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Orbiting Earth
Etterian battleship, Gladio
Year of 2254, September - October
“Garix?” Izzy gripped the robe closed and left the bathroom.
The blow dryer in the ceiling had blasted her so hard, she swore her curls surrounded her like a halo. But when she accessed her reflection in the mirror above the basin, her hair fell down her back in soft waves, as if a hairstylist had spent hours taming it. The silken strands slid through her fingers. She got it now and agreed with him. For her hair, she would shower here every day if she had a choice.
“This thing’s massive.” While flapping her elbows like a startled chicken, she settled her gaze on the male sitting in the white chair.
“Press the ends together,” he said around a stick of salami as if he hadn’t just eaten five burgers. So much for learning how not to eat cold meats.
“I did.” She wiggled her hand to show she had to hold it or expose herself.
He bounded out of the chair, clamped the salami between his teeth, and pinned the edges of the robe together. It adjusted, drawing a squeak from her when it clung to her curves like she was vacuum-sealed.
“Thanks.” She crossed to the table and raised the mug to her lips. After a few sips, she chose a chair. When it caressed her ass, she screamed and bolted, almost spilling the coffee. “What the hell?”
A rumbling preceded a guffaw. Garix rested his temple on his hands as he laughed. “Oh, ensa, you are precious.”
“That was mean,” she huffed and slid into a chair, letting it cup her ass.
“Repayment for the pink ice cream.”
Heat crept up her throat, but she shrugged. “You loved it.”
“The female damu was adorable.” He bit into the salami.
“Little girl.” She gestured to the front door. “Now, what did that angry male have to say?”
Garix tensed, and a formidable scowl darkened his features. “Sub-Commander Vorn was not pleased that I commandeered a shuttle for ice cream.”
She fake-gasped. “He doesn’t have his priorities straight.”
Garix grinned. “I assumed Trav or Eriz would follow protocol and request the shuttle’s usage. With Malo, he values initiative, dedication, obedience. Who takes a shuttle is not a concern.”
“Perhaps he lets Vorn worry about those things?”
Garix tilted his head, and a slow smile swept across his lips and warmed his eyes. “You may be right, ensa.”
She cradled her cup. “We still have to ask about Simmy.”
“I did. Sub-Commander Vorn has tasked Trav to look into it. Without Data Officer Tias, we are shorthanded.”
She slumped, letting the tension ease from between her shoulders. “Thank you, my friend. Now shower or cleanse, whatever you call it.”
He hesitated.
“I’m fine. Or will your males storm this room and steal me away?” Damn, she hoped so. She almost faced the door with too much eagerness.
“You are right again, Izzy. As I leave you alone each night to cleanse, I should not need to be so vigilant on the Gladio.”
The bathroom door swished shut behind him, and moments later, the shower activated. Running her hand through her hair, she tugged strands down her chest while sipping the coffee. With Simmy protected, the shop sold, there wasn’t much Izzy could do. Take up needlepoint? Oil painting? Stain glassing? Sighing, she unraveled her legs to tuck them under her again, each time jarring the chair as it struggled to adjust to her movements.
The front door opened without warning, and in strolled grumpy-faced Vorn. He scowled when he settled his gaze on her. “Where is Garix?”
She pointed to the bathroom.
The male spread his legs to assume a military stance, his hands clasped behind his back.
She froze. “Wait. You speak English?”
“Of course, milady.”
She glared at him, then slid the coffee onto the table when her enjoyment of it had evaporated. “So, speaking in Etterian in front of me was an act of rudeness on your part?”
He growled, and a pulse ticked at the base of his jaw. “Etterian business is not meant for female ears.”
She gasped, jerking back as if he slapped her. “Is that because I’m human or because you think me too stupid to understand?” She cursed him under her breath, uncaring that he could hear every word. Calling him a slimy snake and an asshat hardened his jaw until she expected it to snap.
“Inform Garix that a sec-drone has been deployed. Your sister does not warrant the use of my males.”
“What?” She blinked. Ice drenched her shower-heated body. Pissing off the sub-commander might not have been the best strategy. “A drone? But—”
“It is done, milady.” The door closed on his leaving ass.
“Fuck.” She bounded to her feet and bolted for the door, screaming at its smooth surface. “Asshole. May you never get a Dar Eth, or if you do, she’s an asshat too.”
“Izzy?” Garix hovered in the bathroom doorway, wearing a robe over his drenched body with his unbraided hair darting around him.
“The fuckhead sent a sec-drone. Simmy’s life didn’t warrant warriors to guard her.” A wail clogged her throat. Her knees failed her and dropped her to the floor. She allowed the sobs and tears to own her. Her thoughts stilled. Incapacitating sorrow engulfed her.
“A sec-drone will notify us if there is a disturbance.” Garix gathered her in his arms and tugged her onto his lap when he sank into a chair.
