She turned, knowing the enemy rarely, if ever, traveled alone. Growls and snarls seemed to surround her. She backed up, pressing herself to a tree trunk as she felt utterly helpless for the first time in her life.
Another shadow burst free of the tree line toward her and she prepared to give it her all…
As she stared into familiar green eyes, she tipped her head. “Jordan?”
“Are you hurt?” he asked, his breathing heavy. It was then she noticed the blood on his hands and forearm.
“No,” she whispered.
He put his body in front of her, and he held out a hand. Claws emerged from the ends of his fingers and a low growl rumbled as he glared into the darkness. “You messed with the wrong man’s wife.”
Confused, she put a hand to his back. “Jordan?”
He twisted and cupped her chin with his unshifted hand. His gaze locked on hers. “You scared the hell out of me. Never, ever do it again.”
“You left,” she stated, sounding so unlike herself that all she could do was blink up at him.
Emotions washed over his handsome face. “Because I hurt you, Nina. I forced you to accept me as your husband. I needed to think of how to fix this for you. I know you don’t want me, that you didn’t claim me back, regardless of what Manna says.”
She teared up and swatted his back. She’d have yelled at him for being so utterly stupid but the enemy picked then to attack.
Jordan spun around and met the threat head-on. She backed away, giving him room to do what he needed to. She’d never seen him in direct, head-to-head battle with one of the others. It was awe inspiring—the way he moved fluidly, twisting, turning, dodging, striking. Suddenly, the enemy was no more.
Nina glanced at the two pieces that had once been the threat and her stomach churned. She moved quickly towards a patch of fallen leaves and bent, positive she was about to be sick. Never before had something like that bothered her. In fact, she often found such a thing amusing, as twisted as it sounded.
Jordan was suddenly there, rubbing her back gently and pulling her hair from her face. He leaned, his body pressing to hers. “I don’t think the baby much likes all this violence.”
The baby?
She stilled.
He sighed. “Shit, I thought you’d have figured it out by now.”
She twisted in his arms. “A baby?”
He nodded.
Her mind raced and it took a moment for her to fully realize what it meant. She gasped. “We’re true mates?”
“Yeah, at least that’s what people keep telling me,” he said softly. “I’m so sorry I forced you to accept my claim and that—”
Nina tossed her body against him, her arms going around his neck. She held him tight. “Don’t leave me, Jordan. Please.”
“Leave you?” he questioned, returning the embrace. “Baby, I’m not going anywhere. I’ve been tracking you all damn day, and if you think I’m letting you out of my sight again, you’re wrong. I don’t care if you’re more than capable of handling yourself or not. I needed to clear my head this morning and when I got back, you were gone.”
“They told me you left the village.”
He sighed. “To shift forms and run in the forest. I didn’t leave you, Nina. I just needed to think. To let my animal side be free. I came right back.”
She tensed and then eased her hold on him. “Jordan, something is wrong. I can’t shift forms. My cat side isn’t working at all.”
He glanced towards the dead enemy. “Stars above, you could have been… Nina…you and the baby could have… I should have been here sooner. I should have never left you to start with.”
She pressed her mouth to his, shutting him up. The kiss was passionate yet tender. “You’re here now. You came when I needed you and that’s all that matters. Now, can we maybe leave here? The smell of it all is going to make me sick.”
He held her hand in his and dipped his head, kissing her quickly. “Let’s go.”
They started on their way and she had to tug lightly on his hand. “Jordan, honey, you’re going too fast for me.”
He paused, his brows meeting.
She blushed, realizing she’d just called him honey.
“Nina, you’re usually fast—scarily fast. What’s wrong?”
She exhaled slowly. “I don’t know.”
He closed his eyes a moment. “The baby. Your body is adjusting to the baby.”
“Oh gods, that’s why I can’t shift forms,” she said. “I won’t be able to again until after he’s born.” Her eyes widened. “Jordan, I can’t protect him. I can’t keep him safe if I can’t shift and if I’m not at full strength.”
“Shh,” he whispered, pulling her to him and kissing her forehead. “What do you think I’m for, huh? You’re my mate, Nina. My wife. I’ll protect you.” His hand found her stomach. “Both.”
