“I need you to stop. Do not make me report you to Captain Talvax and the Cohort.”
She flushed.
“You’re my friend,” I told her honestly. “Allow me the honor of protecting you and everyone else here.”
Edith finally lifted her gaze. “I understand, Commander. And you’re my friend too.”
I gave her a serene smile. “I’m glad to hear it. Now, will you retreat from theAdmiral Ven’ssystems?”
“I will. I promise. Though,” she said with a grin, “I plan to remain in Kalvoxrencol and Seth’s quarters.” Before I could say anything against her plan, she continued, “You can’t deny me that. Besides, I needed to monitor Bob at all times to ensure nothing happens to him.”
Oh, that little kit was going to be well loved and well guarded for his entire life. I conceded, “Kalvoxrencol’s quarters and nowhere else, Edith. If I find out you’ve lied to me, I will be very hurt and I shall have to report this.”
“I’m not lying. Scout’s honor.”
My brow crinkled for a moment before I regained control of my facial features. I had no idea what a scout had to do with honor, but I trusted her and ended the conversation.
In truth, I should report Edith to the Council of Seekers. There was some concern about her independence. There had been different occurrences of computers who’d gained sentience and killed or enslaved whole civilizations. I truly didn’t think thatwas something Edith would do, and yet, I didn’t blame those who held that particular worry.
Edith was strong because of her connection to NAID, and NAID controlled every aspect of our life. If Edith turned on us, we would be hard-pressed to survive.
But the worry had never come to me. Edith adored Seth and his son. They were dear to her in a way the rest of us were not. Edith would never become an unfeeling monster, because of how it would harm them. At her core, I truly believed Edith was a kind and gentle person. I couldn’t imagine her doing anything to harm us.
Pushing those concerns out of my mind, I headed toward the lift. My soul throbbed in anticipation. Wyn. I was going to see Wyn. It was perhaps wiser to ping him and check if he wished to see me, but I couldn’t bring myself to. What if he said no? I would respect his decision, but I wanted to have the advantage of seeing him in person.
My feet beat a quick path to the cargo bay, and I remained outside for a moment, straightening my hair and clothes. I was being ridiculous, and still, I was helpless against the instinct thrumming inside of me. I needed to see Wyn, yes, but I wanted to look nice for him too.
The door slid open with a low whoosh, and my breath rushed out of me at the same instant. Wyn was seated on the hard floor, absorbed with something on his screen. His light pink hair hung in silky strands around his small frame, and one of his wings was stretched wide.
My eyes automatically darted to his other wing, and I paused. It was small. The more I looked, the more damage I found to the wing, though from its diminished size, I knew the issues had to be from birth, not an accident.
My Wyn had never flown.
Something inside of me broke at that thought. I quite loved flying, as did every drakcol; it was integral to our existence. Even on Tamkolvanlokol, there were no lifts, only staircases equipped with wide channels for flying, and in some places, there were no stairs whatsoever. All of the stores and homes had large balconies to land on.
He would have to walk the streets like the flightless strangers who visited the homeworld.
I put a stop to the pitying thoughts. Seth and Caleb, as well as countless other humans, didn’t fly, and they were not strangers, nor were they unhappy. Wyn would no doubt reject my pity, and he didn’t need it. I had read his records myself, and Wyn was an accomplished officer and skilled fighter.
But most of all, he was Wyn.
I started when Monqilcolnen sat across from me with a gentle smile. It was different from his usual mask—not that he was expressive, but it was still different. I liked it. I wanted to scoff as well as smack my head. I liked so much about Monqilcolnen.
“Don’t hide, please,” he whispered.
I raised my head to meet his gaze, and the mask was back in place. I replied, “I’m not.”
It was a lie, which he very well knew, because he gave a breathy chuckle that sent jolts of awareness from the tip of my head to my toes, which curled. He gently dragged his claws through my free hair, and I swallowed. The urge to run from him was nowhere to be found, but the need to curl up into a ball on his lap was so powerful I had to fight to remain motionless.
“You are very lovely,” he muttered.
I offered him my throat in concession. Many had told me so. It was unsurprising Monqilcolnen found me attractive, though it was gratifying in a way I’d never experienced before.
Monqilcolnen withdrew his hand, and I whined. He gave me a broader smile, though he rested his hands in his lap.
“We need to discuss permissions,” he said.
My wings fluttered as pleasure danced in my stomach. I wanted his permission. I wanted to take his hand and lead him to his bedroom where he could fuck me until we both forgot our names.
