“If you knew your sisters were safe, could you accept your life here? Stay with us and be our woman? For the rest of your life?” Aedan pressed, his tone hopeful.
I was quiet for a moment. Thinking. Processing.
The four men had changed my perceptions on Vakarrans altogether. Once, I had thought every last one of them was evil, my enemy, better off dead than alive, but now I knew better. There were good and bad Vakarrans, just like any other species. Now I knew they were capable of sweetness, gentleness, and most important, of love. At least, my four men were.
I let my hands drift from my neck and down my torso, to settle on the small bulge of my belly. I smiled softly. I was pregnant. I was going to have my captors’ baby. A son. To love and to hold. I had a future here with them.
My focus had changed.
I’d once been a warrior, my only goal to destroy the aliens that had conquered my planet. I’d been captured, afraid and trained as a human slave, but even through all that, I had gained four lovers and friends. Now, with my son growing in my womb, I had a life with them. A future and I didn’t want to risk that.
My sisters were strong. They were smart. And as long as they were safe, I could live my life in peace. I’d protect them from a safe distance.
“Yes. If you would allow me to watch over my sisters with your help, I would love that. I would stay with you. I’d be happy with the four of you, and our son,” I replied, and I meant it with every fiber of my being.
“We love you, Kira,” Coltan whispered and I smiled happily, content on his lap.
“I love you too,” I replied softly, meaning every word.
Zaavyr extended a hand toward me and I took it. He hauled me up and I giggled, unable to keep my glee contained.
He brought me into his office and powered on his screen by pressing a button on top of his desk. A dim light came on and within moments, a massive holographic screen appeared before my eyes. He typed in a few commands and before I knew it, I could watch as he zeroed in on the place I had once called home, my forest.
“Their last known location was here, I believe. Do you know if they had moved from this place recently?” he asked, pointing to the spot where we used to have our own camp.
My eyes searched the screen, getting my bearings as to where everything was. The river was to the north, the mountains to the east, Atlanta to the west.
“There,” I pointed, finding the cliffs where the cave system Alaina had found began.
I trusted him. The four of them had kept them safe this long.
Zaavyr typed in a few more commands and the screen darkened just a hair.
“I’ve hacked into the system with a specific code I wrote. We can enter and monitor the area for a short time and the code will erase our every move. It’s only safe for about an hour though, so we have to move quickly and remember the location for next time,” he replied.
Special cameras hovered over the area and Zaavyr had taken control over one of them. Silent and undetectable, the drone flew through the air.
“They won’t see this,” he explained, “It’s got a camouflaged barrier similar to our skin that hides it from human eyes.”
I nodded.
The drone slowed once it approached the human encampment. They were outside the cave entrance, a bonfire at their center. They were cooking their dinner, from what I gathered. All three of them sat together, safe and sound.
I reached for the screen.
I missed them.
Zaavyr wrapped his arms around me, his palms settling over my belly, over our son. I sat back against him and breathed a sigh of relief.
“They’re still free,” I murmured quietly.
“We’ll do whatever we need to do to keep them safe, Kira. You mean the world to my men and me and your happiness is paramount. We love you,” he said softly.
“I love you too, my Vakarrans,” I replied.
“Even if that means reminding you of our mastery over your body from time to time,” he whispered, and I shivered in response.
“Remember what I told you that you needed to do in order to come once again?”