Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Moving through the crowd was so much easier when she was flanked by her two cyborgs. The thought that they were hers slipped into her mind so easily she almost didn’t notice.
Almost.
She decided that labels didn’t matter right now. Tonight, they were just three beings hoping to enjoy some time together. She had no other expectations. At least, none that she was willing to admit, even to herself.
When they arrived at Mace’s chosen destination, she gave an inward squeal of delight while managing to limit her physical reaction to bouncing on her toes a few times.
“This is real? It’s not a hologram?” she asked as she stared at the vista in front of them.
“It’s real,” Mace led her over to a sign that explained what this was and why it was here.
Most of this level of the station was a bio-dome that visitors could walk through.
The paths led through several biomes, each with a different climate.
The flora were from a multitude of worlds, and each of them was classified as exceptionally good at carbon capture, oxygen purification, or both.
It was both a park and part of the station’s air recycling system.
“And we can just walk through it?”
“I spent a few hours walking around it last night. There are no animals at all, but they’ve added holographic wildlife, and all the pollinators are drones made to resemble insects.”
Xaber was as fascinated as she was. “We can just wander wherever we like? How do they keep visitors from trampling the plants?”
“Energy barriers. They keep everyone on the pathways.” Mace was positively beaming as he explained what he’d learned.
“This is incredible. How much does it cost to go inside?” She’d forgo a sleeping pod tonight and just take a stim, but no way was she letting them pay for her again. She knew full well what it would cost them to repair the Live True. They all needed to be careful with their funds.
“That’s the best part. The female who commissioned this station gifted the entire thing to the denizens of the station. She also set aside enough scrip to maintain this biome for the next century. Entry is free.”
“Who has that kind of money?” she asked, stunned.
“Tianna Watson-Astor. Apparently she’s got more money than some planetary governments,” Xaber said with a shrug. “According to the gossip, she married into the family that owns the Nova Club. I’m sure her family loved that.”
Mace chuckled. “I’m surprised they didn’t disown her.”
Now she’d heard more details, something about the story sounded familiar. “Isn’t she the one who inherited everything after her father was killed in a corporate power struggle?”
“I think so,” Xaber said. “And she lives here on the station with her husbands.”
“Husbands. Plural? Lucky woman.”
“Says the female out with two males of her own,” Xaber teased and waggled his brows at her. “And I bet we’re better looking.”
“No bet. I am certain I’m on a date with two of the hottest males on the station,” she declared with conviction.
“Good answer. I will remember this when we’re discussing dessert options later.” Xaber didn’t elaborate, but the heat in his eyes told her that food wasn’t the only thing that might be on the menu. The thought of what that would be like made her clit throb in time to her racing heartbeat.
She hoped their enhanced senses couldn’t detect things like that. Fraxx, what if they could? She really should have done more reading.
“Ready?” Mace asked. “There’s something happening in one of the biomes in about thirty minutes. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
“Yes, please.” She took his hand and then reached out to Xaber. His larger hand engulfed hers, and they set out for the double doors that acted as a sort of airlock.
“Do I get to know what this event is?” Xaber asked as they stepped inside.
“Nope,” Mace said.
She appreciated the fact that they hadn’t switched to their internal comms. She liked listening to them banter. They’d have to wait to find out what Mace had planned. So far, his surprises had been wonderful.
The moment they entered the bio-dome, her senses were inundated.
She’d never seen more than a few potted plants in her life.
Here? She was surrounded by growing, living greenery.
Not all of it was green, of course. Splashes of red, yellow, and even blue appeared among the foliage.
Creatures danced and fluttered through the leaves, including some she thought were called butterflies.
It was an odd name for such a beautiful, delicate creature, and she had to remind herself that it was only a machine made to look like a living animal.
A breeze flowed around her, warm and heavy with moisture and a hundred different scents.
She drew a deep breath and marveled at how it felt.
The air on the station was carefully filtered and regulated to ensure there was enough oxygen, but this was so different.
It was fresh and clean in a way she’d never experienced before.
“Is this what it’s like to be on a planet?” she asked.
