by Presley Hall
Thoughts of what she told me last night about her upbringing filter back in during the silence. I hum quietly, prompting her to stop tracing my markings and look up at me.
“You mentioned your mother and stepfather,” I say. “What is a stepfather?”
“Oh.” The gray of her irises darkens just a bit, but her eyes remain soft and open. “It means he married my mother after I was born, and he wasn’t my biological dad. Not my father by blood.”
I nod. I thought it must be something like that, but it’s not a term I’d ever heard before. “You said that both of your parents were… unloving.” I grit my teeth as I say the word, protective anger filling my chest. “I don’t understand that.”
She sighs and goes back to tracing my markings. “I don’t either, really. I used to hope things would change, but as I got older, I gave up on that fantasy. It was easier to accept that they’d never really care about me than to keep wishing for something that would never happen.”
“Will you tell me, my kira? About your childhood?”
“I guess the best word to describe it is lonely,” she murmurs. I tighten my arms around her immediately at that. I don’t want her to ever feel alone again. “Nothing I did was ever good enough for my mom or my stepdad. How could it be? They didn’t want me around in the first place, so none of my accomplishments interested them. I used to try so hard, thinking that maybe if I just proved myself, they’d finally see me as worthwhile.”
She sighs. “But as I got older, I realized I couldn’t keep living like that. So I started pushing myself for my own sake, and relying on myself, because I was the only person I had. I’m not…” She pauses, looking up at me again. Her eyes glisten, and my heart aches for her. “I’m proud of who I am. Of who I became because of their indifference. I didn’t let it break me.”
The defiance in her eyes makes me want to kiss her all over again.
“You should be proud,” I say honestly, brushing her cheek with my knuckles. “I’ve never known anyone like you.” Her cheeks turn red beneath my touch, and I smile. “Confident, but vulnerable. Selfless, determined, driven…”
I breathe in her scent and rest our foreheads together as my hand flattens on her stomach. She shivers and presses her hand over mine.
“You are perfect,” I tell her, making her blush darken. “I despise the fact that your mother and her mate couldn’t see that, but I’m glad you realized you didn’t need their approval to believe in yourself. And for as long as I live, I will dedicate myself to making sure you never feel unwanted again.”
She smiles, amusement and heat gleaming in her eyes. “You’re already off to a good start. No one’s ever made me feel the way you do. I think that’s part of why it freaked me out so much. After spending so long learning how to compartmentalize the bad relationships and negative people in my life, I didn’t know what to do with something good and real.”
I kiss her again, cupping my free hand behind her neck. She opens herself to me, arching closer in my arms. When I rub my thumb back and forth across her flat stomach, she looks down between us, sighing at the sight of our folded hands.
“I need to tell Charlotte about this,” she murmurs, biting her lower lip. I hum curiously, not sure if she means the mate bond or the child. “I’ve been so anxious about everything that I haven’t told anyone—about any of it.” She looks up at me through her lashes. “You’re the first to know that I’m pregnant.”
“You honor me,” I say sincerely. Although I wish she had told me earlier, a fierce pride rises in my chest that I was the first to know. And knowing what I do about her upbringing, I understand her reluctance to share the truth with me.
She grins, her eyes sparking with joy and excitement. “We’ll have to tell everyone about the mate bond too.”
I smile so widely that it hurts my face and makes the bruised socket of my eye twinge. But that’s of no matter. The idea of being able to finally tell everyone that I have found my mate, that she has accepted me and the connection between us, fills me with unrivaled joy.
“It seems we have a great deal of good news to share,” I murmur, finding her lips with mine once more.
20
Elizabeth
My chest feels light and airy, as if someone has removed a two ton weight from my shoulders. I keep glancing down to make sure my feet are still connected to solid ground, because it seems like I might float away on a cloud of sheer happiness at any moment.
The solid warmth of Axen’s hand in mine as we leave the hut and head toward Droth and Charlotte’s hut feels right. It’s as if I can sense his joy emanating through our bond like a heatwave, making me feel happier and more settled than I’ve been in a while.
Late morning sunshine warms my skin, and I draw in a deep breath of fresh air. My stomach fluttering with nerves at the prospect of telling everyone in the village that I’m pregnant, but the rest of me is just happy not to be fighting the bond anymore. It felt closer to torture than anything else, and I hated seeing Axen so sad, so hurt. I know it was because he thought I was rejecting him based on some failing on his part, and I regret putting him through that, making us both ache so badly.
But that’s in the past now. We’re together, and we’re strong, and nothing is going to get in the way of us being a happy family. I know, when I look into Axen’s eyes, that he will love my baby as much as he would love one of his own. He’s one of the most honorable and honest men I’ve ever met, and I believe his promise entirely.
I’m done trying to deny the inevitable, done fighting against this bond like antibodies to a transplanted organ. It feels amazing to be walking hand in hand with my mate—because that’s what he is.
My partner.
My perfect match.
I was so afraid of telling him about the baby, although my fears seem almost silly in retrospect. As if I needed more proof of what a good man he is, I have it now. His immediate desire and love for this unborn child soothed a barb that has been pricking in my mind since I first found out about my pregnancy.
