Page 8

Chapter Five

“O kay, spill. What the hell’s going on?” Britt faced her mom the moment the door closed behind Edon.

Mom blushed, spun on a heel, then entered a room, it’s door swishing open. She came out a moment later. “Bathroom.” Striding past Britt, she disappeared into the other room through an archway. The smallish ship meant there was one cabin for her and Mom to share.

“Mom,” Britt whined, stomping her foot for added affect. “Why’s Aldur all over you?”

“No idea. He said he’ll explain everything later.

” Mom peeked through the doorway, tossing Britt a shrug.

“Kinda like his hugs. That man is…” Wearing a silly grin, Mom waved her hand at her flushed face.

“Buff. Not to mention his gorgeous blue eyes. Despite knowing it’s impossible, I swear my shriveled ovaries applauded. ”

Britt rolled her eyes. “Next you’ll say he’s built like a brick shithouse.”

“Language,” Mom muttered and resumed unpacking, though where she planned on putting her clothes, Britt didn’t know.

The only thing recognizable was the bed and two ledges acting as bedside tables. She frowned. Had she missed the tour?

She shook her head, needing to focus. “I’ve been begging you to return to the dating game for ages, but this is…sudden. He’s hugging you like you two have been getting it on.”

Mom freaking laughed.

Britt huffed, grabbed her bag, then dumped it on the bed.

She bit her lip, waiting, expecting Mom to say something.

Instead, she stroked the top right corner of a panel, and pop went its door, revealing a hidden compartment.

When the silence continued, Britt jumped in front of her to grasp her shoulders. “Mom.”

“I don’t know,” Mom snapped. “He said later.”

“So what now? Do we even know how far away their planet is?”

Mom nudged Britt out of the way to reach the closet. “You were all gung-ho to come, so no, we didn’t exactly ask any of the pertinent questions.”

“Right. My fault, I guess.” Britt slumped onto the bed that was large enough to cater for two adult Etterians.

“I’m not complaining. Now that we’re on our way, I’m getting excited.” Mom grinned then snapped the closet shut with a touch. Seamless metal panels clicked.

“Everything’s so…clinical.” Britt gestured to the metal walls, floors, and ceiling with its hidden lighting.

“Makes sense for a warrior species.” Mom shrugged and waltzed out of the room.

“Warrior? Yeah, that’s what the news was saying.

” Britt snatched her unopened bag and shoved it into another closet.

She skipped after her mom to find her browsing the rehydrator.

“I need a little vacay. So however long this trip is, I’m going to sleep in, read, eat exotic foods, and maybe find a new sport or hobby. ”

“You do that,” Mom said, cradling a mug of herbal tea she’d ordered. “I need to brush up on my medical knowledge and any new breakthroughs we’ve made since... Well, you know.”

Britt sat opposite her then leaped to her feet with a squeak. “Did that thing just move?”

Mom pursed her lips to hide a grin, failed, then chuckled. “Yup, it does that to match the shape and size of your backside.”

“Right,” Britt huffed and tried sitting again. Surreal was beyond how it felt when the chair cupped her ass with an almost loving touch. “Why didn’t you react?” She narrowed her eyes at her mom.

“Aldur warned me.” She shrugged.

“About a chair, but not about the time it takes to reach his home?” Britt rolled her eyes. “Mom, you’re hopeless.”

“Ask him yourself, or better yet, speak to Nerx. He is the commanding officer.”

Britt’s heartbeat scattered at the memory of stroking his jaw.

Damn, that man is gorgeous. “I’ve got much groveling to do.

All he had to do was tell me why he was watching our home, but no, an alien commander doesn’t need to explain himself.

” She pouted at her whining. One sentence from him would have steered the encounter in a whole different direction.

Now she had to play nice or probably apologize again and be sincere about it.

She folded her arms across her chest and glowered. He could damn well hold his breath. The blame lay with them both, and if the arrogant ass didn’t see that, then that wasn’t her fault. Nor was it her job to show him the error of his ways.

There was plenty of eye candy, even on board this ship.

Though to be fair, Sena and Matir didn’t spark such a violent response in her as Nerx did.

They were too sweet, and she ate such men for breakfast. She wanted a man with a little fire who could handle her more…

volatile personality. Most ran for the hills.

But Nerx? Nope, no way. He could suck it.

“Well, better start on those medical journals.” Mom placed her empty mug on the table. “What are you going to do first on your ‘vacay?’”

