Page 110 of The Alien Warrior's Vow

“Having a brood or not is a choice you must make, but know this. You fear becomingyourmother. Notamother.”

“But—”

“I gave you your chance to speak, Eema.”

She clasped her lips shut.

His eyes burned into her. “As I said and will say until the end of time, all I need isyou.My heras beats foryou.Almost losing you made me realize this with startling clarity and I will be immensely satisfied as long as I have you by my side, Eema.”

The tears started rolling again.

It felt like a long-standing wound had begun to heal a little.

“Lans,” she whispered, staring at him.

“But I want to make one thing very clear. You, Eema, are kind, strong, and bold. You protect your comrades as if they are your own blood. You fight beside them. You care for them and lay your life down for them. You are nothing like the mother you fear. Nothing.”

Sniffing loudly and blind from the tears that blurred her face, Emma leaned forward and kissed him.

As she did, more and more of her wounds began to heal.

Thirty-Two

Lans

He heldEema’s hand as he led her out of the sacred dama. She seemed more at peace now.

At least, he hoped so.

The thick guilt that always crawled through their shared neural connector had lessened somewhat. Shriveled in size like a bloom losing petals.

Lans knew that Eema would need constant reminding. He would need to show her that she was nothing like the mother she spoke so ill of. Show her that she was his priority. That she meant so much to him, brood or no. And he was fully prepared to meet all those needs.

Ifhe survived this final fight.

A shuffling sound greeted them when they returned to the main hall.

Voices chattered.

New arrivals.

His muscles stiffened.

The burn of his spine dagger rising reverberated through his body.

Last time, their guests had been fellow warriors hell-bent on betraying the humans and turning them over to the Ungazi. Though the Healer had used his authority on the masses, there would still be a few left unconvinced. If an angry warrior had returned…

The voices grew louder as they drew closer to the cavern. Lans’s eyes widened when he recognized that high-pitched giggle.

Eema saw the female waiting in the room first. She rushed over and the two humans collided in a hug.

“Leel!” Eema cried. “What are you doing here?”

“You didn’t think I’d let you fight those alien jerks by yourself, did you?” Leel gave her a big grin. The human female had her hair braided back, thus exposing more of her big cheeks and tan skin.

“Lans!” A thin, green mass came flying at him.

Lans instinctively went defensive but, the moment Chozo wrapped his scrawny, arms around his waist, he relaxed. A wry smile played on his lip.