by T. S. Ryder
“Open the bay door,” he commanded and, as if by magic, a door lifted and I could see the interior of the ship.
He made sure I was inside first and then he ran in and closed the door behind him. It was just a small shuttle, barely more than two chairs and a console. But the chairs were supply level and the air in here was fresh and cool. I collapsed into a chair as Detro took off. I could see the camp below us. The small white tents grew smaller as we left X29 behind.
Epilogue
We docked with the main ship. It was a smaller ship, meant to transport only a few individuals. He and I were the only two people on board. We docked, and from the shuttle he charted our course out of the system.
“I imagine you’ll be excited to sleep in a warm bed tonight,” he said, caressing my cheek.
“I have to tell you something,” I said. I took his hand in mine and stood up. He looked up at me in confusion as I led his hand down my body, stopping at the swell of my stomach. He blinked slowly, his mouth open.
“I didn’t know until you left,” I said. He nodded, put both of his hands on my belly and then looked up at me almost in awe.
“I’m sorry,” he said, standing up and pulling me into a hug.
“For what? Saving me?” I asked. He leaned down and kissed me. I had forgotten the taste of his lips and the feel of his tongue. I had thought of nothing but him for the last few months, but all of my dreams were nothing compared to the real thing.
“I found it,” he whispered. “The Sanctuary. It’s real. I’ve been there.”
“How?”
“I didn't go to the tribunal,” he said, with a shrug. “I headed toward Earth system and told the rebellion I wanted to join them. I’ve spent all this time getting them to trust me. They thought I had been sent by the Gosebs to trick them. But I told them about you and what I had done here. They had heard of me. I offered them everything I knew about the Gosebs. The only thing I wanted in return was to come back here and get you and then go with you to the Sanctuary.”
“Our baby will be free,” I said.
“And safe,” he agreed. I looked up into his purple eyes.
He led me onto the ship. I showered. I have no idea how long I was in there. I let the hot soapy water cover my body and remove every last particle of dust. I got out of the shower and into the ship's lone bedroom. There was a closet and I opened it and saw a wide variety of clothes for a human my size. Dresses, pants, t-shirts, sweaters were lined up in all different colors. I could wear anything I wanted. I didn't have to wear a jumpsuit. I didn’t have to be anywhere. I touched the back of my neck where I knew the sensor still rested. That thing would never again get to dictate where I was allowed to go.
Detro came in and wrapped his arms around my towel-clad body.
“I missed you every moment of every day,” he said.
“I missed you more,” I whispered back, and I saw him smile.
I put on a loose green dress. It was the softest thing I had ever worn. The fabric felt smooth and wonderful against my skin. I walked up to the cockpit and sat down next to Detro. The screen above us showed our progress through the systems. The stars were nothing more than white lines shooting past us.
“We’ll come back for the people at the camp,” I said.
He nodded. “I’ve seen the rebellion. They’re strong and smart and they’ve got a lot of soldiers. The Gosebs have no idea what they’re up against. We surprised your people in the last attack, but things have changed. The humans aren’t so naive anymore.”
I reached across the space between us and took his hand and squeezed it. Everything would be alright. I was sure of it.
*****
THE END
* * *
1 Estion Year 2370 equals Present day Earth.
Paranormal Shifter Romance Collection
The Alpha's Secret Son
Description
A curvy single mom PLUS a hot alpha coming home PLUS a secret child
Jace and Amanda were high school sweethearts. Until he got accepted into Harvard and she stayed behind.
One passionate night left her with a surprise... but she couldn’t tell him about it. So he left.
Now, six years later, everything comes falling down...
Jace is a big-shot lawyer, a billionaire, and the Alpha of his werewolf pack. He has it all, including a son that he doesn’t know about. But he’s about to find out. His father is retiring from his Alpha position and Jace is taking over. So he returns to his hometown... with his girlfriend in tow.
Amanda is struggling to get by, sharing her rent with another woman and taking care of her son. She’s never been able to forget Jace. How much longer can she keep her secret from him now that he’s coming back to town? And who’s that woman by his side? She’s not his mate, she can’t be... right?
Chapter One
High school graduation. Parents were hugging their grads, friends were promising to stay in touch, lovers were telling one another that they would always be together, no matter the distance between them. Amanda Fenning wound through the crowd. She smiled and congratulated her fellow grads when they acknowledged her, but for the most part, she was able to fly safely under the radar.
The smell of bodies heated by the blazing sun and heavy black gowns filled her nose, and the sheer amount of noise made her want to press her hands over her ears. Sometimes the advanced senses of being a Wolf were highly unpleasant, especially when she didn't like crowds to begin with. Where was Jace?
Nausea that had nothing to do with the nerves of being in such close contact with so many people churned her gut. She had been meaning to tell her boyfriend about it for nearly two weeks now, but always found an excuse not to. It wasn't the right time because of college applications, or final exams, or getting ready for graduation. As the Alpha's son, he was expected to meet a lot of people.
