Rathon: Two months later

“Hey, stranger,” Lina said, gazing at the viewscreen.

“Holy Mother… Lina?!” Tim’s shocked voice sounded strange to her after not hearing it for so long.

“Actually, it is Goddess Lina now,” she chuckled, leaning forward and staring at the image behind him. “Where in the hell are you?” she asked.

“What? Oh, Chicago. You honestly wouldn’t recognize it. The city looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. Where are you? Are you on Earth? Where in the hell have you been? What happened? Hell, are you alright?” he demanded, running both hands through his already disheveled hair. “I can’t believe you’re alive.”

Lina laughed again. “Yeah, well, neither can I nor the other gals,” she admitted with a sigh. “I’m on Rathon, the Trivator’s home world. Or, at least, I’m in orbit around it. We are heading down in a little bit. How did you get Colbert to agree to the rebuilding? You know that bastard is the one who sold me along with the other women to the blue dipstick,” she growled.

Tim grimaced. “Colbert and Badrick are both dead. They’ve been dead for a while. Destin and Sula have taken over the rebuilding, though Destin has been spending more time meeting with alien dignitaries lately. The day-to-day operations have pretty much fallen into my hands,” he admitted.

“Who is Sula?” she asked.

Tim chuckled and shook his head. “A lot has changed since you were taken, sis. Destin is married to Sula, an Usoleum Princess and Ambassador of the Alliance,” he said before his expression grew somber. “When are you coming home?” he asked.

Lina bit her lip and looked down at her wrists. She took a deep breath and looked back at the viewscreen. With a rueful grin, she lifted her arms.

“A lot has happened since I was taken,” she said with a grin. “Destin isn’t the only one who is married.”

“Holy shit! Lina… I swear, if some bastard has…,” Tim’s voice faded.

Lina knew exactly why it did when she felt Edge’s hands on her shoulders. He slid them down her arms as he stood behind her and gazed at her brother with a fierce expression. She tilted her head back and scowled up at him.

“I was just telling him,” she said with a slight pout.

“I know,” he replied, bending to brush a kiss across her lips before he straightened and looked at her brother. “If it helps, she claimed me first.”

Tim’s mouth opened and closed several times before he grunted. “Why does that not surprise me?” he dryly replied.

“Everything is good, Tim. I promise,” Lina softly assured him before she shared everything that had happened – with a few minor omissions like her getting shot.

They talked for over an hour about the different things that had happened. It felt good to talk with Tim again, but it also felt different. They had both grown and changed over the last two years.

”Will you be coming back to Earth?” he finally asked.

Lina reached up and gripped Edge’s hand when she felt his hand tighten on her shoulder. She drew comfort from his touch when he gently squeezed it. She leaned against him and smiled at her brother.

“We may come for a visit, but we will be living here. I’d like to try it. There are other humans here so I won’t be alone, and Edge was given time off to rebuild his strength. We are going to go to his home for a while. It will give us some time to rest without running for our lives,” she explained.

Tim was quiet for a few seconds. He turned when someone called his name. With a grimace, he turned back to her and gave her a look of resignation.

“I’m needed. These are the times when I really miss Destin,” he commented with an apologetic expression.

Lina shook her head. “We are about to depart as well. We can still chat. You go rebuild Chicago. I’m… I’m going to go enjoy life for a little while,” she said.

Tim’s expression softened. “If anyone deserves to enjoy life, it is you, Lina. I love you, sis. Never forget that,” he said.

Tears burned Lina’s eyes. “I love you too, big brother,” she murmured. “Talk to you soon.”

“Soon… I know…. I’m coming,” Tim shouted over his shoulder. “Love you, bye!”

Lina chuckled when the screen suddenly went dark, then quickly swiveled in her seat, wrapped her arms around Edge’s waist and burst into tears. He gently guided her to stand up and wrapped his arms around her. She shook her head, crying and laughing at the same time.

“I’m such a wuss when it comes to emotions now. It seems like every time I turn around, I’m crying,” she complained, wiping at her cheeks.

“Perhaps you should see Stitch before we leave,” he suggested, brushing her hair back from her face.

She looked at him with a surprised expression. “Why? I don’t feel sick,” she replied with a frown.

This time it was Edge who chuckled. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and a mischievous grin. Bending over, he whispered in her ear. Her eyes grew huge when what he said sunk in.

“No way,” she breathed, shaking her head.

“Oh, it is very possibly a way,” he teased.

Her lips parted at the thought. Pregnant? Edge thought she could be pregnant?! She frowned, trying to think when she last had her period. The days blurred, and she honestly couldn’t remember.

“Well, fuck me!” she whispered.

“With pleasure,” Edge agreed with a grin, bending over and scooping her up in his arms. “We have time.”

* * *

Three weeks later, Edge stood on the beach. A gentle breeze blew in from the ocean and the last rays of the sun were streaked across the sky. He turned around and was about to head back to the house when he saw Lina hurrying out of the door. She was tossing her shoes back into the house behind her.

With an apologetic smile, she ran across the soft, black sand toward him. He lifted his hand and grasped hers, then brushed a kiss across her lips. They both looked out at the setting sun.

“You almost missed it,” he said.

She grimaced. “Your mom called. She wanted to know if I’d like to go to the market with her tomorrow,” she said, wrapping her arm around his waist.

“Both my mother and father have fallen in love with you,” he observed with a pleased smile. “I knew they would.”

Lina snorted. “She wanted to go shopping for baby clothes. I told her I thought it was still a little early,” she replied with a dry tone.

“It is never too early,” he stated.

She shook her head. “Now you sound like your father!” she warned.

“Goddess forbid,” he replied with a fake shudder.

“Oh, look!” Lina whispered in awe.

The last rays of the sun shone over the horizon while the twin moons rose. The effect, combined with the water from the ocean, made the sunset look magical. Once again, he was glad he had followed his instincts to build his home on the island of his clan. This island oasis rose up a hundred miles off the mainland.

“The stars will be magnificent once the moons set. Would you like to get up and see them?” he asked, turning her in his arms.

She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck. “Does that mean we need to go to bed now?” she asked with a coy smile.

“I think that is an excellent idea. I’m glad you thought of it,” he said, bending to sweep her up into his arms.

Lina leaned her head against his shoulder. “You’ve been talking to the girls again, haven’t you?” she murmured with a sigh.

“At least once a week,” he chuckled. “If for no other reason than to keep them from killing their Amates.”

Lina lifted her head and stared at him with her mouth hanging open. “They have Amates? Who? When? Why haven’t they told me?”

Edge brushed a kiss across her lips. “Yes, they do, but they haven’t accepted it yet,” he said. “Now, enough of them. I think I want to explore that number you told me about again.”

“Sixty-nine?”

“That’s the one,” he said, climbing the steps that led to the open doors of their bedroom.

“Damn, but I love your gorgeous alien ass.”

Edge chuckled at Lina’s heated declaration. The sounds of their lovemaking carried on the breeze. In the quiet aftermath, he lay with Lina in his arms, his hand over her stomach, and thanked the Goddess for sending her to find him and bring him home.