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Caryn muttered, “He’s one of the Captains I saw on the holo-screen. What luck!”
Onnika wasn’t sure if Caryn’s own words even registered with her. Whatluckindeed.
“I have a good feeling about him,” Onnika said. “He really wants to win the race.”
“Don’t they all?” Caryn replied.
“Oddly enough, no. But his intention is strong, like a tempered blade.” She pointed to a man entering the next ship over. “Whereas his intention feels dull to me, like attempting to chop wood with a butter knife. So? What do you think? Is this our ship?”
“Hmm.” Caryn eyed the determined stranger, biting her lip. “I think you’re right. There is something…compelling about him.”
Onnika gave her a sly look. “About him? Or the ship?”
“The ship, I mean.”
“So…you feeling lucky?”
Caryn turned up her nose. “Ugh. Will it never cease? Oh! He’s caught us watching him.”
“He caughtyouwatching him. Come, let’s introduce ourselves.”
Affecting her sweetest smile, Onnika marched up to the stranger. Caryn followed close behind. The man smiled at their approach, eyeing them up and down. Onnika noticed his gaze lingered on Caryn, obvious interest lighting his eyes.
“Hi there,” she began with a smile. “I’m Onnika, and this is Caryn.”
“I’m Lear, prince of the dragon shifters.”
Onnika concealed her surprise. She vaguely recalled hearing something about dragon shifters. It was so long ago that her memory was fuzzy, but she thought a small clan of them had formed an alliance with the Faieara, yet she couldn’t be sure, and she couldn’t remember which clan it had been. There were hundreds of dragon clans scattered over multiple planets.
Lear lifted Onnika’s hand to kiss her knuckles, then did the same to Caryn. As his lips met her skin, he gazed upward, his smiling eyes holding a hint of attraction. “I dinna expect to encounter such stunning competition.”
Caryn’s cheek grew pink and she let out a nervous sound, pulling her hand back.
Onnika inwardly groaned. Crap. It would have been easier if he’d foundhermore appealing, as Caryn was rather shy when it came to encouraging the attention of the opposite sex.Come on, Caryn,time to step up your game.
Pushing her forward, Onnika informed him, “Caryn and I aren’t competition. Far from it, in fact.”
“No?” He glanced around the hangar in confusion before returning his gaze to them. “Are you reporters? Here to interview me?”
“I, uh…” He’d just given her a brilliant idea. “Actually, wearereporters…from the coalition.” That sounded like a thing. “They want to do an in-depth document on the race by having a few of us follow certain ships through the entire event. Are you the captain of this impressive vessel?”
His chest expanded and there was a twinkle in his eye. “I am.”
One thing Onnika did recall about dragons was that they were extremely prideful, but they also valued honor, which ultimately could work in their favor if he discovered their deception before they got what they needed. The chance of him retaliating with violence was slim, though not guaranteed. She had a thin line to traverse. She’d need to stroke his pride just enough while playing on his sense of honor.
“Just think, ifDragoonwins, the entire universe will want to learn about her handsome captain, prince of the dragon shifters, and his capable crew.”
She could tell by his expression that he found that idea intriguing, yet was reluctant to assimilate strange women into his crew. Time to close the deal. By necessity, Onnika was goal-oriented. Number one goal: survival. Two, safety. Three, protect Caryn, which naturally tied in with goals one and two, but now she had a new goal: Find a way for them both to return to Evlon and end their perpetual wandering, something she and Caryn had been longing for since they’d been sent away. To accomplish that, Onnika had no reservations about exploiting Lear’s blatant attraction to Caryn.
Leaning in, Onnika fake-whispered, “The handsome part was Caryn’s estimation, not mine.”
Lear blinked in surprise. Caryn’s mouth dropped open.
Onnika discreetly pinched Caryn’s side, signaling her to say something.
Yet to have mastered the art of prevarication, Caryn stumbled. “I, uh, I mean, we’d love to do a story on you.”
Compelling as ever, Caryn.
