The Bond That Ties Us (5 page)

Donaldson didn’t answer at first. His eyes searched her face, his lips pursed and he cocked an eyebrow.

“Some of the miners can be a bit on the questionable side, especially those who travel from some of the other human outposts. It can take some convincing on the part of our security force to find a clear answer to our questions. I hope that type of investigation won’t prove difficult for you. I must say, I hesitated when they told me my new security chief would be a woman.”

Now there was some archaic thinking. “I can assure you, I am a highly effective investigator.”

“Of course, of course. Shall we continue?”

The touch of his hand on the small of her back made her skin crawl. Haylie walked a step or two faster to break the contact. They stopped again when they reached the adjoining corridor. Because of the hour, many people were milling around. A loud cheer emanated from what looked like a bar to their right. The smell of food floated in the air, eliciting a growl from her stomach. The energy in the air had increased and Haylie enjoyed the sudden rush of excitement. This is what had been missing earlier, what she’d grown accustom to on Luna. The pulse of life generated by colony living.

“We’re moving into the center of the complex. The medical facility is down the corridor on your left. I believe your friend is there now, is she not?”

This guy seemed to know everything. “Umm, yes. There was an emergency.”

“A mining accident. Something to do with a damaged environmental suit. We are very lucky that Dr. Fergus is here. I hate to say it but I never fully trusted the Briel doctors. I hope I’ll have a chance to meet her soon.”

25

And the first chance she had, Haylie was going to pull this guy’s psych record.

Something she regretted not doing sooner.

“And what is this way?” Haylie said and turned to face the opposite direction, knowing full well what was there.

She had to get out of this tour now.

“That way leads to the shuttle bays, engineering facility and labs. Straight ahead is our recreation area.”

“Excellent. I think I may head that way. I’m quite hungry.”

“Why don’t I join you? I know several of the restaurants.”

“Thank you. That’s wonderful of you to offer. But perhaps I will pass for tonight. I really just wanted to find something light to eat and head back to my room to sleep. It really has been an exhausting journey.” She knew she spoke too quickly, but the words tripped out of her.

His faced darkened, but only for a moment.

“Of course. Very inconsiderate of me. Perhaps we can pick this up tomorrow.”

“That would very nice. Thank you.”

Donaldson pursed his lips a moment and tapped his finger across them. His gaze traveled from her face down her bare neck and back up. “If memory serves, and it usually does, there is a Briel restaurant that is quite good. Plants cooked with Briel spices and such. You should try that.”

Haylie would have agreed to eat Eurus dust to escape their conversation at that point. “That sounds wonderful. Straight down this hall?” Actually straight down the hall and to the right according to her memory of the station schematics.

“Yes. We call it the market, but it’s more of a bazaar. Quite unusual for an Earth colony. But we like to do things differently around here. “

“Thank you so much, Administrator.”

Haylie began to turn away, when Donaldson’s voice stopped her cold.

“Please, call me Sean.”

Her voice froze, so she turned and nodded instead.

“Excellent. Let’s continue this tomorrow. Your office, oh-nine-hundred hours.”

It took all her concentration to keep uneasiness out of her voice. “I’ll see you then.

Goodnight, Sean.”

It was only once Donaldson moved away that Haylie was able to breathe easier.

There was something about him that didn’t sit right, something that sent nervous shivers through her body. The fact that he’d gotten to her was saying something. There really wasn’t any reason for her to react that way either. Sean had been perfectly amiable, even in the face of her refusing his dinner offer. Haylie shook her head and made her way down the hall. At least she’d gotten an idea of where to eat. A Briel restaurant might give her some insight into Kamran.

26

Haylie turned the corner and had to stop short.
Holy shit, look at everyone
. The bazaar reminded her of an old-fashioned market she’d seen back on Earth when she was a kid.

While it lacked the dirt and distinct smell of cows, this place had the same energy.

Booths weaved in and around restaurants, their merchants calling to anyone close enough to hear, promising to sell them a wonder. She hadn’t realized trade with the other colonies in this sector was this heavy. Miners, engineers and other support staff were all gathered around. The aisles were narrow and while the majority of people who were trying to push their way through were human, there were several other races moving about as well. She heard competing music coming from several bars off to her right.
Interesting
. Those weren’t in the original schematics. She wondered how many other changes she’d find.

After a few minutes of investigating, she managed to find the place Donaldson had mentioned. Calling it a restaurant, though, was a bit of a misnomer. The semi-circular preparation area was most of the establishment. The Briel apparently didn’t sit while they ate, since chairs were missing from the tall tables that formed the eating area. A few Briel guards stood quietly to the side, guns tucked neatly in their holsters as they silently consumed their meals.

