The idiocy of his crew astounded him at times. Fighting over sex bots! It wasn’t like they didn’t already have plenty of them on Xpashta. He’d agreed they could keep two on board, but the rest were to have been traded at Alpha9. Apparently, his crew had disobeyed his orders and kept all of them. He entered the transgression into the captain’s log, in hopes Milore would offload the bots somewhere. They didn’t need one per crew member, as if they were mates.

Maggie seemed hesitant to come to him, and Lathim realized he must look fierce after dealing with the males on the ship. He smoothed his expression and held out a hand to her. Her fingers were warm against his, and he clasped her hand tight before leading her to the docking port. He’d made arrangements for their belongings to be delivered to his home, but first he wanted to introduce her to the commanders.

She squinted against the bright double suns, but after a moment, she clung even closer to him as she stared at the cyborgs surrounding them.

“They’re merely curious about you,” Lathim said. “No one will hurt you.”

“What if they’re like the cyborg on your ship who wanted to claim me even after you said no? What if they take me from you?” Maggie asked.

“We’ll ask the commanders to sanction our mating and make it official,” Lathim said. “My people won’t go against anything the commanders say. If they tell them you’re mine, then it will be so.”

“Commanders?”

“There are five commanders who govern our people. They help create the laws that keep us safe. A few of them have come to see you. You have nothing to fear.”

Maggie didn’t look convinced, but followed him through the throng of cyborgs. They entered the military base through a large metal gate, which closed once everyone was inside. The commanders were waiting for them, and Lathim led Maggie straight to them. Pride swelled inside of him as he presented his mate to the rulers of his planet.

“I’d like to present Magnolia Baker, a human female, and my mate. She prefers to be called Maggie.” Lathim tugged her forward a little more, but she tightened her grip on his hand.

“Maggie, it’s an honor to meet you,” Commander Sorus said. “I apologize if so many cyborgs at once frightened you, but our people are most curious about you. No one has ever mated with one of our kind before. My name is Sorus and I’m one of the five commanders who lead the cyborgs.”

“I’m Warver,” another commander said. “We made sure Lathim’s home was stocked with plenty of food and drink for the two of you, and any trinkets we thought you might enjoy were placed within his quarters as well.”

“My name is Kiril. Is there anything you need to make your stay here more pleasant?” the third commander asked.

Maggie bit her lip and looked up at Lathim, as if asking permission to speak. He wondered if there was something she wanted that she’d been hesitant to request of him. He should have thought to ask her if she had everything she needed or wanted, and he felt like a bad mate for not doing so. He gave her a nod of encouragement and she faced the commanders again.

“I like to read,” she said. “I had a collection of romance books on board my father’s ship, but they didn’t make it on board the Mystic7. If you have any Earth books, I’d love to have them, or at least some of them.”

“Why didn’t you say something?” Lathim asked. “I could have found books for you while we were at Alpha9. I want you to be happy, Maggie.”

“I am happy,” she assured him. “But I know I’ll grow bored during the day if I don’t have some books to read. I’d read the ones in my quarters many times and always begged for new ones. I always thought that one day when I had my own home, I’d have a library.”

“I don’t have room in my home for a room just dedicated to books, but we could add some shelves for a small collection,” Lathim said.

“Are many females from your world big readers like you?” Warver asked.

“The Earth females I’ve met over the years all claimed to enjoy reading, but I don’t know that it’s something all human females necessarily like.” Maggie looked up at him again. “If you don’t have books here, that’s okay. I don’t have to have them.”

Lathim cupped her cheek. “If you want books, you’ll have them, even if I have to put in a request with any ships still out trading.”

Kiril cleared his throat. “We do have a room of books on the base. They are from many different worlds and in different languages, but perhaps there are some you would be able to read. Have Lathim show them to you after you’ve gotten settled into your new home.”

Maggie’s face glowed with excitement. “Could we go now?”

“If you wish to see them now, I will take you straight there, and then we’ll go home,” Lathim said. “Our things from the ship should be delivered by then.”

Maggie squeezed his hand tight and nodded enthusiastically. He smiled down at her. The commanders moved out of their way as he led her over to a blasen. She looked at it funnily.

“It almost looks like the hover crafts I’ve seen in sci-fi movies on my planet,” she said. “What do you use them for?”

“The base is rather large, so we use them to get from one end to the other. Our home is within walking distance of where we stand now, but the storage rooms are on the opposite end of the base and it would take over an hour to walk there. I thought you might prefer this.”

