Toryx felt his heart sinking. He’d had a feeling that this would be the answer he received. The Mognerthians were known as fair traders, but they rarely offered credit without serious collateral behind it. He was going to have to find a way to convince Xeywyn that an offer of Zekkardite was serious collateral.
“Zocrone’s storms won’t last forever, Xeywyn. They never have before. This season has been longer than usual, yes. But it will eventually end. If you give me credit for a ship and water supplies now, I’m sure that the Zocronian Chief will reward you handsomely when it’s possible to ship Zekkardite out once again.”
Xeywyn let out a long sigh that didn’t sound promising. “Look, Toryx. You and I go way back, and I like you. You know that. But you also know that I can’t just extend credit without solid promises that it will be repaid. And what you’re asking me for will require a huge amount of credit—much more than what I would usually offer to one person. If you want credit, you need to find a way to reassure me that these storms will cease soon. Otherwise, I can’t do it. The Mognerthian trade commission will be on my case about it, and not only that, but I’ll be the laughingstock of all the Mognerthian traders.”
Toryx glanced over at Evie, who had been completely silent during this whole interaction. Even though she wasn’t saying anything, he could tell that she was worried. Her brow was deeply furrowed, and her face was going pale again.
Toryx felt his heart sinking. He had to find a way to make this work. It wasn’t just his best friends in the world back in Zocrone. It was Evie’s best friends. He could already see the heartbreak written across her face at the realization that they might not be able to get the ship they needed, and he couldn’t bear to see that heartbreak realized. He had to convince Xeywyn somehow, even though the odds seemed impossible.
After all, Evie had already beaten impossible odds to get them out of Zocrone. Now it was his turn to beat impossible odds to get them back in—with a new ship and plenty of water.
“Xeywyn, listen. This is a special situation. An entire race is at risk. If I don’t get a ship and some water, the Zocronians will all die. Surely, you Mognerthians are willing to have some mercy in a situation like that.”
But Xeywyn was shaking his head. “I’m sorry, old friend. But if I made exceptions every time a race in the Seven Galaxies was threatened with extinction, I would be out of business within a year.”
Toryx clenched his fists. He knew that what Xeywyn was saying was true. Alien races came and went in the ever-shifting fabric of the Seven Galaxies. And if the Zocronians disappeared, no one would truly care.
He knew he only had one option. He was going to have to figure out a way to convince Xeywyn that the storms would stop. How to do that was a complete mystery, but Toryx was going to figure it out. He drew himself to his full height, and leveled his piercing gaze on Xeywyn.
“I’ll find proof that the storms will end. Just give me a day or two. In the meantime, start finding me a ship and some water. I want a Class Z cargo ship filled to the brim with as much portable water as it can hold.”
Xeywyn raised an eyebrow at him. “No offense, friend, but that’s a lot of work to go to if you don’t find the proof I need. Are you sure you can do it?”
Toryx nodded. “You have my word. And you know I never go back on my word.”
The Mognerthian considered this for a few moments, and then nodded. “Okay. Then I’ll get to work on it.”
Toryx exchanged a few more pleasantries with the man, and then left with Evie trailing after him. She still looked uncertain, but she didn’t speak until they were far away from the trade center.
“Toryx, are you out of your mind?”
Toryx shrugged. “Maybe. But this is our only chance. I know the Mognerthians well, and I can tell you that they don’t negotiate. Once they make their minds up, that’s it.”
“But how are we going to possibly convince them that we can guarantee the storms will end. For sludge’s sake, Tor. We don’t really know ourselves if or when they’ll stop. This weather pattern has been so unusual.”
Toryx turned to look at Evie, putting his hands firmly on her shoulders. “I know this doesn’t seem doable. But we’re going to do it. I’m going to find a way, because the whole population of Zocrone is depending on us. I’m not going to let them down.”
Evie took a deep breath and nodded, but Toryx could tell she felt defeated.
He’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel a little bit defeated as well. It had been a long, dangerous journey to get to Mognerth, and it looked like their success was far from guaranteed.
