by Hope Hart
“Get us out of here!” My voice is shrill, and I take my hand back even as I fumble for the controls.
The SSA Hope fires at the incoming ships, and they fire back, but Arcav shields are some of the finest in the universe. I let another missile loose and manage to hit a ship that comes too close. They’re hanging back now, and my mouth drops open as the SSA Hope flies toward the dock
“No way.”
Whoever is flying the ship has balls of steal, and we both watch silently as they open fire and the dock disappears in a fiery explosion.
Methi sweeps us behind the SSA Hope and it provides cover as we finally begin to pick up speed, heading for universal air space.
I blow out a breath and my shoulders slump as we reach the exosphere. I fiddle with the communicator, but I can’t figure out how it works.
“Can you understand how to work this?”
Methi narrows his eyes as he reaches over. “It is ancient. There’s no way we will be able to get a signal to Varian this far from Arcavia. We will just have to hope we can find another planet to refuel and contact him there.”
“Refuel?”
He nods and gestures at the gauge and my heart sinks. It’s only one-third full. Obviously, we stole the ship before it had been refueled.
I sigh. One calamity at a time.
The SSA Hope shoots past us at high speed, leaving us in its dust. Methi glowers after it.
I eye him. “You think that was the Fecax Queen?”
“I would put money on it.”
“Well, she saved our asses. Even if she did leave us with this hunk of junk. Maybe once she gets to Fecax she’ll alert Varian and they’ll come find us.”
“I do not believe she will return to Fecax.”
“What do you mean? She’s the Queen. She kinda has to be there.”
He tweaks some controls before finally sighing and leaning back in his chair.
“Her family was murdered. It is likely that she does not trust those closest to her.”
“But the Arcav would keep her safe, right?”
“We did not keep her family safe. Why would she believe we could keep her alive?”
Crap. The Fecax and Arcav rely on each other in their ongoing fight against the Grivaths. Whoever killed the royal family will have wanted the youngest princess to die too. I have no doubt that Varian will send a team after her.
“How’s your leg?”
Methi shifts it slightly, and I can see the shadow of pain that crosses his face. It hurts to see him in pain and I gesture for him to turn in his chair.
“We need to get you out of these pants,” I say as I take a look at the blood and dirt covering his wound.
He is silent, and I look up into his eyes, blushing at the heat in them as I realize what I said.
Methi reaches over and presses a few more buttons.
“Our flight path is programmed, but I do not trust this ship enough to spend long away from the controls. We will take a few minutes to see if we can find somewhere to get clean but then I will return.”
I nod and we leave the control center, checking out the rooms nearby. This ship is tiny compared to any Arcav ship I’ve ever been on, but even though it’s a piece of shit, it’s a clean piece of shit. We find a small shower tucked away in one of the rooms close to the control center, and Methi immediately begins to strip. I’m still wearing my backpack, I realize, and pull it off, searching through it until…
“Uh-huh!”
I turn to Methi, who has stripped down to his pants. I freeze as I stand in front of him, unapologetically taking in the artwork that is his body. I get the sudden urge to paint him, wanting nothing more than the chance to capture his smooth skin, washboard abs, and wide shoulders.
The golden hue of his skin transforms seamlessly into the silver of his arm, operated by some kind of bionics. He lets out a low groan.
“You cannot look at me like that.”
I shake my head, jolting myself out of the fantasy I have of licking my way down those abs. What am I doing? Friends, remember? I hand him the clothes in my arms.
“I grabbed these from Arax’s closet before I left.”
“Thank you.”
It’s suddenly intolerably awkward between us and I sigh, turning to go.
“Wait.”
I raise my eyebrow as Methi’s horns straighten. “I do not want you to go without me.”
“I’m just going to check out the other rooms near here.”
He sticks out his chin the way that I do and I almost laugh.
“I have not yet checked them for threats. You will wait for me.”
“Methi,” I sigh, “we just stole this ship. If it wasn’t empty, they would’ve killed us when we were taking off.”
He simply stares at me wordlessly and I sigh again. Arcav males are overprotective and territorial. The poor guy has been shoved in a cage for God knows how long. He’s obviously fighting his instincts and looking for control wherever he can find it.
I can bend for him.
“Okay. Get clean. I’ll wait right here.”
I turn and face the door so he can have some privacy, but I almost moan as I hear him shuffling his pants down. He lets out a groan of pain and I spin.
“What? What is it?”
Holy… Wow. Methi’s back is just as incredible as his front, and his pants are currently sliding down his thighs, displaying a butt that looks like it’s been sculpted.
He mutters again in pain and I try to get control of my hormones.
“What’s wrong?”
“Some of the fabric has stuck to the wound.”
I wince in sympathy.
“Okay. Get in the shower. Does it have a water function?”
Methi leans forward and presses a few buttons and water shoots out of the many showerheads surrounding him. He allows the water to soak his pants, and slowly begins to pull them down again. My mouth waters as his cock appears, smooth, hard, and long, with a slight tilt to the left. I’m a virgin, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t had a number of fantasies recently, and Methi may have featured in all of them.