“I don’t mind walking, but I think an hour one way is beyond me at this moment. Having lived on a ship most of my life, I haven’t had much time to walk about in the open like this. It’s something I think I’d like doing often though.”

He helped her into the blasen. “We can walk as often as you’d like.”

Once she was settled, he pointed the vehicle toward the opposite end of the base and took her to the storage rooms. They were inside the last building on the base. He parked outside, then ushered her into the facility. Each door was labeled in their native language. He pushed open the door for the book room and motioned for her to enter, the lights, being motion activated, turned on once she stepped inside.

A hand lifted to her mouth and she stared at the crates full of books. The room was vast, and every nook and cranny was filled. He wasn’t certain they would have anything in her native tongue, but he would help her search. Each crate was marked with a special brand that each world put on their items, so he looked for crates from Earth. When he found one, he opened the lid and stepped back to let her look inside.

Maggie pulled out handfuls of books, biting her lip as she looked at each one.

“There’s nothing you like?” he asked.

“I can’t read them. The ones I’ve pulled out so far are in French or German. I need books in English.”

Lathim frowned. “There’s more than one language on your world? How strange.”

“There are many languages on my world, and I only know how to speak and read one of them.”

Lathim helped her empty the crate, and then reload it once she determined there was nothing in it that she could read. He scoured the room for another Earth crate and found two others. He let Maggie take her time going through them, and a huge smile lit up her face as she neared the bottom of the third crate. The books were different from the others from her world. They had soft covers and were much smaller than the rest, but she held them to her chest like they were the most beautiful treasures she’d ever seen.

“How many can I take?” she asked.

“As many as you’d like. Make a stack and I can carry them out to the blasen.”

She hesitantly looked at the books in her hand and those in the crate.

“Maggie, Jillian and you are the only humans on this world. I’m sure if she wants to read something, you’ll let her borrow them. And in the meantime, I’m going to put in a request with some of the other ships still out there and ask them to bring back Earth books in the language you can read.” He peered at the ones in her hands. “Are kissing people typical?”

Her cheeks warmed. “I like to read romances, so yes, most have shirtless men or kissing couples on the covers.”

He growled a little. “I will be the only male you look at.”

“It’s just a cover image, Lathim. I’m not looking to run off with the guy who modeled for it. I just like the stories between the pages. I like stories about hope, second chances, and finding love.”

Lathim looked at her, scanning her from head to toe. “And is there someone in your past you wish you had a second chance with?”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s what you got from that statement? You’re such a typical guy.”

“Is there?” he asked, a strange feeling building inside of him.

“No.” She sighed. “There’s no one remarkable in my past, and I told you I’m still a virgin. You’ve touched me more than anyone else ever has, and I’m yours, Lathim. I agreed to be your mate. I’ve never agreed to tie my life to someone else’s before, so that should tell you something.”

The feeling eased a bit, only to change to something warmer. He reached for her, pulling her against his body, her books crushed between them. Maggie tilted her chin up and he leaned down to claim her lips in a kiss. Her hands went around his neck and he knocked the books to the floor, pulling her tight against him. The feel of her soft curves made his cock instantly hard. He wanted her, but not here, not where someone could walk in at any moment. He drew away, leaning down to retrieve her books.

“We’ll finish this at home,” he said, watching her cheeks pinken again. She didn’t protest, even though she’d asked for more time to get to know one another. Maybe she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. And if not, he’d take things as far as she’d allow, and then he’d stop when she told him to. He wanted her trust just as much as he wanted her body.

Lathim loaded her books into the blasen, then helped his mate into the vehicle. He drove it to his home, stopping along the way for her to gawk at everything around her. She didn’t seem to mind the other cyborgs staring quite as much when she was trying to take everything in. The base was large, probably over one hundred square Earth miles. While she’d been browsing books, he’d accessed the base’s computer and downloaded Earth facts so he could converse with his mate easier. He wanted to know everything about her.

He drove the rest of the way to their home, stopping the blasen outside. Someone would retrieve it if they needed to use it. No one owned a personal blasen, but there were many scattered across the base that were available for anyone to use. They had a community that worked together, helping one another. Those who did well with plant life did most of the farming. Those who had an affinity for animals took care of those chores. He either captained the Mystic7, or he worked on repairs around the base when he was home.

