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6. Ozadus

Hours go by on the ship. The more time I spend with Lisa, the more I find myself gratified that she is my fated mate. She’s perfect.

Though she has many reasonable complaints, she never whines. When she has something to say, she says it and never backs down. And talking to her just feels so easy in a way it’s never felt before.

A part of me is even a touch startled at how easily she makes me fall apart. How I tell her things I’d never imagine telling anyone. How I try to rein myself in to not frighten her. Though clearly, she isn’t an easily frightened person.

She is my perfect match in every way, not just because she”s my fated mate. It’s more than the biology dictating the two of us are suited – I genuinely like her.

Now I just have to convince her of the same. Not an easy feat considering my opening move was accidentally kidnapping her. Nonetheless, I’m determined to make it up to her.

“What’s this?”

Her voice brings me out of my thoughts, and I turn to her with a smirk. “Breakfast.”

Lisa stares out at the array of food with barely contained surprise. I can’t blame her. In fact, I’m rather impressed myself by what I was able to scrounge up in the galley.

Most of what we have is freeze-dried quick meals or the bare basics. I spent half the morning today trying to make it all into something a little fancier.

Adding sugar to the bland prylie, as well as mixing it with some exotic fruits the captain obviously fancied. Mixing one of the freeze-dried breakfast packs with some real granthen and toonko eggs. I’ve also mixed together a couple of things into what I hope is a delicious smoothie to top it off.

Lisa shakes her head, still a little disbelieving. “Why?”

“Because it’s breakfast time?”

“No, I mean, why do all this? Why invite me to join you?” she asks.

I consider how much to say. If I come off too strong too fast, she might think I really did kidnap her on purpose and am keeping her here for more sinister reasons. I want to show her what she means to me first before I explain.

“Consider it a truce,” I tell her, deciding to go with a half-truth. “A promise of no ill intent. At least to you. The ship might be a different story.”

She snorts, and I see her relax. Lisa walks over to the table and takes a seat. “Well then, consider this my acceptance of your truce.”

There’s still a little wariness as she looks over the food, but not nearly as much as the first time we ate together. I take a seat with her and have the first bite to prove it’s not poison or anything.

After watching me for a moment, Lisa seems convinced it’s safe enough and begins eating, too. A bit of pride swells in me as her face morphs into something like contentment. I smirk at her as I take a big gulp of the smoothie.

And then immediately spit it back out and start hacking.

Lisa looks up at me in surprise. “What’s wrong?”

I shake my head and clear my throat. “Don’t drink the smoothie. I should have taste-tested that beforehand.”

I make a mental note to never go into the culinary business. Or at least nothing to do with smoothies.

Lisa relaxes and lets out a laugh that sounds like chimes in the wind. “Thank you for the warning then.” She hesitates a moment and then adds more quietly. “And thank you for breakfast. This is lovely.”

A little bit of my pride comes back to me, and I smirk. “My pleasure.”

She giggles at that and then her cheeks heat with embarrassment at the sound. I decide right then and there to make it my personal mission to make her giggle like that again. Just to see that beautiful flush of color on her face.

After we eat, I offer to do the dishes, but she insists on at least helping a little. Between the two of us, we get the dishes down quickly. Except for the moment when Lisa accidentally sprays water on herself. And then when I laugh, she turns the water on me, and I have to try and wrestle the sprayer out of her grasp.

We’re both soaking wet by the time we decide to call a timeout, and I’ve never been happier.

That evening there’s a new ease in the way we interact with each other. We cook dinner together and then rummage through the captain’s media collection to see if there’s anything good.

“The Sorrowful Ballad of Sirens. Malalin’s Burning Passion. Love Written In The Stars. Geesh, the captain really has a thing for sappy love dramas,” Lisa says, looking through the media options.

I hum thoughtfully. “Indeed. The only non-romance I can find is something called A Long Way To The Crystal Sky.”

She shrugs. “Never heard of it. But hey, why not try it out?”

A Long Way To The Crystal Skyalso turns out to be a sappy love drama. Although, a rather intriguing love drama, I have to admit. Two star-crossed lovers on the run, fighting danger as they travel to the Crystal Sky where they will hopefully be safe and able to love each other freely.

