Chapter 19 #2
"Xytol." His name came out strangled, barely more than a rasp forced through a throat tight with emotion.
He moved forward, tentatively at first, as though testing whether I was real or some cruel hallucination.
Then we collided, arms wrapping around each other in a fierce embrace that nearly knocked the breath from my lungs, holding on as though we could make up for all the lost time through sheer force of will.
"Brother," Xytol said, his voice hoarse and cracking. "I didn't think…I wasn't sure you'd received my message."
"I got it." I pulled back just enough to look at him, searching his face for the sibling I'd lost, cataloging every change. "I'm sorry it took so long to find you."
"You found me. That's what matters." He managed a weak smile, but his eyes were already drifting past me, scanning the dock, searching the faces of those gathered.
Searching for her.
"Xytol." Harper stepped forward, her voice soft and trembling, her gaze shimmering with unshed tears.
"You found her," Xytol breathed, his face breaking into a broad smile. "Saved her."
"I...." The confession sat on my tongue, words of betrayal and guilt ready to spill forth, but they died at the approach of my mate.
"Yes, he saved me," Harper smiled, her expression radiant as her arms reached for my brother. "Thanks to you."
They embraced, holding each other for a long minute, Harper's smaller form enveloped in Xytol's thin arms. "I'm so happy," Xytol breathed, his purple eyes shimmering with moisture. "I'm so happy you're safe."
He loved her too—how could he not?
I waited until their embrace ended, watching as Harper stepped back to my side, her hand immediately seeking mine. The warmth of her palm against my own did nothing to ease the cold dread pooling in my stomach.
"Xytol, there's something I must tell you." My voice came out rough, weighted with the shame that pressed down on my shoulders.
My brother's smile faltered, the joy draining from his features as concern flickered across his face. "What is it?"
I dropped to one knee before him, assuming the traditional position of seeking forgiveness for an unforgivable offense—back straight, head bowed, one fist pressed over my heart.
The cold metal of the ramp bit into my knee through my uniform.
Harper gasped behind me, her sharp intake of breath cutting through the sudden silence, but I couldn't look at her.
I could only look at my brother, forcing myself to meet the purple eyes that so mirrored my own.
"I've betrayed you," I said, each word like a shard of glass scraping up my throat. "The female you asked me to protect, I've claimed her as my mate."
The dock fell silent, the air itself seemed to still. Even the ambient hum of the ship's systems faded into the background. Adtovar and Maddie held their breath, frozen in place. I could feel the weight of every gaze upon me, but none heavier than Xytol's.
"The moment I saw her, my spine tingled with the mating instinct.
" I forced myself to meet Xytol's eyes, to let him see the truth of it laid bare.
"I tried to fight it. Stars above, I tried.
But the bond, it was undeniable. Immediate.
Overwhelming. I had no choice, brother. My body, my soul, recognized her as though she'd been carved from the cosmos specifically for me. "
I bowed my head lower, pressing my fist harder against my chest until I could feel the steady thrum of my heart beneath. "I know you love her. I know you trusted me to protect her. And I repaid your trust by taking her for myself. I beg your forgiveness, though I know I don't deserve it."
The silence stretched on, suffocating and thick, each second an eternity. I heard my own breathing, harsh and uneven, and felt the tremor in Harper's hand where it lay on my shoulder. Tension radiated from being on the dock—a throbbing beast waiting for blood.
Except my brother. Xytol's reaction was something I'd never expected.
He laughed. A genuine, full-bodied sound that echoed across the dock, bouncing off the metal walls and reminding me of the time when we'd played as younglings without worry or care.
"Get up, you big oaf," he chuckled, his voice rich with affection and amusement as he grabbed my arm, helping me to my feet.
"You're not angry?" I blinked, confusion washing over me in waves.
"No, I'm ecstatic." The brightness of Xytol's smile, the way it crinkled the corners of his eyes and lit up his entire face, showed he spoke the truth.
"But...." I began to argue, my mind scrambling to make sense of it, but the words died on my tongue. I had no idea what to say, how to process this unexpected turn.
"I never thought of Harper as my mate," Xytol grinned, his eyes bouncing from me to Harper and back again, dancing with barely suppressed mirth at my bewilderment. "She's my friend."
"Best friends," my mate echoed, squeezing my shoulder with gentle reassurance.
Xytol turned to glance into the Alliance ship's interior, his expression softening in a way I'd never seen before—tender, vulnerable, full of longing. He raised his hand in a slow, beckoning motion, his fingers curling in invitation.
A lone male emerged from the shadows, stepping into the dock's bright lights with cautious grace.
He was tall and lean, with the distinctive gray skin that marked most Romvesians.
His hair was black as a moonless night, shaved close over his ears in the traditional warrior style, while the rest fell in a single thick braid that draped over his shoulder, reaching nearly to his waist. His eyes were dark—nearly black—but there was no mistaking the profound affection that blazed in his gaze when he looked at Xytol, or the way his entire face transformed with warmth and devotion.
"This is Karloxx," Xytol said softly, his voice dropping to something intimate despite our audience. "My mate."
