“I intended to go back to Zolon and complete the ritual. I looked forward to it. I even wanted it.” His voice had grown soft. “My sons sent me out to find Jonah because he was telling anyone who would listen about Magic and its citizens. They hoped searching for Jonah would be a way to keep me from thinking about going back and completing the cal’tratu. I ached to join my Rowninda.”
“Then why don’t you want to go now if you love her so much?”
“Because I met you.” He reached up and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “When I first saw you, I thought you were a dog—the four-legged variety, not an unattractive woman.” His lips quirked up, but she wasn’t laughing.
“Even then, your scent drew me to you. At first, I thought I was finally going mad from living too long without my mate. For my people, living without our mate is a fate far worse than death. Later, when I realized you were a shifter, I was relieved to know I had not gone mad after all, and the reason your delicious scent drew me to you was because you are my takana.”
“Your second chance?”
“Yes.” He cleared his throat, his expression solemn. “At first, I didn’t want another mate. I still wanted to join my Rowninda in the beyond, the afterworld. I fought my attraction for you. I struggled to stay true to my first mate because I felt she deserved my loyalty and love.”
“What convinced you to change your mind? It doesn’t seem like anything could overcome such a love so easily.”
“Rowninda did.” He sighed at her raised brow. “My first mate was a seer—a strong psychic. With the help of the Goddess, she came to me the first night you spent in the apartment.”
“What did she say?”
“First, a strange female voice told me that since your boys have claimed me, I now have three sets of twins instead of two.”
No matter what happened, Wynter promised herself that he would not take Nicky and Noah from her.
“Did the voice say anything else?” She kept her face blank. It wouldn’t do for him to realize she thought him a couple of pieces short of a puzzle.
“After that, I heard Rowninda’s voice. She begged me to let her go and take a second chance at love.”
The ice growing around Wynter’s heart melted a bit when she saw the tears in his eyes.
“Yet again, I thought I had gone mad, but only for a moment. When the other voice spoke again, I realized how Rowninda came to me. I realized I didn’t merely hear voices in my head. I was in the presence of divinity. The Goddess herself spoke to me. Call me crazy if you like, but I swear it was she.”
“And what did she have to say?”
“She told me Rowninda was with her and that she wants to rest. I need to let my mate go because she will be waiting for me, and one day, we will all be together in the afterworld someday. She added that this time is for you and me. It’s her gift to us and not to squander it.”
“I see.”
“Do you?” He bowed his head. “I hope you do. My beast has chosen you. The fates have already linked us. You can refuse me. It is your right. Even if you mate with me, you can refuse me any day after that. You will never be bound to me the way I am already bound to you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Zolon males mate for life. They will go mad or die, or both without their mates. The females are free to love where they choose even after they are soul bound to their males. You have a choice. You could leave me anytime you want, and I could not stop you. I would most certainly beg you to stay, but I could not force you to do so.”
“It sounds as though you’re saying that mating with a Zolon male is nothing but perks for the woman. What’s the catch?”
“Catch?”
“There’s always a catch, Geno. Nothing that sounds so good ever comes without a catch.”
“I suppose the catch is that you’ll have to put up with me. You will endure space travel, sometimes. Though, I would never keep you away from home for too long. You would be in my company every day, and I might be a little bossy in the safety department.”
“But, you’ll never hurt me intentionally, either physically or mentally?”
“I would rather die.” He laid a hand over the center of his chest. “Now that you know everything, will you give me a chance, or shall I inform my sons of my plans to return to Zolon?”
She stared at Geno for a few moments. What did she have to lose? She had already lost her heart. Would it hurt any less if she left him now? Maybe. But she could lose so much more if she didn’t take the leap and give him a chance. One always risked heartbreak, or they wouldn’t call it falling in love.
“I’ll give you a chance, Geno.” She rested her hand on his with a slight smile. “But, remember I have scars. I’ll make an effort to overcome them, and I’ll try not to be so jumpy around you, but you have to remember, some trauma is hard to forget.”
