Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

T he following evening Willow absently stirred a bubbling pot as her thoughts kept drifting back to Wraith. He'd returned to his self-imposed isolation and she hadn't seen him all day. Well, aside from bringing him his usual mug of tea, but she'd simply deposited it and left without talking to him. She didn't want to test the boundaries he was so clearly trying to establish, even though she didn't think it would be good for him to continue to isolate himself.

She kept remembering the hint of vulnerability he'd shown when he'd given her a glimpse of his past - and the passionate way he'd kissed her. Her toes curled at the memory and she was honest enough to admit that she wanted more of those kisses, perhaps even more than kisses. She probed cautiously at that thought, a little surprised at how right it seemed.

No, it didn't bother her to contemplate making love with him, despite her limited experience. She'd spoken the truth when she told Malacar that she felt safe with him and that extended to trusting him with her body - although she was not as sure about her heart. She'd been hurt by the way he'd backed away from their training session, even though she'd quickly realized it was because he'd felt vulnerable.

"Are these small enough?" Malacar asked, recalling her from her wandering thoughts.

He'd been quietly chopping the last of the fresh vegetables next to her. The supply of fresh food was beginning to run low although there were plenty of packaged supplies. Wraith hadn't expected to share his food with three additional people, she thought guiltily, even though he'd told them to make use of whatever they wanted.

"They're perfect."

She smiled at him and added them to the port. She was attempting to make a version of chicken and rice, one of her favorite comfort foods. None of the ingredients were the same, of course, but when she took a cautious spoonful she was pleased with the result.

"Do you think he ever eats with anyone?" she asked softly.

The question popped out before she thought about it and Malacar gave her a quick, perceptive look before he shook his head.

"I doubt it, my dear. But perhaps that might change."

She wanted to ask if he was implying that she might be the one to bring on the change, but she didn't quite have the courage. He would be gentle, but he would be truthful, and she didn't want him to dash her hopes if he thought it was hopeless.

The simmering pot filled the common area with a delicious odor, a stark contrast to the sterile air in the rest of the hip. It wasn't quite right, but it was close enough to remind her of home - a home that already seemed to be far in the past. Perhaps it was because she had something here she hadn't had on Earth. A family , she thought, looking from Malacar washing the cutting board to Sooni bent over a small mechanical device.

The hair on the back of her neck suddenly prickled and she looked up to see Wraith standing there, his tall frame filling the doorway. Her heart skipped a beat, and she couldn't look away from that unreadable purple gaze. They looked at each other for a long moment, and then she smiled and gestured at the table, silently inviting him to join them.

He hesitated, then to her utter shock he entered, sitting down next to Sooni on the banquette. The little girl beamed up at him and held out the gadget she'd been working on. He took it, the tiny device looking even smaller in his big hand, and examined it solemnly. He carefully manipulated the intricate parts, his touch surprisingly delicate, and her breath caught. Would he touch her with the same exquisite care?

A rush of heat surged through her at the thought and he suddenly raised his head, looking at her as if he knew what she'd been thinking. Their eyes met for a brief moment, sparks of purple fire burning in his gaze, before he turned his attention back to the gadget.

"Like this," he murmured to Sooni, demonstrating how to realign a tiny gear.

As the little girl watched eagerly, Willow decided to take advantage of the moment. She quickly dished up a bowl of food and placed it in front of him, not waiting for him to say anything before returning to fill the other bowls.

He was still staring at the bowl when she and Malacar joined them.

"You need to eat," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

His eyes met hers again, unreadable once more. She held her breath, afraid he was going to reject the offer, but then he slowly picked up his utensil.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face as he took the first bite, and she could have sworn she saw the ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. That tiny reaction sent a wave of warmth through her, but she deliberately turned her attention to the other two.

Sooni started asking him questions about some of the other equipment on the ship and he answered her patiently. She caught Malacar's approving look, and she ducked her head, sure that she was blushing.

When Wraith finished, he stood abruptly, nodding once before striding out of the room. She didn't mind - at least not too much. The simple act of him sharing a meal with them felt like a victory, like the first crack in the walls he'd built around himself. She would just have to be patient.

