Page 7 of Krin

Like previous instances, this time was no different, except that I had a strong desire to burst into tears.

Pull yourself together, my inner voice admonished.

I didn’t want Krin to remember me as a sobbing mess during our last interaction.

He spoke with confidence, yet there was a hint of doubt in his voice. “May I have a word with you?”

With trembling legs, I nodded, then followed him, quickly glancing at Olivia, shrugging my shoulders.

Facing one another, Krin tugged his earlobe before he dropped his hand to his side.

“Trex informed me you requested to leave Alara to be taken to a human colony. If you are still interested in leaving, I... we can take you with us.”

His throat lurched with a hard swallow.

It was clear to me that he was feeling uneasy. At that moment, it didn’t matter why he was asking.

It was ahell yes, from me.

With no hesitation, I eagerly replied, “I would absolutely love that.” I gazed at him.

A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. My heart filled with a fluttering sense of joy. “Thanks.”

Relief flooded his eyes as he straightened his spine, finally unclenching his hands. We stood frozen, the weight of the tension suffocating the surrounding air.

Overcome with relief and excitement, I foolishly blurted, “Yeah, hey, I was thinking...with my experience as a soldier...maybe there is something...a job, I could do on the Chetok?”

My smile faded when in an instant, Krin’s face turned a paler turquoise. A look of near horror crossed his face as he hesitated, running a hand through his short hair. Then he began to rub the back of his neck.

He cleared his throat again, but his voice still sounded harsher than usual. “It’s not...on Protectorate ships. It is not customary for females to work on Protectorate vessels.”

I knew that, but I had to try. This was an idea I’d given a lot of thought to. If I was allowed on the ship, the next logical step was to find something I was good at, and do it.

Krin seemed annoyed at my question. But he hadn’t exactly said no to the idea of me joining the crew.

Me being... well, me. Instead of accepting his statement I pushed the matter. “What about the Drakkari Protectorate patrol vessels? They are female run ships.”

Ignoring what I said, he spoke in a strained tone. “Be at the space pad at first light. There are two shuttles transporting the crew to the Chetok. We can talk more about this later.”

My head jerked in surprise.What the hell?

He not only refused to answer my question, it seemed like he didn’t care about what I wanted.

Did he think I was a defenseless female, like most Alaran warriors thought?

The unspoken insult got on my nerves right away. I scowled.

“Fine. Whatever.” I glared at him. “Just so you know, I can take care of myself. I don’t need anyone to protect me, big guy,” I snapped. Then spun around, bolting out of the dining hall, leaving Olivia scrambling to catch me.

“What happened?” she whispered.

I scrunched up my face. “Nothing! Forget it!”

Olivia’s hand was on my arm. “Riley, did he offend you with something he said?”

“He asked me if I wanted to leave on the Chetok tomorrow,” I huffed.

Olivia’s brows rose into her hairline. Her mouth formed a perfect ‘O’

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