Chapter 16
Linsea
Sitting on the couch, my legs folded to the side, I couldn’t stop laughing at my poor mate’s dismayed expression. Caught up in my own work, I’d returned home a little later than usual to find him pacing back and forth in the living room, his emotions all over the place.
“Seriously, Lin, a matchmaker?” he repeated for the hundredth time. “In the next couple of years, you will become a big shot ambassador for the UPO. And me? Can you imagine talking with some of the most influential people in the galaxy and then introducing them to your matchmaker husband?”
“Hey! Don’t be elitist!” I said with a frown.
He stopped pacing and turned to look at me with a slightly offended expression. “I’m not being elitist. But what about your image? You know how people in these upper circles get when they deem someone inferior.”
“First off, I’m not elitist either. And judgy people can fuck right off,” I said in a tone that brooked no argument.
“It doesn’t matter what career you end up doing.
Mean-spirited people will always find something to bully others over.
During my internship, I’ve seen how nasty some people got purely out of malice.
The real question is whether this is something you would like to do. ”
“Pairing soulmates while getting to hang out with countless primitive species under strict Prime Directive guidelines? Fuck yes, I would love that! But the odds of me ever making successful matches are next to nil,” he said, his broad shoulders slouching.
“The odds may be slim but not impossible,” I countered gently before extending a hand towards him.
He approached the couch and took my hand, allowing me to tug him closer.
Kayog settled down next to me, and I snuggled against him.
Maker, I would never tire of the wondrous feel of his body against mine, the possessiveness with which he wrapped his arm around me, and especially the incredible emotions that always emanated from him towards me.
Kayog literally adored me. I never imagined anyone could be this happy just being in my presence and passively make me feel worshipped like he did.
“No matter how many or few of them you manage to make, every pairing is a blessing. In the end, it is just a really fun cover for your real goal, which is to help define the Prime Directive guidelines and intergalactic policies regarding primitive species,” I said in a soothing tone.
He made the most adorable pouty expression that had me chuckling again and rubbing my temple against his.
“But I like excelling at everything I do,” he said in a slightly whiny voice. “Being content with only making a few matches isn’t up to my standards.”
“You silly male. Stop fretting so much. There’s no doubt in my mind that, against all odds, you will excel at this, too.”
He grunted in an indistinct fashion, still pouting and unconvinced. Kayog was unbearably cute.
“You know,” I said, sobering. “Colin is taking a huge leap of faith in you. The UPO is extremely picky when it comes to who gets to interact with primitive species. They did an incredibly thorough background check on you over the seven months that you were in stasis. Arafin has nothing but endless praises for you, which played a considerable part in tipping the scale.”
“Colin said as much,” Kayog mused aloud with a slight frown. “But it feels like too big of a leap of faith. After all, my emotions while getting examined only reveal a limited amount of information about who I truly am as a person.”
I hesitated, which immediately piqued his curiosity.
“What is it?”
“Arafin didn’t only assess you during your exams. The reason they enabled your circlet during the day was so that he and other Temern professionals could evaluate you in various circumstances.
Your emotions during the battle simulations were of major interest. You reveled in the power you now wield, but never once showed malicious or psychopathic tendencies. ”
The shock and wave of betrayal that surged within him struck me hard.
“They were spying on my emotions this whole time, and you knew?!” he exclaimed, outraged.
“Yes,” I replied calmly and slightly lifted my chin in defiance. “But it wasn’t in an official capacity. I suspected what was happening the moment you told me they blocked your empathic abilities during the day. A bit of investigating confirmed it.”
Although Kayog didn’t pull away from me, the way his body stiffened against mine and how his arm around me loosened seriously stung. Our empathic powers could be both a blessing and a curse.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked.
“Because there was no need to,” I said with conviction.
“In fact, warning you would have played against you. The Enforcers were testing your reactions. The giant screen in the room is a two-way mirror that allows others to observe your training and behavior. Arafin attended some of the simulations to confirm that you were indeed a protector. This is a standard procedure for anyone being considered for a high-ranking position.”
“But that still doesn’t explain why you didn’t tell me,” he insisted.
“Because you had to succeed on your own merit,” I said in a self-evident manner.
“I already knew you would pass with flying colors. However, telling you might have tainted your reactions. Once you knew you were being observed, there was a high chance you might alter your normal reactions to meet what you believed they wanted to see. And they would also feel that you weren’t being your candid self.
Now they got to see the true you, unrehearsed. And as expected, they loved you.”
He scrunched his face as he weighed my words, tension thankfully bleeding out of him.
“Fine,” he grumbled before giving me an uncertain look. “You really think I should do this?”
“Yes,” I replied with conviction and without hesitation.
“You honestly excel at everything you do, and I have no doubt you will exceed all expectations here as well. More importantly, you get to live your dream of interacting with primitive species, help people find happiness, and above all do it under your own terms. What more could you wish for.”
This time, I felt him let go of his last bit of resistance.
A part of me believed that most of his reluctance didn’t stem from his arguments about fearing not to get enough matches.
Kayog was an overachiever who loved a challenge.
There was a reason he had taken on canoe racing when possessing wings added an incredible level of extra difficulty.
And still he managed to be among the top-ranking athletes in that discipline.
He would rock his role as a matchmaker. It was fear of not living up to what he stupidly believed to be the right standard for being the partner of someone with my political ambitions.
For all his cockiness, my mate seriously lacked self-confidence at times. I would remind him every day just how perfect and amazing he was to me.
“So now you need to work on your plan for your dream matchmaking agency,” I mused aloud. “That means the rules to apply, the rules to follow once people have been paired, which resources the UPO must provide you to operate your business, from transportation, to housing, and marketing.”
“Ugh,” Kayog said, with a crestfallen expression. “That’s going to be a lot.”
I shrugged and gave him a taunting smile. “That’s fine. You have time. And you have me. I will happily review the rules you come up with and even help you brainstorm if you want.”
“That would be fantastic,” my mate said, beaming at me. “We’re really doing this?”
“We absolutely are,” I said with an excited grin.
Kayog snorted, and his eyes took on a faraway expression as he reminisced about something before refocusing on me.
“Mares will laugh his ass off when he hears this,” Kayog said.
I burst out laughing. “He most certainly will, and with good reason.”