Maggie had put away her things and explored her home some more. Her life had changed so much so fast, but she was trying to adapt. She had to remember that she wasn’t following Earth rules anymore. While part of her wanted what she’d have had on Earth -- dates and plenty of time to get to know her mate -- things were different here. Without Lathim, she wouldn’t survive on this world. And while he was gaining plenty by taking her as a mate, she was gaining something too.

She felt uneasy being alone, and a little disappointed with herself. It wasn’t right that she’d asked Lathim to get the injection to kill his sperm for the next three months. He’d waited so long to have a mate and a family, and now she was trying to take part of that away from him. She’d agreed to be his mate, which was apparently a forever thing to his people, so what did it matter if they knew one another better before having children? Assuming the pregnancy was anything like a regular human pregnancy, there would be plenty of time to become better acquainted before the baby arrived. She felt like a bitch.

She stopped pacing and dug through one of the large crates that must have been left by the commanders. There were Earth items inside, from all around the globe. A Chinese vase in a pretty blue and white pattern, a small replica of the Eiffel Tower that would easily fit on a shelf, a big framed print of Big Ben, and many other wonderful things. She pulled them out one at a time and began placing them around her new home, added color and a touch of hominess to the place. It had seemed so barren when she’d first walked in.

Maggie hoped they had saved some items for Jillian, and decided to leave the other crates untouched in case the other human wanted to look through them. As much as she wanted to surround herself with things from her world, she wouldn’t be selfish and claim everything for herself. Jillian had already lost so much. Maggie hoped that a few things from Earth would make things easier for her. She knew that Lathim didn’t want her going to visit until he knew Jillian was stable, but she vowed to see the other human as soon as possible. Regardless of what the cyborgs thought, seeing a human face amongst so many aliens might actually be comforting to the other human.

The front door slid open and Lathim stepped inside. He paused, looking around at the changes she made, but didn’t seem angry. He stopped and inspected each item, curiosity in his eyes. She’d leaned the framed print against the wall, not knowing how to hang it, or if there even was a way to hang it. She didn’t know what types of tools and supplies they had on Xpashta.

Lathim picked up the picture and examined it. “This goes on the wall?”

“Yes. At home, I’d have put a nail in the wall to hang it, but since the walls are stone here… I don’t know if it can be hung up or not.”

“We have tools that will cut through the stones. I’m sure there’s a way to hang it. I’ll check on it tomorrow for you. Most of my people are retiring for the night, except those on duty.”

“It doesn’t even have to be as soon as tomorrow,” Maggie said. “I just liked the picture and thought it would be nice to have a few things surrounding me that reminded me of home. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Of course not.” He smiled. “This is your home now and I want you to be comfortable here. We’ll put up as many pictures as you want. There are probably others in the storage rooms.”

“You have more items from Earth?” she asked.

Lathim shrugged. “I’m not entirely certain what we have in that building. We take from pirates and they love to board human vessels, although I suspect that has more to do with the humans on board than the goods.”

“Why would they want the humans?” Maggie asked, her brow furrowed.

Lathim hesitated. “Human females are highly desired throughout the galaxies. It is rumored that they give the best pleasure and are easier to dominate than some of the other races. Male humans are usually ransomed to your Earth government, or killed outright.”

Maggie felt herself pale. “Sex slaves?”

“Yes, but that will never happen to you. I won’t let it. I would die to protect you, Maggie. It’s not something I say lightly.”

“Is that what would have happened to me if the pirates had found me? I suspected they would sell me, but I didn’t…” She swallowed hard. “Those female slaves on Alpha9. They were being sold as sex slaves, weren’t they?”

“Yes. Although, the more exotic ones might be kept as pets, so at least they would be spared the sexual attentions of their owners. Some males like to collect rare females and put them on display. Others buy them for their own personal harems. Those who are most unfortunate end up on worlds like Vaaden, where there are public harems. I suppose it’s like having a brothel on their planet instead of having to go off world to one.”

“I knew bad things happened to women in space, knew about the brothels where females were sold to service the customers, but it never really hit me that I could have ended up in such a place.”

