Page 19 of Warrior (The Outlander Book Club… in Space! #2)

Daisy

Time heals.

At least on some level.

Ewok healed quickly, his memory of events blessedly vague, and his rambunctious spirit had me practically sitting atop him to keep him out of the mines for a week.

I bore no sign of my fracas with the guard, at least physically. Mentally, it was a different story.

Consciously, I’d come to look at my actions in the same vein as Daicon saw them. I’d accepted that killing the guard was a necessary evil to protect Ewok and the rest of the children.

I just wished the nightmares agreed.

My subconscious tightly held onto the guilt and fear, revisiting the horror whenever I closed my eyes. Some nights, the dreams yanked me awake, screaming and sick. Other nights, I didn’t wake at all, trapped in the cycle of terror until dawn.

And dawn meant Daicon. Every time I jerked awake; he was at my side. Most mornings, I came to consciousness wrapped in his arms.

I didn’t hate it.

I liked how safe he made me feel.

I liked how he made me feel, period.

I liked him, period.

Everything he did was for me and the children.

He worked all day clearing a path for our escape, then spent half the night on patrol, determined the guards would never again have the opportunity to hurt any of us.

He was strict with the children, but patient and kind, teaching them how to excavate the mumje with less injury.

Not to mention how he cared for me. Gentle, almost loving… and the way he looked at me. Even when I was sleep-drugged and sweaty from night terrors, those golden eyes regarded me as the most beautiful woman ever.

I seriously had a crush on Daicon and felt a little guilty about it.

Gavin was a good man. However, our marriage was never based on undeniable attraction, just expectation.

My whole life, I’d been trained to be the perfect minister's wife, first by the teachings of my father and the example set by my mother. When Gavin became associate pastor at my father’s church, he was young, handsome, and caring.

The perfect man for me—or so everyone agreed.

Our dates centered around church outings save for a Braves baseball game here and there. The first time he kissed me, it felt right, and comforting. It's kind of the way one feels coming home after a long, hard trip.

When we married, the entire church congregation attended the wedding—except Clancy Montrose, who'd just had gall bladder surgery the day before.

When my father stepped down and Gavin became pastor, our church family showered us with love and support.

The congregation was important to us… maybe too important.

Our marriage centered around the church and the needs of the parishioners. My parents taught me that the duty of a minister’s wife was to support her husband as he follows his calling to God.

I don’t think Gavin ever thought he was neglecting me. Truthfully, I never considered it neglect—just my duty.

It was my duty to suffer fertility treatments alone while Gavin ministered to a family whose son struggled with drug addiction.

It was my duty to smile through the birthdays and anniversaries spent alone because someone in the congregation needed him more.

It was my duty to understand that no matter how much I might need Gavin’s support, ministering to the congregation was always his first priority.

I never doubted Gavin loved me. I loved him. Part of me always would. But sometimes, when I'd hear Willa or Clara talk about their marriages, the ugly green of jealousy coated my heart. How would it feel to have a man devoted to your every need above all else?

I got the feeling Daicon would be like that.

When he loved, it would be with a devotion and passion that made everything else fade into an afterthought.

There was something in how he held me—the way he cared for me in the aftermath of my altercation with the guard, like he considered me a most precious treasure.

I liked it much more than I should have.

Daicon was so different from Gavin... from any man I’d ever know. There was wildness in him and danger, but it drew me like a magnet instead of making me shy away.

Which probably explains why I currently traipsed through the tunnels to bring him lunch.

One of the kids usually undertook the delivery.

After what happened with Ewok, I didn’t like the children being in unauthorized areas.

Daicon might not enjoy me playing deliveryman either since there’d been more of a guard presence in the tunnels recently.

Daicon told me what happened with his skiff, abashedly as though seeking my approval—which I readily gave.

Add Scarface disappearing without a trace as far as the guards knew, and it seemed to set them on edge.

Daicon didn’t turn as I approached, although I knew by the twitch of his pointed ears, he heard my arrival.

The tunnel looked slightly different from when Ewok brought us here.

To the naked eye, nothing appeared out of place.

Daicon wasn’t dismantling the entire cave-in but digging a tunnel large enough for us to fit through, his handiwork strategically hidden by a well-placed boulder.