“I understand.”
“Just don’t get mad at me when I backslide.”
“I would never be angry with you for something beyond your control. I might be angry at your dead husband. I might want to dig up his carcass and pound it into dust, but never would I take that out on you.”
“Deal.” Wynter stuck out her hand.
“Yes.” Geno took her hand in his, turned it over, and pressed a kiss to the center of her palm. “It’s a deal.”
“Then I think we’d better get going. Something tells me we’re not going to beat your sons back to the ship.” Wynter curled her trembling fingers and slowly pulled her hand from his.
“Perhaps not, but they know better than to leave without me.” Geno smiled before he stood and shut her door. “They all know they aren’t too old to receive their old man’s wrath.” He winked and made his way back around to the driver’s side. It was time they got back to the ship.
Ten minutes later, Geno parked the car next to the ship and slid from behind the wheel. After walking around to the passenger side, he helped her from the vehicle. Her legs felt a bit shaky, and she was still dehydrated even though she emptied the liter bottle of water Sela had given to her.
“Will you have a meal with me after we take off?” Geno steadied her as they walked up the outer ramp.
“I need a shower.” Wynter wrinkled her nose. “I smell like that awful trunk.” She couldn’t believe he hadn’t said something on the drive it was so bad. Geno had acted as though he didn’t notice the god-awful odor.
“You are my takana. You will always smell sweet to me.
“Okay...” She drew out the word and smiled at Geno. As weird as it seemed, she believed him.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“AFTER YOUR SHOWER, then.” Geno checked the watch his sons had given him for the Earth pagan holiday of Yule. “I’ll give you an hour, and then I’ll come back around to take you to the dining area. Is that okay?”
“I should check on the boys.” Wynter moved away from him, pressing her back against the door to her rooms. “I haven’t seen them since yesterday afternoon.”
“I’m sure they’re fine. Though it’s probably best if you see the boys after your shower, we wouldn’t want to worry them. They’ve been through too much already for those so young.” He thought for a moment. “Why don’t you go ahead and climb into the shower. I’ll go fetch the boys and bring them to see you.”
“I guess that’s okay. The twins shouldn’t see me like this. And you’re right. They’ve had enough trauma.”
“Will an hour be enough?” Geno checked his watch.
“Yes. That should be plenty of time.”
“I’ll bring one of my sons and daughters-in-law to sit with the boys while we eat.”
“Geno?” Wynter grasped his arm when he turned to go. “Thank you for coming to rescue me.”
“Thank you, Wynter, for giving me a chance.” Geno caught her hand when she would have let it fall to her side and brought it to his lips before he gave her a quick bow and turned to leave.
He would leave her on board the ship when they found the undergrou
nd lab if she’d let him. Unfortunately, Wynter insisted on being a part of the dangerous operation ahead of them.
No matter what she might think of herself, his second chance mate didn’t lack for courage. It was possible, even, that her bravery could get her injured. His only option was to be vigilant and keep himself between his mate and any known danger to her. Sighing, Geno headed to his oldest son’s apartment. He couldn't bear the thought of finding Wynter after all this time, only to lose her.
“Papa! The boys ran to him and threw their short arms around his legs when Reno opened the door.
After peering behind him, their faces fell, and their bottom lips quivered.
“Where’s Aunt—where’s Mama?” Nicky’s hand inched toward his mouth, the thumb extended.
“She’s in your rooms, taking a shower.” Geno knelt, scooped them up in his arms, and stood. “Would you like to go see her in a minute?”
They both nodded, their eyes wide. The anxiety mirrored on their identical faces was almost enough to cause Geno to take them to Wynter immediately.
Instead, he lowered them both to the floor and pointed at the toys strewn all over the room. “I’ll take you to see your maman after you’ve cleaned up your mess, and once I’ve spoken to Reno.” Reaching down, he patted them both on the head, messing up their hair.
