Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

A manda knew before she opened her eyes that she was no longer on Earth. The faint medicinal scent of the lab filled her nostrils. She glanced to the side, expecting to see Va'rik, but the bed next to hers was empty. He wasn't there, and neither was Billy.

A faint remnant of the old familiar panic threatened to emerge, but she dismissed it quickly. She had absolutely no doubt that Va'rik was waiting for her.

As she sat up, she saw a neat bundle waiting at the foot of the bed. Clothing. She had just slipped the simple white shift over her head when the door opened and Va'rik appeared.

"I am too late. I hoped to see you before you dressed yourself."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you did. Where's Billy?"

"He is still sleeping. La'tok'at'bron suggested that we might want time to… reacquaint ourselves before he awoke."

"Oh, he did, did he? What do you suppose he had in mind?"

"I do not know. But I intend to thank you for returning to me."

Her breath caught as the sparks of purple fire began to burn in his eyes.

"Maybe I should be thanking you."

The fire intensified. "All in good time."

As he stalked towards her, she saw the tattoo on his chest start to glow again. "You're glowing."

"Ah, yes." He came to a halt in front of her, and she automatically wrapped her legs around his hips. "There is something we could discuss."

"Now?" The lab table put her at the perfect height, and she could feel the petals of his cock rubbing tantalizingly against her pussy.

"Yes." He groaned and grabbed her hips. "You are distracting me."

"Good." She tried to shimmy but she couldn't move.

"Do you want to have a child?"

A pang of sorrow washed over her. "You said we couldn't. And it's okay," she added quickly.

"I knew that we could not, although I did not understand why at the time. Now I know that La'tok'at'bron— we —decided that we did not want an unexpected pregnancy influencing a female's decision to stay, even if it occurred after the mate bond. But I can ask La'tok'at'bron to reverse that protocol at any time." He sounded distracted, his hands moving her slowly against his shaft as he watched the place where their bodies touched.

"At any time?"

"Yes. Even now."

He slid her against him more quickly, his way eased by her abundant wetness. His petals dragged across her clit, but she forced herself to think.

"Then I think we should wait," she panted. "Billy will need time to adjust, and I would like to have a house before I have a baby. Can we stop talking now?"

He didn't bother to reply. Still gripping her hip with one hand, he grabbed his cock with the other, lined it up with her entrance, and slid inside with one long, hard thrust. A rush of heat filled her as he did, easing his way. She saw the lines of his tattoo flare, burning bright purple, but she was lost in the overwhelming fullness.

"My mate," he whispered, withdrawing in a slow, smooth glide.

"Your mate."

He shuddered and thrust forward again, his petals scraping the sensitive flesh. She could feel them fluttering, stroking every sensitive inch of her channel. She wanted to prolong the moment, to relish the knowledge that they were back together, but her desire was already cresting. Va'rik's movements were equally urgent, his hands tight on her hips as he thrust wildly, driving them both higher, until he expanded inside her and her own climax roared over her.

They clung to each other as her heartbeat slowly returned to normal.

"I think that counts as a mutual thank you," she murmured when he finally, reluctantly, withdrew.

"On the contrary." He touched her cheek. "I will never stop thanking you for returning to me, my mate."

As he bent his head to kiss her, the door opened and La'tok'at'bron's tank floated in, Hammy perched on top.

Va'rik growled and stepped in front of her as she quickly slipped the shift dress over her head. "You do not see my mate without clothing."

La'tok'at'bron sounded amused. "You realize this is foolishness? I brought her here without?—"

Va'rik growled again, and she gave his back a soothing pat. "It's fine."

At the sound of her voice, Hammy squealed and made a flying leap from the tank to the bed. He patted her frantically with his tiny paws until she cuddled him, his small body vibrating with the force of his purring.

"I believe he missed you," La'tok'at'bron said.

"I missed him too."

" Almost as much as you missed me," Va'rik said, putting his arms around both of them.

"I don't know. It was pretty close." She smiled up at him. "Can we see Billy now?"

"That is why I am here. I am about to wake him. Please follow me." La'tok'at'bron led them to an identical room.

Billy looked so small, so fragile, on the white lab table that her heart ached. God, she hoped she had done the right thing in bringing him here.

La'tok'at'bron floated to the wall panel, and a moment later, Billy's eyelids fluttered open.

"Ms. Cushing?"

"I'm here, Billy."

