Miners of Djaromir Toren - Leora Gonzales Page 0,1

They can’t seem to keep their hands off each other.”

“I can understand that.” Melanie giggled and blushed. Waving her hand, she fanned her red cheeks. “I’m surprised Basil hasn’t come to get me yet. This mating shit is wild.”

“I’ve heard.” Jessie sighed as she tried to hold back the green-eyed monster that was rearing its ugly little head. She was happy for her friend, but she wanted a slice of that happiness too.

“I’m sorry,” Melanie apologized with a scosche of pity dripping into the words. “I know how much you were hoping to find a mate—”

“I’ll find one in Gunninng,” she interrupted before her friend tried cheering her up again. It was something most of the other mated volunteers tried to do each and every time she ran into them and them seeing her indeed unclaimed. She’d gotten tired of the looks they’d shot her way really quick and was actually pretty excited to try her luck in a different city on Djaromir.

“You’re so positive all the time.” Melanie picked up Jessie’s bag and dragged it part of the way to the door.

“You don’t have to—” Jessie started before realizing her friend was simply carrying it to the door so Basil, who’d at some point arrived at the door unnoticed, could take it the rest of the way. “Oh.”

“I’ve got this for you,” the large miner said with a pleasant nod, taking the bag from his mate with one hand while he pulled her close with the other. He hefted it like the bag weighed nothing, which she knew was far from the truth. “Did the two of you have a fun ‘girl time?’ You seem happy, but your face has not changed…or your fingers.”

“Dafuq?” Jessie mouthed to Melanie, who was obviously trying not to laugh in her mate’s sweet face.

“It was part of my explanation for ‘girl time,’” she said with a giggle. “That sometimes we do each other’s makeup, nails, or braid hair. You know…”

“Ahhh, ‘girl time,’” Jessie agreed with a nod as it all started to make sense. She gave Basil a smile, regardless of the fact that he had eyes for no one but Melanie and paid her little attention when he’d joined them. “Is it time to go already?”

“Yes. The warlord and his lady have called for everyone to meet at the first gate to say good-bye.” Basil led the way, tugging his mate along behind him, while Jessie pulled up the rear.

She couldn’t help but feel both happy and sad as she walked behind the happy couple. She was happy that her adventure hadn’t ended in Fyeir, that was for sure. Her biggest worry had been going back to Earth without finding what she’d come for, and that just wasn’t acceptable. Jessie wasn’t ready to give up yet on grabbing a hunk of her own, which is why she was heading to Gunninng next. She wasn’t sure how the warlord in charge was able to negotiate her staying a little longer, but there was no way she was going to complain. She wasn’t about to let go of the second chance she’d been given to make her dreams come true.

“Do you know who else is going?” Jessie had her fingers crossed she wasn’t the only volunteer still sans mate. It would make her feel a little better about things if she wasn’t the only one flying solo.

“I believe the group of females traveling to Gunninng is small.” Basil turned slightly to offer her a smile that gave his heavily bearded face a completely different vibe. He went from gruff and unapproachable to a teddy bear with the addition of that one grin. “From what Warlord Matrix told me, there are only two females that are still unmated. You and Tabitha.”

“Ouch,” she murmured. Hearing that Tabitha—who was seriously a cunt in pretty much every way—was the only other female without a mate stung quite a bit. She could understand why the other female was still single because the woman was god-awful, but fuck, she wasn’t that bad was she?

“I know what you’re thinking, and you need to stop it right now,” Melanie said, interrupting Jessie’s mental pity party. “You’re nothing like her, so don’t compare yourself.”

Jessie gave her friend a nod. She knew Melanie had been terrorized by Tabitha at the beginning of their trip and hated the women. It had taken Jessie’s interference more than once to get the bully to leave not only Melanie alone but a few of the other more soft-spoken