He had a jaunty step as he headed for the dining hall. Surely Renay would be there already, making her human crew feel at ease in the big room full of Preor. In his mind he could see her easy smile and hear her deep laugh. His fingers twitched. Even though his honor was impeccable, he knew he couldn’t hold back from claiming her much longer. The dragon was burning with lust and possession. It would not be still until it had tasted her body.
Perhaps, I’m finally ready to trust. I could not take her for the wrong reason… Just for the sake of lust. But if it is truly time for our hearts and souls to come together, I will not fight it any longer.
His hands tingled as he thought about stroking that pale, satiny skin. The soft press of her curves against his body haunted him. He thought about all the other things he might do that did not involve sex and tried to keep himself under control. He would not take her roughly, focused on his desire to penetrate. It was beneath him. He had to have control.
When he reached the dining area, his heart was high. He was full of expectation, ready to look into her eyes and sit through dinner full of sexual anticipation. He knew she wanted him and would be open to explore… He just had to make sure he didn’t take advantage of that.
When he didn’t see her straight away, he frowned and paced the edges of the room. He went around a few times, his eyes combing each table as he looked for her.
She isn’t here.
The idea seemed preposterous. He went around another few times, confirming the fact. He immediately headed for the dock, thinking maybe she had not finished her work for the day.
The dock was empty. So were the large rooms being converted into dancing areas and seating for the party. By now his dragon was starting to smolder, and a twist in his gut suggested panic. He headed for his rooms, thinking she might be having a bath or waiting for him there.
Maybe she’s just as hot for me and knows I’m ready. She could be waiting for me, those luscious curves barely draped by a thin sheet—
The thought excited him so much he almost moaned as he ran along the hallway. He had suspicions already but refused to entertain them. Everything was fine. It had to be.
“Renay,” he called, running into his rooms. He checked the bed and then the bathroom. He looked around the room for a few minutes more, cursing his own stupidity as he looked in places she couldn’t possibly be hiding.
“Penelope,” he snapped. “Penelope!”
No answer.
Tyff frowned. “Penelope, if this is one of your games—”
But no, that couldn’t be right. Lily had done some work on the AI to prevent her from doing dangerous things. She was a self-learning program, constantly evolving, but she had new parameters now that would stop her from lying or withholding information.
“Penelope. Answer me now,” he commanded. Only silence answered him.
Somethings wrong. Something’s really wrong.
The beast inside him roared. He felt like he couldn’t contain it. If he didn’t calm himself down, he could shift in here and blow a hole in the side of the ship.
Think. Keep your cool.
That felt impossible with terror firing his blood. He headed for the door and took off at a flat run, looking for any tech workers. The place was empty. Almost all the crew were in the dining room for dinner. He almost crashed into Dawn as he rounded a corner not far from the kitchens.
“Dawn! Have you seen Renay?”
“No. Not since lunch time, anyway. She was really into her decorating. She’s probably still at it.”
He shook his head. “Not there.”
“Oh,” Dawn’s eyes widened. “You don’t think—”
“Yes, I do think,” he snapped. “Penelope! Penelope!”
Dawn cocked her head, worry painting her features as she waited through the silence.
“Penelope,” she asked in a small voice.
“She’s gone,” said Tyff. “I’m heading to the mainframe.”
“I’ll get Vende.” Dawn hurried past him. Tyff was relieved that someone else was on task now so he would have some help, but he didn’t want to upset the entire ship yet.
What if I don’t find her? What if something happened to her? What if the ceremony is canceled?
Tyff was surprised that something as trivial as the ceremony could float through his mind right then. So much preparation had gone into it. He didn’t want to see it canceled.
But it didn’t matter. His heart was falling in his chest. If he never found Renay or if something had happened to her, he wouldn’t be able to accept his position as War Master. He just couldn’t. This shocked him, but he also knew it was the complete truth.
I’d give anything to see her even one more time, he thought, desperately. I feel like my heart is being ripped out! I have to find her! I have to find her!
Tyff understood everything now. He couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing her again, never touching her. The gentle expectation of their love making had turned into a frantic, grasping panic.
Why did I wait? What the hell is wrong with me? I could have been enjoying her all this time, giving her pleasure, and showing my love. Instead, I’ve been running from her. What a fool I am!
Love had made a fool of him just as it had the others. He couldn’t judge them, and he saw that now. He had always been too quick to see things his own way. It had taken an event of this magnitude to make him realize it.
His feet pounded the floor as he rushed toward the tech areas. He had no idea where to start looking for his mate, but he had to get Penelope back online. Without her, the ship was vulnerable, and she knew everything that happened within these walls.
Just got to get there. It’s like being in battle. Only think of the next task.
This thought didn’t do much to comfort him.
In battle, people die.
All he had wanted to do was make sure no one else got hurt. He had screwed it up so badly that his mate had gotten hurt, and he would never forgive himself.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
A warm glow of satisfaction rose in Renay’s chest as she looked over the hall at the end of the day. The red and gold banners were hung perfectly straight around the white walls with the pictures of previous war masters set between them. Long rows of names were set under the pictures, giving honor to previous masters as the roles were handed over to the next generation.
The Knowing was with her at every moment. She understood the intricacies of each position intimately and she could almost see scenes from Preor history playing out in her mind as she prepared the room and the order of events.
Not much was left to do now except make sure the kitchens had the menu right and the gardens were harvested to prepare the meals. She had hunted down a few Preor musicians and connected them online with a harper and flutist who would be playing the music for the party so they could organize their tunes.
She checked over the arrival times for the important members, and as she ran her fingers over the list of names, she could almost see their faces. She couldn’t wait to meet the legendary Jarek and his mate, Melissa. She was the first human woman to be taken as a Preor mate and Renay had many questions for her. Just as she turned from the podium to head to the dining hall, the small speaker by the door buzzed quietly.
“—Nay—need—ha—”