He slipped the cuff on her wrist and snapped it closed. She took the other and placed it on his wrist. He placed the empty box on the table and slid back into the bed with her. He leaned down and pressed his lips to her stomach and then gathered her close.
“I love you,” he whispered as she drifted off.
***
“If you had been taken, I don’t know that Dezek would have been able to stop me from killing them all. I don’t know how he managed to stay calm,” Fazon whispered in Wendy’s ear. They were spooned together in his big bed. “I’ve never been afraid of anything but today I was terrified.”
The admission made Wendy smile. “I promise not to tell anyone,” she whispered back.
“I don’t care who you tell. I’ll tell them,” he growled fiercely. “I love you. Just thinking something bad could happen to you steals my breath.” She rolled over in his arms and reached up to caress his face.
“I love you, too. If someone had told me six months ago that I would meet a male that I could love without question or hesitation, I wouldn’t have believed them. But the moment I met you, I knew I’d found what my mother searched her whole life for and never found. Something I didn’t believe even existed,” she confessed. “When Taylor backed you up against the wall and chewed you out over Zabyss and you let her, I fell in love with you right then.” She laughed softly.
“I hadn’t meant to disrespect the little thing. I simply wanted to get rid of everyone in the room but you,” he chuckled. “I’ve apologized to her but I don’t know if she or Taylor believed me.”
She laughed softly, “We’ll work on it.” They were quiet after that and drifted peacefully to sleep.
Chapter 18
Taylor left the quarters she now was now sharing with Moz on Sixteen and found Sienna and Holly in the passage headed to the lift. Samantha, Jasmine and Holly were going to treat everyone to breakfast this morning. Samantha had told the four returning women that they would handle everything but Sienna was awake and couldn’t go back to sleep so she decided she would go and help. Apparently Ashaa had the same idea coming out of the quarters she shared with Rev. It was Holly that noticed the bracelet once they were in the lift.
“Oh, my God. This is gorgeous,” she said lifting Taylor’s arm to inspect the cuff.
“Thank you, Moz gave it to me last night. He bought it on Saneera and he’s wearing one that matches it.” Taylor explained.
“So is it like a wedding ring?” Holly asked with comical expression of awe on her face.
“Yes, it is,” Taylor told her with a huge smile. Holly jumped up and down squealing with delight and excitement.
“Congratulations!” Sienna hugged her long-time friend. “Is there like a wedding or anything?”
“Yes, but Moz wants to wait and do it at home. He said if he doesn’t his mother will kill him!” Taylor told them laughing. Ashaa was watching her carefully. Taylor knew Ashaa knew the other secret. “And since it’s going to be impossible to keep a secret around here…Ashaa?”
A delighted smile spread across Ashaa’s face, “You’re pregnant.”
“Yes!” Taylor laughed and hugged the other woman as Sienna joined Holly in jumping up and down and squealing with excitement again. “I am!”
“I would have kept your secret, Taylor,” Ashaa told her.
“I know you would but Moz couldn’t keep a secret if he tried. You should see the goofy look he’s wearing on his face this morning.” Taylor said with laughter in her voice. They exited the lift and entered the Hall and Kitchen to find the rest of the women including Rose. They were still laughing and the others looked.
“Wow, you guys look happy this morning!” Samantha observed from where she was already slicing dough that was rolled and had some sort of filling in it.
“I’m pregnant and engaged!” Taylor shouted and showed the cuff. Chaos broke out in the kitchen. There were squeals and laughter and ‘ooohing’ over the beautiful cuff. Several male heads popped into the kitchen.
“Is everything okay in here?” Nyman wanted to know. Taylor spun and showed him the cuff and he laughed. “So Moz is officially chained now.”
“Yes,” Taylor replied with a smile. “He is indeed.” Nyman came over and hugged her. Moz was one of his best friends and it pleased him to know how happy his friend was. Not everyone got Moz’s sense of humor, his devotion to his plants or the Xydrav colonies on his family’s lands. The pretty Navajo human seemed to understand all. She was good match for his friend.
