“Okay, questions,” she says, propping herself up on her elbow, suddenly very alert again. “How is it possible to have the same dream?”

“On our planet, there is no question when two are mates. There is a link that is established, physically and telepathically.”

“Telepathically? Like mind-reading?”

“Well, yes, but the mind-reading comes last. Shared dreams and sensing the other’s emotion happens first. I would be able to tell if you were afraid or in danger.” She’s very still beside me, her face crinkled in concentration. “This link doesn’t become strong until the mating is…official.”

“Like until sex?” she asks quietly.

“Yes, sex.”

“Is that why you had to take an oath of celibacy when you joined the guard? To keep you from being able to take a mate?”

“I don’t really know. Like we talked about before, they put a lot of money into our training and physical enhancements. From what we know, they don’t want to waste money on an investment. And it can be distracting.”

I smile at the irony of that as she says, “Right,” and smiles knowingly back at me. I trace my thumb along the lines of concern creasing her forehead. “So you think we’re mates?” she asks, “Or would be mates if you weren’t bound by your oath?”

“Yes. There is no doubt in my mind. Can’t you feel the connection between us?”

“I do, but how is it possible for you to mate with a human? I would have thought something so strong would happen with a female from your planet. You haven’t had many humans visit your planet before, right?”

“I’ve never met another before you.” It is a daunting concept to try to understand. It’s clear fated mates is not something that happens on Earth. She had to fly halfway across the universe to find the other half of her heart as well.

“Well that really sucks then, doesn’t it. I mean, I’m here on a time-sensitive mission to find Iryudite . So we need to find it as soon as possible and get back home. My stay is temporary. And then you’ve taken an oath to your brotherhood. Essentially keeping you from ever taking a mate. I guess we’re both screwed aren’t we?”

There is no direct translation for the word “screwed” but I get her meaning from her ramblings and the concerned look on her face. “I should have controlled my urges. It was wrong of me to give in to my desires again.” I understand the apprehension she feels. It would be wrong to consummate something that would inevitably end.

“Well don’t apologize, it was a mind-blowing experience. I guess we shouldn’t get used to it though. I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around all of this.”

I smooth her hair, enjoying the softness of it under my fingers. “Let’s worry about one thing at a time. For now, you work on getting the ship up and running and I’m going to meet up with Kjallak and Branyx and figure out how we will defend the ship if the rest of the tribe shows up.”

“Okay. Will you stay with me for a little while first? You’re so warm and I feel so damn good when you’re close to me.”

“Of course. Rest for now.”

Within minutes she’s sound asleep in my arms and there’s no other feeling in the world that compares. Somehow she brings calm to my otherwise violent and conflict-filled existence. It’s getting much harder for me to deny that she could be something really great.

A chance for a life that was never an option before.

* * *

“Where’s Branyx?” I ask Kjallak when I emerge from the sleeping quarters a while later. After looking all over the ship, I finally found him taking inventory in the ship’s weapons room.

“He’s outside, digging pits,” Kjallak says, hefting a huge cannon-looking weapon onto his shoulder. “This one is my favorite.” He smiles at me, his mood still high and happy after a successful fight. I used my adrenaline rush to make a move with Margo. To help me stop thinking about what consequences being together will have for both of us. Kjallak is here admiring the bounty of weapons and Branyx is working off his extra adrenaline with physical labor.

“Branyx wastes no time. Pits are a good idea as long as we can dig them deep enough.” Kjallak sets the cannon back down and starts rummaging through the rest of the weapons closet.

“They will be an asset, no question,” he says, loading his arms with a variety of guns. “These weapons will help to even the odds.” He clangs them down on the table between us and then sets each one out in order to take inventory of the weapons we have on board.

“Perhaps she will fix the ship before they arrive. Then there will be no need to fight.” I casually pick up a gun, turn it over a few times in my hands and then set it down again. I’ve always preferred hand-to-hand combat instead of weapons fighting.

“I’ll never shy away from a fight,” Kjallak says, showing off his muscles, giving me his telltale goofy grin.

I can’t help but roll my eyes and smile. “I’m not doubting your bravery. Just our odds.”

“I know,” he says, all seriousness again. “And you’re still adverse to just throwing her over your shoulder and carrying her out of here? I’m just saying…it’s an option now that the storm has stopped.”

“It’s their only way back to their home planet. If we leave it now the Salthu will surely take it. They’ll take it apart piece by piece and sell everything they find on the black market. They’d be stranded here. I can’t be the one who makes that kind of decision about her future and the fate of their planet.”

“You’ve always been a bit of a softie, Lodyn.”

“Not a softie. But I want to make the moral decision.” Actually, if Margo were forced to remain here, I don’t know if that would make things easier or harder for me. I would want to be near her all the time but it would only be so long before I wouldn’t be able to fight my desires any longer. Even though I hate the idea of it, it seems like the best thing that she’ll need to go back to her planet.

“Don’t look so grim, you don’t need to explain yourself to me. I stand by you regardless, my brother.”

