Kirov opened the window, the glass disappearing into the wall. He watched her carefully, made no move towards her. Instead, he leaned his forearms on the ledge, waiting.
Lainey blew out a breath. He wouldn’t make this easy for her. Rightfully so.
“I—” she said, her voice breaking a little, which mortified her. She cleared her throat, suddenly so nervous it was hard to speak. “I thought you’d left already. Vixron said…”
“I got held up at the command center,” he said, his voice even.
His voice was like a drug to her, smooth and deep.
Her fingers picked at her skin and she pressed closer to the wall, closer tohim.
“Were you going to say goodbye?” she asked, wanting to know. She hated how small her voice sounded.
Kirov blew out a breath, running a hand over one of his black horns. “You made your position clear to me last night, female,” he said, instead of answering her question directly.
Dread pooled in her stomach and Lainey wondered if it was too late. If he’d already decided that she wasn’t worth it, if she screwed it all up.
“Kirov…” she nibbled on her lip, feeling like an invisible clock was ticking somewhere. “Can we talk? I have some things I need to say. I wanted to apologize. Please.”
“Lani, I—”
“I’ll beg if I have to,” she said, words she never thought she’d say to him. “Please.”
Kirov looked at her, his eyes moving over her face, trying to read her, trying to determine what she was up to. The fact that he didn’t trust her stung a little, but then again, Lainey had given him no reason to trust her.
Finally, he straightened from the window and said, “Tev. We can talk. But not here.”
“Where then?” she asked, her knees shaking again. “I’ll go anywhere.”
His expression flashed with something that Lainey couldn’t read.
“The meadow?” she suggested, hoping that he would understand her unspoken meaning. That by going back to the place where she’d opened up to him a little, where they kissed for the first time, where they were intimate, he would understand that she wanted a re-do of that night, that she wanted to start fresh.
Kirov told her, “Go down the back of the dwelling and meet me at the hovercraft. Stay hidden until I come get you.Tev?”
Excitement and relief mingled in her breast. Kirov was much too good for her. If their positions were reversed, Lainey would’ve slammed the window in his face.
Then again, maybe that wasbalance.
“Okay,” she whispered. “I’ll meet you out front.”
She didn’t deserve him, but Lainey hoped that maybe he would see she wastryingto be better. For him.
One step at a time, she thought.
Chapter Eighteen
Kirov took a steadying breath, hurtling them towards Troxva in his hovercraft. The supplies and belongings that Kirov had loaded in beforehand were slowing their pace, but with luck, Vaxa’an wouldn’t realize that Lani was gone until late morning tomorrow.
Because eventually, Vixron would grow suspicious as to why she hadn’t emerged from her sleeping quarters. And the moment he found her gone, he would immediately alert Vaxa’an.
Whether the Prime Leader would immediately come after them or not, he didn’t know. They would reach Troxva hopefully before she was found missing and his longtime friend and warrior brother would try to hail him there on the Coms first.
Kirov would explain, but it wouldn’t make him regret capturing her and taking her right out from underneath Vaxa’an’s protection. She was his fated mate, whether she wanted to accept it or not.
Vaxa’an could strip him of his rank, take Troxva away, and exile him from Luxiria because of his actions, but Kirov would never regret it.
Lani was standing in the circle of his arms, like a couple nights ago, pressed between his body and the control panel. There was still much to be said between them and Kirov knew that once she realized they were going the opposite direction of the mountain ranges, she would be furious.
