Page 57 of Victoria's Discovery

Rellik looked amused but nodded and remarked playfully, “I think they offer no other choice.”

Chapter 30

Thegan felt nearly as stunned as Vee looked by the time they left the meeting. That had not gone as he’d expected.

He’d learned much about her. She was hesitant at first to claim any expertise, but the irritatingly good-looking male, Rellik, was quite skilled at reassurance and, with a few well-placed words, had her opening up about her past.

Thegan did not understand all the things she claimed knowledge of, but thoughtful little sweet that she was, she’d seamlessly added explanations so they could all at least grasp the basics. Except for ‘theatre’ and ‘marketing.’ Those remained confusing even after her explanationandthe translator’s. Regardless, he understood enough to be impressed.

She had experience in a mind-bogglingly vast array of areas. The management of coin, why people think and act the way they do, her world’s histories, animal behavior, and the mastery of business. She’d even studied the stars for a time. And that was just what elders had taught her.

Outside of that learning, she’d searched out adventures. Some of those seemed odd to him, like the climbing of mountains, boating down rivers, and exploring caves. On his world, those things were done by necessity. On hers, they were leisure activities.

What struck him was that all these things learned and experienced were in pursuit of finding her passion, her purpose.

Thathe understood well.

He, too, had been directionless. He had the usual duties, of course. All his people, female and male, were warriors, hunters, farmers, and traders, but like Vee, he hadn’t found anything that called to his spirit.

He was the joker amongst his clan. Laid back, playful, and desiring for those around him to be happy. But, because of his easy-going demeanor, an odd trait in a world so oft at war, he was written off, underestimated, and told frequently that he would never amount to much.

Vee seemed to have experienced similar dismissal though for different reasons. Thegan got the strong impression she’d listened to people who did not understand her and had accepted their derogatory opinions of her character and abilities as fact.

Buthecould see her.

She thought herself timid, lacking in bravery and decisiveness. Yet, had she not instinctively moved to protect him and Thorn? Had she not accepted their differences almost immediately despite Thorn nearly scaring the color from her skin?

The ability to accept those so vastly different to oneself was its own kind of bravery and required much more than simply being willing to fight. It required compassion and true kindness, as well as courage, and those were traits fair few could claim.

Thegan was not the only one impressed after she finished listing her skills and experiences. After a quiet pause and a few minutes of deliberation, Kix offered her the position of ‘vice president,’ something he understood to be similar to a Queen or King’s head chief.

Vee had scoffed, loudly, and immediately turned it down, saying, “Pfft, there’s no way. Don’t get me wrong! I’m beyond flattered, but I’m definitely not the right person to be Vice President.”

Thegan frowned again just thinking about it and recalled how he, Thorn, and Vi’kail had all begun speaking over each other, upset she doubted herself and arguing, perhaps a little heatedly, that she was more than capable of handling such a position.

Once they’d calmed down, Kix smiled at her in a way that made Thegan want to punch him in the mouth and listed the reasons why she was perfect for the job.

“You would,” he’d insisted. Leaning forward, he’d narrowed his eyes on her, his expression intense. “You care about people. You hold no preconceived fear or discrimination toward beings different than yourself. You have an innate drive for everyone to be happy. I sense, also, the ability to make the ‘hard call,’ as my mate refers to it. It is a unique blend of caring for the individual while also understanding the needs of the majority, at times, outweigh the needs of one.” He said it all in such a calm, logical way that she struggled to come up with an argument against him, though that didn’t stop her from trying.

He’d cut her protestations off with a shake of his head. “I believe your varied knowledge will lead you to be able to handle varied problems.”

At that, Thegan saw a light grow in Vee’s eyes. After a minute of silence, tentative excitement had begun to replace her doubt.

She still looked nervous and a little unsure, but in the end, she accepted, saying simply, “I’ll try my best.”

“That is all we ask.”

The shocking part of the inquiry was when, after Thegan’s turn of being questioned and holding the yellow being’s hand, they offered him a similar position alongside her. Then it was his turn to scoff loudly, to which Vee, warming him to his bones, contested vehemently that he would be great. More, or perhaps less surprisingly, Thorn agreed with her.

He was still reeling from the offer, her emphatic support, and the quiet approval of his oldest friend, but he was no fool. Regardless of whether he was suited to the job, he took it, because it meant he’d spend his days at her side.

Next to have his spirit judged was Vi’kail, which Thegan could admit he’d been looking forward to. He was damned hard to read and very closed lipped about his past. Despite that, Thegan liked the male.

“Up until this morn, anyway” he added under his breath, eyeing said male crossly as they all followed behind Vee into the dining hall where everyone else was waiting their turn to be interviewed.

When he’d shut Vee down and replaced her bright-eyed curiosity with quiet uncertainty that morning, Thegan had been very tempted to bruise his other cheek.

He and Thorn had not shared much, either. Thegan, because he did not want her to know how his clan viewed him, and Thorn, because he’d always been unwilling to talk about the pain in his past, but they’d at least engaged with her. Vi’kail, however, had turned to stone.

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