Torel had read enough documentation on the mating bond to know how to temporarily mute the connection between himself and Haley: liquor. It had taken two drinks to start working, but he was finally free of it, at least for now. It wouldn’t stop the Scorching from returning, though. Soon, he’d have to face Haley again, and he had no idea how to make her understand how wrong he’d been about their bond, and how much he wanted her to stay. He also needed to convince her there was no nefarious plot to trick any female into going back to Pyros. Until he figured how to do all that, he was staying in the officers’ lounge, comfortably ensconced at the end of the bar. The servo-droid kept his glass full, the lounge was almost empty, and he had relative silence to come up with a plan.

The silence was broken when a familiar voice sounded from behind him. “I’d call you out for drinking while on duty, but I happen to know you’re not supposed to be on duty right now, so what’s with the uniform?” Commander Kash Denza appeared to his right. He was out of uniform and smiling, something he did a lot more of since he’d found his mate and accepted the mating bond.

“I got called in for an emergency. Keth wasn’t reviving from stasis, and it was looking like he might not survive.”

“I heard he’s awake now, though. No one told me that was your doing.” Kash gestured around them, his sweeping hand taking in everything from the lone droid serving drinks, to the near empty room, and the vista of stars visible outside the viewports. “It also doesn’t explain why you’re here, drinking instead of spending time with your mate.”

“She’s not pleased with me right now. She uh, requested I leave our quarters.”

Kash tried, and failed, to suppress a chuckle as he took the seat next to Torel. “Things not going well?”

Torel drained his glass. “She read my research notes while I was away, and when I returned, she accused me, and all of Pyros, of lying to her people. She thinks we want to use the human females as breeders.”

“Did you explain? Where the flames did she even get such a notion?” Kash stared at him. “What was in those notes of yours?”

“She didn’t give me a chance to explain. Haley can’t read Pyrosian, so she had the ship’s computer translate. I believe the computer wasn’t up to the task and made some errors. While she was expressing her outrage, she became sufficiently upset that she triggered her ability to summon fire, and after that…” Torel shrugged and gestured for the droid to refill his glass.

Kash burst out laughing. “I remember how that went for Gwen and me. At least there were no fire alarms triggered this time, and no one was doused in foam. I would have gotten a report if that had happened.”

“How did you convince Gwen to stay after that happened? I was there, I saw how unhappy she was. Haley is angry right now, and I have no idea how to make her listen.”

Kash shook his head. “The first thing you need to understand is that you can’t make her do anything. You and I are used to giving orders and having them obeyed without question. That isn’t going to happen with your mate. Flames, Joran’s heir to the throne and not even he can tell Maggie what to do.”

“They really aren’t like Pyrosian females, are they?”

This time, Kash laughed so hard a small group of officers at the far side of the room turned to look over at them. “They’re exactly like our females. Do you think your second in command would blindly obey her mate? I know my mother doesn’t. My father might command armies and have the ear of the king himself, but he wouldn’t dare try and order my mother around, and she’d set the house on fire if he tried.”

“Then why don’t the males matched to Pyrosian females have these problems?”

“Because our females know what will happen when they meet their true mates. It’s part of our culture, taught to both male and female younglings in the learning centers and in everyday life. Human cultures are very different. They are far more diverse, and none of them have anything like the Scorching.”

None of this was news to him, but somehow, having Kash say it aloud helped put things in perspective. Torel stared into his drink and muttered, “You didn’t used to be this socially aware.”

“My mate has taught me a great deal. After witnessing some of the challenges that arose with this new round of matches, she suggested we teach our males even more about human culture. She also wants to us to be more open about the Scorching and all that it entails. The princess agrees with her.”

“If that’s the case, then the next group to come here will no doubt be better informed, as will the humans.”

Kash sighed. “We’re not coming back here for a while. It’s too dangerous. The ones who attacked the Gathering are either dead or captured, but their leaders have not been found, yet. Until we can be sure it’s safe, there will be no more Gatherings.”

“Flames. I told Haley that if she wished, she could return to Earth, and I would visit her during our next Gathering. Are you telling me that isn’t going to happen? She’s going to think I lied to her about that, too.”

“How can that be?” Kash asked, perplexed. “You’re linked, aren’t you? Even if the link is weak, she should be able to sense when you are telling the truth.”

“The link is one-sided. I have been able to sense her for some time now, but she cannot sense me. At first, I hoped it was a sign our bond was weak enough we could continue on as if we were never mated. The only reason she agreed to any of this was because I promised her it didn’t have to permanent.”

“If she manifested her ability to manipulate fire today, maybe the bond was slow to develop, too?” Kash shrugged his big shoulders. “This is your field, not mine.

