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

takes to be a fighter. When it all comes down to it, I’m going to let the team down. My instincts aren’t good enough.”
    He laid a calloused hand on her shoulder and looked into her wide almond eyes. “You’re listening to the voice of fear. You’re imagining situations in the future that may never come to pass. You have control of this moment. And then the next.”
    “What if I can’t do it?” she said.
    “You’re here because you asked to be here. And I believe in you. No one is ever ready for the challenges life throws at them. But the ones who make a difference have the courage to act in spite of their fear. Somewhere inside yourself, you know you’re qualified. At least when you listen to that part of yourself, you know that you can do it.”
    “I should have gone with the mechanics.”
    “Is that what you’d prefer?”
    She shifted uncomfortably. Ja’al already knew the answer to his question. And he knew that despite her fear, she wouldn’t back away.
    “You should have the courage to follow your heart, Kira. It won’t steer you wrong. You’re capable of far more than you give yourself credit for.”
    Her shoulders fell as she looked away from him. He knew it would take more than platitudes to convince her. But he didn’t need to win the war, he just needed her to take the next step on the path. One choice at a time. And with every action, she’d prove to herself that she could handle it. Momentum was the key.
    “Following my heart is going to get me into trouble, Ja’al. People don’t always get what they want. Assuming otherwise is dangerous when people’s lives hang in the balance. I need to be realistic.”
    Ja’al looked at her for a long moment. He wondered what had happened to her that caused her to doubt herself. It was a side of her that she rarely showed. The fact that she allowed Ja’al to see it, that she opened up to him now, meant that she trusted him. And he didn’t take that responsibility lightly. He wouldn’t let her down. “No one said it would be easy, Kira. Nothing worth doing is ever easy. But it’s always worth taking the risk. You don’t want to live your life with regrets.”
    She crossed her arms in front of her chest. Ja’al averted his eyes, willing himself to ignore the way it pushed the curves of her breasts together. “I’ve caused enough trouble,” she said. “I should stick to what I’m good at. Why is it so important to you to have me in the Storm Squadron anyway?”
    “Kira, you’re right about one thing,” he said as he leaned into her. “This isn’t going to be an easy road. Not for you. Not for any of us. The Kamarans are doing everything they can to root us out. They’ll stop at nothing to find the location of the Rebel headquarters and blow us all back to the depths of the void. The weight and the pressure weigh on every single one of us.”
    “You didn’t answer my question,” she said.
    She looked at him with a burning intensity that stirred his insides. With an unbridled passion and a thirst for life he would give anything to protect, Kira inspired him. She was a woman capable of bringing out the best in them all.
    “I need you to remind me what I’m fighting for.”
    “You’re fighting to save the galaxy from oppression, Ja’al.”
    He shook his head. It was so much more than that.
    “That’s the shallow answer that looks good to a recruiting officer. It won’t help you in the heat of battle. What drives you? What do you want?”
    “You know what I want, Ja’al.”
    She leaned into his body, and he savored the smooth touch of her bare skin against him.
    “I want you near me, Kira. I want you in Storm Squadron because I don’t want to live with the constant regret of losing you.”
    She shifted against him, pressing her body into his. The soft curves of her breasts felt warm against his chest and he drew his hand down her back and pulled her in close.
    “I’m still not ready,” she said.
    She buried her head in