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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

T hraxar held Kara close in the starlight, still shocked that she’d agreed to stay with him. A strange lightness filled his chest. For decades, he had drifted through the galaxy, touching nowhere, belonging nowhere. Now this female wanted to remain with him, to build something permanent.

“What about Earth?” he asked, suddenly anxious. “Do you not want to return there someday?”

Her expression clouded. “There’s nothing waiting for me there.” She shifted against him, her skin warm against his. “Rory’s father made his choice. My parents died years ago. The only family I have now is right here.”

The possessive curl of his tail tightened around her waist. “Would you truly be content staying on this planet? It’s peaceful, but provincial. Nothing like the major systems.”

“I’ve seen enough excitement for several lifetimes.” Her laugh was soft against his chest. “Peaceful sounds perfect.”

“But what about your trading route?” she asked after a moment. “Your ship? I don’t want you to give up your livelihood.”

He gazed up at the stars that had been his only constant companions for so long.

“The trading route was never the life I wanted,” he admitted.

“I went back to it after my years as a mercenary because I had the ship and the skills. I had nothing else.” He brought his gaze back to her face.

“But this—you and the children—this is everything I never dared hope for.”

Her eyes glistened in the starlight. “And Talia? What happens when Elrin finds out where she belongs?”

The thought of losing the small lavender child sent a pang through him that surprised him with its sharpness. “We will face that when it comes,” he said carefully. “But I promise you this—I will do everything in my power to keep us together.”

She nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek. He caught it with a gentle finger.

“I love you,” he said, the words unfamiliar but right. “I never thought I would say that to anyone again. But I love you, Kara Macintosh.”

She pressed her forehead against his. “I love you too.”

They stayed in the garden until the night air grew too chill, then made their way inside.

As they passed the children’s room, he paused in the doorway.

Rory and Talia slept peacefully, their small bodies illuminated by the soft glow of a night light.

Something fierce and protective swelled within him.

Family. After all these years, he had a family again.

The next morning, he left early for his first full day at Jerra’s repair shop. The familiar scents of engine oil and metal filings greeted him as he entered the cavernous workspace. Jerra looked up from a disassembled thruster, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

“Didn’t expect you to show up,” she said, wiping her hands on a rag. “Figured you’d be halfway to the Orion Sector by now.”

“I am staying,” he said simply.

Jerra’s tail twitched in surprise. “For how long?”

“Permanently.”

She studied him for a long moment, then snorted. “What changed?”

He considered how to explain the transformation of his entire existence in the span of a few weeks. “I found something worth staying for.”

“The human female and the younglings?”

He nodded.

“Huh.” Jerra tossed him a tool belt. “Well, if you’re serious about settling, I’ve got a pile of work that needs doing. Let’s see if you’re as good as you claim.”

The day passed in a blur of repairs and diagnostics.

He found more satisfaction in the work than he’d expected—the methodical solving of problems, the gratitude of customers, the sense of being part of a community rather than merely passing through it.

By mid-afternoon, even Jerra seemed impressed, though she tried to hide it.

“Not bad,” she grudgingly admitted as they closed up the shop. “Come back tomorrow, and I might even pay you.”

He felt a lightness in his step as he headed home. Home. The word still felt strange, but welcome. He had purchased fresh provisions on his way, including a sweet treat that he thought the children might enjoy. The thought of their excited faces made his pace quicken.

As he approached the house, something felt wrong. The door stood partially open. No sounds of children playing reached his sensitive ears. A cold dread settled in his stomach.

“Kara?” he called, pushing the door fully open. “Rory? Talia?”

No answer.

He moved swiftly through the house, every sense alert. In the main living area, he found them—or rather, two of them. Kara lay crumpled on the floor, a thin trickle of blood seeping from a wound on her temple. Rory knelt beside her, rocking back and forth, his small hands fluttering frantically.

“Kara!” He dropped to his knees beside her, checking for a pulse. It was there, steady but faint. Relief warred with rising panic as he gently examined the injury. A blow to the head, but not severe enough to explain her continued unconsciousness.

“Rory,” he said as calmly as he could manage. “What happened? Where is Talia?”

The boy continued rocking, his eyes unfocused, lost in the repetitive motion that soothed him when overwhelmed. Thraxar recognized the signs of extreme distress. With careful movements, he reached out and placed his hand where Rory could see it, not touching but offering connection.

“It is all right,” he said softly. “I am here now. You are safe.”

Gradually, Rory’s rocking slowed. His gaze flickered to Thraxar’s face, then away.

“Can you show me what happened?” he asked.

Rory stilled completely. Then, with deliberate movements, he stood and walked to the front door. He pointed outside, then made a grabbing motion with his hands.

“Someone took Talia?” Cold fury rose in his chest.

