Mila sat on a chair in the sitting room while Stax paced the floor. Agitation rippled off his huge form and he kept running his hands through his hair. He hadn’t said a word to her since the message ended, but she knew her interference angered him.

She was deeply and uttered ashamed. But worse than her humiliation was her fear.

Uhomanoi.

What did it mean? She prayed it didn’t mean what she thought it did. She shuddered. Urronnians were renowned for their skill in battle. She’d seen one at an outpost once, a tall and muscular creature with four legs that moved quickly, like spider legs, as he’d rushed at his opponent during a bar fight. They also had teeth like fangs and claws the size of a Yozovinlan northern bear.

Please please please let uhomanoi mean something different.

Stax stopped pacing and glared down at her. “Did you not believe I would protect you?” he asked in a harsh tone he’d never used with her before.

“Yes, I did, Stax, but I worried about more people dying because of me.”

“When did you send the message?”

“Yesterday. I’m sorry, please don’t be angry.”

His nostrils flared and his muscles tensed. She didn’t think he would hurt her, but she despaired over being the cause of his anger. What did the rest of the settlement think? She was starting to understand that she had likely embarrassed Stax by sending the message to Evan. Vaxxlian males had their pride, yet she’d made it appear that she was trying to fight one of his battles for him. The protection of a female mate was considered a sacred duty among his people. Guilt and regret welled in her heart.

What had she done?

Evan already knew she was on New Vaxx and must have already been en route to the planet before she sent her message, as it took much longer than four days to travel from Yozovinla to New Vaxx.

Someone pounded on the front door, but Stax made no move to answer it. Mila suspected it was Deza, come to offer his brother support. She shrank small in the chair, hating that she’d caused Stax embarrassment and despairing over the impending arrival of the delegation from Yozovinla.

She took a deep breath and asked, “What is the ancient Vaxxlian tradition of uhomanoi?”

He met her gaze, and his reply confirmed her worst fears.

“A fight to the death,” he said. “And you are the prize.”

“Oh my God.” Tears burned in her eyes. “Have you ever fought a Urronnian?”

“No, but my brother Fynd has. He was victorious, though the battle left him permanently scarred. He fought the Urronnian before I invented the nanobots. The Urronnians have poison in their claws that can leave a person disfigured. I tried my best to heal my brother after the fight, but even an injection of enhanced nanobots wouldn’t heal his scars. But, the important thing—Fynd was victorious.” He drew himself up tall. “And I intend to do the same. I will not allow Evan to have you, Mila. You are mine and mine alone.”

He knelt before her and grasped her hands, all the fury gone from his eyes. She sniffled and cupped his handsome face. “I believe in you, Stax. I know you will win.” Her heart ached as she said it, because while she believed in him, believed he would fight with all his might to defeat the Urronnian, and in turn, Evan, she couldn’t help but worry. But she resolved not to voice such concerns, not with the battle looming over him. From what she’d learned of Vaxxlian females—from the few females of his kind who hadn’t perished during the war—they always supported their mates. He had no choice but to fight and she had no choice but to offer encouragement.

“I must spend every day before the battle training,” he said, giving her a quick kiss. “I must begin now. I will return at nightfall. Stay. Inside. Just in case the message was a ruse to get you to leave the house.”

She nodded her understanding and watched as he departed the house. She heard Deza’s voice drifting in as the door zipped shut.

Once she was alone, she tried to think of a way out of this mess that didn’t involve Stax fighting and risking his life on her behalf. But she couldn’t figure out a solution that didn’t involve her willing surrender to Evan, and she knew Stax would never allow her to do such a thing. Especially not when she was carrying their son.

She knew only two things for certain: Evan was a monster, worse than she had ever imagined. And her heart would belong to Stax for all time, no matter what happened.

She placed a hand on her stomach and prayed.

Stax lost himself in a routine of battle practice—hand to hand combat, to be precise. During an invocation of uhomanoi, each man was permitted the choice of one primitive weapon, such as a knife or a sword or an ax. Stax had already decided on his sword. He’d vanquished the Horsthan Defenders and the bride hunters with his sword alone, and he would do the same to the Urronnian mercenary who would fight in Evan’s place.

He wished he had more time to prepare for the impending battle, but he’d learned that several of the Vaxxlian probes they’d calibrated to watch the ships coming and going from Yozovinla, as well as their occupants, had been mysteriously destroyed. Stax suspected Evan or the bride hunters he’d hired had something to do with it, and scientists from New Vaxx had recently deployed more probes into the surrounding sectors to replace the demolished ones.

He swung his sword again and again, practicing his aim against a life-size replica of a Urronnian that Deza had quickly constructed. Most Urronnians were taller than the average Vaxxlian and they were fast. Very fast. Fynd’s victory over one of the deadly creatures was a testament to his great strength. Stax found himself wishing his older brother were here in this moment, but he was still off planet searching for a human female.

Warrior after warrior lined up to practice fighting against Stax. The entire settlement had banded together to help him train, for which he was eternally grateful. He would not fail them, or Mila. He would kill the Urronnian and anyone else who got in his way. Evan would never, ever get his hands on his beloved mate.

