Chapter 18
“NAID,” I said when Kal left for another meeting with Captain Talvax.
Her wrinkled face appeared. “Seth, you and Prince Kalvoxrencol seem to be getting along lately.”
A blush seeped into my cheeks. “We’re fine.”
“As Edith Smith would say, ‘You two are a pair of peas.’”
“Do you mean ‘peas in a pod?’”
“No,” she said with an adamant shake of her head.
Alright, then.
The more NAID talked about Edith, the more I wondered about her. What was she like? It would have been nice to have a grandmother like her, though people often presented much differently online than in their real lives.
I pulled one of my legs up onto the couch. “How are the scientists treating you?”
“They watch everything I say and do, then take notes. According to them, I display the most erratic or independent behavior when speaking to you.”
“We’re peas in a pod,” I joked. “We’re friends. You’re more yourself with me.”
“They want to meet you.”
Sweat immediately gathered on my forehead. Why would they want to meet me?
“I’m detecting stress hormones.”
“I’m okay,” I squeaked.
“Do you need me to summon Prince Kalvoxrencol?”
“N-no.” Kal was busy; he didn’t need to be bothered by me.
“He wouldn’t mind.”
“I’m fine.”
She watched me with narrowed eyes but continued, “Dr. Qinlin is heading the project on me, though she reports to Prince Kalvoxrencol.”
“Why?”
“He’s the representative for the royal family on the ship, and this is history defining. I am the first NAID displaying independent thought,” she answered with more than a dash of pride in her tone. “Dr. Qinlin needs to see you anyway.”
“Why?” I asked, squeezing the touchstone in my hoodie pocket. I could call Kal. He would come in a second and sit by me. I could almost feel the pressure of his tail around my ankle.
“She needs to perform tests before you go to the planet. Prince Kalvoxrencol is worried you won’t be compatible with the atmosphere. He hasn’t mentioned it?”
Well, all we’d done this morning was eat and make out, so he’d been sufficiently distracted. Also, knowing him, he would want to take me himself and hover. “When does she want me to come?”
“She doesn’t have a set appointment. You can go whenever you like.”
“Might as well get this over with.”
I went to the medbay, finding my way from reading the labels on the doors. When I got closer, I recognized the hallway as the first one I’d seen from when I arrived. With every step, I moved slower, tension pulling my muscles tight. My fingers trembled as I pressed the panel to open the door.
Dr. Qinlin’s back was to me, her dark purple tail swishing, and she was focused on a monitor. At the mere sight of the room, dread pooled in my stomach. The harsh antiseptic smell burned my nose and the bright lights stung my eyes, both driving my pulse through the roof. Suddenly, I went back to when I’d first been taken—she was the first alien I’d ever seen. My mind went further, flashing to my mother on a hospital bed, struggling to breathe.
Shaking my head, I backed away. I didn’t want to be here.
“Seth Harris,” she said.
“It’s Seth.” I stopped in the doorway, gripping my touchstone. “Harris is my family name.”
“What can I do for you, Seth Harris?” Dr. Qinlin said, clearly ignoring my earlier statement.
“NAID mentioned you wanted to see me.”
“Oh, yes. I’d forgotten about Prince’s request. Let me take a scan as well as a blood sample.”
Dr. Qinlin gestured to the bed I’d woken up on so many days ago. Feet dragging, I sat. She swiped a couple of devices over me, then selected a cylindrical vial from several options. She pressed the metal tip against my neck, and I jolted when something sharp stabbed me.
“You’re alright,” she said in an absentminded voice, patting me, claws catching on my hoodie sleeve.
I swallowed convulsively as the tube filled with my blood.
Dr. Qinlin placed a round bandage over the pinprick. “Don’t let Prince Kalvoxrencol lick the injury. He’ll want to, instinct and all that, but saliva is highly unsanitary.”
I blushed as my mouth opened, but no words came out. Dr. Qinlin didn’t seem to require a response, placing the tube into a hole in the wall. Readings appeared on the screen after a couple of minutes of tense silence.
“You should be perfectly safe to enter the planet’s atmosphere,” she announced.
