Epilogue One

EPILOGUE ONE

DONNA

“I just need an upgrade,” I hear Tovan say on his comm as I head into the kitchen. He’s been trying to get in contact with this bounty hunter guy all day and finally, the ping’s gone through. I can’t help but feel nervous though. A bounty hunter? Tovan’s a good guy. How does he even know someone like that?

“Why don’t you go through the usual route, Kamesh?” The voice is rough, guttural, and when I pass by again, I’m sure I catch a glimpse of a metal mask, only the dude’s green eyes visible.

Now, what in God’s good name…? I want to tell Tovan to forget it, but he’s adamant that his translator requires renewal and this is the best source to get it through. Something about the guy being the one to upload English on Hudo’s servers in the first place. How or why a bounty hunter would do that, I don’t know.

What if it was because he was hunting a human and needed better coverage of the language?

“You know as well as I do that you’re the best source for this sort of tech. The council’s language implants take forever to update.”

The bounty hunter grunts.

“I’ll pay you double.”

Silence on the other line.

“Triple,” Tovan presses. “And there is something else. My mate…she sings beautiful melodies—”

There’s a low growl. “Not interested, Kamesh. Find someone else.”

Even from where I am in the kitchen, I can tell that the bounty hunter is about to hang up and I hear Tovan’s exasperated breath. The fact he’s trying to get the guy to help me, too, with broadcasting my songs, melts my heart. After having no one believe in my voice to having such support touches something deep. The fact that he’s being turned down actually makes me ache because he’s trying so hard.

Dropping the kitchen towel, I wipe my hands on my skirt as I walk out to Tovan.

“It’s alright dear,” I say, my voice making him look over his shoulder. “It’s alright. We’ll find another way.” I smile at Tovan before my gaze shifts to his comm, only to find intense green eyes staring back at me from beneath a metal mask. The bounty hunter is staring into my soul.

I can’t look away. It isn’t fear. I don’t know what it is. Awareness?

Tovan releases a breath. “Urgmental…I suppose we shall do business some other time. When you’re more…agreeable.”

Tovan shifts his claw to end the transmission when the bounty hunter speaks.

“Who is that?”

We both stiffen. Tovan’s brow tightens slightly as he sits up straighter. “My mate.” The way he speaks, his voice has changed completely, and I catch a glimpse of that male who fought to protect me, fought to get to me.

“You didn’t say she was human.”

My hand slides to Tovan’s shoulder, squeezing slightly.

Now what does this stranger mean by that? Obviously, he has an interest in humans. If what Tovan said is true about him uploading English on the servers, perhaps we should have tried to discover exactly why before we contacted him.

I’m suddenly feeling unsure and I squeeze Tovan’s shoulder again. He stands from where he was sitting, blocking me from view of the bounty hunter’s piercing gaze.

“What does it matter, Urgmental?”

I can hear the male grunt, almost as if he’s laughing. “You know, you’re one of the few that call me by that name.”

Tovan is still stiff. “It is your name, is it not.”

The bounty hunter grunts again before a beat of silence passes. I strain my ears to hear, wondering if he’s still on the line when he suddenly speaks again.

“I’ll be at your lodge in the next sol. I’ll bring your translator upgrade. And don’t worry, no charge.”

My frown increases when a second later there’s an audible click. Ping ended.

Tovan is standing staring at the device in his claw when I walk around to face him.

“Tovan?”

His gaze shifts to mine.

“Who is this male?”

His gaze shifts back to the comm as if he can’t quite believe what just happened.

“He is…complicated. He’s known for being unpredictable, but he’s not inherently dangerous. At least, not to those he doesn’t consider a threat.”

I swallow hard, my mind racing. “And us? Does he consider us a threat?”

Tovan shakes his head. “No, I don’t believe so. If anything, I think we’ve piqued his curiosity.”

A shiver runs down my spine at his words. Curiosity from a bounty hunter doesn’t sound particularly comforting. But then a thought occurs to me, and I feel a small wave of relief wash over me.

“Well,” I say, trying to inject some optimism into my tone, “at least he doesn’t know where we live, right? So maybe it’ll be alright. We don’t have to meet him if we don’t want to.”

Tovan’s expression grows somber. “He’ll find us.”

Because he’s a frickin’ bounty hunter. Oh shit. I feel my heart rate quicken, but as I look at Tovan, I see determination in his eyes and some of the anxiety seeps away. This is Tovan. He won’t let anything happen to me, and I won’t let anything happen to him.

The next day dawns bright and clear, and after a night of thinking through the possibilities, I wake with a determination myself. We have a gun now, a ‘blaster’ as Tovan calls it. After that stranger’s visit and what he almost did, we thought it best to get some protection. I’ve never fired a gun in my life, but Tovan has. If this bounty hunter wants to find us and start trouble, then he will be surprised when we won’t make it easy for him.

