Pyre (Phoenix in Flames Book 4)

by Catty Diva

  Now she could go to sleep with only the back of her mind working on the things that needed to be done. This room that they’d given her on the warship was generally for ambassadors or the royal Mazlan family. She’d been told she was part of that family but she still didn’t feel it.

  Patty had bonded with them easily. It was something she didn’t really understand. She felt apart, separate from them and everyone but Patty. That was odd since she was the one that was funny and more social while Patty was normally the serious, quiet one.

  There was a knock on her door. Weird since this was sleepy time for most of the people, crew or passenger. Getting up, she saw it was Dustin, a human crew member. She opened the door. “Hi. Dustin. What’s up?”

  “I just got off shift and wondered if you wanted company watching a movie or something.”

  “You’re bored and could use some company?” She translated.

  “Sure.” He grinned. The guy was cute, but no Pyre at least not to her.

  “We’re just friends, right?” She didn’t want to mislead or hurt anyone.

  “I know you’re not into me that way, Ladonna. It’s cool and you’re still fun to be around.”

  “Okay.” She grinned completely relieved. “What do you want to watch?”

  “I really like those old detective shows.”

  “I know a good one. We can start at the first show and catch the others later. They just get better every time.” The screen dropped.

  “I’ll never get used to that.” Dustin admitted.

  “You hungry?”

  “Always, just like you.”

  “You’re right. I am always hungry. I’ll heat up a pizza.” She offered.

  “Yes, that would be perfect. You got any beer?”

  She chuckled. “I’ll grab you one.”

  The pizza was done almost instantly so she grabbed the beer for him and a wine cooler for her. It was nice to have company without any expectations and Dustin was always pleasant. They ate pizza and watched two of the one hour shows before she saw Dustin hiding a yawn.

  “You need to get some sleep and honestly, so do I.”

  “You’re right. You are one hell of a catch. I hope Pyre knows what a lucky bastard he is.”

  “Time will tell.” She replied. It was doubtful Pyre felt lucky about her interest in him. Not much she could do to change his mind about that but she’d try.

  She walked Dustin to the door and they said goodnight. Now she would be able to take a shower, put on something to sleep in, and get a few hours rest. It was rare she got more than that. Clean and dressed, she laid down on the huge bed in her room. The mattress was comfortable and the pillow soft. She sank into it and was in la la land right away.

  When she woke she felt more rested than usual. Her mind was clear and ready to take on whatever was coming. She immediately checked on all her responsibilities and it was all on track. It was time to order breakfast and get her rear in gear. The work wasn’t going to do itself. About the time she expected breakfast, there was a knock on the door.

  She opened it to Pyre. “Hey, I thought you were in communications today.”

  “Yeah, and I thought you were going to bed after I left. Of course you might have.”

  “You have to be direct with me. I don’t understand when you hint around.”

  “You had Dustin over last night.”

  “So?”

  “You’re not denying it?”

  “Why should I? He’s my friend.”

  “He’s not a girl.” Pyre pointed out.

  “I’m sure he’ll be glad you noticed. I don’t like any of the females on this ship.”

  “You seem to like the males too much.”

  What was wrong with him? Then it hit her. “Are you jealous?”

  “No, of course not. We’re not together so I have to reason to be jealous.” Pyre spoke so fast his words almost ran together.

  “Whatever you say. You have breakfast there and I’m hungry so set it down and stay to eat with me or get back to work. Your choice.” She stepped back so he could push the cart past her.

  It looked like more food than she’d ordered and that was confirmed when he put his food on the table sitting down across from her. “I don’t have long. I had to wait on the kitchen.”

  “Really? They’re usually fast.”

  “Maybe for you. I don’t think they like me.”

  “Are you bossy and don’t tip?”

  “They are on a military ship. Why do they expect a tip?”

  “It’s customary on room service. They have to work harder to accommodate you.” She pointed out.

  “You’re spoiling them.”

  “No, just treating them fairly. They are a great group of people.”

  “Yeah, I bet. You bribe them and they’ll do anything.”

  “Just eat your breakfast. I won’t discuss this anymore.”

  “How did you get steak?”

  “By being nice. Want a bite?” He nodded so she cut him a piece.

  “That is so damn good. It’s almost like you have a different cook.”

  “I special order some products for the meals I like. They save them for me. The best cook can’t do much with bad ingredients.”

  “How about the biscuits and gravy? I’ve not had that since we ate at your station.”

  She gave him a bite. “That’s something else put up for me. If Patty and I took over running your kitchen, we could give you the best food at the same cost or maybe even less. We buy large amounts that helps on the price.”

  “I’d let you, but it’s Razar’s choice. He rarely eats on board.”

  “He doesn’t have high expectations for military food. Few do.”

  “Has he eaten at one of your cafeterias?”

  “Not yet, but he’s planning to tour one soon. Tar told him how great our station was and he can’t believe it would be that much better than the average one. He’s planning a surprise visit.” She admitted.

  “Is he aware you know?”

