Broken

Epilogue: Part 5

"That's okay. I'm not a social person. I preferred the repair shop to actually flying. I love the birds, I do. But I am terrified of flying. Just like mum. So I didn't join the army. That and I'm a bit too short and I can't fire a gun to save my life. I am more of the creative fixing type." She looked so shy and timid as she said it that it made her all the more endearing. I had a soulmate who preferred to stay out of view, to tinker with things and leave the spotlight for others. I liked that, it was incredibly different from the power hungry women I had known before. "So yah, that's me. Just plain old-"

"Lacey-Emmaline DharSon!" At the booming voice she froze with a squeak, looking over her shoulder. I followed her gaze and it landed on a rather large man with a scar slashing down the side of his face, making him appear that much more severe and unapproachable. The infamous Rhex DharSon, the thought made my mouth twitch with amusement.

"Shit!" The curse was quickly spat out and she and I turned around. I could see the strained smile she put on her face.

"Where were you?" He moved towards us, pointing at Lacey, making her pull her shoulders back and set her jaw in what appeared to be defiance before she gave him one award winning smile.

"Showing him around." She pointed at me and I pulled my hands behind my back, holding my back straight and my shoulders back as his attention was immediately on me. His light green eyes were glinting hard as if he was searching for a lie.

"You." He swung his finger so it pointed at me and I fought back a smile. My little mate was a very big trouble maker. "Did you see her near the bays at all? Near the birds?" I shook my head.

"No, sir. I fell into a ditch near the tarmac and she graciously offered to show me to the closest bathroom so I could get cleaned up." I was lying through my teeth at the General of the Human-Orrian Integrated Army so my troublesome little mate wouldn't get in shit and I was enjoying it.

"He was lost, daddy. I just wanted to help." She somehow made her voice seem innocent and almost childlike. I was impressed. She was very good at the game she was getting ready to play.

"Why are you in this portion of the building, Lacey? And you do not get to lie to me." His expression was the perfect image of fatherly sternness as he crossed his arms over his chest.

She inhaled deeply before starting to gesture with her hands. "Well I was helping Ghilesh in the bonding room but then Aunty Ani came in and you know how she gets and she started pestering Ghilesh about letting her help him but because she is so big with the twins he was like no. But you know how she can be. Doesn't listen and always pestering. You would have thought being pregnant would have changed that, right, daddy?" She inhaled again before starting her rambling story again.

I knew the tactic she was using. I had used it myself as a child. Distraction, confusion, and deflection. Give the person too much information and ask enough questions that they forgot what it was they had been upset about all together.

"So they started arguing and I just went outside to get some air when I saw Keen here, fall into the ditch and I went over right away to make sure he was okay. Which he is, as you can clearly see, right daddy? Just a bit dirty from the tumble. So I offered to escort him to the bathroom but because I would get into trouble for being in the building, we were trying to avoid your grunts so I could get him safely to bathroom without delays so he could clean himself up. And then you caught us and-"

"I know what you are doing, Lacey." He raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying anything Lacey was attempting to do. I felt almost disappointed he hadn't fallen for it. It would have been amusing to see a five star General confused by his daughter. Although I was tensing up at the entire situation, I wasn't one for confrontations between parents and their children. I knew how those went.