Chapter 3
The ride to her quarters passed in silence, but Tira wouldn’t call it a comfortable one. She sat stiffly with her spine straight as she stared out the window and did her best to pretend Vadis didn’t exist. Not an easy feat, considering he took up nearly all of the available space inside the shuttle.
To be fair, she wasn’t averse to him as a person. Not really. Her anxiety stemmed from what he represented.
Change.
While familiar with words like commitment and dedication, she had only ever applied them to her duties as a sentry. She knew people, of course. She even liked a few of them. At the end of the day, she would be hard pressed to call them friends, however.
As for romance, she’d been courted a few times, but none of them had lasted. Furthermore, she hadn’t really been that upset about the end to any of those relationships. There had actually been one instance when she hadn’t even realized they’d broken up until a full week later.
A mate was different, though. Vadis was a gift sent to her by the ancestors. He was the missing piece of her soul that had finally found its way home. And that meant everything would change.
Priorities would shift. Preconceived notions would be tested. Time would have to be managed. Compromises made. In essence, she would have to rearrange her entire life to make room for Vadis in it.
Instinct told her he was worth it. The part of her brain responsible for critical thinking, however, wasn’t so convinced. She couldn’t even maintain friendships, let alone relationships. Why did she expect this time to be any different?
The shuttle touched down on a wide, paved path lined with what appeared to be small cottages with thatched roofs. Pristine white sand glittered in the late afternoon sun, stretching out behind the buildings before disappearing into the sparkling waters of the ocean.
Two rocking chairs sat side by side on the wraparound porch, and pots filled with an array of colorful flowers hang from the rafters over the railing. It was quaint, charming, and it reminded her of the homes in the village that surrounded the capital city of Sommervail.
She just hadn’t decided if it eased her homesickness or made her long for Xenthian even more.
Exiting the transport, she slung her bag over one shoulder and arched her back to stretch the knotted muscles. Vadis followed close behind her, grunting as he turned sideways to clear the shuttle door.
Damn, he really was huge.
Whether the thought showed her face, or he had been considering the same thing, Vadis snorted and shook his head when he came to join her.
“Not that I’m complaining, but what the hell happened to me? And more importantly, is it permanent?”
Tira wished she had answers for him, but to her knowledge, no one else from her home world had mated a Krytos. “I’m sorry, but I truly don’t know. The males of my race increase in height and muscle mass when they find their soulmates, and the change is permanent. That’s all I can tell you.”
Only, no Xenon had ever undergone such a dramatic transformation. The top of her head barely reached the center of his chest, and he was easily twice as wide as her, especially in the shoulders. Despite his size, however, she wasn’t afraid or intimidated. Honestly, he kind of reminded her of an overgrown bekshin.
The piglet-like creatures had once been considered a delicacy on Xenthian. That was before their new queen had taken a liking to them and declared them a protected species. Tira had to admit the fuzzy little beasts were cute, and more intelligent than she had originally believed, but she still didn’t understand the appeal of keeping one as a pet.
“So, it is a reaction to our connection.”
It wasn’t a question, but Tira bobbed her head anyway. “That would be a fair assessment.”
He seemed to consider that for a moment, then shrugged before striding up the front steps of the cottage. Tira didn’t know if she could have been so calm and accepting if something similar had happened to her. Stars, she was barely holding it together, and all she’d done was meet the guy.
Trailing behind him, she paused just past the threshold to take in her surroundings. The outside might appear simple, maybe even archaic to some, but the inside of the domicile was a masterpiece of modern architecture.
A plush sofa with matching armchairs upholstered in shades of deep teal softened the harsh lines and hard angles of the open floor plan. The glass top of the coffee table doubled as a vid-screen, which lit up to welcome her to Evo when she approached it.
“Are you hungry?” Vadis asked, jerking a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the long bar behind him.
On the counter, there was a shallow black bowl containing produce she couldn’t identify, along with a braided basket holding a variety of other unfamiliar snacks. She did, however, recognize the food console against the wall since there had been one in her quarters on the cruiser.
