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Finally, the Kindred Commander had managed to broker peace between them, with Grath giving an extremely stiff and half-hearted apology and Mattie just barely accepting it. But ever since, their professional relationship had been filled with tension.
Commander Sylvan had told Mattie that the two of them would get used to each other, but they had been on two missions together already and that didn’t seem to be happening. If anything, they were more at odds now than they had been in the beginning!
Mattie got the distinct impression that the big Kindred warrior didn’t like being around her—he never stood closer than he had to and he never touched her if he could help it.
She’d heard that Kindred—especially some kinds of Hybrids—had very acute senses. Grath’s stand-offish behavior made her wonder if she smelled bad to him—which caused her to question her whole hygiene routine—which was perfectlyfine, thank you very much. She showered daily and washed her hair with a special shampoo for naturally thick, wavy hair. It brought out the red highlights in her hair, especially when she was out in the sunlight.
But still, Grath seemed to want nothing to do with her. It made Mattie wonder if he really would jump in to save her life if the occasion called for it. She had no idea since their first two assignments had been to Class 1 planets where there were no predators and all the animal and sentient species were small and innocuous. It didn’t matter where they were though—the big Hybrid just tried to stay away from her.
Just like he was doing now, Mattie thought resentfully. He greeted Sophie politely enough, but he barely even nodded in Mattie’s direction as he entered Commander Sylvan’s office. Then he settled himself on the chair farthest from her and stared straight ahead, not eventryingto make polite conversation.
The big jerk!she thought, seething inwardly as she studied him from the corner of her eye. She knew the other female scientists andtheygot along great with their Protectors—they were always laughing and joking with each other. But Grath just sat there, trying to pretend she didn’t even exist! He—
At that point, Commander Sylvan came into the office and greeted them all.
“Dr. Porter, Protector Grath, I’m glad to see you both,” he said, going around to his side of the desk. He gave his wife Sophie an affectionate kiss and she said,
“Well, I’ll go. I can finish decorating later.”
“Oh, you don’t have to go,” Mattie said quickly. To be honest, she wanted her friend there for moral support. And maybe Sophie could put in a good word for her about the upcoming mission. It was a very prestigious assignment and Mattie was determined to get it any way she could.
“Oh, well…” Sylvan looked at Grath. “Do you mind if my mate stays during our meeting so she can finish with her decorations?”
Grath shrugged his broad shoulders.
“I have no objections,” he rumbled.
“All right then. Stay and finish if you like,talana,” Sylvan said to Sophie.
“Thank you.” She smiled and started hanging some tinsel on the wall behind him.
Sylvan, meanwhile, steepled his hands on his desk and leaned forward.
“Thank you both for coming. I’ve called this meeting because I’ve been considering Dr. Porter’s request that you should be the team to go to Vi’ri’tex Delta and make first contact with the Vi’riens. They’re an advanced society who would be valuable allies and trade partners to the Kindred.”
“Isthatwhat this meeting is about?” Grath shot Mattie an irritated look. “Vi’ri’tex Delta is a Class 3 planet! That means it’s full of some fucking dangerous predators—not to mention the natives could be hostile as well.”
“What’s the matter? Afraid you can’t protect me if we go there?” Mattie asked sweetly.
“I never fucking said that,” Grath growled, his black eyebrows drawing low over his midnight eyes. “But maybe you should haveaskedme before you put us in for this assignment. Neither of the Class 1 planets we’ve visited so far has prepared you for a place like Vi’ri’tex Delta! You’re too damn little and delicate to go there!”
“I’m ready—I’ll be fine. With orwithoutyou,” Mattie snapped at him. “Stop treating me like I’m a porcelain doll that’s going to break if someone looks at me wrong!”
“Youwillbreak if a Tag’nore sinks its teeth into you!” he snapped back. “Or if the Vi’riens decide they don’t like you. Do you know how fucking picky they are?”
“Yes, thatispart of the problem,” Commander Sylvan said, frowning. He looked at Mattie. “The Vi’riens are anextremelystrict society who insist that everyone who lives there—or even visits—must be mated.”
“Oh yes—I know,” Mattie said eagerly. “That’s one thing that makes them so fascinating! Why, do you know that Vi’rien children are matched at birth to their future mate in a psychic ceremony that allows them to speak using only mental communication? Much the same way that Kindred communicate with their mates after they bond,” she added. “Only with the Vi’riens, the practice enables such communication almost frombirth. It’s said that the Vi’rien males and their mates ‘share a brain’ with their soul mate from the moment they are born.”
“Yes, they are a fascinating people,” Commander Sylvan said, nodding. “But alsoextremelystrict. In order to visit them, you and Grath would have to pretend to be mated and if they found out otherwise…” He made a face. “Well, I’m afraid it might end very badly for you.”
“They’re known as ‘the society that never lies,’” Grath said, surprising Mattie with his apparent knowledge of their next prospective mission. “And if they catch you in a lie, they tie you down and peel your fucking skin off—slowly.”
“We, uh…we can pretend to be mated,” Mattie said, trying to make herself believe it. “After all, lots of Kindred warriors are mated to human women. It’s believable.”
“Not for us, it’s not,” Grath growled.
“Only because you’re a jerk!” Mattie snapped. “If you’d put out even alittleeffort on our missions—”
