Ohber's house was finished. It was time to build furnishings and move in. He was reluctant to do so. As a knight, he had never lived alone, had few possessions, and only needed a bed to rest between practice and war. He now needed tables, chairs, a bed, and the fancy things that made a house a real home.

Nabvan brought the trainees to carry stone for the fireplace. They piled up wood that Ohber cut and made into benches for his dining table. King Siefer supplied a large bed from the capital. Valeri and Alexis gathered dishes, pots, and pans from the merchants. Young Milisarian women sewed curtains and bedding, presenting them to Ohber with giggles and sighs. He was a wealthy, retired warrior and that made him an excellent prospect for a husband. Nabvan teased him about it endlessly.

The knights carried in the bed, and Valeri put on the finishing touches. Blue silk covered the bed and windows. Flowers picked by Nexxa adorned the simple cabinet that held his clothing. She placed fresh toweling in the bathroom and hung a mirror donated by the fallen warrior’s family.

Nabvan and Ohber placed the table and benches in the dining area. A fire was set in the newly built stone fireplace. Villagers brought food of every imaginable kind and covered the new table with it. The empty house was crowded with well-wishers. But, all Ohber wanted was to be alone with Valeri. He could not keep his eyes off of her as she turned his house into a lovely, comfortable home. He felt that she belonged in it. Without her, it would be just another nice place to sleep.

Nabvan began to notice Ohber's attention was focused on Valeri. He went through the crowds and quietly suggested it was time to leave. Everyone bid the new retiree good evening and slipped away. Nabvan was leading Alexis out the door when Ohber stopped him. He had one last request for his commander. "I do not know how to be idle. I realize it is no longer possible for me to fight. I would like permission to spend some time on the training field. Will you allow me to spar with the trainees as they are learning? I need to keep a sword in my hand and stay busy. I may not be in perfect health, but I am not old."

"We would find it an honor to spar with you. The trainees need another warrior to fight with. They often spend too much time waiting for me. It is an excellent solution. Join us whenever possible." Nabvan bowed and left for the capital, leaving Ohber smiling in relief. He would not be forced to grow old before his time.

Valeri gathered the extra food and put it away. She looked around to be sure everything was in order and readied herself to leave. Ohber blocked the entrance. He carefully lifted her possessions out of her arms and gently pulled her in for a kiss. "I have missed your lips. They are so warm and soft,” he began. "Do not leave me here alone. Stay tonight. We must talk about the future. It cannot wait any longer."

Valeri drew him to the fireplace and tugged him down to a thick rug. She asked, "Can it not wait for an hour or two? I want to spend a little time without questions, sadness, or worry. I just want to be with you."

Ohber settled his large, ungainly body on the rug. He lifted Valeri onto his lap and held her in his arms. They watched the flames of the fire and relaxed, content to sit quietly together. Ohber rubbed her back and she looked up into his eyes. She stroked his rugged face and ran her fingers over his lips. Ohber opened his mouth and sucked on her fingers. A sizzle ran between their bodies, igniting an uncontrollable passion. Their lips met in a devouring kiss. Tongues danced in unison and Valeri strove to get closer. She turned in his arms and straddled his lap, plastering her chest against his.

Ohber's lips wandered down her neck. He nibbled on the soft skin covering her pulse. She tossed back her hair to give him better access. Valeri reached between them and tore open his shirt. Her hands roved over his bare chest, exploring each powerful muscle. His six-pack got the most attention. He was no longer gray and thin. For all appearances sake, he was back to normal. Valeri gasped when his fingers plucked at her nipples through the cloth. She fell back onto the plush rug, and Ohber followed. He hovered over her prone body and kissed the curves of her breasts.

Valeri was impatient. She slithered out of her clothes and tugged his head down to drink at her breasts. She writhed and moaned beneath him. His tongue continued down to circle her belly button and delve inside. Her hips rose, begging for attention. Ohber teased her by passing over her mound and kissing his way to her delicate feet. His hands massaged her thighs, coming close, but never touching her aching center. She pulled at his hair, causing laughter to bubble from his throat. She finally made a plea, "It hurts. Please, touch me. I need release."

Ohber kissed her mound and swirled his hot tongue over her entrance. She spread her legs wide, allowing him full access. He swept over the nub, and she shuddered. His long tongue dove inside the wetness, setting off an eruption of pulses. Valeri drenched his mouth in wetness. Her body went slack.

Ohber stood and ripped off his clothes. He fell on his knees and impaled himself to the hilt, touching her core. He moaned in pleasure. This was his true home. He felt complete when he was joined to Valeri. She used her legs to push at his thighs and shoved her hand against his shoulder. He understood that she wanted him to roll over and obliged. They remained joined as she straddled him. As she rode his manhood, he was able to freely play with her body. Four arms came in handy. He placed a hand on each breast, squeezing them and pulling at the taut nipples. A third hand held her hip, setting a rhythm for her ride. The fourth rubbed against her nub, bringing her closer to an explosion. His manhood pulsed inside her as he gathered speed. Their simultaneous climaxes rocked the walls of the new house and burned brighter than the fire.

Tears fell from Valeri's eyes. The emotions she felt were too intense for words. She laid on Ohber's chest, letting the feelings roll over her. Ohber clung to her like he would never let her go.

He continued to caress her back as he said, "We have to talk. I need to know where we stand. I am aware that you are worried about your father. He will be brought before courts and face imprisonment. He did bad things to us, but he was once a good father to you. Are you going home for his trial?"

"I do still love him. If I thought he could be rehabilitated, I would do all I could to help,” Valeri said. "However, I don't think he feels any remorse for his actions. His only love now is money. The only regret he would have is not being able to enjoy the spoils of his work. Besides, how would I get home?"

