Page 7 of Sy

“Welcome, everyone. I am Kraath, commander of the northern garrison.” His voice carried easily through the hall. “Iwant to personally thank you all for your work today. Despite the challenges of the terrain and weather, you’ve already exceeded our initial expectations.” He paused, his gaze sweeping the room. “After dinner, we’ll show you to your permanent quarters. I promise they’re considerably more comfortable than last night’s emergency arrangements.”

A ripple of relieved chatter spread through the hall. Ashley felt some of her own tension ease. A real bed would be heaven after sleeping on that emergency cot.

Movement caught her eye, and she watched as the food was brought out. Their table was being served by the two young Izaeans she’d seen yesterday. They placed large pots at intervals along the table. Steam curled up from them, carrying a heavenly smell that made her stomach growl. Following behind them were trays piled with what looked surprisingly like chocolate cake, dark and rich.

She felt Lila shift beside her and followed her daughter’s gaze. One of the Izaean boys set a pot down in front of them, even though it wasn’t the same interval as the others, and flashed a quick smile at Lila. She watched her daughter’s cheeks flush pink as she quickly grabbed one of the empty bowls from the stack in the center of the table.

Reaching forward, Ashley lifted the lid of the pot. It was a thick sort of soup, somewhere between a broth and a stew again, but she didn’t care. It smelled absolutely wonderful. Quickly, she ladled some into their bowls before handing the ladle off to Trevor. Around her, humans and Izaeans alike were passing bowls and thick slices of still-warm bread, their conversations mixing in the warm air.

The bench shifted, and she tensed as Sy dropped into the space next to her. He seemed to take up more space than physically possible, radiating heat like a furnace. She forced herself to keep her movements steady as she reached for herspoon, though her heart had picked up speed. There were spaces at other tables. Why had he chosen to sit here?

“The food is safe for human consumption,” he said, his deep voice pitched low enough that only she could hear. “We had your medical team verify all ingredients.”

She nodded, not trusting her voice immediately, and took a careful sip of the soup. Flavors burst across her tongue, rich and complex with hints of spices she couldn’t name, and she was forced to bite back a moan.

“It’s delicious,” she said, surprised by how much she meant it.

Sy shifted in his seat beside Ashley, the worn wooden bench creaking beneath his weight. The scent of fresh-baked bread wafted from the plates in the middle of the table, mingling with the earthy aroma of the roasted root vegetables in the soup. His fingers twitched against the side of his bowl as he searched for something else to say.

“The bread is particularly good tonight,” he said, his voice pitched low. “Cook uses wild grains from the eastern fields.”

She gave a slight nod, her attention split between her plate and the room around them. Her daughter Lila leaned around her and offered a small smile as she reached out to tear off a hunk of bread to eat with her soup. He bit back a groan.The bread was nice…Was that all he could think of?

The mess hall buzzed with conversation and the clatter of plates as the work teams ate. Sweat and different scents—grease, propellant fuel, even blood from someone’s scraped knuckles—hung heavily in the air. His nostrils flared, cataloging each scent and searching for anything out of place.

He hadn’t planned to sit here. His usual spot was closer to the door where he could monitor everyone’s movements. But he’d been tracking her from the moment she and her daughter had entered the hall, and something had drawn him toward her. The symbiont beneath his skin rippled with approval, a predatory awareness focusing on the safety of the two females. That had to be it, he decided. They were female and therefore vulnerable, bringing out the protectiveness of his Latharian blood and, he realized with surprise, that of his legion symbiont.

Lila tapped a spare spoon against the table’s edge, creating a soft, steady rhythm that matched the faint whisper of sound he could hear from the little black buds in her ears. The sound should have irritated him, but instead, it provided an anchor as his senses swept the room for threats.

He found none. Not in here. The ferals from earlier this afternoon had disappeared as soon as the transport trucks had arrived, but even so, his jaw clenched. He really hadn’t liked the way one of them had looked at Ashley—washed out red eyes fixing on her with disturbing intensity. The feral wasn’t in here with them, but his instincts screamed that other threats remained.

As if summoned by his thoughts, a familiar scent made the hackles on the back of his neck rise up, and he turned his head, scanning for what had alerted him. It didn’t take him long to find the source of danger. Or more precisely, irritation. The human engineer who had challenged Zeke last night loitered on the far side of the hall, his movements drawing Sy’s attention. Every few moments, the male’s gaze would drift to Ashley, lingering longer than necessary.

“How are you finding the garrison so far?” he asked, carrying on the conversation while tracking the human’s movements at the same time. The black armoring over his side and arm tightened slightly, responding to his tension.

“It’s… different than what I expected,” she replied, and even though he knew little about humans, he could tell that her tone was carefully neutral. “But the facilities seem well-maintained.”

The human engineer chose that moment to sidle up to them, dropping into the seat opposite. Sy’s muscles tensed. The engineer’s body language screamed challenge. It was there in the way he leaned forward, in his narrowed eyes, and in the small twist of his mouth that tried to pass for a smile but revealed too many teeth.

“The construction timeline looks promising,” he said loudly. “Though some of us had concerns about working with local labor. No offense, but they’re not quite up to our standards. And they’re definitely not quick enough. We don’t have time to hold their hands through this.”

Sy’s claws itched to punch to full length, but he kept them sheathed.

Kill rival,his symbiont whispered in the back of his mind, vocal for once.Not talk to our female.

Not our female,he told it absently as Ashley turned to lock eyes with the other human.

“The delay is down to me, Thompson. I’ve reviewed the initial surveys,” she said. “Some areas need additional attention before we proceed with the next phase.”

Thompson’s lips pulled tighter. “We already have safety procedures in place. There’s no need to second-gu?—”

“Which I’ll be happy to discuss during tomorrow’s briefing,” Ashley cut him off, turning back to her meal and effectively dismissing the male.

“This bread is amazing,” Ashley said, turning her attention to Sy. The sweet, nutty aroma wafted between them as she broke off another piece. “I’ve never tasted anything quite like it. How do you make it?”

Sy’s chest warmed at her praise. Even though he hadn’t personally made the bread today, they all took turns in the kitchen, so he knew how to. “Underground fungus provides the base. We harvest it, extract the yeasts, and then add flour milled offsite near the eastern fields.” His claws flexed unconsciously as he watched her take another bite. “The process takes several days.”

“The texture is incredible too…so light and airy.” She held up a piece, examining the delicate, purple-tinted crumb structure. “Would you be willing to show me how it’s made sometime?”

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