Page 28 of Ulfar

So I turn my brain over to autopilot and go through the motions, throwing as many of my things into a bag as I can. I don’t stop for anything that’s not a necessity—I’ll need to travel light where I’m going—but as I head for the door my gaze lingers on a hair clip on the mantelpiece. Intricately carved from the bone of an alien beast, it’s inset with one of the heart-stones from the place Vi and I visited. Ulfar carved it for me. As a gift.

I sigh. It’s just one of the many things he’s done for me. One of the many ways he’s gone above and beyond. I close my eyes and let out a breath. Tears start to well up, but I sniff them away. Then, I snatch the hair clip and shove it into my pocket before heading out the door and into the pale dawn.

First order of business—I need to see Vi. I already planned on getting lunch with her today anyway, but this is a little more urgent than that. She’s probably still sleeping at this hour, but I have to hope she won’t be too mad at me for waking her up.

When I knock on the door, hand shaking, it takes a few moments for her to answer. I’m about to give up and try calling her comm instead when the door opens, showing a very sleepy-looking Vi. Her eyes light up when she sees me, and she ushers me inside.

“Did I miss a memo or something? I thought we weren’t meeting until lunch today. Oh crap, did I sleep until lunch again?” She checks the time on her wrist and yelps. “It’s still the ass-crack of dawn, girl! What’s going on?”

Her mate, Djorn, steps into the picture, eyeing me warily. “Is this your friend?” he says in a low, rumbling voice that sounds like thunder. He’s just as tall and broad as Ulfar, and just as intimidating. He wears a large pelt draped over his shoulders, but his scarred, muscular chest is on full display. Are all Aesirheim males this huge? I resist the urge to turn away, and stand my ground.

“I’m Sarah,” I say, sticking my hand out to greet him. “Vi’s my friend. Nice to meet you.”

Djorn grunts. He doesn’t take any action to shake my hand, just continues watching me with those dark, deep-set eyes. Like a predator sizing up his prey, and not in the sexy way. “Veronica needs her sleep. She’s not been resting well, and she’s—”

“Oh, can it, Djorn.” I gasp at the irreverent way she speaks to him. I could never. “I can speak for myself. Now get out so the pregnant ladies can talk.”

I watch, shocked, at both her crass declaration and his reaction. What surprises me even more is that he actually seems to listen to her. He bows his head like an obedient puppy. “As you wish, my love.” Djorn turns and leaves the room, and I hear the bedroom door shut behind him.

Vi watches him go, then turns back to me with arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. “All right, out with it. I knew something was up with you ever since we met at the center. Tried to give you the benefit of the doubt, we all got baggage after all. But you’re here with your bags like you’re going somewhere, and you’ve got this look on your face like you’ve seen a ghost...what’s going on, Sarah? Tell me.”

All the fear and stress and emotion of the situation crumbles around me. I have to tell someone, and it might as well be her. She wouldn’t betray me to the surrogacy agency, and maybe she can even help me get out of here. Because as much as I’d like to, I don’t think I can do this alone.

I sway on my feet, a sudden wave of dizziness washing over me. Vi guides me to the couch, where I sit down heavily. She takes the seat next to me, folding her hands and leaning forward. Her intense gaze doesn’t waver. Her brash personality is still there, but this time it’s tempered by genuine concern.

“All right,” I say at last, glancing around to see if anyone else is watching or listening. I don’t know if they have little recorders in these places to check up on us. Wouldn’t surprise me if they did. So I gesture for her to come closer. “I’ll tell you. But you can’t tell a soul, you got that? Not even Djorn. I’m serious.”

Her expression doesn’t change. She simply gives me a curt nod and signals for me to continue.

“So here’s what happened...”

* * *

“Shit,Sarah. I knew you had baggage, but this is...” She runs a hand through her undercut hair, letting out a breath. “I’ve dealt with them before. It’s not pretty.”

A chill runs down my spine at the thought, but also a sense of relief. She knows who I’m talking about. She knows I’m not crazy.

“What do you need?” Vi asks. Her face falls into a grimace. “Or rather, what are they asking?”

“I’ve got to get off the planet. My family, my entire home, is in danger if I don’t.”

She lets out a low whistle. “Even with your...” Vi gestures at my stomach. I can’t work up with words from the lump in my throat, so I just nod. “Okay. But it’s going to be dangerous, and if something happens, I can’t protect you.”

“I know.” It hurts, but I know.

“Here’s what we can do. I’ll help you get to the spaceport, but you gotta promise me something.”

“And what’s that?”

Her expression softens. “Leave a message for that man of yours.” She sees the shock on my face, and adds, “Oh, come on, I know you love him. Anyone could see that.”

Love. The word hits so much deeper when I know I might never see him again. “What would I even say? Will he understand?” I let out a shuddering breath. “Will he hate me?”

Vi thinks for a moment, then leans forward and squeezes my hand. “I don’t know. But if he’s anything like Djorn, he’ll want you to be safe. Whatever that means for you. Hell, he’d probably go in guns blazing if he had the chance. But if you really care for him, Sarah, let him know. I’ll help you write a message, and I can give it to him.”

I really can’t stop the tears now. As they tumble over my cheeks, I squeeze her hand in return. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

* * *

---