"King Siefer would get you there. You only need ask." Ohber's heart ached at the idea of her choosing to return to Earth.

Valeri sighed, "No, I don't want to see my father. I would either be sad or angry, depending on his attitude. We said our final goodbyes when he tossed me out of the building. He knew our relationship was over and won't expect me to be there for him."

Ohber took a deep breath and asked, "What about Victor? He is your only other family member. Do you miss him? Do you want or need to go to him?"

"You are right. I love and miss him dreadfully. We are very close despite our father's discord with him. I would love to continue being a part of his life. I wonder if he will accept the FBI's offer of a job? Will he attend daddy's trial even though they were estranged? I wish I could talk to him."

"I can ask King Siefer to send you on the next trade transport, unless you want to leave sooner." Ohber's heart was breaking now.

Valeri pushed against his chest. She lifted her body and stared down into his sorrowful eyes. "Are you trying to get rid of me? Do you want me to leave?"

Ohber looked confused. He replied, "I am not trying to be rid of you. I want you to be happy. I do not wish you to leave, but your family is on Earth. Your desires and needs are more important to me than my own."

"I have a new family here. I want to stay in touch with Victor. Alexis and the queen can help me with that. They reach out to their families somehow, I'm sure. I belong here. I am useful in this lab. I like this planet and its community feeling. Looking at your handsome face is a treat as well. Do you think the king will let me stay?" Valeri bent down to plant a kiss on his nose.

"If he even considered saying no, I would fight him. He would win, but I would fight to the death. I want you here." Ohber controlled his fear and said, "I love you as I have no other."

Valeri glowed at his sweet words of admission. She had been waiting to hear them forever. She blushed from head to toe, curled up on his chest and speaking straight to his heart replied, "I love you more than I thought it possible to love anyone." Strong arms surrounded her, holding tight. She snuggled down and fell into a dreamless sleep listening to the answering love beating from his heart.

Daylight streamed through the windows, waking them. They still lay on the rug in front of the fireplace. The fire was out and the morning had a slight chill. Ohber wrapped them in the rug, cocooning their nude bodies. Valeri groaned and said, "No matter how much I want to, I can't stay here. Alexis expects me in the lab, and I have to find King Siefer and the queen. I have to get permission to stay on Milisaria from the king. I also need Queen Destiney to assign me a permanent chamber. The one I have now is just temporary, like the little one you used to have. No one is building me a house."

Ohber refused to turn her loose. She laughed and said, "Come on, big guy. I know this feels great, but I need to get up. You do too. Didn't I hear Nabvan say you could work with the trainees? I hear swords clashing already. You are officially late."

"He said I could help whenever possible,” Ohber teased. "It is definitely not possible at the moment. I am busy with going back to sleep. You tired me out."

Valeri propped her head on her hands and stared into his dark eyes. With an evil grin, she stated, "I guess that means you need to rest instead of joining me tonight in my chambers. Too bad. I had something special in mind. Alexis claimed that Milisarian males equate love with sex. Either she was wrong, or you don't love me much."

Ohber growled and began to tickle her for teasing him. Their laughter could be heard over the clashing swords outside. Nabvan smiled, knowing Ohber had finally been able to express his feelings to Valeri and she had felt the same. He was happy for them. It made him want to return to his chambers where his wife was dressing for work and kiss her sweet lips one more time.

Valeri calmed, stopped laughing, and said, "Really, Ohber, I have to go. I need a shower and clean clothes. They are in my room, and I am late for work."

"You cannot leave yet. There is no need to hurry. The king fully expects you to stay and there is no reason to find the queen. You do not need a chamber unless you prefer to live alone. I wish you to live here, with me. In fact, I am begging you to stay." Ohber's voice quivered on the last sentence.

Valeri jumped up and danced around the room naked. She shouted, "You mean it? You want me to live with you? Yes, yes, yes!!! I can't believe you thought I would say no. I want to curl up with you every night and take care of you every day. I don't want to be alone in a capital chamber. I was afraid to ask if I could stay with you."

Ohber tossed the rug aside as if it was weightless and stood. "We have got to stop keeping our feelings locked away. It only causes us confusion and worry for no reason. From now on, let us be honest with each other about everything."

"I have no problem with that, except it's scary. What if I say something that upsets or hurts you? I don't want to ruin this. We have come a long way, from experimental scientist and captor to man and woman in love." Valeri's hands shook as she paced the room.

Ohber caught up to her, took her shaking hands in his, and replied, "If I get upset, do not worry. I will quickly get over it. Lovers argue, but they continue to love. We have disagreed on many things before. It did not stop us from getting to this point. We have overcome being from different species and planets, so I am sure we can overcome anything that gets in our way."

Valeri sucked in a breath and asked, "Do you think we could have children in the near future? I really want to have babies with you."

Ohber held her close and answered, "I would not have it any other way. Every time I have seen you with Nexxa and Scyon, I have imagined you with our child. It was a dream I dared not believe could come true. I wish for many children to occupy my time."

Valeri gently kissed his lips, hugged him one last time, and then pulled out of his arms. "If that is true, then you better get dressed and go to work. You will need to build a lot more furniture and possibly more rooms. I need to go to the lab and mix more of Alexis's vaccine, in case we have daughters."

She began dressing to leave, but Ohber surprised her once more. He asked, "Shall I build a room for Victor? Do you think he would come if we asked him to give up the FBI for nieces and nephews of another species?"

Valeri smiled widely and declared, "I really don't know, but it would make me extremely happy to ask him. Thank you for loving me enough to think of it.

Valeri went off to work with a big smile on her face. “What are you so happy about?” Alexis asked, already knowing the answer.

“The future,” replied Valeri.

The End.