Page 26 of Alien Engineer's Mate

The door slid open with a soft hiss, and they all turned at the interruption. A Latharian technician stood in the doorway, his gaze sweeping the room. Half the women around Eira sat up suddenly, their attention locked onto him.

“My apologies for the interruption,” he said into the sudden silence. “But is Lady Coleman present?”

She wasn’t used to hearing herself called ‘Lady Coleman.’ The mug trembled in her hands as she set it on the small table beside her chair.

“Yes, I’m here.” The words came out steadier than she felt.

“Would you come this way? A match has been identified for you.”

The room erupted in surprised whispers.

“Already? But she justarrived...”

“Must be a strongmatch...”

“Luckything...”

She caught a glimpse of Aisha’s face, tight with barely contained fury. Three months of waiting, and here was Eira, matched within a day.

“Well,” Vivian hurried over to squeeze her arm as she reached the door. The other woman’s touch was warm and reassuring. “That’s a good sign. Quick matches usually mean high compatibility scores.” Her smile reached her eyes. “Good luck, dear.”

“Thank you.”

Eira followed the technician out on shaky legs, her mind whirling. Everything was happening so fast. Too fast? She wasn’t prepared. She needed more time to understand the process, to figure out how to present herself, to process all the information about courtship and gifts and?—

“Lady Coleman?” The technician paused, looking back at her. “Are you ready to meet your match?”

No. No, she wasn’t ready at all. The weight of the past pressed against her shoulders—James’s death, years of struggling just to keep her children alive. But maybe that was the point. Maybe being ready wasn’t about feeling confident or certain. Maybe it was about being willing to take the next step anyway, for the sake of those who depended on her.

She stiffened her back, the way she had before every difficult repair job, every confrontation with Paul, every time she’d had to be stronger than she felt.

“Yes,” she said, and meant it. “I’m ready.”

The door whisperedshut behind Eira as the technician guided her into what looked more like a living room than a meeting space. Light spilled from hidden panels in the walls, bathing the room in warmth that caught on the flowers in the crystal pitcher in the middle of a low table. Comfortable couches clustered around it, their rich fabrics inviting… if she hadn't been as nervous as hell.

"Please, make yourself comfortable, Lady Coleman." The technician smiled as he gestured to the seating. "I just need to confirm a few details before we proceed."

She perched on the edge of one of the couches, fingers locked together in her lap to hide their trembling. The fabric beneath her felt so soft, so different from the hard extruded seating she'd known for years. "Your full name is Eira Marie Coleman, formerly of the Horizon P-8742 Colony?"

"Yes." The word came out steadier than she felt.

The technician's fingers danced across his datapad. "And you understand that this initial meeting is to determine if you wish to proceed with the courtship period with this warrior?"

She nodded, then realized he was waiting for a verbal answer. "Yes, I understand."

"Excellent." He nodded. "I should mention that while this room offers privacy, itismonitored by our staff. If at any point you feel uncomfortable or wish to end the meeting, simply say so. Someone will intervene immediately."

"Thank you," she managed. "I appreciate knowing that. But…”

"Yes?" The technician looked up from his datapad.

"I thought all the warriors in the program had been vetted and were no danger to the human women signed up?" She was sure she'd read that somewhere in the documentation. Fairly sure… She blinked. They wouldn't put the women in danger, would they?

The technician folded his pad under one arm, his serious expression softening. "They have, Lady Coleman. There is no need to worry, and you are perfectly safe. The monitoring is for your comfort and reassurance that you can halt the meeting at any time. Some of our warriors can be a little… intense when you are not used to them, but they are not dangerous to you."

She nodded, picking up what he was saying. Dangerous to them, but that didn't mean not dangerous. They were all warriors, after all.

"Your match will join you shortly." The Latharian technician moved to the door, then looked back over one leather-clad shoulder. "Lady Coleman? Please try to relax. The algorithms are very good at what they do."

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