EPILOG

Afew weeks later…

Leaning against Brent, enjoying the way he'd wrapped his arms around her, Raeblin surveyed the stone circle deep in the valley's forest. All the Badari were here tonight, including claimed mates and even Hope, Megan and Mateer's toddler. Only the men who were on duty guarding their safety were absent. This was a celebration and a time to give thanks to the Great Mother for all her efforts on their behalf.

She and her mate were settling in to living together in his residence. Brent and several of the brothers had helped her move her personal items from the Daughters' residence to his, which had immediately made his space less utilitarian and more welcoming. He'd asked her to do whatever she wanted to the place to make it a home and as a couple they'd spent a long time at Stores, selecting furnishings from the loot the Badari accumulated each time the packs took down a Khagrish lab.

He was on combat duty again, which was only right and proper since he was one of the most experienced and deadly operators the pack had. Brent continued to gain advantages from the blood transfusion as his body adapted more and more to its new composition. The healers and the doctors were fascinated by the way the Badari cells were working on him which was unique among the claimed human mates. Brent was decidedly less enthusiastic about being a guinea pig but he told Raeblin he'd go along with it to benefit any future human mates of Badari women who might receive a transplant.

The question of whether they could have a child together was unresolved yet but they'd talked and he was enthusiastic about the idea, as was she. For the human women, the transfusion from their Badari mate ensured fertility but no one had any idea if a formerly human man, now a Badari via transfusion could father a child with his Badari female mate. I guess we'll find out.

The pack bond had sorted itself out in about twenty four hours, anchoring her firmly into Aydarr's actual pack, where her mate had his blood bond. The outcome made her a bit sad and weepy, but Keshara assured her their sisterly bond wouldn't change.

"It was never intended for me to establish a formal pack the way the brothers have themselves organized," Keshara said. "And since Gabe and I'll always be affiliated with Aydarr, you and I'll always be in proximity."

It was odd to stand with Brent in the midst of Aydarr's actual pack, and to see her sisters clustered with Keshara and Gabe across the circle. Raeblin speculated whether her other sisters would find mates among the humans or the Badari as time went on, or remain single. It wasn't her business of course but she did want them all to be as happy as she was. All her sisters had congratulated her, even Jezari, who was detached and antisocial 99% of the time since getting out of the hospital. But since Raeblin had spent the better part of a year as her personal nurse, Jezari had a shred more patience for her. At first Raeblin feared Jezari had skipped the ceremony despite Aydarr's edict, which would have been a huge problem but then she saw her standing behind the other Daughters, a frown on her face. Raeblin offered up a quick prayer to the Great Mother to help her troubled sister find her way out of the prickly mental state she was in and to find a mate to be her partner, the way Brent was hers now.

Leadership had agreed Raeblin wasn't going out on any more combat missions. The stakes were too high that the Khagrish might learn there were female Badari and her safety couldn't be guaranteed, even with Brent at her side. She was actually happy with the decision because her flashbacks and PTSD, while better, flared up from time to time and she was afraid to go out on a deployment and freeze, thereby putting others at risk. There was plenty to do at the valley hospital, with the large number of humans now living in the valley. Accidents and illnesses were inevitable.

Distracting her from thoughts of her patient load at the hospital, the healers began to sing an ancient song from deep in the ancestral memory, a paean to the goddess. The music filled Raeblin's consciousness with awe and happiness. She wondered how it was affecting Brent but didn't want to disturb the moment to ask him, not even with telepathy.

For an instant Raeblin saw the Great Mother standing in the center of the stone circle, where no one else would dare to venture tonight. She was veiled in shadows but Raeblin was sure she was pleased by this gathering of her children. The goddess nodded her chin to Raeblin and was gone.

Did you see her? Brent asked on their private mental channel. I glimpsed her once in passing at the Wanderer's place. Guess she approves of us being mates finally, you think?

I'm sure she does. Raeblin rubbed her fingertips over her shoulder where the golden mate mark had appeared the morning after their Claiming. Brent had a matching one. The visible symbol of their union was immensely pleasing to Raeblin and she was sure once they had their human wedding, the golden ring on her finger would give Brent the same assurances. He was proud of his mate mark but in this his heart remained human and he wanted their symbol of eternal love. Once he got over his reluctance to risks involved with settling down with one woman—her—he was all in.

The song ended and the drummers switched to a new rhythm for the next portion of the evening, where senior brothers would be performing a sacred dance, also brought from the ancestral memory. Their inner predators had nothing to do with this—it was all Badari and Raeblin liked to think she'd gone traveling in time, here in the stone circle, to her actual forebears, before the enemy aliens swooped down on the planet and ended the lives of all the original Badari. Of course then she wouldn't be with Brent, which was unthinkable.

Her mind drifted to the Wanderer and she was sad for him, living his immensely long life in solitude, yet keeping his hope alive for a better future for his brothers, and the sisters he was probably not aware he had. She wished they dared to revisit his cliff dwelling again but Aydarr had ruled it was too risky until the war was over.

So many things were too risky. Glancing at Daegan and his men, with their mates, she reflected on the fact they were constantly homesick for their South Seas island. Their pack wouldn't know true happiness until the day Daegan led them home in triumph. Raeblin prayed to the goddess it would be soon. This war couldn't drag on forever, could it?

Reede would return from the Sectors with help sooner or later, wouldn't he?

The dancers wound up their performance to loud cheers and applause from the rest of the Badari. The sound broke her train of thought and she turned to Brent.

"What do you think of your first pack celebration here at the circle?" she asked.

"I'm glad no one asked me to dance," he said. "What are you thinking about? I get the impression through the mate bond you're far away from here in your mind."

"Oh various things," she said. "Nothing too critical. But glad we're mated. I'm so happy to have you here with me."

"I'm happy to stand beside you," he answered. "Always."

"At a celebration, at a party, in combat—" she said.

"Anywhere, any time." He switched to telepathy, which he'd mastered with lightning speed, But especially in bed. Is this evening's program going to last much longer?

Aydarr has to make his speech and then we'll be released, she answered, heat rising in her core. I gather you want to go straight home?

We can linger long enough to be polite. I don't want either of us to get into trouble. He chuckled out loud.

Aydarr's mated, he'll understand. So will all the others with mates. She was blushing but she was turned on by his eagerness to get her alone in their residence. We're still shiny new mates.

I'll never lose my desire for you, he said with truth which resonated through the mate bond as well as telepathically. I love you.

The best three words in any language, she replied, facing forward as the Supreme Alpha began his remarks. I love you too.

She hoped Aydarr would be brief because impatience was rising inside her and her predator was pacing, eagerly anticipating the private activity to come later in the evening.

Her time in the combat zone had been terrifying but she didn't regret a single minute since she ended up with Brent as her mate at the end of all the terror and stress. He was worth everything she'd endured. The goddess had truly blessed her.

And Raeblin was content.

Thank you for reading BADARI MEDIC! I hope you enjoyed the adventure (and, of course, I'd love a review if you have time and the inclination to write one. Even a few sentences would be much appreciated. Or a rating! Authors relish reader feedback).