Chapter 18
It’s been about thirty minutes since we left the restricted zone and rejoined the path usually taken by the settlers. Around a bend in the road, we spot the silhouette of a housing unit nestled at the base of a majestic peak. Relief crashes over me like a wave.
Of course, my feline companion leaves me behind to scout the area and check inside. He’s back quickly, a smirk on his lips.
“Place is empty. And there are some ripe fruits in the garden!” he announces.
“I’m so glad we found this unit. There’s so much to do. We need to clean up, I have to take care of your wound, and we need to send a message to Kiran. And honestly, I’m dreaming of sleeping in a real bed!”
“Easy, Purrsong. If your brother tells us they’ve already sent out a search team, we’re not staying. We’ll head out as soon as we can.”
Hope and disappointment wrestle inside me, but Prax is right. The priority is to contact my brother and figure out how far ahead we are of the people Vassili will have sent after me.
I step into the shelter behind the Sadjim. It has three bedrooms, a modest kitchen, a small lounge, and a compact hygiene room.
I head into the garden corridor and find a bit of a mess. Without someone tending the plants regularly, the mature fruits and veggies have scattered their seeds haphazardly. Strawberries sprout between lettuce, tomatoes are tangled with kiwiberries.
My mom would’ve sighed in disapproval at the chaos.
But what matters is—there’s food here. Anything's better than having to share one of my feline’s.
.. fresh catches. I may be a little na?ve, but I’m not blind.
If needed, I’ll make myself eat that kind of food to survive.
But thanks to this garden, that won’t be today.
Greed pulls me toward the raspberries flourishing among the green beans.
Their bright color and sweet scent make my mouth water.
I reach out, pluck one, and pop it in my mouth.
The scarlet juice stains my fingers. The flavor is sharp and sweet and decadent, each tiny seed bursting under my tongue like pure delight.
I love this fruit. But it's become a luxury—mostly hoarded by the people at the Palace.
I close my eyes, savoring, and when I open them again, golden eyes are locked on mine.
Prax has caught me in the act. My breath hitches.
This man—this creature—is so intense. Ever since the bear incident, he’s stayed shirtless, giving me an unobstructed view of his firm, sleek torso. I ache to run my fingers across it.
But that makeshift bandage of his brings me back to reality. Focus, Neela. You're a doctor. You have a patient.
“That dressing’s soaked through. Come on, you need a shower. I’ll take care of your stitches after.”
“You know I never say no to a shower. Especially if I get to share it with you,” he purrs, voice rich with suggestion.
Oh, he’s tempting. But I pretend not to hear and walk off toward the bathroom.
It's next to the first bedroom.
“You think the showers are limited to how long?” I ask.
I’ve gotten used to five-minute showers instead of three—especially with my long hair. But since this unit’s designed for three double rooms, maybe it allows for eighteen minutes total?
“We’ll find out soon enough. But I say we go in together. Just in case the second person ends up with nothing but cold water.”
No more doubt—Prax wants to go further than the flirtations we've shared so far. And honestly? So do I. In the middle of all this chaos, this darkness, this betrayal from people I thought I knew—he’s a light.
This Sadjim is raw, honest. He doesn’t hide his emotions.
He doesn’t pretend he’s not a killer, but he spares me the details.
As for his desire? He’s never hidden it.
And right now, when my entire world is upside down, I want to give in.
“Okay,” I say simply.
He swallows, ears twitching toward me, golden eyes burning. I brace for the kiss I know is coming. But he turns away instead.
“Later,” he growls. “First we make sure we won’t be interrupted. Let’s check the comms.”
He grabs the unit’s control tablet while I activate the CCC panel in the kitchen. I find Channel 59—nothing important. I switch to Channel 23 to hear the gossip.
“...ssshch... did you hear? Esteban took that poor girl... ssshch... right under Kiran’s nose. The fool didn’t see it coming... ssshch...”
The connection is awful.
“I... ssshch... suspected something, that’s why those two lovebirds... ssshch... took off. It’s just tragic... ssshch...”
Frustrated, I cut the transmission. Seriously? They’re gossiping about my disappearance? What about the damning revelations we sent out about the Palace? I’d hoped Channel 59 would be on fire over the photos and Vassili’s crimes…
We’re getting too far for reliable CCC contact. Next stop, we’ll lose the signal entirely.
“Neela, come here,” Prax calls. “Your brother left a message in the hermit crab folder.”
