Her Mate's Secret Baby:Interstellar Brides, Book 9(28)

I kicked the gold dagger so it slid across the floor to Roark and yelled  his name. I dropped to my knees to give him a clear shot.

Roark yelled, knelt, grabbed the knife, and threw it so quickly I  couldn't track his actions. The dagger imbedded in Loris's right eye  socket with a disgusting, thunking sound I never wanted to hear again.  Turning my head, I looked away. Bile filled my mouth and I swallowed it  down.

The commander toppled and I crawled away from his body, awkwardly and  quickly, toward Roark, toward my mate. "Why aren't you in the pod? I  don't understand."

My heart was beating so hard I worried it would come out of my chest. My  breathing was as ragged as if I had just run a marathon, not taken down  a space-gun-wielding crazy man.

Roark pulled me into his arms, inspecting me for injury. His hands and gaze raking over me. "Fark, your wrist."

I shook my head, but held it carefully to my chest. "It hurts like a  bitch, but I just need the ReGen wand. But, you. You! Explain to me what  is going on. You're supposed to be in that damn pod!"

Roark tucked me to his side and picked up the gun he'd dropped moments  ago. "I knew the traitor would make his move before I woke from the pod.  The doctor, Seton and I agreed prior to my transport to Earth that,  upon my return, we would use the pod to lure the traitor out into the  open. The wounds I received on Earth weren't part of the plan, but I was  healed in a couple of hours. The doctor released me, as agreed, and we  set the trap."

I was shaking. Adrenaline was great and all, but the aftereffects were a bitch.         

     



 

"Noah. He said they were going after Noah." I struggled to break free of his arms, but he hushed me, holding me tighter.

I fought him, but he spoke. "Noah is safe, my love. I swear it." He  stroked my back, tried to soothe me. "My parents did not take him, or  Miranda, to their home. They used a decoy to lure the commander's  friends to invade. But my father had a dozen men waiting to capture  them. They are all in detention cells deep beneath the city awaiting  interrogation. Noah is safe."

I looked over at the commander, dead, the gold dagger protruding from  his face, blood dripping onto the sterile floor of the medical facility.  I cringed, turned my face into Roark's chest. I could hear his heart  beating, steady and even. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm sorry, love. I needed your reactions to be real, sincere."

"But he got in. He could have killed us both."

"I underestimated him, mate, and for that I'm sorry. I did not wish to put you in harm's way, only me."

"What?" I said, trying to move off his lap, angry. How dare he put himself in danger?

"We needed to find the traitor so we didn't have to worry, to fear for  our safety. I had to eliminate the threat so I could focus on being with  you and Noah. I did not count on him lacing the meal with a sedative.  It was very clever." He lifted a hand to my cheek, cupping my face. "But  not clever enough, for it did not work on you."

No, it hadn't. I ate like a stupid pig and it had barely knocked me out.

"Strange Earth physiology." I quoted a dead man, and grinned as I did  it. I must be losing my mind. All humor faded as I stared into my mate's  eyes. "Don't ever do that to me again. I can still taste his blood."  I'd bitten the commander, torn the flesh from his hand, and the taste of  him lingered like ashes in my mouth.

"No. No. No. That won't do at all." Roark's eyes blazed and he pulled me  to him, claiming my mouth in a kiss meant to wipe away the taste of  danger and fear. I wrapped my uninjured arm around him, ignoring the  flood of soldiers that stormed the room.

Roark lifted his head, checked with the guards about the safety of the  rest of our family. When one communicated with the guards watching over  Noah and Roark's parents, and we learned that everyone was indeed safe, I  slumped in Roark's arms and he took that moment of weakness to kiss me  again. I gave over to the kiss, needing the love and reassurance I felt  in it. I didn't care about the guards in the room. My son was safe. I  was safe. And Roark was kissing me, loving me, reminding me what home  felt like.

Behind us, someone cleared his throat. I turned to find Seton sitting on  the floor as one of the soldiers ran a ReGen wand over him. "You two  all right?"

