Chapter Eighteen
Mia sat on the bed next to Tycho listening to the sounds of the ocean outside their door. A soft warm breeze swept through the little house in the early morning hours, and it felt right. Righter than anything had in some time. She’d dared to hope for so many months, and now those hopes had become reality.
It had been a bumpy few days, and for a bit, she wasn’t sure he would even make it through the night, let alone a trip across the ocean to an island.
Once Mia and Tycho had arrived, the doctor took care of him. The bullet in his side had gone right through. Mia knew just how lucky he was not to have hit any organs. The doctor decided that he might heal best in his own bed when he finally woke up, especially with his Vestal nearby.
Tycho stirred on the bed next to her. He opened one eye and then another.
“Fuck,” he grunted. “I feel like my head got kicked a few times.”
Mia leaned over to the bedside table and handed him painkillers and water. “Take these.”
Tycho nodded and swallowed the pills. After a moment, his eyes widened as he looked around the room.
“Where are we?”
She took in a deep breath. The tour had been brief, but she understood the basics.
Mia smiled. “They call it Isla Luna. The Luna hybrids built a town here as part of their plan to escape, after everything that had happened with the lodge. They brought us to a spot where we’ll be free to live peacefully. From what I understand, the US government doesn’t know about this place.”
Tycho sat up in bed. She watched as he grunted, the cover slipping down his chest and showing off the bandage on his side. “Is this some sort of hotel?”
A small blush spread across her face. For some reason, she felt shy about what she was about to say, even though she wasn’t the one who made the choice.
She shook her head. “They say this is our home.” She dipped her head down. “I mean, but only if you want. I can always go live with my sister.”
A large hand reached out to pull her tightly against him. “I will always want to be with be woman I love.”
The heat of the blush spread across her face. “You’ll pull out your stitches,” she whispered.
Tycho snorted. “That’s all you have to say?”
Mia pulled her head back slightly and stared up into his handsome face. There were so many things she wanted to tell him but only one that really mattered.
“I love you, too,” she said. “I’ve loved you since the first moment I met you.”
Tycho leaned down and placed a soft kiss against her lips. He pulled back to look at her again. “The Vestals? Your sister?”
Mia nodded. “Safe. I was preoccupied with you, but I saw Mya on a separate transport. They are doing health checks now. They’d been imprisoned in much worst conditions than I had to endure.”
Although she wanted to see her sister, Mia felt the pull to Tycho. He needed her, and she couldn’t leave him there alone. She wrapped her arms around his body and breathed in his scent.
A knock came at the door. Mia pulled back.
“It’s likely Max and Rollo,” she said. “They’ve been checking in. Just rest here.”
Tycho watched as Mia left the room. He breathed in the smell of the place. Salt and floral scents filled the air. It certainly didn’t have the dingy smell of the city. It would be interesting to get out and explore the place.
A whole island of hybrids. It was hard for him to even process that. Never in his life had he thought they might be able to live a life like this. It always seemed like there was an enemy waiting in the shadows and plotting against them.
Mia stepped back in the room, and he knew instantly that no matter what, he wanted to try for that sort of life. One where he could just be the man she deserved.
Rollo stepped out from behind Mia, his skinned tanned from tropical living. “Glad to see some color back in your face.” The hybrid stepped over to the bed to shake Tycho’s hand. “I’m glad you made the call.”
Tycho didn’t really know what to say. It was strange to be indebted to someone.
Nikon stepped in after, a wide smile on his face. The last time Tycho had seen him had been just before he was taken by Matt.
“Heard you took care of a few loose ends. Wish I’d been the one to take that bastard out, but glad he’s gone either way.”
Tycho nodded to the other man as three more hybrids stepped into the room, Maximus taking up the rear. Mia sat next to Tycho on the bed. He reached out for her hand, her presence soothing him.
Aside from Mia, he wasn’t used to being social, especially with his own people. In fact, he couldn’t say he’d seen that many hybrids all at once. His training had been different from the others.
Earlier on the mission he hadn’t had time to even think about it, but now that all eyes were on him, he could feel his lone wolf roots coming out.
“With Dmitry and Matt taken out, Woods had no choice but to roll on the other Horatius operatives left in the States,” one hybrid with jet-black hair said.
Tycho recognized him from television as Titus, the leader of the Luna Lodge hybrids. The alpha stepped forward and held out a hand.
“We owe you a great debt,” Titus said.
Tycho shook his hand. “I think it might be the other way around. Without Maximus, we wouldn’t have gotten out.”
Maximus stepped forward. “That was a pretty crazy move you played. It was lucky it all played out well.”
Tycho shrugged. He wouldn’t have called it a move but more bold luck.
Maximus grunted. “The Russians didn’t get their payout, and it’s likely they have already headed back home.”
