Epilogue
Kaede
I’d known I messed up as soon as I’d opened my mouth to offer to ease her pain. I shouldn’t have allowed her to get under my skin and let me expose myself to those in the room.
I’d planned to stand in the corner, out of sight, and observe. And yet I’d let her tears and her cries break through my detachment, slipping past the wall I’d built to keep everyone out. To keep me focused on the mission.
Although, if I was honest with myself, she had already slipped past my wall.
I cared far more than was safe. If anyone tried to harm her or the cubs, I would kill them.
It didn’t matter who it was. The lives of Selena and her cubs were worth more to me than the lives of anyone on this ship, my own included.
But I couldn’t afford to let her distract me.
And she was a distraction. One I needed to address. I had to find a way to keep her at arm’s length.
This mission was one I could not fail.
Selena didn’t know it, but she had connections to one of the most powerful males in the galaxy.
Her cubs' sire would kill anyone that kept her from him or thought to harm them.
And once the galaxy found out about Selena and their cubs?
There would be plenty trying. Most would fear my client and steer clear, but for some?
It would paint a target on Selena and the cubs.
Those were the ones my half-sisters and I would hunt down and kill, while my client kept her safe. Our mission would allow Selena to have the freedom to live her life as she wanted without any fear.
And now I’d allowed my obsession with her to cloud my judgment.
The last nine years my mission—an order only to me—was to search for Selena and bring her back to my client. Yet here I was, tempted by her, jeopardizing the successful completion of my mission.
It had been nine years suffering long periods of isolation.
I had not spent much time with my crew—my half-sisters—for most of that time.
Their strengths lay in other fields, so they had been assigned other missions.
Sure, they could have helped search for her, but I was the only one designed to track prey.
And my prey was Selena.
Her face haunted me whenever I closed my eyes. I’d never felt desire for anyone other than her. Not from the moment I had been given her scent and begun to track.
But I would need to be satisfied with only friendship. Something that would be much harder now that I had tasted her. Now that I had been inside her.
I groaned.
She was my client’s Nova. He would not want to share her.
Aldawi males never shared their Novas. They were intensely territorial.
I found him allowing her to take Odelm and Xylo as nestmates very confusing, but perhaps their asexual nature meant they were little threat. They were more like caretakers.
Regardless, I wasn’t going to question him.
I licked my lips. The intoxication of her blood still lingered. Knowing her taste, having felt her channel grip my cock for the first time. Fuck, it would now be even harder not to be distracted by Selena.
Having tasted her blood, I was one with her.
It had triggered my instincts; I could already feel myself slipping.
The Yaarkins hadn’t designed me to breed.
All my designed traits would become a problem if I mated.
Tasting the blood of my prey allows me to hunt them down if they escape.
But the very thing that made me a good tracker became a danger with a mate.
I’d become too fixated, too focused. Especially if I drank from them.
But Selena was not ordinary prey.
I sighed.
There were too many unknowns now that I’d had sex with Selena.
I had no idea what this would unlock in my unique biology.
And even though it had been to help her and prevent harm from coming to her cubs, I had barely been able to hold back.
To stop myself trying for more. The moment had been seared into my memory.
The memory would need to be enough to sustain me, for I would never get another chance to be with her.
Well, the memory and my cache of recordings. I had carefully recorded every moment with her to re-watch and analyze later.
Nor could I keep this from my client. He would learn of it on his own soon enough. I had no doubt my obsession would be clear to him as soon as he saw me around Selena. And I didn’t want to hide anything from him.
I owed him everything.
When my client had woken my half-sisters and me nine years ago, we’d made a deal.
He would free us from our prison, give us a purpose, a place to use our talents in his personal military—if we agreed to be loyal only to him.
We agreed, and then helped him rescue other human experiments—none of whom were like us. Or Selena.
For nine years, we’d been hunting anyone with connections to the Yaarkins, looting and destroying any Yaarkin ships we came across. They were good at hiding—spreading out in the fringes of the galaxy, keeping to the outskirts, dealing only with the black market and the dregs of society.
The ship Selena had been aboard had been the last. Of course.
So many years looking for her, and the very last Yaarkin vessel, the very last of the Yaarkin species—that was the one that held her prisoner.
And it had pissed off my client that the ship had been lurking right under our noses.
The slave ship had found a spot between two moons in a planetary gas ring in one of the uninhabitable Aldawi star systems to hide.
When we’d found the vessel and launched the attack, the Yaarkins and their customers had tried to fight back, but our forces were overwhelming. We had ensured they would be. My client was taking no further chances he might lose Selena.
But even with no hope of victory, they’d refused to surrender, using their slaves and failed experiments as cannon fodder—a distraction to allow them to escape. They even set a number of shuttles to self-destruct to add to the confusion.
We hadn’t been able to prevent the destruction, but we were able to either capture or kill everyone else. Except Selena. We’d thought her lost to us—that perhaps she’d been on one of the destroyed escape pods or shuttles.
Until my client realized he hadn’t felt Selena’s loss—no disconnect—just a void when he tried to dreamwalk to her. He became convinced she was unconscious somewhere, floating in space.
Both the Fates and the Stars had watched over Selena that day.
When Prince V’dim and Prince Z’fir had been connected to my client by his assistant, I’d been there with my half-sisters, debriefing.
When they’d explained they’d found a human floating in space and her description matched Selena, my client had demanded more information to corroborate.
It was Master Scholar Xylo who’d reported that she was pregnant, though unconscious.
We’d known then that we’d found her, and my client had ordered them to change course to meet him at CEG HQ, warning them that Selena’s safety was their responsibility. That she was in danger and must be kept a secret.
