Page 58 of Legacy for the Alien Warrior

His tail coiled around her thigh, a silent question.

“Yes,” she breathed.

They made love there in the garden, beneath alien stars, with a gentleness that belied the intensity of their connection. Afterward, wrapped in his warmth, she traced the patterns on his skin with her fingertips.

“How long can we stay?” she asked, the question slipping out before she could reconsider.

He stilled beneath her touch. “How long do you want to stay?”

She hesitated, fear of asking for too much warring with the depth of her feelings. “I don’t want to leave,” she admitted. “Not ever.”

His exhale was long and slow. “Then don’t.”

She raised her head to look at him. “What about Talia? What if Elrin finds her family?”

“Then we will do what is right for her.” His expression was solemn. “But whatever happens, this place is yours and Rory’s for as long as you want it. And I am yours, if you will have me.”

The simplicity of his declaration brought tears to her eyes. “Of course, I’ll have you,” she whispered. “We’ll have you. And you will have us.”

He gathered her close, his tail wrapping securely around them both, and above them, the unfamiliar stars seemed to shimmer in approval, forming new patterns to guide them on their unexpected journey together.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Thraxar 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 lifeI 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?”

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