Page 39 of Alien Protector's Mate

As the woman’s sobs subsided, S’aad became aware of Sadie watching the little interaction as well. Her blue eyes were narrowed slightly, her head tilted to one side as she watched.

The rest of the orientation passed in a blur of information and questions. S’aad watched Jay from the corner of his eye, noticing little things he hadn’t before. The way Jay seemed to shrink into himself when addressed directly and the habit he had of tugging at the front of his cap as though making sure it was still there. Originally S’aad had put that down to the cultural thing about keeping his hair covered, but now he wasn’t so sure.

The meeting ended, and the females were escorted back to their quarters, looking much more relaxed than when they’d arrived. S’aad approached Jay as he cleaned up the room, clearing his throat to get Jay’s attention.

“You did well with them,” he said, his voice gruffer than he’d intended.

“Thanks. I’m glad I could help, even a little.” Jay looked up, the small smile curving his lips sending a bolt of heat straight down to S’aad’s cock.

“Yes, well,” S’aad muttered, suddenly flustered. “Keep up the good work.”

He turned away quickly and nearly collided with Sadie. The glance she shot at Jay and then back to him made S’aad’s skin prickle with embarrassment.

“Jay seems to be settling in well,” she said, her tone casual, and then she looked at the time-keeping device on her wrist and her nose wrinkled.

“Oh shit, I’m going to be late. Dinner again, soon?” The direct look she pinned him with told him it was not a question. They would be having dinner, and soon. Her gaze slid past him to Jay. “And bring your… assistant.”

“Of course,” he said smoothly, holding out an arm to her as he escorted her to the door. As he did, he shot a glance over hisshoulder to Jay as he continued to tidy up. The awkward set of his shoulders, the delicate bones of his wrists, the soft curve of his cheek… why hadn’t he noticed these things before? Or had he simply not allowed himself to see them?

13

S’aad leaned back in his chair, his fingers dancing over his console as he compiled the new data from the Terran penal system for the database. A soft chime from his communication device broke his focus. Turning his wrist, he blinked, straightening up as he recognized the identifier. Maax. It wasn’t a call, just a message. Two lines with a location code.

We need to talk. Come alone.

He rubbed his jaw, the stubble prickling his fingertips. If Maax wasn’t comfortable discussing this over a secure channel, they had more of a serious problem than he’d thought. He flicked a glance across the lab to where Jay was working on data analysis, his narrow shoulders hunched where he sat in front of his console.

He’d only been working on the project for a few hours, but the notes he’d made, flagging inconsistencies even S’aad wouldn’t have noticed, had impressed him. He had an uncanny knack for seeing things from a different angle, and that was definitely what they needed.

Making a split-second decision, he called out, “Jay, save your work and come with me. I need your help with something.”

The human looked around, curiosity in his dark eyes. “Sure thing. What’s up?”

“I’ll tell you on the way. Come on.”

He waited by the door as Jay switched out his lab coat and cap for his outer wear, arms folded behind his back as he tried his best not to look as the smaller male changed. He knew Jay’s hair was pale and long, maybe as long as his own. Suddenly he wondered what it would look like down, without the cap. Would it feel silky and soft running through his fingers as he?—

He cut the thought off and grunted as Jay joined him at the door, turning to leave the labs and then the LMP section without a word.

As they made their way through the corridors and more crowded areas of the station, S’aad’s mind raced. How much should he tell Jay about what was going on? The implications of it? He was human and male, so the stakes weren’t as high for him, but… he had an aptitude for the work, and because he was human, he would be looking at this from a different angle. His perspective might prove valuable. But involving him could also put him at risk, and S’aad didn’t know how he felt about that.

So… why was he bringing him along to the meeting with Maax anyway?

“Remember our conversation about the discrepancies in the matching algorithm?” S’aad asked in a low voice as they walked, leaving the main areas of the station and heading deeper into the restricted areas. The guards they passed glanced at Jay, but because he was with S’aad, they didn’t say anything or try to stop them. No one ever did. Healers were rarely ever challenged.

Jay nodded, his expression serious. “Yeah, of course. Why? Have you found something new?”

“Possibly,” S’aad replied, glancing around to ensure they weren’t overheard, but they were alone for the moment. “But weneed to be discreet. This situation could be more… complicated than we initially thought.”

They entered a less populated area of the station, the sleek refit of the LMP and civilian areas giving way to the more utilitarian B’Kaar design. The air grew cooler, carrying a faint metallic tang that spoke of the station’s true nature, and the lights were dimmer. He spotted Jay looking around, curiosity written on his softer features.

“We’re heading into the more functional sections of the station,” he explained. “This is all mostly B’Kaar design from before the conversion.”

Jay’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? Was it something else before?”

S’aad nodded, looking at him with surprise. “It was. Didn’t the human newsfeeds cover it?”

Jay shrugged, looking away. “Didn’t get much chance to watch the feeds to be honest. Too busy.”

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