He looked like he'd just woken up from a wild night of partying and  drinking, all ruffled and messy, like he'd just gotten out of bed. He  was handsome. Perhaps I could set him up with Miranda …

"Give me that damn wand," Roark snarled, grabbing it hastily from the  man's fingers and waving it over my wrist. Amazingly, I could feel the  bones knitting, healing. His head was lowered to tend to the task, but  then his gaze lifted and met mine, watching me until it was completely  healed.

"Better?" he asked and I nodded. God, I loved space technology.

Once satisfied I was whole again, Roark tucked me under his chin. "The traitor is dead."

"I can see that." Seton shoved at the medical officer who'd come in with  a number of others now that the traitor had been uncovered. She was  waving a wand of her own over him. He forced her to stop her  ministrations, frustrated probably more by the fact that he'd been  drugged than by her attentions, and I hid a grin. These Trion guys all  thought they were super-human. Not unlike a lot of alpha cavemen on  Earth.

But once again, my smile faded. "He's dead, but what about the man who attacked us on Earth?"

Roark's arms came around me and he nuzzled the top of my head. "We don't  know, mate. But Warden Egara is on her guard. She knows to watch for  any more encrypted messages, to remain vigilant. We've done all we can  do from here. We will interrogate the men we captured tonight and hope  we discover his identity, although I doubt they will know anything.  Earth is very far away, another planet."

"But someone must know," I countered.

"Yes. Warden Egara is an intelligent and formidable opponent. She will discover the truth."

I nodded and tore my gaze from the commander's corpse. Looking at the  soldier nearest him, I cleared my throat. "That gold dagger is mine. I  want it back."         

     



 

"Yes, my lady."

Roark looked down at me. "I'll give you a new one, mate. Leave that one be."

I shook my head. "No way. That's the one you gave me. That is the one  that saved my life, twice now. I want it back. Cleaned, of course. I  might never go anywhere without it, ever again."

"Then you shall have it." He looked to the soldier. "Remove it, once we  are gone. Clean the blade thoroughly and return it to my lady first  thing in the morning."

"Yes, Councilor."

Roark tugged me up to tuck me into his hold. After nodding to Seton, who  was finally letting the woman heal him with the wand, Roark led me from  the room, and I let him, eager to be away from the tension and blood.  To leave it all behind. "Where are we going?"

"Home."





Chapter Fifteen

Roark



I held Natalie in my arms as we gazed down on our sleeping son. My  parents and Miranda were safe below, surrounded by two dozen guards.  Commander Loris' men were locked away, awaiting judgment. I would deal  with them later, much later. Right now, I needed to stand silent in the  peace and safety of my home, our home, and hold my mate.

Traveling from outpost to outpost the last few months had taken its toll  on my body and my spirit. Home wasn't a physical place. It was the  people you loved. Seeing Noah asleep, his arms bent with his hands up by  his ears, soothed my soul in a way I'd never expected.

This moment, with Natalie safe in my arms, looking down at the child  we'd made, was a gift I would never take for granted. My mother would be  pleased. My wanderlust was gone. There was nowhere on this planet, or  any other, I wanted to be other than in my own home with my mate and son  safely under my care.

It was time to settle in Xalia, to allow Natalie and Noah to know my  parents, to become close. Noah deserved to know his grandparents, to be  smothered by my mother's adoration and taught about the world by my  father. There would be no more outposts for any of us. If the tribal  leaders wanted to see me, from now on, they could make the trek to Xalia  or meet with one of my commanders in the field.

Natalie pulled away from me to reach down and stroke Noah's perfect  cheek with her hand. "He's so beautiful. He looks like you." She  whispered the words into the quiet, careful not to disturb him. Her hand  froze and she shook her head, her voice clogging with tears. "I have  blood on my hands, Roark. Look at me. I shouldn't touch him. Not like  this."

"Come, mate. Our son is safe and protected. Let me take care of you."

I led her to the adjoining rooms and directly to the bathing chamber,  stripped her bare. I walked around her, studied every inch of her skin,  ensuring the doctor had been thorough, that her wrist was truly healed. I  would allow no bruising to remain on her body, no pain. Seeing nothing  but lingering blood, I stepped into the shower and pulled her under the  warm spray. Using soap and gentle hands to wash away every bit of Loris'  blood, I was gentle, massaging sore muscles, worshiping her.