“Me? Civil?” Matrix blinked a few times, keeping any expression off his face before giving into a smile. “I will try.”
“See that you do,” Sparx said, giving his friend a narrow look. “The last thing I need is to hear K’hor complain that I had you handle this and muck it all up.”
“Do not worry.” Matrix clapped him on the back. “I will make sure there is no complaint to be heard.”
“Would you like me to escort Warlord Matrix back to command?” Colby asked, his expression hopeful as he looked past Sparx in the direction he’d been headed.
“I know my way back,” Matrix interrupted with a smile. “Maybe you can convince Sparx that having a mate wouldn’t be a bad thing. In fact, we would all reap the benefits of an improved mood if your warlord found himself a female with whom to share his bed.”
“Believe me, I’ve tried to convince him that a human is worth the risk, but he won’t hear any of it,” Colby said with a shrug.
Sparx snorted as Matrix shook his head at him.
“Go,” he ordered gruffly. “Make sure Earth understands that we will not be sending any of the volunteers back early unless they request so themselves.”
“Understood,” Matrix said with a nod as he turned to head back to the city.
Sparx and Colby watched him walk away for a moment before Colby broke the silence with a cough.
“The men are worried, sir.”
Sparx frowned, unsure what Colby meant by that statement.
“Explain,” he ordered.
“Tensions were high within Fyeir before we received the wave from Earth recalling two of the women—”
“And the men have nothing new to worry about,” Sparx interrupted, seeing where the conversation was leading. “I know the number of volunteers seems abysmal when you look at the number of Djaromir we have seeking mates, but it is just a start. Once the women that arrive are happily matched, Earth will see that the program works, and we can renegotiate the terms of our agreement.”
When Colby nodded, Sparx let out an internal sigh of relief. He was happy at least one of them believed him.
As one of the reigning warlords, the safety and future of his people weighed upon his shoulders. He knew his men were unraveling under the strain of what could happen if the program failed. The odds were not in their favor. Now, however, was not a time to focus on the odds. He needed to stay focused on the possibilities.
“Listen and know this,” he said, his voice dropping low. “As long as I am warlord, Djaromir and its people will not go quietly into extinction. Earth has shown us that they have mates for the men here, and we will find a way to claim them.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I won’t have it any other way,” he announced firmly.
Even though he had no intention of finding himself a mate, it didn’t mean he wasn’t going to do everything he could to bring matches for the men he ruled. They would make strong, reliable matches for the humans who were lucky enough to respond to their mating heat.
Sparx, on the other hand, planned to stay far away from the messiness of love and caring as long as he possibly could. The last thing he wanted was an inconvenience that had the ability to make him weak.
Chapter Eight
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Lucy moaned, trying to stand up on the ankle she’d just rolled as she’d been taking her first few steps down the ramp.
“I can’t take you anywhere,” Rue huffed, trying to prop her up, regardless of the wind gusts pushing against them. “What did you trip over?”
“Absolutely nothing,” she said, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill inside the helmet of her space suit. “I swear to God, Rue. I have the worst fucking luck of anyone I know.”
“Heh,” Rue shot back with a shrug that almost dumped Lucy off her shoulder. “It could have been worse.”
“How?” she snapped, looking around at everyone as they watched her hobble with her bestie’s help down the ramp.
“Well,” Rue huffed, “you could have taken me down with you. Just imagine that for a minute. Rolling like a bowling ball down this ramp and knocking everyone out of the way like pins. That would have been much, much worse. If anything, we can blame it on this thick-ass snow. I practically mowed down the gal in front of me when I didn’t see her stop.”
Lucy thought about Rue’s argument for a split second before nodding in agreement. Her friend was right. The picture she’d created was a vivid one that Lucy literally winced at. That would have been loads worse than her simply rolling her ankle and falling over.
“Thanks for the silver lining.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
“Are you harmed?” Bonner rushed forward, ignoring Tabitha’s stomp of frustration at losing his attention. “Your vitals are showing a spike in blood pressure. Maybe you should go back inside the shuttle and sit while we assess the damage.”
Lucy immediately shook her head to protest, worried her grand adventure was going to be prematurely snuffed, when a roar drifted to them on a gust of wind.
Every single person froze, even the Phaetons, as the sound died away in the storm.
“What was that?” Rue whispered, her voice the only other noise competing with the howls of the wind.
“This planet has its own dangers,” Trex said, scanning the perimeter, even though they seemed to be surrounded by nothing but a white void. “Our shuttle did not pick up any threats when we landed, but one or two may have moved in since then. Bonner, how much longer before our escort arrives?”
“My scanner shows they are almost on top of us,” he said, hiking a thumb over his shoulder. “Coming from that direction. Maybe we should have the women move back into the shuttle… This exposure cannot be good for them.”
Trex shook his head and walked close to Bonner to
