21 Vitus

Cylene wears the honorary chest armor of my army. Her hair is smoothed back and beaded like many females on Nytherali.

Ihna now wears Rhynins band of bonding. I'm honored to have Cylene wear my mother's.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I ask. "As much as I want to kill them, I can't, not without international conflict."

She takes my hand, draws it to her pretty mouth, and kisses it. Cylene is far gentler than the life she used to live.

The ship sets down in a muddy mountain field. A short rise of dilapidated buildings sits before us.

Two men in dirty clothes walk toward my ship. I can guess who they are by their similarities to Cylene.

She starts down the ramp toward them as we land. One lifts a gun, and my heart stalls. He fires at her. It dissipates around Cylene's shield, but I still reach for her on instinct.

The men stop in awe.

"You wanted to know my story," she says to me. "But I swore I would never set foot on Earth again."

I stay close as she descends, my scales shifting like hackles on my neck.

Cylene stops at the edge of the ramp, one step away from the dirt.

"What do you want?" the older man asks, swatting the younger, who lowers his gun. "I apologize for my half-wit son. His idiot mother beat him senselessly as a kid. Anyway, I can find you just about anything you desire."

"I want some damned retribution." My beautiful mate draws a pulsegun from a pocket of her dress, steadies it in her hands, and glowers at them. "Dad."

"Cylene?"

"Don't ever enslave another soul. Be grateful I'm letting you keep your lives. And find a new career. Or so help me, I will come back here with much worse than a pulsegun."

She fires the weapon one time and knocks her brother and father back.

They groan and writhe in the mud.

Rhynin chuckles from the main deck. He's back in his armor and piloted us here. "Quite the shot."

Cylene rests the gun at her side and then smiles at me. "Okay. We can go."

I follow her up the ramp as Rhynin nods and gets back in the pilot's seat. The ship rises.

My erection strains against my uniform. "Where did you get that gun?"

"Your uncle. He and Darsus showed me how to use it last night." Cylene walks into our room and sets the weapon in a drawer on the wall. "Your uncle said he didn't want you to lose me the way he lost his first mate."

I rest on the bed and motion her to me as Rhynin takes us out of Earth's system. Cylene walks up to me and straddles my thighs.

"What's the matter?" she asks.

I'm saddened to see her old life was so dirty and miserable, but I know that she is stronger because of it. "Just hope we didn't start an international war."

She draws my mouth close to hers. "We did the universe a favor. Trust me. Now, I'd like one from you."

Her sultry tone draws me in. I kiss her with hungry passion as I pick her up and lay her back on the bed. "I like it when you wear dresses. You look so beautiful in them."

"Are you sure it isn't because it's easier access?" She arches a brow.

I slide the fabric up and savor the softness of her flesh beneath my scales. "I won't deny that is a benefit."

Well, you can get used to them."

"Why's that?"

"Ihna told me today."

The smile on her face and the way she runs a hand over her belly, I know what she's going to say. "You're pregnant?"

Her eyes light up with her smile. It's a faint amber glow, but I know she carries my child. Joy fills me, and I wrap her up in my arms.

"Finally, I have a family again," she says, bracing my face in her hand.

I guide her loose hair away from her eyes. "Anything you need, you tell me."

"Just—" she winks.

I kiss her deeply and swear to her and to myself to be the best father I can be. "I'm honored to serve you, my beautiful mate."