Daughters of Lyra: Heart of a Commander Read Free Page A

would be too strong to contain should he
feel?

    She was thankful when the
other man returned and announced that it was safe to exit the
shuttle. Standing, she fixed her appearance, took a deep breath and
then nodded to the two men. Both stared at her, their hands held in
tight fists at their sides. For a moment, she thought that she was
going to have a problem and then they turned and led the way
through the shuttle.

    Amerii’s heart pounded. It
probably wasn’t a good idea to let it go unchecked. Her nerves
could be affecting the Varkans. They would be able to hear her
heartbeat. It might bring out their bloodlust. She cursed Van for
choosing her to come to the ship and sign the declaration but at
the same time thanked him for showing her the respect so few did,
and for giving her a chance to see him again.

    Stepping out of the
vessel, she nodded when her two escorts bowed and left. The docking
level was enormous. She had been too full of nerves to look out of
the window during the flight. From the size of this deck, the ship
had to dwarf her own vessel.

    “ Your
highness,” a familiar male voice said, its timber deep and warm,
laced with a slight echo.

    A blush touched her cheeks
as she bowed her head and closed her eyes in greeting. It had been
a long time since someone had referred to her as royalty. She never
had been able to get used to it. She was happiest just being
Lieutenant Amerii.

    Although Captain Amerii
sounded far better.

    “ Count of
Aeris,” she said and rose, her eyes coming up to meet his. He still
wasn’t wearing his visor.

    Her heart thudded against
her chest. He was as handsome as ever, his beauty otherworldly when
combined with his incredible dark red irises. His hair had grown
long, tied back at the nape of his neck, and she swore he was
taller than she remembered. He stood almost a head taller than she
did.

    “ Call me Van.”
He swept his arm out to one side, a smile curving his deliciously
kissable lips.

    Iskara must have made him
to tempt her. She had never witnessed such perfection. Not even on
Lyra Prime or Lyra Six. Her mouth turned dry when she thought about
Lyra Six, one of the universe’s foremost pleasure planets, and
looked at Van. Females of mating age would flock to the planet if
he were working there.

    She would be there every
day, all day.

    “ Protocol
dictates that as an envoy of Lyra, I—”

    “ I insist,” he
said, his voice firm enough that she felt that insistence. He
wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

    “ Then I insist
that you call me Amerii,” she replied and he looked uncomfortable.
She added, “Or at least Lieutenant Amerii. I am not royalty when I
am serving Lyra after all.”

    “ You are not?”
He frowned, as though he couldn’t bring himself to believe it. It
was part truth and a lot lie. While she was on her ship, she wasn’t
royalty. She was the rank assigned to her. While off the ship or
onboard any other vessel of non-Lyran ownership, she was royalty.
He didn’t need to know that though. She couldn’t have him calling
her ‘highness’ all the time. She liked the way her name sounded on
his lips. The slight echo and hunger that he said it with made her
flushed with heat.

    She nodded.

    He stared at her, deep red
eyes mesmerising her, and the universe fell suddenly silent and
seemed incredibly warm. Her heart pounded steadily, a beat that she
breathed to, her lips parted. Her mouth felt dry again. A small
gasp escaped her when his eyes lightened for a brief flash and then
darkened again.

    Sophia had warned her
about that.

    Bloodlust.

    Her pulse
quickened.

    “ We are ready
for you,” Van said and Amerii swallowed hard, unable to tear her
eyes away from his. He helped her by turning his back to her and
striding towards a door in the far corner of the deck.

    Clearing her throat, she
hurried after him, struggling to swallow her heart back down again.
Her hands trembled as she tugged at the hem of her jacket, nerves
getting