Chapter 14 : Malachi

Mads's POV I stared at the fucking call button, stuck in a loop of wondering whether I should call Theo or not. The smell of blood permeated the ship. I knew it was Theo's. And the fact that she came back to the ship bleeding, injured again fucking killed me. Shaking my head, I turned back to my project, fiddling with a loose screw in our hyperdrive. With my hypersensitive senses, I could hear even the quietest rattle. Feel the slightest offset in airflow. I was tapped into the Peacemaker. Even so, I couldn't stop thinking about Theo. I worried about her all the fucking time. Getting stuck in gun fights. Meeting with dangerous men. The woman lived on the edge. But she was a big girl. Didn't want me doting after her. Frankly, I wasn't much of a doter either. The thing was that I knew she could handle herself. I'd seen her quickdraw. Her reflexes and loyalty firsthand. I trusted her with my life. I have seen her bravery repeatedly, but that didn't stop me from wanting to shield her. Maybe then she would finally get it through her thick skull that she loved me as much as I loved her. I thought it would be obvious that she was my mate, but Theo wouldn't know if it smacked her in the forehead. I knew she struggled with attachments. Who could blame her after all the shit she's seen? I'd wait for her. I was a patient man. The same thing could not be said about my ancestors. Especially during the full moon. The term Luna referred to the moon, but it was also the root of "lunatic." Something about the combination of the moon and the earth made my ancestors crazy for so long. It wasn't until space travel that they developed a sense of normalcy. You would think that the moon always being full in space would make my kind aggressive, always trapped in a beast form, but it did quite the opposite. We found a happy medium. Even if we still developed lifemates. Sometimes more than one. At least if Theo never came around, I'd have hope that someone else might warm me at night. But the idea of someone else left me feeling empty. I didn't want anything else. I wanted Theo. And there she is again. Worming her way into my head. It wasn't rocket science to figure out I loved her. I just started to notice that I liked it when she was around. I found myself bathing in the sight of her, drinking her in. Noticing how good she smelled. And as someone who despised touch, I was eager to feel the way her body reacted to mine. I liked the way her hair felt slipping through my fingers like silk. The way she'd give me a dopey half-smile…fuck, I loved her before we started fucking. But there was always a moment after we fucked where she would finally let her walls crumble and she'd let me in. We'd lay in my bed, her bed, slouched off the corner of a table, and talk. I'd see just how soft she was under all those layers. Something sweet and heady found me. Barely there, but I was so attuned to how Theo smelled that I knew when she was getting herself off. I'd never say anything…but I knew. At the scent of it, my body reacted. Tightening eagerly at the thought of her underneath me. I groaned, pushing the thought to the deep recesses of my mind. I know what I needed. I needed to talk to Ben. Shoving my chair out, I left what I was working on to go to the bridge. The smell of Theo's arousal was thicker in the ship's main body, but I wasn't going to bother her. I knew Theo had a miraculously high sex drive. Something we tested out repeatedly, but now, I needed to keep my distance. She had to come to me. Not the other way around. I was a lot of things, but I wasn't desperate. The bridge was open, Ben leaning over the controls as he lazily maneuvered around an asteroid. Most of the ship was asleep, but Ben and I were both insomniacs so we'd hang out when no one would bother us. "Hey, Ben," I greeted, ducking under the doorframe. I was too fucking tall for this ship. Benji instantly hit the button for autopilot, spinning around in his chair. "Thank God you're here. I was getting bored." "Where are we off to next?" I asked, glancing over his shoulder at the coordinates plugged into the interface. Ben followed my gaze. "Off to the last known location of the Sun Princess's ship. About half a day away. Long enough to get some sleep," Ben chortled, knowing for a damn fact neither of us was going to sleep. I cracked a smile. "At least we're one step closer to kicking that daywalker off our ship. Then I might get some shut-eye." Benji scoffed. "Unlike you, I don't mind a little extra company." "Ha. Ha. Whatever," I muttered, sitting across from him, kicking my long legs out to stretch across the floor. He was always the friendly one. Like Ellie. Daxton played the role of hitter, working alongside Theo to punch someone in the face. Ben grinned, leaning to the side to grab a pack of cards to play some gin rummy, our game of choice. He dealt my hand. "So tell me, Malachi," he started, using my actual name to add emphasis to his statement. "What is it about Javier that pisses you off so much? Is it because he's making eyes at Theo?" "He can fuck her for all I care," I stated boldly. It was an honest statement. Theo can fuck whoever she wants as long as she ultimately comes back to my bed when she's done. I wasn't the jealous type. Never really was. Not even when I watched her go back to a hotel with some guy she picked up at a bar. Maybe once upon a time, werewolves were inherently possessive, but nowadays, it wasn't unusual to have multiple partners. I didn't really care. Good for her. I was glad she didn't have the same aversion to touch as I did. "I don't believe you, Mads. You've been in love with her forever," Ben pointed out. "Don't think I haven't noticed." I merely shrugged. Ben could speculate all he wanted. I never confirmed anything and I never would. Whatever happened between Theo and I would stay there. It was ours. No one else's. "I just don't like bloodsuckers." "Racist," Benji said, playing his turn. I rolled my eyes when it came my turn. "I give back what I'm given." Javier was a jackass to me the moment he stepped on board. So I'd be a dick right back. "Not everyone can make a good impression," he replied. "God knows we didn't." I barked a laugh. No, we certainly didn't make a good first impression. We met in a gunfight when he shot me. Turns out he was aiming at the guy next to me. I still don't think I've let it go. Long healed, but you don't just forget someone who shot you. Theo made a much better first impression when she smacked Ben upside the head. There I was, laid