Page 5 of Errik

Of course.

Errik had just returned from an adventure that had taken him to many dark corners of the galaxy. The healer probably wanted to ensure he wasn’t carrying any infectious diseases. Still, Errik bristled at the thought of enduring a medical evaluation. He felt fine. Physically, at least. Yes, he had many scars from his time as a cage fighter, but he no longer had any open wounds. All his injuries had healed well enough.

“Good morning, Stax,” Errik forced out, trying his best to sound pleasant. But he wasn’t quite used to interacting with his own people, and his greeting came out almost like a snarl. Fluxx.

Stax smiled, seemingly unbothered by Errik’s irritability, and came to a stop on the white-stone walkway. “Good morning, Errik. Welcome back. I thought I would visit you, inject your healing nanobots, and give you an extra dose to hold on to for whenever you decide to sign up for the VAMOB program… a dose for your future mate.” The healer briefly lifted his medical bag.

“Healing nanobots?” Errik felt his eyebrows rising. He’d heard nothing about such an invention, though he was more than a bit intrigued.

“Yes, I developed them toward the very end of the war, and the treatment was distributed to every unit of warriors. Your unit was among the last to receive a shipment, however, and it would seem you took off to parts unknown before yours could be administered.” Stax eyed the scars covering Errik’s throat, arms, and face. “The nanobots won’t heal old scars completely, but they will prevent any new ones from forming after a fresh injury. They will also rapidly heal any ailment you might be suffering from.”

“That sounds like an impressive invention,” Errik said. “Congratulations.” This time when he spoke, he sounded more pleasant. More approachable. He exhaled with relief. Perhaps he could do this… live among his people again and not feel so out of place, restless, and tormented by the past.

“Thank you,” Stax said. He nodded at the door. “May I come in? Or would you prefer I administer your dose here on the front walkway?”

“Please come in,” Errik said, spinning on his heel to head toward the door. He doubted it would take long to administer the shot, but it would be rude not to invite the renowned healer inside.

The front door zipped open, and the two males entered the spacious house. Errik led the healer into the large living room on the first floor that faced the snow-capped mountains beyond the thick forest that surrounded Starzzia. He gestured for Stax to take a seat.

“May I offer you a cup of tea? Perhaps a… breakfast cake?” Errik’s tongue suddenly felt strange in his mouth. He wasn’t used to the formalities of entertaining another person in his home. Until the war started, he’d lived in the barracks of his home city on New Vaxx. An orphan, he’d gone straight from a group home to the barracks when he’d begun warrior training at the age of eight. He’d never owned his own home, and he’d certainly never served fluxxing tea and breakfast cake to anyone in his life.

Stax gazed at him in silence for a moment too long, as though he too could sense just how out of place Errik was feeling. But eventually, the healer said, “Thank you, but I already had breakfast, and I have several more house calls to make this morning. If you’ll take a seat beside me, I’ll administer your healing nanobots and give you the extra dose for your mate.”

“Very well.” Errik took a seat, pushed up his left sleeve, and not-so-patiently waited for the healer to give him the shot.

“As you can see,” Stax said, holding up a syringe, “the healing nanobots are delivered via an old-fashioned syringe rather than a hypospray. But since I’m injecting you with healing nanobots, I don’t even need to bother disinfecting your skin before giving you the shot. Please take a deep breath and hold very still.”

Errik almost bristled at the healer’s suggestion that he take a deep breath first. Did the male think he was afraid of a little pain? He’d willingly fought in hundreds of cage fights during the last few moon cycles, and he was covered in scars from head to toe. A mere poke meant nothing to him. Yet he held still as the healer injected the nanobots into his arm, not wanting to cause Stax any unnecessary grief. All things considered, it was kind of the healer to pay Errik a house call like this.

“All done,” Stax said as he shoved the used syringe into a special compartment inside his bag. “Now you’re practically impervious. Only the gravest of injuries, such as dismemberment or perhaps being crushed alive, could cause your demise now.”

“I will try my best to keep my head,” Errik said dryly.

Stax smirked as he reached inside his bag again. He withdrew a sealed packet that contained a capped syringe. “And here is the dose that is intended for your future mate.”

Errik accepted the sealed packet. “Thank you.”

Fortunately, the healer didn’t inquire when or if Errik planned to sign up for the VAMOB program. The desire for a mate was one of Errik’s main reasons for joining his people on New Vaxx, but he didn’t want to discuss such personal matters with a male he scarcely knew.

Stax rose to his feet and murmured something about needing to get to his next house call, though truth be told, Errik was so lost in his thoughts about acquiring a mate of his own that he didn’t quite hear the healer. He issued a polite, vague response before walking Stax to the door and thanking the male one last time.

Once he was finally alone, Errik rushed to his home library, grabbed a tablet, and pulled up the application for the VAMOB program, a new mail order bride service that was operated by the Intergalactic Dating Agency.

What was he waiting for?

He’d come to New Vaxx with the intention of settling down, claiming a mate, and maybe even starting a family. He glanced around the library. He had a house and plenty of money. He would be able to provide anything a mate or offspring might require.

With that thought in mind, he quickly filled out the application.

After scanning the form to make sure he hadn’t missed anything, he pressed the submit button.

There. It was done.

He’d officially signed up for the VAMOB program, and at any moment now, he would be assigned a female from Earth. Then he would travel to the human homeworld, retrieve the woman, and bring her back to New Vaxx.

He would claim her…

His blood instantly heated.