Maggie stepped out and looked around the area and he wondered if there was something she would change. Images of Earth homes had filtered through his brain thanks to his recent download and many had brightly color plants around the houses or hanging from balconies. Would she want something like that? The entire base was nothing but road pavers and stone and metal structures. The only grass was outside of the gates, but if she wanted plants, he’d find a way for her to have them.

The base had been created by Parslips, a race that had become extinct nearly twenty years ago thanks to their ongoing war with two other races. No one had laid claim to Xpashta, so the cyborgs had taken it over. The homes were made of pale pink and purple stones found on the planet, in caves on the other side of the wooded areas. The glass in the windows was similar to that of his ship and would withstand the elements if there were ever bad storms. It did rain at times, and when it did, there could be a torrential downpour.

Maggie looked around as she approached the front door. He’d have to program his home to respond to her. The sooner she had access to everything the better. Their belongings sat on the front walkway, ready to be carried inside.

“Place your hand on the panel by the door,” he said.

She did as he commanded and Lathim linked with his home’s computer to grant her access to the house and everything inside. When they got inside, he’d make sure the voice commands would respond to her as well. Once the computer registered a new occupant, the doors slid open and allowed them entry. Lathim carried her books inside and set them down on the table near the front door. As the door slid shut behind them, he led her over to the home’s central computer and pushed several buttons.

“Computer, please record new occupant’s voice for future commands,” he said. “Say something, Maggie.”

“Um, hello, computer,” she said, giving him a curious look.

“Voice recorded,” the computer said.

“Computer, this is Maggie. My mate. You will obey all of her commands.”

“Affirmative,” the computer said.

“Your home is voice activated like my father’s ship?” she asked. “Homes on Earth don’t have computers. They’re just walls and a roof. Well, the ones I was ever inside of anyway.”

“All homes on the base are voice activated and can only be accessed through a palm scan at the front door. The commanders have access to every home on base, and Rorwick has access to my home, as he’s my friend. Now that I have a mate, none will enter without permission unless it’s an emergency.”

“Is that why our things were left outside? They didn’t have access to your home?” she asked.

“Our home, and that’s correct. I’ll go bring them in now. Look around and familiarize yourself with your new home. If you’re hungry, I can fix something for us to eat.”

He paused in the doorway, watching her for a moment, and then retrieved their belongings, carrying them to his bedroom. No, their bedroom. Having a mate was so strange, and yet it was what he’d always wanted. Now that she was here, he was never letting Maggie go. He’d let her put her own things away, in case there was a particular order she preferred. It didn’t take him long to put his pants and shirts away, along with his leather suits for future space travel. When he was finished, he found Maggie staring out the windows of the solarium into the enclosed back patio.

“There’s no grass,” she said. “No plants. Everything is made of some sort of stone.”

“I’ve seen images of your Earth homes and know you have greenery around them. Perhaps there’s a way to bring some of the plants here from outside the base walls, I don’t know how well they would grow.”

“Do you have planters I could use?” she asked.

He frowned, trying to access what a planter was. Linking to his home computer, he requested the image and his neural transmitter showed him a picture of a square box with dirt and plants inside.

“We do not have planters here, but we could perhaps make one. The same substance that’s used to hold the pavers together for the roads and the stones together on our home could be used to fuse smaller stones together into a box-like shape. Then we could bring dirt and plants home to fill it from outside the gates. I don’t know that they would survive, but I’m willing to try if it will make you happy.”

Maggie smiled and nodded, looking out at the stone wall again. “The pinks and purples are pretty, but I’ve missed seeing plants while I’ve been in space. It would be nice to have some around the house. Maybe start a garden out there. We could set up a bench where we could enjoy the flowers.”

He quickly added a bench to the list of things to procure for her. Shelves for her books, planters for her garden, and a bench for the back patio. He wondered if there was anything else she needed to make the home feel more like hers. Lathim wanted her to be happy here, whatever it took. She turned to face him and slowly approached, her hands coming up to rest on his chest.

“I know you want to take me to the bedroom, and there’s a chance I’d let you go farther than I’m comfortable with right now. But can I ask a favor of you first?” she asked.

“I would do anything for you, Maggie.”

“Zorlok said there’s an injection that would keep you from getting me pregnant for a few months. Would you consider taking it so I don’t have to worry about starting a family right away? I’m not saying that I don’t ever want to have children with you, but I think we need the next few months to really get to know one another.”

