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Utter distraction.

I stepped into my room, sore even though Doctor Muznim had helped promote healing and fixed my cracked ribs.

I couldn’t believe I let Ensign Gogvon kick me in the stomach, but I’d been distracted.

Vince’s thoughts wouldn’t leave mine. It didn’t matter if he’d been across the room or not.

It had been as if he was whispering in my ear.

He’d been distracted by Seth and his ability to fight, as well as tinged with jealousy.

Vince wanted to ensure by his own two hands that no one would ever hurt him again.

Then he’d begun to think of the three of them being in a triad.

While many species had multiple partners, drakcol did not.

Our single mate bond made such a thing difficult.

Before a drakcol formed a mate bond, it wasn’t uncommon to have multiple partners.

But as far as mate bonds went, either a drakcol sought the Crystal for their soulmate and was bound to someone, or they fell in love and the bond formed naturally—bound or chosen mates were the only ones in existence for us.

On Tamkolvanloknol, a single triad existed who were all mated to each other, but they were the first in our recorded history.

I knew my brother well enough to know Kalvoxrencol would never wish for such an arrangement. He would never be alright with Seth fucking someone else—it would break his soul—nor would he desire another person besides Seth.

Once we formed a mated bond, it was impossible for us to want or desire anyone other than our mate. Seth was it for Kalvoxrencol; there would be no others.

But none of that was what had caused my distraction to the point I’d allowed an ensign to send me to the floor.

I growled as I ripped a hand through my hair, my tail lashing and my wings flaring.

Vince was actually considering offering himself to Kalvoxrencol.

He’d allow my brother to fuck him to have Seth.

If I thought for even a moment that Kalvoxrencol would accept him, I wouldn’t have been able to leave the training room, to leave Vince with a competitor.

I sat abruptly when my knees trembled, losing the ability to support my weight.

Why? Why did it bother me? Vince didn’t mean anything to me.

He was a human that we’d rescued and would escort home.

Nothing more. Him contemplating a physical relationship with my brother shouldn’t bother me.

There was no competition. I wasn’t and never had been jealous of nor bothered by Kalvoxrencol’s relationships before.

Why did the mere possibility of this one upset me?

I feared I didn’t want to know the answer.

My eyes closed as I took a steadying breath to try and regain my calm, but it didn’t want to come. Giving up, I limped to the shower and washed off the sweat and frustration. Once clean, I donned my uniform and headed back to Command.

When I entered Command, Bimwoxcol said, “Captain entering.”

Everyone faced me.

“Return,” I ordered, and everyone went back to their duties. “Report.”

Bimwoxcol started to update me on a few new problems with the ship.

Nothing too alarming, though our long-range communications and sensors were fluctuating a bit more than usual.

It was possible we needed to replace some parts or a few nodes.

I made a note of it, then continued to my seat at the front of Command, wincing when my ribs compressed.

Hopefully, I wouldn’t be sore for more than a few days.

I flicked through the reports that had been submitted from the different departments.

I flagged the important ones to review and respond when I went back to my office, then I started working on system functions while keeping an eye on the long-range sensors.

They were still functional, but without them we’d be flying blind; also I needed to be aware of what was around my ship.

It didn’t matter that we were in Coalition Space, which was relatively safe; I refused to take that assumption as law.

Besides, staying focused on my duties kept my mind from Vince, which I desperately needed.

The small human was taking up more and more of my focus, and it unnerved me to say the least, but more importantly, he was stealing my attention from where it needed to be.

I took a deep breath, then shoved Vince from my thoughts.

An agonized scream made me leap out of bed.

I was on my feet and out the door before I’d consciously thought about it.

My bare feet dug into the soft moss and my hair hung around my broad shoulders as I panted, chest heaving.

I forced myself to stop and search my mind for the origin, though deep down I knew where it came from.

Vince’s terror spiked as fuzzy memories raced across my mind. It was another nightmare.

I hesitated. He hadn’t asked for my help tonight.

If he didn’t want it, I shouldn’t impose it on him simply because it disturbed my sleep.

Of course, I hadn’t suggested it, still oddly hurt by Vince contemplating offering himself to Kalvoxrencol.

I started to turn around, shoving a hand in my hair, when another sharp jolt of terror washed through me.

My hands fisted as I fought the instinct to protect Vince for a single beat of my soul, then I was racing down the hall toward him. I overrode the lock on his door and slipped inside.

He was in the center of the bed, thrashing. The sheets were twisted around his thin waist and sweat covered his bare chest. I was across the room in two steps and beside him. I wanted to crawl onto the bed and draw him close, but that would be a mistake.

Instead, I gently brushed his cheek.

Vince struck my hand away and his eyes snapped open, wide and unseeing. “No. No!” he screamed, trying to get away from me.

“It’s me. It’s me,” I repeated over his cries. I caught his face in my hands so he would look at me. His deep brown eyes landed on me as he panted, writhing. I repeated, “It’s me, Little Warrior.”

His breathing began to slow.

