Stevr (The Mating Games Book 5) (3 page)

Chapter 2

Space Station I

Geena looked around the small cramped hotel room she’d been given. The other women or females as the Mazlans preferred to call them were all in similar rooms as they awaited their future. That she was one of the future brides or mates was amazing because she wasn’t the type that would normally go into a program like this. There’d been no choice for some of them because they’d been selected without any say in the matter.

The government had sweetened their deal giving them each something to soften the blow. Monique had been given extra money to leave that would help the family she’d left behind. Izzy had been allowed to bring her girl child with her but she didn’t realize and wouldn’t know until she entered the ship that Mazlans allowed children so she’d not really been given anything at all. Earth’s government was smart that way. They were also devious, underhanded, and corrupt. Those who left might end up being the lucky ones. Time would tell, that and their arrival on the planet, Oison.

The place they were all stuck at now was not a place she would have chosen to be had she any choice in the matter. The space station was there to promote trade with other planets without letting them near Earth itself. Yes, the males of the planet were snobs and possibly racists. They had developed the attitude that they were superior not only to their own females, but to everyone and everything that existed anywhere. Geena figured they would have a rude awakening especially since females were fleeing the planet at rates that should have alarmed them.

It wasn’t just the bride program which barely made a dent in the unbalanced male/female ratio, it was the females that moved to space stations, many were spread out across the galaxy, preferring to live alone to the terrible treatment they received at the hands of their males. Many also were finding places on other planets among aliens. These females weren’t returning to a place that treated them so poorly. It seemed to Geena that her fellow females had finally had enough and she could read the writing on the wall. The fact that the Mazlans needed their biggest ship to pick up the five thousand females that Earth had approved for the program and that more than twenty thousand had applied willing to take their chances among aliens spoke volumes.

All the bureaucrats saw was the money they were lining their pockets with but Geena saw the change that was in the air. Eventually the ratio would even out. Many of the females afflicted by the mutation were leaving, but the mutation also seemed to be breeding out of the population. The males of the planet were on borrowed time and when the tide turned, it would be harsh. The males would learn something about their past behavior in an unpleasant way.

Geena wondered if she’d be there to see it since right now she was about to head to Oison and she honestly had no idea what the future would bring. The ship might arrive at any time. All they’d been told was to be ready today to load up at a moment’s notice. All her items were packed, most of it was in storage since they were allowed to bring what would fit in the trunks the Mazlans had provided based on the requests made by the soon to be mates.

She had met some of the other females and they were a varied group. The Mazlans had some requirements in place such as age, intelligence, and overall health but Earth’s government had managed to slip in what it considered undesirables while still sticking to those requirements. Their judgement on what was undesirable seemed flawed to her way of thinking. Many of the females were highly educated or trained in leading fields like engineering or physics. How could anyone with skills in that area be undesirable?

The females were also attractive as far as she was concerned. Not in that model of the runway fashion, but beautiful in unique and wonderful ways. She would fire whoever was making the selections. He was probably the son or nephew of someone powerful but he was causing Earth to lose some of its biggest resources fast.

What did she care anyway? There were few people she cared about left on the planet which was one of the reasons she hadn’t put up a fight when she’d been selected. That and she’d been assured she could come back later if she chose to. It was a rare offer so she took it since she wasn’t taking any risks. An alarm sounded, it was time to assemble with the other females to prepare for loading. It was funny that she would be hit with a case of nerves this late in the game. Her stomach rolled giving her concerns that she would lose the contents. Maybe it was just the lousy food they and the occupants of the station were fed. They’d been assured that Mazlans treated their mates well. Geena hoped that was true and soon she would see it for herself.

Picking up her carryon bag which contained a few essentials, she headed to the dock where they would all assemble. Suitcases had been picked up first thing this morning and taken to a loading zone to wait until the ship arrived. A rumor had spread that it would be this afternoon before they were picked up but that must have been incorrect. She joined the throng of females moving to the assigned area where she observed them loading already. It made sense since they were dealing with passengers in the thousands. The space station had been added to when the bride program began to accommodate the large number of temporary visitors that would assemble prior to leaving for good.

Some of the Mazlans stood on the docks directing the flow of women. They were large males with one in particular standing out. Her heart went crazy when their eyes met for a brief moment causing a buzz like static electricity to run over her. He moved on scanning the crowd so he must not have felt the connection she had. The guy was gorgeous, muscular like an athlete, and confidence just oozed from him. Just her luck to develop a crush on one of them and not have any of the interest returned.

The Mazlans kept the line moving making her wonder how they were getting so many women settled in so fast. By the time she was near the door Mr. Sexy had disappeared. She was curious about who he was and what his job was. Would she see him again or would he be holed away somewhere for the trip? Was he one of the prospective grooms/mates? Did it even matter since she had no control over her future right now? As she entered the ship she was directed to a hallway where the doors were open. A crewmember was giving them instructions. Pick a room and put your hand on the entry pad next to the door. It would store your hand print letting no one else in unless the captain overrode it in case of an emergency. The crewmember moved down the hall as rooms were claimed and doors closed.

He explained that suitcases would be delivered once they were underway. Everything was streamlined to load their human cargo quickly and efficiently. It reminded her of cattle at an auction being herded where they needed to go. The difference was that they were being kept in luxury. Even she could find no fault with the room she found herself in. She dropped her bag on the chair that sat by the desk. They even provided some kind of view screen for entertainment. If she was right it worked both as a television and a computer.

