CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Renn

Icould have made love to her all night, but as she lay bare and content in my arms, I wanted to keep her there forever, and there was nothing more perfect than holding her against me. I thought I had experienced sex to its fullest before, but after Maven, nothing could compare. She had taken all my power. The sight of her naked, fingers tracing up and down my skin, that touch I had been so desperately needing from her . . . so much that she could have told me to beg for it and I would have willingly done it without hesitation.

As I fell asleep holding her, before waking the next day with her beside me, I realized it was the first night in a long time I wasn't lost in some nightmare. I swallow down the emotion heavy in my chest as I look down at her face. I know I'll never be able to forget the way she looked at me last night. It was the same face she wore that night on the retreat when she was gazing into the night sky, her intensity as moonlight reflected in her bright-blue eyes. I knew that she saw it in mine too, that my love for her was just as deep and infinite as space. And I thank whatever divine entity it was that brought us together.

She moves slightly beside me. "I was worried for a minute that it was all a dream," she says sleepily, keeping her eyes closed.

"Me too," I say against her hair.

"So?" Her voice is still soft and waking.

"So what?" I ask.

"So, what next?" she asks.

I place my mouth against her ear. "I have a few things in mind."

She pulls away, laughing lightly, and shifts so she can look at me directly, pulling the covers around herself. My gaze lingers on her exposed skin. She notices my stare, blushing, and I love that I can make her blush with just a look, even after last night. "You know what I mean."

I sit up, the covers stopping just below my waist. She looks me over, and damn if I don't feel a jolt of nerves in me. If she keeps doing that, we will never get out of bed. She leans forward, tracing the lines of the muscles on my stomach, and then slightly brushes the scar with her finger tips.

"I'm sure you have a lot more questions," I say, watching her fingers linger there for another second or two.

She nods. "I want to hear more about Earth." It sounds strange hearing her say that word. I haven't heard that name spoken aloud by anyone else for what feels like a lifetime. I rest my elbows on my knees.

"Hmm, where do I even begin?" She watches me, amused, waiting for my reply. "I want to show you something. Stay there."

I jump out of bed and walk over to the dresser, grabbing a clean pair of boxer shorts, taking a mental note of how Maven's eyes watch me the whole time, and I swear I see a flash of disappointment on her face as I cover myself. I kneel beside the bed, dragging out the box from underneath, rummaging around for the atlas. She doesn't say a word as she carefully inspects the device as it comes to life. The projection of stars fill the entire room, and she lets out a quiet gasp. My room is still dim enough with the morning light trickling in. It takes me a moment or two to orient myself studying the star map, walking through the artificial stars and planets until I find what I'm looking for.

"Here is Earth."

She rises from bed, dragging the covers with her, and I try to hide my disapproval. The light reflects off her skin, illuminating her like she is some kind of goddess walking through the constellations. I lightly tap the space and zoom in closer using my forefinger and thumb.

She lets out another gasp of surprise. "It's going to take me a minute to get used to this."

I chuckle in response, tapping the blue-green orb that comes into a larger view. We can see the surface with more detail as it spins slowly

"It looks so much like Aetherium." Her eyes wander over the planet in surprise and awe.

"It's almost identical," I say.

"Almost?"

I nod. "Geographically, there are forests, oceans, and deserts just like here. Even the seasons are similar, but the land masses are, of course, shaped differently, and Earth is much older and more populated."

She continues to tilt her head, observing this foreign world to her, taking in my words.

"This is so strange," she says in a serious tone, unblinking as she continues to take in the artificial Earth before us. "And there's more planets just like this?"

I move closer to her. "Thousands. It would take me years to go over the whole history of just Earth alone, even longer once space travel gets involved," I say as her eyes widen a bit before looking back at me.

"But you'll tell me about it? All of it, right?"

