Page 3 of Sy

“Hey, Mom… look,” Lila pointed at the sprawling compound below them as it emerged through breaks in the cloud cover. “That must be the garrison.”

“Mmhmm.” Ashley forced the sound past her tight throat, trying to project calm she didn’t feel. The shuttle jerked again, and she tightened her grip until her knuckles went white. What kind of mother brought her teenage daughter to a hostile alien world?

But after six months of rejected applications and dwindling savings, the generous contract from the Izaean had been a lifeline. She’d just had to up sticks and move both of them acrosshalf the known galaxy to a planet filled with aliens considered too dangerous to be nearotherdangerous aliens.

She really was a shit mother. David had been so much better than her at this, which was why, when their marriage had broken down, Lila had spent most of her time with him. Then he’d had the selfishness to go and get himself killed in a transport accident of all things.

Ashley sighed, letting her fear and frustration out in a long breath. She wasn’t angry with her late ex-husband anymore, and to be honest, she’d never really been angry with him. Just sad that his life had been cut short in such a pointless way. He’d been an excellent father, just a boring as hell husband, which was why they hadn’t lasted. She needed excitement and danger. Passion. Not sex once a week in the same position with the lights off.

Thunder boomed outside, and several of the human passengers jumped, squeaking like frightened mice. She leaned her head back and studied the others scattered throughout the cabin from under her lashes. They were mostly construction specialists and support staff. Most looked as green around the gills as she felt, though a few veterans of off-world projects were unfazed by the turbulent descent. She knew some of them, but most were unknown to her, no doubt attracted to the project by the same generous bonuses that she was. At least three looked to be military veterans, with one in a rugged but battered antigrav chair magnetically locked down to the deck. Probably aScorperiopilot. She recognized the look.

“Status report,” a deep and gravelly voice crackled over the cockpit comm in heavily accented Standard. She was tucked into the seat just behind the pilot, so she heard every word, a shiver rolling down her spine. If sex had a voice, that was it. “Atmospheric conditions deteriorating. Expedite your landing approach.”

Ashley’s heart rate kicked up another notch. She’d read the briefing materials thoroughly. Although they were rare out of season, Parac’Norr was known for violent storms. The thought of spending months here, responsible not only for a critical construction project but also her daughter’s safety…

“This is so cool,” Lila whispered, still captivated by the view as the shuttle was buffeted this way and that. “So much better than staying with Aunt Davina while you work off-world again.”

The simple statement hit Ashley like a physical blow. The past few years since David’s death had been rough on them both… too many missed birthdays and school events as she chased contracts across the galaxy trying to put away enough money to send Lila to college. Not just any college, either, but agoodone. But the bills had kept mounting, and she’d never been able to get her head above water. Or see her daughter much, relying on David’s sister and her husband to look after Lila. This time, though… this time, things would be different. This time they were together, and that was all that mattered.

If they survived the journey down to the surface, that was.

Lightning flashed, and the shuttle banked sharply, giving her a clear view of the ground beneath them. Huge figures moved across the half-completed landing pad as they circled it. Her eyes widened a little. She’d thought their pilot was big, but these Izaeans were huge.

“Final approach,” the pilot announced over his shoulder. “Coming in hot, so brace yourselves.”

She reached out and double-checked Lila’s restraints, earning herself an eye-roll from the teenager before she checked her own. Her hands only trembled slightly as she quickly tucked them into her seat harness. Jitters were nothing new… she always got them before a project started, but they were much worse this time. She was an expert at managing complex construction projects in challenging conditions, but beingresponsible for a teenager on an alien world that had recently been attacked by another species—something she’d only learned about when the contracts were signed and they were on the way over here—was an entirely different thing altogether.

The shuttle hit the landing pad with enough force to make her teeth rattle. Instinctively, she shot out a hand to steady Lila, though her daughter barely seemed to notice, her eyes wide and still mesmerized by the view outside. The rain hammered against the viewport, making it almost impossible to see anything clearly.

“Everyone remain seated until the all-clear,” the pilot commanded as he powered down the engines.

Through gaps in the torrential rain, Ashley caught glimpses of massive figures moving outside on the landing pad. Most had to be at least seven feet, with broad shoulders and muscular builds that made them look like they could snap a human in half without breaking a sweat. She had always been petite, but she hadn’t felt this much like a child in years.

The door at the back of the shuttle opened with a hydraulic hiss, letting in a blast of wind and rain. Her breath caught in her throat as an Izaean ducked his head to enter. He was enormous, with hard, handsome features and red eyes that swept the cabin with an intensity that had all her survival instincts clamoring at her to run. To hide. Red eyes. Details from the briefing docs flowed through her mind. He wasn’t just Izaean. He was feral as well.

Her gaze dropped to the blackness that covered his arm and chest until it disappeared under the sleeveless top he wore. She’d never seen anything like it before. It seemed to absorb the light, making him appear even more intimidating.

“Welcome to Parac’Norr,” he announced, his voice a deep rumble. It was the sexy voice she’d heard over the comm. “Myname is Sy. The storm is worse than we thought. We need to move quickly and get you into shelter.”

Her hands trembled slightly as she released her harness. She turned to help Lila with hers, but her daughter was already out of her seat, eagerness written into every line of her body. The other passengers were moving more slowly, some still looking shell-shocked from the landing.

“Mom, look at them,” Lila hissed, rare excitement clear in her voice. “They’re amazing.”

A crack of thunder made several people jump. Sy moved through the cabin, helping people to their feet and ushering them toward the exit. When he reached Ashley and Lila, he paused, his red eyes fixing on them with an intensity that made Ashley’s heart skip a beat.

“Project Manager Jackson?” he asked, though it seemed more like a statement than a question.

Ashley nodded, looking up to meet his gaze. “I am.”

He turned to look at Lila, the expression in his alien eyes unreadable.

She pulled Lila closer. “This is my daughter Lila.”

His expression hardened, his small nod sharp. “Follow me. And stay close. Visibility is poor.”

Ashley’s grip on Lila’s hand tightened as they reached the doorway. Sideways rain lashed at them, the wind nearly knocking them off their feet as they stepped onto the ramp.

Rain stung her face as she squinted through the downpour. More Izaeans were clustering around the other passengers as they tried to keep their footing on the rain-slick metal. They were like baby deer on ice compared to the aliens, whose movements were precise and coordinated despite the weather. Lightning split the sky, and she ducked, pulling Lila close.

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