Alyssa

The plan seems to work. I watch it all unfold in under ten seconds before my very eyes, but I can’t be happy about the death of the enemy spacecraft.

Because, in quick succession, my backpack containing my final dose of lifesaving Mahdnium is destroyed, and then the ship crashes to the ground, sending a teeth-chattering shockwave that reaches me under this platform, and Tyr is gone in a cloud of dust; his voice lost in an echoing ‘boom’.

In ten seconds I lose everything.

My love, my baby, my life.

My love.

There’s no hope for me, but I can’t accept that he could be gone. Just like that. Without having said goodbye. When the dust settles, I sprint from my hiding spot and begin to clear the debris. Harrison is already there, already hauling metal from place to place. His eyes are shining, and I don’t know if it’s because of the same horror and grief that is electrifying me right now, or because of the excitement of this new tech haul. I don’t necessarily want to know.

“Master Tyr,” he squeaks after some time, pushing rubble from one place to another several feet away from the main crash.

“Is he…” I say, swiping tears from my eyes, my shoulders shaking. I run to Harrison and help him yank a sheet of heavy debris from a sweep of purple shoulder, and finally we uncover my lifemate.

His mechanical legs are drawn up and I press my ear to his chest, and then to his mouth.

“He’s…” I begin, my eyes flooding with tears. “He’s breathing.”

The Merrel lets out such a sigh of shuddering relief that I realize he was upset all along. Just like me. Screw the AI here — Harrison is as emotive, quick-thinking, generous creature. Why aren’t they officially classed as a sentient race yet?

“Aphrodite,” I say. “Help me with Tyr.” She knows more about their sturdy physiology than I do. With her help and my general medical knowledge, maybe we can fix him.

“He appears to have blocked the crushing rubble with his bionic prostheses.”

“Tyr,” I sniffle, patting him on the cheek. “Wake up. We have things to figure out. I have to tell you some things.”

I don’t know how to break it to him that his plan saved us, but killed me too. I need to figure out a way to tell him without letting him think in any way it was his fault the serum shattered in my bag, which I clutch desperately in my hand now. I empty it out at my feet. Shards. Drips.

No hope.

I kneel, stroking his cheek, and reach forward and kiss the tip of his nose. His lip twitches, and I wipe my eyes again. “I love you,” I whisper. “Wake up. I don’t know how much time we have left together to figure this out. If you’re not my match, I don’t…”

I trail off. His lips are against mine and I don’t remember leaning forward. His tongue lashes my lower lip, and then his hands are tangled in my hair and he lets out a growl.

“I love you too,” he says quietly. I grip the muscles on his back and bury my face in his neck.

“Tyr,” I sob. But I’m happy.

I’m not sure I’ve ever been happier, or sadder, before in my life.

“I have something I’ve been trying to tell you,” he says, cupping my tear-stained face in his hands and pulling me closer. “I am your genetic match.”

I screw up my face and lean back to look him up and down.

“You are?”

He nods slowly, painfully. But he’s happy. His eyes are twinkling, and he strokes my skin with his thumb. “I’m so sorry I lied,” he croaks. “I thought … I thought my life was too dangerous for a mate or for a child. But you have changed my mind thoroughly and completely. Because yes, there is more at stake now. Yes, I will have to make changes. But that is OK.” He gestures at his legs while he speaks, and he smiles wide. “Change is OK. Especially if those changes mean I get to be with you. Forever.”

I look down at the shards and the droplets of Mahdnium, and my eyes widen with realization.

“I’m not going to die,” I whisper. “You’re my match. My 99% match.” I let out a cry of happiness and clap my hands together. “Tyr!” I yell. “We’re going to be fine! We’re going to have a family and I’m not going to die and you’re not going to die!”

He chuckles and pushes himself to a sit. “No, no dying.” He grabs my hands. “Alyssa. Together, we can start to live.”

I pull him into a tight hug and we stay there for a long time. The burning remains of the military ship sent to kill me crackles behind us.

“General.”

I get to my feet and Tyr brushes himself down and does the same, standing in front of me protectively.

“Men,” he says, eyeing up each one of the three Firosan Mahdfel in front of us. “There is plenty to talk about. Stay where you are.”