Page 41 of Reaper
“My mother’s computer was turned on and displaying some of her very old files from the early research on the Creckels,” I said with a frown. “Reaper had turned it off after he and Madeline had made a backup of her files. No one has reopened it since. Terrence was definitely snooping. But why? What could he possibly do with that knowledge?”
“Some people are merely too curious for their own good,” Jessica replied in a fatalistic tone. “But that is not your concern. Right now, I want you to go back to your quarters, and take a long, hot, relaxing bath. I’m going to have Reaper bring you a meal, including a small piece of steak.” She chuckled when my jaw dropped and my eyes all but popped out of my head. “You deserve it. And when you’re done, sweet talk him into giving you a massage. It will do you good.”
“I fully agree with your proposed treatment, doctor. I obey at once,” I said with a grin, then left the Infirmary.
The short way to Reaper’s quarters—that I now shared with him—felt endless. I couldn’t recall ever feeling this bone weary, although the weakness matched the one I’d experience from starvation. To my shock, the door opened onto a room with dimmed light, and a soothing music playing softly. A delicious, not quite flowery scent emitted by a series of candles burning on the dresser and nightstands permeated the room, putting me instantly into a relaxed state.
The sound of water lured me to the hygiene room. Before I could reach it, the door opened, revealing a naked Reaper—his loin plate closed—standing with a hand extended towards me. I took it, and he drew me into his embrace before capturing my lips. I melted against him, letting his love and strength infuse me. As much as I loved his usual passion, this time, I was grateful for the simple tenderness of his kiss and embrace.
I didn’t know if Jessica had reached out to him already. But even if she had, my Reaper had already beat her to the idea. He wouldn’t have been able to set any of this up in the short time it took me to get here.
Breaking the kiss, Reaper released me just long enough to strip me of my clothes before leading me to the large tub almost full of warm, bubbly water. He turned off the faucet, helped me in, and then got in behind me. I moaned as I sat down in the blessed heat before resting my back against my man’s muscular chest. Reaper purred with content while wrapping his arm around me. He nuzzled my nape and tightened his embrace. We remained like this, savoring this moment of tenderness for a few seconds or an eternity, I couldn’t tell. It didn’t matter. I was home, safe, in the arms of my soulmate.
Reaper eventually released me and took a sponge to slowly wash my body. It was my turn to purr.
“I love when you take care of me like this,” I said, feeling silly that my throat should tighten with emotion. “It makes me feel precious.”
“Because you are, my love. You’re my soulmate,” Reaper said with fervor. “It is good that you enjoy it. I intend to take care of you for the rest of our days.”
I purred again and snuggled against him, impeding his efforts to wash me, but I didn’t care. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“As are you, my love,” he responded. “You made me so proud earlier, the way you once again took charge. Everyone is in awe of you.”
A warm, fuzzy feeling blossomed in my heart and spread outwards. “Thank you, but I was only so bold because you and Doom were holding Terrence,” I confessed. “Without you there, I doubt I would have had the courage to come near that membrane. It had been stalking us for so long.”
“That’s what it means to be part of the Vanguard,” he said in a soft voice. “We trust each other, rely on each other, and give each other the strength to do things we would otherwise find extremely daunting.”
“I see that,” I replied with a sliver of envy. “I love how close you all are. But…”
“But?” he asked when my voice trailed off.
I hesitated, not really wanting to take this pleasant moment onto a darker path. “But I was wondering about Terrence. He was doing shady stuff, right?” I asked. “What’s going to happen to him?”
“What makes you think he was doing shady stuff?” Reaper asked, ignoring my questions.
“The computer was on,” I replied.
Reaper nodded slowly. “You are correct. He was doing shady stuff, but even more than just snooping in your computer,” Reaper conceded.
He then explained what had transpired aboard The Albatross, the samples they had recovered, and the disturbing amount of data Madeline had found both on the data key removed from my mother’s computer and from Terrence’s own laptop.
“Based on the dates of the files on his computer, Terrence has been stealing data for a year. He began when we invited the Coalition to Khepri to begin the special training with the Scelks before our final war against the Kryptids,” Reaper said with a frown. “Whatever Terrence was up to, he’s been planning this for a while. I suspect he’s not working alone either.”
I could barely repress the anger that sparked inside of me. Too many innocents had died creating that thrice damned research, including both my parents. The last thing we needed were wretches like Terrence trying to use it to cause more harm.
“I don’t like those four humans,” I said with disgust. “I didn’t like them from the moment they arrived. With Creckels, there’s no treachery like this. They are honest, no matter how painful a truth is. Are the humans on Khepri like those men, too?”
“No!” Reaper said forcefully, tension slipping into his voice. “Every species has bad people. Well, maybe except for the Creckels,” he added with a nervous laughter. “But they are a minority. This is especially true on Khepri. We are extremely picky as to who gets to join the Vanguard. Everyone in the Vanguard is pretty much like the people of this team. Sure, we have different personalities, and some people get along better than others. But it is not a viper’s den. You would be very happy living on Khepri with me. You would love our people.”
It was the first time Reaper had stated it so bluntly. He’d been dancing around the topic a lot over the past couple of days. I was still torn about whether to go to Khepri or settling on Dreija with the Creckels. Reaper had sworn he would follow me wherever I went. But forcing him to leave everyone he loved and everything he knew to live with me on a wild planet seemed very selfish of me.
And yet, Dreija held an undeniable appeal of peace, safety, and the comfort of familiarity. Khepri embodied the unknown. And now, it awakened the fear of more people like Terrence. Despite the hardships the Creckels and I had endured in this base, in the end, our lives had been extremely sheltered. The real world terrified me.
“Maybe. I want to believe it,” I said cautiously.
“Definitely,” Reaper said with confidence. “Come, let’s get you dry, dressed, and then fed. Jessica is demanding to know why your meal is still sitting on a heated hover tray in the cafeteria.”
I chuckled. “She may look gentle and delicate compared to you, but she’s a dragon.”