“Sometimes,” Mace said.
“And sometimes there are dust storms, or pollution, or an occupying force that wants to kill you,” Xaber said. “But if you mean the way it feels to breathe fresh air? Yeah, that’s what it’s like.”
Something in his voice made her tear her eyes away from the lush greenery to look at him. Xaber was staring into the distance, and his body had gone completely, impossibly still.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“It’s only a memory, Xay. We’re not there anymore,” Mace said.
Xaber snapped out of his fugue immediately. “Sorry. Like Mace said, it was just a memory. It’s been a long time since I was in a place that looked like this. The last time was… not great.”
“This time, it will be.” She squeezed his hand. “And if it isn’t, we can leave any time we want to.”
Xaber’s moment of darkness dissipated. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m a badass, battle-hardened cyborg. I am not letting memories and a bunch of plants get the better of me.”
She leaned in and patted his chest without letting go of his hand. “Damn right. Someone needs to protect me from those butterfly things. Anything that cute has to be hiding something.”
Mace joined in, nodding seriously. “Absolutely. They could be carrying teensy knives, or maybe their wings have serrated edges?”
They laughed and rearranged themselves so that Tish walked between them. The energy barriers were almost invisible, with only an occasional shimmer giving away their presence.
Most of the foliage was shrubs or smaller trees, which made sense, given the confined space.
The whole area extended upward several decks, but nothing grew more than three or four meters.
Maybe they’d get bigger over time? She didn’t know enough about plants to guess.
All she knew was that it was incredible.
Mace guided them, and soon they’d left behind the first, more temperate zone and moved into one that felt arid.
The soil here was an orange shade, and the air was hot and dry against her skin.
The plants here were strange. They all had thick skins.
Some had thorns while others had fleshy-looking protuberances in a wide variety of shapes.
A few of the plants were taller than she was, but most didn’t rise as high as her knees.
They paused to read the various signs that explained a little about what she was looking at.
The words were unfamiliar for the most part. She’d never heard of a cactus before.
The lack of tall plants allowed her to see that the overhead area was obscured by a projection that made it look like an open sky. Mace had whispered a warning as they’d crossed through the doors that separated the biomes, so she hadn’t been caught off guard.
“I know I’ve said this before, but this is incredible!” She gestured around them. “And it’s been here, under my feet, for weeks. I had no idea.”
Xaber moved in close enough to her side that she felt his body heat even though the air was already warm.
He bent down to whisper in her ear, his breath a soft tickle against her skin.
“I feel the same way about a certain mechanic. You’ve been walking by our berth for weeks, and our orbits never overlapped. This station is full of surprises.”
Mace leaned down to whisper in her other ear. “It’s also full of temptations. Like you, Tix the tempting.”
Stars above and below, how was she supposed to resist this? The answer came to her like a comet strike. She didn’t have to. She had no owner. No one to answer to. She was free to do what she wanted. And what she wanted… was them.
“You’re tempting, too. Both of you. So when it comes time to decide on dessert, I know what I want.”
“So do we,” Xaber said. He moved so quickly she only saw a blur as he maneuvered in front of her. His hand touched her cheek, his green and gold-flecked eyes gleaming with desire.
She didn’t wait for him to make the next move. She surged into his arms, her lips finding his in a kiss she hoped made it clear that she was not waiting anymore.
He kissed her back, reclaiming control with a low sound of need that made her blood sizzle in her veins.
“Tix,” he whispered her name, the sound caught in the depths of her mouth. Only that wasn’t who she was. Even now, with her mind half-melted, she wished he’d spoken her real name.
That tiny spark of regret created a contrast that made the moment even sweeter. It reminded her that nothing was certain, and tonight might be all they had.
Mace moved behind her, a pillar of strength she could lean into as Xaber took their kiss deeper. The heat of the air was nothing compared to the fire blazing inside her now. She ached with needs she couldn’t name, and her fingers trembled as she stroked Xaber’s cheek.
When the kiss ended, Xaber smiled down at her with a look of profound satisfaction. “I was right. You are something special.”
“Yes, she is,” Mace rumbled in agreement.