Epilogue

EPILOGUE

E ight months later…

Yede frowned down at the latest production reports. The mine’s output for this quarter would be up again which meant he would have to arrange for more transportation to the city. He’d used his technical knowledge and some of the supplies from his ship to make the process both safer and more efficient.

“Hey, boss.”

He looked up and smiled as Curtis knocked on the open door. The other male no longer looked so pale and gaunt and the cough that had haunted him had disappeared—with a little help from the medical equipment he’d retrieved from the wreck of his ship as soon as the weather permitted. Curtis had also turned out to be an excellent foreman—strict, but absolutely fair and honest.

“What can I do for you?”

“You know the supply train just got back from town, right? Sam says he heard a rumor that someone was asking about you.”

“It’s not that unusual for people to talk about me,” he said dryly. Everyone in the camp was familiar with him by now but he was used to the wide-eyed stares whenever anyone new arrived.

Curtis shook his head.

“No, not like that. If the rumor was true, the person who was asking was also an alien. I mean, different,” he added hastily

He stiffened, his eyes flying to the locked cabinet where he kept his plasma rifle. There had been a few incidents with the previous guards when he arrived and he still liked to keep a weapon close by.

“Someone like me?” he asked slowly, and Curtis shook his head.

“I don’t think so. Sam said something about a devil.”

That didn’t give him much to go on, but he nodded and thanked Curtis for the information. After the male left he wandered restlessly over to the window. Along with the new buildings that had appeared over the past year, the once rickety shacks had been repaired and replaced and now stood in neat rows, painted in an array of cheerful colors. The fact that he had pitched in to work on them when he first took over had done a lot to convince the workers he could be trusted.

Although his mate and child had undoubtedly done their part as well, he thought with a smile as a very heavily pregnant Gemma appeared, Liam hovering anxiously at her side. Their son was delighted by the prospect of a future brother or sister and had been trying to take care of her ever since they realized she was with child.

He went to meet them and she gave him a breathless smile.

“I swear this hill gets higher every time I climb it.”

“You should not be climbing it,” he scolded, even though he knew it was useless. She liked to go and visit her friends and check in on everything.

“That’s what I told her, Daddy,” Liam said immediately, frowning at his mother.

She laughed, ruffling his hair affectionately.

“You two need to stop worrying. I’m just fine.”

“Nonetheless, you are going to rest for the remainder of the day,” he said firmly, sweeping her up in his arms and carrying her back towards their house.

Although he could cover the distance between the mine and their mountaintop home in less than an hour, Gemma and Liam could not and he refused to be separated from them for that long. They had reluctantly decided to take over Garth’s old house, but just as she had done on the mountain, she had quickly transformed it into a real home.

She objected to being inside for the rest of the day so he settled her on the porch swing while Liam went to make a pot of tea.

“The leaves are starting to change,” she said, looking up at the surrounding mountains. “Winter is coming.”

“Not for a few more months.”

“Mmm.” They rocked in silence for a few minutes, before she looked up and gave him a hopeful look. “Do you think that after the baby is born, we could go home? Back on the mountain?”

Yes. He bit back his immediate response. He’d missed the serenity of the mountain peaks more than he’d expected, but his mate and child were more important.

“Is that really what you want?” he asked slowly.

“Yes,” she said firmly. “I don’t mind being here,” she added quickly. “But it’s always so busy and noisy. It was so wonderful last winter when it was just the three of us alone together. Although it will be four of us now.”

She smiled and put her hand on her stomach and he covered it with his.

“Let’s see what Liam thinks,” he said, careful to keep his voice noncommittal.

Their son had a number of friends in the village, especially now that they encouraged workers to bring their families.

“Think about what?” Liam asked as he carefully carried the tea tray out onto the porch.

“About spending part of the winter on the mountain.”

His son immediately gave him a wide, gap-toothed grin, and bounced a little.

“I think that would be great.”

“Are you sure?”

“Uh-huh. I liked it when we were together all the time.”

He looked down at Gemma’s smiling face and laughed.

“It appears that everyone is in agreement. I’ll talk to Curtis and see how he feels about being left in charge. But not until after the baby is born,” he added when Liam cheered.

“But that won’t be long, right? I don’t think Mama can get any bigger.”

“It doesn’t seem like it,” she said ruefully, but he saw the anxious look in her eyes.