As I’m sweeping the floor in the front room, movement outside the window catches my eye. My heart nearly stops as I see three vehicles pulling up to the farm. They’re sleek and look fast. Definitely not Xarion, Arnak, or any of my other friends.

When the first vehicles stop and a tall figure hops out, my heart does a big wallop in my chest. Even from this distance, I can see the glint of the metal mask, those piercing green eyes scanning the surroundings. Urgmental. He’s found us, just as Tovan said he would.

And he’s brought friends?

My first instinct is to run and get Tovan, but before I can move, I see him striding out to meet the bounty hunter. They stand facing each other in silence, an unspoken tension crackling in the air between them.

Grabbing the gun from where it’s strapped up, hidden underneath the table, I hide it in my skirt as I step out behind him.

There’s a slight cool breeze, one that only highlights the tension but doesn’t give me any idea as to what’s about to happen. I step outside to stand beside Tovan when the bounty hunter’s eyes meet mine. I feel a chill. I’m about to tell Tovan we should head back inside when movement from the vehicle catches my eye again.

This time, I freeze. Because a young Black woman hops out after Urgmental. She’s human, unmistakably so, and in her arms is a small, wiggling blue child. As blue as the alien in the metal mask. After the woman comes another child of a different species with little antennae atop her head.

The bounty hunter. He brought…he brought his family?

Before I can process this unexpected sight, the doors of the other vehicles open. From one emerges another couple—a blonde woman holding another blue baby, accompanied by a tall, scowling alien. From the last vehicle, a redheaded woman steps out, her hand clasped tightly in that of yet another big, blue dude.

My mind reels, trying to make sense of what I’m seeing. Humans. Aliens. Babies that look like a blend of both. It’s like something out of a dream—or perhaps a vision of a future I never dared to imagine.

I step forward without even realizing. All my attention is focused on the gathering in front of my home. Tovan steps up beside me, his arm sliding around my waist with a touch that grounds me.

The Black woman smiles at me, bouncing the infant in her arms before her smile freezes on her lips when she takes me and Tovan in. Her gaze slides to the bounty hunter. “Ka’Cit, I told you not to scare them!” Her whisper is low but loud enough that we hear anyway.

The bounty hunter tilts his head her way. “I didn’t. I promise. I was quite friendly.”

She laughs and steps forward. “Hi, you probably didn’t expect to see so many of us, but after Ka’Cit told us there are other humans out here, we had to come visit. I’m Nia.” She grins, still bouncing the infant who takes that moment to coo. He’s a big boy, well-fed, strong, with his momma’s face and his father’s green eyes. He stretches for me with a coo and I have no choice but to release the gun in my skirt as I reach for him.

The weapon drops and they don’t even flinch.

“Oh hello!” I say to the baby, my mind still struggling to catch up with all this.

He clutches my cheeks in his little palms and coos.

Behind Nia, the bounty hunter, Ka’Cit, comes closer. Crouching, he lifts the other child, who smiles at me, too.

“So,” he says, his voice just as gravelly as it was over the comm, “you’re the one with the beautiful melodies.”

My mouth falls open. Damn, Donna Johnson is speechless. “How did you…”

I glance over at Tovan. “Did you send him…”

Tovan is glaring at the bounty hunter. “He hacked my comm.”

Nia grimaces before she jams an elbow into the bounty hunter’s side. “Ka’Citttt.”

“I had to be sure it was safe to bring you here,” he says to her before he shrugs, unapologetic. “I heard the melody he recorded.” His gaze meets mine. “It will be well received. There are already orders for more of your recordings.”

“Wh…what?”

My eyebrows are high on my forehead as the other two couples come closer.

“Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Lauren.”

I nod, not trusting my voice just yet.

Lauren gestures to the male at her back. “This is Riv. Don’t mind him,” she says, jerking her thumb towards the male. “He’s always grumpy at first.”

As if to stop himself from scowling, Riv gives me a smile that looks like a grimace.

The blue child in her arms gurgles happily, reaching out towards me with tiny hands, too. I can’t resist and soon I have two bouncing babies in my arms and a heart that is swelling so much it’s becoming overfull.

“And this is Cleo and Sohut,” Lauren gestures to the other couple, who also come closer, the female waving and the male dipping his head in greeting.

As introductions and lighthearted greetings are made, I can’t believe what’s happening.

“This is a delightful surprise. Why don’t we all go inside?” I suggest, finding my voice at last. “I’ve got some fresh bluebread, and I’m sure we have a lot to talk about.”

“Bluebread?” Nia grins. “Sounds yum.”

As we make our way into the house, I can almost feel the intensity of Tovan’s gaze as he watches me balance the babies. I talk to them and laugh, marveling at their little alien-human traits, and soon my little cottage is packed full again with strangers that might actually become family.

It’s a tight fit with all of us, but I make it work. As I serve the food and drinks, Nia, Lauren, and Cleo tell me how they found their mates. They live half a day’s travel away and mentioned that there was a rumor of more humans arriving on Hudo.

