by Dixon, Ruby
The station is busy as the Jabberwock pays Jerrok for new fuel cells. Tarekh and Alyvos install them while my sister Zoey and Tarekh's mate Cat spend time with Sophie, talking about books and seeds. She takes them to see the terrarium, and I squeeze Jade's hand as they head inside. "You sure you don't want to go?"
"Positive," Jade says, and leans against my shoulder. She hasn't left my side, and I have to admit, I don't mind at all. I never get tired of Jade's company, and I like having her next to me. There's nothing for us to do except wait; the crew of the Jabberwock has everything under control and the Star is in limbo. So I sit down on a bench in the cargo bay, tug Jade into my lap, and we watch everyone work. She slides an arm over my shoulders and presses a kiss to my ear. "Did you know that Sophie and Jerrok were together?"
"The last time I saw Jerrok, he smelled like a trash scow. Looked like one, too." I shake my head. "Maybe Sophie feels sorry for him."
Jade pinches my earlobe. "Or maybe she realized he was sad and lonely and they fell in love? And now that he's not depressed and full of despair he's taking care of himself again?"
"Or that," I say easily. I'm not going to argue with my mate. She's the smart one.
Eventually, the hustle and bustle dies down, and the crew of the Jabberwock return to their ship. We say our goodbyes and Zoey hugs me for so long and so hard I feel that keffing breeze making my eyes water again. "I'm going to comm the Sister every day," she tells me, a stubborn note in her voice.
"I won't get it every day. If we're farther apart, there might be a delay."
"Then you get two messages at once," she tells me, thumping her fist into my gut. "You'd better comm me back."
"I will, I will. Jeez. Sentorr, come get your mate," I call out. "She's all cranky."
My sister's stiff-necked mate moves to her side and puts a comforting hand on the back of her neck. It's amazing to watch her melt against him, given that he's not what I would have picked for her at all. Sentorr was military, just like me, but he still acts like he's serving. His hair is short and immaculately groomed, and his collar is so high and tight, his ship uniform so crisp I have images of him sending it through the cleaner every morning. Zoey, who's always been a little wild, adores him, though. She wraps her arms around his waist and tucks herself against his larger, lean frame. "She's allowed to worry about you," Sentorr says in that slightly disapproving, crisp voice of his. "She thinks you don't look after yourselves for some reason."
"Uh, because they don't?" Zoey retorts.
"Look who's talking," I send back. "I'm not the one that stayed up for three days straight once trying to chart out a more efficient fuel run between three stations."
Zoey only snorts.
Sentorr strokes her neck, and the gentle movement of his thumb against her skin almost makes me feel like I'm seeing something I shouldn't. "I take care of Zoey. I make certain she gets enough sleep. Don't worry about her."
My sister smiles and then flings herself out of her mate's grasp to envelop Jade in a bone-squeezing hug. "And you're going to take care of my dumbass brother, right?"
Jade hugs her back, grinning. "First of all, he's not dumb. And second of all, yes."
I grin at the sight. They're not the best of friends yet, Zoey and Jade. They're both incredibly stubborn and each one is protective of me. But as we spent time on the Jabberwock, Jade relaxed around my sister, and I think Zoey's come to like Jade and her ready defense of me. The moment someone implies that I'm dumb (even if it's me), Jade leaps to my defense.
I love it.
Zoey finishes hugging Jade and moves back to give me another hug. I embrace her again. "Comm me the moment you hear something about Mathiras or Kaspar, yeah?"
"Of course." Then my sister pops a wet finger in my ear and I bellow in outrage. I walked right into that one. I mock-vow revenge as they head back onto the Jabberwock, but truth is, I let my sister get away with everything, because she's just the littlest runt of our clan, and she's family.
I feel a lonely pang as the Jabberwock takes off, leaving us behind. It's always hard to see my sister go. Jade squeezes my hand, and I hold her tightly. "Dunno how there's a breeze in this damn cargo bay."
"So strange," Jade agrees with a murmur, wiping the wetness from my cheeks. "You'll see her again, love."
"Of course I will," I grumble. "Let's go annoy our host for a bit."
