The herbal taste of the gel he put on my lip lingers behind the strawberry and chocolate layers. My lip is almost completely healed. But now my heart is even less into the game.
I can’t get over how his chest stretched his leather jacket, the ungodly amounts of tactical gear strapped to his body like he was leaving Catalyst Five and heading straight into battle, or the cold seriousness in his eyes. My gut tells me he isn’t just a security guard but a trained killer.
I look down at my healed knuckles and remember the way his gold eyes dilated when his finger touched my lip.
I don’t know much about Lazariots other than their affinity for tech and their unusual survival skills. Their home solar system is basically a frozen wasteland of planets after the Nebswrecked them, like so many others. It makes me wonder how that happened when Elix’s kind are—or were—so talented.
“Red, huh?”
I look up at a woman in an ABR uniform standing before me with a tablet in hand.
“Armbands.” She points with her stylus. “So you’re an independent contractor, likely hoping to find someone to team up with but will still let you be the boss of your world.”
“Sounds about right.”
Her gold badge gleams under the bright lights. “I’m Ohni.”
“Zariah.”
“I make it my mission to find the few of you sitting alone and check on you. I know this race can be a life-changing experience, feel a bit chaotic, and maybe isn’t quite what you were expecting.”
“Do reds usually get paired up?” I ask.
“Now and then.” Ohni tucks a strand of her hair behind an ear. “You’ll get matched with someone during the race this afternoon. You don’t have to stay with them.
“You can mingle with others, hang out with girls, or just go to your room. You can also walk the race grounds when there aren’t events. But we highly encourage you to socialize with males. Itiscalled the AlienBrideRace.”
“Right.”
“Want to talk about something else?” Ohni slides into the seat across from me. “Okay, I want your thoughts. We’re considering adding a pool, but the trouble is the Vinym, and a few other species, have oils that coat their skin.” She waves a hand nonchalantly and scans the room filled with chatting women. “Anyway. Figuring out the right chemical process to maintain sanitation has not been easy.”
“Maybe dunk them in a soak tank first to remove as much as possible, then give them a time limit,” I suggest.
Ohni smiles at me. “Interesting idea. I’d thought of maybe requiring a coating, like a varnish. But that sounds harsh.”
“Then you’d have extra residue to deal with. Maybe have a few smaller pools so you can condition them differently?”
“Smart.” Ohni loops a strand of brown hair behind her ear. “Now, why don’t you tell me why you don’t look thrilled to be here?”
“This was my mother’s last gift. I’m not interested in mating. Didn’t want to waste it. Can’t give it back.”
Ohni studies me for a moment. Her eyes shimmer with sadness. She looks away. “Lost my own mother recently. So I understand. She gave everything to give us a good life, and it still wasn’t much. But that’s why we have these games. These males have all been vetted to be sure they have supplies and funds, capable health, and desire to give women better lives.”
“Yeah.”
“Ah.” Ohni gets up.
“What?” I squint up at her.
She gives me a crooked smile and plants a fist on her hip. “Maybe he needs to know how you feel.”
I gape at her, wondering what gave her the impression I had someone else.
“Enjoy your vacation. Holler if you have questions.” Ohni winks and walks off to talk to another racer in a pink band who bounces on her toes like she’s full of sugar and ready to run.
The wet dream they gave me in the medbay comes back to mind.
It was just a dream. I didn’t have control.But the single male that protected me from gunfire was green.
