Caged With The Alien Warrior

68.

Aanya

Not that I wasn't happy to see Ronan, but what the heck was he doing here?

Ronan looked me up and down, like he was searching for injuries with worry in his eyes. "I was told that you were walking the ship unaccompanied and had to come check on you."

Huh? He had to stop abandoning his duties to come and check in on me.

"I'm with Lorcan and Fox." I motioned at my two shadows. Well, I was with them now. I wasn't always with them. I did do my whole wandering around the ship solo thing. But in my defence, I didn't know that wasn't allowed.

Ronan sent me a knowing look and disappointed scowl at the two males. "But you were unaccompanied earlier."

"Okay, fine, I was. But that was only because I didn't know how to use my comm to see my daily schedule. Lorcan showed me how to, so now I know. Happy?" I gave him a wry smile.

"I guess," Ronan all but grumbled.

"Lorcan and Fox, you're on fresher duty next shift," Ronan told them, crossing his arms.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on." I held up my hands. "It was my fault, not theirs that I wasn't with them. I was the one that wandered off on my own. They shouldn't be punished for that."

"Lorcan and Fox should have informed me immediately when they didn't know where you were. Sloppy work like that is what gets people hurt," Ronan said seriously.

"But–" I started but Fox cut me off.

"We accept our punishment, Commander," he said, glancing at me. "He really could have chosen a worse assignment." Fox shuddered, clearly thinking of worse options than cleaning the freshers. Lorcan made a noise of agreement.

I grumbled to myself but didn't try and argue on their behalf.

I looked at Ronan, really looked at him. He stood tall with his formidable physique on display. His purple skin had that otherworldly luminescence that it always had, subtly reflecting the ambient light in a way that had become familiar to me.

His eyes, typically sharp and focused, betrayed a flicker of concern, reflecting the worry that had taken residence in his thoughts.

A pair of large, jet-black wings extended from his back, unfolding like a majestic cloak of darkness. They reflected an eerie but captivating array of colours when the light touched them.

His wings, normally a symbol of strength and prowess, now hung slightly lower, their majestic span appearing almost weighed down by the burden of his anxieties.

Ronan's typically confident posture was softened. His sharp features bore a subtle furrow on his forehead, and his usually steady gaze occasionally glanced into the distance, searching for reassurance.

His usually imposing silhouette carried an air of vulnerability, as if the weight of the universe momentarily rested on his shoulders.

I pulled Ronan away and moved farther away from Lorcan and Fox but they could probably still hear our conversation.

Ronan had to know that the weight of the world wasn't on him. He wasn't in this alone and I wasn't helpless.

Lani cooed up at Ronan, babbling in her baby language. Ronan's eyes softened on her.

My heart melted a bit at the two of them before I steeled myself.

I spoke quietly. "Ronan, I appreciate the concern, but you don't need to worry so much about me. I'm fine. We're fine." I motioned at both me and Lani.

"You're fine because Lorcan and Fox are with you. Protecting you," he clarified.

I sighed. "I don't need two whole bodyguards. Who's going to hurt me on this ship?" I raised a brow. Everyone seemed nice and professional. "You're being a bit overprotective."

"Aanya, you can't protect yourself so I need to be overprotective," he said vehemently. "What would you do if someone attacked you?"

It was my turn to frown. What would I do? "Well, on Earth I would have pepper sprayed them. Don't have pepper spray here." I chewed my bottom lip, thinking. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in my brain. "So, your big concern is me not knowing how to protect myself, right?"

"Yes." Ronan nodded emphatically. "You are defenceless, both you and Lani. You need guards to protect you."

I gave Ronan a sly look. "But, what if I learned to protect myself? To fight."

"You want to learn how to fight?" Ronan stared at me, gobsmacked.

I nodded with a determined glint in my eye. "Yup."

And I wouldn't be taking no for an answer. 

✶ ☾ ✶

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Soooo Aanya wants to learn how to fight!! Whaddya think Ronan's gonna say? 

Do you have any exciting weekend plans? I want to curl up with a good book. 

Comments and votes are much appreciated.

Virtually yours,

Ro