He tucks a few of his favorite guns into the waistband on his pants. Crossing my arms, I nod in acknowledgment. “I know, thank you, Kjallak. Now I think I’ll go help Branyx dig those ditches.”

“Are you sure about that? It might be best to leave him be. You know how he gets.”

“It’ll help clear my mind.”

“Whatever works. I’m going to get a few hours of sleep. Wake me when you come back and I’ll take over watch.”

He slaps my shoulder on the way out of the weapons room. I walk out behind him but go the opposite direction down the corridor toward the hatch.

It’s the time of night where it’s still dark but before long the skies will begin to lighten. The stars are bright and clear, like they are most nights unless there’s a storm. Guarding the walls of the city every day and every night has its advantages. My life and what I do with it belongs to the government. But at night, I can look up at the stars and have a sense of freedom.

Margo’s on my mind tonight as I look over and see the outline of Branyx. His head and shoulders are visible as he digs scoops of snow in one of the pits. Not able to see clearly around me, I step carefully and slowly while moving away from the ship. For the first time since I’ve joined the guard, I start to think “what if.” What if I did have another choice with my life? What if it were an option to take Margo as my mate? Is that even something I could do? Leave my brothers to be with Margo?

Once I choose my place, I use my hands to start digging. I won’t need a shovel or pick ax until I get to the packed snow and ice toward the bottom. There’s no use having it out here now and losing it in a snow bank.

I don’t even notice the cold of the snow and it doesn’t take long for sweat to begin to form on my skin. My body was enhanced to have physical stamina and strength. We can fight for hours, dig for hours, run for hours and our bodies maintain incredible stamina. It seems like a cruel joke that I was given enhanced physical stamina after I took the oath of celibacy. But I guess the same could be said for the timing of when I met Margo.

I hear crunching in the snow and Branyx appears over the mound of snow that I’ve already piled. “There are three pits to the left of you. They should serve as a decent barrier as well as additional options for coverage.”

“They will indeed. It would be beneficial if we were able to secure higher ground besides the ship.” Kjallak is an excellent bowman but the top of the ship isn’t ideal. He’s sitting exposed and vulnerable, forced to go on the offensive as soon as the enemy spots his location.

I stop digging and follow Branyx’s gaze as he looks behind us at the mountains. “Those are the closest that I can see and the distance is pushing it for arrow range.”

“There are weapons on the ship. Kjallak has already gone through them and found what he likes. It might work to our advantage.”

“Do we know what all of the weapons are capable of?”

“No, but Margo can show us. And it’s possible that Kjallak has already figured them out.”

“And of course there are the exterior guns. If the enemy comes, there’s no reason we can’t use them anymore.”

I can sense his anger even though I can’t see his face. The fact that he can’t get on board with our current mission and put his disagreements aside is purely pissing me off at this point. I don’t want to keep rehashing the same issues once we’ve put them to rest.

“She was trying to help, Branyx. And if you can’t get behind this mission that was given to us, by the prime minister himself, then you might as well make your way back to the wall. These women are here as guests and it is our job to protect them.”

“Protect them, yes. But this one makes it hard to protect when she won’t listen to anything she is told.” It makes me angry to hear him talk about my mate in this way. Putting my hand on the side of the pit, I launch myself up, landing in front of Branyx.

“She does not need to listen to you. You are not in charge.” He is wise to lower his eyes. He takes a deep breath and this time when he speaks his voice is calmer, quieter.

“You are too easy on her.”

“Because I won’t physically force her to do my bidding? I will decide how to handle the women.”

“You have a very different approach than Mallyk and he is our leader.”

“Be careful, Branyx,” I say, my voice filled with malice. “Mallyk left me in charge while he is gone. It would do you good to remember that.”

Eventually he nods, some of the fight leaving him. “I’ll finish what I started,” he says, turning and walking back to the pit.

I watch him walk away until he drops down into the pit and out of sight. His stubborn apprehension is rolling around in my head and I wonder if I’d feel the same way if Margo weren’t my mate. If I were in his shoes, would I have forced her hand in order to do what was best for all of us? It’s pointless to continue being conflicted considering all I want to do right now is finish helping dig these pits and go back inside to Margo.

And that’s exactly what I do.

Blocking out all other thoughts, I dig a total of three pits. Feeling satisfied that we’ve established some defense around the ship, I head back inside. The sun will rise shortly but I need a few hours of sleep and I long for the calm that I feel when I’m close to my mate.

The ship is quiet when I board it again. Kjallak hears me and pulls himself off the floor, stretching before making his way over to the hatch for watch.

The sleeping quarters are dark when I step inside but I sense Margo instantly. She’s sleeping but starts to shift in bed as I stand over her. I crawl in next to her, tucking my arm around her waist and pulling her close. The soft moan that escapes her lips as she settles against me has the blood rushing to my cock.

I should be exhausted after everything that has happened today but my mind has never been more conflicted. I don’t know how to turn it off.

“Everything okay?” Margo whispers, linking her fingers through mine.

“Everything’s okay.” I squeeze her hand and kiss her on the soft skin right under her ear. “Now we wait to see what tomorrow brings.”