He was ready, blocking the oncoming fist and connecting with a hard punch to her solar plexus.
She grunted as the air left her body and she slammed onto the far side of the mat. She laid there for a second while her ribs healed and her ability to breathe returned, then flipped back to her feet.
“That’s more like it,” she panted, darting toward Tim again. “This is a fight!”
They met in the middle once more, trading blows that would incapacitate an ordinary human. Sabine was glad of her enhancements. She punched and kicked and blocked as fast as Tim, her power belying her size and age.
Tim was losing, so captivated by the angel of destruction before him that the pain of the strikes she landed didn’t even register. She was not a vampire or Were, but she was fast and she was strong. Her desire to best him brought his Alpha nature out in force. It was a joy to rise to her challenge and match it with his own ferocious energy.
Dinner with her would be worth the pain he was going through to earn it. Tim couldn’t believe the ferocity and determination that burned in her eyes.
Rickie and Ashur cheered from the sidelines as the exchange of blows got faster and harder. His healing rate was as good as hers, so it went on. At times they couldn’t see where Tim ended and Sabine began since they moved with such speed that they became a violent blur.
Ten minutes, then fifteen—neither of them would back down. They were drawing a crowd, but neither of them noticed.
They finally broke, sweating hard.
Tim wiped his mouth and tasted blood.
He had only ever had one other all-in fight like this, his first true Alpha fight with Peter. What was it with this day drawing him back to the past? There was a certain similarity, he supposed. No malice was involved in this kind of contest, but each of them had a relentless desire to best the other.
Sabine yelled and took advantage of Tim’s momentary distraction to throw herself back at him with a left spinning backfist and a follow-up right, then an elbow to the temple that dazed him for a second.
Adrenaline flooded Sabine’s body. She was faster than Tim, but he was stronger, and he had training and experience on his side. She could win, but only if she pushed herself and got very lucky.
She went for a chokehold, managing to get an arm around his neck and squeezed tightly to cut off his air. It proved to be her undoing.
Tim reached behind and grabbed Sabine with both hands, pulling her bodily over his head to fling her away. However, the mixture of blood and sweat under their feet caused him to slip instead.
They crashed to the mat in a tangle of limbs.
“Enough,” Sabine declared. “I give! I can’t feel my legs anymore.”
They rolled away from each other and just laid there on the mat breathing hard. Sabine exchanged glances with Tim and the two of them stopped for a moment, then cracked up.
“It’s been a while since I had a fight like that.” Tim held his ribs to ease the pain of his rumbling laughter. “Maybe we can do it again sometime.”
“Get a room, already!” Rickie shouted.
Sabine sat up sharply, her face burning now that her adrenaline had dissipated. She stood quickly and looked for Ashur, who was lying by the bench at the edge of the mat. “I’d better go.”
Tim nodded in understanding. “I’ll see you for dinner later?”
Sabine smiled. “You will, Mister Beefy.”
“Hey, I won!” he complained. “You’re not supposed to call me that anymore!”
“I have that as a draw.” Sabine winked and caught up with Ashur, who had already set off toward the showers. “Dinner. You can pick me up at eight.”
Ashur followed her to the changing room, chuffing his doggy laughter at Tim as he left the mats. She left the German shepherd in the changing area while she showered and changed.
“So…Tim,” Ashur prodded when she emerged from the shower smelling sweet.
Sabine pouted as she grabbed a towel from a pile and wiped her face. “I could have taken him.”
Ashur wagged his tail and replied enigmatically, “I think you did.”
Sabine glared at the German Shepherd. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ashur chuffed. “Hurry, Sabine. Akio is waiting to see you.”
“He is?” Her heart did a little flip in her chest, followed immediately by the pain thinking about Akio caused. Nevertheless, she wouldn’t miss even a minute with him. She reached for her guns and the belt he had gifted her while she dressed, feeling the absence of them both.
