Chapter 38
Chee
Well, that was embarrassing.
Chee didn’t mean to break down like that. The sheer relief, the overwhelming joy, it all came rushing at her so fast, it had to escape.
She cried. She sobbed like a baby. So hard, she didn’t even realize that Hyde had sent everyone from the room.
When she finally gathered herself enough to lift her head, the office was quiet but for the dropping of water and the gentle hum of electricity.
Sniffing, wiping at her wet face, she lifted her gaze to Hyde who was exactly where he was before, waiting for her.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, pushing herself to her feet. Her legs were shaking after so long on the floor, but she stayed up as she sniffed, looking around. “Where is everyone?”
“I sent them out. Trove was quite reluctant to leave, but I insisted. You seemed to need a moment.”
Chee nodded. Though she regretted that Trove wasn’t able to stay with her, she was grateful she had been given a chance to gather herself.
“I’ve also asked them to stay. I still need to offer them their new job.”
“They seemed reluctant to accept it.”
He laughed. “They do indeed. But they haven’t left yet.”
She sniffed again. “You changed your voice. You don’t sound like a male anymore.”
He changed it again, talking in a male voice like he had before.
“The cosmos sees my position as an androgenous one. And it behooves me to let them maintain that thought. My position is one that should not be biased by anything, including gender conformities. I also often negotiate and talk with non-Coalition species, and them not knowing or assuming anything about me works to my favor.”
“But… you are a male?”
He chuckled. “I’m certainly something.”
“I genuinely don’t know if you play the unknown, mysterious enigma for function or fun.”
“It can’t be both?”
Chee smiled, shaking her head. He was such a silly person. She didn’t know how people were intimidated by him. She had trouble even taking him seriously.
“I’m sorry I broke down.”
“Don’t be. This is a big moment. I’m happy for you.”
“How long…?”
“I already set everything up. So, it should only take a tenday or two.”
Chee let out a long, shuddered breath. She thought she had cried everything out already, but she had to resist the urge to break out into tears again. It was easier to do this time and, with a couple grounding breaths, she calmed herself back down.
“Thank you, Hyde.”
“No, thank you, Chee. You’ve done a greater service for me than you can imagine.”
She smiled. “Cool. Does that make us friends?”
He laughed. “A friend? I can’t remember the last time I had a friend.”
“All the more reason to have one now.”
“You’re precious. Yes. We are friends.”
Chee beamed, hands behind her back. “Yay. Thanks again, Hyde. Erm, where did Trove go?”
He paused for a moment before answering. “He’s returned to your room. The others are enjoying the facilities in the manor.”
She nodded. “Okay. I have to… I have to talk to him.”
“Yes, he did seem unhappy. You should probably explain.”
“Yeah. I’ll see you later, Hyde.”
Waving at him, she walked away and down the stairs.
She didn’t quite break into a jog, but she did walk quickly.
She knew this manor well. She’d explored it when she had been living here before, waiting for Hyde to send her out to meet up with the others.
The halls, though bright and beautiful and well decorated, felt empty.
The flowers were still being planted the last time she was here. She had seen a few things that were new outright. He was building this manor up. It had been pretty before, but it was like Hyde was preparing for something.
But that wasn’t for her to worry about. The only thing she was worried about was Trove and that look of angry betrayal on his face.
The room was dim again. Not just because the lights were off, but he’d had the curtains that covered the windows pulled. They were mostly shut. Only a single sliver of light continued to break through, and it cut across the center of the room.
It was like a wall between her and Trove when she stepped inside. He was on the other side of it, sitting in a chair, flipping through one of her books. He couldn’t read it since they were in English, but he was lazily turning the page. He didn’t look up at her when she came in.
The door shut, locking them in silence. Chee waited, giving him a chance to talk. To yell at her if he wanted. But he said nothing. And after a long minute of strained quiet, she swallowed nervously and started herself.
“I’m sorry.”
“What for?” He asked immediately, voice cold.
“For not telling you.”
He shut the book with a snap. She saw the glow of his eyes through the light as he looked at her. His expression was tight.
“You knew you were my mate. From the beginning.”
She nodded.
“Before you even met me.”
“Well, honestly, I wasn’t sure I believed it. Hyde told me that it was very likely, but there was a small chance he could be wrong. He was fairly certain though, so he was willing to bet on it.”
“You were willing to fuck me for payment.”
“No!” She declared immediately, hands closing into fists at her side. “That’s not what this is.”
“He sent you to me as a challenge. You mated me for a prize.”
“Technically, we aren’t mated yet,” she pointed out.
The growl from the chair told her that he didn’t care about the technicality. She had still lied to him and had built their relationship under false pretenses.
That reminder to herself made her let out a long breath, her hands relaxing again.
“I’m sorry. You’re right.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Well, in the beginning, I didn’t like you.
” She winced. “I’m sorry. But it is true.
When Hyde first told me about you all, he gave me information about everyone.
He said it wouldn’t be right sending me in without knowing the full truth.
And meeting you honestly didn’t make you seem any better.
You frequented prostitutes, you were careless.
The idea of us being a thing was ridiculous. ”
Trove growled, shoving himself to his feet. But he didn’t come towards her. He paced up and down on his side of the light beam.
“But that was before!” She said quickly, taking a step his way.
“I didn’t know who you were yet! I didn’t trust this whole mating thing.
I thought Hyde was sending me on some wild goose chase.
I thought this was all going to be a wash.
I thought he was wrong and nothing would happen so it wouldn’t matter.
And if it wasn’t happening, I wouldn’t want to get your hopes up or lie to you by telling you that we might be mates. ”
He just continued pacing. Chee followed him with her eyes, tracking as he stalked from one side of the room to the other. Understandably angry.
She genuinely hadn’t thought this would be real, that any of this would work, so what would telling him at the beginning accomplish?
But then when she realized it was real, that something was working…
Well, by then, it was just hard to bring up. And that was a terrible excuse, but she hadn’t thought to even try until it was too late and they were going to meet Hyde.
Biting her lip, fingers twisting together, she looked at the ground in shame.
“I’m sorry,” she said again, hating that she hurt him.