Yes, he knew. She undoubtedly would. She was spiteful and controlling. She wouldn’t take kindly to the knowledge that they’d all snuck out from under her nose, that they’d planned to betray her by giving all her secrets to Celine Larchmont.
She would want revenge for that alone.
And Dravka knew that the first being she would take out that anger on…was Valerie. Not them.
“Hey,” Valerie whispered, reaching up to turn his face towards her. “You have that look on your face.”
Dravka’s shoulders loosened slightly just seeing her, scenting her close, feeling her warmth against him.
“What look?” he grunted, reaching up to brush his thumb across her lips. He’d never get over how soft they were, how they felt against his own.
Unable to resist, he leaned forward to kiss her and Valerie sighed into him.
“Like you’re a million light-years away,” she whispered.
Which was odd because Dravka had never felt more centered than when he was with her.
He felt his ears pop, felt pressure descend in the cabin. He looked up, confused, frowning when he felt an artificial gravity weighing down his bones, heavy and unnatural. He hadn’t felt that since he’d journeyed to Everton. But surely they weren’t already in—
His hearts tripled in pace when he looked out the long, rectangular window at the back of the lounge space. Inky blackness, sprinkled with bright flecks of stars.
“Wow,” Valerie murmured. “Thisisan expensive vessel. I didn’t even feel the take off.”
An expensive vessel, paid for by a very wealthy family.
His lips pressed together, thinking about the rust bucket he’d journeyed to Everton on. He’d remembered thinking he’d burn up on takeoff, that the protective heat panels would fly right off, or that the whole vessel would combust under the pressure.
Across from them, Tavak and Ravu seemed to be remembering the same thing, judging by the looks on their faces.
“We’re off Everton,” Valerie said quietly, a soft, disbelieving awe in her voice.
Dravka didn’t have time to dwell on that fact. As soon as the gravity had kicked in, they’d been free to unbuckle and free to roam.
Free to cut out a tracker in his female’s shoulder. Free to dig into her flesh, cause her pain, and make her hurt.
Vauk.
But he would do this. He needed to.
“Dravka,” Tavak said, already unbuckling from his seat and standing, swaying a bit with the heaviness of the gravity. “Vauk,I haven’t missed that.”
Keriv’i didn’t do well during space travel. It wasn’t pleasant. It never had been, no matter how expensive and smooth the vessel was. Valerie seemed fine, however. Then again, she’d grown up with artificial gravity her entire life, in one form or another. She’d never felt anything different.
“Med kit,” Tavak said, rummaging through the bag he’d brought with him and pulling it out. “I used two of the sedatives on the male but there are two left in here. Along with a healing laser.”
Valerie unbuckled from her seat, blowing out a determined breath.
“Where should we do this?”
Dravka gestured to the white couch in the lounge and he pulled out a large tunic from his own bag before laying it down there. Despite everything, Celine Larchmontwashelping them. The least they could do was try not to get blood all over her private vessel. Especially considering he’d beaten her son into a bloody pulp—though rightfully deserved.
Focus, he ordered himself.
Valerie lay down flat on her stomach and Dravka kneeled at her side, flipping open the med kit that Tavak had—thankfully—brought. His eyes strayed to the door that separated them from the pilot. Closed. And hopefully it would remain that way.
Valerie was wearing a thin-strapped dress, given the warm weather on Everton. He slipped the strap off her left shoulder, catching glimpses of her scarred back when he did. His nostrils flared but…that was when he was reminded.
He’d tended to his Valerie before. He’d helped her then. He would help her now.