"Of course I will." I capture her hand, squeezing it, reassuring her of my promise that I will tell her everything and anything that she wants to know. I pull her along with me, walking over to the other side of the atlas. "And this is where I'm guessing we are. But it's only a guess," I say, pointing to the blank space of darkness.

"Aetherium isn't on your map?"

"No. Well, technically no. No one else has seen it to record it into the map system as far as I know."

She stares at the nothingness for a beat or two, then looks back to me with tears in her eyes. "It's unbelievable. That you came all this way, that you were alone for so long and then ended up here. What are the chances?" she asks softly, not looking for an answer, just wondering aloud.

Whatever the chances, they are near impossible to say the least.

"I didn't believe in fate, but now, I don't know what else to call it. Whatever guided me here, it brought me to you, and I am grateful for that."

She smiles and traces her fingers on my forearm.

"And I will tell you everything about Earth and this galaxy, my exploits in space, whatever you want to know, but right now . . ." I lean down to whisper into her ear. "I want to feel you around me again. I want to hear you say my name like you did last night. I want you in so many ways."

She whimpers at the words, and it only makes me hungrier for her.

"That is probably the most undignified thing you have ever said," she whispers. "But I loved it."

"Noted," I say, winking.

I make love to her again while the holographic streams of light dance over us, except this time, we don't take the time to memorize each other's bodies. I don't take a moment to pause before taking her to the edge of complete satisfaction, and she knows exactly what she's doing to me when she says my name over and over again like a prayer on her lips. I know I'll never grow tired of the way it sounds, exhilarated to learn all the ways I can get her like this, withering in my arms, spent and completely mine just as much as I am hers.

After spending the rest of the morning in bed, Maven eventually deems it time to clean up and become "human again."

"I think I better go into town to see Tasha and Mina," she says, finishing off her second cup of coffee, looking right at home standing in the kitchen.

"I'm assuming you told her about last night?"

She sets down the cup and smirks. "I told her we made up, to which she begged for information, but that was all." I give her an amused look. "Why? Are you worried that I'll share details on what kind of lover you are?"

I chuckle lightly. "Not at all, because I know it was nothing short of perfection." She gapes at me, but before she can say a word, I sweep her up into my arms and set her on the counter. She naturally wraps her legs around my waist.

"Don't worry, I won't tell her . . . everything," she says. Her voice is nothing short of seductive, leaning into me as I place my hands on either side of her.

"Good. There are some things that belong to you and only you." I'm taken aback by the sudden tears in her eyes, and she looks down as if she's embarrassed. "What is it?" I ask grabbing her chin lightly to bring her face to mine.

She swallows back the tears. "I'm ecstatic, but also . . . terrified. If that makes any sense," she says, smiling weakly.

I don't hesitate to respond. "I know exactly what you mean, and I'm not expecting you to be fine with the implications of all this, but like I said, there's no going back for me. It's you and me, okay? No matter what."

She grins warmly, her eyes fluttering. "I know, I know. I just don't want this to end, Renn." Her ocean-deep eyes roam into me, making a piece in my heart ache just hearing her saying that aloud.

The truth is, I can't lie and say that everything is going to be okay, no matter how much I wish for it to be true. I still don't know for sure what could happen. The only thing I am sure of is the woman sitting in front of me.

"I love you. I trust you with my heart, and you can trust me with yours. We will take whatever comes our way, together."

She nods, closing her eyes for a moment, and I rest my forehead against hers. "I love you," she whispers softly, and then she crashes her lips into mine, the taste of her against my tongue luring me in for more.

I place my hands on either side of her again, knowing if I touch her body, we will end up back in my bed, but it doesn't stop me from moving my tongue against hers, devouring each sensual stroke.

"I gotta go," she gasps breathlessly against my mouth. I respond by kissing her along her jaw down to her neck. She drops her head back with a smile on her lips. "Renn."

"Yes, Mave?" I say against the pulse of her throat.

"I really have to go."

"Mm-hmm," I hum into her neck. She laughs, pushing me away and quickly jumping down from the counter before I can protest.