"As am I." Va'rik stepped up beside her. "You are safe."

"Are we really on another planet?" Billy looked between them, his eyes widening when he spotted Hammy, still tucked in her arms.

"What's that?"

"This is Hammy."

"He doesn't look like a hamster," he said suspiciously as he ran his finger down Hammy's back. The little levet purred.

"Indeed." La'tok'at'bron's tank floated closer, and Billy's eyes widened even further.

"Holy shit! It's a floating brain."

"That is not entirely inaccurate," La'tok'at'bron said calmly.

"Wow! What else is there to see? Can I go look around? Can Hammy come?"

La'tok'at'bron bobbed gently. "Of course."

"But—"

"I will accompany him," Va'rik said quietly as he took Hammy from her. "Why don't you tell La'tok'at'bron what he will need?"

The three of them departed, leaving her still a little stunned by Billy's excitement. She could only hope that he continued to be as enthusiastic. As she tried to think of what he would need, the door slid open again, and a very pretty woman in a short, floaty blue dress peeped in. She couldn't have been more than twenty, but she carried herself with a great deal of assurance.

"Hi. I'm Mina. Can I come in?"

"Of course."

"I will leave you two to talk." La'tok'at'bron floated out of the room, and Mina giggled.

"I know it's wrong to laugh, but it still tickles me to see him bobbing around like that." Mina smiled at her. "Everyone else is dying to meet you, but I wanted to be first."

"Everyone?"

"The three other women. And their mates, of course."

Amanda remembered the screens La'tok'at'bron had shown her before, even though she'd been too upset at the time to pay much attention to the details.

"You're the other experiments?" she asked, then blushed. "I'm sorry. That didn't sound very nice."

Mina waved a dismissive hand. "It's the truth."

"And you're all happy?"

"Very happy," Mina said firmly. "I wanted to be the first to speak to you because I wanted to tell you that I think it's wonderful that you brought Billy with you."

"You do?"

"Yes. I… I was an orphan." A brief shadow crossed the pretty face. "No one ever wanted me enough to keep me. I know they would never have returned to Earth for me."

"But I didn't stay there with him. You think I did the right thing in bringing him here?"

"Absolutely. This is a beautiful, unspoiled planet."

"I'm just worried because he will miss out on so much."

"But you love him," Mina said softly. "As long as he knows that, the rest doesn't matter. I would have been happy to live anywhere, as long as I was wanted."

The weight started to lift from her shoulders.

"Really?"

"Yes. And remember, you don't have to do this alone. We're all here for you, and for Billy."

"You don't know how much I appreciate that."

"Of course."

Mina gave her an impulsive hug, and Amanda realized that the loose dress had concealed the swell of her stomach.

"You're pregnant," she exclaimed, then blushed again.

Mina's own cheeks flushed as she smiled happily. "I am. Your son is going to have an honorary cousin—several of them."

A warm glow filled her, and she was suddenly impatient to rejoin Va'rik and Billy.

"Do you know where my… mate might be?"

"I'm pretty sure they were headed for one of the upper labs. Since Myk-El is up there too, I suspect the conversation has already turned technical. Let's go see."

Mina led her to the elevator and back up to where they had entered the building. An open door led into an elaborate laboratory where Billy was peppering a big winged male with questions. Va'rik was watching with obvious amusement, while Hammy and a tiny dragon were chasing each other playfully around a workbench.

Va'rik looked up as soon as she entered and held out his hand. She went to him gladly, snuggling against his side, while Mina joined the winged male.

"Mom!" Billy shouted, then froze, a wary expression crossing his face. "I mean, Ms. Cushing."

The lump in her throat made it hard to talk, but she did her best. "Mom is just fine, Billy. I already think of you as my son."

"Really?"

"Yes. Why do you think I came back for you?"

His eyes were suspiciously bright as he threw his arms around her waist. She hugged him back just as fiercely while Va'rik put his arm around them both.

Billy drew back, scrubbing at his face with an already dirty hand, and grinned. "Come look at this, Mom."

"In just a minute," she promised, and he rushed back to the other male.

She looked up at Va'rik. "Thank you."

The purple sparks appeared in his eyes, but he put a gentle hand on her face. "For what?"

"For coming for me. For bringing us both back. For giving me a family." She covered his hand with her own. "For making me so happy. I love you."

"I love you too, my mate."

He kissed her, and then together they went to join their son.