Her Commanders - M.K. Eidem Page 0,48

for bottles. Either Ujana or I can do that. If we're not around, you contact one of the Protectors. Is that understood?" When Mae remained stubbornly silent, Cali sighed. "Give me your oath, Mae, or the only work you'll be doing will be the ordering and daily reports."

"You'd restrict me?"

"In a heartbeat. That offspring you're carrying is the most important thing at the moment, Mae, and I can't wait to meet him."

"Or her," Mae immediately countered, rubbing her distended stomach, and Cali knew she had her.

"Or her."

"Alright, I'll notify one of the Protectors if Oke threatens me or if I need help with something heavy, and I'll try to take it easier. My oath."

"Good, now let's get to work."

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Taarig absently took the glass of Apreian skotsk Jamis handed him. It was the start of the second dark shift since they'd been with Cali, and neither of them had contacted her yet, and she hadn't contacted them either. Neither of those things had ever happened to them before, and Taarig wasn't sure how to handle it. Taking a sip, he looked to the other couch where Jamis sat. This mess all happened because Jamis snuck out on Cali again. Taarig wanted to know why.

"What's going on with you?" he demanded.

"What do you mean?" Jamis asked.

"Something about Cali has you rattled. What is it?" Taarig expected Jamis to deny it because Apre males didn't get rattled. Instead, Jamis surged to his feet and began to pace.

"She's Earthan," Jamis muttered.

"I'm well aware of that."

"We need to distance ourselves from her."

"Why? She was able to satisfy us, both of us, and we satisfied her without causing any harm." When Jamis just glared at him, Taarig rose. "What. Is. The. Problem?"

"My creation sphere wants to lower when I'm with her," Jamis murmured.

"So does mine," Taarig admitted just as quietly.

Jamis looked at him in shock. "She can't be our Lalla, T. We can't allow it. She'll be meeting the Gods in only fifty or sixty standard-years, leaving us alone for the rest of our life spans!"

"We could have offspring with her during that time," Taarig reminded him.

"Who would be half-Earthan, which means they'll age and meet the Gods long before us. Do you want to go through all that pain when we have a choice?"

"Do we? Cali's the first female I've ever felt this urge with." Taarig looked to Jamis and didn't need him to say it to know it was true for him too.

"That just means there will be other females it can happen with, too. Females far more suited for the life span of an Apre."

"You don't know that."

"No, but what I do know is that it can't be Cali, not for me."

Which meant it couldn't be for Taarig either.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Cali absently sipped her maasika rabarberi wine as she stared into the deep, dark expanse of space outside her viewport, thinking about the time she'd spent with the Commanders. The entire experience had taken her by surprise. They'd served her Gyr, for Gods’ sake. Something Apre treasured and rarely shared with anyone who wasn't family or close friends. So why had they shared it with her?

Afterward, they'd taken her into Jamis’s resting chamber and together pleasured her in ways she'd never experienced before. She'd come so many times she'd lost count and always before either of them, although she'd tried. They'd also never demanded more than she was willing to give.

Still, she hadn't seen or heard from either of them since.

Jamis didn't surprise her. After all, he'd been making up excusing to get away from her from the start.

But Taarig… Taarig was the more caring, sensitive of the two. At least that's what she'd thought. Yes, she'd heard there'd been more problems on the flight deck. Still, he could have taken a moment to contact her through her link.

But then she hadn't linked them either. Not that she had their codes, but she could have gotten them if she wanted to.

She hated that their silence bothered her. It made everything they'd done together seem cheap and sleazy. Hadn't it mattered to them at all? Were they just like so many other males who only wanted to brag about being with an Earthan? Or was it something else?

Knowing she'd only drive herself crazy if she continued to think about it, she finished her wine and went into her private workout area. Going a few rounds with a sparring droid would settle her down enough to return to The