Nick watched his mate sail out of bed and rush to the assistance of her amorous robot, her hair floating out behind her in the low gravity.

Nick knew better than to be jealous of an origami drone. He knew the very idea was laughable, but it was hard not to let his frustration get the best of him when she was running to another admirer just as he had declared his intentions.

And it wasn’t the only thing that was hard.

He rolled out of bed and snagged a pair of pants from the closet to the right of the driftwood bench.

Don’t rush her, he told himself as he pulled them on. This is a new idea to her. Whatever she thought you were going to say, it wasn’t that you wanted to be hers for life.

But there had been something in her eyes, a spark of recognition when he’d asked if she felt it too.

“I’m so sorry,” she was saying as he entered the living room.

The little drone buzzed around the perimeter of the room importantly.

“I did my duty,” BFF20 announced. “I attempted to lead the creature off course. Then, of course, I found you again.”

“How did you find us?” Raina asked.

“Finding you was the easy part, there’s a tracker in your wristband,” BFF20 explained. “It was getting in here that posed a problem. And of course I was very concerned for you.”

“Don’t worry,” Raina said. “Nick had a secret weapon for fighting that thing off.”

“I’m sure he did,” the little drone said disdainfully. “I was concerned that you would run out of oxygen. Why did it take you so long to turn on the ventilation?”

Nick cursed himself inwardly. His own body could adapt to lower oxygen and heat, but Raina’s human form was delicate. She could survive only within a fairly narrow range of conditions. He had nearly failed his mate on the day of their meeting.

“We were fighting off a monster,” Raina said lightly.

“Well, it’s a good thing you thought of it, eventually,” BFF20 said. “You need oxygen and I was able to find a way in through the ductwork.”

“That was very clever,” Raina told the droid.

He sailed madly around the room, emitting a low whistle of happiness at the compliment.

Raina turned her happy smile on Nick and he thought he might start whistling too.

“Looks like we’re all back together again,” Raina said.

Nick fought the urge to embrace her. He smiled back and nodded at her instead.

“Wait,” BFF20 said, wheeling to a halt at the door to the bedroom. “There’s something in there.”

Nick stepped between Raina and the door instinctively.

“What is it?” he asked the drone.

“I’m not sure,” BFF20 admitted. “But I’m getting a low-level reading. It’s faint enough I didn’t catch it until I got close to the door. What’s back there?”

Nick opened his mouth and closed it again.

“Um, a bedroom,” Raina said softly.

“I see,” BFF20 said stiffly.

Nick resisted the urge to tell the little robot that nothing had happened.

Then he reprimanded himself inwardly. It’s just a drone. And she’s my mate.

“Let’s check it out,” Raina said.

“I’ll check it out,” Nick said. “You stay here.”

“Like fun I will,” she retorted. “I want to see what’s back there.”

She opened the door before he could argue.

BFF20 hovered close to the ceiling, moving slowly across the room. He scanned from the doorway to the back wall.

When the drone’s light hit the driftwood bench he stopped, then hovered closer.

“I just opened the closet on the right to get these pants,” Nick said.

Raina gave him a glare and he shrugged back at her.

“It’s the one on the left,” BFF20 said. “It’s not a closet.”

The little robot floated down to the knob.

“Raina, you should wait in the other room,” he chirped.

“I’m not getting pushed around by a chauvinistic robot,” Raina said. “Open it, or I will.”

Nick choked back his argument. Secretly, he was proud of her bravery, even if it pained him to see her vulnerable human form exposed to danger.

BFF20 whirred and slapped down the knob and the door hissed before opening.

“Another seal,” Raina breathed.

The back panel of the closet slid to one side.

The little drone’s light illuminated a bright path into a hidden room on the other side of the closet door. All he could see from where he stood was a section of deep blue wall and carpet.

Whatever was inside wasn’t meant to be found by just anyone.

BFF20 flew in and Nick followed, offering Raina a hand that she brushed away as she climbed in.

Raina took a few steps inside and gasped.

Nick leaped in after her, whirling into a crouch, ready to shift to protect her.