by Susan Hayes
The cry of a hawk came from somewhere far above them, and a breeze blew up from the valley, cooling her sweat dampened face. “So, when do I get my spaceship?”
Colin laughed and leaned back to grin at her. “I don’t think they carry those at the base store. Will you settle for breakfast in bed?”
“If I have to.” She deliberately stuck out her lower lip in an overdone pout.
“You do. Now, get dressed. We have shopping to do.”
***
CHAPTER TWELVE
It felt strange for Alayna to be wandering around an Alliance base in the middle of the day. Stranger still to be strolling along out in the open, her hand clasped in Colin’s as they headed toward the cluster of buildings that made up the main headquarters. And that was another thing that felt weird. Colin had taken her hand as he’d helped her down from the vehicle and never let go. No one had held her hand since she’d gotten big enough to walk on her own.
Every person they met had saluted Colin, thumping a closed fist over their chest as they went by, but the moment they’d acknowledged him all eyes went back to her. After a lifetime of trying to go unnoticed, it was unnerving to be the focus of so much attention.
“The next man to ogle you is going to be sucking his meals down through a straw,” Colin snarled under his breath. He let go of her hand, only to drape a very possessive arm around her waist and draw her in close to his side. His jealousy would have been funny if she wasn’t feeling the strain of everything else that was going on.
“You’re their boss. They’re just curious to see you walking around the base with some unknown scroll. When you went home yesterday, you were single, remember?”
“You’re not a scroll. You’re our chosen.” Colin stopped walking and pivoted so that he was facing her, his arm still around her waist. Without a word he reached up to caress her cheek, sweeping back a few tendrils of hair that had come loose during their earlier romp at the side of the road. As he tucked the stray locks back behind her ear, Alayna realized what he was doing. He was making sure anyone and everyone could see she’d been claimed.
“Do you think it would help if we painted a big red circle around it? Maybe a bright, flashing holo-sign that reads ‘hands off, she’s taken,’ hovering above my head?”
“Don’t tempt me. The sooner we get inside, the happier I’ll be. None of these guys are worthy to even look at our chosen. The next one who does is going to get my boot up his ass,” he said and touched a feather-light kiss to her temple before setting off again.
They made it across the compound in record time, fast enough Alayna had to damn near jog to keep up with Colin’s long strides. The medical building was a place of hushed voices and strange smells that stirred memories she had no interest in revisiting. She wasn’t a frightened child anymore, she was a grown woman. One who would inflict serious harm on anyone who tried to do anything without her express permission.
A young officer met them inside the main doors. His uniform was unbuttoned at the throat, and though he saluted Colin, his appreciative gaze never really left Alayna’s chest. “General Neilson, nice to see you, sir. I was told to expect you and your guest. DNA sample and a simple med-scan, correct?”
“Check the name on that file again. This is not my guest. This is Alayna Grekov-Neilson, my chosen. If you don’t want to be assigned to bedpan duty for the rest of your time here, you might want to remember that.” Colin’s tone was as brusque as she had ever heard it, and when she glanced up at him she barely recognized the stern, commanding expression on his face. The young man visibly paled as he double checked the files on his wrist unit and then snapped off a much crisper salute as he pulled himself together. “Sorry, sir! My apologies, ma’am. Please, come right this way.” The medic pivoted on his heel and led them down a short, windowless corridor.
“Ma’am?” she whispered to Colin. His lips quirked into a quick smirk as he winked at her, but he didn’t say a word. As they walked, Alayna marveled at how clean everything looked. Every surface was polished to gleaming, even the floor. The doors they passed were all clearly marked and secured with a bio-lock. She’d hit this place the time before last, and it hadn’t looked anything like what it did now.
Those locks are new. Well shit. The guys weren’t kidding about upgrading the security around here.
When they reached what Alayna assumed was the exam room, Colin ushered her in first, keeping one hand on the small of her back as he entered right behind her. Their escort shut the door behind them and fled back down the hallway, no doubt hoping that Colin forgot he even existed. This room was as clean and well organized as everywhere else, containing only chair, counter, a few cupboards and a med-scanner that looked a lot like the one she’d been put in the day she’d been tested. Her skin crawled at the thought of lying down on one of those things again, even though she knew things were different this time. This one didn’t even have restraints, and there were no dour faced attendants watching every move she made.
“Alayna?” Colin’s voice drew her out of her memories. She hadn’t noticed, but she was still standing in the middle of the room, staring at the med-scanner.
Get it together, girl.
Colin moved in close behind her, curving one arm around her waist. “Twenty minutes and we’ll be out of here, I promise.”
“I’m fine.”
“Liar.”
“You really need to stop calling me that.”
“Then stop lying to me. You’re our chosen and we’re your bonded. There’s nothing you can tell us that is going to change that, or how we feel about you.”
“I wouldn’t bet on that,” she muttered and then winced when his arm tightened around her.
“What are you—” Colin’s question was cut short by the sound of the door opening behind them. “I hear congratulations are in order, Ghost. Now would you mind letting go of the lucky lady so I can do my job? You can maul her later…sir.” The honorific was tacked on as an afterthought and Alayna waited for Colin snap at the newcomer.