  “Naw, but it won’t make any difference. We won’t know which one until he arrives.”

  “How is Randi doing?” Pyre asked.

  “She’s on her way to meet us. We’ll see her in a week.”

  “How?”

  “I had a ship pick her up.”

  “You have ships?”

  “Not yet, but I hired one.”

  “You know you could mess up our mission?”

  “They don’t even know she’s gone.”

  “I guess I might as well believe you. Otherwise I’ll worry myself crazy.”

  “Exactly.” She said. She was always right so why didn’t Pyre just give in?

  They finished eating breakfast with him tasting more of hers. Phoenix had appetites much like she and Patty did. Since she’d ordered extra to put up for a snack later, she was fine. It was intimate, having breakfast with him and sharing their food. Did he like her? She thought he might.

  Time went by as they spent more time together but he never got physically close to her. A goodnight kiss was the extent of his physical affection. It made her feel many doubts about his intentions and interest.

  A week passed and Randi was nearby. The captain had contacted them ready to drop his passenger off and collect the other half of his fee. She stood on the command deck watching the shuttle come closer.

  “Go now and you’ll be there before the shuttle lands.” The male in charge of the bridge assured her.

  “Thank you.” She said then she rushed to meet her girl.

  The elevator took her down into the belly of the ship. There was an officer there who stopped her. “We have to wait her for the shuttle to land. It’s safety first.”

  She nodded, but she was impatient to see Randi. She and Patty had raised that girl from a baby. They’d been worried when she disappeared and now she was coming back. The shuttle entered the bay turning around to face out before it set down softly. A moment later the door opened and the captain escorted R
andi out.

  There was little doubt he wanted his remaining funds. “Check your account. You’ll find her passage paid in full and we thank you.” She held her arms open and Randi ran into them.

  She looked up with tears running down her face. “I was scared.” She admitted.

  “It’s okay to be scared. You’re safe now. You’ll stay with me in my room.”

  They headed back to the elevator and rode it up to the second floor where most living quarters were. She took her straight to where they would be staying. “This is our room now. Let’s sit down and you can tell me what happened.”

  “It was pretty simple. They sent me away. Two guys came into the sleeping room. They shot me with a tranq then I was out completely. When I woke, I was in a small clinic size lab. They were doing experiments on some of the other people. After they said it was sleep time. They turned off all the lights and everyone left. I picked the locks in my cage just like you taught me.”

  “That’s not always easy to do.”

  “These were outdated cells. Once I was out of the cell, the computers were easily accessible. I freed them all and everyone went a different way. I headed to an airport hoping to find a way back to you and Patty. Instead I got picked up by space pirates. Talk about bad luck.”

  “It turned out fine. You’re here now.”

  “Because of you.”

  “We never stopped looking for you. I don’t know how they got you without us knowing.” She wondered.

  “I woke up and they were there giving me a shot. There wasn’t even time to be scared before I was knocked out.”

  “We’re going to tear them apart. They won’t be able to hurt others if they’re too busy running and hiding.”

  “I want to help.”

  “You can. There will be plenty of work. Right now, let’s order lunch. I bet you’re as hungry as I am?”

  “You’re right.” Randi admitted. “The food at the station and on the ship that brought me here wasn’t very good.”

  “The food here is almost as good as it is at home. The other kids are waiting for you but we can’t go back home yet.”

  “So they are really free?”

  “The whole station is. Patty and I are running other stations too now. You’ll be able to study for any career you choose. So will all the kids.”

  “I’ll have to think about that. I never thought I would have a choice.”

  There was a knock on the door signifying lunch had arrived. Once it was rolled in, the server left. “What did you get us?” Randi asked. Her stomach growled like a beast.

  “Nacho supreme as an appetizer then enchiladas with Spanish rice and refried beans.”

  “That’s one of my favorite meals.”

  “I know and we’ll have cherry pie for dessert.”

  “Let’s eat.” Randi urged.

  That’s when there was another knock on the door. She opened it to find Pyre standing there. “Why do you always come when food is on the table?”

  “Just smart? Well hello. Randi right? May I sit with you?”

  “Sure.” Randi said with a smile. “He’s cute.”

  “Cute?” Pyre looked offended.

  “Handsome?” Randi asked.

  “Better.”

  She just rolled her eyes and shook her head. He sat between her and Randi. When she served the nachos, she divided it three ways.

  “What is this?”

  “You had nachos the other day. These just have added ingredients.”

  He took a cautious bite. “This is good.” He commented before he dug in.

  Pyre enjoyed all the Mexican food and it went well with beer. “I’m assuming you’re off duty for a while?”

  “Until the middle of the week. Even if all the crew isn’t on this trip, there are lots of extra warriors.”

  “That’s good, right?”

  “Very good for all of us. No one is having to work too hard. Of course other than your parties, there’s not much to do onboard.” Pyre pointed out.

  “Is that a request?”

  “No, just wondering when the next party is. I wouldn’t want to miss it.”

