As the cheers filled his ears, Toryx reached over and grabbed Evie’s hand, taking her fingers in his. He raised both of the hands high in the air in a gesture of victory. Life felt full or promise, and full of love. What more could he ask for?
He could think of only one thing: he wanted to make Evie his wife. He wanted to give her a ring and officially make her his forever. But that would come soon enough. He had a plan.
Just thinking of that plan caused a broad smile to cross his face. He was pretty sure that Evie was going to be over the moon with excitement when she saw what was in store for her. Life was only going to get better from here.
Chapter Thirteen
Evie savored the rich flavor of Antimatter Ale as it slid across her tongue. It had been over a year since she’d had one of these beers. Because of the water conservation measures that had been in effect, Zocronian breweries had been extremely limited in how much beer they were allowed to make and serve. The conservation measures were still in place—Daxar didn’t want to lift them completely until the storms ended and he knew for sure that the regular supply shipments could begin again. But Evie’s favorite pub, Black Hole Brews, had a small supply of Antimatter Ale, and Daxar had set up a private party to celebrate Toryx and Evie.
Evie couldn’t keep a huge smile from spreading across her face as she looked down the bar top. All of her favorite people were here. Of course there were Toryx, Jarmuk, Kromin, and Daxar—along with Maisie, Anya, and Nova. Merkin was also here. He was an elder Zocronian who had been a dear friend to Evie and her whole smuggling crew from the first day they crash landed on Zocrone. And then there was Ashariz, the Zocronian who owned the spaceship repair shop where Maisie worked. Ashariz had become good friends with all of the humans, too. He’d fixed up the Starburst several times, although now the Starburst had surely been damaged beyond repair.
Evie felt sad as she thought of her dear old spaceship lying in hundreds of pieces on the surface of outer Zocrone. She’d flown so many missions in that ship. It had brought her on a long, convoluted path from Earth to her new life here on Zocrone, and she could hardly believe that she would never have the chance to fly it again. But of course, it had been sacrificed for the most worthy of causes. She couldn’t think of a better way for the old ship to go than in a daring attempt to save an entire planet of people.
“You look like you’re about a thousand light years away from here.” Toryx’s voice brought Evie back to the present moment, and she swallowed the last sip of her beer before answering him.
“Sorry. I was just thinking about the Starburst. I’m still sad about losing her, even if she was just a giant old hunk of metal.”
Toryx squeezed her leg right above her knee, sending a happy thrill of warmth through her. “I’m sorry about your ship. But I know everyone in Zocrone is grateful for the sacrifice you made in flying her out of here.”
Evie nodded. “I know. Still hard not to be sad though. But really, I’m okay. I don’t want to ruin this party with such mopey thoughts.”
“I think everyone understands. And besides, this party is wrapping up. It’s late, and most of our friends still have to work tomorrow. Life goes on, even during a severe drought.”
“I suppose it does.” Evie glanced down the bartop to see that everyone was finishing up the last of their beers. She looked around the pub, feeling sad to see it so empty, but also hopeful that it wouldn’t be so empty for much longer. As soon as the storms ended and water supply shipments resumed, Evie was sure that this place would once again be the hopping social center of Zocrone that it had once been.
Evie stood along with the others, giving and receiving goodbye hugs and promising to see everyone again soon. Her heart felt full as she left the pub arm in arm with Toryx. She assumed he was going to invite her over to his house for the night. They’d been bouncing back and forth between her apartment and his house ever since they got back to Zocrone. It probably made sense to move in together, but Evie wasn’t about to be the one to suggest it. If Toryx wanted that level of permanence with her, he needed to be a man and step up to suggest it.
But right now, Toryx didn’t turn to walk in the direction of his house or her apartment. Evie frowned in confusion.
“Where are we going?”
Toryx gave her a mischievous grin. “I have something I want to show you. As long as I’m not keeping you up past your bedtime?”
Evie rolled her eyes. “I have no bedtime.”
