Page 10 of Wayfinder (The Outlander Book Club… in Space! #5)

“I declare a cheat!” The Kwado chef’s jowls huffed so large he looked like an angry bullfrog.

“You haven’t tasted the other dishes,” Ala grumbled, her deep blue lips pulled thin.

“What is the point?” Master Iffas waved a webbed hand haughtily. “I have tasted nothing in the universe to rival this dish.”

“I agree.” Lady Jessup’s pale skin appeared even whiter, as though she had just awoken from a swoon.

“She has used human trickery,” the blue male hissed. Although I don’t know who his hateful eyes glared at more, me or Jutuk.

“Yes!” Uilay bounced up and down on his frog-like legs. “I saw her crushing up and adding rocks to the pot.”

“That was salt, you idiot,” I snapped, rolling my eyes. “If you recall, I tried to tell you about salt when you were still with the Baron.”

Yes, it was a taunt to the fact that the Baron replaced Uilay with me, but I didn’t care.

At least I didn’t until his assistant, Varsanal, pounced in my direction.

I had only a second to ponder the movement before Jutuk stood at my side, a low, menacing growl emanating from deep in his chest. It stopped the Kwado in his tracks.

I suspect Varsanal tried to look intimidating next to Jutuk, it just didn’t work.

Kind of like a bullfrog squaring off with a lion.

While part of me would love nothing better than to tell these whiny alien chefs to suck it, the only good competition was a fair one.

“Look, to be fair,” I began, watching as Chancellor Qaimus’ eyes narrowed curiously. “I think the judges need to try the other dishes before making a decision."

Counselor Trie made a face like he deemed the idea distasteful.

“If we taste the other dishes, may we have more of your delicious boeuf bourguignon?” Lady Jessup’s pale blue eyes grew wide in anticipation.

“Sure,” I agreed, trying not to giggle. Beside me, I felt Jutuk relax.

The judges each took a bite of the other offerings.

The Kwado chef’s entrée appeared charred and overcooked, and from the expressions of the judges, left a bitter aftertaste on the tongue.

In contrast, the male Framaddi’s dish looked raw and unappetizing, lacking any discernible seasonings or flavors.

It was clear the judges found neither dish impressive.

Still, I’d hand it to them for due diligence in sampling each recipe, even though Lady Jessup and Counselor Trie gagged loudly in protest.

There was no further deliberation, just a nod shared between the judges and Chancellor Oaimus.

“Human chef Pearl still wins.” The Chancellor announced to grumbles from the other chefs, save one.

“What are the rankings?” Ala asked, stepping upon the dais to be noticed.

The judges seemed caught off guard by the female Framaddi’s question, their expressions momentarily frozen in surprise.

It dawned on me that Ala asked simply to know who garnered the lowest rank and thereby was eliminated from the contest. The judges huddled together on the raised dais, murmuring amongst themselves as they tried to come up with a response.

Chancellor Qaimus finally motioned for silence, his bulbous face pensive.

“We have the final rankings. The winner by unanimous decision is human chef Pearl. Second is Chef Ala of the Framaddi.” The diminutive female preened at the news.

“Third is Chef Uilay of the Kwado.” The frog chef shot me a hateful glare before puffing up proudly.

“Last place, Chef Rollak of the Framaddi.”

I bit back a smile at the announcement of last place. Little fucker had tried to poison me after all.

I’d witnessed a person’s face get so red that it looked about to explode, but this was the first time I’d observed the phenomenon in the shade of blue.

“Charlatan.” The little blue bastard screamed, launching himself at me.

Rollak didn’t even get close. Jutuk was like an avenging angel, stepping between us with a faint smile playing on his lips as he held up his fist toward the Framaddi.

It wasn’t so much that Jutuk punched the little blue guy.

It was more like Rollak ran into the clench of muscle and bone and went down like a rock.

I had never experienced someone standing up for me like this other than my grandmother.

It was almost overwhelming how much I liked it.

All my life, I’d taken care of myself, fought my own battles, and I found it surprisingly comforting and empowering to have someone protect me.

As Rollak crumpled to the ground like a broken marionette, I preened at having the Jutuk by my side.

“There will be no violence!” Chancellor Oaimus wheezed like he was the one Jutuk hit.

Jutuk let his golden gaze settle on Rollak’s companion. “I suggest you take your chef somewhere and calm him.”

Turiak rolled his dark eyes and, with a respectful nod in Jutuk’s direction, picked up Rollak and carried him from the room.

“I will let the Baron know his faith in you is not misplaced.” Qaimus recovered from the outburst, although his wide webbed hands fanned his face copiously.

He waited until I nodded in acknowledgment before turning to the others.

“I declare the first challenge of the competition complete. The second challenge will begin at dawn. I suggest everyone retire for a good rest. Tomorrow’s contest will prove more difficult as we hunt for creatures of the air. ”

I stayed quiet as we made our way to my chambers, pondering tomorrow’s challenge.

Killing the behia proved surprisingly easy, but now we faced a new task—taking down a creature that could fly away.

I didn’t expect it to be easy, but with Jutuk by my side, I couldn’t help but feel confident.

I felt a sense of awe and admiration for Jutuk’s abilities.

I wanted to thank him for what he’d done, but how exactly did one go about thanking a guy for beating up another guy for you?

