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Chapter 11

Clothing, toiletries, and his few belongings got thrown into a backpack. Hunter glowered at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. It wasn’t meant to end this way. He’d promised Cleo a happily ever after, and now he was being shipped off to battle and probable death at the claws of some vicious alien.

Hunter had no clue where he’d end up once his orders came through, but there were several long, ongoing intergalactic wars he could find himself thrust into the middle of. All the front lines were as deadly as the next. He had no problem going into battle, that’s what he was born to do, but he still had unfinished business with Cleo. Business that involved making her see she loved him, and they needed to spend the rest of their lives together. No matter how short his life had suddenly become.

After their fight, Hunter had left Cleo alone to give her a chance to cool down and let her figure out why he’d done this. He had to keep her safe from the bureaucratic idiocy of High Command. If that meant he needed to leave here so she could stay in the job she loved, that’s what he’d do.

But it was no use trying to pretend that leaving wasn’t tearing his heart in two. He loved this stubborn human female, and he wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her.

His door signaled someone was outside. He headed over and opened it, taking a step back as Cleo appeared in front of him. Her brow was furrowed and her gaze anxious.

“What’s wrong?” Hunter said.

“Everything. We need to talk.”

“Come in. I was planning to see you before I left.” He closed the door and followed her across the room.

Cleo turned so abruptly he almost walked into her. She pulled in a short, sharp breath. “I didn’t mean to get mad at you after our meeting with Commissioner Viewick. I was shocked about what you did. You shouldn’t have done it. There could have been another way to keep us both here.”

“He was on the verge of suspending you,” Hunter said. “I’d never let that happen. Your place here is safe now.”

“But... you’re leaving me. What am I supposed to do without you?”

Hunter smiled softly, the anguish in her voice making his heart ache. “Even though it’s hard to remember, there was a time when you didn’t know I existed. Humans didn’t even know Apexians existed until about twenty years ago.”

“I do find that hard to believe.” Cleo’s smile was tight. “You’re always around when I need you.”

“And I will be again. After a few months on the front line proving my worth, I can ask for a transfer back here. That’s if you want me back. I’ll come back to you.”

“Of course I want you.” She reached out a shaking hand and grabbed his arm. “I... I just don’t want you to let me down.”

“I’d never do that. You must believe in me by now. We’ve worked together all this time, and I’ve dealt with all the admin crap, sat in on some of the most tedious meetings I’ve ever experienced, and dealt with all the quarterly review targets with barely a grumble.”

“You grumble a bit,” Cleo said.

“Okay, but so do you. And do you know the reason I did all that?”

“Because you secretly love sitting behind a desk and doing pointless paperwork?”

Hunter tugged her closer. “Because of you. I want to make sure you’re free to do the work you love. I know it makes you happy to send your crew out and have their missions be a success. But I also know you like doing that yourself. You love this conservation work. I want to ensure you do as much of the fun stuff as possible.”

“But that can’t be much fun for you.”

“Seeing the smile on your face every day makes up for it.” He stroked his fingers across her palm. “I just wish you’d let me in. All the way in. You know what I want from you. Why do you resist me?”

“Because I’m your boss.”

Hunter shook his head. “It’s more than that. I understand a relationship would be tricky, but we’d figure a way around it. Why don’t you trust me?”

Cleo took a step back and ran her free hand through her short hair. “Because I’ve been too trusting in the past. I’ve been taken advantage of.”

“Tell me his name, and I’ll rip out his heart.” Hunter growled and flexed his fingers. The thought of anyone messing with his woman sent a spark of fury straight to his gut.

“I’m very tempted by that offer,” Cleo said. “And even though it was a while ago, it left a mark.”

“Do you want to tell me what happened?”

“No, but I will.” Her tongue traced across her bottom lip. “I was working my way up the ranks in a species conservation project called One Planet. It was my dream job, and not many positions like that open up on Earth. I was so excited to do that work. My boss was an older guy. He was charming and charismatic, the kind of guy everyone turns to look at when he walks into a room.”