Page 42 of Chieftain (The Outlander Book Club… in Space! #1)

Emmy

I can’t move.

I don’t want to move.

I might never move again.

I'm draped over Khaion's chest, my thigh resting between his while my fingers move idly along his chest muscles. The only movement that appeals to me is tilting my chin upward to catch the smug smile playing on Khaion's face. He looks like a man who knows he has pleasured his mate well.

As well, he should.

The light flickers, the Bardaga signaling that night is upon us. I should be exhausted, but I’m not. Although my body feels sated—I’m practically liquid at this point—my mind spun.

Charick left hours ago. His last communication showed him entering the Lacaille system.

His ship was fast, but it would take him days to reach where we thought Nansar was headed with Willa.

The Bardaga set course for the planet Seartaun, home of the Planetary Alliance headquarters.

Afterward, we sat down at a special celebratory dinner courtesy of Orzon.

His attempt at making spaghetti and meatballs was well-received, even if the tomato sauce was slightly spicy.

I didn't want to know where the meatballs came from since it smelled suspiciously like an old gym sock.

Khaion's announcement of our Valakana brought his crew to their feet with cheering, congratulations, and a heady amount of excitement.

Since joining the Bardaga meant most gave up hope of finding a mate, possibly finding one out of the thousands of human women rescued was appealing.

A statistic I once read claimed that every year, approximately 600,000 people disappear without a trace, and only about thirty percent of them are located.

At least the other seventy percent had the Vaktaire looking out for them.

Khaion talked to his Siemba, relating what we discovered about Nansar, speculating on what the Aljani might be up to, and strategizing how to gather more intel.

I tried to pay attention, but once Siemba relayed to Dixa that Khaion and I mated, my own comm rang.

I spent the next hour chatting about our alien mates with the woman most of the Earth knew as Marilyn Monroe.

"Did Siemba have any information about Nansar allying with the Kerzak?" I cuddled against Khaion's side, wriggling happily as his fingertips stroked my spine.

“He said there have been rumblings from the Kerzak about coming into more power, but other than that, no,” my mate replied.

I’d tried to ask him about Siemba earlier, but just as soon as the comm ended, the kissing started, and I found myself too pleasurably distracted.

I sighed, trying to keep the disappointment from my voice.

When Khaion's comm buzzed again, I tensed with anticipation. He snagged the device from the nightstand after reassuringly kissing my lips.

"It's a message from Daicon." Khaion held the comm out where I could see it.

Little good it did. I could have read Sanskrit easier than the alien version of text messaging.

The farther Khaion's council traveled in search of my friends, the harder it was to make a verbal or holographic connection with the Bardaga, hence alien texting.

“He sends his congratulations on our mating.”

Khaion had Bartuk send the news to those off-ship. While I couldn't figure out how myself, my mate felt the news that human women were compatible with the Vaktaire might be essential to affect their rescue.

Speaking of rescue…. “Any word on Daisy.”

Khaion spoke into the comm in the Vaktaire language, which sounded like a combination of Mandarin and German to my ears. A few minutes later, a shrill beep heralded the reply.

“Nothing yet.” Khaion frowned as he read Daicon’s reply. “He’s nearing the last Gilese mining moon. So far, he found all the mines abandoned.” Khaion paused, regarding me with concern. “Daicon said he doesn’t get a ping on Daisy’s tracker any longer.”

I laid my hand on his shoulder, feeling his arm tighten around me. “So, they might have taken Daisy somewhere else?”

“It’s possible,” Khaion admitted, brushing his lips across my forehead. “Or they might store the ship underground. The surface of the Gilese moons is uninhabitable. The mines maintain artificial climates when in use.”

“I hope Daisy is okay. I hope they all are.” My voice wobbled. Truthfully, the only thing keeping me from bursting into tears of worry was this wonderful man beside me. He’d promised to find my friends—I trusted him to keep that promise—to keep all his promises.

Khaion shifted on his side, drawing me against his chest. "Hakkar is on an approach for the planet Vestra. His last report shows the tracker at a research facility in the jungle. Jutuk is already at the Ardeese Valoot space station…."

“Has he seen Pearl?” Hope shivered across my skin.

“Not yet. The space station houses over a million beings, my heart. It might take some time to locate her.”

“What about Clara?” Of all my friends, I worried about her the most. While my imagination of what happened to all my friends ran along the lines of a Stephen King novel, we knew the Trogvyk sold Clara to a hedonism ship.

I didn’t believe for a minute they’d wanted her to deal blackjack. Did aliens even play blackjack?

"Tarook has yet to rendezvous with the Hartouk Lenaii.

The hedonism ship is deep within the Erdani system, several light years from here.

Still, he expects to make contact within the next two moons.

" Even Khaion's voice held a tone of unease.

I wound my arms around his neck, feeling the rhythm of our hearts beating as one.

“Do you really think Charick has a mating thing for Willa just from catching her scent?” There was no way to discount the Sage’s change in mood after we returned from the Korfu moon.

Just before boarding his ship, Charick dropped to one knee, vowing to bring Willa to my side or die trying.

This from a dude that spent the first two weeks I'd known him constantly declaring his disdain for humans.

He either got hit in the head during the fight with the Kerzak, or something drew him toward Willa.

Khaion's lifted me so that our faces were even. He rubbed my nose with his sweetly while a broad smile split his lips.

God! He was gorgeous!

“Perhaps.” His voice held that sultry tone that turned my bones to butter. “My heart was yours from the moment I woke up in the Trogvyk pod with you in my arms.”

