Chapter 34

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

KHORAHN

Vulnerability reflected in Vya's gaze, and I struggled not to pull her close and soothe her again. My ambal ached with the need to mark her. To calm her.

"Seeing you dressed in my clothes will not assure them you are with a male who knows how to care for a female. Seeing you in a systems dress will. If they believe you are not being cared for, they will attempt to remove you regardless of what you want. Wearing this will give you the freedom to choose."

She fingered a piece of mineral waste that hung at the end of the chain over her chest mound and reluctantly nodded.

I helped her straighten everything and sit.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

"Is there anything I shouldn't say?" she asked.

"Speak freely. Anything you wish to share with them, you may." They would know everything about me and my ship as soon as we established the link.

I sent the link request, and the screen pulsed with a light blue light as we waited.

The human female who appeared surprised me since I'd anticipated another Oebri.

Vya's scent changed, filling with distress as her eyes began watering in earnest.

"Oh, sweetie," the female said. "I am so sorry I'm not there to hug you in person. My name is Stacy. Is anyone with you? Are you okay?"

Vya nodded and wiped at the moisture trailing down her face. "My name's Vya. I'm sorry for crying. I just thought I wouldn't see another human again."

A spear of despair shot through me. I'd felt the same when Vya admitted she had no wish to breed and wanted to return to her homeworld.

"I bet," the female said. "Can you tell me what happened? Are you safe?"

"I'm safe," Vya said, meeting my gaze and smiling. "An amazing man found and rescued me. He's helped me feel safe again." She looked at the woman. "I shouldn't feel safe. Not after what happened."

And she began her story from the moment she'd woken in the bathhouse. My gut ached with rage as I listened. She talked about her fear when I'd found her, and I longed to hold her and promise her I would always come for her. That she would never be alone again.

When she lifted her watery gaze, looking at me with gratitude, I knew I would never need to come for her again—because I would never leave her. No matter where she was, I would remain at her side and damn the consequences.

"Can you ask your savior to send your scans to us?" the female asked. "We want to ensure you're fully healed."

I nodded when Vya looked at me in question.

"He will," Vya said to the woman.

"I'm curious…is there a reason he's hiding out of sight?" the woman asked.

"Yes," Vya said, grinning. "He's completely naked. And he's convinced this is the prettiest dress he can provide. Not going to lie, but I might have to agree. Do you see the size of this?" She lifted the clear mineral waste at her throat. "I think it's a real diamond. He was going to throw it away but added it to my dress instead because I liked it. And that was before I had a translator so we could understand each other."

"He sounds nice then," the female said.

I could see the uncertainty in her gaze, though.

"He's very nice," Vya said. "Different but nice." She sighed and looked at the female. "I asked him to bring me home. He said it would take a few jumps to get there. He's planning on stopping at a Helix station—whatever that is—to get more fuel. He said it'll be safer for me."

The scent of her growing distress flavored the air around us as she began to toy with the mineral waste at her throat.

"Are you afraid of stopping anywhere?" the female asked, also seeing Vya's growing agitation.

"Yes and no. Khorahn already took me to a station—I think it was a station. The people there were nice too. Very different. But nice.

"While we were there, I had to talk to an Oebri. It was a little, um, uncomfortable. Khorahn said that they can influence me and make me want to go with them. And that I might not be able to go home even if we do reach Earth. Is that true?"

The woman's expression turned compassionate again. "The Oebri can be a little intense, but they don't seem to influence us as completely as they do other races. And as for Earth, I promise you that we will reunite you with your family, honey."

The relief Vya felt fragrantly teased my nose. However, I didn't let that distract from the female's words.

"She did not ask about reuniting," I said. "She asked if she would be allowed back on her planet."

Vya's relief disappeared as her gaze bounced between the female and me. The female didn't seem angry that I questioned her misleading words.

"We haven't stopped anyone from returning," she said. "However, there are possible repercussions that we discuss with abductees, in person, before asking if they wish to return. And no, I'd rather not discuss them now, impersonally, while you're still struggling with everything you've already experienced. I'd rather do so when you're here and I can give you the hugs you might need."

