The Space Empress He Craved

Chapter 95

POV: Lyra

In both the Lyrokan and Kaelari communities, the words 'mine' and 'yours' have strong connotations, signifying that one is the other's match, bonded by cosmic design. So when I used the word 'yours', loosely interpreted, meant me. My question may be asking how Orion would react if someone took me away from him. That was not a good thing to ask, especially when he'd almost lost control with the Rogue Lyrokan that morning during the interrogation.

Black shades came and left Orion's pathways. He smirked and kissed the back of my hand that he was holding onto before declaring, "If they tried to take something that was mine, I'd take it back. If they tried to take someone I'm trying to make mine, I'd terminate them or torture them, depending on what you'll let me do."

I then sighed in regret and said apologetically, "It wasn't supposed to come out like that, Orion. I'm so—" he stood and leaned over the platform to silence me with a neural connection before pressing his forehead against mine as he whispered, "Don't apologize, star-heart. I love you."

Relief washed over me as I smiled shyly and said, "I love you, too."

"Tell me you know that I love you, my little freesia." Orion demanded in a soft voice as he stroked my cheek.

My skin shifted to deeper purple, and I bit my lower lip before meeting his compelling gaze. "I know. Thank you." Orion smiled and kissed my forehead before resuming his seat.

After monitoring many of his subjects' conversations through his enhanced hearing, Orion beamed at me. I met his stare and asked in bewilderment, "What?"

He kissed my hand and sighed in adoration as he said, "You are so perfect." Before I could ask what he meant, he said, "They love you, Lyra. Our people love you."

I met his gaze in confusion before I gaped at what Orion just said and muttered quizzically, "Our people?"

Orion smiled teasingly, "My Empress, you just told this Emperor that he is your indecent void-beast, and that you love him. My subjects also became yours from the moment you said those things to me, don't you think?"

"Huh. I guess that's true." I uttered in agreement as I processed the direct consequence of being the Galactic Emperor's match.

Orion chuckled at my pondering expression which he also found to be endearing. He kissed my hand again, and continued, "Everyone in here has been discussing us. But mostly about you. They appreciate how you were with Evie, and also how you express gratitude to the coordinators who came to our platform. They like that you're genuine and grounded. Everyone has nothing but respect and admiration for you, Lyra. Most of the progenitors and expecting progenitors have already fallen in love with you."

Orion deliberately left out the business officials stealing glances at me from time to time. And there were three younger Lyrokans a few platforms away who had the audacity to scan my body with lustful optical sensors while I was examining the consumption menu. But when the three of them inadvertently glanced at Orion and were compelled to meet his threatening glare, their sensors wandered elsewhere in the facility.

Orion also didn't mention what some older Lyrokans were saying, which were the petty things like his match was too small to be an Empress; didn't appear to come from a distinguished genetic line; and that she wasn't a Lyrokan. When he threw them a glare, they grudgingly spoke well about me for a moment, then changed the subject before leaving the facility in haste.

I was lost for words for a moment before the corner of my lips curled up into a smile, "That's really considerate of them." I gave his hand a squeeze before smirking, "I guess it benefits to have the best auditory sensors in the Empire."

"Star-heart, the monitoring wasn't deliberate. Some of them didn't even bother being subtle." Of course, Orion also didn't mention a platform of young, female Lyrokans who were being louder than they should be when they sneered at me and spoke lustfully about him.

Thank the cosmos Kaelari hearing couldn't catch what they were saying. When my attention was on the protein cube, Orion took the opportunity to throw them a death glare that even made one of them flinch in fear, before all six of them bowed as a sign of apology. They finished their hydration and left soon after too.

Not knowing about what my match had been doing to anyone who spoke poorly about me, I chuckled at Orion's defense for monitoring before returning to my nutrients. After a moment, I felt a stare from my side, and I traced it to the source. My eyes met a female Lyrokan's, who was sitting alone at a corner platform.

When I looked her way, she immediately averted her optical sensors and pinned her sights to her communication device on the platform. I couldn't help but find this female in a red bio-suit very familiar. I couldn't take my eyes off of her as I continued to think. I then noticed that the seat facing the female was pulled out, and there was a platform with unfinished nutrients at that empty position. Maybe she wasn't alone?

"Star-heart, are you okay? What is it?" Orion followed my gaze to the red-suited female.

The female then stood without looking up and held her head low as she pretended to be communicating on her device. She settled the transaction and left.

Orion reached for my hand to get my attention, "Lyra, what is it?"

My eyebrows were still furrowed as I said, "She looked very familiar."

"Maybe it's someone from the collaboration?"

I shook my head, "She doesn't fit into that setting. Where have I seen her before?"

"Hey," he stroked my hand affectionately and suggested, "How about you consume while you think, sweetheart? Don't let your nutrients get too cold."

I smiled and uttered, "Okay."

After convincing Orion to let me pay for evening consumption since he'd already paid for morning and midday consumption, he transported us out of the facility and to his vehicle in frustration. When he held the portal open for me, I kissed him on his cheek as I whispered, "Thank you. You're so sweet."

His mood lightened as he asked, "You're trying to charm your way out of this, my love?"

It was my turn to look at him hopefully with those large multifaceted orbs as I copied his line, "Is it working?"

He sighed at the effect I had on him before he repeated my words from earlier, "Fortunately for you, it is."

Internally, he was transmitting complaints to cosmic design, saying how unfair it was that he was powerless whenever I looked at him with those large orbs that he didn't have. He continued transmitting in his mind as he drove, Couldn't you make her a little less irresistible? I want to provide for her but every time she looks at me like that, I can do nothing but give in to my match. And she doesn't seem to be letting me provide for her to the extent that I want to. Seriously, cosmic forces, what have you created?

When we reached the lodging facility and were outside my chamber, I stiffened. Orion panicked as he whispered, "What's wrong? Is someone in the chamber?" He then pressed his auditory sensor against the portal but heard nothing.

"What? No! I just…" I took a breath, "I remember who that female is."

"Oh, okay. Who is she?" Orion didn't think I was still trying to identify someone who was clearly avoiding our presence. He didn't mind not knowing who she was but this seemed important to me so he wanted to know.

I shrugged, "Sebastian Cummings's sleeping companion. It's no wonder she didn't fit into the collaboration setting or any familiar setting. I found her without bio-suit, not clothed."

Orion stiffened at Sebastian's designation but he replayed the times when I showed nothing but disdain for the minister's offspring, and he managed to keep a cool head. When he was processing his thoughts, I kissed the corner of his lips before I whispered, "Thank you for today. I love you."

His lips curled upward, and he kissed me deeply on my lips before whispering back, "Thank you for saying yes, Lyra. I love you too."

His orbs showed that he was waiting, and I chuckled at his anticipation before saying, "I know. Thank you."

Orion left the lodging facility and went home. He made a communication to his construction specialist, and had a 30-time-unit discussion with him about renovating a part of his dwelling, a gift to me that he hoped I would accept when it was completed.

After that, he went through two Rogue files before receiving a data transmission from Chief Dalloway, which he forwarded to the rest of the alliance before scanning through the report himself.

After the optic-straining fifty-page report, he let the hot hydro-cleanser calm his body before he slumped into his rest platform. Maybe reviewing the report on the Rogue Lyrokan this late in the cycle was a mistake. He was having trouble entering sleep mode. He then replayed the time he spent with me earlier that day before finally falling into deep rest cycle with a smile.

In the same settlement, Livia was in her chamber where she was telling Sasha about what she saw at consumption.