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"There has to be another way to get me back on Earth without Navik risking his life to do it," I ponder aloud.
"The sivot has but a singular purpose," Qhix replies. "To protect his chosen mate, even if it means his death."
"But why?"
"It is, or used to be, the way of our people. Sivot's haven't presented in millennia. Not since our females evolved into warriors and no longer need the protection of their males," Qhix describes what I can only imagine. "When the war between the Kaul home world of Klaxis and the neighboring planet of Cret showed no signs of ending, the Kaul females had picked up arms. Began to fight alongside the males in epic battles that raged on for years. Our females, who were looked upon as treasures in need of protection, became even more fierce than the males. The sivot, a Kaul male’s ability to morph into a beast for the sole purpose of protecting a mate, went dormant. Until now." Qhix tilts his head at me, inquisitively. "Until you."
Unable to hold Qhix's perplexed gaze, I drop my eyes to Navik's sivot. I have no answers for why Navik's sivot chose me after his species’ ability to morph into a beast went dormant.
As I watch Navik sleep, I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and something else I'm not ready to name. I know that Navik feels something for me, but now I know why he's holding back. The betrayal that the sivot spoke of weighs heavily on his heart, and I can only imagine what kind of pain he must have gone through to be so guarded with his emotions.
I can't deny the way my heart races every time his icy blue gaze locks with mine. Can't suppress the desire that erupts within me when his fingertips graze my skin. Navik stirs a longing inside me that I've never felt before, and I am helpless to resist the heat of his caress.
But attraction and lust aren't substitutes for love, and I miss home. Miss my mom, and my waitressing job at the greasy diner. Miss sipping mocha cappuccinos at the counter of the local coffee shop during my mom’s shift.
My eyes fill with tears as I gaze upon his wounded body. I reach out a hand and gently brush what's left of his hair away from his singed forehead. He stirs slightly, but doesn't wake up.
"How can anyone live through these burns?" I bite down on my lower lip to keep it from trembling.
"As youths, we were taught about sivot biology in the Academy and told they were virtually indestructible." Qhix rises, studying his fellow Maverick with worried eyes. "I admit, when Navik was exposed to the acid atmosphere on Yeet, I never expected him to survive. I guess the scholars have it right. A Kaul’s sivot is one durable bliker."
I swallow past the lump in my throat, and blink back the hot press of tears wanting to fall.
"Even still, I'm worried about him." Qhix pulls a flat, circular device from his pocket, which looks like a miniature hockey puck, and hands it over to me. "Keep this on you at all times."
"What is it?" I take it, flipping it over in my hands.
"An alert beacon. If either of you gets into trouble, twist the two halves opposite of each other. It will illuminate to let you know it's been engaged. I will come find you wherever you are."
"Thanks, Qhix." I tuck the beacon in my pant's pocket.
Qhix clears his throat and starts for the door. "Navik removed the replicator from his ship, but once the Yulineon arrived, I forgot to load it. I do have dried rations if you're hungry."
"I'm not hungry." I take my eyes off Navik only long enough to glance up at Qhix. "Thanks though."
"It's a long way to Neptus. I can show you to a room if you want to rest."
"I don't want to leave Navik in case he wakes up. I don’t want him to be alone."
Qhix studies me a moment then crosses the room and pulls another bed from the wall, a twin to the one Navik occupies. "I'll return with water and rations enough to last you the journey."
"Thanks, Qhix." My smile wobbles, grateful yet heartsick over Navik's injuries.
"You would sacrifice your own comfort for him." Qhix quirks a brow at me. "Whether you know it or not, Cora of Earth, you are truly a Kaul's mate."
ChapterEight
NAVIK
Iblink open eyes that are hazy to the world around me, swimming in and out of focus. My Kaul body throbs with pain, and I don't immediately recall why. The recent past tickles the edges of my memory before coming into focus.
The Yulineon landing on Yeet and my sivot enduring the dangerous atmosphere to destroy the patroller's ship with the Yulineon inside. I try to sit up, but the agony is overwhelming; my limbs tremble under the weight.
"Easy there," a soft voice says, easing me back onto the padded cot with a gentle hand. I turn my head to see Cora sitting beside me, dark circles marring the delicate flesh under her eyes, evidence of her exhaustion. "You're still healing."
"Wh-where are we?" I manage to croak out, wincing at the soreness of my throat.
"On Qhix's ship in the medical bay," she replies, her voice a soothing balm to my aches. "He just came by to tell me we're almost to Neptus."