Lathim took her hands in his, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “You’re safe with me, Maggie.”

She moved closer, her arms going around his waist. “You’ve made me feel safe since you found me in the cargo hold of my father’s ship. I’m glad you found me, Lathim. I don’t know what made you board my father’s ship, but if you hadn’t… I don’t think I could have hidden from the pirates for much longer, or I might have starved to death.”

“I should feed you. It’s getting late and you’ve had a long day.”

“Would you… would you kiss me?” she asked, her cheeks warming.

“I will gladly kiss you anytime you’d like.” He smiled as he lowered his head to hers, his lips brushing across hers in a gentle caress.

She reached up to thread her fingers through his hair, loving the tingles that shot through her. She’d been ready to surrender to him on his ship, before they were interrupted, and since then he’d kept his hands to himself. She’d asked for time and he was giving it to her. But she wanted his kiss, his touch. It scared her, thinking of letting him claim her completely, but her body warmed at the thought as well. He’d been so patient with her, so tender. No one had ever treated her as well as Lathim did.

Maggie didn’t know how to put her thoughts into words. She didn’t want a relationship just based on sex, and she worried if she slept with him too soon that’s what would happen. But she tried to remind herself that Lathim was an alien and a cyborg. The rules were different than if she were marrying a human man. Lathim didn’t think the same way as a human, and she doubted that he thought about a mating the same way. Yes, he’d said it was forever, but that didn’t mean he had to remain faithful. Did it? She’d seen the married members of her father’s crew cheat on their wives, screwing anything in a skirt. Part of her worried that if Lathim went back on the Mystic7, leaving her behind, that he would be tempted by another female while he was gone. She didn’t think she’d survive the betrayal.

Lathim pulled away, his gaze concerned as he stroked her cheek. “Something is bothering you. You ask for my kiss and yet you seem far away.”

“Just silly human thoughts.”

“Your thoughts and feelings aren’t silly. Not to me. Is something bothering you?” Lathim asked. “You can tell me anything. Do my… do my kisses not make you want to mate with me?”

Her cheeks warmed. “It’s not that. I do want to mate with you, but I’m scared. I’ve never done this before, never had a relationship, but I’ve seen so many of them destroyed because their wives weren’t enough for them. What if I’m not enough for you?”

A smile teased the corners of his lips. “How could you not be enough for me? You’re my heart, Maggie. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted, a precious gift that I shall cherish always. Don’t you know this?”

“N-not really.” She licked her lips. “I know you wanted a mate, but I was just convenient. You’d have accepted any woman you’d found on that ship.”

His arm tightened around her waist. “Is that what you think? That any female would do?”

“Isn’t it true?”

He released her and took a step back. “Perhaps you’re correct that we need more time to get to know one another. If you believe that I would accept any female, then there is much you don’t know about me.”

The hurt and anger in his eyes made her miserable. She hadn’t meant to upset him, and he’d said she could tell him anything. Maybe if she explained how things worked with her people he would understand. They didn’t just have the different races barrier, he was also part machine and she didn’t know how much that changed his thought process, or the way he felt about things or people.

“Lathim, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she said. “Where I come from, it’s not uncommon for the men to cheat on their mates. They also abuse them and treat them like property. I don’t know anything about you or your people. I don’t know how you’re similar to human men or how you’re different. Do you understand?”

He seemed to consider her words.

“Humans take time to get to know one another and we fall in love. That person becomes the most important thing in our lives and we would do anything for them. But my people don’t instantly fall in love with someone, not usually anyway. I’ve heard stories about love at first sight, but I don’t know if it’s true.” She held out a hand to him. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

He placed a hand on his chest. “When I saw you cowering in that box, how frightened you were, and how brave for avoiding the pirates, something shifted in here.” He patted his chest. “I wanted to protect you, to care for you. I decided that you were mine.”

Maggie decided they were having a language gap because she still didn’t understand. Was she like a puppy? Property? How could he just decide that she was going to be his? He couldn’t have known if they’d get along. What if they’d kissed and there hadn’t been a spark? Would he have claimed her as his mate anyway just because he’d decided that’s what would happen?