“Yes, Papa.” Nearly everything the boys said, they uttered in stereo. Geno grinned at that. He’d missed hearing such things from Rowen and Ronin after they had grown up and spent more and more time apart.
The boys dashed around the room, picking up the tiny building blocks and other toys Reno or Birgit had replicated for them.
“Have you modified the sensors, or are we still waiting for that?” Geno watched the boys, keeping his voice low.
“The last time I spoke with them,” Reno replied, checking his watch. “Which was about five minutes ago, Xeno and Deno thought they would have it done in ten minutes.”
“Five more minutes, then.” Geno shoved his fingers through his hair. “I just want this damned thing over with and Wynter safe in my arms where she belongs.”
“She’s agreed to be your mate, then?” Reno’s eyebrows nearly reached his hairline.
“Not in so many words.” Geno spun around and began to pace. “She’s agreed to dinner again.” He growled when he thought of Wynter’s dead husband. “She’s frightened that I will be the same as her dead mate.” He snorted. “As if any self-respecting raider or warrior would treat a woman with such disrespect.”
“She’s scared, Dad,” Birgit interjected as she set a plate in front of him. “Have a snack. You’re hangry, and that’s not going to help you with Wynter. You’re volatile emotions scare her. I’ve seen the way she jumps when you guys show your annoyance with each other.”
“It does frighten her,” Geno agreed. “I inadvertently scared her on the way back to the ship. She almost jumped out of the car in a panic. She probably would have if her seatbelt hadn’t malfunctioned and held her in the vehicle.”
“I’ll check that out as soon as we get back to Magic. That’s not safe. If it should do it again after an accident, the outcome might not be good.” He shifted his gaze to Birgit’s burgeoning belly, his concern obvious.
“We’re done picking up. Can we go see Mama, now?”
Geno checked his watch and tried to think of a way to stall them a little longer.
“Geno needs to eat what’s on his plate. It’s rude to visit someone and not at least try to eat what they’ve prepared you, isn’t it,” Birgit asked as she took a glass of cola from the replicator.
“I guess.” Nicky glanced at Geno’s plate and wrinkled his nose. “I don’t have to eat that, do I?”
“No.” Birgit chuckled. “No one said you had to eat cheese and crackers.”
“That’s not cheese.” Noah pointed at the tiny round yellow ball, rolled in chopped nuts.
“It’s a cheese ball, and it’s very delicious. Maybe I’ll fix one for you and Nicky later.”
“Eeew!” They exclaimed in unison. “It’s got little rocks on it.”
“It’s chopped pecans, not rocks.” Birgit laughed and made her way back to the replicator.
“Can’t we have spaghetti instead?”
“I want ravioli,” Nicky said and elbowed his brother. “We wanted ravioli, remember?”
“Yeah. I member. We want ravioli.”
“Maybe, but it’s not dinner time yet, so how about some ice cream instead?”
“Yay! Ice cream!” The boys wasted no time clambering up into the seats on either side of Geno.
“I just love your replicators, Dad.” Birgit’s fingers flew over the touchpad. “I know it doesn’t matter what we eat. Everything is good for us.” The device hummed for a few seconds before she spun around with a small sundae in each hand.
“Just a small treat before dinner,” Reno said as he programmed the device to make two more desserts and brought them to the table.
“Why do the rest of you get ice cream, and I get rocky cheese and crackers?” Geno winked at Birgit.
Nicky and Noah giggled so much they nearly fell from their seats.
“It’s not rocks, Papa. Birgit says it’s...pecans.” Nicky took a bite of his ice cream.
“Yeah,” Noah agreed, his mouth already full. Chocolate rimmed his lips as he took another bite before swallowing the first.
“Eat that slowly, or you’ll get brain freeze.” Birgit took a small bit of the frozen confection onto the tip of her spoon. “Take little bites like this.”
“But we wanna hurry to see Mama.”
“No one is going to see your mother until Papan finishes his snack. You don’t want to rush through your bowls of ice cream and wish you had more, do you?” Reno frowned at them. “Slow down, or we might decide ice cream isn’t the kind of snack we should give to you again.”
