LYRA
Last night has been more than I could have ever dreamed. The way Stron took care of me, loved me, and made me feel like I was the most beautiful being he’s ever seen has me feeling all sorts of things that I’ve never expected to feel.
That he’s been nearly feral after I told him that our mating would more than likely end in a pregnancy has me hoping that I’m already expecting our young.
I hadn’t lied when I told Stron we’re an extremely fertile species.
Sometimes I wonder if it’s nature’s way of counteracting our extinction.
I’ll know soon enough if I carry the next generation.
I’m thrilled to see Vena and Kragor. That they’d care to check up on us means the world to me.
I love my birth family. We’d had a good life, and my parents had loved us.
All of us, even Tri, as difficult as she made it.
My heart hurts that I’ll never see them again, but somehow, I’ve been lucky enough to find another family that loves me just as much.
It makes me realise that life is never to be taken for granted.
One way to show them I care about them is through food.
Following Suki towards where we’ve been told the kitchen is, I stop in the doorway.
I know immediately upon catching a glimpse of the kitchen that neither of us will cook in there until it’s cleaned.
I don’t have to say anything to Suki as we share a glance. Immediately, we roll up our sleeves, ready to get cleaning.
“Again?” Luna asks, coming up behind us.
With her is one of the largest males I’ve seen since we’d arrived.
I mean, Stron is no slouch, but this guy is a beast. He has muscles that look like they have muscles, a heavy brow, and a square jaw.
His hands, which are gently holding Luna’s hips, are huge and scarred.
He might not have been who I’d pictured for Luna, but the way he holds her close and the happiness in her eyes makes it clear—he’s perfect for her. There’s no doubt he’ll protect her with his life.
My heart is happy for my sisters. It seems we’ve all met the one meant for us last night. All of us except Vena, but I’m optimistic. It will happen. I’m sure of it.
I’m brought back to the kitchen and all the work we have to get done by Suki pushing Vex out of the kitchen.
Stron’s shoulders are shaking with laughter at the two of them.
Bending, he kisses my cheek, whispering in my ear, “I’ll see you later, milseán.
I’ll make sure the prospects come and help.
Make them do any heavy lifting. I don’t want you doing it.
You may already be with young,” he warns, cupping my belly with a palm.
Tilting my head up, I smile, “I won’t do anything I shouldn’t. But, Stron, you have to know I’m not weak, and even if I’m with young, I can still do all the jobs I need to.”
“I know, a ghrá, but that doesn’t mean you should, not when I’ve got prospects to do it. I’ll leave you and your sisters to it because I can see that Suki is dying to ask you questions.”
I laugh quietly, my shoulders shaking with amusement—because he wasn’t wrong. I’d seen the looks Suki has been giving me, and I fully expect to be quizzed the moment we’re alone.
With one last kiss on my cheek, Stron turns and walks away. I can’t help but admire the globes of his muscular arse as he does. I mean, who wouldn’t? It was a FINE one.
Brak and Vex also leave, but not before Luna gets the stuffing kissed out of her. Then Brak deposits her gently back on her feet as if she’s made from the finest china.
I love that for her. And from her flushed cheeks and glazed eyes, she does too.
They are no sooner out of the kitchen and Suki is demanding how our nights were.
Val and Vena fill the kitchen with laughter and teasing when they join us. It makes me a little sad that I’ve never had this with my sister, Tri. I did with my brothers but never my sister.
It doesn’t take us long to clean the kitchen. We have a system. It’s amusing to watch the prospects, who are easily double Suki’s size, run to do her every bidding. Finally, taking pity on them, she lets them go once the kitchen is clean enough for her, and then we begin breakfast.
“I’m going to see what staples they have in their pantry. Maybe we can make some pancakes,” Suki tells me.
“Sounds good,” I tell her with a smile before going back to salting some steaks we found in the freezer. Val and Vena are peeling something that Suki called potatoes. I know them as tats. But apparently, they are the same thing.
I’d just sliced another steak when Val shouts for Vena. There are swirls of silver in the kitchen. I catch a glimpse of Suki before another swirl of silver surrounds her and she disappears from the clubhouse.
