Nicole Krizek by Alien Savior Page A

they had arrived without further incident.
    Now he had his mates safely aboard a ship that had fire power and defenses far superior to those of the shuttle. With Lacy aboard he was sure they’d get orders to leave the quadrant immediately, and take her to Arath as fast as their engines would allow. But, for now, he needed to introduce her to the crew and contact his superiors on Arath for orders.
    When he finished his post-flight shut down he stood up from his command chair and motioned for Ty and Lacy to join him. He held their hands as they walked to the exit, but when Lacy started to slow as they got closer to the door he realized that she looked a little paler than usual. He stopped and made sure she was looking him in the eye.
    “What’s wrong?” He asked gently.
     
     
    Lacy knew that she was being irrational, but couldn’t stop the fear of what lay beyond shuttle’s door. The shuttle had become a safe haven for her, a place of refuge after she’d been auctioned off. It was also where she had mated with Ty and Kor, so the shuttle was special. She knew that beyond that door there was an entire alien universe, and it freaked the hell out of her.
    “Lacy, tell me what’s bothering you. Why are you scared?”
    She was afraid that it she told them the truth they’d think she wasn’t a strong woman. They’d think her weak, and those strong men didn’t deserve to be stuck with a weak female as a mate. She could lie, and tell them that everything was fine, plaster a fake smile on her face and march out that door with bravado that she sure as hell wasn’t feeling, or she could come clean. Tell them the truth and trust them to not think any less of her.
    “I know it’s irrational, but I’m afraid to leave the shuttle. There’s a huge universe outside that door and I’m not sure I’m ready to face it.”
    Kor took her face between his hands and held her steady while he gently brought his lips down to meet hers. The kiss was tender and she knew that he was conveying more in touch than any words could ever speak.
    He took his time with the kiss and only pulled back once her mind had settled down and she had relaxed in his hands. He looked deep into her eyes. “Lacy, you know that I will protect you at any cost, that includes from my own people if need be. Ty and I will be by your side, every step of the way, and I promise that you won’t be alone unless you wish it.”
    She looked over at Ty and he nodded in agreement. She reached out and took his hand, feeling more confident from the touch.
    “Alright, let’s go face the universe, together.”
    “Together.” Kor agreed.
    “Together.” Ty repeated.
    With Lacy in the middle and her men on either side, holding her hands, Kor pressed the panel and the shuttle’s door opened.
     
    *****
     
    The first thing Lacy saw were the overhead lights, the other shuttles lined up in perfect formation, and the twenty crew members lined up outside the hatch. They stood at attention, in tightly-fitted black outfits with large black boots that came up to their knees. They also wore belts from which various tools hung, along with the tools was something that looked like a sort of weapon. She bet they weren’t just for show either. Along with the matching clothes and weapons, they all had similar expressions of surprise and were staring at her, so she gave them a small nervous smile.
    Kor wasted no time, “Greetings everyone.” He said to the assembled men. The one closest to them stepped forward and bowed to Kor.
    “Welcome back captain. The officers are assembled in the Command Center as requested.”
    “Thank you Lieutenant Simdon.” He raised his voice slightly and turned his attention to the rest of the bay. “I would like to introduce you all to Lacywoods. She has agreed to mate with Ty and myself and is to be treated with all due respect and courtesy.”
    All of the men bowed as one and Lacy smiled at the respectful gesture.
    Kor did not wait for a reply, and