Page 27 of Elite Starfighter, Game 3 (Starfighter Training Academy 3)

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Darius, Battleship Resolution

The ache,the guilt of failing my brother, of his death was nothing compared to the thought of losing her. My life. My pair bond. Mine.

I held Lily cradled to my chest as I hurried to our quarters. I avoided eye contact with everyone we passed on the battleship, not wanting to stop and talk. Introduce the newest Elite Starfighter from Earth. She was a celebrity. I knew that, logically. The success of the previous two Earth females had ensured Lily’s arrival was highly anticipated by all Velerions. Everyone wanted to get a closer look. Meet her. Make her a friend.

The fifth officer who called out a greeting made me grind my teeth and turn down a less traveled route on the large ship.

I had no patience for others. The medical team had made me wait. General Romulus had made me wait. Lily was in my arms, and I was not stopping until I had her snugly in my bed.

I needed to know, to feel that Lily was safe and whole and alive. Having her heart beating next to mine, holding her, touching her—and soon, being buried deep within her—would be the only way to convince the completely illogical part of me that everything was all right.

My emotions raged out of control. I truly felt like I was the Atlan beast in one of Lily’s erotic books. I’d secretly scoffed at the beast character’s lack of discipline, his inability to master his physical and emotional need for his mate.

Now who was acting like a wild animal, struggling to speak, to think? Trying to maintain a thin veneer of civility so I would not scare the female I so desperately needed to protect?

I looked at Lily. Her long hair had partially escaped its braid and was now a wild, snarled tangle framing her face. The blanket I’d wrapped her in did not do enough to keep her warm as I walked through the battleship to our temporary quarters. She shivered and I pulled her closer, tighter to my chest.

She gasped in pain.

“Damn Vega, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I know. It’s okay.”

“No. I should have been more careful.”

“Nobody’s perfect, Darius. I’m fine. In fact, I can’t believe you are carrying me. I’m too heavy for this. Don’t you people have wheelchairs or something?”

We did, in fact, have mobile chairs that were very efficient. “I want to hold you.” I looked straight ahead and willed my heart to stop pounding in terror. She was in my arms. Safe. “I need to feel you.”

With a sigh I took for surrender, she settled her head back on my shoulder and made no more attempts to protest. When we arrived at the section of the battleship where they were housing the Titan teams who had fought today, I found Bantia and Ulixes standing outside our door, waiting.

“How is she?” Bantia asked.

“She’s fine,” Lily answered. “And I’m right here. My ears work just fine.”

Bantia laughed, the relief evident in her face. “Thank Vega. I don’t know what Darius would have done if—”

“Do not speak of it,” I commanded before she could finish. I did not need to hear my fears spoken aloud by another. Having my darkest thoughts shared would amplify my instinct to protect Lily at all costs. I was already fighting the need to lock my pair-bonded female in a room and keep her there, away from battle and cannon fire and explosions of rock burying her alive.

Ulixes inclined his head to my female. “We are very relieved to see you are well.”

“Thank you.”

He looked at me; our gazes locked as he spoke. “General Romulus has ordered all Titan teams to report tomorrow, after second meal. They have reviewed today’s mission and have teams scouring through what's left of the base. He will be giving us a report, and possibly a new mission, tomorrow.”

“We won’t be there.”

Lily stiffened in my arms. “Yes, we will. The doctor—or nurse—whoever she was, said the bone grower robots would have my leg better than new by morning.”

“No. You need more than one night to heal.”

“According to the doctor, I don’t.” She looked up at Ulixes. “We’ll be there.”

“I said no.”

Lily’s voice sharpened, the crisp cadence of her words becoming extreme. “I will be there. I cannot speak for Darius of Velerion. Perhaps he is planning to retire.”

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