Chapter 5

5

Anna

Breakfast is going about as well as I expected it to. Brooke is concerned, Megan is salty, and Cayte is grilling Drak about logistics. Where are we going, how are we going to keep in touch, can he keep me safe from humans, blah, blah, etc, blah.

"And—" she starts again, making my temples throb.

"Leave him alone," I finally bite out, fed up with the ridiculous line of questioning. "I was going to go with or without him, and it's not Drak's job to make you feel better, Cayte. We're leaving, and I don't give a shit if you think we're organized enough, alright?"

All of the sounds in the room are crushed under a wave of silent surprise. I make it a rule not to snap at the girls often, but sometimes, they need to hear it. Boundaries are crossed a lot when the world has ended around you, and all you have are the people you're in close proximity to. Friendship blurs into this weird state of give and take, and sometimes it's easy to take too much.

When no one responds, and Cayte merely blinks at me, her lips parted in surprise, I push back from the table, leaving my plate unfinished.

"Are you ready to go?" I ask, eyes boring into Drak's face.

His smile is sultry sweet, and I wish he'd stop pointing it at me. "I am ready, An-nana. Come, I will show you our ship."

Our ship, not the ship.

I have to give him credit for it, Drak is amazing when it comes to sharing. He doesn't feel the need to flaunt his possession over things to make me feel like I have less. The only thing he ever calls his are his weapons, and I understand that. People think that knives and guns are tools, but they're so much more than that. Drak gets that.

Slinging my backpack over my shoulders, I follow him outside without saying goodbye. It's probably harsh, even for me, but drawing this out longer will only make Megan more angry, Brooke more sad, and Cayte more confused.

Drak stops suddenly, standing in front of nothing. His stupidly nice scent wafts around me as I almost run straight into his muscular back. Of course, the Aprixians never seem to stink like human men. They don't sweat either, from what I can tell. They're just in a constant state of smelling like a freaking meadow or something.

Not Drak, though. While most of them naturally smell like daisies or pine trees, Drak smells like candy. It's so strong that it can be dizziness, literally.

Taking a step back, I secretly sniff my own arm, trying to drown out his aroma before I start to drool or something even more mortifying. We've hardly gone into the yard, and the big ship is tens of feet away, so I don't get why he's stopped walking anyway.

"Why are we stopping here?" I demand, trying to take my mind off of his sugary sweet scent and get back to the task at hand.

Drak looks over his shoulder, flashing a playful grin that shows off his sharp canines. Eating with those without cutting up your tongue has to be a learned skill. That, or his tongue is as indestructible as his skin.

Wouldn't you like to know? A traitorous voice laughs, teasing me in my own head.

No. No, I wouldn't.

"This is our ship," he reports proudly, his chest inflating with a draw of breath. Before I can punch him in the arm and demand to see the actual ship, he pulls a tiny remote from his pocket and clicks a little blue button.

Like actual magic, the small flying-car-like spaceship materializes before my eyes. I knew they had unheard-of technology, but seeing is truly believing because if he told me he could make something entirely invisible before this, I'd have laughed at him.

"Whoa," I mutter, letting the sound slip out.

The glimmering light that sparks behind his eyes at my response has me kicking myself. Letting Drak know you're impressed with something is the best way to boost his already over-inflated ego.

"This is our best defense against unfriendly hu-nims. If I sense them in the area, we will use the ship to conceal ourselves and check the safety of coming out before we do."

This is why it's so annoying that Cayte would question Drak. He's a fucking war hero on his planet, he knows how to go on a mission. He doesn't need some human college girl grilling him about his abilities, as well-placed as her intentions were.

"Does it have a defense system?" I ask, circling the thing to get a good look.

"Oh, absolutely," he replies, happy to answer. Without needing to be asked, he starts to show me where they are from the outside.

The thing is a tank, not because it's big and bulky. No, it's slim and looks like it can zoom through the sky at ridiculous speeds. It's like a tank because it's got some serious firepower. Blasters are mounted and hidden underneath it, ready to be used at the push of a button.