Neither she nor Toryx had gone back to work yet, so neither of them had to wake up early tomorrow. It didn’t matter how late they stayed up today, and now Evie was curious about what Toryx wanted to show her.
“Come on, then,” he said, pulling her in the direction of the industrial sector of the City Dome. “I think you’re going to love this.”
Evie followed Toryx all the way up to the Central Docking Station, where the majority of the spaceships in town were kept. Up until its fateful flight out of Zocrone, the Starburst had been kept here. The Savior was now parked inside here as well, although that ship had been officially turned over to the Zocrone military. Toryx had been the one to suggest that. He’d told Daxar that since the ship was so large and expensive, the military would be the best place for it to be put to use. Evie had to admit that he was right, although she felt a bit sad that she now had no ship at all. Not that she wanted a ship as large as the Savior, but still. It would have been nice to have something to replace the Starburst.
Toryx led her into the Docking Station and started walking down the long internal hallways. Evie was growing more confused by the moment. This seemed like an odd middle of the night field trip. What could Toryx possibly have to show her out here that couldn’t wait until a more reasonable hour?
“Why are we out here in the middle of the night?” she asked.
Toryx only gave her another mischievous grin. “You’ll see.”
Evie sighed. She knew from the stubborn look on Toryx’s face that he wasn’t going to give up any more information until he was ready. Pestering him would prove futile.
Thankfully, she didn’t have to wait much longer for him to find what he was looking for. He stopped in front of one of the hangars—a hangar Evie recognized well: it had been the hangar where the Starburst was stored before the ship was destroyed. Evie assumed it still stood empty. Nova would not have let anyone else take over the hangar until someone could prove with one hundred percent certainty that the Starburst had been destroyed. Since it had only been a week since Evie came back and confirmed that the Starburst was indeed destroyed, there hadn’t been enough time for someone else to rent out the spot yet.
Evie frowned as Toryx stepped up to the door and pointed to the security panel.
“Punch in the access code,” he said.
Evie’s frown deepened. “I don’t really want to stare at the empty hangar where the Starburst used to be. No offense, Toryx, but I’m not sure how this is supposed to cheer me up.”
“Just trust me.”
Evie sighed. “Fine.”
She punched the access code in, then shifted impatiently from one foot to the other as the door began to slide open. She was starting to feel grumpy, and was about to tell Toryx that she was ready to go home.
Then she saw it. Inside the hangar, a ship about the size of the Starburst gleamed in the bright hanger lights that had switched on as soon as the access code was entered. The ship looked like the same design as the Starburst, just a newer model. It had been painted a brilliant purple color—the same shade as the ribbon on Evie’s medal of honor which still hung around her neck. On the side of the ship, the words Shooting Star were displayed in bold silver script.
Evie’s jaw dropped slightly, and she turned to look at Toryx. “What is this? I mean, I know it’s a ship. A sludging beautiful ship at that. But what is it doing in the Starburst’s hangar?”
Toryx smiled, and reached to hold Evie’s hand. “This is your crew’s new ship.”
Evie’s jaw drop
ped even more. “What? But how? Nova would have consulted the entire crew before buying a new ship for us. Especially a ship this expensive.”
“Nova knows about this ship, but she didn’t consult you for two reasons. First of all, she didn’t buy the ship for the crew. I did—with her blessing and approval. And second of all, I asked her to keep this a secret from everyone else on the crew until I had a chance to show it to you. So, there you go. How do you like it?”
Evie felt tears welling up in her eyes. This was her crew’s new ship? She turned to look at Toryx in disbelief. “But…how could you afford something like this? And why would you spend your own money on it? Don’t get me wrong, I love it. But…this gift is too big! I can’t accept it.”
Toryx smirked at her. “You don’t have a choice but to accept it. Nova already approved it. And don’t worry about how I afforded it. I’ve been a shareholder in the Zekkardite mines for almost two decades, and the mines have been insanely profitable. I’ve saved a fair bit of money, and I can’t think of anything better to spend it on than a new ship for the girl who saved Zocrone.”
