Gamma Raiders: Storm Squadron Alpha: Scifi Alien Romance Novel by Calista Skye Read Free Book Online Page A

Ja’al. For the first time, she couldn’t read a man’s intentions. He seemed to care about her, to want her even. But he hesitated, too. Was he conflicted because of Reina? Or something else? I guess we all have our demons.
    She laid her head back on the mattress and rolled over into her pillow, imagining herself pressed against his body. She pictured the intense gaze of his piercing green eyes, staring into her like he wanted to devour her. That, she was sure of. There was no mistaking that look.
    And she would have welcomed it. Every touch of his hands on her skin sent waves of electricity through her as she imagined what it would be like to let herself go.
    He wasn’t just a military man. Ja’al possessed a strength and a depth that drew her to him. He spoke little about his past, but she knew he grew up alone on the streets, learning to fend for himself. It gave him the strength of self-reliance. A strength that Kira wanted to give in to, to feel surrounding her, penetrating her. It would be such a relief to let her guard down. To allow herself to relax into his arms, feeling the pleasure of his body as he thrust himself deep inside her.
    She stopped herself. Ja’al was her commanding officer. Or at least, he would be if she joined the Storm Squadron. And while there were no strict rules against it, a relationship complicated things.
    She wished, for a moment, that she’d never tested for Storm. Life would be so much easier if she stayed in her place. Besides, Kira was an excellent mechanic. She could make a difference there. The growing Rebel fleet could use someone with her experience.
    But she couldn’t deny the pull of her desire. And as much as it scared her, Ja’al seemed to think she had what it took.
    She didn’t want to let him down. She didn’t want to let herself down.
    She had to choose. And she’d run out of time.
     
    ***
     
    Kira looked out over the training room. The entire Rebel Army, save for a small skeleton crew watching over the defense and communication systems, crowded into the room.
    Nothing like the added pressure of an audience to help her make an already difficult choice.
    Somewhere inside her, she knew that it didn’t matter which path she chose. The flight mechanics would be grateful to have her. She knew them. Or rather, she was comfortable with people who understood mechanical things. People who liked to take things apart and learn how they worked. She’d fit right in, and she’d be grateful for the friends she met there.
    Tyrus, the youngest member of the Raider crew, smiled at her as she took her place with the other cadets. He had become a good friend over the past few months. Tyrus had been the Raiders’ head mechanic before assuming his new role as Chief of Systems and Communications. But he still spent most of his spare time down in the pit with the “wrench-heads.” If the rest of the mechanics were anything like him, she’d feel right at home there. And it would give her the opportunity to look after Tanner, Lana’s young brother, while she was away negotiating treaties with Adaar.
    Tyrus caught her eye, and nodded to her in anticipation, expecting her to find her place among them. Tyrus could use a friend, too, she thought. No doubt the other wrench-heads gave him more than a fair share of ribbing for being so young.
    But Tyrus didn’t need her protection. And that was no reason to choose one career path over another, anyway. This was about her future.
    For the first time in her twenty-three years, Kira finally had a choice. The opportunity to choose her own path and her own destiny, instead of blowing around like a dead leaf in the winds of fate.
    “Nervous?” asked a warm, feminine voice. Kira turned and saw the red-haired woman, Reina, standing next to her.
    “Just thinking,” she said. “It’s an important choice.”
    Reina shrugged. “I guess,” she said. “But it’s not much of a choice at all, if you ask me. Ja’al only leads one team.”
    The