Maxar (The Mating Games Book 4) Read online

  Maxar

  The Mating Games

  Book 4

  By Catty Diva

  2016 Copyright by Catty Diva

  Cover by Jesh Art

  Editing by Eagle Editing

  Disclamer:

  Any resemblance to persons living or dead are strictly a coincidence. While some actual places may be named, they are used only in the context of imaginary events. The story is strictly created from the author’s imagination and all of the events are fictitious.

  Razar

  Book 1

  Razar needs a mate but on his planet there are nine males to one female. Humans look like they are compatible but if they find out the secrets of his kind they will refuse to send them mates.

  Lista needs money for her mother's operation or she will die. Her sister has volunteered her to be a bride for an alien. If she wins the mating game she will be free to keep the money and return home.

  Can she outwit him or will he claim her heart before it's game over?

  Travlr

  Book 2

  Travlr is ready and he wants nothing more than to catch his mate and make her his. His mate seems to be a cunning capable female but he will claim her, what choice does he have?

  Tammie has nothing left on Earth. She was basically sold to the hunt but what kind of male can she expect to try to claim her? Since she doesn’t know, she will use every trick in the book to elude him.

  His time is running out, but what about hers?

  Glendar

  It's finally Glendar's turn to find his mate and he can't wait. He'll have to hunt her but it's a small thing to do in order to get your fated mate and find happiness, right?

  Bernie has escaped from home so no matter what happens she's better off. But what will happen if her father tries to come for her? Will Glendar stand up for her or will they send her back so her father will keep letting them have more mates from the world he controls?

  Prologue

  Ernie left Earth behind not to find a mate but to find a better life for herself and her daughter. She was good, the best really, at what she did but on Earth where men ruled she would never get fair pay or equal treatment. On this new planet females were appreciated and judged fairly. She had worked her way up to a management position that paid well but she only hoped the desire she saw in Maxar’s eyes wouldn’t ruin everything she’d worked so hard to earn.

  Females were everything to the males here but one female was everything to him. Ernie and her adorable little girl had dug into his heart but she seemed afraid to take the next step. He was committed to the next mating games and since the female he would choose wouldn’t commit, he was forced to chase a female that was willing. It was what he had to do for his younger brothers’ sake.

  Maxar

  Chapter 1

  The Decision

  Ernie was hard at work doing what she loved. When she had chosen a career as a mechanic it had been out of necessity because her husband had died and she had a baby girl to support. There was a big shortage of mechanics so training was easy to get. They even paid her to go to school if she agreed to work six months on some less than desirable space station. They’d offered free childcare, food, and accommodations. The choice had been an easy one to make.

  Mechanics of any kind were traditionally male fields but these modern men preferred less physical and cleaner jobs. Females in general didn’t want jobs that made them look masculine because they feared it would limit the males that would find them desirable. She didn’t give a shit since she’d had the love of her life and finding another was unlikely so romance wasn’t a consideration. Modern Earth men wouldn’t have any interest in a woman with a child anyway. Most of these guys had no paternal feelings even for their own children.

  When the opportunity to go to Oison had come up, that had also been a no brainer. Had she still been on Earth, they would have never allowed her to leave but because she was on the space station some bureaucrat had decided she must be undesirable. Had they bothered to check to see her training, they would have forced her to stay. It must have been fate’s hand that saw that she made it here.

  Maxar was watching her again. Oh, God! He was headed her way. “Good morning, Ernie. How goes it today?”

  “Things are good. We will probably have to replace one of the dryers.” They were what was used to dry most of the Oison weed once it was harvested, cleaned, and anything subpar was removed.

  “Whatever you feel is appropriate.”

  That was another reason she loved it here. They never argued always taking her recommendations. On her last job they thought the equipment would last forever. They often lost time, product, and occasionally lives by trying to use worn out equipment long past its useful life. Ernie always got a second opinion, it wasn’t like she wasn’t well aware of the cost of the equipment in use. She had also found a way to sell the old equipment to places like the space station she had come from for a fair price. They paid her so well here she felt the need to go above and beyond expectations.

  Maxar spoke to her a few more minutes mostly about work before moving on. He spoke to all the employees but she felt something special between them. Maybe it was just on her part. Maxar was handsome with his dark piercing eyes and sexy smile. Ernie was so caught up in her dreams about Maxar she didn’t notice Jerry approach.

  “Hey, Sexy. How’s it going today?” Jerry leered at her. She didn’t like Jerry but it wasn’t his personality that had gotten him hired. He was an okay mechanic making it a no brainer when they’d hired him. At that time they’d been short on mechanics and had equipment breaking down constantly. They had contracts which required at least a forty hour week without breakdowns. Ernie made sure that’s what they got since she was put in charge.

  “What did boss man want?”

  “You know he stops to talk to everyone.”

  “Seems like he talks to you more often and longer. Do I need to worry about that? Is he competition?” Jerry chuckled but she didn’t find it funny.

