Chapter Thirty
Rone could scarcely believe it. It couldn’t be true—after all this time, could she really have recovered her memories? Could she—
“Yes, it’s true!” he heard her say. “I remember everything from our first kiss to sniffing those damn flowers and blacking out.”
“Our first kiss? You really remember it?”
“Of course! We were walking in the woods, remember? And I stood on a tree stump and asked you to come look at something.” Kate grinned. “Then, when you were close enough, I grabbed you and kissed you.”
“Yes, you did! I remember I wanted so badly to kiss you that whole day but I was afraid I might hurt you or frighten you.” He laughed. “And then you took matters into your own hands and kissed me instead, my naughty little Lalli.”
“Call me that again!” Kate begged, pulling him closer. She looked into his eyes. “I’ve missed it so much—being your Lalli.”
“Lalli, Lalli, La—” Rone broke off abruptly, staring at her.
“What? Why did you stop?” Kate demanded.
“Kate…baby…listen to us. Do you hear what we’re doing? How we’re communicating?”
“What are you…oh!” Her lovely green eyes grew wide. “Oh my God, Rone,” she whispered, finally speaking aloud. “We’ve been communicating mentally this whole time. And that means…”
“Our bond,” he said hoarsely. “It’s back. I don’t understand how but it’s back, Kate!”
“I think I understand.” Reaching up, she ran her cool fingers through his hair, sending a shiver of pleasure down his spine. “It’s because we finally made love.”
“But we did that the other night—or rather, my Beast did,” Rone pointed out. “Why didn’t that bring back your memories and our bond?”
“Your Beast is part of you but he isn’t the part I had a bond with,” Kate said.
“Gods…” He shook his head. “Do you know, I actually thought that might be the reason—if there was a reason—that my Beast was finally allowed to meet you? To…to breed you? And then when I realized it hadn’t brought you back, brought back our bond, that it was all for nothing…”
“It wasn’t all for nothing, honey,” Kate said softly. “No, look at me,” she said when he closed his eyes, unable to bear the thought of how he’d hurt her. “None of this was for nothing—it all had a purpose.”
“What purpose could there be for me to…to use you like I did that night?” Rone asked. He couldn’t help it, no matter how often she reassured him that he hadn’t hurt her, he still had the memories of the Beast that seemed to prove otherwise.
“I had to meet your Beast—I had to tame him and let him breed me,” Kate said. “Listen, Rone, I told you I remembered everything and I have, but there’s something else, something I didn’t get a chance to tell you before I sniffed that damn bouquet of flowers and forgot everything.”
“What?” Rone asked but that moment, the red sensor light mounted high on the wall of their bedroom began blinking and a mechanical voice announced, "Urgent message. Urgent message from the Mother Ship."
“Looks like it’ll have to wait a minute—we’d better get that.” Kate looked down to where they were still joined. “Uh… we’re still stuck together. You think it’s safe to disengage?”
“I think so,” Rone said cautiously. “I’m not coming anymore so you should be done, uh, milking me.”
“That’s never happened before,” Kate pointed out as she carefully disengaged. “I mean, we’ve spent too many nights in the Breeding Chair to count but other than the night I tamed your Beast, I’ve never had that, uh, sensation. That feeling that I was actually sort of sucking you in.”
“No,” Rone agreed. “No, it’s never happened to us but I have heard of it happening to other bonded couples. Usually when a female is taming a male’s Beast. I’ve never heard of it happening otherwise though. I—”
“Urgent message from the Mother Ship,” interrupted the mechanical voice of the ship’s alarm again.
“Come on.” Kate went to her dresser and pulled out a long pink silk robe that tied with a white sash. “Get some trousers on,” she said as she pulled it on. “I’ll go see what they want.”
“All right.” But for a moment Rone just watched her. His mate—his beautiful, sweet, perfect Lalli was back. After so many days and nights of yearning for her, it was hard to believe—he was almost afraid it might be a dream. Then he heard Kate out in the control portion of the ship saying,
“Okay, I’m coming, I’m coming—keep your pants on!”
She really is back, he thought and for a moment tears stung his eyes. Thank you, Goddess. Thank you for sending my mate back to me!
* * * * *
“Hello? Hello, can you hear me?” The face peering anxiously into the viewscreen was Sophie’s and right beside her was her twin, Liv. Kate was surprised at how glad she was to see them both.
“Hey you guys,” she said, smiling at them as she hit the switch that allowed them to see her. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, Kate! Oh thank goodness!” Sophie looked relieved. “We’re so glad you’re still on board the Finder and not back on Earth yet!”
