Treasured By the Alien Pirate by Celia Kyle Page 0,33

with Solair about visiting Solace—I mean, Consolation.” I swallow hard before continuing. “Uh, I didn’t overstep my bounds. Did I? I mean, by messing up the chain of command…”

Varia waves off my concerns, and I relax. “Solair’s pretty informal with that sort of thing, and no, you didn’t overstep your bounds. He just seemed very intent upon making his point to Solair. I’m not sure if our erstwhile captain would have agreed to take the risk if not for Grantian’s impassioned plea that he do so.”

Varia leans back in her seat and munches another cookie from the pile. She arches an eyebrow and points at me before she starts speaking again. “You, you and Grantian… he seems awfully concerned about us girls for a former Hael Hound mercenary. Don’t you think?”

I’m too embarrassed to comment, so I stare at the pile of cookies on the table. I can feel my cheeks burning, however, a fact of which the perceptive Varia is no doubt aware.

“I knew it.” She slams her fist on the table and laughs. “You two have got something going on. Don’t you?”

“Oh god.” I cover my face with my hands. “I just don’t know how to deal with all this. Really, Varia, all we’ve been doing is, is talking—you know? Just talking. But he really listens—he’s such a good listener—and I’d kind of like to think he feels the same about me.” I get some composure and shake my head forcefully. “But look, that doesn’t mean there’s anything romantic going on. A man and a woman can talk without it turning into…” I grasp at the air for the right words but fail to find them. “… a, a thing.”

“Of course, they can.” My eyes narrow in suspicion because Varia seems to be giving up awfully easily this time. “I mean… you probably don’t even find him attractive. Right?”

“Oh no.” I hold up my hand and gape in fear. “No, that’s not what I mean at all.”

“So, you do think he’s handsome?”

I laugh helplessly. “Come on, Varia. I know you think I’m innocent, but I’m no blushing virgin. Of course I think he’s handsome. For heaven’s sake, he’s a bona fide stud.”

Varia cackles, and I hide my face behind my hands again.

“Oh god, that came out all wrong.” I look at her sternly and point my finger. “Look, Varia, he’s just kind and helpful, and he makes me feel comfortable. So we’ve been hanging out a lot. That’s it.”

“Sure it is.” She pats me on the hand and saunters off. “I’ll keep you apprised of the Solace situation…you and your just-a-friend Grantian.”

I throw a cookie at her head, but she has the presence of mind to duck.

Chapter Eighteen

Grantian

Before Solair claimed Varia as his fated mate, the captain’s quarters acted as a summit room of sorts for only the two of us. Not that either of us is keen on keeping secrets from the crew. It’s just that an arena in which you are unlikely to be interrupted makes for the best thinking spot.

Of course, now that he shares his quarters with Varia, we had to abandon that tactic. Now we meet on the bridge, often during a sleep cycle to help ensure our privacy. At the moment, we’re each sitting on opposite sides of the tactical console, a roundish holoemitter table currently displaying the abandoned moon of Consolation.

I sip at the steaming mug of Alzhon coffee Solair graciously provided and consider the flickering image on the screen. Its red sandy surface has a few sporadic green zones, but overall, it’s an arid wasteland. I can see why no major effort was ever made to colonize it, with so many other more suitable locations to choose from.

“Well, at least Consolation has a breathable atmosphere.” I stroke my chin and rotate the image. “That cuts down on the amount of equipment and specialized crew we’ll need.”

Solair grunts and leans back in his seat, rubbing the bridge of his nose. I believe the responsibility is weighing heavily on my captain tonight.

“Do you really think it’s going to turn into a firefight, Grantian?” He looks across the image at me, his expression somber. “I’m hoping to avoid a conflict.”

“Me too.”

He blanches and then arches an eyebrow. I chuckle and wave off his surprise. “What? You’re looking at me as if I’ve grown a third horn.”

“I just didn’t expect to hear that coming out of you. I mean, being a former badass mercenary and all.”

I laugh heartily and rotate the image again. “I