Page 27 of Asmodel

The Quantum Lattice Resonator roared to life.

The air in the cockpit thickened, charged with an unseen energy that made Asmodel’s skin tingle at the unusual sensation. It didn’t hurt, but it was nothing he’d ever experienced before. It was as if the very fabric of his being hummed in tune with the ship's escalating vibrations.

Outside the cockpit vid window, reality warped in ways that defied understanding. Stars elongated, stretching into brilliant streaks of light that painted the cosmos in surreal, shifting patterns. The constellations, once static and unchanging, now swirled as if stirred by an invisible hand. The universe itself turned into a fluid, malleable expanse, bending around theShadow Drifteras it prepared to leap through the vastness of space.

A brief wave of vertigo hit Asmodel as the QLR engaged. The sensation vanished almost as quickly as it came, leaving him with a profound sense of detachment before he could even process what happened. Time and space were irrelevant as he struggled to describe the indescribable.

On the outside vid, the spectacle calmed. The stars realigned, snapping back into unfamiliar positions with an abruptness that was startling in its normalcy. If he understood the mechanics correctly, theShadow Drifterhad just crossed an unimaginable distance in the blink of an eye. An outstanding feat that left Asmodel breathless with the sheer impossibility of it all.

Beside him, Raxx let out a loud whoop with a wide grin. “That was hellacious!” His eyes never looked away from the controls. “Echo, analyze the results and confirm where we are.”

A small ping rang in the cockpit.

Asmodel shook his head in wonder. How strange that the universe, vast and mysterious, just shrank a little more. The Quantum Lattice Resonator wasn't just a tool; it was a key to untold adventures, a door to the unknown. And he was one of the first to step through that door.

“Great!” Raxx announced. “Echo has confirmed we are minimal parsecs from the planet CeluriaVO.” He blinked, then chuckled. “Yeah, hail them.”

“Wait.” Asmodel reached over and grasped Raxx’s arm. A hard sensation of caution cloaked him. “Let’s look around first.”

Raxx's dark eyes stared at him before he shrugged. “Okay, dude. Whateva. It’s your call.” He glanced at the star-studded view screen. “We’re just outside their communication scans. Should I cloak theDrifter?”

“Yes. I’d rather we did some investigating before we announce ourselves.” Asmodel leaned back and rubbed the side of his prickly jaw. It helped him think. “While I’m pretty sure Isabella Torres is on this planet—” His psychic sense hadn’t been wrong before. “—I’d like your ship to scan the surface and see if there’s a human there.” Hate for this to be the first time his senses were wrong. No telling what he’d do if that happened.

“Echo insists you call her by her name and not justship.” Raxx chuckled and shook his head. “My beauty is stubborn.” He leaned back in his command chair and linked his fingers behind his head. “Go ahead, babe. You know you’re just jonesing for a chance to learn as much as you can about the place.” He glanced at Asmodel with a wink. “You know you can’t resist learning about a new culture.”

“While Echo is using her own sensors, I will do the same.” JR13 wasn’t asking for permission.

For the first time, Asmodel understood the urge to roll his eyes. “Of course. Thanks.”

“Ah, great.” Raxx sat forward, dropping his hands to the counsel. “Echo has confirmed there is a human female on CeluriaVO. Would you like her to bring up the woman's image?”

“You can do that?” Asmodel’s heart raced. Partly from relief that he was right and partly from hoping to get a clear picture of the woman he’d only gotten a brief glimpse of in a quick vision.

Raxx’s sniff was pure scorn. “Dude.”

Without another word, a holographic image of a woman appeared on the console.

Asmodel sucked in a hard breath, staring in awe. There she was, the woman with a captivating, natural beauty. Her warm, olive-toned complexion radiated a healthy glow, and her large, expressive coffee-colored eyes sparkled with curiosity and kindness. Dark, luscious tresses framed her face, falling around her shoulders in a silky curtain and framing her stunning features. Her subtle, inviting smile revealed aligned, pearly-white teeth, outlined by plush, kiss-worthy lips.

Holding his breath, Asmodel let his gaze roam down her figure. While her clothes might have seen better days, the overall impression was someone with a gentle nature. Her downy pastel-colored sweater hugged her full breasts, and its soft hues highlighted the warm glow of her radiant complexion. Her loose-fitting pants were in a delicate pattern. To complete her ensemble were comfortable-looking shoes made of some kind of canvas with a rubber sole in a light pink that graced her feet.

He clenched his hands to stop from reaching out, as if he had the right to touch her. How could this hologram shake him to his core? She was just one woman out of millions—no, wait—billions on Earth. Once he tasted freedom in the modern world, he and his brothers indulged in the mind-numbing choice of females around them, willing to partake in a variety of sexual pursuits.

Never, not once, had he reacted to anyone like he was with this mere image. A sense of possessiveness overwhelmed him.She was his.The thought took him aback, leaving a sour taste in his mouth. Just his luck—the way he was acting, he’d probably turn into a total ass when he met her face-to-face. Swallowing hard, he chastised himself for lusting after Isabella, but he still couldn’t tear his eyes away from her captivating image.

Watching Talira and Jaltaar nuzzle and lick each other’s snouts as they said their goodbyes gave Izzy the warm fuzzies. She sighed. Too bad the constraints of their society kept them apart. Kind of like Romeo and Juliet with fur. Izzy crossed her arms with a huff. Prejudices about how someone looked always irritated her, especially when directed at her. As a proud Latina, she’d had her share of uncompromising bigots who’d take one look at her brown skin and think she was stupid or only good for menial labor.

Or worse. Make a living on her back or as a drug mule for the bullies in her neighborhood. But, as herabueladrilled into her, “You are more than your appearance.”

She took that advice to heart and worked her way through high school and college to get her library science degree. Even though her grandmother died during Izzy’s first year of college, she never looked back and pursued her goal with single-minded determination.

“Tsuki, please be careful,” Jaltaar rumbled the request at Talira, holding the back of her head in his large paw, placing his forehead against hers.

The striking difference in their fur textures made Izzy sigh again. They were so beautiful together.

“I hate being apart like this,” he continued. “But I promise it won’t be much longer. Once we deal with this Krystalii problem, we’ll go before your council and petition about us living there together.”

Talira smoothed her snout against his before stepping back. “I’ve been working on changing their minds about you for months now. I think if we can keep this human away from your Alpha Regent, together we can dispose of that crystal creature.”

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