Surprise Mates (Interstellar Brides Program #21) - Grace Goodwin

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Lucy, Transport Station 345, Prillon Prime

“What happens on Prillon Prime—”

The sizzle and hair-raising hum of transport cut off Rachel’s words. One second we were on The Colony, looking down from the raised platform at CJ and Rezzer, each holding one of their twins; the next I’m looking at some seriously burly Prillons manning the controls on Prillon Prime.

“—stays on Prillon Prime,” Rachel finished as if we hadn’t just traveled like people on Star Trek or the wizards in Harry Potter, minus the flushing toilet.

“Mate, what are you suggesting?” Maxim said, taking Rachel’s hand and leading her down the steps. His second, Ryston, followed closely behind. Rachel, meanwhile, held their sleepy son in her arms. He was half Prillon and big for his age. Rachel’s biceps were working overtime, but she shook her head when Ryston reached for the boy.

Cute.

Rachel leaned around Ryston and glanced at me. Gave me a wink to go along with her grin.

“I saw that,” Kiel stated plainly. He stilled his own mate with a hand upon her shoulder.

Lindsey looked up at her Everian hottie. “What?”

“What?” he repeated. “Whenever you all get together, I get scared.”

Lindsey laughed. “You, scared?”

I bit my cheek because the three big aliens were staring my way. I was the unmated one of this group, pretty much the fifth—make that sixth—wheel for the entire party.

The Everian Hunter leaned down and kissed the top of his mate’s head.

Meanwhile Rachel pressed her lips to Max’s dark hair. The little boy slept in his mother’s arms. Pushing two, he was too little to stay behind like the older boy, Lindsey’s and Kiel’s son, Wyatt, so Max was joining a few other little ones at the party. It worked out well because Wyatt was best buddies with Tanner and Emma, who were more eager to stay on The Colony with their new Atlan uncles Braun, Kai and the rest of them, acting like walking jungle gyms anytime the little ones were around.

“You and Wyatt are the only ones who can destroy me,” Kiel murmured.

Lindsey’s face took on that sappy, lovey-dovey look.

“Oh, Kiel,” she whispered, then sniffed and lifted her chin. “We’ve come for a surprise birthday party.” Her words were the reminder for all of us as to why we were here. “What kind of trouble could we possibly get into?”

Kiel’s eyes went wide, and he slowly shook his head as if the possibilities were endless.

“This is why the Prime and every male in attendance agreed it had to happen within the walls of the palace.”

“Palace,” Rachel humphed. “More like a fortress.”

“Exactly,” the three males said at the exact same time.

The hum of the transport pad had us stepping off it so the second transport from The Colony could arrive.

“This is the reason we didn’t let you ladies transport without us,” Maxim said as we stood in the large room and waited.

The space was twice as big as the transport room on The Colony, and I had to assume it was kept busy. I’d never been to Prillon Prime before. Heck, I’d never been anywhere else in space but where Olivia and Wulf were stationed. My BFF and her hulking Atlan mate were the reason why I wasn’t on Earth, not because I’d been matched. I was, in fact, one of very few humans out in Coalition space who were single and not fighting the Hive. At least that’s what I’d been told. As in, the only single lady. Fighters didn’t count.

Now I was going to the Prime’s palace for a surprise birthday party for his mate, Jessica, another human. This was epically big.

Epic.

Even more so than a girls’ weekend in Vegas. This was Prillon Prime, baby!

I’d never met Prime Nial, or the birthday girl for that matter, but I’d chatted with them, along with Jessica’s second mate, Ander, on a phone call. Or screen-to-screen call. Phones were beyond old-fashioned, like a horse and buggy, for these guys.

I had to catch up on space terminology. Without a mate to help me adjust to my new life, I was getting behind.

Not that I didn’t have mate offers on The Colony. The Atlan Warlord Braun was an absolute sweetheart, a great big freaking teddy bear… and I didn’t want him. Not like that. Same with Captain Marz and his Prillon second. Same with the other Atlans. The Viken fighters. The large selection of available mates on The Colony was, frankly, overwhelming.

Worse, not one of them felt right, as if I wanted one to be mine. Braun was, if nothing else,