“You bonded?” Cade made the assumption, but Jaspar immediately looked appalled.
“We most certainly did not!” Jaspar hotly exclaimed. “We fornicated, but there was no pledge made, no joining of the spirits.”
“Hmm,” Cade hummed. “Interesting.”
“How is that interesting?”
“Because I’ve always been told that sex with a mate is incomparable, hence why I thought it might have occurred.”
Jaspar shrugged. “I wouldn’t know.”
“Then what made it so good?”
Once more, the other male paused before slowly replying. “Everything. Looking at her, I couldn’t help but feel arousal, which isn’t a common occurrence. At least for me. When she touched me…” Jaspar swallowed hard. “It was as if everything within me ignited. Everything after that felt amplified. I’ve never experienced anything like it.”
“Perhaps the humans ooze a hormone that heightens sexual pleasure,” Cade mused aloud.
“Maybe.” Jaspar didn’t sound convinced. “None of the research on their kind mentioned it, though.”
“Perhaps you abstained for so long that it seemed better than usual,” Cade’s next theory.
“That’s most likely the reason,” Jaspar agreed and then rushed to change the subject. “Colette asked to meet on the morrow to begin discussing how to proceed.”
“Very well. Let me know how that goes.”
Jaspar shook his head. “I do believe she wants both of us there.”
For some reason, hearing she wanted to include him eased some of Cade’s disgruntlement, which had hit the moment Beta informed him that Jaspar and Colette were getting intimate. He’d not understood the disappointment that filled him. Still didn’t. Blame it on the fact he’d met Colette first, and yet Jaspar, who’d barely spoken to her, had been the one she’d chosen to have intercourse with. “Did she indicate if we should bring anything to the meeting?”
“As far as I know, she simply planned to ask questions. On that note, I’m going to reread our mission file in preparation. You should, too.”
Jaspar left, and Cade remained staring blankly at the screen showing the spinning planet. He’d studied their orders numerous times on the voyage over and felt no need to read them again, especially since they didn’t contain much information. In brief, set up a system whereby willing females could meet warriors who’d applied for a mate, but it didn’t mention how to pair them. Usually, the Oracle, with the help of the ancestors, would give warriors a specific person to seek out. A female meant for them. In most cases, it turned out to be accurate, but not always. Some humans did not take the transition from Earth to Xaanda well. While it only happened rarely, Cade had to wonder how Colette, a mere human, would find the right mates for the selected Xamian males. His concern had multiplied since Beta presented Cade with statistics that showed in some regions of Earth, more than fifty percent of bondings, which they called marriages, failed.
Despite his trepidation, Cade would complete his mission to the best of his ability. After all, he trusted the Oracle. If she said this was how it had to be done, then so be it, which led to him wondering, if Colette didn’t consult ancestors, then how did she pair couples?
“Beta, can you explain to me again the method Colette uses?” Perhaps he’d misunderstood or missed something that would explain her success.
“The dating service, Locked and Mated, is a computer program that gathers submissions from unattached males and females. It catalogues their interests through a series of tests. It then pairs those who might be compatible, and they go on dates to see if they enjoy spending time together.”
“Dates?” Beta used the English word, which didn’t mesh with his definition.
“Dating is defined by humans as attracted pairs engaging in numerous encounters to see if they will develop affection.”
Sounded long and tedious to him. Pity the humans didn’t have their ancestors looking after them. Being told who to seek out simplified things. Then again, the Xamian hadn’t always relied on the Oracle to help. There was a time the male heads of families made the alliances for their daughters and sons and simply offered up a prayer to the ancestors for their blessing. If unsuitable, the ancestors had ways of making their disfavor known.
“So what you’re saying is Colette isn’t the one actually making the matches. It’s a computer making the decision.”
“Yes,” Beta affirmed.
“What if it’s wrong and the pair is not compatible?”
“Then they do not bond and return to the service to try again.”
“Meaning more dates.”
“Yes.”
Cade pursed his lips. “I don’t see how that will work with a Xamian warrior. They don’t usually have much leave between missions, and even if given leave, this process would require them to spend time on the surface and being seen by humans.”
