Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Corinne returned to find Anya awake, sitting cross-legged on her bunk with a book in her lap.
“Couldn’t sleep?” She kept her voice light despite the nervous flutter in her stomach.
“I woke up when you left.” Anya studied her with those sharp blue eyes that missed nothing. “You’re wearing Selik’s shirt.”
Heat flooded her cheeks. “I needed to talk to him about something and—”
“You don’t have to explain.” Anya closed her book and set it aside. “I’m thirteen, not stupid. I’ve read romance novels. I know what happens when adults sneak off together in the middle of the night.”
“Oh God.” She covered her face with her hands. This was not the conversation she’d anticipated having at this hour of the morning.
“It’s okay.” Anya’s voice softened. “I like him. He’s good to us, and he makes you happy. I can see it in the way you look at him.”
She lowered her hands. “You really don’t mind?”
“Why would I mind? You deserve to be happy too. Dad would want that.” Anya picked at a thread on her blanket.
“I spent so long being angry when Dad married you because I thought you were trying to come between us. But you weren’t.
You were just trying to be there for both of us, and I was too stubborn to see it. ”
“Oh, sweetheart.” She sat down beside her stepdaughter and pulled her into a hug. “You weren’t stubborn. You were grieving and scared and that’s completely normal.”
“I know that now.” Anya leaned into the embrace. “And I know Dad loved you, even if it wasn’t the passionate romance novel kind of love. He cared about you and respected you and wanted you to be happy. Which means I should want that too.”
Tears pricked her eyes. When had this prickly, defensive girl turned into such a thoughtful young woman? Somewhere between the abduction and the rescue, between the fear and the hope, Anya had grown up.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “That means more to me than you know.”
They were sitting together in comfortable silence, when the door panel chimed and Selik slipped inside.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, taking in the grim look on his face.
“Tarak intercepted a message alerting the Council about Mikoz, but not until after it had already been sent.”
Her heart skipped a beat as she cast a worried glance at her sleeping child.
“What does that mean?”
“I heard they might want to take Mikoz back to their homeworld,” Anya said.
He nodded. “I am afraid so. Once they know about him, they will try to separate us.”
“What are we going to do?” she whispered.
“We’re going to leave and find somewhere safe where we can be a family without interference.”
“Good.” Anya nodded firmly. “Because I’m not letting anyone take him. Or either of you. We’re a family now and families stick together.”
The fierce protectiveness in her stepdaughter’s voice made her heart swell. “Yes, we are. And yes, we do. When do we leave?” she added, turning to Selik.
“We have eight hours. We are going to leave when the transport ship leaves in order to disguise our departure. You should try to get some sleep while you can.”
Anya nodded and retreated to the bedroom. “Wake me when it’s time to go.”
“I will.” She tucked the blanket around her stepdaughter, then checked on Mikoz one more time before returning to Selik. He was pacing the main room, his tail swishing agitatedly.
“Are you all right?” she asked softly, and he stopped pacing to draw her into his arms.
“Yes and no. I am excited at the thought of our new life, but I am concerned that the Council will come after us. I am delighted that I have found my mate, but I worry that I cannot protect you.”
She smiled up at him and ran her hand lightly over his tail. “I know you will protect us so I am going to concentrate on the positive.”
“You are a wise female, s’kara,” he said solemnly, then kissed her. Passion immediately flared between them, but he reluctantly pulled away.
“I have things to do before we leave. Please rest.”
“I’ll do my best,” she promised, but sleep proved elusive.
Her mind raced with possibilities and worries and the lingering warmth of Selik’s touch.
She’d bonded with him in a way that defied scientific explanation and cultural understanding.
His knot had formed inside her, tying them together in the most intimate way possible, marking her as his mate.
The memory sent heat pooling low in her belly. The feel of him moving inside her, the exquisite stretch as his knot swelled, the devastating pleasure as they’d climaxed together—nothing in her experience had prepared her for the intensity of that connection.
David had been a considerate lover, attentive and gentle, but their physical relationship had lacked passion. She’d accepted it as the natural state of mature adult sexuality and assumed the breathless desire described in romance novels was fiction designed to sell books.
She’d been wrong.
