“Yes,” he answered, without needing her to explain her question.
She didn’t ask him anything else. He must have been their informant. Sharon didn’t want to put him in any more danger by asking too many questions. She let him hold her and somehow, they ended up swaying against each other. They were dancing, under the stars on this far distant abandoned trading post. No one else was in sight but them, dancing heart to heart. It was the most beautiful and exciting thing she had ever felt in her life.
“Tell Lieutenant TanAR that you won’t be accepting his attentions.”
She laughed, looking up into his handsome face. “It was all for show, to keep the attention of the other males on board the transport off me.”
“It didn’t work on me. I knew the two of you weren’t serious right away.”
She felt heat rise to her cheeks. “It’s because of the scent thing right?”
“He would leave his scent markers on you if the two of you were truly together. If you were mine, I wouldn’t hesitate. I confess I am fighting an urge to do mark you at this very moment. I know it makes no sense and it would only place your life in further danger.”
“MarIK.”
“It’s the truth. I don’t know how this happened but I feel this connection to you. For the longest time, I’ve been empty inside.” He stopped talking so suddenly that she knew it was an emotional moment for him.
She reached up and cupped his face with both her hands. “I have waited a long time to feel something —anything— and now that I do, I don’t know what to do about it. I get it.”
“This is not the right time for such feelings.”
She leaned up and kissed him several times. “I know.”
“I want to make love to you right here but I can’t. We could be interrupted.”
“I know.”
“The danger all of you are in is real and present. There’s more you don’t even know.”
“You can’t tell me yet either. I sense that.”
“I thought Earthlings didn’t have strong senses?”
She smiled, “Trained sense of danger from my father and grandfather and the military.”
“I want to learn everything about you, Sharon.”
“I feel the same.” Only they didn’t have the time to date and get to know each other. Their time was limited and they knew they might never get that chance, because they might not make it off that trading post alive.
They heard he lift coming back up. Reluctantly they pulled apart just as the doors opened. TanAR and one of the rebel warriors got off and TanAR looked a little relieved when he saw her.
“It’s getting late. I thought I would bring you back to the quarters to rest.”
She looked at MarIK, not wanting to leave him, but he nodded for her to go. “I guess I am kind of tired. Thank you, Commander, for showing me this observatory. It’s truly beautiful.”
“No problem, Sharon.”
Sharon took TanAR’s hand and frowned, realizing that he must have used his influence to make her do it. She squeezed his hand hard to let him know she was on to what he did and wasn’t happy about it. They followed the rebel warrior to the lift and got on. As the doors closed, she watched MarIK’s lone figure with the dark backdrop of the galaxy behind him. It was exactly representative of his situation — a lone figure fighting to do the right thing against an impossible force that almost overshadowed him. There was no doubt about it — Commander MarIK had stolen her heart in that very moment and she would never be the same even if she lived through this mission. God, she hoped they made it off this trading post alive.
*****
MarIK watched as the lift doors closed and his Sharon was taken away by another warrior, a male who wanted her even if she didn’t think that he did. He couldn’t fault Lieutenant TanAR for the false relationship he’d established to protect Sharon from others. For TanAR to withhold his own attentions, showed that the male was a worthy one.
Feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders, he walked over to take the lift down to the first level where OrIN set up their personal quarters. He approached OrIN’s personal quarters, where two warriors stood guard.
“I need to speak with Leader OrIN.”
They used their comm link to tell OrIN MarIK was there. A few minutes later, the door slid opened and he heard OrIN’s voice.
