by Stone, Layla
“Terran food,” Yon answered without thinking.
“Really?” It likely sounded as if he’d grown up on the Terran planet or one of their moon territories. But Adaamas’ food was mainly Terran.
“I’ve always wanted to eat some. Cami…” Yelena began but stopped herself, shaking her head. He watched her face battle the emotions of bringing up her friend—one he assumed had been with her in the mines. He also figured that something had happened. Because why else would she be trying to reach Cami’s family.
Yelena had a good heart, and it wasn’t until he saw her cry tears of electrical bursts that he understood what the illumia really was. Not just a defense mechanism, but tears. He also didn’t know how she could touch them and make them eject themselves.
“The galley on the Garna makes good Terran food.”
“What food do you like most?”
Yon wondered if she was asking so she could compare it to her dead friend’s favorites or if she was genuinely interested in his. “I like something called pepperoni and mushroom pizza. The ship doesn’t make it. But I like the stroganoff and chicken alfredo. You might like it.”
“Have you ever heard of cherry pie?”
Yon nodded.
“Do you like it?”
He shrugged. “It’s okay.”
“Do they make it on the ship?”
They didn’t make it. It was a prepackaged dessert. It was labeled Cherry Crumb Cake. But if she asked the cooks, Yon would bet a hundred keleps that they would make her some cherry pie. “You could ask them to make some. They might do it for you.”
“Oh.” Yelena didn’t look too interested in doing that, which meant she probably wouldn’t even ask.
Yon finished off two more stew dinners before taking his empty packages and tossing them into the ejection shoot. Pointing to the last bag, he said, “If you don’t finish that, bring it into me. But I have to use the cleaners and get back to the chair.”
Yelena picked up the bag and handed it to him. He took it and left. Walking out of the galley, he didn’t expect to see Pax waiting for him with his arms crossed. “You’re a bigger bastard than usual. What the hell do you think this entire scouting mission is about? Don’t answer, I’ll tell you, it’s about finding information about Veeda so we can find her. Not flying around from planet to planet going sightseeing.”
“You weren’t supposed to be on this mission in the first place.”
“Neither were you. But here we are, and you’re going to hear me this time, or we really are going to come to blows because I am calling the shots, Yon. Not you. This is my mission, this is my call, and after we check out this third planet, we will be going back to the previous one.”
“Not if you think you’re going down to the surface.”
Pax’s eyes turned red. “You. Do. Not. Control. This. Mission.”
“You don’t seem to get it. I’m keeping your dumb ass alive. What if Veeda rigged the lab? You walked into a situation having no idea what could be down there.”
Pax stepped closer, dropping his arms but keeping them bent with his hands balled into fists. “It’s called investigating. It’s what scouting missions are all about. And you can be a little tarq about it and hide in your pilot chair, but the real males on this ship are going to face the unknown and get the information we need. Because this mission is bigger than you and me. It’s thousands of people being kidnapped and experimented on. Those people deserve to be found and freed. Or don’t you get that?”
Yon understood perfectly. But there was always a right way to do things. Walking in blindly wasn’t one of them. “Your little speech isn’t going to change anything.”
“You’re right, it’s not. You’re never going to stop being a paranoid white tarq that thinks he can stay safe if he controls everything and everyone around him.”
“Go to hell.”
Pax held out his arms. “I’m stuck on a ship with you. I’m already there.”
Yon waited, giving Pax a chance to make a move on his confrontation. When nothing happened, he said, “If you’re done, I’ve got a ship to fly.”
Yon turned around and headed to the bedrooms. He had already found Yelena’s room when he first arrived and had set his things on the bed she’d used. Back in the room, it didn’t smell as strongly as it had before, but her snow and pim fruit scent still permeated the air.
He used the cleaner and walked back up to the bridge. Removing the autopilot, he checked the surrounding areas for any danger and then grabbed the controls to take over manually. He was able to focus on the flight.
A little while later, Yelena walked in and took a seat in the co-pilot and navigation chair. He honestly hadn’t expected her to return. Figuring that they didn’t have anything else to talk about, and considering the way she’d acted earlier, he figured she would realize that they weren’t mate-compatible.
Yelena pulled one foot under her butt and relaxed to the side of her chair. He had never seen someone sit so informally in the bridge before. But he didn’t comment on it. Wasn’t in the mood to talk.
“Am I on your bad side?”
He thought that was a stupid question, but he answered anyway. “No.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“We’ve got time, go ahead.”
“Are you going back to your home planet when you retire from the Federation?”
“No.”
She paused for a moment and then asked, “Where will you live?”
“Why?” Because at this point, he didn’t understand her questions at all.
“I was just asking.”
“Well, then, it doesn’t matter where I go because you don’t really want to know the answer.”
Yelena moved her foot from under her. “I want to know where you’re going.”
“And again, I’m going to ask why you want to know.”
She closed up and didn’t answer. The hum of the electronics was louder than her breathing. He shook his head.
“Because I’d like to go with you.” Her voice was small, but he heard her, and it didn’t make any sense.
“Why?” he asked, not sure if he even wanted to know the answer. But at the same time, he needed to know.
