Page 7 of Wrath

“Oh wow!” Kwan exclaimed.

“This is the second Incubator room,” I explained with a smug smile. “Myriam can tell you how beneficial it was to have such a secret room on our vessels. On her very first mission, Ayana learned the hard way how things can flip at the drop of a dime. The Shells in this room are only to be used as a last resort. Ayana had not been authorized to interact with it at the time since she had not been a full member of the Vanguard. A mistake that could have been deadly had she not managed to revive Myriam. Hopefully, there will be no reason for us to access this room during this mission, but better safe than sorry.”

“Sounds like there’s quite the story there,” Kwan said, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“There definitely is,” Linette said with a chuckle. “There will be plenty of time during our trip for us to regale you about the madness of that mission and of the Mimic that took my appearance to knock out the girls.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle while my Soulcatcher laughed at Kwan’s flabbergasted expression. Dread showing up at the entrance of the Infirmary put an end to our conversation.

“Linette,” he called out, “Nathalie wants your input on where to store some of the containment chambers in the cargo hold.”

“Coming,” Linette said before casting a look at Kwan. “You’ll be able to find your way around?”

“Yeah, no problem,” Kwan said with a reassuring smile.

“I will go fetch the rest of the bags,” Varnog said, also heading out of the Infirmary.

As soon as he stepped out, and both of us ended up alone in the room, the air shifted, and Kwan immediately looked uncomfortable. That bothered me tremendously. I noticed the way her eyes flicked towards my neck before quickly looking away, her unease increasing another notch. That matter would need to be addressed sooner than later. By now, I suspected she knew what that meant.

Keeping a neutral expression on my face, I made her state her name and select an alphanumeric code of twelve digits that she could remember. After getting her recorded in the system and testing that it worked, I turned to face her, bracing for what would follow. I had not meant to broach the topic at all, but we couldn’t have this kind of tension within the team before we had even left on a mission.

“Do I make you uncomfortable?” I asked bluntly.

Kwan recoiled, her eyes widening in shock while pink creeped up on her cheeks. “No,” she said, shifting on her feet. “You’ve been very kind and polite with me.”

“That’s not what I asked,” I insisted, taking on a sterner tone. “As soon as the others left, you became very uneasy. We’re about to embark on a mission that will last at least a month and we all need to be able to rely on each other. If you have a problem being around me, this could become very problematic.”

“Your throat swelled again,” she blurted out, flinching immediately after.

I nodded slowly, stretched my neck, and slowly rubbed my swollen mating glands. “It did,” I conceded. “Do you know what causes it?”

She shifted on her feet again and averted her eyes. She nodded.

“Tell me. I would like to hear it from you,” I insisted.

Her gaze jerked back towards me, and she frowned, her eyes hardening. “It means your mating glands are responding to you being in the presence of your soulmate.”

“Correct,” I said matter-of-factly. “And who would that be?”

“Is this a game?” she asked, looking annoyed and somewhat angry.

“No, Kwan,” I said. “Warriors do not play games when it comes to their soulmate. We wait our entire lives to find the one. It is no joking matter to us.”

She lowered her eyes, looking somewhat embarrassed again. “I… I understand that. Therefore, under the circumstances, don’t you think this is problematic? My being part of your team, that is? I mean… I am beyond flattered, but…”

“I am well aware of your situation,” I interrupted in a gentle voice. “Since your arrival, I have not bothered you with my unrequited attentions, and that is not about to change.”

She squirmed again, her jaw working as she looked for words. “Right. You have been very respectful and professional with me since day one, which I greatly appreciate. Truly. But wouldn’t it be simpler for both of us if I was simply on a different team?”

“Absolutely not!” I said, shaking my head. “I would be worried sick knowing you are on some mission far away, out of reach for me to assist you should things turn ugly.”

She frowned, looking slightly offended. I repressed a smile, knowing what thoughts were crossing her mind.

“I saw how you were looking at Myriam and Dread saying goodbye to their children. You were thinking to yourself ‘how can two parents go on a mission leaving their children behind?’ weren’t you? It’s because they would go insane knowing they’re not there to look after their partner when the going gets tough. Our women are just as protective of us as we are of them. Dread would never let Myriam go to battle without him by her side, just like she would never let him go to the front without her being there to catch his soul should he fall. It has nothing to do with your ability to handle yourself.”

“I don’t know if or when I’ll ever be ready for anything with anyone,” Kwan said, her voice shaking lightly. “It just feels like it’s unfair to you to have me walking around, knowing that you cannot have what you want.”

“Oh Kwan, I have waited for you my whole life,” I said in a voice full of emotion. “I have spent the past thirty-two years since the end of the Battle for Earth thinking I had lost you in some Breeding Swamp without ever having the chance to even meet you. But you’re here, alive and well. What do I care if I have to wait a few more months or even a few more years for you to be ready for a relationship? Just being in your presence, breathing the same air you do, looking at your beautiful face, and hearing the sound of your voice fills my hearts to bursting.”

---