"I'll be back in a few hours at most," she says, sliding on her boots and a beanie.

"Take your time. I'll be here when you get home," I say, winking, and then it's that word again that always makes me pause. Home. Not "back" or even "here." I don't know why it suddenly makes me nervous, but then I see her grin turn to a wide smile.

"Yeah, I'll see you when I get home." She pulls open the door and walks out into the cold, bright day. Shy jumps off the couch to watch her go, whining as her car backs away.

"She'll be back, don"t worry." The joy that fills me with those words is endless.

I decide to make use of Maven being in town to do some chores around the cabin. I have the firewood pile to organize, and a couple of things on my motorbike to fix before storing it away for winter. I'll decide what to do about Locke's ship later. It's hidden well enough for now, and soon the snow will most likely bury it until the season changes.

Shy watches me carefully while I work in the garage out back. I need to change the oil, tighten any loose facenters, and tune up anything else that may need it. By the time I'm done, my hands are black, smeared with oil and grime just like a typical day at the shop.

"On to the next," I tell Shy. She rises and follows me. The chopped wood is still scattered everywhere since I became thoroughly detained last night. Gathering up what I can in my arms, I carry a bundle back to the house.

Suddenly, Shy starts barking hysterically. I turn to see her teeth bared and the hair on her back standing on end. She's looking into the woods, warning me, remembering what happened the last time she sensed an unfamiliar scent in the woods. Smart girl, but unease slithers down my spine like a snake, slow and menacing. There's someone else out here. For a moment, I pray it's an animal, but Shy keeps growling in a way I haven't heard before, and I trust her instincts; I'd be a fool not to. But it's too soon to be happening again. Not now, not after what happened between Maven and me. I knew it was a possibility, but I never thought it would be this soon, if ever.

"Shit," I whisper to myself.

I'm not going to be stalked like some helpless prey again, so I rush into the house, grab the gun, and venture back into the woods, hunting for whoever else has come for me. They will meet the same end as Colin. My boots sink slightly into the soggy ground, and Shy stays close to me as I try to navigate through the trees, looking for any signs. For a good ten minutes, I find nothing, but then I spy fresh boot marks—that are not my own—in the mud leading further into the forest.

"Damn it," I say quietly to myself. If Locke weren't already dead, I'd kill him again for leading someone here. I decide to hike up and around, hoping to catch them by surprise by coming from the other direction.

It takes me another fifteen minutes, but I find it, or at least a ship. It's a newer model than Locke's, the sleek, narrow design similar to the ship I stole from the admiral all those years ago. I move swiftly, ducking between trees, pausing and then moving forward until I have a good vantage point. Then I wait. Soon, a tall figure walks down the gangway, turning so their back faces me. They remain standing next to the ship, typing at something on a tablet. The posture and build of the person is clearly male, and he has long, black hair, dreaded back and tied at the nape of his neck. I duck behind a tree, pressing my back into the bark, taking deep, quiet breaths. My hands tremble slightly as I look down at the gun.

Am I about to kill another man?To keep Maven safe, there's no doubt in my mind that I will do anything, so if it has to be done, then so be it. I won't lose her, not like this. I peer around the tree again, and the man walks to the other side of the ship, giving me a window to come up behind him.

"Stay," I whisper to Shy, and she goes still.

The soft ground absorbs the impact of my boots as I sprint until I reach the ship, sliding around the hull until I turn the corner. The stranger still has his back to me. I move quickly and silently.

The moment he senses me, he reaches for the gun holstered at his waist, but it is too late as I set the barrel of the gun on the back of the stranger's head.

"Hands up and turn around . . . slowly," I say in English, assuming he'll understand, especially if he's looking for me. The stranger keeps his hands up as I back away a couple of feet, both my hands on the raised gun. The man begins to turn slowly as I instructed, and the person that I behold as he comes to face me fully almost makes me drop to my knees in utter shock.