by Eve Langlais
They fell into a routine, one of discovery, play, and work.
It was perfect, which meant it couldn’t last.
She was learning how to fire a weapon in the holodeck to avoid being so useless in the next fight when she was paged by her husband.
“Michi, can you come to the bridge?”
Her husband’s request emerged from the wrist transmitter he’d gotten her. This wasn’t the first time he’d asked her to meet him there. Anytime the Moth came across an interesting galactic phenomenon, he wanted to show her. They shared everything like a real couple should.
With a smile on her lips, she almost skipped to see him. She entered the bridge and opened her mouth to say hello, only to freeze. She blinked, certain it was a mirage, but the man didn’t disappear.
“Papa? How did you get here?”
Her father, dressed in a dark blue uniform, adorned with silver weave that glistened, was a big man in his own right, tall and strong, yet showing signs of age in the lines of his face and the gray of his hair—that he refused to dye—turned. “Daughter. I’ve come to bring you home.”
“I have a home. Here on this ship.”
Papa’s lips flattened. “You are not staying on the Gypsy Moth.”
“I’ll have to discuss it with Damon.” A man who stood ramrod still and silent, but his eyes…they blazed.
“It’s not up to him.” Her father folded his arms over his chest.
“He’s my husband.”
“Not for long.”
When her father moved toward Damon, she flung herself between them. “Don’t you dare kill him.”
“I wasn’t planning to. The man did the family a service when he rescued you from that slimy Kanishqui. But you’re worth more than a mere first mate. Which is why I got dispensation to dissolve the wedding.”
“What?” Her eyes widened. “I thought it wasn’t possible.”
“Only under special circumstances. Given you married to avoid an alliance with someone you deemed unsuitable, and the first mate’s recorded reluctance, I was given an annulment protocol.”
“What’s that mean?” Damon asked.
“It means,” Father said, turning his gaze on Damon, “that you will be compensated for your service to the family and free to continue with your life.”
“What if I don’t want a divorce?” she asked.
The dark gaze of her father turned back to Michi. “Your wants aren’t the question here. Family honor and alliances are. The good news is you won’t need to wait a mourning period, and I’ve lined up a few suitable suitors. I think it’s past time we settled this situation.”
“You can’t just decide that for us,” Damon argued.
“It’s already done. The signal for the annulment was sent the moment you entered the room. The bond is being severed as we speak.”
Damon coughed. Then coughed again, raising his hand and then lowering it to show a spot of liquid metal. Her mark.
Father signaled to one of his people, and a woman scooped the puddle into a box. “It is done.”
“But…” Her arms were grabbed, with Damon looking on, his expression grim. “Aren’t you going to do something?”
“It’s probably for the best, princess.”
Best for who? She wanted to scream, I love you. But did he feel the same way? Wouldn’t he fight for her if he truly wanted her?
She cast one last look over her shoulder. A longing one, and for a moment, he met her gaze, anguish in it, quickly covered by a placid mask.
He wouldn’t stop her father from taking her away.
Did nothing as she was boarded onto her father’s luxury cruiser. Did not even try to contact her as they left that galaxy, heading for home.
Her meager pile of things was waiting for her in the stateroom assigned. Including a tiny box.
A gift? She was tempted to toss it. Why keep a gift from a man who didn’t love her? And why hadn’t he given it to her before? What was inside?
Curiosity won. She flipped open the lid and sobbed when she saw the ring nestled within.
Chapter 13
The betrayal on Michi’s face haunted Damon. He couldn’t help reliving it over and over as she was taken away from him.
It should have been a happy moment. They’d not wanted to be wed. Never wanted a forever together. Yet, something had happened to them. A bond had formed. He’d initially blamed it on the mark. Blamed it for how he felt.
However, he was no longer legally bound to Michonne. He was a free and single man. Then why the hell did he miss her so much? Why did he keep wishing he’d done something different? Done something, period.
What could he have done, though? Start a war with her father?
I could have said something about how I felt. Except he didn’t truly understand his emotions until she left.
I love her. Loved her and lost her. And soon, if her father had his way, she’d be married off to someone suitable and forget all about him.
With that worry in mind, he scoured the gossip channels. And when those didn’t feed his need to see her, he dug deeper. Hired—also known as bribing—someone in her father’s household to send him news.
What he received was a picture. A picture of Michi dressed in a splendid gown, her hair intricately woven atop her head, her expression hinting of sadness, and on her finger, her ring finger…
“Holy fuck, she’s wearing it.” The ring he’d had stowed in her things as they were packed. A ring he held on to and forgot until he had to pack her things and send them to her father’s ship.
Now, it could be she wore it just because she thought it pretty. However, Damon took it as a sign. A sign he wasn’t about to ignore.
Which was why he found himself in the captain’s quarters, handing in his resignation.
Jameson peered at him over the holomessage. “You’re quitting? To do what?”
