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As it is, I can feel his eyes on me as he paces himself slowly beside me. Hyva is on my other side, but he isn’t hovering like Raiz. The two of them lead me down to Raiz’s quarters where I stayed while on the ship.

The doors slide open with a quiet whoosh as we cross the threshold. Everything looks the same as it did when we docked last week but now every surface in the room holds arrangements of the beautiful wildflowers I saw on the surface of Zeahiri. The long black stems and pale pink petals bring a softness to the room that I didn’t realize it was missing.

“Are these for me?” I look up into Raiz’s vivid green eyes with wonder.

“Yes.”

“Thank you.” I tip my nose into one bundle of blooms and inhale their light scent. I don’t even have a frame of reference for what they smell like. Thank the stars for the dim lighting on board because I know I’m blushing. This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.

“I’ll help you get settled in and do a quick vitals check before I go for the night.” Hyva takes my arm and leads me into the bedroom.

Raiz follows us in and pulls the covers down for me. He draws them over my legs as I lean back against the headboard and then moves away for Hyva. Once I’m given the all clear and Hyva says goodnight, I turn my attention toward Raiz.

“Do you have any information on who attacked me? Or why they did it?”

“No, Altis and Vynia are scouring the territory but haven’t gotten any specific information, just rumors and thirdhand sightings.”

“Are you going to go back down and help them now that you know I’m okay?”

His eyes darken briefly. I can’t tell if it’s anger about the attack or wanting to get down there and figure out who is responsible. Either way, I don’t want him to feel like he has to stay with me while I heal. He has so much on his plate, I don’t want to be a burden for him.

“I trust them to investigate on my behalf,” he says.

“So you’re going to stay here?”

“Yes.”

Relief rushes through me. I know it shouldn’t. I should encourage him to do what he needs to, but I want him here. With me.

“Is that alright with you?” he asks when I don’t say anything.

“Yes, of course.” I pick up the glass of water Hyva left on the table and take a drink. “Where are you sleeping?”

“Wherever you want me to.”

Instead of answering out loud, I reach over and pull the covers on the other side of the bed down. His lips lift into a smile as the thrumming from his chest begins to fill the air. He pushes off the wall he was leaning against and walks over to me. I feel his long fingers move lightly over a bruise slowly fading on my cheek.

“Let me get cleaned up and then we can go to bed.”

I watch him as he walks into the bathroom. His broad shoulders barely clear both sides of the doorway. I hear the water begin to run and roll onto my side, wincing at the pain it puts on my ribs.

Closing my eyes while I have a moment of solitude, I rack my brain for something, any clue, to help figure out who was behind the attack. What did they want? Were they there for me? Did someone find out what Raiz is planning on doing?

I hope not because that would mean he was betrayed by someone he trusts. In all likelihood, someone who works on this ship. From what I understand, everyone on board knows the ultimate goal and agrees. Vynia explained how carefully curated the crew is, how meticulous Raiz has been in choosing who is promoted onto the ship.

The male who chased me down was entirely covered, head to toe, in the same type of clothing Raiz wore when he abducted me, so it stands to reason it had to be a Zeahirian male. Although, that could be a cover. If it wasn’t a Zeahirian male, then it had to be someone of a similar species due to the size.

Could the males who attacked have had something to do with the one who keeps entering my mind? He’s much smaller than a Zeahirian but who is to say that’s actually what he looks like? He could be changing his appearance. At least I assume he could, if he’s strong enough to enter my thoughts from afar unbidden. But the thing about that doesn’t entirely make sense is that he’s extremely concerned with my safety. He wants to know where I am so he can come rescue me. Or at least his people can.

I just don’t know what to think right now.

The door to the bathroom opens, and Raiz walks out in a cloud of steam. A towel is wrapped low on his hips showing off his muscular physique, including two lines of muscle running in a V shape before disappearing beneath the terrycloth. He walks over to one of the armoires and pulls out a pair of the lounge pants he regularly wore around his house.

I’ll never get used to how casual he is about nudity. But I am going to allow myself to enjoy it. In fact, now that I’ve given myself permission to stare and study his body, I realize that just above his waist he has a small fin-like shape protruding along his spine.

“Do you have a fin on your back?”

He looks over his shoulder. “Yes. They’re of no use, really.” He reaches back, his long fingers stroking over the tip. “They'll probably be gone in a thousand years since we’re mostly land dwellers now.”