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Sarah nodded and reluctantly released my hand. I couldn’t look back, knowing I would rush back to her side as I made my way around the ship, guiding people to find seats or secure spots on the floor before takeoff. Once everyone was settled in, I picked my way through the crowd, back to my spirit mate's side where she sat with the group of females in the far back of the command deck.
“Prepare for liftoff, everybody,” Tyrk called out.
The ship softly vibrated as the engines flared to life. My female looked up, her eyes lighting up at the sight of me with a gentle smile that stuttered my hearts. She scooted over, attempting to make space amid the crush of people, but the press of bodies offered little room. She squeaked in surprise as I knelt and lifted her from the floor to settle her on my lap as I sat.
“Best seat in the house,” she chuckled and rested her head on my shoulder.
A pulsating rhythm erupted from the center of my chest, a primal melody to soothe my spirit mate. I hadn’t thrummed for a female since my first spirit mate died in my arms.
Sarah’s heavy sigh sent a surge of pure elation racing through me. The tiny echo of her spirit relaxed, floating in a wispy wave around my own. “How are you doing that?” She raised her head and pressed the palm of her hand between my pecs. “It’s like you’re purring.”
“It’s called thrumming,” I said. “A male does this to soothe or excite his spirit mate. It’s a song my spirit sings to yours.”
“What’s a spirit mate?”
Kyrran and Raven immediately came to mind. Raven was a human and knew nothing about Valosian culture. I wondered how Kyrran had explained to her the call of their spirits and the bond that would form between them when they mated. Neylla, my first spirit mate, had been Valosian and although she had fallen ill before we had the chance to complete our bond, she understood the call of her spirit to mine.
Navigating uncharted territory with Sarah was proving challenging, as I grappled with how to interact with a creature of a different species. Our mutual attraction was palpable, causing her hand to frequently flutter to her chest without conscious awareness or understanding of its significance.
I cleared the lump of hesitation from my throat and answered vaguely afraid I would frighten her with the intensity of my culture, “A couple who is compatible.” I thrummed harder to ease her mind until a better time could be found to explain the lifelong bond between a mated pair.
All around me, the passengers huddled together, fear and hope mingling on their unsure faces. Through the front viewport, the dusty, desolate planet of Gorka fell away. The rugged terrain grew ever smaller as we rose higher into the sky.
“And for the grand finale,” Tyrk announced, making a show of pressing the remote that detonated the hydrosonic bomb he had placed on the conveyor, delivering the device into the pupa chamber just before we slit the Gorken guard’s throats.
Down below, a warbling boom sent out a rippling wave of energy around the palace, knocking hundredths of Gorken off their feet. No wonder there weren’t any guards at the main entrance as we ran out, they were all swarming the palace.
The palace appeared to rise before sinking into the ground. Then flames consumed the entire structure, and a menacing column of smoke twisted and writhed into the hazy sky. I sneered in satisfaction imagining the pupa consumed in a fiery inferno, reducing them to ash.
Instead of an uproarious celebration, silence enveloped the entire ship, a stark contrast to the roaring triumph echoing within me. Outwardly, I kept my composure, but inside, I unleashed a warrior's primal cry that resonated through the chaotic flashing of my scales. Everyone seemed to be reflecting inward, absorbing the sudden change in circumstances.
Warmth enveloped my hand and I looked down to find Sarah had slipped her hand in mine. Her gaze remained fixed ahead. The faint trace of her essence swished and knotted, a mix of unease and relief to be leaving. Her hand squeezed tighter, her throat working through a hard knot as we penetrated the dusty atmosphere and stars replaced the landscape.
“Everyone brace for a flight through the wormhole.” Ruze looked back and announced.
The ship surged forward, hurtling through the black void at breakneck speed. We were surrounded by a breathtaking spectacle of streaking stars, their luminous trails painting a mesmerizing scene against the infinite darkness.
A sense of exhilaration filled me as we approached the looming wormhole, an invisible force pulling us toward the unknown. Sarah's hand gripped mine tightly, grounding me in this moment of uncertainty.
Anxious murmurs rippled through the ship as we watched the fabric of space bend and twist before us. The swirling depths of the wormhole seemed to tug at reality itself, creating a chaotic kaleidoscope of colors that blurred together in dizzying patterns. The roar of the engines grew deafening, vibrating through the metal floor beneath our feet and pulsating within my chest.
With one final surge, we plunged into the abyss. The world outside our viewport dissolved into a blur of shifting hues and distorted shapes, threatening to overwhelm our senses completely.
But then, just as suddenly as it began, we emerged on the other side of the wormhole, greeted by the surreal sight of my silver world before us.
“Welcome home,” Tyrk
A hush fell over the ship, then a surge of cheers crushed the silence.
“That’s not Earth,” Sarah muttered.
“No.” I leaned close to her ear so she could hear me over the celebration. “It’s my home, Valose.”
I had done what I had set out to do. I had brought home a spacecraft filled with Valosians. What weighed heavy on my heart was the disappointment of the female occupying my lap that the planet filling the viewport wasn’t her world, but mine.
Chapter Eleven
SARAH
