Because I’ve suddenly realized that I don’t want to be without him. I don’t want to go home to Risda and live by myself. I want to stay with him, and if that means hiding in his house while he swans around being someone important, I’ll do it. Maybe instead of a new wife, he can just adopt someone else’s kid to be his heir.
The point is, I want to be with him. He’s the only happiness I’ve had in the last few years and I’ll be damned if I let it go.
“The belts won’t come loose until the ship stops,” Sophie protests as I claw at the buckles. “Calm down, Kim.”
“No! I have to get out of here!”
“You’re going to give away our location,” Sophie hisses, reaching for my arm. “What if someone’s looking for me right now?”
She’s right, I tell myself frantically. She’s right. If I get out of here, I could give away her hiding spot and lead to her recapture. But if I don’t…Nassakth might be gone from me forever. I might lose my last chance to say goodbye to him.
I look over at Sophie’s worried face.
“I’m sorry,” I say, and slide out from under the belts.
Or at least, I try to. My chin gets caught and I squawk like a trapped chicken as I try to wriggle free, but luckily the straps are made with the larger alien beings in mind and I’m able to worm my way out of the seat. Sophie whimpers as I push against the panel, trying to force it open, and when that doesn’t work, I start hammering on buttons and kicking against the door. It makes a fierce, thunderous noise, echoing through the cargo bay, and every panel on the wall is lit up in an ugly red. I keep hitting buttons, trying to find a way out—
The door hisses and slides open.
I fling myself out of it, and into Adiron’s arms.
“Kim? What’s wrong?” He catches me before I can splat on the ground.
I immediately wriggle out of his grip and straighten. “You have to stop this ship! I haven’t finished talking to Nassakth!” I clench my fists, wanting to hit something in frustration. “You have to turn us around right now! I’m not letting him leave me behind!”
Adiron rubs his chin, smirking. “Really? Because you told us you were ready to leave the moment he was gone—”
“No!” I cry, anguished. “I have to talk to him first, you idiot! Where are your brothers? Tell them to stop this damn ship!” I storm past him, heading for the bridge. I’m a woman with a mission now, and if it takes me screaming (or crying, whichever is more effective) at every alien on this ship, I’m going to get them to turn around so I can talk to Nassakth, to tell him that I don’t want him to leave me behind.
Adiron runs behind me, reaching for me. “You need to strap in—”
“No!” I race forward, determined to get to the bridge before he does. “We can’t leave! We can’t—”
The ship lurches, and I’m suddenly plastered to the ground. It’s like an elevator when there’s a gentle lift as it gets to the right floor—except there’s the force of ten G’s behind it. My face presses to the metal grate underneath me and I groan. That must be the takeoff, where we’re surging up to move away from the dock itself. That’s fine, I tell myself quickly. As long as I can get to the bridge before we shift drives—
There’s a curious moment of zero gravity, and I lift off the floor, only to be launched into the air once more as the ship accelerates. I fly through the air, tumbling down the metal hallway, like a leaf on the wind—
Only to be caught in strong arms.
I look up at Nassakth, at his gorgeous face, utterly feline and alien and perfect and familiar at the same time.
“Kim,” he says sternly. “You should be strapped in. It’s dangerous to roam while the ship is accelerating.”
I fling my arms around his neck and burst into happy tears.
73
NASSAKTH
Kim is frantic as she kisses me and clings to me, weeping openly. I have never seen her this distressed, and it’s heartbreaking.
“Kim,” I murmur, trying to calm her down. “Kim, please don’t cry.”
“You’re not leaving me behind,” she sobs, clenching her fists in the front of my tunic. “I don’t care if you have to be the big cheese on your planet. We have to stay together. You promised me that we were forever and I’m not going to let you go back on that.”
She thinks I would leave her? I pat her back and head toward our quarters, since it is clear that my mate needs some privacy to compose herself—and so we can talk. I nod at Mathiras and Adiron as I pass them, lurching as the ship surges once more. I keep my grip on my mate, though, determined to protect her at all times.