Kozav (7 page)

K
ozav trudged back
to his quarters, relieved that Dam Hall was resting well and that the healers were doing everything they could for the female. His mate cared for her
dam
very much—enough to risk herself—and he was not sure how she would deal with losing Dam Hall. He told the healers his mate should never find out what it is like to live without a
dam
, his threat clear.

Grease and soot from engineering clung to his skin and wings and he fluttered them, trying to shake off some of what remained. Exhaustion pulled at him, beckoning him to fall into bed and let sleep claim him. Except he did not believe it would be that simple. He’d left Grace in medical, a bruise marring her cheek and furious words on his tongue. That she’d endanger herself in such a way, leave the safety of their rooms without escort… He shook his head. He could not believe such a thing. Even after speaking with Dam Hall, he could not understand how human females could be so careless.

“When a woman grows up depending on no one but herself, she’s gonna continue that way even if she’s no longer alone.”

It was up to him to prove himself dependable and strong. He would show her that troubles and worries were no longer hers alone.

The words were easy enough to say. He was not sure follow-through would be equally as simple. Not when the urge to roar overtook him every time he remembered the purple of her face.

Kozav breathed deeply and fought for calm, smoke escaping his nose with the exhale. He could not approach his mate still furious. He should have worked off all of his anger in engineering, but it still chased him. During his talk with Grace’s
dam
, he’d calmed much more, her gentle ways similar to his departed
dam’s
.

Yet, approaching his quarters, anxiousness and anger surged. Anxiousness? Yes, he was worried Grace would not be where she was supposed to be. He’d given orders, but Grace was a human female who had a mind of her own. According to her
dam
.

He stopped in front of his door, preparing himself for a rush of disappointment and fury. Where was the docile, giving female he’d dreamt of? Where was the mate who resembled his
dam
? One who would not challenge him, but work with him hand-in-claw. Were Melissa joi Jarek and Lana joi Taulan this difficult? He did not believe so.

He shook his head. He needed to embrace acceptance. The skies gifted him—
him
—with a mate. She was gorgeous in her strength, her lush curves alluring and tempting, and the stubborn angle of her jaw was seductive even as she annoyed him.

Grace was beautiful from her soft curls to her small feet.

Grace Celina.

Human names that mean God’s gift from the skies.

A gift he would accept. He would simply work on his patience and perhaps she could work on being his other half instead of continuing to stand on her own.

It would take
comm-pro-mize
. He was unfamiliar with the human word, but Dam Hall explained the concept easily.

They would both have to bend and do their best not to break each other.

Kozav braced himself and placed his thumb on the identipad. It did not take the ship long to identify him and grant him entrance. He strode in, gaze scanning the area for any sight of his mate.

And he did not find her.

“Ship, locate—”

“Kozav?” Grace peered around a corner, standing in the small hallway that led to the food preparation area. The purple on her cheek was no longer present, Preor technology now fully attuned to human physiology. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Primary Warrior Kozav?” the ship interrupted.

“Disregard orders,” he snarled at the vessel and grimaced when his mate flinched.

He truly needed to get a hold of himself.

Grace swallowed hard and waved her hand toward the meal preparation area. No, humans called it a kitchen. “I’m making a snack because I wasn’t sure what you like to eat. Do you want me to try and cook?”

Perhaps this was one of those olive branches Dam Hall spoke of. “If you will give me a moment to cleanse, I can prepare us a true Preor feast fit for a Haclu.”

Grace deserved a meal fit for royalty considering all she’d endured before they met and after he’d claimed her.

“But you’ve been working hard all day. I’m happy to… try?” She nibbled her lower lip and Kozav could no longer control himself. Not when she presented such a pretty temptation.

He slowly padded forward, closing the wide gap between them, and not stopping until no more than six inches separated them. “It is my honor to prepare this meal for you. It is our first night as a mated couple.”

A pink flush tinged her cheeks and she took a small step back. Historical records and data mined from the Earth Internet indicated he should not pressure her. Kozav did not believe lessening the space once more was pressure.

“Oh.” She licked her lips, plump bits of flesh tempting him to nibble. “I…” Her eyes darted around the room, settling on everything but him.

Kozav cupped her face, thumb gently stroking her injured cheek. “Are you well?” He glared at the spot, hating himself for his failure. “Did medical heal you entirely?”

