Page 45 of Taken By The Alien Warrior Pirate

Maybe I could try to talk to Amada in private to get her to reason with us, but I couldn’t let Cyburn know because he would never agree to let me do it.

Cyburn’s features softened and some of the fear there melted away like snow on a warm spring afternoon.

“I didn’t tell you all this to scare you,” he mentioned. “I’m not as intimidated as I might appear. I’m just nervous because I want the drop off to go well. You know Ihaveto think about all the worst case scenarios, but that’s just it. That’s all they are. In the end, I highly doubt Amada will do anything more than throw a fit. She might scream and call me names. She might try to claw at me or spit in my face. Idoexpect these milder reactions from her, compared to whatelseshe could be capable of — but I have to trust the potential that this decision will restore more peace to our lives. Amada loathes the Belic Empire with a passion. I can’treallysee her turning toward their side. However, she is behaving so erratically lately that I can’t really be sure what exactly is going through her head right now. I’m hoping she’ll just take some time to lick her wounds in private by disappearing off our radar for a while.”

“I know it’s a struggle for everyone. Everyone is on edge because of her. The tension is mounting.” I supportively roped my arms around Cyburn’s torso and gave him a compassionate hug.

“You make it easier to cope with,” Cyburn whispered lazily, kissing the top of my head.

Cyburn yielded to my touch at once and began stroking my hair, hugging me close to him as well.

I loved feeling his strong, hard body pressed against mine. I couldn’t judge his decision making process. Sometimes things just needed to run their course.

He knew what he was doing. He’d promised to protect us all. He was our leader and commander, the King of Alesis. Nothing could stand in his way as far asIwas concerned, and I would be there for him no matter what, every step of the way.

ChapterEighteen

CARMELA

Iwas in Cyburn’s private quarters late one evening. I’d all but abandoned my own living space on the other side of the ship and was now living full time with him onhisside of the ship. We were always together anyway, so we figured it would be easier if I just moved my things, not that I had that many to start with, to his private quarters and set up there.

Besides, he didn’t want me staying by myself with Amada on the prowl. What hedidn’tknow was that I’d planned on catching Amada off guard tonight before she retired to her own chambers. If Cyburn knew about it, he’d probably have a fit. That was why I was trying to do this before he finished working his rounds on the complete opposite end of the ship.

For the past few days, I’d stalked Amada. Well, maybestalkedwas a bit of a stretch, but I’d gotten myself familiar with her schedule and her routine.

I wanted to make sure I didn’t notice her reallystrayingfrom that routine so that I’d be able to corner her when she came out of the communal women’s lavatory for the last time of the evening. Hey, she’d done it to me, so I figured it wouldn’t be a terrible injustice if I gave her a little taste of her own medicine. Besides, I’d be planning to wait in the corridor directlyoutsideof the bathroom instead of following her in, so I was already doing better thanshewas on that front.

There wasn’t room to feel guilty about anything I planned on doing tonight. Fair was fair. If she dished it, she could take it as far as I was concerned. I wasn’t really worried about sparing her feelings anymore.

Wellanyway, tonight was the night I was going to follow through on my plan. I wassupernervous, to the point where I wasn’t sure I could actually pull it off, but I knew deep down that I had to at least try.

I didn’t knowwhyI cared so much, but I just had a really bad feeling about what might happen if Cyburn booted Amada off the ship and stripped her of all her dignified titles.

It was probably more about the fact that I wanted to make sure thatwewere going to be safe once he kicked her off the ship, rather than to spare or salvage her feelings on the matter.

I wasn’t one for confrontation, but if I didn’t try one last time, things could get even worse for us, Amada excluded.

The more time I’d had to think about Cyburn’s plan, the more unsettled I became about it. Sure, I probably should have talked tohimabout my misgivings instead of trying to trap Amada, but I knew Cyburn. He was stubborn enough on his own accord and even if I pled my case, he’d probably hear none of it.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror and took a deep breath, trying to breath in bravery and resolve.

It was difficult. My lips were taut, my cheekbones sunken in, my cheeks pale. I was exhausted. I’d been working myself into the ground lately in the robot laboratory, and when I came back on those late nights, Cyburn and I stayed up half the night either talking or making love.

I wasn’t getting much sleep, but I didn’t mind it if it meant being intimate with Cyburn. Our connection was fierce, and he gave me the most mind-blowing orgasms I’d ever experienced in my life.

Not that Ihada lot of experience anyway, but they left me feeling dizzy, delirious, and as if I’d just launched myself to the moon on a rocket of pleasure.

In the aftermath of our passion-fury sessions and intense love-making, I always felt like I was glowing. I always felt drunk with ecstasy as if my limbs were numb, tingly, and made of jelly instead of flesh and bone.

Sex with Cyburn was sensational. It was also a wonderful distraction from the stress in my life. It was my own personal way of detoxing.

I was stressed out from atonof different factors, but the biggest ones I was dealing with at the moment had to do with not knowing if I had a rock solid future — and trying my best to avoid Amada and her antagonistic antics any chance I got.

Cyburn usually managed to relieve my stressors, but he wasn’t here right now, and I had to deal with this all by myself while he wasn’t around to know what I was up to.

I knew he would forbid me to go and talk to Amada. I hated keeping this secret from him, but it was for his own good.

Now, here I was getting ready todeliberatelythrow myself into the snake pit with her, but I promised myself my reasonings were as legitimate as they could possibly be.

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