Roark
We had used our much-needed time alone to really get to know each other. Lara was sweet and naughty, and enjoyed sex the same way, depending on her mood.
We talked, had sex, sometimes talked during sex, but still she kept herself guarded. I knew she feared abandonment, and at first, I thought that was the reason. After a while I began to doubt my initial assessment, and not understanding the cause of her distance concerned me deeply. I did not know how to prove to her that she was it for me—the only female I ever wanted.
I decided then that I would ask her to be my bond mate, tell her I would never want another, only her.
Unlike most of the females on Ulaya, Lara was intelligent, witty, and very passionate. She also spoke the truth, such as when she told Cami that her cofa was terrible, that her planet sucked most days. I did not understand the meaning of that.
It was late in the day, Lara was fast asleep, and I was alone in the control room when I received word that Zorvak and Cami would be returning soon. Monitoring their progress, I watched the flyer’s approach before I slid out of the chair and headed to the large space in front of the hatch. Within minutes, they materialized.
Cami stood next to Zorvak, one hand pressed to her temple.
“Are you still hurting?” he asked, scanning her face.
“A little. Dematerializing, materializing…none of that shit helps a headache.”
“Why don’t you lie down for a while?”
“I think I will.”
She padded off down the corridor.
“Welcome back, my lord.”
Zorvak leveled his gaze at me and sighed heavily.
“Any changes?” he asked.
“None.”
“Good.”
The two of us headed to the control room, taking our respective chairs. As I programmed in the new coordinates, Zorvak said, “Let’s go home.”
That sounded great to me. There was nothing I wanted more than to bring Lara to her new home, away from Zorvak and Cami’s constant presence.
“How was Jaur?” I asked, curious since, to my knowledge, no one had really seen the planet before.
“Different,” Zorvak replied, leaned back and crossed his arms. “Boring.”
“Huh,” I scoffed.
“They are the most intelligent, laziest species I have ever encountered. They literally sit at a desk and write computer programs while life-like robots do all the work.”
“But surely they must do something. Who retrieved Cami’s NI?”
He glanced my way, clearly exasperated by the entire experience. “Robot. Wait—I am sorry, as they repeatedly told me, I should use the correct term, artificial intelligence operating bot.” Shaking his head, he continued, “I am not joking when I say that robot’s do everything! They cook, they clean, they build, they perform surgery. It is no wonder the Jaurians look like blobs. I did not hear one crass word said in anger, no fighting, nor even training. If another species were smart enough, they could take over the entire planet with the stroke of a button.”
That sounded like a mundane life, and made me wonder how they ever had offspring.
“The time I spent on Jaur has me feeling on edge,” Zorvak added.
“I will be glad to be home.”
“Are things well with you and your Human?” He raised an eyebrow. I could practically see the invisible smirk on his face.
“I enjoyed getting to know her without prying eyes, if that is what you are asking.”
Zorvak chuckled, “I am sure you did. You know, Seveh and Kiah will be heartbroken. Especially Kiah.”
I never answered back; there was nothing to say. Kiah had shown interest, but nothing more.