* * *
It's funny, because while the Jabberwock was here, Jerrok was on edge. He always is when there's a ship visiting, he's told me before, and I don't take it personally. After the Jabberwock leaves, however, it's Sophie who seems to be on edge. She's a little anxious as she shows us around the newly cleaned-up station.
"These rooms were filled with junk," she says as she indicates the rec room they've set up. "We're working on making things a little more homey and comfortable."
"It's lovely," Jade says warmly. She points at the shelving. "Is that a VHS tape?"
"Yes!" Sophie declares, laughing. "It's Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. I can't watch it, of course, but I remember the movie from when I was young and seeing it makes me smile. Jerrok's saving all the human stuff he can find for me." She glances over at the male, gives another nervous laugh, and then gestures that we should follow her. "Come on. I'll show you where you'll be sleeping."
Jade squeezes my hand, but I'm not sure what she means by it. Probably telling me to shut up, so I do.
Jerrok says nothing, just files out after us.
Sophie's anxious as she heads down the hall to another room and hesitates with her hand over the door panel. "Sleipnir's in here, but he won't hurt you. Just don't make any sudden moves and don't act threateningly toward me." She thinks for a moment, and then adds, "Or Jerrok."
"Threateningly?" I ask, baffled. To Sophie?
Jade just squeezes my hand again.
Sophie gives us a nervous smile and then opens the door. She crouches low, murmuring soft words, and then the beast lumbers out into the hall, moving past her. I'd forgotten how terrifying the carinoux is. He's all teeth and enormous, menacing body as he prowls toward us. "He's been very protective lately," Sophie says in a soft voice. "But we think he's adjusting to being on the station and so he's more comfortable. He won't attack unless he feels we're in danger."
I don't so much as twitch my tail as the big animal circles around me. Jade remains still, too, and my protective instincts go through the roof when it nudges its big head against her hand. But Jade just laughs. "Is it okay to pet him?"
Sophie nods, smiling. "He loves women. It's just men he's a little uncertain around."
Jade drops to her knees, releasing my hand, and it takes everything I have not to snatch her back as she rubs the deadly creature's opalescent skin. "He's beautiful. Reminds me of a cross between a lion and a dragon. What's your name, pretty boy?"
The thing licks her face, and I twitch, feeling the need to protect my mate.
"He's Sleipnir," Sophie says. Her gaze slides toward me. "And I know you don't want to hear this, Adiron, but we've decided we're keeping him."
"We?" I ask.
Jerrok moves to Sophie's side. He doesn't touch her, but it's obvious they've got… something going on between them. "I can pay you some of what he's worth, " Jerrok tells me. "And I'm hoping we can arrange payments for the rest. Sophie's very attached to him and I think it's a good idea for her to have another protector."
"I'm still stuck on the 'we' part," I admit.
Sophie and Jerrok exchange a look. Her hand steals into his. "I haven't said anything yet because I didn't want to spring it on you, but…" She takes a deep breath. "I'm staying with Jerrok. Here. Permanently."
* * *
JADE
I'm not entirely sure if Adiron is thrilled about Sophie staying. He says he's happy for her. He gives her bear hug after bear hug, until the cat-creature starts to growl at him and even Jerrok is casting annoyed glances in Adiron's direction. For all that, though, I know how my big guy's mind works. He s
ees Sophie as another little sister that's leaving the nest, and it's going to eat at him. He won't let her know that, because he wants her to be happy, but Adi's got a soft heart when it comes to human women, and I make a mental note to distract the hell out of him later.
Me, I'm just surprised that all three brothers were around Sophie and no one made a move on her. She might be one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. Her hair is long and thick, dark and tumbling, and she's got perfect bone structure and lips that would make anyone jealous. Her voice is husky and sexy, and I can't help but feel slightly frumpy and fat standing next to her. Sophie could have been a model back on Earth, or an actress. She's stunning.
She's also a little…fragile. Sophie reminds me a bit of a wounded bird that's just learning how to fly again. Her smiles are slow to come, and she hovers near Jerrok as if constantly seeking protection. In a way, I do understand why Adi and the others viewed her as a sister—there's something about Sophie that makes you want to protect her from the universe. She makes me think she would crumple under pressure.