Her index finger rubbed a small circle on her pants, and it took her a while to answer his question. “I don’t want to stay on the ship forever. I miss the mountains and the heat from the star’s rays. But I don’t want to go to any planet where I don’t…”
He wanted to be an ass and make her say it. Say that she didn’t want to be without him. It had been forever since a female was genuinely interested in him. Not for a blitz, but for something real. From the time Yon had seen her in the cages until now, he suspected that she might be interested. Plenty of her comments and looks told him that she wanted him, but there was something sweet about her admitting it.
Confidently, he reached over and grabbed her hand in his much larger one. Her skin was cool, as usual, but the texture was soft and smooth, and it was something that he wanted to get to know on a visceral level.
Yelena looked at him, her eyes wide. Pulling her hand, he guided her out of her chair. She took one and a half small steps and then stopped when her legs touched his. Watching her eyes, he reached down and grabbed her right thigh and pulled it up and over his lap.
She didn’t fight him, and she didn’t flinch at his touch. Her weight settled on his lap. He pulled her hips forward until she was as close as she could get with her thighs wide because that’s where he really wanted her weight. No words needed to be said.
Wrapping his palm around the nape of her neck, he pulled her mouth to his. She came willingly with both hands on his chest. Her lips pressed to his, and he soaked in the softness of them. Then he opened his mouth and deepened the kiss.
She followed his lead, a little timidly, probably because this was her first. He felt her body lean into his, and he knew—knew!—that this was what he had wanted to do for a long time. Slipping his tongue into
her mouth, she accepted and didn’t flinch.
He heard a little moan as she tried to suck his tongue.
He took her mouth a little more severely, though not too much because, again, this was probably her first, and he needed to keep from going too far because he didn’t plan to get too excited. Not that it didn’t stop his pants from getting tight, or his dick from swelling up like a salot pod. But with her on his lap, he’d known that would happen.
What he hadn’t expected was how much Yelena appeared to enjoy the kiss. Her little moans continued, and she ran a hand up his neck and into his hair. He kissed her back, harder, dominating her from below. She allowed it and seemed to like it.
He let go for a moment to get some air and to see her face. Her eyes were still amazingly dark, but her lips were full and wet. Her chest heaved. He could tell that she was waiting to go again.
He pulled her down and nipped her lip. She crushed her mouth to his again. A greedy little thing. He really liked that.
With one hand behind her neck, he used his other to reach around and grab her ass. Another thing he had wanted to do. Soft, supple. And his. There was no way he was giving up or walking away from her taste, her perfect little body, or the fact that she was drawn to him—for whatever reason.
Yelena’s hips moved, rubbing her lower body against his sensitive, swollen dick. He groaned. When she didn’t do it again, he directed her hips, making her do it again. This time he forced himself to stop so he didn’t go so far that he wouldn’t stop. And he had to because they were in the bridge, and the ship was in manual mode.
Damnit.
The alert finally filtered into his ears, and he pulled his mouth away from Yelena. Tucking her into his chest, he reached around to the console and turned on the autopilot to get them back on course. They had veered way too far off track, and the ship’s navigation was blinking bright red.
When Yon was done, he sat back and looked at Yelena’s shy face. Her cheeks were red, and her mouth was swollen and had one little red mark. Probably because he’d nipped her lips a few times. Her soft flesh just called to him.
“You sure about this?”
She nodded. But this time, Yon was going to force her to say it. “Say it.”
“I’m sure.”
We’ll see, he thought.
20
The Third Planet
Yelena could have stayed on Yon’s lap forever, but after the alarm had gone off, he hadn’t pulled her mouth to his again. Her insides were still tingling. She wanted to touch him again, kiss him again, and hold him until all the tingles left her body. She wasn’t ignorant of what to do. She had seen other males and females together while she was in the mines. Cami had also explained things to her so she knew what was supposed to happen.
Yelena touched her lips, wondering if it was normal to feel so much need. It was like she could still feel him on her mouth.
“Does it hurt?” Yon asked.
“No, not at all.” After what they had just shared, she wondered what exactly his ex-wife hadn’t liked. And why she’d wanted to leave Yon. Nothing he had asked her to do was wrong.
They talked lightly for the rest of the flight, but they didn’t speak about mating or what had happened between them. She was okay with that because they didn’t need words. With her actions, she’d shown him how her people chose their mates—physically. The way he’d touched her, kissed her, she knew that he understood that he was hers. A mate.
He must have thought about it while they were at lunch and concluded the same thing as she did.
* * *
Yelena watched the navigation screen as they arrived at the third planet. It was dark grey with orange and white clouds. There was an eerie presence to it as if the air around it preferred to keep its distance.
The door to the bridge opened, and Pax took a step inside. Yelena was still perched on Yon’s lap. She felt as if they had been caught doing something wrong by the look Pax gave her.
Yon squeezed her hips and casually glanced back. “What do you want?”
“Yelena.”
That wasn’t the response she’d expected, but years of obeying orders had become second nature to her. Touching the edge of the desk to avoid using Yon as leverage, she stood up. A long arm shot out, keeping her from moving forward.