Rory nodded, then mimed something being sprayed or thrown.

“They used something on Kara? A gas or chemical?”

Another nod. Rory returned to his mother’s side, touching her face with gentle fingers.

Thraxar’s mind raced. A targeted abduction, not a random attack. Someone knew about Talia and had come specifically for her. The realization sent ice through his veins.

He needed to get Kara medical attention, but he couldn’t leave Rory alone.

And every moment that passed meant Talia was being taken further away.

His protective instincts screamed at him to hunt down whoever had taken her, to tear them apart with his bare hands.

But the rational part of his mind knew he needed help.

With careful movements, he lifted Kara from the floor. Her head lolled against his chest, her breathing shallow but stable.

“Rory,” he said gently. “We need to get your mother help. Then we will find Talia. I promise.”

The boy hesitated, then reached up to grasp Thraxar’s tail. The simple gesture of trust nearly undid him.

As they stepped outside, he scanned the surrounding area for any sign of the abductors. Nothing obvious remained, but his sensitive nose picked up an unfamiliar scent—metallic and artificial. He committed it to memory as he hurried toward the medical facility, Rory clinging to his tail.

His mind filled with images of Talia—her shy smile when he praised her, the way her translucent ears had begun to glow with contentment when she felt safe, how she had started to reach for his hand without fear. The thought of her frightened and alone tore at him.

He had promised Kara he would keep their family together. He would not break that promise.

“I will find you,” he vowed silently to Talia as they rushed through the gathering dusk. “Whatever it takes, I will bring you home.”

The medical facility loomed ahead, its windows glowing with reassuring light. Thraxar tightened his grip on Kara and quickened his pace. Time was against them, but he had faced impossible odds before.

This time, the stakes were infinitely higher.

This time, he was fighting for his family.

The medical staff swarmed around them as soon as they entered the facility.

A tall, willowy being with silver skin took Kara from his arms with surprising strength, barking orders to the others as they rushed her into a treatment room.

Another staff member, shorter and rounder, approached Rory with gentle movements.

“May I check you for injuries?” they asked.

Rory shrank back against his leg, his fingers digging into Thraxar’s skin.

“He’s not injured,” he said. “But he’s witnessed a traumatic event. His mother was attacked, and his…” He hesitated. What was Talia to them? “His sister was taken.”

The medical worker’s eyes widened. “Taken? Have you contacted Security?”

“Not yet. I came here first.”

“I’ll alert them immediately.” They tapped a sequence on their wrist device. “They’ll want to speak with you.”

Thraxar nodded grimly. “And I want to speak with them.”

A different medical worker emerged from the treatment room. “Your mate is stable,” they informed him. “She was exposed to a neuroinhibitor—non-lethal but designed to render the victim unconscious for several hours. We’re administering the counteragent now. She should regain consciousness soon.”

Relief washed through him. “Can we see her?”

“Briefly. She’ll be disoriented when she wakes.”

He lifted Rory into his arms, the boy’s weight barely registering. “We will be quick.”

Kara lay on a diagnostic bed, her skin pale against the dark surface. Various monitoring devices hummed softly around her. Rory immediately stretched toward her, and Thraxar carefully set him down beside his mother. The boy curled against her side, his small hand finding hers.

“She will be all right,” he told him, hoping his voice sounded more confident than he felt. “And we will find Talia.”

Rory looked up at him with solemn eyes, then deliberately reached out his free hand toward him. The gesture—so simple yet so profound—caught him off guard. He gently took the offered hand, forming a chain of connection between the three of them.

In that moment, despite the fear and rage churning within him, he made a silent vow. He would protect what remained of his family with his life. And he would move the very stars if necessary to bring Talia back to them.

A subtle change in Kara’s breathing pattern caught his attention. Her eyelids fluttered, then slowly opened. Confusion clouded her gaze before focusing on Rory, then Thraxar.

“What…” Her voice was barely a whisper.

“You’re safe,” he said. “You’re in a medical facility.”

Memory visibly returned, horror washing over her features. “Talia,” she gasped, struggling to sit up. “They took Talia!”

“I know.” He placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. “Security is on their way. We will find her.”

Tears filled her eyes. “I couldn’t stop them. They had some kind of spray. I tried to fight, but…”

“This is not your fault,” he said firmly. “None of this is your fault.”

A commotion in the corridor announced the arrival of the planetary security force. He squeezed her hand gently. “Rest. Regain your strength. I’ll speak with them.”

Her fingers tightened around his. “Bring her back to us.”

“I will,” he promised. “No matter what it takes.”

As he turned to meet the security officers, the cold fury in his chest crystallized into deadly purpose. Whoever had taken Talia had made a fatal mistake. They had attacked his family, taken one of his children.

They would soon discover exactly what that meant.