“He messaged me while you were sparring to ask if I’d seen you,” Ashur confirmed. “When I told him you were training, he asked me to bring you to him afterward.”
“That’s good of you,” Sabine offered.
Ashur looked around, then chuffed. “Better than trying to keep those puppies of mine out of trouble.”
Sabine smiled and set off after Ashur. Tim disturbed her. He was handsome and moved well on the sparring mat, but he was obviously very attracted to her. Was that something she wanted? She hadn’t thought so…before now. “Where is Akio now?” she asked.
“On the viewing platform with Barnabas.”
“Okay.” Sabine barely paid attention to Ashur, following him the rest of the way on autopilot while her mind worked on her discomfort about the moment she had shared with Tim on the mat.
It made her question everything.
It also made her crash into Ashur, who had stopped at the bottom of a wide staircase.
“Ugh,” he whined. “Why do humans always get weird when they’re thinking about mating? It’s like your brain detaches from the rest of your body!”
Sabine’s face burned. “I wasn’t thinking about ‘mating,’ as you put it. Where are we, anyway? I thought we were going to find Akio.”
Ashur looked up with his head cocked. His left ear did its best impression of a knowing eyebrow. “Could have fooled me.” Ashur turned and walked away, still talking. “Akio is upstairs.”
“Bye, Ashur,” she called after him.
High Tortuga, Space Fleet Base, Inner Courtyard
Tabitha and Peter held hands and murmured to each other on the walk home from the Vid-doc suite in Michael’s offices. Alexis and Gabriel had reluctantly agreed to the lesson, although they wanted to be with Bethany Anne and Michael soonest.
Tabitha had been firm and they’d settled in after much protesting, to which she’d countered that they had an interesting lesson to cover. Today they were going to hack the Etheric.
Peter was quiet beside her, giving her space to contemplate as she walked. He was fully recovered, and today’s lesson had gone well. Or at least Tabitha thought it had.
She was fascinated with Alexis’ take on how the Etheric worked, her absolute certainty that once she worked out how to access the energy, it would be something like a well for her to draw from and bend to her will.
That sounded an awful lot like magic to Tabitha, and Peter agreed with her. It was completely different than the “truth” he had grown up with and Tabitha had known ever since she had stumbled upon the UnknownWorld so long ago.
She didn’t think it would take many more lessons before Alexis managed to manifest some sort of ability. He worried that they might have trouble. He remembered multiple incidents where people’s nanocytes had malfunctioned, and he warned Tabitha to keep an eye out for the signs.
They could all smell something good cooking when they got to the inner courtyard that acted as a line of defense for the home Bethany Anne and Michael were raising their children in.
Alexis and Gabriel ran ahead as soon as it came into sight. Tabitha and Peter followed a short distance behind them.
“I’m in here,” Bethany Anne called as they clattered through the door.
“Mommyyyyy!” the twins cried in unison. They ran at her with their arms outstretched.
There was no time for Bethany Anne to put down the spoon. She got a big hug from her babies—who looked to have grown again—
and they all got covered in tomato sauce from the spoon.
Gabriel wiped a finger down his shirt and licked it clean. “Mmm. Mommy’s making lasagna.”
Tabitha entered the kitchen as Gabriel spoke. “Did I hear my number-one craving being mentioned?”
“Well, we have to keep you fed.” Bethany Anne straightened up and looked down at her ruined shirt. “I’d better change. Alexis, Gabriel, you too.” She scooped Alexis and Gabriel up and nuzzled their necks. “Half an hour before dinner gives me plenty of time to get my angels nice and clean.”
The twins began chattering a million light-years a minute.
When Bethany Anne returned with Alexis and Gabriel, the twins were dressed in the loose atmosuits that were popular around the base. Bethany Anne had gone for a simple black shirt and black yoga pants, stating she was in her own home and if anyone expected her to dress up after the last few days, they could think again.
This was a celebration and a wake.
Michael messaged to apologize for being late and to tell them to start without him since he was still meeting with Addix about the kidnapping on Colonnara and he didn’t know how long he would be.
