Epilogue

Two years later

With baby Grace on her hip and Brody trotting at her side, Verity strode to the paddock fence. Inside the enclosure, Fury galloped across the field on Annie Oakley. Poetry in motion, he and the animal moved as one. It was a pleasure to watch him ride the surprisingly graceful beast.

In the two years at Haven Ranch, Mike and Steel had trained five young hornigers to take the saddle, but Mike seemed to have a special relationship with Annie. Unable to tame Demon enough to ride, they’d admitted defeat and focused solely on training the calves. Being able to ride the animals and use them for transport had improved ranch life.

“I can’t wait until I can ride!” Brody said. They’d promised him riding lessons on his next birthday.

“An-an!” Fourteen-month-old Grace waved her tiny fist. “An-An!” The animals fascinated her, too. Her first word had been Annie. Second was Da. “Ma-ma” Verity might have felt slighted to be third on the list, except every dawn brought greater joy.

Every day, she thanked her lucky stars she’d given Mike a chance. Life was complicated, messy, and uncertain. It would be nice if right and wrong and good and bad were as stark and simple as black and white, but that wasn’t the case. There were no certainties—except for one.

Her husband was the sweetest, kindest, gentlest man alive, and they loved each other and their family to the ends of the universe. She shuddered that someone of his vulnerable nature had been forced to kill. She could only guess at the invisible scars left on his psyche. Occasionally, he suffered nightmares.

Every day, every moment, in word and deed, she reminded him how much she loved him.

Mike and Annie turned, and he spotted them.

“Dad! Dad!” Brody waved.

He returned the salute and rode toward them. “What’s up?” He dismounted.

Brody climbed onto the bottom fence rail and offered Annie a honey nugget. He stroked her shaggy neck. “The cyborg is coming!” he announced.

“Phibious got word Gozar is on the way,” she said.

“What’s the ETA? ”

“Uh, three minutes?” She pointed at a plume of dust on the horizon.

Mike signaled a ranch hand. “Hey, Zor, could you do me a favor and take care of Annie Oakley for me?”

“Will do.” The ranch hand nodded, took the reins, and led Annie into the barn.

Mike vaulted over the fence, tousled Brody’s hair, kissed her, and then took Grace who was already reaching for him.

“Da. Da!”

He kissed her; she blew bubbles. Verity’s heart constricted on a surge of love and happiness.

Together, as a family, they strolled toward the office.

Six months ago, they’d received the biggest shock of their lives. Phibious had called Mike and Steel into his office and asked if they’d be willing to serve as mentors to incoming cyborg refugees. The foreman had known from the start they were cyborgs, as had the admissions council.

“Do you think we don’t vet people thoroughly?” Phibious had said. “That we don’t know who we’re letting in?”

Refuge’s founder had been aware of the cyborg’s plight and had been secretly admitting them. A half dozen of them resided at other locations on the planet. The “ban” had been effected for show, an added layer of protection to ensure Solutions and Earth’s government didn’t look in their direction when a cyborg went off the grid.

The news had brought huge relief. No longer worried about exposure and expulsion, they had told Brody. His hero worship had increased exponentially.

Mike was thrilled with the opportunity to assist others like him transition to a normal life. It had bothered him that people remained trapped as he had been. Working with Refuge admissions, he hoped to find a way to maintain the public “ban” for security’s sake while letting cyborgs know the ban didn’t apply to them, and sanctuary was available.

In the meantime, he would mentor the newcomers. His first “protégé” arrived today—assuming Gozar didn’t crash and kill him. The conveyance fishtailed outside the paddock and nearly clipped the gate as it entered the compound.

Verity shot Mike a wry glance. He and Gozar approached driving with the same gusto.

The vehicle lurched to a stop. Mike handed Grace to her. Their son vibrated with anticipation .

A tall, human-appearing, bemused man emerged from the conveyance.

“Welcome to Haven Ranch.” Her husband stepped forward. “I’m Mike Fury, formerly C5-105.”

* * * *

Thank you for reading Kiss of Fury (Cosmic Mates 4).