“What do you need her for?”
Yelena watched Pax’s eyebrows pull down. “Are you trying to be the biggest tarq of the galaxy? Or does it come naturally to you?”
Yon asked again, “What do you need her for?”
“To look over the labs and give us feedback like she’s done for the past two planets.”
Yelena thought that Yon would drop his hand, but he didn’t. Instead, he said, “About that, there is no reason you need her input since you won’t be leaving the ship. Whatever information you think she can help with is minuscule compared to what Ansel would be able to provide, which is the reason he’s on this mission.”
Pax scowled. “Are you forbidding her from taking part in the mission the captain sent her on? Because I would love to hear what he’d have to say about you obstructing his mission.”
Yon moved from his chair and stood. He was an inch or so taller than Pax but not as broad or muscular. Yelena felt the overwhelming desire to step back and away from the two males.
“Every time you make her step into the virtual reality, you’re sending her back into hell. Back into her past. And in case you hadn’t noticed, her little light bursts come out when she’s emotional. Keeping her from reliving her past is smart, not obstructive. And if you want to take this to the captain first, then get him on a quantum call. I stand behind my decision.”
Pax didn’t stop glaring at Yon when he pointed in Yelena’s direction. “You weren’t there to see what she did, how she knew things about the labs that we didn’t. What took her seconds, would have taken Ansel hours—if not days.” Pax dropped his arm and lowered his voice. “And she didn’t have an issue either time. That’s what I will tell Rannn, and you can bet your white ass that he’ll agree with me.”
Yelena didn’t like being thought of as sensitive or weak. She especially didn’t like the way he’d referred to her as a danger. What hurt the most, was that she was standing right there, forced to listen to him talk down about her.
Straightening her back, she said, “I can do the job.”
Both Pax and Yon turned. Yelena was surprised how much Yon’s opinion mattered to her. She had to prove to him that she was not weak, that she could be a strong mate.
Then he ruined her hopes when he said, “Take a seat, Yelena, because you’re not leaving the bridge. Ansel and Pax don’t need you to look over the lab. They can do it themselves in the virtual reality. They used you to compile the schematics while they went down to the planet.”
The small amount of confidence she had deflated. Had they really used her? She wasn’t sure, but she didn’t think so. She didn’t feel used.
Pax was quick to respond. “You know what’s so damn irritating about you? You act like you know everything, and yet you don’t know a thing about what we found in the labs. And what’s worse, is you’re ignoring how valuable Yelena is.”
Yelena thought Yon’s words hurt, but after hearing what Pax said, she felt like her heart was being squeezed. She touched the side of the chair to ground herself.
“I read the reports. I know what you found. I was there during your one and only debrief. You’re only up here to piss me off because I didn’t let you go back down to the labs on the last planet. And even if she can’t see through your crap, I can.”
Yelena was done listening to these two males tear her soul apart one insult at a time. It was time she left with the little bit of dignity she had left. Moving from her safe place behind the co-pilot seat, she followed the sides until she got to the exit.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Yon asked.
She shook her head, refusing to take the bait.
“Look at me,” Yon comma
nded.
Forcing her feelings down as best she could, she gave Yon a fleeting glance and then said, “I’m going to medical to see if there is anything I can do to help.”
Turning back to the door, she walked out. Heavy steps followed her, and she wondered if it was Pax or Yon that trailed. She didn’t have to wonder long. Pax’s voice was behind her when he said, “I would say don’t let him get to you, but then I’d be a hypocrite because he makes me want to punch his ugly face almost every time he speaks.”
Yelena didn’t respond. Yon wasn’t the only one saying hurtful things about her.
The walk to medical was quick. Ansel was by the door, his expression patient and welcoming. The male extended a pair of goggles to her. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if he really needed her help. But her curiosity regarding what the third lab looked like was too much to pass up.
Grabbing the straps of the goggles, she walked to the virtual reality tube, stepped in, and pulled the rubber material over her head then straightened them so she could see clearly. Her hands flicked out, and she began reviewing the first set of photos the probes had sent back.
The images of the planet were dull because the planet didn’t have much of anything on the surface. There weren’t any buildings, houses, or animals. It was completely desolate. Flipping through several more photos, she stopped when she saw another large lab.
She selected it and enlarged it. As she did, she could hear Yon’s distinct voice. “I can be anywhere I want to be.”
“We’re working like we are supposed to be. Now, get out before you piss her off,” Pax said.
Yelena took in a deep breath, expecting Yon to open the tube door and rip her out of it. Several seconds ticked by, and nothing happened. Her initial anxiety decreased but didn’t disappear entirely.
Tapping the air, she focused on the photos and ignored the fact that Yon was now in medical, probably waiting for her to lose herself and fill the space up with her illumia.
When the photos for the underground lab became more and more clear, she slowed her progress, inspecting each image as she arranged the lab. It wasn’t like the last two. It was different. The walls weren’t lined with tubes. Just one layer of large, round spheres. In two pictures, she saw a dark smudge on one side of the sphere. In another photo, the dark smudge was on the other side.
