The tiny girl nodded her head as if she’d been asked the most serious question in the world. Then she leaned forward and kissed me with a big, wet, open-mouthed kiss that landed somewhere between my bottom lip and my chin. I froze, utterly at a loss, and Hannah laughed out loud, the melodic sound of her joy worth the slobber that now coated my face.
The girl patted my cheek, as if to let me know she was done with me before wiggling her bottom to let me know she wanted to be set down on the floor.
My hands covered her entire body as I placed her gently on her feet. She waddled away and I looked up to find my mate smiling down at me. Hannah stepped between my legs and lifted a hand to my chin with a smile, wiping the wetness off with her thumb. “Your people love you, mander. Every single one of them.”
“Not all, my mate. Not the one who matters most to me.” I looked at my bride and imagined her body swelling with my child, with a sweet little girl who would give me sloppy, wet kisses, or a strong young boy who would challenge me and make me proud. I wanted my seed growing in her body. I wanted to know that she was mine in every way.
She blushed a beautiful shade of pink as I held her gaze, the color not quite as dark as the deep pink that took over her skin when she came all over my hard cock, but a sweeter, softer color. I wanted her to say I was wrong, that she did indeed love me. Instead, she smiled that secretive female smile and leaned over to kiss me on the mouth.
I would accept that, for now. Until the claiming, which was scheduled to occur just hours from now. But there was a problem. A serious problem that I had not shared with her; something that could ruin this fragile new bond between us.
I was here with her in the children’s area awaiting bad news. I did not want my mate to be alone when the scouts’ reports came back.
Reaching out, I grabbed her hand and nodded to the other two women working in the room. “May I borrow my mate, ladies? I would like to show her the command deck.”
“Of course, commander.” The senior instructor, an elderly woman who had been mated to one of my best engineers for many years smiled at us both with real warmth. Hannah was right; the people in my fleet looked upon me with a warmth I’d never noticed before. My mate had opened my eyes to their respect and trust. The weight of command had never felt heavier, but it had also never been as much an honor as it was now and for the first time in my life, I smiled at the woman.
“Thank you, Lady Breenan.” I enjoyed the older woman’s flush of genuine pleasure at my words and pulled Hannah out of the room and into the hallway. “Come, mate. I will show you where I run the ship.”
Hannah sighed happily and walked with her hand in mine and her cheek pressed to my shoulder. Her contentment buzzed through my collar, making me heady with satisfaction. There was no better feeling than knowing I’d cared for my mate and made her happy, content, and at peace. Well, maybe feeling her pleasure take her when I fucked her senseless, but I didn’t want to think about that right now. I would not walk onto the command deck with my cock hard as iron ore. And not when I knew her happiness could evaporate at any moment.
Dare was missing. And Prince Nial. We’d lost contact with them several hours ago and I was waiting for news from a recon team that was due back at any moment. The decision to keep this from her was a difficult one, but she’d know the truth soon enough. I just hoped my second was still alive.
As if fate had heard my thoughts, the communications officer’s voice filled the hallway. “Commander, the recon team is back. They are waiting.”
“On my way.” I knew from the tone of his voice that the news was bad. Hannah must have sensed it, too. She stiffened and lifted her head from my shoulder.
“What is going on, Zane?”
Squeezing her fingers, I pulled her into a transport tube and entered the code that would get us access to the command deck. “Dare and Prince Nial were shot down by Hive forces a few hours ago. I sent a recon team to scout their location for and extraction.”
“Oh, my God. Is he dead? No. No!” She tried to pull away from me as the transport slid to a stop and she swayed with the rapid change in direction. She crashed into my chest and I wrapped my arms tightly around her. Her pupils dilated and she was breathing too quickly, short shallow panting that would make her faint. “You knew and you didn’t tell me! You knew! How could you sit there and play with that little girl and smile while you knew?”
Hannah pounded at my chest with her fist and I grabbed it, holding her still, locking her in place. I stared down into her gaze until she calmed. “I know you love Dare, sweet one. I will get him back for you. You have my word.”
Her dark, expressive eyes filled with tears, but she turned her face away from me to bury her head in my chest. “Promise me, Zane. Promise me.”
“My sacred vow, mate. Dare will be back onboard this ship in time for us both to claim you.” Which didn’t give me much time, but that was for the best. If the Hive had Dare and Nial, my warriors would not be faring well. The Hive liked to torture biological life forms before transforming them into something more machine than man. The process took several days, and I could not allow them to have my best friend, or the Prime heir.
I took Hannah onto the command deck, where warriors stopped what they were doing long enough to bow before their Lady Deston and pay their respects. My mate made me proud, holding her head high and keeping the worry from her face. She fooled them all with her bravery, but I could feel her fear through our link. My mate truly was my match and perfect for me in every way; passionate in sexual play, she needed the release my mastery gave her but could walk with her head held high as a queen’s when faced with pain and danger. My respect for her grew, and my love. I would sacrifice an entire fleet if it meant keeping her safe, and that was a frightening admission.
I had to get Dare back. If I failed, not only would I lose my friend and cousin, but I’d have to find another second that my sweet, stubborn Hannah would accept. And judging by the fire in her eyes as the scouts gave their report on the Hive, she would have no other second but Dare.
“We’ll leave within the hour and I’ll lead the extraction team myself.” My second in command opened his mouth to protest, as he should, but I didn’t allow him to speak. “I promised Lady Deston I would have Dare, her second, back to her in time for the claiming ceremony tomorrow, and that is what I will do.”
“Yes, commander.” I left them all behind as I escorted Hannah back to our quarters. Once we arrived, I pulled her into my arms for a kiss meant
to drive all thought from her mind.
“You will remain in here until I come back with Dare. You will remain locked safely behind this door until I come for you. Do you understand?” I held her face in my hands and stared into her eyes to make sure she was listening to me.
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
She lifted her hands to my arms and wrapped her fingers around my forearms. Turning her head, she kissed the inside of my wrist. “Yes, master. I will stay here, safe and sound, so you can bring Dare back to us.”
I kissed her hard and left without another word. The recon team was waiting for me when I got to the launch bay. We were going in on three ships, a team of eight on each. The recon team had tracked Dare and Nial to a small mobile Hive station recently discovered on a nearby asteroid. The outpost was small, and not capable of holding more than a hundred Hive soldiers.