While I kept my mate as covered as possible and Blade remained our protective eyes, “Styx” was inked into our mate’s flesh. Blade placed a steadying hand on her bare shoulder as the needle pierced her skin over and over.
I watched her face closely for any signs of discomfort. Half my body was covered in ink; I knew how it felt, but I would stop it if it were too much for Harper. While her cheeks colored and she breathed steadily through parted lips, she remained motionless. Stoic.
A young one crawled out of her mother’s arms and onto the stage. She was a babe, not yet able to walk, but she made her way to my mate and crawled into her lap.
Everyone went silent, waiting to see what my mate would do.
I already knew.
When Harper smiled down at the babe and kissed her on one soft, tiny cheek, the room roared back to life.
Harper held the child as the mark of our legion was inked into her flesh, right above her heart.
She looked out over the crowd, up at Blade, down at the babe in her arms, then up at me.
“I want one of these,” she said. “And you’re going to give it to me.”
My heart nearly ruptured. “Bossy, aren’t you?”
“You haven’t figured that out by now?”
I grinned. My cock pressed painfully against my uniform pants at the thought of filling her with our seed, it taking root and Harper swelling with our child. A little girl, with her pretty hair and green eyes. Or a boy, rough and tumble, but generous and caring, too. A mixture of Harper and her mates.
“Yes.”
“Yes, you’ve figured it out?”
“Yes, to the baby.”
I glanced at Blade. “You could be with child now,” he reminded.
Shaking her head, our mate looked sad. “No, Coalition fighters and volunteers all have birth control. Mine is to last until the end of my two years.”
She brushed her cheek over the top of the baby’s soft head, then handed her back to her mother. Scribe stood, his work done, and I turned her shoulders to face me, so I could see my name over her breast.
I groaned at the sight.
Blade squatted down on his haunches. “Once we are finished here, we will go to the med unit and reverse it.” Ever the protector. We didn’t want her upset, even in this. I should laugh. Two rogue leaders brought to their knees by a woman from Earth.
“Think of all the times we fucked as practice,” I added.
She smiled then, brilliantly, but her hand came up to her reddened flesh. I knew she would not want a ReGen wand on the tender skin now, but as soon as we were away from the legion and in the med unit, we would see her fully healed. Especially if we were going to put a baby in her.
“I love you, you know. I love you both.”
I pulled her into my arms, and I kissed her. Hard. Deep. Claiming her in front of the entire legion as she shifted to wrap her arms around my neck.
When she moaned and clung to me, I let her come up for air. The legion yelled and clapped and whistled their approval as Blade moved closer.
“I love you, Harper.”
Blade echoed my words and we turned to face our people.
Everyone had seen my name, the legion’s name, be inked on her skin. That was enough. They didn’t have to ogle. I would. Blade would. Gods, we’d fuck her so we could see the mark, kiss it, as we drove into her, knowing she was ours just as much by that as the scars on her neck.
Silver bowed low to our mate and spoke for everyone in the room. “Welcome home.”
The words were repeated by all. There was nothing else to do. They’d shown their allegiance and Harper had given hers in return. It was time to get on with living, for now, in peace. If our mate wanted a baby, it was our job to give it to her. Starting now. I stood, lifting Harper with me as I did so, tossing her over my shoulder. The crowd parted for me and Blade as I carried a surprised mate out of the room—to much applause—and to the med unit.