Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
She loved her Aunt Raz and was more grateful than she could say for the panic room and the safety it offered, but she couldn’t help wishing that she’d stocked it with something else to eat. She was so tired of the cardboard-tasting protein bars and the bland nutrient drinks that she could scream!
Though of course, looking on the bright side, the limited diet had allowed her to finally shed some weight. The other Mistresses in Opulex had thrown out several snarky barbs about how “plump” she was when she’d first come to take her Aunt’s place.
If only they could see me now, I’m almost skinny! Miri thought. But preferably in a different dress. The ragged silver and green Mistress gown she’d been wearing for days was getting really old.
“I think we can do better than protein bars and nutrient shakes,” Lynx remarked, smiling. “Let me get a few things out of my carry-all cube and we’ll have a proper meal together.”
“Oh—what do you have? Do you have any more Earth food?” Miri asked hopefully. Her father had died when she was only thirteen, but she still remembered the delicious dishes from his home planet he used to cook her.
“As a matter of fact, I do.” Lynx smiled at her—an expression that made his golden eyes crinkle at the corners and made her feel warm all over.
Miri caught herself smiling back and then told herself to stop.
Don’t forget you heard them talking about killing someone earlier, she reminded herself. Though she supposed there might be more to the story than what she’d heard, she preferred to keep some distance between herself and the two big Monstrum warriors.
Just to be on the safe side…
FIVE
LYNX
Lynx was glad now that he’d thought to bring plenty of food cubes that contained Earth recipes along with the rehydrator unit he’d packed. He pulled everything out of the cube—all of it miniaturized—and used the re-sizing serum that came with it, carefully putting just a drop of the precious stuff on the equipment.
“Wow!” Miri’s eyes grew large as the rehydrator went from something that would fit in the palm of your hand to a machine large enough to take up half the small table.
“It’s Kindred tech—we can miniaturize anything we need to and then resize it later,” he explained, smiling. “Looks like magic, though—doesn’t it?”
“Yes, it does.” Her green eyes were still wide as she examined the rehydrator.
“So here are the choices. Let me see…”
Lynx reached into the carry-all and pulled out a handful of food cubes. He’d had no need to miniaturize them—they were already tiny—just about the size of sugar cubes from Earth.
“Do you have any steak?” Saxon growled. “I’d like some red meat.”
“Steak dinner—right here.” Lynx picked out a cube and put it in his Bond-Brother’s palm. “I think it has one of those baked roots in there too—a potater, I think it’s called?”
“Potato,” Mirabella corrected him. “My father brought some from one of his trips back to Earth to grow in our garden,” she explained, when the light Monstrum turned a questioning look on her. “Along with lots of other Earth vegetables.”
“Did he go back to visit his home planet a lot?” Saxon asked.
Lynx was surprised to feel genuine interest coming from his Bond-Brother. Just as he’d felt Saxon’s reaction to the little female’s light touch when she was healing them both. This was definitely something worth exploring, he thought. Saxon’s shaft had actually risen for her and he knew for a fact that hadn’t happened for any other female in ages.
“He went at least once a solar year,” Mirabella answered. “He always promised he’d take me when I was older, even though my mother didn’t want him to. But then…” She shook her head. “Well, he died when I was thirteen. His ship was intercepted by the Skulls.”
“Those are bad fuckers,” Saxon growled, a hint of sympathy in his voice. Lynx had to agree with him—the Skulls were a band of insectile space pirates from Caustix Three who were fucking crazy. They were cannibals—known for their gruesome practice of RKE—or rape/kill/eat—which was what they did to their victims, though not necessarily in that order.
“My mother cried for months after we got word of his death.” Mirabella shook her head, her long curls swishing across her narrow shoulders. “She never really got over it.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Lynx said gently. He wished he could put his arms around the little female and comfort her, but he was well aware that they weren’t on such intimate terms yet.
Not that we ever will be—we’re just here to guard her, he reminded himself. But he couldn’t deny that Mirabella was beautiful and she was the first female to catch his eye and the eye of his Bond-Brother since they had lost their mate. Noticing her beauty felt good—it made him think that a part of him that he’d considered dead and gone might still be revived.