Free Craving: A SciFi Alien Mail Order Bride Romance (TerraMates Book 8) by Lisa Lace

government's been compromised. I had to decide which one was the greater evil: leaving her with her own people or bringing her to ours. If she's with me, I can oversee her protection. It's my duty as her sindare."
    "Sindare." Tellen shook his head. "How can you know? You need to test your assumption in combat."
    "Have you found yours?"
    "I am an old warrior. It's unlikely to meet my sindare at this stage in my life. I am quite satisfied with my wife."
    Kai knew that if Tellen found his sindare, he wouldn't talk lightly about them. An ordinary woman would never invoke the depth of feeling that the Earth woman had aroused in Kai.
    "Regardless," said Tellen. "The problem still stands. You cannot present Jennifer as your sindare to the emperor."
    "I know. But allow me the dignity of making sure she is safe."
    "And how do you propose to do that with the current political climate?"
    Kai didn't know.

    * * *
    J enn paced around the little room, her ire gathering into a ball of anger.
    "How dare he!" she muttered. "He thinks he can kidnap me, imprison me in a room and leave me alone, damn it!"
    "Is there a problem?" A voice with a slightly mechanical tone echoed through speakers hidden somewhere in the walls.
    She felt silly talking without seeing anyone, but she wouldn't let her discomfort stop her. "Where is the Emissary?"
    "Sorry. I do not understand your question."
    "Oh, great," groused Jenn. The last thing she needed was a computer that didn't understand her. "Let me try a different query. Where is Kai?"
    "Do you mean Commander Imwaden?"
    "Yes. Are there a lot of Anquesh named Kai around here?"
    "Commander Imwaden is unavailable. Do you want me to leave him a message saying you want to see him?"
    "No!"
    "Very well."
    Jenn didn't think that was what she wanted. She needed some answers. Was the Anquesh Emissary the only one who could give them to her? How long would it take?
    "Wait, I changed my mind. Yes, I do want to see him."
    "I will relay the message. One moment. It appears that Commander Imwaden is not on the active duty roster."
    "What does that mean?" Jenn clenched her teeth.
    "Not only is Commander Imwaden unavailable, but he also is not currently receiving messages."
    "Let's try something else. I want to speak to someone that is available."
    "I will relay the message," the mechanical voice said. "I have notified Lieutenant Sevit that you wish to speak to him. He will be here in approximately thirty minutes."
    "Thirty minutes!"
    "I detect a high level of stress in your voice. Do you have physical needs that warrant attention?"
    The phrase 'physical needs' made Jenn flash back to the car where Kai did delicious things to her body. She had to shut her thoughts down. She was on an enemy alien ship, and she didn't want to think about sex, especially when a machine triggered the memory.
    "No, I do not."
    "Are you certain? Do you require food?"
    The rumbling in Jenn's stomach told her yes. A single slice of pizza hours ago was hardly enough to keep her going. When she didn't answer right away, the computer didn't wait for her. "I will put in an order to the kitchen for you."
    A buzzer sounded. "Per your request, Lieutenant Sevit is here to see you. Shall I open the door?"
    "Yes." Jenn paused a moment. "Thank you."
    An Anquesh warrior walked in with a wary expression in his eyes. He began speaking in Anquesh. "Lieutenant Sevit does not speak English or Standard," said the computer. "He ordered me to translate. The Lieutenant asks what you want."
    Jenn glared at the man who towered over her.
    "Where is Kai?" she demanded.
    "The commander is unavailable."
    "The computer told me that. I'm looking for more information. If he's not available, where is he precisely? I assume he's not lost in space." Jenn's words came out more fiercely than she had intended.
    Sevit spat out a few words. "Commander Imwaden is in the medical bay. The staff is treating the wounds he received on your planet." The computer's mechanical voice did not have the