"What fuels this thing?" I ask, genuinely curious how such an advanced technology is going to fare on Earth.

"Sun batteries," he explains like I should know what that means.

"Like solar power? Like we have at the house?"

He chuckles, shaking his head. "Nothing that basic, no. Lovan, he is a very smart male from my planet, and he has explained this to me before. It is like harvesting sun particles and turning them into a gel. The batteries last for many years if they are not disturbed. They do not need to recharge."

"Huh," I murmur, trying to digest the concept. "No gas?"

"What is gas?" he wonders. "My translator is trying to tell me multiple words to match it."

I really don't understand Aprixian technology, especially the language translators. From what I've gathered, the Aprixian guys have somehow had a basic level of English injected into their heads. I'm not sure if it's some kind of magic or science, but honestly, I wouldn't discount magic. It seems too good to be true—let alone the result of some alien space computer.

"Gasoline," I tell him. "Not the state of matter kind of gas. Gasoline is what we use for engines, to make things run, but we use it with batteries."

"Ah," he hums. "We do not use liquid to power things… that I am aware of. I am afraid I am not very interested in the science of things."

Neither am I.

I shrug, not caring. "Doesn't matter, as long as you know how to fly it."

At this, he grins. "I have been flying these since I was seven."

Damn. That's pretty cool. Or sad? I really don't know how I feel about Drak's war accomplishments. On the one hand, it's massively impressive. On the other hand, it's not a life a kid should live. He should have had the opportunity to grow up like a child.

"Then we're in good hands," I say, giving him a forced smile. "Should we head out? Do you have everything you need packed?"

"I do," he answers, nodding toward the back of the ship. "Terum filled the storage with food rations, extra clothes, water, and other hu-nim things B'rook gave to him."

I don't know what she thinks I need that I wouldn't have remembered to pack myself, but it doesn't matter. It's not like we can't fly back here if we have to.

"And you're sure that you're fine roughing it for a few weeks? There's no fancy showers or spaceship bedrooms where we're going."

My family's land may only be a few hours drive from campus, but it might as well be in the middle of the woods compared to here. Drak grew up surrounded by tech, and I'm about to take him to bumfuck nowhere.

"I do not need fancy," he replies easily. "I am excited for this hunt. I am very pleased to show you my searching skills."

His need to impress me is misplaced. I already get it. He's shown me over and over again how big, strong, and strategic he is.

"Well, we'll just have to hope there's someone left alive for you to track, won't we?"

Drak frowns, shuffling toward me. In a blink, his hands are resting on my collar. The urge to shove him off is immediate, but I ignore it because of his piercing gaze staring deep into my eyes.

"We will find them, An-nana. If you can not hope, I will hope for you, yes?"

For a minute, I'm too hypnotized to respond. It doesn't last, though.

Blinking at him, I step back, shrugging off his hold on me. "Sure, whatever."

I can't look him in the eyes again, not yet.

Shifting on my feet, I nod to the ship. "Can you lift me up?"

I couldn't scale this thing if I tried. It's too high off the ground and too slick to climb.

"Of course," he agrees happily.

His arms surround me without warning, and I yelp as he picks me up with ease. Afraid he'll drop me, I dig my fingers into his shoulders, only releasing him after my butt is firmly on a cushy seat. He retracts his hands from my hips but leaves our faces only inches apart.

"Thanks," I breathe, trying to avoid looking at his lips. Fuck, I can't look at any part of him right now.

Clearing my throat, I move my gaze to my hands. "I'll show you where to go."

Drak nods, shutting me into my section of the pod before going around to get into his own. It's like a car with butterfly doors, in a way. The Aprixian fills out much more of his roomy seat than I do, but he fits into the space without looking like he's uncomfortable.

Pressing a few buttons as he sits down, a soft purr of the engine begins. "Direct me to your home, Mean One."