My dear little sister,
Here’s some information I hope reaches you in time. Esteban is missing. Maybe he should’ve run with you two? Maybe Marjorie saw him just before Prax knocked her out? Either way, he’s vanished. I’m worried about him. I’m worried about you.
At first light, men from the Palace, led by Gorka, showed up at my place.
They found Meghan and me in the living room, laughing with Sanjay.
Their aggression faded fast. Meg even offered them herbal tea.
Gorka asked where you were. Claimed your place was empty.
I played dumb, said you were probably in town seeing patients.
I mentioned you’d been called in for a wave of fainting spells and that I didn’t know more.
One of the guys searched the house.
Convinced we knew nothing, they left. Before they did, Gorka said Esteban might’ve run off with you.
To protect Meg and Sanjay, I played the fool. But I made it clear I wouldn’t be surprised if someone like him took an interest in you. Anyone with eyes would.
Speaking of which, I’m reminded of a strange human custom. After killing a fierce beast, people used to lay its skin on the floor like a trophy rug. This is for you, furball—try laying a finger on my twelve-year-old sister and that might just be your fate.
One last thing—Gorka’s group was geared for travel. They headed east after leaving my house. Someone must’ve spotted your tracks.
Tell me, did Esteban join you? I’m seriously worried.
Take care. Send news.
Kiran
I glance at Prax, concern twisting in my chest. Should we have brought Esteban with us? But that’s not what he’s focused on.
“According to your brother, they followed our tracks. But when they realize they’ve lost the trail—thanks to the snow—they’ll guess where we’re headed.
Arabia Terra’s the only logical destination.
I think they’ll send someone here tomorrow.
That means we have tonight. Let’s make the most of it. .. my sweet Neela.”
Despite everything—our precarious situation, the danger—I’m trembling. With desire.
In that moment, I’m no longer a respected physician among Martian colonists. He’s no longer a fierce Sadjim, former Coalition smuggler turned Confederation agent. We’re just a woman and a man. I feel more alive than I have in years.
He steps closer, golden eyes gleaming, and wraps his arms around my waist. I finally get to do what I’ve dreamed of: run my hands across his short, silky fur. Too fine to grasp, but unimaginably soft. He purrs—loudly. I jump.
“Shower first, beautiful,” he chuckles, lifting me off the ground.
He sets me down in the hygiene room and we undress, eyes locked. I let mine roam his body, pausing on the wound from the bear. The gashes are hidden now by his regrown fur. Only the dried blood hints at the trauma.
Furred mammals heal quickly. Regeneration helps. And he looks more than fine.
“Don’t waste your time on that. I’d say there’s far more interesting things to look at," my gorgeous Sadjim murmurs.
My gaze shifts slightly—and, well... he’s not wrong. Heat floods my face. Medically speaking, I’d noticed earlier that Prax was above average. That observation still holds true.
My gaze shifts just a few inches below his wounded side and—yep, there it is, definitely more noticeable.
A hot flush rushes to my cheeks. I would’ve blushed if my skin weren’t already a warm bronze. I’d noticed before—purely from a medical standpoint, of course—that Prax is… well… larger than my usual patients.
This confirms it. Without a doubt.
“Holy cow…” I murmur under my breath.
“Hmm… Not sure that’s a compliment,” he says with a slight frown. “My translator just compared me to a rather hideous beast from my homeworld.”
I can’t help but giggle. “No, no—it’s just an expression! It has nothing to do with actual cows, I swear.”
“Oh? And what does it mean, then?”
I hesitate, suddenly a bit shy.
“That I’m… impressed.”
I look up at him, startled, just in time to catch his mischievous wink. That easy, smoldering hunger in his gaze sends a tremor through me. My legs feel like jelly as I step under the shower with him, my breath catching in anticipation.
Without a second's hesitation, his mouth claims mine, draining the last ounce of reason I had left.
His tongue—rough and sure—leaves no room for doubt.
It explores with the confidence of someone who knows exactly what he wants, and how to take it.
Motivated, emboldened, I meet him with the same fiery eagerness.
Our kisses quickly deepen into something far more urgent, far more primal.
Prax grabs me and lifts me effortlessly, pressing me up against the wall of the shower.
The heat of his body, the strength of his grip, the hard promise between us—there’s no mistaking what he’s ready for.
I wrap my arms around his neck, locking myself to him.
Then, with one final nod, I give him my silent permission.