Page 29 of Sway's Peace
“My office. Now,” he snapped, turning and immediately walking away. Like he knew she was going to follow without any further question.
And she did, wincing. She couldn’t even argue if he was mad at her. She’d just been sitting there, staring at her holodisplays, for the last half a mark. There was plenty of work for her to do. She should be getting ready for the meeting Loyalty had scheduled with her about the repairs to his ship – whichstillweren’t being done. She didn’t understand why since the exterminator said there were no signs of pests that she could see. She should be figuring that out.
But nope. She had just been staring at Sway and the Humility. Pining after him.
Crud. Shewasa stage five psycho clinger, wasn’t she?
That was a humiliating realization about herself. Only made worse by the circumstances. Learning new things about yourself did not mix well with getting in trouble at work.
She followed Covor up the small lift in the center of the room that led to his office. It was a room that was just as big as the one below – one large enough to house all the dock masters. Though considerably more time and credz had gone into this room.
He had his own, massive, ‘u’ shaped desk, with the wings spread apart, giving plenty of space for the huge male to turn and face whatever display he might have up. There was a sitting area with multiple couches, big enough for him, any higher up members of the company, or any ship crew that he might behosting. He only managed a single dock – Dock One – but it was the largest. Anyone who docked at One was not only wealthy but powerful, so the luxury was as much for them as Covor.
There was currently a peacekeeper ship in his dock getting its ten-year routine service. A process that took several tendays and cost a great deal of credz. Through the domed ceiling, Grace could see the ship in question hanging over her, the nose of it pointed straight down at the top of her head like it might be crashing into her. Dock One, unlike the other docks, wasn’t capable of being flown into. It was made of a series of pieces that could form a large ring around a massive ship or, more often, broken apart into little ‘islands’ that moved to the various places on the ship that required attention.
The biggest dock also had the biggest crew working it, and through the domed window, Grace could appreciate them like a swam of busy ants racing across the surface.
However, she only got to take in the sight for a moment as Covor was suddenly there, in her face, snarling like an enraged beast.
“Where were you last night?”
“Huh?”
That was so far beyond what she had been expecting him to say, Grace couldn’t come up with any more intelligent of a response than that.
What an odd question. Why did it matter? Where she went and what she did when she was done with her work wasn’t any of his business, or even his right to know. So hearing the demand for an answer actually drove it from her mind.
“You were out late,” Covor continued, looming over her. All four fists tightened. “You came back to your dorm with amale.”
Grace frowned, crossing her arms, indignation straightening her back. “Were youwatchingme?”
“Of course, I was,” he snapped, surprising her more. He didn’t even pretend to be contrite. Like he had every right to watch her.
“What I do and with whom is not your business,” she said stiffly. “If you have anything to say to me about work, please do so. Otherwise, I’m going back to my desk.”
“You’re not going anywhere!”
Grace let out a short cry of pain when one of his hands closed around her arm, engulfing the entire thing. He squeezed, the pressure like a blood pressure cuff, cutting off circulation and making her hand throb as blood backed up. She scratched at his fingers with her other hand, trying to get him off. For all the good it did. He didn’t even flinch as he yanked her close enough she could feel the heat of his breath in her face as he snarled.
“You aremine.”
“What?” She tried to pull back, to get any sort of distance between them, but the ironclad grip he had on her arm meant she couldn’t even gain an inch. “Let me go!”
“I had you brought here to me because I’ve claimed you. You are to bemymate,” Covor continued, crowding her so heavily, she had to lean back to avoid touching him, straining her neck and knees and causing more pain in her arm.
“That’s not-” Grace squeaked as his fingers tightened.
“You. Are. Mine,” he repeated, lower this time. Threatening. “You have always been mine. I have been patient, waiting for you, but you were always mine to claim.”
“I never agreed to that!”
“It’s the only reason you’re here.” Covor looked down on her over his square, boxy nose. “I knew you were meant to be mine when I saw you the first time on Holotulle. And I offered you this job so you would join me here.”
“What?” Grace started, surprised and horrified.
Wait! No! He wasn’t serious, was he?! How did his people mate? How was it recognized? He couldn’t really be her true mate,right?!
Her stomach was twisting up in horrified knots at the very idea. He couldn’t be. She wasn’t attracted to Covorat all. She knew humans were bad at recognizing that kind of thing, but surely, if he was her mate, she would feelsomething. At best, she felt nothing for him, at worst, it was annoyance. There was nothing about him that interested her even slightly.