“Yes, Reno.” Again, the reply came in stereo.
Geno suppressed a grin and turned his attention back to the half-eaten cheese ball and crackers on his plate.
Taking his time eating wasn’t something Geno wanted to do, especially before a dinner date. Though he knew he must give Wynter the hour, he’d promised. He needed to get back to her to spend as much time as possible, trying to make her understand why she should stay on board with Birgit.
“Are you finished, Papa?” Nicky tilted his head and leaned closer. “You haven’t taken a bite in a long time.” He wrinkled his nose and eyed the cheese ball suspiciously. “Does it taste bad?”
“No.” Geno blinked and met his gaze. “It doesn’t taste bad at all. I was just thinking about going to see your mother.” He checked his watch and almost sighed with relief. “I think if we take a short detour to the bridge and check to see how the sensor modifications are going, we could leave now. What do you think?”
“Thank you for letting us stay with you and play with your video games.” Nicky hugged Birgit.
“Thank you, Reno and Birgit,” Noah said as he took Geno’s hand.
“Thank you, too, squirt.” Reno bent and shook the boys’ hands. “Maybe one day you’ll be my little brothers. Who knows? Until then, let’s just say we’ve adopted each other.”
“I like that.” Noah grinned. “Hey, Nicky, Reno just dopted us. He’s our big brother now.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
WYNTER STARED AT HERSELF in the mirror, still unable to believe what she saw. She didn’t think she had ever looked so good before. Even when she was younger, she’d always been a little too sallow, and her eyes sunken.
The door chime startled her, and she turned quickly, nearly knocking over her little seat.
“Coming!” She hurried to the door, hoping it was Geno and the boys. She needed to see them. Every day she spent with them, her maternal instincts kicked in a bit more. When before she’d tend to forget to check on them, now she couldn’t wait to see her new sons. She’d spent most of her shower worried that they had come to some sort of harm while she’d been away.<
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She swung the door wide and fell to her knees to wrap the boys in her arms.
“Mama!” They said together as they usually did. “We missed you.”
“I missed you, too.” Tears slid down her cheeks, and Nicky, always the more sensitive twin, took her face between his little hands. “Don’t cry, Mama. We’re okay.” He wrapped his arms around her neck and squeezed.
“I know. I’m just so happy to see you.” The way their birth mother would have been. She felt a strange shift in the center of her chest, as though her heart had somehow grown larger.
“We’re happy to see you, too.” Noah glanced between them. “Xeno said we could stay with him and Charly tonight if it was okay with you. He said it wasn’t fair that Reno got to have all the fun.”
“Can we?” Noah asked, his face still pressed into the crook of her neck.
“Is that the only reason you wanted to see me? You two just wanted to ask if you could have another sleepover with one of Geno’s sons?”
“Xeno said he wants us to co-covince Charly that not all little boys are the debil.” Nicky frowned. “Why would Charly think that? We aren’t bad.” His bottom lip stuck out and started to tremble.
“No. You aren’t bad. I think Xeno was joking with you and teasing Charly.” Wynter met Geno’s gaze, hoping she was right.
Geno knelt, peeled Nicky from Wynter’s side, and stared into his eyes. “Xeno was just teasing all of you. He does that. The next time, you tell him that his papan said that he was always a little devil. That will shut him up.
“Are you ready to go?” Geno met her gaze before dropping to do a physical inspection. He must have liked what he saw because his eyelids lowered, and Wynter could have sworn she saw his eyes glow a little before he turned his attention back to the twins.
Wynter shivered, and goosebumps broke out on her arms and legs. Her breath turned shallow when he stared at her with such intense heat.
“Yes,” she replied breathlessly, resting her hand over the base of her throat. How would she make it through dinner when she couldn’t breathe? “Yes. I’m ready. Unless you’d rather I put on some makeup.”
Wooing Wynter Page 20
