“Happy, my heart?” Charick pressed close behind me, his nose nuzzling my hair as he handed me another glass of the sweet, fizzy wine.
“So happy.” I leaned against him, loving the way the thud of his heartbeat echoed in my chest. I squirmed, rubbing my butt against his crotch and feeling the immediate indication of his desire for me. “I’ll show you exactly how happy later when I fuck….”
“Do you enjoy the wine of our home world?”
The Alliance Prime’s voice was like a bucket of cold water. I jerked away from Charick so forcibly I would have stumbled had he not caught my arm. My cheeks felt like they were on fire, but a glance at my mate told me he found no embarrassment in the situation. Instead, he was grinning.
Damn him.
I turned toward the Lady Prime, expecting a scowl of disapproval, but found her smiling warmly, glee dancing in her dark golden eyes.
Charick shifted his stance, fully facing the Alliance Prime, and gave a curt nod. “Lady Prime.”
Now the regal female seemed pissed. “While I appreciate the show of respect, do you not have a kiss for your mother?”
Mother?
What the actual fuck?
“Mother?” I spun to face Charick, torn between anger and humiliation, neither emotion preferable at the moment. “The head of the Alliance is your mother?”
Charick shrugged his broad shoulders, his grin teetering on becoming an all-out smile. “I told you my mother was in diplomatic service.”
Anger won.
“Yeah.” I poked his chest with a finger. “You just didn’t mention that she is basically the leader of the whole freaking universe.”
“You are right, my son.” The Prime made a chortling noise that I realized with a start was laughter. “She is extraordinary.”
“You approve of our mating then?” Charick grabbed me around the waist, hauling me against him. I squirmed for propriety’s sake. I was meeting his mother, after all.
“Of course I do. How could I not?” Her golden eyes turned to me, and I realized I no longer gazed at the leader of the universe. She was just a mother who loved her son. “Are you sure you want to be mated with this one?” She hitched a finger at Charick, to which he rolled his eyes.
For a split second, I could see them, behaving just as I had with my son through his teen years. God, I missed him. I’d miss him forever. The place he had in my heart, along with that of hisfather, would never wane. But a different vision came to me, this one of Samuel standing with Mark, both of them watching over Charick and me, urging me to move forward and be happy.
I would.
“Only for the rest of my life.”
“Welcome to the family.” She reached out and cupped my cheek, her touch affectionate and supportive—like a mother. “I hope you will visit often….” She cut her eyes at Charick and cocked her brow, an expression she’d definitely passed on to her son. “Perhaps with younglings?”
Younglings, children… children with Charick, and a life lived among the stars.
I let my hand press over where the Prime’s touch lingered on my cheek, not bothering to blink back the happy wash of tears.
“It’s a promise.”
Chapter 22 – Charick
We lingered a few more days at the citadel. And while I would have liked to have lingered in our luxurious suite wrapped up with my mate—duty called.
I spent most of my time working with my mother and Duke Ako, going over the legal, political, and technical needs of setting up the rescue corp. Willa, who did not have it in her to be a lady of leisure, took it upon herself to make sure each of the gladiators felt comfortable in his new position and home aboard theHistoria. While most of the males had skills that helped us affix them into a proper position, Zahavi would need more training to advance from medic to becoming a full-fledged healer. Thankfully, George, the young Garoot rescued from the Gilese mines, offered to travel aboard theHistoriafor the next few months to give Zahavi the training he needed. Zahavi seemed thrilled at the prospect of learning from young George, especially since the Garoot had the skill of healing written into their DNA.
Willa and my mother became fast friends, often ganging up on me during the hours spent playing after-dinner games. My mother adored my mate. The only thing she pestered me about more than joining her in Alliance governance were younglings. When we finally said our goodbye, hugs, kisses, and promises of a upcoming visit filled the moment.
“I hate goodbyes.” Willa sighed, leaning back against my chest. “I’ve had to say too many of them in my life.”
While I knew she was affectionate toward my mother, I also knew my mate’s reticence regarded taking leave of someone she held much dearer.