“We would have had a heck of a time tracking you down,” Liv put in. “And the news we have, well—it can’t wait.”
“I’ve got news too.” Kate was brimming with excitement, dying to share the news of her recovered memory and her renewed bond but Liv and Sophie looked so serious she decided she’d better hear what they had to say first. “Hey, what is it?” she asked, looking at the two of them uncertainly. “You look pretty upset—both of you.”
“It’s just…well, the news we have is kind of delicate.” Sophie bit her lip. “You see, after Sylvan drew blood from you I convinced him to run an extra test. Because of what you said about being so upset and that time of the month and everything and, well…”
“Well, what?” Kate asked, bewildered. “What test are you talking about?”
“Look.” Liv held something up to the viewscreen so Kate could see it. “I know you don’t know what this is—”
“A flower.” Kate’s voice was suddenly tight. “It…it’s a blue flower.”
“Right,” Liv said. “Now this is going to sound crazy but when you take a test—a pregnancy test—up here, you get one of three results. A pink flower means a girl, a white flower means you’re not pregnant. And a blue flower means—”
“A boy! A son—I’m going to have a son! Rone’s son!” Kate exclaimed, unable to hold back anymore. And then she burst into tears.
“Oh, no!” Sophie looked upset. “Oh, Liv—we’ve made her cry! Oh, Kate, we’re so sorry!”
“Look, hon, we know this is kind of awkward news, especially with the two of you splitting up and everything,” Liv said, staring at her anxiously. “So if you’d like to come back to the Mother Ship so we can talk about it and find a place for you to stay…”
“Because you can stay up here with us,” Sophie put in earnestly. “And we’ll introduce you to everyone. Liv and I will be with you every step of the way. We—”
“Kate isn’t going anywhere.” Suddenly Rone was standing right behind her, his big hands on her shoulders. “She’s staying aboard the Finder with me.”
“I’m sorry…” Kate sniffed and somehow managed to get a grip on herself. “I’m not…not crying because I’m upset. I’m crying because I’m so surprised and happy. And Rone and I aren’t splitting up.”
“You’re not?” Liv and Sophie asked together.
“No.” Kate shook her head. “Because I remembered—I remembered everything! My past, the three years I lost—everything! And even better, our bond is back!”
“Back and stronger than ever,” Rone growled, squeezing her shoulders.
“Wow,” Liv said. “How did you manage that?”
“We, uh…” Kate blushed. “Well, remember how the Goddess said I should, uh, feed my appetites?”
Sophie laughed delightedly. “I’m guessing she wasn’t talking about your appetite for pizza or brownies or any other kind of food, was she?”
“Nope.” Kate grinned, despite her red cheeks. “Anyway, everything just kind of…came back while we were…well, you know.”
Liv cleared her throat. “You know, you might want to be a little bit, uh, careful there. Sylvan told me that due to Wulven Kindred anatomy, their mates are actually able to get pregnant twice, if the second, uh, breeding occurs within a solar week of the first. They call it ‘twice expectant’ or a double conception. So if you don’t want twins…”
“Pregnant twice? Twins?” Rone looked confused. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh—you don’t know yet!” Kate exclaimed. Turning back to the viewscreen, she gestured at Olivia. “Show him, Liv! Show him the flower!”
Obligingly, Liv held the small, perfect blue flower up to the viewscreen.
“Here you go,” she told Rone. “Looks like you’re going to be a daddy.”
“Gods!” Rone gripped the back of the seat Kate was sitting in so violently she nearly fell out of it. “Are you serious?” he demanded of Olivia. “Is this really true? Kate is pregnant?”
“She absolutely is.” Liv nodded decisively. “And Sylvan would really like you to come back to the Mother Ship so he can run some more tests and make sure everything is going just right.”
“We’ll come right away,” Kate promised. She looked at Rone who nodded.
“Yes…yes, of course.” He still looked stunned.
“All right then, we’ll be waiting for you in the med center,” Liv said.
“And don’t worry,” Sophie added. “Sylvan says he’s sure everything is fine—he just wants to do a more thorough checkup.”
“See you soon!” Liv added and then the viewscreen went blank.
For a moment Kate just sat there, soaking in the news. Then she looked up at Rone. The big Kindred still had the back of her chair in a death grip.
“I can’t believe it,” he muttered. “I just can’t…I can’t believe it.”
“It’s true, though.” Kate looked at him hopefully. “Are you happy?”
“Happy? Of course I’m happy—this is what we’ve wanted forever. I’m just…just stunned.” He shook his head. “It must have happened when my Beast—”
“When I tamed your Beast,” Kate said quickly, not wanting him to start feeling guilty all over again. “And listen, honey—this is what I was trying to tell you earlier, before the girls called. I had to meet and tame your Beast for just this reason.”
