Qinlin’s eyebrow rose at my endearment, and I lifted my lip, silencing her. “Is he well?” I demanded.
She tapped on her screen. “You have bruises all over your body, a cracked rib, four lacerations, and a sprained ankle. I’m hesitant to treat you with our medication and techniques until I know more about your physiology, Seth Harris. It could further harm you. I will fix your ankle and rib, but everything else will heal with time.”
“That is unacceptable,” I said, tail whipping.
“It’s fine,” Seth said.
She raised her eyebrows but disinfected the gashes on his arm before bandaging them, then ran a wand over Seth’s ribs and ankle. The swelling went down around the joint, but the bruise did not disappear.
“Problem?” I asked.
“His skin is bruised, but his ankle should be feeling better,” she said.
Turning to Seth, I asked, “Are you ready?”
“I didn’t want to come in the first place,” he muttered, standing with a groan. “Thank you, Doctor.”
We stayed silent the entire way back to our quarters. When we stepped inside, I wanted to push him toward my room to lickhis injuries before curling around him, but I merely said, “You should sleep.”
“No.” Seth sat on the couch, ignoring Lucy, who swirled around his legs.
My tail twitched in agitation. “You’re injured. You should rest.”
“You should go fuck yourself.”
“What?” I asked, not understanding the exact context because I doubted he wanted me to masturbate.
“I’m an adult. I don’t need you hovering over me. I told you I didn’t want to see the doctor and you didn’t listen.”
“You were injured. I have to take care of you,” I said. “You shouldn’t have run off in the first place.”
“I didn’t.”
“Do you have any idea how I felt when I couldn’t find you?”
Seth stalked closer to me. “Do you know how I felt being alone, then attacked? But I survived. I’m not blaming you, so why are you blaming me?”
I crossed my arms. “You’re not leaving the ship again.”
“So I’m a prisoner?”
“I’m protecting you.”
He lifted his middle fingers, then snagged Lucy and disappeared into his room. I had no idea what the gesture meant, but I doubted it was complimentary. I went to his door, but it didn’t open.
“NAID, open the door,” I barked.
She appeared. “Seth does not want you to enter.”
“I don’t care. Open the door,” I ordered, smacking it with the flat of my palm.
NAID gave me a look of reproach, and I paused. My fingers curled into a fist. I would give Seth the space he seemed to want.
For the past two days, since Kal and I had fought, I’d stayed in my room, basically sleeping the entire time. His anger stemmed from fear, but I refused to back down. Had being attacked by aliens been fun? No, yet I’d fought them off, and I was weirdly proud of that.
His extreme response in the elevator had frightened me. I couldn’t help but think back to my last serious relationship. Travis had controlled everything I’d done. He’d never allowed me to have an opinion or to do anything he hadn’t specifically agreed to.
When Kal hadn’t listened or let me talk, it reminded me of that time. I’d been in a controlling relationship that turned physically abusive, and I had no desire to go back.
