“I love you so damn much,” I whispered, cupping his face with my hands.
“And I love you,” he whispered back at me, resting his forehead against mine. We remained like that for a while, merely gazing into each other’s eyes. When he finally rolled to the side, there was only silence, the two of us struggling to catch our breath.
Slowly, I moved my hand to the side until I found his, and nestled my fingers against his palm. He closed his hand gently over mine and embraced me tightly. I felt safe and, more than just that, I felt loved.
“And to think we didn’t want to do this,” he said, softly chuckling.
“Live and learn,” I laughed. “Live and learn.”
Epilogue: Elle
“Damn, this is good.”
“I told you, I’m a fast learner.” Leaning against the kitchen counter, Kazan gave me a self-assured grin as I tasted the sauce he had been working on. The counter was littered with pots and pans, so much you’d think a bomb had gone off inside the kitchen, but at least dinner tasted promising. It was Kazan’s new hobby—Earth-based cooking, and I didn’t mind it in the slightest.
Six months had passed since our impromptu wedding—or Signing Day, as the bureaucrats liked calling it—and I still hadn’t gotten used to having him as a permanent fixture in my life. Not that that was a bad thing, in fact, it was just the opposite. Every day I woke up, I had to pinch myself just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. But of course, I wasn’t. Dreams were never this good.
“It does feel good to be back here, doesn’t it?” I asked him, enjoying the way a gentle little breeze slipped into the cabin. It was our first time back on Tarkun IV and, even though Kazan didn’t know it, I had booked our vacation here because there was something I needed to tell him.
“It feels more than good,” he agreed. “I’ve been thinking it might not be such a bad idea to move to Tarkun IV on a more permanent basis. We could buy one of these beachfront cabins and make it home. I know you don’t like being cooped up in the apartment that much and—”
“Oh, I don’t mind it,” I said. “I’m used to living in an apartment.” Truth be told, living in an apartment on some orbital condominium near Kazan’s headquarters wasn’t exactly the same as living in a New York penthouse, but I truly didn’t mind it. Work kept me busy most of the time.
After becoming Kazan’s mate, I quickly accepted that I would no longer become a name partner at my old law firm. There was absolutely no chance I could live a normal life back on Earth while married to a Jorkan, and it was a trade-off that I could accept. Besides, my career hadn’t really taken much of a hit.
I was no longer a lawyer, sure, but my work was now more rewarding. After what had happened with Alzon, the United Nations asked me to act as their official consultant on intergalactic affairs, and I was now part of the shadow government truly running Earth. That sure was more important than being a partner in some law firm.
As for Kazan, he continued leading his team. The missions he was assigned kept him away from home for days at a time, but we didn’t let that stop us from being happy. In fact, it just made us relish even more the time we had together.
“Alright, we don’t need to move here and—”
“I didn’t say that,” I interrupted him, then walked up and laid one hand on his chest. “I wouldn’t mind living here. I’ve checked our financials, and we can definitely do it. I can ask to set up a home office, so it won’t be a problem for me.”
“Won’t be a problem for me either,” he said, and the excitement in his voice was obvious. “The Jorkan have a military outpost here, so it’s only a matter of asking my superiors to reassign my team here. That way, I can be home every day.”
Nodding, he wheeled around and opened the fridge, grabbing a bottle of sparkling wine and two flute glasses from the cupboard.
The cork flew into the ceiling as he popped it, and he immediately busied himself with filling up the first glass. Before he could get to mine, I snagged it off the counter and held it against my chest.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to have a drink,” I said, my eyes never leaving his. Slowly, I lowered one hand and draped it over my belly. Kazan just stared at me, confused. Clearly, he had no idea what I was talking about.
“You sure?”
“I’m positive,” I continued, enjoying his confusion. “I’m just happy we’re both on the same page here. I think it’ll be good for our kids to live on a place like this instead of some sub-orbital station. It’s healthier to raise children around nature.”
“Our kids?” He laughed. “We’re still a long way from that.”
“Are we?”
“Yeah, I mean…” he trailed off, his eyes darting from my empty glass to the hand I had over my belly. His jaw slackened, and he finally realized what I was trying to tell him. “No way. No fucking way. Are you for real?”
“Yes, it’s happening,” I whispered, biting the corner of my lip. I hadn’t had my period for six weeks and, after a quick consultation with the doctor aboard the station we lived on, I had received the news: I was about to become a mother. Our little family was about to grow. “We’re going to be parents.”
“Holy shit,” he muttered, and downed his wine in one single gulp. He moved toward me but, instead of embracing me, he went down on one knee. Carefully, he placed his hand on my belly, his eyes wide with fascination. “I can’t believe it. This is...shit, I don’t even know what to say.”
“Say that you’re happy.”
“Happy?” He chuckled, then shook his head. “I’m more than just happy, Elle.” Rising to his feet, he brushed my hair away from my face and leaned in to kiss me, his lips lingering on mine for a moment. “This is perfect.”
“Did I hear it right?” I heard a voice say from underneath the kitchen window, and a few seconds later Yilap was bursting into the cabin, his eyes wide. “You two are going to have a baby?”
“Still haven’t learned how to knock?” Kazan growled, but I couldn’t help but laugh. A lot of things had changed these past six months, but Yilap’s investment in my relationship with Kazan seemed to be the one constant. “What the hell do you want?”
“I was just checking in on you,” Yilap replied. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
“It’s fine,” I said, and glanced at Kazan. “In fact, I was just thinking… Yilap, how would you like to be the godfather?”
He fainted.
Literally.
His eyes rolled back in his head, and he dramatically placed the back of his hand on his forehead right before he tipped over. He crash landed on the cabin’s floor with a heavy thud, and Kazan just shook his head.
“You probably killed the poor bastard.”
“I doubt it,” I said, laughing, and turned to Kazan. “Are you ready for us to become a family of three?”
“There’s nothing I want more, Elle.”
Same goes for me, I thought. Same goes for me.
Want to see who’s paired up next in the Jorkan Protocol Mates? Click here to get Razar!
They say she's another Jorkan's mate.
They're all wrong.
I know it in my soul.
She's mine.
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AVA
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Rogue Mate
Science fiction romance is the destination of the Rogue Star…. Hop on board!
Our rescuers are a group of pirates. Or smugglers. They're not exactly answering questions, either.
More importantly, they're giant, golden skinned aliens...
And their rogue of a captain seems very interested in the little human commander.
Me.
Rogue Mate is the first in the Rogue Star science fiction alien romance series. Click now to start the adventure!
Copyright © 2019 by Ava York
All rights reserved. These books or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the Author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and situations within its pages and places or persons, living or dead, is unintentional and co-incidental.
Kazan Page 16
