AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I retreated inside as Draven followed. “Shoes off, please.” I indicated the rack beside the door.
Draven paused, eyeing it curiously. “Odd contraption you have there.” But he obliged, setting his boots aside before venturing further inside.
“More a human custom than anything,” I explained.
“Your home, your rules,” he conceded with a gracious dip of his head.
I moved past him to the control panel by the door and entered my security code. “Just arming the system quickly.”
The cool female AI voice chimed affirmatively. “Security armed. Welcome home, Elara.”
“Looks like you’ve already got someone here guarding the place for you,” Draven joked. “Guess I’ll get going then.”
I rolled my eyes. “Very funny. I just don’t want interruptions. The AI alerts me to anyone outside.”
“In that case, I’ll kill any intruders, no need to worry,” Draven deadpanned.
I shot him a wry look and sauntered down the hall, watching his reflection openly admire my figure in the full-length mirror. A flush of heat crept up my neck at the glint of desire in his golden eyes.
Clearing my throat, I called back airily, “trishem?”
“At this hour? Won’t you be up all night?” Draven countered.
I just shrugged. “Sleep is meaningless anyway with everything going on.”
“In that case, I’d love one. Thank you.”
After preparing our drinks in the cramped kitchen, I rejoined Draven in the sparsely furnished living area. He studied the space with interest.
“Make yourself at home,” I offered, handing him a steaming mug.
“Oh, I intend to.” Draven’s heated gaze lingered on the closed bedroom door. “Private quarters, I assume?”
“I could give you a tour later if you’d like,” I replied blithely, hiding my smirk behind my cup.
“Perhaps.” The simmering promise in his voice sent a shiver down my spine. I tucked my legs beneath me, regarding him over the rim of my drink.
“Tell me about yourself,” Draven said suddenly. “What fuels this clear passion you have for floristry?”
I blinked, taken aback and strangely touched that he’d ask something so personal and mundane given the circumstances.
“Well, you could say it runs in the family,” I began, nostalgia warming me. “My grandmother lived with me as a child. We’d spend evenings poring over books of gardens and streets from Old Earth while tending her flower patch. She said my great-grandmother was a florist, too. For me, it’s a way to connect to that lost past we had.”
Draven leaned forward intently. “Your ancestral home may be gone, but it’s vital to preserve what traces remain. I admire that greatly.”
His sincerity flustered me. “Thank you,” I murmured, cheeks heating. “What about you? Tell me about your crew.”
Draven laughed loudly. “My merry little band of brothers, you mean? Our history is long and colorful.”
“You all seem to operate as one seamless entity,” I observed.
“When you’ve worked so closely together for so long, you become attuned like machinery,” Draven agreed. “We met long ago fighting together in the war.”
I perked up in interest. “What was that like?”
“Hellish. But our commander, Alkard, kept us unified against insane odds. We came out battle-hardened brothers. They’ve stood by me ever since.”
“You’re blessed to have such loyalty,” I said wistfully.
