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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

K ara paced the perimeter of their new home for the tenth time, one eye on Rory as he arranged and rearranged a collection of stones in the garden.

Her son had refused to go inside after Thraxar left, stubbornly planting himself where he could watch the path leading to their house.

She didn’t have the heart to force him in.

The fading light cast long shadows across the yard. Another hour and it would be fully dark. Her stomach twisted with each passing minute.

“They’re coming back,” she whispered to herself, pressing a hand against her abdomen to still the churning. “They have to come back.”

Rory suddenly looked up from his stones, his entire body alert. He scrambled to his feet, flapping his hands in excitement.

She followed his gaze and saw them—Thraxar’s massive form silhouetted against the twilight sky, Talia perched on his shoulders. Relief flooded through her with such force that her knees nearly buckled.

“Talia!” she called, rushing forward as Thraxar set the girl down. She dropped to her knees, gathering Talia into her arms. “Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?”

The child shook her head, her skin flushing a warm shade of pink. “Thraxar saved me. He was very brave.”

She looked up at him, noting the tension in his stance, the careful way he scanned their surroundings. Something had happened—something he wasn’t saying in front of the children.

Rory approached cautiously, offering Talia one of his carefully arranged stones. She accepted it with a smile, and he hummed with satisfaction.

“Let us go inside,” Thraxar said quietly. “We need to talk.”

Once the children were settled with a simple meal in the kitchen area, he led her to the far corner of the main room.

“What happened?” she asked, keeping her voice low.

“The bounty hunter was from Lumiri.” His expression darkened. “Talia is the daughter of a resistance leader. Her father fought against the current regime and lost. They want her dead to prevent any future claims to leadership.”

Her hand flew to her mouth. “She’s just a child.”

“That won’t matter to them.” He reached into his pocket and produced a small container. “There’s more. Wren Dox implanted a tracking device in her. I removed it, but there will be others coming.”

She took the container, examining the tiny device inside. “This is sophisticated tech. The incision site needs proper medical attention.”

“I did what I could, but yes.” He glanced toward the kitchen. “We need professional help.”

“Elrin might know someone.”

He nodded. “My thoughts exactly. But we should move quickly. I encountered another hunter on our way back. I doubt he was the last.”

“I’ll pack some essentials.” She hesitated, then placed her hand on his arm. “Thank you. For bringing her back.”

His tail curled around her wrist, a gesture that had become familiar and comforting. “I would never have returned without her.”

The simple declaration settled in her chest like a warm stone. She stretched up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. “I know.”

Elrin’s home was quiet when they arrived, but lights glowed warmly from within. The elderly Treveloran answered their knock with surprising quickness, orange crest feathers ruffling with concern when he saw their expressions.

“Trouble follows you like a shadow, Thraxar,” he said, ushering them inside. “Come, come.”

Thraxar explained the situation while she kept the children occupied in Elrin’s garden.

Rory was fascinated by the strange flowering plants that seemed to respond to movement, closing their petals when approached then slowly reopening.

Talia watched him with fond amusement, occasionally joining his exploration.

“The wound needs proper treatment,” she said when Elrin examined the back of Talia’s neck. “And we need to make sure there aren’t any other tracking devices.”

Elrin’s beak-like nose twitched. “I know someone at the medical center. Discreet, excellent with children. She’ll help without asking unnecessary questions.”

“How soon?” Thraxar asked.

“I’ll contact her now.” Elrin moved to a communication panel. “You should all rest here tonight. The medical center will be quieter in the morning.”

She watched as Elrin prepared beds for them all, his movements slow but precise. The children fell asleep quickly, exhausted by the day’s events, but Thraxar insisted on keeping watch, positioning himself where he could see both the door and the sleeping children.

“You should sleep too,” she told him, settling beside him on the small sofa.

“Later.” His gaze remained fixed on the door.

She leaned against him, drawing comfort from his solid presence. “You know, when I woke up and found Talia gone, all I could think was that I’d failed her. Just like I failed to protect Rory from being taken in the first place.”

His tail curled around her waist. “You have never failed either of them. You have fought for them every step of the way.”

“So have you.” She looked up at him. “I never thought I’d trust anyone again after what happened with Rory’s father. But you… you’re nothing like him.”

“I should hope not,” he rumbled, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“I mean it.” She took his hand, tracing the patterns along his wrist. “You see them—both of them—for who they are. Not for what others expect them to be.”

He was quiet for a long moment. “On Ciresia, family is everything. When I lost mine, I thought that part of me was gone forever.” His gaze shifted to the sleeping children. “I was wrong.”

She felt something shift inside her—a piece of her heart that had been guarded for so long finally opening completely. “We’re your family now,” she whispered. “All of us.”

His arms tightened around her, and in his embrace, she finally allowed herself to sleep.

