Chapter 7
7
T he door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing an expanse of space that made Eira's breath catch. She stepped inside their new quarters, her children crowding behind her, and stopped dead. The living area alone was bigger than their entire pod back on the colony.
"Holy shit," Leo breathed behind her. For once, she didn't correct his language.
Soft lighting illuminated cream-colored walls that somehow made the space feel even larger. The floor beneath her feet wasn't the usual metal grating or cheap synthetic tiles—it was some kind of warm, natural material that absorbed the sound of their footsteps. A massive entertainment screen dominated one wall, surrounded by comfortable-looking seating that could fit all of them with room to spare. Her mind flashed to Maax and Emily… a space like this would be perfect for playdates, though she quickly pushed that thought aside. She didn't even know how the matching process worked yet, let alone if she'd see them again.
"Is this all ours?" Kyle's voice wavered between excitement and disbelief as he ventured further into the room.
"According to the assignment on the door, yeah.” Her own voice sounded distant to her ears as she tried to process the sheer scale of the space. “And them…” Their two battered orange trunks sat against one wall, looking small and shabby against the pristine surroundings.
Grace rushed past her toward an archway on the left. "Mama! Come look!"
The kitchen stopped Eira in her tracks all over again. Clean lines of cabinets stretched along two walls, their surfaces gleaming under recessed lighting. A massive cooling unit hummed in the corner, and when she opened it, cold air washed over her face. It was already stocked. Her eyes widened. It was actual fresh food, not the processed protein blocks they were used to.
She crossed the kitchen, and her hands shook as she opened the pantry. Shelves of supplies greeted her, with everything neatly labeled and organized. There was enough food here to feed them for weeks, maybe months. The thought made her throat tight. How long would they be here? Long enough to use all this food? From the paperwork she’d been given when she signed up, it had sounded like they wouldn’t spend more than a day or so here before she was matched, but this made it seem like they would be here more long-term.
Frowning, she nibbled her lower lip. She should have asked S'aad more about what happened next… about how they matched human women with their Latharian mates and about the process. But she'd been so focused on the medical care for Kyle that everything else had seemed secondary.
"Mom?" Leo appeared in the doorway, his expression a mix of awe and wariness that matched her own. "There are four bedrooms. Four . And two bathrooms."
“Two? What would we need two bathrooms for?” she chuckled as she followed him down a short hallway, checking each room.
The first two bedrooms were spacious, with high ceilings that made Leo's eyes light up. "I won't have to duck anymore," he murmured, running his hand along the top of the doorframe. And he was right. The station had been built for the taller stature of the Latharians, so as tall as Leo was, he wouldn’t hit his head ever again.
She smiled as she looked past him. The rooms had different color schemes, one in shades of blue, the other in forest greens, and held two single beds each. Both had desks, storage units, and their own entertainment screens.
Leo walked into the green room slowly, his fingers trailing over the smooth surface of the desk. He moved to the ‘window’—which had to be a screen because by her reckoning, they were somewhere in the interior of the station—staring at the view of stars, his shoulders tight.
“I could study in here," he murmured. "Actually have space to work. Maybe even..." he trailed off, then turned to her with hope in his eyes. "Maybe even take those engineering courses?"
The word 'engineering' brought Maax to mind again and the way he'd explained the system displays to Kyle with such patience, his massive frame somehow gentled for her small son. She pushed the thought away.
"We'll see what's available," she promised Leo with a smile. Even if the mate she was matched with wanted to move away, perhaps someone would agree to host Leo if he wanted to take a college course here, on the station.
"This one's mine!" Kyle announced from the blue room, bouncing on one of the beds. The springs actually worked, unlike their old bunks back home. "Can Emily come visit? Her papa said maybe..." He flopped back on the bed, spreading his arms wide. "I can stretch out all the way!"
Her heart squeezed at Kyle's hopeful expression. Maax had been so kind to him, answering his questions about the station's systems. The way his eyes had crinkled when he smiled... She forced herself to focus on the present moment.
The third bedroom was smaller but perfect for Grace, with its own little reading nook by the window. Her daughter had already claimed it, arranging her few toys on the built-in shelves with reverent care.
