Page 31 of Alien Engineer's Mate

Emily nodded. "Papa tells the best stories about the old battles."

The children leaned forward, even Leo's carefully maintained distance forgotten in his curiosity. Eira found herself just as captivated as Maax's voice dropped lower, drawing them in.

"The Tanel were shapeshifters," he explained. "They could look like anyone they wanted.. like your friend, your brother, even your commanding officer. But they had one weakness." He tapped his bare chest. "They couldn't hide the markings here. No matter what form they took, the marks always showed through."

"So you don't wear shirts to prove you're not a shapeshifter?" Kyle's eyes went wide. "That's so cool!"

"Exactly." Maax smiled, and Eira's heart stumbled at the warmth in it. "It started as a way to identify warriors in battle, but it became tradition. Now all Latharian warriors go bare-chested, even though the Tanel were defeated long ago."

"Did you fight them?" Grace asked, bouncing in her seat.

"No, little one. This was many generations ago." His hand rose to touch one of his braids, the metal bead catching the light. "Though we still face other enemies who would threaten those we protect."

The way he said it, his gaze meeting Eira's for a heated moment, made her shiver. Here was a warrior who had earned every one of those combat honors, who could kill with his bare hands... and he was using those same hands to help Emily cut her food into manageable bites.

Their desserts arrived in a swirl of elegant presentation—some kind of chocolate confection that made the children gasp in delight. Eira watched Maax with her children, the way he anticipated needs before they arose. A napkin appeared just as Kyle was about to spill something onto the tablecloth. Hesteadied Grace's glass before it could tip. Every movement spoke of careful strength held in check.

"Mom, you've got chocolate..." Leo gestured to the corner of his own mouth.

Before she could reach for her napkin, Maax's thumb brushed the corner of her lips. The contact sent electricity arcing through her body. Their gazes locked as he brought his thumb to his mouth, slowly licking away the chocolate.

Heat pooled low in her belly. Her breath caught as his pupils dilated, the thin blue ring almost swallowed by gold. For a moment, the crowded restaurant fell away. There was only his burning gaze, the phantom sensation of his touch on her lips, and the dark promise in the sinful curve of his lips.

"Can we see the purple flowers we saw last time before we go home?" Grace asked, shattering the moment. "Please?"

"Of course, poppet," Maax rumbled in response.

Eira blinked, reality crashing back. Thankfully, the children were focused on the aquarium and oblivious to the heated exchange between the two of them. But she felt the weight of Maax's gaze on her, and the promise in it when she looked up sent a shiver over her skin.

They emerged from the restaurant into the garden level's evening cycle. The bioluminescent plants cast rivers of soft light along the paths, complementing the endless star field visible through the dome above. Emily and Grace skipped ahead, their toys clutched tight as they chattered about which fish had been their favorites. Kyle followed close behind, still explaining to Leo how the chromatic shoalers changed colors.

Her breath caught as Maax's hand found hers. His palm dwarfed hers, but his touch was gentle despite the dormant strength in his fingers. Those hands could no doubt bend metal, but he touched her as if she were made of glass.

"Your children are wonderful," he said, his deep voice pitched for her ears alone. "Kyle's grasp of engineering principles is remarkable for his age."

"He gets that from his father." The words didn't hurt as much as she'd expected. Not with Maax's thumb tracing patterns on her palm that made her skin tingle. "James would have loved all this. The station's systems, the environmental controls..."

"Tell me about him?" They rounded a corner, the path lighting shifting to match their pace. "If you're comfortable doing so."

She studied Maax's profile as they walked. The station's evening lighting caught on his braids, making the honor beads shimmer. She'd never seen so many on one warrior. Each represented a battle, a victory, a life-or-death moment survived through skill and strength. Yet here he was, asking about her past with interest.

"He was a good man," she said finally. "And a good father. He taught me everything I know about mining equipment... always said that I had a feel for the machines that he'd never seen before." A smile tugged at her lips at the memory. "We met when I was trying to fix a ventilation unit that three other techs had given up on. He watched me work for an hour before offering to help."

Maax's hand tightened a little on hers. "You miss him."

"I do. But..." She watched their joined hands swing between them as they walked. "It's different now. The missing. More like remembering something good that happened, instead of feeling like I'm bleeding out every time I think of him."

"Time doesn't heal all wounds," Maax said in a low burr, "but it teaches us to carry them better."

The simple wisdom in his words made her throat tight. They walked in comfortable silence for a moment, their children's voices echoing off the corridor walls ahead of them. His handremained warm around hers, steady and sure. It felt right, like he'd always been there.

"Papa!" Emily bounced back to them. "Grace says she has a whole box of ribbons! Can Red Dragon try them?"

"If Lady Coleman agrees." Maax's tone carried fond amusement. "It's getting late."

"Please, Mama?" Grace turned her best pleading expression on Eira. "Just a few ribbons?"

"A few," Eira agreed, earning matching squeals of delight from both girls. She glanced up at Maax. "Though I suspect 'a few' means something very different to them than it does to us."

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