Stax paused training only long enough to eat and sleep. He fell into bed each night utterly exhausted, unable to keep his eyes open for more than the few moments it took to wish Mila pleasant dreams. But on the night before the great battle, he pulled her to his side and kissed her. She gave him a profound look of affection and kissed him back, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her body to his.

They made love slowly, tenderly, without exchanging a single word. But the looks they exchanged throughout the night were enough. They loved one another. No matter what happened, their love would transcend this life.

After Mila shuddered her release, Stax spilled his seed inside her, then gathered her close to his heart. They fell asleep in one another’s arms, but he prayed and prayed and prayed it wasn’t for the last time.

A makeshift arena had been constructed in a field outside the settlement.

Mila sat next to Annika in the stands, her heart in her throat. The delegation had landed early this morning and the fight was about to begin. Rows of Vaxxlian warriors stood behind Stax, though they were not permitted to help him during the battle. They were simply there to show their support. Only the older Vaxxlians—retired warriors—and the female mates sat in the stands. During uhomanoi, it was tradition for an entire city to watch the fight. Stax had explained all this to her, but told her there was no shame in closing her eyes if she could not stand the violence.

She had wished him good luck, kissed him good-bye, and told him that she would scarcely blink during the battle, let alone close her eyes. He’d smiled at her and looked proud and now her eyes burned as she recalled their last interaction.

“Hey, you okay?” Annika asked. She squeezed Mila’s hand.

“I’m okay,” she replied. “Just anxious for this to get started.”

“There’s the Urronnian. I think it’s time.”

He wasn’t taller than Stax, and a glance across the arena showed the displeasure on Evan’s face. Clearly, Evan hadn’t realized just how huge Vaxxlians were and hadn’t selected the best specimen of Urronnian to fight on his behalf. The stupid coward. But Mila wasn’t foolish enough to think the battle already won. Urronnians, no matter their size, were deadly, bloodthirsty creatures.

The mercenary approached Stax, it’s four legs moving quickly. He said something to Stax and laughed, drool running out of his mouth. The creature’s skin was slimy and green and in his right hand he held an ax.

Stax held the same sword he’d used against the Horsthan Defenders. It seemed like such a long time ago that he’d killed dozens of them after rescuing her and healing her wounds, yet it had only been several weeks. So much had happened since then. She’d fallen in love with the stranger who’d insisted she would become his mate, and now she was carrying his son. She placed a hand on her stomach and waited for the battle to commence.

The members of the delegation sat in their own section of the stands behind Evan and several of them stood up when a horn sounded, the sudden noise making Mila wince.

Stax gave a fierce battle cry and ran at the Urronnian, only to side step at the last moment, avoiding a blow from the replacement fighter. As he side stepped, he delivered a blow with his sword to one of the Urronnian’s legs. The replacement cried out and launched himself at Stax, hurling his ax toward Stax’s neck.

Mila gasped and watched with bated breath as Stax narrowly dodged the blow.

The Vaxxlian warriors standing behind Stax cheered and shouted encouragements. Mila gulped hard and watched as the battle continued. Stax and the Urronnian traded several blows, kicking up dust from the field as they moved around.

Evan jumped up and down in the stands, his face red as he shouted angrily at his replacement. Mila couldn’t help it—when Evan glanced straight across the small arena and their eyes met, she smirked at him and gave him the finger. His face reddened further and he resumed shouting at the mercenary.

The sun beamed down, hotter than usual at this time of morning, as the fighting surged on. Stax managed to hit another of the Urronnian’s legs with his sword, drawing more agonizing cries from the replacement. The Urronnian turned and hurled his ax directly at Stax’s midsection. Stax turned and jumped, taking the brunt of the impact on his arm. Blood oozed through the shirt sleeve of his uniform.

Mila prayed the nanobots repaired the damage quickly and that he didn’t lose too much blood beforehand. Please please please. She had never prayed so hard in her life.

Stax kicked the ax far away from the Urronnian and gave the creature a mocking look. The Vaxxlian warriors standing behind him roared their approval. But then the replacement protracted his long, deadly claws that contained poison. Mila’s heart beat an erratic rhythm in her chest and she clutched Annika’s hand harder.

She was wrong. An Urronnian’s claws weren’t the size of a Yozovinlan northern bear. They were twice the size. And when the mercenary growled at Stax, revealing long fangs, a chill went through Mila. Oh God. Oh God oh God oh God.

Stax spread his feet, taking a firm stance as he lifted his sword while the Urronnian scrambled rapidly toward him on his four legs. But when Stax swung his sword at the replacement’s neck, the creature reared back and swept him off his feet using one of his legs, which apparently were very bendy. Mila watched in horror. No no no.

The Urronnian climbed atop Stax, holding him down with his many feet. Though Stax was the taller of the two, the replacement was heavier and had no trouble holding him down. The creature revealed his fangs again, growling as he looked to and fro at the crowd. He met Mila’s eyes, as if knowing Stax was her mate, and gave her a cruel, toothy smile as he protracted his claws even further and lifted one arm, preparing to swing down.

