Page 16 of Found Treasure Bride

“Because I’m half-human, and I didn’t know if it was psychosomatic from stress!”

I swallowed, accepting his explanation. I’d probably would have tried to explain the rash away, too, only the more I looked at it, I could see it was purpling not from infection or bruising but from a tattoo-like pattern emerging.

“You sure it started when you met me? Not someone else onboard?’

“Well, there was a cute dancer at one of the lounges earlier, but I don’t think I touched her when I gave her some sols.”

I didn’t want to know. I had no reason to feel jealous over some nameless dancer he tipped at a show he went to before we met.

“How long before we know?’

“I think a week? But I’m not sure because this started the day we met, and I’m half-human, so who knows how that skews things.”

“Right. Okay. We’re a day out from Rigellus IV, right?”

“We’ll be there by breakfast.”

“Okay, the first thing we do is go see a medic and have them run tests on your arm. While you’re doing that, I’ll, ah, be at the university getting your payment and filing the reports.”

He didn’t say a word.

“Okay?’ I prodded.

“Fine. And if we’re mates, maybe they can figure out how to stop it. Not like you’re really into me, anyway.”

I felt a pang in my heart at that. The thing was, I really did like him. He got on my nerves, but I was beginning to like the bickering. It was a give and take sort of thing, no malice behind any of it. He and Grorsch seemed to have that same sort of vibe going in their friendship.

It’d been three days, but what a three days it’s been. Fleeing pirates, escaping a villainous station manager, having hot, sweaty sex that was the best rumpy-pumpy I’d ever had in my life, and now the hottest guy I’d ever met, let alone had intimate relations with, might be my destined soul mate.

I thought about what awaited me. I’d fill my reports and go back to my classroom, teaching bored first-year students twentieth-century Earth history and overseeing labs. Compared to this, it seemed dull and unappealing. If we were mates, did I really want to leave it behind, though, to join him in his cargo business?

14

Jakrah

The medic shook his head. He was a full-blooded Paethian and head of the urgent care department. “This is definitely a mate mark,” he said.” The redness is already receding, leaving behind the blue. See this pinprick-sized bit here and here? They are the same shade as your hair.” He looked at me with a piercing gaze. “She has shown no symptoms?”

“We didn’t end up exchanging fluids until yesterday.”

No way was I going to confess to this guy that it was because my bestie stuck his finger in my mouth and smeared it on her lips.

“Well, in that case, she’ll probably start feeling the effects later today, I think.”

“Can this be broken?”

“Not unless you wish to sever the heart connection.”

I didn’t have a double heart, so that was a no. If I cut into anything there, I’d be a dead man. This was it, then.

“Okay, thanks. I guess we’ll just have to work something out.”

“I know matings often come as a surprise and at seemingly the wrong moment,” he said, “but if both parties take a step back and look at how they can compromise, it has been my experience that things work out as they should.”

Yeah, my mom had expounded on that a lot when I was a kid. All about how very few were ever rejected, but the mate who did the rejecting always ended up unhappy. The universe paired you with your heart’s perfect other half, la la la.

I thanked the doc and swiped my identity chip over the scanner to sign myself out. No need to pay. Unlike less civilized parts of the galaxy, medical care was recognized as a fundamental right. Each planet paid into a fund. Mine was covered by Paethia, as I was a citizen. If she accepted our bond, Nancy would also become a citizen of Paethia, granting her the same rights I had to medical care, freedom of movement, blah blah blah.

I felt as if insects were crawling under my skin. I needed to find out how her report was received, collect our payment so Grorsch could effect repairs and we could lay in some supplies, and then have a serious talk with Nancy about what the medic had revealed.