Page 74 of The Alien Warrior's Vow

“I can hardly believe it,” Korben breathed.

“But,” the Healer lifted a thick finger, “what we see as a gift, the Ungazi sees as an abomination.”

Lans’s spine dagger shot out of his back at the thought of anyone stealing their future from them.

His future.

Lans snapped it off and stared hard into the distance. “Then we will just have to show them who the true abominations are.”

Twenty-Two

Emma

She flewinto Sara’s arms, falling into her like a mother colliding with her child. It felt so good to be back with these women. Emma had trouble expressing her feelings, but she truly,trulycared for them.

“Aw,” Simone cooed. “Group hug!”

Everyone crowded around her.

Emma almost suffocated from their sincere but aggressive squeeze.

When they pulled back, she shyly tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Thank you for sticking around in the caverns. I know you guys would have preferred to be back at the cabin.”

“Are you kidding? We were worried sick about Lans.” Kia took her hand and squeezed. “And you, of course.”

“Here.” Sara presented a cloth-covered basket with a flourish.

“What’s this?” Emma asked, lifting the cover.

“They’re fruits.Piths, actually,” Sara explained, her full lips inching up. “The guys helped us root around for them. We only picked the best and the freshest.”

“Which meant a lot of the guys’ hard work got tossed,” Simone giggled.

Emma grinned. “I wish I could have seen their faces.”

“It was something like this.” Sara dropped her mouth into a small ‘o’ and widened her eyes. “Like a kid who just got told their painting was crap.”

“I feel horrible for laughing,” Emma said, slinging a hand over her stomach and bursting out in loud cackles.

Simone gave her a side-look. “You’re in a good mood.”

“Well, I—” She swallowed and immediately thought of baseball, manure… anything other than Lans. If she evendaredto imagine all the things he had done to her last night, her blush would give her away.

“Emma,” Kia said her name in a warning tone, “is there something you want to share?”

“No, I—I’m just touched that you guys brought food for me. But why only raw ingredients?”

“We know you bake when you’re stressed and we figured the Healer didn’t have a configured oven lying around in his sacred lake, you know?” Simone hopped onto the bed. “So we figured we could make a stew with that together. Get your mind off …” Simone gestured with a dark, slender hand, “everything.”

“Everything? What in particular? The fact that Lans almost died yesterday? Or the fact that alien Nazis are trying to kill us?”

“Pin said the bomb they threw at the sacred lake was just a warning shot. The Healer put up an energy field so everything they throw at us will launch right back at them.”

“Ha!” Simone kicked her legs. “We showed them.”

“They’re gone now.” Sara nodded, her black coils shaking.

“Gone where? And for how long? You know they’ll be back.” Emma nervously plucked at the sheet on the bed.