Which made him wonder if they’d even be able to find him a mate. Whoever she was, she would be stuck in the middle of this without any prior knowledge. He’d have to let her go back to her life because she wouldn’t get what she was looking for from him. He disliked the idea of deceiving her. No one liked to be lied to.

  It did not sit well with him.

  The door to the medical bay opened, and a woman with pink skin and little antenna on her head walked in.

  A very pretty female, in fact. Just exactly the distraction he needed. While everyone looked at her, Olmed grabbed a scanner and shoved it in his pocket.

  “Hello, gentlemen.” She crossed the clinic and stopped right in front of them, a tablet in her hand, and she slid her fingers over the device, her gaze darting from the tablet to them and back.

  “How was the travel?” she asked.

  “Fine,” Erzo said. “How are you today?”

  “Lovely, thank you."

  “I would say so,” Erzo said, admiring the view of her.

  Phares glared at him. “Knock it off.”

  “You flatter me,” she said. “I am Re-lee. I hope you are ready to begin this journey with me. I welcome you all formally to the Intergalactic Dating Agency.” Her voice shifted to a professional tone, and she tapped on her tablet.

  “How does this work?” Olmed asked, because he didn’t understand. Especially since he wasn’t here for honest reasons. “Some of us have biological indicators if we have found a mate. In our species, it is believed they are fated from the stars.”

  She smiled at him. “Yes, that one true mate, the one who will balance you and bring you the harmony for your connection, is a powerful indicator of compatibility.” She spoke about it wistfully, as if it was this incredibly romantic notion.

  Truly, it just meant that they were alone until that one person was thrown into their orbit. If they never crossed paths, then they wouldn’t achieve that connection with anyone.

  “But how, though?” Olmed asked as he crossed his arms. How would they be able to find this person, when Olmed had not? He hadn’t been looking, either, but it didn’t matter either way.

  "Fated mates, especially those who are triggered by biological markers, have matching markers in their mates. We simply find those matching markers and bring you together with that person.”

  He wasn’t buying it, because there wasn’t a way a computer could determine who his perfect mate was.

  The more he was here, the more he was sure this was a bad idea. If they wanted him to look into these thefts, then he should have just been asked to do the reconnaissance.

  Not this facade of meeting a mate.

  Cruel to the female who would wind up being an unwilling partner.

  He would have to return her as soon as possible.

  Re-lee turned to the medic. “It looks like everything is finalized. I am just waiting for the system to find your mates now.”

  “How long does that take?” Erzo asked. “Do we have to go get them?”

  She blinked. “Pardon?”

  “Do we have to travel to them?” Erzo asked.

  Re-lee shook her head, her little antenna bobbing as she did. “We will bring the ladies here.”

  “And what if you can’t find someone?” Olmed asked.

  She met his gaze. “We always find someone.”

  4

  “This is stupid, and there’s no reason for me to be here,” Tori muttered to herself as she walked through the park.

  It didn’t help that it was a scorcher. She could already feel the sweat building underneath the backpack, and she’d only been walking a few minutes.

  Okay, maybe ten. But still. She should have brought water with her. Something.

  As she rounded the corner, Tori could see Polly in the distance with another woman. Pretty girl. One of those gals that looked pretty no matter what she did.

  Immediately, Tori’s ire rose. She reminded Tori of those perfect girls in school, and all those jealous emotions washed over her. The same ones that brought out her fighting response.

  The girl turned her way. “Is that her?”

  “Jana, wait,” Polly said, but Jana didn’t hear her.

  Tori bit her lip so she didn’t make this worse than it needed to be, regardless that the frustration ran full throttle through her. Electricity filled her and she felt like she would go off at any second, letting every bit of her natural sass and anger flood out.

  Yet she held back.

  She’d known this was coming.

  If Polly was right, this gal had had no idea what had been happening.

  “This was, what, a set-up?” Jana put on hand on her hip. “Were you thinking you’d just confront me and run me off or something? Fight me?” She headed toward Tori.

  Tori dug in. She wasn't about to let this gal get the drop on her. She crossed her arms, ready to stand her ground.

  Polly glared at her.

  Tori needed to calm down. She hadn’t come here to fight.

  The way Jana was looking at her, maybe she did want to duke it out. “Whatever it takes to get the point across.”

  “And what point is that?” Jana asked, getting closer yet again.

  “Jana, wait,” Polly said.

  “What, she can’t hurt me,” Tori said, not backing down. She was done making herself vulnerable. Done with being nice, and wind up being hurt.

  So done.

  “Tori, don’t make this worse.” Polly stepped in between Jana and Tori.

  “Worse? Like it’s my fault that the bastard has kept who knows how many side chicks around—”

  “Who says I’m the side chick?” Jana said. “Maybe it’s you!” Her words came out desperate and weak.

  Tori lunged forward, ready to smack this girl. “You want the bastard. You can have him! I wasted three years on his ass. He isn’t worth it. I can’t do this shit anymore.”

  She couldn’t. She wouldn’t do this again. Not for him. Not for anyone.

  Tori was done.

