Page 82 of Echoes of the Tide

“I can’t hear her,” Anya said. “I’m sure she said something mildly nasty.”

“Not at all.” Ace looked over Anya’s shoulder and caught Mira’s wink.

She thought she would quite like being here with the two of them. But, realistically, she couldn’t stay here. Could she?

Anya grabbed her hand, threading their fingers together. “You can stay. I recognize that look, and I’m sure it’s the same look I gave Mira. Oh, please stay with us! I would love nothing more than someone else to talk with, and I’m sure Mira is quite tired of me by now.”

Again, Mira nodded frantically over her shoulder before shrugging. “I’m used to people from Beta. We’re a little harder around the edges.”

“I grew up in Beta and have lived in Gamma for too long to be considered soft,” Ace replied. Although then she looked down at her clothes and shrugged. “At least not in personality.”

With a soft sound, Anya whipped around to look at Mira. “Clothes! She’s soaking wet.”

Mira nodded before heading past both of them to get clothing for her. In that moment, Ace saw the three of them in the reflection of the glass. Anya, petite and willowy thin. Mira, tall and broad shouldered with strength radiating through all of her body. And then Ace, curvy and equally just as strong.

Equally as pretty.

It was the very first moment in her life where she had seen her own reflection and thought herself attractive. But there it was. Looking into her own reflection, seeing beauty.

Her breath caught, and she didn’t know how long she stood there, staring at herself until Mira came back and threw some clothes into her arms. “These should fit you. If they don’t, we’ll get to making new pieces for you. Should be comfortable enough for now, though.”

She glanced down to see a worker’s uniform in her hands. The man’s large hoodie and soft pants should fit her just fine. And they were far more comfortable than any clothes she’d put on in years. So she headed into the room where Anya drew her and changed into the dry clothes. It was all still rather surreal.

Until she got back into the room and looked at Anya and Mira talking. They both looked back at her and all she could think to say was, “Anya, why aren’t you wearing Bitsy?”

There was a low quiet, and then Anya replied, “Bitsy was crushed in Alpha when I set off the bomb. Mira has been trying to fix her, but she’s never been the same.”

With a small quirk in her lips, Ace shrugged. “That’s why you never ask an engineer to touch anything in the droid depot.”

It would keep her hands busy to help. She didn’t want to think about anything right now. It was all so overwhelming, but it seemed like the other two women didn’t anticipate leaving her alone.

Mira stood first, rolling her eyes at the two of them. “An engineer does a fine job. But if you want to take a crack at it, follow me.”

Anya grabbed onto Ace’s arm again and dragged her with them, whether Ace wanted to go or not. “Come on. If you can fix Bitsy, that would be the second best thing to happen today!”

Pulling her friend to a stop, she made sure Anya could see her lips as she said, “What’s the first?”

“You, silly.”

A warmth bloomed in her chest as her two friends pulled her into Mira’s domain, which was filled with the scent of oil and so many pieces and parts of metal that it was shocking it could all fit in here. For the first time in what might have been years, Ace felt like she was... home.

CHAPTER 33

He hated leaving her behind, but he also knew that it was necessary. The other women weren’t as terrible as he made them sound, and he wasn’t even sure why he had said it. Maketes adored both Mira and Anya for who they were. Strong women with hearts of gold, who had chosen their mates over everyone else.

He could only pray that his chosen mate would do the same. But he also had a duty to his people, and that was a hard realization to work through. His people needed him to provide information, and he needed... her. Every inch of her.

Even now, he still burned after she’d kissed him so easily in front of his people. Ace had just grabbed onto each side of his face and kissed him like it might be the last time they ever saw each other again. He should have laughed at her, told her not to worry, and that everything would work out the way it was meant to work out.

Instead, all he’d been able to think was that she was kissing him and that he wanted her to be kissing elsewhere. He wanted her everywhere. On him. Around him. With him inside of her. Just that single kiss had made it difficult for him to think aboutanything other than her taste, her touch, and all the beauty that made up who she was.

It had him on edge. He’d admit that. Even going to see his brothers made him angry. He wanted to turn right back around and go to her. What if she was being mistreated? What if the other two women made her feel unwelcome?

Just the thought had all the lights in his body flickering to life. His spines were standing out straighter, harsher. He was ready to fight on her behalf again. He’d even fight his own kind if that was what it took.

“Maketes!” a voice called out. Arges, most likely, his blue shaded brother's voice was easier to pick out. It was always kinder than the others.

Still, he flared all his fins and turned toward the sound like it was a direct attack. Arges paused where he swam, a frown on his face as he surveyed the anger in Maketes’s gaze.

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