out on the ground, gripping my arm when this breathtaking woman sprinted over to me. Theo covered me with fire of her own. I wasn't even armed, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. She mystified me the moment I saw her and when I came aboard the Peacemaker, I heard an unusual sound in the engine. Apparently, they didn't know that they had to regrease the carburetor and keep fluid in the hyperdrive. Safe to say, I fixed up the Peacemaker and never left. Forget the Lunar Ravagers, I had a new crew to be a part of. "Did you see Theo tonight?" Benji asked, turning his baby blues back to his cards. "She seemed shaken up." "No," I replied, thinking about how I stared at that call button. I should have just called her. However, by the smell of her getting herself off, I'm sure she was just fine. I knew no one else could smell it like I could. Not even the daywalker would have a sense of smell that keen. Benji hummed, but ultimately let it go. The rest of our game was more lighthearted. We talked about what we were going to do after this mission. Hell, we were all ready for a vacation. I needed to be on a beach somewhere, drink in hand, a view only second to Theo. That woman had me in a fucking chokehold. And she didn't even know it. Benji and I didn't stop playing until I started to hear the ship stir. Door opening. Ellie had very light footsteps, reaching the kitchen first for breakfast. If I was lucky, she'd make pancakes. I loved Ellie's pancakes. I played my turn, getting a leg up on Benji. But my ears perked up as I heard the sizzle of the griddle, and the smell of flour, sugar, and baking powder reaching my nose. Pancakes. My stomach rumbled. "Ellie is making pancakes, isn't she?" Benji asked. I offered him a half smile. "What gave you that idea?" "Your bedroom eyes," he joked. "Only time I ever see them is when you are about to do something unholy to a stack of pancakes." "And how do you know what my bedroom eyes look like?" I shot back, giving Benji a wide, dimpled smile. Benji shrugged, taking my cards away. "A man can assume." I chuckled, getting up from my seat. "See you later, Ben." "Later, Mads." A sweet earthy smell filled the air, and I instantly knew it was Theo on her way to the kitchen. She had bags under her eyes as if she didn't sleep well. A weary gant in her walk. Damn near pulled at my heartstrings. "Morning," I said to her even though there was no way to tell time in space. She froze, her eyes darting up from the floor to meet mine. "Oh, hey. Morning." Her dark eyes always reminded me of something decadent. Tooth-achingly delicious. A rich dessert that coats the inside of your mouth and leaves you thinking about it for days. "Are you okay?" I asked, noticing that she seemed off. Not the kind of off after a rough night. It was different. A new smell clung to her hair. One that I recognized a little but not enough to know where it was from. Theo rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah. Fine." She paused. "Thanks for the trinket, by the way, got me out of a bind last night. Unfortunately, I lost it in the Pantomath's hand." Well, that sounds exciting. "Don't worry about it. I'm glad you're safe." Her cheeks pinkened ever so slightly, the pitter-patter of her heart kicking up a little. "I'll tell you about it later." "I look forward to it." The corner of her rosy mouth tipped up, revealing a cute little dimple. She only had one and it was the most adorable thing about her. What I would give to make her smile all the time. Suddenly, I saw a door open down the hallway, my gaze sweeping across the hallway to make direct eye contact with the daywalker. Theo stiffened as Javier approached. "Good. Morning. Javier," she uttered. Really awkwardly. Her heart skipped a beat, blood rushing to her face in a clear indication of embarrassment. "Morning, Captain Walker," Javier said professionally. His tone was nothing but entirely cordial. "Mads," he tipped his head toward me, passing me. Then I caught a whiff of something. The same scent that clung to Theo's hair. Oh my gods, she did fuck him. Was that what I was smelling last night? A late-night fuck? My gaze shot back over to her and her face only darkened further. Under my breath, I asked, "Did you fuck him?" Theo gasped loudly, her voice doing that high-pitch thing when she was embarrassed. "What? No! Why would you—" she paused, looking around to see that everyone was distracted in the kitchen with Ellie, making lively conversation. She gathered a handful of my shirt, dragging me back to her cabin. Amusement twinkled in my eyes, fighting a smile curving the side of my mouth. "Look at you. Getting laid." "Shut up," she grumbled, leading me into her cabin and closing the door behind her. If I had any questions before, I didn't now. Her room definitely smelled like sex. I raised my eyebrows, waiting for an answer. "Okay," she put both of her hands up. "Maybe. Just maybe I fucked him." She paused. "But, that was before the mission." "Then why does this room reek of sex, Theo?" She shushed me, clearly getting frazzled. And holy fuck, it was so cute. "Okay. Fine. Last night, we may have gotten a little physical, but we didn't have sex. Not because I didn't want to, but he ran off after…" I quirked an eyebrow, enjoying how she squirmed under my eyes. "...After?" "It doesn't matter. It won't happen again," she decided firmly. "No one else knows and I want to keep it that way." "I can keep a secret, Theo. You know that," I reassured her. But a devilish grin swept over my lips when I added, "So what was it that you found so sexy? Was it that dreamy accent?" "Mads," she said sharply. "Or was it his shoulders?" Her blush only deepened. "...Mads." "Oh," I paused, tapping my chin as I continued to tease her. "I bet it was that tongue." "MADS," she hissed, face beet red. I grinned. "Keep asking me those questions and I'll think it's you who wants to fuck him," Theo shot back, that fiery temper finally coming back again. I shrugged. "He seems like someone who likes to be on the bottom." To that, Theo couldn't hide her smile anymore and she giggled, gifting me with that cute dimple. "There's that smile," I teased, reaching up to stroke her cheek with my thumb, not missing the way she visibly relaxed, sending sparks of longing into my blood. She stared at me, bathing me in her warm eyes. I let go of her face, feeling rather smug that she seemed to be in a better mood now. "Let's go get some breakfast." "Sounds good. I know you're a slut for Ellie's pancakes," Theo teased as we left her room.