He didn't need the added stress that his girlfriend was pregnant.
Amanda made a conscious effort not to cup her belly protectively as she moved past a group of her human classmates. As one of the few Wolves that had been sent to public school instead of being kept on the packlands, she had always felt like an outsider. To make it worse, her natural disposition was shy and withdrawn. She never was really able to fully integrate herself into the school's society, unlike Jace.
Jace. A smile blossomed over her face as she caught sight of her boyfriend, surrounded by his many friends and admirers. As always. And yet, being around so many people wasn't so bad as long as Jace was with her.
He had everything going against him in this school. He was a Wolf from the low-end of the income scale, just like Amanda. Raised on a farm in the packlands.
Whether it was his own personal charm or because of the natural Alpha instincts in him, he was insanely popular. He led all of the school fundraisers, organized social outings, and had even arranged the most successful dry prom the school had ever seen. Everybody loved him, and Amanda was no exception.
"Let the lady through," he called as Amanda attempted to wade through his gaggle of friends. The group pressed back as he strode through them to meet her. He gripped Amanda's hips as he kissed her deeply.
She had seen boyfriends swinging their girlfriends around all day and almost wished that Jace would try it, too. But even though he had started working out and his shoulders were getting broader, she was still too chubby to lift. It would end up just embarrassing both of them. So she satisfied with the rumble of pleasure that he growled, and the second and third pecks on the lips that he gave her before he pulled away.
Jace grinned broadly at her as he slung an arm around her shoulder. "Let's go somewhere we can talk, okay?"
Amanda nodded, letting him lead her away from the press of people. They were stopped a lot on their way out by people giving Jace congratulations and ignoring Amanda, but she didn't mind. She was happy being invisible by Jace's side. It was where she felt the safest, next to him. They were soon in Jace's car, pulling away from the school.
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Her mind turned back to her pregnancy. How was she meant to tell him? She knew he was looking forward to university and college, but given his family's financial situation, he probably wasn't going to be able to get anywhere except the local community college, which had free programs for Wolves. They could make that work, the two of them plus the baby. Amanda knew she would have to work instead of pursuing her own education further, but she didn't mind. His or her parents could watch the baby while he was at school and she was at work, at least until they were settled.
As long as the two of them were together, it would be okay.
"You look beautiful today," Jace said as he parked.
Amanda started. She had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't realize that they had driven out to their special spot, where they liked to go hiking when things got a little too stressful. She breathed in the smells of the forest, wondering if they could go camping before their summer jobs began. She loved running through the trees in her Wolf form, Jace by her side.
Jace turned to her and smiled, but the smile wasn't as happy as it had been at the graduation ceremony. "Amanda, I got some news yesterday."
Did he know about the baby? Amanda silently nodded for him to continue, her heart pounding.
"I applied for a scholarship, and I got it. And I got accepted to Harvard. The scholarship will pay for my first year."
Amanda stared at him, not comprehending what he was saying. "Harvard?"
Jace nodded. "Yeah. I never thought I'd actually get in, but I did. Starting this fall. Surprising, but not unwelcome."
Amanda got out of the car, sucking in deep breaths. She wasn't expecting this, but that didn't mean things had to change. They’d just have to adjust their plans a little bit. The scholarship meant that he wouldn't need anything extra in order to get by. She would still have to work, though, to help cover the extra expenses of the baby, and help pay for his next year, in case he didn't get another scholarship. But that didn't matter, she would support him. She could get a job in New York. With all those crowds of people…
Was Harvard even in New York? Where was it?
"This is really exciting," she said trying not to let her pounding heart betray her. "Harvard! You've wanted to go there for years. You're going to be a big-time lawyer and earn a billion dollars by the time you're thirty, just like you always said you would."
Jace circled the car and gently pulled her into his arms. "It's a great turn of events. I didn't think I'd ever be able to afford school, if I'm honest."
Despite the fact that Jace was the son of the pack's Alpha, they weren't the most financially well-off members of the pack. Mostly it was because his father had to spend so much time taking care of the pack and mediating disputes that he had a hard time holding down a steady job. It didn't help that at the time when Jace's father was college age, they didn't have the same amount of scholarships that they had these days and hadn't gotten a degree. He had also become Alpha when he was only sixteen, so his high school grades had suffered a lot because he didn’t have much time for homework from that point on.
But Jace was going to have all the opportunities his father never did. Amanda held her hands stiffly at her sides. Where did she, the chubby girl with no aspirations other than settling down with her mate and having a litter of children, fit into this? What sort of Alpha female hated being in the spotlight and avoided public interactions?
An awful, sinking feeling filled her. Jace didn't bring her here just to tell her he was going to Harvard. He could have told her that he got his scholarship at any time. He could have announced it to his group of friends. He brought her to their spot to tell her that she wasn't going to Harvard with him. A small-town Alpha with a small-town job, sure, she could fit in there. But she didn't belong with the prestige of Harvard or his plans for the future.
