EPILOGUE
SIX MONTHS LATER
Rebecca was prepping the midday meal when she heard a shout from outside. She lifted her head, listening to the babble of the children outside. Her artificial leg clinked against the stone of the kitchen floor as she walked to the window.
She’d adjusted to navigating different flooring with her new limb. However, it jarred her that, even through the thickness of her boot, she felt the cold radiating from the stone only on one side of her body. She peeked out the window, and saw Farrah and Tumal’s children waving to a vehicle pulling up to the front of the house.
“Papa’s home!” Farrah shouted.
Throwing down her washcloth, Rebecca ran as fast as her leg would allow her. By the time she got outside, Farrah had already leaped into her father’s arms and wrapped herself around him. He held her close, and Rebecca paused in the doorway to appreciate the bliss on his face.
He must’ve felt her gaze, because his eyes opened, and heat filled his expression. Farrah hopped down and he leaned down to whisper in her ear. She giggled and took the parcel he offered. When the other children clamored, Verdan groaned and pulled out several more parcels.
“I will take all of you fishing this afternoon,” he said to the children. “Go play.”
The children scampered off. Farrah returned to place one last kiss on her father’s cheek before she sped off into the garden with her friends. Since finding their own rental home, Rebecca and Farrah often entertained Tumal’s children.
“What was in the bags?” Rebecca asked as Verdan approached.
“Candies.”
Rebecca shook her head. “You’ll ruin their appetites.”
Verdan drew her in for a long, lingering kiss. “What about me?” he murmured when they parted. “Want to help me spoil my appetite?”
He scooped Rebecca into his arms and carried her to their shared room. As he lay her down on the bed, Rebecca trembled. Her body ached for his, and she knew only Verdan could quell the quiver deep in her belly. He paused to pull off his clothes, and Rebecca hitched up her dress.
Verdan dove into her arms. His lips were on hers, as his hands roamed her body. He murmured words of passion, of adoration, of love, and Rebecca drank them into her soul. When he slipped into her, she bit down on his shoulder to stop herself from screaming. Together, they found their rhythm and then their release.
As they lay sated in each other’s arms, Verdan sighed. “Mmm, it’s been too long.”
Rebecca giggled. “It’s been two weeks, silly.”
“When we are apart, time slows.”
Rebecca bit down on her smile. She trailed a finger down his chest. “I could come along on your next delivery.”
For a moment, she imagined all the places they could go. What planets would she see? The people she would meet! And the lazy hours she’d get to spend with Verdan.
Mmmm…
To her surprise, Verdan’s lazy smile faded. “That would be unwise.”
“What?” Rebecca propped herself onto her elbow. “Are you worried about Farrah? She won’t be alone here. She’s making friends at school. Next week, she starts dance classes. We really can’t take her with us. It’d be too disruptive.”
Verdan sighed deeply. “I know,” he said, closing his eyes. “I cannot force her to leave. If anything, I should encourage her to stay. To put down roots.”
From the look on his face, Rebecca could tell what the words cost him. She stroked his face. “She’s happy here.”
Verdan nodded. “That is all I ask.”
“And yes, Verdan, I’m happy here, too.” Rebecca kissed the tip of his nose. “But there’s a whole galaxy out there, waiting to be explored.”
“No discussion. You both stay here.”
Her first reaction was to spit angry words. How dare he tell her where she can and cannot go! However, the expression on Verdan’s face stopped her. She bit back her anger.
She placed a hand on his chest, feeling his hearts flutter. “You’re hiding something, love. Talk to me.”
For a moment, he hesitated, opening his mouth to speak before closing it again. He rolled off the bed and returned with his lumis, which he popped down on the bed between them. Curious, Rebecca sat up.
“What’s going on, Verdan?”
In response, he flicked on the lumis.
A hologram lit up above the device. The lines were rendered in a pale yellow light, showing a tall Ennoi man from the shoulders up. Horns, like Verdan’s, curved from his forehead. The Ennoi’s hair was done up in tiny braids held by jewels. Rebecca could tell this guy was important. He radiated power and self-confidence.
“Wh-?”
Verdan held up a finger, and the Ennoi in the hologram spoke. “Greetings. Hello.”
Rebecca gasped. He’d spoken in English! How was that possible? She leaned in as the Ennoi continued to speak, but this time in Ennoi.
“My name is Kovos Il’Haron Ar’Cadam. I lead the Ennoi Cadam, and am the Chairman of the Ennoi Council. I am sending out this recording to all travelers who enter the Relays in Ennoi space. I am seeking information regarding the many Humans who were abducted from Earth.”
Despite the Ennoi Chairman’s serene face, Rebecca could see the tension in his jaw. He was angry, and Rebecca wasn’t sure she ever wanted to bear the brunt of his rage.
“The clans of the Ennoi Cadam and the Ennoi Haron offer a reward for any information regarding this atrocity. I beseech you to take action to prevent further harm to innocents. Thank you.”
For a second, the recording paused, and then looped around. Rebecca sat back on her haunches as Kovos spoke again. She chewed on her lip, lost in her thoughts.
“I have to go see this guy. This Kovos.”
“I know.” Verdan’s misery filled his words.
“It might mean I can help break the slave trade,” Rebecca said. Her eyes flicked around the room as her mind raced. “I could make a difference.”
He buried his face in her hair. “I am afraid. Lord Kovos might ship you back to Earth. Where you belong. He is powerful enough to ensure it happens.”
Rebecca threw her arms around Verdan’s neck. “That’s not going to happen.”
When he spoke again, his voice was muffled by her hair. “I am not strong enough to have my heart broken in two again.”
“That is definitely not going to happen,” Rebecca said. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Verdan laughed, remembering her words from when she first boarded the Moon’s Pride. “And I am stuck with you.”
“They’ll have to drug me and ship me back in a box,” Rebecca said. “Because I belong right here. In your arms. Nothing will part us.”
“If you wish to go, we will both see Lord Kovos and the Council, and we will do so hand in hand.”
“Thank you,” she said, beaming. Hope bloomed in her heart. Maybe nobody else would have to suffer because of the Dorians.
Verdan’s face remained serious. “There is one condition, however. I require something from you.”
“Anything,” Rebecca replied. “Name it and it’s yours.”
“When we stand before Lord Kovos, I want to be officially Bonded to you.”
“A-Are you asking me to marry you?”
“Yes.”
“Oh. Oh!”
“Is that an affirmative oh or an oh of refusal?”
Rebecca smacked his shoulder. “Of course that’s a yes!”
Laughing, Verdan pulled her back down to the bed. “I will ask Farrah to return my Promise Stone, but I suspect she will be amenable.”
“What’s that?”
“The jewel she wears around her neck. A symbol of the Avowed Bond. After Tysa…”
Rebecca placed a finger on his lips. “She should keep it. I don’t need a rock. I have you.”
As they lay together, Rebecca sighed. She was free. Finally free. Better than free. She had a gorgeous husband and a spirited child. She had a home. Somehow, despite everything she and Verdan had endured, they’d found their place.
With each other.
Learn more about the Clans of the Ennoi in THE ALIEN PRINCE KOVOS! (Coming early 2018)
He will sacrifice anything for his people, including his happiness.
She will sacrifice anything for him, except her heart.
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