Page 24 of Bride for the Space Cowboy

I’m relieved we’ve confirmed she’s now carrying my child. I can go on my journey with this knowledge. It will make me fight harder if I have to fight.

Chapter Sixteen

KAYDEN

Experiencing the infinity pulse sharpens my focus while we are away. Although Nadine is on the other side of our planet, it feels as if a thread connects us through time and space. While I’ve always taken my duties as a bodyguard for the royal family seriously, my love for Nadine deepens my commitment. It’s no longer just my people I’m protecting. I’m protecting my love, my bride.

Our team scouts the outpost. We confirm it’s a staging area for the small group of rebels. According to our history, this is merely the latest wave. My father has always told me that no matter what you do, there will always be those who want power solely for the sake of power. Even when a planet is peaceful and contented, there will be those who will jostle and create problems because they enjoy chaos and thrive in its aftermath.

Our government is a democracy, and our royal family is part of that democracy. They lead us because of their lineage. Perhaps that’s confusing to some, but it has worked for our people since the beginning. There are many elected officials, and the royal leadership is voted on annually.

Yet here we are again with the latest rebel uprising arguing that the royal succession should change. I snort when I see one of the signs.We want to be royal too.

“They don’t even want to get rid of the royal family. They just want to be part of it.” I roll my eyes when I glance at Asher, who has decided to accompany us on this trip.

Asher lets out a low chuckle. “I know.”

Hunter releases a low whistle of alarm as I feel the motion of air around us. Whipping my head around, I realize they’ve used an invisible net to capture us.

Asher’s horse rears up and strikes its sharp hooves forward into the air, slicing through the netting. The rest of us move into formation, protecting Asher as he escapes the capture. Five of our group of ten men break through and follow Asher. For the remaining five, including me, the net drapes too closely for us to escape.

One of the rebels approaches from behind an outcropping of rocks, staring at those of us left behind. “They won’t even come to get you. The princess is free,” he sneers.

I lift my arm, flinging a fiery electric spear through the air directly toward him. He cries out and falls to the ground when it strikes him in the shoulder. It doesn’t appear that anyone else is nearby. The five of us are left to begin to carefully untangle from the netting.

Chapter Seventeen

NADINE

“What do you mean? Kayden is captured?” I ask.

I stare at the prince and princess as a sense of panic claws inside me. My throat hurts.

The prince dips his head, looking deeply into my eyes. “Nadine, we are returning this evening to rescue them. We’ve already sent scouts out to assess the situation. Don’t worry, we will bring Kayden back to you.”

The euphoria of the past few weeks that had been protecting me from all my old fears has burned to ashes inside. A sense of hopelessness and darkness closes around me.What will happen if Kayden is not okay? Will I be sent back to Earth?

Rising through the noisy panic is an overriding sense of love. I was at work at the café when Trudy notified me a messenger had called me to the royal offices. I had hurried over. I didn’t know what to think, and now I’m in shock.

My hands tingle. There’s a sharp knock on the door. Asher barks out, “Enter!”

The queen comes walking into the office. She’s dressed in fitted garments and flanked by a group of women, all of whom look fierce and strong. “We are the best fighters,” she says. “We will go.”

“I’m a fighter. I’ll go with you,” I interject.

All eyes swing to me. I clear my throat. “I am. My family lineage is fighting. I wasn’t given a choice, but I do it well?—”

Jane cuts in, “Nadine, you can’t do that. You’re carrying a child.”

“I can do this,” I say, my words a vow. “I’m a strong fighter. I’ll be safe.”

The queen assesses me, her eyes narrowing. It feels as if she looks straight through me. “You must come. Your love for Kayden will protect us all.”

The moments that follow are a rush. One of the women with the queen brings me down the hallway and outfits me in fitted gear. It appears to be heavy leather, except it feels light on my body. “A sword cannot cut through this,” the woman tells me. “We are honored to have a human join us. We are stronger when we join.”

Inside of a blink, I’m in something like a plane. It’s not quite like the ship that brought us here from Earth, but it’s similar. The small and lightweight aircraft zooms across the planet's surface until we hover over some mountains outside another town. I can see the buildings and streets from here.

The aircraft lowers to the ground, and I follow the women out. The queen looks at me. “I do not want you to fight alone. Do you understand me?”

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