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Ms. E. Hargrove. This is a reminder for your scheduled appointment with Dr. Lewis at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. Please ensure you arrive ten minutes early for prescreen before testing.
She blew out a sigh. She was an old hand at the routine now. There would be blood tests, scans, and then endless questions about her health and well-being. Whether her memory had started to return yet.
She didn’t want to go. She wanted to ignore it, but she knew better. She had to keep up appearances.
“What’s that?” Penny asked, trying to get a peek at her screen. Strangely, though, Jesh got the feeling she already knew what was on there.
“Doc appointment,” she replied absently as she typed a quick reply.Thank you for the reminder. I will be there.
“Anotherone?” Penny huffed. “But we only just got you back!”
“Afraid so,” she said as she pocketed the device. “They want to run more tests.”
“More tests?” Penny’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What exactly are they looking for with you? It seems like they’re always poking and prodding.”
Keeping her expression neutral, she shrugged. “They’re just being thorough. Which they should be with the amount Mom paid for the insurance.”
“If you say so.” Penny didn’t sound entirely convinced but let the matter drop. “Hey! Race you back to the house.”
With a grunt,Covak hoisted the barbell overhead, his heavy muscles barely straining with the effort. Metal clanked as he lowered the weights, the sound echoing off the steel walls of the Reapers’ gym. The room was built for utility rather than comfort—battered flooring scuffed from the many hours of training he and the other Reapers had put in here. Punching bags hung from the ceiling, gently swaying with the ship’s motion. Dumbbells and kettlebells, their handles well-worn from use, lined the walls.
Sweat slicked his skin, highlighting the intricate patterns etched into his flesh—a celebration of his Vorrtan heritage. Damp hair clung to his neck and brow. He inhaled deeply as his muscles burned. He embraced the pain as a sign of progress and growth. No pain, no gain.
As he set the barbell back onto its rack with a satisfying clink, movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He glanced up at the small window that looked out into the corridor, catching sight of Tell walking past.
Covak rose to his feet. He’d been curious about human females ever since one had come aboard when the Reapers had transported the human president, Murphy, beyond human borders to rescue his mate. Since then, his fascination with human females had only grown. Compared to the Vorrtan, they seemed so small, so delicate, and utterly fascinating at the same time.
He sauntered over to the gym’s doorway, his movements fluid despite his bigger-than-everyone-else-aboard bulk, and leaned against the doorframe. A sharp whistle cut through the silence of the corridor, and Tell turned, his eyebrow raised as he glanced back over his shoulder.
“Oi, Tell. You’re human,” Covak said in a low rumble. “Got a minute?”
“Nothing gets past you. Does it?” Tell replied mildly, but he nodded and stepped into the gym.
“Always knew you weren’t Lathar. Figured you for some kind of hybrid runt,” Covak said, crossing his arms. Muscles rippled involuntarily at the motion and a seam tore under his arm. Dammit, he was going to have to get some new shirts soon. “Wanted to ask you something… about human females, actually.”
A smirk quirked the corners of Tell’s mouth. “Human females? Never took you for the small talk type.”
“I am when the topic’s interesting enough,” Covak replied, flashing a fang-filled grin. He gestured to a nearby bench. “Take a seat in my office.”
Tell obliged, stretching out his long legs as he settled onto the bench. Covak took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking again.
“So, Anya… the female who was with Murphy. She was the first human female I’ve seen up close. They all like that? So…small?”
Tell chuckled.
“Compared to you, yeah. Human females tend to be smaller than males, though it varies. The major’s on the petite side, even for a human. They’re not all quite so small.”
Covak sank onto the bench opposite Tell, nodding thoughtfully. It creaked beneath his weight but held fast. He thought back to meeting the human. At the time she had seemed too delicate to be real… and beautiful. Utterly beautiful. He’d been scared to even breathe heavily in case he broke her.
“So they’re not as fragile as they look?” Covak asked, hopefully.
Tell grinned. “You’d be surprised. Humans may lack Vorrtan strength, but back them into a corner and they’re capable of impressive things. Seen some human females take down opponents twice their size with the right training.”
Covak blinked. The idea of such strength and resilience in so delicate a form was captivating. “Do tell. What are they like, personality-wise?”
Tell scratched his head. “Broad question, that. They’re as varied as anyone else. Some hard as nails, others more nurturing. In my experience, many are resourceful, intelligent. Though to be fair, I’ve mostly dealt with women in my own line of work. Civilians might be a bit different.”
A low, rumbling chuckle rolled from Covak’s chest. “Imagine that—human females infiltrating alien crews. Next you’ll say they’re running the galaxy.”
