Kaede
She was alive.
Somehow, his insane plan had worked.
Now, he needed to correct his mistakes.
Kaede had never thought he could converse telepathically with Selena, nor had he expected anyone to reach out to him on theAbyss. How they had been able to contact him was a mystery to him. He had traveled a great distance beyond Oeta and her father’s range and no one else knew his mental signature. To top it all off, the Oetsae on theAbysshadn’t picked up the mental activity on their charts. If any readable signal had come through, it had been too sudden for them to catch, but Kaede was convinced that they already knew the people who had reached him weren’t a threat.
Sighing as he leaned back in his commander’s chair, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. The asteroid’s coordinates had been entered into the system and his crew was already working on flying there.
Now, he just needed to plan and decide how to approach the base. Part of him wanted to grant Selena’s wishes and spare the innocent, since only their commander was calling the shots. Still, they were guilty by association. None had tried to stop their commander from wasting resources on his vile mission. All it took was a united front to take down corrupt leadership—or a challenger of equal strength and intelligence.
Why had Xenak been left unchecked?
How was Selena connected to his brother?
“How dare thatishing fraxdo this to her!” he snarled, slamming his fist on the armrest. “What kind of male kidnaps a female and takes her across galaxies? It makes absolutely no sense!”
REI’s teal, eternal, hooded form shimmered into place beside him.
“Some things are better left unexplored. The Fates willed this path and the Stars have led us down it. What truly makes no sense is why you completely ignored the male who led her to you. You were so infatuated with speaking to Selena that you didn’t properly question Celyze. Cosmic Soul? StarPyre? These aren’t titles we know.”
“That won’t matter once we’re done.” Kaede rolled his head to face the direction of his Oetsae, who stared at him with arms crossed. “I’m planning on blowing up the base once Selena is safely on this ship. I don’t trust Xenak not to follow us, and I don’t want to lead him to Destima—”
“You forget that they somehow already know everything,” REI muttered. “I was able to pick up through the connection Celyze led Xenak to Selena’s mind. He helped expand Xenak’s reach by strengthening his mental thread to reach and invade her shields. Celyze regrets his actions but never imagined that his commander would sink so low as to pay someone to kidnap her. He is trying to fix the damage by taking her in until she finds a way home.”
“And now, I am her way.”
“What will you do once we are alone with her?”
“There are so many things I want to tell her, and I’ve been waiting for the perfect time. The last thing I want to be is a burden, a regret—someone she avoids. I know I’ve held her at arm’s length all this time, but I had good reason to do so.
“She needed to settle into her life after she escaped the Yaarkins’ ship then defended herself in front of the Assembly. I firmly believe I had to act solely as her guard and remain in the background for her best interest. She didn’t need another male to throw himself at her when she was still grappling with the connections she had formed. I didn’t want to overwhelm her. In the end, I hurt the very female I’ve wanted since I first laid eyes on her.”
“And you think now is the best time to confess, when she is separated from her other mates?” He heard the judgment in her voice and rolled his eyes. “Why do you think this is a good idea?”
“It’s not because her mates aren’t here—quite the opposite. She’s been all alone, and she needs a distraction from her fear and grief.” Kaede sighed, clenching and releasing his fists. “I just hope that she will forgive me for failing her. I need to explain my decision to implant the Oetsae and hope she will listen.”
“She’s always listened to you before. She will again.”
“Oh, I know. I didn’t miss how she called out to me.” A smile broke over Kaede’s lips. Things were finally looking up. All he needed to do was rescue Selena and take her home, where she belonged. “Once we are on our way and within the safety of our galaxy, I will speak to her and beg for forgiveness for what I’ve done.”
REI nodded and faded away. He could still feel her presence inside him, always watching and waiting for something new to examine.
Kaede glanced at the star map, following his ship’s trajectory.
“Wait for me, Selena,” he breathed, circling the base’s maker on the star map with the tip of his finger. “May the Stars keep you safe as they lead me to you. Just know, I’m coming, and I will make sure you never leave my sight again.”