Rome wasn't built in a day , she thought, or torn down in one either . It wouldn't surprise her if he was even more restrained tomorrow, although she hoped he wouldn't retreat as far next time.

The next morning she stifled a yawn as she entered the common area. she hadn't slept well, partially because Sooni had been more than usually verbose in her sleep, and partially because she kept thinking about Wraith. She came to an abrupt halt as she saw he was already there, pulling a length of colorful fabric out of the box he'd placed on the table.

It was the same material Sooni had been admiring yesterday, running her small fingers over the intricate design with wide-eyed wonder. He looked over at her and she raised an eyebrow, silently questioning.

"Do you know how to sew?" he asked.

"I know the basics. Why?"

"Make the child a new outfit," he said gruffly. "And… you can help yourself to any of the fabric as well."

Delighted at his thoughtfulness, she opened her mouth to thank him, but he was already striding away, his back rigid.

Sooni was equally delighted when she stumbled sleepily into the room a short time later. She immediately started conjuring up elaborate plans for her dress, and Willow gave her a regretful smile.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I'm not that good a seamstress. It will have to be a simple dress."

"That's all right." The little girl gave her a sunny smile and stroked the fabric reverently. "It's still going to be beautiful."

They hurried through the morning meal, then set to work. She showed Sooni how to measure and cut the fabric, then sew the pieces together using the sewing kit that Wraith had left for her. Thankfully, it contained a small handheld machine that created a neat seam when two pieces of fabric were fed through it. Without it, she was sure the results would have been a lot more haphazard.

After she finished Sooni's dress, she searched through the box for some fabric to make her own dress, finally settling on a length of bronze silk. There was nothing fancy about it but the color appealed to her and it was cool and silky against her skin.

As the ship's artificial day cycle dimmed to evening, Sooni twirled in her new outfit, her scales shimmering under the soft lights. She spotted Wraith in the corridor and went dancing over to him.

"Look what Willow made me! Isn't it pretty?"

He paused, his face unusually soft as he looked down at the happy child.

"It suits you," he said.

Sooni preened under the praise, then gave Willow a mischievous look before turning back to him.

"What about Willow's new dress?" she demanded. "Doesn't she look beautiful?"

Her cheeks heated as his gaze swept over her. The dress wasn't anything fancy – just a simple sheath that took advantage of the soft, flowing fabric - but under his intense scrutiny, she felt exposed in a way that had nothing to do with the cut of the dress. Her nipples tightened beneath the silky fabric and his eyes lingered there for a second before returning to her face.

Her breath caught at the heat in her eyes, her pulse racing, but then he looked away.

"She always looks beautiful," he said, his voice low and rough. Then he turned on his heel and strode away, leaving her staring after him.

Much later that night she returned to the common area. Once again she'd been unable to sleep and she'd finally given up and decided to see if a hot drink would help. She hesitated when she saw Wraith sitting in the darkened room. She'd assumed he would be in his bed, or in the cockpit as usual.

Instead he was sitting on the couch with his eyes closed. She considered retreating, but something in his posture tugged at her heart.

Taking a deep breath, she approached him.

"Can't sleep either?" she asked softly.

His eyes opened, gleaming purple in the dim light. He looked at her for a long moment, then shrugged.

"I don't sleep much."

She was tempted to sit down next to him, but decided the nearby chair was safer. She curled up in it, tucking her bare legs under her as the silence stretched between them, not uncomfortable exactly, but… expectant.

"I didn't sleep well when I was a child," she finally said softly.

His gaze sharpened, focusing intently on her face, and her heart skipped a beat at the intensity in that dark gaze.

"Why not?"

She had to look away, staring down at her hands instead.

"My parents didn't want me," she said, the familiar ache still present. "I was a… mistake, one they did their best to ignore. I always had this fear that one day they would just leave me. That I would wake up and find them gone. So I didn't want to go to sleep. Just in case."

He leaned towards her, his expression still unreadable, but his eyes never left her face.

"They didn't leave me, not physically anyway, but I never stopped dreading it."

She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling exposed.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm telling you this," she said with a weak laugh.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again, clearly unsure of what to say. The old embarrassment crept over her and she was about to get up when he spoke.

