Chapter Thirty-Seven
Serenya
I woke to the steady thrum of the Zeydrassk beneath the vibration of Kael’s purr at my back. He wasn’t wrapped around me the way he usually was when he was still asleep, but I wasn’t surprised to find him already awake. The ship ran constantly, so his duties could require him at any time.
One hand rested on my hip, his tail curling around my upper leg, but I felt his concentration. There was no urgency laced through it, so it had to be something routine holding his attention.
Stretching, I rolled to face him, slipping my arms around his waist. I’d grown to crave physical contact with him, and I loved the time we spent in bed together, even when he wasn’t driving me wild.
His purr deepened, making warmth spread through me as I sighed.
“Skorr drazhari, shael.”
“Mmm. Good morning.”
I traced a finger along a crescent shaped kethra that curled around his side, bisecting his abdominals. It was almost unbelievable how similar his body was to a Human, while still being so alien.
Then again, my body felt alien sometimes, and all that had changed about me were hormones and glowing in the dark.
“How long did I sleep?”
Time didn’t feel the same in space. There was no sun to judge day and night, even though the ship’s lights ran on a cycle to mimic Vorrashan.
“A full cycle. Do you feel rested?”
I stretched again before snuggling closer to him. I was deliciously sore from his attentions before I fell asleep, but I still needed more of him touching me.
“I do, but I don’t want to get out of bed yet.”
He hummed, setting his datapad aside and turning to face me. His length pressed into me, always ready even though there was only a flicker of lust in our connection. It always seemed to be there, and I knew how fast it could be flamed into something irresistible.
I leaned my head back and blinked up at him. Muted light spilled over his face from the curved wall showing a stretch of space, dark and endless, scattered with distant stars that didn’t care about politics, or bonds, or weaknesses.
On the Zeydrassk, Earth and Morrakan both felt far away, the concerns of our planets less immediate. I almost wished we could remain on it longer, but I knew he was needed.
Kael’s hand slid up my spine as the tip of his tail flicked against my leg. Something in our link shifted, a sense of importance bleeding into me, but I waited, knowing Kael would tell me when he was ready.
“I received several communications yesterday, and more since waking.”
His expression was calm, but I noticed the faint edge of tension he was trying to keep under control.
“The guard assigned to Hale says he is demanding to see you.”
I took a breath, waiting for the sense of dread I usually felt when my father summoned me, but was surprised when there was nothing more than a hint of it.
There was a dull, distant ache, like touching a fresh scar and remembering the pain it had caused in the past, but it didn’t hurt the way I’d thought it would.
Kael watched me, silver eyes steady as he stroked my hair.
“You are not beholden to him. You can say no. If you choose to do as he wishes, I will be with you, but if you do not, I will inform the guard to ignore any further demands.”
I knew Kael meant what he said. He wouldn’t hold it against me if I wanted to see my father, just as he would accept my refusal. He was giving me the space to decide for myself what was best for me.
I ran my finger over my bite mark on his chest. It had begun to glow like his kethra once the scabs fell away, and he’d taken to wearing his uniform partially open, so it was always visible.
It was one of the many things he did that showed me how he felt, even if he never used the words a Human would.
His markings pulsed the longer I touched the proof of my claim on him, his shaft twitching, but neither of us were focused on desire for the moment.
“He is Dravkai’kiren. I do not want to see him.”
The choice was easier than I’d thought it would be, but I’d already purged the emotions I’d bottled inside for so long. I could see my father for what he was, a manipulator, and I didn’t need that in the new life I was building. It wasn’t what I’d planned, but it could turn into so much more.
Kael would have supported me if my answer was different, but the tension in him eased when I said no, a subtle release that widened the bond between us.
“You’re certain?”
I nodded. I was ready to move on.
Kael’s thumb brushed beneath my jaw, gentle as he tipped my head back to press his lips to mine.
“I will inform the guard.”
We lay in silence for a few minutes, the ship humming around us as we simply enjoyed the other’s presence. It would have been nice to stay that way, but Kael had duties, and it was time I started finding my place alongside him.
“Is Rowena on the third level?”
Kael’s brow creased, and I felt his concern mingled with curiosity about my request. I answered the unspoken question before he had to voice it.
