Lathim worried about the female in his arms. She’d slept for hours as he held her in the command center, and even as he carried her to his quarters, she still didn’t stir. The doors slid open and he stepped into the spacious room and gently laid her on the bed. He heard the doors shut behind him as he reached for her boots and removed them, letting them clang against the metal floor. He knew it wouldn’t be long before they reached the life pod and he’d be requested in the cargo hold, but until then, he was going to rest with Maggie.

Removing his leather suit proved difficult since it fit like a second skin, but once he’d stripped bare, he crawled beneath the covers with Maggie, wishing it was her skin pressed against him and not her clothes. But after everything she’d been through, he wasn’t going to remove her clothing while she slept. He didn’t want her to wake up frightened and wondering if he’d done something to her in her sleep.

He connected with the ship’s computer and dimmed the lights in his room. Maggie curled against him, her head resting under his chin as her body molded to his. She sighed softly in her sleep, her breath fanning across his bare chest, and Lathim’s cock hardened. Closing his eyes, he accessed that part of his systems and commanded his erection to go away. It had always worked before, but with sweet Maggie in his arms, his body didn’t listen.

Shifting until he was more comfortable, he stared up at the ceiling and wondered what he was going to do with the woman. He wanted her, and he was almost certain she wanted him. Part of him wanted to tear her clothes from her body, and claim her right now. The other half, the part of him that was still Zelranian, knew that she’d been through a trauma and would need time to adjust. That she would be his was inevitable, unless she chose another cyborg to mate with. Anger burned through him at the thought of another laying their hands on her. He’d found her and he meant to keep her.

Maggie mumbled something in her sleep and he ran his hand through her long hair. She settled again and draped her thigh across his, her knee brushing his balls. Lathim groaned and wondered if maybe she’d been sent to torture him. It didn’t seem fair that his crew were able to use the sex bots and get relief, but he had a living female in his arms and his balls were going to turn a dark purple and fall off. All right, maybe nothing that dramatic, but he ached more than he ever had before, and he knew it was because of Maggie. He could use the bots, there was nothing stopping him, but it didn’t seem right when he wanted Maggie as his mate.

Lathim had been thirty when he entered the Cy-Con program fifteen years ago, and had been with his share of females. He’d been a high-ranking officer in their military and had considered it an honor to be asked to join the new Cy-Con. If he’d known that when they were finished with him, he would be banished from his world, and all living females would cringe at his touch, he would have told them to fuck off. The fear in the females’ eyes angered him, and left him searching for a sex bot instead. At least the synthetic whores didn’t care that he was a cyborg.

His chest ached as he thought about all the lonely nights he’d had since Cy-Con had altered him. A metal called Byrilia, native to Zelran, had replaced most of his bones. His lungs had been removed and replaced with mechanical parts that allowed him to go longer periods without breathing. Most believed his kind never aged, but they were wrong. The changes were subtle over the last ten years, but he still got older. He would just live for a really long damn time. His blood had been infused with agents that slowed the aging process, making Zelran’s cyber soldiers more cost effective.

Would the female in his arms ever be able to love someone who was part machine? He’d thought he would be content just having a living female to fuck whenever he wanted, but now that he held one in his arms, he found that he wanted more than that. She’d cried over the loss of her father and his crew. If something were to happen to Lathim, would she cry over him too? He wanted her trust, and her affection, and worried that he didn’t have a right to either.

Maggie rolled away from him and curled on her side facing the wall. His arms felt empty and he stared at her back, watching her deep, even breaths that assured him she still slept. Knowing he wouldn’t sleep, he got out of bed and pulled on a pair of leather pants and a soft shirt, not wanting to put on another leather suit until he had to. Giving her one last glance, he left his room and went back to the command center.

“Captain,” Rorwick said in greeting. “The life pod is within our sights. No one else has responded to the distress signal. We should be able to pull it into the cargo hold shortly, and then we can determine if we’ve rescued a male or female.”

“You know if it’s a male, he could attempt to fight us.”

Rorwick nodded. “And if it’s a female, you could have a fight between crew members as they attempt to claim her. She can’t wander the ship unattended, and it isn’t likely she’ll be as understanding as your Maggie. It’s probable she’ll scream when she sees us.”

Lathim sighed. “We’ll handle it when it happens. Have Querrill on standby with a sedative so she won’t harm herself.”

Rorwick nodded and Lathim prowled the command center. When the life pod was close enough, they activated the gravitational laser and pulled it toward the ship, opening the doors to the docking port. Lathim and Rorwick went to investigate, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. Four cyborgs had gathered around the pod, the glass frosted over from being in space for so long. The pod’s signal indicated whoever was inside was still alive, but Lathim searched for a heartbeat and was concerned it was so slow.

“Open it,” Lathim commanded.

