Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Lashe

D ing .

The sound was quiet and low, but enough to wake me from sleep. I knew that sound. It was the alert that let me know my ship was needed to bring Ambassador Anna Abel to the Destran collective.

My pulse always quickened when I heard that sound. My only job was to transport the ambassador through space, usually between Earth and my home—a group of massive living ships that were now fused together in a powerful collective. My home was far from Earth, requiring multiple days of travel, despite the newest technologies in the shuttle that allowed us to expedite the trip by going through darkspace channels. The Solas had put their thick roots down on an uninhabited planet, where they grew and flourished, along with my people, who lived inside of it.

I got up and went to the control interface in my room. I opened the channel and heard the soothing digital voice of Anna’s AOA.

“Lashe Toruck, Ambassador Abel requests transport to the Destran Solas. Please have the shuttle docked at her home docking bay at 06:00 for a 07:00 departure. Please confirm compliance.”

“Accepted,” I said. “Her transport will be there at the assigned time.”

“Excellent,” Stelis said. “Departure time confirmed. The ambassador will see you tomorrow.”

I switched off the communication and began to pack my small case. Returning to Destra was never a hardship. Returning back here, could be. My assigned room was small and dimly lit, which was fine. Destrans were used to small quarters and low light. It was the loneliness that tugged at me sometimes. It was missing my home and not being around people who were like me that made the long days and nights even longer.

The Theta Station, where my lodging was purchased and my ship was docked, was on Earth’s moon, right at the line where the light side ended and the dark side began. Here, thousands of ships—large and small—departed and arrived daily. The base, especially section 206-D where I lived, was packed with small quarters just like mine. Some renters stayed short-term. Others, like me, were employees of dignitaries or the wealthy. We were summoned at a moment’s notice to bring those we worked for wherever they wished to go.

It was a good job. I was paid well in Galactic Credits, and as a former warrior aboard Lord Damiron’s Sola, it had been an honor to accept the job of transporting Anna. She had been instrumental in rescuing our people from the monsters who had planned to exploit the resources of our Solas for profit.

I got dressed, picked up my case, and exited my room. Instantly, the silence of my quarters was swallowed up by the sounds and activity of the busy corridor. Section 206-D was a loud, busy sector of the station. Voices, transport skids, and devices of all types made for considerable background noise. It didn’t matter what time in the day-night cycle one stood in this gray, tired-looking hallway, it was always the same, with nearly overwhelming noise of life forms hurrying to a ship or from one.

I carried my case down the corridor through the familiar winding path to my assigned landing pad, where the DS Starcutter-III transport ship sat behind a level nine force field. I entered the code and passed through the field, then boarded the sleek, expensive ship.

With the hatch sealed behind me, the noise of the hangar once again fell away. I had plenty of time to run diagnostics, plan the best flight path, and make sure the power cells were fully charged before I received clearance to leave. I had six hours. Plenty of time. I sent a message to Destra, informing them of our estimated arrival time and set about making the shuttle comfortable for the ambassador. I knew the temperature she liked, preprogrammed her favorite foods into the replicator, and made sure her private quarters were freshened up and spotless.

She was my job.

And as much as I wished otherwise, she was my life. The pretty human with red hair and exhausted eyes called to my soul. I’d long accepted that she would never be mine. Most trips, she barely noticed me and sat in the main cabin with a furrow on her brow. She would spend most of the journey to or from Destra buried in memos, proposals, whatever absurdity the human and Destran governments decided to trouble her with. I’d seen other things, too. Such as the idiotic human men who did not see the jewel that was Anna. They had let her go for reasons I couldn’t comprehend. Any male fortunate enough to capture Anna’s attention should be on his knees, thanking the universe for the gift.

One thing I saw in her that I felt reflected in myself was loneliness. I wished, just once, I could hold her delicate face in my hands and tell her how precious she was. How much she deserved happiness. If I touched her, I feared I knew what would happen. The mate marks would emerge, making my hopeless connection to her an immovable, permanent thing.

So I took care to never be close enough to touch her skin. I was her transport operator. Nothing more.

“Vessel number 441V-88, you are clear for departure,” said the automated station controller.