"Look, Mama," she whispered, "there's room for all my drawings. And maybe..." she looked up hopefully, "maybe I can get some real books?"
Eira blinked back tears and smiled. Thanks to the relocation payments from the program, she had credit in her account. “We can see if there’s a market or a bookshop tomorrow? They might have books?”
“Yay! Books!” Kyle raced into Grace’s room and grabbed his sister's hand. “Come look at my room, Gracie!! It’s awesome!”
Eira left them to it and wandered through to the last bedroom—her bedroom—and just stood in the doorway. It took her breath away all over again. The bed was enormous, covered in what looked like actual fabric instead of the synthetic stuff they always used in the colony. A separate seating area faced a window that stretched from floor to ceiling, displaying a view of Earth that could have been real if she didn't know better.
But it was the bathroom that broke her. She stepped inside and stared at the massive shower enclosure, the separate bath, the double sink with its elegant fixtures. The colony had had tiny shower cubicles, and water was strictly rationed. Here...
"Mom?" Leo said behind her. "There's a basket of stuff on your bed. It has our names on it."
She followed him back to the bedroom, where a large basket sat in the center of the bed. The note attached bore the LMP logo:
Welcome home, Coleman family. We hope these items help you settle in. Additional clothing and necessities will be delivered tomorrow.
The basket overflowed with fresh clothing, toiletries, and small personal items for each of them. She lifted out a soft sweater in her size, then found school supplies for the kids, including a brand new datapad for Leo.
Beneath the clothing, she found a thick information packet titled "The Latharian Mate Program: Your Journey Begins." Her fingers traced the embossed letters as she set it aside to read later, when she could focus on understanding what came next.
Her vision blurred as she sank onto the edge of the bed, still clutching the sweater. This was too much. Too perfect. The cynical part of her brain that had kept them alive on the colony screamed that there had to be a catch, that nothing this good came without a price.
"Can we really stay here?" Grace's small voice drew her attention to where her daughter stood in the doorway, hugging her stuffed bear.
Eira swallowed hard past the lump in her throat. "Yes, baby. This is our home for now.”
Gracie watched her expression like a little hawk. “Will we have to go back to our before-home?”
“Back to the colony, you mean?” Eira asked, opening her arms so her daughter could climb onto the bed and fall into them. “No baby, we won’t be going back to the colony. We’ll stay here until they find a proper new home for us.”
Kyle appeared in the doorway, practically vibrating with excitement. "Mom! The bathroom has real water! And the tap stays on for more than thirty seconds!"
A laugh bubbled up through her tears. Trust Kyle to focus on the practical details. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, embarrassed to be crying in front of her children.
"Why don't you three explore while I start unpacking?" she suggested, needing a moment alone to collect herself.
They scattered, their excited voices echoing through their new home as they discovered more features. She heard Kyle explaining the entertainment system to Grace, and Leo's footsteps as he checked every room again.
She picked up the mate program packet, thumbing through the pages. Words jumped out at her… "courtship periods," "cultural integration." A section on children caught her eye: "Warriors value family bonds and consider the care of offspring, including those from previous relationships, to be an honor."
She thought back to how Maax had interacted with Kyle, and how his entire bearing had softened when he spoke to Emily. Stop it, she told herself. She couldn’t pin her hopes on one handsome warrior just because he was kind to her kids.
She turned to the window, watching the curve of Earth below. The view was beautiful, even relayed through a screen. James would have loved this place. The thought made her bite her lip. He would have been in his element here, exploring every system, figuring out how everything worked. She could almost hear his voice: "See? I told you things would get better."
But he wasn't here to see it. He would never see their children in these beautiful rooms, never know they finally had enough food, enough space, enough of everything. The grief rose up to choke her, mixing with hope and fear and too many other emotions to name.
A soft chime sounded, and a gentle voice emerged from hidden speakers. "Environmental controls are now calibrated to your preferences based on medical data. Please let us know if you require any adjustments."
She laughed through her tears. Even the bloody air was perfect here.
