Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 105936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
“He doesn’t have to find out! We don’t have to tell him!” I protested.
“Oh, yes we do!” Turk growled. “I can’t keep you here with me. What do you think will happen if the Chieftain of my Clan finds out I basically fucking kidnapped the Princess of another Clan and took her on a Cross-Dimensional flight?”
“Technically I took you since I did most of the navigating,” I pointed out coolly. Which turned out to be the wrong thing to say.
“That’s another thing!” Turk growled, his face going even darker. “What the fuck were you thinking, playing like you’re a Cross-Dimensional Navigator? You could have gotten us all killed!”
“I wasn’t playing, I am a Cross-Dimensional Navigator!” I snapped, as pride overtook the fear I felt. “I took lessons when Slade did and then Grr. Horstauf asked me to come back and take more. He told me I’m the best pupil he’s ever had—and the only one with no blind spots.”
Turk shook his head.
“Come on—you know Goddess-damned well that a woman can’t be a navigator!”
“Why not?” I demanded, getting really angry now. “Because you have this ridiculous idea that women belong in the home or out shopping instead of navigating a ship? Well I have news for you, Turk—a brain and a vagina aren’t mutually exclusive body parts!”
He looked taken aback by my vehemence for a moment, but he still wasn’t backing down.
“Stop acting like I said you were stupid—I know you’re not. Hell, you had me completely fooled—I’m the stupid one. But you can’t be a navigator, Jessina—you’re a Clan Princess. Your father would never allow it.”
“Why does he get to say how I spend my life?” I shot back. “Why does he get to say who I get Bound to? I don’t care if I’m a Princess—I’m a person too! I have the brains and ability to navigate a ship all around the known universe and that’s what I want to do.” I leaned forward again. “And Turk…you’re who I want to do it with,” I added, in a lower voice.
His eyes widened and he shook his head.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I’m your Fated Mate—and you’re mine,” I said earnestly. “Can’t you feel it? The way we’ve been drawn together these last few weeks?”
“Goddess of the Four Faces!” He scrubbed his hand over his face, making a sandpapery sound when his palm ran over his whiskers.
“It’s true—you can’t deny it!” I exclaimed. “Ever since we started sleeping in the same bed together and you let me, you know, start sucking you—”
“Stop!” Turk looked really upset now. “Don’t remind me! Do you know what Slade would do to me if he knew that I’ve been letting his little sister suck me off multiple times every night? Goddess, he’d want to kill me and I wouldn’t fucking blame him!”
“What does it matter what he thinks?” I demanded. First my father and now my big brother—why should the men in my family have more say about how I lived my life than I did?
“Because you’re his little sister!” Turk snarled. “You know that makes you off limits to me! It always has!”
“But that time at the club—” I began.
“I saved you because you were Slade’s little sister and I didn’t want to see you get hurt or raped,” he growled. “Not because I had some crazy idea that you were my ‘Fated Mate.’ Which is bullshit, by the way.”
“It is not!” I protested. “Slade found his mate—he and Aurora are so happy together. You know it’s true—you know it happens! And you know that you and I are Fated Mates.”
“I don’t know any such fucking thing.” Turk gave me a hard stare. “All I know is that you tricked your way aboard my ship and you’ve been pretending to be something and someone you’re not for weeks.” He pointed at me. “You had me questioning everything about myself, you know that? I thought I was in love with another male—and I was all right with that!”
There it was—he’d been in love with me—he’d admitted it! So why couldn’t he admit that he still loved me?
“Turk,” I began, trying to reason with him. “If you’ll just try to remember those feelings, those emotions and realize that I haven’t changed, not really. And neither have you.”
“Oh yes, I fucking have,” he growled. “I’ve just gotten a lot smarter and I don’t want to hear anything else you have to say.” He stabbed a finger at me again. “We’re going to one more planet to make the trades we came for—though She of the Four Faces knows I won’t be able to get the deal I would have from the Salashions before you fucked it up—and then we’re going straight home to Rigelis Nine. And you are going back to your father!”
I felt tears stinging my eyes but I tried not to show it.