"I understand being afraid that bad things will happen if you fall asleep."

There was a heaviness in his voice and she was suddenly quite sure that in his case, bad things had happened. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and assure him it would be all right, but she wasn't sure how he would react.

"Is that why you can't sleep?" she asked gently. "Because you're afraid of what might happen?"

It seemed ridiculous to ask such a powerful, deadly male if he was afraid, but he didn't immediately reject her assumption.

"Perhaps," he said finally. "Or perhaps I simply got used to remaining on guard at all times."

"Even now?"

"Even now." He gave a reluctant shrug. "It's part of me now."

"I suppose we could have worse problems than not being able to sleep," she said lightly.

To her relief, the corner of his mouth twitched. "I suppose."

"Maybe we should find something to help you sleep," she suggested.

"Such as?"

He raised an eyebrow and ideas about all the ways she could help him sleep raced through her mind. She was sure she was blushing again, but she gave him a determined smile.

"How about a story? I always read one to my kindergartners at nap time."

He gave her an incredulous look. "A… story?"

"Sure." She settled back in the chair, doing her best to hide her amusement at his obvious skepticism. "Don't you like stories?"

He hesitated, then shrugged. "I don't remember any."

"Then let me tell you one."

She thought for a moment, then started telling him one of the stories her students loved. She felt a little self-conscious at first, but she fell into the rhythm of the story, the way she would have with her students. Despite his skepticism, he listened intently. Too intently - he was still wide awake when she finished.

"You are an excellent storyteller,"

"Thank you. I have a lot of practice reading to my students." An unexpected pang of homesickness washed over her. "I miss them, although I think I would miss them even more if I didn't have Sooni."

"Tell me about your life on Earth."

He seemed genuinely interested, paying close attention to what she said, and she spent most of the next hour telling him about her students and her small town before she finally yawned and gave him a sheepish smile.

"I think I'm putting myself to sleep. Maybe that will be enough to overcome a chatty child and a rock-hard bunk."

"The bed is not comfortable?"

"Wraith, it's a metal bunk with a wafer thin pad. Of course it isn't comfortable - but then I don't suppose you felt obligated to pamper your prisoners. And it hadn't permanently ruined my back. Yet," she added, giving him a teasing smile.

He didn't return it, frowning at her. Has she insulted him by criticizing their accommodation? She started to assure him that it was fine, but he interrupted her.

"You should sleep in my cabin."

Her heart skipped a beat at the unexpected offer. She searched his face, trying to decipher his intentions, but his expression remained as inscrutable as ever.

"I… that's very kind of you," she finally managed, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I wouldn't want to impose."

He gave a half-shrug.

"It's not an imposition. The cabin's just sitting empty most of the time anyway."

Damn. Every time he did something thoughtful, her heart melted a little bit more.

"Well, if you're sure…" she began, then paused. "But where will you sleep?"

"The cockpit," he replied calmly. "I spend most nights there anyway."

She frowned at him.

"That can't be comfortable. Even if you don't sleep a lot, you need a proper rest when you do."

A hint of amusement flickered in his eyes.

"I've slept in worse places."

"I'm sure you have. But still… "

She trailed off, suddenly aware that they had both leaned forward and their faces were only inches apart. her breath caught as his eyes met hers, intense and unreadable. Her pulse started to race as she waited expectantly, but he only rose and nodded towards his cabin.

"It's late," he said softly. "You should get some rest."

She wasn't sure if she was disappointed or relieved, but she simply rose and followed him across the corridor to his cabin. The door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a space that was as elegant and austere as the rest of the ship. And as impersonal. There wasn't a single item that indicated this was Wraith's room, aside from a faint trace of his tantalizing, spicy scent.

The bed dominated the space, far larger than she'd anticipated. Large even for someone of his size and she couldn't help wondering if anyone had ever shared it with him. She decided she didn't like that idea one bit, and she quickly pushed it aside. The present was what mattered, not the past. He'd remained in the doorway, watching her, his face as unreadable as ever.

Taking a deep breath, she gathered her courage.

"You know," she said softly, "we both might sleep better if we're together."