They would not be able to heal Impe
or
Sugal once he found them. They’d both vanished from sensors and began causing trouble throughout the ship, which was why he’d been away from her for so long. Critical system after critical system failed and the Masters needed every strong and intelligent male they had.

Grace nodded. “Yeah. And I’m sorry about—”

He rested his thumb across her lips. “Your
dam
indicated it would be best if we agreed we were both wrong and that perhaps we should begin anew.”

The corners of her lips tilted upward in a small smile. “She had a come to Jesus meeting with you, too?”

He frowned, trying to mentally connect this Jesus person to his discussion with Dam Hall. “I do not understand. I did not speak to Jesus.”

Her small smile blossomed into an outright grin. “It’s when you have to sit down with someone and listen to some cold, hard truths about yourself and your behavior.”

“I did not sit.”

Grace laughed and it was the first time he’d ever heard such a sound from her. It was filled with happiness, and it sank into his heart. For the first time in centuries, joy infused him and hope sparked to life. With her chuckles, she leaned forward and placed her hand on his chest. Another first—a voluntary touch. He held his breath, afraid to make any move that might discourage her. Her gaze fell to where she stroked him, her pale fingers a stark contrast against his dirtied flesh. She ran her fingers in small circles on his body, the tips picking up dust and grease and leaving tanned skin in her wake.

“I should cleanse,
shaa kouva
.” He laid his hand over hers, stilling her movements. “The moment I am done, I will prepare a meal for us.” She nodded but didn’t move, her palm still resting on his flesh. “
Shaa kouva
?”

“What happened to Impe?”

Kozav curled his lip. “He has not yet been recaptured. Both Impe and his uncle Sugal were freed by unknown warriors. Detzan is doing a security sweep of the ship and every warrior in the area is being interviewed.”

“Oh.” Her skin paled the slightest bit and he gave her a new vow.

“I will protect you,
shaa kouva
. He will not touch you. He will not harm you.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I would die first.”

G
race had
no idea if the meal set before her rivaled a Haclu’s or not, but it smelled
delicious
. Kozav settled one large plate between their two placements on the table and soon joined her. She leaned forward, breathing in the scents that wafted from the cooked meat and vegetables.

Kozav lifted a utensil, something that appeared similar to an Earthen fork but looked to be made of wood with only two tines.

A
dalk
. Meant to mimic two pointed, Preor claws. Blunted ones were provided to dragonlets.

Well, no one could say the Knowing wasn’t helpful.

He took the
dalk
and pointed at various mounds scattered on the platter. “Grilled
katoth
with a few spices that were favorites of my
dam
. It is similar to beef but richer.” He gestured at another. “
Tapix
with
taqi
sauce. A true delicacy.
Tapix
is similar to chicken, but the
taqi
sauce requires a special plant found only in the lowest regions of Preor. It grows on the edge of the Gor Ari sea, clinging to the cliffs of Udriea.” He speared a lump and lifted it to her mouth, the rich, red-brown sauce dripping from the bite.

“The winds never cease on the cliffs and a warrior must be both skilled and strong to harvest the
taqi
.” She opened her mouth, letting his low murmur seduce her. “I gathered this myself before the fleet launched. The Gor Ari nearly got me.”

He traced her lower lip, his passion-glazed eyes seeming glued to her, and she flicked her tongue out to gather a bit of the sauce left in his wake. Flavors burst across her tongue and she savored the small taste. Rich. Peppery. Creamy. It coated her taste buds in the alluring flavors and she parted her lips farther. He held the bite steady and leaned forward, pulling the piece into her mouth. More of those tastes filled her and she moaned at the sweet tenderness of the meat. The sauce remained a fiery spice while the
tapix
added a banking sweetness.

Passion stirred, her body warming with his nearness and the intimacy of being fed by him. She took her mother’s words to heart and was doing her best to relax and take Kozav at face value, not as a man intent on controlling a woman.

She chewed and swallowed. “Why would you risk your life for a spice?”

Preors couldn’t chance getting water on their wings. It essentially made them useless. If they got wet over an ocean, it was sure death. That he would fight the wind on the cliffs of Udriea…

“Because when I prepared to journey to Earth in search of a mate, I knew that she deserved the best.” Sparkling eyes drilled into hers. “Always.” He returned his attention to the plate, spearing something else. “
Ikati
. On Earth, you would call it
sale-feesh
. It also calls the Gor Ari home.”

