Chosen (HMCS Borealis Book 2) by S.J. Madill Read Free Book Online Page A

  "And you're still sleeping with everything that moves."   She saw him wince.   At least it meant he'd heard her.   "He's a runaway, Carter.   Like me.   He stays."
    Carter shook his head, lowering his arms.   He shrugged his shoulders inside his jacket, scowling at Blaine and Lakshmi before his eyes stopped on Elan.   "Fine.   Whatever.   Just stay out of my way."   He walked through the living room, shaking his head, and went down the hall toward his room.
    Heather reached up both hands to her head, pulling her cap off as she raked her fingers through her hair.  She walked over to the couch, letting herself drop onto it with a loud sigh.   When she looked up, Elan was watching her with those cobalt-blue eyes.
    "So…" she began.
    "So…" said Elan.   "That was Carter.   I understand his unhappiness.   My people are not well-liked on Earth."
    "Yeah, you could say that."
    "Also, you and he have some history together."
    Heather closed her eyes, drooping her head as she nodded.   "Yeah, you could say that too."   Mostly, she thought, the history of a bad idea.   A bad idea mixed with poor judgment and too many issues.   "Look," she said.   "Don't worry about him.   He makes a lot of noise, but nothing ever comes of it."
    The couch shifted, and Lakshmi sat cross-legged beside her.   The glass of ice was on the coffee table, and Elan reached forward to pick it up.   "Thank you," he said.   "While I was in transit, I spent time meditating.   It helped me to raise my body temperature to twenty degrees."
    Blaine's voice came from behind Heather.   "You can do that?"
    "I can," said Elan, popping an ice cube into his mouth.   "Perhaps a little higher.   I will only be on Earth a few days."   He took a deep breath, and exhaled.   "I will try not to be a burden.   Please let me stay."
    Heather noticed again that Elan's breath smelled of orange blossoms.   There was something odd about him; she felt good when he spoke to her.   She let her shoulders relax as a feeling of comfort washed over her.   Somehow, she knew everything was going to work out; Elan seemed like a great guy.   "Fine with me," she said, smiling.   Craning her neck, she looked at Blaine and Lakshmi.   "How about you two?"
    "Sure," said Lakshmi.   Blaine just nodded.
    "So…" said Heather, letting herself sink farther down into the couch   "Lenny's old room is at the back.   If we really crank up the air, how cold do you suppose we can get it?"

CHAPTER SIX

    The door console beeped.   Dillon walked out of his cabin's small washroom and glanced at the console, where the clock read 09:00 exactly.   Only one person on the ship was that punctual.   He tapped a button.
    The cabin door slid open, revealing Tremblay in a neatly-pressed uniform.   The young officer took a step into Dillon's cabin, and gave a smart salute.   "Sub-Lieutenant Tremblay reporting, sir."
    Dillon gave a wave in return, and gestured at a chair.   "Exactly on time, Tremblay.   Have a seat."
    "Thank you, sir."   The officer sat himself down, his back straight, a datapad in his lap.   He held a pen up toward Dillon.   "Sir, the Chief said I should bring this to you."
    "Ah," said Dillon, accepting the pen.   A subtle signal from the Chief, that she'd already seen Tremblay's reports.   "Perfect.   I was wondering where it had gone."   He poked the end of the pen into his mouth, holding it between his teeth.   "Do you always do what a chief of the ship tells you to?"
    "I do, sir."
    "Good," said Dillon, starting to chew on the pen.   "That's wise."   Chewing on something helped him think.   There was probably some complicated psychological reason behind it, but he didn't much care.   He pulled his own chair out, and it squeaked as he sat down.   "So," he said, gesturing to Tremblay's datapad.   "What've you got?"
    Tremblay handed over the pad.   "Sir, I've finished the survey reports for the last four planets we visited.   We're now up to