Lathim looked frustrated at her silence. “Do you not desire me then? Do you not wish to spend your life with me?”

Maggie bit her lip before responding. “No one has ever made me feel the way you do, and it scares me a little. I want to be with you, Lathim, I just worried that it meant something else to you. I didn’t know if you would be like the human men on my father’s ship and find pleasure elsewhere when you go on missions.”

He looked physically ill at the thought and reached for her, lightly touching her hair. “You’re mine, and I’m yours. We’re mates, Maggie, and mates are forever. It means there will be no other females in my bed but you. I don’t want anyone else.”

“I think… I think we’re saying we want the same thing. You won’t cheat on me and I’ll only be with you.”

He nodded.

“And you picked me because you felt something?” she asked uncertainly.

“Yes. I knew you were meant to be mine.”

Maggie wasn’t sure that she completely understood, but it seemed they were on the same page, and that was good enough. They’d learn to communicate better over time. Even though everyone who left Earth was equipped with a translator, some things probably didn’t translate well from his language to hers. She’d once told an alien that his clothes were cool and he’d looked perplexed and told her they didn’t lower his body temperature.

Her stomach rumbled and he placed a hand there. “I’ll prepare something to eat. Billok steaks with clarion root. It will be filling.”

She didn’t have any idea what a billok steak or a clarion root was, but she was starving and she’d try anything. Living on her father’s ship, she’d tried many alien cuisines over the years, but her father had always tried to purchase Earth rations when he could. They’d been hard to come by depending on the galaxy they were in, and were always pricey. Her planet was still primitive when it came to space travel, compared to the alien races in the surrounding galaxies.

Maggie followed Lathim to the kitchen and watched as he prepared their food. His kitchen was similar to the kitchen she remembered on Earth, with a stove of sorts that looked more like a large griddle and lots of counter space and cabinets. There was a stone block that she decided was like a refrigerator when she saw Lathim open it and pull out two large, blue steaks. She’d never had blue meat before, but he didn’t seem concerned by the color.

Lathim reached for some jars on the kitchen counter and gathered a few. He removed the lids and sprinkled seasonings on the meat. He boiled water in a pot and added what she assumed were the clarion roots. They were strange looking, misshapen things with a pinkish tinge to them. While he cooked, Lathim talked.

“We’ve only been on this planet for about ten years. That’s when the Cy-Con program was closed and we needed a new home.”

“You couldn’t remain on your world?” she asked.

“We were exiled. It worked out in the end. We’re relatively happy here, if a bit lonely. Bringing females to Xpashta will ease that loneliness. Maybe if they see that we make good mates, they’ll be content to settle here.”

“I’m sure they would be lucky to be claimed by your friends. If they’re half as nice as you, then I can’t imagine them being discontent. I like being with you, Lathim. Even just talking while you make dinner is nice, and maybe one day, you can tell me how to cook the food available on your world and I’ll be able to help.”

He nodded. “I don’t mind cooking for you while you settle into life here on my world, and even after. If you decide you don’t like cooking, I won’t ask you to do it. I’ve had to cook for myself for a long time, even before the Cy-Con program, so I don’t mind.”

“What exactly was the Cy-Con program?” she asked.

“They wanted a line of super soldiers. Hundreds of us either volunteered or were asked to join the program. They injected us with many things, and for a while we remained in a type of stasis while they operated. My bones were replaced with a dense metal, and some of my organs were replaced. They put transmitters in my head that allow me to communicate with any technology around me, amongst other things.”

“Didn’t it hurt, having all that done to you?” she asked.

“By the time we were awakened, our bodies had healed. It felt strange, being different from before. It took a year from the time I entered the program until I was considered active. I worked for the Zelranian parliament, going anywhere they ordered, for four years. Then their requests began to bother some of us. They no longer cared if women and children were hurt on our missions, and we decided we no longer wished to obey.”

“So you tried to overthrow your government?”