I guess we're different in that way.
Jerrok's a little more alarming to look at. He's one of the brutal, muscular mesakkah, but he's also scarred all over. There's a network of white scars all over his face, and his eyes are mismatched, one with a red center that tells me it's cybernetic. He moves oddly, too, and one of his legs looks like an oversized, clumsily put-together limb. It doesn't take me long to realize it's cybernetic, as well. At one point, something starts humming loudly. He slaps his leg, and then the humming stops. So yeah, that tells me not everything there is natural.
But the way he looks at Sophie…it's beautiful. He gazes at her with a hungry sort of adoration, as if he can't believe this angel is his. He serves her food and hovers over her protectively as we ready for dinner, and when she rewards him with a shy smile, I swear the man looks as if he's in utter bliss. They're sweet together, and it makes me happy that they've found each other.
I'm quiet through dinner. It's noodles, but I don't complain and choke them down as best I can. Sophie and Jerrok talk with Adiron about his brothers and possible places for them to go. They talk about the Little Sister and the improvements Jerrok made on the ship while they've been waiting for someone to return for her. They talk about how the ship was taken from V'tarrian space and how Sophie found the message in the mirror—and was attacked. I just listen quietly, my hand on Adiron's leg in quiet support. He doesn't like hearing about Sophie and Jerrok in danger, I realize, and I suspect they're considered family to him, just as much as Kivian and Fran, or even crazy Bethiah.
Hearing about their adventures and the ordeals they've been through should make me worried. After all, I've got a baby to think about. Oddly enough, though, I'm calm. I trust Adiron to keep us safe. I've had weeks to see how he is around babies, and his excitement is sincere. He told everyone on the Jabberwock—multiple times—that we're having a baby. He'd insisted we watch Jasmine for Kivian and Fran multiple nights so we can “practice” for when our baby arrives. And he'd been obsessively protective, hovering over me the moment he thought I might not feel well. He even carried around a stash of protein bars, ready to offer me one at a moment's notice if my stomach rebels. It's sweetly adorable, and I love him for it.
I've also seen how the crew handled Fran's baby. No one resented her or their captain for having a child. Instead, the little one is treated as an integral part of the crew—just one that doesn't contribute. Fran spent a lot of time watching the baby, but I've seen Kivian walking around the ship with his daughter strapped to his chest, and I've seen Iris playing with her. Cat and Zoey were less eager around the baby, but they helped Fran with her tasks around the ship when her hands were too full. Everyone pitched in, because they're a community.
It's lovely to see, and the way Adiron reacts—as if this is totally and completely normal—makes me think it's how it would be on the Little Sister, too. That his brothers would easily pick up any slack if we needed to focus on our child. I'm no longer filled with worry about having a baby in space. I'm just…excited for the future.
I haven't been excited for the future in a long, long time.
After dinner, I help Sophie clean the dishes while Jerrok goes over the things he's done to the Little Sister. He's changed out all the filters and done some additional small improvements to fusion cores and reactors and things I don't even know about. Sophie and I exchange books, and we talk a little about home as she shows me the plant-filled terrarium and the carinoux plays fetch with what looks like a fat metal pipe.
I'm glad when it's time for bed, however, because I want to spend some time with Adiron, picking his brain before we drift off to sleep. We finally part ways, and then Adiron leads me to our quarters. The bed's a good size, and I sit on the edge of it. "Thank goodness for this or I'd have nowhere to sleep," I tease.
"You could always sleep on top of my chest," Adiron says, as if that's a perfectly sensible sort of thing. He kneels in front of me and picks up my foot, undoing the auto-fastens on my shoes. I've nagged him about his fussing before—I'm perfectly capable of pulling off my own shoes—but he likes to take care of me. The moment my shoes are put aside, he moves forward and slides between my thighs, still on his knees. His hand goes to my belly. "Have you felt anything yet?"
"I'm only two months along," I say, laughing. "According to Fran, I have around another fourteen to go."
Adiron just grins up at me. "Are you telling me I'm impatient?"
