11. Daisy
Daisy
Ican't sleep.
The boys are curled up against me, their breathing deep and even. After everything they've been through today, they dropped off almost immediately.
But my mind won't stop racing.
Every time I close my eyes, I see the Virdathian transports descending on Hakan's farm. I see the barn exploding into flames. I see Hakan fighting with lethal grace, his blades flashing, his movements so fast they blur.
I see the home he built — the life he carefully constructed to keep his grief at bay — set on fire.
And I hear a voice in my head saying: I want to be at his side, helping him fight.
Do I really want that? Is returning to Earth no longer my goal?
I turn over carefully, trying not to wake the boys, and stare at the dull metal ceiling of the sleeping quarters.
What I’ve experienced the past three days — it’s absolutely insane.
It’s terrifying.
It’s most alive I've felt in years.
I give up on sleep and carefully slip off the sleeping mat, moving as quietly as possible. The boys don't stir — they're deep in whatever dreams Andreevans have.
I slip out of the sleeping room and pad through the kitchen area toward the soft glow coming from the cockpit.
Hakan’s in the captain’s seat, and I can tell from the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest that he’s asleep. Holding my breath, I approach quietly, taking the opportunity to really study him.
He really is breathtakingly handsome.
My gaze wanders down his powerful body, taking in his muscular chest and his abs-olutely ripped waist.
My eyes drift lower, to the leather pants that fit him like a glove, hugging the muscles of his legs and butt and leaving nothing to the imagination.
My heart gives a thump. Beneath the thin fabric, he’s very obviously, very massively aroused.
And dear God, he’s huge. His cock is actually pulsing beneath his pants.
Heat rushes to my cheeks. Is it possible that he’s dreaming of me?
With a jolt, I remember what he said about his golden hassana bands— how sensitive and intimate they are when touched.
I have to see for myself. I inch closer. He’s still dozing.
As softly as I can, I trace a finger over a golden armband. Almost immediately, he groans and shifts in the chair, thrusting his hips up in a move so blatantly sexual that I can’t help but gasp.
Then his glowing amber eyes shoot open.
I take a step back, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment. He caught me! I should have known better. He’s a trained warrior — of course he’s going to be aware of his environment.
“You’re awake,” he says, his mouth twitching, as if trying to hold back a smile.
Oh God, he definitely knows. “Feeling restless, I guess,” I reply, my blush deepening. “Just … trying to make sense of everything that’s happened.”
He bites his lip — to keep from grinning? — then sits up in his chair and gestures to the control panel. “I spoke with the Commander earlier. He’d like to speak with you.”
“The Commander?” I repeat, relieved that he’s giving me the chance to focus on something else. “Yes, please.”
I settle into the co-pilot chair and suddenly the Commander is on the screen. He’s striking — vibrant blue skin, close-cropped black hair, fierce amber eyes that immediately focus on me with unsettling intensity. Handsome like Hakan, but in a harsher, more dangerous way.
"Commander," Hakan says formally. "This is Daisy Madden."
"Daisy." The Commander's voice is deep and authoritative, but not unkind. "I'm pleased to see you safe."
"Thank you," I say, suddenly self-conscious about my appearance — wild hair, leaf garment, bare feet. I probably look like I've been living in the jungle for weeks rather than hours.
If the Commander notices my disheveled state, he doesn't comment. "Hakan has briefed me fully. I want you to know that you have the protection of all Kravan warriors. No harm will come to you while you're under our care."
The formal promise warms me. "I appreciate that."
“I would like to ask you more about what you experienced while being wormholed from Earth," he continues. "Every detail you can provide will help us understand the technology the Grokkans are developing."
I nod, trying to organize my thoughts. “Sure, happy to share.
It was late, early evening. I was walking from my office to my car — I'm a social worker, and I'd just finished my shift.
I became aware of a yellow light above and around me, getting brighter.
It surrounded me completely, like..." I search for the right comparison.
"Like I was inside a glowing bubble. I couldn't move.
Couldn't speak. And then I felt like I was falling, but not down — more like falling through something. It felt like the light was pulling me, tugging me.”
The Commander and Hakan are both listening intently.
