Her quarters were empty. The office she used for work was unoccupied. Solan had checked every single training room. There was no sign of Vegas.

Solan stomped around his quarters, the room feeling too small and the air cold. After his encounter with Boros, he’d been in a rage. His violent outburst must have scared Vegas away.

Solan shook his head. Vegas knew better than that. He was a Galaxar. He couldn’t change what he was. When something he wanted was harmed or put in danger, he would protect it. It didn’t matter to him that she was yet to acknowledge their commitment to each other.

“You can’t think of anywhere else she might be?” Padam sat on the couch, watching Solan stride around.

“There is nowhere else. She can’t simply have vanished.”

“You don’t think Boros got to her?”

Solan growled. “He wouldn’t have the courage to try to take her. He knows I have a claim. We are to fight for the right to have Vegas.”

“Boros isn’t bothered about claims on things,” Padam said. “Do you remember when he stole the Retar metal shipment? It didn’t bother him that it was owned by someone else. I imagine he feels the same now he’s found a mate he desires.”

“He does not deserve to be a brigadier. He should be stripped of his rank.” Galaxars admired loyalty. Boros’s behavior was anything but loyal. He thought of himself first and the material gains he would receive.

“You should sit down,” Padam said. “Don’t forget you were stabbed.”

“The wounds do not bother me. They have been treated.” Solan didn’t care that Boros’s guards had stabbed him. The wounds were well on the way to healing, thanks to the nano-med patches carried on the station. It was a common technology used on his own planet and meant any battle wounds could heal in hours as opposed to weeks.

Padam leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “Have you considered that you need to approach Vegas in a different manner?”

“Different how?” Solan continued to pace.

“Humans are different from the females we are used to. I have watched all the info pods provided by My Single Alien. Some of their behaviors and habits are bizarre. You need to be more accommodating to the way Vegas feels.”

“Vegas is a stubborn, reckless human. She is refusing to see the benefits of our match. How can I accommodate that?”

“You could try wooing her.”

Solan slowed his pacing. The universal translator chewed on the word. “What is wooing?”

“We watched info pods with examples of wooing,” Padam said. “Giving pieces of bread to feathered creatures. Holding hands. Taking long walks in the park. Eating together, followed by dancing or mating. Have you suggested any of this to Vegas?”

“I should not need to do all of those things for her to see what an advantageous match this would be.”

“Yet she is still resisting you,” Padam said. “Perhaps you could try some of them. Some even look fun, the dancing in particular.”

Solan shook his head. “I have made a mistake. I was distracted by her fertility when we first met. I was overcome by the scent of her ripeness. My judgment is in error.”

“You no longer want Vegas?” Padam stood from the couch. “I thought you’d convinced yourself she was the right mate for you?”

“You would have made the same mistake if you had been actively seeking a mate,” Solan said. “She was tempting and was very soft when I touched her. That did not make me think wisely.”

“There is a human saying I have heard,” Padam said. “It says that sometimes men think with their genitals rather than their heads. Is that what has happened here?”

“My genitalia does not do the thinking for me.”

“Maybe it does when you’re around Vegas.”

“If that is the case, there will be other fertile females for my genitals to encounter. My attention can shift to that female. I will forget all about Vegas.” Despite saying the words, Solan didn’t find the idea of another female appealing. He’d read the file about his chosen mate, Melissa. She looked physically appealing. She was gainfully employed, and she was fertile. She sounded ideal. He’d read her information several times and felt nothing. Not the faintest stir of attraction. Every time he’d tried to imagine himself with this other woman, irritating images of Vegas filtered through his mind, what she would look like naked and on her back and her expression when she rode him.

“You’re giving up on Vegas?” Padam asked. “You seemed so certain about her.”

“I’m not anymore. I need to find myself another female. I will spend time with her and forget about Vegas.”

“What about your chosen mate?”

“She is not available. She is on a course to learn how to fly.”

“She sounds ambitious.”

“She sounds busy. I want a female who can dedicate herself to me.”

“While you’re out saving the galaxy?” Padam scratched his nose. “Don’t you think she’ll get bored sitting in your den waiting for you to return?”

“She will have our squibs to keep her occupied.”

“Human women like to do more than rear their young. They have jobs and friends.”

“Then they are neglectful.”

“You might not want to say that to your future match.”