“No one will ever touch you again without your permission. Not ever.”

“Promise,” he demanded, voice breaking.

“I promise.” If he stayed, I’d protect him for the rest of his life. If he went home, I would ensure he was placed in a safe situation on Earth. Nothing would ever happen to Vince that he didn’t want if it was within my power to prevent.

Vince grabbed my hand. I almost drew away from the alluring softness of his skin, but he pulled me closer and took several deep breaths. “I woke you.”

My thumb slid across his silky cheek without permission.

Vince released a long gust of air that swirled over my scales.

Trembling, I continued to stroke his face as Vince simply breathed.

His thoughts were calming, and I hadn’t used my inner fire once.

He didn’t mind me holding him, and I believed he wished me to continue, though it was difficult for me to ascertain with his muddled thoughts.

An instinct tugged at me to lie on the bed and hold him against my chest, but I forced myself to remain crouched where I was. My tail did not listen. It slithered across the blanket and coiled around his slim wrist. I was about to uncurl it from him, but Vince grabbed it.

A jolt went up my spine from the contact, sending the most wondrous shocks of electricity through me.

Drakcol tails were extremely sensitive, and I loved mine being touched.

Vince kept a firm grip on it as his eyes fell closed.

He started to settle, and I hummed gently in the back of my throat and smoothed my thumb over his pale cheek.

He continued to calm until he was limp on the bed and waves of sleep began to draw him under.

Vince hadn’t needed my gift. He’d simply needed me.

“Stay,” he ordered in a firm voice despite the tiredness clouding his mind. “Please,” he added belatedly. The request was soft and hesitant. He thought I would abandon him.

My soul pounded against my ribs, and my eyes never left him. “I will stay as long as you want me to.”

Fuck, I’m tired , was my first thought as I opened my eyes. My room was as light as usual, without a single shadow to mar it, just how I liked. The window over my bed depicted nothing but black space and distant stars. I looked away from that small glimpse. That never-ending darkness bothered me.

The nightmares had plagued me badly last night. Endless stretches of darkness. People hurting me, pushing me down. My stomach eating itself. The fiery burn of the incinerator as Teddy and me had chucked a body into it.

I dragged a hand down my face. Sleep had been impossible.

Of course, I could’ve asked Don for help, but I hadn’t, because he’d been injured and I didn’t want to bother him.

I blinked as a blurry memory surfaced. Had he come last night? I almost remembered him being there. Hovering over me. Holding me. Humming to me. Soothing me. Was that real or a dream?

I shifted and something warm slid from my face and landed onto my chest. With my pulse elevating and a cold sweat gathering between my shoulder blades, I looked at the massive hand covered in black scales.

I followed the muscular arm to the broad shoulder to Don, who was sitting next to my bed, head against the mattress. He was completely passed out.

I tensed in preparation for the panic or fear or disgust, and nothing happened. Don was still there, and I wasn’t freaking out. His royal purple hair hung around him in soft waves. His broad shoulders and his wide face were relaxed as his eyes flicked behind their lids.

Had he come to help me and fallen asleep? It was possible.

His presence wasn’t freaking me out. Why wasn’t it bothering me? I should be screaming, shoving him, swearing up a storm as a panic attack threatened to overtake me.

I smothered a laugh when I realized why I wasn’t doing any of those things. I trusted him. I trusted he wouldn’t hurt me. God, I was fucking stupid. Don could change in a second. People did that.

But while I wasn’t panicking and he was unconscious, I could try and work through some issues, maybe. If I was even going to try to be a third to Kal and Seth, I was going to have to get over… everything.

Fuck, I was a man. I just needed to sock myself in the dick and move on. Why was I letting this shit bother me so much? I could’ve fought harder, and I hadn’t. I needed to push through it and sideline these issues.

Though working out said issues on Kalvoxrencol’s older brother was weird and creepy as hell—and he hadn’t consented for me to touch him.

I didn’t want to be that person. No, I refused to be that person.

I would never take advantage or hurt someone like…

I shook my head. I simply wouldn’t. I was an asshole, but I wasn’t a dick.

Besides, Don was nice. Truly nice. He deserved the best. He deserved everything. Not someone who screamed at the ghosts in his head or the nightmares that wouldn’t stop.

Forcing everything away, I grabbed his hand and pulled it over my heart, and scooted closer.

His breathing didn’t change, but the closer I got, the harsher mine became.

My body screamed at me to move away, but at the same time, I wanted to move closer.

I wanted to feel his scales beneath my fingers.

I wanted to see his deep green eyes as my name fell from his lips.

What was it about this man?

When I reached the edge of the bed, less than a handbreadth from him, I lifted his hand to my face and pressed his wide palm against my cheek.

I should be afraid of his claws nicking me or him smacking me, but I wasn’t.

I just wanted to keep him beside me. Some part of me was convinced that if Don stayed right next to my side, everything would work out.

I snuggled closer until my head bumped his and kept his hand on my cheek. I closed my eyes and breathed.

I had never felt safer in my entire life.