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“How did you—never mind. Thank you,” she said, taking the glass.
When she gestured toward the empty seat next to her on the sofa, Talon sat down, careful to keep his distance. She had implicit boundaries, and he was determined to respect them. That didn’t stop her aura from reaching out and wrapping around him. He immediately pushed aside his own desire for her when he sensed how ill she was through their connection.
She was sick and tired but refused to give in to the need to sleep. Part of that was pure stubbornness, which was something he understood. She was also glad to finally have a chance to speak to him privately. Since he also wanted to spend time alone with her, he couldn’t argue that point either. The last reason that kept her from giving in to her body’s need for sleep was a kind of punishment. She was deliberately pushing past her limits, willing herself to overcome what she saw as a weakness.
He didn’t like that. Not one damn bit.
“Drink the juice,” he urged. “Then, I’ll give you the next dose of your medication.”
Secret lifted the glass and took a tentative sniff at it before taking a sip. She nodded her approval, then drained the rest of the glass. “How long have we been traveling?”
“About twenty-six hours.”
Her eyes widened. “I’ve been asleep for a whole day?”
“Just about. Beta Station 4 is at the fuck-end of nowhere, but our ship has been upgraded by some Dragon Warriors I know. So, what would have taken weeks of travel will only take us a few days to get there. Do you suffer from space sickness every time you travel?”
“I never used to when I was young, but the last few times I was on a ship, I felt like this,” she admitted. “Is there anything I should be doing right now? There are probably plenty of duties that need to be taken care of on board. I can help with—”
“You need to rest.”
“I don’t expect a free ride.”
He frowned. “You think I expect payment for taking my keeper somewhere?”
“No. Of course not. I just—” She huffed out a breath. “Okay, I’m just going to be blunt.”
His lips twitched as he tried to hold back a smile. “Please do.”
“I know you’re my keeper, but I’m not ready for the full bond yet.”
Talon started to tease her to lighten the mood, then thought better of it. He didn’t want her to think he wasn’t taking what she said seriously. “I understand. We’ve only just met, so bonding would sort of be skipping a few steps. Besides, you’re sick. I’m not about to pounce on you when you can barely stay awake.” He held up the pressure syringe. “Roll up your sleeve. Time for your next dose.”
As her lips tightened, he thought her pout was fucking adorable. His gaze caressed her pale skin as she opted to jerk the shoulder of the tunic down to expose the top of her arm rather than raise her sleeve. He tried to be as gentle as possible as he released the medication into her arm, then he set the empty plunger down on the table.
“Now, you should go back to bed.”
“I will soon.” She studied him for a long moment, then blurted out, “Why are you so calm about all of this?”
“This?”
“Meeting me. Finding out we’re mates. Watching me kill someone. Take your pick.”
“Ah.” Going with complete honesty, he said, “I try to stay calm most of the time. I have to in order to maintain control over my own ability. You’re a seeker, right? Since I never heard you ask that Tarin any questions out loud back at the sanctuary, I’m guessing you probably read his mind. I’ve worked with seekers before, so I sort of understand how it works.”
“I’m not as powerful as other seekers. I can’t hear what someone is thinking or sense how they’re feeling. I only have access to their memories, and I have to touch them in order to see anything.” She raised a hand and glanced down at it. “That’s why I hate touching people and wear gloves most of the time, so only my fingertips are exposed.”
“I have a similar gift.”
Secret’s eyes lit up with interest. “Is it something you developed after you were enhanced as an elite?”
“I was born with the ability to see auras. But after I was enhanced, my gift changed. It’s sort of difficult to explain.”
Talon thought her seeker ability might be a blessing in disguise. He’d been worried about how to explain everything to her, but it would be much easier to simply show her. “I don’t want you to be afraid of what I can do. In order to help you understand, I think you should just see for yourself.” He lifted an arm and held it out. “Go ahead.”
She immediately recoiled, then let out a baffled laugh. “Just like that? You’re willing to just…show me everything?”
He shrugged. “Once we bond, you will have access to my mind anyway. I want to tell you everything so you know who you will be bonded with. My life has been…complicated. There are a lot of things that are difficult to explain. There are even some things I’m not sure I can describe with words. So, in order for you to understand, the best way to do that is for you to access my memories.”