He shook his head. “What do you mean? What are you talking about? I thought you said you had something to tell me that you hadn’t gotten a chance to say before you lost your memories.”
“I do.” Kate looked at him intently, wondering how he was going to react to what she had to say. She took a deep breath. “Do you remember how the statue of the Goddess came to life during Emily and Tragar’s joining ceremony?”
“Remember it?” Rone gave a short, barking laugh. “How could I forget it? I’d never seen the Goddess in person before. It was…amazing how she manifested herself.”
“I was amazed too,” Kate said quietly. “Remember how afterwards, when everyone was leaving the Grove, I told you I had to go back because I had forgotten something?”
“Yes, and…?” he prompted.
“Well, I just wanted a minute alone with her—alone in the presence of the Goddess,” Kate admitted. “I mean, I thought she had left but I went back and knelt at her feet anyway—at the feet of the statue. And I prayed—prayed so hard for what we both wanted so badly.”
“A baby,” Rone said softly. “A son.”
“Or a daughter,” Kate whispered. “I told the Goddess I wasn’t particular. I just wanted a baby to love and I didn’t care what it took.”
“And what happened?” Rone asked in a low voice.
“She came back to life. Or, well—the statue reanimated or whatever you want to call it,” Kate said. “And she told me that the desire of my heart was within reach but I would have to go through terrible hardship to get it.” She looked down at her hands. “I told her I didn’t care—that I would do whatever it took if you and I could just have a baby.”
“Then what did she say?” Rone’s voice was little more than a hoarse whisper.
“She told me my prayer had been heard and that it would be answered.” Kate looked up at her husband. “And then I went to tell you and walked right into that damn trap by smelling the bouquet that was meant for Emily.” She bit her lip. “Are you angry with me? I think…I guess all of this—everything we just went through—is my fault.”
“I don’t know what to say.” Rone shook his head. “We nearly lost each other, Kate. I was going to avenge you or die trying. Then I was going to go to the Desert. To—”
“To Corith al Cruthe. Oh my God!” Kate put a hand to her mouth. “The second destination in the navcom—now I remember where I’ve heard it before! Your aunt told me about it!”
Rone frowned. “Tante Corii has a bad habit of saying more than she should. I bet she’s the one who gave you a copy of the Volume of Submission, isn’t she?”
“Of course she is, but Rone…” Kate got up and went to stand in front of him. “How could you? How could you even think of doing that? Of going into the Desert of Death and letting your Beast take over your mind forever?”
“I thought I’d lost you,” he said simply. “And after what my Beast did to you I felt I deserved no better than the Living Death.”
“For the last time, what your Beast did was necessary.” Kate pressed his hand earnestly. “Listen to me, sweetheart—we were trying to circumvent the natural order of things by using my Knowing to get around taming your Beast. Without a whole and complete bond, I never would have been able to get pregnant. The Goddess knew that and she also knew you’d never let me meet your Beast willingly.”
Rone frowned. “Are you saying she used that sick bastard, Two, to bring you to my Beast on purpose?”
Kate nodded. “I am. I believe there was a reason for everything that happened to us. If I hadn’t lost my memory and been taken away from you, you wouldn’t have spent six months looking for me while your hunger grew. And you know what iron control you have—if you hadn’t been deprived of my touch and taste for so long, your Beast never would have had a chance of coming out to meet me. To breed me.”
He nodded slowly. “I guess I can see that. But Kate…as much as I want a baby, I want you more. I’d rather have you and be childless than lose you.”
“I understand.” Kate stood on her tiptoes and put her arms around his neck. “And I’m sorry, Rone—so sorry I put you through all this. Can you forgive me?”
“I’ll try.” He leaned down into her hug and then gathered her into his arms. “Oh, baby…oh, Lalli,” he murmured, nuzzling her neck. “I can’t believe I came so close to losing you forever. I’m never going to let you out of my sight again.”
His deep voice was hoarse and broken and Kate felt his tears wetting her cheek. Tears of her own stung at her eyes and she hugged him harder.
“You don’t have to worry about that,” she whispered. “I feel the same way. I’m never leaving you again—especially if I’m ‘twice expectant.’ Because you have to help me raise this baby—or these babies if there are two now—I can’t do it on my own!”
“Don’t worry,” Rone whispered through their newly restored link as he kissed her gently on the mouth. “You won’t have to. I’ll be with you every step of the way, Lalli.”
Kate knew it was true. She had finally come home to the man she loved and they would never be parted again.
The End