33: No More Time

Leah moved to calm down. Her pulse pounded as she strode up and down the corridor, her hands tight at her sides, every step feeling like she was walking through fire.

She needed space.

She needed to breathe.

But no matter how far she got from that room, she could still feel him—

The heat of his silver-eyed stare, the weight of everything he didn't say, the bond pulling tight beneath her skin.

Leah's stomach twisted, and she shoved the memory down, down, down.

This wasn't the time.

This wasn't the fight.

Ark 0. Supplies. The auction.

That was what mattered.

Not whatever the hell was happening between her and Voss.

She tapped her comm, forcing steel into her voice.

"Ava, tell me the status on the auction board."

Ava's voice crackled through, still sharp, still working, but there was something off in her tone.

"Uh, yeah… slight problem with that."

Leah's brows snapped together.

"Define 'slight.'"

"As in… Ravenna just locked in a full-scale supply monopoly and forced three of the top bidders out of the running."

Leah's chest went tight.

"She cleared the board?"

"Not completely, but she's cornering fuel and water shipments—which, as you know, is literally everything when it comes to deep-space survival."

Leah swallowed a curse, pacing faster.

"How much time do we have?"

"Before we lose our shot? Less than 24 hours."

The words hit like a gunshot.

Leah's fingers tightened against her palm.

They had one day to secure their final bid position.

One day before Ravenna locked them out completely.

Her pulse spiked.

She needed to act now.

But before she could open another channel—

A new voice cut through the comms.

James.

"You might wanna get back here." His voice was flat, unreadable.

Leah stilled.

"Why."

A beat of silence.

Then—

"Because Voss just changed the plan."

Leah's blood ran cold.

"James—what the hell does that mean?"

Another pause.

Then—James's voice dropped lower, edged with something she didn't like.

"It means he just submitted his own bid for Ark 0."

Leah's heart slammed.

"He what?"

James's tone stayed steady.

"Voss just put his name on the board. Publicly."

Leah stopped cold, her breath tight in her chest.

"He what?"

James's voice came through the comms, calm but edged with something darker.

"You heard me. He didn't just back the bid, Leah. He is the bid. Voss Industries is officially the top contender for Ark 0—under his name."

Leah's pulse slammed, her mind racing.

That wasn't the plan.

They were supposed to hold position, force Ravenna's hand, maneuver her into burning resources. Not tip their own cards before the second phase.

But Kael had just thrown the entire playbook out the airlock.

The doors to the command center slid open as she stormed inside.

Ava was already at the console, golden eyes flicking between auction feeds and comm intercepts.

Kael stood beside her, calm, unshaken, silver eyes locked on the screen.

He didn't even look up when Leah's voice cut through the air, sharp and furious.

"You put your name on the board."

Kael's jaw flexed slightly, but his voice remained smooth, cold.

"Yes."

Leah's fists curled at her sides, heat rising under her skin.

"You just exposed yourself."

"I was already exposed." His silver eyes met hers, steady, unflinching. "Now I own it."

Ava let out a low whistle, but she didn't stop working, her fingers flying over the console.

"For the record, Leah, it's kind of genius. The second Voss made himself the lead, Tyne Collective stalled their bids—they're scrambling to adjust their position."

Leah's teeth clenched.

"And Ravenna?"

Ava's smirk flickered.

"Oh, she's pissed."

Kael's lips barely curled.

"Good."

Leah exhaled sharply, shoving a hand through her hair.

"You just painted a target on your back."

"It was already there." His voice didn't waver.

Leah's pulse spiked, frustration coiling tight in her chest.

"You should have waited."

Kael's silver gaze burned, his voice dropping to something low, lethal.

"Waited for what? For Ravenna to back me into a corner? For her to buy out every last asset before we moved?"

He took a step toward her, voice quiet, but sharp enough to cut.

"I don't wait, Leah. I don't react. I take control."

The air between them crackled, something dangerous and heated threading through the tension.

Leah stared him down, jaw tight.

"You're gambling everything."

Kael's voice was smooth as steel.

"I don't gamble."

Ava's fingers paused briefly, and her voice dipped with amusement.

"Uh… technically, this is gambling."

Kael didn't look away from Leah, but his voice flicked sharp.

"It's not a gamble when you can't lose."

Leah's chest burned, her mind spinning through the angles.

"And what if you're wrong?"

Kael's silver eyes flashed, and his voice dropped into something soft, final, and unshakable.

"I'm not."

Leah's breath hitched, something hot and sharp twisting beneath her ribs.

Because he believed it.

Completely.

And that was the most dangerous thing of all.

Leah didn't blink.

Didn't break.

Didn't let herself breathe too deep, because if she did—she'd start screaming.

"You just handed Ravenna exactly what she wanted." Her voice was sharp, cutting, furious.

Kael's silver eyes didn't waver. "No. I took away what she thought she had."

Leah's teeth clenched.

"Explain. Now."

Ava's fingers flew over the console, feeding real-time data through the holoscreen, her voice smooth but edged with amusement.

"Oh, he's not wrong. Tyne's frozen, Harrow backed out, and Luthra's suddenly reconsidering their position."

Leah's eyes burned. "Which means?"

Ava grinned, golden eyes flicking to Kael. "Means they're scared."

Leah's pulse slammed, her mind turning fast.

Ravenna had been stacking the board, playing every angle. Her game had been one of pressure—forcing out the competition by bleeding them dry before the final bid.

Now?

Now Kael Voss had thrown himself into the center of the fire—and instead of them suffocating, the rest of the table was choking instead.

Leah's voice dropped into something cold and sharp. "She's still holding Tyne's fleet contracts."

Ava's grin flickered, replaced by something darker. "Not for long."

The screen flashed, the auction feed pulsing—

Tyne Collective — STATUS UPDATE: Funds Withheld (Pending Reallocation Review)

Leah's brow snapped up.

"What the hell—"

Ava laughed, her voice wicked and delighted. "Oh, this is juicy. Looks like Tyne just realized Ravenna leveraged their entire war fleet as collateral—without securing a full asset return."

Leah's stomach twisted. "Which means?"

Kael's voice was smooth, absolute. "It means she doesn't control them anymore."

The board shuddered, recalibrating—

Tyne Collective — STATUS: Internal Review (CEO Override Pending)

Ava's smirk widened. "Tyne just realized they've been played. She doesn't have a fleet. She has a lawsuit."

Leah's breath hitched, something twisting deep in her chest.

Ravenna's entire strategy had been built on intimidation.

Power.

Resources.

The ability to lock down survival itself.

Now?

Now she was bleeding out in real time.

Leah's voice dipped low, cold fire burning beneath it. "And Luthra?"

Ava flicked through encrypted chatter, her eyes gleaming.

"They're calling us. Again. Probably trying to negotiate before they end up with nothing."

Leah exhaled, heart steadying.

They had everything they needed.

The board was cracking.

But it wasn't over. Next step take off.