Focus. Don’t just stare at the guy’s dick. He’s your friend and he’s in pain for God's sakes.
I get my head in the game and lean forward, coaxing the fabric away from his wound. I avoid his eyes as my head lowers, inches from his dick.
“I think it was just dry blood. I’ve pulled most of it away. Try again now.”
My voice is strangled, and Methi is breathing hard as he pulls his pants down, finally getting them past the wound. If he’d been human, I have no doubt that he would’ve died, and from what he told me about the Fecax Queen’s blood, it’s likely that she saved him from an infection that would’ve taken his leg, and maybe even his life.
It suddenly hits me— how many brushes with death we’ve both had over the past few days, and before I know it I’m shaking, and Methi is cursing, hauling me up into his arms as I sob against his chest.
Methi
This female is so strong, so brave, that I forget she has only been alive for just seventeen short years. I could scent her desire, and it took everything in me not to strip her of her clothes and give us both what we want.
But then her scent changed, and I recognized the signs of an impending adrenaline crash. Now, she sniffs against my chest, recovering from the sobs that shook her whole body. Her clothes are soaking wet, and I tense as she finally sighs, steps back, and looks up at me through red, swollen eyes.
There is something uniquely special about a female who can fight like a warrior, teeth bared, eyes lit from within, but will still take comfort when it is offered.
I almost groan as my eyes travel down her body and then fix firmly on her face. Her thin shirt is sticking to her like a second skin, her hard nipples begging me to lick them.
I shake, body quaking at the thought of touching her. The female I believe is my mate.
It takes every bit of my willpower to set her aside, step out of
my pants, and take one final rinse, before leaving her to bathe. I change into Arax’s clothes, and the reminder that Meghan is now his daughter is enough to help me rebuild my defenses against her. I can already see the commendation in his eyes when he learns that I have broken my word to Harlow.
“Are we ever going to talk about it?” Mehgan’s voice is quiet, and I stare at the wall as I hear her pull off her clothes. She gives a soft sigh as she enjoys the clean water and I fight an ongoing battle with myself as I stand as still as a rock.
“Talk about what?”
She turns the water off and I hear her drying her body. I picture her wet, drops of water rolling down her skin, and I try to think of anything else.
Talis, shooting me in the leg. Arax judging me with cold eyes. Harlow, learning of my dishonor.
Clothes slide over Meghan’s skin and I close my eyes. Finally, she steps closer and I turn, meeting her clear blue eyes.
“You left without even letting me know, Methi. I thought we were friends.”
Her voice is wounded, and I feel her pain deep inside.
“I had to go.”
“I found out about your promise to Harlow.” Her gaze is steady, and I hold it.
“So you understand,” I nod. Excellent.
“No, actually, I don’t,” her voice is low. “Explain it to me.”
The ship shudders and I jolt, racing for the control center.
“This discussion is not over!” Meghan’s calls as I take my seat.
I examine the readings. I do not understand what is wrong. The fuel gauge still indicates that we have one-third of a full tank. I frown, something itching at my exhausted brain, but Meghan’s excited voice interrupts me.
“Methi, look at this!”
The ship has stopped shuddering, and we are still on the right path, so I follow her voice to one of the smaller rooms.
She has found the food.
Instantly, my stomach clenches and my face breaks out in a sweat. I drop to the floor, where Meghan is on her knees, pulling rations out of metal boxes.
She hands me a box, and I tense as her fingers brush mine, my body on high alert. I duck my head, vowing to ignore it and immediately begin eating, raising my eyebrows as a burst of flavor hits my tongue. I do not know what it is, or which beast this stringy meat came from, but I need to fuel my body so that my leg can continue healing.
That feeling again. I pause, wracking my brain, but sigh as it flees.
Meghan takes a bite, wrinkles her nose, but keeps eating. She is pragmatic, this female, and not one to complain about things she cannot change.
I want to take her to the best restaurant in Arcavia and watch the candlelight dance across her face.
“You should get some sleep,” I tell her, voice rough. “Then we can switch and ensure we are both rested.”
Meghan looks at me and then nods silently, getting to her feet without another word. But I know our conversation will be continued.
She does not understand. If I explain that I am her mate, she will want to jump into our mating, feet first, grin on her face, the way she does with every new adventure that comes her way. But after listening to Harlow and watching Meghan live her life, so curious and enthusiastic, I understand.
She deserves to have her freedom for as long as I can give it to her. One day, when we are mated, perhaps when we have younglings of our own, she will appreciate this time. I never want her to regret meeting me and losing the short time left of that period between childhood and adulthood.
My mother was young, innocent, untouched, and unwise to the ways of the world until she met an older male who swept her off her feet. He was an accomplished liar and had many other lovers at the same time. When she found out, she attempted to leave, but his poisonous words compelled her to stay.
By then, he had convinced her that she was worthless. That she would never find anyone to love her or even anyone who would mate with her. My mother’s sister once told me that she did not see my mother smile for years. She transformed from a happy, animated young girl with dreams and goals to a sad, withdrawn woman who believed she would never be happy again.