I acknowledged the message and took my place in the queue of ships leaving the lunar space station. It was minutes to Earth, where I eased through the atmosphere and arrived at the docking bay attached to the side of her living quarters.

I did find her city interesting. It was very lively with a shocking number of buildings stretching far into the sky. Transports buzzed through the air like a massive swarm of insects. On the ground, it was also busy with people and aliens from many planets moving about the streets. Buildings were so large and tall that a daylight simulator system had been created throughout the ground level so that the entire world down there did not live in shadow.

But Anna lived in one of the tall buildings where sunlight shone through her many windows. The transport docked and locked onto the port and the ship decompressed. The hatch opened, awaiting the arrival of the ambassador. I took in the light, perfume scent from Anna’s apartment. Get used to it , I told myself. It would fill my senses for the duration of this trip.

I sat back in my operator’s seat and waited. I was early. The light was new and fresh as it cut through the cool December morning. I watched as a small, one-person transport flew erratically, awfully close, and barely missed the ship, and caught a glimpse of the terrified, wide-eyed pilot who looked as if he had just received his license the day before and was still unsure of the controls.

“The ambassador is almost ready,” said Stelis. “We will depart ahead of schedule.”

“I will adjust our flight path,” I said, moving back to the navigation controls. “To make sure we do not interfere with any other spacecraft. Is there anything I need to know about this mission?” I asked.

“It is not a mission,” Stelis replied. “It is a vacation.”

“I thought the ambassador was spending vacation with the man she has been seeing.”

“The relationship was terminated. Ambassador Abel has instead decided to spend her time off on the Solas, at the invitation of Lady Sibyl.”

Well, that was a new development. “Duration?”

“Two Earth weeks.”

Ah, that would give me plenty of time to enjoy the pleasures of my home Sola. Delicious food, fresh lami —the precious liquid produced by the Solas that gave strength and nutrition to Destrans. I missed the delicious nourishment, which I only had in small quantities now, bottled up and sent to me via transport if I could not make it back to Destra in time to refill my own containers. To some species, lami was a drug, which was what caused the attacks on my people. To others, it served as a life-saving medicine. Either way, lami was in high demand. One of Anna’s duties was to vet the intentions of any who inquired about purchasing some. It was highly controlled—for good reason.

“Lashe?” I heard Anna’s voice call to me from inside her apartment.

“The ambassador requests your assistance,” said Stelis.

“I can hear her,” I said, mildly, as I rose from my seat. I crossed through the shuttle and ducked my head to enter the female’s living space.

I had never been inside her home before. Here, her delicate scent was stronger. It hit hard, causing the colors on my skin to change. I closed my eyes to fortify myself, to ignore the strong reaction I always felt in this female’s presence.

“I need a hand with something,” I heard her say.

“I am coming.” I took in the kitchen, following the sound of her voice through the rooms. Things were put away, but not meticulously. Her glasses were mismatched. A stack of data sheets sat in a haphazard pile on the corner of her counter. A pair of slippers sat directly under a kitchen stool, precisely where they had been abandoned.

“How can I help you?” I called, then, “Where are you?”

“Oh, in here,” she replied, sounding out of breath. “In my bedroom.”

I flicked my gaze skyward before continuing on towards the room I would give anything to be in with her, under different circumstances. I found the room down a short hallway and saw her sitting on the lid of a large rectangular container, which would not close.

Her soft red hair was not quite as molded into sleekness as it usually was. I knew it was curly, and no amount of manipulation could completely remove the determined wave in her hair. Her cheeks were flushed with exertion, highlighting a gentle sprinkle of freckles over her nose and cheeks. She had bright blue eyes, a pert nose, and a mouth that made me hard just looking at it. Her lips could thin to an angry line when she was displeased, or be lush and full and sensual when she smiled. I did not see her smile often enough.

But she did now. She looked up at me as if I were a hero there to save her and I couldn’t miss the extra brightness in her eyes. “I can’t get this damn thing closed. Can you sit on it?”

“Yes.” It was bigger than all of her normal luggage and overstuffed. Brightly wrapped things peeked out from under the lid. “What is in this container?”

“Gifts.” She blew some hair out of her eyes. “I had some fun last night and bought Christmas presents for my human friends on Destra. This is the biggest transport crate I have and it’s too small.”