“Everything will be fine,” he assured her. “I’ll make sure of it.”

It was a promise to himself, as much as to her. When she had first told him that she was with child, he had been both delighted and terrified. But after he had treated Sarah, the woman with the mangled leg, he had known that with the help of the medical equipment from the ship, he could safely deliver the baby without putting her at risk.

“I feel like a house,” she muttered.

“A very beautiful, desirable house.”

She blushed, undoubtedly remembering the way he’d demonstrated his appreciation for her new figure last night, but he saw her pleased smile. He would be happy to prove it again tonight, but the memory of Curtis’s words still nagged at him. He had promised Gemma a winter on the mountain and he intended to fulfill that promise, but it would be foolish not to investigate.

He was trying to decide on the best way to proceed when a soft whir sounded from above. He was on his feet even before he consciously recognized the sound. Liam joined him, giving an excited gasp as the flyer came to rest on the open ground below.

“Have you flown one of those, Daddy?”

“I have,” he said grimly as the hatch opened and a male stepped out.

Fuck. A Tandroki. Their territory was in a different sector but they had a reputation as a cold warrior race. The male below, with his dark uniform and arrogant posture, fit the description perfectly.

“He has horns too,” Liam added. “Can we go see him?”

“No. Stay here and keep an eye on your mother,” he ordered.

“Is everything okay?” she asked nervously.

“Of course,” he said soothingly. “Just stay here while I see what he wants.”

As soon as he started down the hill, the Tandroki focused on him, his posture alert although he didn’t reach for his weapon. Yede was bigger and taller than the other male but he wasn’t foolish enough to think it would be an easy win if it came to a fight.

He came to a halt in front of the other male, assessing him as a potential opponent. The male met his gaze with calm assurance, but despite his arrogant posture, he appeared more thoughtful than aggressive as he returned his gaze.

“I am Captain Yede S’mar,” he said, automatically using his title.

“I am Commander Krampasarian D’Marchandar.”

Somehow the senior rank didn’t surprise him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked bluntly.

“I heard a rumor about another non-human presence on this planet.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Not unless your intentions are hostile.” Krampasarian glanced around the camp and the ring of workers watching them anxiously. “Or you are causing harm to the humans.”

“He’s not doing any such thing.”

He sighed as he heard Gemma’s indignant voice behind him. He should have known better than to expect her to wait on the porch. He put a protective arm around her as she came to his side.

“My daddy wouldn’t hurt anyone,” Liam said pugnaciously. “Unless they was bad men.”

Krampasarian looked from the scowling child to his very pregnant mate, and suddenly smiled, an unexpectedly charming smile.

“I see that the information I received was incomplete. In my defense there have been incidents where the… visitor was not so well-intentioned.”

“Is that still a problem?” he demanded, and the other male shook his head.

“No. It was taken care of by a friend of mine. But you can see why I had to check.”

He nodded, understanding that protective impulse.

“Why don’t we go up to the house and you can tell us about it?” Gemma asked, smiling at the other male, and he had to bite back the urge to growl.

Krampasarian hesitated, then nodded.

“I have time for a short visit, but my mate is waiting.”

He relaxed a little as he bent down and picked up his mate.

“You know this isn’t very dignified,” she muttered, but he ignored her.

“Is your mate also Tandroki?” he asked as they climbed the hill, and Krampasarian smiled.

“No, she is very human. And my children are both.” He looked down at Liam, who was trotting along at his side. “I have a son just a little younger than you.”

“Really?” Liam bounced a little. “What’s his name? I’m Liam.”

“My son’s name is Anak. Perhaps you can visit and meet him one day. But first tell me a little about yourself. What is your favorite toy?”

He hid a smile as Liam immediately started to tell him about the mechanical dog. The other male had no idea what he’d started, but his kindness towards his son erased the last of his concerns. He looked forward to learning more about the other male and how he had ended up on this planet. Perhaps it was destiny that had brought both of them to this world. He tightened his arms around his mate, remembering the joy she had brought into his life.

She looked up at him and smiled, reaching up and running a gentle finger across the curve of his horn. His cock jerked at the unexpected touch and he growled softly. She laughed, but her eyes glowed with promise. Tonight he would take his mate to bed, and tomorrow he would start making plans for their return to their mountain. The future had never looked brighter.