ALLEX

I made my way through the ship silently, but my body was alight with anticipation. I hadn’t seen Priya for two weeks. It felt it had been two months.

We couldn’t keep living like this. We both knew Priya needed to get off the ship, but neither of us knew what to do from there.

I wasn’t sure how to leave. I intended to talk to Priya about it right after I fucked her brains out. I was already getting hard thinking about my beautiful mate.

There was also the issue of marriage. I wanted to marry Priya officially, but I didn’t know if we would have the chance to have a proper ceremony. We would probably have to get married after we left the ship. I planned to be with Priya for the rest of my life, and all I had to do was make everything official and legal. It was a shame that we couldn’t have a proper Auxem wedding.

My memories of our homeworld were hazy at best. I had spent most of my life on the ship, and I didn’t want to leave my family, but I knew I would have to. There wasn’t any other way for Priya and me to be together.

I didn’t know what would happen if I didn’t have big brothers ordering me around. I would have to work up the courage to tell them and make a plan to leave. But I wasn’t in a hurry yet. The danger to Priya was real, but none of this felt urgent. If I didn’t make waves, I could have the best of both worlds and have time with both Priya and my family.

Things never worked out when I procrastinated.

* * *

I thought I knew the man who was making his way toward Priya. I couldn’t see his face in the dim light, but I thought he was a scientist. He seemed to be testing the air quality. He stopped and took an instrument out of his kit, slowly waving it around until it beeped and flashed green. He made a note on his computer and kept walking.

He was probably just doing a routine inspection, but if he kept going, he was going to run into Priya. I couldn’t let him find her, but I didn’t have an excuse for being here myself.

I decided to silently follow him while trying to figure out a plan that wouldn’t ruin everything. When he stopped to run another test, I stopped too. When he moved, I darted after him like a shadow. I hoped Priya had heard him and wouldn’t reveal herself unexpectedly.

As long as he completed his tests, he would leave on his own and not come back. It would be ideal if he came as close to Priya’s hideout as possible. Once he had finished scanning the area, I could distract him to keep Priya’s secret without alerting him to my presence.

I needed him to be called away at exactly the right time. Avren worked as a geneticist and also supervised all the scientists on the ship. He had an assistant to organize everyone’s schedules, but he could tell them what to do. If Avren called the guy back, he might wonder why, but he would leave.

He was rapidly approaching Priya’s location. I started to sweat. If he found her, they would put Priya in jail, and I wouldn’t get the chance to see her again. I couldn’t wait another second. I needed Avren’s help. He would have uncomfortable questions for me, but I had to protect her.

It only took me a moment to send Avren the request. On the computer screen, his only reply was a bunch of question marks.

I watched the scientist step into the open area next to Priya’s quarters right before his communicator chimed. “Hello? Yes, sir. It’s going well — I’m almost finished here.” He fell silent, listening for a moment. “All of the tests are negative. Do you want me to come back to the lab?” He broke the connection and stared at his computer before glancing at the unused ventilation shaft. He stepped toward the maintenance door.

Was I going to have to knock him out after all? I didn’t want to have to explain assaulting a fellow crew member, and it would draw unwanted attention. He reached out and put his hand on the doorknob. I moved quietly toward him, ready to strike.

His communicator chimed again, and he glanced down at it. I had asked Avren to make sure his man complied. The scientist sighed and shook his head, but turned and walked away. In a few minutes, he had disappeared. I felt my shoulders drop as I relaxed.

* * *

PRIYA

As soon as Allex stood up after crawling through the maintenance door, I threw myself at him. He clutched me without saying anything.

“They almost found me,” I whispered.

We made our way to the bed and sat next to each other. Sometimes we used the bed for other things. I tried to forget the image of the last time he had visited me. Allex had been sitting in the same spot, but I had been on his lap, riding him.

It was hard to stop thinking about when Allex was around. I didn’t know if the bond made me hornier than usual. I just knew I wanted him all the time.

I tried to pay attention to what he was saying. “It was just one person. I think he was testing the air quality.”

I nodded. I had been about to go into the greenhouse when I had spotted the head approaching me above the pipes. The light from his computer drew my attention. I didn’t have time to run away before he saw me, so I hid instead.

I had been terrified. My bizarre life had suddenly come into sharp focus, and I realized I was living on the edge of doom. I resolved to get out of here immediately.

“It’s time for me to go home, Allex. You can help me, right?” I took his hand and looked into his eyes.

“I know. I can do it as long as we make a plan.”

“It’s harder now that I’ve met you. Before it didn’t matter if I left or stayed.”

He searched my eyes, and I saw fear in his expression. “Everything’s going to work out.”

“Could Anders sneak me onto his ship when he’s going on a flight?”

Allex nodded. “That’s certainly a possibility. I’ll talk to him about it when I go back.”

“Okay. But where will I go?”

“You’re not leaving without me.”

I looked away from him. “Of course. It just slipped out of my mouth.”

“Priya.” He turned my head and forced me to look at him. “We’re going to stick together.”

“Of course we are.” His words were only slightly reassuring. We lived separately now, and we didn’t know what was going to happen.

“I thought Susohn was a possibility. I know the king, and we could fly under the radar without attracting any attention. If we have a planet in mind, if we find a place to lie low for a while we can start building a new life. I’ve already moved a big chunk of credits to a joint account.”

He looked down at his computer and issued a few commands. “You have access now. Go ahead and check. We won’t have to worry about money. What do you think?”

“How long is it going to take? When will our flight path take us by Susohn?”

“The mothership is still more than a week away. On the other hand, one of the smaller, faster ships can be there in a day. As soon as you leave the mothership, you are technically not a stowaway. I’ll try to talk to Anders today.”

