Ulfar (Intergalactic Surrogacy Agency #4)

10. Village Visit

VILLAGE VISIT

ULFAR

A s I don my fur-lined cloak and secure it using a brooch at my shoulder, I look into the mirror and fight to still my racing heart.

Today Sarah will meet the people of my village. She will see my home for the first time, outside the bounds of the ISA centers. We received special permission from Orvox herself, and I can’t wait to introduce her to my clan.

I didn’t expect her to agree to the trip, to be honest. She’s been strangely distant the last few days, that unknown sadness plaguing her more and more often. She even moans and mumbles in her sleep, thrashing against an unseen foe.

The alpha part of me wants to tear anyone who would hurt her limb from limb. I want to wrap her in my cloak and keep her far away from the horrors of the world.

But that is not my right, and she is not my mate.

Not really.

“Are you ready?” I call into the bedroom. Sarah steps out and my jaw nearly hits the floor. She’s gorgeous, done up in traditional garb that flatters her every curve. Her hair falls in soft waves over her shoulders and a bright yellow flower rests behind her ear, accentuating the warmth of her eyes. She’s beautiful.

“You look...” I start, but words fail me. All that comes out is a goofy, wide-eyed smile.

“Thank you for the outfit,” she says earnestly, doing a little turn so I can see the full length of it. My mouth waters at the sight, and my cock twitches in recognition.

“You look beautiful.” I draw close and wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her in for a sweet kiss. This time, she doesn’t tense. Doesn’t pull away. She melts into my embrace, kissing me back with all the fervor I feel in my heart.

Maybe I’m not so doomed after all.

And as I help her atop my mount and we walk off toward the rising sun, I try to burn this image in my memory forever.

* * *

As we walk into the village, heads poke out of their houses and my neighbors throw up their hands in greeting. Sarah takes in everything with wide, awestruck eyes as I point out every one of them in turn.

“Ulfar, is that you?” A familiar voice comes from behind us, and I turn to find my friend Orri standing there with his heart-mate, Isabella.

“Aye,” I say, forming a fist at my chest to greet him. “This is my female, Sarah.”

Orri gives me a smirk, and I know exactly what he’s thinking. It wasn’t too long ago that I sat with him in the birthing ward while he waited for his mate Isabella to give birth. I teased him then and told him I would never get so worked up over any woman, omega or not.

Now he’s going to rub it in, and to be honest? I deserve it.

“You look well,” Isabella states, smiling up at us with a child in her arms.

“And you,” I echo with a nod of my head. “How is little Lyra?”

“A handful as ever,” Orri says with a grin. “But an adorable handful.” His eyes turn to Sarah, and I feel her tense under his gaze. “Won’t be too long until you have one of your own, eh?”

Orri’s words echo through the air. It’s a lighthearted sentiment, but I know it holds all the weight in the world for my omega.

Sarah nods. “Yes. I’ll be going in for my checkup soon to make sure everything is progressing smoothly.”

“Don’t you worry,” Isabella points out. “They’ll take really good care of you there. I was scared too, but they know what they’re doing. You’ll be fine, I promise.”

In the distance I hear the sound of children playing nearby, their giggles and laughter carrying on the breeze. The scent of freshly cut grass and blooming flowers envelops me, filling my nostrils with their sweet fragrance.

We make our way through the village, and I can tell Sarah is in awe of the place—especially all the happy, content omegas.

“You look surprised,” I say as we walk. “Did you expect something different?”

“I just always thought omegas would be...” She chews her lip, considering the words. “I don’t know. Lesser.”

I snort. Just what were they teaching them at the ISA? “You’ve got it all wrong. Omegas are our greatest treasure here. They keep our society stable. Keep us flourishing. Without them...” I trail off, remembering the dark times. Remembering how hard it was when we realized the alpha serum had affected our ability to bear children. “We would have died out.”

“Wow,” she says after a time. Her voice is hushed, thick with untold emotion.

“Yeah,” I echo into the silence. “Wow is right.”

As we walk, people stop and bow to us in greeting. We pass by a young omega woman who is singing softly to her child as she rocks it back and forth in her arms. The child’s eyes flicker open, and it gurgles happily at its mother’s song before drifting off into peaceful sleep again. Sarah watches them with an expression of wonder on her face, and I can’t help but feel my heart swell with love for my omega mate as I see her so enchanted by this beautiful moment.

“Here we are.” We stop in front of my home, the one I built with my own two hands. It’s modest, but it’s mine. It’s where I feel most at peace.

And hopefully one day, she can too.

We step through the door to the cottage I built and I’m filled with pride. I want her to feel at home here, wanted, loved—even if this isn’t the life she ever expected for herself.

As we walk through the sparsely decorated rooms, I point out the furniture and tools I crafted by hand. She seems impressed by my workmanship, and it fills me with pride to be able to show off my skills in this way.

Finally, we reach the room where I display my wall of trophies from battles past. She clings to me as I point out each one in turn, telling her of the exploits of my past. She listens intently to every word.

It’s the most decorated room in the house—everything else has been trimmed down to near-spartan efficiency, providing only what I need to rest and prepare for the next mission. Nothing more, nothing less. But now that I see Sarah here in my space, I realize it was missing something all along:

Her.

Every battle, every prize was to prepare for my future. To cement my status as alpha and show that I could provide for my future mate, whenever and whoever that may be. And now she’s standing right in front of me.

My heart cries out at the thought of losing her. I would cross the galaxy, fight the most formidable foes if it meant being able to see her again. And that’s when I realize: She’s my heart-mate. She has to be.

And if I don’t tell her how I really feel, I’m going to lose her forever.

“Sarah,” I start, my voice steady by some miracle. “There’s something I want to—”

Suddenly she cries out, racing across the room to pick up an old book lying on a table by the door. It’s a worn paperback, not common on this world, but I had it imported especially for my collection. She holds it up with glee.

“You actually have it!” Sarah says in awe, flipping over the cover. She squeals again. “And it’s signed by the author?! No way! How did you get this?”

I’m taken aback by the sudden shift of conversation, but I can’t help but laugh at her excitement. “I had it imported from Earth. Was a pain to get, but I told you. It’s one of my favorites.”

“Mine too.” Her voice comes out as a whisper. Our eyes meet just then, a silent, perfect moment of clarity.

I know what I have to do.

“Sarah, I need to ask you something.” I step closer to her, determination now pushing me forward. “Do you like my house?”

She blinks as if she expected something else. “Yes, of course I do. It’s a bit sparse, but cozy all the same. I love seeing all the things you made. You are a great craftsman.”

My heart stutters once more, and I take a deep breath. “That’s good, because I’ve never invited another female into this house.”

Her eyes widen. “Never?”

“Never.” Now for the hard part. “Do you know why that is?”

The book hangs by her side, all but forgotten. She’s trapped under my gaze, the rest of the world fading into the background as we draw closer and closer. “Why?”

“I made a vow long ago,” I say, taking her soft, small hand in my own. “That I would not bring a female into my home. And when I did, she would be the one I want by my side for all eternity.”