A Soldier in Love

by A. Petrov

  Serik let out a primal growl that caused the hairs on the back of Michelle’s neck to stand up.

  “You’re dead,” Serik growled.

  Michelle squeezed Serik’s hand. “Just go, Mansfield. Leave us alone. You know you can’t win a fight against Serik. ”

  “I can if I have this.” He pulled a gun from his coat and pointed it at Serik.

  Chapter Fifty-three

  Michelle swallowed and quickly slipped in front of Serik.

  Serik cringed. There was no way he could have his mate in harm’s way. He would rather die than have her be in danger.

  “Just put it down,” Michelle said with her hands up the air. Michelle knew he wouldn’t shoot her. She was too valuable to shoot even if she was just a toy.

  But as soon as the words escaped her mouth Serik with his impossibly fast Baat speed had already knocked it to the ground.

  Michelle grabbed his gun from the ground. It all happened in a blink of an eye; she didn’t hesitate as she pulled the trigger.

  She stood back in shock and the gun slipped out of her hands. She had never killed anyone before. It was something she had prepared herself for, for such a long time. She was a solider and it was her duty to kill, but she had killed one of her own. Michelle watched as blood began to pour everywhere.

  Serik instinctively picked up the gun from the ground. He knew they couldn’t have such evidence left behind.

  “We’ve got to go, baby,” he called as he gripped her arm.

  She nodded as she gave Mansfield’s body one last look. She had killed. She had taken a life away. She figured it was his life for her son’s life and that was a fair trade.

  Michelle felt Serik’s strong arms around her.

  “What are you doing?” she cried as he lifted her up.

  “I can’t have you run when you’re with child,” he said gently.

  Michelle tried to control her terror as they quickly darted between trees. It was a huge forest. The trees had been genetically modified and grew at a much faster rate than they did on Earth. She didn’t want to think about the other side effects that the trees might have had.

  “We can’t take the main path too dangerous,” he said as he sensed her unease.

  Serik was surprisingly fast despite carrying her. The minutes sped by as Serik lead them back to the shuttle.

  Michelle took a sigh of relief when they finally got inside.

  “Get us out of here now,” Michelle begged.

  Serik nodded as he configured the controls.

  Michelle strapped in. The familiar hurling feeling set them in motion. Michelle put a hand over her stomach protectively.

  Serik gave his mate a concerned look. She gave him a weak smile telling him she was fine.

  “I never want to be away from you again,” he said pulling her small body to his as they finally reached an altitude where they could unstrap.

  “Oh God, Serik. I thought I would never see you again,” she said squeezing him tightly.

  “I would have found a way back to you. I would have done anything to find you,” he replied.

  “You did,” Michelle smiled weakly.

  “And you’re feeling OK?” Serik said with a look of concern on his face.

  Michelle nodded.

  “There’s one more thing…” he began.

  “What?” Michelle asked.

  “We have to remove your Earth Army chip or they will come after us,” he replied.

  She ran her hand over her wrist. It was a dangerous spot to have something removed which of course was why the Earth Army thought it would be a good idea to implant one near major veins. Michelle followed Serik to the medic station. After everything she had been through in one day, she would have to endure another procedure.

  Serik rubbed an antiseptic numbing cream over her wrist. Michelle stared down at the thick black characters, A3343Z. She had been numbers and letters for far too long. She was a person now. She no longer belonged to the Earth Army. Hell, she no longer belonged to Earth.

  “I’m sorry, baby,” he said sympathetically as he began an incision into her flesh.

  It was the second time she saw a pool of blood that day. Michelle didn’t know if she was tired from the long crazy day or just give out in general, but she didn’t feel a thing as he cut the chip out.

  “What are we going to do with it?” she asked.

  “I’m going to throw it out the garbage shoot and it will disintegrate into space,” he replied.

  He gently dressed and bandaged her bleeding wrist and then went to dispose of the chip. Michelle sat in silence. The chip had taken away her soldier’s status. No, she railed herself. No, I’m still a soldier, just not an Earth Army soldier. Once a soldier, always a soldier.

  “That wasn’t my sister,” she said softly as his blue and golden gaze met hers as he came back into the room.

  “What do you mean?” he asked. He took her hands into his.