I sensed Allex’s mind had moved elsewhere. His hand slid up my thigh, and he started to kiss my neck.

“Thank you.”

I lost myself in his body.

* * *

ALLEX

“I wondered when you were going to make up your mind.” Anders shook his head as we sat down in his living room. “You took quite a risk when you let her stay on the ship for so long.”

He was right, but he was bossing me around again and making me feel like a child. I wasn’t a baby anymore.

“Anders, it wasn’t the right time for us.” He looked at me skeptically. He didn’t believe what I was saying any more than I did. I slammed a fist into my hand. “What happened in the past doesn’t matter as long as we’re doing something about it now. Have you got an assignment coming up, like running a shuttlecraft to pick up supplies at the next planet?”

Anders checked his schedule while I rose from the couch and started pacing around the room. “It looks like Gwen and I have scouting duty in three days.”

“Nothing sooner than that?”

He shook his head. “No. Sorry, Allex. You should have asked me earlier.”

“I was hoping we could get her out of here today.”

The door of their apartment opened abruptly. Gwen walked in, looking stunning in her navy flight suit. She pulled out her ponytail, her copper hair falling around her shoulders in a blaze of glory. Anders’ face lit up immediately.

“Hi, babe.” She gave him a kiss on the lips. “Good morning, Allex.”

I nodded, trying to avoid feeling like a third wheel while I racked my brain for another solution.

Gwen took a step back. “What are you guys talking about in here without me? I feel like I walked into a secret boys club meeting.” She took off her flight jacket and boots. “I hate flying those shuttles without you, Anders.”

“I don’t like flying alone either.” He shook his head.

“Are you going to explain the weird atmosphere?” Gwen lifted her eyebrows and gestured at us.

“Allex is finally ready for me to help him move Priya off the mothership.”

“Thank goodness.” Gwen flopped onto the couch next to Anders. “I was wondering how long you two were going to wait.”

“Anders says you don’t have another flight for three days. We don’t want to steal a ship, do we?” I hesitated to suggest it. Anders had already gotten into a lot of trouble with the new fighters, but I was running out of ideas. I felt like we needed to get Priya off the ship tonight.

Gwen shook her head. “What are you talking about? Anders, you’re an idiot.” She slapped him lightly on the cheek. “You’re thinking like a pilot. Try thinking like a prince. You don’t want to take one of those crappy shuttles on a long flight, do you?”

My eyes lit up. Gwen was giving me hope.

“I’m working a split shift today.” Her tone was matter-of-fact. “I can take Priya with me. There’s a space station about an hour from here. I can drop her off for a few days. I’ll come back, and we’ll retrieve her as part of our regular schedule. The problem is we’re only making a short-range trip. We really need to be in one of the long-range scouts. Do you know anyone who could change our assignment?” She faked a frown of confusion. “Someone like a prince, perhaps?”

“Okay, okay.” Anders shook his head.

“Gwen, you’re a genius.” I gave her a big kiss on the cheek, making her blush and Anders frown at me.

“I wouldn’t call myself a genius for having to go to work. Let’s look at the schedule.” Gwen ran her finger down the list. “Here we go. Switch us with Jassan and Bailey. They won’t mind, and they owe us a favor.”

“Really? I don’t remember anything like that.” Anders turned and looked at Gwen. “What did we do for them?”

“Doesn’t everyone on the ship owe us for saving their asses?”

“I guess so.” He pulled up the schedule on his computer and rescheduled some shifts before looking up at me. “We’re all finished here.”

“Thank you so much.” The sense of relief made me feel giddy.

“Make sure she gets on the ship before nine,” Gwen added.

“Either both of us are going, or neither of us is going. We’re leaving together.”

“Of course, that’s what I meant.” Gwen looked embarrassed. “We’ll miss you, Allex.”

Anders nodded. “But we know you have to go.”

“We’ll try and think of a way to return.” I hated telling a lie. I knew it was impossible for me to come back without forgiving my father and asking his permission to marry Priya. It was bad enough that Arnon had married a woman who carried the gene, but he was the crown prince, and my father needed him. I was never likely to see the throne and therefore insignificant.

He wouldn’t allow me to marry Priya, or if he did, I would be cut off from the family. My father was a harsh person. Jayne had redeemed herself in his eyes by having a girl as part of a set of twins. The chances of Priya having twins were minuscule.

“If you stay out of sight for a while, it won’t matter as much.” Anders looked hopeful. “Once the Earth women start arriving and having babies a single couple won’t be crucial to our survival.”

Maybe he was right. For the first time since I had met Priya, I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps there was the possibility of acceptance. We could act like everyone else and not have to live in the shadows.

All we had to do was move her.

* * *

As soon as we finished hashing out the details, I went back to my quarters and filled a backpack with essentials before heading downstairs to retrieve Priya and bring her to Gwen’s ship. I was worried but excited at the same time. As soon as Priya’s feet stepped off the deck, I knew I could relax. I opened the door to her quarters and was surprised to see lights shining directly at me. I closed it immediately, leaving a slight opening for me to look through.

My pulse started racing. There was never any light down here. I looked through the crack and saw men and women wearing red security uniforms searching the area.

I had waited too long. Father had threatened to do a comprehensive search of the ship but hadn’t found the time to organize it. Apparently, he had made room in his schedule.

I shut the door completely. If I went out there, I would be implicated and arrested too. I wouldn’t be able to help Priya, and I would never see her again. I supposed it was possible they might overlook her, but our people were thorough. They were going to look beneath every pipe until they found her.

I trudged up the stairs until I reached the level of my living quarters and put away my backpack. With a heavy heart, I went to find out where security was keeping my mate.