At that thought, his rod began to stiffen.
He groaned, ordering his body to calm. There would be no copulating. Humans weren’t like Veslors. He didn’t need to demonstrate his skill as a lover again to convince her to become his mate. Instead, he needed to study United Earth culture on how to lure a female into accepting a male.
He had a plan. Now he only had to implement it.
* * * * *
Darla’s head pounded and she felt hot. She raised her hand, wiping her brow. Only there wasn’t any sweat. Her forehead just felt warmer than it should be. She glanced up at the artificial sunny sky above her. Then she checked her exposed skin. It wasn’t red from sunburn.
“Are you okay?”
She dropped her hand and turned. “I’m getting a headache. I guess it’s going to take some time adjusting to their growing bulbs.”
Becky frowned. “I feel fine.” Her sister came closer. “You look flushed. Maybe you should ask Joseph if you can leave an hour early. That’s all that’s left on our shift. I can finish watering this section myself.”
“I’m not going to do that. This is our first day. It would give a bad impression. We need these jobs.”
Becky came closer and reached out, pressing her palm to her forehead. Her eyes widened. “You feel warm.”
“It’s just the new kind of heat bulbs. They keep it warmer in here than what we’re used to, since they’re on while we work.”
“Does your throat hurt?”
“No. I just have a headache.” Darla backed away.
“You should go see that doctor. Dad had a bad cold a few weeks ago, remember? Maybe you caught it. He had to take medicine when he got a sinus infection. That caused him to have headaches, too.”
“I’m not getting a cold. It’s just a stress headache. If it doesn’t go away soon, I’ll contact Jessa to take a look at me. Let’s just finish our shift. I probably just need some sleep. I haven’t gotten a lot of that lately. My body is rundown.”
Her sister sighed. “Fine. But promise that you’ll go see your new doctor friend if it gets worse.”
“I promise.” Darla turned around and withdrew a device she kept in one of her pockets. She moved to the next row of plants that needed attention and double checked their moisture level. It was a little low. She tapped on the sprinklers. Sensors would automatically shut them off when the moisture level was perfect. She moved to the next row, which didn’t need to be watered.
Working in a fleet garden was way easier than in a greenhouse, where most of the work had been manual labor. Joseph had explained that computers couldn’t visually inspect plants because sometimes sensors failed. It’s why they needed live workers tending everything. Machines also weren’t good for harvesting most of the delicate produce. He’d told some funny stories of how that had gone wrong when they’d received some new equipment to try.
She glanced up at the artificial sky again, enjoying the view, but the brightness hurt her eyes a little with her headache. It would pass.
Her thoughts returned once more to Gnaw. Not surprising. She had Gnaw on the brain, which made her smile. He was worthy of her musings. She just hoped that he was okay and didn’t hate her.
Defcon Red was huge. It really was like a city in space. It was possible she’d never run into him again. He’d said he was a fighter. A map of the ship had shown that some sections were off limits to civilians. The lifts wouldn’t even open on some levels, since she didn’t have clearance. It was possible that Gnaw lived and worked where she couldn’t go.
Maybe he’d come to see her. She’d glimpsed fleet members in various colors of uniforms strolling around the gardens. Joseph had said that everyone on Defcon Red had access to visit. They just weren’t allowed off the paths, or to touch anything growing. But the peaceful, colorful space helped some of them deal with living in space.
The hour ended, and Darla and her sister went to the employee area, storing their devices in the lockers they’d been assigned. Becky hooked her arm as they left the gardens. “Do you feel any better?”
“I just need sleep.”
“I guess that means you don’t want to have dinner with me?”
“Not tonight.” She glanced at her baby sister. “Is that okay?”
She nodded. “Those food replicators in our cabins are pretty nice. The options are limited, but promise me that you’ll eat before going to bed.”
“I will. You could go have dinner in the cafeteria without me.”
Becky shook her head. “I’m still adjusting to being around a bunch of strangers. It’s one thing to go with you, but I don’t feel comfortable yet doing it alone.”
That made sense to Darla. They were both used to living with their family. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Just feel better. Is your new friend going to visit you tonight?”
“Jessa? No. She only came by my cabin yesterday to make sure we’d been sent clothing, since our stuff wasn’t recovered when we were rescued. Anyway, we’re on our way to some planet she said she’s never heard of. I got the impression it was an unexpected mission. That means she has a ton of research to do, and she mentioned I wouldn’t hear from her for a few days. She’s going to be pretty busy.”
“Any idea what mission?”
They reached the lift and got inside. “I don’t know. I didn’t ask. She didn’t stay long.”
“I envy you that you’ve already made a friend.”
The lift opened and they made their way down the