  “You can just stay I suppose. We’ll watch movies. What do you want to see, Randi?”

  “How about a spy movie?” Randi asked.

  “I have the perfect one in mind.” The screen dropped and a movie began as she cleaned up the mess and put it all on the cart.

  The movie started and everyone settled in. It was the way the next few days went and while she loved Pyre spending time with them, their romantic relationship was going nowhere. She knew Randi made it harder for them to get snuggly or whatever it was called, but she also believed in the saying where there’s a will, there’s a way.

  Luckily, she wasn’t the kind to sit around and mope. No, not her, she was a busy kind of girl. With just a couple days before they arrived at the space station she was going to be taking possession of, at least she didn’t have too much time to kill. Things would get crazy busy once they arrived.

  Chapter 3

  She’s Mine

  He wasn’t happy that Dustin was sniffing around Ladonna. She was his whether he’d claimed her yet or not. Most of the crew seemed to recognize his claim, the exceptions being a couple guys holding out hope she would look their way. With Dustin, it actually worried him.

  Females liked the guy for some reason he couldn’t see. The male was alright looking he supposed. Tall and muscular, although not quite as tall or muscular as he himself was. That made him smile. Didn’t females go for the tallest and most alpha? That was him, on this ship at any rate. So why did he still worry? He sighed heavily as he thought about how relaxed his female was with the other guy.

  He’d watched them teasing each other and playing around like they’d been friends a lifetime. Jealousy had eaten him up. There he’d been not knowing what to do or say to get her attention back to him. That’s when he’d walked away, not smart and he knew it. Now he once again felt lost as she had a party the night before their arrival at the space station.

  Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves except him. His arms itched to hold her even as his lips wanted to taste her. There was no getting over this, she was his mate and he needed to find a way to convince her. Dustin and that fool Rolph were dancing around underfoot trying to get her attention.

  Rolph was one of those complete idiots kept around for entertainment except he wasn’t entertained.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be on duty, Rolph?” He asked.

  “I traded with George. That way I won’t miss the party.”

  “Who is George?” Ladonna asked.

  “She’s one of the quiet females. You probably haven’t even noticed her.” Dustin answered.

  Ladonna suddenly looked interested. “I’d like to meet her.”

  “She’s terribly shy and might not come.” Dustin explained.

  “You can talk her into it.” Ladonna said with complete confidence.

  “Okay, I’ll try. Once she’s off duty, of course.”

  “Of course.” Ladonna said with a grin.

  It made him realize she wanted friends, but the other females were just bad people. He didn’t like them either. Razar had taken them on in the hopes a warrior would find his one. So far all most of them had done was cause trouble. George would be the exception. He was aware of who she was now and he’d thought she was a male.

  The girl was good at any job she was put on, but she was small and he doubted she could fight. That might hold back any promotion she hoped for. Especially if no one backed her. Those other females were, for the large part, a waste of space. They’d been tested on other positions and ended up in the cafeteria or the med bay. The healer was none too pleased with his assistants who learned nothing and were only good for calling him if there was a need. Maybe becoming friends with Ladonna would do George some good.

  Meanwhile he still had no solutions to his own problems. He marched over to Ladonna ready to share his interest just
as Randi moved to her hugging her tight. Poor girl had gone through a bad experience. He had no idea what had happened to her except she’d been captured by space pirates. That alone was a horrible event.

  She needed a counselor with talent, not him. That was something they had at base not onboard. Normally only hardened warriors were onboard. This was an unusual trip. Why Razar had sent those females, he had no clue, but maybe someone needed to share some facts with Razar.

  Now he stood next to Ladonna waiting for her to notice him. She took her time letting him know he was being punished. “Pyre.” She acknowledged.

  “I need to talk to you privately.”

  “Are you okay, Randi?” Ladonna asked. She was making sure her girl didn’t mind being left by herself.

  “Sure.” She said looking neither happy nor sad. Whatever had upset her seemed to have passed.

  “Alright. Follow me.” He walked behind her as she made her way to the office. Once the door was closed she turned to him and stared. “What did you need?”

  “I want to send a message to Razar. Tell him the females he sent are more trouble than help except for George.”

  “Alright. Sent.”

  “I also want to ask you for a date. After we deal with the station, I’d like to have supper with you in my cabin.”

  “What?” She asked looking shocked. “Yes, I can do that.”

  “Good.” He said then he leaned forward and kissed her lightly. She felt like heaven. “I’ve got to go now, but be careful.”

  “I will.” She promised.

  He felt like turning around and sweeping her off her feet, but he couldn’t. It was his turn to cover communications and duty came first. Once he got to the communications console on the bridge, he saw Loretta sitting there flirting with the male next to her.

  “I thought George was on duty?”

  “She was, but not on the bridge. She’s downstairs in the com room adjusting the equipment.” The guy broke in.

  “Should she be doing that?” He asked.

  “She’ a genius in communications of all kinds. Didn’t you know?” The guy said as he got up to relinquish his seat to his replacement.