by Ava York
It should’ve been impossible, but I eventually found Binuf’s burly figure cutting a way through the crowd. Tears glimmered on his face, and his smile was so wide I could almost count every one of his teeth.
“Rekker!” He continued to shout my name as he climbed up the ramp. The moment I was within reach, he wrapped his arms so tightly around me I could hear my ribs cracking. “You did it! You really did it!”
“I’m a man of my word, Binuf.” Amicably slapping his back, I took a step back and tried to create some distance between us.
As much as I understood his need to thank me, hugs weren’t really my thing.
“That you are.” Still beaming, he kept his tearful eyes on mine. “My family, they’re alive. I still can’t believe it, Rekker. I had already lost all hope, but when I saw you walk into my store . . . I knew there was a chance. And I was right.”
Wiping the tears off his face with the back of his hand, he cleared his throat and straightened his back. “I know repaying you for this will be impossible, but I’ve taken the liberty of talking with Adruf. He’s willing to repair the Calliope for free.”
“Seriously?” Cocking one eyebrow up, I crossed my arms over my chest and wondered if I should believe Binuf. His friend Adruf ran the largest shipyard on the outpost, and he was one of the most tightfisted natives I had ever met.
“He actually asked me to tell you,” Binuf said with a casual shrug. “His sister was taken by the Suhlik, as well, and he wants to repay you for bringing her back.”
“That really isn’t necessary. We were just—”
“Nonsense,” he cut me short. “Your money here is no good. Not today.”
He had barely finished speaking when a little robed man started climbing up the Calliope’s loading ramp. He had curved ridges on his forehead, right above his eyes, and his milky skin was practically translucent—I could see purple blood running underneath his skin, and if I narrowed my eyes, I was pretty sure I’d be able to see his bones.
“This here is Chief Anuk,” Binuf rushed to introduce us, politely bowing at the newcomer. “He runs the outpost.”
“That is correct,” Anuk said in a mellifluous tone, a pleasant smile on his thin lips. He bowed to us, and I returned the gesture as politely as I could.
It was hard to know how to deal with races I had never interacted with before, but a good rule of thumb was to follow their lead. “You’ve done us a great service, Captain Rekker. As I’m sure Binuf has already told you, we are in your debt. It’s not much, but we would like to hold a feast in your honor tonight.”
“It wasn’t just me that—”
“A feast to honor the Calliope’s crew then,” he quickly corrected himself.
“I don’t know if—”
“We would love that.” Shutting me up with an elbow to the ribs, Lila stepped forward and bowed at the outpost’s chief. “We’re grateful for your generosity.”
“We’re the ones who are grateful.” Bowing one more time—whatever race this guy belonged to, they sure seemed to like bowing—he finally turned around to leave. “I’ll see you tonight, then.”
“Did I hear someone talking about a feast?” From behind me came Derrix’s loud voice. He was standing on the cargo hold’s upper deck, Javik at his side.
“I’m not going crazy, am I, Captain? I heard it right, didn’t I?”
“You sure did,” Lila replied before I could say anything. Then, turning on her heels, she slapped my arm playfully. “What’s with the long face, Rekker? We’re gonna have a party tonight.”
“I guess I’d rather just leave and get on with the mission.” As unhappy as I was with the current mission I had been assigned, I always did my best to handle things as fast as I could.
A party would only delay us.
“You deserve a little fun after all we’ve been through,” she said, closing the distance between us and going up on her tiptoes. She brushed her berry-sweet lips against mine, and I laid both hands on her waist. “Besides, your crew needs a night off, too.”
Looking over her shoulder, I saw as Derrix made his way toward the crowd. He’d dragged a barrel of Vaznik liquor all the way here, and Derrix was already busy showing them the ancient art of ‘drinking everyone under the table’.
“Yeah,” I said. “I guess you’re right.”
“Perfect.”
A wink, a kiss, and she was gone.
And that was it—tonight there’d be a party.
Lila
“I’ve been looking for you.”
Lightly tapping my shoulder, Coco made me turn around. Standing in one of the market’s busy little streets, I turned to face her. Her eye was still bruised, the skin around it a blend of dark green and yellow, but she seemed much better than when we’d found her.
Probably because now there was a huge smile on her face.
“Coco,” I cried out, quickly pulling her in for a hug.
It felt good to see a friendly human face, even if everyone on Silva was treating me like royalty. “How are you doing? Feeling better?”
“Never better.” Dragging her teeth across her bottom lip, she allowed her smile to grow wider. “I found him, Lila. I found Tuiru. He was knocked out during the Suhlik attack, and he was left for dead. He’s a bit bruised, especially when it comes to his ego, but otherwise he’s fine.”
“That’s so good to hear.” Before I could stop myself, I embraced her again. Maybe it was the fact we were the only two human women on this outpost, but I felt a connection with her. Of course, it didn’t hurt that she was a Mahdfel’s mate.
More than just being a human, Coco knew exactly what I was going through when it came to Rekker.
“I’d like you to meet him, if that’s okay,” she continued. “We heard the outpost chief is going to throw a feast in your crew’s honor, so I thought you could get ready at my place.”
