26. My Destiny

My hand snagson the golden chain draped around my shoulders as I go to wrap a blanket around one of the shivering humans who's being brought inside. I yank at it, letting the golden links split and fall to the floor. I could't care less. The only thing driving me right now is making sure the girls are safe and that I can see my mate again.

"What's going on?" the scared woman mutters, clutching the blanket tightly around her bruised body. "Did the Deenz sell us?"

She looks down to my garb and quickly looks away from my gold- painted nipples.

"No, you're safe, deep breaths." I breathe with her, hoping that she's able to calm down.

I point to Yiskku, and push the girl toward her as even more bubble babes are brought into the large dining hall. The space is set for a victory dinner for whatever hopeful pulled through, but now it seems more like a disaster triage ward.

"Go with her, she'll take care of you. I have to check on the other girls."

Half the women I've talked to don't even have a translator chip installed, and some are still in their street clothing. These girls are fresh off their abductions…it's even more confusing why the Deenz would drop them into the ocean. I had assumed that I was just too used up to be worth the investment anymore. But why abandon "fresh cargo," as they had called me right after my abduction.

"There's just so many, please, let me back out. I can't let my mate's people suffer!" an Andjin shouts from the hall. It's not any male, but mine. Kitaico is pushing a medic away from inspecting his shoulder.

He doesn't see me when I come up behind him, but when I wrap my arms around his waist, pressing my chest into his back, he stills and stops his arguing.

"Lena?" His voice cracks and he spins, gripping the back of my neck tightly and pulling my face into his. Our kiss is frantic and tastes of sweat and sand—but I can't stop.

"I didn't…" He pulls back every few seconds to speak. "…think that I would see you…" He kisses my eyelids. "…again."

I pull away and break our kiss, relief filling my heart.

"Not an option," I whimper as tears stream down my cheeks and the brothers grab at any soft bit of skin they can find.

His face drops when he sees me cry, and he goes to hug my body against his, but winces when his injured arm's hand goes limp.

"Stop." I put my hand up and turn to the medic, whose face is something between confusion and disgust. Aliens don't kiss, I remind myself.

"Can you fix him up first?" I ask the medic, whose foretentacle scrubs over his face before he huffs and gets to work resetting Kitaico's joint.

My alien winces as his arm is popped back into place, and for a moment I worry he might pass out as his eyes roll back. Kitaico recovers quickly, though, as the brothers still haven't released me, using my body for support.

"Don't use that arm for the next few days if you're able," the medic tells him authoritatively before moving onto a group of more badly injured human women. Some of them got pretty beat up on the drop.

"We did it," I whisper into his ear as I use one of the emergency blankets that's been provided to create a sling for his arm.

"I still haven't proven my worth. The final battle is merely delayed, isn't it?" Kitiaco's brows knit in confusion.

"You haven't heard?" I ask, realizing how stupid that sounds as soon as I say it. "Of course you haven't heard, you've been rescuing women while injured."

"Heard what?"

"Chancellor Hirouz spoke with the emperor after the challenge was cut short. It's been decided that we need every male on the planet to help care for the refugees."

There's a delay between my words and the realization, and when it finally hits him, a broad grin spreads across his yellow cheeks.

"We get to be together?" My mate's voice cracks.

"Yes," I say softly.

Kitaico's face wavers from awed delight to a look of resolute failure.

"Without the Great Proving, how can I prove to you I'm a worthy mate? You deserve someone worthy." Kitaico drops his brow and steps back from me as far as the brothers will let him.

"Stop that." I swat at him before pulling his body back to my own. "You've proven yourself to me over and over again. You saved my life from the scripiat, you made sure I was fed, you tended my wounds, you protected me from the exiles…you were going to die for me, Kitaico. There's nothing left to prove. If anything, I need to prove that I'm worthy of your love…because I fucking love you. Kitaico, I accept you as my mate."

"She knew," he whispers with misty eyes.

"What, who knew?"

"The Great Mother…she knew I was destined for you. Everything that's happened since you dropped into my world has brought us closer together." Kitaico cups my cheek with his good hand, his skin shifting to a light purple color, and pulls me close. "You are my destiny."

Our lips crush together again, my body bursting with a heady cocktail of relief and affection.

Kitaico breaks the kiss, grabbing my hand and turning it over in his. His finger traces along the swirling purple mating mark.

"I only wish I could bear your mark, but I guess I'll have to get used to bucking tradition with a human as my mate, won't I?"

"Hold your horses. Who said I wasn't going to mark you?"

"I have no idea what a horse is, so I don't think I can hold them. But I might be confused in general—I thought you couldn't mark me?" He searches my wrist for some hidden mating barb.

"You'll see, but let's worry about all that later. Now let's help these women together." I double-check his sling before nodding my head in the direction of a new flock of scared humans.

"I can't believe we get a later," he mutters to himself as he follows me.

Later? I hope we get forever.