"How long did the sensation last?" the Commander asks.
"Not long, maybe ten seconds. Time seemed ... wrong. Distorted." I wrap my arms around myself, remembering the disorientation, the confusion. "Then everything went black, and when I woke up, I was naked in the jungle on Mavorrah."
"Did you see anything during the transition? Hear anything?"
I try to remember. “Sorry, no."
“Thank you," the Commander says. “What you’re sharing is helpful. The experiences of the other women are very similar to yours.”
“The other women,” I say, my chest tightening. “Are they okay?”
“They are all well and living in the same community on a planet called Nazen. Hakan will take you there.”
The thought of being with other humans sends a surge of emotion through me. “Thank you.”
"When you reach Nazen, I have a request. I would like you and the other Earth women to sit down together and compare your experiences in extreme, close detail. Every bit of information helps — the time of day, the weather conditions, what you were thinking or feeling, any physical sensations. Anything and everything you can think of.”
“I’ll do that, I promise. About the other women…. How are they adjusting?”
Something that might be sympathy crosses the Commander's face. “There’s nothing easy or simple about being torn from your home world without warning or preparation. But they're surviving. More than surviving — they're building new lives."
I glance at Hakan, who's watching this exchange with an unreadable expression.
"I have experts analyzing the data you collected from the lab," the Commander continues.
"Initial assessment suggests the Grokkans are progressing quickly with their wormhole research.
If they perfect this technology, they'll be able to deploy forces anywhere in the galaxy instantly. The implications are catastrophic."
"Can they be stopped?" I ask.
"We're working on it. For now, your focus is on getting to Nazen safely. The community there will help you adjust."
"Thank you. One more question. Have you found out anything about the boys’ grandfather?”
He shakes his head. “Not yet. But rest assured, we’re looking.”
“Thank you, Commander.”
His attention shifts to Hakan. "Take care of them, warrior."
"With my life," Hakan replies, and the vow in his voice makes my chest tighten.
The Commander's image flickers out, leaving us alone in the soft glow of the cockpit.
For a long moment, neither of us speaks. I can feel the tension radiating off Hakan in waves, like he's struggling with something momentous.
"Hakan?" I say softly. "What is it?"
He takes a deep breath, then turns to face me fully. In the dim light, his amber eyes are luminous, and I can see emotions flickering across his face — hope, fear, desire, uncertainty.
"The Commander told me something earlier, while you were sleeping,” he says. "Something that changes everything."
My heart starts beating faster. “What’s that?"
"For generations, my people were taught that Kravans could only bond-mate with other Kravans. We were told that forming a bond with any other species was impossible."
"But that's not true?” I say slowly, understanding beginning to dawn.
“It turns out the High Council lied to us. Kept us ignorant." His hands clench into fists. "Kravan warriors can bond with other compatible species. Including humans."
The words hang in the air between us, charged with meaning.
"The other human females," I whisper. “Have they bonded with their Kravan warriors?"
"Yes. All three of them have formed paxana bonds with their rescuers.” He swallows hard. “The bonds are real, Daisy. As real as any bond between two Kravans."
I'm trembling — both from excitement and the sheer weight of what he's telling me.
"Is that what's happening between us?" I whisper. “A — what did you call it — a paxana bond?"
He swallows back a surge of emotion. ”When I'm near you, my eyes glow more intensely. My hassana become more sensitive. My body responds to you in ways that indicate…." He gestures helplessly. "The bond is forming."
I think about the intensity of my feelings for him — feelings that developed impossibly fast, that feel deeper and more certain than anything I've ever experienced. Is that what’s happening here?
Is his paxana bond affecting me somehow?
Or is it just me, falling for this fierce, damaged, beautiful, honorable man?
"The boys," I hear myself say. "What will happen to them if we can't find their grandfather?"
His amber eyes flash. "I'll adopt them," he says without hesitation. "I'll raise them as my own. I'll protect them, provide for them, teach them everything I know. They'll never want for anything I can give them."
The certainty in his voice, the absolute conviction — it breaks something open in my chest.
"You mean that," I whisper.
