Static filled the screen, but I could hear a clicking sound. “Skyranked Laeu here. Please tell me your name and status.”
I let out a breath of relief. At least the storm hadn’t knocked out the comm system entirely. “Yes, this is Genj Kaddim of ORIXA. I’m in shed”—I glanced around for an identifying marker, and found the number next to the comm unit—“eighteen. All the crew are accounted for, and they rescued a few others caught in the storm. I should have names for you soon.”
“Got it.” The screen cleared, and I saw the skyranked for the first time. A Retemian, their gills pulsing in an odd manner. Had they been caught in the sandstorm, too?
“The forecast shows the weather improving temporarily in an hour. We’re sending all racers to Eurebly, then, and the fans home while we can.”
“Okay. I’ll let everyone here know.”
The time passed slowly and quickly at the same time. I went back and forth between the shed and office, relaying information to both parties to arrange where everyone inside needed to go in order for all non-residents to evacuate the planet. No one had predicted such a bad storm, and the USRA could only estimate how long it would last, but they wanted to get everyone safely home while they could. Once all the details had been arranged, we still had to wait for the air to clear. Giving me plenty of time to think.
Since the race was now canceled for the weekend, I had no plans. If I returned to Eurebly, Ret would make us practice the thidemrev maneuver again, since we didn’t get to perform it here. But I had somewhere else I wanted to be.
As soon as we were given the signal, I ushered the rescued tourists to their designated space shuttle. Then I rushed over to the one heading to Quadrant One, with a stop on Orez.
Xac passed me, yanking on my flight suit. “You’re going in the wrong direction. Our shuttle’s over here.”
“No.” I shook their hand off. “Tell Ret I’ll be back in a couple of days.”
They pursed their lips as their eyebrows lifted high into their forehead, but they didn’t say another word before walking away.
We both knew how my brother would react, and that was why I planned to be on my way to Orez before he learned I was taking some unscheduled time off.
My comm unit buzzed immediately after the shuttle took to the skies. It was obviously working again. But Ret didn’t wait for me to answer, bypassing security to yell at me through the chip implanted in my ear.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing? You don’t have authorization to take holidays right now. Get off at the next spaceport and take a shuttle to Eurebly.”
I rolled my eyes, wishing I had some way to get my brother out of my head. “No. I’m going to Orez. The race was canceled, and the next scheduled practice isn’t for a couple days. I’ll be back by then.” I had to know what was going on with Utahn one way or another in order to get my focus back.
Ret growled in my ear. “I don’t care what was or wasn’t scheduled. You don’t have permission from me or the team coordinator to go on a mini fuck vacation.”
Anger surged through my veins, and I clenched my fists, trying to resist the temptation to kick the seat in front of me. If Ret had been in front of me, I would have shoved him. “How fuckin’ dare you! This is Utahn we’re talking about, not some random stranger.”
“Whatever.” Ret sighed as I saw several passengers on the shuttle staring at me. “You still didn’t have permission. You know better.”
It wasn’t that simple. And he knew that. “We had a limited window to get out. I had no time to find you to get your permission and still catch a shuttle to Orez. I had to choose.”
“Well, you made the wrong choice. I hope it was worth it because you’re suspended from the team until after the next race.”
I sighed.Whatever.My brother would make the rest of the team hate me for not being able to participate in the next event because he didn’t like that I’d gone home for a couple days. Not a surprise. But, by suspending me, he’d unintentionally given me extra time to visit Utahn. I could only hope Utahn wanted me around that long.
Regardless of my brother’s objection, I left the shuttle once it landed on Orez. Call it stubbornness, or my alpha instincts finally kicking in, but I refused to return to Eurebly without spending time with Utahn. There was something drawing me here, and I couldn’t shake it.
I didn’t have any bags to collect, all of my belongings I’d taken to Harasa either still in our weekend accommodations or with my team, heading to Eurebly. So, unencumbered, I dashed out through the sliding door of the small spaceport and caught one of the waiting hovercabs.
Ojokun’s training school was within walking distance. I probably should have stopped in to visit my former-teammate turned brother-in-law, and say some encouraging words to his future space racers, but I had time to do that another day.
The cab took me straight to my old neighborhood where Utahn’s bakery sat, along with several other shops selling locally made goods. After swiping my wrist over the scanner to pay, I stepped out and stood on the walkway. Through the window, I spotted the omega I wanted to be my mate. His hair, now dark brown again, was up in a net. His apron and his round cheeks were covered in rolef as he stepped up to the counter and greeted the customer there. I couldn’t wait to see his expression when I surprised him.
Stars!I should have brought him some kind of gift. That was customary, right? He’d brought goodies from his shop when he’d visited me. I had nothing. True to myself, I had already ruined this trip in more ways than one.
I waited outside for the customer to leave then slid inside the bakery before the door closed, trying to be as quiet as possible. Utahn’s back was to me as he moved some jabkas from a storage container to the display case.
Clearing my throat, I anxiously awaited his reaction to me being there.
Releasing a yelp, he jumped then turned to face me. I expected him to be happy, excited, and run to give me a hug. But that was not what happened.
Utahn’s eyes went wide with surprise as the rest of his face fell, and he wrapped his hands around his stomach. His extended stomach, which I know wasn’t like that the last time I’d seen him.
