Chapter 5

JO’NAY glanced down at Winn, his gaze sweeping over her from head to toe. Her human form, delicate and fragile, never failed to amaze him. How could something so small contain such immense strength?

“We’re not ready,” she insisted, her voice laced with a hint of nervous energy.

“We go,” he stated with authority. “Our readiness is at an acceptable level.”

“Okay.” Winn released a soft sigh. “Rory, get us there and back again safe, okay?”

“Transport sequence initiated. Destination coordinates confirmed. Safety factors uncertain at this time.”

Jo’Nay felt the familiar tingling sensation as the ship’s transporter whisked them away from the safety of their vessel and deposited them in a deserted parking lot. The air shimmered for a moment, the remnants of their materialization lingering in the air like a fadingecho.

Rory’s voice, calm and reassuring, echoed in his mind. “Five hundred meters from the marketplace. Current location sufficiently deserted. Initiate safety protocols.”

Safety protocols. Yes, good. He had to keep Winn safe, protect her at all costs in these unfamiliar surroundings. His mind, trained for centuries to analyze and strategize, automatically went into overdrive.

“Did you hear Rory?” he asked Winn, asliver of his tension underscoring his question.

“I heard her loud and clear,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

“If anything goes wrong, if I become incapacitated, you are to order her to transport you to the ship immediately. Do you understand?”

“I understand. Although the chances of my leaving you if you’re injured—”

He caught her chin in the palm of his hands and forced her to meet his narrowed gaze. “You must agree to my rules or I will have Rory return you to the ship right now.”

Winn pulled free and planted her tiny fists on her hips. “That wasn’t what we agreed to earlier. You can’t just add new rules now.”

“I can and I have. Accept them or return to the ship.”

She blew out a sigh. “Okay fine. If our situation becomes critical, I’ll return to the ship. But you better, too.”

“Agreed.”

She glanced around. “Seems deserted enough. Let’s go before anyone sees…”

“Sees what? Our arrival? My true form?”

He couldn’t shake the feeling that eyes were watching them, that danger lurked behind every tree, every shadow. His hand instinctively reached for the hilt of his energized sword, the familiar weight of the weapon a source of comfort in this strange, unfamiliar world. Foolish to pull a weapon at this point. He never would have as an Intergalactic Warrior. He’d been much more cool-headed during his centuries monitoring the Nine Galaxies. Of course, back then he didn’t have a mate to consider.

Winn would also disapprove since a weapon would attract unwanted attention and possibly compromise the mission. He could feel her gaze on him, amixture of apprehension and determination.

“Jo’Nay,” she said, her voice firm but gentle. “Remember our original agreement?”

“No weapons. No Vettian displays. Blend in. Be human.”

“Exactly.”

He drew in a deep breath, forcing himself to relax. She was right, of course. Their mission was simple: acquire a substantial quantity of apples and return to the ship. Adisplay of Vettian weaponry would only complicate matters.

“The sword,” Winn prompted, her gaze unwavering. “Put it away.”

He hesitated for a moment, the weight of the weapon a reassuring presence against his thigh. He nodded curtly. “As you wish.” He had to trust Winn. She understood this world.

“Good.” She offered him a reassuring smile. “Now, how about a game? It might help you relax.”

“A game?”

“A human diversion,” Rory supplied.

“I know what a game is, Rory. But what purpose could that possibly serve?” He cocked his head, his brow furrowing in confusion. “Explain how this game will help me relax.”

“This particular human diversion is a way to get to know each other better,” she said, her voice laced with a hint of mischief. “We’ve shared so much already, but there are still things we don’t know about each other. Plus,” she added, aslight grimace twisting her features, “it might help with the nausea.”

Alarm shot through him. “You are nauseous?”

“I suspect it’s the baby making himself known.”

“Nausea is a pregnancy symptom?” The thought, both terrifying and exhilarating, sent a jolt of protectiveness through him. Her well-being was paramount and he would do anything to ensure her safety and comfort.

She wrinkled her nose in response. “Nausea is definitely a pregnancy symptom. Ijust didn’t expect it this soon.”

He nodded. “If this game will help ease your discomfort, Iam willing to play. What are the rules?”

“Simple,” she replied, her voice regaining its usual brightness. “We take turns sharing stories from our pasts. Anything, really. Afunny memory, astrange experience, atime you learned something really important.”

He found himself intrigued despite his initial skepticism. This game would prove an adequate distraction while they disclosed interesting tidbits about themselves. Not only that, but he would learn more about Winn while sharing a part of himself. “What we reveal will build our trust and forge more of a connection?”

“That’s the idea.”

As they walked toward the marketplace, the scent of fresh produce and the cacophony of human voices washing over him, Jo’Nay searched for a memory to share. He wanted to reveal something meaningful, something that hinted at the complexities of his past without exposing the dangerous truths he carried. Did he dare tell her about one of his most significant childhood memories? Would it upset her? Or would it possibly draw them closer.

Conform or be destroyed . The lesson ingrained from childhood.

The image, vivid and disturbing, flashed through his mind. He had been a youngling then, ana?ve child, not even six Earth years old, his understanding of the world limited to the rigid doctrines of Vettian society. He had not yet shown his prime colors, the colors that would separate him from his family and put him into the Intergalactic Warriors program.