“I was thinking of visiting her to see how she’d doing. We’re both Human. After everything that happened… I don’t think she should be alone right now.”
His approval warmed my chest as he nodded and pressed another kiss to my lips.
“I think that would be… wise. Saed has mentioned her injuries have healed, but she is not… well.”
I sighed and rested my cheek on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.
Trying to help someone face their trauma was a huge challenge when the only practical experience I had was the monitored sessions I’d completed for school, but I was the only person who could relate to what she’d experienced since we left Earth.
So much had happened it seemed like months had passed since that moment. It was hard to believe Earth no longer felt like home.
Kael shifted, brushing his thumb over the marks on my neck, kethra pulsing faintly in time with his heartbeat.
“Just promise me not to go to any other deck alone. It’s not that I don’t trust you, just… warriors can get… rough.”
I hid my smile against his chest. Kael might seem controlling to others, but I felt his concern. His requests were made for my safety.
“I promise.”
He slid his hand down my back again before pulling away to slide out of the blankets.
I watched him move across the cabin, part of me still adjusting to the fact that all that was mine.
My mark glowed faintly below his collarbone, proof it was true, the way it made me feel making Kael shoot me a smirk as he slipped into his uniform.
“I must go to the dravok. If the separation becomes too much, call and I’ll come to you.”
He paused by the door, as if he was reluctant to leave. It shouldn’t have made my throat tighten, but it did.
“Go command your spaceship, mighty Torvakai. I can handle a little pain to help another.”
His lips twitched before he nodded.
“Not too long. It’s good to help, but no reason to suffer.”
When the door closed behind him, I let out a sigh. I didn’t want to be separated from him, I didn’t like the way it made my head throb and my stomach roil, but Rowena wouldn’t welcome the presence of a Morraki alpha.
Before doubts could stop me, I slid out of bed and dressed, choosing leggings and a loose tunic from the small wardrobe Kael had stocked for me.
Morraki clothing was practical, comfortable, and as a bonus, they weren’t ripped to shreds by claws or teeth like many of my original outfits. My mate had no respect for clothing.
Smiling to myself, I stepped out into the corridor. It was eerily silent. The ship was a small city, and someone always had some task to complete, even on the Command Deck. It was rare not to see someone coming or going to one of the other rooms, and I had a feeling Kael had ordered it.
I walked down the curved hallway, trying to keep my breathing steady as I moved farther from Kael. We had tested how far we could comfortably go the first day we’d been on the ship, but the distance between his quarters and the bridge was as far as we’d tried.
The hum of the engines vibrated through the soles of my feet, steady and constant like a heartbeat.
It was hard not to think of the Zeydrassk as alive as it carried us through space at speeds Humans could only marvel at.
The trip between Earth and Morrakan only took six days on the Zeydrassk where a human vessel would take twice as long.
I turned my thoughts to Rowena as I entered the lift.
I still wasn’t sure what I would say to her, or if she’d even want to talk, but I had to make the effort.
Being alone tended to make trauma and emotional wounds worse, and even though I didn’t really know her, at least we had some things in common.
The lighting on the Command Deck and in the lift was dimmed for Morraki eyes, but the Diplomatic Deck was calibrated for Human eyesight, and the temperature shifted a few degrees cooler, which I appreciated.
I was adjusting to the dry heat of Morrakan, but I appreciated not needing to reapply antiperspirant multiple times a day.
I hadn’t thought about asking which room she was in, but as I realized that, I caught the scent of something sweet. Deciding to see if what Kael had taught me about my new senses was true, I followed it to a doorway halfway down the hall.
I hesitated before lifting my hand and pressing the chime. There was no answer at first, and I almost gave up, but the door slid open before I turned away.
Rowena stood in the opening, auburn hair pulled into a tangled braid, eyes shadowed and cheeks gaunt. She looked tired and delicate, as if a strong breeze would break her.
Her lips and brows were pinched as if she was in pain, and there was confusion on her face as she looked out at me, but it wasn’t her expression that made my greeting stick in my throat.
It was the scars.
Raised pink marks crossed one cheek and raked down her neck, startling against her pale flesh. They crossed her violet kethra, and it took me a moment to realize what they were.