40. Epilogue

VANESSA

Chapter 40

One Week Later

After breakfast, Aizor took my hand, and we left the dining area. "Would you like to see my shop? I still haven't had a chance to take you there."

"Yes, I have an idea for a game we could build if you have any scrap wood lying around."

"I have plenty."

We'd been busy over the last week, dealing with the aftereffect of Muzzire's treachery.

When we returned home, we found Muzzire lying in the central dining area on the floor, his arms and legs bound with vines.

The clan had gathered, and he had a chance to state his reasoning for his actions. Our clan was in complete agreement that he was wrong, that he had no right to try to harm me despite his concerns, that the gods had spoken, and their wishes needed to be respected. The last seemed to be the part that horrified many the most, though my new friends expressed grave concern for my safety and were glad to know he hadn't hurt me.

As traedor, it was part of Aizor's job to pronounce Muzzire's sentence: Banishment to the wasteland beyond the great forest. Krute would travel with him and make sure he didn't come back, though Muzzire had declared he welcomed the chance to redeem himself in the eyes of his gods. He wouldn't be allowed to return to the clan for a year and only then if he vowed to put aside his anger with the gods' plan for the Zuldruxians' future.

I couldn't wish him well, and I wasn't eager for his return, but I'd forgiven him for causing me pain.

Aizor and I walked down the hill and through the woods, though we took a different direction than the one leading to the meadow with the oven he'd built me. I planned to make dough this afternoon and tonight, we'd finally have pizza. I was starting simple, with only a cheese topping. I also had ideas for the smoked meat his clan had in abundance. It tasted a lot like brisket.

I'd bribed the crystal aliens to produce chips, and some of them had a nice corn flavor.

Nachos anyone?

We left the woods and took a trail weaving around the base of a stiff cliff. I hadn't traveled this way before.

Aizor stopped, frowning at the woods to our right.

"What are you looking at?" I asked, peering in that direction but not seeing anything. A memory of the abominable who'd nearly eaten me when I first arrived stomped through my mind, making my skin quiver.

"It's nothing." He led me farther along the cliff, still shooting speculative looks toward the woods.

I still didn't see anything, and the skin on the back of my neck crawled. "Should we go back?"

"I have a surprise for you at my shop."

"Okay but being ground to dust by the abominable would ruin your surprise."

He hefted his spear and grunted. "Do you think your mate can't defeat any foe we might face in the forest?"

"One of these days, you'll meet your match."

"I already have in you, my pretty mate." His smile made everything better. Hearing absolutely nothing in the woods sent my mood in a completely different direction. Maybe we could take a nap later today inside our home . . .

"Alright." I lifted my chin and tightened my spine. "Let's keep going." My nervousness gone; I started chattering. "Where do you find trees big enough for your projects?"

"They grow taller farther down the mountain. I drop them and ask Voolon to drag them to my shop."

"Is that where you mill the wood?" I explained what I meant, though I didn't know much about sawmills.

"Yes, that's what I do. The gods kindly gave me a mill to saw my wood like you describe."

How was it powered? I guessed I was about to find out.

At the end of the tall cliff, we entered the woods and walked downhill some more.

The path exited out into a big clearing full of tall, wavering grass, lots of little pink flowers, and a crystal building on the right side. Why had I thought his shop would be constructed from wood?

A metal monstrosity sat to one side of it; that must be his sawmill since a pile of logs had been stacked nearby.

We approached the squat blue glassy structure and went inside.

I stopped and gaped, taking in the wooden counters lining the outside walls, all of them covered with boxes, cooking tools, and things I couldn't identify in various stages of construction. "It looks like Santa's workshop."

"Who is this sinta?" Aizor asked, though with humor shining in his voice. I adored that he was never jealous. In fact, he encouraged me to interact with everyone in our clan, saying that my role as a traedor's mate was honored and revered, that I could give advice much like the gods. I wasn't sure about that, but I loved talking with everyone and finding out what they enjoyed eating. Now that Muzzire had been banished, I'd taken over some of the meal prep with Jessia's help. I adored crafting new dishes for everyone to try, and she begged for Earthling stories.

We did that, plus we played with the kids.

Would Aizor and I have a youngling one day? Perhaps. I wasn't in any rush. I adored the fact that it was just us, and I wasn't ready to leave that behind.

When I visited with Helena the day before, we not only sipped coffee, but we also talked about this. She told me she'd spoken with the others of her kind and assured me that the other women and I were brought here to find true love with Zuldruxian mates, not to become broodmares for the next generation. If we wanted children, we could have them. If we didn't, that was fine with her and the other aliens as well. All we needed to do was speak our wishes, and they'd provide some sort of birth control.

As for the woman with red hair I'd been worried about, Helena said I'd meet up with her again soon, that she'd found her true mate with a Zuldruxian male, and they'd travel to visit with our clan in a short time.

As for children, I'd decided to let fate give us a youngling or leave us happily without one.

"Would you like to see your surprise?" he asked, taking my hand and tugging me over to a large object covered with a cloth.

"What is it?" I danced beside him, giddy with excitement.

He ripped off the cloth. "Fook eff!"

I couldn't stop laughing, and my laughter soon gave way to tears. Then I had to remind him that I cried when I was either sadorhappy, something he and the other Zuldruxians still found strange. Maybe if some of the other women joined our clan and did the same thing, they'd finally understand.

Because his gift was gorgeous, I didn't laugh for long. I kept crying as I sat in the chair he'd made for me; one I could place near the fire. It was big enough for him to sit with me or the boys when I told them a story.

"Do you like it?" He fretted with his tusks, rubbing them across his upper lip.

"I love it." I stroked my palms along the smooth arms. "How did you find time to make it?"

"I came here when you were asleep," he said gravely. "I wanted you to have something special, something from my heart."

"Aizor." This male kept breaking me and putting me back together again. "I love you."

He leaned forward and kissed me with enough heat to tinder the fire simmering deep inside. We'd definitely need to take a nap soon.

"What did you hope to do with the wood scraps?" He waved to a box full of pieces in all sorts of sizes.

"Jenga."

"Jenga?"

"It's a game. Can we bring the box of wood up near the fire?"

"To burn?"

"Never. We're going to stack it and then tug out pieces from different sections of the pile."

"And you'll find this fun?"

"Won't you?"

"I'll carry it up there tonight."

Because I couldn't resist looking, I slid off the chair, admiring it again, before I walked around his shop, tracing my fingertip across various things he had either finished or was still working on. "What do you hope to do with all these wonderful items?"

"Give them away."

"You could sell them at a clan gathering." The first would be held in one month.

"I'd rather gift them to whoever wants them."

"See? That's just like Santa. You're my big blue, alien Santa."

He picked me up and carried me back to my new chair where he sat and settled me on his lap, his arms enfolding me. I wrapped my legs around him and grinned up at him.

"Is Santa sexy times?" he asked.

This was a phrase I'd shared with him. He'd used it for almost everything, even when it came nowhere close to applying. Last night, he'd declared the ice cream I'd made was sexy times. Although, when he drizzled some of his melted desert on my chest and proceeded to lick it off, I had to agree.

"Santa's very sexy times," I said.

"Good. Because that's me." He pointed at his chest. "Many sexy times."

Maybe it was my own special kink, but I'd always had the hots for Santa.

My smile widened. "There's only one thing you need to do if you want to be the bestfook effingSanta."

He gazed at me quite solemnly. "What is it? I live to please you, my mate."

My grin turned sly. "During sex, would you shout ho-ho-ho?"