My stepfather couldn’t even pretend to like me. He never wanted me around. And although he wasn’t abusive, thank God, his apathy and indifference toward me left scars on my heart anyway.
But I know that with Axen, my baby will be cherished as the unexpected blessing it is.
We find Droth and Charlotte near their hut. My friend takes one look at me and Axen, at how we’re holding hands and walking so close together, and her eyes light up with surprise and happiness. She hurries to meet us, with Droth right behind her. The Voxeran prince has a proud, pleased look on his face as well.
“So…” I begin with a laugh. I lift our joined hands. “You might’ve already figured this out, but Axen and I are mate bonded.”
“That’s incredible. I’m so happy for you!” Charlotte smiles brightly and takes another step forward like she’s going to wrap her arms around me in a hug. Then she hesitates, her eyes widening and her head tilting curiously to one side. “Wait. Is that why you’ve been acting so weird lately?”
I flush, dropping my gaze a little. Charlotte and I met for the first time on the Foreigner II, so it’s not like we have years of history together. But the intensity of our circumstances has cemented our friendship, leading us to grow close very quickly. I hate that I kept this from her, and I hope like hell that she won’t be angry at me.
Axen squeezes my hand and nudges his cheek against my hair, rumbling an encouraging little sound in his chest. I smile, drawing strength from his obvious support.
“Partly, yes, but… that’s not the only reason.” I meet Charlotte’s eyes and take a deep breath. “The other thing is… I’m pregnant.”
It feels less scary to say the words the second time around, especially when Axen gives my hand a gentle squeeze as I speak, reminding me that I’m not alone in this.
Charlotte’s eyes widen, her gaze darting back and forth between Axen and me.
“Holy shit,” she mutters, eyebrows creeping up
toward her hairline. “You guys work fast.”
I frown in confusion as Droth comes forward and puts an arm around Charlotte’s shoulders, tucking her against his side. He looks surprised as well, but he nods respectfully to Axen. “Congratulations.”
Oh.
Oh.
I shake my head, blushing a little as I realize they assume Axen is the one who got me pregnant. The tiniest nugget of old shame wells up in me, but it’s quickly soothed away by Axen pressing a kiss to my hair and flattening a hand on my stomach.
“It’s not my blood,” he says quietly, his voice calm as he smiles. “But it is my child.”
“What do you mean?” Charlotte glances from him to me.
I sigh, covering Axen’s hand with my own. “Before we left on the Foreigner II, I had a one-night stand,” I tell her. “I was safe, or at least, I thought I was. But the birth control failed. So I’ve been pregnant this whole time. Since just before I left Earth.”
Axen stands straight and tall beside me, meeting Droth’s gaze.
“In every way that matters, the baby is mine,” he declares, tightening his other arm around my waist. It feels so good to be touched by him, to be held and claimed and wanted. “I will care for both of them and protect them until my last breath.”
“As is right and honorable,” Droth says with a smile. “May your family prosper.”
Charlotte steps forward and pulls me into a hug, embracing me tightly as Axen and Droth step to one side, speaking in low, deep voices.
“I’m so happy for you,” she whispers, squeezing my shoulders tightly. She draws back, her eyes shining with tears, her smile a little strained. “I wish you had told me though.”
I swallow guiltily, looking down. “I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m not mad,” she assures me, taking my hands and dipping her head a little to catch my gaze again. “I just wish I’d known so that I could have helped and supported you. That’s a hell of a lot to handle on your own.”
“You’re telling me.” I huff a quiet laugh.
Crash-landing on an alien planet, fighting for survival, integrating into a tribe of muscular blue aliens who have been sentenced to live on this prison planet, mating with one of them, and being pregnant the whole time?
Yeah. Not even the most intense parts of med school or working at the hospital could’ve prepared me for this.
Charlotte smiles widely, glancing over at Axen. “He seems like a great guy. I’m glad you’ll have him there with you to help you through this. And of course, you know you’ve got me, and the other ladies too. And all the Voxerans.”
A smile steals over my face as I follow her gaze to my mate. He’s practically glowing with happiness, his amber eyes shining as though lit from within. “Yeah. I’ve always heard it takes a village to raise a kid. I guess I’m about to find out if that’s true.”
She chuckles. “Definitely.”
The two of us chat for several more minutes, and it feels amazing to be able to talk openly. I’m not surprised she noticed I’ve been acting weird, since most of our conversations lately have been a little stilted and awkward. I’ve been so in my head and stressed, and it’s nice to let all of that go.
A short while later, Droth and Axen return to our sides, both men smiling broadly.
“We will need to celebrate this good news,” the prince says, his dark hair glinting as he gives a satisfied nod. “Tomorrow.”
Axen dips his chin. “Thank you.”
As my mate and I begin to walk away, I take his hand in mine, giving a little tug to change our course.
“Come with me,” I tell him. “There’s one more person we need to see.”
Axen frowns in confusion, but, as he always has, he willingly follows me wherever I lead. I lead him through the small village in the direction of the area that’s being reconstructed, guessing that we’ll find the man I’m looking for there.
It turns out I’m right.