"Mom!" Kyle's voice carried from the kitchen. "Can we have real food for dinner? There's actual vegetables in here!"
"And juice!" Grace added. "Real juice!"
She took one last look at the Earth view, then straightened up and wiped her eyes. She would worry about what came next—about meeting potential mates, about building a new life here—later. The mate program packet waited on her bed, promising answers to her questions about the matching process, about how she might find someone who could love her children as much as she did. But right now, her children needed her present and focused.
"Coming!" she called back, heading toward the kitchen. "Let's see what we can make."
Maax moved through the first position of the diraanesh with the other warriors, his muscles protesting more than usual from lack of sleep. The training hall's polished floor reflected the morning light streaming from the hidden lighting strips, catching on the decorative metalwork that traced ancient battle scenes along the walls. The massive space echoed with the soft sounds of two dozen males moving in sync, their breathing a steady rhythm in the morning quiet.
His eyes burned from exhaustion. Emily had finally fallen back asleep after her nightmare, curled up in his arms on the living room couch again, but he'd lain awake for hours after. She'd been so excited this morning, though, skipping on their way to the nursery as she told him about all the games she wanted to play with her new friend, Grace.
"Your form is slipping, brother." V’Ash's quiet observation pulled him back to the present. The other warrior's dark eyes narrowed as they shifted into the second form, and Maax’s thigh muscles burned as they held the deep stance. A drop of sweat rolled down his back.
He adjusted his position, forcing his attention back to what he was doing. He needed diraanesh this morning, and the discipline it brought. But Eira’s green eyes kept appearing in his mind, bright with determination as she'd watched over her children in the medical bay. The way she'd smiled when he'd mentioned the gardens, like he'd offered her the most precious gift...
His stance wavered again, and V’Ash kicked his foot, subtly adjusting his position.
"Third form!" Kaan's voice rang out from the front of the hall, bouncing off the high ceiling.
Maax’s body moved into the pose on automatic, but his thoughts refused to settle. Eira was a mate program candidate, which meant she could be matched with any warrior. His jaw clenched hard enough to break teeth as a wave of possessive anger swept through him at the thought.
Would she even want a child that wasn't hers?
Aisha didn’t. He’d caught her voice drifting down the corridor ahead of them before they’d even reached the turn for the nursery this morning. The words had been clear and definitely meant for him: "...but taking on someone else's child... I couldn't imagine the burden... She would have to be put up for adoption.”
He'd steered Emily down a maintenance access way instead. She hadn't questioned the detour, too busy telling him about her plans for Red Dragon's newest ribbon.
Emily deserved a mother who would love her completely, who would understand what a gift she was. Would Eira understand that? Would she be the mother Emily deserved?
"Fourth form begins!" Kaan called out. "Mind your spacing!"
Warriors shifted around him, making minute adjustments to maintain proper distance. Leather training gear creaked and someone's stomach growled, earning muffled snickers from those nearby. Maax breathed deeply, trying to find his center as they moved through the complex sequence.
"Emily slept better?" Aaran asked from two rows back, his voice a whisper. The younger warrior often trained with the nursery security detail and had taken a particular shine to her.
"Some," Maax said as they flowed into the next form. "Though she had another bad dream."
A ripple of tension passed through the warriors around him, his training group. They all knew fragments of Emily's story, enough to make them all protective of the little girl.
"How does she like the nursery?" A warrior in front asked, almost stumbling as he tried to maintain the form while looking over his shoulder. "My brother’s female speaks highly of their programs."
"She's made a friend," Maax said as they held the sixth form. His muscles burned, but he ignored it. "A little human girl named Grace. They played together yesterday until Emily scraped her knee."
"Ah yes, we heard about that," Aaran’s lips twitched. "The entire medical bay heard about that, from what I understand."
"The entire medical bay needed to hear about it," Maax growled, remembering his panic at seeing Emily's tears. "She could have been seriously injured."
"Of course," V’Ash agreed, though his eyes danced with poorly suppressed amusement. "Which is why you terrified three junior healers and almost gave poor Kellat an aneurysm at the chaos in his orderly medical bay.”
