Page 72 of Faron

“I have personal issues to deal with.”

His boss blinked at him in surprise. “Personal issues? Okay.”

“I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t urgent.”

“I don’t doubt that. It’s just that you haven’t taken a day’s holiday since you arrived. I was beginning to think I’d hired a machine and not a Tolong.”

Faron shrugged and lifted his cybernetic arm. “You have both.”

Clint smiled. “And I’m glad of it. When do you need to take the time?”

“Now. Today.”

“You want the whole of today off?” His boss scrubbed a hand over his stubbled chin. “We’ve got a hell of a lot on the schedule.”

“It has to be today, or I will be too late.”

“For what?”

Faron frowned, not willing to share his plans. He was still figuring out what to do to sort out this mess with his family and Kendra.

Clint raised a hand. “Don’t worry. I don’t need to know what’s happening in your private life. Take the day. Take several days if you need them. You deserve them.”

“No, this will be resolved by the end of today. One way or the other. I will be back at work tomorrow as always.”

Clint nodded. “Do whatever you need to take that scowl off your face. You’re scaring me.”

Faron nodded as he watched his boss walk away. If his family had anything to do with it, he wouldn’t be here tomorrow. They were booked on a transport ship later today and were convinced he would be with them, taking his new mate home.

He looked around the service bay. This felt like his home. Faron felt comfortable here. He enjoyed his work, but it was more than that. This was the place where his heart had been opened.

After Kendra had fled from his room, thanks to his pathetic inability to make a decision and stand up to his family, he hadn’t stopped thinking about her. She must hate him. Why had he hesitated? She’d been right there, quite rightly asking him to choose. He’d wanted her, but the words wouldn’t come. It had felt like his tongue had been glued to the roof of his big, dumb mouth. It wasn’t until she’d left him that he could speak.

His father had insisted Faron remain with them and discuss the terms of the agreement with Donik, but he’d abandoned them and paced around Prodigy. He should have stood up for Kendra. His family’s cruelty should not have infected her as it had done him all of his life.

Now, it was too late. She had chosen for him. Kendra preferred a life without him in it. She was lost to him, and he didn’t know how to get her to change her mind and come back to him.

But he was still going to try. To do that, he needed total focus. Work could not distract him, nor would his family. There must be a way to change Kendra’s mind.

“Hey! What are you doing here so early?” Sala approached and slapped him on the shoulder. “Couldn’t wait to get started on clearing out those broken pipes?”

“Not today. I have personal matters that call me from my work.”

Sala turned on his heel and stared at him. “You don’t have personal matters. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you don’t have a personal life.”

Faron shrugged. “My family is here. They have brought me a mate.”

Sala’s jaw dropped. “That’s huge news. I’d say congratulations, but from the look on your face, you’re not happy about your mate. She doesn’t get you excited?”

He looked at the ground. “She would make a suitable mate.”

“That’s a glowing endorsement. I hope you didn’t tell her that.”

“She didn’t ask for my opinion.” In fact, Donik had barely spoken to him; she was so keen on making sure she got everything she’d demanded in order to make being with him tolerable.

Sala nodded sagely. “This potential mate doesn’t get things twitching? You don’t want to throw her to the ground and ravish her?”

“We do not ravish our females,” Faron said. “We service them and ensure they become pregnant.”