The Arrogant Genius (The Lost Planet 8)

I can feel the seconds ticking away as he helps clean me up. I’m still partially numb, so I have to lean against him as he soaps up my body and cleans every crevice and fold with the utmost care. He may be an arrogant bastard, but he’s a gentle one when he wants to be. A caring one when he wants to be.

Maybe he’s only gentle and caring with those he loves…

I blush, which of course he notices. His cock grows against my stomach as his fingers trace the growing wave of pink over my chest and throat. “You flush so pretty for me, little mate,” he says with a growl. “Are you trying to keep me from my duties?”

“I would never,” I say, but I press onto my tiptoes to take his mouth one last time. One, I promise myself, and then I’ll let him go because I know I can’t hold onto him forever.

When I pull away, he’s trembling, but not from need. The water is freezing. “Let’s get you dressed. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

* * *

“How’s he doing?” Julie asks several hours later.

We both try to keep busy, but after we feed the patients another dose of meat—officially wiping out our stash, there’s not much left to do but wait and watch as Avrell tests and retests his serums. Eventually, Julie throws her hands up and pulls me away to start packing supplies. It goes left unsaid that we may never need them, but it’s better than sitting around biting our nails.

I pause in packing bits of preserved food into boxes and containers. Every little bit will help. “He’s tired—”

“I’ll bet he is.”

I ignore her. “But I think he’ll be okay. He’s already stronger than he was a couple days ago. I think the meat helps. It’s not a complete cure, more like it holds the symptoms off for a while? But doesn’t completely eradicate the virus.”

“Still, it’s the first positive sign we’ve had. If he can turn that into a cure, then the possibilities for this planet are endless.”

I don’t know about her, but my mind turns to the Kevins. If they find out Mortuus is inhabitable again, I don’t want to know what will happen. The only thing they know is greed and destruction.

“He will,” I say firmly, pushing the thought from my mind. “And then we’ll fight.”

Julie doesn’t mention it, but I can almost feel her thinking about the fact that she doesn’t want to come with us. It goes left unsaid as we continue packing. The hours pass and we’ve packed food, medications, and ammunition into containers. We store them by the Loading Bay doors and as we’re about to head back inside, Julie puts a hand on my shoulder.

“What is it?” I ask.

She doesn’t say a word. Instead, she lifts her hand and points in the distance. All I see is the ever-present cloud of red-orange dust that fills the sky in every direction. “What is it?” I repeat.

“Look,” she says, but I look at her instead of where she’s pointing. Her face has gone bone white through her mask.

A lance of fear chills my spine.

“There,” she adds.

I follow the line of her finger and squint.

At first, I don’t see anything. What could she see? Another rabid wolf? One of those birds we were told about? God forbid it’s another mutated monster we haven’t come across.

Instead it’s much, much worse.

The clouds of red-orange dust part in delicate swirls around a plane of some sort. One with a very recognizable emblem on the nose. Earth II fighter ships. Flying. Alive. Not blasted out of the sky by Oz’s weapon. This is bad. This is really bad.

My stomach drops to my feet.

A scream rises in my throat, but lodges behind a knot there.

Julie finds my hand and squeezes so tight I can feel the bones grind against each other, but I barely notice. I go numb and then white-hot with adrenaline.

No.

It can’t be.

Nonononono.

I thought we’d have more time. We need more time.

This can’t be the end.

I haven’t said everything I need to say to Avrell yet.

We haven’t met our baby AJ.

I want a chance for those things.

One chance.

My gaze hardens.

We will get that chance.

Or die trying.

10

Avrell

Two.

There are just two ships.

Two Kevins, not an entire army.

“Get Sayer on the comms,” I bark out. “Zoe, keep the patients safe.”

“What?” Zoe shrieks, grabbing my lab coat as I start to walk away. “Eleanor is here. She can watch them. I can help. What are we going to do?”

“Lines are dead,” Julie calls out. “It’s not looking good, Av.”

“Keep trying,” I grit out. “I have an idea. Come on, mate.”

I take her hand, guiding her out of the comms room and into my lab. I’m feeling energized, which gives me hope regarding my cure, but right now, I need to protect everyone here. I can’t do that while inside my lab.