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SOLAN WAS LOADED.
Lena looked beyond the gatehouse and caught sight of a mansion even bigger than the one Crowze lived in.
Freaking loaded.
She reached into her pocket and traced her finger over the paper she’d brought with her. Maybe this was a bad idea. He wasn’t going to want anything to do with her.
No.
She stiffened her spine and stood up as straight as she could. She wasn’t going to run away before she’d even started. The paper in her pocket told her she had a right to be there, and she wasn’t going to give up on Solan before giving him a chance.
Not that she was exactly sure what she was trying to get them into. Oz and Emily were living in their own little world, and Lena didn’t need that. But Emily had been drafted to work for the Synnr military because of the powers given to her through her bond with Oz. That was what Lena wanted.
And apparently this whole Matching thing was a big deal. It didn’t matter that she was a penniless human. Solan would see her value.
She hoped.
The guard waved her through and gave her directions to Solan’s house. Because, just like with Crowze, there was more than one house on this estate.
Rich people.
It was the same wherever she was. How many houses did a single family need?
But she’d be glad to have this conversation without an audience. She didn’t notice she was walking up a hill until her calves started to burn, and she was covered in sweat by the time she made it to the mini-mansion that was apparently Solan’s house. Great. Just how she wanted to make an impression.
Whatever. She wasn’t here to seduce the guy.
She knocked on the door and expected a butler to answer, but Solan was there, looking nice in dark pants and a black top. He smiled when he saw her, but there was caution in it. Probably because of the way she’d scowled at him the last time they’d met.
Good. It meant he paid attention to others. That was a must for any partner. She didn’t need some oblivious rich guy.
“Good afternoon,” he said. “Would you like to come in?”
She wanted to get this over with, but the niceties had to be observed. She followed Solan inside, and they ended up in an atrium full of lush plants and colorful flowers. It was warm and humid, but the smell was pleasant enough for Lena not to mind. He pointed her toward a small bench and took a seat opposite. “I hope this is fine.”
“It’s beautiful.” She reached out and stroked her fingers over a blue-green leaf. It was softer than she expected and the leaf curled away as soon as she lifted her hand.
“My grandmother was a cultivator,” Solan said, watching her with a strange look in his eyes. “This place used to be bursting with flowers. I’m not nearly as talented.”
“I could barely keep a cactus alive,” Lena had to admit. “Apparently you’re not supposed to leave them in a box and forget about them when you move.”
He gave a vague smile, but Lena got the feeling the words didn’t make much sense to him. Maybe they didn’t have cacti on Aorsa. Or maybe he’d never had to move.
“Right,” Lena said brightly. Time to get to the point. “Apparently your dead captain entered my information into the Match testing database.”
Solan leaned closer and a strip of sunlight highlighted his face. Lena was struck by the strong line of his jaw and the way his skin glimmered in the sunlight. It was slightly iridescent, a faint sheen that made him look inhuman.
Well, he was.
She had to keep that in mind.
And she had no place getting caught up in how handsome he was. No. There would be none of that.
“I’m sorry,” he replied. “You should have had the choice of whether or not you wanted that information known.” He sounded sincere. And Lena remembered he’d been the one to ensure the rest of the humans who’d been rescued from Kilrym hadn’t been tested.
“It’s done now.” And Lena didn’t really care that the choice had been taken from her. There were much worse things that could have happened. This was a minor blip. And an opportunity. “I received my results.”
Solan’s eyes narrowed. “You have a probable Match?”
She nodded and pulled the paper out of her pocket. She should have brought Emily’s glasses with her, but she had memorized what it said. “I do.”
He didn’t have any reaction and just remained sitting with a polite expression on his face. “I’m sure the Matching Bureau would be willing to help put you in contact with your Match. Or did you want to find out more information about the process? Or about—”
“It’s you.” She spit it out before he could make any more offers. She shoved the papers towards him forcefully enough that he had no choice but to grab them or let them fall to the floor. “According to the test, we’re a probable Match.” All of the paperwork stressed that word. Probable. There was no way to be sure without physically testing the Match, and that was done between the suspected couple. Or throuple. Or however many-ouple made up the unit. But as far as Lena knew, the Bureau didn’t make many mistakes. At least, no one seemed eager to mention it if they did.
Solan was still looking at the papers, so Lena kept talking, in case there was any doubt. “I want to see if it’s real. And I want to bond.”
***
SHOCK MADE SOLAN MUTE. He looked down at the crumpled papers he held in his hands, but the words blurred and made no sense. For an insane moment he wondered if his mother had known this was coming, her remarks about Matching still fresh in his mind from their lunch. But no. She would have said something. It wasn’t in her nature to win by surprise.
Not that she’d consider this a win.
Why hadn’t the Bureau informed him? He’d have to follow up to make sure he was the Solan Zadra that Lena had Matched with, but when his eyes finally agreed to focus, everything he could see made sense.
“You want to bond?” It came out more harshly than intended, and Lena flinched. Solan immediately regretted his tone, but the sentiment was still true. “We don’t even know one another.” The ten minutes of this conversation was the longest they’d ever been alone together and possibly the only conversation they’d ever had. “You can’t possibly want to bond with me.”
Lena made a frustrated noise and stood up. The plant behind her was trembling. It was a rare breed, one his grandmother had been particularly proud of. It could somehow sense the emotions of the people and animals around it and reacted to them. And from the way it was reacting, it was scared of what Lena might do next.
