But now we were home, I tugged Lindsey into me, wrapping my arms about her and just reveling in her being her. With me.
“Are you sure they’re okay?” she asked, her words muffled by my shirt.
I was eager to be with Wyatt, too. To learn about him, see his smiles, watch as his eyes widened at discovering the world—no, the universe—around him. But we had the rest of our lives for that. Tomorrow would be soon enough. Tonight, tonight I had to claim my marked mate, make her mine. I couldn’t wait any longer, and while she didn’t understand it as I did, neither could she.
She hadn’t grown up with the knowledge of what this claiming meant. Being so far apart had been agony, but having her so close, yet unclaimed, was another kind of torture. My body ached for hers, as I was sure hers did for mine. Only when we were truly claimed would our bodies, our minds, our hearts, finally be soothed.
I wanted to claim Lindsey, my mate, but I had to soothe Lindsey, the mother, first.
“You saw Rachel, she is beside herself with having a little boy here. Your mother is with Wyatt so he has a familiar face, but he is eager to see where you traveled. Rachel and her mates will give them a tour. I have no doubt that he will run around as any little boy should and be ready to sleep soon. I am not familiar with the impact of transport on one so small, but Rachel will monitor him closely.”
I saw her glance toward the door. I recognized her worried look.
I tapped the comm unit on my wrist. “Governor Rone.”
“Kiel. I expected to have no communication from you this evening now that your mate is with you again.”
Yes, talking to Maxim was not my top priority. But I could not fuck Lindsey as I wished, to claim her as we both needed, if her mind was elsewhere. I wanted her focused solely on me sinking into her so deep we didn’t know where one ended and the other began.
“How is Wyatt?” I asked, not responding to his comment.
Neither of us could miss the sound of a little boy squealing in delight. “Again!” the small voice said.
“Tyran is carrying him through the air as if he were a Prillon battle cruiser.”
Yes, the boy was just fine and I felt Lindsey relax within my hold.
“Do not concern yourself with our newest members of Base 3. Both are content. Rachel has arranged their guest quarters for tonight.”
“Is that a phone? Is Lindsey there?” Lindsey’s mom’s voice interrupted the governor and I couldn’t help but smile at that breach in protocol. When I heard the stoic man laugh, I was relieved to know he was enjoying himself as well.
“I’m here, Mom,” Lindsey said. She’d learned in her few days here how the comm units worked. Her mother and Wyatt adapting even more quickly as Doctor Sornen made sure to keep them comfortable during the inevitable headache. Now Wyatt loved to run around and chat with every warrior on base. Even more astonishing, the more Hive technology they displayed, the more he wanted to investigate and talk to them.
Never in a thousand years would I expect Hive contaminated warriors to show-off their implants. But the man with the most silver always won Wyatt’s undivided attention, as I was more than ready to give mine to the beautiful woman in my arms.
“Honey, you enjoy your time with Kiel. Wyatt and I are just fine. We’ll see you tomorrow. Or the day after.”
“Again!” Wyatt shouted in the background.
“Satisfied?” I whispered.
Lindsey looked up at me and nodded. “Tomorrow,” I said, then broke the connection.
“I know you will want to see Wyatt in the morning. We will move to a different space so there is a bedroom for Wyatt beside ours. As for your mother, I am sure she will be content with her own space nearby.”
I liked Lindsey’s mother, based on the brief time I’d known her, and she was brave and kind. It was obvious where my mate got her fair hair and beautiful eyes. While she was older than most warriors on The Colony, there were some here of comparable age and I imagined one would capture her heart soon enough.
“You see, they are well occupied.” I kissed the top of Lindsey’s head, her silky hair soft against my lips. “As for you, I have plans to keep you well occupied as well.”
She tilted her head back to look up at me, her blue eyes filled with love—and heat. “You do?”
“Mmm, my brave mate. It seems we have both traveled across the universe for each other.”
“I’d do it again, too.”
My heart softened at those words. Yes, I was a hardened warrior, a Hunter, yet I would bend and yield to only her. “As would I.” I gave her a fierce squeeze, then pushed her away. “Yet we will have no reason to do so. It was as if my arm had been ripped off.”