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“Not you, Mistress. Heboren is looking forward to meeting you, but he is currently off-world at a conference with his siblings from nearby systems.”
She clenched her nails into her forearms. “How long will he be gone?”
“He will return in four weeks. The palace is waiting for you.”
“What?”
“The staff is ready to attend you and introduce you to our world.”
“That sounds... awkward.” She had a fleeting thought and snickered. She was a mail-ordered pet, and if she bit her owner, she had an image of herself being crated. “So, what happens if I am not a good match?”
“The noble houses will be offered your bond. They will scramble over themselves to get a rejected consort.”
“Scrambling for rejects?”
“If you are a rejected consort, you are as close to Hmrain compatible as can be without actually being one. If you aren’t suitable, then your children might be consort class.”
She covered her mouth. “Because they don’t age.”
“Correct. They wait.”
“Wow. That’s... wow.” She ran her hand over her hair. “It is a lot to take in.”
He chuckled. “I think you can deal with it. Did you really want to use a flight simulator?”
“Yes. I really like it. I always dreamed of flying, and it is one of the things that kept me going after the impact. I dreamed of seeing the sky.” She looked at the large ship they were approaching. “I guess I can change that dream to the stars.”
“We will schedule you in between the active personnel. You will get your time in the simulator.”
“Executive decision?”
He nodded. “Yes, the overseer might not appreciate it, but if you need it, you shall have it during our travels.”
The captain nodded as he rose. “I have heard of some of the issues survivors have gone through. We will assist you and the others wherever we can.”
“Why?” She got to her feet and followed him out of the shuttle and onto the ship. The men gathered around them as they walked into the hall. That was the point where she saw the canine version of Hebor’s inhabitants. They definitely had a proud wolfman vibe.
The captain stopped in front of the canine with the most markings on his uniform. “Commande Y’kak, this is Mistress Nova.”
She smiled and extended her hand to the commander. “Pleased to meet you.”
He lifted her hand to his muzzle and snuffled her skin. “Mistress. You smell like heat.”
Nova’s smile froze, and she curled her hand and removed it from his grasp. “That is what gets me to be companion class, I suppose.”
Y’kak tilted his head. “This offends you?”
“Social issues that I will have to overcome. We were expected to be in full estrus and still do our work. To have someone point it out means we are failing at concealment and might get someone struck.” She smiled tightly.
He snickered. “You think you can take me?”
“Of course not, but I think with sufficient rage, I can fight for a life. Yours in this example.”
Na’ith pressed his knuckles to her temple, and he jerked his hand away. “You should be cautious. The plan in her head is not elegant, but your mother would need to be notified.”
Y’kak blinked. “How?”
“She will lunge for the weapon on the lieutenant’s belt, grab the weapon next to him, shoot you while they recover, jump on you, and continue firing until they pull her away.” He grinned. “She wasn’t sure of the colour of our blood, so she guessed it was green and sparkly. It is quite the image. Here is the funny thing; it was a casual thought.”
