Page 98 of All You Need is Alien Love
Glancing toward the operating door, I see that the light above it is still on, indicating surgery is still in progress. I pray to the Time Lords of the universe that Wilder pulls through. Too many people I care about will be devastated if he doesn’t. No matter what he did in the past, they still love him. And after what I saw, I honestly want to get to know Wilder too. He’s kind of a badass when he wants to be.
Ellie steps forward, her expression somber. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but my son needs to get checked out by a med tech right away. If there are any updates, please be sure to keep us informed. We’ll be just down the hall.”
“The surgical team indicated they would likely be at work for several hours,” Lu-Ren offers. “Take your time.”
Kai pulls Zamir to his feet and gives him a long, comforting hug.
“If Wilder survives all of this, I hope you’ll give him a chance to right his wrongs. Even if you can never be what you once were, I think you both owe it to yourselves to mend the heartache you each carry.”
Kai finally lets Ellie lead him down the hall to the examination room. When we reach it, I’m surprised to find my parents and Kai’s grandmother waiting for us.
We share an immediate round of hugs all around as we celebrate being reunited safely. At the end of the day, we survived and successfully overthrew the attempted invasion of Earth.
Operation CHAOS, Captain Kirk-style, for the win!
Now we just need to make sure whatever Adeline injected Kai with wasn’t dangerous.
My mom hands me a holotablet. “There’s someone who’s been eagerly waiting to talk to you.”
I blink in confusion but take the device in my hands. On the screen, the face of a strikingly beautiful woman greets me. Her hair is pulled up in an intricate updo and she’s dressed in some type of military uniform.
“So you’re River Sullivan,” she purrs. “It’s a pleasure to finally see your face.” She grins. “You’re just as cute as my daughter Toralena told me.”
And that’s when it clicks.
“Mama Bellazoid?” I gasp.
She throws her head back and laughs. “That’s General Mama Bellazoid to you, or Mirella Feyre if you prefer.”
“Holy flashback, Batman! When I sent out a call for help on the intergalactic web, I never imagined that you would show up to lend your assistance.”
Her eyes twinkle with merriment. “A Bellazoid never forgets their duty, especially when they owe someone as much as I owe you for saving my daughter in her time of need.”
I wave a hand dismissively, recalling my very first field experience as a new recruit in the Alliance. “It was my pleasure. Toralena and her friends were so sweet and kind. There was no way I wouldn’t help them, job or no job!”
General Mama Bellazoid shakes her head wonderingly. “You’re as kindhearted as my daughter told me. The fact that you helped her and made her feel safe and unashamed after what happened meant the world to her—and to me.”
“She and her friends were drugged. They were definitely not responsible for their actions, and I made that clear to them.”
She nods. “I know, and you did it all without expecting anything in return. You possess a rare quality of genuine decency in this universe. The Bellazoids are a powerful and wealthy species, and many have tried to manipulate and use us for their own benefit.”
I gasp in outrage. “What assholes!”
She chuckles again. “You’re truly a breath of fresh air, River Sullivan. As soon as I heard you were in trouble, I got my team together and we hightailed it for Earth.” She winks. “I’m happy to report that we have neutralized the threat from the ships in orbit and have taken the instigators into custody.”
I grin back at her. “Fuck yeah. I’m so lucky to have so many awesome kickass women in my life.”
She eyes me up and down. “And you’re even more fortunate you sealed the deal with that Iyaran partner of yours. Otherwise, I might have been inclined to pursue you in order to make you my fifth husband.”
My eyes nearly bug out of my head. “Your fifth husband?”
She waves a hand airily. “I only have four at the moment, but I really could use another one. They have a difficult time keeping up with me on their own.”
I let out a nervous laugh. “Uh, I’m honored, but super gay. Thanks all the same.”
Her lips twitch with obvious mirth. “I can see your mate glaring at me from here.”
I whip my head around to spy a stormy-faced Kai hovering behind me protectively.
