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“Good. Hurry.”
I want to yell at him. What the fuck does he think I’ve been doing this entire time? I’m already short of breath though, so I’m not about to waste energy on berating the damned Krestilian.
Heaving a sigh of relief, I squeeze through the door. I should be safe here, for a while at least.
“Z’Ree!” Nikolai appears behind the tiny window, looking like he’s aged ten years in the past hour. “You made it. Fuck, I was so worried!”
“Me too,” I admit. “I won’t be doing anything like this again in the foreseeable future.”
D’Aakh pushes Nikolai aside. “Close the outer door and relock the lever,” he instructs, both of them watching as I struggle to move the heavy chunk of metal. When it’s done, D’Aakh consultshis datapad. “Looks good. Re-pressurizing the room. And…done. We can open the door.”
Nikolai is already on it, shoving the inner airlock door aside and rushing toward me. D’Aakh’s shriek stops him in his tracks just as he’s about to hug me. “Are you MENTAL?! That suit’s contaminated with radiation for fuck’s sake! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”
D’Aakh rolls his eyes, then turns to me. “Take the suit off, Z’Ree, and leave it here. The gloves come off last. Don’t touch anything with your bare hands. When you’re done, use the decontamination unit.” He points to a marked square in the corner of the airlock. “I’ve powered it up for you. As soon as you’re done, primitive lover boy here can touch you. Head to the bridge as fast as you can. I’ll make some final adjustments then start the engines. Once I do, the corridors will become a deathtrap.”
“Alright. Thanks.”
D’Aakh just grunts, already on his way out, muttering something about stupid, primitive species.
I hurry to take the suit off, grateful to be breathing fresh air again. Or at least, as fresh as it gets on a spaceship. Once I’ve shed all of the pieces including the gloves and I’m once again clad in a mere shirt, I step into the corner D’Aakh had pointed to. A button flashes in front of me, so I press it, hoping it’s the right one.
A transparent cubicle forms around me just before I’m pelted by streams of foul smelling liquid from all sides. Once I’m rinsed so thoroughly I feel like the top layer of my skin has been peeled off, the machine blows hot air over me, then the cubicle releases me.
Coughing and spluttering, I spit out the sour liquid that somehow got into my mouth even though I’d kept it shut tightly.It leaves a disgusting aftertaste on my tongue. “Ugh,” I shudder. “Worst shower ever.”
There are no towels or anything else to dry myself with. The few seconds of hot air weren’t nearly enough, leaving me still soaking wet. My drenched hair is glued to my head and the shirt is nearly see-through and clinging to my every curve. Not that I have that many curves, but it’s still uncomfortable and rather inappropriate.
Nikolai promptly pulls his own shirt over his head and offers it to me, leaving him bare-chested. That’s a sight I could get used to. Before my lustful thoughts and thrumming crystals can take over, I step away.
“Thank you. We should head to the bridge now but then…” I avoid his eyes. He’s going to be angry with me when I tell him about the baby and being crystal kin but I can’t keep him in the dark. “We need to talk.”
Chapter 25
Nikolai
We need to talk.
The most terrifying sentence any man could hear in the history of mankind. The malekind, even. I’m sure Tareq and Faelin would be equally apprehensive if their mates told them they needed to talk.
I have to support Z’Ree’s body as we hurry toward the bridge, Cai’s melodious countdown sounding through the crackling intercom. We have plenty of time before D’Aakh restarts the engines but I’d rather not cut it too fine. We’ve already dealt with too many near-death situations for one day. Z’Ree especially.
Something happened to her out there. I don’t know what it was but she’s changed. She’s keeping her distance, my questions are met with one-word answers and she’s avoiding looking at me.
What have I done wrong?
Actually, scratch that. I’ve done a ton of things wrong. I told her about my past. I freaked out like a baby when things started going sideways. And if that wasn’t bad enough, I tried to take away her freedom of choice. Her comment about the collar still stings. God, I’m such a fuckhead.
Did she think things over out there in the cold vacuum of space while facing mortal danger? Did she decide I wasn’t worth the hassle? Aargh!
Running my hand through my hair, I tug at it in frustration. If only she’d tell me what’s going on. The uncertainty is killing me.
Finally, we reach the bridge. Zarkan has been using the ready room as an improvised office with a huge desk and swiveling office chair. Given the set up in there, I couldn’t imagine how we were all going to fit inside, let alone survive the hours needed to reach the nearest spaceport but as I glance around the room, I’m pleasantly surprised.
While we were gone, the crew removed all of the furniture from the room. Soft mattresses now line the walls and there’s a large pile of supplies in the middle of the room. A portable toilet occupies one corner, reminding me we might be stuck here for a very long time. To make matters worse, I’ll be spending the entire time with the threat of “we need to talk” hanging over my head.
“Z’Ree!” Astra exclaims. “Ohmigod, you were so amazing. Thank you so much! You’re a lifesaver. Literally.”
Z’Ree smiles weakly in return, stumbling over the threshold. Catching her waist, I gently pull her into me. “I think she needs some rest,” I tell Astra. “Do you happen to have a blanket?”