“I’d rather not say anything that might compromise you, sir.”
“This is about the woman.”
“My wife.”
“Not according to her father.”
“It’s not his decision.”
“What makes you think she wants you? Has she called?”
Damon shook his head.
“Then why would you ditch your position and go running after her?”
“Why haven’t you divorced and remarried?” he countered.
Jameson’s expression turned hard. “You do realize you’re choosing a difficult path if you go after her.”
“I love her, sir.”
The captain slashed his finger over the holomessage, shredding it. “In that case, I refuse your resignation and am not granting you leave to depart this ship.”
“Sir, you—”
Jameson wasn’t done. “Ship, advise our head engineer we need to streak ASAP. My first mate has a woman he needs to rescue.”
“Sir?” Damon couldn’t help sounding confused. “I don’t understand. He’s your friend.”
“So are you, Damon. If you’re willing to ditch your career and risk your life, then who I am to stand in your way? And I wouldn’t be a good friend if I didn’t offer to help.”
“How will we get her? Her home is closely guarded. They won’t just let us waltz in and take her.”
The captain aimed his next statement at the ceiling. “Patch me through to Einstein. Please advise her the captain requires her aid with something.”
“What do you want?” the ornery tech specialist barked, her voice coming through the embedded speakers.
“The first mate needs to bypass an impenetrable security system, kidnap a woman, and escape.”
“Why don’t I kill him now and save us the trouble?” was Einstein’s smart-ass reply.
“Are you saying you can’t do it?” the captain teased, and Damon couldn’t help but smirk as their tech guru was challenged.
“You’re an asshole,” she grumbled. “I’ll get him in and out, but I want that new cloaking technology the Bezonians have been hoardi
ng.”
“Deal.”
And that easily, Damon found himself being teleported to a planet, his cells melted down and reconfigured—resulting in him patting himself down to ensure he was all there—and bypassing the various levels of security.
But dammit, at least he wasn’t on board the ship moping.
Now he only hoped he’d read things right and Michonne would be happy to see him.
Chapter 14
Pacing in her room, Michonne kept an eye on the time. She couldn’t rush, or everything would fall apart. Papa had done his best to cut her off from the outside world, claiming she needed to recover from her ordeal.
Did he suspect what she planned? Possibly, given she’d slid on the ring Damon had given her the moment she saw it nestled in the fabric of the box. She understood what the piece of jewelry meant. He’d bought it for her. A symbol that he had accepted and chosen her as his mate.
Papa thought he could annul her marriage and that she would just start over. However, no one could erase her feelings for Damon, and now that she knew he’d planned to try and make it work, she wasn’t about to settle for anyone else. No matter what Papa wanted.
What about what I want? She used to think she wanted the power of a strong alliance. To multiply her great net worth. To marry someone that would make her father proud. Seeing her sister, though— the shallowness of her life—Michi realized she wanted more.
Which was why, when the three moons rose in the sky and crossed paths in a rare triple eclipse, she drew on her cloak and hid within its hood as she exited her room. The electronics that monitored the mansion would be rendered almost useless as the lunar interference from the eclipses frazzled the signals. Long enough that she made it out of her room and into the hall where she had to rely on the luminescent carpet runner to guide her steps.
What she didn’t expect was for hands to grip her.
Not another attempted kidnapping. She thrashed. “Unhand me!” Panic and annoyance made her kick and hit.
An exclaimed, “Ouch,” drew a gasp from her.
“Damon?” she queried.
“Hey, princess.”
Her heart fluttered. “What are you doing here?”
“A husband’s place is with his wife.”
The words had her throwing her arms around his neck and clasping him tight. “You came for me.”
“Of course I did. We’re married.”
“Not according to my father or the law.”
“Fuck the law. I love you, and we belong together.”
At his declaration, she lifted on tiptoe to mash her mouth against his and murmur, “I love you, too.”
And the moment might have gotten friskier had the captain not grumbled, “Can you save it for later? We don’t have much time before the systems come back online and someone notices we’ve penetrated the building.”
“Let’s go, princess.” He laced his fingers in hers, and they ran down the hall, following the shadowy shape of the captain, skirting the occasional snoring lumps on the floor. Damon had mounted a full-on rescue.
He came for me. He loves me. The giddiness of it all made her smile even as anxiety gripped her.
Papa wouldn’t like this turn of events, but he’d have to understand this was her life.
A life he guarded too closely.
Bright lights suddenly illuminated the main floor where the stairs ended.
She shielded her gaze with a hand as Papa barked, “And just where do you think you’re going?”
Damon chose to reply. “She’s coming with me.”
Father sneered. “Figures you’d return. The lure of her wealth was too much, I guess.”
Damon held himself tall. “Fuck her money. You can keep it. I have enough for us to live decently on.”
“You expect her to become the wife of a common space farer?” Papa said with clear disdain.
“I don’t care about his position,” she said, stepping forward. “I love him. He makes me happy.”