"That doesn't sound promising," Vya said.

"I won't mislead you. It's not. But I can promise you, the choice will be yours once you're here. Okay?"

Vya nodded.

"And I'd like it very much if you keep in contact now. If you need anything, just let me know."

"Any chance you have a chocolate recipe for the food machine on this ship?" Vya asked.

The female laughed. "I'll send a list of our favorite recipes. Take care of yourself, Vya, and stay close to Khorahn. I think you're in good hands with him. Khorahn, please send the coordinates of the Helix station you'll be using. I'll have some extra supplies waiting for you."

The comms link cut off, and I looked at Vya as she stared at where the female had been. The scent of Vya's sadness rose, and I brushed my hand over her arm in the way she liked. She looked up at me, her eyes red from their watering.

"Can you hug me again?" she asked.

I picked her up and held her close as I nuzzled her damp cheeks.

"That wasn't the answer I was hoping for," she said.

"I know."

"Thank you for pointing out her empty promise."

"It wasn't empty. Likely, they would invite your family to join you on the station."

Her arms closed around my neck as she pressed herself closer in her misery.

"So my family would need to choose between staying on Earth and never seeing me again or living in space to see me? That's a shit deal and a choice they shouldn't have to make."

"All relationships change over time, Vya. Some grow closer, and some break apart."

"What do you mean?" she asked, pulling back to meet my gaze.

"Although the present choices aren't ones you like, perhaps you will have better choices in the future. Earth's people will not remain ignorant of the ways of the systems forever. Once they are no longer afraid of abductions or their place in the systems, you may find that you can return to your planet as you wish."

Bitterness flooded her scent. "When I'm ninety?"

I stroked my hand over her arm again to comfort her. She sighed and leaned into me.

"Rather than hope for a better tomorrow, I'm going to work to make today the best it can be. Since it sounds like I'll be living in space for a while, it's time I learn more about it. What was that place we just left? A trade station like the one you mentioned in Earth's, uh, Senior's system?"

I chuckled. "Senwar system is the system in which Earth is located. And Mtinash's home is a private paradise that he owns."

"How is it different from a trade station?"

"A trade station is a destination where all are welcome. Mtinash's paradise is not. His location is only known by a few. The size of his paradise is much smaller than a station too."

"Didn't look small," she said quietly. Her skin flushed, and she cleared her throat as the scent of her arousal spiked. I tried not to feel jealousy, but it was there regardless.

"Would you like to return to Mtinash?" I asked gently, wanting to give her everything she wanted even though I feared her answer.

"No, I'm just trying to understand the differences." She held me closer. "What's a Helix station, then?"

Her answer and the way she clung to me proved so distracting that she had to nudge me to get me to answer.

"A trade station and a Helix station are very similar. Both are overseen by the prime races. Both uphold strict rules and tight security. However, the trade station in your system will have many unmated females, which is why the males will stop there. Typically, few unmated females dwell on a Helix station. Most are inhabited by male station personnel. Males go there to report issues to the prime races or purchase legal supplies."

"Legal? Do they go somewhere for illegal supplies?"

"A void station."

The scent of her humor wrapped around me.

"Floating paradise, Void, Helix, and Trade… How many types of stations are out there?"

"Void, Helix, and Trade are the primary types. Private places like Mtinash's floating paradise are less common, as are the Oebri bathhouses."

She shuddered at the mention of a bathhouse.

"So a void station for illegal goods?—"

"Or if you want your presence not to be noted."

"—A trade station if you want a woman?—"

"Or supplies."

"—and a Helix station if you want to report a problem. Does that mean a Helix station is like a police station?"

"A station for those to enforce the law? Yes, it primarily houses the Conservators who uphold the systems' laws."

"That's kind of comforting," she said. "So no mated women live on the Helix station? Wouldn't that be the safest place for single women to live too?"

I thought of the Helix stations I knew. On the surface, they weren't as dirty and rough as void stations, but that element of roughness still existed, even while walking in the pristine hallways.

"Many females find them less desirable locations due to the bounty hunters that frequent them and the bounties in their holding cells."

"Bounty hunters? No way. Tell me more."