Chapter 17
Heather sat across from Devlon on the subcar as they made their way back to her tribe. They hadn’t spent a lot of time alone with each other since catching the intruder. Devlon made plans with his sons and Lt. Colonel James, while she was on the communicator talking to the other tribe leaders. After some debate, the leaders agreed to come the next day to her tribe, but only if they were escorted by the Drastans for protection.
They had a day to set the trap in place. She glanced over at Devlon, who was looking at his handheld computer. She knew that he hated having her be in any kind of danger. It was kind of nice having someone actually worry over her. Mark never really cared about her, except when she didn’t do what he wanted.
He looked up at her, and their eyes locked. She immediately felt the current of attraction pulling her to him. Did he feel the same thing? What was she going to do when he finally left? Devlon might be here another year or two before he was replaced and the Drastans slowly pulled away from Earth. She wanted to be with him during that time, but if she continued seeing him, it would rip her heart out when he finally departed. Would he consider staying there on Earth to be with her? No, he would never be happy away from his family. She was falling in love with Devlon, but she couldn’t see how there could be a happily ever after for them. He looked down again at his handheld computer, breaking their connection.
Feeling a deep sadness, she stood up and walked to the back of the subcar, and stared out the windows. She didn’t even feel the sway of the car on the tracks; she was too lost in her thoughts. Breaking things off now might be the best thing for both of them. A clean and fast break, with no mudslinging and no hard feelings, would be a change for her. God how it hurt to think about letting him go.
She rubbed her heart with her hand absently and gasped when she felt arms wrap around her waist. Devlon pulled her back against his chest as he held her close.
“What are you thinking about?”
She took a deep breath. “I was thinking about how different things will be for the tribes when the time comes that you and your people have to return to your home world.”
He hesitated before responding. They could see each other in the reflection of the window. “It will be a little while, a year or two, before that happens. I meant to talk to you about that.”
She turned in his arms. “I want to tell you just how much I—we all appreciate what you’ve done for our people.”
“Not all your people are that grateful.”
“These rebels are fucking idiots. The rest of us, especially here in tunnels, know what our lives were like before you and what our lives will be like afterward. Hell, some of us were halfway to our deathbeds before you arrived. There’s no way we could ever repay that.”
“We didn’t come here so that your people would owe us anything.”
Heather reached up and caressed his cheek. “I know. You did it out of the goodness in you, doing the right thing just because it was the right thing to do.”
“Come with me.”
She blinked up at him, surprised. “What?”
“When we leave, I want you to come with us. Drasta is a beautiful world, where you can go out under the sun, the air is clean and fresh, there are so many exotic plant life, and at night the planet is brightened by the our two moons, it will take your breath away.”
“It sounds lovely, but I don’t know if I could live on another planet. I don’t know anyone there.”
“You would know me and my family.”
He was asking her to go with him, but he wasn’t telling her that he loved her. She couldn’t make the same mistake again, running off with a man that she was attracted to but one who could never love her. She deserved to be loved.
Shaking her head, she went to tell him no, but he placed a finger over her lips. “Don’t say no. Think about it. We have some time.”
She watched him walk back to the other side of the subcar to talk to his warrior. It was so tempting. Maybe things could change. They could spend more time together, and he’d have a chance to fall in love with her. She wanted that more than anything, but was she really willing to give up her position of being tribe leader and leave the only home she’d ever known, to live on a different planet with aliens—with Devlon?
Heather wasn’t sure what the answer to that was, not yet. She wanted to hope for the possibility of a future with him. So badly. Nothing had to be decided right now, they had time to figure it out.
The subcar started slowing down and she knew they had arrived. As she walked to the front, she saw the frustrated look on Devlon’s face.
“What’s wrong?”
“He’s early.”
“He who?” She looked out the window of the subcar and saw three Drastan warriors standing behind another Drastan. That one’s uniform looked much different, more like one that she’d seen Devlon wear while on the command ship. “Who’s that?”
“Senior Commander Drake Bond. He’s come to evaluate our progress and report back to the high commander.”
“So, he’s like your boss?”
“No! I don’t answer to him, but I do have to show him what’s been done, because we both answer to the same...boss.”
