“Seth?”
“Camden and Pierce talked to me.”
I groaned, covering my eyes. I’d been avoiding them like the plague since I had finally made my decision. Out of everyone, they got what I’d been through, and I didn’t want to have to justify my reasoning.
“They’re concerned.”
“I’m fine,” I snapped, hugging myself. I wasn’t. Fuck. I was numb most of the time. I hated myself. I hated everything but Don.
He stared at me, then said, “Okay.”
When he stood, I asked, “Where are you going?”
“I promised to meet Kal. We’re going to the space station. Kal wants to help Don and Mindy with some of the preparations for us transferring to the station,” he answered.
I grabbed his hand. “You should stay on the ship.”
“Kal would never let anything happen to me.”
“Still.”
Seth tugged on me. “I’ll be fine. You can come if you want, but you don’t have to.”
On one hand, I’d feel better if I went with Seth because I could guarantee he came back. On the other, I wanted to stay right here in mine and Don’s room—where I was safe.
“We’ll stay together?” I asked.
“Of course.”
“Fine.”
The station was as busy as last time, but everything was different now. Every alien was more sinister and every shadow held a hidden threat. My eyes whipped back and forth, searching. Every noise or brushing pass of someone near me made me jump and sent my pulse skyrocketing. We’d only been on the station for maybe fifteen minutes, and I was desperate to return to my room.
It was a miracle Dontilvynsan hadn’t sensed me and come running.
Kal glanced at me for the umpteenth time. Maybe he was the reason Don wasn’t coming to get me. If he could sense me, he’dsense his little brother. When I showed up at their room, Kal had been upset about Seth inviting me to go along with them. He’d worried Don would be mad at him, which, to be fair, was possible, but it was my choice. And fuck Kal. If Don was angry, it was Kal’s problem, not mine.
I clutched Seth's hand tighter, ignoring the sweat that gathered on his palm. Kal held Seth’s other hand and one of his ankles with his tail. Between the two of us, Seth almost looked like a child. However, I didn’t want to let go of him. He was my lifeline, and I had to make sure he came back.
People pressed around us, making Seth draw closer to Kal, who murmured to him. The crowd itself didn’t bother me; it was the general threat they represented that upset me.
We wound through the busy space until we came to a small hallway. Kal opened the third door to the right, and I saw Serlotminden as well as a handful of other people sitting around the table. I looked for Don, but he wasn’t there. I was one part sad and two parts relieved. I was ninety-eight percent sure that me being here would piss him off. Not because he didn’t want to see me, but rather, because he was afraid of me getting upset.
Mindy’s eyes widened when he saw me and Seth. “Why did you bring him?”
Nope. Not Seth. Just me. Don’s brothers were pissed at me for leaving, and it seemed they didn’t want me around. Whatever. Fuck them all. I was protecting Don. They didn’t have to see that.
“Dontilvynsan will kill you if anything happens to him,” Mindy hissed. “Take him back, Pest. Now.”
So… he was afraid for Don.
“Vince made his decision to come. If Captain has a problem with it, he can come and take Vince back himself,” Kal replied calmly. “Besides, I would never let anything happen to Vince. Seth would never forgive me.”
Seth swatted his husband. “You would be upset too.”
Kal grunted.
I was with Kal. He didn’t care about me anymore than I cared about him—which was none at all. We only cared because Seth did.
