Page 46 of Bound to the Alien King
“How about instead we do something about the giant elephant in the room, also known as the passed-out pilot?”Miekil nodded down at him.
“What good’s that going to do if we’re all going to die?”More than a few notes of hysteria cracked Pete’s voice.
Miekil took hold of his shoulders and ducked down to his level.“What if we don’t take him to the medical bay in time, and that pilot’s brain is so damaged that he doesn’t think you’re the greatest reality TV host of all time?What then, Pete?”
Pete laughed like that was the most ridiculous thing ever and then bent down to help the poor pilot.“I see your point.Let’s go.”
Nera handed Miekil a flashlight from her bag, then Pete and Miekil maneuvered the pilot out the half-opened door.
Once they were gone, Nera shook her head at the console as she clicked a few batteries into place beneath it.“I thought they’d never leave.”
“I’ve found it’s best to keep my mouth shut and let them wear themselves out.”I sank into the co-pilot’s seat next to hers and squeezed my fists.“They’re getting bolder and bolder with every passing day, aren’t they?”
“If you’re talking about Earth Space Fleet, then yes, they are.”She flipped some switches and watched the console light up.“I don’t suppose you can hack into the ship and make it go, can you?Like you hacked into my ship?”
I shook my head.“Unless you have a battery for the entire computer system on this ship.There has to be something to hack into.Without power, there’s nothing.”
She sighed as her hands flew over the ship’s keyboard.“I’m beginning to understand that now.Without Faid technology, your clone was nothing.Just something that looked like Maxx and had all of Maxx’s memories, but with nothing to make it go.”
“That’s the gist of it, yes,” I said, watching her closely.
She sat silent for a moment and then glanced over at me.“I’m afraid of the dark, Maxx.I always have been, so getting from my ship to this one was a struggle for me.”
“I’m sorry,” I breathed and tentatively reached out to swipe a strand of her hair behind her ear.
She went completely still as I did so, her eyes sinking shut briefly as a shudder rippled through her.“Accepting your truth is also a struggle for me.”
“Of course it is,” I said gently.“I’m sorry for that too.Just know there’s no rush.”
“I do understand why you did it though.That part wasn’t as much of a struggle for me.”She grinned, and it was more breathtaking than the stars outside the window.“You did good with Roxxanne.Really good.She’s amazing.”
My hearts swelled with pride and a rush of affection.“She did all the hard work.I just made sure I was there for her…until I wasn’t.”
My voice came out raspy when my throat twisted.
Nera reached out and placed her hand over mine.“You can’t blame yourself for that.How were you supposed to know they would hire an assassin and give him a cloaked spaceship to help him carry out that mission?Not every bad thing that happens is your fault, Maxx.I promise you that.”
“Still,” I said, gazing into her fathomless dark eyes.“I can never stop blaming myself for that, or that I’ve hurt you and was the cause of any of your tears.If I could go back and do it all over again, I would change everything.”
“I’m not sureIwould.“ A brief, sad smile tugged at her mouth as she gazed down at her hand on mine.“After everything we’ve been through and shared?Most of it was magic, and if you’d told me the truth right from the start, we might not have experienced any of it.What’s the greater tragedy here?”
My brain stalled as it tried to process what she was saying.Whatwasshe saying?
“It’s better to have lived and loved…?”I began, flipping my hand over to grasp hers.
She nodded as she searched my eyes, my face, my soul and squeezed my hand.“Than to have never loved at all.”
It was only then I realized how close we were, how tightly we held to one another’s hands.Our hearts beat toward each other, leaping along that blazing current that connected us in every way possible.Our pulses coalesced into one wild, throbbing beat.Our breaths mingled as we both leaned in closer, closer.
I dipped my gaze to her full lips and lingered there, suddenly hungry for her, ravenous.There was no fighting that pull even if I wanted to.Not for this goddess of a woman who made me fevered with love.Who made me want to worship what was mine.
She squirmed even closer in her seat, the scent of her arousal suffusing the air and driving me insane.Her exhales were short and ragged, the fire in her dark eyes all-consuming.
“This is theOdessa.Do you read?”
We ripped apart at the sound of the staticky voice coming through the ship’s console.
“Darc, it’s me,” Nera said breathlessly with her finger pressed to a silver button.“What’s your status?”
