Chapter 9
A full night's sleep and an hour in the refresher should have cleared my head.
Should have. Instead, I stood at the sink, face dripping, heart racing like I'd run a damn marathon.
The pirates? The gunfire? That I could handle.
But that embrace—all four of them wrapped around me like I was the center of their universe—that had me spiraling.
Heat flooded my cheeks. A giggle bubbled up, and I clamped my hand over my mouth. What was I, fifteen?
I splashed more cold water on my face. Enough. If I kept replaying that moment—four sets of hands, four racing heartbeats pressed against mine—I'd spend the entire day in this room doing absolutely nothing productive.
Actually, that was a lie. I'd be plenty productive. Just... not in any way that moved my life forward.
I needed to leave. Now.
The medical bay doors slid open to reveal all four Knights clustered around Torvyn's datapad, their voices low and urgent. Whatever they were discussing, it stopped the moment Kaedren spotted me.
He waved enthusiastically, gesturing for me to join them. The other three looked up. They all smiled at the same time.
Not creepy at all. Okay, maybe a little creepy.
But they had been nothing but genuine to me, and perhaps it was because of the tether, so I was willing to give them a little leeway.
They all stood there, waiting for me to come to them.
I stood where I was, not sure what to do next.
After a few moments of awkward silence and medical staff racing around us to help people, I took a deep breath and walked to them.
"Hello, friends," I said.
I mentally added "learn to greet people normally" to my growing list of post-corporate-life skills.
"Hello, Kira," Torvyn said. "We were actually just about to come and find you."
"We have to make repairs to the Starbreaker," Vaelix said.
"It requires docking at a space station under the protection of the Zorathi Reach," Lyrin added.
"Would you like to come with us?" Kaedren asked. He was so excited he was almost bouncing in place.
"Is it safe?" I asked.
Torvyn chuckled. "Everyone on that station hates the Corporations more than we do."
I shrugged. "A lot of people think they hate things, until a life-changing amount of money gets offered to them."
Lyrin gently placed a hand on my shoulder and offered a soft smile. "I understand your concern, especially after yesterday's attack. I also know trust is hard, with everything you have been through. If you feel more comfortable staying on the ship, we all understand."
The other three men nodded and offered assorted agreements.
"But we would be honored to show you some of our culture and introduce you to people we have sworn to protect," he said, then leaned closer. "And if you are considering staying with us, permanently, this will offer you valuable knowledge on what your life would be."
I pulled my arm back. "I never said anything about staying permanently."
Lyrin nodded. "Of course, my apologies. I didn't mean to assume anything."
"You've been on this ship for almost a week and a half now. Stretching your legs would be beneficial for you," Kaedren said, his tone direct.
He was right about that. Lyrin was right, too, and I had considered the possibility of this place being my new home.
But I didn't want any of them to know that, at least not yet.
The tether, four men loving me, a life of fighting the corporations…
It was a lot to take in, and I didn't know nearly enough about any of it to make a rational decision.
"Okay, let's see what your world looks like."
We made our way to the airlock, and as we entered, Kaedran moved to the front of me, Torvyn to my left, Vaelix to my right, and Lyrin stood behind me. I felt like I had my own personal police escort. I looked at each of them. They all stood ready and attentive.
"I don't know what this is, but it definitely doesn't make me feel safe."
"It's protocol," Kaedren said. "You are important to us, and we cannot allow anything to happen to you."
"I thought you said this station was safe," I said.
"It is. But please understand that part of what creates that safety is how we present ourselves. You are not tethered to us now, but a Knight Phalanx of the Zorathi reach commands power and respect when it is fully formed," Torvyn said.
"Knight Phalanx?" I asked.
"That is what the Zorathi call a fully tethered group of Knights," Torvyn said.
"Which you aren't."
"That is true. But the people on the station don't know that."
I opened my mouth to respond, but realized he had a good point.
"Fine, but can we at least walk normally after we get onto the station?"
The Knights looked at each other, then nodded together.
That was going to take some getting used to.
The airlock opened, and the station hit me like a physical force.
Fuel fumes mixed with frying meat and spices I couldn't name.
A dozen languages competed with mechanical clangs and merchant calls.
Every surface was scuffed, patched, repaired—nothing matched, and somehow that made it feel more real than any pristine corporate hub I'd ever transited through.
We filed out of the airlock and made our way into the station.
We were surrounded by the bustle of merchants hawking their wares, spacers digging through spare parts, and a variety of life forms eating food.
There was so much food. Living food, cooked food, smelly food, amazing-looking food.
I had eaten well on the Starbreaker, but some of these smells were making my mouth water.
The crowd parted around us as Kaedren led the way. He was easily the biggest being in the station. Vaelix's hand on my arm was feather-light as he guided me around a cluster of children. When I glanced up to thank him, he was already looking away—but his fingers stayed a beat longer than necessary.
As we moved deeper into the station, Torvyn's shoulder brushed mine as the crowd pressed closer. "Sorry," he murmured, but didn't move away. When I looked up, his face had gone purple.
"Are you okay? Your heart rate is elevated." Lyrin's hand settled on the small of my back, steadying me. I stiffened—not from fear, but from the sudden heat that spread from that single point of contact. His hand stayed. I focused very hard on breathing normally.
"I'm good," I coughed. "It's just a lot to take in. Can we get something to eat? Is any of this safe for me to eat?"
"Of course," Kaedren said. "They can replicate almost anything you want and ensure it is compatible with your biology."
"That sounds appetizing. Does anybody know anywhere good?"
"I know just the place," Torvyn said with a wink.
We sat down at a small round table, all of us crowding together.
Above us, large aquatic animals swam in tanks with glass bottoms, the only things between us and the stars.
Watching their dark shapes glide atop us was mesmerizing.
