Page 22 of Snowed in with my Alien Boss

Even when there weren’t any Dominion pricks to mow down, he’d had plenty of opportunities to sharpen his claws. The planet—also called Reka 5, named after the colony—was full of untamed wilderness and dangerous beasts, which often breached the colony’s perimeter.

Reka 5 needed big, strong brawlers like him to keep its colonists safe. Ckarus was good at fighting, and at the colony, he was able to use his skills for good.

Ckarus had adopted the growing colony as his home. Now, his allegiance lay squarely with the people living there. That was why he was in New Rhea. He was on an escort mission for Hullean Vision, a budding tech company that wished to sell its Earth-inspired settings and missions for the universal training simulators.

Hullean Vision consisted of a mix of human and Tallean programmers. They’d turned the training simulator into something the humans called “a virtual-reality gaming console, but better.” The missions were fun and engaging, and not just for training.

Many of the colonies and mercenary ships on the outer planets already had HV’s programs in their simulators, but that wasn’t enough. Hullean Vision had big plans to overtake amberberry wine as Reka 5’s prime export, which meant expanding into Dominion territory. New Rhea was the perfect entry point since the Dominion’s recent loss of the nearby planet of Vosthea.

That didn’t explain why Ckarus was drunk off his ass on New Rhean spirits though. That was because he’d gotten news of Jillian and her new mate, Jakkan. Jillian was pregnant, and they were expecting a baby boy.

And that little fact was why Ckarus found himself stumbling sloppily out of the Golden Brew. He’d been interested in Jillian for an entire year but had been slow on the draw. He’d thought he was giving her space and time to get used to Tallean males after her stint as a slave on a Dominion ship. Then Jakkan had shown up, and a few short days later, they were mated, and Ckarus was alone.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy for Jillian. He was. He was glad she’d found someone worthy of her, and Jakkan was more than worthy.

It was just that for the first time in his life, Ckarus had realized how much he wanted a mate. It was also the first time he’d realized how horrible it would be if he formed a mate bond with a female, only to have her choose another. Especially since human females couldn’t be held by a bond of their own, and many of the females on Reka 5 were human. The chances of him forming a bond with one were high.

A crash coming from down the darkened alleyway had him turning just in time to see a small figure charging down the alley toward him. Behind the running figure, a pile of loosely stacked crates clattered to the ground.

“Hey! Watch it!” Ckarus bellowed as the small form, too busy looking behind to notice where they ran, crashed into him.

Ckarus found himself holding a half-dressed human female. Any irritation he had from being bumped into melted away.

The scent of fear and panic radiated from her. Frightened eyes peered back at him, and her whole body shook. She looked around for an exit and tried to flee, but Ckarus held on to her firmly. He inhaled deeply, and behind the cloying sweetness of prey-like fear was the most intriguing scent he’d ever breathed.

The iron tang of blood marred the perfect bouquet though. The female had large scrapes on one side of her body.

Whoever had hurt and frightened this female would pay. If there was one thing Ckarus did well when drunk, it was fighting. And Stars, did he itch to punch someone now.

“Calm, female. Tell me what’s wrong.”

She didn’t reply. Instead, she struggled against his hold like a wild animal stuck in a trap.

An angry male hurried down the alley, coming the way she had. He had a handprint on his face about the size of her hand and scratch marks on his chest. He was topless, and his pants looked barely fastened together as if he’d hastily pulled them back on.

Ckarus glowered at the male; he didn’t need an explanation of what had happened.

“You’ve caught the wretched thing,” the male said. “Give her here.”

“And who are you?” Ckarus glared down at the male.

“I’m her new master. I won her at the auction, and if the wretch had any brains in her, she’d come to me this instant.”

The female in Ckarus’s arms stopped struggling and hid behind him instead, using him as a shield. Her body shook, but her grip on his arm was firm. His skin tingled with awareness where she touched him.

Ckarus stood taller. He was good as a shield and would protect the female. The Tallean rather enjoyed guarding those in need. He wanted to remove her from anyone who believed they owned a life because some credits had exchanged hands.

“They said you were trained,” the male sneered. “Those lying auctioneers.”

The male reached for her, but Ckarus kept his body in between them and a hand on her arm so she couldn’t run away. He looked the frightened but brave female in the eyes—they were brown but had flecks of amber lighting them; he’d need to analyze them more later. “Do you want him to own you?”

Confusion flashed in the female’s eyes for a moment as she considered his question. She was probably surprised he’d given her a choice. “No way,” she said, shaking her head.

“The female says she’s not yours. Leave.” Ckarus knew the male would not leave; he relied on it.

The side door to the Golden Brew opened, and Josh, Ckarus’s friend and fellow guard at Reka 5, stepped out of the pub.

“There you are!” Josh exclaimed, clapping a hand on his back.

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