  “You know I have no interest in you in that way, Jerry. Besides with me being in charge, Maxar has more he needs to talk to me about.”

  “I’ll change your mind. I can be charming.”

  “Do you have all your maintenance work done?”

  “Almost. You don’t have to get all bossy, Darling.” Jerry wandered off but not in the direction of the section he maintained.

  Ernie hated to do it but she just put in a work order to have cameras installed and they would be hidden ones. Jerry was her only concern but if she just put them in his area he would claim she was picking on him. It was in their contract that they agreed to be under video surveillance. Jerry gave her a bad feeling and she always trusted her gut. She filled out the request for cameras, asked that they be hidden, and forwarded it to security after she asked for a rush job.

  Yeah, she was paranoid lately but life had been handing out lemons and she didn’t like lemonade. Ernie preferred to have her choice of fruit instead of having it chosen for her. This job would help her raise her child and a lazy worker wasn’t going to slack off and do her out of a job. Once the cameras were in place she would review them weekly. There was no way to avoid a little overtime to ensure that everyone was doing their job properly.

  The factory had security but cameras were only at the doors to make sure no one took any weed home beyond the allotment each worker got weekly. Ernie only took one allotment a month getting paid out for the other three. It was almost time to go home and she was reasonably sure Jerry had not completed his work. Something was going on with that man besides his lecherous behavior that was making her gut churn with nervousness. Maybe it was just that he gave the impression of a sexual p
redator where women were concerned. That was hard to say.

  It was time to go home so she walked out the nearest exit through the device that scanned for any unauthorized items. They really wanted to make sure no one was smuggling out Oison weed. Ernie couldn’t believe anyone would risk a job with such good pay and exceptional benefits. Since lunch was provided in the employee cafeteria, her policy was nothing in and nothing out. She had a small stash for emergencies with a change of clothing and some feminine items but she hadn’t had to use them yet.

  The childcare center was next door and Zandal, the older mated female that kept the children, lived next door to the center. Her husband worked at the factory managing the docks where product was brought in and left to go to the buyers once it was processed and packaged. His name was Denbar and Ernie dealt with him occasionally finding him to be likable. So far all the Mazlans had been nice and respectful people. Ernie breezed in the door looking for her baby girl, little Shandra.

  Shandra looked up seeing her immediately and squealed. Hopping up she ran throwing herself into her mama’s arms. Ernie felt the warmth, love, and trust flowing from her tiny tot. As long as she could take care of her daughter and they were together, everything was right in her world. As she left she ran into Maxar. They talked for a while and he made silly faces at Shandra who giggled at him. It was sweet the way they got along but odd to see him here. She would almost suspect he had followed her here but he explained that he signed off on whatever supplies Zandal needed for the children.

  Ernie gave some excuses escaping Maxar but not feeling good about it. The male was getting to her. She really liked him to the point she could even see them together down the line. Unfortunately she’d heard in less than three months he would be in the mating games. If she signed up there was no guarantee he would be the one to catch her. Late at night, Ernie felt lonely missing having a man in her bed. The only male she’d wanted since her husband was Maxar.

  She grabbed Shandra’s bag that contained all the things a young one her age needed then they hurried home. Ernie had her routine down with things rarely disturbing it. As soon as they got in the house, Shandra went to her room to play while Ernie got supper in the oven. Cooking was a skill she’d been forced to learn when she’d gotten married and her husband Alfie had wanted her to stay home. Not really feeling a pull toward anything else, she’d agreed.

  Once supper was in the oven, she went to find her baby girl. Together they did chores like picking up toys, doing laundry, even vacuuming. Shandra was at the age where helping was fun and she was surprisingly helpful. Next they sat down and she read to her or the other way around. Shandra had a book that taught her the numbers and she loved to read it.

  After that, supper was usually ready. Ernie would pull it out of the oven gathering whatever else was needed to finish the meal. Sitting down with her little one, they would eat together talking or sometimes in silence. After supper, it was bath time which could get quite messy. Once that was done and the mess cleaned up, it was time to put Shandra down for the night. Weekends were different with a trip or something fun planned.

  This was just the start of the week so it was business as usual. Shandra and Ernie were clean, the mess was cleaned up, and they were in their matching PJs. “I love my jammies, Mama.” Shandra said sleepily.

  Her days were always tackled with endless energy, but once in a while she ran out and needed to recharge. If Ernie was lucky, that happened at bedtime. Tonight it seemed she was lucky because her girl could hardly hold her head up. Putting her to bed with a kiss and a hug, she left the bedroom door open so she could listen for any sounds of fear or need from the living room. Now was adult time with a good book and a glass of wine.

  Chapter 2

  Sabotage

  “What do you think the cause is?” Razar asked his younger brother.

  “I wish I knew. Not all the mechanics are the best but none should be that bad. Besides, it came in that way.” Maxar said. “What does Glendar say?”

  “The same thing that you do. It was some bad replacement parts and that happens. But three times in a row? Any problems in the factory?”

