Page 21 of Lashe
“Negative. As an ambassador to Earth and the Destran people, you are bound by contracts and laws to have your health monitored by an external assistant, such as myself.”
“Fuck me,” I muttered.
“I am not programmed to do that, Anna,” Stelis said chidingly. “However. Lashe may be more than willing to—”
“Stop talking, Stelis,” I said, shutting that down. I didn’t want to eventhinkabout the color of my face, which had to have been nearly purple. Even Lashe’s skin was quite the interesting combination of red and fuchsia. It was riveting to see the different changes on his skin after so many years of seeing him in shades of dark blue and gray.
“Can I talk you out of this?” I asked. “What can I do to make you change your mind and find another solution?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. This is the only thing that makes sense. We stay here, we die. Stelis, you’ve analyzed the situation. Do you disagree? Can you think of another solution?”
There was a pause before the AI responded. “Lashe, we have independently and cooperatively explored every option. Without releasing that fourth duct from the irradiated dust that is clogging it, there is no way we can break free of this being, considering its capabilities. Unfortunately, manual cleaning is the only way to ensure that this shuttle will break free of this creature.”
He spread his hands. “There.”
I grimaced and dropped my face into my hands. “Fine,” I snarled. “Fuckingfine. But we’re finding a way of doing this where we can get you back on this ship. This living asteroid is not taking you from me. I only just found you.”
Wide hands gripped my shoulders. “Are you saying you care for me?”
I looked up, surprised he was even asking that question. “Of course, I care for you.”
He frowned and shook his head. “There’s nothing ‘of course’ about it and you know it. Don’t give me hope if there’s none to be had. Do youcarefor me, Anna?”
Ah, so here it was. A moment of truth. I took a deep breath, knowing that if there was ever a time to speak from the heart, this was it. “Yes, dammit. Icarefor you. These past few days on this shuttle with you have meant more to me than the last five years of dating idiots who broke up with me because I wasn’t able to cancel a trip to go to their cousin’s wedding, or because I wasn’tenoughin some indefinable way.” I looked up at him, gazing into his green eyes that all but sparked with desire. “Knowing those marks are on you means something to me. I’ve been around Destrans long enough to know that the mate marks are not a joke. They’re not a choice, and I don’t want to lose out on a chance for both of us to find happiness by losing you out there to this creature.”
“Anna,” he said in a ragged voice. “I don’t want to lose you either. Don’t you understand that? But I would rather die out there, if it means you will be able to find your way safely home.” The colors over his face were brilliant, chaotic. “My choice is made. I need you to accept that.”
My emotions overwhelmed me, flooding me with feelings of injustice, anger, frustration. I finally found someone who was meant for me. My soulmate. My fated mate. It was so rare to have the mate marks. I had seen happiness on my friend Sybil and her mate, Damiron.
I wanted that, too—a partner to share life with. I had found it with Lashe, and I could potentially lose him tomorrow. There was no talking him out of his decision. I knew in my heart and soul, and in my brain, that it was the only solution. The creature holding us was probably already recalibrating its strategy. The next time it attacked, it may have a way to take apart the shipand devour us. All that would remain would be a few scraps of metal on the surface.
“Stelis, start working on the safest way for Lashe to do this tomorrow. Highest probability of him getting back in the shuttle alive.”
“Already working on it, Anna,” she replied.
I turned back to Lashe. “Tonight is Christmas Eve. It’s a very old, special holiday for many people on Earth. I have a few gifts that I intended to give, but I don’t know if I ever will, so we might as well enjoy them.”
CHAPTER 12
Anna
Iwent to the compartment where Lashe had stored my Christmas gifts. I opened it up and took out a bottle oftagmawine that I’d intended for Wyn and Scaron, one of the humans and her mate on the Solas, and a selection ofviot’nameats and cheeses that was held in suspension for Jetta and Savair, a different couple. If we got to the Destran planet, they’d be out of a gift, but Lashe and I needed a break from the subsistence menu.Badly.
Lashe looked dubiously at the tray and the bottle I placed on the table. “We may get out of here,” he said. “Will be a shame to not have those gifts to give your friends.”
“I can resend them,” I said. “Tonight, we’re celebrating. Just us.”
He spread his hands. “As you wish.”
“Are you always going to be like that?” I asked. “So doting?”
“When I can be.” He flashed a grin, which sent a shot of heat straight to my groin. “I’d like to make you happy.”
I groaned and covered my face with my hands. “How dare you be so perfect.”
“Oh, I amnotperfect,” he said with a snort. “I’m stubborn, for one thing. And I think we’ve established that I have difficulty expressing my feelings.”
I grinned. “I can work with those things.” I had the replicator make me two glasses and two plates with nothing on them. I poured the wine and handed him one glass. “Merry Christmas, Lashe,” I said. “And a joyous Mer-liss Noc.” That was a holiday celebrated around this time by the Destran people; it denoted the celebration of the merging of the Destrans and their Solas, millennia ago.