“I will pick someone who wants to do only that.”

“Not even Galaxar women want to do that.”

“Our historical records show that is exactly what they used to do.”

“Not anymore. Maybe they also tired of a life of infant rearing. Our women are excellent fighters.”

Solan shrugged. “A woman who fights puts herself at risk.”

“As she does when she joins with us. Vegas has seen your temper. That might be the reason she is avoiding you.”

“I am not the problem.”

Padam shook his head. “I’m not sure this is a good idea. I’ve never seen you like this before.”

“Like what?” Solan fixed his sharp gaze on his friend.

“Well, if the info pods are accurate, you’re acting as if you are in love.”

Solan snorted. “That’s nonsense. I barely know Vegas. We have corresponded remotely, and I have seen her image on info pods on numerous occasions. This is the first time we have met. Love would be impossible. It is not the Galaxar way.”

“I know that,” Padam said. “But this is the first time you have mated with a human. Remember, it’s going to be different. We are going to be different. Once we mate with a female human, things will change.”

“They shouldn’t have to,” Solan snarled. “We are Galaxars first and foremost. Any squibs we have, we raise to be warriors. They will not be as physically strong as us, but they will be smart and fast. They will be more Galaxar than human.”

Concern crossed Padam’s face. “If you don’t want Vegas or your chosen match, what do you want?”

“To find another female. Let’s return to the station bar. There were many females there. I will find a fertile one and make use of her.”

Padam shook his head. “What about your match? You should give her a chance. You’ve not even met. Maybe she’s only learning to fly to kill time and give her something to do until she becomes the mother of your squibs.”

“I am not ready for that step,” Solan said. “I need to remove these annoying thoughts of Vegas. She needs to be out of my head before I commit myself to my mate.”

“You think finding another fertile female is going to do that?”

“It is something I am willing to try.” Solan strode to the door. “Do you wish to accompany me? Or do you have more info pods to watch?”

Padam shrugged and followed him. “I’m not going to miss this. But I think you’re making a mistake.”

“Don’t forget I’m your superior,” Solan said. “I never make mistakes.”

“Yes, Colonel,” Padam muttered. “But, off the record, you’re being an idiot.”

Solan ignored the comment as they walked through the corridors and back to the station bar. This had to be the right move. Vegas was ignoring him, and he needed a distraction, a way to forget about her. This would be it. He’d find some company for the evening, enjoy himself, maybe drink a few too many of those strange tasting meads. In the morning, he would be ready to move on. Vegas would be out of his head forever.

The bar was busier than the last time they’d been in. Loud music pumped through the speakers surrounding the bar. The scent of so many females was overwhelming as Solan made his way toward the bar with Padam. He was hit with the smell of artificial flowers and the sweet scent of vanilla. There was a lot of human flesh on display. He didn’t find the sight displeasing.

“Two meads,” Solan ordered from the barman.

“Coming right up.”

Padam leaned against the bar and looked around. “You’ve got plenty of ladies to choose from. Is any female taking your eye?”

“They smell so intense.” Solan didn’t bother to look around the bar. Now he was here, he doubted himself. He shook his head. This was the distraction he needed. This was the right thing to do.

The drinks arrived, and he took a large sip before forcing himself to turn and survey the females.

The crowd in the bar was a mixture of alien and human. Several human females were already being extra-friendly to some aliens. That was a good sign he would find what he needed.

Padam nudged him. “She’s attractive. I like the red curls. It’s exotic.”

Solan nodded as he admired the figure of a curvaceous human female with a cloud of red hair. Her face was brightly painted and her breasts pushed up, the nipples almost exposed. He focused on her scent and then shook his head. “She is not fertile.”

“It has to be a fertile female?”

“That is the only reason I’m attracted to Vegas. Her fertility is at its peak. We need to find a fertile human.”

“I might be what you’re looking for.”

Solan turned his head in the direction of the female voice. A tall, slender brunette with brilliant blue eyes smiled at him.

“Why don’t you take a sniff of me, sweetheart?”

Solan lowered his glass. His gaze ran over the human’s body. He preferred his women softer looking, but this one was not without her appeal. Her legs were long and toned and her small breasts were attractively framed in a tight black dress.

“Do you like what you see?” She stepped closer and ran a finger down his arm.

