Adrik (Titans #1)

Chapter 13

Adrik carried Ember to the lift just outside the med bay and stalled. He was distracted by how small and light she was. Her body was so warm and soft. Even with the stench of the tranq drugs in her system, he could still pick up the sweet hints of her natural scent. Where in the hell was he taking her? His knee-jerk reaction to get her out of the med bay had come out of nowhere. Now, unsure, he supposed he should take her to the guest quarters on Bay Level four but that seemed too far to keep an adequate eye on her.

The lift doors automatically whooshed open as he approached. Stepping inside, Adrik frowned at the doors as they sealed them inside. When he didn’t immediately direct Tyrate, the AI queried, “Destination, Commander?”

Adrik’s response was reluctant, “Level one.” As soon as the words were out, he wanted to recall them but didn’t for fear of seeming illogical in front of Ember.

“What’s on Level One?”

Glancing down at her, Adrik quickly straightened and stared straight ahead. “It’s Level Commander.”

“That doesn’t tell me anything.”

His frustration mounted. For the first time since he’d stepped foot on his ship, he wasn’t certain of his own actions. It pissed him off. Still, his anger wasn’t enough to incite him to admit that while Level Commander housed the ship's bridge, it also housed his personal quarters. Skirting the admission, he grumbled, “It’s where you’ll be staying.”

“I want to stay with my sisters,” Ember protested, and when Adrik ignored her, she placed a hand on his chest, just over the chamber to one of his dual hearts.

The instant Ember touched his chest, his body went rigid. Just the slight pressure of her hand over one of his hearts had them both suddenly racing as a foreign tasting saliva flooded his mouth. Eyes slamming shut and nostrils flaring, he struggled to draw in a deep breath. Swallowing hard, he snarled, “Don’t!”

Instantly, Ember removed her hand and muttered a quiet, “Sorry. I don’t…” He heard her swallow before she tried again. “I’m not familiar with your species. I don’t know any of the protocols.”

That much was obvious because if she were aware of Titan “protocols”, she’d know that a female touching a Titan over one of his heart chambers was flirtatious, but not just the simple flirting that humans did. After several males from Cesca Sol had paired with humans, Adrik had studied up on the species. And while human flirtations weren’t always considered serious, it was a rare and difficult task for a female of any species to be close enough to a Titan warrior to touch him physically. That meant a human female touching a Titan male was considered an extremely significant advance. It was considered the first step of courtship.

Eyes still closed, Adrik fought to control his emotions. It was rare for him to be caught off guard, but Ember had just done it. She’d shocked him to his core.

“If my touch is offensive or…painful, I apologize.”

Her words had Adrik’s eyes slowly opening. They narrowed to slits as he looked down at her. “What makes you think it was painful?” The suggestion was insulting.

“J-just the look on your face. You look… pained .”

The lift doors opening prevented Adrik from having to explain. Still, stepping off the lift, he wanted to prevent Ember from avoiding touching him, so he confessed begrudgingly, “Your touch doesn’t hurt me. I doubt it ever could.”

Ember stiffened in his arms before crossing her arms over her chest. “Well, let’s not find out, shall we?”

Her question was confusing. Did she expect an answer? Unsure, Adrik stepped off the lift. “We can experiment later. Right now, we need to get you settled. Obaida said you need plenty of rest, and since you refuse to behave in the med bay, you can rest in your quarters.”

Ember’s tone was full of indignation when she demanded, “Refuse to behave? I didn’t do anything wrong. You shot me ! Sorry for waking up in a strange place in pain and being worried. I don’t think my reaction was out of line.”

Adrik frowned hard and stopped walking to look down at her. “How much pain?”

With a low growl, Ember rolled her eyes. “I’m fine. Take me to my room, Master !”

Master? He knew the term, and while it didn’t apply to him, Ember’s use of it and her acquiescence to him—even if sarcastic—still had something molten unfurling low in his belly. He liked her deference but couldn’t focus on the pleasurable sensation for too long because he was torn. Did he take Ember back to the Med Bay to have her pain addressed or do as she so sarcastically requested and take her to his quarters. Eyes lowering to her mouth, they held a minute before Adrik dragged his gaze back up and caught her watching him curiously. Hardening his expression, he started walking.

What was happening? He was getting too distracted by Ember, and he couldn’t help but be suspicious. Was that the plan? Were Ember and her sisters planted in this quadrant, knowing that the Cressida was nearby? Was someone counting on their feminine wiles and the Titans’ protective instincts regarding females? It’d explain why she’d so quickly and easily touched his chest over his hearts’ chambers. Until he was certain, he’d need to treat Ember as a prisoner regardless of what he'd told her.

Steeling himself against his own instincts, Adrik clenched his jaw and carried Ember down the corridor to his quarters. When the doors whooshed open, he stepped inside and shoved down the urge to ask Ember what she thought of the space as she looked slowly around.

Stalking through the main room, he grunted, “Food store is there,” he jerked his chin toward a small, dimly lit area, then fell silent. Walking into his sleeping chamber, he was glad his strictly regimented lifestyle meant he straightened up his sleeping platform every cycle upon waking. The branth fur pelt covering his massive resting platform was neat, while the fur-covered cushions at the head of the platform were lined in an orderly manner.

Setting Ember on the platform, he watched her curiously. Her slight stature made his resting place seem massive. He couldn’t help but wonder how breeding worked between a Titan and a human. Even fully grown, she was still so slight and delicate that if he didn’t personally know a mated human/Titan pair, he wouldn’t believe it to be possible.

On the platform, Ember’s eyes narrowed as she slowly scanned the room. “This place looks lived in.” Turning her attention to him, she asked cautiously, “Whose boots are those? Whose room am I in?”