” Walking to where Zane stood in the kitchen, she wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug. “Now we just need to find you a bride.”

  Punching some buttons on the food replicator with one hand, Zane returned her hug with the other arm. “I heard today that they were able to get a few matches made with the system. My profile is in the queue, so it is a question of simply waiting for it to happen.”

  “And I can’t wait until it does. Want to watch a movie while we eat, or sit at the table?”

  “Movie of course.” Zane carried a plateful of bread to the table in front of the couch and was getting comfortable when there was a tone at the door.

  “Please do not let that be my superior needing me in the docking bay,” Zane whispered, as if he was afraid to answer the door.

  “Want to hide while I answer it?” Andi teased in a whisper, as if whoever was beyond the door could hear them.

  “No, I might as well answer it now versus in the middle of the sleep cycle.” Huffing at leaving his full plate of food, Zane stomped dramatically to the door.

  “I should have figured it would be you two.” Zane’s amused voice traveled to her from the entryway.

  “We are here to see Andi.” Tamin’s voice came across loud and firm to where she was sitting.

  “Of course, we were just about to eat our evening meal. Would you like me to make you a plate?” Zane led the men into the living area and threw Andi a knowing grin.

  “That would be welcome, thank you,” Rodin replied with a nod to Zane as he made himself comfortable next to Andi on the couch. “What is it that you are eating? It smells wonderful.”

  “This is lasagna and it is wonderful. I introduced Zane to it when I first arrived. I learned pretty quickly that if it’s his night to cook, lasagna is inevitable. No matter how many times in a row it has been.” Andi raised her voice, teasing Zane while he stood in the kitchen gathering more plates of food.

  “I cannot help it that your Earth food has bewitched me, woman!” Zane shouted back into the small space. Grumbling out loud, he muttered, “I am needing to visit the rec center more often because of it.”

  Both Tamin and Rodin relaxed at the easy way the friends teased each other. There was obviously no sexual tension between the roommates. As they all sat to eat, the teasing between them played over into picking which movie to watch.

  “We are not watching that one again, Zane.” She laughed.

  “But it is about us, I think Tamin and Rodin have the right to see how aliens are viewed from Earth,” Zane argued.

  “These aliens eat humans and pop out of their chests. I’m pretty sure that is not something that you do.” She laughed again at his obvious attempts to get his way.

  “We have never seen this and it seems interesting,” Tamin added as he read the blurb about the movie.

  “Fine, I guess I’m outvoted.” Throwing up her hands, Andi gave in and got comfortable on the couch between them.

  Before Andi knew it, she was drifting off to sleep. Resting against Rodin’s chest while Tamin stroked the curve of her legs, she let the murmur of deep voices lull her to sleep.

  Noticing how comfortable his friend seemed with her men, Zane smiled. Looking between the doctors, Zane knew he surprised them when he turned serious.

  “You hurt her and I will kill you,” he said quietly.

  Tamin and Rodin shared a glance before focusing on Zane sitting on the floor with his arms on his knees. There could be no doubt he meant what he said.

  “We will never hurt her,” Rodin promised, hugging her sleeping body closer to his.

  “Swear?” Zane watched them closely while waiting for a response.

  “You have our oath,” Tamin said, his tone as serious as could be.

  Zane stared at the men for a moment then nodded.

  “How did you not want to mate with her? She is perfect,” Rodin wondered, genuinely curious.

  Zane let out a long sigh. “When Andi first arrived, she was everything I had hoped for. I admit, I felt attraction for her.” At the warning growl rumbling through the men cuddled close to his friend, he laughed and shrugged. “I have eyes and you can see she is beautiful.” Turning toward the men from his position on the floor, he folded his arms over his crossed legs.

  “After she moved into my quarters, we talked about our pasts. I could see from the moment I met her that she had pain in her eyes. After asking some questions, I found out that she had recently lost a young patient she had come to care deeply for. The death of the young ones is what made her apply for the Bridal Pact. The more she spoke, the more protective I became. My feelings were similar to ones I would imagine having for a sibling instead of a wife. We both realized our connection was no more than that. It would have been convenient if we had mated, but nothing more.”

  His gaze softened as he moved it to his sleeping friend. “I would protect her with my life if needed, but we both deserve more when it comes to marriage. Andi made me watch some of her favorite movies and the relationships in them were very clear. A marriage based on convenience would not have been fair to either one of us.”

  “Thank you for that, Zane,” Tamin said softly. “I can already say that my life would not be the same if she were missing from it.”

  Rodin hugged Andi closer. “I feel the same way. I still have trouble believing that she is not desired by every man who meets her, but I will accept and welcome your friendship to our bride. It is easier for me to understand since meeting the rest of the humans. Poppy was desirable to us at first at well, but now that I have met Andi, I realize friendship was the feeling that Poppy evoked.”

  “Has Andi told you why she applied to be matched?” Zane asked the men.

  “Other than what you just told us, no. She had not shared.” Tamin frowned down at where Andi was sleeping. “Should we ask her more about her time on Earth or will it be too painful for her to speak of?”

  “Andi worked with children suffering from cancer. They often stayed for months at the hospital, so she became close with them.” Smiling sadly Zane continued, “She is a very loving woman. I am amazed she was able to stay in her position for the years that she did. It must have been slowly eating at her to see the deaths of the children she had come to care for. One of the reasons she applied was because our race is willing to share cures for most of those illnesses in exchange for brides.”

  Tamin nodded in agreement. “The cures would have definitely been a motivation for her.”

  “We will make sure that she never regrets her decision,” Rodin said confidently.

  The men were interrupted from their thoughts when the tone at the door signaled a visitor. Zane dropped his head into his hands and ran his fingers through his hair.

  “What is it?” Rodin asked, obviously curious why Zane appeared defeated.

  “If you both are already here, then that tone means there is probably someone at the door to let me know that I am needed in the docking bay for an extra