She clung to him. “But, I’ve always protected myself. I’m head of the bloody guards. I’m—”
Nodding, he cut her off. “Very stubborn and headstrong. Yeah, I know. Can you keep going if I slow the pace? Tell me if you can’t. I’ll watch over you while you sleep.”
“We’re too close to where we were attacked,” she said. While her ability to shift might be gone, the warrior in her wasn’t. She knew it wasn’t safe to remain in the area. That they had to keep moving. “I’m good if you slow the pace.”
“Nina, swear to me that you’ll tell me if you need to rest,” he said, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it gently. “I won’t see it as weakness, baby.”
“I will.” She went to her tiptoes and he dipped his head, kissing her lips.
Chapter Ten
Nina held Jordan’s hand as they approached their village. One of her guards was on a watchtower. She heard his whistle and knew he was in the process of alerting others that someone was nearing the gates.
A stampede of sorts occurred as their friends and family gathered at the gate. Bradi was there, nearly ripping the chains to shreds as he tried to hurry the large, heavy metal gates open. The moment he could squeeze through, he did. He rushed them, grabbing Nina and lifting her off her feet, hugging her tight.
Sevan was next through the gates, reaching for his brother, giving Jordan a manly embrace. “We thought you were dead. We looked everywhere for signs of you guys but there was nothing.”
“We’re fine. The shuttle isn’t. Front half of it is at the bottom of the red sea and well on its way to being a reef. The ass end is marooned on the beach.” He exhaled slowly, his hand going towards Nina as Bradi set her down. “We never made it off the planet. Marisa’s father—”
“Is here with us,” Marisa said, coming forward with Christian at her side, her medical bag at the ready. “He actually found his way to us.”
Nina exhaled a shaky breath, her gaze going to Bradi. She didn’t want to say what had been in the back of her mind from the moment she’d first left on the fool’s errand.
Kyriakos.
He was out there somewhere.
“Any word of Kyriakos?”
“No, sis, but Sevan used some of my old contacts to put the word out to all our lost brothers.” He hugged her again before Lorelei appeared and forced him out of the way.
“We’ll find him. I promise. We’ll find them all and bring them home to us,” her sister said, tears evident in her eyes.
The women embraced. Lorelei’s stomach had started to swell and it was easy to see she was expecting another baby. The twins were young yet and that would mean they would be close in age to their new sibling. That was good. Lorelei stopped in mid-hug and drew in a sharp breath. “Nina?”
Nina cringed, already knowing her sister could sense the change in her. That she could sense she was expecting too.
Lorelei spun and snatched hold of Jordan’s wrist. She dragged him closer, hugging him too. “Is it possible to be even more of a family member to me? I know you were already my brother-in-law because of Sevan but now you are extra brother-in-law materi
al!”
“Say what?” Bradi questioned.
Marisa squealed and lunged at Nina, hugging her again. “Stars above, this is fantastic. You two finally did it. You mated!”
Sevan’s eyes widened. “Holy Universe. Nina let you near her and didn’t tear off your balls and spoon feed ’em to you?”
Blushing, Nina instinctively stepped towards Jordan, who put an arm out, pulling her close. He used his free hand to touch her cheek, directing her attention upwards, to his face. His lips quirked. “There were moments I thought she might do just that.”
“I’d never hurt you, Jordan.”
He winked. “I was kidding, baby.”
He dipped his head and she went to her tiptoes, their lips meeting. When the kiss ended, Jordan remained close, holding her tight but looking at his brother. “I need Nina to rest. We’ve been walking for days and I’m worried about her and the baby.”
“Baby?” everyone but Lorelei echoed.
Marisa squealed again and Christian let out a whooping sound. He patted Jordan’s shoulder so hard that Jordan would have fallen, had Nina not been there to steady him. He cast a wicked grin in her direction. “I think they’re excited for us.”
Just then, Pheebes strolled through the gate.
Nina tensed, expecting a fight to occur between her mate and her ex-lover.