When she didn’t speak further, I said, “NAID mentioned something about me helping you study her independence.”
“You want to help?”
“What would it entail?”
“Talking to her.”
“About?”
“Anything. Art. War. Literature. Your planet. Our planet. Other species. Literally anything. We want to monitor her program to see where the emergence is coming from.”
“For what purpose? To delete the faulty programming? To delete her?” I wouldn’t help them if they planned on hurting NAID.
Her hands fell to her sides. “I am not a murderer, Seth Harris. NAID is a person. To delete her is to kill her. This is a breakthrough that no one thought possible.”
“Sorry about—” I gestured my hand. I hadn’t meant to accuse Dr. Qinlin. “She’s my friend.”
Instantly, her expression smoothed. “You are a warrior soul.”
I scoffed.
Dr. Qinlin said, “I will send a note with the time.”
As I headed toward the elevator, I paused. Captain Talvax was moving in my direction. I ducked my head, hoping she’d pass by me.
“Seth Harris.”
“Seth.”
She inclined her head to the side. “Seth.”
“I thought Kal was meeting with you.”
Her tail hung in the air. “Kal? He lets you call him Kal?”
“I’m his mate.”
A bright smile crossed her features. Her tail edged toward my wrist, and I frowned. Expression flickering, Talvax lowered her tail. “Urgg speaks highly of you.”
Urgg had promised not to share anything, and I hoped they hadn’t, even though I hadn’t told them anything shocking.
“Did you know when the Crystal led me to Urgg, I was upset?”
“You were?”
“I was furious. I argued with the priest, claiming the Crystal was wrong. I actually shook him by his fancy robe.”
I had to stifle a laugh at the picture of serious Talvax shaking some old man while she yelled at him. “Why didn’t you like Urgg?”
“I didn’t know them. All I knew was they were a barbarus. Drakcol and barbarus used to be enemies. We were constantly at war. While a peace treaty has been recognized since before my birth, there”s animosity between our species.”
“What did you do?”
“Argued. I tried to deny the call I felt to Urgg’s planet. I fought the urge so long, I became sick.”
“Did Kal get sick waiting to come get me?” I asked.
“No, he was actively trying to answer the longing. Intention matters. I fought, though, for over five cycles.”
“What?”
“The longest person in recorded history.” A smug smirk graced her face. “Eventually, I gave in and found Urgg. I took one look at them, and I knew. They were mine. I was furious, but Urgg was mine. It was an undeniable fact. They were not as easy to convince.”
“But you two are in love,” I stated.
“Desperately. Their brother even mated my cousin. Quite the family affair.”
“I assume you have a point to all of this besides telling me about you and Urgg?”
“My point is sometimes things don’t begin the best, but that doesn’t mean they’ll end badly. You are dear to the prince.”
“He said you’re friends.”
“I’ve known Kalvoxrencol his whole life. His mother Vyn was my childhood friend. We grew up together.”
Trembling, I asked, “Did he want me when he found out? NAID said he did, but she doesn’t know him like you do.”
Her tail wrapped around my wrist. “He wanted you, Seth. Kalvoxrencol fought so hard for the honor of having you. He didn’t care you’re human. He didn’t care about the distance he had to go. You are his. He never once fought the bond.” Her eyes stared deep into mine, almost as if she could read my soul. “You were wanted.”
Tears pricked the back of my eyes, but I fought them.
The first thing I saw when I returned was Seth on the couch, staring at nothing. Head tilting to the side, I brushed his cheek with my tail, and he flinched. My tail fell to the ground as an irrational sense of hurt swept through me.
“Kal, I didn’t see you come in.” He tugged on the necklace he wore—one I’d bought him.
“What did you do today?”
“I went to the medbay to see Dr. Qinlin—”
“Are you sick?” I interrupted, crowding him. “Why didn’t you summon me?”
Seth stopped my wandering hands. “I went because NAID mentioned some tests you wanted me to do.”
My soul settled within my chest. “I need to know the planet is safe for you, my Mate. You are mine to protect.”
“NAID told me as much, and the planet is fine for me. Doctor Qinlin also wants me to assist in researching NAID’s emergence.”
