by Luna Hunter
“Let her go!” Kaitlyn screams behind me. Bennet has the silver barrel of his gun pressed against Emma’s temple, while Karen and Mark cower in the corner of the cell.
“Not another step,” Bennet says. “I’m getting out of here.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” I say. “Give up, Bennet. You lost.”
“Never,” he spits.
“Take me instead.”
I turn my head towards Mark. He stands up, his lips pulled into a thin line, his eyes narrowed.
“Take me, Bennet.”
Bennet aims his gun at Mark instead. “Not another step,” he warns, but Mark takes a step forward, and then another.
“Do it,” Mark says. “Do it, Bennet! Shoot me, you coward! Or haven’t you got the stones? Gorgi isn’t here to do your dirty work anymore.”
“I mean it!” Bennet shouts, his voice breaking, his eyes red. “Stop right there! I’ve killed before!”
“Then do it again.”
Kaitlyn wants to intervene, but I stop her by placing my hand on her waist. There’s more going on here than meets the eye.
Mark takes another step forward. The barrel of Bennet’s gun is now touching his chest. All Bennet has to do now is squeeze the trigger to end the man’s life… but something holds him back.
“Just as I thought,” Mark says, his eyes filled with tears. “Father was right about you. You’re a coward. Always have been.”
With a lightning-quick punch, Mark knocks Bennet out cold. He falls over backwards, hitting the ground with a smack.
Emma rushes forwards into Kaitlyn’s arms, who hugs her tightly, the both of them crying. Karen quickly joins the duo, and I have to admit, the sight moves me as well.
“I’m so sorry,” Kaitlyn says through her sobs. “I’m so sorry! He can’t hurt you now.”
“It’s okay,” Emma says, her head resting on her cousin’s shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m fine. They didn’t hurt us.”
Mark rubs his knuckles as he looks at the unconscious Bennet, his face as cold as ice.
“Thank you,” I say, placing my hand on his shoulder. “You’ve a brave man.”
“My pleasure,” Mark says. “I should have done that years ago.”
“What do you mean?”
Mark runs a hand through his dark hair, a tortured look on his face. “Isn’t it obvious?”
“Oh my god,” Kaitlyn gasps. “You’re Caspian Davenport!”
A wry grin adorns Mark’s face “Guilty as charged.”
I raise my eyebrows in surprise, and Kaitlyn explains. “Caspian is Bennet’s younger brother. He disappeared from the limelight half a decade ago, stating he wanted to live a normal life… and you’ve been my shuttle pilot this whole time!”
Mark laughs, a bit of color returning to his cheeks. “Yeah. I had a feeling Bennet was involved in all this. Call it intuition. Please don’t hold my brother’s actions against me, or my family… he doesn’t speak for anyone but himself.”
I nod. “Of course I won’t. You’re a hero.”
I lead Emma, Karen and Mark back out of the dark underbelly of the research station, up towards the light. My men are waiting for them there with blankets and hot drinks, while Bennet is placed in chains and thrown in a cell with Gorgi.
Kaitlyn jumps into my arms, planting her warm lips against mine.
“We did it,” she whispers to me. “We really did it.”
I kiss her back, all my worries slipping away. We did it.
Nothing’s ever going to keep us apart now.
Epilogue
Six Months Later
Kaitlyn
“Here you are. How do you feel today?” Emma asks me as she brings me my breakfast. She and aunt Karen insisted I moved into their farm while we waited for Tyr to return from his visit to Exon Prime, the Zoran homeworld. I admit, I didn’t mind the two of them doting on me.
“Bloated,” I say, placing my hands on my swollen belly.
Turns out Tyr knocked me up the very first time we were together, in the shower, right next door! I know our bodies fit together well, but I had no clue they worked that well. My belly is as round as a watermelon now. My little baby is a true Zoran. Big and strong.
“You look amazing,” Emma says. “Can I?”
“Go ahead,” I say.
She places her hands on my stomach, an excited smile on her face.
“Oh! I can feel him kicking!”
“He misses his father,” I say. Tyr is adamant it’s going to be a boy, and I believe him. “When is he coming back?”
