Page 88 of Cosmic Captain

“Please, Captain,” Zoltilvoxfyn said. Setlotminden stared at me, expectantly. They all knew I had a hard time saying no to any of them.

I fought a groan. “We cannot be gone for long. Vince needs me.”

“We won’t,” Serlotminden said.

“Give me a moment.” I left my brothers where they were and returned to Vince. He was on his stomach, dozing on my pillow. I crouched next to the bed and kissed his forehead. Vince smiled. He’d become so dear to me in such a short amount of time. I could hardly believe it, but trying to imagine my life without him was painful. “My Vince, my brothers need to speak to me. Now.”

“Fine. I’ll share you with them.” Vince laughed, teasing me. He cupped my cheeks and kissed me. “Will I see you later?”

“You will. Very soon. Wait for me here.”

He grunted, eyes closing, and snuggled closer to my pillow.

After I slipped on my shoes, I left my quarters and followed my brothers down the hall to Zoltilvoxfyn’s quarters. Caleb was nowhere to be seen, but he’d been the only one not to drink last night, which meant he was more likely to be upright at this hour. Also, knowing him, he’d probably stolen Pookie and was playing with Bartholomew’s pet.

Serlotminden turned to the screen on the wall, and I frowned. Hallonnixmin, my older brother, and Monqilcolnen, my sole cousin, stared back at me on the split screen. Hallonnixmin was back at the palace while Monqilcolnen was on theAdmiral Ven.

This was an ambush.

I kept my expression utterly blank as I stared at my older brother and cousin. They knew me far better than anyone else. Hallonnixmin resembled Kalvoxrencol the most, though he had a shade darker scales and his hair was the same shade of purple as mine. His green eyes matched mine, and he shared our father’s long nose, wide forehead, and strong chin. He didn’t take his eyes off me, running a hand through his perpetually messy hair. His hair wasn’t the only messy thing about him, which had led me to giving him the endearment of “Slob” when we were children.

Monqilcolnen could’ve passed for our brother, though his father was our father’s older brother. His dark green scales, silver hair, and yellow eyes set him apart from us, but his features were similar and had the same strength, though harsher. He simply remained quiet, watching me.

My gaze moved to my little brothers. I knew what they wanted. I knew their concerns. It didn’t matter. Nothing would take Vince from me nor return my soul to me. Vince owned it, and I wouldn’t change it even if I could.

“We’ve told them everything,” Kalvoxrencol said.

“Which is what, Pest?” I asked. Even annoyed, I would never injure Kalvoxrencol intentionally. He’d hurt himself enough in the past. My gaze wandered to my two other little brothers. They’d also struggled in different ways, as everyone did, but it would take something far greater than annoyance for me to try and injure them.

“How you are around Vince, and how he acts around you,” Kalvoxrencol continued.

Hallonnixmin took control of the conversation. “What’s going on, and be honest with us, Dontilvynsan?”

I would not deny my mate nor my affection for him, but I wasn’t ready to tell them, because they would worry. I feared, as well, that they’d try to convince Vince to stay against his will.

Kalvoxrencol stared at me for several moments before he snagged Zoltilvoxfyn and Serlotminden’s arms, tugging them out of the room. Serlotminden protested loudly while Zoltilvoxfyn calmly stated these were, in fact, his quarters.

When the door closed behind my little brothers, I sagged onto the couch.

“Come on, Captain,” Monqilcolnen said in a soft voice. “Tell us what’s going on.”

“I’m in love with Vince, and he’s returning to Earth,” I said simply, as if it was nothing. As if it wasn’t tearing my very soul to irreparable shreds.

Monqilcolnen closed his eyes. “I wondered, when they were talking to us.”

“Are you sure he’s going back?” Hallonnixmin asked.

“Yes.” I had no doubts. I hoped he would stay, but I knew he would not. Vince still hoped to return to the person he’d once been, and I was unsure of how to convince him that hewasstill that person. I’d witnessed so many memories of him from the past, through his own mind and Seth’s. Vince was the same, just older and wiser and wounded.

“And he is your mate?” Hallonnixmin asked, shoving his hand through his hair once again and making his long gold earrings sway.

“Yes.”

“Four humans,” Monqilcolnen said with a slight smile.

Unable to help it, I chuckled. Both Hallonnixmin and Monqilcolnen joined in. All three of my younger brothers had successfully mated with humans, and my mate was a human as well. What were the chances?

“There’s something about them. I cannot exactly define what, but it’s enticing,” I confessed.

---