Page 75 of Uncovered By the Alien Commander
“Put that away, yousilly little...” Hyanxa begins before her words trail off, straightening, waving a dismissive hand. I remain poised to strike, studying her for a moment. But her eyes are different, lacking the blazing hatred I’m used to.
I holster my knife, even though adrenaline roars through my veins. “Why the void are you sneaking up on me?” I demand, driven more by outrage than embarrassment.
“Because it’s fun,” Hyanxa replies with a smirk, twisting her scarred face, which threatens my resolve.
“Fun?” I repeat, with a frown, watching her with keen eyes, ready for any hint of betrayal.
But Hyanxa ignores my question as she glances around the workshop, tossing her long red hair. “Where does Job keep the hypodrivers?” she mutters to herself.
Good question.“Either in that box of Polysynth boards,” I gesture towards my left, “Or buried beneath all that stuff.” I wave another hand to the workbench, piled high with scrap metal.
She approaches the Polysynth boards with a languid grace, like a stalking predator.She always moves like that, ready to pounce in an instant.“Why are your tits out?” she inquires with a quick glance and casual tone that belies the heat rising in my face.
My mind fumbles for a convincing lie, but each excuse sounds more ridiculous than the last. “No reason,” I state, deciding that being evasive is the best choice.
Hyanxa reaches into the box before stopping. “Just a random tits-out-in-Job’s-workshop kind of day?” she asks, peering up at me with a grin. “You always were a sneaky bitch.”
She knows me too well, but I’ve changed and I won’t let her intimidate me any longer.
I bristle at her words, yet her demeanor is calm. It’s so unusual, it’s unsettling.Maybe she seeks to lower my guard?“You’re the sneaky one, always creeping up and attacking me, you voiding bitch!” I yell, my voice rises with surprising anger at each word.
Hyanxa only laughs, which infuriates me more. “You have to tread carefully to survive in this business,” she replies, before staring at me. Her words feel eerily familiar. “That tattoo suits you, especially when you get all pissy.” She points to the horrible brand on my chest.
“It’s not a tattoo!” I shoot back, annoyed at her comparison, annoyed at her words, annoyed at everything. “A voiding Tuskarian branded me with it on Omega Flux Station.” Reachingfor my shirt, I throw it over my head. “I hate the voiding thing. I wish I could get rid of it.”
Hyanxa frowns in response, which surprises me. A naïve part of me thought she might show a flicker of sympathy, but not her, never her. “If you hadn’t abandoned us, you wouldn’t have gotten your stupid self branded,” she says with a tone nearing boredom, as she resumes rummaging in the box.
I wouldn’t have run away if you and Kaanus weren’t so dangerous!
The words almost leave my lips, but Hyanxa is trying to bait me into admitting I ran away. That must be her game. “Void off,” I demand, knowing she’ll not heed my request.
“I’ll be voiding off as soon as we reach Nebia,” she replies, giving no sign of offence at my words.I wish I was as strong as her.“Then you’ll never have to worry about me again.” She flashes a knowing grin at me before returning to her search, somehow messing up the area more. “Wish I could take that Klendathian with me. That male has me singing to the stars,” she finishes with a sigh.
My heart plummets at her words.Could it be Xandor? Is that why he’s lost interest in me?“What Klendathian?” I question in a hurry, too fast, fearing the worst.
Hyanxa straightens, gazing at me with a tilted head and a knowing smile. “Oh, you like one of them! Our little Tyrxie’s all grown up now,” she mocks in a cutesy voice that sounds absurd on her. “A Klendathian of all males. Talk about jumping into deep space on your maiden voyage!” She erupts into laughter.
My face heats like a supernova at her words, struggling to find my words, so buried by my embarrassment. “No... No, don’t be stupid. I... I was just curious,” I suppress a wince, my words feeling emptier than the void of space.
Hyanxa avoided my question! How can I get her to reveal if she’s mating Xandor without giving away my desires?
“It’s Xandor isn’t it?” she smirks, cutting to the heart of the matter with brutal precision unique to Hyanxa. “Yeah, the way he protected and lied for you. It must be him,” she ponders with a hand under her muzzled jaw. “Did he mate you down in Tier Three?” She lets out a sudden, eager gasp. “Was it him who branded you?”
My face turns even hotter, and I speculate it must be as red as the Klendathian’s now. My gaze shifts to the exit that looks very inviting suddenly. But to flee now would confirm Hyanxa’s suspicions. “That’s ridiculous. He’s far too frightening for me,” I answer with more conviction this time, and a believable excuse.
“You’re a terrible liar. Always were,” Hyanxa titters, cutting through my lies in an instant.
I hate her so much!
Before I can feign more denial, Hyanxa continues. “What’s the big deal? So, what if you’re mating him? Who cares?” She questions, waving a dismissive hand.
Maybe she’s right. Why am I hiding my desire for Xandor? The Klendathians and Job are aware now... They know far too much!I let out a breath, steadying my nerves. “It’s Xandor, okay,” I whisper, perplexed that I’m confessing this to Hyanxa, of all people.
“I knew it!” Hyanxa exclaims, clapping her hands, more excited than I’ve ever seen her. “You are a dirty little bitch,” she laughs.
My stomach churns with unease at her mocking response. “I knew I shouldn’t have said. You’re just going to use it against me,” I sigh, feeling like Hyanxa has me more tangled than Job’s crate of old wires.
“Relax, we’ve all done it,” Hyanxa declares with a glint in her golden eyes. “More than a few times,” she laughs, before shaking her head in disbelief. “Void, to think little Tyrxie is mating witha Klendathian, you’d never guess it in a million years. I’d love to see the look on that bastard Kaanus’s face when he finds out.”