Cyborg Seduction(36)

I slid off the exam table and forced back the tears. I looked Rachel in the eye and held the wand up between us. “I have to go. Take this back to him. Heal him. I don’t care about the story. I never did.”

“They’ll be waiting for you,” she said. “Wanting the story. The video, audio. They won’t pay you without it.”

“I don’t want the money!” I shouted, waving the wand. “I want this.”

“I give you the wand and I keep your story?”

Yes, she was protective. And shrewd. And ridiculously cautious. I couldn’t blame her, not after what had happened to her on Earth.

“I have to give them something.” My voice shook. “They’ll hurt him if I don’t.”

“Nice people.” Rachel studied me closely, but didn’t snatch the wand away. Going over to a wall, she swiped her finger over the glossy black. It came alive with all kinds of colors and words, shapes and numbers. After a few more swipes, a screen appeared that displayed the Interstellar Brides Program logo.

“I’m not going to be a bride,” I said.

“You don’t need to be. You’re already mated to Kiel.”

“Oh god,” I murmured, my heart breaking all over again. “Kiel.”

She turned away from the wall display and faced me. “You will return to Earth, to your son, Wyatt, and walk away from your marked mate?”

“Can he come with me?”

She shook her head. “No. Earth won’t even take back its own soldiers who’ve been contaminated by Hive tech. They’ll never agree to allow an alien to live there. I mean, Kiel wouldn’t exactly blend in.”

“Can Wyatt live here? Can Maxim or the Prime you were talking about get Wyatt permission to live here?” I was grasping at straws, but maybe there was a chance we could all be together. I knew the rules, but hoped one could be bent…for me.

“No.” She bit her bottom lip, her eyes filling with tears in an apparent display of empathy. “That’s an Earth rule, not a Coalition one. They will allow full grown adults to make the decision to become a citizen of another world and give up citizenship. But a child? No. They’re not allowed to make that decision until they come of age. And no adult is allowed to make it for them.”

She killed any hope I might have felt. “So I’m screwed. I have to choose between Kiel and my son.”

“Yes.” She wiped a tear off her cheek. “It appears that way. You’ve made your choice. Are you really willing to give up your marked mate to return to your child?”

“It’s not like a have a choice.” The words fell from my lips in a whisper.

“Yes, you do.” Rachel closed her eyes and held them closed for long moments, as if my pain were her own. “It’s a sucky choice, but it is a choice. Are you sure? Maybe we can figure something out?”

I felt the weight of the question pressing on me. It was like an elephant. Oppressive and squashing me like a bug. I had to choose between the only man in the universe for me and my son. I couldn’t have both. There was no question as to my choice. While it would feel as if my arm was ripped off by leaving Kiel behind, it was Wyatt who needed me more.

“I can’t leave him alone. I can’t abandon him.” The tears came in earnest and I sobbed. “He’s my baby. I can’t—”

Rachel’s face transformed then. Every hard edge, every calculating gleam was gone. She had to use both hands to wipe wet cheeks as she turned back to the screen. “Then we must get you back before Prime Nial forces you to stay. You might choose your son, but I can’t guarantee the Prime won’t choose to protect his own people, the warriors who fought for him.”

“Are you kidding me?” Prime Nial—

“I don’t know. I doubt they’ve ever faced this problem before. But are you willing to take the chance?”

“No.” I wasn’t. No question. Wyatt needed me. I’d made him a promise that I would return to him, and I intended to keep it.

The screen buzzed for a moment as the link connected and a familiar face appeared. Rachel greeted the woman whose stern face filled the screen. “Warden Egara.”

“Rachel,” the Earth warden responded. “Miss Walters.”

The mate of the Governor of Base 3 spoke, her voice clear and determined. “We need your help.”





Chapter Seven

Lindsey



God, I was an emotional mess.

It had taken thirty frustrating minutes, but I’d figured out how to adjust the window tinting in Kiel’s quarters. I was now able to look out upon the rocky terrain, see the rugged beauty of the planet. While the room was temperature controlled, I shivered and I rubbed my arms.