chest, hips and thighs. On a medical bed? In the medical unit? Her
other senses picked up slight noises and she stiffened.
“Tell me it wasn’t real?” her eyes flashed to Drake’s and she knew instantly
it hadn’t been a nightmare. His slightly glowing blue eyes were a testament to
the truth. “Oh, Drake,” She struggled to get up.
“I can explain.” He held her against him.
“Let me up.” She pushed at his chest. “Now Drake!” He instantly let her
go. She rolled off the bed and landed clumsily on her feet. Backing into the
wall, she looked around.
The injured crew members were gone and only one of the four males from
the pods were in the room with them. The giant, Mica she’d heard him called, was
gone, along with Vareen, Nellia, Tae, and
Arik.
“Where are the crew? My friends?” She turned accusing eyes on Drake.
“The wounded guards are in holding cells, along with the doctor and
anyone else who resisted my friends. Your doctor friend is seeing to them. As
for Vareen.” Drake swung his legs around and stood to lean against the bed, “Mica
is with her. I think he will claim her.”
“It’s how it’s done, ” Dak spoke from across the room.
“Not now Dak, go help Tae and Arik,” Drake ordered and the golden male
bowed slightly and then hurried from the room.
“What’s going on Drake?” Cali couldn’t keep the confusion out of her
question. She had no idea what the hell had happened, but she had a really bad
feeling about it.
“I wanted to tell you so many times, so many things” Drake held out a
hand and she ignored it.
“Start now.”
With a sigh, Drake motioned for her to take a seat on the medical bed.
She stubbornly stayed standing. Her eyes narrowed in pain and frustration on
the man she thought she knew. The man she thought she could love.
“We are from Titus.”
“Titus?” Cali gasped. “That planet is inhabited by barbarians—”
“I’ll thank you for being careful
with your words,” Drake interrupted softly. “We aren’t ‘barbarians’ Cali.
Different, yes…but not barbaric.”
Cali was reeling from what Drake was telling her. The humanoids on Titus
had advanced enough to be spacefaring? Why didn’t anyone on Cestori know this
was happening?
“We worked with Atheon to build a starship.”
“Atheon?” The surprises kept coming didn’t they. She was beginning to
rethink standing to hear this.
“Yes, They approached us to acquire trianium. They scanned our planet and
since we use trianium in our transportation system they detected it. We began
diplomatic talks and they helped us with building a spacecraft we named The Maxon. It was during a trial run to
Atheon that The Maxon had technical
difficulties and the crew escaped into stasis pods.”
“We only found five of you. What could’ve happened to the others?” Cali
asked.
“We sent out a distress signal to The
Cariyel , an Atheon ship. It must have found the others. My pod along with
Dak, Tae, Arik and Mica were probably knocked off course when The Maxon exploded.”
“You remembered all of this from the beginning.” Cali could feel her eyes
blurring with unshed tears. “You didn’t tell me this before? Why?” at his
pained look it came to her.
“ Cestori’s history with Atheon?
Someone from Atheon warned y ou about having
anything to do with us. What else were you told?”
“Nothing,” he denied but it was too vehement. Cali knew he was lying.
“You were,” Cali couldn’t take it anymore. “If there is one shred of hope
for this day to end with us parting amicably, you’ve better start telling the
truth.”
Drake stiffened at her words. “You’re upset Cali and I understand.” His
voice grew harder, “Please don’t threaten me when I know you’ve been holding
something back as well. Can you honestly say you’ve told me everything ?”
Chapter Seventeen
Cali bit back a retort, her guilt eating at her. She hadn’t told him
everything. He didn’t know she was
other senses picked up slight noises and she stiffened.
“Tell me it wasn’t real?” her eyes flashed to Drake’s and she knew instantly
it hadn’t been a nightmare. His slightly glowing blue eyes were a testament to
the truth. “Oh, Drake,” She struggled to get up.
“I can explain.” He held her against him.
“Let me up.” She pushed at his chest. “Now Drake!” He instantly let her
go. She rolled off the bed and landed clumsily on her feet. Backing into the
wall, she looked around.
The injured crew members were gone and only one of the four males from
the pods were in the room with them. The giant, Mica she’d heard him called, was
gone, along with Vareen, Nellia, Tae, and
Arik.
“Where are the crew? My friends?” She turned accusing eyes on Drake.
“The wounded guards are in holding cells, along with the doctor and
anyone else who resisted my friends. Your doctor friend is seeing to them. As
for Vareen.” Drake swung his legs around and stood to lean against the bed, “Mica
is with her. I think he will claim her.”
“It’s how it’s done, ” Dak spoke from across the room.
“Not now Dak, go help Tae and Arik,” Drake ordered and the golden male
bowed slightly and then hurried from the room.
“What’s going on Drake?” Cali couldn’t keep the confusion out of her
question. She had no idea what the hell had happened, but she had a really bad
feeling about it.
“I wanted to tell you so many times, so many things” Drake held out a
hand and she ignored it.
“Start now.”
With a sigh, Drake motioned for her to take a seat on the medical bed.
She stubbornly stayed standing. Her eyes narrowed in pain and frustration on
the man she thought she knew. The man she thought she could love.
“We are from Titus.”
“Titus?” Cali gasped. “That planet is inhabited by barbarians—”
“I’ll thank you for being careful
with your words,” Drake interrupted softly. “We aren’t ‘barbarians’ Cali.
Different, yes…but not barbaric.”
Cali was reeling from what Drake was telling her. The humanoids on Titus
had advanced enough to be spacefaring? Why didn’t anyone on Cestori know this
was happening?
“We worked with Atheon to build a starship.”
“Atheon?” The surprises kept coming didn’t they. She was beginning to
rethink standing to hear this.
“Yes, They approached us to acquire trianium. They scanned our planet and
since we use trianium in our transportation system they detected it. We began
diplomatic talks and they helped us with building a spacecraft we named The Maxon. It was during a trial run to
Atheon that The Maxon had technical
difficulties and the crew escaped into stasis pods.”
“We only found five of you. What could’ve happened to the others?” Cali
asked.
“We sent out a distress signal to The
Cariyel , an Atheon ship. It must have found the others. My pod along with
Dak, Tae, Arik and Mica were probably knocked off course when The Maxon exploded.”
“You remembered all of this from the beginning.” Cali could feel her eyes
blurring with unshed tears. “You didn’t tell me this before? Why?” at his
pained look it came to her.
“ Cestori’s history with Atheon?
Someone from Atheon warned y ou about having
anything to do with us. What else were you told?”
“Nothing,” he denied but it was too vehement. Cali knew he was lying.
“You were,” Cali couldn’t take it anymore. “If there is one shred of hope
for this day to end with us parting amicably, you’ve better start telling the
truth.”
Drake stiffened at her words. “You’re upset Cali and I understand.” His
voice grew harder, “Please don’t threaten me when I know you’ve been holding
something back as well. Can you honestly say you’ve told me everything ?”
Chapter Seventeen
Cali bit back a retort, her guilt eating at her. She hadn’t told him
everything. He didn’t know she was
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