Page 38 of Alien Protector's Mate

Jay worked for him. He was in a position of power over the human, which meant nothing could happen between them. It would be inappropriate. Wrong.

And for today to be the day of all days that the emperor decided to pay a visit. S’aad felt like looking around to see if he could spot the fates because sure asdraanththose three troublemakers were causing issues for him today.

Movement at the end of the corridor pulled S’aad from his thoughts, and he smiled as Sadie appeared, her golden hair catching the light as she walked toward him.

“Thanks for coming to help with the new arrivals,” he said as she reached him. “We’ve got a full batch today, and it really helps them to hear from someone who has already mated with one of us.”

Sadie’s blue eyes sparkled as she returned his smile. “Of course. I’m more than happy to help. I remember what it was like for Halle. Some of these women will only be here because they have no other options, and they’ll be scared out of their minds.”

His jaw tightened a little at her words, a tiny muscle in the corner pulsing. When they’d first set up the mate program, the overwhelming thought had been that, of course, human females would flock to them. Why wouldn’t they all want a mate who was superior to a human male in every way? And, yes, they’d had a lot of signups right from the beginning. But he’d quickly come to realize that a significant number hadn’t signed up because of anysuperiority he or any other Latharian warrior thought they had. No, they’d signed up because they were desperate and didn’t see any other way out of their often-dire situations.

“Then we will do our best to put their minds at ease and reassure them that they are in a better place,” he said with a smile as they walked into the reception office together. As soon as they stepped through the door, he spotted Jay, who was arranging datapads at a nearby desk.

“Sadie, I’d like you to meet my new assistant, Jay,” he said, drawing her over toward the young human. “Jay, this is Sadie, my cousin’s mate.”

Jay looked up, his dark eyes meeting Sadie’s. S’aad watched carefully but saw nothing more than polite interest in Jay’s gaze. That was good. He wasn’t sure how he’d have reacted if Jay had shown any interested in the beautiful human female.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sadie,” Jay said, his voice gruff but clear.

“Likewise, Jay. I hope S’aad isn’t working you too hard on your first day.”

S’aad chuckled, but he noticed the way Sadie’s gaze lingered on Jay, her expression thoughtful as the lad turned away, still arranging things for the human females in the welcome meeting. A sudden, irrational surge of possessiveness rolled through him, one he quickly tamped down. No way would Sadie show interest in Jay. She’d been head over heels for Vaarn since she’d first met him.

So what in the name of the goddess was wrong with him today?

“Jay has been a great help,” S’aad said, perhaps too enthusiastically. “He’s… eager to learn.”

As if on cue, a group of human women entered the office, their nervous chatter filling the air. Sadie’s demeanor changedinstantly, her body language becoming open and welcoming as she approached the newcomers.

“Hello there, ladies,” she said, her voice warm and reassuring as the group turned toward her. “Welcome to the mate program. I’m Sadie. I know this is all a bit overwhelming, but I promise it gets easier. Believe me. And I should know, I was in your shoes not too long ago.”

S’aad leaned against the wall, his eyes fixed on Sadie as she addressed the group of women. Her voice, warm and reassuring, filled the room. At first, the newcomers sat rigidly in their chairs, their shoulders hunched and eyes darting nervously around them as though they expected shadowy warriors to burst from the walls and carry them away. But as Sadie shared her own journey, he noticed the mood of the group start to change. One by one, the females’ postures softened. A few uncrossed their arms, leaning forward with interest, and Sadie’s story about how she tripped over her mate in the corridor got a small chuckle from the back row.

Soon, hands began to rise.

“What was the hardest part for you?” one woman asked.

Then another chimed in, “Did your family support you?”

As the questions flowed easily, the atmosphere in the room lightened up. A woman in the front row cracked a tentative joke about the coffee, and someone else wanted to know if Latharian men were really as big built as the rumors said. He mentally blocked out Sadie’s reply on that one. There were just some things about his cousin hereallydidn’t need to know.

Movement at the back of the room caught his eye. He looked over to see Jay hovering near the doorway at the back. He looked tense, his expression a mix of curiosity and uncertainty.

“And here,” Sadie gestured to a sleek panel on the wall, “is the environmental control system for your quarters. You canadjust temperature, humidity, and even gravity settings to your comfort.”

One of the women frowned in confusion. Before he could step in to explain, Jay cleared his throat and spoke up, his voice hesitant.

“It’s like… um, a really advanced thermostat,” he explained and S’aad started in surprise. He’d altered the temperature in the office earlier, but he hadn’t explained what he was doing to Jay. The human had picked it up on his own. “But it does a lot more than just control temperature. You can make it feel like home, sort of. Pretty neat. Right?”

The woman’s face cleared in understanding, and she gave Jay a small smile.

As the welcome meeting continued, S’aad found his attention wandering to Jay all the time. He watched as his assistant awkwardly fielded questions about life on the station, often looking to him or Sadie for confirmation. His knowledge was limited, and S’aad knew his own background must have been harsh, but the fact he was putting himself out there and trying to help the new females in whatever way he could said good things about his character.

Suddenly, one of the younger women in the group burst into tears. “I can’t do this! I want to go home. This was a mistake!”

The others in the group fidgeted in their seats, avoiding looking at her. But before either S’aad or Sadie could intervene, Jay was there.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Jay said, his voice soft. He reached out as if to pat her shoulder but seemed to think better of it, his hand hovering awkwardly in the air. “It’s going to be okay. You’re safe here. And I know it’s a lot… but everyone here wants to help. You’re not alone, you know?”

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