Page 40 of Double Cut

“Tomorrow,” Horas answered.

She closed her eyes in a long blink and wondered if they had time to get luggage. Opening them, she asked, “Where are we going?”

“First to the palace,” he said. “We’ll receive our housing assignment from the general superior’s office. I expect we’ll be stationed at one of the training bases, as Sarus and I have been tasked with training new warriors.”

Evangeline did not miss Sarus’ sour look. “You’re not pleased?”

He shrugged. “It’s not what I’d prefer to do, but I am a loyal Ahn’hudi warrior and I will obey the general superior’s commands.”

“I get it.”

“I don’t understand,” he murmured.

She explained, “My dad was military, active duty. We moved all the time when I was growing up. He loved serving, but it was hard on Mom and me.” She sniffed and her expression saddened. “Then he died and Mom soon after, hit by a drunk driver. I was nine. Then Child Protective Services put me in foster care. I always swore I’d never marry a soldier, but here I am, married totwosoldiers. My life sucks.”

“We will not be moving frequently,” Sarus said. “This is a permanent station unless we are released from service.”

She cocked her head to one side. “Released from service? Does that mean you’re … like … forever committed to the military? You can’t ever quit or retire?”

“Should Sarus or I die,” Horas explained, “leaving you with the protection of only one mate, then the other will be discharged from service entirely and provided with a suitable pension. However, we are warriors, specifically bred for martial duty. We do notretire.”

“Then what happens when you get too old to fight or train recruits?”

“We die,” Horas replied.

“No! There’s got to be some other option.”

Sarus shook his head. “Not for we who are warrior-bred. Duty and honor are bred into our very fiber.”

“I think I detest your culture even more than I did before,” she muttered as moisture pricked at her eyes. She wiped away a tear, surprised at the depth of her feeling for them. Another tear took its place and trickled down her smooth cheek.

“It is not so bad,” Horas sought to reassure her, appalled that they’d somehow made her cry. Remorse twisted his gut. “It is what we expect.”

Evangeline shook her head. “How about engineers? Doctors? Others? Do they get to retire or are they trapped, too?”

“Warrior-bred are too dangerous to be left without the constraint of duty,” Sarus said as Horas dashed to wrap her in his arms. He watched as Horas stroked her hair and her back to comfort her distress. He took a deep breath and his hands trembled, which horrified him. He clenched his jaw and added, “We are honored to be mated to you, more fortunate than most of our breed. I would be content with scraping sewers clean if that were the price to be your mate.”

She blinked in surprise and disbelief. “But … but this has cost you your career!”

Sarus shrugged.

Horas replied, “A career is an empty thing. A mate fills our hearts.”

Chapter13

Keeping her misgivings to herself, Evangeline meekly accompanied Horas and Sarus to the transportation platform, although she insisted on bringing the carrier with her grumbling cat trapped inside: “I’m not leaving Poppet behind.”

Neither male had the heart to risk another bout of tears, so they endured the growling, hissing, angry feline’s presence.

Evangeline gawked. Bullet-shaped conveyances slid to each platform and settled into a cradle with a quiet hiss. Transparent gullwing doors opened for the next party to embark. She glanced at the signage, unable to read it as Horas and Sarus steered her in the correct direction. She saw a lively mix of species on the public travel platform, but a few turns and entrance to the military transport platform revealed a homogenous population.

They stopped at a booth where an armed sentry verified their identities. With a fist thumped to his chest in respect for the decorated senior officers, he granted them passage. Neither Horas nor Sarus missed the sentry’s longing glance aimed at their mate.

“What will happen to our stuff?” Evangeline asked when they seated themselves in one of the travel pods.

“The domicile will be cleaned and restocked,” Horas said. “Our possessions will be packed and forwarded to us at the palace, then to wherever the emperor assigns us.”

She pursed her lips. “Okay, butwhowill do all that?”

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