Kaide is working with a few of the other warriors on one of the new buildings, his blue skin gleaming with a light sheen of sweat. He looks up as we approach, and I wince at the sight of him. His jaw is bruised, and his cheek is a little swollen from Axen’s fierce blows last night.
Just like Charlotte’s did, his gaze skims over the two of us quickly, and I can see the realization pass through his expression.
Axen’s footsteps slow. I hope it wasn’t a big mistake to bring him over here. I’m not familiar with all the Voxeran customs and social conduct, but I hate that there’s a rift between these two friends who are almost brothers to each other. I don’t want to let that wound fester any longer.
“Talk to him,” I murmur quietly to Axen, squeezing his hand encouragingly.
I can feel him tense up a bit beside me, but he keeps moving toward Kaide. The other man breaks away from the group working on the hut, coming forward to meet us.
Axen clears his throat as he approaches his friend. “I—”
“I had no idea,” Kaide says before he can finish speaking. “I didn’t know the bond had chosen you for each other. I’m so sorry. I would never have approached her had I known—”
“Hey, I’m right here,” I interject, resting a hand on my hip and cocking an eyebrow.
I’m mostly teasing, but Kaide immediately turns to me, his gray eyes sincere. “I’m sorry, Elizabeth. The bond is a sacred thing, and I would never have interfered if I had been aware of it.”
“It’s okay,” I tell him with a smile. “Really. But thank you.”
Axen brings my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles before turning back to Kaide. “Yes, thank you, my friend. And I must apologize as well. My attack was… unnecessary. Emotional. I should have never raised a hand to you in anger, or attacked you unprovoked.”
His voice is low and a bit rough, and I realize in a rush that I did make the right choice by bringing him here to make amends with his fellow warrior. This is a small, tight-knit community, and I can tell that conflict and violence among the Voxerans is rare.
“Akhi, Axen.” Kaide curses and shakes his head, a lopsided grin curving his lips. “I would have done the same, if I were mated. Perhaps one day I will be so lucky, and then I will defend my mate with just as much fervor. I’m happy for you.”
He clasps Axen’s forearm, and both men nod to each other.
With the air cleared between them, Axen takes my hand, tugging gently. I wave at Kaide and let Axen lead me away from the construction area. I’m not quite sure where we’re going at first, but he’s walking with purpose.
I glance at my mate, shivering when I see the intense look in his eyes. He’s taking me back to his hut, I realize, and his hand tightens around mine as we get closer to it.
“Axen?” I whisper, my heart kicking up a notch inside my chest. “Are you all right?”
He seems almost… angry?
No, that’s not it. The light in his eyes is definitely not anger. But it’s as heated and intense as an open flame.
As soon as we reach his small dwelling, he tugs on me with a growl and spins me around, pressing me against the door before we can even get inside and knotting his free hand in my hair. He kisses me deeply, sliding a muscled thigh between my legs when I gasp and cling to him. He claims my mouth with the same ferocity he might use to fight on the battlefield, and it makes a powerful surge of arousal run up my spine.
He shoves the door open, guiding me inside, our lips never separating.
“Rhael,” he whispers, his voice thick with desire.
21
Elizabeth
Mine.
A little thrill runs through me as I realize that, despite making amends with his friend, the mere mention of the fight and of Kaide’s flirtatious attempts has reawakened Axen’s possessiveness. His hands slide down my waist, grabbing my hips with a grip both tender and bruising. Just his touch is enough to make my entire body light up, warm and trembling in his arms.
“I’m yours,” I whisper, combing my hands
through his thick dark hair. “All yours, Axen.”
He breaks the kiss, leaving us both gasping, our foreheads and noses brushing as he growls. Then he lifts me up and carries me to bed, laying me out on it and quickly covering me with his large, muscular frame. He kisses me again, like he’s trying to meld our bodies into one. His fingers lace with mine and pin them down on either side of my head.
My chest heaves, my lungs straining for more oxygen as need flares like a bright flash of lightning inside my body. I never thought I could be this desperate and ready without a lot more foreplay, but right now, I feel like I might die if I don’t get him inside me soon.
I need him.
More than air. More than water. More than anything.
“Axen…” I groan his name. I can’t get out any more words than that, but he doesn’t seem to need them anyway. Just hearing me say his name like this seems to be all the encouragement he needs.
“Yes,” he grunts, rising to his knees.
He shoves his loincloth to one side, exposing his hard, leaking cock, and then unties my skirt with another expert flick of his wrist, unraveling it so I’m bare for him. when he grips me by the back of the knees and pushes in, I part for him easily, moaning when he sinks inside me.
He looks wild, his hair hanging forward, teeth bared in a snarl, eyes fixed on my body with a predator’s gaze. He slides his hands down my thighs, grabbing my ass and lifting me into his brutal, claiming thrusts. I moan loudly, arching my back, desperate to get him deeper.
My toes curl as he slides one hand between my legs, thumb rubbing over my clit with fast motions. His gaze drops to the place where our bodies are connected, and another powerful surge of arousal runs through me as I realize he’s watching himself sink into me, over and over again. He seems fascinated, mesmerized, and so turned on by the sight.