Page 52 of Lorran
Lorran looked unconvinced. “Stay. The smell will be…unpleasant. Enjoy a bath with water.”
True, a funeral pyre didn’t sound like a good time. While a bath sounded tempting, she didn’t want to be alone. “I don’t care. I want to stay with you.”
“You must remain here.”
“I’m not helpless,” she said.
He leveled a look at her. Unspoken was how she couldn’t keep up with him on the ghost ship and panicked. Wyn shifted uncomfortably.
“I know what you’re thinking, but the ship was on fire and I’m not a soldier. Running with the mag lock on the suit was hard,” she said.
“This is not about your performance on the ship.”
“Then what? I want to go talk with the grownups too.”
He raked a hand through his hair and sighed. “I do not trust that male.”
“Caldar? But he’s one of you.”
“I cannot give you a solid reason, but I am apprehensive, and a warrior listens to his instincts.”
“Well, his ship was attacked, and they barely escaped with their lives. If he’s acting fishy, I think it’s understandable,” she said, loath to make excuses for the guy.
“Fishy. More idioms.” Lorran secured the patio door and the windows. The room felt stuffy, with the distinct odor of neglect and mildew. “Keep these closed until I return and keep this near.”
He held out a slender black handle. When he pressed a button, a silvery blade emerged. The wicked, curved metal glinted in the light.
“It is my favorite. The body is a lightweight alloy, but strong,” he said.
“Stab first, ask questions later? You distrust them that much?” Carefully, Wyn took the knife from his hand. She pressed the button, testing the function of the blade.
“Caldar is a dangerous male without a clan.”
Great. Stuck on an abandoned planet in a derelict base with a busted spaceship, trapped with someone her badass warrior considereddangerous.
“Did…” She wanted to ask the correct question because she had the feeling that Lorran couldn’t share all the details. He had been on a mission when she wound up on his ship—a dangerous mission. Apparently not just because of the distress calls and raids on science vessels.
An unpleasant notion struck her. Was this an assassination? Did Lorran want her out of the way while he took care of problems?
“Did you know he was part of the crew at the start of the mission?”
“I was cautioned about his nature,” he said.
“So you’re not going to assassinate him?”
Lorran huffed with amusement. “No. I am not the assassin here. Stay. Rest.” He drew her to him and kissed the top of her head. “Do not open the door to anyone but me. I will return as quickly as possible.”
That wasn’t ominous at all.
Lorran
Lorran found Mylomon waiting in the corridor. The male wrinkled his nose. “You stink.”
“Honest work cleaning the quarters for my mate. Did you not clean yours? The quarters have suffered water damage.”
“No. I did not waste time and scouted the facility.”
Lorran refused to rise to the male’s taunt. “You are best equipped for that with your—” He waggled his fingers. “What did you learn?”
