Chapter Seven
Drazien
The so-called inspector spent more time looking at me than the empty rooms she walked through, but the datapad in her hand became fascinating when she caught me watching her.
The quick flutter of her heartbeat in her throat was easy to spot, and her increased breathing revealed her nervousness, which only made my amusement grow.
How had Humans become the dominant species on their planet?
They weren’t the first creatures I’d asked the same question about. It seemed most planets with intelligent life were softer than Morrakan, and the species that thrived wasn’t necessarily the best killer.
Pity.
Once the woman stammered to Elaina that everything looked fine, I followed them out. She turned and did something to the door before walking away, but I remained behind Elaina as she stared at the thin sheet of wood that blocked the opening.
Heaving a sigh, she finally turned to face me.
Her face was flushed, sweat beading along her brow, and there was a glazed quality to her eyes.
It was obvious the serum was working and she was experiencing the side effects, which was why I’d almost laughed when she tried to protest having her things taken straight to the Zeydvorrash.
The reminder of the one hiccup made my lip twitch as I fought back a snarl. I’d requested a shuttle come to her address to collect her things, but Kael had denied it, stating our transports weren’t allowed in the Human’s military airspace.
“What now?”
Elaina blinked at me as if she struggled even to keep her eyes open before looking over her shoulder once more.
“I’m done here. It’s almost time for me to catch my shuttle to New NewYork once my boxes are taken care of.”
Nodding, I reached out and wrapped my fingers around her wrist again. I could feel her bones shifting beneath her flesh, small and delicate, and for a moment I wondered if rutting her were truly possible. She seemed too fragile to survive a heat despite her generous curves.
My shaft twitched at the direction of my thoughts, but I ignored it as I kept myself to her pace. I could have taken the steps three at a time, or simply jumped from the landing, but she was struggling to manage just one in her state.
I pulled her along until we reached her vehicle. Since the shuttle couldn’t come to us, I had to get us to where it could, but the control center was too small for me to use without risking damage to the vehicle.
I looked down at Elaina, finding her turning her head from me to her vehicle as well. She seemed to realize the problem.
“I don’t suppose you can leave the way you came and I can just meet you at the clinic?”
Scoffing, I arched a brow at her assumption that I’d leave her. I didn’t miss her little sigh, but she was already moving forward and tugging open one of the back doors I’d shoved her containers through.
“If you move one of the boxes to the trunk and stack two in the front seat, there should be enough room for you in the back.”
I assessed the vehicle once more, my tail twitching over the small space where the boxes currently sat.
“And where will you be?”
Her brows pinched behind the frame of her glasses as she gave me a look as if I didn’t make any sense.
“Driving.”
Her tone suggested the answer should have been obvious, and I supposed she was right, although I was beginning to suspect she would have chosen not to be in the vehicle at all if that were an option. She still wanted to deny that Shaevrin controlled our path, and hers had joined mine.
“We need to leave your base, and then my shuttle will meet us.”
I started moving the boxes without waiting for her confirmation. She didn’t like which one I tried to put in the storage area, and then insisted a specific one had to be on the bottom of the two I moved to the passenger seat.
Oddly, I found her fussing amusing more than irritating. Everyone knew omegas were particular about the things they’d claimed, so it was no surprise she wanted to control the placement of the containers.
Once we were done wasting time I lowered myself through the opening of the vehicle, having to wedge my legs behind the seat she took while I scrunched down and leaned against the door.
My tail was pinned uncomfortably against the rough fabric of the backseat and my back was contorted, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.
Her control of the vehicle, on the other hand, made me question my survival odds. The machine crawled from where it had sat, moving at a cautious pace until she pulled out into the flow of other vehicles, accelerating hard enough that my head jerked back, hitting the window.
Elaina shot a glance over her shoulder, a contrite expression on her face before she focused on the other death machines around us.
“Sorry.”
“I understand your attack on me earlier failed, but there is no need to attempt murder when I’ve been helpful since then.”
The corner of her lips twitched but she kept her head turned away as if she didn’t want me to see her amusement. I wasn’t sure whether I should be concerned that the thought of harming me delighted her.
