“Not all of them,” Beta interjected. “Given this endeavor will result in a larger pool of eligible females, the list includes males who didn’t end up in the fighting ranks, such as clerks and merchants, as well as government officials.”
“Meaning a wider variety, which is actually better,” Colette remarked. She had to admit to being slightly excited now that she’d gotten over her initial annoyance. After all, she, and the company she’d built, had been chosen by aliens for what could be the most insane expansion ever. Forget their current logo of No ocean too wide, no continent too small, to find your perfect mate. She could already see the marketing.
Find your true love, among the stars.
Cute and sappy.
Hunky aliens looking for women to colonize their planet.
Another possibility.
Choose blue and he’ll fly you to the moon.
Catchy.
As for the visual parts of the ad, she could already envision a shirtless Cade—or someone with holy-shit blue abs—against a galactic background, which gave her another tag line idea.
Ladies wanted as Alien Mates.
5
On a view screen in the bridge, Jaspar watched the exchange between Cade and the human female with irritation, fascination, and discomfort.
With deliberate defiance, Cade had approached the target a second time, ignoring Jaspar’s admonishment and advice. He then compounded that mistake by bringing her aboard!
The female initially arrived shaky, but as she regained her wits, she showed herself to be assertive, commanding. Definitely not shy or frail, which Jaspar had already surmised from the information he’d gleaned about her, but seeing it proved different.
Speaking of seeing… Jaspar had gazed at the naked female form before, and, while he might not be as experienced as Cade, had spent time in brothels—leaving feeling sated but, at the same time, unsatisfied. He’d always felt awkward, given the business aspect of the exchange. It took much imbibing and manual manipulation before his shaft hardened enough to be of use. But the nude form of this female, curved and exotic with her non-blue flesh, thickened his cock. Desire filled him, and he finally understood why some warriors chose to settle with aliens.
Not him, though. The Oracle hadn’t sent him here to bond but to create a channel between their worlds for others to find their mates. A worthy mission, a perfect reminder that should have been enough. However, even once the female dressed, he couldn’t entirely shake his arousal. Blame the female for being more interesting than expected, and smart, too. Intelligent enough that she kept hammering Cade with questions, and it occurred to Jaspar he should hurry to join them before his partner said something irrevocably stupid—a strong possibility.
Jaspar’s long strides brought him quickly to the transport and decontamination chamber. He entered as the female said, “…go home.”
“What did you do now?” Jaspar barked. “I told you to not bother her.”
“And I ignored that because I saw an opportunity.” Cade turned an unapologetic mien in his direction
“Which might have compromised the entire mission.” Jaspar turned his attention to the female raptly watching their exchange. “I apologize for anything untoward he said.”
“Who are you?” she asked, head cocked.
He offered her a short bow as he said, “Commander Jaspar’uilla Var Jannu, at your service.”
“Colette Wilson.” Her lips curved. “So tell me, are all you Xanadus tall, blue, and handsome?”
A speechless Jaspar’s mouth rounded. “Um…”
Cade snickered. “Bet that’s the first time a female’s ever said that to you.” In an aside to Colette, he added, “Jaspar is considered somewhat underweight for a warrior.”
“Because many of my postings had strict rationing,” Jaspar hastened to explain.
“I think he looks just fine.” The female smiled at him. “Are you one of the warriors looking for a bride?”
“No.” Jaspar violently shook his head. “I am not a suitable mate.”
“Why not?”
He wasn’t about to admit his biggest fault. “Because I am rarely on my home world. A mate requires tending, which I cannot provide.”
