“Yes, I know. I’ve always felt guilty that you ended up with us.”
“Does that mean that you will allow us to leave?” Tori asked, grabbing her two emerald males’ hands.
“If that is what you want. However, I don’t believe you should go alone.” Ryzen returned his gaze to me. “How difficult would it be to bring me along, too?”
“Very,” Kaede clipped. “Especially for a male whose psy-daggers are still active.”
Ryzen rolled his eyes and waved his hand, making all nine weapons disappear.
“How about now?” The emerald male smirked, crossing his arms. “You are the one who still has his weapons engaged, not me.”
Kaede clenched his fists and opened his mouth to speak, but I gently smacked his stomach. “Don’t you dare start peacocking around me, Kaede.”
He shot the twin a glare but relaxed, wrapping an arm around me.
Whatever had gotten into him to make him so possessive, I could address the issue later. Right now, I needed to handle Ryzen so we could be off. I had wasted enough time on this rock.
“Who will lead the base if you leave?”
“My brother can.” He held up a hand to stop me from protesting. “I’ve already spoken to him about his behavior and the need to find a more permanent location for our people. He can remain grounded on the base while I search for a more suitable place to settle.”
“Your brother isn’t allowed to enter our galaxy, you know that, right?” Kaede challenged. “Is that a dealbreaker for you?”
“After Selena returns home and makes sure her mates are all right, we could discuss terms to give him permission to enter your galaxy,” Ryzen suggested, his eyes flicking to his fallen brother.
“You will need to speak with Oeta about that ban.” I frowned. I wouldn’t interfere with Oeta’s decisions. She was the one who enforced the ban with the help of her father, so they could consult her about lifting it. “I’m mainly angry at your brother because he never admitted he was wrong or even attempted to apologize to me. If he had shown any remorse for his actions, I would have felt a little sympathy. I understand the impulse to do anything to save a loved one. Perhaps after he has time to consider his actions, he will come to realize his mistakes.”
“I agree,” Ryzen closed his eyes and nodded. “I will make note of that for the future.”
“I would also like to request passage on your vessel,” Zyxel announced.
I stilled in Kaede’s embrace. He must have noticed because he maneuvered my body away from the crimson male.
“Why do you want to board my ship?” Kaede hissed. “I’m already traveling with five extra passengers. What would you bring to this journey?
“I am one of the doctors in the base. I’ve been put in charge of Selena’s health while she’s here—”
“Are you implying I’m incapable of providing the medical services needed for our journey?” Kaede questioned. “Or perhaps there’s another reason why you want to come along?”
“Selena is my mate and I refuse to lose her, even if she doesn’t accept me yet.”
The lifedome fell silent as everyone stared at us, waiting for someone to make a move.
“Let’s get this straight,” Kaede hissed, holding me tighter against his side until his grip dug into my waist. “Selena is not yours.” He shot a glare at Ryzen. “Or his. So, if you want to come with us just to spend three weeks pawing at Selena, you’ve got another think coming. I will eject you before you can blink if you dare try to pressure her in any way. Do I make myself clear?”
“Doesn’t she have a say in this?” Zyxel challenged with a glare. “What if she decides that she wants me?”
“She won’t,” Kaede ground out. “Trust me.”
Rolling my eyes, I pressed a hand against Kaede’s chest and pushed him behind me. “I believe that’s enough.”
“It’s up to you whether he comes with us,” Kaede replied. “Another healer on Destima would be beneficial, especially if he’s planning to stay long term. It wouldn’t hurt if he helped in the infirmary while Xylo recovers. I’m sure they must be understaffed at the moment.”
“He can come,” I agreed, assured this was the right decision. Kaede was right; we couldn’t have too many healers on Destima, especially with a growing population. The more diverse the citizens, the more experience our staff needed. I just hoped he would leave me alone while we traveled.
“Then it’s settled.”
Chapter Twenty-Four Kaede
Kaede stood beside Selena, waiting in the hangar for the newcomers to arrive. He had teleported Selena into the ship with him as VYA had sealed the hole he had burned into the ceiling and covered the damage with sealant and nearby floating debris.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Selena asked, glancing at him. “It’s your ship and you’re the pilot.”
“I am the commander of a crew of five—well, six if you include me.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“If you want honesty, then I’ll tell you right now that I don’t trust anyone other than Tori, perhaps, because she took you in.” He gripped her shoulders and stared directly into the ocean-colored eyes he loved so much. “I don’t want you to leave my sight. Not because I don’t trust you but because I don’t trust them. My instincts are telling me they’re a threat, and to forget about them and go. They are only coming aboard because you have too kind a heart and I don’t want you to live in regret, thinking that you could-have-would-have-should-have with this group of people. They don’t deserve you, so I’m doing this for you. I will allow you to call the shots because I know I could neutralize all six of them in the blink of an eye if necessary.”
“How?”
Chuckling, he grinned. “One of my drones can teleport them off the ship into open space.”
“Of course, you figured out a way to do that.”