Haylie stood and stared at the strange array of food in front of her. The merchant turned toward her, with an expectant look.

“I have absolutely no idea what to order.”

One of the Briel solders came up beside her and spoke in a language she didn’t recognize.

“Pardon me?” Haylie said, surprised once again at the size of the Briel. His hair had the same black color as Kamran’s, but he wore it longer. His body was taller, his frame wider and he radiated a protective aura. She knew this man was a warrior. Someone she’d definitely want on her side.

“I ordered you something to eat. Most humans seem to like it. My name is Taber. I work with Ambassador Kamran as the head of Briel security.”

So this was Taber. It only took a second for her to remember what she’d read on him, her counterpart on the Briel security team. There had been very little information on any of the Briel, but there was a bit more on Taber. He’d been Kamran’s bodyguard for the past twenty Earth years and was well respected by his men. From the look of him he’d seen more than his fair share of battles. The frown lines etched on his face gave him a look she recognized from other security leaders over the years. Too bad her superiors hadn’t thought to include photos of the Briel in the briefing documents. It may even have helped with her Kamran encounter earlier.
Or maybe not.

“A pleasure to meet you. I’m Haylie Bond, the new Chief of Human Security.”

She offered her hand to shake, but he did not take it, bowing instead.

“A pleasure, Ms. Bond. I’m sure we will be working closely together in the days to come.”

27

The Briel cook placed a plate of food in front of her and bowed before closing the stall.

“I hope you enjoy it,” Taber said.

Haylie couldn’t wait to dig in and sank her teeth into a large red leaf that was stuffed full of vegetables Haylie didn’t recognize. The taste was amazing.

“Wow.” She managed to say between bites.

“I’ll leave you to your meal.” A smile tugged at his lips.

“Thank you. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.”

Taber motioned to the other solders who were still standing off to the side and the four men departed.

Between the food and her encounters with Donaldson and Taber, Haylie had pushed aside her overwhelming desires.
Much better.
She was back to her old self, calm and in control. Now all she needed was some sort of crime and she’d be in heaven. Her full belly gave her a temporary boost to keep poking around the station some more. She turned to head in the direction of the bars she’d spotted earlier. She made an abrupt stop and sighed when she saw the large crowd that had formed near the entrance. Too many people for her tonight.

She turned and headed in the opposite direction. She needed a quiet distraction tonight. The observation room was up ahead and she hoped there wouldn’t be any last-minute patrons. Maybe some stargazing would take her mind off her newly acquired obsession. It’s not like trouble would find her sitting all alone looking at the stars.

As she walked, things began to look a bit odd. The corridors seemed a bit too light.

The surfaces a bit too smooth. And as she moved away from the market, the rich aroma of the vendors’ stands faded. The lack of odor intensified the institutional feel of the place. Weird, considering the amount of people around her at the moment.

That wasn’t entirely accurate either. She did smell something. Like before, the barest hint of cinnamon.

Kamran.

28

Kamran had spent much of the evening motionless at the desk in his quarters.
A
human
! If anyone had suggested such a thing to him yesterday, they would have been dismissed as foolish, insane. But all the signs were there. He’d been wild all day, thoughts of her distracting him from his job. Even his body was working against him.

Daydreaming
. He’d actually caught himself daydreaming. She’d been naked in his arms and more than ready for him. His cock sprang to life again at the thought, causing him to groan. The council would remove him from his post if they suspected he was overcome with lust.

The fact that she appeared to have a similar reaction to him was telling. In the hangar bay she’d looked more than a little affected by his presence. Goddess knows the arousal he’d been battling all day had significantly impacted him. He wasn’t sure who she was, but he had to find her. Soon.

Only a mate caused such a reaction. But it was impossible for a human to be his mate. Wasn’t it?

He turned off the data pad he’d been staring at for the past hour and tossed it onto his desk. Nothing. He hadn’t accomplished a single thing since the assembly. Kamran sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair and down over his face. Now he understood why bonded mates returned to live on the home world. They were as productive as space dust.

It had been a few hours since he’d last seen her, but she didn’t feel very far away. It was as if she’d stepped into the next room and would step back out any moment.

Impossible
.

Closing his eyes, he leaned back in his soft mesh chair and tried to relax. Deep down, Kamran knew they had formed a connection. They were mates, or would be if he ever got out of this chair and went to look for her. Why wasn’t he? He should be tearing the colony apart trying to find her. Both his father and brother told him they’d gone mad until they physically held their wives in their arms. He smiled, remembering his brother’s story of passing his wife while on separate transports in the city and pulling the emergency brake, then climbing out the window to jump over to the other transport tube. Hopefully, the input of the authorities wouldn’t be necessary for Kamran’s courtship.

