Flame Touched

Chapter Twenty - Rei

"How long will you be gone for?" Rei asked as she watched Matteo pack his life into a backpack. At least, it seemed like his life. Clothes, toiletries...weapons? Are those knives? Her jaw dropped as he pulled several, small, sharp objects from his dresser drawer.

"Daggers," Matteo mumbled as he carefully put them away. "They're called daggers. When I get back, I can teach you more about them if you want." He glanced back at her. "I need them for work."

"Aren't those used for..." She swallowed, unable to say the words out loud. "Hurting people?"

With a huff, Matt zipped up the bag. "I can tell you what I do, more thoroughly, when I come home as well."

"Why can't you tell me now?"

"Explaining my job accurately might take time."

Rei frowned. "We have all night. I thought you said you didn't have to leave until first thing in the morning."

"I did."

"So tell me!"

A growl left Matt's lips. Not the playful, low, rumble, she'd heard so many times before, but one that sounded far more angry. Or was it annoyed? Either way, it was a unique noise and she wasn't sure how to feel about him uttering it simply because she asked a question. A question anyone would ask of their spouse. Wasn't she supposed to know what her husband did for a living? He'd told her the secret of being a dragon. What other major bombshell was he still withholding?

Matt still wasn't replying. Shivering, Rei snuggled up into bed, no longer looking his way. If he pulled out any more weapons, she might start to feel sick. Didn't he know how badly her imagination was running away with itself? A contract killer? No, he wouldn't be able to...would he? An assassin? A spy?

"Stop!" Matt dropped the bag onto the table with a loud thud. "Why can't you just ask me these questions instead of think them so loudly?"

"I did ask you! You ignored me."

His jaw tightened, his arms folding in front of his chest. "What if you judge me?"

"Huh?"

"What if you judge me after I tell you what I do?" Matt's gaze narrowed. "Then I go away for an extended period of time with no way of helping you understand. It could take days of questions, of you being afraid of me, and it's a thought I can't stand. Please, don't make me leave you with so much uncertainty."

Judge him? "Not gonna happen. I love you, Matt. Whatever it is, I'll understand. I want to know, because I'm afraid for you. Weapons, fighting, doesn't that mean you'll be facing enemies? Shouldn't I know there's a possibility you're not going to come back?" Her lower lip trembled at the thought. "We finally have each other. What about leaving me with that uncertainty? And what about heartbreak? Because I'm already feeling that too. And mad! Aren't you not supposed to go away when you're angry?"

"Go to bed, you're not supposed to go to bed angry," he grumbled.

"Oh, well I'll be doing that too."

Groaning, he sat down at the table he used for a desk. "The less you know, the better off we both are. What I am going to do is to protect you. Protect the entire nation."

"So you're a spy," she said.

"No, I'm not a spy." He pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead. "I'm the head of the military. Sometimes, I have to hurt others in order to do what's best for everyone. Do you understand?"

Rei gave a slow nod. "Are you going to hurt someone now?"

"I might. That depends on if this person is smart and cooperates." His voice was so quiet. "My father mostly wants me to go on a spiritual quest of sorts. Whenever I leave home, I prepare for anything." The weak smile he gave suggested he might be lying. She hated herself for doubting him, so she did her best to convince herself he was indeed telling the truth. Matt knew how to protect himself. A man didn't keep daggers with his underwear if he couldn't. If he truly was the head of the military like he claimed, she was positive he wouldn't need a dagger, a gun, or any weapon at all to inflict damage on his enemies.

Matt's smile faded. "You're judging me."

She'd been quiet for too long. "No. I'm trying to get to know you." We're married. You shouldn't be such a great mystery.

"I thought you liked that about me," he replied, out loud. She had to get as good at masking her thoughts as he was. "When I return, I promise I will answer any question you have for me. Can you please be happy with what I've given you today?"

"All right," she said. "How long do I have to wait?"

The slow way he exhaled, she wondered if perhaps she'd annoyed him again. When he gazed at her, however, all she saw was sadness. "I wasn't lying about the spiritual quest. When it's complete, I'll be home. Hopefully, it won't take longer than a few days."

A few days. Rei could wait for that long. "Until the morning, you don't leave my side."

Matt smirked. "Not so mad at me anymore?"

"Oh, I am, but I have better ways of making you sorry than banishing you from my sight." She patted the mattress next to where she rested.

Smooth and confident, Matt glided toward her. He leaned in toward her, eager for a kiss. "I'm dying of curiosity."

"You're going to miss me." She stroked the side of his face. "So much, it's going to hurt. I'll make certain of it. That seems like punishment enough to me, don't you think?"

Chuckling, he touched his lips to hers. Then all laughter subsided, and his lips parted, inviting her in for a deeper kiss. "I was already going to do that regardless."

"When you say things like that, it's hard to stay mad at you," she confessed.

"Then don't be mad."

As good of a point if there ever was one. Besides, he did promise to tell me everything.

His voice popped into her head as he kissed along her jawline. "I'm still the same guy you've known for a year. I have no intention of ever changing."