The baby shifted, opening her lips as if hoping for a nipple.
Again? We'll see. I stuck a fingertip between those tiny lips.
Lianna tried to clamp on with the strength of a mousetrap.
Nobody goes hungry in my house. I shifted my gown and held the baby to my nipple.
Lianna's mouth snapped onto the tender tissue.
Yikes. But motherhood was motherhood. Although becoming numb to the sensation would be nice, I didn't want any part of missing out on the aspect of motherhood. Sure, I lost some freedom. But the giving of oneself to a child, becoming its lifeline to the world, completely changed one's perspective. Like suddenly waking up to realize being free no longer mattered. Not that liberation was part of the long battle to get this far. Everyone struggled for freedom of thought the past five years since my arrival on The Seeker. And Goro was free from the burden of bringing the child of legend to life so now he could focus on organizing the Marshals.
The door to their personal quarters swooshed open.
Goro strode into the room wearing little more than black leather and a hint of a smile.
The baby had changed him, loosened him up a bit. He was still the barbarian commander who now wore a long black ponytail. But a new gleam in his eyes had brightened his stoic mask since he held his child for the first time. It most likely was the flame for Xquine. He never let on how his daughter would give birth to more children with those Xquine eyes. But his soul declared the knowledge to anyone who crossed his path in one undying blast of Xquine enthusiasm.
Goro ran some fingers across Lianna's few strands of black hair, sat on the bed at my side, and leaned down to latch onto my mouth with his soft lips.
My soul melted into a pool of aching and longing.
A place for them to swim in love and light. But I was too torn up from childbirth to wrap my legs around him and fuse our souls into one. I slid fingers into the base of his tightly bound silky hair of his ponytail and opened my mouth to his wet heat and probing tongue.
He kissed me deeply, lovingly, longingly.
So deeply I almost broke into tears. My life was so complete now.
He pulled back from me to gaze into my eyes. "I have to leave for a few weeks."
Leave? "But-"
He gently placed a finger over my lips. "Anshee has promised to help you until I return. Care for you by threat of punishment." He smiled. "I don't want to leave you alone. But I must take two healers to Quadrant Four. A planet lies on the brink of civil war." Something danced across his handsome features. "And when I return, you'll be well enough to wet nurse your husband."
Leave it to Goro to fantasize about breasts when I'm about to be left holding the loose ends of The Order of the Marshals while he goes gallivanting across the universe to save the day. But he seemed so happy now deep in his duty. "What do you want me to do while you're gone?"
"Stay in bed."
What? "I can supervise just as easily with or without a baby."
"I've assigned duties. The were-assassins will train the new volunteers. When you're completely healed, you can help me. For now, just heal thyself."
Oh, if I weren't so stubborn, I'd call a healer to smooth over all this childbirth injury. And then Crazy Darla could take this barbarian by the hair and show him who was boss. But I didn't want to miss out on recovering from childbirth. Something about the whole stage of transition felt like a badge of victory to be worn for all to witness. Nor did I want to rush things and miss out on this whole mother thing. "Alright. Who are you taking on your little adventure?"
His eyelids pinched shut a bit.
Perturbed? Oh yes. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. I gulped back a chuckle.
"Johnson and Aisling," he said.
Johnson was a good idea. But Aisling couldn't manage her healing powers at all. "You can't take Aisling. She's not ready to open a can of tuna fish let alone lay hands on a bleeding humanoid."
"I know she is your favorite of all the un-mated earthlings. But she must be forced to use her gift or it will never grow."
Easily said by someone who wasn't forced to watch his mother die from cancer because Mom opted against psychic intervention. "So you're going to take her into a toxic environment and force her to bend with the land's social strife?"
Goro's mask went stoic. "Do not counter decisions made for the greater good of humanity. Aisling is the most curious of the Marshals. I think her fascination with archaeology will carry over to the Luvks and curb their distrust of foreigners as well. She will be easily accepted. If not, Johnson will do."
"Distrust? You're kidding me. Aisling isn't a warrior. She's the most caring volunteer you've got in the bunch." Why did I bother arguing? "So you're taking my friend into a war because she's curious?"
"Educated in social organization. Open-minded."
"I understand her formal education can come in handy almost everywhere. But just what does being open-minded have to do with anything?"
"The Luvks are a highly secretive almost feline race who do not truly live in our universe."
Just what did that mean?
"I see the question on your beautiful face, heart of my heart." He traced a tickling finger along her jaw line. "The world of the Luvks lies beyond a wormhole on a planet of winged humanoids accessible only by those who know the footpath through the portal. And with luck, the two healers who accompany me will find mates among the two populations. And then my duties of supervising the reconstruction on these planets will pass onto the two Marshals mated into those worlds. So, I need Johnson and Aisling because they are my best bets for acclimating to two extremely different cultures of humanoids."
"So, you're sending my friend to seek a mate with some cat race that doesn't live anywhere you can reach by normal means in our universe?"
He nodded one patient respectful nod.
Seriously, what does the lunacy matter in worlds displaced by wormholes or portals? Or whatever the doorway is to their world? I'm living inside one of Saturn's moons. Anything could happen. Thank goodness there wasn't a Jennian priest around to utter circular points that never truly did anything other than give a girl a headache. And who needed a headache with a big barbarian afoot? Besides, Aisling volunteered.
Goro shoved my palm against his hard shaft hidden inside his leather pants. "Know I will miss every moment I'm away from you, heart of my heart." He growled like something feral lurked deeply inside him. "And when I return, you will soothe the savage beast as they say on earth."
"I love it when you talk dirty to me." I shot him a wink and gave his cock a gratuitous squeeze. "But when the baby gets a little older, maybe you should wait until she's out of earshot."
"That didn't keep you from learning about love and lust before mating."
I told him I'd never admit to watching those porn flicks.
"Johnson and Aisling will be settled into their new positions as Marshals soon. Soon enough to allow me to return to my family." He lifted my palm to his soft lips. "Families have a way of taming the wild nature inside a man. At least what needs to be tamed," he whispered the warm words into my hand, his gaze sliding to lock on mine, and lowered my knuckles to my lap. "The flawed beast now welcomes his Destiny."
"The only flawed being I know is headless now. And he was nothing more than a wild animal. You were never flawed." I shot forward into his warm chest, carefully clutching the baby, wrapped an arm around his stiff shoulder, and stared into his eyes. "The only difference is you've started smiling more. I wouldn't have you change a bit. Don't change." I squeezed him until the tip of his nose almost touched mine.
His arms snaked around mine to mirror my embrace. "Some things in life will always be great mysteries, heart of my heart. But since I found you, I've learned more answers than stumbled upon riddles. I am most grateful for the light you shine in my darkness."
Would Aisling and Johnson ever know the joy I've found with the hottest bad ass in the universe? Hopefully they would. That was
the reward for serving humanity. But Goro wasn't dark. Or am I renowned as taming the savage beast? Maybe I'm the one who crossed over into the darkness. Am I weak? Flawed? But I don't mind. I hold the universe in my hand. Literally.
The End
Feral Flaw Page 21