I waved a hand at her. “Get off of it, please.”

She hopped off the crate. “I just don’t know if you can—”

I waited until she was clear, so I didn’t accidentally touch her, and placed a hand on top of the lid. With a quick press, it snapped into place and locked.

“Oh.” Her cheeks reddened even more. “I should’ve known that would be easy for you. Can you carry it?”

“Where is your luggage?” I asked, ignoring her question. Of course, I could carry it. “I don’t see your travel bag.”

“Oh, yes.” She seemed a little flustered. “I have it over here. I’ll carry it.”

“I have it.” Her bedroom was more colorful and eclectic than anywhere else in the apartment. I suspected this was where her personality shined through, unlike the elegant, classy furnishings elsewhere. I picked up the bag she mentioned and placed it on top of the container, then lifted them both easily by the handles on either side. “After you, Madame Ambassador.”

Her gaze moved over me briefly, and I was sure I caught a hint of appreciation and warmth in her gaze. “Thank you,” she said, and moved sprightly from her bedroom.

I strode through her apartment, taking in some of the details, like the kind of art she chose, the fixtures, and the colors. It was a fascinating glimpse into the mind of the female I worked for. When we were back in the ship, I locked the container holding her gifts in the tiny cargo bay below the main cabin floor and placed her travel bag in her private room.

“Stelis, lock up the apartment, turn off lights, and power down all nonessentials. Engage security protocols and lock down all my files until I return.”

“Yes, Anna,” said Stelis in her quiet, digital voice.

“Will Stelis be joining us?” I asked.

“Yes, I will be, Lashe,” the AOA replied.

“I was not asking you,” I muttered, more to myself than to the assistant.

“I see no reason to annoy the ambassador with questions that I can answer for her.”

Anna laughed and waved a hand. “He’s not annoying, Stelis. And he’s right.” She raised one eyebrow and looked at the ceiling, not that anyone was there. It was just that disembodied voice. “I can answer my own questions.”

“As you wish, Anna.” I swore I could detect a little attitude in that voice. She was protective of her charge, as was I.

I sealed the hatch and disengaged the locks holding us to the side of the building. “Please secure yourself during this part of the journey.” I could hear the formality and the blandness in my own voice. I wished, for once, I could just be myself around her. I wished I could take a break from being her employee, and just be a Destran. A male.

She sat in one of the large soft chairs in the main cabin and pulled the safety straps that extended from the sides, over her body and clipped them into place. “Ready,” she said.

“Prepare for departure.” We had said these same words to each other over countless trips. There were no surprises here. The only thing that was different this time was that I got to see the inside of her home.

The shuttle eased away from the side of her building. I navigated through the web of air transports that buzzed around New York City. There did not appear to be a system to it, but there definitely was. I eased into the flow and then continued upward towards the barrier that separated this interesting planet and its people from the cold vacuum of space.

“Brace for atmospheric departure,” I said.

The transport did not shake violently as ships in the past had when exiting or entering the atmosphere. There was a vibration, a hiss as the cabin pressure shifted to maintain the temperature. A moment later we were free and the darkness of space opened up and engulfed us. I engaged the flight path I had planned out previously, and turned in my seat to look back at her sitting in the main cabin. “Artificial gravity and inertial suppression are on,” I said. “You’re free to move around.”

She flashed me one of those stunning grins. “Thank you.” She unclipped the safety straps, got up, and stretched. “What is our expected travel time?”

“Seventy hours and thirty-five Earth minutes,” I replied.

“Ah, so we should be there right around Christmas Eve. Perfect.”

That’s what she was—perfect. From the cute way she kicked off her shoes and curled her toes into the plush carpet to the way her breasts pushed against the simple black travel jumpsuit she wore. Adding to that was the maddeningly delicious scent she gave off. It made my mouth water and my body tighten with desire. I turned back around in my seat and looked out through the curved window ahead of me. I would get used to that voice, as I always did. I’d grow accustomed to her scent, and I’d remind myself that this was as close to Anna Abel as I’d ever be. And I could live with that. Perfect , I mouthed the word. She was perfect for someone else. Not me.