“Happiness can be fleeting.”
“Or last a lifetime.” She stood tall. Taller than she’d ever stood, especially against her father. “My life. My choice.”
“And if I said it’s not up to you? That I will choose?” Papa barked.
“Then I will defy you every chance I get. Marry me to someone and I will make myself a widow.”
To her surprise, her father smiled. “Then I give you my blessing.”
She blinked. “What?” Seriously, because she thought she’d heard…
“I said you have my blessing. I was wondering how long it would take him to make an attempt. I knew you were plotting.”
She blinked. “Hold on. You knew we wanted to be together?”
“From the moment you placed your mark on him.”
“But how?” When she didn’t even know herself. “And if you knew, why divorce us?”
“Because you both needed the realization that you belonged together. To fight for it.”
“You never did this to my sisters.”
“Your sisters only ever had one goal in mind—more power and wealth. But you waited. And kept waiting. I realized you weren’t like them. That you had a different goal in mind.”
“And you’re not angry?”
Papa shrugged. “Angry that you’re like me? Your mother also had a father who tried to deny our affection for each other.”
“I thought my grandpapa was dead.”
“He is. I killed him when he wouldn’t back down and let me have your mother. But I am hoping we can avoid that scenario in this case.”
“Oh, Papa.” She flew to him and threw her arms around his neck.
He grumbled something gruff about silly female emotions. Then insisted they all go have a drink.
She didn’t pay much attention to what was said beyond the fact that she could be with Damon.
He pulled her aside at one point and said, “Are you sure this is what you want?”
“More than anything I’ve ever wanted before.” She then cupped his face and kissed him. Then kissed him again until her father barked, “Get a room.”
If he insisted.
Chapter 15
Hand in hand with Michonne, Damon followed where she led. His head still spun from all that had happened. He’d expected to have to fight his way out. To possibly be imprisoned or even rejected. What he’d not expected was to find himself in a luxury suite, in a mansion beyond anything he’d ever seen, with the woman he loved.
Before he wasted any more time, he dropped to his knees, clasped her hand, and stared up at her lovely face flushed with excitement. Her eyes shone bright. The words he wanted to say, gushing romantic things, stuck in his throat. All he managed was, “Will you be my wife?”
“I never stopped.”
He drew her hand to his lips and kissed the ring she wore. “In sickness and health, in riches or poor, until we are dust on a galactic wind, together forever.”
“That’s a much prettier speech than what I need,” she said, dropping to her knees before him.
He smiled. And repeated the fateful words that started their love affair, finishing with a very sure, “I do.”
When she kissed him, it stole his breath, and when she bit him, he welcomed it, welcomed her mark and her love.
Then he took her to bed.
Tossed her on it, actually, before tearing at his clothes. She still managed to denude herself first and beckoned him.
He fell on her, a hungry beast, a man too long without the touch of his woman.
He caressed all of her, his lips trailing a path over every inch of her body. His cock claiming her molten sex with firm thrusts that she welcomed with fingers digging into his back.
When they both came, it was more beautiful than anything in the galaxy. Worth living and dying for.
This was love.
Epilogue
Being the first mate’s wife, by design rather than accident the second time round, proved more exciting than expected. For
one, she got to see places Papa had previously forbidden. Damon tried to forbid her too; however, aboard the Gypsy Moth, she discovered a freedom she’d never had at home. She even acquired a job. Guest Event Coordinator. The captain had noticed her event planning on board for the Nexus and corralled her into expanding that work for alien clients and dignitaries.
“Another party?” Damon groaned as he entered their quarters to find swatches of colorful fabrics all over.
“We’re meeting with the Mor’omonan and his eighteen spouses. They’re thinking of hiring the ship on their celestial tour.”
“And that needs a party?” He held up something fluffy. “Whatever happened to a handshake in a bar?”
“That’s for short-term deals. The real money is in the longer contracts. And the captain agrees. He’s also talking about buying a second ship.” An armored fighter to guard the Moth, given they’d be carrying very important people.
“I know about the other ship. He asked me to captain it.”
“And?” she asked, knowing how he felt about being in command.
“I get to blow shit up. What do you think I said?”
She squealed and dove over the fabric cutouts to throw herself at him. “That’s amazing.” Her husband would be a captain.
And that was just the start. With a burgeoning life growing in her body, it was time to create a legacy they could pass on. A fleet of starships would make a nice start.
She had ideas for new uniforms. And…
“I can see your mind smoking with ideas.”
“Then why don’t you distract me,” she teased.
So he did. He distracted her with kisses and made love to her amongst the stars.
* * *
Crank eyed the second reactor, its feeble glow indicating they still had more to repair. Good thing they’d finally gotten a cargo that might actually work this time.
Bloody charlatans in the ports, promising one thing, delivering another. When that happened, Crank paid them a visit and reminded them why it wasn’t a good idea to screw him over.