“Because you won’t remember any of it, and I don’t want you to vomit. According to the stories, you have quite the stomach. I hardly need to be cleaning up vomit from my medbay, and that idiot Klars isn’t here to do it.”
I hated Monqilcolnen. Why did he have to tell everyone?
“Perhaps you and Noxlyn can be friends.” She looked over her shoulder and said loudly, “He would be a good friend, Little Shadow. Don’t be a moron like your father. Get help.”
Noxlyn rolled his eyes. “I will take your opinion under advisement.”
My eyes started to close when the door opened. Monqilcolnen was suddenly leaning over me. His starlight hair brushed my cheeks, and his golden eyes burned into me.
“Report,” he demanded.
He sounded angry. I don’t think I’d ever heard him angry before, besides when I’d vomited on him, at least according to the story. I didn’t remember; I’d been too drunk.
Monqilcolnen looked down at me. “You will be fine, Wyn. I promise.”
Why did he care? I had the perverse urge to touch his cheek, but my hand didn’t move, and I closed my eyes, tired. Maybe after I slept, it would all make sense.
The instant I’d seen the injury report from Doctor Qinlin with Wyn’s name on it, I’d raced out of Command and to the medbay. Wyn had been hurt. She hadn’t stated much in the incident report besides logging the initial injury, and when I’d arrived, Wyn’s hand was cut open and she was doing surgery.
“Report,” I demanded.
“My kit got trapped in the tunnel. Wyn helped him, and he got sliced by Noxlyn’s talon in the process.”
I glared at the young drakcol and had to fight the instinct to seize him and snarl. Accidents happened, but he’d injured Wyn. I prowled closer. “Why were your wings out?”
Noxlyn shuffled back. He wasn’t a particularly large drakcol in frame, but he was tall. His tail flicked faster and faster the closer I got, and his breathing increased, his chest heaving. “It was an accident. Instinct."
Instinct. That one word pulled me out of my anger. Wyn wasn’t mine to defend, and even if he had been, attacking someone under my command wasn’t right, especially not for an accident. I dug deep for my mask of calm. I rarely struggled to find it, but this time was different. The normal mask wouldn’t slide over my features, and my soul continued to throb, pounding against my ribs.
Wyn was special. I knew that. Why? I didn’t know. But that didn’t change the fact he was.
“You will attend training to overcome that instinct. If you cannot, you will be confined to the public spaces,” I said in an even voice.
“I understand, Commander.”
Giving him my back, I focused on Wyn, who drifted in and out of consciousness. Qinlin didn’t remark about my comments to her son, not that I expected her to. Personnel were my responsibility, and Qinlin was an experienced officer; she knew the need for order.
“Lieutenant Wyn will be fine,” she said, closing up his palm.
“You will keep a close eye on him,” I ordered.
“Are you questioning my ability to do my job? Like Prince does? I cannot believe he brought that useless Amorian healer for Seth Harris and his son. They have me. They hardly need anyone else.”
Klars had been Seth’s personal doctor for years. Uncle Kontolmakqilnen had hired him and several other amorians, since they were the closest genetic makeup to humans, to care for the humans under our care. A few would live on Terra, the moon sanctuary for humans, in Lucyville, the first settlement, and a handful would remain in the capital to help the humans there as well as further our research into human biology. Also Dontilvynsan had hired an Amorian physician to travel with him and Vince on his ship; he would never allow anything to happen to his mate.
I looked down, and Wyn stared up at me with his crystal blue eyes. He was lovely, utterly lovely. I fought the urge to settle him in my arms and snuggle him close. “You will be alright, I promise.”
Wyn just stared at me, and I returned his look. I would keep him safe.
Not yet, my instincts whispered.Not yet. Not yet. Not yet… but soon.
Chapter 5
How will I hide now?
I stared at my injured hand, lying in my bunk, which was tucked into the wall of my berth. I’d woken up in the medbay, and I didn’t recall much from my time there. I remembered Qinlin talking about something… What? I wasn’t entirely sure. I was fairly certain she’d talked about Noxlyn, who’d been gone by the time I’d awoken. When I’d asked, Qinlin had said he was off stalking the humans, being invasive and pesky.
Apparently, he believed in firsthand research, which was reasonable. However, I wasn’t sure how Seth or Bartholomew or any of the other humans would feel about a drakcol following them, though I was certain Noxlyn would keep the distance theCouncil of Seekers had determined each human was allowed to have from any researcher.