"With every fiber of my being." He rises from the captain’s chair, leans down, and cups my face — his touch is so warm. “Losing my daughter nearly destroyed me. But the boys ... they've awakened something in me I thought was dead. The desire to be a father again. To protect, to nurture, to guide."
Tears are streaming down my face now, and I don't even try to stop them.
"I love the boys, too,” I confess. "I've known them for barely three days and I love them like they're mine."
"They are yours," Hakan says fiercely. "If you want them. If you want this life. If you want…." He trails off, vulnerability naked on his face. "If you want me."
I don't answer with words.
Instead, I rise out of my seat and kiss him.
He makes a rough sound in his throat, his arms coming around me, pulling me tight against his body. This kiss is deep, desperate, filled with promise and possibility.
When we finally break apart, we're both breathing hard.
"The boys are asleep," I whisper against his mouth. "And I need you. I need to feel you, Hakan. Need to know this is real."
His eyes flare bright gold. "Daisy —"
"I don't want to wait anymore."
He growls — actually growls — and then he's lifting me, carrying me back to the pilot's chair. He sits, settling me on his lap so I'm straddling him, and I can feel the hard length of his shaft pressing against me through his leather pants.
"I can't take you properly here," he says, his voice rough with desire. "Not in this cramped cockpit, not with the boys just down the corridor. But I can give you pleasure. I can make you feel good."
"Yes," I breathe. "Please, yes."
His hands slide up my thighs, pushing the leaf garment up and out of the way. When his fingers find the soft curls between my legs, we both groan.
"You're so wet," he murmurs.”So ready for me."
"I've been ready since you kissed me," I admit, rocking against his hand. "Since you looked at me like I was precious."
"You are precious," he says fiercely. "You're my everything."
He slides a thick finger inside me, and I have to bite my lip to keep from crying out. He's so big — just his finger stretches me, and the thought of taking his shaft, his glowing cock, makes me clench around him.
"That's it, amavi," he encourages, sliding into me with skillful precision, curling to find spots that make me gasp and shake. His thumb finds my sensitive clit, circling with just the right pressure.
"Look at me," he commands softly, and I force my eyes open to meet his glowing amber gaze. "I want to see you come apart."
I raise my arms and he lifts the dress off of me.
“By the ancestors, you’re beautiful,” he whispers, his hands gripping me and squeezing my softness.
The intensity in his eyes, the reverence mixed with raw desire — it's almost too much. Eyes locked on mine, he leans in and licks my nipple with his powerful tongue. Oh, God. I cry out as his mouth and tongue feast on me.
I’m trembling in his arms, my body coiling tighter and tighter as he works me toward release.
"Hakan," I whimper, my fingers digging into his shoulders. "I can't — it's too much —"
"You can," he murmurs, then fingers my clit. "Let go for me, amavi. I've got you. You're safe."
Safe. The word unlocks something inside me. With him, I am safe. Protected. Cherished.
My orgasm crashes over me in waves, my inner walls spasming around his finger as pleasure floods through every nerve ending. It goes on and on, wave after wave, until I'm boneless and shaking.
I collapse against him, his heated skin feeling wonderful against mine.
"Beautiful," he breathes against my hair. "You're so beautiful when you surrender like that."
I can't form words, so I just cling to him, my heart racing, my body still pulsing with the echoes of pleasure.
He brings his hand to his mouth, and I watch through heavy-lidded eyes as he licks my essence from his fingers, his eyes never leaving mine.
"You taste like heaven," he says roughly.
I should be embarrassed — would have been embarrassed, back on Earth. But here, with him, it just feels right. Natural. Like we're claiming each other in the most primal way.
He shifts me in his arms, cradling me against his chest. "Right now, I just want to hold you."
I settle against him, my ear pressed to his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart. His arms wrap around me, strong and secure, and I feel safer than I've felt since leaving Earth.
More than safe — I feel home.
"Sleep, amavi," he murmurs, stroking my hair. "I'll keep watch."
"Promise you'll rest, too?" I mumble against his chest.
"I promise."
I believe him. I believe in him.
And as I drift off, cradled in his arms, I have one last clear thought:
This is what I was missing on Earth. This sense of belonging. Of being exactly where I'm meant to be.