“Maybe. It’s another area I need to study. There’s so much we don’t know about the humans and how they react to the activation of their Pyrosian genes.”

“Worry about your research later. For now, you need to focus on your mate. Your bond is strong, right? How’s she feeling? Is she calmer?”

Torel pointed to his half-empty glass. “I have no idea. Alcohol suppresses the link. Her anger and guilt were making it impossible for me to think clearly.”

Kash pushed Torel’s glass out of reach. “So that’s why you’re drinking. The liquor isn’t helping you think clearly, though.”

“True,” Torel agreed. “And I’m running out of time to think of a plan to win her over.”

Kash glanced behind him and grinned. “You’re right. In fact, I’d say your time is up.” He rose from his chair and clapped Torel on the shoulder. “Remember, you can’t make her do anything, but you can tell her what you want, and why. Don’t forget the why.”

Torel turned and spotted Haley coming towards him. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and he damned himself a fool for leaving her alone, even if that was what she’d asked him to do. If they got through this, if he found a way to convince her to stay with him, he would do better in future.

Kash called to the handful of officers still in the lounge as he walked. “All of you, come with me. The lounge is closed for the next hour. Take your drinks.” As the others scrambled to their feet, he leaned in and said something to Haley in a voice pitched too low to hear. Whatever the commander said, it made her smile for a moment before she squared her shoulders and marched over to Torel.

In the brief seconds he had before she reached him, he rose to his feet and sent a silent prayer to the Gods for help. He would need it.

Haley walked through the door into some sort of recreational area. The walls were painted a deep burgundy, with mosaic-like patterns breaking up the straight stretches of colour here and there. There were tables and chairs for several dozen beings, though only a single table was in use at the moment. There were large viewports, like the one in Torel’s quarters, set into the far wall, and to her left was a long sweep of counter with a droid operating behind it. Two men were at the counter. One was Torel, and the other was a hulking bruiser of a man with a scarred face. He said something to Torel, laughed and then came straight towards her. As he moved, he started barking orders in Pyrosian to the handful of crewmembers in the room. She didn’t know what he said, but it got the others moving fast.

She wasn’t sure what this big male wanted, but as he got closer, he gave her a lopsided smile, then leaned in close and spoke in almost unaccented English. “Torel’s a good male, and he cares deeply for you. I hope you two can work it out, but if not, try not to set the place on fire, okay?”

“I’ll do my best, but I make no promises.”

His smile broadened. “You sound like my Gwen. I annoyed her so much she set fire to our quarters the first time her powers manifested. We worked through our differences then. I hope you can do the same.”

She offered him a hopeful smile. “So do I.”

He nodded and moved on. A few seconds later, she and Torel were alone.

He was on his feet by the time she reached him, and the moment she was in range, he reached for her, then stopped. “May I?”

She closed the gap between them in a single leap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and squeezing him tight. “Yes.”

“This is a better reception than I expected.” He folded her into his arms and buried his face in her hair.

“I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you before. I get it now. The bond finally kicked in for me.”

“It did?” His voice was so full of hope it made her heart swell. “So, if I swore to you that I am not trying to use your race as breeders, you’d know I was telling the truth?”

“I can do that? How?”

He stroked a hand down her back, pulling her in closer. “You can. Just close your eyes and focus on the bond while I speak. I’ll show you the difference by telling you a lie, first.”

“Okay.”

“I want you to go back to Earth instead of staying with me.”

She immediately felt the disconnect between his words and his emotions, followed by the impact of what he was telling her.

“You want me to stay?”

“He lifted his head and cupped a hand under her chin, lifting her head so their gazes met. “I do.” She could feel the truth of his statement resonate deep in her heart.

“And you swear to me there’s no trickery or coercion going on?”

“There’s no trickery. No plot. No one is being used as a breeder. What you read was a bad translation of my notes. If you wish, I’ll arrange for you to have the cognitive upgrade, so you can speak and write Pyrosian. Then you’ll be able to understand my notes yourself…though I make no promises about my handwriting.”

There was no sign of deception, not even the slightest disconnect. She breathed a sigh of relief. This bonding thing had its advantages. “I believe you.”

“Thank the Gods.”

“I’m not sure we should be thanking them, yet. They haven’t exactly been gentle with us.”

“They have not,” he agreed. His thumb stroked over her cheek, and then he bowed his head to kiss her. It was a tender kiss, slow and sweet and full of promise, and as his mouth claimed hers, she could feel his emotions, too. It was even more intoxicating than the raw need of the Scorching. She kissed him back, craving the comfort of his touch and this time she knew it was more than hormones fueling her desire.

It was Torel who broke the kiss first, lifting his head with obvious reluctance. “Before we do that again, there’s something else I need to tell you.”