“But…you saved Zocrone just as much as I did.”
Toryx shrugged. “I like to think that my encouragement played a big part in convincing you to attempt this mission. But you’re the one who flew us in and out. You’re the unbelievably talented pilot who managed to bring us back alive. And a pilot as talented as you deserves a ship.”
“I don’t know what to say. I can hardly believe this is real. But thank you.”
Toryx beamed. “You’re welcome. But there’s more.”
Evie raised an eyebrow. “More? How can anything top a ship like this?”
“Well, a pilot with a good ship needs something to do, right?”
“Right…”
“So I talked to Daxar, and we agreed that you and your crew should head up the supply shipments to and from Zocrone. You’ve been given the position of Head Navigator of the Zocronian Shipping Fleet. That means you have first pick of all available shipping assignments.”
Evie’s jaw dropped. Daxar had already given Nova as many jobs as the crew wanted shipping Zekkardite in and out, but the other supply runs hadn’t been as easy to get as Nova had hoped. Other aliens had contracts with Daxar and had thrown a fit when the humans wanted to take the higher paying jobs. In the interest of not causing problems with Zocrone’s trade partners, Nova and the crew had agreed to not fight for the more lucrative jobs. But now Daxar was apparently saying “screw it” and giving Evie her pick of jobs. She could hardly believe it. That meant that Daxar trusted her enough to risk making many of his trade partners angry.
“Seriously? Daxar is willing to do that?”
“Sludge yeah. Daxar jumped at the chance. Why wouldn’t he? You’re the best pilot in the Seven Galaxies, Evie. What Chief wouldn’t want you in charge of his planet’s supply shipments? He might piss off some of our alien shippers, but I’m pretty sure this means he’ll never have to rely on anyone else to take care of the toughest assignments. Knowing you, I’m sure that you’re going to pick all the most dangerous jobs.”
Evie grinned. “Won’t you worry about me taking on all those dangerous jobs?”
Toryx pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. “I always worry about you, because I love you. But I know you aren’t the type who will be happy living in a bubble. You need excitement and adventure in your life. And this ship and this job will give that to you.”
Evie nuzzled her face against his chest and sighed happily. “Thank you. I have a new ship, a new job, and I have you. What more could a girl possibly want?”
Toryx pulled back and winked at Evie. “Well, actually, I do have one more thing for you.”
Evie gave him a wide-eyed look. “Seriously? No. No more gifts. This is more than enough.”
“I disagree,” Toryx said as he got down on one knee in front of her and started fishing in his pocket for something.
Evie gasped. “Toryx! What are you doing?”
“I think you know.” He pulled a small, velvet black box out of his pocket and flipped it open to reveal a shimmering diamond. It was larger than any diamond Evie had ever seen. She couldn’t believe that a jewelry store on Zocrone would even sell a diamond this big.
“Where did you get this?”
His smile widened. “I bought it in Mognerth. I had a feeling before we left that I was going to be asking you to be my wife sooner rather than later. Since the best diamonds in the Seven Galaxies are on Mognerth, I left early for dinner with Skoria so I’d have to time to find the best ring for you.”
Evie felt like her heart was going to explode with love as she looked down at her big blue Zocronian. His eyes looked so intense and hopeful as he gazed up at her. How had she been blessed enough to find a love like this? She clasped her hands over her mouth in disbelief. This moment, this life, was just too perfect. But somehow, it was hers.
“Evie Riaz, you are the most incredible woman I’ve ever known. You’re brave, kind, and beautiful. You complete me in a way I know no one else ever could, and I don’t want to live a single day without you for the rest of my life. I want to build a life with you. I want to have a family with you. I want to grow old with you. Evie Riaz, will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”
Tears sprang to Evie’s eyes and spilled over onto her cheeks. “Yes! Yes, a thousand times yes. Nothing would make me happier.”
Toryx’s grin grew so wide that Evie thought his cheeks must ache. He jumped up, let out a whoop, and slid the ring onto Evie’s finger. Then he pulled her into his arms and spun her around.