“Why not?” Against all odds, it seemed like I was about to experience a regular slice of human life again. I never really thought I’d end up getting ready for a party on the other side of the galaxy, but I was slowly getting used to all kinds of surprises.
Following Coco through the maze of cramped market streets, it only took us about five minutes to reach our destination.
She was staying at a small inn with Tuiru, and the place was the textbook definition of a hole in the wall. The windows were nothing but slits in the stone wall, and even the front door seemed to have seen better days, its hinges in a close relationship with bleak orange patches of rust.
“It’s not that bad once you get inside,” she promised as she pushed the door open. She was right. Despite the gloomy appearance on the building’s facade, the inn’s reception area was pretty cute. The walls had been freshly painted, there was a red carpet on the floor, and the counter of what I assumed to be native wood had been polished to a shine.
Not a five-star hotel, but at least the place was clean. “We don’t have a lot to splurge with when on the road, but we always try to get a clean place to spend the night.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “And that’s the important part, right?”
I smiled. “Right.”
“Here we are.” Coco stopped in front of a set of wooden double doors. She rapped her knuckles against them twice, and then pushed them open. Tuiru sat in the corner of the room, hunched over a small computer terminal, and he quickly jumped to his feet once he saw us walk in.
His skin tone was similar to Rekker’s, but he was at least a head shorter, without the horns. Despite that, he had the same muscled frame every Mahdfel seemed to share.
“I take it that you’re Lila?” he asked, offering me his hand while a toothy grin took over his face.
“That’s right.”
“I owe you, then.” Shaking my hand, he gave me a heartfelt smile. The Mahdfel weren’t exactly in touch with their emotions, but this one seemed like an exception. “If it weren’t for you and your crew, Coco would . . . .” He trailed off, his smile turning into a straight line.
“There’s no need to thank me,” I said. “Captain Rekker was the one behind it.”
“Rekker, yes, I’ve heard of him.” His smile returned, and his tone of voice evened out. “He has quite a reputation. I’m going to pay him a visit and report to him, if that’s alright. I assume he’ll be interested in Suhlik activity in this sector.” With that, he peeled his gaze away from me and turned all his focus on Coco.
His eyes softened as his smile widened even more, and every single line on his face seemed to change. As he placed both his hands on her waist and pulled her close, there was no doubt in my mind—these two were in love.
Or, as Rekker would put it, these two were mates.
True mates, without any fears or boundaries between them.
“You guys want me to leave?” I laughed, my eyebrows shooting up in an arch as their kiss grew in intensity.
Only at the sound of my voice did they pull back from each other.
“Sorry,” Tuiru laughed, and then he clicked his heels together and left the room. I exchanged an amused glance with Coco, smiling as I noticed the crimson tone that had taken over her cheeks.
“You’re a lucky one. He seems to really like you.”
“Rekker seems to like you just as much,” she said, and now it was my turn to feel warm blood rushing to my cheeks. “Oh, come on. This isn’t a surprise for you, is it? The way he looks at you . . . that man would lay down his life for you.”
“I know that,” I muttered quietly.
“I know it can be a bit of a harrowing experience, but it’s all worth it,” she continued, and then placed one hand across her belly while she smiled. It took a second for me to realize what she was trying to say, but once I did, I had to make a conscious effort not to let my jaw drop.
“You’re pregnant?”
“That’s right,” she laughed, her voice bright and energetic. “We just found out this morning at my checkup.”
“Congratulations,” I squealed.
“Just goes to show that it’s worth it. It might be tough and disorienting at first, but when it works . . . it just works. I’ll be honest, Lila. If given the chance of having a normal life on my home planet, I wouldn’t take it. Don’t get me wrong—I loved my old life. But this . . . there’s nothing better.” Once more, she flattened her hand over her belly, her fingers gently caressing. “All of it.”
I didn’t say a thing. Her words echoed inside my head, and I wondered if I’d ever feel like her. I never really thought I’d come to terms with my situation, but after getting to know Rekker . . . well, it wasn’t that bad, was it?
And the thought of having a child with him wasn’t unbearable, either.
“Now, let’s find you a dress.” Taking the lead, Coco went to the wardrobe at the back of the room and started rummaging through it.
She started throwing countless dresses on top of the bed, and I wondered how a couple that traveled so much could be lugging around that much clothing.
“Most of those I bought locally,” she continued, almost as if she could read my mind. “I don’t really have the chance to wear any of these dresses, but shopping helps calm me down whenever I’m stressed, and it’s a great way to meet local people, hear the news.”
“I feel you.” I laughed, feeling slightly embarrassed as she grabbed a black dress and pressed it against my body. She creased her brow, narrowed her eyes, and then nodded to herself.
“I think this one will look great on you. Go on, try it on.”
Two minutes later and I was standing in front of the room’s mirror, Coco’s tight black dress hugging my curves perfectly. The fabric was cut just above the knee, and it showed just the right amount of skin, especially when it came to my cleavage.
“You like it?”
“Yeah,” I muttered. “I do.”
I’d never really had a chance to pretty myself up while working on my family’s farm, and to see my dolled-up reflection in the mirror was slightly disorienting.