But he was going to be strong for Evie’s sake.
He hadn’t had a chance to explore his feelings for her yet, and it was slightly awkward that he’d kissed her twice now and they hadn’t talked about it. But he knew for sure that they would explore these feelings, and soon. He hadn’t intended to kiss Evie. It had just happened because he’d been so overwhelmed with emotion.
He’d realized that he’d been keeping his feelings for Evie bottled up inside for a long time. He’d denied to himself that he felt anything for her, and for a while he’d been successful at that denial.
But in those life or death moments during the escape from Zocrone, it had been impossible to hold back anything. The truth deep inside of him had bubbled to the surface, and the heat he felt when his lips touched Evie’s had seared the taste of her into his heart forever.
He would have loved nothing more than to find a secluded spot and make love to her right now, celebrating the fact that they were still alive.
But making love would have to wait. Toryx and Evie were still alive, but Zocrone hung in the balance. How could Toryx worry about his own heart and his own feelings when so many others would die without his help?
“Come on,” he told Evie. “Let’s find a hotel where we can set up camp and figure out what our next move is?”
She nodded again and followed him with a sorrowful look on her face.
Screw it. I can’t stand to see her so sad. Who can blame me if I want to wrap my arms around her and comfort her?
The real question, though, was whether Evie wanted Toryx’s arms around her, or whether she’d only been putting up with his romantic advances because of the unusual situation they’d been in over the last few days.
Toryx decided then and there that he was going to find out before leaving Mognerth. He couldn’t stand the sadness in her eyes.
Zocrone wasn’t the only thing that needed saving. Evie’s heart did too, and Toryx was determined to save it.
Chapter Six
Evie kicked her shoes off and dropped her small backpack onto the floor of the modest hotel room. She’d spent the last hour efficiently shopping for some clothes and other basic necessities, including a brand new Quasar brand backpack. Quasar bags were all the rage in the Seven Galaxies right now, and Evie had sprung for one of the less expensive models. She figured if she had to spend money, she might as well get something she liked.
And she’d had no choice other than to spend money. She hadn’t stopped to pack any supplies before Toryx and she escaped Zocrone. She’d had some stuff on board the Starburst, but that had obviously been left behind when they abandoned ship.
Evie looked around the hotel room, feeling a bit nervous to be sharing it with Toryx. It was a small but clean room, and instead of more traditional beds it had two sleeping pods—giant white cylinders you climbed into and closed behind you that offered a soft, climate-controlled and soundproofed place to lay your head at night. Evie would be completely closed off from Toryx while she slept, so she didn’t know why she felt so nervous. He’d been right when he said they should save money by only getting one room, and they were both grown-ups. It’s not like they couldn’t handle being in the same room even though they were different genders.
But that was just the problem. Evie wasn’t sure that they could, in fact, handle it. Neither one of them had brought up the fact that they’d kissed on the ship
. It had been on the tip of Evie’s tongue several times, but she’d eventually decided to keep quiet since she herself didn’t know what to say.
She was attracted to Toryx, but did she really want a long-term future with him? And even if she did, was that what he wanted as well? Evie felt confused, and so she kept her mouth shut, waiting for Toryx to bring it up first.
Perhaps he wouldn’t bring it up at all. Perhaps the kisses had been in response to the life-or-death situation that had now passed. Or perhaps he had been attracted to her but only on a very basic, physical level. A stubborn man like Toryx probably didn’t want anything permanent with anyone. He seemed like the type who liked to have a little fun but didn’t want to settle down.
Besides, they had a lot on their plate right now. Finding a way to convince the Mognerthians to loan them money for a ship and water was a lot more important than figuring out their love lives.
Evie saw that Toryx was sitting out on the patio of their hotel room, flipping through screens on his e-assistant. He was sitting in the Mognerthian version of a patio chair: a sleek, rounded metal shape that was large enough to accommodate a wide variety of alien species. The Mognerthian hotels had to be accommodating to all sorts of shapes and sizes, since aliens from all over the Seven Galaxies came here to trade.
