Page 32 of Saving the Sautiitions

What about my family? If they believe that I’m dead, will they feel for me? Will they cry and regret mistreating me, not being there for me? Or will they simply shrug it off as if I never mattered anyway?

Will anyone on Earth miss me when I’m pronounced missing? Was I ever important? Was any of my effort worth anything if I’m easily forgotten and replaced?

My eyes well with tears that quietly slip down my cheeks, falling to the water as it reaches our chests. Vahru turns the water off with his foot, squeezing me tight as I begin to shake with sobs, completely breaking down.

"Kari, what is it? Did I hurt you? I'm so sorry." He kisses a tear from my cheek as he holds me close, attempting to soothe me.

I try to explain, my voice hiccupping as I struggle. "No, you didn't… hurt me. I'm just emotional." I swipe at my face, wetting it further. "Do you think… my… that Earth is okay without me? I never finished my mission."

"Oh, baby, I think they're just fine. I don't want to hurt your feelings, but you were gone for years before being kidnapped. They could have found another solution before you even woke from stasis. Plus, the Guardians wouldn't have told you your destiny was with us if it would hurt your world. They rarely explain, but they see more than just our planet. They can see universal events. You are meant to be here. You are meant for so much more than you even know. You may have been important to your people by completing your missions, but now you’re on missions for the universe. You’re helping people from multiple planets! You’re a universal hero now, and that is so much bigger than being a space captain for NASA. Without you, the Sautiitions wouldn’t have a home. The universe needs you here, where you’re meant to be, to do amazing things."

His voice is soothing. The rumble of his chest against me calms my nerves as I sniffle, trying to calm down. "If I'm meant to be here, then why wasn't I just born here? We could have been together all along."

He chuckles, "I don't have all the answers, Kari, but I do know that if you had grown up here, you wouldn't be who you are now. You wouldn't be a space captain, and you may not be so determined to help others. You had to go through what you did on Earth to make you who you are."

I nod my head, my eyes welling with tears all over again as I think of my life before. "It's funny. I feel like I truly belong here. On Earth, my family seemed like they never wanted me, and they never really supported me when I left, never kept in touch. Until I began working with Jeff at NASA, I had no one in my life. That’s why I felt that my work was so important, that I was advancing the human race by making discoveries about the universe to help us advance. The truth is that all I really had was Jeff and my rose colored vision of my life."

"You and Jeff were never lovers, though, right?"

I shake my head, my eyes closing to try and stop the tears. "No. Jeff was my best friend. After our first few years of working together, we began to have a friendship outside of work. Neither of us had families to see for holidays, so we celebrated together, curled up on my couch watching movies. He was all I had.” I pause as I think about Vahru’s words. He’s right, I have an entire universe to protect and help now. Even if they don’t accept me entirely, the village already has. Criido and Vahru have. That should be all I need. “You’re right, you know. My mission for the universe is much bigger than what I had on Earth. I don’t have to feel alone anymore, either. I have you and an entire village at my back to support me and love me. My heart wants to burst because it’s more than I could ever ask for, more than I ever dreamed of. It seems foolish to look back and think that all I wanted was to belong with people who didn’t want me, but it’s overwhelmingly amazing to know what it’s like to actually belong." I squeeze his arms tight to my middle as I press back into him.

"You'll always belong with me, love." He holds me tight, kissing my cheek as I sigh, my heart finally calming. I sit up, turning around to straddle him so I can see his face. As I settle onto his lap, his eyes widen, his fingers tracing from my shoulder to the middle of my chest. When I look down to see what it is, I gasp in shock. A brilliant silver filigree swirls from my shoulder to my heart between my breasts.

"What is it?" My voice is a whisper as we both stare.

His fingers crest my shoulder, and I hiss, the skin still tender from his bite. "I think it's the bond? I've never seen it before, but I've read that soul-bonded mates had a special mark they shared."

"You don't have one though." I put my hand on his shoulder, looking into his eyes.

He shrugs, giving me a lopsided smile. I lean in and kiss him softly, deepening the kiss as I hold him tight, my arms looping around his neck. I think I know how to remedy this missing mark. Pulling myself tighter against him, one hand reaches up to grab his horn and tilt his head back so I can kiss and lick at his neck.

He groans, his fingers digging into my hips as his cock hardens beneath me. I grind myself against him; the water making it easy to simply slide along his body. When his tongue invades my mouth, I lift my body, letting his cock stand at attention before I easily slide down on it.

A sigh escapes me at the full feeling, my heart pounding hard as I fight the emotions battling inside me. Being with Vahru makes me feel whole, complete in a way I never have, and a part of me wants to cry as we’re united again. I wonder for a second if this overly emotional state I’m in is because of this new bond we’re forming, but I decide to analyze that more later when I’m not ready to explode into a million tiny pieces.

I start slow, pushing my emotions back down inside as I focus on working him to release. My hips grind against his in a smooth, rough pace that has him slamming into me. The water in the tub sloshes, nearly spilling over, but I don’t care. His fingers dig into my hips, pulling me against him as he growls my name, warning me.

I grab his earlobe between my teeth, sucking on it before I trail nibbles down his neck. His hand slides up my side, grabbing my breast easily in his large hand before tweaking my nipple. I bite down on his shoulder hard enough for the metallic taste of blood to splash my tongue as we both groan in release, his cock twitching inside me in just the right spot. My body shakes as my muscles contract repeatedly before I finally settle, relaxing against him.

I repeat his actions, licking the spot on his shoulder, peppering it with kisses before kissing a trail back to his mouth. We stay like that for a long moment, holding each other as we soak in our new bond, our bodies connected on a level we didn’t know was possible. When I pull back to look at him, I grin as I trace the new silver swirling across his chest.

He whispers, “I love you.” I stare at him before saying it back, curling up against his chest and relaxing into his embrace until the water goes cold and we head for bed.

Chapter 21

Jeff

I watch Kari rush down the steps of Willa’s cabin, her hair bouncing as she jogs away. Willa squeezes my sides, pulling me to her and back into the house as she shuts the door.

“Look at that! You’ve been recognized!” She throws her arms around my shoulders, holding me tightly. I nearly choke as her arms squeeze my neck. I slowly slide my arms around her waist and hug her back, my own shock still holding me tightly as well.

She pulls back and looks into my eyes. “Aren’t you excited? She’s right too, you know. You would make a great captain.”

I smile at her as my brain starts to comprehend what just happened. “Yeah, I am excited. I’m also a little overwhelmed.” Pulling out of her arms, I walk into the kitchen area, and pour some water into a cup. I sip the water, my eyes focusing elsewhere.

“What are you overwhelmed about?” Willa’s voice is soft as she steps up in front of me, studying me with a worried expression.

I take another sip of water and blink as I try to put my swirling emotions into words. “It’s confusing. Being here, it seems that being Captain or even becoming Captain is an impossibility. I’m headed more toward Advisor to the Chief than anything else, you know? It’s exhilarating to hear her say she’s proud of me and that I would do well in her place, but at the same time, does it have any meaning anymore?”

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