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NIKO
With the captain’s permission,Raina brings her friend back to the ship instead of sending her home to EC-12. I had mentally prepared myself for the possibility of Raina traveling with her friend to ensure her safe journey home, but I admit I’m relieved that we won’t be parted.
The poor female was crying when she arrived, turning splotchy pink all over.Tears of joy,Raina had explained when I expressed my concern. She was so happy and relieved to be safe that she began leaking uncontrollably. I gave them space to reunite for as long as I could stand to be away. Raina doesn’t want to leave her friend alone, and the human is understandably shaken after her ordeal. But soon after they settle on thePrimordial Avenger, this friend is curious about me. She drags my mate to my quarters for a formal introduction because of what Raina has told her about the matebond between us.
“I’m Kaye,” she says. “I heard you managed to seduce the unseducable Miss Jones.”
The difference in coloring between my mate and this female is dramatic. While Raina’s skin is soft brown and her hair is black, this other human is almost colorless. She has rust-colored hair and skin like buttermilk. She’s speckled all over like the belly of atrillabird. Where Raina’s eyes are blue, Kaye’s are brown. Where Raina’s body is tight and lightly muscled, Kaye’s is plump and soft. She’s taller than Raina, longer of limb. She has let her orange hair grow to her hips like most Kar’Kali females do.
“I do like to think of myself as a male who is capable of the impossible, but I have nothing but the spirit to thank. My attempts to win her over failed, and she told me she accidentally mated me.”
“Accidentally and sex don’t really mix.” Kaye cocks her head in confusion.
“No, Kaye.” My mate rolls her eyes. “I think he’s trying to say I fell in love with him.”
“That’s wonderful!
“He’s hung up on the ‘falling’ part of things,” Raina mutters.
“I’m just happy to see Raina so happy. I’ve never seen her like this. She’s glowing!” Kaye turns to me with shining eyes, patting my arm as if I’ve done her a great service.
“Will she cry again?” I ask, perplexed by this response.
“I’m fine,” Kaye insists, wiping at the corners of her eyes. “Raina told me everything. Thank you for saving her life and saving mine too. I know you did it for her, and I have to say that it’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard. I feel like I’m indebted to both of you. I just have to find some way to make it up to you.”
“Don’t,” Raina says firmly. “There’s no debt. We made a promise to protect each other out here. And I know we meant our farms and our livestock at the time, but that promise still stands. I’m just keeping it.”
As the humans embrace each other once again, a sharp knock comes at the door to my quarters.
“Coming in,” Captain Rossa announces. She never waits to be allowed. She simply barges in. “Sorry to interrupt, but this is about your mate’s—”
She glances around, realizing that Raina and Kaye are here with me.
“This is about your friend, Frankie,” she tells them.
They step forward, still holding onto one another. Their expressions become twin masks of determination.
“Go on,” I urge Rossa.
“Niko, I might need a favor from you to get us on Frankie’s trail.”
“Anything,” I offer immediately.
“Are you still a registered privateer with the Alliance government?”
“Yeah.” I shrug. “But aren’t you? They make it painfully easy these days because they’re desperate to pester enemy trade routes.”
Rossa tosses a braid over her shoulder.
“They canceled my license,” she sniffs.
“For what?”
“I might have overstepped my bounds recently,” she admits. “I’ve been appealing for a new one, but I think they’re trying to make me sweat before they accept my requests.”
“And what do you need it for?” I ask.
“Frankie’s been bought by a powerful businessman. He has access to the highest level forklines, which means we can’t follow her unless you file for access as a privateer pursuing illegal activity.”
