He wrapped his arms around her waist tighter. “I can’t believe how lucky I am that I found you.”
“Actually, I found you, if you’ll recall. Tussling in my backyard.”
He laughed and nodded. “Either way, I’m grateful that it happened.”
“Me, too.”
She leaned in to kiss him again, but before she could, something soft and furry darted between them, chittering loudly.
“Payback,” she said, laughing as the parcel scurried up to her shoulder again.
“He’s excited to go to the planet,” Serac said. “He always gets like this before runs.”
Kimmy turned in Serac’s lap to see out the viewports better. He could sense her excitement as well. She and the parcel were a pair in that.
“It looks like something from a sci-fi movie,” she said.
The ship descended into the atmosphere. Orange clouds filled the yellow-tinted sky and tall towers of earth rose up hundreds of feet from the ground. He wove among them, heading for the rendezvous point.
Antareans flew between the towers, landing on ledges or darting into their buildings with ease—and no need for ships, with their translucent sets of wings.
“Okay, now it really looks like a sci-fi movie.” Kimmy leaned forward to get a better look all around. “Are those gigantic termite mounds?”
An Antarean flew above the ship, close enough to see them inside the ship and wave one of her many arms at them. She hurried back on her original course.
Kimmy cringed against his chest. “What are those?”
“Those are Antareans,” he said.
“Antareans are giant ant people? That’s a little on-the-nose, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know what that means, but I don’t think they have noses. Just small slits on the fronts of their faces.”
“Okay…” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I can do this. They seem friendly. That one even waved at us, right?”
“She did. Antareans are among the most peaceful and kind sentients in the galaxy. I think you’ll like them.”
“Then I’m sure I will. I just have to get past the whole…giant ants thing. Which I absolutely can do.”
Her confidence again flooded into him. He’d never met someone so sure of themselves—except maybe Hank.
A billow of red dust plumed up from beneath them. He steered around it to keep the viewport clear.
Kimmy leaned forward again, looking up at the sky this time.
“It’s so… yellow,” she said. “Can we breathe out there?”
“We can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. We’ll land in a hangar bay, where the air is purified.”
A process that wouldn’t be needed if it weren’t for the High Council. He fought back the wave of anger at what had happened on Antares-3. Frost lined the inside of the viewport.
At least this time his cold wouldn’t affect Kimmy adversely.
She rested her hand on the side of his face. “Tell me.”
“I just remember the vids that my mother used to show me of Antares-3 before the Coalition came for them. The sky was bright green, and the plants were covered in vibrant yellow-orange foliage. The planet was covered with vast purple oceans that are now black and stagnant.”
“That’s awful.”
“They resisted the influence of the High Council for a time, refusing to trade and only offering what they thought was assistance for others. But then, their ecosystems started to crumble, and they had to exchange what remained of their natural resources for the Coalition’s technology just to survive.”
After the assignments he’d assisted Dean with, Serac had little doubt of what had caused the ecological disaster they’d suffered so long ago.
He hadn’t believed his clan’s stories about how the Coalition had wronged the Centaurans and went out to see for himself. He truly wished that they had been exaggerating.
“You think the Coalition did this to them on purpose,” Kimmy said.
“I do.” He tightened his grip around her waist. “When I worked with Dean, he took assignments from the High Council. They were fond of using Scorpiians for their work. At first, I was only there to provide an intimidation factor.”
“I don’t get that. I mean, you’re a big, imposing guy, but he can change into…a big imposing guy. Or anything else he wants. Why are people more afraid of you?”
“Scorpiians are limited to taking on the forms of others. They can’t always replicate their abilities. And our affinity for cold can be…extreme. You’ve only seen the effects when I’m mildly upset. It grows stronger with the strength of the emotion.”
“I’m really glad I’m immune to it now,” Kimmy said.
“Our mates must be for us to protect them.”
“There’s more that you’re not telling me,” she said.
“Dean eventually wanted me to do more than intimidate,” Serac said. “He started asking me to assist with his missions. When I learned their parameters…” He shook his head. “We parted ways. I never looked back.”
“Until you came to Earth to see what he was up to.”
“To stop him.” He let out a laugh. “But then, you did that for me.”
“Nobody messes with my guests,” Kimmy said. “Pets are like family on Earth. People entrust them to me. I take that seriously.”
“I don’t doubt it.”
“When we get back, we need to deal with him,” Kimmy said. “I want Mrs. Simpkins’s cats safe.”
“They will be. We’ll see to it.”
He activated the sequence for their final approach to the hangar bay where they were to meet his contact. Speaking with Kimmy had put him more at ease than he’d thought possible. Her confidence spread to him.
The Antareans would accept their shipment. They would accept him. With Kimmy at his side, anything was possible.
14
Don’t freak out. Don’t freak out.
If Kimmy repeated the command enough, she’d make it happen. Or not happen. Right?
“You don’t have to go,” Serac said.
But she did. She could sense how much he needed her at his side. And she wanted to be there.
She just had to get over the whole…giant ants thing.
“I’ll be fine.” She smiled at him, willing herself to focus on the excitement of being on another planet and meeting actual aliens. Other than Serac, of course.
Her mate.
That thought lent her the strength to follow him down the ramp that led from his ship. The shipment they’d brought along was in an antigrav pallet that floated next to them.
Three Antareans waited to greet them near the ship. They really did look like giant ants. Their heads rested like sideways watermelons on their thin necks—huge, segmented eyes on either side. Their eyes glowed a pretty sky-blue. It reminded her of Payback—who was resting in the collar of her jacket again—which helped her move past the buggy-ness of them.
“Welcome to Antares-3,” the tallest Antarean said. Her voice had a strange echo to it, and Kimmy could hear chittering and clicks underlying the words.