As a Zocronian, Toryx was significantly bigger than the average human male, but he still didn’t fill out the chair completely. There were some alien species that were so wide they looked like giant blobs, and the chairs were meant to accommodate them as well.
Toryx is no blob. Evie paused a moment to admire him. He hadn’t noticed yet that she’d returned from shopping, so she could look him over without him realizing it. She’d admired him from afar dozens of times before, but looking at him after he’d kissed her felt different. He’d awakened a desire in her that she hadn’t even realized was there. His tall, muscular body beckoned to her. His scars made her heart flutter. She even found his furrowed brow sexy. He was tough. He’d lived through a lot, and he still kept on fighting. And now, he was fighting for his planet. For his friends. For her friends.
And for her.
Evie tried to swallow back the rush of hot desire that filled her, but it wasn’t easy. How could you deny your heart what it wanted, especially when what it wanted was a tall, handsome alien with a fighting spirit?
Nevertheless, Evie did her best to act casual as she sat down in the sleek patio chair positioned directly across the patio from Toryx’s. She looked out over the city instead of looking at him, taking in the view which was admittedly spectacular. Sunshine filtered through the thick treetops in kaleidoscope-like patterns, and flowers in deep jeweled hues offset the emerald green of the leaves. The buildings were all tastefully constructed, their smooth stones blending well into the natural landscape. But the real star of the scenery was the network of azure rivers snaking through the city. Canoe-like boats of every color drifted up and down each river, taking tourists, traders, and other businesspeople to and from hundreds of destinations. It reminded Evie of pictures she’d seen of the famous twenty-first century Earth city known as Venice.
“Crazy, isn’t it?” Toryx asked, the first to break the silence. Evie hadn’t wanted to interrupt him because he’d looked like he was concentrating deeply on something when she came in. But now, she looked up at him and nodded, trying not to focus too much on how handsome his face looked in the glow of the soft Mognerthian light.
“It’s beautiful.”
Toryx nodded, but also shrugged. “It is beautiful, but I meant more that it’s crazy that there is so much water here, while our people in Zocrone are in danger of dying of thirst. It’s mindboggling how different every planet in the Seven Galaxies can be.”
Evie nodded sadly. “It is what it is, though. We have to figure out how to make the hand we’re dealt work. Speaking of which, have you thought of any possible way to convince the Mognerthians that the storms on Zocrone will eventually end?”
Toryx let out a long sigh and rubbed his forehead. “No. I’ve been compiling a list of all the weather data for Zocrone for the past few decades. There’s never been a stormy season like this, so it makes sense to assume that it’s some weird anomaly, but…”
“But there’s no way to say that for sure,” Evie finished as Toryx trailed off. “It’s possible that this could be the new normal, which means that Zocrone would be permanently uninhabitable and that it would no longer be feasible to mine Zekkardite.”
“Exactly. I have to figure out a way to convince the Mognerthians that this isn’t an anomaly, and so far I haven’t been able to come up with a way to do that. But I’m not giving up. These are my people we’re talking about here.”
“Our people,” Evie said. “Zocrone is my home now, too.”
Toryx gave her a sad smile. “Of course. Our people. I think the worst part of this whole situation is that I didn’t realize until we were escaping in the Starburst that you and your human friends are just as dedicated to Zocrone as I am. Now that I realize it, I’ve also realized just how much you in particular mean to me. I’m not going to lie, Evie: part of the reason I want so badly to save Zocrone is so that I have a chance to spend more time with you there. I want to show you all of my favorite secret places in the City Dome. I have a lifetime of memories there, and showing you the places closest to my heart would be a dream come true for me.”
Evie’s cheeks burned, and she knew she must be blushing. But how could she not blush, when Toryx was talking about showing her secret places? How could she stop her heart from flip-flopping in her chest when Toryx was looking at her with such intensity, such passion?