Alexis and Gabriel wrestled on the living room rug while Bethany Anne took out her lasagna to inspect it.
Tabitha peered over the counter. “That's a pretty big lasagna for just the six of us.”
Bethany Anne pulled out another large lasagna. “That's a good thing, since I told you we were having a family dinner.” She grinned. “Everyone who can make it will be here soon. “
Tabitha returned her grin, stood up, and went to the fridge. “Needs more cheese.”
Peter made a noise of agreement. “No such thing as leftover bacon or too much cheese,” he stated.
Bethany Anne rolled her eyes, but she complied with Tabitha’s wishes. “What the pregnant lady wants…”
“The pregnant lady wants garlic bread.” Tabitha clapped with delight at the cheesy goodness going on. “I’m starting to like being pregnant.”
Bethany Anne put the dish back in to brown the cheese. “If you’re eating again, it’s all good.”
“What about chocolate cake for dessert?” Peter offered. “I could go out for some.”
As if on cue, the color drained from Tabitha's face and she ran from the room with her hands over her mouth.
Peter looking at Bethany Anne in confusion. “What did I say?”
Bethany Anne was about to tell him it wasn't his fault when the door opened and John, Darryl, and Ashur came in laughing.
Gabrielle and Jean were right behind, with Bellatrix and the puppies in a furry huddle behind them.
Bethany Anne was immediately on guard, pointing two fingers toward Bellatrix and then her own eyes. “Ashur, Bellatrix. I'm glad you're here, but if my children end up in the Etheric again, we're going to have strong words.”
Bellatrix chuffed. “No worries, they are in control of their abilities now. Even Ashur can block his ability to boost your connection to the Etheric.”
“If that's true, I have no problem with them playing together.” Bethany Anne held out a hand for Ashur to brush against. She did not feel the Etheric get any closer when her fingers trailed through his soft fur.
Alexis and Gabriel stood by a safe distance from Zeus and Athena.
“Did it work?” Alexis asked breathlessly. She had her fingers laced tightly in hope.
Bethany Anne nodded. “Looks like it did.” She waved the four of them over to the rug. “Just stay where I can see you.”
Tabitha watched them wrestle as if they'd played together all their lives.
First, they played human vs canine. Then they switched so Zeus teamed up with Gabriel, and Athena was with Alexis.
To the children and puppies, it was all a game; the battle they fought was entirely in their imaginations.
For the watching adults, it was a glimpse of what was to come.
Each team had their own tactics. Alexis went in directly, attempting a lock onto Gabriel with her first move.
Zeus dived in, shoving Alexis out of position.
This happened three more times before Alexis lost her temper.
She stamped her foot and pointed at Gabriel. “You're cheating!”
“No, I'm not!” Gabriel protested. “It's not my fault you're predictable.”
Alexis growled in frustration.
“I hope you two are getting along, “ Bethany Anne leaned over the island to look in on them. “It would be a shame to have you fight when we all just got back together.”
Alexis lowered her voice to a hiss, “I'm not predictable!” Her eyes narrowed. “Would a predictable person do this?” She clenched her fist, turning red for a moment from the force of her concentration.
Gabriel watched on, unimpressed. “Yeah, what about it? You've been trying to make energy balls all week.”
Alexis ignored him and opened her hand extra slowly. “I… I did it, Gabriel.” She held out her hand palm up and showed her brother the tiny energy ball resting there.
Gabriel's mouth fell open. “How did you do it?”
Alexis shrugged. “I'm not sure.”
Gabriel stole a glance toward the kitchen, where the adults were all occupied getting ready for dinner.
He turned back to Alexis, who was staring at her energy ball. “Hey, Sis, can you make it bigger?
She remained transfixed by the ball for a second before responding, “I'm not sure that's a good idea. You should get Mommy.”
Gabriel nodded. “I will, but don't you want to impress her, so we don't get into trouble?”
