Page 41 of Alien Protector's Mate

Maax shook his head. “No, not that I can see. All the changes involve files of individuals who haven’t been matched yet.”

S’aad frowned, but the pieces refused to fall into place. He glanced at Jay.

“Okay, can you send me everything you have on the changes. I’ll get Jay to look through it. A new set of eyes might help us see a link we’re missing.”

Maax’s eyebrow winged up almost to his hairline as he looked between S’aad and Jay. “A human? No offense, kid, but the logic involved here is incredibly complex. I doubt?—”

“Jay has already solved three persistent issues I’ve had with data analysis since this morning,” S’aad interrupted, his tone brooking no argument. “He spotted an inconsistency in the RCT amplification protocol that was causing a point-zero-three percent error rate in the genetic sequencing.”

Maax’s eyebrows shot up, clearly impressed despite himself. He turned to Jay, reassessing the human with new respect. “Is that true?”

Jay shrugged, but a hint of pride colored his voice. “Yes, sir. I’ve always had a knack for patterns and problem-solving. Ifyou’ll let me take a look at the data, I promise I’ll do my best to help.”

The engineer considered for a moment and then nodded. “Alright. We’ll reconvene in three days with whatever we find. But remember—absolute discretion is crucial. We have no idea who might be behind this or what their motives are.”

Jade’s stomachgrowled as she trailed after S’aad through the bustling market on the way back to their quarters. The day’s events left her barely managing to stay upright, dragging her feet along. The tantalizing aromas wafting from the various food stalls perked her up a bit, making her mouth water.

S’aad walked ahead of her. His towering form parted the crowds in front of him like water around a ship’s prow. She felt small and out of place in comparison, tugging nervously at the hem of her oversized jacket as she followed close behind him like a baby chick with its mama.

He glanced back at her, his green eyes piercing. “Hungry?”

She nodded silently, yawning so widely she almost cracked her jaw. Highly attractive, not… but it was a total boy move.

“Good. We’ll grab something before returning to our quarters for the night.” He gestured toward a nearby food stand.

The vendor—a squat, reptilian creature with iridescent scales—greeted them with clicks and whistles. After a second’s delay, her translation implant S’aad had given her earlier converted it into words she could actually understand.

“What’ll it be, folks? Best burgers this side of the galaxy!” the vendor chirped enthusiastically.

“Two specials, please,” S’aad rumbled as he approached the counter, his towering frame dwarfing the alien vendor.

Jade watched, amazed, as the vendor’s multiple arms flew into action, assembling their meal with practiced efficiency. Within moments, two peculiar-looking concoctions were placed before them, wrapped in a paper wrapper that shimmered under the lights.

“Here you go,” S’aad said, handing one to her. “It’s a local delicacy.”

She eyed it warily. The “burger” was a startling shade of green, nestled between halves of a mottled cream and purple bun that bore an unsettling resemblance to a fresh bruise. She should know. She’d had enough of them courtesy of Mr. Morgan. But the smell, a blend of savory and sweet, made her mouth water despite her brain’s reservations.

“It’s… interesting looking,” she managed.

S’aad’s lips quirked. “Don’t let appearances fool you. It’s very good. I assure you.”

She watched as he took a large bite of his burger, nearly half of it gone in one go. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The first bite was a revelation. Whatever the meat was, it was tender and juicy with a flavor that danced across her tongue. The bun, despite its bruise-like appearance, had a subtle sweetness that made her moan in delight.

“This is… actually really good,” she admitted, taking another eager bite.

S’aad nodded, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Sometimes the best things in life are the ones we’re initially wary of,” he said, his gaze lingering on her for a moment.

As they continued to eat, she found herself relaxing slightly. A full stomach helped a lot with anxiety. S’aad turned to the vendor. “How’s things, Kreeva? The business still thriving? Family good?”

Kreeva’s eyes gleamed with pride. “Oh, you wouldn’t believe it! I’m a grandfather again… for the hundred and second time!”

Her lips parted, and she leaned in as Kreeva produced a holographic image from the inside pocket of his coat.

“Here, look at the last five,” he rumbled, gesturing to what appeared to be a cluster of leathery spheres. “Aren’t they beautiful?”

“Those are… Are thoseeggs?”

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