Chapter 1 #3
"Alright, what's got you so anxious? Grab your bag, and I'll let you into the house.
I don't usually invite people in, but given the situation, I'll make an exception for you.
" Krevan studied her closely before turning to carry one of his boxes to the door.
He punched a code into the keypad, and the door clicked and partially opened.
"Krevan," Ancelin called out softly, using his first name in a more gentle, persuasive tone. "Could you help me with this bag, please?"
Krevan seemed to ignore her as he walked into his home. So Ancelin took hold of her bag and started dragging it towards the entrance.
"Hold on, young lady, I'll help you since you asked so nicely. But as I mentioned, you need to return home. You can stay here tonight, and we'll head back to catch the ship to Earth in the morning. Verrian is too dangerous for you to be here unprotected."
Without any effort, Krevan lifted her very heavy and cumbersome bag and carried it inside, with Ancelin following.
Tears threatened to spill. Typically, she remained composed and distant with strangers, regardless of the circumstances, and would only break down in private.
However, the past year had pushed Ancelin to live on the edge and adapt to a new set of rules.
The ordeal she endured on Earth had transformed her.
"Lights on, set to low power," Krevan commanded the computer upon entering the house.
The room was immediately bathed in a gentle glow.
The interior was even more splendid than the exterior.
The floors shone brilliantly, with the black tiles reflecting the light from above, allowing her to see her own reflection.
Large windows lined the kitchen wall and extended across the far side of the living room, reflecting their images.
Occasional lightning illuminated the outside briefly.
The interior was as modern as the exterior suggested, featuring a spacious, pristine living room with a large multimedia screen hanging near the far, windowless wall.
The rooms were adorned with comfortable furniture in a minimalist style.
The kitchen seemed to have leapt straight from the pages of a contemporary Earth home design magazine.
The inside of the house made Ancelin feel as if she were standing inside a fashionable home in a high-class neighborhood on Earth.
The house was expensively decorated for total comfort and convenience in the middle of the underpopulated and unsophisticated world of Verrian.
Ancelin’s mouth hung open in awe. “Wow, this is remarkable. You live very well here on Verrian.” Walking further into the house, Ancelin looked all around.
"This is where I ended up," Krevan said, running his hand along the polished countertop.
"Took me a year to build. Before that, I was in your place—the old house.
Back on Triaxe..." His voice trailed off as he stared through the rain-streaked windows.
He shook his head and turned to the sink.
"Hungry? I can make something." He gestured toward a hallway. "The toilet is there if you need it."
The tension in his shoulders had eased since they'd arrived.
He moved through his kitchen with practiced efficiency, fixing sandwiches for them.
He slide a plate before her without ceremony.
They ate without speaking, the storm filling the silence between them.
When they finished, he helped her store her supplies in his cooling unit, his movements deliberate.
"Listen," he said finally, his voice low. "Verrian isn't for you. The sooner you leave, the better." The words were gentler now, but the message hadn't changed.
"Well, I guess that’s up to me," Ancelin replied.
"Whatever," Krevan muttered with a shrug.
* * * *
After quickly tidying up the kitchen, Krevan showed Ancelin to her room and left in haste.
He retreated to the privacy of his own room, eager to have her out of his house as soon as possible.
She was already affecting him, stirring his long-dormant desires.
Once fully awakened, it would spell trouble for both.
There was something about her that aroused him like no other woman had before, eliciting from him a gentler response that surprised him.
Nevertheless, a sexually aroused Triaxen male who had been without female companionship for nearly seven years, including five in prison, could be unpredictable, and Ancelin seemed too innocent to handle his dominant nature.
Krevan was certain she'd flee in terror if she encountered that side of him.
She'd nearly choked at the sight of his reflective eyes; the full extent of his Triaxen traits might make him appear monstrous to her.
Lying on his bed, he found sleep elusive.
The rhythmic sound of rain pounding on the roof and tapping against the windows was soothing, yet he could hear Ancelin crying in her room.
