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Ardol felt as though he was swimming through the long corridors on the ship, confused.
Out of his melancholy daze, his father’s voice suddenly thundered into his head, berating, ordering.
You’re not allowed to act like this. I’m ashamed to be your father. The dynasty of our family is what matters. We need to rebuild. Expand. Conquer. More sons. More daughters.
Duty to the family means more than mere love, which probably isn’t what you’re feeling. The first touch of a soft hand, the first feel of a hot body against yours, and she’s leading you around by your cock.
You don’t love her.
“How the fuck would you know, Father? Do you love anything but power and credits?” Ardol snapped back in a vicious whisper, leaning heavily on the doorway of the elevator, arms spread out like wings as he braced his paws on the cool metal.
This was supposed to make my life easier. It’s happier, but not easier.
“Arhg! For the love of Anubis and Fenrir, what are you doing haunting the elevators at this time of night?”
Ardol jumped back as Jaxson’s startled face confronted him.
“Wh-what are you doing here?”
“I got a ping that the hydraulic line in one of the auxiliary engines is jammed. We’re not using our auxiliary engines, but if we suddenly needed them, the line had better be cleared.” Jaxson looked around. “What are you doing on D Deck? I thought the freight bays were on C Deck”
Ardol blinked and looked around. “I’m where? Where’s the med bay?”
“Uhhh—the flight deck. Did you hit your head? Do you need me to take you to the med bay?” Jaxson quickly reached for Ardol’s arm and tried to steer him into the elevator.
“No, no. I was there already. I was walking and thinking. Jade’s asleep. At least I hope she’s still asleep,” he scratched his head and realized that he’d neglected his normal polished coiffure.
Jaxson also noticed, one brow arching. “Mm-hmm. Someone’s been having a happy honeymoon, I see. Thinking of letting your Queen come up for air anytime soon?”
“She’ll receive a tour tomorrow, and I’m sure we’ll eat with all of you at some point.” Ardol smoothed back his fur and tried to move back to the elevator.
“You asked about the med bay. Want me to ping Marcus? Walk you up there?”
“No, no. I’m fine. I already saw him.”
Jaxson’s eyes narrowed for a minute, his pointed ears pricking up as his black nose twitched. “You sick? Queen okay?”
It was on the tip of Ardol’s tongue to flippantly remark that he didn’t need the Canid’s long snout poking into his business—but his mouth misfired. “How did you know you were in love with someone?”
Jaxson’s face changed, shocked at first, then soft with sadness. “It’s different for everyone. Sometimes it takes a long time.”
“What about a short time? Like...” Ardol counted the days since he’d first met Jade planetside, “six days?”
“I knew I wanted to marry Alana after our second date. She woke something up in me. I have a big family, you know, lots of great teammates, friends—but she was like the first thing that was ever mine to love. Something that was missing slotted into my heart like a piston into an engine’s cylinder.”
Mechanical imagery aside, Ardol could relate to that, especially about Jade being the first thing he’d ever had to love that was solely his own. His family and his position were a shared concern. His mother, his siblings—they were community property. His title and wealth? Conditional.
“I’m too selfish to love someone the right way,” Ardol muttered. “But she’s all mine, and I can’t tell you what it’s like when she smiles at me—or, oh, gods above, when she kisses me...” His eyes closed as the room took a lazy whirl. “Maybe I love her because I’m selfish. She’s mine, and I don’t have to share her with anyone or anything else, at least not for now. But I want her to be happy if she’s mine.”
“Whoo. You got bit hard. I don’t know if it’s love or just the excitement of getting your ‘second-in-command’ seen to,” Jaxson made air quotes as his eyes came to rest on Ardol’s middle, “but I can tell you care a lot about your Queen. I’m glad for you, Ardol.”
“Thanks. I’m going back to my quarters. Can we keep this between us?”
“I’m a vault.” Jaxson patted a paw to his lips. “I won’t tell a soul—but your face doesn’t keep your secret, buddy. You look like someone who struck it lucky.”
Ardol finally disappeared into the elevator and pressed the button for his deck. His heart was heavy one second and light the next, but the thought of Jade’s smile was like a propulsion thruster, sending him high above the nagging worries. “Oh, I did, Jaxson. I honestly did.”
Chapter Eleven
