CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

 

 

- Brittney

TWO WEEKS LATER

“Don’t overdo it” I’d recognize Brock’s voice anywhere, and sure enough, I look up to see his reflection where he stands behind me. His hands hover at my hips as if he can’t decide whether to grab me or not. Sure, I was teetering a bit, but I’m not really that unstable.

I’ve been feeling better and better. I like the long walks around the Discovery. I bet I know it better than anyone else by now.

My body is feeling great too. There’s no doubt that the nano technology that the Quasar people have in their bloodstream has been doing it’s magic in mine as well. It’s amazing how fast I started to feel better. Of course, I’m lucky because Brock lives and works in the medical center area, so we can perform a medical scan on me quite regularly.

The consistent walks I’ve been taking everyday, down the long, sometimes seemingly endless halls, have really made a difference in my mobility and endurance. The only bad thing is they don’t have railings down the length of the halls. That’s why I’m here today, in Karen’s gym while she leads a group through some Aikido moves.

As Brock and I discussed, he’s spent the last couple weeks training and practicing with different weapons along with Matthias and Selas. The entire circumference of the room has chair rail just the perfect height for me to perform my stretching. I usually come first thing in the morning, but today Brock convinced me to come with him during a prearranged training time.

Looking at Brock over my head in the mirror, I smirk. “Define ‘overdo it’.” He gives an exasperated sigh as his hands finally settle on my hips after all.

“I don’t know. Don’t hurt yourself?” Turning in his arms, I let him pick me up as I wrap my legs around him. Resting my back lightly on the mirror behind me, his lips meet mine for a brief kiss before he pulls back, his forehead still resting against mine.

The moment is interrupted as the door to my left slides open and two women enter the room. I vaguely recognize them. I don’t know everyone by name at this point, but there have been enough meetings, set up by Beth and Shelly. I bet I’ve talked to everyone at least once. I’m not super nosy or pushy. I figure everyone will volunteer information eventually. Like what kind of genetic disease they’ve been dealing with or who their mate is.

“Everyone, can I have your attention, please?” Bren’s commanding voice gets everyone’s attention who didn’t notice the door opening. We pause to look at him and the women he’s arriving with. As the doors are about to slide shut, Hannah pops through.

Spinning in a circle, her eyes catch mine, and she waves with a smile.

“This is Tara and April. I don’t know how many of you already know them, but only two females are on board with mating marks whose mates are not on the Discovery.” Silence descends on the room as what he just said sinks in. In all the times I’ve had calm, casual conversations with them, they’ve always been together. It never dawned on me that they didn’t have mates on board.

“Really? So… Do we know where their mates are?” Selas states what we’re all wondering. How could this have been so hush-hush?

Bren turns to look at Selas. “Yes actually, we do. According to Janette and Sol, these females have mates on Quasar. They’re pivotal to our success on the planet according to the Ashen. And of course, that’s all we know.”

Brock drops me to the floor gently. As my feet touch down, he throws his hands on his hips. “Of course.”

I feel the same way. Everything seems so unknown. From what Brock’s told me, the main plan is to get down to the planet Quasar and meet up with Chevepak. He’s been working at one of the sanctuaries near his home for years, but now he’s working with Matthias and the local underground group that helps abused males. That’s where they’re going.

My gaze turns to Matthias, who’s walking toward Bren and holding his hand out to Tara. As she takes his hand into a quick handshake, I notice he doesn’t look surprised. While they exchange niceties, I realize that even though this is the first time he’s been formally introduced to them, he and Bren have already discussed this and must know how they’re going to make this work.

Brock tugs me forward as he moves toward them. “So, now in addition to Selas, Matthias, Karen and I, we’re taking these two women? No offense ladies.” He turns to them with an apologetic smile.

I happen to know what he’s thinking. He’s already super stressed out about this. Now, they’re adding into the mix some women that he doesn’t know? What if they can’t keep up? What if one of them has a panic attack and blows their cover? There are just so many variables and things that could go wrong.

“Yes, we may not fully understand, but so far the Ashen have been invaluable, not only with what they’ve done technologically for us on board, but with everything they’ve shared that has pointed us in the right direction to deal with our home world. If they say that these females need to go with us — they need to go with us.”

Were already all nodding our heads. Of course. I don’t think Brock is questioning the decision, it’s just his way of processing a change. Stating the obvious.

“According to what the Janette and the Ashen shared with me, my mate will know the best way to handle sharing the Accord with all the people on the planet of Quasar.” I recognize April right away. She was one of the most outspoken at Shelly’s first meeting when she was pushing for the men here on the Discovery to treat us all as “equals” and share all the information they know. That was a couple weeks ago, when she led us to the View Room.

April’s just as striking as I remember with her dark skin and commanding presence. She swings her head to look at Tara, flipping a multitude of tiny braids that she’s braided into one large pony tail over her shoulder. “Tara has less information on her mate, but she’s been told that he’s pivotal to making sure that everyone involved on the planet is exposed.”

Tara simply drops her eyes and looks at the floor with a placid expression. I’ve never met anyone who looks more like Disney’s Jasmine from the movie Aladdin in person. She’s beautiful in a classic way.

“Well, that settles it. It’s not a big deal. Even though we’re going in a small spacecraft, there’s only seven of us.” Brock’s looking at each of them in the circle.

“Seven?” Susan speaks up for the first time, and I wonder the same thing. I knew about Brock, Selas, Karen and Matthis. If they’re adding Tara and April, wouldn’t that be six?

Matthias puts his arm around her as he answers for the group. “Vekel.”

“Why?” Susan’s voice is as surprised as I am. “He’s our one source of information. Is that a good idea?”

I was thinking he’s more of a loose cannon. Since they moved him out of the medical bay in the last week, he’s been under constant supervision. Not that he’s done anything remotely wrong. If anything, he acts super sorry and guilty according to what I’ve heard. And he’s not specially trained or anything.

Dammit! If only I was further along in my healing. I’d love to be involved in something like this. Brock must sense my disappointment as he slides his arm around me.

“He wants to go.” Matthias’s tone leaves no room for arguing as he explains what’s been decided to Susan. Bren’s nodding his agreement behind him. “Vekel may be able to expose collaborators at the Sanctuary of the Sacred Mother where he lived. It’s worth a try, and Chevepak will be able to facilitate that on the planet.”

Looking up at Brock, his eyes are on Matthias, betraying nothing of the way he feels. I can tell he’s not super happy. In his mind, the more females—and now Vekel—that are with them, the more liabilities. He feels responsible enough for everyone as it is.

He shouldn’t feel that way, of course. But it’s just part of how Brock is. Forcing a smile back on his face, he nods his head slowly before looking down at me and turning my body flush with his, ignoring everyone’s continued conversation around us. “I can tell you’re wishing you were going.”

Instead of answering, I slide my hands up his chest circling his neck to tug him toward me. “Yes, I wish I was going. But, I know that would really stress you out too.”

“You know me so well.” Everyone who overhears laughs, and Brock throws a dirty look at them as he swings me into his arms and heads out the door. Calling over his shoulder, “Let me know what the plan is… later.” He heads directly for the medical bay, but instead of stopping, he tosses a quick hello and nod to Atticus and Ashlyn, who are in front of the computer at the intake desk. Passing a flippant wave at Ashlyn, I’m not surprised when Brock continues directly to our room.