Page 56 of The Last Hunt

Aethon catches her hand and brings it up to kiss her palm. Then he pulls her head back a little with the hand he has tangled in her hair so that she’s forced to meet his eyes. What she finds there isn’t judgment or scorn. It’s understanding.

“A little,” he says. “But Maeve - what if being together is better than being alone?” He presses another kiss to her forehead. “I’d be dead in that damn star if you hadn’t chosen me over the bounty. And you might still be in Quinlar Cho’s office.”

Maeve watches him, unable now to look away from his intense eyes. He truly is her artrenn - her guiding light. Like the brightest star in the sky - or the unchanging path of the sun.

His steadiness in this vulnerable moment gives Maeve the strength to speak aloud one of her greatest fears.

“What if we hurt each other?” she asks.

He just smiles. “Chrissah - what if we save each other?”

Something lights within her at his words. Like a match struck into flame. It feels like hope.

Aethon leans down and Maeve tilts her chin up, meeting him for a kiss.

Chapter 16

A Short Time

Aethon

After a nap, Aethon and Maeve finally make it back to the front of the Archer. In Aethon’s opinion, this is quite the accomplishment considering that everything in him wants to spread Maeve out on her bed again and wrap her thighs around his head. Instead, he has her pushed up against the dash, his hands sliding up the smooth skin on her stomach as they trade slow, luxurious kisses. Her arms are twined around his neck, and the darkness of space behind her out the viewscreen is dotted with distant, tiny white stars.

“You do remember that we both need credits, artrenn,” Maeve says breathlessly before leaning in for another kiss. Her Tellamari name for him makes him want to fall to his knees before her. Aethon never imagined that Maeve could break open like this for him. He will do everything in his power to make sure she never regrets it. He runs his hand down her arms, careful of the bandage on her forearm from their misadventure on Valley Starbase.

“Credits?” Aethon murmurs. “Never heard of them.”

Maeve chuckles and kisses him one last time before shoving him down into the co-pilot chair behind him. “Get to work,” she says, ruffling his hair as she walks past him to her seat.

Aethon sighs and cracks his knuckles dramatically before setting to work while Maeve checks on the Archer’s systems. First, he connects their tabs to the Archer and has CAL purge them of everything Quinlar Cho had done at Valley Starbase. Then he starts searching for his CHASA contact - Bell Sylar. He hopes Sylar is still around and working. It’s been a long time since the Freehail days and Aethon remembers her being in her fifties perhaps when she helped his parents.

While he looks through available online databases for Sylar’s contact info, they approach another jump point. Aethon feels his nerves begin to fizz and he glances back at Maeve with his brows raised.

“This going to be ok?” he asks.

Maeve exhales hard. She’d put her hair in a loose braid, as though she didn’t feel the need to pull herself as tightly together as she normally would. “Our online systems all look fine,” she replies. “I don’t think the mechanics at Valley Starbase actually sabotaged the ship - just took their sweet ass time with the repairs.”

“Everything will be alright, darlins!” TAI chirps.

“We’ve already told you this,” CAL adds. “The Archer is in acceptable condition to jump.”

“If you say so,” Maeve murmurs, meeting Aethon’s gaze with a set expression.

She wraps a hand around the joystick and accelerates them toward the huge metal ring. They enter jump space a second later and Aethon breathes a sigh of relief as the ship slides easily through the familiar blue-black space. A minute later, they’re on the other side.

“Good,” Maeve says, leaning back. “Glad to be sure that’s all ok.” She halts the ship so it can recharge from the jump.

“We told you the Archer would be fine,” CAL says, his voice annoyed. “But perhaps your brains are too full of pleasure chemicals to fully comprehend that.”

“Oh, CAL,” TAI says. “Let the organics have this. It’s a sort of post-intercourse bliss -”

“Excuse me?” Maeve interrupts. Aethon turns to see her staring at him, her eyes wide with alarm, color rising in her cheeks. “Were you two watching us?” She glares up at the ceiling, her brows furrowed.

“Well of course, honey!” TAI chirps.

Aethon shoves a fist up to his mouth to prevent himself from laughing as Maeve rubs her hand over her face. “Oh my god - why?!” she asks.

“The AIs are too interested in human sexuality,” Aethon replies, his voice trembling with suppressed laughter. “It was bound to happen!”