Pheebes’s eyes moistened and in one fell swoop, he was on her, lifting her and hugging her to him. He turned her in a circle. “I thought… Nina, I thought…”
She smiled, hugging him back. “I’m fine.”
“So is the baby,” Jordan said sternly.
Pheebes set her down and glanced at her stomach. “Congratulations are in order?”
“My sister is mated and knocked up,” Bradi said with an odd note of pride for as crass as he was. “In case you missed it, she’s off the market, buddy.”
“Bradi,” Marisa scolded. “Be nice. You know as well as the rest of us that Pheebes didn’t stop hunting for them either. He’s the one who found that chick and her buddy hiding in the compound. He’s the one who got it out of them that they’d sabotaged the shuttle, and he hasn’t slept a wink since then. He cares about her.”
“And caring is as far as it will ever go,” Bradi added.
“What he said,” Jordan replied, puffing his chest out.
With a roll of her eyes, Nina gave Pheebes another quick hug and took his hand, placing his palm upon her lower abdomen, knowing he’d sense the child within her.
Pheebes’s smiled. “You are happy? He treats you well?”
“He keeps me in line nicely,” she said. “And I’m more than happy.”
“Do you love him?”
She put her hand over her long-time friend’s and nodded. “With all my heart.”
“Then I am happy for you both, and you and your child will always have my sword at the ready to defend and protect you.”
“Thank you, Pheebes.”
He grunted. “I will even defend your gormless husband.”
She burst into laughter and Jordan balked.
Chapter Eleven
Jordan stared at his wife’s sleeping form. Her stomach was large, too rounded for her to sleep upon it anymore. She was always going on about being fat and he spent equally as much time assuring her that she was beautiful.
And she was.
Never had he seen a more perfect sight than Nina swollen with his child. The babe was due soon, and while Sevan had done his part in trying to prepare Jordan for fatherhood and all it entailed, Jordan couldn’t help but panic.
There was so much to worry about. So many threats to the babe both here and abroad. Getting a full night’s sleep was already a thing of the past for him. He spent too much time worrying about Nina and the babe.
With a sigh, he tossed the covers back from their bed and climbed out. He slipped on a pair of pants but didn’t bother with a shirt or shoes. He needed fresh air.
He exited their living quarters and walked down the corridor, towards an exterior door. He paused as a shadow stepped forth.
Christian inclined his head. “You too find sleep elusive?”
“Yeah,” Jordan said, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Nina?” Christian questioned.
“She’s resting well. The tea and herbs you mixed for her really helped her to relax and stopped her back from aching. Thank you.”
Christian merely nodded as he opened the exterior door.
The night was dark, the moon’s light barely there. Jordan stepped out behind the Chieftain.
“Jordan, you wear your concerns and fears for all to see,” Christian offered, not looking at him.
Jordan stilled.
“You’ve been blessed by the gods.”
“I know,” he confessed. “And I’m scared of losing those blessings.”
“Living in fear isn’t really living, is it?” Christian reached out and touched a leaf on a tree. “The others are a real threat. One that we’re all dealing with. And I don’t think the universe is any safer than here. These are dangerous times.”
“Yes, they are.”
“But, I believe a change is on the horizon.” Christian faced him. “And I know it will come in our lifetime.”
The news managed to lift the heavy weight he’d felt pressed on his chest for months. “Your crazy mumble-jumble spells and chanting tell you this?”
Christian laughed. “As a matter of fact, they did.”
With a shrug and a quick pat to Christian’s back, Jordan grinned. “Works for me.”
“So you’ll go back to your quarters and start enjoying your blessings rather than worrying nonstop?”
Jordan eyed him. “You know, I can see why you’re in charge. You’re a huge pain in the ass.”
Christian’s laughter followed him as he entered the compound, headed right to Nina. He entered his home and went straight to the bedroom. He climbed under the covers and slid close to his wife, nuzzling his face to her neck.
She stirred. “Jordan?”
“Mmm, I love you.”
She twisted slightly and kissed his lips. “I love you too.”
“Go back to sleep, everything is fine.”
THE END
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Jordan: Paranormal Shifter Fated Mate Galactic SciFi Military Romance (Interstellar Alphas Book 3) Page 7