“We’ll set the tables for you,” Nyman told the group. He and several of the others carried dishes and flatware out into the dining hall. Dezek hadn’t been lying when he said they would always pitch in. The women also received help shifting the now full serving dishes to the tables. The room was nearly full with everyone except the night crew still on the bridge who Samantha had promised a special treat after their shift ended. Moz appeared and strode across the dining hall to Taylor’s side. He pulled her into his arms and then dipped her in a passionate kiss. He stood her upright, joined their left hands and lifted them for the whole room to see. Cheers and applause broke out. Everyone congratulated the couple and then sat down to breakfast. The mood in the room couldn’t be further from just eight hours earlier.
“Are you going to have me do the mating ceremony?” Dezek asked. “As captain, I can do that you know.”
“Are kidding me? If I do the ceremony without Lada present to see it, I won’t live to my son born,” Moz told him with a serious face and tone.
“Okay, we can…Wait, son?” Dezek stopped.
“Yes, my son.” Moz said with a grin. The room broke out into cheers again. Dezek stood and came around the table to hug his brother and kiss Taylor gently on the temple.
“Congratulations to you both.” He told them. “You just made Lada the happiest female on Lar-Kevel even if she doesn’t know it yet.”
***
The fight started right after the delicious breakfast that Samantha, Holly and Jasmine had put on in the Hall to celebrate the return of the others. Axon had procured a spice on Saneera called Tuppa. It was remarkably like cinnamon with a splash of ginger and the women had used it to make Samantha’s ‘cinnamon’ rolls with dori seeds subbing in for the pecans. They were just as delicious as the ones Samantha made at home.
After the congratulations for Taylor and Moz subsided Dezek decided to tell everyone he was waiting for permission from the Fathers to cut the trip short and head directly for Home in light of what had occurred on Saneera.
“Absolutely not!” Sienna told him. “We will not be responsible for people not getting goods they have needed and planned for. This mission will continue as planned. None of us are injured. I, for one plan to stay aboard until we reach home, but I will not allow all of those waiting at home to be inconvenienced by this incident. We should be perfectly safe aboard ship.”
“I am not taking that risk, Sienna,” he told her with his carved granite face.
“You said you would treat us as equals. Then do so and continue this mission as planned,” she demanded.
“No! I will not risk you again.” He was shouting now. The entire crew was staring in awe. None had ever seen Dezek even annoyed much less the anger he was now showing.
“Nogith has been imprisoned by his own people. He’s been charged with treason. He can’t hurt us or even attempt anything further,” she reminded him gently.
“It doesn’t matter! We are going home where you will be safe,” he vowed.
“Then you don’t really see me as your equal, do you?” with the quiet somber question left echoing Sienna turned and left the Hall. The rest of the women followed. Dezek threw back his head and roared in rage and frustration. He closed his eyes and breathed deep for several moments. When he opened his eyes and looked around, he saw no judgement, only compassion and understanding in the faces of his crew. He knew they would support whatever decision he made because while most of them weren’t mated they knew how t
heir fathers felt about their mothers.
“I’ll be on the bridge,” he told them. Exiting the lift on the bridge he relieved Gval.
“Incoming message from Fathers,” Kern informed him from communication.
“On screen.”
His father, Lodan, appeared. “How are you, son?”
“Better than yesterday, Tota. Better than yesterday.”
“I can imagine. I don’t know that I would’ve managed to hold it together if someone had taken your mother like that,” Lodan told him. “You did good, son, you did good.”
“Thank you. I have to give much of the credit to my crew. They never even hesitated,” Dezek smiled finally. He knew his crew was loyal to him yet it felt good to know they would fight for his mate.