Tycho frowned. “Is the Horatius Group in Russia now?”
Titus shrugged. “Hard to say. From what I’m hearing, some leaders here and there might have escaped, but they aren’t going to much of a threat anymore as an entity. So, it might just be a government looking for elite soldiers. Either way they lost. And it’s not likely they will be able to take hold like they once did. The Horatius Group is dead. It’ll take a while to chase down all the last of the cockroaches, but now they’re the ones on the run.”
It was a relief to hear but still strange. The threat had been hanging over the hybrids for so long, and now it was gone.
Tycho shrugged. “But you still moved everyone to this island.”
“Humans might not ever fully accept us if we’re around them, but at least this way, we don’t have to worry about either side starting something.” Titus shrugged. “We’ll leave you to get some rest,” Titus said with a smile. “Welcome to your new home.”
Tycho nodded. “And what if they do come back? The Group?”
Maximus gave a dark look. “My team will make sure they don’t.” He turned with a grunt.
The men all filed out of the house. Mia followed them to the door and closed it behind them. When she came back into the room, he patted the bed beside him.
“How do you feel?” she asked after a moment.
Tycho looked down at the small woman lying next to him, the only person he’d ever given a damn about, and she was safe on an island with him.
A smile slipped over his lips. “Like I’ve been given a gift.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’m here with the woman I love.”
She smiled. “I love you, too.”
“Not only that, we finally found it.”
Mia tilted her head. “It?”
“Freedom.”
A Note from Madison
Thank you for reading Tycho. If you enjoyed this book, please consider reviewing it. We authors live and die by reviews.
Please keep an eye out for Maximus and his new team in the upcoming spin-off series, Luna Lodge: Alpha Squad.
You can join my mailing list at http://eepurl.com/OX9r5
ALSO BY MADISON STEVENS
Luna Lodge
Sol (Luna Lodge #1)
Titus (Luna Lodge #2)
Lucius (Luna Lod
ge #3)
Marius (Luna Lodge #4)
Apollo (Luna Lodge #5)
Apollo and Val (Luna Lodge #5.5)
Remus (Luna Lodge #6)
Justus (Luna Lodge #7)
Zeno (Luna Lodge #8)
Varius (Luna Lodge #9)
Servius (Luna Lodge #10)
Cyrus (Luna Lodge #11)
Kyros (Luna Lodge #12)
Cato (Luna Lodge #13)
Lucan (Luna Lodge #14)
Rollo (Luna Lodge #15)
Nikon (Luna Lodge #16)
Luna Lodge: Hunters of Atlas (Paranormal Romance)
Magnus (Hunters #1)
Nero (Hunters #2)
Lucas (Hunters #3)
Sergius (Hunters #4)
Marcus (Hunters #5)
Jace (Hunters #6)
Quintus (Hunters #7)
Atticus (Hunters #8)
Vitus (Hunters #9)
Joran (Hunters #10)
Berserk Series
Dog Fight (Berserk #1)
Devil’s Den (with Willow Hazel)
Caleb (Devil’s Den #1)
Malcolm (Devil’s Den #2)
Shadow Series
Shadow’s Embrace (Paranormal Romance)
Allen Securities (Romantic Suspense)
Reed (Allen Securities #1)
Kace (Allen Securities #2)
Liam (Allen Securities #3)
Ryder (Allen Securities #4)
Cage (Allen Securities #5)
Mason (Allen Securities #6)
Zane (Allen Securities #7)
Bryce (Allen Securities #8)
Kelly Clan (Romantic Suspense)
Finn (Kelly Clan #1)
Conor (Kelly Clan #2)
Noel (Kelly Clan #3)
Riley (Kelly Clan #4)
Braden (Kelly Clan #5)
Davin (Kelly Clan #6)
Special Forces (Romantic Suspense)
Trent (Special Forces #1)
Johnny (Special Forces #2)
Road House (Contemporary Short Stories)
Letting Go (Road House #1)
Holding On (Road House #2)
Standing By (Road House #3)
Privileged (New Adult Romance)
Privileged (Privileged #1)
Elite (Privileged #2)
Author Bio
Madison currently lives with her husband and two children in the Valley of the Sun in Arizona. After leaving the frozen tundra of the north, she was more surprised than anyone with how much she has enjoyed living in the desert. Seeing as she stated on more than one occasion before moving to Arizona how much she hated heat, it was an odd move, but it seems her hatred for sub-zero temperatures and ice has won out in the end.
When she’s not writing, she’s enjoying time with her family. Madison and her family frequent festivals in the area, as well as local cultural events, and spend time with family in the area. In the summer, she is most likely to be found in the pool with the family and in the winter by the fireplace. Since both her children are autistic, days can be a little chaotic, but with her husband beside her, there’s nothing she can’t handle.
She can be contacted at [email protected]
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