Page 44

44

Surprises

One Month Later

*Ren*

“ I can’t believe I let you talk him into this.” Nerves pulsed through my skin as I watched Demetri’s shuttle depart from the Verne on the bridge display with Karsen and Arda.

“He’ll be fine.” Arda spun in the pilot’s chair, tapping the controls with practiced ease. “You know he’s our best chance at finding the info we need to take down those smugglers.”

“Yeah…” I sighed. “I just wish we didn’t have to pimp him out to accomplish it.”

Honestly, Demi hadn’t been too hard to convince. My brother’s dumb eyes had lit up when presented with the opportunity to get freaky with a knockout Thrin, no strings attached. Zenda had contacted the brothel madame—an old friend of hers, apparently—and along with a hefty bribe from the Pherian government thanks to Lux, we’d secured him entry.

I think I was more worried about things going sideways than anyone else was—Demi included. But Arda wasn’t wrong… We needed more intel. The plan was kind of unhinged, but it was the best chance we had to stop the theft on my mate’s home world and keep a potentially universe-changing advantage out of the hands of some awful people.

“Guys, I have bad news.” Karsen pinched the bridge of her nose, setting down the tablet that she always seemed to have her nose stuck in lately. “I’ve been weeding through all the data from Dionus now that most of the translations are in. The genetic tampering looks like it’s a lot more extensive than we first thought.”

“Seriously?” Arda leaned over. “What did you find?”

“Whoever these researchers are, they weren’t just on Earth and Vorillion. They were on Dionus as well. And Pheria. They may have had a hand in shaping the genetic codes of all those species, going back centuries.”

Shock reverberated through my core. “But… why?”

Karsen shrugged. “No clue. At least, not yet.”

Arda pursed her lips. “Did you say Pheria?”

“Yeah. Why do you ask?” Karsen replied.

“I have an important reason to visit—sooner rather than later. I honestly didn’t think it would be possible to arrive in time, but if we could get our hands on some of those stolen plants, maybe we could make it happen.” Arda twisted her lips. “Now I’m wondering if we should be hunting for one of those facilities on Pheria too.”

Karsen tilted her head. “Couldn’t hurt to look. I wouldn’t be surprised if we found something hidden under all that ice.”

My mind spun, worry for my brother compounding with fear of the unknown. We had so much riding on this mission. I really hoped it went smoothly.

“Ugh… The waiting is gonna kill me.” I turned from the viewscreen toward the hall.

“Where you headed?” Arda asked.

I lifted my hands in surrender, shuddering. “Anywhere but here. I need to forget I just sent my brother off on a mission to get laid.”

Karsen giggled. “I don’t know why you’re whining. He’ll probably come back with a smile on his face and a best-sister-of-the-century award for you.”

I whipped around to face her as I hit the hatch and shot her a withering glare. “Eww, Kar. Just… eww.”

I tried to block out their chuckles as I made my way down the Verne ’s corridor. Normally, a moment like this would send me running to the shuttle bay so I could keep my hands busy.

Not this time. I strolled right past the bay to the greenhouse. I paused outside the open door, a grin creeping across my lips as my mate’s sexy humming reached my ears.

Fuck… he’s so hot. And he’s all mine.

“Hey, you busy?” I ducked into the doorway, a pang of regret hitting me as his voice cut off.

Jalen glanced up from the tiny bud of green he’d been tending and graced me with one of his megawatt smiles. “Never too busy for you.”

In the month since we’d left Dionus, he’d turned the once-sad little space into something new. Before we’d departed, he’d convinced Arda to stop at his old cabin, and the plants blossoming from his Dionion clippings and seeds were thriving. He’d mixed those in with some Terran favorites of ours—even some oolong, much to Arda’s delight. It was still the early days, but I could already see the greenhouse shaping up to become as lush as his garden had been.

“Wow. I like what you’ve done with the place.”

Jalen dusted the soil off his fingers. “Speaking of changes…” He looped an arm around my shoulders. “I have a surprise for you in our quarters.”

Our quarters… My belly flipped, hearing that phrase in his sultry baritone. Who would’ve guessed when I left for Dionus that I’d return shacked up with a man? I sure as hell wouldn’t.

“Jalen…” I shot him a warning look. “Can we go see it now?”

“Certainly. I know how much you love surprises.”

Together, we strolled down the hall. “Are you planning to give me a hint about what you changed?”

Jalen smirked. “Let’s just say I did some much-needed redecorating.”

“Oh.” That couldn’t be too bad, right? All the same, my heart sped as I punched in the code to the hatch.

I strolled into the room, not knowing what to expect. New pictures hanging from the walls, maybe. Or a fresh coat of paint. But at first glance, everything looked the same.

I faced him, lifting a brow. “Was this a ploy to get me into bed?”

“No. But I’m not opposed to that outcome.” Jalen slid the hatch closed, chuckling. “Look again.”

My gaze trailed over the bare walls and empty shelves. “What am I looking—” I gasped as I finally spotted it. After crossing the floor to my bed, I lifted his surprise off. “Oh my god. Where did you get this?”

He’d photographed himself standing in the same sultry pose as Nick Cage, his shirt gaping open to show off his impressive chest, complete with a photoshopped beach background. The new pillowcase looked so similar to my old gag gift it was almost uncanny. I lifted it to eye level, biting my lip and fighting the urge to burst into laughter.

“I asked Karsen to help me.” Jalen’s lips twitched. “So, what’s the verdict? Do you like it?”

“I love it.” Laughter burst free from my chest, and when Jalen joined in, it brought so much joy to my soul I was vibrating from it.

Any other man as protective as Jalen would’ve flipped his lid the first time he spotted the silly memento. But not my mate. He’d used it to his advantage, finding a way to chase away all my troubled feelings on a day he knew I’d be down.

“I’m glad you do.” Jalen closed the space between us and cradled my jaw. “Now I’ll always be beside you even if I wake up early to tend to my plants. I love you, Ren.”

“I love you too.” As I stared into his eyes, utter contentment washed over me. I hadn’t set out to find my soul mate, but now that I had, I was so damn glad I’d volunteered for that hike through the jungle. “Now get in bed.” With a grin, Jalen sank down, and I tossed the pillow beside him. “I’m dying to sit on your face.”

“Which one?” he teased.

“You’ll see… my mate.”

The crew of the Verne will return in Brothel Voyage, coming soon!