“Tor…” she said, unsure of what to say next but needing to say something. The tension between them had been building ever since he first kissed her, and it seemed like the longer they went without acknowledging what had happened between them, the more Evie felt her desire for him growing. She had a feeling that he felt the same. The air between them crackled with electricity more every time they were together, and Evie found that it was difficult to look at him without feeling her stomach fluttering with excitement.
She looked off into the distance, trying to steady her emotions. It wasn’t the right time to fall in love. And if they did have feelings for each other to explore, surely those could wait until they got back to Zocrone.
“Evie.”
Something in the tone of Toryx’s voice set Evie’s heart to pounding, even though she hadn’t even been looking at him. Now, she looked up, and saw that his eyes had filled with a heat like she’d never seen.
“Yes?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
He was silent for a few moments, as though weighing whether or not it was a good idea to say what he was about to say. But after those few moments, his face filled with a deep determination. He stood to his feet and crossed the short distance between their chairs. Then he took Evie’s face in his hands and looked deeply into her eyes. She felt a searing fire run up and down her spine, and she began to tremble slightly at the emotions rushing through her.
“I know I should be thinking of nothing but how to save Zocrone right now. But I cannot think of Zocrone without thinking of you. And I can’t think of you without thinking about how beautiful you are, and how badly I want you.”
Evie’s eyes widened as she looked up at him. Her head told her that she should gently chide him and tell him that they couldn’t let anything distract them from the task at hand: earning the Mognerthians trust. But her heart told her that they needed this. They both had been through so much in the last few days, and the pressure was too much. They both needed the chance to fall apart in someone’s arms.
So when Toryx leaned in to kiss her, Evie didn’t stop him. Instead, she leaned in to his kiss and gave herself permission to fall apart in all the best ways.
Chapter Seven
The pleasant sounds, sights, and smells of Mognerth drifted up to the patio from the world below, but the only sensation Evie’
s brain could register was one of pure bliss. Toryx kissed her harder and deeper as he pushed her back against the large patio chair. Evie had never kissed a Zocronian before kissing Toryx, and even though she had known for quite some time that Zocronians had ridged tongues, she still couldn’t help feeling surprised every time his tongue ran across hers. The ridges tantalized her, sending shivers of delight radiating from her tongue out to the rest of her body.
Her mind kept screaming at her, trying to knock some sense into her and tell her that making out with Toryx was the most foolish thing she could do right now. Life was complicated enough at the moment without adding romantic confusion to the mix.
But I’m not confused. I know exactly what I want.
It was true. Evie wanted Toryx. All of him. She wanted him to tear off her clothes and make love to her right then and there. In her heart, she knew that taking things all the way was the only thing that was going to satisfy her. It had been too long since she’d been with a man. Too long since she’d felt the fires of passion burning in her core. She let the desire she felt for Toryx fill her with unrelenting heat, ignoring her head and embracing what her heart craved.
Toryx, it seemed, craved the same thing as her. The two of them were lost in that moment in their pure, passionate desire for each other. As Toryx continued to kiss Evie, he reached down to pull her shirt up, breaking their kiss only for a moment to get the shirt over her head and off her body.
Evie, not to be outdone, reached for his shirt as well. Within moments, the two of them were shirtless, their skin laid bare for the other to enjoy. The flutters in Evie’s stomach only intensified when she saw Toryx’s bare chest and sculpted abs. She reached down to run her fingers over the defining lines of his ab muscles. Her light human flesh made a stark contrast to his deep blue skin, making his color seem all the more exotic and enticing.
Toryx reached to unclasp and remove her bra, and his fingers against her body were fire, just as hers were against his. The heat between them seemed to set off a frenzy, and before Evie could think about what was happening or what she was doing, she found herself tearing off the remainder of Toryx’s clothes, and letting him tear off hers. Within moments, they were naked in front of each other. Perhaps she should have been worried that someone would see them, but the patios were enclosed by solid walls on the left and right, and they were high enough up that no one was likely to see them from the ground far below. Evie wasn’t sure she really cared if anyone saw them, anyway. She knew they had hit the point of no return.
The Alphas of the Seven Galaxies Page 48