Pendrik pried open the life pod and Rorwick let out a roar that nearly rattled the ship. The small female inside was pale, almost too pale, and her red hair hung limp. Lathim stared in horror, a cry of his own trapped in his throat, as he looked in anguish at the small lifeless bundle in the female’s arms. The pod had sustained the mother’s life, but had not calculated correctly to save the child.

Pendrik reached into the pod and removed the lifeless baby, cradling it close to his chest. Life was precious to them, especially that of children, and it was heartbreaking they hadn’t reached the pod in time to save them both. Rorwick reached inside and lifted the woman into his arms. There was a look of tenderness on his face that Lathim had never seen before, and he knew the cyborg had decided to claim her as his mate.

“Are there any other life pods in the area?” Lathim asked.

“No, Captain. This was the only one. It came from a cruise liner called Splendora, but there is no sign of the ship, nor any debris that suggests it was destroyed.” Sanz hesitated. “We could search the area if you think there might be others. This pod was activated a week ago, so it’s possible any others have been picked up by now.”

“No. Head to Alpha9. Querrill, go with Rorwick and make sure the female will be all right. Please notify me of any changes. I’m going back to my quarters.”

Lathim gave the baby one last look and went in search of Maggie. The child couldn’t have been more than a year old, and would have been welcome on their world. Children were a gift to be cherished, regardless of their race. They’d all been assured that their cybernetic status wouldn’t keep them from having children of their own someday, and as such, they had always been careful when visiting the brothels. Most required their workers to be sterilized, but some of the smaller ones didn’t always follow the rules. Would Maggie welcome a child they created together? Or would it be too much to ask of her?

When he entered his quarters, she was rubbing her eyes and seemed to have just woken. He left the doors to slide shut behind him before he fell to his knees at her feet and buried his face against her belly, his arms going around her. She tensed a moment, then relaxed and ran her fingers through his hair.

“What’s wrong, Lathim?” she asked.

He took a shuddering breath to get himself under control before looking up at her. “We found the life pod. It was a mother and child, but the baby didn’t make it.”

She looked stricken by the news. “Is the mother okay?”

“I asked our healer to look her over, but she’s unconscious. I don’t know if she’s aware of her child’s passing or not. Rorwick has taken her to his quarters. I think he means to claim her, but I worry she may be too broken. Losing her child… it could have damaged her mind.”

“That’s heartbreaking. I can’t imagine losing a child.”

“Do you want children?” Lathim asked.

Maggie’s eyebrows lifted. “You can have children?”

“Yes. At least, we were told we still could. None of us have tried. When we were part of the Cy-Con program, it was too dangerous to take a mate because of the missions we were sent on. Then when we were freed, no female would look at us without being filled with terror.”

Maggie reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. “Then they’re missing out, because there’s nothing terrifying about you. I’ve never met a kinder man than you, Lathim. And to answer your question, yes, I’d like to have children someday. Maybe not right away because I think we need time to get to know one another better, but one day I’d love to have a baby with you.”

His heart raced. “Does this mean you accept my mate claim?”

She hesitated a moment before nodding. “As long as you’re willing to take things slowly. I’ve never been with a man before and I’ve never dated. I don’t want to just rush right into having sex.”

He sat back on his heels. “But you’re up for experimenting a little and doing everything up to that point?”

“Yes.” Her cheeks turned pink. “I liked the kissing earlier, and I loved it when you touched me. I’m just scared of moving too fast and regretting it later. I want our first time together to be perfect. Or is that asking too much?”

“Not at all. I want you, Maggie, more than I’ve ever wanted anyone, but I’m willing to wait as long as you don’t keep me at arm’s length. I want to explore your body and bring you pleasure.”

The door chime sounded. “Captain, I hate to interrupt, but I have news on the female we found.”

Lathim stood and opened the doors. Querrill stood outside, casting a glance at Maggie before focusing on Lathim.

“Will she live?” Lathim asked.

“She was almost dead, captain. There wasn’t much I could do for her, but…”

“But what?” Lathim asked.

“I injected her with the serum that was used on us. I’ve been perfecting it in the event we ever found mates. I also gave her some vitamins and a solution that would strengthen her heart. I think she’ll pull through. Physically anyway. I have no idea what her mental state will be when she wakes.” Querrill hesitated. “Rorwick has laid claim to her and said he would kill any male who tried to take her away.”

“I expected as much. Leave her under his care, but check on her frequently. If she’s too damaged by the loss of her child, we’ll have to reassess and determine what’s to be done with her.”

He felt Maggie’s hands slide around his waist and she pressed her cheek against his back. It was comforting and he placed his hand over hers. Envy crossed Querrill’s features for a moment and then it was gone. He knew the entire crew wanted mates, and he couldn’t blame them. It’s what he had wanted the past ten years, and now he had Maggie, and it seemed Rorwick had his mystery female.