When we entered the room, Jutuk headed straight for the sofa and began meticulously removing his weapons one by one, placing the gleaming blades on a nearby table.

I made my way to the bathroom and went straight for the shower.

Although it was only chemically enhanced steam, the warmth cascaded over my body, easing the soreness of overused muscles.

I dialed up another nightgown, this one sleeveless and knee-length in cottony soft fabric.

By the time I emerged from the bathroom, Jutuk had already settled onto his pallet on the floor, his body relaxed and at ease.

I crawled onto the mattress, fidgeting until I found the words. “Thank you... for today.”

Jutuk turned his head slightly, the corners of his lips twitching upward. “It was my great honor to assist you.”

Seriously, could he be any sweeter?

“I’m not just talking about your help with the behia. I mean, for later, too, the way you protected me from Rollak and Uilay.”

Jutuk rolled onto his side to face me fully.

He’d dressed for bed, and the thin blanket fell to his waist, the muscles of his chest and torso seeming to gleam in the dim light.

“It was my honor and duty as a Vaktaire warrior. I gave my vow to my Chieftain and your friend Emmy that I would keep you safe.”

This was new for me… this feeling of being grateful to have someone at my side.

It felt strange and foreign, but not altogether unwelcome.

Just like every time I pondered the reason for my inability to trust, Donovan’s handsome face floated through my mind.

It was a damn shame I couldn’t rip him from my brain, so Jutuk could beat him up.

For so long, I had been used to standing alone, facing the world by myself, unwilling to trust enough to let myself be vulnerable. But now, with Jutuk, everything seemed a little less daunting. His presence brought a sense of comfort and security that I never knew I needed.

“How did you become a warrior?” I asked the question not only to fill the awkward silence but also because I wanted to know more about him.

Jutuk rolled onto his back, curling a heavily muscled arm under his head.

“I am Vaktaire. Being a warrior is in my DNA.” A faint smile played over his full lips.

“I have Jala to thank for my position aboard the Bardaga. When our parents died, she took over my upbringing and insisted upon my continued studies.”

“You said you were a Wayfinder?” The word was familiar to me, although I had no idea what it meant. “What is that exactly?” I asked at Jutuk’s nod.

“It’s like being a navigator, but more.” Jutuk turned his head slightly, just enough where he could gaze at the starry filled space visible from the skylight.

“A navigator uses maps and compasses to plot the course of a ship. A Wayfinder possesses an inner compass that allows me to find my way without the need of maps.”

“No Google Maps for you, huh?” I teased.

“Google Maps?” No good tease goes unpunished.

“It’s how most people tell directions on Earth,” I chuckled.

“What was your life like on Earth?” He shifted slightly to glance at me. In the din, his golden eyes glowed like twin suns.

“Just like here, pretty much. I was a chef.” Granted, on Earth, an ugly frog-faced bastard didn’t think he owned me, but overall, pretty much the same.

“Did you cook for royalty on Earth?”

I didn’t quite consider Baron Oappo the definition of royalty. “No. Some chefs work for royal families, but I owned a few restaurants.”

“Did you always want to cook?”

The question had been posed countless times by countless interviewers. And every time, I regurgitated the same stock response, claiming that I loved food and had always dreamed of becoming a chef since practically birth. But the truth was far from that.

“Cooking was always a comfort to me.” The words came from my soul, like a confession. “I was such a disappointment to my parents, but my grandmother always understood me, and she taught me to cook. I named my most successful restaurant after her.”

Jutuk raised up on an elbow, eyeing me with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. “I do not understand why you would be a disappointment to anyone. You are a strong and accomplished female. Your parents should be proud.”

“Thanks,” I murmured, feeling oddly embarrassed. “Believe it or not, my parents didn’t want me to be a chef.”

“Why not? You are an excellent chef. The dish you made tonight is the most delicious food I have ever tasted.”

The unwavering conviction in Jutuk’s voice was heartwarming. It reminded me of my grandmother, the only person who had ever truly believed in me. It made me feel both humbled and empowered and more than a little tingly.

“You might not have noticed, but I’m a lot taller and bigger than most human women.”

“Really?” Jutuk seemed truly surprised. “You seem tiny to me.”

“I expect a lot of people seem tiny to you,” I snort-giggled.

“True.” Jutuk grinned. “Were your parents disappointed because you are tall?”

“More like disappointed I didn’t do anything with it.

” I rolled onto my back so Jutuk couldn’t see the emotions I knew roamed my face.

“My father wanted me to play sports, but I’m not coordinated enough for that.

My mother thought I was tall enough to be a fashion model, but I wasn’t thin or pretty enough. ”

A low, deep growl preceded his words. “That is ridiculous. You are one of the most graceful, beautiful females I have ever met.”

“Wow,” I breathed, his words flowing over me like spicy honey.

Somehow, my initial dislike of Jutuk had dissipated, replaced by a growing fondness.

I couldn’t help but respond to his kind, protective nature, and I couldn’t ignore the fact he behaved like a perfect gentleman.

His body stretched out across the floor was an impressive sight—seven feet of rippling muscles under a tan pelt that looked and felt like velvet.

And those golden eyes seemed to hold a world of promises and secrets within them.

Despite the innate knowledge that I should resist. I couldn’t help feeling drawn to him more and more.

I really liked Jutuk… which might be a huge freaking problem.