Page 61 of Sol Survivor

He parted his lips to cease breathing her addictive scent into his body.It was driving him crazy to not throw her over his shoulder and return to his quarters.“Quite.”

“Fine.”With a deep sigh, she settled her hands on her hips.“What’s done is done.So what happens now?Can this be fixed?”

“Not on this ship.I would need our medical teams on Ivoy to assess you.”Aehort smiled.“Ifyou join us on the return trip.”

“To Ivoy?”Her voice spiked.“Is it a habitable planet?”She flicked a dismissive hand.“Of course it is.”She stilled again.“Wait, as a specimen to be tested, prodded, with parts of me sliced off to be boiled down to its molecular level?”

Drafe couldn’t help himself and laughed.“We bonded, Vic.As I protect Aehort, so too will I guard you.”

“Oh.”She frowned.“If your symbiotes are in Aehortandme, does that mean we’re bonded too?”She pointed to Aehort and herself.

Aehort’s wide mouth curled at one end.“I do like you, human.On our return voyage to Ivoy, I will teach you how to sense emotions not your own.”

“I should be losing my mind here, but given that I knew about the organisms, and that they weren’t harming me, I have to say, I like that thesesymbiotesare yours, Drafe.”She crossed to Aehort, gathered his orange fingers in hers, then squeezed.“Thank you for the offer, Aehort Uz.”

Discussion over, Drafe crossed to the door as it opened at his proximity.“Come, Vic, let me take you to the bridge.From there, we can orbit Europa and search for the pod’s source.”

With a backward glance at Aehort, she trailed Drafe.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Year: 2219

Aboard the Aroagni.

Drafejerkedawakeandstilled when Vic curled against him.He grinned and drew her closer to him, taking the time to kiss her temple and inhale her sunbaked scent.As he lay there relishing the softness of her in his arms, he frowned.What had disturbed his sleep?

“Drafe Arrak.”

He cupped the device in his neck.“Speak.”

“The pod’s explosion confirms the timer is set for six hours.”

“My thanks.”He tucked his arm behind his head and stared at the ceiling, not wanting to slip out of bed or disturb Vic’s slumber.

“What is it?”she mumbled, rolling over to press her cheek to his chest.

He nuzzled her neck.“The pod exploded.”

She shifted again.“It has a time delay?”

He smiled.“Yes, long enough for the Ots to gather, to observe and discuss.”

“The explosion might not be intentional.Just a safety mechanism to prevent what they’re doing from coming into the light,” she mumbled and rolled over, exposing a perfect breast.

He cupped it, running a thumb across the soft nipple until it hardened.“Planting any kind of explosion is with the intent of detonating it.”

She wriggled under his touch.“True.Do we continue with the plan?”

“Yes.”He dipped to press a kiss to her tormented nipple, not daring to do anything more.“Once we locate the facility, we can decide on the next step.”

She snuggled against him, feathering a kiss across his collarbone.“Can we sleep now?”

He chuckled, squeezed her, then slid out of bed.“I need to speak to Aehort.”

“Let me know what he says.”She gathered his pillow close and drifted off.

Drafe stared at her, loving the fire-like lighting flickering across her delicate face.She didn’t know it yet, but he was keeping her.

---