Leaning over her, I press my lips to hers. To my surprise, not only does she return my kiss, she reaches up and grabs handfuls of my shirt. She pulls me closer, opening her mouth to mine and tasting me.
I force myself to disentangle myself from her. “Don’t go anywhere.”
“Hurry back,” she whispers.
I don’t need to be told twice.
Please be all right,I chant to myself as I race to the bridge, where I finish the flight check in record time.
It takes everything in me not to fly out into open space like the station is on fire and set to blow at any moment. I keep waiting for my comm to go off with some kind of threat, or warning, but nothing happens. I’m cleared, just like any other spacecraft, and when it’s my turn, I make the jump to hyper with absolutely no problems.
As soon as the autopilot is set, I race back to check on Igid.
“I told you I’m fine,” she grumps at me as I carry her back to the med room.
“We’re just going to make sure.” I set her inside the glass tube.
“This isn’t going to work if you worry over every little thing,” she warns me, and my heart leaps in my chest because she’s actually thinking of our future.
“Oh, yes, it will,” I reply. “Because someone has to keep you alive every time you go off halfcocked.”
Igid snorts, “Do you really think I’m worth the hassle?”
I drop to my knees beside her and cup her face in my hands. “You are worth everything.” I turn her so she can see how serious I am.
“So are you,” she whispers back, covering my hands with hers.
“I’ll see you when you wake up,” I tell her. “I’ll be right here the whole time.”
“Don’t be dumb. At least go get something to eat,” she sniffs and wrinkles her nose, “and a shower wouldn’t hurt.”
With a chuckle, I lean in to kiss her again before standing up and closing the lid. I tap the button on the screen and then look back down at where her palm is pressed to the small window, and she’s watching me.
Calibrating…the robotic voice announces, and I press my palm to hers through the glass.
Calibrating… Calibrating… Two life forms detected…
My head snaps to the side, where a diagram of a humanoid figure is outlined withtwo heartbeats?One where you would expect to see it, and the other… the other is centered in the diagram’s abdomen.
My head snaps back to Igid, but her eyes are closed. Her hand has fallen away from the window and is now lying across her stomach where…
My knees give out, and I land on my ass beside the medbot where my mate heals—my mate andour child.
Igid went through so much. They both did. I wonder if she knows?
Please, please be all right,I beg whatever powers might hear me.
My head falls forward into my palms, and for a long time all I can focus on is breathing in and out.
How is this possible? It was only the one night, and that was less than a span ago.
Calibrating—Beginning scan now. Estimated time: six hours.
Six hours. Okay, I have six hours to pull my shit together.
Climbing back to my feet, I lean over the medbot to look down at my beautiful mate. Her skin looks nearly black under the red healing lights. My heart twists at how peaceful she looks, and tears sting the backs of my eyes.Happy tears.
I don’t know how long I stand there, watching Igid sleep while the medbot works to heal her injuries. Eventually I realize I can’t just stand here for six hours. My eyes flick to the screen—five hours and forty minutes now.
