Chapter 5

5

T he metallic crunch of Rhade’s boots against the landing pad’s gravel was lost beneath the howl of approaching wind. Ahead of him, Evelyn marched toward the waiting aircraft like she was headed into battle, which wasn’t far from the truth given what had just happened.

Her spine was ruler-straight, shoulders set with enough tension to snap tritanium, and Rhade’s hands itched to soothe the rigid muscles. But the set of her jaw and the way she kept her gaze locked forward warned that touching her right now would be about as smart as poking a sleeping deearin .

Fury coated his tongue, acrid and bitter. His muscles trembled with the need to hunt down K’raan and show the draanthic exactly what happened to males who dared lay hands on females that didn’t belong to them. The memory of that terrace, of seeing that piece of trall with his hands on her?—

Focus on what matters, he told himself firmly. Focus on her.

He lengthened his stride to catch up, impressed despite his worry at how she hadn’t faltered once since leaving that draanthing party. Floodlights cast stark shadows across the pad as the wind picked up, whipping at their clothes. The protective urge to wrap his jacket around her shoulders nearly overwhelmed him, but he wasn’t stupid enough to try. Not yet, anyway.

When they reached the aircraft, Evelyn didn’t pause for his assistance as protocol demanded. She shot up the boarding ladder like a plasma bolt from a rifle, movements precise and controlled. The door slammed behind her with a clang that echoed across the pad like a gunshot.

“ Trall ,” he muttered, jaw clenching. She wasn’t holding it together as well as she tried to make out. And he didn’t blame her. Not many females came off well in a confrontation with K’raan T’reen.

He’d watched her all evening from his position near the gardens, hoping for a glimpse, a word, anything. The moment K’raan had followed her onto that secluded terrace, dread had frozen his chest solid. The male’s reputation was well known—pleasure houses across three systems had banned him for his brutality.

His feet had moved before his brain caught up, eating the distance across the manicured lawn. But even at a dead sprint, he hadn’t been fast enough to stop that piece of trall getting his hands on Evelyn.

The stairs creaked ominously under Rhade’s weight as he climbed. The temperature had dropped several degrees inside during the ball, and the familiar scent of the human craft, of metal and engine oil, filled his nostrils. Under it all lingered the sweetness of Evelyn’s perfume—though now it carried bitter notes of fear and anger that made his nose twitch.

“Evelyn.” He kept his voice soft, and gentle, like he was approaching a wounded kinerys . “Perhaps you should let me?—”

The look she shot him could have frozen plasma mid-burn. She was already in the pilot’s seat, fingers dancing across controls with practiced ease. Systems hummed to life around them as indicator lights flickered on, bathing her face in ethereal blue.

“Don’t.” The single word carried enough steel to forge a war blade. “And it’s General to you.”

He watched out of the corner of his eye as her hands moved across the control panel; they were steady despite everything she’d just been through. Admiration warred with his need to take control and protect her. To offer her comfort.

“After what just happened, you shouldn’t?—”

“I was flying combat missions before you were bloody well born.” Her voice cracked through the confined space like a whip. The engines roared to life, drowning any response he might have made. “Sit down or stay behind. Your choice.”

His nostrils flared, but he bit back his reply and dropped into the co-pilot’s seat. The leather creaked beneath him as he strapped in, movements sharp with frustrated concern. He couldn’t help stealing glances at her profile as she ran through pre-flight checks.

The harsh light streaming through the cockpit window caught the bruises beginning to form on her throat. His fingers curled into fists. The beast inside him howled for vengeance, demanding he return and show K’raan exactly what happened to those who dared harm what was his.

But she wasn’t his.

The thought sent an arc of physical pain through his chest even as she lifted them off the pad with an ease that spoke of many years of practice. The way she handled the controls, the absolute confidence in every movement, captivated him. She was poetry in motion, her entire being focused on guiding them higher into the darkening sky.

The hum of the ship’s engines filled the cramped cockpit, punctuated by the occasional chirp from the nav console. He kept his attention fixed ahead, though he was aware of every movement she made. From the precise, economical movements of her hands on the controls, to the tension riding her slim shoulders. Fury burned in his throat, not at her, never at her, but at himself and all the things he couldn’t seem to say.

Fifteen minutes stretched into an eternity, his mind drifting back to his first days at the Academy.

The other lathar had been like kids in a candy store, making crude bets about which human female they’d bed first. But then he’d seen her - Evelyn - and the world had tilted on its axis. That first glimpse had been branded into his memory: the quiet confidence in her movements, the way other students naturally deferred to her authority without her having to demand it.

Since then, he’d turned down more offers than he could count. Some had been subtle, others as subtle as a plasma bolt to the face. Whoever had started the rumor that human females were shy and retiring had obviously not met many of them and certainly had never met flight students.

His fellow warriors thought he was defective in the head for turning them all down. He didn’t bother to explain that he wouldn’t trade the chance to make Evelyn smile for guaranteed physical pleasure. He lived for those moments when her lips curved at something he’d said or her eyes met his across the simulator bay. Even if it was just for a heartbeat—it sent a charge crackling through his veins like no other female ever had.

Thunder rolled in the distance, and he snapped his attention back to the viewscreen. Dark clouds had gathered on the horizon, much closer than minutes ago. The wind buffeted the aircraft with increasing force. His enhanced vision caught the warning signs before the instruments began their shrill alerts—this was no ordinary storm.

Evelyn’s curse cut through the growing howl. Her hands tightened on the controls as another gust slammed into them, forcing quick compensation. The aircraft groaned around them; metal stress points crying out against the strain.

“We need to set down.” Her expression was tight as she fought to keep them level. “This storm—it’s not natural. We’ll never make it back to base.”

Rhade’s heart clenched. While his species could survive the harsh conditions this storm promised, humans were far more fragile. The temperature was already dropping rapidly. She wouldn't last an hour out here, exposed to the elements.

“We can’t land here,” he argued, even as his hands moved to assist with the stabilizers. “The conditions?—”

“I grew up in these mountains! I know what I’m doing! There! ” She banked hard to the left, and he barely held in an undignified yelp as the horizon tilted drastically. She dropped their altitude so quickly his stomach lurched, but her control never wavered. “Survey cabin. It’ll have everything we need to wait out the storm.”

Before he could form a coherent argument, she was already executing a landing approach that would have made veteran pilots weep. The small structure she’d spotted was barely visible through the worsening conditions, but she maneuvered toward it with unwavering certainty.

The landing was rougher than usual, but given the conditions, it was nothing short of miraculous. Evelyn had the engines powered down and unstrapped herself before the last shudder passed through the frame. She paused long enough to grab an emergency pack from behind her seat before heading for the door.

“Evelyn, wait—” But she was already gone, the door slamming behind her with enough force to make the entire aircraft shudder.

“ Draanthing woman is going to get us both killed,” he muttered as he grabbed another of the packs and hurried after her.

At least if they both died out here, he wouldn’t have to explain to his commander how he’d managed to lose a precious human female in a storm.