Page 81 of Taken to Voraxia

Xoran comes up behind me, ridges glowing a subtle turquoise, pleased. He reaches down, slips his shoulder under my butt and lifts me high off of the ground. As soon as I’m steady, I start ripping through the paper until I finally get through enough of it off that I can tear the rest away easily.

“You fixed the door?” I gasp as the white wooden surface comes into view.

“That was necessary, and is not the gift,” he grunts. “There is more. Much more. Step in.”

And that’s when I notice the new palm reader on the right side of the entrance. “Is this a DNA reader?”

“Hexa,” he says.

“I’ve heard about them from Tri'Herion, but I’ve never seen one before. Do you think I…”

“Nox. You maynottake it apart. If you would like one to examine, I can provide this.”

I huff, “You know me too well.”

“Hexa, and though it has not even been a rotation, I know no one else better.”

I turn and look at him. Really look. His mottled blue skin. His hard plates. His black eyes and hair. His big smile. It’s incredible. All of him. All of this. My new world. “Neither do I.”

I slide my palm into the scanner and feel the little tentacles ofcremar, perhaps?swim and swirl over my hand. A second later and the stralyx-reinforced doors glide open and the gift — thegifts —inside are a multitude of things I can name, and a thousand more that I can’t.

Two things only are absolutely clear: this is no longer a guest house, and by the stars, these things certainly aren’t dresses.Hammocks either…

“Miari?” He says at my back, and my name in his accent sends electricity firing through each of my nerve endings. My colors I’m sure must show.

I turn. “You made me a lab.”

He nods, grinning as he takes in the Xanaxana’s display high in my cheeks.

“I give you a little stone galaxy and youmake me a lab?” I push on his chest, balking and beaming in the same instant.

“Your gift was much better than this. You made the gifts you delivered to me yourself. With your own hands. I did not make this. Though I did the designs,” he mumbles and I cannot believe that someone so big could ever be so sheepish.

“You did well, my Raku.”

“You are pleased?”

“Come here,” I say, wading deeper into the room piled high with odds and gadgets, “and let me show you just how pleased I am.”

His ridges ripple purple and his abs visibly clench. He takes a powerful step forward. “Only on one condition, Miari.”

I back up, but he lunges forward and catches me, sliding his huge hand around the back of my head. My whole body heats, my eyes flutter closed and liquid pools between my thighs.

“What’s that?” I say, struggling to catch my breath.

Against the curve of my neck he whispers, “You will call me Xoran.”