Same-sex mating was not uncommon among our people. Less common than opposite-sex bonds, perhaps, but no less sacred, no less real, no less blessed by the goddess.
Karloxx stepped forward with quiet confidence as he crossed the remaining distance to Xytol's side. My brother's hand found his instinctively, their fingers threading together in a gesture so intimate, so perfectly natural and right, that I felt my guilt begin to dissolve.
"I'm most honored to meet you," Karloxx said, his voice deep, weighted with sincerity. "Xytol has spoken often of his brother, the warrior."
"I...." My voice caught, the words tangling in my throat. The relief, the joy, the sheer impossibility of this moment threatened to overwhelm me completely. "I'm happy for you, brother. Truly happy."
And I was. The crushing guilt I'd carried—stars, for weeks now, ever since I'd realized the depth of my feelings for Harper—lifted from my shoulders as though it had never existed. Xytol had his mate. I had mine. The universe had aligned in a way I hadn't allowed myself to even dream possible.
"Welcome to the family," Harper offered with a bright, genuine laugh that rang across the dock, as she stepped forward and drew both Karloxx and Xytol into her arms, pulling them close with the easy affection that came so naturally to her.
I wrapped my arms around all three of them, my larger frame and longer reach allowing me to gather them together, holding them tight and safe within my embrace—my brother, his mate, and mine.
My family.
"Xytol, you must excuse me," Adtovar said, stepping forward. "I don't wish to intrude on your reunion, but I have a comm scheduled with the Alliance Prime in a few moments and need to ask—in your time at the compound, did you ever encounter a human male referred to as 'the Master'?"
Xytol and Karloxx shared a glance as I released them from my arms. The happiness in their gazes flickered, dimming like stars obscured by passing clouds.
"There was mention of such a human," Xytol said carefully. "It was said he owned the compound and controlled our fates, but we never saw him."
"Thank you, Xytol," Adtovar said, clasping a firm hand on his shoulder in a gesture of respect.
"I must go attend to this matter, but perhaps later we can discuss a position for you among my crew.
The Historia has need of someone with your considerable technical capabilities.
Your skills would be invaluable to our mission. "
"Really?" Xytol blinked, surprise deepening the color on his cheeks. "Of course. I would be honored."
Adtovar gave a sharp nod of acknowledgment, and with a quick but tender kiss pressed to Maddie's lips—his hand lingering briefly on her rounded belly—turned on his heel and strode away, his footsteps echoing across the dock.
"Speaking of jobs, that reminds me," Maddie said, turning to my mate with an excited gleam in her eyes. "Harper, I've been wanting to talk to you about possibly taking over the teaching duties on the ship."
"Teaching duties?" Harper sounded confused, her brow furrowing slightly, but her eyes practically glowed with interest.
"As you know, Adtovar insists that all crew members speak and understand English and Earth culture, especially since our prime directive is rescuing abducted humans and helping them adjust to their new lives," Maddie explained.
"I've been holding classes and running informal lessons, but.
..." She patted her belly affectionately, her smile turning soft and maternal.
"I'm thinking we should set up a proper school, a real educational program.
It won't be long before there are children running around here who will need teaching as well—not just language lessons, but everything. "
"I'd love to," Harper squealed, her voice rising with delight as she bounced slightly on her toes before launching herself forward, the two women embracing and laughing.
All I could do was stand there, watching the scene unfold before me.
My brother reunited with me and happy with his mate.
Harper glowing with joy and purpose. A future spreading out before us like an uncharted star map, full of possibilities.
And I allowed myself to dream that perhaps one day, one or more of the younglings who might need teaching would be ours.
"What are you thinking about?" Harper asked me moments later. Around us, crew members moved with purposeful efficiency, but we remained in our own private bubble, waiting for Xytol and Karloxx to gather their meager belongings and join us in making the Historia their home.
"I'm... happy." The word felt strange on my tongue, unfamiliar after so many cycles of worry and fear and guilt. Strange, but right.
"Me too," she smiled up at me. Her arms wrapped around my waist, and the warmth of her body seeped through the fabric of my uniform, grounding me.
"I love you, Xabat." The words were soft, intimate, meant only for me despite the activity surrounding us.
"I love you too, my mate." My voice came out rough with emotion, thick with all the feelings I struggled to articulate, and the wonder that she was truly mine.
I kissed her deeply, pouring everything I felt into the press of my lips against hers, tasting the sweetness of her mouth, feeling the soft sigh she breathed against me.
My hand cupped the back of her head, fingers threading through the silken strands of her auburn hair, holding her close as the universe narrowed to just the two of us, to the warmth and rightness of her in my arms.
The pointed clearing of a throat—deliberate and amused—penetrated the haze of contentment, pulling me reluctantly back to awareness.
I turned to find my brother standing nearby, a worn duffel bag slung over one shoulder, Karloxx at his side.
Xytol's purple eyes, so like my own, were full of affection and warmth as his gaze moved from me to Harper and back again, a knowing smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Not jealousy. Not resentment. Just pure, genuine happiness.
For me. For the mate I'd found and the life stretching out before us.
Together. Just as it should be.