Glancing over at where Lisa sits, I can tell she’s sucked in, too. As the movie goes on, the more I start to think about my fated bond with her. In many ways, we are in a similar situation to the two lovers in the drama.

She is a human mechanic, and I am bound to a crime syndicate. We are so different in so many ways and so much is keeping us apart. And yet we are destined for one another.

I reach out to grab a handful of popped tarzan corn, something to take my mind off the situation, right at the same moment as Lisa. Our hands brush, and for a moment, she doesn’t pull away.

Nothing will ever feel as intense as the first touch with my fated mate, but any brush of skin with her remains electrifying. I find myself hoping this moment can last an eternity.

“Oops,” she finally says, barely curling her fingers into her palm. “You go ahead.”

My disappointment must be palpable, but I take my handful of snacks and eat without complaint.

I glance at her again and take her in. Her beautiful bright blue eyes are fixed intently on the screen. Her red-brown hair falls over her shoulders so perfectly. And those lips are begging to be kissed.

I look away. As relaxed as we’ve grown with each other over the past two days, I know she’s not ready to hear what it is I feel for her. Certainly not ready to act on it.

My heart surges at the thought of having more time with her. Of cooking meals together, washing dishes, and watching cheesy media pieces. A week ago, I would have thought all of that sounded so silly, so mundane. But with her, I want it all.

Just this short time with her has been better than anything I’ve had in a long time. Possibly ever. I don’t want it to end.

Those thoughts come to a halt as I remind myself of my reality. My boss will be expecting me in the next two days, and he certainly won’t have a romantic spirit about it. I still belong to the syndicate.

The thought doesn’t bring me as much pride as it used to. I don’t feel the thrill of being one of the best. Of hoping to be given one of the bigger, more challenging gigs. Now it all seems minute in comparison to what I have here on the Emery with Lisa.

Maybe now is the time to split away. To forge my own path and start a new life for myself. Hopefully, one with my fated mate.

That thought in and of itself brings a small smile to my face.

But first, I’m going to need more time to convince Lisa of my intentions and hopefully get the boss off my back.

After the movie finishes and Lisa turns in for the night, I key on the ship’s comm pad. Using the syndicate’s encrypted channel, I call up the boss.

The other side of the display lights up, and I dip my head as Andross Kev appears.

“Ozadus,” he says in that low, almost gravelly voice of his. “I assume you will be returning to us soon with the payday you promised.”

I smirk and straighten myself, hoping I look as confident as I need him to think I am. “Naturally, sir. However, there have been a few delays.”

Andross raises a brow. “What sort of delays?”

“Nothing that will compromise the mission,” I assure him. “It’s just going to be a few days more than I anticipated in getting back. Apparently, the captain got in trouble on one of the last planets he visited, and this ship had a bulletin out on it. I just need to lay low and take the long way.”

Andross studies me for a long moment, and I force myself to meet his cool stare. Finally, his head jerks in a nod. “Do what you must, so long as it is still profitable in the end. I’ll have a new assignment waiting for you when you return.”

I dip my head again. “Of course.”

And then Andross cuts the feed. My body instantly relaxes the moment his image disappears. It wasn’t so long ago that I would have considered it a fool’s gambit to lie to Andross Kev. But things are different now.

A small smile appears on my face as I imagine the new life I could have with Lisa. One made of small, wonderful moments, laughter, and love. After spending so much time working in the shadows, it almost feels like a breath of fresh air to do something else.

I can’t get ahead of myself. I still need to romance Lisa and prove to her that I am worthy of her love in turn. Then we can plan a future together.

A small voice in the back of my head reminds me that Andross won’t take my deception lightly. No one just leaves the crew without any consequences. I should know. I’ve carried out some of those punishments myself. And here I am, taking the first steps to leaving Andross and the life I’ve built in his crew.

I quiet those thoughts for now. I need to deal with one thing at a time, and right now, my priority is Lisa. And though my attention turns back to thinking of a way to win her over, those nagging worries still plague my mind.

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