She disentangled from Zara and practically threw herself at the pregnant female, who caught her with a laugh.
“Easy!” Maya steadied them both. “I had a hard enough time convincing Rykar it was safe to take this journey.”
Cleo pulled back, staring at Maya’s belly with a critical eye. “He’s right. Itwastoo dangerous and you should have stayed home.” Her face melted into a smile. “But I’msoglad you’re here.”
“Me, too.” Maya’s smile was radiant. “You know how I am when I make my mind up about something.” She glanced back at her mate, who regarded them with a level, if resigned, look.
“Nothing would have stopped her from coming,” the male said, then he also smiled. “Stars, Cleo. It’s good to see you.”
“Same, Rykar.” She sent the male—Rykar—a warm grin. “I can’t believe you both came all this way.”
Rykar put a protective arm around his mate. “I would not leave her side.” He shrugged. “The Sola can mind herself for a few cycles.”
“You’re family, Cleo. And also, two Destrans are being held here, making this an issue for both our species. Did you really think I’d stay comfortable at home while you were lost out here?”
Cleo let out a sound that was half laugh, half sob. “You’re supposed to be resting.Nesting. Not flying across the galaxy to rescue me.”
I observed all this, flinching as Cleo used the wordrescue, as if she were ever in any kind of danger from me or my people.
“Well, someone has to keep Zara from starting a war.” Maya shot Zara a fond look. “She’s been absolutely insufferable. Torven has the patience of a saint.”
“I have not been insufferable,” Zara protested. “I’ve been appropriately concerned.”
“You threatened to hijack a Sola,” Maya said dryly.
“It was a very polite threat.”
Cleo laughed again, that beautiful sound that made my marks flare with heat and longing. She stood between her two friends, her arms looped around them like she was afraid they’d disappear if she let go.
This was where she belonged. With them. With people who loved her without complication, without the weight of prophecy and duty and cultures that didn’t understand each other.
I watched the three of them together—Zara vibrating with excess energy, already talking rapid-fire about everything that had happened since the crash. Maya calm and grounded, asking gentle questions. And Cleo, caught between them, looking more herself than I’d seen her in cycles.
She was home. Even standing in my valley, surrounded by my people, she was home becausetheywere here.
My throat tightened. My marks burned so hot I thought they might actually hurt. Every instinct I had screamed to go to her, to pull her away from them, to remind her that she was mine.
But I stayed where I was. Because this moment wasn’t about me. It was about her. About the love and connection she’d been missing. About the friends who’d crossed the galaxy to find her.
And despite the pain, despite the fear that I was losing her for good, I found myself smiling. Seeing her this happy—this purely, genuinely joyful—was worth everything.
Even if it meant letting her go.
The tall Destran male who’d been standing protectively near Maya moved forward now. I’d bet anything he was a Destran lord. Mierva had shared knowledge of the Destran social system, so I was not ignorant on how they chose leadership. Living on sentient ships that chose their symbiont as leaders was a fascinating concept. Rykar’s skin was currently a shifting wave of warm golds and bronzes. His hand found Maya’s lower back in a gesture that was both protective and possessive. Then he looked at me and his coloring shifted to orange streaked with gray.
Vikkat had emerged from a second small craft, flanked byhis warriors but also with a party of Destrans. Zara’s group had made a stop before coming here, apparently. He caught my eye and gave a slight nod. Confirmation. These were who they claimed to be.
“Lord Rezor.” His voice held the weight of leadership as he spoke in the language we both shared. “This is Rykar, lord of his Sola. The Destran Council has authorized him to collect their citizens—Baleck, Mierva, and the human engineer Cleo Vasquez, who was traveling under Destran protection.”
The words were careful. Diplomatic. But underneath was clear threat. Return them, or face consequences.
I inclined my head. “You need not speak for them, Vikkat. I learned enough of their language to understand them. Let them speak for themselves.”
Around me, my people had gathered. Guards, council members, citizens who’d heard the alarms and come to see what threatened their home. I could feel their fear, their uncertainty. Their eyes on me, waiting for my decision.
I looked back at Cleo. She was still with Zara and Maya, Baleck and Mierva having joined them now. All five of them together, reunited. Complete.
Cleo’s smile flagged as her gaze met mine. It was as if looking at me drew the joy straight out of her.
