Page 6 of Taming Chaos

Everyone who traveled beyond the borders of Earth’s orbit signed an agreement-waiver with the Federation.

You acknowledge that you are undertaking extended space-travel at your own risk. The Earth Federation will not be responsible for any loss or liability incurred as a result of detainment, injury, death, or enslavement.

There was always the possibility that they might not return.

Seph knew it. They all knew it.

That was why they got paid the big bucks; the danger fee. Or as Seph liked to call it, insanity money.

Because everybody who chose to leave the comfortable, sun-blessed atmosphere of Earth had to be a little bit mad, right?

Seph had been called all sorts of names under the sun, including mad, and if she had a credit for every time someone had asked her why the hell she wanted to travel into deep space, she’d probably be a fucking trillionaire by now.

Chapter Three

Torin hung back, taking care to avoid detection. It was actually quite easy to tail the humans, because they made such a terrible commotion as they marched across the vast floor. Humans were always so damn noisy. It was part of their unique charm.

He kept to the shadows, moving silently between hulking freighters and lumbering loading bots.

All the while, he observed the group, noting the way the guards pointed their weapons at anything that moved. Their movements were steeped in hair-trigger tension, and that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

Not when they were outnumbered and outgunned.

Not when hidden eyes were watching them from all corners.

A lone mercenary like him was an ordinary sight, but these humans were fucking conspicuous.

He followed them beneath the belly of a large Ephrenian freighter, which was easily identifiable thanks to its brutal rectangular shape and the green circle symbol on the hull.

Careful, humans.

Torin told himself he shouldn’t stick his nose in their business—after all, he had his own mission to complete—but there was something about this whole arrangement that didn’t sit well with him.

Humans meeting Ephrenians on Zarhab Groht?

Rather strange. Potentially perilous for the light-dwellers. He didn’t really want any harm to come to them.

Torin rather liked humans—well, some of them. He’d even shared a moment with one in the elevator just now.

That female.

She’d looked at him with such curiosity, and for a brief moment, the edge of her hood had slipped back to reveal a face from his wildest dreams.

Rich brown eyes. Pale, dewy skin decorated with a glorious constellation of light brown flecks—freckles, humans called them. Pink lips that were full and generous, made for laughter and…

Oh, sweet Goddess.

Get a grip, idiot!

Now was not the time to be indulging in a waking fever-dream about a human female he’d merely glimpsed.

Yes, he was perpetually starved of sex. Yes, he was secretly envious of his brothers (and sister). The General, Kalan, Rykal, Kail, Xalikian, Zyara, Iskar, and even the cursed Silent One… they had all found their mates, and the effect had been mind-blowing.

Smug horndog bastards, the lot of them.

Fortunate bastards. They probably didn’t realize how much they—and the Universe—had changed since they’d found their mates.

What was the Earth word for it? Ah, serendipitous.

---