The property his father had purchased for him would not go to waste after all.

There would be a celebration in his hometown. Their family’s influence would grow yet again. Two sons in one family, both with mates.
Amazing.

So why was he still sitting in this chair?

29

The answer was simple. There was no way for a human to be his mate—it was a biological impossibility. And if he acted on this crazy impulse, he might miss the opportunity of finding his true mate. If she was even out there.

To complicate matters, if she
was
his mate, no matter how unlikely, he’d be forced to resign his post and move back home. That was the way of his people. But this was his life’s work and a resignation at this stage of his negotiations between the Ecada and the humans would place the colony in great danger. The insectoid race would take advantage of the stalled talks and would likely attempt to invade the colony. Any sign of weakness was seen as a great advantage by the Ecada people, one to be exploited. He wasn’t about to let that happen.

Kamran sighed and sat up straight, leaning against the cool surface of the light, golden wood desk he’d had shipped from Briel. The loose-fitting tunic he’d changed into pulled tight, forcing an adjustment. What had possessed him to wear this anyway?

The data pad was once again in his hands, the details of the latest treaty updates staring back at him.
This
was what mattered. Providing a safe place to live for humans and Briel alike. Not some false obsession with a human woman he would probably never meet again.

The door chime rang once. Kamran looked up and smiled. There was only one person who would call on him at this hour. He immediately rose from his chair and answered the door.

“Taber, how very good to see you. Please come in.” Taking a step back, Kamran gestured with an open arm, welcoming the one person in the colony he considered a loyal friend.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

Taber was military and would never seat himself at Kamran’s table to enjoy a drink.

Kamran offered regardless.

“You know I cannot. But you honor me with your invitation.”

“Some day we must break with that tradition. You know I see you as my friend and not as a subordinate. What can I assist you with?”

Taber didn’t answer immediately. In his typical fashion, he merely stared at Kamran. Most Briel would find this disconcerting but Kamran had known him long enough not to be bothered by his friend’s intensity. Taber was renowned for his ability to get information from suspects without any physical harm. Ah, to be able to give a look like that. Negotiation times would certainly be reduced.

“What happened this afternoon?” Taber asked abruptly.

The mouthful of amber liquid Kamran took was larger than intended. It burned as it made its way down his throat.

“I changed my speech at the last minute. The humans don’t need a Briel history lesson the minute they enter the colony.”

“Agreed. But there was something else going on. You seemed distracted.”

30

Kamran paused to examine his friend. How did one go about telling a friend of his sexual desires?

“There is a human. She is one of the new colonists who arrived earlier today. She was sick when she got off the ship. I offered her some assistance.”

He felt his cock surge to life again at the memory. The contrast of her pale skin against her dark brown hair was striking. She was small compared to him but tall for a human. Their bodies would fit nicely together. He liked the way her breasts pushed against her jumpsuit—taunting him. He’d never noticed how tight-fitting women’s clothing was. Before
her
. He’d been driven mad by an unusual floral scent that lingered in the air the rest of the day. It had to be hers.

“A sick human is not an uncommon occurrence. “

Kamran, startled out of his thoughts, drained his glass. After having negotiated peace treaties with warring worlds, you’d think he’d be able to discuss this with Taber.

“I seem to have a problem, my friend. And I’m not sure what I should do about it.”

Taber straightened and Kamran caught the flash in his eyes.

“I can assist with the problem. Is it with this human?”

“I don’t need
that
kind of assistance.” The last thing he needed was Taber starting a manhunt for his future wife. He cringed. “I don’t know what to think, but I seem to have some sort of connection with this woman,” Kamran said. He rose to fix himself another drink.

“What sort of connection? Is she trying to blackmail you?”

“No, nothing like that.” This wasn’t coming out right.

“What then?” Taber said, clearly annoyed. Kamran knew he hated not knowing everything.

Kamran closed his eyes, letting the woman’s face drift back to the surface of his mind. Bright, inquisitive eyes framed in a perfectly oval face. The way she’d looked at him as she sat on the floor, like she wanted to rip his clothing off, tested the limits of his control. The way her exotic scent rolled off her in waves, intoxicating his senses.

What then indeed?

“I am aware of her on this station. I don’t mean consciously, but physically. I can describe her in perfect detail. Her face, body, scent. I even know that she is walking around the station right now. It wouldn’t take me very long to hunt her down.”

He then turned to face Taber. His expression hadn’t changed from before, but Kamran recognized disbelief when he saw it.

