Page 4 of Wrath

My fingers itched with the urge to slip through her lustrous locks. It was a painful reminder of how I would not be able to indulge in the most basic moments of tenderness one normally enjoyed with their mate. I swallowed hard, my wretched glands making a nuisance of themselves.

“Your throat is really swollen,” Kwan said with a slight frown. “Are you okay?”

My golden scales darkened with embarrassment. I barely refrained from squirming in my seat. “Yes,” I said, stretching my neck. “It sometimes happens with us, Warriors. Do not concern yourself about it. All is fine.”

She stared at me for a moment, her frown deepening. “I had noticed it at the ship hangar as well,” she mused out loud. “But your neck was normal when you arrived. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, Kwan,” I said in a slightly sterner tone. “Like I said, do not worry about it. Now, I have bothered you enough. I will let you settle in. Once again, if you need anything, do not hesitate to ask any of us. While Myriam is your main point of contact, Linette and I will be more than happy to assist you in any way necessary.”

“All right, thank you,” Kwan said, imitating me as I rose to my feet.

“My pleasure,” I said before heading towards the exit. “Once again, welcome to the Vanguard. May you find true happiness here.”

A troubled look crossed her beautiful features, and her gaze flicked to my throat before locking with mine again. In that instant, a cold shiver ran down my spine as I realized that she had probably figured out the meaning of my swelling throat… and she did not welcome it. She gave me a stiff smile and held the door open for me.

Her meaning could not have been clearer.

Chapter 2

Kwan

The black dress uniform of the Vanguard hugged my body like a second skin. It was chic and sexy, elegant, and badass, and every shade of awesome. The past two weeks since my arrival on Khepri flew by in a whirlwind of activity. In many ways, it has been a blessing to be able to bury myself in the most amazing kind of work. Training had been hard and unyielding. I had a lot to absorb in a short period of time. But it had not only allowed me to forget part of my pain, but also to realize just how kick ass my powers were.

Since Raven’s wife, Liena, had allowed the Vanguard to discover the Shield power that East Asians possessed, I’d never really seen it in full action. Back on Earth, only our telepathic abilities were of any use since we didn’t have Xian Warriors to Soulcatch, Shield, or Portal. Before now, I’d never made use of my Shielding ability. To be able to cast a protective psychic wall around the soul of a fallen Warrior until either a Soulcatcher or a Portal transferred him into a new replica of his deceased body was mind-blowing. Discovering that I could use that same ability to protect the psychic mind of a Soulcatcher or a Portal and make them immune to psychic disruption, was even more amazing.

Although part of me hoped that I would never have to make use of said abilities, it gave me an odd sense of power. For so long, ever since Kevin’s death, I had felt utterly helpless. On Earth, we had no agency against death. But now, I had a way of keeping it at bay.

“You look incredibly badass,” Linette said while staring at my reflection in the wall-to-ceiling mirror in my bedroom. “Black and gold looks so much better on you than that beige Aspirant uniform you’ve been wearing the past couple of weeks. I still can’t believe we’re off conquering the stars together!”

I smiled and cast an amused sideways glance at my friend. It was impossible to be gloomy and depressed in Linette’s presence. Although she’d always had an adventurous and lovely personality, she normally kept a reserved expression, cracking the best of jokes with the most serious of faces, and at the most unexpected of times. But her appearance wasn’t the only thing to have changed over the past few years. She’d also become bubblier, more irreverent, and way more mischievous. I laid the blame squarely at the feet of her husband. Varnog was fascinating, if somewhat terrifying. And yet, my petite pilot friend had him solidly wrapped around her pinky finger. I never would have imagined such a fearsome looking male could melt with such adoration before his woman.

Attending their wedding had proven far more difficult than anticipated. I had known it wouldn’t be easy but watching them exchange their vows, knowing that I would never do the same with Kevin had felt like having my heart ripped out of my chest all over again. And yet, I did not regret being there for my friend. Not only to show my support to the woman I had come to consider like a sister, but also to prove to myself that I could do it, that I could go on.

“I don’t know how much star conquering we will be doing,” I said in a teasing tone. “Your Warrior is not very talkative when it comes to what the mission will be about. We’re leaving in the next couple of hours, and we’re still completely in the dark.”

“First off, he’s not justmyWarrior, butours,” Linette corrected teasingly. “And second, get used to it. It is not uncommon for us to find out what mission we’re embarking on only once we’ve already taken off. Sometimes it is for security reasons, but often it’s just because certain decisions are kept to the last minute because of other priorities. In this instance, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the Warriors have been crazy busy planning all those simultaneous missions to the point we were struggling to find volunteers for your Shield training.”

I nodded in concession. It was true that the entire HQ had been all up in arms since my arrival. Almost daily, a new team was leaving on one of those rescue missions to some abandoned base from the Kryptid War. To this day, my biggest regret was to have missed out on that ultimate battle against General Khutu. If I had known back then what the future had in store for me, I would have joined the Vanguard much sooner. Kevin and I never would have gotten together, and he would still be alive today.

“What is it?” Linette asked me, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at me. “I know this face. Something I said bothered you.”

Immediately uncomfortable, I shrugged and avoided her far too insightful gaze. Ever since my arrival, I had noticed that my friend appeared to have developed something akin to empathic abilities. Although Linette had confirmed she did not, she sensed things at a level that felt paranormal. I strongly believed that among the numerous enhancements her bonding with her mate had given her, it had also sharpened her sixth sense.

“Kwan?” Linette insisted when I seemed to not want to answer.

It was silly. I had never been the type to shy away from speaking my mind, no matter how uncomfortable the conversation might be. I liked laying the cards on the table and for everyone being on the same page about things. With Linette, even back when she was my training officer, I’d never kept secrets from her. And now, in my greatest time of need, my tongue had turned to lead.

Heaving a sigh, I gestured with my head at the bed and went to sit at the edge. Linette imitated me, a slight frown marring her forehead, bunching up the smattering of black chitin scales that now adorned it.

“I’ll be honest, and I don’t want you to take this the wrong way,” I said, casting a nervous glance towards her, which only increased her worried expression. I mentally kicked myself for how incompetent I suddenly felt and acted. “I have been questioning whether it is wise for me to go on this mission with the team, or if I should be part of this team at all.”

Linette’s jaw dropped, shock and horror descending on her beautiful, and yet so alien, features. Confusion and anger seem to battle within her.

“Why? What happened?” Linette asked. “Did someone do something to you?”

I ran nervous fingers through my hair, wondering how to explain to her where I was coming from.

“No. No one did anything but be extremely nice and supportive to me,” I said. “Thing is, a lot has happened over the past couple of years that you are not aware of. I came here for a new start, to leave behind a life that reminded me too much of some painful memories. And right this minute, the last thing I’m looking for is romance.”

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