Happiness fizzed through me. “I thought you were an angel. A really sexy angel.”

Khaion’s laugh was like a warm kiss of air on an autumn day. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. A chaste kiss compared to our recent others, sweet, loving, and lingering.

“Do you really have to report our mating to the Planetary Alliance?” My fingertips trailed the edge of the black swooshes across his shoulders.

"It is required, yes." Khaion's tone wasn't concerned, but I could tell he wasn't looking forward to the task.

"Are they really that controlling?" China's one-baby rule flashed in my head. Memories of birth permits, fines, and forced abortions lurch in my stomach.

“Alliance regulations state that Earth protectors are not to interfere with humans. But I do not think they can overlook the Valakana.” Khaion brushed the hair from my forehead, frowning at the worried expression I knew rested on my features.

“What will happen if they do?”

Khaion kissed me again, his lips playing over mine in a gentle tease. "I will resign my post and go to Tau Ceti with you if you wish."

“What?” I pulled away from his kiss, searching his golden eyes for a hint of teasing. I found nothing but sincerity.

“You’d do that for me? Give up your ship?”

One large hand swept through my curls, fingertips resting at the base of my neck in a caressing massage. Khaion's eyes met mine, and the love in his gaze stole my breath.

“You are my mate. I will do anything for you.” He swallowed hard, eyes narrowing. “Even let you go if that is what you wish.”

“Wh—what do you mean, let me go?” My imagination raced through the consequences the Alliance might impose on us.

Khaion sucked in a slow, deep breath, preparing as though what he said next were the hardest words he would ever speak. "I know you left children on Earth. You must miss them.”

"Of course, I do." My fingertips stroked down his cheek, and I felt the nervous uptick in our heartbeat.

Khaion captured my hand, pressing his lips to each fingertip. “I cannot bear your sadness. If you want to return to your children. I will find a way to return you to Earth, even if it means going against the Alliance.”

“Khaion!” My gasp sounded stark against the ever-present soft hum of the engines.

There wasn't a day since the abduction that my boys, Cameron and Caleb, didn't occupy my thoughts.

From memories of their scrunched-up newborn faces to the handsome men they became, they are always with me.

I raised two good, kind men—I know that as sure as I know my own name, arguably the only thing that remained the same after my alien abduction.

A smile curved my lips, thinking how they would react if they could see me now.

The idea that aliens are real would enrapture Caleb, the more logical of the two.

Cameron, more fun-loving and laid-back, would make a crack about my twenty-something ass.

Missing them was an emptiness that would reside inside me until I drew my last breath—an emptiness made bearable by the man at my side.

A man who loved me enough to break his own heart for my happiness.

Love like this was rare and precious. As a mother, I understood that kind of love, but I'd never had it with a partner. .. until now.

Capturing Khaion’s face between my palms, I pressed my lips to his, feeling the deep subterranean tremble running through him. It made me deepen the kiss, wanting to reassure him just how much I wanted him. How much I loved him.

“I do miss my sons. I always will.” My fingertips stroked his jawline as I spoke.

“But they’re grown men with lives of their own.

By now, they’ve accepted my loss and are moving on with their lives.

They would have had to mourn me at some point, even if I wasn’t abducted - hopefully much later, but still at some point. ”

“I crave only your happiness." His voice was thick with emotion, and he laid his forehead against mine, warm chocolate, wine-scented breath fanning my cheeks.

“I love you for that, and I am happy—very happy.” To prove my point, I wound my arms around his neck, pressed my lips to his, and did my best to kiss him senseless. Khaion pressed me to the length of his body, and I could feel his cock hardening against my belly.

“Blood of my blood and bone of my bone,” he whispered, teasing the shape of my lips with his tongue.

Shock and curiosity overshadowed desire for a split second. “What did you say?”

Khaion didn’t repeat the words. He didn’t have to, not with the appearance of the devilishly handsome grin.

“Did you read Outlander?” I playfully swatted his chest, feeling the muscles ripple under my touch.

Khaion’s cheeks deepened in color. “You said it was important to you. I did not have the book, as you say, but Bartuk found the story on your Earth’s internet. On something called a Kindle?”

It was simply the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me. No one loved me as much as this man—never had, never would. Warmth suffused my body, the blood in my veins taking on the fizzy quality of champagne. Only Khaion could make me feel like this.

“Jamie Fraser ain’t got nothing on you,” I beamed at him, feeling the love seep from my pores.

"I am glad you think so," Khaion said seriously. "He is a very good male."

“Not as good as you,” I promised, kissing him gently. “And just like Claire wouldn’t go back to her time and leave Jamie. I won’t go back to Earth and leave you… ever.”

“You are sure?” Khaion stroked my cheek, still giving me the choice. God, I loved this man.

"I'm sure." I let my fingertip trail along his jawline.

"There are things about my life on Earth I will miss.

" I kissed him, the warmth and softness of his lips sending the most delicious shiver down my spine.

I wanted to keep kissing him, but I wanted—no, I needed to get the words out.

My dream of our life together. "But I would miss more the life I can have with you and our children.”

Khaion’s golden eyes smoldered, and he crashed his mouth against mine, our tongues tangling in a passionate frenzy.

“You want offspring. Our offspring?” Khaion finally muttered, his hands framing my face as his lips trailed over my skin.

“I want everything with you.” I moaned, arching upward as he rolled me onto my back.

And I got it.