“Of course.”
Twalley sat behind his desk. Varik, dragged a soft ottoman beside the man and sat as close as possible—his head at the captain’s chest, his leg pressed tight against Twalley’s leg, and his eyes locked to the screen as if he wasn’t teasing his target.
Jarn cleared his throat and moved from a far corner in the room. Varik resisted the urge to move away from the captain and comfort the lover he desired. He had the lover he required against his body. Jarn could wait. Hopefully would wait. If Jarn truly cared about him, he should wait.
“If you need me, Captain, I’ll be in my quarters.” The note of bitterness in Jarn’s voice scraped against Varik’s skin.
Twalley murmured assent, barely acknowledging his assistant’s exit.
Varik’s heart recorded Jarn’s leaving with an intense ache. He lifted his gaze from the closed door to Twalley’s. “Show me.”
By the time Varik got back to his own quarters, his back was stiff and his brain was glazed over from reviewing the unchanged plans and costs. He and Twalley had reviewed the details a dozen times. Much more of the anxiety driven bullshit, he’d put his fist through the man’s face, and find another fucking mark.
A ping from his comm had him darting across the room.The Treasure’strajectory meant she was likely headed for Din’Gale. It would require almost no fuel for her to get there, but landing would be difficult. The planet restricted incoming vessels that didn’t originate on Din’Gale in an attempt to reduce the risk of viral, fungal, and non-native plant invasions. The fact that her flight path eliminated almost any other destination told Varik that she either picked up a contract in Morgual, or more likely had secured one from Din’Gale. Something he and Auvi had worked on for galactic years but never been able to achieve. If she got a contract like that, she might build up enough funds to keepThe Treasuregoing as a business, eliminating his potential to reclaim the one-of-a-kind ship.
“Fuck.” He barked out, drawing back his arm to hurl the comm at the wall but thinking better of it before he released. One fucking disaster was enough.
Chapter18
The following morning,Cyra followed Dez through the levels of the building and several tunnels before exiting into the forest. It was cooler than she’d expected. The canopy of trees let only small amounts of light reach the forest floor. Birds called to their mates, filling the humid air with melody. Despite the birds and the other unfamiliar sounds, a stillness settled inside her as a quiet peace. Serenity that could never be found on her ship with its different systems constantly whirring and beeping. If she’d been alone, it might have been unnerving. But Dez led her with strong, self-assured movements. His natural patterns blended into the shadows. If not for his clothes, he would’ve been nearly invisible if he stood still.
Dez’s silence let Cyra get lost in her own thoughts. She followed him unaware of how far they traveled. Heat slowly warmed her skin. It wasn’t often that she had the luxury of walking on anything other than a motorized treadmill on the ship. It was different to walk without artificial gravity, using muscles she’d forgotten she had.
The smells were different too—dirt and the plants—so different from the ship and even from her home planet. And Dez’s smell fit in here perfectly. When had she become aware of his scent? They’d been traveling between the station and the planets for such a short time and she’d tried to avoid him as much as possible. Somehow, his uniqueness to anything she’d known before had registered deep inside her. There, in the forest of his home planet, he made perfect sense, unlike when she visited him in the cargo bay where he definitely didn’t belong, or in his equally unsuitable quarters. An alpha predator, he moved silently, alert to every small movement hidden by the forest growth. Small animals and insects she would have overlooked otherwise, she caught by following his focus. He was breathtaking in his element.
As they continued to walk, Cyra detected a new sound—one she knew intimately—the splashing and rushing of falling water. A wave of aching anticipation flowed through her. The smell of the water became stronger. She breathed deeply, appreciating the sweet humidity that hadn’t been pumped out of a mechanical system entering her lungs. Life thrived in the natural water that was never present on the ship, even in the water chamber. She followed Dez around a large outcropping of dark grey stones and there, in all of its cascading glory, was an enormous waterfall. It flowed down a sheer cliff face, a living thing, moving on its own. Actual water. The vines followed it down, reaching with their tendrils into the mist. The sky, so deep blue, appeared purple. Faint rainbows flickered into view as the spray danced in the unobscured sunlight.
Tears gathered in her eyes at the beauty of it. The loss. She’d given up such beauty when she ran away toThe Treasureall those g-years ago.
“Come, sit here.” Dez patted a smooth, somewhat flat rock.
Cyra settled beside him, close enough that a tingle of energy filled the gap between them. “This is perfect. Paradise.”
“It’s always been a favorite spot of mine. My childhood home was in the opposite direction and quite a bit farther. It’s different to sit on this of this fall. It’s the place I dream of when I dream of home.”
“I can see why. Thank you for taking me here.” The words weren’t enough.
Dez said nothing for a moment. “Do you have a place you dream of when you dream of home?”
“My planet’s very different from yours. It’s almost entirely saltwater. I was born on one of two main landmasses. My family lives near a beach.” A twinge of loss arced across her heart. She swallowed it down. “I swam everyday I could. I love being in the water.” Needed it to survive.
“If we had more time, I would take you to a Lake Gal’An. It’s too far to walk, but the water is crystal clear and not as cold as this waterfall.”
“I would’ve liked that,” Cyra said quietly, wishing things could be different for Dez.
They sat wordlessly for a long time before Cyra rose and asked him to take her back to the palace. It seemed like a longer walk back and Cyra was tired when they reached his parents home. She left Dez to rest and dream of what her life might be like if she hadn’t run away so many years ago—had agreed to take a mate and have lots of babies. But as much as she missed nature, she couldn’t honestly romanticize the life she’d left. She’d never have met Dez, or Veda. She’d never have had the chance to see new worlds like Din’Gale. She’d never have been independent and the captain of her own future. And as much as she loved—even lived for—the natural beauty of a planet like Din’Gale, her life was meant for more than pretty walks in nature and family meals.
Besides, she had obligations to her partners, to the people who’d contracted her to deliver the dogs. And even to Auvi—to honor what he’d given her and to finish out the commitment he’d made with the contract to deliver Dez. Life wasn’t always rainbows and waterfalls.The Treasure, the unforgiving metal behemoth, would give her a life much more substantial than mist in the sunlight.
Veda knocked on Cyra’s door what seemed like moments after they’d returned. She hadn’t been aware that she’d fallen asleep so quickly and deeply.
“They’re hoping you will come down and share a meal with the family before we leave,” Veda said from the doorway.
“Of course, just let me get myself together.”
“Are you feeling well? You don’t look good.” Veda’s eyebrows pinched together.
“I’m fine, just tired. It must be the air on this planet, it makes me want to sleep.” With Dez.Where had that come from?She scrambled from the bed as if she’d found him in it.