Alexis considered Gabriel's suggestion. She did like it when she impressed her parents, and she really did want to know if she could grow the ball before Mommy and Daddy gave her rules about her new ability.
She concentrated again, feeling for the connection between the energy ball and the Etheric.
Just as Mommy had told Alexis when she asked, there was energy flowing into the ball and there was an equal amount of energy flowing out.
Alexis cut off the connection that let the energy out, and the ball began to grow in her hand.
The only thing Alexis didn't know was how to stop the ball from growing.
“Whoa,” Gabriel marveled. He leaned in to get a closer look.
“ALEXIS!” her mom shouted from the kitchen.
Alexis snatched her hand away, but it was too late.
Gabriel touched the energy ball.
They were thrown in opposite directions. Gabriel landed with enough force to embed him in the wall
Alexis was less lucky. She landed in a heap after colliding with the wall. The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was her mother leaping the island to get to them.
High Tortuga, Space Fleet Base, Michael’s Office
Michael listened to Addix’s report. “Do you trust your source?”
“Sources,” Addix clarified. “This is not my first investigation. I went down multiple avenues with assets both on and off-world, and there were no confirmed links between the two who planned the kidnapping of Alexis and Gabriel and any known criminal enterprises.”
Michael nodded, deep in thought. “And the other two you killed?”
Addix shrugged. “There were links between the other two and some of the bigger gangs I came across, but they were mostly used as hired muscle. I passed the locations and account numbers of the gangs on to the Colonnaran authorities.”
Michael chuckled. “I assume they were grateful.”
Addix’s mandibles twitched with delight. “Oh, yes.”
Michael! Bethany Anne sounded panicked, something he never thought to hear.
The children…
Get the Vid-docs ready. I’m almost… “Here.” Bethany Anne arrived in an empty space, cradling their inert children in her arms.
Michael saw the burns. “Why are they not healing?” he asked, his voice quick and clipped.
She strode to the Vid-docs. “I don’t know. Thei
r nanocytes should have taken care of it by now.” She looked at her children, one in each arm, then glared at the Vid-docs’ lids. “Some help?”
Michael took Alexis from her, and they gently placed the twins in their Vid-docs.
Bethany Anne closed the lid on Gabriel. “ADAM, Eve.”
>>Yes, Bethany Anne?<<
Eve appeared at the door. “You called?”
Bethany Anne placed a hand on each of her children’s Vid-docs, which right now were Alexis and Gabriel’s only hope of survival. “Find out what is hurting my babies.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Devon, QBBS Guardian, Viewing Deck
Sabine stood at the rail, the stars an endless expanse before her. They seemed so small, but it was she who was small.
Where was her place in all this? The future was still uncertain. Would they stay on Devon and build the company? What if all that held the group together was their mutual love of Michael?
And on the subject of love, would Akio ever relent and address her feelings for him? She almost hadn’t sent the letter—the one where she’d spoken about her feelings openly for the first time. She had been crying as she wrote it, knowing that this was the only way to move on with her life.
It’s too hard to accept.
If Sabine were honest with herself, she knew deep down that her feelings for him were unrequited, and always would be. She knew, and still she clung to them. Tim was a wildcard—an unexpected opportunity to step out of the comfort zone her fantasies about Akio had given her.
She watched him talking to Barnabas in the reflection of the window. Was this what she wanted? A life of following a path that led nowhere?
Or could she step beyond that and experience something real?
She was back to feeling small and insignificant.
Hai, Sabine. Akio’s voice came into her mind, calming as always. We are small, but we burn brightly. What troubles you?
Sabine stared at the infinite beauty of the cosmos, seeing none of it. Today I walked around a space station with a talking dog and lost a fight with a werewolf. I came up here to spend some of the frankly obscene profits our company made from organizing a fight. She brushed her hair behind her ear, then folded her arms across her middle. You know, all the normal stuff. She sighed. When I think of how life has changed—how it is still changing—I have no control over my emotions.
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