They rushed down the hallway, Cyra clung to Dez’s hand. “If anything goes wrong?—”
“It won’t. Queens know what to do. They always come out okay.” Dez smile when Cyra glanced at him.
Veda had a towel in her hand but Queen seemed to be in charge, licking the newly born puppy clean. “It’s a girl.”
Dez and Cyra stopped a respectful distance away from the new mother. Cyra asked, “Is there another one coming?”
“We’ll know in a few minutes, but this species typically only has one, maybe two according to the journals I found,” Veda answered, her eyes never leaving the animal. Twenty minutes later, the afterbirth expelled, Veda confirmed there would only be one and that both dogs were healthy. The puppy was already nursing.
Cyra slid down the wall and sat. “What am I going to do with a thuringy puppy?”
“What do you mean?” Veda asked.
“It’s not part of the contract and a puppy is of no use to the mining company. They purchased guard dogs. Fully trained guard doges.”
“For now, the only thing to worry about is giving her a name.” Dez sat by his queen. “Anything come to mind?”
She turned her wide-eyed gaze to him. “Princess?”
Dez laughed. “Perfect, my queen. I will see to her care and training. There is no rush to decide what should be done with the little one.”
“Captain,” she responded in a shell-shocked tone.
Dez let it go unanswered. She was that too. But first and foremost, Cyra was his queen.
Chapter28
Cyra yawnedas she made her way to the galley. Rhysa and Blaize were there, along with someone she’d never met before. The woman’s wings flitted lazily as she chatted with Cyra’s crew as if she’d known them forever. Cyra peeked over Dez’s shoulder to see what he was cooking. It looked unusually fresh, and the smell made her mouth water.
“I picked up some produce at the market while I was finalizing the contract.”
She hadn’t slept well, and kept tossing and turning seeking another few minutes of rest. “How long have you been awake?”
“I awoke quite early. We have much to do today to prepare to leave.”
A sliver of resistance trailed down her gut along with the hot drink. “Are we going to be able to get the refrigeration upgrade installed today?”
“They’re scheduled to arrive shortly, as will the parts for the fuel containment repair.”
“Thank you, Dez,” she said quietly. He was making it very hard for her to remember he was not part of her crew and she couldn’t invite him to stay. There were parts of being a captain that had never found their way into her girlhood dreams of leadership.
Somewhat more awake, she approached the unknown woman. “I’m Captain Cyra Maejzur, nice to meet you?”
The woman stood, wide-set eyes were accented with dark eye stains that popped against her golden skin. Her long black hair framed the stunning effect. “Bodicea Szerensci, or just Bodi.”
Cyra glanced at the rest of her crew, expecting an explanation.
“While we were out last night,” Blaize sucked in a breath and Cyra prepared for a long explanation. “Rhysa and I decided to check out the nightlife here. I mean it’s going to be a while, and you were already in your tank, and Veda said she’d watch the ship.”
“Where is Veda?” Cyra interrupted.
“Greenhouse. She already reported on Queen and Princess. Everyone’s good.” Rhysa replied.
“Anyhow, we were at this bar and it was just buzzing with life.” Blaize giggled at her lame joke. “And while we were there, we met Bodi, and it turns out she’s a communications specialist. She worked on all kinds of ships for years. And she’s been the communications liaison for the royal family on Arbotriz. She’s beyond qualified, and she’s interested in joining us.”
“More that interested.” Bodi’s voice was low with a hint of aggression. “It’s been too long since I’ve been off planet and I miss it.”
Cyra was torn between being thrilled and concerned about their finances. With the unexpected repair, and the upgrade to the refrigeration, not to mention feeding another crew member, she wasn’t sure she could afford this stroke of luck. But she couldn’t afford to pass it by either.