“You're the one who climbed into a vehicle designed for Humans. If you hadn’t arrived unannounced and without reason, you wouldn’t be wedged in my backseat.”
I grunted as she swung around a corner, forcing me to brace one hand against the seat in front of me. The box that had remained in the back shifted, a corner digging into my thigh, and I bared my teeth while fighting back a snarl.
Every Morraki would mock me if they saw this. Torvashek Drazien Korval, hunter of rebels, deadly tracker, the last warrior many saw before their life ended…
Reduced to being folded into the back of a Human transport while an omega drove him across a military installation like nothing more than a sack of goods.
A sudden deceleration had my growl filling the space as I was slammed forward, crushing my tail beneath me. Elaina’s eyes remained focused on the road as I swallowed the sound and righted myself, her frown telling me she wasn’t purposefully torturing me.
“Sorry. People are stupid.”
The absurdity of the situation should have irritated me, but instead I found myself watching her with curiosity.
Her fever seemed to be worsening. Even from the back seat I could see the flush on her cheeks, and her hair was damp with sweat where it grew from her scalp. There was a slight delay before she reacted to changes around her, revealing her exhaustion, yet she continued.
No complaints. No requests for help. Only stubborn determination.
The scent of her anxiety built inside the enclosed space until I could taste it on the back of my tongue, and every instinct I possessed urged me to remove her from the situation causing it, but there was nothing I could do until we met with the shuttle.
The vehicle finally reached the edge of the military installation, passing through a gate that let everyone out but stopped those trying to enter.
Once we were beyond the restricted airspace, I retrieved the communicator from my belt, and the shuttle pilot responded as soon as I requested his location.
“They are waiting at the landing field closest to us.”
Elaina grunted, her focus remaining fixed on the road ahead. Her eyes looked glassy as she stared, expressionless, and for several minutes neither of us spoke.
The silence wasn't uncomfortable, merely strange. Most Humans I’d encountered filled silence with unnecessary noise, yet Elaina seemed perfectly content to leave it alone.
The buildings around us grew closer, towering over her tiny vehicle, but eventually a space opened and the designated landing area came into view.
The moment the vehicle stopped moving I jerked the door open and unfolded from the backseat. My spine popped and I rubbed the spot where the corner had dug into me as relief poured through my veins.
“I’ll walk before doing that again.”
A snort came from behind me, and I turned to look down at the light Human shading her eyes from the morning light. Earth’s Sun was stronger than Vorrashan, emitting a brighter, yellow light that was harsh on the eyes, and her glasses likely made it worse.
The quiet hum of the shuttle’s engines reached us moments later, dust rising into the air as it settled onto one of the landing pads beyond the ground vehicle area. Elaina stared at it as the ramp lowered, but there were no signs of fear.
Two crew members emerged and strode towards us, drawing attention from the other Humans in the area. They hadn’t noticed me, but between the odd ship, our dark skin and larger size, there was no chance of being ignored.
“Vekhar?”
I gestured toward the car once they arrived and they began unloading Elaina’s belongings. She looked between them, then at me.
“What did he ask?”
I pointed a finger at the boxes one was lifting from the front seat of the vehicle.
“For the location of the items he was ordered to retrieve.”
Her brow furrowed as she looked at the warrior striding back to the shuttle.
“It sounded like one word.”
A sigh escaped her. I was beginning to think Humans sighed as often as they breathed.
“It was only one word.”
That clearly wasn't the answer she wanted, because her frown deepened. Before she could continue asking questions though, it seemed a wave of dizziness struck her.
Her hand rose to her temple and she swayed. I closed the distance between us before she could fall, and the moment my hand gripped her elbow, heat flooded into my palm.
She was far too warm compared to the standard temperature of a Human.
“You are overheating.”
Scoffing, she shoved her glasses up and ran a hand across her eyes.
“I noticed.”
The dryness in her voice almost made me laugh, but my concern overrode it. Despite looking moments from collapse, somehow she still found the energy for sarcasm.
One of the crew members returned to grab the odd container from the back of her vehicle before turning to us.
“Torvashek. Den?”
I jerked my chin toward Elaina.
“She is needed prior to leaving.”