Chapter 8
There was something that felt naughty about the food replicator in the galley. When Harold had taught me how to use it, he'd told me to treat myself and order anything my heart desired. But once I was alone with the machine, I couldn't think of what a person might eat for breakfast other than oatmeal or scrambled eggs.
Perhaps oatmeal was the sensible choice. It seemed easiest to get right. Pressing a button, I waited for the bowl to materialize before taking a bite. It was apple cinnamon flavored, and decent enough, but the replicator couldn't quite capture the comforting warmth of a homemade meal, and the apples didn't quite taste right.
However, my hunger overrode any dissatisfaction, and I poured myself a glass of water before sitting at the table with my plate. Just then, the galley door opened and a petite human woman entered. She was Asian, with black hair, dark eyes, and an infectious smile.
"Delilah, right?" she asked, extending her hand. "I'm Hana Li, Harold's granddaughter."
"Hana! Dave mentioned you. Did you lend me these clothes? They're incredibly soft! I've never had clothing in this fabric." It dawned on me a little too late that she probably wore luxurious clothes like this all the time.
But she simply waved her hand. "They're not mine. You're so tall, my pants would look like shorts on you! I believe those might belong to Mags. She's currently on a side mission, but hopefully you'll have a chance to meet her." As she spoke, Hana strolled over to the replicator and pressed some buttons until a mug of a steaming beverage materialized.
"I don't feel tall here," I admitted, shaking my head.
Hana grinned at me, taking a sip from her steamy mug. "Imagine how I feel! So, how are you adjusting? Have you met any of the other alien bodyguards yet? Ixeo is quite handsome."
My cheeks reddened at her suggestive tone. "I... I don't think that would be appropriate," I stuttered, avoiding her gaze.
"Oh?" Hana raised an eyebrow.
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, the cool metal pressing against my thighs. "Well, aren't I already promised to Zarath and Dave?"
Hana's eyes widened, her mug freezing halfway to her lips. "Wait, what? You're in a relationship with both of them?"
"Not exactly," I said, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. "But it feels like something might happen. They're my fated mates, after all."
A smirk played at the corners of Hana's mouth. "Fated mates? Delilah, that's stuff from fairy tales. I don't know of any species that actually has that. Maybe Zangrels? Tholkons have some sort of bond through biting."
My stomach twisted. "But... but it has to be real. That's what—" I trailed off, realizing that the fated mates thing had happened in my science fiction novels. Keyword fiction. I wanted to smack myself.
Hana's expression softened. "Hey, I could be wrong. And if you like those two, go for it!. They're both hot as hell."
I stared down at my hands, my mind reeling. If Dave wasn't my fated mate, why had he been so passionate with me? I didn't know how to ask her that question without saying something embarrassing, so I smiled and nodded. "Thanks for the advice."
"Hey," she said, reaching out and patting my hand. "My grandfather told me about your background. No one expects you to understand everything perfectly after being raised that way, okay?"
"It wasn't an evil cult," I said, cheeks hot. "They just have… different beliefs."
"I don't think they're evil, just misinformed, Lilah. Faith is a tricky thing."
I nodded, feeling embarrassed that everyone knew about my cult situation, then frustrated with my constant embarrassment. What had happened to the simple joy I had felt on the first day on the shuttle? I excused myself and headed out into the hallway. Perhaps it was time to gaze at some stars and marvel at the beauty of the universe. Lost in thought, I didn't notice the solid wall of muscle in front of me until I collided with it.
"Whoa there, little meteor," Dave chuckled, his deep voice resonating through me. "You okay?"
I kept my eyes fixed on the floor, hyper-aware of his closeness. And his bare chest. Why couldn't he just wear a shirt?
"I'm fine," I mumbled, willing my racing heart to slow down. The memory of his touch and our shared experiences flooded my mind.
Dave's cheerful tone faltered. "Hey, what's wrong? You look like someone just told you the universe is flat."
I risked a glance up, meeting his concerned golden eyes. "It's nothing," I lied, fidgeting with the end of my braid.
"It's clearly something. But hey, if you don't want to share, that's okay," he said, rubbing his hands together in excitement. "Actually, I was looking for you! Come on."
"Looking for me?" I felt a rush of heat and wondered if he wanted us to do more as I struggled to keep up with his long strides.
"So, we have at least two weeks before we can get back to Earth," Dave said as he pushed open a door. "I was thinking you might get a little bored, so I wanted to show you around and see if maybe you enjoy the kinds of things we do for work. Everyone's got a talent, right? Hana is a skilled investigator, Harold is a cybersecurity expert — I know, he doesn't look it — Voa is a hacker, Corvu is a really good fighter, Zarath is... brooding?"