“I brought my tablet. I want to find a spot on this…thing.” She swept a hand at the ceiling, indicating the ship. “Somewhere I can be alone to read or journal.”

“Maybe it has a place where you can see the stars,” Mom said, leaping to her feet to disappear into their bedroom. She returned with their tablets in hand and a shawl.

“Want me to ask if we can up the heat a little?” Britt accepted her tablet then headed for the door. “Might as well, just in case we freeze.”

“But—”

The door swished open to Aldur.

Britt stepped aside on instinct. “Tell me, Aldur, how do you make it warmer in here?”

The poor man dragged his gaze from Mom to blink at her. “Place your hand on the panel.” He tapped a hidden tile to the right of the door.

When he waited, Britt hurried to press her palm to the black screen. A white light scanned her, then beeped.

“It will adjust and maintain the temperature to fifteen degrees cooler than your core.” He faced Mom, and Britt couldn’t help the sensation that she was all but forgotten. “I wanted to see if you are…settled. If you need anything—”

The door closed behind Britt the moment she stepped into the passage. A grated floor ran the length of the ship she’d seen so far. Gray metal lined the walls, and a dim light lit the area, although, she couldn’t find the source.

Sighing, she veered left toward the common.

Someone there would be able to direct her to a ‘star deck.’ She snorted.

How old were the novels Mom read that she didn’t know that term?

The common was empty, so she placed her tablet on the trestle table to order a bottle of water.

Wherever she found herself, taking something to drink with her meant not having to abandon her privacy because she was thirsty.

Movement caught her eye. She stilled, the bottle of water halfway to her mouth. A mop of black hair on a small girl snagged her focus. “Um, hello?” she called, feeling like an idiot when her quaking voice echoed.

“Hello,” the girl said, skipping across the blue mat to reach Britt.

She gaped. The human child, about five or six years old, had fawn-colored skin, shocking black hair, and blue eyes. She wore pink pajamas and bunny slippers. Something was smeared across her cheek and stained her fingers.

“I’m Britt,” she managed.

“My name’s Lily.” The girl twirled on the spot, her focus on the floppy ears of her slippers.

“Are you lost? And what’s on your fingers?” She captured Lily’s hand to trace a finger over what looked like paint.

“I’m drawing a picture.”

“Where are your parents?” Britt raised her head to scan the common and med-bay as she tried to recall seeing any humans when they ported.

“Daddy’s far away.” Lily swung their clasped hands, then twirled.

Okay. Cryptic much. “And where is that?” Britt twisted to follow when Lily danced around her, not releasing her hand.

“Earth.”

Possible. Maybe her mom’s on board? “And your mommy?”

“Dead, I think. I can’t remember.” Lily stilled, her gaze on the mat.

A touchy subject, so it seems. Then why is Lily on an Etterian ship away from her family? This makes no sense. “Are you going back to your daddy?”

At Britt’s question, Lily curled her arms across her body and shook her head. “Nerxie says never.”

Nerxie? Had the horrible man kidnapped this little girl?

Anger barreled through Britt until she was ready to kill. “How dare he do this? What gives him the right to help himself to a child?”

She paced the common, aware Lily sat at the table watching her.

Escape options were few. Commandeering the ship when she didn’t know how to fly it?

Porting? She’d also have to convince Mom to come with her.

Staying with child kidnappers was a hell-no.

What did humans know about Etterians anyway, other than what the news said?

All knew how the media sensationalized trivial info and changed it align with their agenda.

What if Britt’s rushed decision had placed her mom in danger?

And now she had Lily to save, as well. How when they were trapped?

Were they even going to Etteria? Maybe their destination was some slave facility on an abandoned moon?

Her only choice was to confront Nerx, to get him to do the right thing.

That man deserved a piece of her mind, and he’d better turn this ship around.

No way was she standing by while he separated a daughter from her father.

“Hello,” she yelled at the ceiling, making Lily squeak. “Can anyone tell me how to find Nerx?”

“I can.” Lily bounded off the bench to grab Britt’s hand. “This way.”

Britt was dragged along the passage past her quarters to another door at the far end.

It swished open when they reached it, probably triggered by movement.

Though she couldn’t be sure without investigating and looking like a peasant.

Nerx and Matir swiveled to look at her, while another man stared at a massive screen filled with stars.

Buttons flickered across a console without lettering to tell her what each color meant or did.

So, no, piloting this thing was out of the question.