“Garix, my friend, you don’t understand.” She wiped the tears off her cheeks and gripped the lapels of his robe. “Simmy’s blind.”
His eyelids fluttered, and she froze, surprised he didn’t understand the word.
“How...how is this possible? Has Earth not yet learned eye growth, healing, or replacement?” He clenched his jaw. “And you told Vorn this?”
“I didn’t get a chance. He insulted me, called me stupid, then left.” And no, she didn’t feel guilty simplifying their pointless discussion into a handful of words.
Rising, Garix let her legs fall to the floor before setting her aside. “I will speak with him, reveal the ramifications if we do not protect Simmy.”
Beaming, Izzy threw her arms around him and wiped her damp cheeks across his robe. “Thank you.”
He strode to the flat surfaces on the counter, punched it, and a new uniform appeared. She gawked, but couldn’t ask when he stormed past her and disappeared into the bathroom. He emerged a minute later, brushed the hair off her temple, and abandoned her with a “Wait here.”
She did, pacing and wringing her hands. If Vorn didn’t help, she couldn’t reach out to Malo. He had to find Caro, and whining to him was the equivalent of complaining to a parent. She could fight her own battles. She slapped her fist into her palm, planning how best to protect Simmy. Garix and her could do it if he let her have a blaster.
She winced. They looked heavy, but with two hands, she could hold it, aim, and fire. Sighing, she acknowledged journalists weren’t high on the danger chart. Now if they’d been sharks, Vorn would be all over the house. She snorted. What an ass-freaking-hat.
The door opened for Garix, and the smile he wore bathed her with relief.
“And?” She bounced on her toes, unable to stand still.
“Vorn wants nothing to do with you.”
“Oh,” she squeaked, then darted around Garix to scream down the passage. “Well, the feeling’s mutual, dickhead.”
“Izzy.”
“Sorry, Garix.” She pressed her fingers to her cheeks, hoping to hide how hot they burned. “So, why the smile?”
“He handed you over to the arriving Supreme Commander. Oyaz has had dealings with human females—”
“Women.”
“—before.” Garix narrowed his gaze on her. “Vyar is patching us through.” He gestured to the screen dominating one wall. “Come, Izzy, share why you think Simmy must be protected.” Pausing, he pinched her chin, forcing her to focus on him. “And behave.”
She huffed. “When have I never—?”
He arched a brow at the open front door.
Right.
~ * ~
“Supreme Commander Oyaz, I need your counsel.”
Oyaz raised his head when the display vid flickered in the comm room on board the Valiant. Sub-Commander Vorn’s face appeared. The darkness swirling in his eyes and staining his cheeks indicated an irate male.
“How may I assist, Vorn?”
“I am grateful we have found Dar Eths. Maker, I swear I am, but she...drives me crazy with her damu-like behavior and her uncontrollable tongue.”
Oyaz blinked at the flustered male. “Perhaps you should explain the issue?”
“Lady Izzy is spreading her sensual scent wherever she goes, has my males using shuttles without permission, and gorging themselves on ice cream.”
“Oh?” Oyaz understood the problem. The female tempted Vorn when his dark blue eyes meant she was not his Dar Eth. “They do smell incredible, Vorn. I cannot assist with that. You will have to bear it as an Etterian warrior. Never let it be said that we cannot endure.”
The male grimaced. “The issue is Lady Simmy, her sister. Lady Izzy believes her to be in danger, but the sec-drone shows no threat other than overeager Earthians seeking answers.”
Oyaz frowned, pushed out of the comfy, and approached the display vid. He spread his legs and gripped his hands behind his back. “Why does she think her sister is in danger?”
“As Elite Warrior Garix explained, Lady Izzy bit the Yithian who tried to abduct her. This would have remained unknown had her name not been revealed on their buzz.”
Oyaz stilled. Only by clenching his jaw did he swallow a bark of laughter. “Lady Izzy bit a Yithian? Is she well?”
“She has seen a medic. If the Yithians discover her name, they will find her sister.”
A valid concern. “So, why not deploy two warriors to guard?”
“I do not see the value when the sec-drone’s surveillance does not justify it.”
Human women were irrational when the safety of others played a role. Oyaz would’ve deployed two males anyway. It was best to be overcautious. “My question remains, Vorn, how may I assist?”
“Please speak to the female, calm her and perhaps, make her see reason, but be aware, Supreme Commander, she is volatile.” Vorn pinched his brow, realized he did so, and lowered his hand in haste.
“Very well, I shall speak to her.”
Vorn’s shoulders slumped a fraction. “My gratitude. Pilot Vyar will patch you through to Garix.”
The screen flickered to a view of an officer’s quarters and Garix, whose gaze slanted sideways before he focused on the display vid. “Supreme Commander Oyaz, thank you for assisting.”
Oyaz scanned the room and frowned at not seeing a human. “Where is Lady Izzy?”
“I sent her to dress.”
Oyaz closed the distance between himself and the console, peering into the dark blue eyes of an unmated Etterian male. So, not a pairing.