  “Remember how the Earth Army gave her memory fog? I think they gave her something. They had to brainwash her. She wasn’t right, she wasn’t normal,” Michelle sighed.

  “It’s over now,” he offered gently.

  She wondered if that was true or not. She nodded as a wave of exhaustion overwhelmed her. Michelle followed Serik out of the medic area and onto the couch.

  He sat next to her and took her into his arms.

  “Michelle, I missed you,” Serik said. “I missed you more than words can express.”

  “I missed you too,” Michelle replied as she relaxed against him. It was hard to believe she had escaped once again.

  “I don’t ever want to be without you again,” he said in a serious tone.

  She gave him a small smile. “I don’t think you’ll have to.”

  “I almost forget,” he fumbled around in his pocket as he pulled out a small box. “I was going to give this to you during our ceremony.”

  He took her hand and gently kissed it. He was delicate with her bandaged wrist as he slid the ring onto her left ring finger.

  “Our love can be a circle now,” he said gently.

  “Serik,” Michelle began as she admired the ring, “It’s beautiful.”

  A look of disappointment swept over her face.

  “What’s wrong? I thought you’d like it. If you don’t we can get a different one,” Serik said with a frown.

  “No, Serik. It’s not that. I just… I’m sorry,” she replied.

  “For what?” he questioned.

  “Well, everything, really. Our ceremony got ruined. I don’t know… just everything we had to go through to get to this point,” she said with a look of utter exhaustion in her eyes.

  He shook his head. “I would go through it all again if it meant I got to be with you.”

  Chapter Fifty-four

  “So, before you were taken I’ve been meaning to ask what did the priest tell you?” Serik asked.

  “He told me I had to let go of the anger I had held on to for so long. He gave me a sort of peace and understanding of some bad things that happened in my life,” Michelle replied.

  Serik gave her a serious look. “And give up being a solider? Give up avenging your parents?”

  “Because I love you and I realized that isn’t what is important. I went to fight because I was angry, so angry. I was angry at everything that had happened to me. It wasn’t until I met with the priest that I realized that the best way I could honor my parents was to be like them,” she replied.

  “What do you mean?” Serik asked.

  “They were both loving, caring, kind, and happy,” Michelle said.

  “You make me happy and you are all of those things.”

  “We are both all of those things,” she said as she put a protective hand over her now large and swollen pregnant belly.

  “So, what did the priest tell you?” Michelle inquired.

  “That I was lucky,” he grinned.

  “I’ve been telling you that all along!” she grinned as his larg
e rough hand intertwined with her small delicate one.

  “Are you ready for our new life on Sora?” he asked.

  Michelle couldn’t help but to smile. “I’m excited, Serik. I’m going to be a mom. We’re going to have a home and a maybe a dog or even a walafano. Most of all, I’m excited to spend the rest of my life with you, Serik.”

  He moved in closer pressing his large lips against her smaller ones in the form of an affectionate kiss.

  “It will be the way things should have been all along,” he replied.

  Chapter Fifty-five

  Michelle sat on the back porch and watched Serik and their son play together. After much debate, they had decided on a traditional Baat name, Lenus. He had inherited her looks mostly. He had red hair and green eyes with specs of Serik’s hazel and blue.

  She could hear laughing and giggling. Serik chased Lenus around the backyard as he squealed in delight. Their walafano barked and wagged its tail as he joined in the fun.

  She had given up a lot but in return she had gained more than she could have ever asked for.

  She could forgive but she would never forget. Many nights she was tired and she would drift off right away. Other nights her soul would keep her awake. Those were times when she would lay awake thinking of everything that had happened. She could often see Alex’s pained face, hear the sound of the molcos hund’s growl, and sometimes she swore she could feel the heat of Redex still in her bones. Other nights were spent restless with thoughts of Amy and Eric. They had once cared for her. She knew they had once loved her on Earth. Did they truly mean their actions or were they brainwashed by the Earth Army? Either way, how could she possibly help them at this point? Was it selfish to leave them there? She figured you had to be a little selfish or you’d never get anywhere in life.

  No, her priority was her own family, she would tell herself. Serik and Lenus made the pain disappear but she would always be a soldier at heart. She would always have the fight within her soul when the right cause appeared, but for now it had died down.

  Michelle watched as the sun began to set in the sky.

  She had lost Earth, but she had gained something more important. She had found her place in the universe after all.