aside and looked at EJ. “The offer stands. One of my colleagues was also in the Information Ministry, just so you know. She is not like the ones you describe, but she knows the same tricks. It’s one of her means of communication—very... unique and very difficult to identify. There’s no chance it would be identified or intercepted. We can search for this Jax person if you’ve a mind to know what happened.”
“I’ll think about it,” EJ said after a long pause. She took a deep breath. “I always hoped he survived but kind of assumed he didn’t. I’m not sure if I want to know for sure either way.”
“Understandable,” Violet said. She moved her chair back and prepared to depart. “The offer stands when you’re ready. Now, I’m going to find out precisely why Faros did not tell me you’d been found and instead deliberately hid you from me.”
“That should be interesting,” Nokx muttered. But he tightened his grip around EJ. “She stays with me.”
“Yes, yes, I know.” Violet waved away his comment as she shoved to her feet and checked the comms unit she carried, no doubt searching for Faros’s whereabouts. “But if I hear a whisper of you behaving inappropriately, Nokx, there will be a world of trouble. I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
He tensed. “Talk to your mate.”
She abruptly tossed the comms unit to EJ, who managed to catch it out of the air, and pointed at the door. “You keep that, EJ. Call if you need anything or if the males get out of line. Nokx, don’t you dare take that away from her.”
He didn’t like being threatened, even by a female. Perhaps especially by a female, as there was nothing he could do about it. If one of the males on the ship bumped chests with him, it was an easy thing to sort out in the gym or in an all-out brawl. But there was no way to dissuade an angry female that didn’t involve him putting his hands on another warrior’s mate. He still frowned at Violet. “She is safe.”
Violet didn’t entirely believe him, it was easy enough to see, but she didn’t have much choice except to saunter off. Nokx didn’t envy Faros, although the captain had clearly pitched his own tent when he chose to hide EJ and would be forced to wait out the sandstorm in it, regardless of the mess he’d made.
He breathed easier when the door closed behind Violet and relaxed still more when he found the rest of the mess hall empty. The ensigns and crew must have disappeared while EJ was reliving her dark days. No doubt the males sensed Nokx’s agitation and didn’t want to be around in case he needed to break scales to vent his fury.
But with EJ in his arms, safe and protected and well-fed, the anger dissipated like the last vestiges of a spring sandstorm. He could sit there all night with her, even in the uncomfortable mess hall chairs, and just listen to her breathe.
Chapter 9
EJ
She hadn’t told anyone about the night that led to her desertion. Ever. EJ expected to go to her grave or into a flaming star with those secrets still in her heart. She’d never told anyone about what the mentors did to Theo and Nika, nor about what she’d said to Jax on the spaceport. She hadn’t planned to tell Violet or Nokx about it, either, but somehow the words spilled out.
EJ wanted to hide away somewhere. No one wanted to be around a former Ministry of Information minion, even if EJ had failed at that and run away. Just like everything in her life every day since. All she did was fail and run away, fail and run away. She’d even failed at stowing away properly, since she’d been caught and would end up back on the ship she’d fled in the first place.
She leaned against Nokx, even knowing she should have gotten up and fought to create a place for herself on the ship. Instead of crying and sniffling and being all-around pathetic, she should have been looking for a way to make herself indispensable. That was the only way beings like them would let someone like her stay. But Nokx was so warm and solid and reassuring, she couldn’t make herself stand up and walk away.
Although the way his arms kept tightening around her, as if to confirm she was still there, indicated she wouldn’t walk away easily.