“This is officially the best day of my life,” he said when he finally stopped spinning.
Evie grinned at him. “Even better than the day we made it back into Zocrone alive?”
“Even better than that. And it’s about to get even better.”
“Why do you say that?”
Toryx grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the Shooting Star. “Come on. I’ll show you.”
Chapter Fourteen
Evie felt her heart pounding as Toryx pulled her through the sleek passageways of her new ship. Everything looked so shiny and modern and new. This was without a doubt the most state-of-the-art cargo ship she’d ever seen, and she had to pinch herself to believe that it belonged to her and her crew.
But Toryx wasn’t interested in showing her the bridge or the cargo area or the fancy mess hall. At least not right now. He led her straight to the ship’s luxurious sleeping quarters, where personalized name plaques had been affixed to the doors in gilded letters. It was a beautiful touch, and Evie admired the plaques that said “Nova,” “Maisie,” and then “Anya.” Finally, they came to the one that said “Evie,” and Toryx grinned and pushed the door open.
“Here you go. Your sleeping quarters.”
Evie gawked at how fancy everything was. The room was spacious with an expensive looking desk and chair, and an equally expensive-looking chest of drawers. Instead of the cramped sleeping pods that were usually found on cargo ships, this ship had real beds. The beds were soft mattresses over a base of blue gel that would keep the mattress secure in even the most turbulent weather, while still being comfortable to sleep on. Evie had heard of these luxurious spaceship beds, but had never dreamed she’d be sleeping on one.
“This is incredible. My sleeping quarters in my apartment aren’t even this nice.”
Toryx turned to look at her with smoldering eyes. “I’m glad you like it. But I didn’t bring you here to look at the bed. I brought you here to use it.”
With that, he pushed Evie up against the door of the sleeping quarters, which had shut behind them, and covered her mouth with his. Evie felt a rush of excitement as his body pressed against hers. Even though they’d been making love all week, this felt like something new. Perhaps it was because this time they were making love as an officially engaged couple. Evie trembled with excitement at just the thought.
She and Toryx were eng
aged! The sexy blue Zocronian who currently had his arms around her had committed to being hers for life. How had she gotten so lucky?
The how didn’t matter that much, really. All that mattered was that right now she was filled with a fiery heat of passion that only Toryx could cause. Her heart pounded and her stomach fluttered with anticipation of the pleasure she knew Toryx’s touch would bring. She could think of no better way to end this day and to celebrate the good things the day had brought them than to have Toryx tear her clothes off and make love to her. He must have felt the same, because he was already moving to remove her dress. He grabbed at the hem of it and started lifting it over her head.
“This dress is gorgeous, but I like what’s underneath better,” he growled out.
“I could say the same about your clothes.” As soon as Toryx had removed her dress and thrown it aside, Evie reached for the buttons on his shirt and made quick work of unbuttoning them.
As she reached for his pants and he reached to tear off her bra, he said, “Dim lights!” in a loud voice. The computer responded immediately to his voice command, dimming the lights until the room almost looked like it was lit by candlelight.
Evie looked up at Toryx and admired the soft, warm glow on his deep blue skin. “Wow. That’s a cool trick.”
He smiled. “Here’s another trick. Play music!”
The computer immediately responded again. Soft instrumental music began playing over speakers that Evie hadn’t even noticed. She looked at Toryx and shook her head in amazement. “Talk about setting the mood.”
“The mood for this?” He tore off the last of his clothes and pressed his body against Evie’s. She was already naked, and she moaned at the feeling of her skin against his. She loved his strong, warm body, and how it seemed to fit perfectly against hers. Most of all, she loved the feeling of his rock hard erection pressing against her. Right now, his dick was pressing against the bottom of her stomach, and she wanted him to maneuver himself just a few inches lower so that he would be at the perfect height to slide into her. She was already dripping wet, and so ready for him.
The Alphas of the Seven Galaxies Page 53