He paced. I admired. I could do this for hours, content to watch and wait.
“I joined the Coalition Fleet young. I fought on the front lines for several years. Killed many enemies. I was always one of the first to change back to my normal form after a battle.”
“You mean you’d fight as the beast and then change back into your normal size?”
“Yes. It is difficult when you have been killing, when the stench of blood and death surrounds you.”
He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture I had never seen before. I catalogued it for later. I had a lot to learn.
“For some unknown reason, I have always been able to control my beast far better than most.”
“Stubborn,” I muttered.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing. Keep going.”
He glanced my way twice more before continuing with his tale and his pacing around the small room. “After a few years, a senior warlord approached me. I cannot tell you his name. He told me they wanted me to join the Intelligence Core. The I.C., as we call it, handles difficult missions, rescues, assassinations. We are spies and hunters. Mostly, we hunt. And we kill.”
“Okay. So you were really good and they wanted you to join their Spec Ops.”
“Spec Ops?”
“Special Operations. It’s what Earth military call their best soldiers. They do all that stuff you just said.”
“Very well. Special operations for the Coalition Fleet. I was honored.”
“You said yes on the spot.”
“Of course.” He stopped looking at me and I braced myself for the difficult part of his story. “My brother, Reji, is three years younger than I. He joined the Fleet as soon as he was able. He was an excellent soldier and gained Helion’s attention quickly. As soon as Reji had the required service time, Helion recruited him into the I.C. He was proud to follow in my footsteps.”
“You were a good big brother.”
“No. I was not.” He placed his hands on his hips and scowled at the floor as he walked back and forth, back and forth. “I should have forbidden it. I knew what he was going to be involved in. I knew the danger he would be in. I made a weak attempt to talk him out of it, but he laughed, told me not to worry, and joined Helion the next day.”
I had no idea where this story was going. “You love your brother.”
“Yes.”
“So what happened?”
“Helion. That’s what happened. Fucking bastard. I should have killed him, but he had no choice. None of us could come up with a better solution. His idea was the only one that would save my brother’s life.”
“But, they said you killed him.”
“I know. Helion needed him to be dead, so we faked his death. It had to be real. Undeniable. No one could suspect.”
“What? Why?”
He ignored the question. Kept talking. “I had been tested for a bride more than three years ago. I had no match. No hope. Mating fever grew stronger every day and I knew I was close to losing control of my beast. Once that happens…”
“You’re executed.”
“Yes.”
“So you let them believe you killed your own brother because you were going to die soon, anyway?”
“Yes. His mission is of vital importance. I was dead already, barely hanging on. One way or another, it was going to be over soon.”