Mila screamed and shot to her feet, watching in terror. But just before the Urronnian’s claws reached Stax’s stomach, Stax managed to roll rapidly and cause the creature to lose his balance. The Urronnian’s legs became tangled just long enough for Stax to rise up, sword in hand, and slice the replacement’s throat.

Green blood gushed outward. The creature froze and emitted a sickening gurgling noise.

Mila heard someone screaming “Nooooo!” and thought it must be Evan, though she couldn’t look away from the battle to check. She had to watch the finish. She’d promised Stax she would watch and not close her eyes and she wouldn’t break that promise. Not now. Not when Stax was so close to winning, so close to ending the nightmare that had plagued her for so long.

Stax swung his sword again and again, slicing at the Urronnian’s neck until the horrid creature’s head toppled to the ground. The crowd went wild—both the Vaxxlian warriors on the field and the women in the stands.

Despite the violence she’d just witnessed, Mila joined them in cheering for her mate.

Relief filled her. It was over. She belonged to Stax and no one could ever challenge their union again. Evan would have to return to Yozovinla in disgrace, taking the delegation with him.

Annika hugged her and urged her to go to Stax. Mila moved through the women in the stands, working her way down to the field as quickly as possible.

Once she reached the grass, she started running toward Stax. He dropped his sword and opened his arms, beckoning her to him. But a sudden pain hit her, doubling her over. She fell flat on her face and then rolled, only to see Evan rushing out of the stands holding a blaster.

He aimed the weapon at Stax, who picked up his sword and rushed at Evan. It happened in a split second. One moment Evan was aiming the blaster at Stax, and the next moment Stax had reached him and cut off his head in one fell swoop. It joined the Urronnian’s head on the ground nearby.

As the pain of the blast started to subside, Stax reached her and immediately placed a hand upon her shoulder, where the blast had struck her. To her astonishment, the pain dispersed and she only felt out of breath from her fall.

“What-what did you do?” she asked, panting.

“I took your pain away.” He stared at her as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him to touch someone and take their pain away.

“But…how?”

“I am a healer,” he replied, gathering her in his arms and carrying her away from the gathering crowd.

Deza appeared and helped carve a path for them through the mass of people.

“I know you’re a healer, but you’re a doctor, right? You heal your patients with medicine and vitamin infusions and nanobot injections.”

“All Vaxxlian doctors are also touch healers,” he explained. “Forgive me, I did not think to tell you before now. When you were aboard my ship on Horstha, I used my powers to help ease your pain. But I cannot be everywhere at once, nor can any other healer among us. The deaths of our warriors during the war against the Irrcons haunted me and that’s what led me to develop the nanobots. The impact of the blaster would’ve killed you if not for the nanobots.” He held her closer and kissed her forehead.

“The delegation is leaving,” Deza shouted over the noise of the crowd. “Look!”

Sure enough, their ship rose in the sky. Mila couldn’t help but chuckle. After witnessing the power of a single Vaxxlian male, she couldn’t blame them for fleeing New Vaxx the moment the battle ended. She shifted in Stax’s arms.

“I can walk now,” she said.

“I know you can, but I cannot bear to put you down just yet,” he replied, carrying her down the street where they lived.

Annika caught up to them and fawned over Mila, making sure she was unharmed.

“I’m fine, I’m fine, I promise,” Mila said, “thanks to Stax. Hey, did you know all Vaxxlian healers could also heal by touch?”

“Yep, they all can. Before my injection of nanobots, Stax touched my head once and made a migraine go away completely. I was stunned,” Annika replied.

“Are there any more secrets you’ve been hiding from me?” Mila asked, staring up at Stax.

He opened his mouth to reply, only for Deza and Annika to cut him off as they said their goodbyes. Stax carried her into their home and into the medical room.

“Oh, I’m fine. Really. I feel great,” she said once he placed her on the exam table. “You’re the one who needs doctoring. Has the gash in your arm healed yet?”

“I want to make sure the baby is unharmed, my little beauty. You took quite a fall.”

If she’d been sore and bruised, perhaps she would’ve been more worried about the baby, but since she now felt completely well, it hadn’t occurred to her that their son could’ve been injuired during Evan’s attack. Her heart raced as Stax moved a medical scanner over her stomach.

She stared at him as he examined her and was relieved to see the gash on his arm appeared almost healed. His uniform was torn away from his arm, revealing only a slight pink line from the impact of the ax.

“If-if something’s wrong with the baby, can you touch my stomach and make it better?”

“Not precisely. Unfortunately, it would require emergency surgery, but I do not believe that will be the case. Just a few more moments.”

“But my nanobots—”

“Your nanobots won’t enter the baby’s blood stream until you’re further along in your pregnancy. But you can relax, my sweet, all is well.” He set the scanner aside. “Our son is perfectly healthy.”

Mila breathed a sigh of relief. Then she turned her attention to Stax and hopped off the table, intent on removing his tattered uniform to make sure he didn’t have any unhealed wounds. Biting back a smile, he indulged her and allowed her to undress him fully.

“I don’t see any more cuts or bruises, but you are absolutely filthy,” she said with a giggle.

His eyes darkened. “Perhaps you can help me clean up, my little beauty.”

“Perhaps.”