“Go ahead.”
“I-I,” Seth started, then stopped.
“Whatever it is, it’s fine.”
With a deep breath, he continued, “I asked Urgg about your past.”
My first instinct was to snap, but I contained it. Of course he’d asked. If the situation had been reversed, I would have as well. “It’s not too pleasant.”
“You were a troublemaker.”
“Yes.”
“Then you changed suddenly. Why?”
“You, Seth. You were the reason. After a particularly horrible interplanetary incident, I went home. I felt alone and that no one would actually love me. My eldest brother, Hallonnixmin, mentioned the Crystal, and my childhood dream reignited. It’s all I wanted. I begged my parents until I was allowed to appeal for my soulmate, and it revealed you. I mean I didn’t know who you were yet, but I was thrilled. I went to my father to demand a ship, and he refused. My mother promised me the use of the Admiral Ven, but it was two cycles from completion.
“I wanted you sooner. My father would not rush, because he said I wasn’t mature enough for a mate. So I planned to prove him wrong. Also, I wanted to be worthy of you, which I certainly wasn’t. My mother and brothers fought for me. They saw how serious I was, and that deep down, I wasn’t the person I pretended to be.”
“That’s what your father meant when he said when you didn’t have to pretend.”
“Not exactly.”
After a few breaths of silence, Seth rested his head on my shoulder. “You don’t have to tell me, but I’m here when you want to.”
I kissed the top of his head. “Thank you.”
“I have another question.”
I loved how he announced it every time. “Go ahead.”
“Can you fly with me?”
“With my wings?”
“Yeah. It would be fun, I think.”
“You trust me that much?” I asked.
“You won’t drop me?”
“Never.”
“Then yeah. It’d be cool.”
I didn’t understand how the temperature mattered. “I’ll take you on the next planet we land on.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.” I pressed a firm kiss to his lips.
Chapter 24
Let's get a drink.
I stepped out of my room and spotted Lucy on her back, tail twitching and paws in the air with her claws extended. Kal moved closer to her doughy belly, and I said, “Don’t.”
Lucy seized Kal’s arm, rabbit kicking him. He hissed. I was across the room grabbing his hand to examine the scratches before I’d thought about it. Shallow cuts marred his muscular arm, leaking a minuscule amount of green blood. Kal’s scales must be tougher than my skin because Lucy’s claws were sharp.