“Preors don’t fish for food.” She wasn’t sure if that was a statement or a question. They were back to the ocean equaling death.

“No, but when the
ikati
mate, they linger at the sea’s surface. A quick and skilled Preor can capture one for his mate.” He pressed the bite to her lips and she accepted it without hesitation. He’d compared the
ikati
to another Earth animal, but it was that and so much more. She couldn’t put her finger on how it differentiated from human food. It was just…
more.
“I flew through the skies and when this one jumped above the seas, I caught him with my own hands.” His eyes burned with banked fire. “
Hands
. I did not embrace my dragon and catch him with claws like many other males do. My mate deserved better.”

So, he’d risked his life twice for this meal. He’d used his strength to fight the winds along the craggy shore of the ocean and then again when he caught the fish. “I don’t need this.” She shook her head. “You shouldn’t risk your life for
food
.”

But she wouldn’t let it go to waste, either.

“I had to prove myself,
shaa kouva
.”

“There’s nothing to prove.”

He cupped her cheek. “How wrong you are. I had to prove to myself that I was strong enough to care for you—save you—from any situation.” Something clouded his expression for a moment, a brief darkening of his eyes before he withdrew. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen the whisper caress of sadness, grief, and anger.

“This next is truly special. Even few in the Haclu family enjoy such a dish. The Emperor has not tasted it in nearly a century.” He slid the
dalk
into a tiny sliver of meat, twining it around the tines before lifting it from the plate. “This is
syhri
. It lives at the edge of the planet’s atmosphere. Where one beat of wings can be the difference between life on Preor and death in space. It is the only being of Preor that can live in the highest reaches of the skies. Some believe them to be children of the skies themselves.”

No, she couldn’t have understood him correctly. When he went to feed her once again, she grabbed his wrist. “You mean to tell me someone—you?—nearly flew into
space
? For this?” she tipped her head toward the
syhri
he still held. “Why would you do such a thing? Why would you risk your life for someone you didn’t even know? Someone you might not ever find? You almost killed yourself for…
food,
Kozav.”

“Taste the
syhri
and then I will tell you.” Based on his expression, the uncomfortable tightening of his shoulders, she knew his request was really a stalling tactic. But she wasn’t going to let the questions go. Why was he being suicidal? She loved a good chocolate cake as much as the next girl, but she wouldn’t jump off a cliff to get it.

Grace opened her mouth and accepted the newest bite, moaning when the tempting flavors drifted over her taste buds. There was no describing the taste. Sweetness and heat. Sex and love. Heartache and pain, which was quickly replaced with joy and happiness. Every bite drew forward different emotions, the feelings twisting and twining with her own, magnifying them until a single tear escaped her eye. She swallowed and gasped, a heat warming her from inside out and she shot Kozav a wide-eyed glance.

“What…”

“
Syhri
, children of the skies. The skies give a Preor everything we need. The skies
are
everything.” He shook his head, giving her a rueful smile. “I do not believe the small beast is truly a dragonlet of our skies, but it is the closest any have ever come to feeling their true essence.” He gave her another bite and she braced herself for the rolling emotions. When joy and tendrils of love passed through her heart, she grasped them and held them close. She reveled in the emotions and allowed them to magnify her own. “It is the greatest gift I could imagine for a mate and I had to prove my worth. If I had failed and perished, it would have proven I was not the male I believed.”

Grace let that last bit slide down her throat and stopped him from gathering another. She wouldn’t take one more bite until he knew she didn’t need him to practically fly into space to be happy. “And where would I have been if you’d died? Would I have eventually found some human man to settle down with? Have babies with?”

Kozav snarled and bared his fangs with a hiss. “Never.”

“Then what the hell?” She didn’t care if she sounded obnoxious or even more-than-slightly bitchy. Plus, obviously, the starting over thing was going downhill. Fast. “Why would you
do
that?”

His face hardened, lips compressed. “It was necessary.”

“Necessary?” she shook her head. Unable to believe his words. “How is nearly killing yourself nece—”

“I would not risk a mate if I could not first prove my worth.” Burning eyes met hers. “I refused to come to Earth before I could prove that Kozav sen Aghin was worthy of the Knowing.” The fire in his gaze slowly banked to be replaced by a deep sadness. “I killed my family through weakness, Grace. I refused to kill my mate as well.”