‘Nada,’ she replied, a smirk touching her mouth. ‘I think I’ll keep the upgrade.’
He laughed into her nape. ‘Fokk yeah, I want you to, because woman, you’re wild on it.’
Two nights later, in Kainan and Selene’s penthouse atop the Sable Tower, Sheba stood alongside her sister in the kitchen, arranging platters of smoked meats and artisan cheeses.
The views from the windows offered a panoramic sweep of Eden II’s skyline.
Inside, the air was cool, saturated with the scent of roasted coffee and delicious food.
‘Sounds like you’re falling hard for him,’ Selene remarked, in a muted murmur intended only for her sister’s ears.
She reached out, brushing a stray curl away from the healing mark on Sheba’s temple. ‘I’m seeing a glow on you I haven’t freakin’ witnessed in years, perhaps never.’
Sheba felt the heat rise in her cheeks, a deep crimson flush.
‘I’m gone, Sel, with him, my world is off the charts,’ she confessed, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. ‘My senses too, they’re wild, amplified. Every vibration, scent, and emotion takes me on a whole new high.’
She paused, a shy smirk touching her lips. ‘And the sex? It was already intense, but now, after thisDraquismask-meld, it’s more sensuous, more primal, andfokkin’ savage. It’s beyond comprehension.’
Selene let out a soft, knowing chuckle. ‘You deserve it, woman. I’ve told you how I thank the stars daily for Kainan’smeta chimeric potency because our lovemaking is out of this world. Now it’s your turn to enjoy the gods’ bounty.’
Laughing, the sisters moved back to the dining area, platters in hand.
Molan and Rina sat tucked next to each other at the dining table, while Zane and Illanna occupied the far end.
The wrap-around terrace was a riot of motion as the various Riders’ children played chase, their laughter ringing out over the expansive deck.
‘Dinner is served!’ Selene called, and the group converged on the spread of the cheese platters, crusty breads, vibrant salads, grilled swordfish, and citrus, spice, and olive-infused rice.
Sheba found her place in the circle, settling beside Idan.
‘The table feels empty tonight,’ Rina noted, passing a bowl of leafy greens.
‘Issa and Ki’Remi are halfway to the Outer Rim on a new mission,’ Zane replied. ‘And Riv is stuck in Katane playing diplomat with K’Élisa and the Killen.’
‘Don’t forget Xion,’ Molan added between bites. ‘He’s tethered to the security hub while Katya is off on a ski trip with their spawn.’
‘Is it thirteen or fourteen kids now?’ Kainan growled with a mock-grimace. ‘I can’t keep up with that brood.’
The conversation continued amid bursts of laughter, as they piled more food onto their plates.
When the meal concluded, the children retreated to the play suite for popcorn and a movie.
The adults helped themselves tokahawaand thick slices of chocolate dessert cake and moved to the sumptuous living room.
Kainan opened a bottle of aged whiskey, pouring generous measures for Molan and Idan before sinking into his favorite worn leather armchair.
His meta-golden, flame-etched eyes reflected the amber glow of the hearth as he and the men discussed the recent mission at Ignis IV.
‘We’re now prepping to face the god-king himself,’ Molan rasped, his fingers tracing the rim of his glass.
‘Be careful. Sulfiqar, like most gods, will hate being thwarted,’ Kainan stated, sipping his nectar. ‘If he senses any dissension in you two, he might turn this sector into a cauterized scar on the map of the galaxy just to prove a point.’
‘The question,’ Idan growled, ‘is where do we meet him? It has to be far from civilization, so if we attack, there’s little collateral damage. However, it needs to be dramatic enough to offer him the theater of our surrender.’
Kainan inclined his head, eyes narrowing in thought.
‘Arrange a summit on the Eden Maria, the desert moon plains,’ he eventually offered. ‘It’s quite the panorama, isolated from any city. Yet close enough for Mirage to monitor his every move and for us Riders to respond in case things get out of hand.’