A low rolling growl split the air, and I grinned, knowing it was all for show.

“What are you doing here?” Golden eyes glanced over a muscular shoulder, one dark brow cocked high.

"You didn't come back for lunch, so I'm delivering." I held up the cloth-wrapped parcel.

He turned, giving me a scolding glance that had little effect on wiping the smile from my face.

"Hungry?" I teased, giving my hand a little wave. "I made sandwiches again."

Daicon turned away from his work, giving me the stink eye, although I noticed the upward quirk of his lips.

He loved my sandwiches. I’d gotten pretty good at making a decent type of bread.

Soaking the dried meat to soften the texture and adding a concoction of mashed vegetables and spices yielded a decent copy. It was no Reuben, but it would do.

“How close are we to breaking through?” I asked as Daicon perched on a rock, unwrapping his lunch.

"Another couple of feet, as near as I can tell." He took a bite of the sandwich, a low moan issuing from deep in his throat.

I bit back a laugh, pretending to concentrate on the barrier. "How much longer will it take to dig through?"

Daicon barked a laugh. “If I could use explosives, a few minutes. With hand tools, at least another week.”

The hand tools were a pick, hammer, and a couple of small chisels that appeared worn to a nub. I didn't doubt his skill, but getting through this rock was only the first step.

“Do you have a plan for after we break through?”

Daicon finished his sandwich, chewing with a thoughtful expression. "Xaden said the dock is most vulnerable in the early morning. After I break through, I’ll recon for a few days and make a plan.”

“What do me and the kids do?" I wanted to help. I knew they did, too.

"Stay safe." Daicon didn't issue a command per se, but it was close. Since the incident with Scarface, his protectiveness for me and the children quadrupled.

I rolled my eyes teasingly. "With you around, that's a given."

He frowned, obviously not appreciating my attempt at humor. "I do not want you to be hurt again."

The way he said the words, his voice deep with aching roughness, wrapped around my heart like a hug.

“Thank you for taking care of me.”

The frown remained, and with it, a hint of confusion. "Did your mate not protect you?”

The question started me, and my answer was harsh with a desire to defend Gavin. “Of course, he did. Why did you ask that?”

Daicon shrugged, the muscles in his shoulders rippling with movement. I could just see the edges of the black chevrons that ran over the curve of his shoulders and down his chest like inky tattoos.

“You act like my wanting to keep you safe is bothersome.”

I moved from where I stood by the wall, settling beside him on the boulder's edge. I felt the warmth of his body reach out to me, and his pine and snow scent overshadowed the mustiness of the tunnel.

“It’s not bothersome, it’s sweet." I laid a hand on his forearm. His pelt felt like velvet, and the muscles rippled under my touch. ,"Really sweet. I appreciate it. I'm just not used to someone watching over my every step.”

Daicon’s gaze settled where my hand touched him, a faint uptick to the corners of his mouth. “You mate did not watch over you?

"He did." I insisted. "It's just on Earth, the danger is different than here. Our day-to-day lives are pretty dull. I didn’t need constant protection.”

The golden eyes that met mine were proud and determined. "For a Vaktaire, his mate's safety is a thing of great pride.”

Sweet Fancy Moses.

Coud Daicon have a mate?

Of course, he could. Heck, he probably did. He was handsome, brave, and loyal. I bet women on his planet lined up just to talk to him. They certainly would on Earth.

“I bet your mate is very proud of you.” Smooth Daisy… real smooth.

“My mate?” Daicon blinked at me.

“Yes, your mate.”

Something hot and bitter twisted my heart.

How could I be jealous of an idea? What’s wrong with me?

I had no right to be jealous. We’d kissed once, but that was because I feared he wouldn’t survive to return.

If anything, his mate might be jealous of me.

That’s dumb. Why would she? I bet she was tall and blonde and gorgeous, not short, and chubby with hair that always managed to look just a little uncombed.

“I do not have a mate.”

Thank you, Jesus!

“Oh.” I tried not to sound so happy about the revelation.

His full tan lips twisted into a wry grin as he regarded me curiously. “I am a Vaktaire war chief assigned to Earth protection aboard the Bardaga. When I took the assignment, I knew it would mean giving up the opportunity to find a mate among my people.”