The medical center was a sleek, modern facility nestled among the rolling hills outside the main settlement. Dr. Neva Sarn, Elrin’s contact, met them at a private entrance before regular hours.

“Elrin explained the situation,” she said, leading them through quiet corridors. “We’ll do a complete scan first, then address the incision site.”

She studied the doctor with a professional eye. Neva was a Terani, her silvery skin and four-fingered hands marking her species. She moved with a confident efficiency that immediately put her at ease.

The examination room was bright and spotlessly clean, filled with equipment more advanced than anything she had worked with in the mining settlement. Talia looked nervous as Neva prepared the scanning bed.

“It’s okay,” she assured her. “This won’t hurt at all. The scanner just takes pictures of the inside of your body to make sure you’re healthy.”

“Like seeing through me?” Talia asked.

“Exactly like that.” She helped her onto the bed. “I’ll be right here the whole time.”

Thraxar stayed with Rory in an adjoining room, visible through a large window. Rory seemed content to explore the space, running his fingers along the smooth walls and furniture.

As Neva operated the scanner, Kara watched the images appear on the display. The technology was impressive, showing tissue layers in remarkable detail.

“You have medical training,” Neva observed, noticing her focused attention.

“I was a trauma nurse. On Earth.”

“I am not familiar with that planet.”

“It is a long way from here. It wasn’t my choice to leave,” she said quietly.

Neva nodded, understanding in her eyes. “Well, your expertise is evident. See how you identified the inflammation pattern here?” She pointed to the scan. “Most people wouldn’t catch that.”

The scan revealed no additional tracking devices, but showed that Thraxar’s field extraction had left some tissue damage that needed repair. Neva prepared a regeneration treatment while Kara explained each step to Talia.

“This will feel warm,” she told the child as Neva applied the treatment. “It’s helping your body heal faster.”

Talia remained perfectly still, her trust in Kara evident. When the procedure was complete, Neva applied a small protective patch.

“All done,” she announced. “You were very brave.”

“Kara said it wouldn’t hurt,” Talia replied simply. “And it didn’t.”

Neva smiled, then turned to Kara. “Would you mind assisting me with the final readings? Your perspective would be valuable.”

As they reviewed the data, Neva spoke casually. “We’re short-staffed at the moment. Lost two trauma specialists to the central system last month.”

She gave her a curious look. “Are you offering me a job?”

“Would you consider it?” Neva asked earnestly. “Your skills are evident, and we could use someone with your experience.”

She glanced through the window to where Thraxar sat with the children. He caught her eye and raised a questioning brow ridge.

“I… haven’t thought about practicing professionally again,” she admitted.

“Think about it,” Neva suggested. “The hours are flexible, and we have excellent childcare facilities attached to the center. Many of our staff are parents.”

The idea settled in her mind like a seed finding fertile soil. Working in a proper medical facility again, using her skills to help people rather than just patching them up enough to send them back to dangerous work. Having colleagues, resources, clean equipment.

“I’ll consider it,” she said finally.

When they rejoined Thraxar and the children, Neva gave them a brief tour of the facility. Kara noted the advanced equipment, the efficient layout, the staff moving purposefully through their duties. It was everything the mining settlement’s makeshift medical unit wasn’t.

“What did the doctor want?” Thraxar asked as they prepared to leave.

“She offered me a job,” she replied, still processing the idea. “As a trauma nurse here.”

His expression remained neutral, but his tail twitched with interest. “What do you think?”

“I think…” She paused, watching Rory as he examined a display of anatomical models with fascination. “I think it might be good. For all of us.”

Outside, the morning sun had risen fully, bathing the landscape in golden light. Talia skipped ahead with Rory following at his own pace, both children seemingly unburdened by the dangers that still loomed.

“Do you want to take the position?” he asked quietly.

She considered the question carefully. “When I was on Earth, being a nurse wasn’t just what I did—it was part of who I was. I lost that part of myself in the mines.” She looked up at him. “Maybe it’s time to reclaim it.”

“Then you should accept.”

“What about Talia? The people hunting her?”

His expression hardened with determination. “I have been thinking about that. The tracker gives us an advantage they do not know we have.”

“How?”

“We can use it to set a trap. Draw them out, deal with them permanently.” His hand found hers. “But first, we make sure you and the children are safe.”

She squeezed his hand. “We’ll face it together.”

As they walked back toward Elrin’s home, she felt a strange sense of peace. For the first time since being taken from Earth, she could clearly see a future taking shape—one with purpose, with family, with belonging.

It wasn’t the life she had planned, but watching Thraxar guide Rory around a puddle in the path, seeing Talia’s ears flush purple with happiness as she collected colorful stones, she realized something profound.

Sometimes the family you find is the one you needed all along.