“Well, we’ve made a decision here. The Fathers agreed to leave it up to you. You can come home or continue on. We’ve received assurances from the Council that the problem has been neutralized. The Saneerians agreed not file complaints against you for leaving the planet without permission during a no fly order since mates were involved and we were the wronged party. The Rank have already extended apologies and offered restitution. We accepted the apologies and let them know that restitution wasn’t necessary since the mates were returned unharmed and we’re aware the Saneerans are already claiming billions in damages. We told them we don’t want to add to their problems. We have also agreed to allow them to handle the problem internally or whatever the Council and Saneerians will agree to on the issue. We’re all very proud of you. We know it took a great deal of patience and wisdom to wait to see if the message from Rose was real or a ruse. There isn’t a one of us who could truthfully say we would have done the same in your position. You made us proud, my son,” his father told him with eyes that shined with tears.
“Thank you, that means a lot coming from you and them,” he told his father as he pushed his hands through his hair. His father regarded him for a moment knowing his son only did this during extreme moments of stress and indecision, a rare state for his confident eldest who had always been a thinker and an excellent strategist.
“Something else, son?” Lodan asked with a quiet voice.
“Sienna wants me to continue on if the choice is mine. I don’t want to. I want her home, safe. She says if I don’t continue on then I don’t really see her as an equal. I don’t want to hurt her but damn it,” he said shaking his head again.
“Dezek, no one here will judge you if you come home or continue. But you will be spending close to the next hundred years or so with that female. So how long do want sleep on the floor?” his father asked with a chuckle. “Your mother is just as stubborn and would want to continue also, if that helps.”
Dezek looked around and saw crew members trying to hide smiles. He shook his head and laughed finally. “You’re right, Tota, I don’t want to spend the next ten years on the floor.”
“She’s that tough, is she?” his father was laughing outright now.
“Yeah, she’s that tough.” He smiled again. “Tota, we’ll talk again in a few days. Let the Fathers know I’ll send my decision shortly. Give my love to Lada.” His father was still laughing as he signed off. He looked at Fazon who had raised his brows.
“Don’t look at me. Wendy already informed me what my vote would be this morning before we left quarters,” Fazon told him ruefully. The bridge burst into laughter at the thought of the biggest man on board being bossed around by a female he had foot and nearly 100 kilos on. Dezek looked at Rev. Rev was snarling.
“Ashaa voted to continue. She called me a Neanderthal. I looked it up. It was NOT a compliment,” Rev rolled his eyes. “Forward or I’ll never hear the end of it.”
Dezek’s eyes fell on his third who had remained on the bridge for the Fathers message. “Don’t look at me,” Gval put his hands up in surrender. “I don’t ever want Tek to cook again so the women have my complete utter devotion to whatever cause makes their little hearts happy enough to cook,” he said laughing.
Dezek swore softly in several languages. “Set course for Ixdora. We’re going on. Send the Fathers a quick communication, Kern. My father probably needs another laugh.” He stood and looked Fazon, “You have the con. I need to go kneel and admit she’s right. I have a feeling I’m going to do this a lot in the next hundred years, might as well start practicing now.” The bridge was still laughing when lift door closed. Gval exited on Seventeen.
“Good luck,” Gval wished him as he exited the lift on the Hall deck for the promised treat from Samantha. Dezek checked his quarters for Sienna and didn’t find her. He searched for a moment mentally and found her in Hydro. He went back to the lift and down. He found them sitting at the tables on the minawl weed patch. To his astonishment, they were sorting seeds Moz had acquired on Saneera. They were an incredible resilient group of women he thought to himself again.
“Ladies,” he called their attention. “After speaking with Fathers, I have been given the decision to head for home or continue on. After discussing this with my crew and taking in your opinions, we are going forward with the trip. We are on course for Ixdora now.” He smiled as the women cheered and Sienna came to him.
“Thank you,” she told him as she touched his face. She kissed his lips and he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck. He stood there holding her not caring the others looked. It was Moz that broke them apart when he came out of the foliage.