But, hell, I loved it.
“Now let’s do something to that hair of yours,” Coco continued and, without a moment’s hesitation, she ran her fingers through my hair.
With one hand on my shoulder, she forced me to take a seat in front of the mirror and got to work. I said nothing as she straightened my hair, but it was hard not to be amazed. By the time she was finally done with my hair and make-up, I barely recognized myself in the mirror.
“Think that’s enough to impress Rekker?” she asked, nudging me with her elbow and winking.
“I think so,” I replied, suddenly realizing that I wanted nothing more than to impress him tonight. “In fact, I’m pretty sure of it. All thanks to you.”
Half an hour later and the two of us were leaving the inn, arm-in-arm. I was in an outpost on the other side of the galaxy, a place where the unthinkable had happened, and yet . . . .
I felt just like a girl on prom night.
It wasn’t the dress, or the makeup or the hairstyle.
It was all because of Rekker.
Rekker
The moment I saw her, my heart stopped beating.
The world around me froze in its entirety, and the only thing that mattered in the entire universe was Lila Kanes.
Everything paled in comparison.
The outpost market had been cleared off, and long tables set up along the walkway. Some of the Calliope's officers and I sat at a head table of sorts, sharing the place with the outpost’s chief and some other dignitaries, and everyone else occupied the dozen tables set up in front of ours.
There was raucous laughter all around, and mead and liquor flowed freely as the scent of roasted meat and spiced vegetables wafted into the air.
Despite the chaos of festivities, everyone fell silent the moment Lila showed up.
Walking arm-in-arm with the other human female we’d rescued from the Suhlik base, she gave her a parting smile and then looked around, trying to find an empty seat.
Even from a distance, I could tell that she was embarrassed. Everyone was looking at her.
“Lila,” I called out, and she managed a nervous little smile as I pointed to the empty seat next to mine.
As she strolled through the confusion, her eyes on mine, the crowd’s attention finally started to drift and the sound of the party returned with double the strength.
Once she got up to our table, she bowed politely toward the outpost’s dignitaries and only then did she sit down. “Why did everyone shut up all of a sudden?” She chuckled, her tone betraying how nervous she was.
“What did you expect?” I asked her, and my eyes were drawn to hers. “You look stunning.”
To be fair, stunning probably wasn’t the word I wanted to use, but it would suffice for the time being. After all, her beauty was so striking that I was struggling to think straight.
Her reddish-brown hair had been straightened out, and a few locks of it had been braided in a circle at the top of her head. The makeup on her skin was barely noticeable, but it still made her hazel eyes sparkle under the feast’s bright lights.
The crowning piece was, of course, her dress. The fabric clung to each one of her curves like a lover’s hands, gentle and firm at the same time, and I knew I’d have a hard time looking away from her throughout dinner.
“Thank you,” she muttered softly, the crimson color of her cheeks making my heart beat slightly faster.
How could anyone be this perfect? Everything about her made my heart race—from her fluttering eyelids to her softly curved lips, from her slender hips to her full breasts . . . she was what fantasies were made of.
The next hour was spent drinking and eating, but even the expensive delicacies the outpost’s chief had brought to our table did little for me. I took part in all the toasts, and even though I did the polite thing and engaged in small talk whenever someone approached, thoughts of Lila never left my mind.
“Now, music,” Chief Anuk proclaimed suddenly. Pushing his chair back, he clapped his hands toget
her and grinned. His translucent skin had acquired a lilac tone, and it didn’t take much to realize that had to be a consequence of all the liquor he had been downing.
On cue, a mismatched troupe of natives dragged a variety of instruments to the far end of the market square. Without Anuk needing to order it, tables were pushed to the sides and a dance floor was improvised. The band started with a mellow song, one of the rare Mahdfel ballads our culture had ever produced, and the high notes immediately brought me back to childhood. For a tiny outpost in a dark corner of the universe, Silva surely knew how to make their guests feel at home.
“Please, Captain,” Anuk continued, offering me a smile as he waved at the empty dance floor. “Do the honors.”
I stood still for a moment, wondering if I was being asked to dance. Then, remembering that I had the ideal partner, I offered Lila my hands as I rose from my seat. She looked up at me, eyes wide and lips pursed tight.
“I don’t know how to dance,” she whispered.
“I’ll show you.” Before she had the chance to protest, I took her by the hand and led the way toward the dance floor. As the ballad’s rhythm swelled, I laid one hand on Lila’s waist and pulled her toward me. “Now, one hand on my shoulder and the other on my waist.”
She followed instructions, even though the results were somewhat comical. As a human, she was far shorter than me, which meant that by placing her hand on my shoulder it looked like she was trying to reach for something on a shelf that was out of her reach.
I didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was that we were here, together.
Eventually, we settled into a comfortable rhythm, our bodies moving back and forth over imaginary lines. Her look was one of pure concentration, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“You’re too stiff,” I told her. “Relax. Move your hips instead of your whole body.”
“Are we talking about dancing or . . . ?” Her mask of concentration was cracked by a wicked little grin, and I felt my blood boiling inside my veins.
“Dancing,” I replied. “You don’t need instructions when it comes to the rest.”