I'm going to have to adapt fast.
Her body would need time to adjust to this climate, especially if she planned to train and work in these conditions for... however long she'd be here. She still didn't know the timeframe, and the oversight gnawed at her. She should have pressed Raikar for specifics, but that magnetic pull between them had scrambled her usual sharp focus. The fact that she'd managed any coherent conversation at all felt like a minor miracle.
Brenn glanced at her as they walked along the stone pathway that wound through the territory toward what she assumed was the residential area. The path stretched ahead for what looked like several miles, carved from pale yellow stone that gleamed in the dual sunlight. Jade found herself caught between processing the alien beauty around her and the lingering heat that Raikar's touch had left burning through her nervous system.
"I'm still confused about why you're here," Brenn said, her voice carrying genuine curiosity rather than suspicion. "Gerri mentioned something about Raikar looking for strong warriors, and she found you on Earth in some small town?"
Jade frowned slightly. The question struck her as odd—shouldn't Brenn know about her general's recruitment objectives? But military hierarchies could be complicated, and perhaps not everyone was privy to command-level decisions.
"Yeah, it was pretty random," Jade admitted, stepping carefully over a root that had grown across the path. "Gerri just walked into my dojo yesterday and told me about this opportunity. Said Raikar needed warriors to help with missions."
Brenn's expression grew more puzzled, but she didn't press the issue. Instead, her face brightened with interest. "You own a dojo? That's incredible."
"For the past eight years. It's where I teach my martial arts classes and give private lessons. It's been really rewarding." The familiar pride warmed Jade's voice as she spoke about her work. "Building up other fighters—there's something deeply satisfying about that."
"Those skills and experience will prove useful here," Brenn said with enthusiasm. "Especially when we start training you in our methods. Methods that Raikar taught us, actually."
The mention of his name sent another wave of heat through Jade's core, and she forced herself to focus on the conversation.
Brenn fired off another question, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Did you compete back on Earth?"
"Quite a bit, but not for the past two years." The words came out more clipped than Jade had intended.
Brenn's perceptive green eyes caught the shift in tone. "What happened? I sense there's more to that story."
Jade hesitated, then decided honesty might help build trust with her new housemate. "My adoptive parents died within months of each other three years ago. I tried to keep competing for about a year after that, but..." She shrugged, the gesture failing to convey the depth of grief that had nearly consumedher. "It stopped bringing me joy. Everything felt empty, like I was going through the motions. So I switched gears and focused solely on teaching. That felt more purposeful—helping others reach their potential instead of chasing my own."
"What about your potential now?" Brenn asked gently. "Do you still think you have room to grow?"
The question hit deeper than expected, striking right at the restless hunger that had been eating at her for months. "Yes. That's exactly why I came to Nova Aurora—to grow, to learn, to challenge myself in ways my life on Earth couldn't offer anymore."
They finally reached a house that perfectly embodied the warmth Jade had sensed in Brenn's personality. When Jade stepped inside, the structure featured tall windows that invited natural light to flood the interior, and the open layout created an immediate sense of welcome. Through the expansive windows, she could see the pink ocean shimmering in the distance, its alien beauty framed by the purple jungle canopy.
"Your home is beautiful," Jade said, meaning every word. The space radiated the kind of comfort that came from being genuinely loved and cared for.
"Talia and I try to make it feel like home the way our parents did before they died." Brenn's voice carried old grief softened by time.
"I'm sorry for your loss."
"Thank you. It was five years ago now. We've managed to find purpose under General Raikar's guidance." The reverence in Brenn's tone was unmistakable. "He gave us direction when we needed it most."
These people really do look up to him.
The realization sent an unexpected flutter through Jade's chest. Raikar wasn't just a commanding officer—he was someone his people genuinely trusted and respected. Thatsaid something significant about his character, something that made the attraction she felt toward him seem less like foolish infatuation and more like...
She cut off that line of thinking before it could develop further.
Brenn guided her to a guest room that managed to be both cozy and functional. "I'll make us some lunch while you unpack and settle in."
Jade quickly transferred her belongings from the duffel bag to the closet and dresser, but her mind refused to cooperate with the mundane task. Every few minutes, her thoughts drifted back to Raikar's office—the way his pupils had dilated when their hands touched, the careful control he'd maintained over his expression, the sense that he was holding himself back from something.
What was he holding back from?
She tried to summon her military training, to compartmentalize her emotions and focus on the practical aspects of her situation. But her body betrayed her every time she remembered that handshake, the electric heat that had shot through her when their skin connected, those blue eyes that seemed to see straight through her.
Get it together.
"Lunch is ready," Brenn finally called from the kitchen.