What she felt for Selik burned with an intensity that frightened and exhilarated her in equal measure. This wasn’t the comfortable companionship of friends who occasionally shared a bed. This was raw, primal need tempered by genuine affection and growing love.
She dozed fitfully, waking every hour to check on the children and wonder when Selik would return. Finally, as the chronometer showed six hours had passed since she’d left his office, the door chimed softly.
She climbed out of bed and opened it to find him standing in the corridor, fully dressed in his uniform with a small pack slung over one shoulder.
“It’s time,” he said quietly. “We have two hours before the civilian transport docks, and I need to brief you on the plan.”
She nodded and stepped back to let him enter. Anya was already sitting up on the bed, alert and ready despite the early hour. Mikoz stirred in his crib, making the soft chirping sounds that meant he’d be fully awake soon and demanding breakfast.
“How much can we bring?” she asked, eyeing their few possessions scattered around the small quarters.
“Not much. The flyer has limited storage.” He set his pack down. “Essentials only—clothing, medical supplies, anything with sentimental value that you cannot bear to leave behind.”
“What about Mikoz’s crib?”
“I will fabricate a new one once we reach Tillich Two. For now, you will need to carry him in the sling.”
She nodded and pulled out the makeshift baby carrier. It had served her well during their escape from the Vedeckians and would do so again.
“Tillich Two?” Anya asked. “That’s where we’re going?”
“Yes. It is a water world with a mixed population and regular trade,” Selik explained. “Tarak assures me it’s peaceful and relatively anonymous. We can settle there without attracting undue attention.”
“Will we be safe?” the girl asked, a tiny tremor in her voice.
“Safer than remaining here,” he said gravely. “The Council will come looking for Mikoz, and when they do, I cannot guarantee what action they will take. Removing ourselves from their jurisdiction is the best way to protect our family.”
“Then let’s go.” Anya started gathering her belongings. “The sooner we leave, the sooner we can start our new life.”
Corinne fed and changed Mikoz while Selik helped Anya sort through their possessions.
They had so little to begin with—clothes scavenged from the ship’s stores, their datapads and a few books from the small library, and the handmade toys Selik had crafted for Mikoz. Everything fit into two small bags.
“Is that all?” He gave their meager pile a concerned look.
“We lost everything when we were taken,” she reminded him. “These are luxuries compared to what we had in captivity.”
He growled low in his throat, the sound vibrating with suppressed rage. “I wish I could have killed every Vedeckian who touched you.”
“You saved us. That’s what matters.” She reached up to cup his face, feeling the slight texture of his skin against her palm. “And now you’re keeping us safe. That’s more than enough.”
He turned his head to press a kiss to her palm. “You deserve more than ‘enough’. You deserve everything.”
“I have everything I need right here.” She glanced at Anya, who was carefully packing her books, and Mikoz, who was gnawing contentedly on a soft toy. “A family who loves me and a future to look forward to. What more could I want?”
“A proper home. Security. The chance to rebuild your life without constantly looking over your shoulder.”
“We’ll have that on Tillich Two.” She smiled at him. “Together.”
He pulled her close, mindful of the baby between them, and rested his forehead against hers. “I love you, s’kara.”
“I love you too.” She breathed in his scent—warm and spicy with an underlying musk that made her think of their earlier coupling. “Now let’s get out of here before I get distracted again.”
His low rumble of amusement made her toes curl. “Later. When we are safe and the children are asleep, I will show you exactly how distracted I can make you.”
“Promises, promises.”
“That’s disgusting,” Anya announced from across the room. “I’m right here, you know.”
“My apologies.” He stepped back, but his tail remained wrapped around her waist in a possessive gesture. “Are you ready to depart?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Anya shouldered her bag and picked up Corinne’s as well. “Let’s go before I change my mind and decide I actually like living on a warship.”
They slipped into the corridor, moving silently through the ship’s dimly lit passages.
Most of the crew would be sleeping during this cycle, but they couldn’t risk being seen.
He led them through service corridors and maintenance shafts, avoiding the main thoroughfares where security cameras would track their movements.
Her heart hammered against her ribs with each step. Every distant voice, every mechanical hum made her flinch. What if they were caught? What if someone questioned their presence? What if the Council arrived early and intercepted them before they could escape?