Page 19 of Trove’s Purpose

He waved away her words like they were nothing. “Meaningless ceremony, really. What needs to be between mates but pleasure? And I can guarantee you more than enough of that.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, more to protect herself than to show her annoyance, as she glowered at him. “There’s more to a relationship than pleasure and sex.”

“Yes, but nothing really that worth it.”

“Are you serious?” Chee made a face. “I can’t believe you. This is so… This is not going to work. I don’t even know why I tried.”

Trove said nothing, and she took his silence as all the answer that she needed.

“Let’s just get this job over with, okay?” She asked, looking at him.

To her surprise, he didn’t seem the slightest bit phased by her rejection. He inclined his head, that megawatt smile not fading a bit. Like he didn’t care. And that, the complete lack of interest, was what really turned her off.

This whole thing was a scam. She knew it. There was no way something like this could be real, because there was no way someone like this could be her soulmate. Someone who took relationships and love so unseriously was not meant for her.

“If that’s what you wish,” Trove said, and dare she say he actually looked satisfied that she wasn’t willing to pursue it further.

“I’m glad we understand each other then,” she nodded. He just kept continuing to smile. And for a long moment, there was just awkwardness between them before she finally took a step towards, then past him.

And he just let her go.

Fine. Let this end there. No one can say she didn’t try.

Chapter 7

Trove

Of all the parts of Trove’s new life, he was sure that their association with the peacekeepers was perhaps the strangest.

Trove stood along with the rest of the crew in the bridge – his brothers, his sisters, and Chee – all of them looking up at the holo of Captain Ikvar who was looking at them with a subtle twitch of his upper eye.

Like Trove, Ikvar was a domini, though he was much older, his skin having taken on a hint of the grayish cast his kind got with age that rendered their camouflage imperfect. That meant his white and gold uniform was just a bit brighter than the gray of his skin. Unlike most domini who preferred their hair long, his was shorn short, especially on the sides. His left eye also had an odd, metallic shine telling Trove that it was a cybernetic replacement.

Captain Ikvar had, through diligence and determination, managed to track down their old names after meeting them. The ones with numerous crimes associated with them. The ones that they tried to leave behind but could never fully sever.

Garnet and Goldie had come to them through illegal means – though, funnily enough, through no fault of their own. Ikvar had wanted to make sure that the human females, stolen from their home planet, nearly sold as pleasure slaves, and collared by mind control devices – though Ikvar did not know about that part – weren’t in any danger with them. He knew their new names were fake, though he hadn’t actually arrested them for it.

And then, when he figured out their real identities, he had allowed them to remain free. He wanted to see, he said, if Rik-Vane denizens could be redeemed.

Tanin gave him reports sometimes. He kept him updated on their goings on. It was part of the deal that let them remain free males. And this, the first check in after leaving the sandy planet, was causing a vein to pop in the older male’s head.

The only communication relay that reached that distant planet had been totally locked down by Alred before he had been taken away from it many years ago. Alred hadn’t been able to reach out to it and unblock it until they had been away from the planet, and he hadn’t done so until they finished combing the debris field.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much that could be recovered. Trove’s liquor collection was completely gone, meaning he’d have to start all over. His clothes were lost, he couldn’t find any part of his room in the field. Most everything was too destroyed to use, though they had done their best to reclaim as much as they could. Both from their broken ship, and the much larger ship they had taken out with them. Though, that one had been far more broken than theirs. Trove had been in the safe room, so he didn’t see how badly damaged either one was until he jumped from the Vainglory in his envirosuit to pick through the wreckage.

Only after all that was done did Tanin comm the good captain to let him know that they were alive, they were going to get back to work, and they had a guest on their ship. Chee was not a crew member, but the sight of yet another human among their number was what was making Ikvar near apoplectic as he looked them all over.

“Another human,” he stressed, annoyed.

“This one is here legally,” Tanin said easily.

“I was here legally too,” Grace protested.

Ikvar, ignoring them, looked over at Chee. She was standing on the far side of the room, away from Trove. Trying to put as much distance between them as she could.

He hated it.

“Female, what is your name?”