The cuts on his body make me fight to sit up. Many of his injuries are because of me.Maybe even all of them.
I force my burning limbs to steady me while he tries to help. Collecting the soap, I do my best to wash away the dirt and blood he can’t reach.
He watches me closely as I run my hands over his toned back and down his sides. The puncture looks mostly healed.Whatever paste he used must work like his serum.
Elix suddenly twists and kisses me once more, sweeping his tongue over mine. I can still taste my musk on his breath. “I serve you.”
He gets up before I can protest. “MONA, turn off the alarm. I’m on my way.”
“Alarm?” I quiet my thoughts and listen. It’s a faint sound, a high-pitched whine I’ve not encountered on other ships before.
Elix grabs our clothes, puts them in a nearby drying closet, taps a button that makes the room flash with light, and then walks out.
Something clunks then scrapes. A latch snaps. And the alarm shuts off.
I manage to get my feet under me and stand with some effort. Turning off the water, I grab the towel and get dried off. “Elix?”
“We’re getting ready to drop out of hyperspace. ABR is lining up the tour. But I am going to need you belted in for the drop,” he calls back to me.
I make my way to the drying room where I grab my undergarments and the race suit. Tying off my uniform arms around my waist, I shrug.Guess it will have to work as pants for now. No way am I fitting into his.
“Elix, do you have a shirt I could borrow?” When I lean out into the hallway, I notice he’s still in his wet pants, topless. “Or do you not own shirts?”
He looks down at himself and then over at me. “I don’t normally wear t-shirts. They are very thin and serve little purpose. Leather is better. Armor is best.”
“No shit. ButIwould like a shirt.” I cup my breasts and give them a bounce. “Makes me feel better anyway.”
He heaves a breath, jerks his eyes away from my chest, then taps something on his wristband and points to the room just behind the cockpit. “A drawer is open in my quarters. Please take what you need.”
I walk into the small space and find the drawer that’s opened beneath a window. It has black military-cut tees that are still far too big for me. But I put one on and draw the hem to one side where I tie it into a knot. I push the drawer shut and notice a faint glow of my fingerprints on the surface. It has recorded my action.
On my way out, I notice a light moving on the ceiling and look up. It’s a video of me talking with dock staff at a spaceport on the edge of Nebulous Empire territory.
I wonder if he knows the truth about what I do. It’s clear Elix has seen me more than I’ve seen him.
“Zariah. I need you in the co-pilot’s seat. Asap.”
I do my best to hustle out to where he is and climb into the seat. Buckling in, I look over at him, but he doesn’t look happy.
“You could’ve—” I start to say, wanting to ask why he didn’t mate with me when I get the impression he wants to.
“It’s not that. I can’t make enough of a course correction. Something is right in front of us. I’m dropping us early.”
“What kind of thing?”
“A portal. Hold tight.” He points to the dash, then tanks his engines so fast that we’re slung forward in our harnesses.
My chest aches. My right side screams under the straps. “Fucking hell. Are the others going through?”
“No.” He flips a few switches. “It appeared after the last ship. MONA wants a course correction. You can’t survive that yet. We have to go through.”
I start to panic, wondering what in the stars is happening. I know he’s just told me, but it’s the reason that doesn’t make sense.
“Zariah, inhaler. It’s in the armrest.” Elix taps something into his screen. “MONA, I need that backup portal ready. Shields up.”
“Elix,” the dash coms say with a voice I don’t recognize. “Do you have a visual on your obstruction?”
“It’s a portal. Warn the next in line. We’re breaking formation in three, two, one.”