“Are you going to?”
“Yeah.”
My fingers escaped his hold to touch his face. How had he become this precious to me? My claws scraped across the stubble on his cheeks. Seth must not have shaved this morning. We had been rather busy. Thoughts of our earlier kisses stirred my desire. I drew my claws against his stubble again, careful not to puncture his soft skin.
Watching him shave was a particular torture for me. The first time I’d seen him with a razor, it had terrified me to my core. I’d thought it was a blade at his throat. I’d shouted, and he’d gaped at me, clearly shocked by my reaction. Seth had let me observe him. I’d paced the entire time. Even though he’d assured me it was perfectly safe, my instincts had screamed he was going to slit his throat.
Ridiculous, but logic and instincts were often at war.
My fingers trailed down to his neck, and I paused. There was a plaster. My claw caught on the edge. “What’s this?”
“Doctor Qinlin took blood from me.”
“Did it hurt?”
“A bit.”
I scowled, picking at the plaster. Bending down, I placed a kiss on his neck, and Seth’s breathing increased. I needed to see the injury, to make sure he was alright. More than that, I needed to clean the wound.
“Doctor Qinlin said you can’t lick it,” he said in a rush, the words tumbling out so fast NAID struggled to translate them.
“Why not?” My lips brushed against the edge of the plaster.
“It’s unsanitary.”
“Nonsense.”
Seth’s breath turned to short gasps as I traced kisses along his neck. My lips brushed the sensitive skin of his neck when I asked, “Please, my Seth.”
He groaned, head tilting to give me more access.
Gently, I bit him, and Seth jumped. My very soul stilled within my chest. I should’ve asked first. He hadn’t given leave for me to bite him or kiss him. Once again, I’d become the aggressor in our physical contact. Staying away from him was so much harder than I’d ever thought it would be.
“Why did you stop?” Seth asked. Before I could answer, he tugged me onto his lap, my legs bracketing his, and gripped my hips.
Carefully, I dragged my canines along his neck, and he moaned. Encouraged, I nibbled around the plaster. “Please, Seth. I need to see it,” I whispered before biting him harder, then licking the same spot.
“Fine.”
I peeled the plaster off, revealing a small scab. I licked around the dot, taking care not to dislodge the healing scab. Instinct demanded I clean the entire wound, but I didn’t want him to start bleeding again. The more I licked and bit, the louder he became.
I grabbed the necklace he wore, tugging on it. “I like it when you wear this.”
Seth tentatively skimmed his fingers over my back like he feared my reaction. I pressed against him and placed urgent kisses along his jaw. With a slight tremble, he teased the edge of my shirt up before slipping underneath and touching my bare scales.
“Yes, Seth,” I growled, rocking on his lap. His touch grew bolder as he traced the line of my back. I captured his mouth and laid claim to his tongue; Seth matched my needy pace. I sucked on his bottom lip and increased the rhythm of my hips.
I felt something harden against me, and I smiled.
My Seth wanted me. This was the first evidence I’d had. I wanted to carry him to my room and strip him bare before I worshiped every part of him. Despite that, I ceased my movement, because this wasn’t something we’d discussed, but my assault on his mouth continued. Seth held me close, gripping my hair.
When he finally broke away, his breathing was harsh and his face was flushed. Seth snuggled against me, and I kept one arm around him while my free hand finger-combed his short hair.
“I thought of something,” he said.
“What are you talking about, Mate?”
“I don’t like kissing in public or in front of anyone. Holding hands or you wrapping your tail around me is fine, but I don’t want anything more when people are around.”
A happy bubble swelled in my chest. Seth was trusting me.
“Are you alright with it?” His muscles tensed, and his voice turned wary.
Why wouldn’t I be? It was his body, and this was his boundary. I tipped his face toward mine. Kissing the divot between his eyebrows, I replied, “I will respect your needs as I assume you would do for me.”
He nodded.
“Thank you for trusting me.”
An attractive flush rushed to his face. Dragging my claws over his darkened skin, I smiled. Seth burrowed against my shoulder, and I stroked the back of his head. Practically singing, my soul glowed in joy.