The way Marne looks around says he doesn’t trust the masses of other alien males and females not to attack. “This is a nightmare place.”
“That’s only because you don’t like relaxing,” I mutter flopping down on my bed.
“And you do?” He shakes his head. “Go clean up. I’ll get your uniform ready.”
He leans against the wall while I shower and change. When I’m out again, he adds, “Lieutennant called.”
“I know.”
“Mindor doesn’t support cross-breeding with that species.”
I turn to him. “Like they’d give less of a fuck if I just walked away from her now. They won’t. So the high council can all go fuck themselves.”
A slow smile eases across Marne’s face. “Finally. Where the fuck have you been, man?”
“Treading carefully because I wanted Tessi to be welcomed. But now that my Shifter is quiet, I can think clearly without the hormones blurring reality. They aren’t going to accept us. Only Viriden seems to give a shit, and he still says no mating. I’ve been rejected from a pack we shouldn’t have belonged to ever in the first place. Jezza should’ve left and come with us, but she made Azrim soft. And I wanted him to be happy. But at this point, I think it’s long past time we start over. Completely. Let the Lunas have their world. Let them learn to protect it.”
“Leave Mindor behind?” he asks.
“We have enough ships to start a small pack in the stars. We need distance between us since we can’t seem to stop going at each other’s throats.”
Marne considers it as he smooths his hair in the mirror and brushes off his armor. “We’re going to need a few more ships for families.”
“I know. I’m still working on that.” I exit into the hallway and start toward Tessi’s room.
“Esrynne is going to bring her to us.” Marne steps in my way and motions me toward the upper dining hall.
“Is anyone else with them?”
“Onidus remained behind. He is Tessi’s assigned Isonian representative.”
“Do you trust Esrynne to be gentle with Tessi?” I ask in doubt.
Marne chuckles. “No. But I trust her to arm your mate so she can protect herself.”
“From me?”
He gives me a knowing look. “Not your best moment. But Tessi is fine. Your earcom is not.”
Marne hands me a new one.
I feel a little better about the situation as we step into the upper level dining hall that overlooks the Lunar complex, and I tap the earcom into place. I find an empty table, walk to it and stand beside the table. “You’re sure she’ll come?”
Marne posts up behind me against the wall between the windows. “Esrynne promised she would. She knows Tessi could change the war. She’ll protect her with her life. You know that.”
I look down at the polished boots of my uniform.
“How are you feeling?” Marne asks.
“Calm. Like myself. How did you know that would work?”
Marne tucks his hands behind his hips and crosses his ankles. “You think it’s my first experience?”
“No.”
He nods. “There was a Shifter once. She was beautiful like Tessi. But she chose her pack over me in the end. And I couldn’t blame her. It’s a lot to ask a female to leave behind everything she knows to start a new life as messed up as ours.”
I realize I may not have considered this with Tessi simply because she joined ABR, so I assumed she was okay with it.