  “Honestly? Some of the equipment seems to be wearing out too quickly. Maybe it’s coming in faulty too. It’s good enough to pass inspection but it just seems faulty. I would say it was poor quality if I didn’t know where we bought it and what we paid.”

  “We’ll keep a closer eye on all incoming items and people for now. The problems just started and there is no one new so we will assume it’s an attack from off the planet.”

  “Okay. There was something I wanted to discuss with you. In the past, males could mate with any willing unmated female. That hasn’t changed has it?”

  “Is there someone who interests you?”

  “Yes, Ernie.”

  “Are you involved?”

  “No, I would never use her like that.”

  “Good, good. I’m not sure that’s a good idea. If females find out about that they may be reluctant to come here fearing they will be mated. They may not believe she was agreeable. Is she?”

  “What?”

  “Is she agreeable?”

  “I don’t know. We haven’t got that far.”

  “Wait and I will discuss it with our dad and the advisors. It’s a big decision to make because it may affect all of us.”

  “How would it do that?”

  “It could give workers thinking of coming here the wrong impression. Most of them are females. Another problem might be our males might think the female workers fair game.”

  “I never thought of that, but I really feel drawn to her.”

  “I promise I will bring it up at the next meeting I have with Dad.”

  “Thank you.” It would have to be good enough because that was all he seemed willing to give. In all fairness Razar seemed distracted with all the trouble they were having with the farm equipment. Whenever something broke down Ernie always sent someone to fix it or if it was a difficult job, she often did it herself but they always lost time. No one, it seemed, wanted overtime among the farm workers. He had few that were interested in it either.

  Now Maxar was stuck unable to pursue any relationship with Ernie until Razar managed to get him permission, if he managed that at all. It was time to go home. Razar’s visit was the only reason he’d even stayed behind at work while everyone else had left quickly so as not to be asked to stay. They need not have feared since there was nothing left here to do. Only that odd guy Jerry had lingered for a short while. Maxar assumed he’d forgotten something, why else would he stay behind?

  Pushing odd humans out of his mind, Maxar left to go home to a house that was full of family and love. His mother would have food on the table soon after he and his brothers arrived but if she needed help, she would put them all to work if necessary. All of them had learned to cook when they were young out of necessity but none of them had minded it. They weren’t too manly to help with household chores either although he’d noticed among the few human men they had working for them a great deal of contempt for housework.

  As soon as he hit the door he could smell a roast cooking. His mouth watered and he remembered he’d forgotten to eat lunch. He seemed to be the first one home for the day and he raided the tray of cookies his mom had baked earlier. They were still warm making him happy he’d found them first. Whichever poor brother came last would be lucky to get crumbs. This was revenge for last time when he had been last. He grabbed a handful taking them to his room to hide.

  Maxar wasn’t sure where his mom was but she would find him if she needed him. His mom had always had a way of ferreting them out no matter how hard they tried to hide when they were kids. Since he wasn’t hiding, it should be easy to find him. Taking off his shoes, he jumped on his bed to relax a little while before supper. It was just his luck he drifted off to sleep but it wasn’t his mother waking him.

  A huge weight fell on him as he woke to a fear of being smothered. Pushing against somethin
g hard as a rock it took him a moment to realize it was his brother Jorgr. This wasn’t the first time one of his brothers had chosen to wake him this way. It was almost like a game with the younger brothers to rudely wake up anyone they could. Jorgr wasn’t the brother below him that was Stevr. Jorgr was not below Stevr either but below Tylar who was below Stevr placing him firmly in the younger, beastly group that needed to learn some manners when he had time to teach them. Maxar had had his whole life to get the birth order of his siblings straight, other people had a much harder time. Just a few days ago Ernie had met Zebir at a party and was amazed to find he was yet another brother.

  “I thought I had finally met them all. Now you find another one to introduce me to.” Ernie exclaimed. “How many of you are there?”

  “Only ten total.”

  “Only? I can see you didn’t have to give birth to ten undoubtedly big babies.”

  It had given him even more appreciation of what his mother had gone through in her life. There was a year or less between most of them and Maxar really couldn’t remember much about the pregnancies his mother had after he was born. Male children didn’t attend birthing, only older females and the father were usually present.

  It was his fondest wish that he would see a child born in his lifetime. A child born with him and Ernie as parents. It bothered him when he thought that might never happen. For now he supposed he should just enjoy the time with his family eating, discussing business, and teasing each other. Hours later he was tired to the point that getting to bed could not wait.

  As he woke, he saw the brilliant sunrise casting the most delicious shades of pink, purple, peach, and red across the sky. Maybe this was a sign that the day would go well. Maxar could only hope as he dressed hurrying to the table to eat his share of the large meal his mother had fixed. This weekend he would work on his house which was complete on the outside but just an empty shell. Razar and Travlr had promised to help while Glendar had only committed to trying. Stevr would be leaving before then to get another group of would be mates so he couldn’t come. Most of the younger ones were committed to other activities except Cravr who had also committed to attending.