Page 24 of Pursued By the Dragon Alien

Lilas slowed a step, caught off guard. She hadn’t left the ship since Gribna’s nightmare of a vessel. Had barely thought about what stepping onto new ground would even feel like after being surrounded by the familiar walls of the Darkslip for so long.

And then there was the other thing. The part where Razion was asking her to be with him—for the entire cycle. Heat curled in her stomach, half anticipation, half uncertainty.

“That sounds like an invitation, Captain,” she teased.

Razion stopped walking. Not enough to block her path, but enough that she had to turn to look at him. “It is,” he said, his voice lower now.

Lilas inhaled slowly, her pulse ticking up a notch. This wasdefinitelyan invitation. And not just the kind that suggested he needed another set of hands while bartering for parts.

He was asking her to be with him. Just…be with him.

And for all the ways she could have said no, for all the ways instinct warned her to keep her distance, only one answer left her lips.

“Alright,” she said quietly.

The edges of Razion’s lips curved, relief flickering across his face for a split second before it was gone.

“Alright,” he echoed. Then, as if the matter was settled, he resumed walking, forcing her to catch up.

Lilas wasn’t sure what she’d just agreed to. Spending a cycle with Razion outside the ship? With no cargo hold duties, no crew hovering nearby, no reason to keep her guard up? That was dangerous. Maybe not in the life-threatening way, but in the way that made her insides twist with something warm and uncertain.

But when Razion walked beside her, his posture comfortable, like this was just another day—just another normal thing between them—she kept her doubts sealed behind her teeth.

She could handle this. It was one cycle. A chance to stretch her legs, breathe air that hadn’t passed through a thousandrecycled filters, maybe even enjoy herself for once. Nothing more.

Right?

When they reached the cargo hold, Razion paused at the entrance. A few crew members were already busy sorting salvage, their casual chatter filling the space with easy familiarity.

“This won’t interfere with your duties. Consider it…shore leave.” Razion tilted his head, watching her. “Even castaways get shore leave.”

Lilas worked her jaw, not sure if she liked being compared to a castaway or if she appreciated the honesty of it.

Before she could think too hard about it, Yig called to her, holding up a scanner.

Razion took a step back, his wings shifting slightly. “I’ll find you later,” he said. The words weren’t a question—they were a certainty.

Lilas hesitated, then nodded.

Razion lingered for half a second, like he wanted to say something else. Then, with a small nod, he turned and strode away.

Lilas exhaled, shaking herself. One cycle. She could handle that.

She turned toward Yig, burying whatever strange anticipation twisted inside her under the weight of salvage work. Because whatever this was, whatever Razion was to her—she refused to let it consume her.

TEN

Lilas

Lilas stepped onto the docking bridge of Vexir Trade Station, her booted feet hitting the cool metal before she forced herself to move forward.Whyhad she said yes to this? It was loud—a steady hum of voices, the clatter of cargo being moved, the mechanical hiss of air locks opening and sealing. And itsmelled. Something sharp and metallic burned her nostrils beneath layers of unfamiliar spices and the synthetic sterility of processed air.

Her fingers flexed at her sides. This was…a lot.

The ceiling of the trade station arched high overhead, crisscrossed with transparent panels showing glimpses of the stars beyond. Ships of various sizes lined the sprawling port, some streamlined and sleek, others bulky and rust-bitten. Beings of all shapes, sizes, and species moved between them, many shouting over the noise, others bartering in rapid, clipped exchanges.

“Busy cycle,” Cozax muttered from behind her, adjusting the strap of the pack slung over her shoulder. She carried one ofthe inventory datascreens, same as Vedd and the other six crew members accompanying them. Each had a list of inventory to sell or trade.

Lilas barely heard her. Her focus snagged on something across the way—a trio of figures with deep green skin, their elongated heads tilting toward one another as they chittered in a language she didn’t recognize. Further ahead, a tall, six-limbed alien gestured at a screen, his armored body gleaming under the lights.

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