Page 14 of The Thren's Fated

INTERLUDE

Just tell her. Tell her the truth. Tell her the truth, and maybe she will listen. She can feel it too. I know she can. That hitch in her breath when she’s in my arms, the electricity that sparks when we touch. Deep down, she can feel it, but she doesn’t know. She doesn’t understand. Tell her the truth. I need to tell her. This is my chance to tell her.

CHAPTER 6

Lena stumbled up to the bar, her eyes glazed as she tapped in the order for another round of Thren ales.

Ochin sidled up next to her, poking her ribs lightly.

“I told you he liked you.”

Lena shot her a glare, boss or not.

“What’s his deal? He seems to think I’m going home with him tonight.”

He seemed to think she’d be going home with him forever.

“I told him you weren’t an escort when he requested your services. I’m not sure what else to say, but I think it’s just some harmless flirting.”

Ochin disappeared with a wink, and Lena groaned, biding her time until she had to return with more drinks.

“Everything alright?” a high-pitched voice asked, and she turned to see Adrax sitting at the bar with a half-finished vodka tonic in front of him.

“Oh yes, everything’s fine.”

A blatant lie.

He put a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she smiled at his touch. He was one of her favorite customers, always telling her wondrous stories of his travels across the galaxy and leaving the best tips.

“Is this person bothering you, pet?”

Oh, shit.

Lena turned to Screl, towering over both of them, his eyes shooting daggers at Adrax.

“No, not at all,” she said, shuffling out of Adrax’s grasp. “This is my friend, one of our regulars.”

“Friend,” Screl grunted, clearly unhappy. “He put his hand on you.”

Adrax was quivering in his seat, his eyes wide with the same fear that Lena felt thumping in her chest.

Screl let out a snarl, reaching into his jacket and withdrawing a vicious dagger glowing faintly with an eerie blue light. The edges looked razor-sharp as he stepped toward Adrax with the weapon raised.

The bar had grown quiet. Someone had stopped the music, and all manner of eyes and optical attachments were on the group. Zegrox stalked over, but even he seemed reluctant to step in. Breaking up an altercation between two regular bar patrons was one thing, but in this case, one of them was the prince of a tenuously peaceful race and protector of this very station.

And it was just a day before the first Peace Accord.

Without thinking, Lena stepped in front of Adrax and grabbed Screl’s knife-wielding arm with both of her hands, attempting to pull it down. He reluctantly allowed her to do so, dropping it carefully.

“Go back to your table,” she hissed, pressing one hand to his chest while keeping the other on his arm. “Please.”

He made a deep humming noise, but sheathed his weapon without an argument. His weapon, which was not supposed to be allowed at Ochin’s in the first place.

“Just go. I will be back with another round of drinks shortly.”

Lena was shaking, her hand on his chest as it had been at Cosmic Pulse last night. With a sigh, Screl turned, trundling back to the curtained area with only a vicious parting glare directed Adrax’s way.

“D-Did I do something wrong?” the Galyian asked, his voice trembling.