When I was done, I asked the S-Gen machine for a warm, wet washcloth and a small glass of water. They appeared one after the other and I took both from the small alien machine with gratitude. Spontaneous Matter Generators, also known as S-Gen machines. They were amazing and existed all over Atlan and, I understood, everywhere but Earth. Humans, it seemed, had been judged too barbaric and violent to be trusted with such things.
They weren’t wrong. My mother wasn’t the only one who had spent more than one night in Snook’s fighting pits watching grown men tear each other apart for money. Worse were the assholes on the street who tore each other to pieces for nothing at all.
I wiped my face a bit, took a sip of the water and returned to my place. This time, when the warden indicated the chair, I sat. I was all out of stubborn pride at the moment.
I checked my trusty watch. Five minutes had passed. How long did it take to find someone and get their stupid face in front of one of the comm screens? The aliens seemed to have them literally everywhere. Couldn’t walk more than a few steps without passing one on Atlan. I doubted the interior of a high-tech spaceship would be any different.
“How long does this normally take? What are they doing?” I asked.
“I don’t know. It’s never taken this long for me to reach anyone before.”
The warden’s confession didn’t help my stomach settle.
I took another sip of water. Another. The glass was nearly gone when the screen finally began to clear. I took a deep breath, prepared myself to say the words I’d practiced at least a thousand times over the last few days;
Hello, Velik. It is nice to see you. I am reaching out to let you know that I am pregnant with twins and you are their father. I don’t expect anything from you, but I wanted to offer you the opportunity to be involved in their lives, if that is your choice. If not, please do not concern yourself. I will take care of them.
Followed by a host of horrible, awkward sign-offs that I would most likely never say out loud. Thanks for nothing. Enjoy the war. You broke my heart, you asshole. So, yeah, see you never.
Not exactly smooth, but it was the best I could manage. I’d timed my little speech. Took about twenty-two seconds. Twenty-four if I stumbled. Fewer than fifteen if I talked as fast as the typical teenager these days.
After I told him he was going to be a father, whatever he said or did, he did. No matter what, I was going to stand up, walk out of here and get my shit together. I was going to be a mother. I had things to do.
So why was there a huge hole in my chest? No matter how hard I tried, or how much I cursed myself out when I looked in the mirror, I couldn’t stop hoping this was all a big mistake. That Velik would take one look at me on the comm screen, change into his beast and demand to be at my side as fast as the outer space transport system could get him to me.
Stupid? Yes. I knew it. Deep down, I knew that wasn’t going to happen. But even deeper, where my heart and soul hid inside a little iron coffin, I still hoped.
Damn it.
“Where is he? The ship, I mean.” I asked Warden Egara, but she shrugged.
“I don’t know. His location wasn’t in the Coalition’s system. Must be on a covert op.”
Well, that was freaking fantastic.
Didn’t matter. Max and Kovo had already assured me—once I lied and told them the babies were the result of a one-night-stand with a human loser I never wanted to see again—that anything the babies or I needed would be provided—without exception. Both warlords were rich as Midas, so I wasn’t worried about money. I wasn’t too proud to take what they offered. For myself? No. I had managed on my own. But for my children?
I’d grown up poor and vulnerable. I knew the streets of Miami. My girls—or boys—weren’t going to ever know what it was like to feel like they were at the mercy of the world, or the whims of the local gang leader. Scared. Vulnerable. Trapped because there was no money and nowhere to go. Out of options.
Not my babies. Not. Ever.
I swallowed the last bit of tepid water in my glass and cleared my throat. The image on the screen was suddenly crisp and clear, and lacking one very important component.
“Where is Velik?” I glared at the stranger on the screen. If he’d been screwing around this entire time, while I sat here puking my guts out and worrying about Velik’s reaction, I was going to transport to that ship and kick him in his alien ball-sack. Hard. With boots on.
“My lady. Warden Egara.” He inclined his head. “I sent the communication request to Warlord Velik and have received a reply.”
“And?” What was this guy up to?
“My apologies. I will read it to you, word for word, so I do not make any mistakes.”
Read it to me? Where was Velik? Why wasn’t he taking this comm call? What the hell was going on out there?
The comm operator cleared his throat. “Warlord Velik is not accepting outside communication at this time.”
“Did you tell him Stephani Davis was trying to reach him?” Warden Egara asked.
“Indeed, my lady. I would not break Coalition protocol.” The male looked offended.
