“You didn’t answer my question.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Of course, I don’t wish to go anywhere. Everything is fine. Well, if you discount the fact I’m pregnant by some mystery male who doesn’t want me to know who he is—someone you work for, by the way. And that I don’t know precisely when I’m due. And that when this ship arrives at CEG HQ, I have no idea what will happen to my children and me. But both Xylo and Odelm are treating me well if that’s what you’re asking. And why the hell would you wait until now to offer, when it would have been more logical days ago?”
“The Aldawi trusts this crew. The Circuli have been faithful to them. Given all the uncertainty and danger, my client wants to make sure everything’s worked out and taken care of before you arrive. My latest reports indicate it may be more difficult than we thought to protect you.
“You and your cubs will need to be registered with CEG as citizens in order to be given the standard IDs and credit scanner. But since you’re human—and Earth is gone, nor was it ever an official member of CEG—you will need to declare yourself citizens of another species. Preferably the Aldawi, since your cubs will be at least partially of that species. That will cause an uproar in CEG, which my client is trying to prevent. It’s taking him longer than he thought it would.
“We both believe Master Scholar Xylo is capable of caring for you and your cubs, and I feel like you are pretty safe onthis ship, but I worry whether you are happy. And I worry we will arrive before my client is ready. If need be, I’m prepared to move you to our escort vessel and get you away from here for your safety. Until my client’s ready for you to get there.”
“I’m not leaving them. Honestly, I feel like I know both Xylo and Odelm better than you. And with my bond to each of them, I trust them more, too, Kaede. I’m still struggling to get a handle on you.
“They won’t endanger me—it goes against their species’ very instincts. If anything happened to me, they would know. I’ve been afraid to ask what would happen if a bonded male's nestqueen died, but I know it can’t be good after hearing about what a severed male goes through. So, even if I hadn’t begun to build something special with them, I trust they’ll do everything in their power to keep me safe. No, that diminishes what I feel with them, something my soul yearned for throughout my captivity—companionship, friendship, and acceptance. I know it’s too early for love—and let’s be honest, all I know of love is what I’ve read—but I’m content with the friendships I’ve built with them both.”
I turned away from him and reached for my drink. Kaede’s black-gloved hand covered mine, stilling me.
“Selena. You don’t understand how much it hurts to hear you trust them over me. I’ve sacrificed so much to help find you. I was the one who located the Yaarkin ship and hacked their systems. I was the one who helped launch the attack—though you escaped before we could rescue you. I invested so many years searching for you, and I volunteered for this mission. I wanted to be the one to escort and protect you. Please keep that in mind when I’m trying to explain things or ask you to do something. My only concern is for your wellbeing—and that of your cubs.”
Shock ran through me at his confession. “You’ve known about me all these years?”
A heavy sigh escaped him. “Yes. My client knew you existed and sent me to locate you. When the Yaarkin War ended and you hadn’t been located, we knew there must be at least one more Yaarkin ship in our galaxy, but I couldn’t find it. They’d recruited pirates and mercenaries, who dip into the black market to protect them and hide their location. According to the records we found on the ship after you escaped, the Yaarkins were trading time with the pleasure workers for protection and allowing their ship to be used as a base for black market dealings, and making a profit in the meanwhile. Word spread and unsavory sorts traveled great distance to sample the Yaarkin pleasure slaves. All of this while hiding in plain sight since unlicensed mercenaries and pirating are illegal in CEG space.”
As though just becoming aware he still held my hand, he yanked his away as if burned. I eyed him a moment before taking a sip of my drink.
“What are you telling me, Kaede? What do you want? It almost seems you’re asking me for obedience because of all the years you helped your client search for me.”
Kaede jerked, then reached to take both my hands in his own. I could feel his burning gaze through his visor.
“No. No, Selena. I want to prove myself to you. I may not have some mysterious mental connection with you like Xylo and Odelm, but I want you to trust me. I want us to be friends. That and your safety are all I’ve wanted since I learned of you, eight—almost nine—years ago. Just tell me what I need to do for this to happen,” he begged.
My eyes traced from his visor to his pointy ears and his curving horns.
“I want to see your face.” I pulled my hands free and held one up to stop his protest. “It doesn’t need to be here, it doesn’t even need to be right now, but I want to see the man behind this mask. You don’t have to show me the rest of yourbody—I know how important hiding your identity is to you—but I need to see your face. I need to get a read on you, see your facial expressions. I keep wondering what you are hiding from me.” Placing one hand over both of his, I added, “But also know, Kaede, I’ll keep your secrets. I won’t say anything about what you show me to others.”
I watched him and waited for his answer.
I knew this was a major decision for him, but I needed to know. I needed to feel I understood him before I could trust.
A sigh escaped him as he nodded. “If this is what you need to be able to trust me, okay. But not here, there are too many eyes, and not at your suite where anyone could walk in at any time. Will you come to my cabin?”
I nodded in return with a small smile. “Right now?”
“Why not? We’re finished eating and not expected anywhere.”
Kaede assisted me up and out of the booth, and we made our way to the topmost floor, where both our cabins were located. He walked on my right, and I could feel him looking at me nearly the entire way.
As we stopped in front of his door, I realized his cabin sat between the lifts and my own suite. I knew his cabin was marked on the ship’s directory, and its location made sense in terms of being a strategic location for my protection, but I’d never needed to look up exactly where he was staying.
Kaede’s door opened, and we entered.
I examined his cabin curiously. I had only seen the infirmary recovery room and my current suite. The walls and ceiling were metallic silver like the rest of the ship, and black carpet covered the floor. His common room looked similar to my own but smaller, with only a single couch and a pair of chairs grouped around a center table. He had a drink dispenser and a data screen along the wall, but his data screen was connected by wires to a portable stand containingcomputers and other gadgets. I assumed they were part of his job.
Eying the additional doors, he noticed my curiosity and said with a chuckle, “Not much different from your Royal Suite, just smaller.” He pointed to the left. “Bedroom and bath. The others lead to a guest bathroom and a storage room. Have a seat, and I can get us drinks. What would you like?”
He walked over to the drink dispenser as I collapsed on the couch with a sigh. Leaning back to get comfortable, I grinned at him.
“I’ve enjoyed playing the ‘surprise me’ game with Xylo. Everything is new to me, so I have few favorites. It’s fun trying new things. Haven’t found anything I dislike either.”
He selected two drinks and brought them over.
