Zara and Korjh kept up their com-chats for the entire journey to Modonne. She socialized with the other passengers through meals, the gym, and movies in the conference room. The ship’s AI held thousands in its memory of both entertaining and educational programs.
All of them had already been supplied with literature and videos about the Alliance and the worlds their mates lived on. The most fascinating was the many humanoid species and subspecies that held membership in the Alliance. More surprising were the numbers of homo sapiens and the multitude of racial variations found just in Alliance sectors.
The two main reasons the Alliance formally recognized Earth and invited them into the Alliance were human trafficking and to save the planet. When they made the offer, they never expected an attempted invasion by the Drayids. The Alliance had arrived in time to drive them off, but not in time prevent a great deal of destruction to the planet. The death toll was estimated in the millions.
Even so, the world was still overpopulated. That could be remedied by more people going out into the galaxy to settle on the colonial planets that needed people. Modonne was just one of those worlds. The group agreed that more people would probably leave as the Alliance was working on a program to help subsidize families who want to move to colonies from non-space faring worlds like Earth.
With their significant presence on Mars, Earth and Earth’s moon, the Alliance had begun construction on a public starport outside Chicago. It would accommodate larger passenger shuttles and freight shuttles than the Alliance base in West Virginia. It not only meant people of Earth could leave the star system, but they could also return.
The routine on the Zephyr reminded Zara of the family cruise she and her brother took as kids with their parents when they were still together. Jason had loved the ocean and decided he would join the navy when he grew up. Zara enjoyed it because there was always something to do.
On the Zephyr, Jenna tried to keep everyone entertained. There were games, movies, eBooks, music, the gym and even a walking route around the ship. No one needed to be bored. That was one of the things Jenna had hated on the slave ship aside from the monotonous food. There was nothing to do for weeks on what seemed an endless journey.
Zara participated as much as possible in passing the time and because she liked Jenna and Captain Ba’Kal and the crew. Three months seemed like a long time until suddenly it wasn’t and she debarked from the Zephyr shuttle at the Modonne Starport in Sezrop.
Both Captain Zeke and Jenna were at the shuttle exit to say goodbye and wish both Zara and Naomi well. As Zara started down the ramp, Jenna looked up and saw a big man with his arms folded across his broad chest dressed in khaki cargo pants and a tan t-shirt. Despite his handsome features, he had the look of a battle-hardened commando. His grim, humorless expression made him look a little scary.
Jenna looked across the landing bay at him and felt a chill of apprehension for Zara. “That’s him, isn’t it?” she said to her husband.
Zeke knew precisely who she meant because he had seen the big man at the same time she had. “It is. He sure looks intimidating, but most cyborgs do,” he said.
They watched as Zara approached him. The look on the cyborg’s face changed instantly from grim to joyous. He picked Zara up in his arms like she was feather light and held her, cuddling her head on his shoulder with a powerful hand. His eyes were closed, and he seemed to savor that first moment with Zara in his arms.
“I think she will be okay,” Zeke said. “The droid’s unloading the luggage. Let’s go find our passengers.”
When Zara saw Korjh was waiting for her inside the building, tall and intimidating with his grim expression, she almost stopped. She knew it was him as he looked just like his hologram, but he was smiling in that. Had Zara seen him like this, she would have had second and third thoughts about becoming his mate. He looked almost menacing, and the feline waiting, she assumed for Naomi, had given the cyborg a wide berth.
Zara walked toward him tentatively and said his name softly, suddenly not so sure she had made the right decision. He looked angry like he could kill anyone who crossed him without a second thought.
But the instant he heard her say his name, his expression changed from grim to happy in an instant. This was the Korjh she knew and fell in love with though she had never said it to him. As she walked toward him, she didn’t know whether to hug him or not. Korjh took that decision out of her hands when he scooped her up into his arms in a firm but gentle hug, kissing her cheek.
“Zara,” he murmured, “you are even more beautiful in person.”
“I am so glad to finally meet you, Korjh,” she said with a smile and impetuously gave him a peck on the lips, eliciting a low groan from him.
He let her down slowly then took her hand in his while they waited for the droid to unload her trunks and suitcases and carry them to the exit by the aircar lot. She had already said her goodbyes to everyone on the ship, so she was ready to start her new life with Korjh.
Zara and Korjh could hardly stop looking at each other. Cyborg or not, Korjh was one gorgeous hunk of man. He was so big, he seemed to tower over her, but the way he looked at her didn’t frighten her at all. She couldn’t think that way about him. What she did think about was his hardness against her breasts and the press of his erection against her core.
It was going to be a long ride to her new home. Korjh said they would take things slowly, but he undoubtedly wanted her. Even though he was legally her husband, they had just met for the first time. She felt like she already knew him through their daily com-chats, although they had never even touched until today. But when she had seen him looking so disturbing and dangerous, she’d started to wonder if she had chosen the right mate.
Zara was exhausted by the time the Zephyr’s shuttle touched down on Modonne. As excited as she was to finally meet her new husband, the several restless nights before they touched down at the starport had taken their toll.
Zara found herself nodding off soon after Korjh set the aircar in motion. So, it didn’t seem like such a long ride after all. She didn’t wake up until Korjh was carrying her down the ramp into his home.
“Oh, Korjh. I am so sorry,” Zara said, “I’ve been so excited the last few days, I haven’t been sleeping so well.”
“I have been the same way.” He smiled down at her as he waited for the door to open automatically. “But I don’t require that much sleep.” He walked through the entrance as soon as it opened. “The droid will unload your things. Would you like to rest some more before second meal?”
“Yes, I think so. This is still sleep time for me,” Zara said draping her arms around his neck. She liked being in his arms. She loved the scent of him, clean and masculine. It all contributed to a sudden vision of her beneath him waiting for him to take her.
She sucked in a quick breath, blushing, sure he would know with his enhanced senses as her inner walls clenched. Zara stole a glance at his face. If he scented her arousal, he gave no hint of it.
“Your room is adjacent to mine,” he said as he carried her down the long hallway. “I am in the master bedroom I believe you would call it. When you are ready, I hope you will share it with me---but I don’t want to rush or pressure you.”
“Thank you,” she said as he set her on her feet. “I am glad to finally be here with you.” Zara wanted to say more, to talk with him the way they did on com-chat but she was swaying on her feet with exhaustion.”
Korjh turned back the bed for her then reached out and caressed her cheek with his fingers. “Me too. But I can see you are worn out from your journey. Get some rest, and we will have second meal later.”
Zara nodded and sat on the bed to slip off her shoes then laid down, and Korjh covered her.
“If you need anything, call me. My home AI will signal me. I have some work to do. Rest, and we will talk later.”
Then he was gone. Despite Zara’s excitement to be in her new home with her new husband. She closed her eyes and slept.