And what the punishment would be if they failed.
Since my arrival, I’d ensured no communications were sent out without my knowledge. The Destiny was now fully under my control and in just a few hours, we would be arriving. I’d fulfilled my mission.
And I would face my punishment.
I knelt on the floor with my head bowed.
The wall screen dinged.
“Agent Kaede. I hope all is well?” My client’s deep, raspy voice filled the room.
Lifting my head back up to face the male on the screen, I answered, “Selena successfully delivered her three cubs and has named them. All healthy and well. She has proved able to breastfeed, but vitamin-enhanced fish oil and finely minced fish have been prepared and stored to supplement if needed. Master Scholar Xylo has sketched a design for a breast-pump and mechanical breast to assist with feeding three cubs, since she only has two nipples.”
My client sat at his desk in full dress uniform. His amethyst eyes looked tired—a worry, since it was only midday. I wondered briefly if it was lack of sleep from worry over Selena, or if it meant things were not going well at CEG HQ...
“Get the design and send it to me. I’ll have them built by the time Destiny arrives. Selena should have everything she needs to feed our cubs.”
He paused as his eyes trailed across my body.
I stilled as I braced, waiting for him to finish his inspection.
I hadn’t even thought to check myself in the mirror before connecting to him, simply throwing on a fresh suit.
What had he seen? Had my time with Selena already clouded my thoughts so much? I couldn’t afford to get sloppy now.
“Tell me why there is blood on your neck. Who did you have to kill?”
“Sir, I didn’t need to kill anyone,” I answered tightly.
“Then whose blood is it?”
“Selena's.”
His fist slammed down on the desk as his eyes narrowed. He growled, “Why do you have Selena’s blood on your neck?”
“Master Scholar Xylo couldn’t find a drug to alleviate her pain without potentially harming her or the cubs.
The delivery was going poorly and there was worry for both Selena and the cubs.
Xylo had found several arcane Earth texts that suggested arousal might help Selena cope with the pain, but neither he nor Odelm were able to produce sufficient aphrodisiac to help since she’s not ovulating.
When Selena had been in labor—and significant pain—for nearly a day with no sign of dilation, he mentioned research indicating that the prostaglandin from male ejaculate might induce labor.
Again, they were unable to perform. The only option was someone in the room.
Any Circuli assistance would have meant another permanent bond, so I offered to help.
To alleviate her pain, I also injected her with my Bahzyl, though I know it would also leave her aroused.
But that seemed a lesser evil than the exhausting pain,” I explained hastily.
A loud roar filled the room.
I shivered as I felt his anger, even through the remote connection.
He sucked in a few deep breaths, his fists opening and closing, claws fully extended. His eyes were wild with fury as he stared me down.
“Did you drink from her?”
I lowered my head to the floor in submission, hoping the punishment would be bearable.
“Yes, Sire. I did. But I made sure to seal it. There should be no trace of the bite by the time we arrive.”
Silence fell as I waited for his reply. If my visor weren't reporting the status of the connection, I’d have thought he’d disconnected from the call.
“She is mine. MINE. Do you understand me, Agent Kaede?” he snarled.
I looked back up at the screen. His amethyst eyes pinned me to the spot, daring me to object. A shiver passed through me again.
“Yes, Sire.”
I trembled. I hesitated a moment to collect myself, praying a clarification would rectify the situation.
“Selena established that I’m no more than a friend before anything happened.”
His eyes narrowed as his lips pulled back, revealing his teeth. His claws drummed on the table as he considered.
A hiss escaped him.
“How did she taste?” he paused to lick his lips. “You can trace her now, can’t you?” he growled.
“Exquisite. Like the finest drink you’ve ever tasted or could imagine.
” I watched him carefully as I continued, hoping to get a good read, “And yes, Sire. I’ll not only be able to track her by smell, but I can use her blood.
Now that it’s stored in my system, I can track her exact location if she’s within range. ”
“A silver lining, then. One we can use to our advantage if things go poorly. I have a feeling the Quaww may become a problem once they get wind of Selena and her cubs.”
His eyes narrowed again.
“I understand why you did it, though I’d have preferred a request before such a step was taken.
I know the Circuli are loyal to their nestmates, but I wouldn’t have wanted Selena to be forced to permanently bond with a male she has no feelings for.
It’s already bad enough that she has acquired two nestmates before I can claim her.
Once we get things settled—and she and I reunite—she’ll be able to claim as many consorts as she wants as long as they aren’t Aldawi. ”
I was shocked.
I had no experience with relationships, but I didn’t think even I’d want to share my mate. And I knew the Aldawi were highly territorial—possessive and jealous of any other male interest—when it came to their Novas. Especially since their species rarely mated for life.
I blurted, “Why would you allow that? Isn’t she your Nova? Don’t you want to claim her as your own?”
My client leaned back in his chair and eyed me as he continued tapping his claws on the desk.
“I do and I will,” he hissed.
He looked away for a moment.
“But I’m a hard male to love. And I will not be able to always be by her side since I travel frequently to manage my vast holdings. To know that I have a part of her, that she is mine... should be enough. Will be enough.”
He sighed.
“More than anything, I want her to be happy. She has had so little of that in her life. Knowing she has other males who will make her comfort, protection, and happiness their sole priority? That goes a long way toward easing my mind and making the sharing bearable,” he growled.
“Besides, why would I be jealous when I will be with her each night in our dreamscape? No one else will share that with her.”
I nodded, though I was still concerned.
“Are you ready to fight for her? To claim your right to be her mate?”
“I will be victorious.”