“A little,” she admitted. The journey had left her feeling lethargic and queasy, and she hoped filling her stomach would alleviate the symptoms.
“Okay.” Vadis bobbed his head. “What do you like?”
“Er…” She doubted the island offered any of her favorite foods.
“Never mind.” With a chuckle, he motioned to an open door off the entrance. “Why don’t you go change, and I’ll take care of getting you fed.”
Tira gave him a nod of gratitude before slipping into the bedroom and closing the door behind her. Inside, she dropped her bag on the floor and closed her eyes, breathing deeply as she grasped for some semblance of normalcy.
She knew most people thought her rigid and cold. They viewed her desire for order and control as something to be mocked, even though they all benefited from her so-called “deficiencies.”
It was true that she didn’t indulge in many worldly pleasures, but that didn’t mean she lacked passion. She simply preferred to direct it toward other pursuits…like the security and wellbeing of her people.
As such, she fully admitted to having no idea how to be a mate. Hell, she was still learning how to be a friend—a new designation that had been thrust upon her without her consent.
At the same time, she had never backed down from a challenge. No matter the problem, there was always a path forward, and she prided herself on being able to find the most direct and efficient route.
Unfortunately, “direct and efficient” wouldn’t be much help in her current situation, but hiding in her quarters wouldn’t get her any closer to a solution, either. So, after a few more deep breaths, she pushed off the wall and headed into the attached washroom.
The reflection that greeted her in the oval-shaped mirror was exactly what she expected after being caught in the artificial storm. Her damp bangs swept to one side of her brow, while the tiny flyaway hairs stuck out over the top of her head. The black tunic she wore clung to her chest and shoulders uncomfortably, and water sloshed inside her boots.
Stripping out of the sodden garments, she left them in a pile on the floor while she dried her skin with a fluffy white towel. Nude, she shuffled back into the bedroom to retrieve another set of clothing from her bag. Since she wouldn’t be leaving the little bungalow for the rest of the evening, she chose a pair of black lightweight sleep pants and paired them with a matching tank top.
Once she was dressed, she carefully unbraided her wet hair and shook out the long strands. Chanting a simple spell under her breath, she watched as pale blue flames enveloped both of her hands. Then, she combed her fingers through her hair a few times, drying the strands so that they fell down her back in long waves.
At that point, she had run out of ways to procrastinate. With a couple more deep breaths for good measure, she exited the bedroom and padded barefooted out into the common area to find her mate.
She didn’t have to look far.
“I thought we could eat out on the porch,” Vadis said as he entered through a sliding door that opened onto the pristine beaches behind the house. “That way we can watch the—woah.”
Coming to a sudden stop just inside the room, he tilted his head to the side as his scarlet eyes heated with unveiled desire.
As far as compliments went, it was probably the nicest she’d ever received.
Vadis, on the other hand, still wore the tattered remains of his T-shirt, and the ends of his hair had curled slightly as it dried. Xenon magic wasn’t like that of the Dragon Warriors. She couldn’t produce something out of nothing. She could, however, alter what was already there.
With a wiggle of her fingers, she knitted the material back together, making the shirt a little larger in the process. Then, she did the same to his pants, and for good measure, dried his hair and secured it at his nape with a leather strap.
Vadis held his arms out to the sides and stared down at his clothed body for a few seconds before he shook his head and chuckled. “Thanks.”
“Of course.”
“So, are you ready to eat?”
Her stomach snarled at the mention of food. “Definitely.”
The meal was a surprisingly enjoyable affair. Seated on the covered porch, they ate and talked until the sun sank below the horizon. A warm breeze blew in off the water, bringing with it the scent of brine and something floral. And when darkness settled over the island, the bioluminescent waves of the ocean illuminated the beach as they crashed over the sand.
Vadis honored his agreement to limit physical contact, which went a long way in easing some of her reservations and fortifying her trust. During their meal, he was caring and attentive, feeding her bits of cured meat and aged cheese from his own hand.
