Page 58 of Star Mates

“Where’s the bastard now?” Raiden demanded. His hands curled into fists, hoping to find Logan’s fucking face and beat it to a bloody pulp.

“The Durians are holding him until this conflict if over,” she said. “The only good thing to come from Logan’s traitorous heart is the fact that the Durians are now one hundred percent on our side. Seems like this little coup woke a sleeping dragon.

“I’m going to fucking kill him!”

Leona placed a hand on his arm. “Don’t worry about Logan. Worry about Emmarie.”

“What? Why? You said she was taken-”

“She was rescued,” she interrupted softly. “She’s here.”

Suddenly, the entire universe rightened itself. His heart filled with love, relief, and gratitude and he couldn’t wait to see her.

“Where?” he asked urgently.

“With Dr. Payne.”

Again, that sense of something not being right hit him squarely in the solar plexus, like he tried to balance on a slippery slope.

“Why is she with him?”

But Leona only gave him a small, bland smile. “Go talk to her.”

He didn’t waste any more time. He turned and ran, even when he heard Pike shout his name, he ignored his best friend and kept running. Had she been badly hurt? Had the Unarian’s done something horrible to her? The questions tumbled through his mind until he thought he’d go mad. Finally, he skidded to a halt at the entrance to the compound and hurried inside. His lungs burned and a stitch cramped his side. He ignored it and a second later, he burst inside the medical bay.

Emmarie lay there, in a white gown, staring at a monitor. Her hair lay in a soft cloud around her, and her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. The doctor held some type of medical scanner against her abdomen. Blood roared through his ears, so loud and hard he wanted to pick something up and throw it out of sheer terror and frustration.

What the hell was wrong with her?

“Emmarie?” he asked in a husky, stressed voice.

Her gaze immediately left the monitor and found his, shock temporarily rendering her speechless. She blinked, as if making sure he wasn’t a figment in her imagination. The next second happiness poured over her features. The shadows from her eyes transformed into blinding love.

“Pell!” she cried and held out her hands.

He was vaguely aware of Dr. Payne moving back to allow him to rush to her side. He gathered her up in his arms and hugged her, burying his face into the sweet curve of her neck.

“I was so worried,” she said, her hands soothing over every inch they could reach. His hair, his shoulders, his face, there wasn’t one place she left untouched. “Where were you? What happened?”

“I was stuck on the other side of the Rings,” he murmured, his voice somewhat muffled. He pulled back and kissed her, a quick, almost hesitant kiss. “What’s wrong with you? What scan is the doctor running?”

“Nothing’s wrong with me,” she told him.

“Then why are you here?”

She smiled and cupped his face. “I’m looking at our baby.”

He blinked and then his head whipped around to look at the monitor. He saw a very clean image of inside Emmarie, where a very tiny tadpole of a baby nestled in her womb. He felt lightheaded. Surprised and shocked. He looked back at her.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m perfectly fine,” she assured him. “You’re pleased about the baby, right?”

He leaned down and kissed her, this time holding nothing back. Pouring his love for her into it, showing her exactly how pleased he was.

****

She tried to keep her back turned toward him as she dressed. She was acutely aware of the scaring on her chest and now wished she’d worn something that didn’t reveal them.

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