He seemed to think about it a moment before answering. “We gave them an ultimatum. In the end, we lost and were exiled from our world. They began to spread lies about us, making it impossible for us to find shelter on any nearby worlds, so we took the offered ships and went in search of our own planet to call home. There were rumors about an abandoned military base and we decided to claim it for ourselves.”

“An ultimatum?”

“We demanded to be freed from the program if they were going to force us to slaughter innocents. I suppose in a way we did win because we’re free from the Cy-Con program, but we were not allowed to return to our friends and families. We were exiled from the planet and left homeless. Some of us left mates behind, mothers, fathers. Those who were mated were first forced to have their mating revoked by the parliament before we were escorted to the ships that would take us from our loved ones for the final time.”

“So they gave you ships to use but wouldn’t let you say goodbye to your families or take the mates with you?” A horrifying thought occurred to her. “Did you leave a mate and children behind?”

“No. I was never mated. Even before the Cy-Con program I was a soldier, and while my role on Zelran was essential, I was not from what I believe you would call a good family, and not a desirable male for mating.”

“Why wasn’t your family considered good?” she asked.

“My father was imprisoned for crimes against the parliament and the citizens of Zelran. My mother took her life to avoid the shame. The females of my world worried that I would pass those genes on to our children.” He plated their food and studied her a moment. “Is this a concern of yours as well?”

“No. You’re a good male, Lathim, anyone can see that. And I know you’ll pass those qualities on to your children. I don’t know what crime your father committed, but I don’t believe you’re capable of doing something bad.”

He nodded and handed her the plate of food and a glass of juice. She followed him to a small ledge along the far wall with four stools. Lathim claimed the stool on the end and set his plate and glass on the ledge, and Maggie realized it was a bar for eating, much like the island she remembered in the kitchen of her childhood home. She took a tentative bite of the meat and was pleasantly surprised. It tasted like a cross between a deer and a cow. He’d mashed the roots and they tasted a little like cauliflower, but he’d seasoned them with something that gave the food a bit of bite.

“It’s really good,” she said, smiling.

“I’ll make different dishes over the next few days to see what you like and don’t like. Never hesitate to tell me if something is unappetizing. I want you to like the food here. We have some of your Earth chickens here if you’d like eggs tomorrow.”

She nodded and ate another bite of her dinner.

When they were finished, Lathim carried their dishes into the kitchen and placed them in a machine that Maggie assumed was a dishwasher. He pushed a button and then walked away. He hesitated only a moment before taking her hand and leading her back to their bedroom. The lights came on when they stepped inside, but Maggie noticed they were dimmer than the other rooms. She didn’t know if Lathim had programmed them that way or if all the homes were like that.

Maggie stood uncertainly near the doorway, even after the door slid shut. Lathim began removing his clothes and she wondered if he was going to strip completely bare like he had the other times they’d shared a bed. Was wearing pajamas only a human thing? He certainly didn’t seem shy about baring his body to her. When Maggie had unpacked, she’d noticed that she didn’t have pajamas. Did he expect her to sleep naked too?

He paused in his undressing and studied her. “Are you not ready to go to bed? I thought you might be tired.”

“Is there something I can sleep in?” she asked.

His brow furrowed and he looked at the bed.

“No, I mean something I can wear to bed,” she said.

“Humans wear clothing to sleep? Why?”

Her cheeks warmed. “We’re a little shy about showing our bodies to people. I know we’re mated, but we’re still strangers to each other. It’s awkward to be naked in front of you.”

Lathim approached, shirtless and with his pants undone, his feet bare. He stopped near enough that she felt the heat from his body. Maggie fidgeted, not knowing what to expect from him. His hands reached for her, skimming her curves and she shuddered at his touch, a bolt of longing surging through her. His caress was light, despite the possessive glint in his eyes.

“You’re beautiful, Maggie. If you’ll remember, I’ve already seen you bare, and I couldn’t take my eyes off you. I won’t take things farther than you’ll allow, but I want to hold you, to feel your skin pressed against mine.”

She felt her resolve weakening as his hands slid around her back and pulled her tight against his body. Her head tipped back and his lips descended, making her body heat from the inside out as her hands gripped his biceps. Lathim was strong, stronger than anyone she’d met before, and yet his touch was gentle every time he reached for her. His hands teased the hem of her shirt and she didn’t protest as he lifted it, his palms sliding against her skin.