Several warriors lost their forms entirely, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. Kaan shot them a quelling look and they hastily resumed their positions, though grins still flickered across faces.
"Tell us more about being a father," one of the younger males asked, earning himself another glare from Kaan. "What's it like, having a little one depend on you? Does she follow you around the engineering bay? Can she already work with tools?"
"She's five," Maax replied dryly. “She tried to 'fix' my datapad with her art supplies last week."
That sparked a wave of questions from the unmated males, their curiosity about human children evident in their eager expressions. Most had registered with the mate program but were still waiting for matches. They peppered him with questions between forms… what did human children eat? How fast did they grow? Did they understand warrior traditions? How long before they could use bladed weapons?
"She tried to teach Red Dragon the warrior's salute yesterday," Maax found himself saying with a fond smile. “But she got the movements backwards."
"Red Dragon?" someone asked.
"Her stuffed toy. It needs a new ribbon every day to look 'pretty.'"
There were more chuckles, quickly stifled as Kaan bellowed, "Pair up! Combat practice begins now!"
V’Ash stepped forward to face him as the others separated into pairs. Maax settled into a fighting stance, but his thoughts kept drifting to the medical bay. To the way Eira's eyes had lit up at the mention of gardens, how her oldest son had positioned himself protectively near his siblings...
The two of them circled each other, muscles coiled and ready. The familiar anticipation of sparring hummed through his veins. V’Ash struck first, a testing blow aimed at Maax’s head. He blocked the blow and countered with a strike of his own.
They fell into the familiar rhythm of combat, moving across the mats as other pairs sparred around them. The steady thud of impacts echoed off the walls.
His mind wandered again—green eyes, that gentle smile—and V’Ash’s feint caught him off guard. Pain bloomed across his ribs as the hit connected. Both warriors froze. V’Ash’s eyes widened. He’d never landed that move on Maax before. Not since they were raw recruits training for their first assignments.
The shock on his friend's face stung worse than the blow.
"What's wrong with you today?" V'Kash stepped back, frowning as Maax rubbed his side. "You're moving like you need engine grease in your joints."
“Lack of sleep,” Maax said, rolling his shoulder. “I’ll be fine after some coffee.”
“Oh god, coffee.” Aaran moaned somewhere behind him. “The two blessings humanity has bestowed on us: females and coffee!”
Maax’s wrist communicator chimed, the sound cutting sharp and clear through the hall's usual morning acoustics. The particular pattern of tones drew his attention instantly; it was the mate program's priority channel. His heart lurched against his ribs as he lifted his wrist.
The message scrolling across his bracer's screen made his breath catch:
MATCH IDENTIFIED - REPORT TO LMP OFFICE IMMEDIATELY
A flashing indicator showed the message had been sent to his engineering office first, then forwarded here when he didn't respond. They'd found him a match. After months of registration, evaluations, and waiting... they'd identified a compatible match for him.
V’Ash noticed his sudden stillness and glanced down at the message. His eyes widened before a grin split his face. "Brothers! Our lead engineer has been matched!"
The announcement rang through the hall. Warriors who had been sparring moments before lowered their weapons, turning toward Maax with expressions of keen interest. The mate program was a subject of intense fascination among the unmated males, especially those still waiting for their own matches.
"Already?" Aaran called out, bouncing on his feet. "That was fast! Do you know who?"
"He has to report to find out, draanthic ,” V’Ash answered before Maax could speak. "Let's hope it's someone who can handle his overprotectiveness.”
"I am not overprotective," Maax growled as heat crept up his neck. "I simply ensure proper safety protocols are followed."
"Is that what we're calling your healing bay meltdown now?"
Kaan's voice cut through the growing chorus of good-natured teasing. "Enough! Maax, go. Your potential mate awaits. The rest of you, back to training! You fight like cubs fresh from the nursery! In fact, I’m sure I’d find the human offspring in there easier to train. Now back to training!!”
Maax nodded and strode toward the door, his heart thundering against his ribs. The program's matching algorithms were thorough - they wouldn't match him with someone unsuitable, someone who couldn't accept Emily...
Please, let it be Eira. Not Aisha. Please.