Page 33 of Tortured

“Yes, sir.”

“In the meantime, we shall try and put out some of our men and see if they can find out any stray gossip about human females seen recently.”

“Go get some sleep, Commander. Hopefully things look better in the next kravda.”

I snort but hold it in to myself. She signs off and I sit there, my heart aching and wishing to see her more than anything.

But I go and use the washroom and then go to bed, hoping that the next kravda brings much better news.

I lie there with the lights off and turn to look at the space where she should be. My kora, my mate. Her light hair spread across the pillow and her dark golden eyes sparkling with care and love.

But there’s nothing and I sigh and close my eyes, slipping into sleep and dreaming all night that she leaves me in the dark, that she never comes back to me. She divorces me and finds another male to make her smile.

And I wake the next kravda, my eyes burning with water that slips down my cheeks. The tears that I hate seeing on my Lacey’s pretty face now stain my own and it seems fair that I made her cry and then brought it on myself.

I deserve to be in pain. Because I gave my kora pain and that is something that I will never forgive in myself.

I dress and go out to the eating deck, nodding when my men wave at me. Even Gardon is there. So are Lacey and her friends but they all look away from me and I know that she told them what I said.

My men make room for me and I set my tray down. They stare at me as I stare at my food and then Varnak growls. “Females are more trouble than they’re worth. You should go find a fight.”

My heart lifts. “Are there any?” Arkadians love fighting more than anything.

“There is one in the center quadrant. It’s bound to take days to get through those pirates out there. Maybe even a week.”

Hell, maybe I’ll die and she’ll be free. We’ll both be free, because I don’t think that I can live without her.

I stand without touching my food. “Let’s go.” I turn to Gardon. “I take it that you will stay with Jenna.”

He nods his head even though I see his desire to fight pushing at him. He won’t leave her to anyone else for her care.

I’m almost sure that she is his mate and I wish him well. Hopefully his story turns out better than mine.

We stride out of the eating area and I fight to keep from taking one last look at her.

There is one more thing that I have to do.

I ring the council leader on my vid screen and she pops up. “Commander? What can I do for you?”

“I’m going on this mission to the center quadrant. I want you to see that Lacey has the option to take with any planet anywhere in these galaxies. Anywhere that would be closer to Earth and more similar than this sector. That would feel more like home to her. She deserves it”

“And what do you deserve?”

“I want the fight. I…I need to protect…something.”

“You need to fight to protect your mate even if she doesn’t know it. Why don’t you just give her time?”

“I hurt her. Just the sight of me hurts her. If I need to and she wants to stay here, I’ll move to another base. Anything to make her happy and give her the life she deserves.”

“Your decision is a fool’s choice,” she snarls. “She will lose her anger and then you will both have lost something very special that very few of our people get the chance at.”

I nod and shrug. “She will divorce me and find another male to protect her.”

“And you will protect the galaxy for her until someone finally kills you.”

“It’s a good way to die.”

“Fool,” she sighs. “But I will give her the choice.”

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