Solan cupped a hand around the back of her neck and leaned closer, inhaling her scent. He smelled a mixture of fruity shampoo mingled with her pheromones. She did have a whiff of fertility about her, but there was something else, a smell he didn’t recognize. She wasn’t in her prime and wouldn’t be fully fertile for several days. Perhaps this was what he needed though. He could spend a few days with this female and enjoy himself. Her fertility would peak, along with his own desire, blotting out all memories of Vegas.

“Am I suitable?” Laughter traced through the woman’s words.

“Ramona, don’t go bothering these nice Galaxars,” Olid, the barman, said. “You know they’re not here for your kind of attention.”

“All males want my kind of attention.” Ramona pulled herself up straight and scowled at the barman. “I wouldn’t be here if they didn’t.”

Olid laughed and nudged Padam. “Ramona will spend time with you if you pay. Don’t be fooled by the way she smells. She fakes her pheromones to make her more attractive to certain aliens.”

“Shut it, Olid,” Ramona said. “I do no such thing. I’m all natural.”

“Just like your unlined forehead.”

Solan stared at the female. There had been something odd about her scent. He sniffed her again. The barman was right. There was an artificial tang to her fertility. He shook his head. “I do not wish to spend any time with you.”

“You Galaxars are all the same,” Ramona said. “You’re so uptight. There’s never any fun to be had with you.”

“We are not here to have fun,” Solan said. “We are here to breed.”

Padam leaned over to him. “I thought we were here to have fun. Isn’t that what this is all about, you finding a distraction? You don’t need to find a female to breed with. You should find one to have fun with and take your mind off... things.”

“You should listen to your friend,” Ramona said. “I’m all about fun. For the right price, you can have any kind of fun you want with me.”

“Do I need to call security again?” Olid asked.

“Wind your head in. A woman has to make money. I’m not the only one doing it.” Ramona flashed her gaze around the bar. “You’ll lose half your customers if you throw me out.”

“I’m not throwing you out; you just need to be more discreet,” Olid said. “Don’t try selling yourself to someone standing right at the bar with me in earshot. If I don’t know what’s going on, I can’t report you. But when you get too sassy, I have no choice. I’ll lose my license if I break too many station rules.”

Ramona raised her hands in a gesture of submission. “I’m out of here, anyway. Too many time wasters in tonight.” She glared at Solan and Padam before stalking away on high black heels.

“She would have been perfect for you.” Padam drained half his glass of mead. “She wasn’t looking for a long-term thing, she was attractive, and she wanted to show you a good time. That was everything you asked for.”

“For a price,” Solan said. “I’ve never had to pay for services before.”

“But we’re playing a different game now. You don’t want anyone to grow attached to you. You want fun. Perhaps you need to pay for that fun.”

“I’d advise you not to pay for it with Ramona,” Olid said as he filled two glasses with foaming beer. “She’s been known to get unhealthily attached to her customers. If you’re looking for easy, no strings pleasure, then you need to look elsewhere.”

“You see,” Solan said. “I was right about her.”

“More like you’re looking for an excuse not to find someone else.”

“I do not understand.”

“You’re looking for a reason to remain fixated on Vegas.”

“I fixate on no woman.”

Olid barked a laugh. “You’re into Vegas Munro? Good luck with that.”

Solan turned his attention to the barman. “You know her?”

“Sure. Everyone knows Vegas.”

“You think she has a reason not to like me?”

Padam grabbed his drink. “I’m assuming you’ve met yourself?”

Solan scowled at him. “You are acquiring too many irritating human traits.”

Padam shrugged. “It’s good to assimilate.”

Olid swiped the bar with a cloth. “Vegas is a career woman. She sees My Single Alien as her baby. She’s not going to let it go for a few nights in the sack with someone. She wants it all.”

“What is all?”

“Love. Romance. Devotion. Isn’t that what all human females want? I’ll lend you copies of my Earth movie collection. It explains everything. Earth women are hard to please because they have high expectations of love. Blame Hollywood.”

Solan growled. He would find this Hollywood and have a few words with him. “I have tried all of that. Vegas still rejected me.”

“Then you need to try harder if you really want her.” Olid moved away to serve another customer.

“Or find someone who is easier to please.” Solan’s gaze slid around the bar. For all the attractive females in there, they left him cold.

