Page 22 of Her Alien Mercenaries
It wasn’t a question. Blessed ancestors, shedidunderstand. It was enough. At least for now.
“We do,” Zanyr joined the conversation. “But not until you are ready. That’s a gift not easily given.”
Her next breath came out in a soft huff that might have been laughter but was probably relief. “True. Thank you for giving me time.”
Her lips thinned for a moment, and she moved her hands together in front of her, one hand rubbing the back of the other. “I know you’ll both need time too. I mean, I’m not exactly what you were expecting. The females of your species are beautiful, strong, and well…” She shrugged both shoulders. “A lot taller than I am. They can fly, too.”
Zanyr heard what she said, but the doubt in her voice drove daggers into his heart. She had doubts, not about them, but about herself.
“No,” he said, the denial out of his mouth before his brain could catch up. When he couldn’t think of what to say next, he let his heart do the talking. “You are not what we expected,ana-thi. You are so much more. I’ve done things in my life that I’m not proud of. Things that made me question if I would ever find my mate or have any of the things I truly wanted.”
He closed the distance between them, stopping about a meter away. “Today, I got the answer to my questions. Today, the ancestors gifted me with you.”
This wasn’t what he’d intended. They should be in bed already, but something told him to hold tightly to his last shreds of control and do this right, even if he wasn’t sure what that was.
“You really believe that?” Jenna asked.
“I do.”
“As do I,” Torren added. “You are ourmahaya. The female we have been waiting for. A moment ago, I told you what we wanted from you. I want to know what you want from us.”
Jenna sucked in a breath. “What I want?”
Both of them waited for her to continue, but she stayed silent.
“What do you wish for in the darkest hours of the night?” Zanyr prompted.
“There was a time I was alone in the galaxy. Shunned by my family and forgotten by everyone. Back then, I wished for a brother, a companion to laugh with, a warrior I could trust to have my back.” Torren bowed his head toward Zanyr. “The ancestors led me to Zan, and we forged a bond that will last all our lives.”
“Now, we want you to be part of that bond. As powerful as it is, it’s still incomplete. We’ve been waiting for you, Jenna. Tell us what you need, what you dream of, so we can find a way to complete you, too.”
Tears glittered in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks as Jenna looked at them. “I…” She blew out a breath and then started again. “I’ve never let myself think about things like that. It was easier to be content with what I had. I told you I was an orphan, but there’s more to the story, and I don’t want to tell it right now.” She smiled softly. “I’d rather be doing other things.”
“And we will get to them. Soon,” Torren said. “But first, I want to know what you want from us.”
“Okay. I can do that. Be honest with me. I know we all have secrets to protect, but if it’s something you think I should know, I would like you to tell me. I’d rather be hurt by the truth than fooled by a lie.”
Veth. It was such a simple request, but it meant they needed to tell her about their past sooner than they’d like. So much for giving her time to get to know them first.
“I can do that,” Torren said.
“As can I. But is that all you want?” Zanyr pressed her gently.
“That’s all. For now, anyway.” Right. She needed more time. They’d already agreed to that, and here he was, pushing for more.
“For now,” he agreed, and then let his lips curve up into a wicked grin. “Which means this meaningful moment has ended, and we can get back to what we were doing before we wandered down this unexpected detour.”
To his delight, Jenna feigned confusion, her finger tapping at her lips. “Remind me what that was? I seem to have forgotten.”
Torren pounced, closing the distance between them so fast he doubted Jenna saw him move at all.
She yelped in surprise as Torren swept her into his arms, turned, and deposited her in the middle of her bed.
“Did that jog your memory?” Zanyr asked as he unclipped the sheath from his belt and placed it and the dagger inside on a nearby dresser.
“Yes, it did. But now there’s a different problem. I need to get back up.”
“Why?” Torren growled.
