And I was. The crushing guilt I'd carried—stars, for weeks now, ever since I'd realized the depth of my feelings for Harper—lifted from my shoulders as though it had never existed. Xytol had his mate. I had mine. The universe had aligned in a way I hadn't allowed myself to even dream possible.
"Welcome to the family," Harper offered with a bright, genuine laugh that rang across the dock, as she stepped forward and drew both Karloxx and Xytol into her arms, pulling them close with the easy affection that came so naturally to her.
I wrapped my arms around all three of them, my larger frame and longer reach allowing me to gather them together, holding them tight and safe within my embrace—my brother, his mate, and mine.
My family.
"Xytol, you must excuse me," Adtovar said, stepping forward. "I don't wish to intrude on your reunion, but I have a comm scheduled with the Alliance Prime in a few moments and need to ask—in your time at the compound, did you ever encounter a human male referred to as 'the Master'?"
Xytol and Karloxx shared a glance as I released them from my arms. The happiness in their gazes flickered, dimming like stars obscured by passing clouds.
"There was mention of such a human," Xytol said carefully. "It was said he owned the compound and controlled our fates, but we never saw him."
"Thank you, Xytol," Adtovar said, clasping a firm hand on his shoulder in a gesture of respect. "I must go attend to this matter, but perhaps later we can discuss a position for you among my crew. TheHistoriahas need of someone with your considerable technical capabilities. Your skills would be invaluable to our mission."
"Really?" Xytol blinked, surprise deepening the color on his cheeks. "Of course. I would be honored."
Adtovar gave a sharp nod of acknowledgment, and with a quick but tender kiss pressed to Maddie's lips—his hand lingering briefly on her rounded belly—turned on his heel and strode away, his footsteps echoing across the dock.
"Speaking of jobs, that reminds me," Maddie said, turning to my mate with an excited gleam in her eyes. "Harper, I've been wanting to talk to you about possibly taking over the teaching duties on the ship."
"Teaching duties?" Harper sounded confused, her brow furrowing slightly, but her eyes practically glowed with interest.
"As you know, Adtovar insists that all crew members speak and understand English and Earth culture, especially since our prime directive is rescuing abducted humans and helping them adjust to their new lives," Maddie explained. "I've been holding classes and running informal lessons, but...." She patted her belly affectionately, her smile turning soft and maternal. "I'm thinking we should set up a proper school, a real educational program. It won't be long before there are children running around here who will need teaching as well—not just language lessons, but everything."
"I'd love to," Harper squealed, her voice rising with delight as she bounced slightly on her toes before launching herself forward, the two women embracing and laughing.
All I could do was stand there, watching the scene unfold before me. My brother reunited with me and happy with his mate. Harper glowing with joy and purpose. A future spreading out before us like an uncharted star map, full of possibilities. And I allowed myself to dream that perhaps one day, one or more of the younglings who might need teaching would be ours.
"What are you thinking about?" Harper asked me moments later. Around us, crew members moved with purposeful efficiency, but we remained in our own private bubble, waiting for Xytol and Karloxx to gather their meager belongings and join us in making theHistoriatheir home.
"I'm... happy." The word felt strange on my tongue, unfamiliar after so many cycles of worry and fear and guilt. Strange, but right.
"Me too," she smiled up at me. Her arms wrapped around my waist, and the warmth of her body seeped through the fabric of my uniform, grounding me.
"I love you, Xabat." The words were soft, intimate, meant only for me despite the activity surrounding us.
"I love you too, my mate." My voice came out rough with emotion, thick with all the feelings I struggled to articulate, and the wonder that she was truly mine.
I kissed her deeply, pouring everything I felt into the press of my lips against hers, tasting the sweetness of her mouth, feeling the soft sigh she breathed against me. My hand cupped the back of her head, fingers threading through the silken strands of her auburn hair, holding her close as the universe narrowed to just the two of us, to the warmth and rightness of her in my arms.
The pointed clearing of a throat—deliberate and amused—penetrated the haze of contentment, pulling me reluctantly back to awareness.
I turned to find my brother standing nearby, a worn duffel bag slung over one shoulder, Karloxx at his side. Xytol's purple eyes, so like my own, were full of affection and warmth as his gaze moved from me to Harper and back again, a knowing smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Not jealousy. Not resentment. Just pure, genuine happiness. For me. For the mate I'd found and the life stretching out before us.
Together. Just as it should be.
Epilogue
Alliance Prime
The Alliance Prime sat on the sofa in her private sitting room, her fingers tracing the threadbare patches on the armrest where decades of worry had worn the fabric thin. The space was not opulent like the rest of her quarters, which reflected her status with gilded fixtures and imported tapestries. This room was smaller, more intimate, with well-used furniture that had molded to her form over the years and soft amber lighting that cast dancing shadows across the walls. It reminded her of the modest home she'd kept when her sons were small. A time when she could still tuck them into bed with stories of distant stars, when life had been simpler, unburdened by the weight of worlds.
In most moments of her life, she comported herself as the Lady Prime, her posture perfect and rigid, her expression carefully measured and diplomatic. Here in this small room with its cozy furnishings, the roaring fire that crackled and popped in the stone hearth, and the familiar scent of aged wood, she was just Serna.
Yet in both roles she felt burdened, heavy as stone pressing down on her shoulders.
Despite the passage of almost eighty years, she remembered the day clearly. She'd been attending a jubilant celebration of freedom on Akidi Prime, the sound of tribal drums echoing through the air, when the urgent commshattered the festivities. A Trogvyk ship had crashed onto Earth's surface, and the humans had discovered it.