“Good or bad?” she asked.

“That depends on whether you decide to stay on Earth. When I told you I could come and visit whenever we returned for another Gathering, I didn’t know my prince and his advisors had decided there will not be any more Gatherings until the danger passes.”

The decision wasn’t surprising. If she’d been thinking clearly, she would have come to the same conclusion. Her people needed more time and more information about their new allies, and even then, there would be those who feared change too much to ever accept their new reality. “So, if I go with you, I won’t be coming back for a while?”

“It would be best to assume so,” he replied, then blinked, his mouth falling open. “You’re considering going with me?”

His reaction flowed through her, a heady mix of confusion and delight. “I am. In case you haven’t sensed it yet, I care about you, Tor. That’s really why I was so uh, volatile earlier. I loved my husband deeply, and when he died, I swore I would never let myself be hurt like that again. Then you came along and…I was scared and confused.”

“I care about you, too.” His expression turned sheepish. “I should make another confession, now. I may have imbibed enough liquor to temporarily suppress the link between us.”

“You drowned me out with booze? Why?”

“I could feel your anger, fear, and hurt. I shouldn’t have left you when you were feeling that way, but you ordered me to go. It was the only way I could give you the space you requested. Feeling your pain made me want to go to you, and that’s not what you wanted.” He kissed her again. “Besides, I needed time to make a plan and find a way to get you to stay with me.”

“Did you come up with one?”

“Not really. All I know is how I feel about you, my otama. You are the brightest star in my sky, the one my life will orbit around forever. I don’t know how to go back to the way I was before we met. I’m not even sure I can.” He touched his chest, over his heart. “You’re part of me, now.”

“And you’re part of me.” She placed her hand over his. “I don’t think we can go back, even if we wanted to.”

“If you come with me, I will do my best to ensure you never regret your choice,” he vowed.

“I’m sure we’re going to have moments both of us question our choices. I don’t know what the future will bring, but I do know this: I’d rather take my chances on a future with you than to face a life without you in it.”

He nodded and then uttered something in Pyrosian, every word accompanied by a powerful swell of emotions. When he was done, he spoke again, this time in English. “I vow, by the Flames of the First One, to protect my mate from all who would do her harm. She will be my beloved, my lover, and my most cherished companion from now until we return to the Flame that birthed us.”

There was a lump in her throat and tears in her eyes by the time he finished. Not only because the words were beautiful, but because she knew he meant every syllable.

“Until we return to the Flame that birthed us,” she said, staring up into his golden eyes.

He growled her name, his fingers spearing into her hair as he kissed long and hard. The fires of the Scorching roared back to life, searing them both. He lifted her off her feet, his tongue plunging into her mouth to twine with hers. He walked away from the bar, and the next thing she knew he set her down in an empty space near the outer wall with one of the larger viewports at his back.

“Aren’t we going back to our room?” she asked.

“That would take too long.” He gripped the collar of her shirt and tore it, baring her to the waist in one toe-curlingly sexy move.

“But the door locks.”

“So does this one. Computer, lock the door to the officer’s lounge and dim the lights by eighty percent.”

“Those orders require a security override,” the computer informed him.

He snarled several words in Pyrosian and the computer complied. When the lights went out, the view went from beautiful to breathtaking.

It was nighttime on whatever continent was currently racing by beneath them, though she could still pick out glowing constellations and rivers of light marking the various cities they flew over. In the distance, ribbons of blue and green light danced, filling the room with an ever-changing kaleidoscope of colours that flickered across her bare skin like a living rainbow.

she cooed in delight at the spectacle. “So beautiful.”

He didn’t even look out the window. His eyes never left her as he started stripping off the rest of her clothes. “Yes, you are.”

When she was naked, he started on his own clothes, but when she tried to help he shook his head and moved around behind her. “You stay right where you are and enjoy the view.”

“I think I’d rather see you right now.”

“And you will, soon. Right now, I’m enjoying my view too much to move.” His voice was low and husky with need, a need she could feel with an intensity that made her nipples tighten and her pussy slicken in anticipation of what was to come. He moved up behind her, caressing her from belly to breast. She could see their reflections in the window, the two of them little more than shadowy outlines filled with light and crowned by stars.

His gaze met hers through their reflection. “The first time you touched me, I thought that Spark meant I was about to lose everything I valued in life. I was wrong, otama. I haven’t lost, I’ve gained.”

She reached back to caress his cheek. “I believed I could only have one chance at happiness, and I lost it when Jeff died. I was wrong, too. I believe I can be happy again, but only if I’m with you. The link between us is too strong to deny.”

He moved his hands to her shoulders and turned her, so she was facing him, then gathered her back into his arms. His mouth found hers, kissing her with so much fire it made her blood burn. The Scorching swept through her, hotter than a plasma torch and brighter than the sun.

