The Bond That Ties Us by Christine D'Abo

cannot imagine a human conspiring with them. The Ecada see the humans as little more than a food source. It would be suicide.”
    “There has to be another explanation.”
    He straightened. His chest tightened and he had to fight the urge to hit Taber. Who the hell was he to question whether or not Kamran had actually found his mate?
    “Why?” The word sounded clipped to Kamran, but he didn’t care.
    “Pardon?”
    “Why does there have to be another explanation?” Kamran placed his glass on the table, afraid it would shatter in his hand.
    “It’s simply not possible.”
    “Again, why not? Humans are the closest race to ours in chemistry and biology.
    They are only missing three organs and their brains are built a bit differently than ours.
    As far as any of us know our two people are perfectly compatible.” By the end, he was almost shouting. He had to close his eyes and concentrate hard to relax.
    “You’re getting hostile.”
    Kamran opened his eyes and saw the faint trace of a smile on Taber’s face.
    “I’m sorry.”
    “You are also dressed more causally than normal.”
    Kamran looked down at his tunic and pants. “My skin was irritated. I had to change.”
    Taber appeared to consider that information before asking his next question. “You are showing all the signs. But if she is your mate, why are you not tearing this station apart?”
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    Kamran took a deep breath and managed to get ahold of his growing hostility. He finally managed a smile as he found his chair and collapsed into it. “That was the very question I was asking myself when you arrived.”
    “Different race, different pattern?”
    “It must be. So far I have been able to hold off every impulse I’ve had to go after her. But each time, it becomes more difficult.”
    “Why fight it? If she is your mate, go to her. Everything else will attend to itself.”
    He shook his head. “What if I’m wrong? Maybe the madness that takes us is a good thing. Forget the world outside and attend to your own desires. But I can’t seem to do that.”
    Kamran had never spoken to anyone about his hopes, not even his family. Being a single male in a family with paired mates was painful. He was the oldest. It was his responsibility to bring honor to his clan. And he had done so for thirty-eight years. An ambassador was the highest obtainable rank by a male and the placements were few.
    He’d risen to that position faster than anyone else in the history of his people. In his time as ambassador he’d ended wars on several planets and initiated the fledgling relationship with the humans on Eurus.
    But all his accomplishments paled in comparison to the day his brother found his mate. His people had their priorities.
    “What will you do about this?” Taber said. There was nothing accusatory in his tone, merely simple curiosity.
    “Nothing for now. I doubt I’ll be working with the woman. Most of the new settlers are engineers. And the doctor.”
    “And the new human security chief. I met her this evening. She was trying to order from Cindean’s.”
    At the mention of the title, Kamran knew it was her. Everything felt right about it.
    “What was her name?” He spoke too quickly again.
    “Haylie Bond. She has quite an impressive record and a habit of cleaning up corruption around her. I imagine she was getting a feel for the station before she began her duties and wanted to stay a bit anonymous. That’s what I would be doing.”
    Haylie . It had to be.
    Taber gave him a long hard stare before bowing. “I’ve stayed too long. I’ll leave you to your rest, Ambassador.”
    Normally at this stage in their social sparring, Kamran would insist he stay longer.
    He would even go so far as to leave with him for a walk around the station. Not tonight.
    “Thank you. I shall see you tomorrow.”
    Kamran didn’t move and waited for Taber to leave. He then cleaned up his desk, putting all sensitive information into his vault that was built into a