Page 37 of The Alien's Stolen Rebel

“How could I be so lucky?” I pondered out loud.

“I dunno,” came the sleepy reply. “It’s not because you’re a comfortable pillow, that’s for sure.”

Surprised, I laughed, the sound echoing in the small room. Rachel lifted her head to mock-glare at me.

“I have been awake forfive seconds.”

She couldn’t pretend to be grumpy for more than a heartbeat before a grin conquered her frown. Looking around the room and the bed, she sat up beside me.

“This bed’s a pretty tight squeeze for the, um, acrobatics we pulled off last night,” she said, frowning. I chuckled, shaking my head.

“That’s the first thing that catches your attention? Now I know I’m not dreaming—I’d never imagine being distracted by the logistics of our love-life.”

“Engineer’s daughter, remember?” Rachel’s unrepentant grin lit up her face as she hopped down from the bed and examined it. I didn’t mind—watching my mate work naked was a delight I’d never considered. “Did we reallydoanything last night? I’m not complaining, but…we can’t have been that acrobatic, can we? Not in here. Was it all virtual?”

I pondered the question. “Some of it was real. I ache in all the right places, and I think I left a bruise on your arm. I’m?—”

“Don’t you dare apologize for anything we did together, mister. I don’t regret a second of it.” Rachel rubbed her wrist, where a darkening print of my hand marked her struggles. Her grin lit up the room, even as her cheeks reddened.

“Besides, I want to understand the virtual world’s limits.” She made a quiet, joyful noise as a panel unfolded from the headboard, holograms lighting up to float over it. “Then we can do it again, butmore so.”

That brought a wide smile to my face, and I rolled over to examine the control panel with her. “I’m no engineer, but I am a skilled pirate. Breaking security systems is in my blood. Let me help.”

It didn’t take long to work our way through the menu structure. Our combined skills helped, but not as much my beloved bride’s royal status. The biggest problem was translating the system messages from Imperial High Vehn, a language more useful for poetry than technical writing.

“Ah, a voice command option. Finally.” Rachel grinned and flicked the virtual switch. “Last time I spoke to it inside the simulation, and it was much easier than this interface.”

“Goodtimestamp not found,Your Highness.” The autodoc spoke in a sweet, melodic voice, ageless and genderless. “What may we help you with? You have completed you healing regimen, as has your paramour.”

I pulled myself to my feet, ready to object to that characterization. We’d been through far too much for a computer to dismiss me as a mere paramour!

Of course, that was the moment theStarshadowshook violently, throwing me to the deck.

Rachel, already crouching beside the autodoc,dropped to all fours. I lay face down and swearing until the rumbling shake passed.

“What thefuck?”My mate’s question was crude, but I caught her meaning at once.

“Under attack,” I said. “Something hit the hull. It must have been a glancing blow or...”

I trailed off, but Rachel finished the thought for me.

“Or we’d be greasy smears along the wall, right? A diamond hull is tough, but if something shoves us hard enough, it doesn’t have to penetrate to kill us.”

“I will find out what’s happening and deal with it,” I said, standing up. “You will stay here, where you’ll be safest.”

“The hell I will!”

My mate’s objection wasn’t fast enough. By the time she spoke, I was already on my way out the door, setting it to lock behind me. It slid shut at once, cutting off Rachel’s shouted, curse-filled complaints.

The yacht’s central passageway shook around me as I headed forward, slamming into the wall with bruising force. By the time I burst onto the bridge, I was ready to murder whoever had interrupted my time with Rachel.

Arzak sat in the pilot’s seat, looking intently at the navigation hologram as he yanked at the controls. Beside him, Kyria took the scanners, her fingers flickering over the display as she tried to make sense of the chaos outside. It didn’t look like she was winning.

Buran and Shichax stood back, vibrating with tension and looking for something to do. I’d cursethem out for being on the bridge and distracting the pilot, except I was here to do the same thing.

“What in the endless void is happening?”

Heads snapped around at my roared question. Not Arzak, thank whatever spirits watch over fools and pirates. He stayed focused on keeping us alive.

---