The ship shuddered, shimmering Pierce’s image.
Crushing her against him, Cylo looped an arm around her to tap his O.D.I.“Fyca?”
“We are being pursued.”
“And fired upon?”Cylo roared.
“Affirmative.”
“Call ended.”Cylo dragged Wren with him, ushering her to the bridge.Concern but not panic hit her from every man she passed.“Yithian?”Cylo asked, settling behind Fyca.
Next to a wide-eyed Brenda, Wren sank onto a chair.She reached across the table between them to squeeze her shoulder.Relief was short and sweet before her fear filtered through the air like the sour stench of curdled milk.
“Yes.”Fyca’s fingers flew across the console.“The ship’s trajectory is from Mascroba.Do you think they know we destroyed—”
“We left no trace,” Cylo said.“Hail them but no visuals.”
Fyca cleared his throat.“Yithian vessel, this is the Etterian scimitarKevol.What are your intentions?”
“Etterians, so arrogant,” a Yithian hissed.“Your orbit around Yithia was most curious.”
“A meeting with the battleshipPhoenix, nothing more,” Fyca said, casting a glance at Cylo.
“And yet you fire upon us without provocation.”Cylo gripped the back of Fyca’s chair and glared at the console.“I am not in the mood for this.Do not test me, Yithian.”He mumbled something Wren couldn’t catch, sending Fyca into a flurry of activity.
She shut her eyes, hoping to catch their emotions.An indomitable control smothered everything except what Brenda released in a steady flow.
“Come, I’m hungry,” Wren said, rising to her feet.
“But—”
“Fyca and Cylo know what they’re doing.”Wren took Brenda’s hand and tugged her out of the chair.“What do you feel like?”she asked, hurrying them to the common.
“How can you eat at a time like this?”
“Considering I had a bowl of soup?”Wren met her gaze.“A grilled cheese sandwich sounds amazing.Do you know how to work the food thingy?”Of course, she’d already figured out how to navigate the rehydrator and replicator, but giving Brenda something to do might distract her.“Oh, and a coffee with cream and sugar.I’d kill for that.”While Brenda ordered the food, Wren settled onto the bench.“Why aren’t you purple?”she asked when the woman slid a plate onto the table.The aroma of melted cheese made Wren’s stomach gurgle.
Brenda gave a delicate shrug.“I was for a short time.Qaff caught the effects in time.”
“But not mine.”Wren bit into her sandwich and moaned.She chewed slowly in case this many carbs so soon would upset her stomach.
“Yeah.Fyca said you had a triple dose of unknowns.”She pushed off and returned with a plate of fries which she picked at.
The ship lurched, drawing a yelp from her.
“Felt like we fired at the Yithians.”Wren sucked on a thumb, then rotated her sandwich to find the best bite.
“A battle?”Brenda squeaked.
Wren laughed.“Do you think the Etterians can’t fight well?Have you seen their muscles, their technology?”And without going into detail, Cylo’s confidence still pressed in on her.
Brenda gave a tentative smile and took another fry.“You’re right.I’m being silly.”
“And you’re okay with being Fyca’s soul mate?”Wren drew her coffee nearer for a sip, then abandoned her sandwich for a gulp.The hot, sweet liquid warmed her belly.In an act of gratitude, she pressed a kiss to the mug.
“I was curious.It’s always been a fault of mine.I explored the ship and found him on the bridge.At first, he didn’t glance at me, just answered my questions.”Brenda giggled.“Until he swiveled his chair and faced me.”She shut her eyes on a hum.“Wow.Seeing the Ethera hit him was amazing.He didn’t hide his eye-color change, but his expression of awe won me over.No man has ever looked at me like that.”She met Wren’s gaze.“Is Cylo yours?”
Wren opened her mouth to answer, but that very man approaching her silenced anything she was going to say.She ran her gaze over him, lingering on his long legs, his massive feet, then up to the width of his shoulders, the strong column of his neck, and his chiseled jaw.His gaze was fixed on her.As well as all his attention.He spared Brenda a glance.Wren couldn’t answer her anyway.He wasn’t her Eth, but he acted like he was.