"Yes!"
He leans forward, talking to my belly. "Don't you listen to your mother. She's got the wrong idea about me. I'm the most patient male on this side of the universe."
I chuckle, smoothing a black lock back from his face. It always falls over his brow, giving him a devilish sort of look. Very piratey, I decide. I like it. I tease the hair back behind his horns, only to watch it fall forward again. "Are you okay with everything?" I ask, running my fingers along the side of his face. I touch his jaw and trace my way along to his chin, just because I love touching him. "With Sophie staying and the cat and all?"
He shrugs. "Sophie's just seemed so lost ever since I met her. This is the first time I've seen her face and felt like she was happy. And I want her to be happy. Jerrok, too. I don't think I'd seen him smile since the war and I've seen him smile twice today. He's actually clean." Adiron lays his head in my lap, and even though one of his horns digs into my thighs, I don't mind it. I play with his hair, stroking his face and his head as he hugs my legs. "The loss of the carinoux hurts the pocket a little, but I'm fine with it staying with Jerrok and Sophie. Better than it being in a cage."
He makes it all sound so reasonable. "And yet you're sad to see them go, aren't you?" I ask softly.
"Me?" he scoffs.
"Yes, you." I run my fingers along his jaw. "You're losing a sister again, aren't you?"
He's quiet for a long moment. "I know it's not the same…"
I stroke his cheek. "You don't have to make excuses to me, Adi. I understand." My heart aches with love for him. I wish I could make this better. I know he wants Sophie to be happy, and his friend, too, but it's hard when you realize you're probably not going to see that person much anymore because they're choosing a different path. "Talk to me. Get it all out so it doesn't fester."
Adiron lifts his head, rubbing his mouth against my palm. He looks a little sad. Defeated. "It's just that everyone's scattered. There's no sign of Kaspar and Mathiras, and I can't help but worry. I know they can take care of themselves. Just pile that on top of the runt leaving and now this about Sophie…it feels like a lot." He kisses my hand. "I'll be fine tomorrow, but tonight I'm a little mopey."
"I understand. And we're going to find your brothers. And my friends." I give him a fierce look, as if sheer determination can will something into being. "We just haven't had a chance to look yet."
"One crisis at a time," he agrees. "You know what makes me happy, though?"
"What?"
&nb
sp; His hand goes to my stomach. "My baby."
I snort-giggle. "‘Your’ baby?"
"Well, yeah." Adiron gives me a lazy, playful smile. "I had the hard job, after all. You're just sitting there and letting it grow. Me, I had to work to get it in there."
"I had no idea you were so delusional." I give a mock-shake of my head. "So sad, all those noodles have finally gone to your brain."
"It's true," he tells me. "My brain is full of noodles. Not even the good ones." His hands slide to my waist and he tilts his head thoughtfully. "Do you think they're salty noodles or the sweet ones?"
I roll my eyes, amused at this line of questioning. "I think you're more like the noodle scraps at the bottom of the container. All fucked up and impossible to get onto your sticks."
To my surprise, a sad expression crosses his face. "When Zoey was little, those were her favorite parts of the noodles. She'd make us cut hers up so she could use a spoon that she had, because she didn't want to use sticks. So we cut her noodles into all kinds of bits."
Well hell, I just reminded him of his sister again. "You know what you need?" I say, wiggling against his hands as they curve around to my ass.
"What's that?"
"A massage."
He looks intrigued. "A…sexy massage?"
"Would I give you any other kind?" I ask playfully.
Lust flares in his eyes, and my pussy clenches in response to the look he gives me. God, he's sexy. I love it when he looks at me as if he wants to devour me whole. My pulse pounds, and it feels as if it's centered between my thighs as he gets to his feet. Then he's looming over me, seven feet of strong, blue muscle. I'm pretty much staring level with his cock as I sit on the edge of the bed, and it's a tall bed.
"Where do you want me?" Adiron asks, voice all husky. I can tell he's completely forgotten about his sadness, and that makes me glad. If nothing else, I can provide a distraction. Really, it's a joy to do so. I don't think I'll ever get tired of touching Adiron. He's just so…delicious.
