She stopped at the water dispenser and drank a few cups before heading into the sauna.
Once she was alone inside, she took off her robe and sat on it, shivering as her body slowly came down from its sensitization. She stretched her body out on the bench and groaned. Styra wanted to punch something.
She had waited years for someone compatible to come along, and now, if she took advantage, she would only have him for a few days! So, was she better off with ignoring the attraction that seemed to be reciprocal, or should she just wrap herself around him and go for it?
She growled and kicked her feet flat against the bench. Yes, it was a tantrum, but she definitely deserved the opportunity to pitch a fit.
She panted and sat back up, draping the robe over her shoulders. She leaned back and let the heat do its job for twenty minutes before she put her arms through the sleeves and headed to the tepid shower.
She scrubbed, exfoliated, and stood under the spray with her hands braced against the wall.
Styra turned to see the captain watching her. The red of his gaze gave her a general idea of where his thoughts had been roaming. She sighed. “That is very creepy.”
He shrugged. “I just left the hot tub and was headed for a shower myself. Are all the facilities here, unisex?”
She nodded. “Yes. They just have a stringent no sex in public policy. They enforce it.”
“So, that is why you are just standing there?” He cocked his head.
Fuck! She headed for the towel rack and wrapped one of the sheets around her. “To be honest, it really hasn’t been an issue before.”
He grinned. “Local men must be idiots.”
“No. They are not compatible.” She clapped her hand over her mouth, turned, and headed for a fresh robe.
She put on the robe and tied the sash a moment before she was certain he was right behind her.
“Compatible?”
“Just something Mr. Blue used to tell me.” She swallowed. “Please, excuse me.” She ducked away from him and headed for the snack area. All of these extra calories burned were making her hungry.
She was the only person in the snack area. She ordered her meal, a few beverages, and then she went to have a seat with the star scape spinning above her. One of the staff members came up to her with the drink order and assured her that her meal would be out in a few minutes.
She sipped at her tea and then surrendered to what her body was demanding. She curled her right arm up against her body and draped it across her breasts, hanging onto her left side while she sipped her tea. It looked odd, but it was comfortable and kept her muscles from tightening up again.
She looked up at the stars and smiled. All her life in space and she had never travelled beyond the confines of the station.
She heard the men laughing and chatting with each other as they paused and placed their meal orders. She glanced over at them, and the captain wasn’t with them.
The crew came over to the table next to hers, and as they pulled out their chairs, they bowed and said, “Ma’am.”
She chuckled. She was younger than all of them, but she felt immeasurably older. “Where did he go?”
The men looked at each other, and one said, “He had to take a meeting.”
She smiled, and one of the men asked, “Ma’am, do you work at the entertainment center?”
She chuckled. “Only when things go wrong.”
They looked at each other, and one of them said, “Then, where did you meet Captain Yr-el?”
Styra shrugged, and she was frank. “I met him in his scenario. Things went wrong.”
Chapter Four
Yr-el glared at the other drake. “Mbrak, what the hell did you do?”
Mbrak smiled slightly. “What do you mean?”
He walked toward the full drake with menace. “You could have healed the damage to Styra easily.”
“No, only if I took her as mate. She and I are not compatible, so I simply made sure she had the maximum amount of medical care at our disposal.”
Yr-el growled. “What do you mean, not compatible?”
Mbrak sighed. “I mean that five generations ago, I fathered a child with a human, and it became her ancestor. It was when I was young and stupid, but she is my offspring, a few generations removed.”
“Why didn’t you get her a mate who could help her before this?” Yr-el was slightly less enraged at the obvious years of pain that his female had been through.
Mbrak snorted. “I have been trying. Do you know how hard it is to find a drake descendant with enough energy to heal someone with as much damage as she has? Half her organs are missing for the love of the first egg!”
“So, you lured me here?”
Mbrak grinned with bared teeth. “I did. Oh, there is still a personnel exchange for your empire, I just made sure that they were a little late and you were already here.”
“What if I had a mate already?”
Mbrak snorted. “I did my homework. Don’t be so outraged. I did what was necessary for my blood kin. Some of the others here are in the same situation, but they are in good health.”
Yr-el paused. “You have other descendants here?”
“Certainly. Five of them. They run the entertainment center for me, and they all start on companion missions, so sex isn’t a mystery to them.” Mbrak shrugged. “I have mates on the way for two of them.”
“You are using your station to matchmake for your descendants?” Yr-el was stunned.
“Of course. What else would I use it for?” Mbrak chuckled. “Your father would be amused. His mate was floating alone in a stasis pod in the middle of his sector. He literally snagged her out of space and took her home with him. He had no idea that she was compatible until they were together for the first time. His dragon knew, but Harmoth had no idea.”
Yr-el snorted. “Yes, I know.”
“Well, what did your dragon say about Styra?”
Yr-el shuddered. “He is in favour of her.”
Mbrak was smug. “So, you return to the depths of the spa, and I will return to my command center. If she will accept you, take her. If she lets you heal her, I wish you nothing but centuries of enjoyment.”
“You think she will not?”
“I think that she has lived a long time in pain. Sometimes the thought of freedom is more frightening than a life in agony.”
Yr-el nodded and turned before he turned back. “What happened to the raiders?”
“Ah, they were hard to digest, but their ship made lovely sparkles as I fired it into a sun.”
Yr-el nodded. “Good. One less task.”
Mbrak nodded, and they parted ways.
Yr-el returned to the spa, and he used his senses to track Styra through the building. He found her easily, having a meal and chatting easily with the crew of the long-distance shuttle that he had flown to the station.
His lieutenant jumped to his feet. “Captain, may I get you something?”
He nodded. “Thank you. Anything is suitable.”