“That is impossible,” Taber said, his voice even.

“I know.”

“You are describing this woman as if she were your mate.”

“I know.”

31

“No Briel male has ever responded to an off-worlder in that manner. Many have tried.”

“I know the history.”

“Which brings us back to the fact of that being impossible.”

“Exactly. And that is the reason I’ve accomplished nothing all day.”

Taber’s hand twitched and flexed before he laced it through the other one behind his back. He walked over to Kamran’s window and paused. The winds had picked up again, pelting sand and small rocks against the glass in a mad frenzy. Kamran felt a kinship with the planet tonight.

“Do you think it’s a trick? A chemical or toxin perhaps, used to confuse your body into thinking it has found a mate?”

“I thought of that. I had the computer scan me for any foreign substances. Nothing.

Had you seen her you wouldn’t question her reaction either. It was genuine. Besides, what would she gain by doing so?”

“The Ecada have lots to gain.”

He’d thought of that too. “I cannot imagine a human conspiring with them. The Ecada see the humans as little more than a food source. It would be suicide.”

“There has to be another explanation.”

He straightened. His chest tightened and he had to fight the urge to hit Taber. Who the hell was he to question whether or not Kamran had actually found his mate?

“Why?” The word sounded clipped to Kamran, but he didn’t care.

“Pardon?”

“Why does there have to be another explanation?” Kamran placed his glass on the table, afraid it would shatter in his hand.

“It’s simply not possible.”

“Again, why not? Humans are the closest race to ours in chemistry and biology.

They are only missing three organs and their brains are built a bit differently than ours.

As far as any of us know our two people are perfectly compatible.” By the end, he was almost shouting. He had to close his eyes and concentrate hard to relax.

“You’re getting hostile.”

Kamran opened his eyes and saw the faint trace of a smile on Taber’s face.

“I’m sorry.”

“You are also dressed more causally than normal.”

Kamran looked down at his tunic and pants. “My skin was irritated. I had to change.”

Taber appeared to consider that information before asking his next question. “You are showing all the signs. But if she is your mate, why are you not tearing this station apart?”

32

Kamran took a deep breath and managed to get ahold of his growing hostility. He finally managed a smile as he found his chair and collapsed into it. “That was the very question I was asking myself when you arrived.”

“Different race, different pattern?”

“It must be. So far I have been able to hold off every impulse I’ve had to go after her. But each time, it becomes more difficult.”

“Why fight it? If she is your mate, go to her. Everything else will attend to itself.”

He shook his head. “What if I’m wrong? Maybe the madness that takes us is a good thing. Forget the world outside and attend to your own desires. But I can’t seem to do that.”

Kamran had never spoken to anyone about his hopes, not even his family. Being a single male in a family with paired mates was painful. He was the oldest. It was his responsibility to bring honor to his clan. And he had done so for thirty-eight years. An ambassador was the highest obtainable rank by a male and the placements were few.

He’d risen to that position faster than anyone else in the history of his people. In his time as ambassador he’d ended wars on several planets and initiated the fledgling relationship with the humans on Eurus.

But all his accomplishments paled in comparison to the day his brother found his mate. His people had their priorities.

“What will you do about this?” Taber said. There was nothing accusatory in his tone, merely simple curiosity.

“Nothing for now. I doubt I’ll be working with the woman. Most of the new settlers are engineers. And the doctor.”

“And the new human security chief. I met her this evening. She was trying to order from Cindean’s.”

At the mention of the title, Kamran knew it was her. Everything felt right about it.

“What was her name?” He spoke too quickly again.

“Haylie Bond. She has quite an impressive record and a habit of cleaning up corruption around her. I imagine she was getting a feel for the station before she began her duties and wanted to stay a bit anonymous. That’s what I would be doing.”

Haylie
. It had to be.

Taber gave him a long hard stare before bowing. “I’ve stayed too long. I’ll leave you to your rest, Ambassador.”

Normally at this stage in their social sparring, Kamran would insist he stay longer.

He would even go so far as to leave with him for a walk around the station. Not tonight.

“Thank you. I shall see you tomorrow.”

Kamran didn’t move and waited for Taber to leave. He then cleaned up his desk, putting all sensitive information into his vault that was built into a hidden compartment of his desk. He stood, triggered the door release and stepped into the hall.

33

She was close. She’d come as close to his room as a human was allowed. Maybe near the meeting hall, or even the observatory? Those were only one corridor over. This was the normal Briel female reaction, home in on her mate, get close enough to drive him crazy. Haylie probably wasn’t even aware of what was going on.