But he had seen a close friend acquire the rare Prime coloring, with its white hair and purple eyes. He had watched the boy fight the IW indoctrination and heard the warning from those in charge of the program.

“I witnessed something… troubling,” he began, his voice low and measured. “When I was a youngling, another Vettian child was taken away by guards.”

“Taken away?” Winn asked, her voice tinged with concern. “Why? What was special about him?”

He hesitated, weighing his options. Reveal the truth? Risk her judgment? Trust her with this knowledge? He pushed himself to offer honesty. Transparency. After all, were those qualities not the foundation of a relationship?

Jo’Nay forced out the bitter words. “Far’th became a Prime several of your Earth months before my own change.”

“A Prime?”

“One who at the age of six acquires the markers for the Intergalactic Warrior system with his white hair and purple eyes.”

“Only a small percentage of Vettians are Primes?”

“Correct. Far’th and I were childhood friends so when my coloring changed and I subsequently began my training, Isearched for him, but he was nowhere to be found and no one would tell me what happened to him.” He paused, drawing a deep breath before forcing himself to continue. “Within a few days of my advent, they brought Far’th before us all and executed him for refusing to conform to the IW requirements. It was then I realized that not all of us make it through the system. We must conform to their programming or we are destroyed, like Far’th.” He gazed down at her. “I chose to conform.”

She froze in shock. “They executed him? Because he wouldn’t conform?”

“Because he refused to conform, the Vettian government saw him as a threat and eliminated him. It was a stark warning to us all. Do as they said or we would be put to death, as well. The rules for Intergalactic Warriors are very strict.”

Winn fell silent for a moment, no doubt processing the information he’d shared. “Which is why your living past four hundred years puts you at risk? For death?”

“Affirmative.” He had accepted it then, the brutal efficiency of the Vettian system unquestioned. But now, he would never conform again. He would find a solution to his situation. To a situation that affected allIWs.

Days ago Winn had suggested that the harshness of the IW program was the Vettian government’s way of controlling Primes. Her suspicion made far too much sense. Especially when combined with the ancient text that claimed Primes should rule Vetta. If true, it explainedmuch.

As soon as he had apples and offered them to the other members of his unit, he would find a way to share this information with all Intergalactic Warriors.

“It’s my turn now,” she said softly, her voice laced with understanding. “I had to conform, too. When my mother died, my father remarried. My stepmother had very specific ideas about how I should behave. If I didn’t follow her rules, Iwas punished.”

Outrage filled him and his hand twitched in the direction of his weapon. “She beat you?” Beat this tiny, delicate creature?

“Spanked. Or gave rather harsh punishments where I’d miss a meal or have my toys taken away and they’d be put in the trash.” She paused and rested a hand on his arm in a soothing gesture. “Nothing as bad as what you went through as an IW. But enough so I conformed rather than face more punishments.”

He listened intently, absorbing her words, his warrior instincts urging him to protect her, to shield her from the pain of her past. Not that he could. That past had forged her into the female she was today. Her resilience and fortitude impressedhim.

“You are a remarkable human, little one.” She offered a loving smile and his tension eased. “Perhaps, if not for our past experiences, we would not be who we are today. Perhaps we would not even have met.”

“Maybe we had to conform in our youth so we would know to resist now.”

Before he could comment further, they arrived at the marketplace, the bustling area a vibrant tapestry of sights, sounds, and scents that assaulted Jo’Nay’s senses. Humans were everywhere, causing the cacophony of noise. Worse, potential threats lurked in every section. His warrior instincts, honed over centuries of combat, screamed at him to be vigilant, to assess every movement, every flicker of expression.

“Okay, we’re here,” Winn said, her hand briefly caressing Jo’Nay’s arm. “Just act natural. And try to relax.”

“Relax?” Jo’Nay echoed, his voice tight with tension. He scanned the bustling marketplace, his gaze darting from one human to the next. “It is difficult to relax when surrounded by so many… beings. Especially when I am tasked with protecting you from potential threats.”

“I know, Iknow, but trust me. Nobody wants to hurt us. We’re just here to buy some apples, remember? It’ll be quick and easy.”

He grimaced, asoft growl rumbling deep in his chest.

“I get it. It’s overwhelming.” Winn conceded, her voice laced with concern. “Just remember, no canines.”

Right. No canines. Maintain a neutral expression. Blendin.

He nodded curtly, forcing himself to relax his stance and unclench his fists. He was a First, so why did he find it so difficult to blend in? Maybe because he towered over these humans like a beacon. He yanked at the brim of his Ball. Cap. The unfamiliar sensation gave a constant reminder of his disguise, ahuman shell concealing a Vettian warrior. He struggled to maintain the precarious balance .

“Where to first?” Winn asked, her gaze scanning the crowded stalls. “My senses are tingling for the taste of a fresh apple.”

“Yes, apples. Those are our objective. We must focus on the mission,” he murmured .

“Seventy-two percent chance of success,” Rory chimed in. “You are forty meters from the necessary apples.”

Far ahead, Jo’Nay spotted a stall piled high with apples, their vibrant colors and tempting aromas drawing him in like a moth to a flame. Red. Green. Yellow. Aspecies unfamiliar to Vetta. He could feel his mouth watering, the unexpected craving a testament to the transformative power of the Earth fruit. The apples were key to the IWs survival. The hope for a future.

But first, they had to get there.