AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mordox's gaze catches mine, and he immediately strides over. Romy moves away to join the others at the spacecraft and pulls me into his arms. "I was so scared when the creature attacked the shuttle," he whispers into my hair. "I couldn't bear the thought of losing you."
I hug him back so tightly; I think my bones will break. In his arms, I'm safe, protected, and happy. An overwhelming joy surges through me, it's almost too much to contain.
"I know. When I heard you on the comm, I searched the ground from the window. It made me sick to my stomach when I couldn't find you, but you're okay and so am I. We're all okay," I babble through my happy tears. "Even Tris is okay."
His hard body is warm against mine. The spicy scent that is uniquely him wraps around me like a blanket.
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
Mordox
"Got it!"Drax's announcement shatters our stolen moment of serenity as the vessel's hatch pops open with a hiss and the ramp lowers.
"Not so fast, techy." I whirl around with Zoe still tight in my arms. "The craft needs to be searched before anybody goes aboard."
Already with a lifeform scanner in hand, Bruke says, "I've got nothing on the scanner."
"That doesn't mean the ship is empty," I warn. "We can't take any chances if there's another Kaul onboard, maybe hiding from our scanner with a disruptor band."
Rooke nods in agreement. "Mordox is right. We should do a thorough search of the interior."
"I'll do it," I volunteer, guiding Zoe over to stand with Darcy. "You'll be safer out here, lula"
"Why does it seem like I'm always telling you to be careful?" Her lips downturn in a worried frown.
"Don't worry about me," I grin feeling the bulk of the plasma gun I carry in my pocket. "I've done countless sweeps for the enemy during my many rotations as a Lita Comtra."
Tasha and Romy gather around Zoe, their expressions mirroring the same worry as hers. Even Tris, perched on Zoe's shoulder, seems to sense the tension in the air as her spotted fur stands on end.
I brush a kiss across the pout of Zoe’s lips and scratch Tris under the chin before leaving her in the company of her friends. Despite the firm lift of her chin, she looks so small and vulnerable among them, and I want nothing more than to pull her into the safety of my arms. But the ship needs searched and I don't trust anyone else here to do it.
The males surround the females. Drax and Bruke with their scanners out, survey the surroundings for any threats while Rooke keeps one eye on Slye and the other on the Kaul known as Qhix, a stunner pointed at his chest.
With my plasma gun leading the way, I walk up the ramp and into the spacecraft. The interior is dimly lit, with a soft glow emanating from the walls. The floor beneath my boots is smooth and polished, reflecting the light. The air carries a faint metallic scent, a testament to the advanced Thrushian technology that surrounds me, and a lingering hint of the Kaul.
As I move farther into the craft, my scales bristle, rippling down my back and across my shoulders. Every muscle in my body is tense and poised for action, even my tail is stiff and twitchy. My horns shifting forward in anticipation of a fight.
I cautiously make my way down a narrow corridor and onto the bridge, my eyes scanning every inch of the control room for any signs of movement. Silence hangs heavy in the air, broken only by the soft hum of machinery and the faint echo of my footsteps. I pull hard of the air yet my scentiatry glands don't detect anything beyond what I've already scented.
A control console dominates the center of the room with an intricate web of buttons, switches, and dials covering the surface with two chairs for the pilot and navigator mounted to the floor behind it.
The walls are lined with holographic screens, displaying various data and star maps, their vibrant colors dancing across every surface. My focus isn't on the advanced tech but the male-size wall compartments large enough for hiding.
I open and check each one only to find them empty except for the inner workings of the spacecraft. With the bridge cleared, I move to the back where a door leads to the crew quarters.
I pause and listen intently before proceeding. The ship seems to hold its breath, as if it too is aware of the gravity of the situation. I adjust the grip on my plasma gun, ready to blast anything that moves.
The first room I enter is a sleeping chamber. I do a quick search, checking inside every cabinet and compartment large enough to hold a male and find it empty.
I continue down the corridor and do the same to next two sleeping chambers and on to a galley. Functional with no frills, it holds only the essentials of a working spacecraft.
Disappointed there's not much in the way of food except a large supply of rations and cylinders of water. I'd been hoping for a meal replicator or a praksis filled with fresh meat held in stasis. Thrushians were known for their fondness of the finer things, but a cargo vessel is a far cry from a luxury cruiser.
The final sleeping quarters I search has obviously been occupied by the Kaul. His lingering scent is stronger here. After clearing the room of potential threats, I pause to heft the sack of tellic I find sitting on the bedside table in the palm of my hand. Whatever adventures this Star Maverick has seen have made him a very rich Kaul.
There's enough tellic in this sack to hyper-jump across the Universe several times over. The worlds where we can choose to settle are limitless. We can travel well outside the reach of Universeval Rule and keep the females safe from any roving Yulineon patrollers with orders to eliminate any off-world humans they find.
Scattered about the room are several chests. What I find inside more than makes up for my disappointment of the galley. There are enough weapons stashed inside to fight a war. I tuck a particularly intense laser blaster into my waistband.