“Stron,” I shout, my heart beating so hard I think it’s going to pound its way out of my chest. Tightening my grip on the knife, I swipe at the approaching silver cloud and am gratified to hear a curse. In my peripheral, I can see Val and Vena battling. Luna is behind me.
“Luna,” I shout. When she turns and looks at me over her shoulder, I order, “Back-to-back.” She nods, and the next thing I know, she presses her back against mine.
Together, we have a better chance than alone, despite being the weakest fighters besides Suki.
We each have a long carving knife, and every time silver swirls near us, we lash out.
We’re doing some damage because black spots splatter on us every time. I can only assume it’s their lifeblood.
The battle feels like it goes on forever, but it’s, in actual fact, only a few minutes at the most. As quickly as it happened, that’s how quickly it stopped.
Stron comes charging into the kitchen, eyes wild and searching. I can see him physically sag with relief as soon as he sees me. Brak pushes his way past, running straight for Luna, sweeping her up into his embrace and burying his face in her neck.
Knowing she will be okay now that he is with her, I drop my knife and run for Stron, who immediately enfolds me in his arms.
“Suki,” I sob, heartbroken that someone took her.
“I know, a stór, we’ll find her. I promise we’ll do everything we can to find her.”
In the background, I hear Vex roar. It’s heartbreaking. I close my eyes and try to block out the sheer anguish in his roar. Behind me, I hear Val speaking. Turning my head, I keep it on Stron’s chest as I watch her offering first aid to the man she stabbed.
It doesn’t take the males long to mobilise, and I’m surprised when they allow Val to do the questioning.
But Stron explains when I ask him, “We don’t have the finesse and will probably kill him before he talks, whereas Val does.
We’ll use what we have to if it means finding Suki.
Because if we don’t, there’ll be no holding Vex back.
He’ll burn this town to the ground trying to find her. ”
Val is focused on her task, and she’s good at it, but I’m finding it hard to hold back the whimpers.
Growing up on a farming planet, I was no stranger to butchering animals.
But watching it happen to a man—even if it was one of the ones who kidnapped my sister—is something else entirely.
It hits different. Brutal in a way that I’m not prepared for.
I can see the toll it’s taking on Val. This will be hurting her. She’s a protector, not a killer.
When I inadvertently make a noise and she tells Luna to take me away—protecting like she always does—I decide to pull up my big girl britches and be the female that I know I can be.
“No,” I tell her. “I’ll stay, but just remember that when you can’t do it anymore, you have one of the others step in.”
Val protects because it’s in her nature to, and she has the experience, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t protect her from herself.
Although her mate seems to be doing a good job of making sure that she knows she doesn’t have to do this.
Stron wraps an arm around my waist, and I take the comfort he gives because I need it. I won’t be leaving, though, I will stick this out to the end.
Luna wraps her fingers around my hand. Turning my head, I look up into her eyes.
She gives me a nod and squeezes my fingers in support.
Flanked by my sister and my love, we watch Val extract all the information she can from her captive.
Vena’s pacing agitatedly up and down, frequently checking on Kragor.
That she is worried about him doesn’t surprise me.
Vena’s softer than she lets on, and she has a great fondness for Kragor.
Hours later, Val finishes, and she’s got the information the males need.
Turning to Stron, I stand on my tiptoes. Pressing a kiss to his lips, I whisper, “Be careful and come back to me. I’m going to take care of Val.”
He cups my cheek, his eyes soft as he gazes at me, “Okay, a stór. Love you.”
“Love you too,” I tell him, kissing him one more time before walking to Val. Luna is not far behind me.
“Here, we’ll take her,” Luna tells Rix, gently pulling Val away from him. I go to Val’s other side and wrap an arm around her waist.
We find Rix’s room and get Val into bed. She falls into an exhausted sleep. Luna and I join her on the bed, with Vena sitting on the floor by the door in protection mode.
All we can do is wait and hope that Suki will be okay. She’s an enterprising female, and I know she won’t give up, not when she has so much to lose.