Her sobs were heart-wrenching. Surprisingly, he felt a strong urge to leave his room to comfort her or seek comfort from her, but he resisted.
If he did, it would only give Ancelin more reason to cry.
Chapter 2
The day’s events left Ancelin utterly drained.
Krevan Vallex wasn’t at all what she’d expected—he frightened and annoyed her, yet was unnervingly beautiful, like a Greek god resurrected.
She knew almost nothing about Triaxen humanoids, and Verrian itself as beautiful as it seemed was wilder, more hostile, and scarcely civilized.
Its welcoming brutal weather illustrated how harsh this world could be.
In hindsight, she realized she was in a delirious haze when she’d agreed to rent land on Verrian and flee Earth.
Every muscle in Ancelin's body ached from the journey.
For days, she'd been wedged between strangers in economy class—knees pressed against the seat in front, shoulders hunched to avoid touching the snoring passenger beside her.
The decision to save on transportation now seemed foolish; her account could have easily covered first-class passage.
The interstellar journey had ravaged her body in ways she couldn't disguise; shadows hung beneath her eyes like permanent bruises against her ashen skin.
Sleep offered no escape—only a doorway back to horrors that pursued her across galaxies.
It had been ages since she'd known true rest. When the memories found her, they tore screams from her throat before consciousness could intervene.
Throughout the voyage, she'd fought against her drooping eyelids, dreading the moment her nightmares might perform for an audience of judgmental strangers.
Before her departure from Earth, she’d stockpiled sedatives and antidepressants—enough to numb the pain and buy a few hours’ rest. For a little while, the pills helped, but the dreams followed her, leaving her no sanctuary.
Maybe she should take Krevan’s advice and leave this planet, she thought, at least go to someplace more familiar. But where? Her thoughts churned through the night until exhaustion finally claimed her.
Then came the bloody visions again, pulling her back with a start.
She woke up soaked in sweat, heart racing.
Reluctantly, she swung her feet over the edge of the bed and tiptoed to the table by the window.
Fishing out her bag, she found one of her pill bottles and, without water, swallowed a dose in hopes of staving off the terror for just a little longer.
The familiar scent of coffee roused Ancelin from sleep, cutting through the haze left by last night's pill.
She hadn't tasted real coffee in weeks—the aroma alone conjured memories of Saturday mornings back on Earth.
Her eyes snapped open. Where was she? The panic subsided and the sadness returned as recognition dawned.
Her room matched the rest of the house—sleek lines, spotless surfaces.
The bed cradled her like a cloud, tempting her to sink deeper.
If she'd owned this bed during those dark weeks when she couldn't face the world, she might never have risen again.
Reality crashed back, drawing a groan from her lips.
She pushed herself up, pajamas rumpled, she padded to the window.
Beyond the glass, rain fell in solid curtains, obscuring everything beyond a few meters—a drowning world.
With a sigh, she rummaged through her luggage for her robe and slippers, then followed the promising scent downstairs.
"Good morning, young lady. I was beginning to wonder if you were alright. You’ve been asleep for hours. It's late afternoon now, so I you’ve missed the ship back home," Krevan told her.
"Good morning. The coffee smells amazing. Could I have some, please?" Ancelin asked, almost pleading.
The hard lines of Krevan's face softened as his lips curved upward, transforming his expression into something unexpectedly warm. Ancelin's breath caught in her throat.
"Coffee drinker, are you?" He tilted his head, studying her with eyes that shifted like Tylon Moon sea-glass in the light.
Capitating. "This particular blend is extra special and comes from a select market on Triaxe.
" He made a soft clicking sound against his teeth.
"Generosity isn't exactly a survival trait out here.
" Despite his words, that smile remained genuine and disarming.
"I packed some wonderful Earth coffee beans," she managed, forcing her gaze away from the angles of his face. "They're somewhere in my cargo. I'll replace whatever I use."