Page 39 of Swept By The Alien Pirate Prince

Silver’s expression was stony. She didn’t look at me as she said, “No, thank you. I’ll keep them just the way they are.”

“I think that shows emotional growth,” I admitted. “Good for you.”

Silver looked at me. “You don’t get to turn off your emotions as a human, so why should I get the privilege?”

“Fair point,” I said. “I’m glad you have empathy for us as well.”

“I feel like I have a lot to prove now,” Silver confessed.

“Everyone knows you have our best interests at heart,” I told her.

“I do.” Silver nodded and her eyes met with mine again. “That is what leads me to my next topic of conversation.”

I offered her a kind smile. “I’m listening.”

“I also ask that you take what I have to say with care and consideration,” Silver announced.

“Okay…” I trailed off, wary to make a promise that I might not be able to keep.

“As I mentioned, I’ve been trying to process and deal with the issues surrounding Amada’s betrayal, and how she used me as a pawn in her little game,” Silver began.

“Just try to view it as a learning experience that is now in the past,” I said.

Silver seemed to take this advice to heart, because she nodded, and her features brightened. “I am doing my best.”

“That’s all you, or anyone, can do,” I said with a hint of sympathy. “I mean, look at how poorlyCyburnhandled Amada’s betrayal — and he’s our captain and commander.”

Now, Silver cracked a smile. “You’re right.”

“He’s doing much better now,” I said. “Thankfully.”

“He appears to be healing emotionally,” Silver agreed and looked at me with a pensiveness flickering in her eyes. “Which is why I feel the need to say what I need to say.”

“Just spit it out already, then.” I chuckled.

“I want to ask something of you. I will give you time to think on it before you provide an answer, but once youdoprovide an answer, I ask that you abide by it.”

“What is it?” I ask, my heart starting to pound faster. Why wasn’t she just saying what it was? Her hesitation made me defensive.

Silver met my gaze, maintaining this fierce eye contact with me that sent this intense sensation rippling through my spine.

Silver’s expression was stoic. “I need you to promise to stay as a member of our crew. Yes, you are a human, but you are one of us now. We need you — Cyburn especially. I see the way he looks at you. I think he loves you far more than he ever loved Amada. If you betrayed him, it would destroy him. he would never recover, I’m sure of it. Not after everything else that has happened to him along the way. You can never leave our crew or betray us.”

Silver paused and her eyes searched mine before she added, “Make this promise to me, to us all, Carmela.Weare your family and your priority now.”

ChapterThirteen

CARMELA

“What was that conversation about, earlier?” Cyburn asked, sitting beside me on the dock of our cabin.

We were relaxing outside in the balmy air after a long day of working on the ship and on the robots. Storms were rolling in, and thunder clashed overhead. The clouds were a dark, deep gray, swollen and angry. They churned above our heads, a warning that a violent storm was brewing, and we were directly in its path.

However, neither one of us wanted to go inside just yet. We were trying to stick it out, enjoying the wide open space of fresh air and not being surrounded by metal and glass, or the recycled air of the Blade.

One thing of many that Cyburn and I shared in common was our love for the great outdoors. We were going to stick it out for as long as mother nature would allow.

I turned my head toward him. “What conversation?”

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