“Thank you,” Erin said. She turned her gaze to the rest of the women. “To all of you too. For helping me with this plan. For supporting me though I’ve been kind of a mess lately.”
All of them had contacts in their respective outposts. Over the course of the day, they’d called in over the Coms to help share the news that was spreading within the Golden City. Although, it had probably been unnecessary. Many Luxirians had family and friends spread across the planet. News would’ve reached the outposts regardless.
Not only that, but when Erin had come back to the house after visiting Jaxor last night, she’d broken down. She’d been so ashamed by how she’d acted, so ashamed that Jaxorstilldidn’t know that she was pregnant, that she was staying on Luxiria. It hurt knowing thathehurt.
Lainey waved her hand. “You’re like a sister to us. No ‘thank you’ necessary.”
Erin gave her a wobbly smile.
Beks asked softly, “Now what?”
Erin said, “We wait. Again.”
The trial was scheduled to take place in four days. Would four days be enough time for Jaxor?
* * *
The story spread like wildfire,engulfing the entire city. Erin got reports from Kate, who mostly got them from Bruxilia, considering she’d barely seen Vaxa’an. All the women barely saw their mates, since the command center was apparently on lockdown, which meant that Erin couldn’t see Jaxor either, no matter how much she pleaded.
Luxirians from all over the city—and apparently even some of the outposts—were stationed outside the command center, still demanding answers. Hundreds of them. Males and females—young and old alike—wanted to know about a potential vaccine, wanted the truth about theMevirax, about the Jetutians, about Jaxor’an. At night, Erin would go out on the terrace and hear their chants and cries echoing around the city, bouncing off the mountain, and she’d sit there for hours listening to them, wondering if it would be enough. They seemed to never stop.
One night, as she listened to the noise, she looked up at the sky and recognized constellations that she’d seen at Jaxor’s base. It made her miss him. Terribly. She pressed a hand to her stomach, knowing that it was already growing.
She would be a mother. Sometimes, she forgot that. Sometimes, she forgot that she was pregnant. Just that afternoon, she’d held Ollie in her arms while Kate ate and she’d been overwhelmed with the jolting knowledge that she’d have herownchild in her arms soon. One that might have piercing blue eyes and dark horns, just like Ollie.
Jaxor took up most of her thoughts. For good reason.
And that night, as she listened to the Luxirians’ protests, as she sat out there alone on the Ambassador terrace, looking up at familiar constellations with a cool wind whipping through her hair…she found the clarity that she’d been desperately seeking.
She’d found a male who loved her, who wanted her safe and happy even if it meant giving up his own happiness, his ownlife. She’d found a male who had lied to her, who had made some admittedly bad decisions...but she had thechoiceto forgive him and move on. And isn’t that what she’d always done? Move on?
Except, she knew that she didn’t want to ‘move on’…unless Jaxor was right there beside her.
And when Erin realized that, she took in a deep breath, deciding right there and then that she forgave him. She decided right there and then that she wanted to start fresh. Shewantedhim. Shechosehim.
I’m sorry,Jaxor, she thought, biting her lip, feeling her throat begin to burn.
She was sorry that she’d been a coward, that she’d been too afraid to get hurt again. She was sorry that she’d been quick to believe everything Tavar had told her, that she hadn’t considered what Jaxor’s motivations had been. She was sorry that her mate still didn’t know that he would be a father. She was sorry that she’d kept silent when he told her he loved her.
Looking up at the night sky, she knew that if he was exiled, she would go with him. Wherever that might be. Though it was a frightening thought, to journey to a new planet when she’d just become comfortable on Luxiria, she would do anything for him…and fortheirfamily.
Because that was what they could be. That was what she wanted to be.
A family.
She just hoped it wasn’t too late for them.
* * *
The next morning,three days after Erin had spoken with Bruxilia at the Archives, two warriors from the command center appeared on their terrace.
“The Prime Leader and the elder council are requesting your presence at the command center,” one of them said, looking straight at Erin once he’d entered their dwelling.
Erin’s heart thudded in her throat. “Me?”
“Tev,” the warrior said, inclining his head. “Immediately.”
Has something happened?She wondered, rising to her feet, her breath quickening.