  Over it.

  “You knew?” Jana asked, her voice softening. “Which one of us is more pathetic then? At least I didn’t know. You knew, and you put up with it!”

  The words were like a branding iron, burning Tori raw. Because angry as she was, the woman was right.

  She’d tolerated his ways for far too long. She opened her mouth to say something, but Polly raised her hands, holding them both back.

  “Stop it,” Polly said. “I called the two of you here to work this out. He’s a dick who doesn’t deserve either of you.”

  “Jana, go over there and give me just a minute,” Polly said, pointing toward the metal sculptured arches. She turned to Tori. “You, come here.”

  Jana huffed off and walked over to the metal sculpture art a few feet away. She started walking through the arches, slapping them as she did, her ring clanging against the metal.

  Tori watched her do it.

  Each clang felt like a slap.

  He did it again.

  Clang.

  And again.

  Clang.

  "What is your deal?" Polly demanded. "Antagonizing her is not going to make this better!"

  "Nothing is going to make this better, except cutting off your shitty cousin."

  About that time, the phone in Tori’s backpack buzzed.

  Text, probably.

  No, another buzz.

  That was a ring.

  Speak of the devil.

  "That's why I had to do this. You both are great. You don't know Jana, but she's a good person. I like her. I think you'd like her too if you gave her a chance."

  "We don't have to be friends because we were wronged by the same guy, Polly."

  "I know. I was just saying. I don't want you making this worse for her. This really is out of the blue for her."

  Tori rolled her eyes. "Fine. Whatever." Her backpack buzzed again. "He's calling." Tori swung the backpack around to grab her phone.

  Sure enough, it was Stefan.

  "No," Tori said as soon as she answered the phone.

  "You don't even know—" Stephan started to say.

  "No, Stefan. I'm done. I'm done, Jana's done, and even your damn family is done with your shit."

  "What do you know about my family?"

  "I'm here," Polly said. "And I told my mom and your mom."

  "Seriously? What kind of shit is that?" Stefan yelled.

  "I'm pretty sure they'll have words for you," Polly said.

  "Goodbye, Stefan," Tori said.

  And it lightened her heart to say that. Especially hearing him yelling as she hung up on him.

  "Now I just need to go to Seattle for a month or something," Tori said.

  Polly raised her eyebrow. "Seattle? Why?"

  "Someplace that's not here and as far away as I can afford to fly to so I can let go of this."

  "I get that," Polly said.

  They both turned back to the sculptures where Jana was cussing and slapping her hand on the metal.

  "She's gonna burn herself with it being this hot out today," Polly muttered as they headed over there.

  Jana stepped through one of the arches, and a bright light lit up the arch.

  "Wait, what was that?" Tori asked.

  The light faded, and Jana was gone.

  "Shit, what was that?" Tori started running for the arch, Polly on her heels.

  "Jana? Where did you go?” She cried out.

  "It is some kind of optical illusion?" Tori said as she reached the arch.

  Polly stuck her hand through it, but nothing happened. "I don't think so. It doesn't make sense. She was right here."

  Tori put her hand on it. And the arch zapped her. "Ouch!" she said, pulling her hand back.

  "What? Is it electrified?" Polly asked as she touched it.

  "Yes," Tori said just as Polly jerked her hand back.

  "Jana!" Polly called out.

  Tori called out for her as well. On the ground on the other side of the arch, something glistened. "Is that her ring?"

  "Where?"

  "Right there, just on the other side."

  The two of them stepped through the arch.

  A bright white light blasted Tori in the face, and everything felt like it stretched and tilted all around her. She reached for Polly, and thought she touched her arm.

  A second later, Tori blinked.

  Her foot hit the ground like she'd just stepped over a giant stair. But it wasn't the concrete pad from the park.

  This was a metal grating over a floor.

  She looked around, and Polly was right next to her. Polly grabbed Tori's arm.

  "What is this?" Polly asked.

  A dude came toward her with a gun. "I--" A sharp pain hit her on the side of her head, like a wasp sting just behind her ear. "Ouch!"

  Polly winced as well, and Tori turned to see him tuck the gun thingy away.

  "What did you do to us?" Tori demanded.

  "It's your universal translator. So you can understand what I say,” he said.

  Tori rubbed the spot, and felt a little metal disk there, just behind her ear. "Is it going to give me cancer or something?"

  "If it does, we have the medications for that," he said. "You'll all have to get vaccinated anyway, and we'll take care of anything like that in your system."

  Polly blinked and touched Tori's arm. "Did he just make cancer sound like a cold?"

  "We fell and hit our heads," Tori said.

  "Think we all did," Jana said as she approached them. She looked confused, but at least she seemed okay. ,

  "Welcome to the Intergalactic Dating Agency ladies," announced a pink woman with antenna on her head and big smile.

  "The what?" Tori asked.

  "The Intergalactic Dating Agency. Where we find love matches all across the stars."

  Tori glanced at Polly. "Uh, I think we're dead."

  "Something happened, that's for sure."

