“I didn’t think I would need to have this conversation with you, but I’d rather get it done sooner than later, especially since Selena had a rough night.”
“Is she all right?” Tori covered her mouth. “Does she need someone to talk to?”
REI brought up the vidfeed of the master suite. Selena was still in the same position he had left her in.
“Not at the moment,” he replied, shaking his head. “She’s sleeping. If she is willing to talk and socialize, I’ve left a note for her to come to the galley.”
“Are you sure she doesn’t need to be medically examined?” Zyxel narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. “Or are you purposely hiding her?”
“I’ve searched the galaxy for this female for over seven years, and again when your commander went on a selfish power trip, to take her back where she belongs. Please tell me how I’ve neglected her,” he hissed, showing his fangs. “You have known her for a mere few days. Stop lashing out at me because she has rejected your advances and let me do my job by allowing her some much-needed rest. I don’t know if you remember correctly, but she was recently hurt and needs as much time as she can get to heal, instead of dealing with more problems others create.”
Kaede ignored the silent male, who could only gape at him. How dare Zyxel question his intentions, especially after he had to witness Selena breaking down because she was too afraid to shower by herself.
Glancing between the two telepaths on his ship, he tried to determine how to explain away their suspicions.
< ONCE THEY MEET OETA, SHE SHOULD VET THEM ALL. SHE CAN DO THE HONORS AND GRAB ALL THE INFORMATION FROM THEM BEFORE ENDING THEIR LIFEFORCE. >
What REI suggested was true. Oeta would be on the landing pad when they arrived. If any of their passengers grew too demanding before then, he could just eject them without any regrets.
“Listen to me, because I am only going to tell you this once: We aren’t friends. I don’t know you and I don’t trust any of you. You are only here because Selena begged me to allow you on, so don’t betray her trust by doing something you will regret as soon as I hear of it—and I will, because I have eyes, ears, and even noses everywhere on my ship. Do I make myself clear?”
A series of affirmatives filled the room, as each person nodded and met his gaze.
“Second. Don’t fuck with my ship. Got it?” When they agreed, he continued, “I have what I call a ‘living ship.’ It doesn’t breathe or grow, but five lifeforms do control theAbyss. That is what you sense—my crew.”
“Are they Oetsae, too?” Tori asked, skirting her mates to stand before him. “My clan met Euouae the day before you rescued her.”
Biting his tongue, Kaede closed his eyes and clenched his fists as he took deep breaths. He needed to speak with his female about risking her life and doing foolish things when he wasn’t around. The universe wasn’t supposed to know about the Oetsae, yet she was sharing their existence with four strangers.
“What did she tell you?” he hedged, pinning the female with his glare.
Tori tilted her head. “Selena explained how you saved her with a symbiont and Euouae let us touch our hands together.” She clapped her hands together and smiled. “But mainly, Euouae wanted to ask my Celyze if he was willing to weave their mental threads together to try and reach some government official’s daughter and ask about—”
“You guys becoming ambassadors and relocating to Destima. Got it.” Kaede sighed. If neither Euouae nor his crew had sensed any malicious intent from them, the Oetsae had to deem them trustworthy enough to be on the ship.
< REI. ASK THE CREW IF THEY ARE SAFE. >
< THEY ARE ALL CURIOUS ABOUT THE SHIP, SCARED ABOUT YOU, AND WORRIED ABOUT WHAT IS TO COME. >
He was glad that they feared him. The more scared they were, the less likely they would be to piss him off and try anything dumb around him.
“Abysscrew, report to the galley.”