Then she learned she was pregnant.
My mother refers to me as her shining star, even today. She says that in her darkest time, she was sent a bright light to bring her joy. When she was three months pregnant, my biological father was killed in the attempted Grivath invasion along with Jaret’s mother.
Three months after that, my mother met her mate.
He was a kind, warm male who doted on her, but most of all, respected her. He nurtured her, supported her, but most of all, gave her back her freedom. However, the damage had been done, and she will never be the woman she could have been if she had not met my real father. But her mate saved her. For the first time in years, she was encouraged to go out and enjoy her life. To talk to her friends, travel, and live.
That male became my father.
But no one forgot that he was not my real father. And no one let me forget it either.
Meghan
Life has a funny way of fucking with us all.
Oh, you think you’re miserable now? The universe asked. You’re really gonna love this.
We’re almost out of fuel. That’s what the shuddering had been about. While I’d found a place to snatch a few hours of sleep, Methi had been attempting to figure out what was wrong with the ship.
When I returned to take over and give Methi a chance to rest, he instructed me to wake him up if I noticed anything unusual.
A couple of hours later, the ship began shuddering so hard that Methi found me pale and shaking as I clung onto the control center.
“What the hell is wrong with it?” I asked him. “We’ve had no warnings from the ship. We still have fuel—oh my God.”
We both stare at the fuel gauge, still in the exact same place it was when we stole this ship. We’ve already mapped out a planet to refuel, but it’s still a couple of days away.
We made a rookie mistake. The gauge is obviously broken. Who knows how much fuel we really had when we escaped? The owners of this ship were probably used to keeping track based on the distance they’d traveled, the way I had to on Earth when I drove my mom’s old car with the busted fuel gauge. It always showed the tank as empty, so we just made sure to hit the gas station regularly.
“What do we do?” I’m panicking, but Methi is already studying the instruments and looking at maps. I break out in a sick sweat as terror hits me.
He’s looking for a place to crash land. We’re going down.
He meets my eyes, and his words from Durin swim through my brain.
“If this is our death, I swear I will find you again in the next life. This is not the end of our story.”
I nod, and he smiles, a beautiful smile that I hardly ever get to see. Trust Methi to wait until we’re about to die before he gifts it to me.
He turns back to the controls, and I stare at the pounding pulse in his temple as he takes us off course.
I try to contact Arcavia again, but we’re still too far away. Methi growls as we hear nothing but static, then curses and turns the communicator off. He guides the ship further off course, and then reaches for me, unbuckling my belt and sitting me on his lap before doing his buckle up around both of us.
He’s going to try to protect me, I realize, my breath turning into shallow pants. The Arcav don’t give humans the Alni plant until they’re twenty-one, and I still have three and a half years to go. My body won’t heal like Methi’s. It won’t survive being impaled with steal and warped by gravity.
Black spots dance in front of my eyes and Methi pulls me close.
“You will not die,” he tells me, and somehow, it’s that order that helps me slow my breathing. Typical Arcav male.
We sink lower, and I watch as Methi tries to conserve what little fuel we have while also slowing our descent. We need fuel to land safely, but by the way the ship has started to jolt, as if it’s gasping for breath, we�
�re running on nothing but fumes.
“Which planet is it?” I ask through numb lips as we burst through clouds and I see land below us.
“I do not know.”
“I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
“Hush.” Methi kisses my forehead and curls me into fetal position, surrounding me with his body. “Now close your eyes.”
Chapter Eight
Methi
I have done everything I can to slow our descent. Now, our very survival is up to fate. Fate has never treated me kindly, and I growl, unused to feeling hopelessness. Meghan shudders in my arms, clutching at my shirt as I cover her body with mine.
She will live. I tell fate. I demand it.
I curl even closer to Meghan, conscious that she is likely being crushed with my body as I wrestle with the controls, aiming for somewhere flat for our crash-landing. I curse Talis with every breath as the ground approaches. He was already going to die for his treachery. If Meghan dies, I will stretch his death out over centuries.
If we land in one piece, we will have to contend with a strange planet and no way to get back to Arcavia. In this moment, I could also happily kill the Fecax Queen, who took the ship that would have safely carried my mate back to Arcavia.
They say that your life flashes before your eyes when you are dying. But all I see is Meghan. Meghan painting at dusk, tongue peeking out from between her teeth. Meghan laughing with her friends, shoulders shaking. Meghan slowly beginning to realize that we should be together, her eyes curious as she peers up at me.
I grit my teeth as we get even closer. I’ve managed to find us a flat surface, but there’s always a chance that this planet will not have enough oxygen for us to breathe or any signs of water or food. Even if we survive, we may be exchanging a quick death for one that’s incredibly slow and painful.
I tense even more, shaking with strain as I attempt to cover ever inch of Meghan’s body with my own. And then I close my own eyes, breathing in the scent of her hair as the sky disappears and I only see cold, hard, ground.