I burst out laughing. "Zarath has his hidden sweet side, remember? And he used to be a police officer, so I assume he has other skills."
He tapped his nose and smiled. "Good point. He's smart as hell, too."
"And you, Dave? What's your talent?"
He spread his wings and flexed his muscles. "I'm big and intimidating."
"That's not a talent! But you have a talent for making people smile, I think."
He ducked his chin, and I wondered if my compliment had embarrassed him. "I'm also a pilot, as is Nazzu. So I have a few useful skills. I think we need to find your thing. Something you bring to the team."
I couldn't help but smile at his playful tone, some of my anxiety melting away. "I don't think I have any talents like that," I admitted. "At least not any that would be useful here."
Dave's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Try me. I bet you've got something amazing up those sleeves of yours."
"Why do you want me to be on the team? Do you want me to stay?"
He raised his hands. "Hey, just trying to keep you from being bored."
For a moment, I imagined he was lying, that he wanted desperately for me to find my place on this ship. That was probably wishful thinking, and his face betrayed no emotions other than cheerful curiosity. My eyes skimmed lower, dropping to Dave's lower body, to the part of him that had been inside me. His pants seemed impossibly tight today, the thick ridge of his cock clearly visible against his thigh. My cheeks burned as I realized I'd been staring, but I couldn't tear my gaze away. Heat pooled in my core as memories of our encounter flooded back, making me ache with need.
"I... um..." I stammered, struggling to form coherent thoughts. "My talent is getting distracted by your body," I muttered under my breath.
Dave tilted his head. "What was that?"
I forced myself to meet his gaze, remembering how his eyes would widen with desire. "Nothing. I'm just... not sure what I'm good at."
"Well, let's figure it out together. Follow me." He seemed completely oblivious to the impact he had on me.
Dave led me to a wall adorned with an array of advanced weapons. "The bosses at Bodyguards in Space value a variety of talents. Some of them require technical skills that might not be your forte. But there must be something here that speaks to you."
I nodded absentmindedly, my mind still clouded with longing. As I perused the weapons, a familiar shape caught my eye. "Is that... a bow?"
Dave's face lit up. "Good eye! That's a traditional Chokreini weapon. Maybe humans have something similar. Are you familiar with its use?"
"I used to practice archery all the time as a child," I admitted, reaching out to touch the sleek, alien bow.
"No way? That's amazing!" Dave exclaimed. "You know, Zarath is an expert with these. Perhaps he could teach you some tricks."
My breath caught in my throat at the mention of Zarath. Unbidden, an image of his lean, muscular body pressed against mine as he guided my aim filled my mind. I could almost feel his breath on my neck, his strong hands on my hips, telling me that I was fated to be his. Perhaps he would growl possessive words in my ear, insisting that Dave was not allowed to touch what belonged to him. Then he would claim me right in front of Dave, making it clear who owned me.
"Delilah? Are you alright? You seem a bit flushed."
"I'm fine," I squeaked, my voice betraying my distraction. "Just excited about learning how to use the bow."
"Right. The bow. You know what? I'll call Zarath right now and see if he can come down to teach you."
My cheeks burned at the thought of Zarath joining us, but I nodded eagerly. "Great."
Dave tapped a sleek device that he pulled from his pocket, similar to the phones I often saw people in Burns using, and spoke into it. As Dave chatted with Zarath, I turned my attention to the wall of weapons, my eyes scanning over the assortment of alien technology. Blasters, energy swords, and devices I couldn't even begin to name lined the shelves. A twinge of inadequacy twisted in my gut. What was I doing here? I had no useful skills for life on a spaceship.
"All set," Dave announced, breaking me from my reverie. "Zarath will be down in a few minutes."
I nodded, still lost in thought. "Dave," I began hesitantly, "do you really think I can contribute anything here? I mean, I don't know the first thing about all this advanced technology or space travel."
Dave's warm chuckle filled the air. "Hey now, don't sell yourself short. Everyone has their specialty. Take Harold, for instance. At first glance, he seems like a wacky old man tagging along as a tourist. But he used to be a top-notch cybersecurity expert before he retired and he still puts his skills to use for us when needed. And the rest of the time, he's tagging along as a tourist. It works for him, so it could work for you."
"But all my talents are so... primitive. I'm good at gathering herbs for medicine, making poultices, and sewing up wounds. What use is that on a ship like this?"
Dave's golden eyes lit up, a grin spreading across his face. "Are you kidding? Field medicine is an incredibly important skill, especially for bodyguards. You never know when you'll need to be able to stitch a wound the old-fashioned way. And on ships, if one person catches a virus, it spreads like wildfire. Knowledge of anatomy could be quite valuable."
My heart skipped a beat. "Really?"
