Page 62 of Alien Engineer's Mate

"As if you're any better." She nodded toward where Kyle raced past, leading a pack of children in some complicated game. "I saw you teaching him combat forms yesterday."

"The boy has natural talent." Kirr grinned. "And a warrior's spirit, even if he chooses engineering as his path."

She watched Kyle dart between groups of guests, his breathing clear and strong. The last treatment session had gone without a hitch... and soon he wouldn't need them at all. She sent a silent thank you up to whatever gods might be listening, Latharian or human, for bringing them here where he could get proper care.

Movement on the dance floor caught her eye. Leo guided Sheena through a formal Tavkronian pattern. They'd practiced for hours last night, and Leo had kept stumbling, but he'd been determined to get it right. And it had paid off.

Pride swelled in her chest as she watched him lead with quiet confidence. He'd grown so much in the last few months. The way Sheena looked at him, like he'd hung the stars in the sky... that was familiar too.

"Did you ever imagine this?" Kirr asked in a low voice. "When you first arrived?"

She laughed, shaking her head. "Honestly? I was just hoping for basic medical care and enough food. All of this..." She gestured at the celebration around them. "This is beyond anything I could have dreamed."

She caught glimpses of them as the crowd shifted, at ease between various species and social groups in the room.

"Excuse me," she said, needing a moment alone.

She found a quiet corner near the viewport, the star field stretching endlessly beyond the transparent barrier. Her reflection wavered in the surface, her hair swept up in elaborate braids Maax had insisted on doing himself, the new bonding necklace he'd given her gleaming with subtle patterns that marked her as his mate and, now, part of the imperial house.

"You'd hardly recognize me now, would you, James?" The words emerged soft but steady as she lifted her glass in a silent toast. "But you'd recognize the kids. Leo has your quiet strength... you should see him with Sheena, so careful and sure. And Grace..." She had to pause, swallowing past the thickness in her throat. "Grace laughs again. Really laughs, like she used to when you were here."

The stars blurred slightly as tears threatened, but she blinked them back. "Kyle's almost finished with his treatments. He can run and play like any other child now. And Emily... she completes us in ways I never expected. The way she and Grace took to each other, like they were always meant to be sisters..."

She took a slow breath, steadying herself. "I want you to know... loving Maax doesn't change what we had. What you gave us. The kids still talk about you, still keep your memory alive. But they're healing. We all are."

Movement reflected in the viewport, Maax approaching behind her, his warrior's grace not altered one iota by his formal uniform. She smiled.

"You'd like him," she continued softly. "He protects them like they're the most precious things in the universe. Because to him, they are." She touched the cool surface of the viewport. "They're going to be okay, James. More than okay. They're going to thrive."

Strong arms slid around her waist, and she leaned back against her new mate's solid chest. He didn't speak, just held her while she had this moment with James's memory. His presence anchored her, reminding her that grief and joy could coexist in the same heart.

When she was ready, she turned in his arms. The love in his eyes stole her breath... how had she gotten so lucky? How had her desperate plan to save her children led to this?

"Our daughters are requesting another dance," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "But I think their mother deserves a turn first."

She let him draw her back toward the dance floor. Emily and Grace's faces lit up as they approached, while Kyle paused his game long enough to wave. Leo caught her eye from where he stood with Sheena, his smile bright with approval.

She smiled through her tears. This was her family... not just as she'd imagined on her darkest days in the colony, but better. Stronger. Complete in ways she'd never dared to dream of.

Maax's arms tightened around her as they began to move with the music. She caught glimpses of their children as they turned; all of them happy, safe, loved. The future stretched bright before them, full of possibilities she once thought lost forever.

She was home.

19

Kirr watched the celebration unfold from his position near the viewport, cataloging threats and exits out of habit even though he knew the security teams had everything well in hand. The reception hall blazed with light and color, filled with an impossible mix of species celebrating the formal binding of his friend to his new mate. Earth roses competed with Latharian victory blooms for dominance of the air, their warring scents a fitting metaphor for the union being celebrated.

A flash of movement caught his eye. Kyle raced past with a pack of children, their laughter echoing off the high ceiling. The boy moved with an ease that made Kirr smile, remembering how sickly he had appeared when Maax first brought the family aboard.

Kellat approached, adjusting the teal sash of his station over his formal leathers. The healer looked distinctly uncomfortable in the stiff new uniform, making Kirr hide his amusement. Warriors adapted more easily to formal dress than healers, it seemed.

"His treatments worked better than anyone expected," he said, nodding toward Kyle.

“No. He won't need the last two sessions I scheduled," Pride colored Kellat's voice even though he tried to hide it. "But, somehow, I doubt his father will cancel them."

They both turned to watch Maax spin across the dance floor, Emily and Grace shrieking with delight as he lifted them high. Kirr couldn't help the smile, remembering reports of the warrior who'd terrorized the medical bay over a scraped knee. The change in his friend was remarkable. The once-rigid warrior now moved with the easy confidence of a father who knew his children were safe and cherished.

Eira stood at the edge of the dance floor, her smile one of joy as she watched her mate with their daughters.

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