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“Oh, you soon get used to it,” says Elyzin from beside me. “Unlike this idiot, who’s still being a baby about it.”
I want to punch him.
Her eyes flick to Elyzin, and something guarded flashes across them. Good, the lady has sense at least.
“It’s my first day,” she says to me. “I’m heading in the right direction for the Sornel Wing, aren’t I?”
“Yes,” I reply. “That’s where I’m stationed. Come on, I’ll show you.”
“Thank you,” she says, her perfect bow-shaped lips smiling at me.
“You want to be careful with this one, Miss, he’ll lead you into a broom closet,” Elyzin says with a fake laugh.
She looks him up and down. “I’m sure he’ll never lead me the wrong way,” she replies cooly.
I don’t know what the hell has gotten into Elyzin, but I’m going to have words with him later. Right now, I’m more interested in focusing on the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen.
“Hi, I’m Libby,” she says, extending her hand to me.
CHAPTER 24
LIBBY
The lab is stunning. It stands on a hill, a building of colorful solar glass and classic Kilgarian architecture. I have to pinch myself to make sure that this isn’t just a dream.
“Doctor Libby Martin?” a Kilgari man asks. He’s wearing a lab coat, holding a clipboard, and looking irritated to be the one showing the new kid around.
“That’s me,” I reply, holding out a hand. “And you are?”
He shakes it. “Doctor Cor Dex. I’ll show you to your office.”
As we meander down the halls, he points out the various labs and the kinds of studies that are being run within. It all sounds so fascinating, and I feel as though I could talk for hours to each and every scientist in here. Even with all the time in the world, I would only be scratching the surface of their expertise.
Ever since I was young, I’ve felt this drive within me to solve the mysteries of the universe. Much like everything else in life, I don’t fully understand it, but that won’t stop me from trying.
“I haven’t gotten the chance to read your grant proposal,” Cor says. “What will you be researching?”
“The fated mate phenomena,” I reply and take a breath, ready to ramble about it when Cor laughs. It’s like sticking a pin in a balloon. All my enthusiasm dissipates into thin air.
The Kilgari clears his throat. “Forgive me. That was rude. I’ve never been much of a believer in fated mates.”
“A bit rude, yeah,” I reply, my smile tight. “But I get it. The existence of fated mates has not been scientifically proven, but that’s what’s so fascinating to me. The concept appears across several species, even those that developed millions of lightyears apart. If it was purely a cultural phenomenon, then the idea would not be so widespread. And if there is a scientific reason behind them, then there’s a chance it can be measured or we can figure out what causes it.”
Cor hums thoughtfully. “I suppose I see the reasoning behind your field of study.”
“But you think it’s, in your professional opinion, nonsense,” I finish for him.
He smiles sheepishly. “I wasn’t going to say that.”
“I’ve heard worse,” I say with a shrug. Nonsense is probably one of the nicest things my theories have been called. Fringe is another nicer one. But most call it ridiculous bullshit.
“You’re clearly passionate about the subject,” he says, another damnation by faint praise. It’s fine. I’ve heard it all before anyway.
That doesn’t stop it from stinging, though. I remember my last job. Most were perfectly nice to my face, but then, I’d hear them laughing about me and my fated mate theories in the breakrooms, only to quickly hush each other once I entered them.
It’s the kind of petty bullshit that I thought we’d left behind in high school. Though I hate it, there isn’t really anything I can do about it. “It’s fine, Cor. Just don’t be obvious when you start making fun of me.”
He furrows his brows. “Make fun? But I just said that it was an avenue of research worth pursuing, assuming that the experiments are performed with proper academic rigor, of course.”
