Page 22 of Captive Mate

“Thor. Don’t be silly,” I admonished as I pressed my hand on the keypad, allowing the heat sensors to scan my palm print. I’d yet to upgrade this part of the system, the scanner unit about ready to hit the crapper. Just like the building I’d been provided with, the housing supposedly temporary, although I’d lived here for the entire eighteen months I’d been stationed on the colony. I knew I shouldn’t complain. Beggars couldn’t be choosers.

The truth was I’d been blessed to get the nod for a job right out of school, especially given the terrible economy the last few generations. Granted, my father had managed to snag me an interview, which had surprised me. He never used his powerful influence. Maybe he’d realized how badly I wanted to work with animals. Plus, my mother had all but begged me to live close when I’d been the adventurous one, longing to visit various planets, like a traveling vet.

Here I was stuck in a small apartment for at least another year before I would be able to afford anything more glamorous. That was unless Skyler got his big promotion at his job. There I went again, assuming we’d be married. I had to shove that aside for now. I’d done everything I could with the place to make it bright and bodacious, just like I’d been told matched my personality. I snickered at the thought. Then the security system flashed red.

My father had been bugging me for weeks to allow his soldiers to finish installing a completely different operational system to go with the security measures he’d already insisted on. Given his top secret, high clearance position, he remained concerned his family would be used against him. There were enemies everywhere from dozens of planets and at least ten different alien species at last count.

But the list was growing.

I could swear it was like the man was worried about a battle of some kind or worse.Destiny…Now I rolled my eyes. Cara’s flippant statement had really gotten to me.

“Oh, no, you don’t, you worthless piece of shit.” I snarled at the system, trying to keep my cursing to a minimum. My neighbors were all older, more well-to-do than the upstart kid who’d moved in next to them. I glared at the scanner then back to Thor, who continued to growl.

What in the hell was going on? It had been working fine when I’d left early that morning. I so wasn’t in the mood for the system to break down now, not after the long, brutal day I’d had. I had no idea how a dogfight had started, but the injuries to the four beautiful pups had been severe. Fortunately, there’d been no casualties, a godsend since my monthly supply of medication had yet to come in. However, in cleaning their wounds, I’d noticed the signs of previous abuse, which had prompted me to have the pups removed from the man’s care.

Care.

That was giving him too much credit. When the dude found out, he’d be pissed, but at least I had a few days before he did.

I was so grateful that surgery had gone well, the pups resting. Even though Cara was right there with them, I felt a heavy burden for their safety. They were my kids, my children. Just like Thor. I’d rescued him from a Ragcat, the huge alien species usually docile, which was why they were allowed on the Earth Station. Unfortunately, dogs were considered delicacies in their culture. It had been as close to killing another creature as I’d ever come.

But I’d do it again.

I took a deep breath, trying the door again.

Maybe Skyler had accidentally set it incorrectly as he’d done twice before, something I’d warned him of more than once. I couldn’t be but so angry with the man, especially given the long hours he also worked. However, if he’d already crashed, I would need to break in. The last time I’d been forced to do so, I’d had a pretty testy few moments trying to explain the situation to the two municipal officers, especially since I’d been dressed in a bright red negligee.

The memories were ugly.

Then again, maybe he was pushing my buttons to heighten the excitement and whatever surprise he had in store. After all, he’d called to find out if I’d be home on time, which was something I wasn’t entirely certain he’d ever done before. That had really pushed me into believing he was popping the question, especially since three nights before he’d asked if I thought marriage was something I wanted. I’d stalled. I did remember that. Ugh. Was that another telling sign?

“One more time, pup.” I rubbed my hand on my medical pants, realizing my hands were sweating. Maybe that was it. I tried it again, even plastering a smile on my face for good measure. The nasty little beep indicated the system was getting irritated with me for trying a third time. “Fuck you.” I gave the inanimate object the finger since I knew it wouldn’t suddenly retaliate in the middle of the night. Then I pounded on the door, hoping Sky would hear me.

“Skyler! Let me in.” I don’t know why I was yelling given the walls were soundproof. Besides, he was usually playing heavy metal music. Fan-fucking-tastic.

After I was ignored for a few minutes, one of my neighbors popped his head out of his door, growling at me. The asshole had actually growled. I one-upped him, roaring like a lioness, adding a howl at the end. Then I stomped around to the side of the building, Thor following closely behind. Tonight I wanted a tall drink. Maybe two. “Don’t you dare look at me that way. I know what I’m doing,” I said, looking back at my companion, his tail wagging.

Oh, sure. I’d scaled the building a solid half dozen times before. I dropped my bag, taking a deep breath before jumping on the trellis. I heard Thor’s tail thump several times as I meticulously crawled up the side, cursing the entire time. Fortunately, I always kept a relic of a tool my father had given me a long time ago in my back pocket after the incident with the sexy but unforgiving officers a few months before. The Swiss Army knife had come in handy far too many times.

I twisted my arm around one of the trellis arms, wondering when the whole damn thing was going to pull away from the exterior wall from my weight. Then I grimaced from the thought, images of plunging to my death, splatted out like a beached whale plaguing my mind. No, I wasn’t fat, just voluptuous, as my mother told me.

Yeah, I’d go with that.

Thor woofed when I was in position and I took that as a sign of encouragement, yanking out the Swiss Army knife. I remembered the birthday event with greater fondness, my father pleased with himself for finding a useful tool in a secondhand shop, my mother squealing when she realized the treasure he’d found. If my parents could have been born in the twenty-first century, they’d be much happier, preferring antique everything.

Music.

Clothes.

Decorations.

But that made them even more adorable. At least that’s what I’d tried to remind my sister of, the girl who was perfect at everything, and who constantly made fun of our parents. She’d even gone through a period of changing her last name so as not to be associated with the people who’d ‘spawned her.’ Her words.

To each their own.

Within seconds, I managed to slip the knife under the window ledge, jimmying it just like my father had taught me. Thank God, the alarm system didn’t go off, which meant Skyler had been careless after returning home. I thumped onto the floor, taking a deep breath, returning the knife as I jogged down the two sets of stairs to let Thor inside.

As soon I did, he lunged past me like a bullet leaving a pistol.

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