The war went on. And on. And fucking on. I’d been fighting since I was a boy, my father dragging me with him to the command deck when I was a mere child, teaching me strategy. Teaching me how to deliver the killing blow, how to kill without mercy. Twenty years I’d been fighting, and each death took a toll on my soul. I was battered, worn down.
Before Amanda, I had forced myself to fight for duty, for honor. Now? Now I fought for her, and my determination to drive back the Hive forces, to protect her and all of my people, settled like a mountain in my chest, unmoving and without mercy. For her, I could fight forever.
She pushed the food around on her plate, an expression of distaste on her beautiful face, and I realized that I had not thought to find out what the people of Earth liked to eat.
“I’m sorry, Amanda. I should have thought to order dishes from Earth for the S-Gen programmers. I will remedy that immediately.”
She leaned her head against my shoulder, touching me with a comfort and familiarity I was quickly coming to crave. “It’s all right, Grigg. You’ve got much more important things to deal with than my taste buds.”
“No, love. I don’t. You are the only thing that matters to me.” I meant it. If I lost her, I’d have no reason to keep fighting. I’d be finished.
Her eyes widened when I failed to hold back my emotion, but I was done hiding the ferocity of my devotion, my need, from her. Rav shifted in his seat as I was sure he felt it, too, the link forged by our collars both a blessing and a curse. I simply glowered at him, daring him to say a word.
Which, of course, he did.
“Told you, love.”
She smiled and her smile morphed to a small laugh. “Yes, you did.”
I held her face still between my palms and kissed her once. Twice. Right there in front of everyone as an unnatural hush fell over the room. “What did he tell you?” I whispered.
Amanda’s secretive smile was all feminine mystery and I longed to throw her down on the table and fuck the truth out of her.
Gods, I needed to get control of myself, but knew I wouldn’t be able to rein in my dominant nature, not until she was safely ours forever, the claiming ceremony complete, her collar a dark midnight blue.
Rav saved me from making a fool of myself in the middle of the fucking dining room. “I told her you were a pathetic, needy mess.”
I considered denying his words, but the soft glow in Amanda’s eyes, the total acceptance I saw in her gaze, stopped me cold. She knew. She already fucking knew the truth. “Yes, I am.”
Admitting it didn’t make me weaker. It didn’t make me anything my father said I would become. Instead, it made me stronger, for I knew Amanda and Rav would be there for me, supporting me, encouraging me. Loving me, no matter what hardship we faced.
The confession earned me another smile and a sigh that made me feel like I’d just conquered the entire Hive collective. I kissed her again, pulling her as close as I dared in such a public place. When I let her go, she smiled and turned to Rav, kissing him, too, making sure he knew what he meant to her.
Glowing with happiness, she forced another bite of the nutrient-rich protein cubes down, her eyes scanning the crowd that had suddenly found something else to do, and somewhere else to look. But the room felt lighter, calmer, happier.
Maybe that was just me.
Amanda gasped and jumped to her feet. I rose instantly, Rav a split second slower, both of us ready to tear the head off whatever had scared her, but it wasn’t panic flooding my collar, it was sorrow.
Confused, I looked down at my mate as she placed a hand on my arm to stay me before walking away, toward
a couple and small boy that had just entered the dining room.
Silence descended as my mate approached Captain Myntar and his mate, everyone watching, waiting to see what Amanda was going to do.
She didn’t say a word, but her gaze locked with the much larger Prillon female’s for scant seconds before Mara leaned forward, collapsing with heaving sobs in Amanda’s outstretched arms.
As if a dam had broken, everyone in the dining hall rose and surrounded Myntar and his mate and child, offering support and sharing in their sorrow. My little human mate was in the center of the small crowd, cementing my people into a family unit stronger than it had ever been.
“Gods, she’s going to fucking kill me with that soft heart of hers.” Rav was rubbing his chest, trying to alleviate the sharp, stabbing ache I knew he must be feeling, because Amanda’s pain was our pain, and she was truly broken-hearted for Mara and Myntar and little Lan.
“We didn’t have a heart before her,” I said.
“Agreed.” Rav twisted and turned his head on his shoulders, cracking his spine to relieve some tension. “I’ve got to get to medical and prepare the body.” He turned to me. “You sure about this?”
“Yes. And so is she.”
Rav nodded, patting me on the shoulder as he walked past. “I’ll see you down there.”