“Your sister.”
He nodded with a grim look.
“She must have com’ed the starbase.” His gaze swept her body in a quick inspection as he stood up. “Your wounds are sealed once again. There is no time for a change of clothes. Activate your suit and come with me.”
She reached for her collar, triggering it to life once more. In an instant, she felt the cloth unfold along her body, hugging her like a second layer of skin.
He offered her his hand, and she took it, letting him help her to her feet. She glanced at their practice weapons scattered upon the floor.
“Leave them.” He threaded his fingers with hers, tugging her away from the scene.
She didn’t resist his pull through the halls, dodging crew members as they rushed to their destinations. In every part of the base, the alarm was pervasive, reminding her of the harsh reality of the situation.
One moment she’d been practicing, taking her anger out on the male who played a major part in the war—Dias. The next time she saw him, she wouldn’t resist slitting his throat. He couldn’t be the only person involved in the alliance, but he seemed to be the poster child—always in the forefront whenever something nefarious occurred.
And Idris . . .
They were in a war—and she had just joined his side. There was no place for love, not even toying with the idea of it.
But she couldn’t stop wondering what it would be like to be loved by him.
Perhaps it was loneliness finally settling in after thirty years of neglect from her parents and no relationships beyond flings. Or maybe she just wanted to prove it was okay to fall in love during wartimes. But whatever drove the feeling, her mind kept returning to the idea of loving Idris.
Was he serious about being with her? She knew the Daextru sometimes dated and had casual flings just like humans did, but he had mentioned that in due time, he wanted her to be hisstarmate.
Not just allies or friends, he wanted her to be his.
She didn’t know what she thought about that.
Whenever they weren’t arguing, he was kind and caring. Clearly, he was a great leader. Even if he reported to his sister, he was responsible for controlling the starbase’s defense squadron. That was nothing to scoff at.
If she became his starmate, it would change everything.
Unless there were couples hidden somewhere in the galaxy, living their lives as secret star-crossed lovers, they would be the first interspecies relationship on record for the human race.
She studied him as they hurried hand-in-hand, his warmth like an inferno wrapped around her hand.
She couldn’t lie—he was incredibly attractive. His golden, twisting horns brought out his teal, dragon-like eyes. The long black hair he was so proud of shimmered with blue highlights from the care he put into the tresses. The golden scales that wrapped around his neck like a choker ran down his spine and peeked from the seams of his tight black pants that did nothing to hide his bulge. Jaiya wondered how much control he had over his golden tail, for sometimes it acted with a mind of its own.
His tail seemed like it could cause a lot of trouble if she didn’t keep an eye on it . . .
But despite her attraction to him, she had only ever fantasized about what they could experience together. Having those fantasies come true was a different story altogether. He had shown his interest in her with little gestures and confessions, but the circumstances of the war prevented them from moving forward, even just as friends.
After spending time with the Daextru, she was enthralled by their culture and enjoyed spending time with them. One of these days, on a practice run, she would have to challenge him to a race.
Maybe they have a virtual flight simulator in their practice arenas?
As soon as they neared the hangar bay, Idris dropped her hand, nodding at crew members as they passed.
Is he embarrassed to be seen with me?
She pushed that thought away. He was the prince and leader of this starbase. He didn’t need to mix his personal and professional lives. They had had their moment—even though it was cut short before they could fully explore it.
They were in the middle of a war. Flings and courting could wait until they returned. If she had learned one thing from her parents, it was to never mix your personal relationships with your work. If her father hadn’t allowed the human citizens to miss the Vresqoxk framing the Daextru, the war might have never happened. Or at least, the CTA might have been allied with the Daextru, instead of the Vresqoxk.
She needed to be his Wing Captain, not his lover.
“Jaiya, I am going to need numbers,” he commanded. “How many of your wing members are willing to fight alongside us? The more, the merrier, but only if they are willing to fire on humans.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Humans have never had a civil war in space before, have they?”