“Any moment now. Don’t tell Karen this or I’ll never hear the end of it, but I’m totally jealous of you,” Emma says, dropping her voice to a whisper. “You’re always glowing.”
“Aw, thank you,” I say.
Now is probably not the right time to tell her that my sensitive breasts are swollen and sore, and my ankles are killing me.
“I wish someone looked at me like Tyr looks at you.”
“You’ll find that person,” I say. “I’m sure of it.”
Aunt Karen comes in the room carrying two handfuls of flowers.
“More bouquets! I’m running out of vases,” she says cheerfully.
“Even more?” I say. “Can you put them on the table?”
“I’ll try,” she says, “but it’s starting to look like a botanical garden in here!”
My entire room is filled to the brim with greeting card, thank you-notes, stuffed animals, children clothes and toys, and many, many flowers. They’re all gifts from people all around the world.
After the events in the Arctic I broke the story of Bennet Davenport and Senator Gorgi’s evil scheme, and the response has been greater than I ever dared to imagine. It reached every corner of the globe, and it united everyone on the planet.
The global outpouring of love and compassion makes my heart swell so much it could burst.
It’s ironic: Gorgi’s attempt to incite intergalactic war ended with Human-Zoran relations being better than ever.
Bennet has been trialed and convicted, and Gorgi has been extradited to the Zoran homeworld. That’s why Tyr is there now: he has to testify. Even though Gorgi is guilty without a shred of doubt, the Zorans still want to give him a fair trial.
I understand, but I also miss him so much is physically hurts, something I never thought possible. I want to spend every waking moment with him, but as a General, he can’t stay by my side every day. He did get his command transferred to the human quadrant of space, so he’s never more than a day’s travel away, but I just want him by my side. For all time. Is that too much to ask?
The roar of an engine outside rouses me from my thoughts.
“It’s him!” I say. I try to get up, but Emma stops me. “Shh, he’ll come. You need to relax.”
“I’m not a beached whale, I can walk,” I say.
My aunt Karen shakes her head. “Such a stubborn girl,” she says. “That’s going to make one troublesome little baby boy.”
I make it halfway down the stairs before Tyr appears in the doorway. He scoops me up in my arms and carries me as if I’m weightless, despite being everything but. I wrap my arms around his necks, tears pricking my eyes.
Normally I’m never this emotional, but I’m actually crying from happiness. Must be the hormones. Or the fact that I’m head-over-heels in love with this wonderful hunk of a man.
“I have good news,” he says as he lays me down in my bed. He shuts the door behind me, takes his armor off and climbs under the covers with me, buck naked. I love that little quirk.
If Emma and Karen weren’t here, he’d walk around naked all the time, a sight I could get used to.
“Tell me.”
He places his hand on my stomach, his bronze skin making me look a bit pale in comparison.
“How are you feeling?” He asks. “How is my son doing?”
“Great,” I say. “He’s really interested in that good news you were talking about, actually.”
“Really?”
“Ah huh,” I say. “I’m a mother, I can sense these things.”
“Very well,” Tyr smirks. “I’ve talked to my Warrior-King Vinz, and we’ve both come to the conclusion that it’s in the best interest for both our people that I step down as General.”
My eyes go wide.
“Instead, I’ll become the first official, permanent ambassador for the Zoran people, here on Earth.”
I’m speechless.
“This means I can spend every day with you,” he says, throwing his legs over mine, and grazing my neck with his teeth. “Where do you want the embassy to be built? Helsinki? Montevideo? Tokyo? Or right here? You can pick.”
This is all too much to take in. “Are you serious?”
He looks at me with those irresistible, smoldering eyes. “Of course I’m serious.”
“B-but,” I stammer. “Giving up your command?”
“I’ll gladly do that for you, for our family,” he says. “I’ll do anything for you. You’ll never have to spend another day without me by your side.”
I throw my arms around his neck, kissing him as hard as I possibly can, tears running down my cheeks.
“I love you,” I say.
“I love you, too,” he answers.
Thank you for reading my book!
The next book is going to tell Kelly & Koryn’s story (They are introduced in Alien General’s Baby).
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Also by Luna Hunter
Zoran Warriors
Alien General’s Baby - Jillian’s Story