Page 19 of Lashe

“What were your parents like?” she asked delicately.

“They were good parents.” I allowed a smile to curve my lips. It was easy to smile now, remembering them. For a long time, remembering my parents only brought fresh pain. “My mother was very funny. She could find the humor in almost any situation. And my father was also a warrior. He was good-natured. Not the best at handling disagreements, as he dodged them, especially with my mother. Imperfect, but kind and just.”

She curled her feet beneath her in a crisscross and nibbled dry protein crisps as she sipped a mug of weak tea. Even with the water recirculation system in the shuttle, we had lost a lot when the irradiated dust damaged the ship’s internal systems. For every system I got back online, another one gave me error messages. Still, we were making progress, slowly. Progress personally, as well.

“Did you have siblings?” she asked.

“No. It was just me. Destrans do not tend to have huge families, so it takes some time for our population to grow. That’s also because the Sola has to growwithus and they take centuries to reproduce.” I chuckled. “But our birth rates have improved now that we have a new planet.”

“It’s hard to believe the progress that’s been made in six years,” she said.

“With humans as our allies, we’re safer now than we’ve been in recorded history.” I smiled at her. “And we have the most qualified ambassador we could hope for.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, stop it. Half the time I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m learning as I go.”

“Aren’t we all? You represent both your people and mine with honor and fairness. That’s one reason why you are beloved among my people.”

Her blue eyes clashed with mine. “And I am beloved byyou?”

“Of course.” I grinned. “Youaremy fated mate.”

She dropped her gaze. “I don’t want to hurt you, Lashe.”

“If you do, you do.” I tilted her chin up. “But thank you for the chance to win you. And Iwilltry.”

Her lips curved. “I like you. I find you attractive.” She said that last bit shyly with pink-stained cheeks. “It feels strange to say that after we’ve been working together all this time, but I always thought you were, you know.Hot.”

“Hot?” I smiled. “Is that your official description of me?”

She let out a laugh. “One of them. Up there with serious and mysterious. I’ve since added kind, brave, honest and sexy to the list.”

I leaned back, rubbing my chin. “I’m not off to a bad start.”

“No.” She cocked her head with an evaluating eye. “You’re not. And I know that the mating marks are supposed to indicate that it’s a match for both people, not just the Destran with the marks. I’m aware of how all that works and, well, let’s just say I’m open to possibilities.”

She couldn’t have said a more welcoming thing. I felt my mouth stretch into the widest smile I’d made in a long time. “I couldn’t ask for more.” I shifted closer and so did she. Just as Iwas about to reach out and touch her, an alarm screamed from the operator’s station.

“Sorry to interrupt,” said Stelis’ voice. “But we have a situation.”

I jumped to my feet and so did Anna. “What’s going on?”

“Come up to the front and see,” said Stelis. “It appears we’re sinking.”

CHAPTER 11

Anna

Sinking?Lashe and I rushed to the front of the ship where the screens were alive with warnings detailing what was happening. I could read Destran, so I took in the information alongside Lashe with dawning horror. Something beneath the surface was dragging us down, crushing us into the surface.

Lashe threw himself into his seat. His hands flew over the controls he knew so well after all this time. “It’s trying to crush the ship,” he said. “I’ve never seen an asteroid increase its gravity before.”

“Asteroids aren’t even supposed to have much gravity,” I said.

“This one does,” he said between his teeth. “Or rather, the creature inside of it does.”

The ship was making some interesting noises. A groaning sound, along with a sickening vibration, made a shiver of fear run up my spine. “How is the ship holding up?” I asked nervously.

“Hull integrity is holding. Whatever this creature is, it didn’t count onslagrianalloy, which is one of the newest and strongest metals produced in your quadrant. It would take tremendous effort to crush us.”

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