gone—"
"No!" I cry, anguished. "I have to talk to him first, you idiot! Where are your brothers? Tell them to stop this damn ship!" I storm past him, heading for the bridge. I'm a woman with a mission now, and if it takes me screaming (or crying, whichever is more effective) at every alien on this ship, I'm going to get them to turn around so I can talk to Nassakth, to tell him that I don't want him to leave me behind.
Adiron runs behind me, reaching for me. "You need to strap in—"
"No!" I race forward, determined to get to the bridge before he does. "We can't leave! We can't—"
The ship lurches, and I'm suddenly plastered to the ground. It's like an elevator when there's a gentle lift as it gets to the right floor—except there's the force of ten G's behind it. My face presses to the metal grate underneath me and I groan. That must be the takeoff, where we're surging up to move away from the dock itself. That's fine, I tell myself quickly. As long as I can get to the bridge before we shift drives—
There's a curious moment of zero gravity, and I lift off the floor, only to be launched into the air once more as the ship accelerates. I fly through the air, tumbling down the metal hallway, like a leaf on the wind—
Only to be caught in strong arms.
I look up at Nassakth, at his gorgeous face, utterly feline and alien and perfect and familiar at the same time.
"Kim," he says sternly. "You should be strapped in. It's dangerous to roam while the ship is accelerating."
I fling my arms around his neck and burst into happy tears.
73
NASSAKTH
Kim is frantic as she kisses me and clings to me, weeping openly. I have never seen her this distressed, and it's heartbreaking.
"Kim," I murmur, trying to calm her down. "Kim, please don't cry."
"You're not leaving me behind," she sobs, clenching her fists in the front of my tunic. "I don't care if you have to be the big cheese on your planet. We have to stay together. You promised me that we were forever and I'm not going to let you go back on that."
She thinks I would leave her? I pat her back and head toward our quarters, since it is clear that my mate needs some privacy to compose herself—and so we can talk. I nod at Mathiras and Adiron as I pass them, lurching as the ship surges once more. I keep my grip on my mate, though, determined to protect her at all times.
Kim continues on, babbling at a frantic pace. "You can do your thing if you have to, and I'm willing to move to Praxii Minor with you, but you can't take another wife. I won't allow it. The only door you're jizzing on is mine, do you hear me?" Her hands move all over my chest, my neck, my jaw. "I'm not good at sharing. And while I have to share you with your family, I don't want to share you with another woman. That's my compromise. We can go to your home but you're not allowed to stick your dick into anyone else." Her hands clutch tightly at me again. "Just don't leave me behind, Nassakth."
"Kim, my sweet mate," I tell her as I enter our room and shut the door behind us. The ship lurches once more, bouncing us for a moment, and then a gentle ping fills the air, an alert letting us know it is safe to move about, that we have hit optimal speed and are now cruising along a charted path. "You are panicking over nothing."
"But we're leaving—"
"Yes, yes we are. I had nothing worth staying for." I stroke her back as I move toward our narrow bed, and set her down on the edge. Even then, she refuses to let go of me, her fingers twisting in my tunic as she tries to crawl back into my arms.
"But…your parents? Weren't you supposed to meet them in the morning?" She looks up at me with confusion.
"That was their suggestion, yes." I shrug. "I considered it and realized I owed them nothing. Why should I be courteous and understanding to them when they have never been so to me? They will eventually figure out I am gone, and that is all the answer I owe them."
Kim gapes up at me. "But…they were offering you money—"
"I have wealth."
"—and you'd be a big deal—"
"I