I glanced to my right and saw an elderly waiter approaching, three of their four arms loaded with menus, the fourth hanging limp and scarred.
"I know you," they said, pointing at me with the good arm. "Your face has been plastered all over the news blasts."
"Is that so?" Torvyn asked, his hand disappearing beneath the table.
"Yes, sir. They are offering a lot of credits for you," they said, still pointing at me. "And you know what I have to say about that?"
I blinked, not sure how to respond.
The waiter leaned forward as the Knights tensed. "Those corpo's can go blast themselves into the sun! You are a hero here, lady. All of you. Your meals on the house, as long as you make me one promise."
"What's that?" I asked.
"You keep kicking those rich bastards' asses up and down the galaxy."
Kaedren barked out a loud laugh. "We are going to do more than that. They won't know what's coming!"
The waiter gave him a high-five, or high-ten I guess. They used both working hands while Kaedren used his bottom two.
"I'm going to bring you guys the special. Zorathi and human, right?"
We all nodded.
"Back in a jiffy."
The waiter hustled off and the table broke out in laughter.
"You see?" Lyrin asked. "People here hate the corporations."
"It is nice," I said.
"Which leads into something we should discuss," Torvyn said, setting down his glass.
"About me?" I asked.
"About you, yes. About us. About our future."
"Okay, lay it on me."
The table was silent for a beat. Torvyn looked at me, his yellow eyes glowing with something that looked like fear. "We've arranged safe passage for you back to Corporate space. If you want it."
The words hit harder than the pirate attack. I stared at him.
"New identity," Vaelix added quietly. "Enough credits to go anywhere, do anything."
Lyrin leaned forward. "Free will is sacred to the Zorathi. You'd be free from the corporations. From us. From all of it."
"No tether," Kaedren said, his voice rough. "No bond. No obligation."
The station noise faded. I couldn't hear anything except my own heartbeat.
They meant it.
Every man I'd ever known had wanted something from me—my credentials, my connections, my body, my compliance. Every corporation I'd worked for had owned a piece of me, whether I'd signed the contract or not.
These men were offering me freedom. Real freedom. The kind where I could walk away.
Which meant, for the first time in my life, I could also choose to stay.
"What if I don't want safe passage? What if I want to stay with you?"
Relief washed across all of their faces. It was so powerful that I swore I could feel it in my heart.
"Then we want to make sure you understand what you are choosing, because you aren't just choosing this life. You aren't just choosing one of us. You are choosing all of us," Torvyn said.
"Then I should be honest with all of you." My throat tightened. "I'm terrible at relationships. I've never let anyone in. Not really. I use my work as a foundation because it's the only thing I trust not to leave."
Lyrin took one of my hands. Vaelix took the other. They caressed my fingers and encouraged me to tell them my truth.
Tears spilled over. I didn't wipe them away.
"I'm good at temporary. I'm really good at temporary. But forever?" I shook my head. "I don't know how to do forever. What if the tether doesn't like me? What if I'm broken in some way I don't even understand yet? I mean, I'm so bad at forever that even my cat won't cuddle with me."
They all chuckled softly.
"The good news is, you don't need a cat anymore. We don't care how bad you are at relationships," Torvyn said.
My voice cracked. "The tether scares me because it sounds like it is forever. I have never been good at forever."
"The tether is a bridge," Torvyn said. "You choose how far you walk across it. And you can always walk back."
Vaelix squeezed my hand. "It connects you to us, to the Reach. But it doesn't trap you."
"It's biological. It doesn't need your acceptance. It forms when you and it are ready," Lyrin added gently.
"It isn't a cage, either. A bond, yes, but you are still free to love whomever you want. Zorathi culture does not have emotions like jealousy. Our love for each other is unconditional," Kaedren said.
"We are warriors, and we have survived much worse than uncertainty," Torvyn said. "You do not hurt or offend us by being afraid. Your fear does not make you weak. The only way to damage the tether and hurt us is by lying about how you truly feel."
They were offering me something I had never had—love, trust, partnership, freedom.
"I appreciate your honesty," I said, my hands shaking in theirs. "I'm not ready to join the tether. Not yet. I don't even know what that really means yet. But I do know this."
I locked eyes with each man. Torvyn's yellow eyes still held that hint of fear. Lyrin's hazel eyes were soft with understanding. Vaelix's grey eyes radiated hope. Kaedren's green eyes held nothing but pure, unconditional love.
"I'm staying with you." The words felt like stepping off a cliff. Everything I'd built—my reputation, my career, the perfectly controlled life I'd spent years constructing—gone. The corporations would never stop looking for me. Director Voss would never stop looking for me.
And somehow, I was okay with that.
"I am not taking safe passage anywhere. I am not running from these feelings. I want to figure out what this bond is. I need time to understand this and learn how to…how to love four people at the same time."
I took a deep breath and collected myself, wiping my eyes.
"I need all of you to be patient with me while I figure this out. Can you do that? Can you accept me choosing you, even if I'm not ready to fully accept the bond that comes with it? Is that enough for now?"
All four men visibly relaxed, their hands unclenching and breaths exhaling. All four of Kaedren's shoulders dropped. Broad smiles spread across all of their faces.
"It is enough. More than enough. You are enough," Torvyn said.
It was my turn to exhale.
"Where do we go from here?" I asked.
"First, we eat lunch," Lyrin said with a smile. "Then we go back to the ship and run a scan."
"A scan for what?" I asked.
"To see if the bond is forming," Lyrin said carefully. "And how strong it might become."
Before I could ask what that meant—what any of this really meant—our waiter arrived with enough food to feed a small army. The smells alone made my mouth water.
I looked around the table. Four pairs of eyes watched me with something I'd never let myself hope for.
Maybe I could learn to do forever after all.