Page 27 of Sol Survivor

Drafe twitched, surprised at this detour in their plans.Aehort gestured to Zuphayr aac Caah behind him.He tensed with growing fury as Caah trailed Aehort and Cynthia.A guard hovered, waiting for Drafe to acknowledge him.He shoved out his arm, feeling stupid doing so.The guard flipped his visor back and grinned, accepting his hand for a shake.It was an odd custom but so were some of the Qaldreth’s.

“The name’s Tyler,” he said.

Wincing, Drafe shortened his name and applied human protocol.“Drafe.”

“I’ll take you to Moonstar.It’s the best bar here.”Tyler hesitated, running his gaze over Drafe’s body.“Is there anything you can’t consume?”

“I do not know,” he said.“I can scan it with a bio-dev to see if it is safe.”

Tyler led him down the tunnel and into an open space.High above arched the building’s ceiling with Earthians in various shapes and colors crowding the causeways.Many paused to study their passing.

Tyler tossed a smile at him.“They can’t decide if you’re alien or from Africa,” he said.“We have such dark skin tones too.”

Earthian females slathered his body with their avarice gazes, as if mating for pleasure was the norm.Their attraction to him made him uncomfortable.On Qaldreth, the warrior approached a female and only when the scent of her deepened, indicating she was fertile.Drafe wasn’t certain he liked the roles reversed.

Tyler led him into a crowded room.The thick air hit him first, various scents—some biological, others artificial—assaulted his nose.He grimaced, fighting the urge to cover his face.

“Sit here.The air is cleanest under the vents.”Tyler must have noticed Drafe’s discomfort.

Folding his long legs to do so, he sat on the soft bench.He leaned back to study the comings and goings of the Earthian species.Random conversations reached his sensitive hearing.A few males attempted to attract a female’s interest.One male owed another tokens—their form of currency.Images and lettering flickered in holographics above the bar, suggesting moments of normalcy and hinting at their home planet.

Tyler held out a container.Drafe accepted, sniffing it.Water; chemically cleaned but safe.He thanked him and settled in for the long pointless watch, ensuring his eyes recorded everything.Males propositioned females, vice versa, or same gender, but intimacy was high on the agenda.

“You like this place?”he asked Tyler.

“It’s better than most,” he said, his blue gaze tailing a female striding into the bar.

Drafe admired the sway of her hips and the appealing softness of her light hair.Her garment enticed, fluttering around her pale limbs and curves.Her gaze surveyed the room as if she analyzed for threats.A slight relaxation of her shoulders meant she hadn’t found anything of concern.She slipped onto a seat at the bar, exposing muscled, scarred legs.The urge to run an unarmored finger along her skin gripped him, and he scowled at the strangeness of the attraction.

“Who is she?”he asked Tyler.

“Never seen her, although I’m not sure I want to.There’s something lethal about her.”

“Lethal?”Drafe knew what Tyler meant but wanted him to share his impressions.

“She scans the room, lingering on those I know to be dangerous.Her posture is coiled, as if she could kill without hesitation.”Tyler sipped his dark beverage, licking his lips before continuing.“That’s premium water she’s drinking, so tokens aren’t an issue.She’s waiting for someone she cares about, glancing around every few minutes.”

Drafe ran his gaze along her form.There was an eagerness every time she looked at the door.Her body stiffened, and the smile spreading her plump lips shot a dart of need to his groin.She leaped off the seat, throwing her arms around an Earthian male.He was huge in comparison to the other males in the room, his skin almost as dark as Drafe’s.She flashed a bright smile and gestured to him to join her.Ordering him a beverage said she knew his preference.

“He has arrived.”Tyler slurped his water.“They’re not lovers, though.”

Drafe sliced a glance at his escort.Not lovers?Tension he hadn’t acknowledged eased from between his shoulders.Urging his symbiotes to improve his hearing, he eavesdropped on her conversation.

“What do you mean you’re not coming with?”Anger stiffened her spine as her cheeks flushed pink.He liked the color on her.“Why travel to get here then?Why not just send me a message?”

“I want to at least say goodbye, brat,” the Earthian male said, grumbling something under his breath that was too low for Drafe to decipher.“I needed to meet with your future boss.”

“My what?”she asked before taking a long draw of her water.

“I called in a favor.You start within the hour.”He pressed his wrist to hers, but she didn’t look down.“That’s the details.I’ll see you in two years when my service is up.”

Her shoulders slumped—her understanding of his situation clear.“Fine, Ande.In two years, we meet here.No excuses.”

“Glad you see it my way, Vic.Now try and find a young buck to breach you.No need to go into space still a prude.”

“A prude.”She hit him on the arm.Drafe relaxed further.They had a sibling relationship.She flicked a dismissive hand at the bar.“Like I could find someone here to share sex with me.”

“I’m going to try,” her Ande said, surveying the room.

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