They, and the ship, weren’t going anywhere.
Eventually, the three males returned to the center of camp.
If you want a place to sit, you’ll have to find something yourselves,” Joy called out.
“Why are there only two spots to sit when there are three of you?” Risk asked.
“Because one of us is injured and can’t move around easily,” Loris said.
Maddison watched to see how they reacted to the news. Would they care that one of them was hurt?
“Is it serious? Can we do anything to help?” Havoc asked.
She relaxed a little more after he asked that. That small show of empathy made it easier to trust them.
Vengeance had a very different reaction. “Is it you, little warrior? If it is, I will carry you to the fire and let you sit on my lap as we talk.”
Holy hells and gravity wells. Hewasflirting.
Loris shot the male an annoyed look. “It’s nothing serious, and it’s not me. And I told you to stop calling me that. My name is Loris, not little warrior.”
Vengeance shrugged. “Your name is pretty, but I likemy name for you better. And even if you are not hurt, my offer to carry you stands.”
Loris’s expression hardened, but Maddison knew her friend well enough to see she was flustered by Vengeance’s attention. That had to be it. She couldn’t be enjoying it. Could she?
Maddison observed quietly as they worked to organize seating for everyone. They turned on the solar-powered lanterns they’d taken from the emergency supplies, too. Despite their limited stock, Joy offered the three males some of their food, and Maddison had retrieved several of the self-heating meal packs from their stores.
She set the food near the three males and retreated to take a seat near Loris. She told herself it was so that they could pick their preferred meal from the pile. The truth was, she wasn’t ready to get that close to any of them.
Joy remained in the doorway, where she could be part of things without having to walk on her still-healing ankle.
Maddison sat quietly and watched the others interact. Risk kept stealing glances at the shuttle. Or maybe he was looking at Joy. Vengeance sat as close to Loris as he could, but other than a pained sigh, her friend didn’t protest.
Maddison wondered if they were all losing their minds at the same time. Was there something in the water? No, that couldn’t be it. All their food and waterhad come from the shuttle. Joy was empathetic and kind, so it made sense that she’d trust their guests. Maddison felt reasonably comfortable, but she’d expected Loris to be guarded and suspicious.
Havoc sat across the firepit from her, his body turned slightly away from the fire so he could stretch out his legs. All three of them were massive compared to the human women, but none of them had the same physique.
Havoc’s build was tall and leaner than his brothers with a washboard stomach and biceps so big her fingers wouldn’t touch if she tried to wrap her hands around them. Not that she would do that.
His tawny fur glided over his muscles each time he moved, and the firelight made the dark markings on his face look like frown lines.
Eventually, Risk broke the silence. “You’re the injured one?” he asked Joy.
Joy pointed at her foot and nodded. “I sprained my ankle, and it hasn’t fully healed yet. I’m trying to stay off it as much as I can. I’ll be fine in a few more days. Now, please tell us about the others.”
Maddison wanted to hear more about the other survivors too. She waited for Risk to answer, but Havoc spoke next. He told them what they knew. It was more information than they’d had, but it still left so many unanswered questions. Even so, it was good to know that some of the passengers had survived, giving her hope that at least some of the crew would make it, too.
She wondered how they’d react when Havoc’s brothers arrived. She imagined it would be something like what had happened with them. If the captain had survived, she would keep everyone calm.
Maddison briefly wondered if the first officer was still alive. Hooper’s cowardly attack on Joy was horrible, but she wasn’t comfortable with the idea of the woman dying. Especially because Loris had been the one to take her down. If she died, her blood would be on Loris’s hands.
Distressed, she folded her hands in her lap and did her best not to let her feelings show. There’d be time to come to terms with all of that later.
“Why are the three of you so far from the main ship?” Havoc asked.
“And can this shuttle still fly?” Risk added.
“And what made the ship crash at all?” Vengeance asked.
