Page 50 of Galactic Sentinels: Vol 2
“Hey, sweetheart,” he says, pulling me into a warm hug. "I left the moment I got your message.”
“Oh, Logan, I’m so glad you came!” I whisper, my voice trembling.
“There, there. I’m here now. Everything’s going to be okay,” he says soothingly.
But his words do nothing to hold back the tidal wave rising inside me. The moment he wraps his arms around me, I break down in tears. Big, silent sobs rock my body as Logan gently holds me, trying to calm the storm inside me.
He doesn’t speak. He just holds me tight, offering a haven of comfort in a world that’s been feeling anything but safe. Hissteady breathing anchors me, helping me slowly pull myself back together.
“I’m here, sweetheart,” he whispers tenderly. “You’re not alone anymore.”
I inhale deeply, trying to choke back the sobs still wracking my chest. Logan waits patiently, his presence steady and grounding, giving me the strength to face the grief I’ve been holding in for so long.
“Thank you,” I finally manage, my voice shaky but sincere.
He looks at me with emotion, his eyes full of understanding. He knows words can’t always fix things, but his being here—that alone is healing.
After a few moments, I gently step back and wipe my tear-streaked cheeks. We sit in silence, just soaking in the calm after everything that’s happened.
“You came alone?” I finally ask, breaking the quiet.
“Hmm, yeah,” he replies, sounding a little sheepish. “I left Jason back on BN-22, at headquarters.”
Was he worried I might try something with his new partner after everything that happened with Ayden? It’s been five Polar years since I last saw him, and honestly, I doubt he’ll ever set foot on Gekkaria again.
“You were afraid to bring him here?” I tease lightly.
“I… I’m sorry,” he says.
“Sorry? What for?”
“I fought him that day. Or maybe I should say… I beat him.”
I stare at my brother, stunned by the confession. He looks away, his eyes fixed on the small window of the wooden hut where I mix my potions. His face is serious, tense.
“I don’t understand,” I say quietly.
“That morning, Ayden came to tell me that you two had kissed. Just the thought that he put his hands on my little sister—I lost it. He didn’t fight back. He admitted nothing could happen between you. Not someone like him. Not someone like me. Not with someone like you. So he left. Said he was going to request a new partner. Told me that if he ever came back, he wouldn’t be able to resist you. And I watched him go… without stopping him.”
I stare at my brother, disbelief washing over me. For five long years, I thought I had driven Ayden away. Five years thinking I had scared him off, that I wasn’t good enough for him. That I’d disappointed him.
“You knew… all this time!” I accuse.
“If you mean did I know about your mutual attraction—yes, absolutely. But I still believe that, back then, nothing could have come of it. You were like an herBoorilte living on an independent planet, and he was part of an elite unit in the Confederation. No matter what you two felt, it was reckless and ill-timed.”
“You don’t get to decide that for me!” I snap, a deep ache rising at the thought of what we could’ve been.
“I know. And I’m sorry,” he says softly. “Maybe if you’d come with me to BN-22, things would’ve been different. You wouldn’t have had to face all the fallout from Dad’s shady dealings alone.”
I close my eyes, letting the silence settle as I try to absorb his words. I think of what might have been. If I’d had the choice, would I have followed Ayden? Would he even have asked me? Or was I just one of many left behind on distant worlds, wondering if he’d ever return?
“It doesn’t matter now. That was a long time ago,” I finally say, pushing away the guilt I see etched on Logan’s face. “No use crying over what-ifs and regrets. And if I remember right, you did offer back then, and I was the one who said no. I was too scared to leave and just kept hiding with the Gekkaris, too afraid to imagine another life.”
“And now?”
“Now… I know it’s time to move forward. I can always come back here if I need to. The Gekkaris are kind and generous, just like they were with Mom. But I’m not eleven anymore. I’m not even eighteen. I’m twenty-three. And my future isn’t here—cut off from the rest of my kind. Especially not in a colony that’s fallen under Felone’s grip. This place… it’s no longer home.”
“I passed your message along to Akifumi—he’s our commanding officer now.”
