Elena might have biologically come from Elise, but there was a lot of Kira and Jin in her. Evidently, nurture was as important as nature when it came to personality, and a few of Kira and Jin's less than desirable traits had rubbed off on her, including the fact that none of them reacted particularly well to being ignored.
Sensing the danger, Jin inserted himself between the two. "Let's all stay calm."
In a universe filled with odd things, Jin's existence was unique unto itself. Once a Tuann boy in the same hellish camp as Kira, Jin's soul was now housed in a military combat drone that took the shape of a sphere the size of Kira's head.
Jin was Kira’s best friend, her partner in crime. He’d saved her life and sanity more times than she could count.
"Don't tell me to stay calm, Tin Can." Raider's composed mask shredded, leaving him looking vaguely homicidal. "You don't get to say that to me. Not when you knew about this."
Jin was silent in the face of Raider’s accusation. Guilt and regret filtered through Kira and Jin's bond, his feelings tangling with Kira's complicated ones.
There was a kernel of hurt that Kira buried almost as soon as it registered—especially in light of all the progress they’d made at rebuilding their relationship in the past weeks.
With that hurt came resignation. She knew she deserved his recriminations. She’d made decisions on his behalf that she had no business making.
"Are you going to say anything?" Raider snapped at Kira.
Emotion clogged Kira’s throat as she sought for the words to make this right. An impossible task. Where would she even start?
"She can't." Elena kicked her feet, unconcerned by the imminent explosion.
Graydon finally stirred from his place in the doorway. "What do you mean by that?"
There was something about the man known as the Emperor’s Face that always made Kira feel like she was standing on the edge of a storm front, watching it roll in, breathless at the magnitude of what she was facing. The cloud formations would be ominous, even as they whispered to the adrenaline junky inside. How much fun would she have pitting herself against its fury?
He was handsome. Almost brutally so with the kind of presence that punched you in the chest. Dark hair framed features that contained a harsh edge that drew the eye.
It was a good thing he rarely ventured into human space. The paparazzi there would have been all over him otherwise. Photos of him would have spawned a renewed interest in stories about human women falling in love with powerful and dangerous aliens.
Graydon didn't need any more reason to be arrogant. His ego was already big enough.
Kira wasn't a small woman, but Graydon towered over her. He was six feet plus of pure muscle, not an ounce of fat anywhere to be seen.
Memories of how exactly Kira came by that knowledge drifted through her brain before she firmly shoved them into the box marked “things you are to never think about”.
Kira looked over in time to see Elena aim a sweet smile at Graydon.
“She made a promise. Auntie always keeps her promises.”
Faint amusement touched Graydon’s face. "Is that right?"
"Elena," Kira warned.
Her niece was getting too close to secrets Kira didn’t want getting out. Beyond the fact that it could place Elena in danger, there were others Kira protected. A few of whom would stop at nothing to bury the past. Kira wasn't certain even she could rescue Elena if they decided to move against her.
"Please continue." Graydon sauntered across the room, sprawling in the copilot's seat opposite her niece. He aimed a conspiring look at Elena.
Like a flower drawn to the sun, Elena leaned toward him.
The sight snapped Kira into the present. She stepped between the two and shook her head. "Nope. Not going to happen."
Elena frowned up at her, but Kira didn't budge. Elena could sulk all she liked, but Kira knew exactly how irresistible Graydon was when he wanted to be. No way was she going to let him charm her niece into revealing dangerous information. That way lay disaster.
Kira narrowed her eyes at Graydon as she considered him carefully. What exactly was he up to?
There was none of the anger she'd anticipated. The disgust she'd braced herself for, even as she regretted the loss of midnight strolls that lulled her into losing all semblance of reason. The drugging kisses that made her think "what if".
Yet, despite expectations, he was acting as if nothing had changed. Almost like he'd known all along.