“Hey, get your hands off my seed sorter,” Moz protested with a mock scowl. “That woman has work to do!” Everyone laughed and Dezek reluctantly turned her loose.
“I’ll see you for lunch,” he told her. He kissed lips quickly and left with a wave. She watched him till he disappeared in the foliage and then went back to the table. Rose hugged her when she sat down.
“I told you he’d make the right decision,” the teen told her. She smiled and went back to work with everyone else.
***
The women had put away the seeds so they could have lunch when Sienna heard Dezek call her. She jumped a little and Rose grinned at her. Sienna was still getting used to having Dezek ‘talk’ in her head. She told the others to start without them and went down in the lift to their quarters with a slight frown. She had thought he was going to meet her in the Hall for lunch. Currently so many of them had lunch together that they had started sitting in the hall. Sienna and the cooking detail had started offering fresh foods for lunch as well and it drew a crowd. The fresh foods were such hit that the women now cooked lunch every day and still had plenty of volunteers to clean up. They were still having the dinner meal four nights a week. Breakfast usually came from the dispensers still with this morning being the exception.
He was staring at the view screen watching the stars when she walked into their quarters. She walked to his side and he turned and took her in his arms. He kissed her soundly and she shivered when he slid a large hot hand under her shirt. He stood caressing her spine while he kissed her deeply for several minutes and she had no desire to stop him. Heat from his hands spreading through her never failed to make her relax and surrender to him. He nibbled his way across her jaw. She purred for him when he started nibbling on her neck.
“Mmmm, what did I do to deserve this?” she asked in soft husky whisper.
“You’re you,” he said with a smile in his voice and continued to nip at her neck.
“I’m glad you noticed,” she whispered in his ear and nipped at his earlobe. She brought her hand up to stroke his nape spots and he growled low and deep making her smile against his neck. He pulled back to look at her. He lifted her in arms and carried her to the oversized chair. Sitting with her in his lap, he opened the box on the table she had failed to notice. Inside the box a set of cuffs similar to the ones Taylor and Moz were wearing. This pair was deep bronze color and had stones that were a deep garnet red in swirl pattern.
“I thought the color would look fantastic against your skin and the stones are the same dark red as your hair,” he sai
d softly. She looked up at him and saw a tender look on his face. “I almost lost you yesterday. It was a feeling so heavy on my heart I thought it would crush me. I love you. If anything ever happened to you my heart would stop beating.”
“Dezek,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry it took me so long to tell you how much I love you. I was scared. Things like this don’t happen except in fairy tales where I’m from. But yesterday when I woke in the suPonick ship again it was almost more than I could bear. I know now this is real so you don’t need to do this.”
“Yes, I do,” he told her with a smile. “I bought them at dinner on Saneera. I was going to take you up to the observation deck to watch one last sunset and sunrise and ask there. My plan took a little detour.” She laughed and kissed him. “Will you wear this so everyone knows your mine,” he asked in his deep voice.
“If you’ll match me so I don’t have to fight off the Dorics.” She laughed when his brows went up. “We looked in the computer to see information about the planet and people. Those women can’t have my dragon,” she said with mock growl. He laughed and snapped the cuff into place. She took the other from the box and closed it around his thick wrist and pressed her lips to it. “I love you.” He started kissing her again and then groaned.
“Rose said we have to get upstairs. Fazon just dropped to one knee in the dining room and proposed to Wendy. He’s putting the cuff on now,” he told her. She smiled big and laughed.
“So much for Mister Big Bad!” she said as she jumped up. She was smiling as she pulled him out of the chair. When they got to the dining hall, chaos and good cheer reigned. They arrived just in time to see Axon had proposed to Holly and was still on bended knee. She started to cry after they placed the cuffs on one another and he opened another box. Inside the box were two dainty little cuffs that matched her cuff. One for each of his daughters he told her from bended knee, so that they would always know they were his little women. Lunch ran a little longer than usual.
TAKEN: Journey to a New Home Page 22