Page 31 of Reaper
Janelle nervously licked her lips, her eyes flicking from side to side as she pondered her next comment.
“They haven’t stated it in so many words,” she amended. “But I believe Brees was testing my response to that possibility. She really wants to go to Dreija, but she also wants to be like Stran. They all do. They want a place to call home, but they also want to travel, see the world, and fight evil.”
“Stran’s been filling their heads with tales of our missions, hasn’t he?” I asked with a soft chuckle.
“Every night!” she said, rolling her eyes in fake despair. “As you know, Creckels don’t need as much sleep as we do. Once every three or four days suffices for them. So, while they’re standing guard outside, he tells them about his life on Khepri, his epic battles with Doom, and how they are apparently the most unkillable pair in the Vanguard.”
I snorted and shook my head. “As much as it pains me to admit it, Doom is indeed the best Warrior among us. But I do enjoy knocking him down a notch or two whenever the opportunity arises,” I said with a fiendish smile.
“I thought you were the most impressive the other day, taking on two Zebiers at once, unlike the others,” my mate stated with a sincerity that had me swelling with pride again. “But my companions aren’t Stran. They do not have years of experience in battle. Their first fight was exciting because Stran played the bait and told them what to do. But Brees says Stran is going home to Dreija to maybe start a new family. They will get slaughtered if…”
“Do not fret, my darling,” I said when her voice trailed off, an almost maternal expression of worry on her delicate features. “If the modified Creckels decide to come to Khepri, we will see that they receive proper training before they’re exposed to danger. We’ve all been a little jealous of Doom’s friendship with Stran. He is the only Creckel left in the Vanguard. When he leaves, there will be no other. Just so you know, after that battle against the Zebiers, Doom and I have discussed how wonderful it would be for them to join our ranks. You should also know that Doom isn’t just our team leader, but also one of the leaders of the Vanguard.”
Normally, it wasn’t so simple to be welcomed into the Vanguard, but we already had a close history with the Creckels. In this instance, Reklig had also scanned their surface thoughts for signs of duplicity or uncontrolled aggression that could put the team or our homeworld in jeopardy. That had almost gotten him spanked by the modified Creckels for the intrusion. As Dragon and Xian Warrior, Doom and I also had the ability to read auras to get a sense of a person’s—in this case, a sentient being’s—moral suitability to join us. And my mate’s companions had passed with flying colors.
“And if they do choose to stay with us, we would be beyond grateful to have someone like you who not only has the most extensive knowledge in the medical care of Creckels but who also fluently speaks their language,” I continued, shamelessly laying down the arguments I’d been working on over the past couple of days to try and sway her to come to Khepri in case I failed to charm her quickly enough.
“I would love that,” she said almost timidly before chewing her bottom lip. “However, the Creckels need space to run and hunt. I would like to be close to them, but not sleep outside,” she added with a nervous laughter. “And I can’t be alone.”
My heart skipped a beat, not only upon hearing those words, but the way she had said them, her gaze boring into mine.
“You won’t be,” I said firmly.
“Because you will live with me?” she insisted.
“Yes,” I responded matter-of-factly.
“Because you want to or because you feel you have to?” she challenged.
I snorted, loving her bluntness and her strength. I had no use for a skittish female or one that made you jump through hoops to figure out what she wanted because she couldn’t speak her mind. Forcing her onto her back, I leaned over her, loving the way her golden hair fanned over my pillow and how vulnerable yet unafraid she looked.
“The only thing I ever do out of obligation are chores,” I said with intensity. “You, Janelle, are many things, but not a chore. I will live with you because there is nowhere else Iwantto live. You cannot begin to understand how important you are to me.”
Janelle’s eyes widened, and her mouth parted in shock before a shy but happy smile stretched her lips.
“You are very important to me, too,” my mate said. She hesitated, licked her lips nervously, then seemed to take a decision. “I know we’ve just met. You saved my life, which makes me eternally grateful. But I feel a bond with you like with none of the others who helped save us. It’s like I’ve always known you. You feel like home. You… You put the sun in my heart.”
The most adorable pink crept on her cheeks upon saying those last words. While it was endearing, her words were what mattered to me. I had wondered how long I should wait before properly courting her to make sure whatever she felt for me was genuine attraction and not just gratitude. Realizing she’d already reflected on the matter filled me with joy and further proved that despite her years in isolation, she had achieved proper mental maturity.
“I… I do not know the human courting rituals, only those of the Creckels,” Janelle continued, the redness of her cheeks cranking up another notch. “You exceed everything I ever hoped for in a mate. I was going to wait until I was more recovered before expressing my wish to claim you. I don’t have as much to offer as you do. I am damaged,” she said, her fingertips brushing over the port of her optical aid. “And I am—”
“Perfect,” I interrupted with a slightly angry tone. “Perfect is what you are. You do not have to try and convince me to be with you. I was yours before I ever even laid eyes on you.”
She frowned, understandably confused by that statement.
“We Dragons and Xian Warriors, know beyond any doubt the moment we meet our soulmate,” I said, still unable to believe I was finally blessed with my own. I took her hand and pressed it to my throat where my swollen mating glands were throbbing and torturing me. “The bump you feel right now is one of my mating glands. Only one single female in the entire universe could make them awaken.”
Janelle’s lips parted in awe. She stared at my neck while her thumb gently caressed the swelling. “Me?”
“Yes, my darling, you,” I responded softly. “I have searched for you my whole life. Don’t you ever say you have little to offer. Do you not realize how amazing you are to have survived all these years from such a young age, while caring for so many others? Do you know how many people would have lost their minds or taken their own lives in such circumstances? Not you, my mate. You are a fighter and a leader. When the Zebiers attacked, most civilians would have panicked. Not you. Not my beautiful Janelle. You kept your cool and helped us disable the trap. When Stran was losing his mind, you appeased him and got him to communicate rationally so that we could understand the situation. And then you assigned tasks with assurance and confidence that had us all jumping into action.”
“I didn’t mean to be bossy,” Janelle said sheepishly.
“You weren’t bossy, my darling. You were perfect. And you made me proud,” I said with sincerity. “So, back to your original question, I want to be with you wherever you choose to call home. For as long as I draw breath, everything that I am is yours.”
“And everything that I am is yours,” Janelle repeated, smiling although her eyes misted.
Unable to resist, I leaned down to kiss her, stopping only a hair’s breadth from her lips. My mate wrapped her arms around my neck and lifted her head to close the short distance. A bolt of fire exploded in the pit of my stomach. Breaking the kiss, I lifted my head to look at her. Her smile reassured me. I dove right back down, claiming what was mine.