“Let me pleasure you,” he said softly. “If that’s all you want, then we’ll stop there. I want to taste you, Maggie, everywhere.”

Her legs trembled and she worried they wouldn’t hold her as she hesitantly nodded her consent. He gave a soft growl as he stripped her shirt over her head, making her gasp. She held still, her eyes wide, as she waited to see what he would do next. Lathim reached for her sports bra tugging the material until her breasts were freed. He tossed the garment aside.

“I don’t like that thing,” he muttered.

She smiled and reached for her pants, shimmying out of them. When she was bare, she didn’t feel as self-conscious as she’d thought she would. His heated gaze caressed every dip and curve of her body before he reached for her again, lifting her into his arms and carrying her to the bed. He laid her down then stood back, admiring her, as if he could stare at her forever.

“Have you been with a human before?” she asked, remembering that he’d used brothels in the past.

“No, but I downloaded information pertaining to human anatomy and clips of humans of having sex so I’ll know how to please you.” He frowned. “Do human females really like it when males shove their cocks down their throats and yell at them to take it all?”

She bit back a laugh, realizing he must have found some porn clips. “No. Those videos are for entertainment purposes only. Most human females don’t really enjoy that, although I’m sure there are those who do.”

“And you prefer my cock only in your pussy and not in your other hole?”

Her cheeks flamed. “I’ve obviously never tried that, but for now, let’s just stick with doing things the regular way.”

He nodded and ran his hands up and down her legs before kneeling at the foot of the bed. Lathim watched her as he spread her thighs and lowered his face toward her. Her breath hitched in her throat and she moaned as he buried his nose against her and his tongue flicked out to taste her. He lapped at her slit before spreading her wide and sucking lightly on her clit. Maggie nearly came off the bed at the contact and her heart hammered in her chest.

“Did I do that wrong?” Lathim asked, looking up at her in concern.

“No. So very, very right.”

He chuckled and went back to his task. His lips were firm and his tongue hot and wet as he teased and tormented her. Lathim flicked his tongue against her clit in a quick rhythm that had her screaming his name as she shattered, stars bursting behind her closed eyelids and panting for breath. Her world felt like it had been turned upside down, but in the best of ways. Despite her body throbbing from her force of her release, she still ached and felt empty.

“Maggie, we can stop now, or we can keep going,” he said, rising to his feet.

She stared at him through heavy-lidded eyes, her gaze caressing him, and she knew what she wanted. “Keep going.”

He nodded and reached for his pants, sliding them down his thighs and kicking them out of the way. Maggie’s eyes widened as she took in the length and width of his cock. She’d never seen one before, but she didn’t think he looked like a human male. The shaft was ribbed and there were three slits at the top. He looked from her to his cock and back to her again.

“There’s nothing to fear, Maggie. I won’t hurt you.”

“I’ve heard it always hurts the first time.”

His brows dipped and a fearsome expression crossed his face. “I won’t hurt you.”

“Lathim, I just meant that if you do, it can’t be helped. It’s my first time and I’ve heard there will be pain and blood.”

His face paled a little. “I’ll make you bleed if I mate with you?”

Maggie crawled onto her knees and inched down the bed toward him. He backed up a step, putting more space between them, looking horrified that he could hurt her during sex. It showed her that he did care for her at least a little.

“Lathim, it’s fine. I knew it would happen whenever I finally had sex. It’s normal for human women on their first time.”

He shook his head and held up a hand. “Get under the covers. I’m going to talk to one of the medics. There has to be something that can be done to take away the pain. I refuse to harm you.”

“But…”

Before she could utter another word, he stormed into the next room, a determined look on his face. Maggie sighed and crawled under the covers and waited. Sooner or later he’d have to return, right? After all, he’d left the room naked so she didn’t think he was going very far. As the minutes ticked by, she began to worry, but not enough to get out of bed naked. What if there was someone else in the house? Burrowing further under the blankets, she decided to wait and see what happened.