“I cannot promise you a perfect life, but I will promise you this – I will do all I can to ensure that every day we have together has more happiness than tears.” He whispered the words against her lips.

“You’ve got yourself a deal.”

She kissed his mouth once more, then started working her way down his body, kissing and tasting him an inch at a time until she was kneeling at his feet. He set one hand on the crown of her hair but didn’t try to move her closer.

“Haley, you don’t—”

She didn’t let him finish his sentence. She leaned forwards, gripping his cock with one hand as she took him into her mouth and hummed softly.

“Flames!” His threw back his head and groaned as she stroked his length with her tongue. When she hollowed her cheeks and sucked, his hand started to tremble, and his fingers tightened in her hair. She pulled back until her lips encircled the crown of his cock, then ran the tip of her tongue across one of the sensitive spots she’d discovered in their time together.

He started to rock his hips and she opened her mouth wide, running her tongue over the underside of his dick with each thrust he made. She loved pushing him beyond his limits, breaking his control with nothing more than her mouth and hands. When he growled her name, she took him all the way to the back of her throat and hummed a few victorious notes before releasing him.

“I was an akinu to think I could walk away from you,” he said, helping her back to her feet.

“If that means some kind of fool, then I think that term applies to us both.”

He kissed her quickly all while guiding her backwards until she was pressed against the cold, smooth surface of the window. He moved in close, trapping his hard length between them.

“I’d ask if anyone could see us right now, but I guess they’d need a spaceship or a telescope to make that happen.”

“No one can see us. I will never share the glory of your body with anyone else,” he paused his kisses just long enough to reply before bowing his head and claiming her mouth again.

He slid his hands slowly down her flanks to her hips, then bent down to cup her ass. “Hold on.”

She gripped his shoulders, nodded, and then he lifted her high enough she could twine her legs around his waist. They came together perfectly, the two of them becoming one with a single motion that stole her breath and made her see stars of a very different kind than the ones outside. He buried himself to the hilt inside her, the moment made all the sweeter because she could sense his emotions as well as his body.

“I can feel you,” she whispered. “All of you.”

“And you always will.” He punctuated his words with a hard thrust, and then there were no more words left to be spoken.

Her inner walls clenched around his cock, gripping him tight as they came together in a firestorm of desire. He lifted her higher, using the space between their bodies to pound into her in a bruising rhythm. Both of them surrendered to the Scorching, grinding and thrusting against each other in a mad race to the finish. He was out of control, relentless, and hungry, every kiss and touch hot enough to brand her flesh and mark her as his own.

“Tokee-- mine!” the words exploded out of him in a single breath.

She laughed, her nails raking his back. “Gods help you, yes I am.”

His cock swelled inside her, pressing against her g-spot and pushing her to the brink of orgasm. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, muffling her cries of pleasure as she tumbled over the edge into ecstasy. He came seconds later, emptying himself inside her for what felt like forever.

“How is it that when I’m with you, I have no control?” he asked some time later.

“Don’t blame me,” she teased him. “Your Gods did this to you, remember?”

“Indeed they did.” He raised his head and rubbed his bearded cheek against hers. “I’ll have to thank them for that. I suspect my mother will be offering them prayers of thanks for the rest of her days.”

She stiffened at the mention of his family. “They’re going to be okay with this, right? I’m not exactly what your parents were expecting.”

“You are my true mate. They will welcome you into the family and likely tell you every embarrassing story about me they know.” He stepped away from the window, easing out of her body, then set her down with care.

“I’m not really good with in-laws. Jeff’s parents didn’t understand their son very well, and that made it hard for them to accept me.”

“Different rules this time,” he reminded her as he gathered up their clothes.

“Yeah, I imagine there’s a lot less friction when you can just blame your Gods if you don’t approve of your kid’s mate.”

“You have to admit, our system does have a few advantages.” Torel set their clothes down on a nearby table and walked, still naked, over to the bar, moved the service droid aside, and, retrieved several squares of fabric from a cubby beneath the counter.

“Maybe, but if we were at my place, we wouldn’t have just gotten all wicked and wanton in front of a droid. Tell me those things don’t have any capacity to record, or I’m going to have to dismantle that one, set the bits on fire, then chuck the ash out an airlock.”

“I’ve already seen to it.” He returned with the cloths, which he used to clean them both up before they got dressed.

They managed to tie the remains of her shirt together into something passable and slipped out into the corridor hand in hand and smiling. They still had challenges ahead of them, but Haley knew she’d made the right choice. Aria had asked her what she wanted her new life to look like. The answer was clear to her, now. Her future looked like Torel Zinn, her soulmate.