“If you don’t want to enjoy yourself tonight, I’m going to have some fun.” Padam downed his drink. “I’ve got my eye on that cute redhead.” He pushed away from the bar and walked over to her.

Solan attempted to muster enthusiasm. The human women in here were fine; he should at least sample one. His gaze settled on every dark-haired woman. He growled to himself under his breath. He was looking for someone who looked like Vegas. What was wrong with him? It was as if she’d infected him with an illness, and he couldn’t shake free of it. He was sick. It was all her fault.

He’d get drunk tonight. Enough alcohol would skew his thoughts and help him forget. Solan was turning to the bar to order another round of drinks when he spotted Heather. She had a bag in her hand, and her cheeks were flushed. He watched as her frantic gaze zoomed around the bar. She saw him and ran over.

“I’m so glad I found you,” Heather gasped out a breath as she reached his side.

“Is there a problem?”

“Vegas has been arrested.”

Solan’s eyebrows rose. “What has she done?”

“Nothing bad. We were trying to leave,” Heather said.

Padam walked over. The smile on his face faded as he saw Heather. “What’s going on?”

“Heather was telling me Vegas has been arrested.” Solan forced himself to look disinterested.

“Who arrested her?” Padam asked.

“Station security,” Heather said. “We need to get her out before we miss our ride out of here.”

“You’re leaving?” Padam’s expression grew concerned. “Where are you going?”

Heather clapped her hands to her cheeks. “I’m not sure. Our dreadful boss basically sold Vegas to Boros. We had to escape before he laid claim to her.”

Solan growled. The thought made him sick. But Vegas didn’t want him, and he didn’t want her. His head was a mess thanks to that infuriating human. Perhaps Boros could tame her.

Padam glanced at Solan. “I take it Vegas doesn’t want to be sold to Boros?”

“She hates him,” Heather said. “It was why we were leaving. Vegas was arranging a ride for us. I got to the docking bay and saw the guards detaining her. I slipped away before they noticed me. Solan, you have to help.”

“Miss Munro has made it clear she does not require my help.” Solan turned toward the bar and gestured for more drinks. “She told me she doesn’t need me. Vegas does not want to be my mate. I cannot protect her if she is not my mate.”

“You have to,” Heather said. “She’s being held prisoner. Diadora is determined to sell her to Boros. From what I’ve learned of Boros, he is a horrible Galaxar. He’ll force himself on her and make her do things she doesn’t want to do. She won’t be his mate; she’ll be his captive.”

“We should assist,” Padam said. “We both know what Boros is like.”

“No. Vegas does not want me in her life.” Solan took the full glass of mead Olid gave him. He took a sip. It did nothing to calm his stomach. “She needs no assistance. She does not want me.”

“Don’t believe a word Vegas says when it comes to love. She’s always saying daft things,” Heather said. “She doesn’t mean it, well, not most of the time. Vegas is used to being on her own and doing things her own way.”

“She is stubborn,” Solan said.

“I know someone like that,” Padam said. “You need to help Vegas. Galaxars have a duty to help the weak.”

“I wouldn’t say we’re weak,” Heather said.

Padam smiled at her indulgently. “You are so cute when you’re mad. Cute but weak.”

Heather flushed. “Solan, we need to get Vegas out of the cell before it’s too late.”

“I need to do nothing you tell me,” Solan said.

Padam’s smile faded. “We should help Vegas. It’s only right.”

Solan’s shoulders tightened. “You’re forgetting yourself, Padam.”

“I know my place. You’re the one who’s lost his way.” Padam grabbed hold of Solan’s arm and yanked him around. “You care about this human.”

“Time serving as a foot soldier will remind you how to respect Galaxar hierarchy.” Solan shoved Padam in the chest and sent him sprawling backward.

“Solan, you can’t abandon Vegas.” Heather planted herself in front of him. “She needs you.”

Padam grabbed hold of Heather’s shoulders and moved her to the side. “Stay out of this. When Solan gets angry, he has a hard time controlling himself.”

Solan’s anger spiraled through him. Everything he’d held back, his frustrations with Vegas, Boros’s challenge to fight for her, the way Vegas’s scent made him crazy with desire, flooded his veins like lava. “Are you challenging me?”

Padam slammed a fist into Solan’s face. “I guess I am.”