“Is he on?” a voice with a sweet lilt preceded the woman sliding into the display vid’s line of sight.
Oyaz stepped back but didn’t remove his focus, absorbing the wealth of curls surrounding a small face with large gray eyes dominating her features. A plump mouth twitched on an ever-present smile, and laugh lines crinkled the corners of her eyes. Her sand-colored hair, tinted with darker hues, framed a beautiful face.
Then she smiled, and the staccato of his heart deafened him.
“Izzy, this is Supreme Commander Oyaz.” Garix gestured to the display vid.
“A pleasure to meet you.” She held up a palm, as if to halt any words he might speak. “It’s my fault you had to mediate, and I might or might not be sorry, but he’s an ass.”
Stunned by her words, Oyaz could do nothing but gape. After clearing his throat, he gathered his wits about him, recalling how Macy had kept him on his toes. “Who is?”
“Vorn, the dickhead.” Izzy huffed.
Oyaz’s eyelids fluttered, and he winced. This was what Vorn had meant by an uncontrollable tongue. “And how did he earn such an...insult?”
“He spoke Etterian around me even though he knows English, then when I asked why, he said certain business wasn’t meant for female ears. The arrogant ass, like I’m stupid or something.” She folded her arms across her chest. Her pink tunic bulged, proving her more feminine than her size implied.
Rocking on his toes, Oyaz wished he could peer inside the display vid to admire all of her, not just the top half. Returning to the matter at hand, he inclined his head, acknowledging her opinion without agreeing with it.
“Sub-Commander Vorn explained his motives behind using the sec-drone.”
“Did he tell you why I want her guarded? Y’know, fuck it.” She threw her hands into the air and paced, disappearing off and on the edge of the screen. Her hair bounced as she cursed, and her eyes swirled a lovely gray. “Garix and I can do it. For the love of Earth, just give me a blaster, maybe a smaller one. And a shuttle. I hate porting, hate the I’m-missing-parts-of-my-DNA feel of it.” She paused to shove her face closer to the vid. “She’s blind. Did asshat mention that?”
Oyaz’s eyelids fluttered as his O.D.I. hurried to explain the antiquated word. “How...how is this possible?”
“Yeah, I heard the whole why-hasn’t-Earth-evolved speech. Does it matter? She’s alone, surrounded by journalists, and if those damned sharkmen get their hands on her, she’s at their mercy. I’m not willing to take that risk, Supreme Commander.”
Oyaz stared, unable to cease doing so. Izzy was exquisite, so vibrant, full of life and energy. “Share her location, and I will task males to guard her.”
Her eyes widened, and the brightest smile warmed her face, flushing her cheeks a delicate pink. “You promise?”
He grinned. “Yes.”
She squealed, jumping up and down while clinging to Garix’s arm. “Thank you, Supreme Commander.”
She pressed her lips to the display vid in a kiss and scattered Oyaz’s senses. His chest exploded with warmth, sending tingles spiraling outward. As a reaction, it was odd and unknown, until the heat settled in his groin, echoing the pleasure his morning chore called forth.
Alodon’s balls, I lust after her.
Stunned again, he dipped his head to hide his flaring nostrils and gaping mouth. “Call me when you are alone,” he said to Garix in Etterian and ended the comm.
It took minutes before a comm came through. By then, Oyaz had altered the temperature regulator in his armor, adjusted the tightness of his breeches, and paced the narrow confines of the comm room. His reaction baffled him, for had she been his Dar Eth, he would have fallen to a knee. Since that hadn’t happened, then desiring an unclaimed woman was irrational.
He drew in calming breaths, ignored his males tossing concerned glances at him, and faced the display vid. The bulkhead behind Garix was from the passage. He must have slipped out and used the nearest vid.
“Your thoughts, Elite Warrior Garix.”
“If it proves necessary, relocating Lady Simmy will be a challenge. The female...woman is familiar with her home. On the other hand, a medic must scan her to assess whether we can heal her.”
Oyaz ran a thumb along the edge of his jaw. “And are the Yithians a threat?”
“I would be if someone bit me.” Garix chuckled. “Regardless, if we can secure a fem...woman, we should. Her Eth will appreciate our efforts.”
“Agreed. I will discuss this with Vorn and choose two warriors to patrol. You will be informed of their names and their time of arrival.”
Garix thumped his chest in salute. “Thank you, Supreme Commander.”
Oyaz leaned closer, almost as if to whisper. “One more thing, Garix, why do you guard Lady Izzy? Is she in danger, as well?”
The male stood taller, and his chest expanded along with the smile he wore. “She is my friend.”
Oyaz’s thoughts flew to Macy. Guarding her had become second nature to him, affection for her a given. “I understand. I am but a day away, Garix. Comm me if the situation changes.”
When the comm ended, he staggered back and settled into a comfy.
What in Alodon’s hell had just happened?
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