However, they’d thought the new humans were slaves and had been searching the underground networks to no avail. I tell them about New Horizons and how this is all voluntary, much to everyone’s relief.

“So, Kamesh,” the bounty hunter says, addressing Tovan, “you wanted an upgrade for your translator?” He slides a device across the table to Tovan. “Here you go.”

Tovan meets his gaze. “Appreciate it. How many credits do I owe you?”

I can’t see the bounty hunter’s face but I can hear his growl. “I don’t charge family.”

The word drops like a weight in the entire room, a moment before my heart gets light. Family. Something I never thought I’d ever have again.

“Family,” Tovan repeats.

“You are mated to a human, Kamesh.” The bounty hunter says. “We’re all connected now.”

Nia and the other women nod, a hint of approval in their eyes.

Tovan’s gaze shifts to mine and I can tell he’s wondering if I want this. I nod and he visibly relaxes, his shoulders releasing some of the tension I didn’t realize was there.

“Good.” Nia takes the lead. “We’ll start with upgrading Tovan’s translator. Then we’ll work on getting your voice out there. Small steps, but important ones.”

My gaze shoots to her. “My voice…you mentioned something about orders.”

Nia nods, a gentle smile playing on her lips. “Ka’Cit’s got some contacts that are willing to pay a lot of credits to hear you sing.”

“What?” I almost can’t believe it.

Nia nods and Lauren pipes in. “It’s not just them, us too. What I wouldn’t give to have some tracks of songs from Earth. And your voice !” She does a chef’s kiss that makes me chuckle even as I’m blushing inside.

Cleo chimes in too. “Your songs can help others see the value in humans. To show that we’re not just some primitive species to be exploited or ignored.”

I didn’t even consider that. Heck, I didn’t consider anyone except Tovan ever hearing me sing.

A mix of excitement and trepidation swirls in my chest.

“No pressure,” Nia says. “I know how hard it is just getting settled in this new life.” She grins at her children who are currently climbing her mate like he’s a jungle gym. “Especially while raising a family.”

As the evening winds down, our guests start preparing to leave. The bounty hunter—Ka’Cit, I remind myself—helps Riv gather their children, who have fallen asleep. Cleo and Lauren collect their things, exchanging warm smiles with us.

Nia approaches me as the others are heading out. She pulls me into a gentle hug, surprising me with the gesture. “Thank you for welcoming us into your home,” she says as she pulls back.

I smile, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. “Thank you for coming. You all have such beautiful families,” I say, glancing at the others as they make their way outside.

Nia’s eyes soften, a hint of moisture gathering at the corners. “I never thought it would happen, you know,” she confides. “When we adopted our daughter, I thought that was all we’d have. But life has a way of surprising you.”

My curiosity piques at the mention of adoption. “You adopted?”

Of course, they did. The child doesn’t exactly look like either of them, but apart from the appearance, one would never know. They love that girl just as they love their biological son. That just tells me they’re good people.

Nia nods, a fond smile playing on her lips. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you more about it next time we visit, if you’d like.”

“I’d love that.”

As their vehicles drive away, Tovan pulls me into his arms. “That was…a lot, my kahl. I am sorry.”

I lean back into him, smiling. “I liked it. Back on Earth, I grew up with a big family. The house was always full. Family. Friends. Neighbors. Cousins playing. Gramps sitting on the porch talking about music. Ma in the kitchen cooking. My brother sneaking bites of food from the pot…” I trail off, letting the memories wash over me.

We stand in comfortable silence for a moment, watching the sun go down. Finally, Tovan speaks, his voice soft and filled with emotion.

“Lira’an,” he pauses.

“Mm?”

“Seeing all of them today, with their families…it made me think.”

I tighten his arms around me. “About what?”

“About us. About our future.” He pauses again. “I know we’ve talked about younglings before, and I understand…I understand your concern. But I want you to know that there are other options. We could adopt, too.”

My breath catches in my throat. The idea of adoption hadn’t really occurred to me until I saw Nia. Seeing her daughter, a spark of possibility ignited within me. Maybe that dream isn’t dead and maybe…

I swallow hard, turning in Tovan’s arms to face him.

“Is it that you want a child?” I whisper.

He shakes his head. “I am content to be selfish and have your complete attention for the rest of my sols. But I saw the way you held those younglings. I’ve never seen that sort of warmth in your eyes before. It is a different warmth from the one you offer me.”

I blink, forcing away whatever emotion is threatening to rise. He can see through me so easily.

“I want to build a life with you,” he continues. “Whatever that looks like. If that means adopting a youngling, then I will do it .”

Tears prick at my eyes as I lean into his touch. “I love you too,” I murmur. Because all those words, that’s what he’s saying. That he loves me. Truly loves me. “And I…I think I’d like that. To explore the possibility, at least.”

Tovan’s face breaks into a wide grin.

Closing my eyes, I lean into my mate, my kahl , eager to see what tomorrow will bring.