Solan wasn’t scared, but he was curious.
“I’m not talking about what Oz and Emily have.” She crossed her arms and paced in front of the plant, shoulders stiff. “I’m sure you’re nice and all, and you—” she cleared her throat, then kept talking. “I’m not looking for a boyfriend. I’m looking for a job.”
His curiosity shifted to intrigue. “There are lots of jobs in Osais.” He studied Lena, watching the tic in her jaw and her narrowing eyes. She didn’t like the sound of that for some reason. Why?
“Show me a place that wants to hire a displaced human who’s been here for a month.” Her eyes got big, eyebrows going up and face challenging him. “I can’t read your language, I can only speak it because of this thing behind my ear,” she gestured to her head. “And half the days I wake up and forget that I’m not in Kansas anymore!” She cleared her throat. “Well, Oklahoma, if we’re being technical.”
Comforting words were on the tip of his tongue, but he was almost certain Lena would smack him if he said them. And the thought of her ire made his cock twitch. That was something interesting to find out. Interesting and completely useless.
What would his mother think of Lena?
Ah, there. Desire completely gone.
“A Match isn’t something I can just jump into without thought,” he said. “We’re talking about a lifelong connection.”
“And a career in your military,” she added. “Emily might be new to the concept, but I was in Kuwait. I’ve served.”
He didn’t know the difference between Oklahoma, Kansas, and Kuwait, but clearly they meant something to her. He didn’t know how to process this information. That his first inclination was to deny her because she was human made him a little sick. He wasn’t an Apsyn. He wasn’t like his former captain, who saw the Zulir as superior to other species. But he could also imagine what his mother and their family friends might say.
It wasn’t kind.
But he was a soldier, by Brazon’s bowels, and he couldn’t avoid something because of that.
It didn’t mean he was ready to bond with a stranger. “I can’t commit my life to someone I don’t know.” And he refused to consider whether he’d have the same resistance if Lena was from Aorsa.
She knew. He could see that she suspected his reasoning. Her eyes narrowed as she asked, “What are the odds of you finding another Match?”
He’d known the exact percentages when he was a boy, but he’d forgotten them. Now he knew the basics. “Not very good. And if there was another Match, it would be the three of us Matched together, most likely. Assuming the Matching Bureau is right about this.” One Match was bad enough. He didn’t want to think of the stress that two would bring. Maybe he should have lied to get her to go away, but he wouldn’t be a coward.
She made a frustrated sound from deep in her throat, and the emotion behind it caused something to stir within him. From what he’d seen of her, she didn’t let her emotions show, didn’t like to give anything away. Was she showing him her reactions because she felt safe? Or did he bring them out for another reason?
Her fingers curled around the edge of her seat, as if she was holding tight to keep from pressing up and pacing. “I’m not proposing marriage,” she insisted. “I want to do something, and fighting, protecting people is what I’m good at. If we’re Matched, I can do that.” Her deep brown eyes implored him to see her side of this. And Solan could. He sympathized. It must have been difficult to end up so far from home, with few friends, and nothing to do. But he wasn’t going to be some rash decision she regretted because she was desperate.
“You don’t need to be Matched to fight.” There were a dozen ways to enter the military or the civilian defense forces. If he put in a bit of effort he could probably get her the contacts she needed, and no one would have to know about a potential bond.
Simple.
“Maybe you don’t, but opportunities for us haven’t exactly been plentiful.” Her words countered his offer before he could make it. “They’re treating us like victims. I’m fine. No serious trauma, none of that. And whatever issues I have will be resolved by kicking serious Apsyn ass.” Now those eyes of hers had a fire deep within, and the Apsyns were lucky she was far away. He’d seen her fight and he didn’t want to be her enemy.
“I’m not saying yes.” He couldn’t look directly at her as he said it, and still he saw her deflate. How had this become his fault? His anger tried to bubble to the surface. First his mother was insisting he find a Match or a spouse, now Lena was here telling him they were compatible. He wasn’t ready for it. He didn’t want it.
He had a life of his own to live.
“But I’m not saying no,” he found himself adding. He didn’t know he was going to say it until the words came out, but there they were, and now that he’d said them he couldn’t take them back.
He was being an ass. Ten asses. Thinking he couldn’t Match with Lena because she was human? He wasn’t an Apsyn, and he knew Oz would end their friendship on the spot if he spouted off like that. And Solan would deserve it. The stress of life and his responsibilities on Aorsa were getting to him, but he couldn’t use it as an excuse.
“Let’s get to know each other first.” He wasn’t ready to bond after only a single meeting. He wanted a better idea of what he could expect from Lena, and she deserved to see what she would get from him. “Let me escort you to Oz’s bonding ceremony so we can spend some time together. And we’ll train. I can’t jump into this. And there are things about me that may make you...”
Lena glanced around the atrium. “Rich families always have their issues. All families, I guess, but you all think you’re more special.” Her expression told him she harbored no kind thoughts for the wealthy.
Solan couldn’t blame her. He had his own complaints. “If this doesn’t work out, I’ll do my best to find you work.” Even if he had to bribe the correct officials to make it happen.
“It’s going to work,” and the gleam in her eyes was enough to make Solan nervous, not that he showed it. “I’ll see you at the ceremony.” She stood and left, not ever pausing to look back. Solan watched her go, his eyes taking in her retreating form from head to foot.
He was in danger.
But he couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