Stepping further into the room she appreciated the calming colors. Reaching out she touched the bedspread enjoying the silky feel. Neutral greys with a touch of blue made her feel at ease. Stepping to the bathroom it was small but also employed the color scheme and had a toilet, sink with a mirror above it, and a shower large enough for two. The Mazlan she had seen earlier came to mind making her blush. Yes, it was even big enough for the two of them to enjoy together. There was no harm in enjoying a little fantasy.

Geena made her way back to the viewing screen turning it on. A schedule and rules for the passengers popped up on the screen. It had meal times, a layout of the ship areas that were open to them, and some basic rules like don’t go into restricted areas. It also informed the females that they would each be seeing a doctor for a physical. It was smart really because she wouldn’t trust Earth’s government not to send someone who was sterile or ill if they had to in order to hit the numbers they wanted. The politicians were corrupt and all males. They didn’t care about women that weren’t theirs. Hell, they didn’t care about the women that were theirs.

At least a dozen of the potential brides were daughters of politicians that wanted the reminders of their failure to have sons out of sight and out of mind. Geena had no love for politicians with good reason. Throughout Earth’s history there were few who had ever put their people first. Corruption and greed ran rampant among the government both among those elected and those hired for jobs. Sadly, it was the people that continued to elect these selfish and self-serving hypocrites. Still scanning the information the Mazlans had provided for potential mates. She saw there would be a meeting shortly after takeoff. It would be a chance to ask questions and become familiar with the captain’s expectations on acceptable behavior for passengers.

In her mind she translated it to a lecture about good and proper behavior for passengers so the Mazlans wouldn’t have any problems to deal with. In her experience no matter what precautions you took, there were problems. Hopefully, she wouldn’t find herself drawn into any of them. Geena decided to take a shower since the scent of the space station seemed to have soaked into her clothing. Maybe it was just in her nose but either way it was unpleasant. Earth made no effort to keep their space stations clean and welcoming even thought their trade depended on them.

She stripped out of her clothes before getting into the shower. A selection of supplies was there for her to choose from. Choosing a shampoo, she opened the bottle and the scent was heavenly. Geena used it to shampoo her hair then to wash her body. Sliding her soapy hands over her body, she envisioned the tall muscular Mazlan that had caught her eye. Even though she had no idea who he was, he interested her. The male was handsome and had an air of command around him. Her bet would be that he was in a position if authority among the crew, maybe even in charge of the ship. Rarely was she wrong about things like that.

A moan forced it way out of her mouth as her hands found their way between her legs. In her mind she could picture him standing in front of her. His lips slightly parted as passion ran through him. Those big hands of his busy with her. One would be fondling her ass as the other parted her folds, fingers slick with soap and her dew. His fingers would fuck her channel hard as his thumb circled her clit. Harder and faster he would move with an almost feline grace. Dropping his mouth to her breast he would suck in her nipple biting it lightly to let her know who was in charge. That tingle she’d felt when she’d first seen him would roll all over her as her climax looked closer.

In honesty no man had ever drawn her in like this one. The friction increased as the sexual attraction between them increased. It was almost as if they had a bond between them. The feeling was amazing as she let out a yell, her body jerked and thrashed. Biting her lip she stilled the scream that threatened to erupt, a scream that might be heard by others. Leaning against the shower wall the water splashing off her, she tried desperately to catch her breath. If he was this incredible as a fantasy lover, what would he be like in real life? She would never know but she wanted to more than she’d ever wanted any other man before.

Turning off the water, she stepped out drying off. Making her way to the bedroom she pulled out something to wear but sat down on the bed because the strength of her orgasm had left her dizzy. Geena was a self-controlled person who had never felt this way before. How could a man she had never spoken to have this effect on her? Maybe there was more to these Mazlans than she knew. Earth knew little about them and had made almost no effort to find out anything. There was something powerful about them and the male she had fantasies about in particular.

Sitting down at the computer, she tried to research them. Only the most basic of information was available. They had been a political prison colony until the main planet was struck by a massive meteor. Once the king was dead, they were all freed. It wasn’t long after that when the Oison weed, gold, and other income producing items were discover since the Mazlans were free to explore their planet. Sadly it seemed the tragedy of losing millions of their kind had benefitted them. They were free to rule themselves and seemed to be doing a good job of it. It was the only planet that had no poverty. No one starved or did without. Resources were shared in the fairest way imaginable.

Chapter 3

That Female

Stevr surveyed the crowd noting all the beauty that surrounded him. Any one of these females would be a delight to mate. One in particular drew his eye but he refused to allow it to show. It wasn’t in his best interest to be drawn to a female that might not be his. The gods would give him the female they chose without taking his opinion into consideration so it was best to form no attachments before the hunt. He reminded himself he had waited this long and it wouldn’t be much longer now. His inner demon groaned, he wanted her. Too bad, they would have to wait. Leaving was the best way to end the temptation.

It was time now to deal with Crumph anyway while the females were loaded. That way once they were settle they could take off without further delay. Heading to the ambassador’s office, he knew he’d be there even though he wasn’t expecting him yet.

“Hello, Marley.” Stevr smiled warmly. He liked the girl, not in a romantic way but in a friendly one.

“Hi Stevr.” She said and her face lit up with a smile. “I’ll let him know you’re here.” She pressed a button. “Ambassador Crumph, Stevr is waiting for you.”

“Send his in.” Came the sour voice.

“You can go on in, Stevr. Good luck.” Marley always wished him luck. She must believe he needed it to deal with someone as corrupt as her boss.

He knocked lightly but entered without waiting since the man knew he was here. “Ambassador.” Stevr nodded as he addressed him. Crumph looked as he always did like he was up to something devious. It was probably the truth.

“Your ship came early.” The ambassador slung the words like an accusation.