"Absolutely," Dave nodded enthusiastically. "And if you have a mind to learn about modern technology and the species you’ll encounter, there are tons of training materials in the med bay. There are online classes too. With your knowledge and a little study, you could have a job just about anywhere."
As he spoke, my mind raced with possibilities. I imagined myself in a sleek uniform, wielding advanced medical tools to save lives across the galaxy. A tingle of excitement ran through me.
"Ah Lilah, I can tell by that expression we've landed on your thing."
Overwhelmed with gratitude, I acted on impulse. I grabbed his muscular arm, stood on my tiptoes, and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Dave. For everything."
The moment my lips touched his skin, a spark of electricity passed between us. I shivered, suddenly hyperaware of his closeness, of the memories of his body against mine, inside mine. My gaze dropped to his mouth, and I found myself desperately wanting to trail my lips along his strong jawline, to taste those soft lips. But embarrassment held me back. Maybe he didn't want me again.
I glanced up to see Dave looking equally flustered, a darker green flush creeping up his neck. "I, uh..." he stammered, uncharacteristically at a loss for words.
The swoosh of the gym doors startled us apart. Zarath strode in, his iridescent skin shimmering in the artificial lights. My breath caught in my throat as his strangely beautiful eyes swept over us, predatory and knowing.
"Am I interrupting?" Zarath's voice was cool and precise, a contrast to the heat rising in my cheeks.
Dave cleared his throat, composure returning. "Perfect timing, actually. We were just discussing Delilah's talents." He turned to me, eyes twinkling. "So, what'll it be? Medical equipment or the bow we talked about earlier?"
I found myself torn, my earlier excitement about medicine battling with a new, unexpected desire. Zarath's presence was magnetic, his lean form sexy and intriguing. And I wanted to know more about the kindness he'd shown me — it was difficult to imagine a man like Zarath selecting clothing for me. Maybe Dave wasn’t my fated mate, but Zarath was. Before I knew it, words tumbled from my lips:
"The bow, please."
Dave's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really? I thought for sure you'd pick the med bay."
I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant even as my heart raced. "I figure I can always study later. How often do I get the chance to learn alien weaponry?"
"An admirable choice," Zarath said, the barest hint of approval in his tone sending a shiver down my spine.
As Dave busied himself setting up targets, Zarath approached me with the bow. It was sleek and otherworldly, but it bore some striking similarities to the recurve bow I'd learned on.
"This is a Chokreini energy bow," Zarath explained, his formal tone softening slightly as he spoke about his people's technology. "As you pull the arrow back, you flick a switch, and power the bow. Once powered, it can have some special abilities—"
"Whoa there, professor," Dave interrupted with a chuckle. "Let's start with the basics, yeah?"
"Of course. If you've only used a primitive bow, the concepts are quite similar, and we'll be using practice arrows, which aren't loaded." Zarath began demonstrating the proper stance, and I found myself hyper-aware of both men's presence. Dave's massive wings, folded behind his back, twitched occasionally as he worked. Zarath's skin rippled with subtle color changes as he spoke, mesmerizing me.
Though the bow's operation wasn't too different from what I was used to, I found myself playing up my inexperience. "Like this?" I asked innocently, deliberately fumbling with the grip.
"Not quite," Zarath murmured, stepping closer. His breath tickled my ear as he adjusted my fingers on the bow. "You want a firm but relaxed hold."
I swallowed hard, acutely aware of how close he was standing. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dave watching us intently, his gaze smoldering. A thrill ran through me at the attention of both of these aliens. I leaned back slightly, relishing the warmth and firmness of Zarath's body behind me.
Zarath's chest pressed against my back as he guided my arms into position, his fingers skimming over my skin with quiet efficiency. I could feel the strength in his lean muscles, so different from Dave's imposing bulk, yet no less captivating.
"Now," Zarath's voice was low and precise in my ear, "draw back smoothly, anchoring here." His fingers brushed my cheek, sending shivers down my spine.
I complied, hyper-aware of every point of contact between us. "Like this?" I breathed.
"Perfect," he murmured. I could practically feel his approving smile, even though I couldn't see it.
Across the room, Dave shifted his stance, wings twitching. The hunger in his eyes was unmistakable. My heart raced, torn between the alien warmth at my back and the primal attraction pulling me towards Dave.
"Now," Zarath continued, oblivious to my inner turmoil, "release when you're ready."
I took a deep breath, steadied my aim, and let the arrow fly. It struck dead center with a satisfying thunk.
"Bullseye!" Dave whooped, his wings flaring in excitement.
Zarath's skin flashed a brilliant teal as he stepped back, clapping. "Excellent shot!"
I beamed at them both, caught up in their enthusiasm and my own sense of accomplishment. For a moment, I forgot about the complications, the confusion, and just basked in the warmth of their approval.