When she reached for the bowl of cut fruit in the center of the table, he took it from her and spent several minutes selecting only the ripest, most colorful pieces. Later, when he had asked to her hold her hand, she had reluctantly agreed.
In the end, she was glad she did.
Once their bellies were full and their minds at ease, Vadis suggested a walk along the edge of the water, an invitation she accepted without reservation. Despite whatever misgivings she had about being mated in general—let alone to a Krytos—she enjoyed his company and wasn’t ready to say goodbye.
They strolled along the warm sands without a destination, and she found the feel of his large, calloused hand surrounding hers warm and comforting. As they walked, he gently stroked her skin with his thumb while they spoke about nonconsequential things.
“Have you heard about the welcome party tomorrow night?”
Tira shook her head. “You’re the only person I’ve spoken to since I arrived.”
“Right.” He ducked his head and chuckled sheepishly. “Well, like I said, there’s a party tomorrow night. Food, music, dancing. That sort of thing.”
“Okay.” She assumed he was finding his way to a point. She just didn’t know what it was.
“You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”
A frown tugged at her lips, and a shallow valley formed between her brows. “I’m not trying to be difficult.”
Vadis laughed again as he lifted her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss across the knuckles. “I’m asking you out on a date, Captain.”
“A date?”
“A date is when two people who enjoy each other’s company spend a planned amount of time together. Usually in public doing something entertaining.”
Rolling her eyes, she reached out and smacked him in the chest. He didn’t even have the good manners to pretend to be affected.
“I know what a date is, Vadis Kesski.” Even if she had never been on one, she understood the logistics. “You really want to take me to this party?”
“Very much so.”
The thought of socializing with a bunch of strangers for endless hours held zero appeal. Then again, with Vadis’ territorial instincts on overdrive, it would be unlikely anyone would have the chance to get near her. Either way, the party seemed to be important to her mate, and she could do this for him.
“I don’t have anything to wear.”
She had always attended royal functions as a sentry, not a guest. As such, she had worn a uniform, not formal attire. Hell, she didn’t even own a dress.
“Put on whatever you want. I know you’ll look beautiful in anything.”
Yeah, it was an exaggeration, but he said it with such sincerity she couldn’t help but be swayed by the compliment. “Other females will wear dresses?”
“Probably.”
Caring what people thought of her was a new experience, and she didn’t particularly like the way it made her feel. She did like rules, though, even the little unwritten social ones. More importantly, she didn’t want to embarrass her mate in front of his contemporaries.
Perhaps she could borrow a dress from one of the other guests. Better yet, she might be able to magically alter one of her tunics.
“I accept,” she answered eventually. “I will attend the party with you.”
“Fantastic. We can figure out the logistics after beta testing in the morning.”
With that settled, they resumed their previous conversation, discussing a wide range of topics with little to no connection to one another.
She told him about Xenthian, and her duties as captain of the king’s guard. He countered with stories about his own job, and how he had come to Evo in the first place.
Vadis hadn’t brought up his family during their conversation, and she didn’t volunteer anything about hers, either. Eventually, she would have to tell him about her sadistic uncle who had tortured and murdered innocent females. She would have to reveal her suspicions that her own sister was responsible for something sinister happening on the Northern Isle.
Those were topics for later, though, and she was in no rush to open that particular wound.
What she did learn about her mate, however, had been even more important than his lineage. She discovered that Vadis Kesski was intelligent, dedicated, and ambitious. His sense of honor and loyalty were unparalleled, and he possessed a tenderness she hadn’t anticipated.
Granted, she hadn’t met many Krytos, but Vadis was nothing like she had expected. In fact, he was unlike anyone else she had ever met. It did occur to her that her thoughts and feelings could be a reaction to the mating bond, but she didn’t think so. At least, not entirely.
It was more complicated than that. Their metaphysical connection didn’t automatically equate to love. It merely opened her heart and mind to the possibility.
And remarkably, by the time they made it back to her quarters, she realized she a little closer to being ready to step through that door.