"So, where is Harvard, exactly?" Her voice trembled, on the verge of breaking down.
"Amanda."
"I can go with you. I'll get a job, and that way when you come home after school, I can make you supper and then you don’t have to stress about taking care of yourself as you do your schooling." Her eyes were burning. "I'll take care of you."
Jace turned her around. Amanda refused to look at him. This couldn't be happening, this had to be some sort of bizarre stress dream. But as much as her eyes burned, she didn't cry. Maybe if she cried he wouldn't break up with her. Jace tucked his hand under her chin, trying to get her to look at him. She pulled away and shook her head. The lump in her throat made it impossible to speak.
As she wrapped her arms around her stomach, she was reminded of the tiny person growing inside her. Would Jace stay if she told him she was pregnant?
"Amanda, I'm so sorry. But you know where this is headed."
She forced herself to nod.
"I love you, but I have a chance to change things. Not just for myself, but for the whole pack. I have to be able to concentrate on the future."
"Because you have no future with me." It wasn't an accusation, just a fact, and the lump in her throat got bigger.
"That's not what I mean. It's not fair to you to drag you out to Harvard and then just ignore you. I'll be busy with my schooling; I'm not going to have time for a relationship." Jace touched her face and she moved back from him again. "Amanda, please. I'm sorry, but I'm doing this for you."
She wanted to laugh, to tell him that it had nothing to do with her and everything to do with him. He had his plans, and she didn't belong in them. Not right now, at least.
Amanda looked up at him and opened her mouth to tell him that she was pregnant. He would stay, then. She knew he would. He would stay, and they would be together. Their child would be the next Alpha…
And then what? He wouldn't be able to be a lawyer. He'd get a half-rate degree from a half-rate community college, and all his dreams for the future would be over. His plans for himself, his plans for the pack, would never materialize. He wasn't going to be a lawyer just so he could get rich, he wanted to be able to serve the pack better, to be able to protect them in court as well as solving disputes between pack members. If she took that away from him, he'd never forgive her.
At long last, the tears began to flow. She couldn't take that future away from him or the pack. Even as her heart broke, she nodded.
"I understand, Jace. I'm sorry that it has to end, but you're right. It will be best for both of us if you go and I stay. I wouldn't want to be around all those people, anyway."
Jace wiped one of her tears away with his thumb and embraced her. "It's going to work out, Amanda. You'll see. Everything is going to be fine. It's for the best."
Amanda held him tighter, holding her breath, trying to believe him. But how could her life work out for the best if he wasn't in it?
Chapter Two
Six Years Later
Amanda smoothed her long hair back from her face, hoping that she didn't look as stressed as she felt. It had been a long day at work. As the receptionist in a chiropractor's office, her job was generally low-key and easy. There wasn't a great amount of stress involved, and the clients were generally the upbeat, cheerful kind. There was just the right mix of dealing with people and working alone as well. Most days were relaxed enough that she could even get a little homework done between clients.
She had been counting on today to be a quiet day. She had an exam coming up in the accounting class she was taking in college. But it had been one of the worst days of her life.
To start with, everybody was talking about Jace. He had graduated his law program in two years and was now a bigshot, insanely successful lawyer. Just like he had always said, he was a self-made billionaire, and it only took him four years. He was driven, talented and lucky that all his dreams came true.
And he was coming back to town. All anybody seemed to talk about was him and the human he was dating. There were a few people who remembered that she and Jace had gone out in high school. She had to repeat several times in the day that she was
happy for him, and no, she didn't keep in contact with him.
As if the talk about her ex-boyfriend wasn't bad enough, the Grumpies, a family unit consisting of parents and five ill-behaved monsters who all had permanent scowls, had come to the chiropractor’s office. The smallest child had thrown a tantrum when she wasn't allowed to play on Amanda's computer and ran around the office, howling at the top of her lungs, while her parents screamed at her to shut up.
But the day in the office was almost over. It was almost done, and Amanda was looking forward to spending the rest of the day with Logan. Her son slid into the backseat of the car as she got into the driver's seat after picking him up from a playdate. She smiled at him in the rearview mirror.
"Did you have fun with Kaylen, honey?"
Logan nodded, proudly buckling himself up in his car seat. "Yeah. We decided we want to go to kindergarten together next year."
"But you'll be in grade one next year."
"Oh." Logan kicked his feet. "Then we want to be in grade one together, at both my schools."
Amanda couldn’t help but smile at her little man. She had made arrangements with the school district so that he split his schooling evenly between the school in the packlands and the one in town. She didn't want him isolated from his Wolf peers. Even though more and more parents were sending their kids to school in town, the environment in the packlands school was one that she wanted him to experience. She was a little concerned that it would be unstable and put him behind in school, but both of his teachers assured her that he was a smart boy, and was ahead of his classes in both areas.
Logan clapped his hands. "Guess what?"