“Vance?” Colin knew he had to be hearing things. Dr. Vance Sterling was not scheduled to arrive on the base for another week. He knew that, because he and Griz were counting down the days until their friends arrived at Fort Saken. He released Alayna and turned around to find himself engulfed in a bear hug that threatened to break his ribs.
“Surprise.”
“What the hell are you doing here? You and Dane aren’t due for days yet. Is Annie here? If our goddaughter is here and you haven’t brought her to see us, you’re in big trouble, asshole. And for fuck’s sake put me down so I can introduce you to Alayna.”
“Dane is still in the city with Annie. I got a call the day before yesterday asking if I could come out early, your guy here wanted to get started on his retirement and didn’t want to wait. Didn’t anyone tell you?” The big man grinned. “What kind of slipshod operation are you running here?”
“You have no idea, Doc. Judging by the cavalier attitude of the officer I just met, you’re going to have your work cut out for you, too. But that’s a conversation for another time. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
Colin couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride as he turned and took Alayna’s hand. “Dr. Vance Sterling, this is my chosen, Alayna. Alayna, Vance served with Griz and I a few years back. He and Dane have the sweetest baby girl on the entire planet, and then proved they were insane by naming us as her godfathers.”
“You trusted those two with a baby?” Alayna asked.
“Yeah, well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. But you’re one to talk. You seem to have trusted them with a whole lot more than that.” Vance nodded toward the mark beside Alayna’s left eye.
Alayna barked with laughter. “Me? I didn’t have a whole lot of say in the matter. I tried declining their offer, but they weren’t interested in my opinion.”
“You said no? Really?” Vance’s grin widened. “Oh, man. Wait until I tell Dane that Griz and Ghost got shot down. So
, how long did it take for them to convince you?”
“We met last night. Our whole courtship lasted about as long as it took for Nik to hold me down while Colin slapped this mark on my face.”
Vance’s jaw dropped and his gaze kept bouncing from Colin to Alayna. “Uh, wow. Now I’m not sure whether to off my congratulations, or my condolences.”
Colin leaped in to do damage control. “Congratulations, thank you. And seriously, can you blame us? Alayna’s perfect, and now we’re going to do all we can to make it up to her.”
Vance was still shaking his head in amazement. Not that Colin could blame him. Alayna’s version didn’t exactly put them in the best of lights. He still didn’t regret what they’d done. Never would. But it was only now occurring to him that he and Griz were going to subject to a lot of ribbing from their friends over their actions…and his mother might have a few things to say to them about their actions, come to think of it.
That’s one conversation I’m not looking forward to.
Alayna was enjoying putting Colin on the defensive. She liked his friend, Vance, already, The big man had gentle manner about him, despite the fact he was clearly another elite. He was taller than Colin, with mocha skin and dark hair that would likely curl if it wasn’t cut so short. His light brown eyes were kind, and he had a genuine smile that softened his looks and made him slightly less intimidating. “So far Nik’s made me breakfast and Colin’s going to take me shopping after we get this medical nightmare over.”
“Alayna isn’t a big fan of doctors,” Colin commented.
“Don’t take it personally. I’m not a fan of the Alliance, period.”
“You’re not a fan of the Alliance?” Vance looked fascinated, but as he leaned forward Colin’s arm snaked back around her waist, drawing her away from the big doctor.
“You can see her perfectly fine from where you’re standing. This doesn’t leave the room, Doc. But it seems Griz and I went and claimed a renegade.”
“No fucking way.” Now Vance was staring, and Alayna was tired of Colin talking about her like she wasn’t in the damned room.
“Yes, Fucking. Way. I tried to warn them, but they weren’t listening. And Colin, quit dragging me around the room like I’m a toy you don’t want to share. You can keep saying ‘mine’ as much as you want, but that doesn’t make it true.”
“You just keep telling yourself that, Princess,” Colin drawled, but he loosened his hold on her a little.
Vance chuckled as he watched from his vantage point a few feet away. “You guys always said you wanted a woman with spirit. I’d say you got your wish. I swear, only the two of you could manage to wind up with a rebel for a chosen. Alayna, I’m honored to meet you, and I hope you give these two hell. And remember, not all of us are as uncivilized as your men. Some of us are actually pretty agreeable fellows. I can’t wait for Annie to get to meet her new godmother. She’s going to love you.”
“Godmother?” Alayna’s throat tightened as she spoke so that the second syllable came out as more of a squawk.
“Well, yeah. You’re with her godfathers, so that makes you her godmother. Don’t worry. It’s a purely honorary title. As you pointed out, we’d have to be crazy to actually entrust our daughter to the likes of Griz and Ghost here.”
“I’m taking that comment personally,” Colin grumbled.
“You were supposed to.”
“Asshole. Why did I request you be transferred here again?
“Because you missed my fabulous personality. Oh, and because I’m the best doctor on the planet. Not to mention modest, and there’s the fact that I will actually put up with your shit.”
