Page 113 of Shielded in the Shadows

The nest in the corner was empty. Poe apparently habitually guarded the outside of the home at night and Zwee had opted to keep her company. The door to Vos and Calla’s bedroom was closed. Other than the gentle sound of light rain and the faint humming of the home’s power systems, all I heard was my mate’s heartbeat and breathing.

I might have slept in a more comfortable bed in the past, but this was, by any measure, one of the most perfect mornings of my life.

The only thing that would make it more ideal would be waking my mate with my head between her thighs. But since we were in her sister’s home, I discarded the idea immediately.

Well, almost immediately.

Even in her sleep, Keela was contented and at peace. Possibly that had granted me a deeper and better sleep than usual, along with the soft sound of rain. I tried to imagine waking like this every day—albeit in our own bed rather than on a borrowed sofa—and found the idea very appealing.

As if she’d felt me thinking of her, Keela stirred. Blinking sleepily, she smiled at me and stretched gingerly. “How’s your back?” she murmured.

“It’s fine,” I said softly, drawing her closer so I could kiss her forehead. “I’ve slept in much worse conditions than on a luxurious sofa with my mate on my chest.”

She chuckled and tucked her head under my chin. “It is a luxurious sofa. Vos must like to sprawl out. Those tentacles take up a lot of space.”

I stroked her back from the nape of her neck down to the base of her spine and the soft curve of her ass. Her borrowed clothing was extremely soft. I’d have to find out where Calla had purchased it and add some similar pieces to Keela’s closet. “Do you still plan to show them the ship after the morning meal?”

“Yes.” She laced our fingers together and nibbled her lip as if she wanted to say something. Was this the moment she’d tell me she wanted to stay permanently on Iosa?

“Go on,” I said, giving her a little squeeze. “I’m listening.”

She huffed. I nuzzled her hair and waited.

“Before we got here, I was thinking about making Trakhan our home base,” she whispered finally. “But now…I think I’d like to make Iosa our base of operations between runs.” She craned her neck to scrutinize my expression. “I know you’d probably prefer Trakhan, given Byx is there, and Felina, and of course they’re wonderful. And all the gods above and below know the view of the nebula and that arboretum are spectacular⁠—”

“Trakhan would make a very good base of operations for a lot of reasons,” I interrupted. “But you know what it doesn’t have?”

“What?”

I pressed my lips to her ear. “Your sister and Vos,” I murmured. “And therefore, at least half your heart would always be missing.”

“Oh.” Her lovely green eyes shimmered. “You’d live here with me when we aren’t on a job?”

“My love, I’d live with you on the hellscape that is Forval IX if that’s what you wanted,” I said, using my thumbs to wipe away the two tears that had spilled over. “So making a home on rainy moon doesn’t seem like much of a sacrifice.”

Joy and relief poured through our bond. She kissed me hard, her fingers in my hair. “You don’t seem surprised to hear that I want a home here,” she said softly.

“I’m not,” I admitted. “No one who sees or feels how happy you are to be reunited with Calla would be the least bit surprised.”

“Surprised about what?” Calla emerged from the back bedroom, followed by Vos. Both had dressed in what appeared to be their usual attire: drawstring pants for Vos and a tunic and leggings for Calla.

“That it’s raining,” Keela said before I could answer. She extricated herself from my arms and wings and rose, stretching with a yawn. “Is the offer still open to fly us to see my ship after breakfast?”

Last night, Vos and Calla had revealed they’d recently purchased a small short-range flyer with cloaking and stealth tech to make regular trips to nearby villages. It was located between the house and the tree line on the opposite side from where we’d approached their home yesterday. The landing pad was so well camouflaged that neither Keela nor I had suspected a ship was there.

“Yes, of course,” Vos said, heading directly for the kitchen. “I will prepare the meal and we will leave once we have eaten and dressed.” He studied the sky through the kitchen window as his tentacles gathered ingredients and put a pan on the cooking surface. “I believe the rain will be light today.”

Keela squeezed my hand before heading off to the bathroom to wash and dress.

An hour later, our group boarded the little flyer. It had room for four passengers plus a decent amount of cargo. Once Keela revealed her plan to make a home base nearby, I planned to ask Vos where he’d purchased it so I could order a similar model.

I’d already begun secretly browsing options for capsule homes with a modular design that would make it easy to add onto the main unit. The same instincts that drove me to make a nest in the arboretum and our cabin aboard the Nivilus were now fixated on providing a secure and comfortable home for my mate on Iosa, as well as transportation better suited to life here.

Of course, Keela would expect to finance half of everything and be just as involved in the process, but I allowed myself to get a head start on the planning.

Poe had remained behind to guard the house while we visited the Nivilus. Zwee had wedged herself into the space between Keela’s feet and the back of Calla’s seat for the short flight.

“The ocean is beautiful,” Keela said, her gaze fixed on the small window next to her seat. “Is it why you chose to retire to Iosa, Vos?”