  5

  The lounge that Re-lee had brought them to had very few patrons at the moment. Holographic displays all around the room created a soft hum of noise, including the latest happenings around the galaxy. One hologram projected down from the ceiling over the center of the table, a smaller display of some of the bigger ones around the room.

  Olmed watched the screen, but he didn’t really register the words. He was more focused on the fact that they had been waiting for hours with no update.

  He wanted to get on with his assignment. Get this done and move on.

  Be released from any obligation to Dhomhes.

  “They do not have anyone for us,” Olmed said as he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

  “You are so positive,” Erzo said, picking up his cup.

  “If they did, we would have met them by now,” Olmed replied.

  “They probably are getting treated and inoculated or whatever, like we did,” Erzo said with a shrug. He bobbed back and forth, sitting on his tail like it was a seat.

  “We should be meeting them,” Olmed said.

  “We will, when it’s time,” Phares replied, picking up his cup of ale.

  Their patience was aggravating.

  “She’s pretty,” Erzo said, gesturing to the new Terran Empire’s queen who was prominently displayed on the hologram.

  “For royalty,” Phares added.

  “What’s wrong with royalty?” Erzo asked.

  Phares shrugged. “Doesn’t really have much to do with us, does it?”

  Phares wasn’t wrong. Since when did royalty care what was happening in the ore mines? Only that they got their orders fulfilled. “Your thoughts make sense,” Olmed said.

  “Can’t hold someone’s birthright against them,” Erzo said.

  “No, I suppose not,” Phares replied.

  Olmed looked past the hologram to a display on the wall. He should keep that in mind, about not holding one’s birthright against them.

  If Dhomhes wasn’t a Gol-Vett, he might have been a friend at some point. They’d run across each other during their lives a few times, but never in ways that were spoken of. The Kantenan social structure didn’t allow for a lot of mixing of the people. One did their job, and then they went home.

  They stayed among their standings.

  Probably a bigger reason that Dhomhes wanted him to go look for this thief. Maybe he worried that he would be recognized if he started looking around himself.

  Olmed, on the other hand, was less likely to be recognized beyond being of Kantenan birth.

  He didn’t know how this was going to play out, but he was going do his best.

  His gaze ran over the holograms projecting news.

  An asteroid field showed up.

  Not just any asteroid field.

  One of their asteroids. “What is that?” Olmed said, gesturing to a display on the opposite wall. Surely he was wrong.

  Phares turned. “Is that one of our mines?”

  He crossed to the hologram. Olmed followed him, so they could get a closer look.

  “That’s Aster 5,” Phares said.

  What did he speak of?

  Aster 5?

  That was the location where a lot of the instabilities had been happening lately. There was also a lot of mining there because the usable ores were high.

  Olmed had never heard the asteroids referred to by anything except coordinates before. “What? You named them?”

  “Doesn’t matter that he did,” Erzo said. “We can make fun of him about it later.”

  Phares growled.

  The newscast repeated the information about the general location.

  “Look now, you can see the explosion as it happens.”

  The asteroid broke into chunks, an explosion lighting up space until the air burned out.

  Debris scattered. Bombarded their residential ship, the Stonebroke.

  Air leaked from the damaged section of the ship, and the ship shuddered.

  “We have to go,” Phares said. “We have to get back.”

  “The Stonebroke was saved by the heroics of this miner,” a voice said from the news report. The hologram shifted, showing the miner who had saved the ship.

  It was Shoval. Phares’s paternal.

  Phares looked like he wanted to rip the hologram off the wall and obliterate it.

  What in the world happened that Shoval was able to stop it?

  Olmed’s horns tingled. Something about this wasn’t right.

  “Yeah, we got hit hard, but I managed to secure the ship. Good thing I was there. No one else could have done it.”

  Phares muttered to himself. He slammed the chair, sending it flying across the bar.

  Erzo crossed to him. “Peace, my friend. At least they’re okay.”

  “Get sucked out an airlock” he replied.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Not here.” Phares headed out of the bar.

  Erzo and Olmed watched him leave.

  “You think his parental really saved the ship?” Olmed asked.

  “Anything is possible.” Erzo picked up his drink and took a sip. “More likely, though, he caused the problem to begin with.”

  Olmed nodded, for he had the same thought. “Should we follow him?” He gestured the direction that Phares walked.

  Erzo downed the rest of his drink. “It won’t be hard.”

  “Why?”

  “He’s just going back.”

  Olmed agreed. Because that was where he wanted to go as well.

  Erzo and Olmed split in two different directions to see where Phares went. They were close to the main commercial docking ports, so they guessed that Phares probably headed that way to secure transport. The vessel they’d arrived on had been docked for maintenance for the next two weeks as part of their trip. If they wanted to go anywhere, they would have to get commercial transport.

  Humanoids of all systems resided on Disguised Serenity. Billed as a place with no discrimination, it had also become a place where those who had no home went to begin a new life.

  Olmed had considered briefly when he received his sentence that the station might be a good location for him

  The tunnel he walked through—an old star cruiser--had been retrofitted into a commercial port for spaceships to connect and unload and reload travelers.

 

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