“No, I think it was actually because Griz and I missed Annie. We just couldn’t figure out a way to get her up here without you two coming along.” Colin gave Alayna a light hug. “You’ll love Annie. Her birthday is next month, right? She’s going to be two. She’s an amazing kid. We didn’t get to meet her until recently, so we’re hoping to make up for lost time. She was born while we were out in the big black.”
“You moved out here so Annie could be closer to her godfathers?” she asked Vance in confusion, but the big man shook his head.
“When your men got their orders to come out, they asked us if we’d consider transferring here. They knew we were looking for a change, and this was a good opportunity...we’ve had a rough year.”
Colin picked up the narrative as Vance went silent. “Annie’s mother died last year. Doc and Dane are raising their little girl solo, but both of them are still Alliance officers. They’re like you, princess. No family. So this way we can be there to help them.”
Every time she turned around, someone was disproving another belief she held about the people in the Alliance. Had Sam been that wrong? No, she knew he couldn’t be. She’d seen the cruelty and greed for herself, first hand. But she’d never seen this kind of compassion before.
Or maybe I just haven’t been looking for it.
She glanced up at Vance and offered him a small smile. “I think I’d like to meet her, but I should warn you, I have next to no experience with children. Where I grew up, there was only one child. Me.”
“Then we’ll ease you into it nice and slow. You can get used to the idea of having a tiny trouble magnet wandering around underfoot before you three start your own family someday.”
“Someday will be a long damned time coming,” Alayna declared, crossing her arms across her chest.
“Well, considering you were claimed the same night you all met, you’re well within your rights to make these two jackasses wait to have kids. They clearly have impulse control problems. Maybe once you’ve got them housebroken you can think about kids.”
“Cute, Doc. Very cute. Just for that, I’m going to start buying my goddaughter nothing but toys that make noise. Lots of noise.”
“You do that and I’ll make sure they all end up at your house. She can play with those toys when she’s visiting her godfathers.” Vance turned his attention back to Alayna. “You’re here to give us a DNA sample and get a baseline scan today. Why don’t we get on with that, and we can all catch up properly later. And Alayna, Alliance generals make a stack of credits, so don’t even think twice about making them shell out for whatever you want when this one takes you shopping later. Buy whatever you like. In fact, I think you should buy two of everything.”
“If it makes you happy, princess. Buy three,” Colin said softly.
“Says the man who won’t even buy me one spaceship.” All three of them laughed at that, and before she knew it Colin was helping her to get up on the table to be scanned. The tension she’d felt earlier was almost gone now, banished by laughter and Colin’s presence. Once she was stretched out on the table she expected him to go, but instead he claimed a spot at her side, took her hand in his and squeezed it.
“I’m not going anywhere without you.”
With Colin at her side, the scan seemed to take no time at all. When it was done, they said their goodbyes to Vance and headed off on the rest of their errands. At the top her list was to get a message to Sam. He refused to use a wrist unit, or any other tech that might be used to track him, and so she would do what they always did, use a system of couriers and relays to transfer information. It was slow, but there were no transmissions to pinpoint and no digital messages to intercept.
She needed to tell her foster father two things. Firstly, that Fort Saken’s security had been seriously upgraded and should be taken off the list of viable targets. Then she’d have to break the news that she wouldn’t be coming home, because she’d been claimed.
He wasn’t going to take either piece of news very well.
***
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
When Alayna and Colin had returned from town, there hadn’t been time to do anything but unpack her new belongings before the two men appeared at her bedroom door and offered to show her around her new home.
She had only ever seen the place at night. By daylight it was larger,
far brighter and more welcoming. The furniture was comfortable, if a little sparse, but what there was of it was all well made and far better than what she had known out in the badlands. They apologized more than once about how small the house was, explaining that the off-base housing had been designed without considering the needs of a bonded trio. When they told her that new housing was going to be built for the three of them, as well as for Dane, Vance and Annie, she was stunned.
“We’re the future of our race, at least here on Earth. We live in service to the Alliance, and the Alliance sees we have what we need,” Colin had said with a dismissive shrug and they’d gone back to their tour. Neither of them had noticed the impact that simple statement had on her. They may have had years to accept their place in the world, but for Alayna, who had eked out an existence as far from the Alliance as she could manage, it was a foreign way of thinking.
After an evening of quiet conversation where they had started the process of actually getting to know each other, Alayna had gone to bed alone. Neither men had asked to join her, but she had felt their eyes on her as she left. She knew that if she had so much as crooked a finger they’d have been at her side in a second but she appreciated the fact they had given her some space. Alayna knew she would need it so she could start to process everything before she went to sleep.
That had been hours ago, and so far sleep hadn’t made an appearance. Hell, she hadn’t managed more than a few minutes of restless dozing before her brain would switch back on or her instincts would have her cataloging every sight and sound, looking for a threat. It wasn’t fair. Last night she’d fallen into a deep sleep when she shouldn’t have, and tonight, when it no longer mattered, she was stuck staring at the ceiling of her new bedroom. Somewhere out there, the universe was having a good laugh at her expense.