“Was anyone able to pull more data from the pod and figure out who the female is?” Lathim asked.

“Her name is Jillian Cross. She was a passenger on the Splendora, but that’s as much as we know right now. Her body was weakened, almost as if it had been ravaged by a virus, but I can’t find anything in her system. If she was sick, it’s run its course.”

“And the child?” Lathim asked.

“The baby has been dead for more than several days. I believe it was either dead or dying when she took it into the life pod with her. I did not do a thorough scan of it, but if you’d like for me to check for signs of a virus I will.”

Maggie came around to his side. “Maybe if she knew her child was dying, she will be able to handle the news well. Are you certain there wasn’t another pod, maybe one with her husband? If she has a baby, the child obviously had a father.”

Lathim frowned. If there was a male out there with a claim already on Jillian, Rorwick wasn’t going to take it well. What Maggie said made sense, though.

“See if you can locate another life pod, and failing that, see if you can get a passenger list for the Splendora and find out if Jillian was sharing a room with anyone. The Splendora is a Star Crossed Lines ship, so hack their systems if you have to.” Lathim sighed. “Let’s hope there isn’t a mate out there looking for her. I’m not sure what Rorwick would do if he found out there’s competition for Jillian. As for the baby, there’s nothing we can do for it now. Wrap the body and preserve it to be buried on our world.”

Querrill nodded. “Enjoy the rest of your night, Captain. I’ll ask the crew to leave you alone until your shift tomorrow, unless an emergency pops up.”

“Thank you, Querrill.”

The doors slid shut and Maggie moved to stand in front of him. “Why don’t you take a shower, and then lie down? You look tired.”

Exhaustion settled across him like a blanket weighing him down and he nodded his agreement. Moving into the bathroom, he undressed and stepped into the cleansing unit. Lathim leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes a moment. His cock was hard as steel just from being near Maggie, no matter how exhausted he was. He doubted there would be any mating tonight, so he slicked his hand with soap and stroked his length.

With his eyes closed, he pictured Maggie spread across his bed, her legs open in invitation. His hand moved faster as he thought about entering her, the way her pussy would grip him tight. His hips flexed as he thought about pounding into her and then he bit back a cry as cum erupted over his hand. He rinsed off and stayed in the unit until the water shut off, then he dried and hesitated only a moment before walking back into the room where Maggie waited. If she’d never been with a male before, it stood to reason she probably hadn’t seen a naked one.

She was curled on her side in the bed, her eyes wide as he approached. Lathim lifted the covers and slid into bed, drawing the blanket across both of them. Maggie slowly reached for him, her hand sliding across his chest, and then her body pressed against his side. He wrapped an arm around her to hold her close. Feeling her heart beat against him was enough to make his body relax. Lathim dimmed the lights in the room until they were plunged into darkness and then he closed his eyes.

“Lathim?” she said softly.

“Hmm?”

“Will we always live on this ship?”

He smiled in the darkness. “No, after we stop at Alpha9, we’ll head home. My crew will want to remain on board, except perhaps Rorwick, but another captain will be assigned for now.”

“What’s your world like?” she asked.

“Vibrant plant life, two suns, and three moons. Xpashta is beautiful and the weather stays nice year-round. There’s never snow or ice, and it never gets too hot to enjoy time outside.” His arm tightened around her. “The water on my world is crystal blue and safe for swimming. Our home is an old military base. Most of my fellow cyborgs live in small quarters I believe you would call apartments, but I have a small house there.”

“What’s it look like from space?” she asked.

“Pink, purple, and teal swirls. It’s breathtaking.”

“Will it take us long to get there?”

“No. We’ll fold space once we’re safely away from Alpha9 and it won’t take long at all to reach my world. Expect lots of staring when we arrive. Jillian and you will be the only living females there.”

“Living females?” she asked.

He felt his cheeks warm and was grateful it was dark. “We have some sex bots that we keep on our world. It’s not easy for the males to get to a nearby brothel when they have needs, so it made sense to keep some around. Once more of my people are settled with mates and families, I would imagine the sex bots will be sold.”

“Lathim?”

“Yes, Maggie?”

“Thank you for finding me.”

He brushed a kiss against her forehead. “I’m the one who is thankful. By agreeing to be my mate, you’ve given me the one thing I’ve wanted for a long time. I only hope that I don’t disappoint you. I may be part machine, but I’m not perfect.”

“You seem pretty perfect to me,” she said softly, snuggling closer.

He smiled and held her tight as he finally allowed sleep to claim him. He may not have bedded her, claimed her fully, but she was his and that was enough for now. As long as he had Maggie, he had everything he needed. He only hoped that one day all his fellow cyborgs would know the joy he felt when she was in his arms.