Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

Anna

I explained what Stelis and I had seen on the scans. The colors on his skin darkened to an unhappy, deep gray. It was quite the shift of conversation. My heart was still beating fast from that kiss and more so from the revelation that he had mating marks and that I was his mate.

Just add one more thing on the pile of complications. He’d had feelings for me the whole time he’d worked for me. Not once did I ever have a slight inkling that this was the case. No gazes. No flirtatious quips. Lashe had never shown the slightest indication that he had feelings for me.

And now, we were trapped in this shuttle together and forced to face them. He didn’t expect me to throw myself into his arms and pledge my everlasting love to him, thankfully. I was in no place to do that on the spot. But I wouldn’t deny that I was drawn to him. I’d always found him attractive, interesting, intriguing.

But all I knew of him was the stoic Destran who piloted my private shuttle. I needed more. I needed to know more about him, personally.

He went to the screen that still held the scan’s results and read them for himself. “There are fourteen varieties of metal alloys among the fragments, indicating many ships that have met their end here.”

“Stelis and I think that debris field we flew through was purposefully laid,” I explained. “They disable the ship and this is the only place for it to land.”

He sat in his seat and pulled up the star chart for the region we were in. “And this asteroid is not indicated on any of these maps. It would have been. I should’ve remembered.”

“No one expects you to remember every single asteroid we pass on a multiday journey. There must be thousands.”

“There are,” he said. “And it’s not like we had options, anyway. If we are truly dealing with an organism, finding an empty stretch of space is an ideal hunting strategy. Lay down a trap and wait for the prey to come.”

“This prey is not going to get caught,” I said.

His face hardened with determination. “Not if there’s anything I can do about it.”

“Any ideas?” I asked, hoping beyond hope that he said yes.

“No. Not yet.” He turned and met my gaze. The sharp green eyes were different now. There was a proprietary glint in them. The way his gaze moved over me made my skin tingle and my heart beat a little faster. “But I promise, I will get you out of here. I will keep you safe, no matter what it takes.”

In all my years of dating and having boyfriends, even with men that I liked a lot and thought I could have a future with, none had looked at me like Lashe was just then—as if I were the center of the universe and nothing else mattered. None had said words to me like that, and I would bet every credit I had that they hadn’t even thought anything like that.

He reached out a hand and so did I, at the same time. Our palms touched, fingers collided, then wove together. It was just the need for touch. Contact. And it had happened to both of us at the same time. We stayed like that, with him sitting in the operator’s seat and me standing next to him. It felt almost as if energy passed through our hands.

The bond of mates was never one-sided. It usually occurred when both people were compatible with each other, but humans did not get marks on their skin to prove to themselves that they had found “the one.” Plus, humans did not often find perfect matches. Those who did were extraordinarily fortunate.

I slid my hand from his, missing his touch immediately. But I couldn’t keep it up without giving into the urge of sliding on his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. Next, our mouths would be devouring each other again. I knew where it would go after that.

I wasn’t ready. Not now. He was still very much a stranger to me.

He looked away, drawing in a deep breath through flared nostrils. “Why don’t you have dinner and get some rest? I’m going to run a few deeper scans and try and get a little bit more information on this thing we’re stuck on.”

“Okay,” I said, and decided to test the waters. “You know, there is enough room in the bed for both of us if you’d like to sleep there. With me. Nothing would happen.”

The slightest wicked smile curved his lips. “Yes, it would.”

“It’s a king-sized bed. It’s possible to just sleep together,” I argued, as heat rose up my chest. “It’s more comfortable than the floor.”

“I’d prefer the floor,” he said. “If you accept me into your bed, you accept me into your body. There is nothing in between.”

“Oh.” I had no idea what else to say to that. It was blunt and honest and truthful and overwhelming to all of my senses. Because there was more that he hadn’t said, which was: if you accept me into your body, you accept me into your life, forever. “Well, would you at least have some dinner with me? The scans can wait.”

“You want me to dine with you?”

I folded my hands and gazed down at him, realizing he had no idea how to do any of this. “Yes. I would like to dine with you. I have only known you as the quiet Destran male who has flown my ship. I would like to know more about you. I’d like to get to know you, considering we might be mates, and all.”

His eyes flared and his colors did too. “In that case, I would be happy to join you.” He rose and smoothed a hand down the front of his snug jumpsuit as he watched me intently. “I want you to know me. Everything I am is open to you.”

God , this guy knew what to say to a woman, and he wasn’t even trying. That was the part that made it as powerful as it was. He wasn’t playing a game. He was just being himself. What was revealing a vulnerability for a human man was just a simple truth for Lashe.

“Come join me in the main cabin,” I said. “What would you like from the replicator?”

“I think our options are limited,” he said. “And I don’t eat much, anyway. I brought a supply of lami , although not very much. I expected to get fresh lami when we reached Damiron’s Sola.”

I looked down. “They’re going to be wondering where we are soon.”

“They will send out probes and ships,” he said.

“Do you think they’ll find us?” I asked with hope in my voice.

He shook his head. “Possibly, but they will likely think that we became lost in the darkspace channel and check possible exit points that we might have been spit out of. Wormholes are tricky like that.”

“Maybe our distress signal will reach someone.”

“Maybe it will.” But he didn’t sound like he thought it likely.

“For now, let’s just focus on dinner,” I said, and he followed me out of the small operator’s station and stood in the main cabin, looking a little lost. “Have a seat.” I gestured towards one of the chairs. “I’ll just get something for both of us. You’re right, with the subsistence menu activated, we’re not eating gourmet.”

He winced. “I had your favorite meals all loaded and prepped in the machine, too.”

The replicator dispensed some sticky gray patties that looked revolting, but I took them back to the table between the chairs and placed them down. “See? That’s my point. You know all my favorite foods. I don’t know any of yours. You do eat, right, or is it only lami for you?”

“As you’re aware, lami tastes like the most delicious thing to Destran senses. But I do enjoy certain foods and drinks. I like caliea ale and gracian ice meat.” He picked up the gray thing on his plate with a look of distaste. “This is not one of my favorite foods.”

I chuckled and took a bite of my bland patty. “Mine, either. Shocking, how much options are limited when water is rationed.” The reminder made me lose my appetite all of a sudden. Trapped on an asteroid that might be alive and wanted to kill us wasn’t much of a mood lifter. And yet, here I was, on a date with a Destran. When I thought of it like that, this was the most ridiculous thing we could be doing.

“Maybe this was a bad idea. I’m sorry, Lashe,” I said. “I shouldn’t have taken you from your scans.”

He looked up and gazed at me with an intense look. “I disagree,” he said. “I enjoyed this meal more than any I’ve had in recent memory. Not the food, of course. But the company.”

“This situation is too dire for us to be here making small talk.”

His fingers came up and skimmed my cheek. He turned my chin, bringing my face to his. “Is it really so bad to find enjoyable moments in a dim situation?” he asked in a soft, deep voice. “I don’t think so. Worst case…” He shrugged one shoulder. “We would regret not having spent time together.”

He had a good point. I nodded, even though I felt tears gathering in my eyes. “You’re right. No regrets.”

He leaned over and brushed his lips against mine, sending a spray of sensation tingling over my skin. “Never have regrets.” He rose to his feet. “But I will get back to those scans because I fully intend to avoid the worst-case scenario.” He dropped his plate in the waste slot and returned to the operator’s station.

I took a moment, gazing at his wide, firm shoulders and allowed myself a single swoony sigh. It was a lot to wrap my head around. I couldn’t believe that this stunning male was mine . I had a feeling it would not take much for me to become his.