He understood why she wanted to wait, but he couldn’t deny that he was heavily disappointed. He’d had an injection before going into space, but it could have worn off by now. Having a mate meant having children, or so he’d thought. Lathim didn’t understand why humans felt the need to spend so much time together before creating a family together. She’d agreed to be his mate, and surely understood that children would be part of that. It confused him, her need to wait, but if it meant so much to her, he would agree.

“I’ll get it taken care of tonight. If you’d like to put your things away and settle in, I can leave now to get the injection. I already took it a few months ago, so it should just replenish the serum in my system and shouldn’t take long to take effect.”

She caressed Lathim’s cheek. “Thank you.”

He nodded and turned to leave, unhappy about his destination, but determined to make his mate content. Now that she was on his world, she would never leave, unless it was by his side. But he didn’t want her to be miserable while she was here, and if having a baby right now would upset her, then he would do this, no matter how much he didn’t want to. He could have talked to her, made her understand how important it was to him to have a baby with her, but three months wasn’t a long time to wait. He’d waited for years to have a family of his own. At least he wasn’t alone any longer, which was more than he could say for his fellow cyborgs, except Rorwick.

He wondered if Jillian had woken yet, and how she’d handled seeing Rorwick right away. Most people feared his kind, and now that poor human was on a planet of nothing but cyborgs -- and his Maggie, of course. Perhaps it had been wrong of them to keep Jillian. She’d already lost so much, and now they’d taken her to a world where everything was foreign to her, much like his Maggie.

It sobered him. He’d taken her from everything she’d known. While remaining on board the ship would have never worked, he could have made arrangements for her to return to Earth. It would have been risky, but manageable. While he’d given her a home and planned to shower her with gifts, he was still asking a lot of her. His download from the computer had shown him that humans mated differently from his kind. They went on something called dates and took things very slowly. With Zelranians, the males selected a female, claimed her, and that was the end of it. They were mated immediately, and the female would bear their mate’s children. Earth’s customs seemed strange, but he would try to learn more about Maggie and give her what she needed. He wanted to be a good mate.

The clinic was quiet and Liroz was on duty.

“I hear you have a mate now,” Liroz said.

“Yes, but she has requested more time before we start a family. I believe my last injection has expired and hoped to get another one.”

Liroz frowned and motioned him forward. “Let me scan you to make sure the last one is out of your system. If I double dosed you, I’m not sure what the outcome would be.”

Lathim held still while Liroz scanned him. “There is a faint dosage left in your body. Come back in a week and I’ll check you again. Just be careful with your mate until then. You should bring her to me so I can give her the serum that extends her lifespan. When I heard you were bringing humans here, I downloaded every medical file I could find on them. They do not live for very long. Most die in their eighties or nineties, if not sooner.”

Lathim’s eyes widened and he rocked back on his heels. “So soon?”

“Do you know how old your mate is?”

Lathim shook his head.

“You should ask and bring her to me tomorrow. I’ll scan her to make sure she’s healthy and give her the serum. I heard that it had already been given to Rorwick’s mate in an effort to save her life. I worry that she will not last many years without constant care.”

“Because she was so close to dying?”

Liroz nodded. “I don’t know what damage the virus did to her system. I’ll feel better after I scan her, but I didn’t want to intrude on their first night here. I’m not even certain if she’s awakened yet.”

“I’m sure we’ll know when she is. I doubt she’ll be happy to discover she’s lost her child and been taken to an alien world.”

“True. From what I’ve learned of humans in the last day, they can be rather loud when they are displeased. I hope for your sake that your mate is quieter. There’s still much to learn about them, but I’ll work hard to learn all I can so I can treat the new mates when needed.”

Lathim didn’t care if Maggie started screaming and throwing things, as long as she remained with him. He would put up with near anything to have a mate, especially one as delectable as his Maggie. His groin tightened just thinking about her soft curves pressed against him.

“Go take care of your mate.” Liroz hesitated. “I would not tell her of the injection unless she asks. It might make her leery of being claimed by you until you have more of the serum in your system.”

He didn’t like the idea of lying to Maggie, but he trusted Liroz, so he nodded and left the clinic to go back home. Many greeted him on his way home, several stopping him to ask questions about his human mate. They were curious about the first females on their world and he couldn’t blame them. After he’d bonded more with his mate, he’d meet with the commanders and discuss options for finding more mates for his fellow cyborgs. He wanted everyone to know the joy of having a mate.