Page 44 of Alien Mercenary's Wife
"Could this be connected?" he asked. "The same tech that hit your people… could it be linked to what's happening to veterans now? The defective implants?"
"That's what I've been trying to prove. The lawsuit, the evidence gathering. All of it." She looked at him directly. "It has to be the same bastards who made the defective implants that are killing veterans now."
"And they've been hunting you to keep you quiet."
“Yeah.”
Cold anger settled in his chest. They were systematically eliminating witnesses, murdering veterans who'd served with honor.
"You're safe here," he told her. "You're not fighting this alone anymore."
She looked at him then, really looked at him, and something shifted in the air between them.
"Thank you," she said softly. "For listening. For believing me."
"Your fight is our fight now." He reached out to brush a strand of sweat-dampened hair away from her face. Her skin was warm beneath his fingers, soft in ways that made his pulse quicken.
She leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment before opening to meet his gaze directly.
"Reese," he murmured, her name rough on his tongue.
She moved first, closing the distance between them. Her lips met his with surprising softness, seeking comfort and connection. He responded carefully, one hand cupping her face while the other settled at her waist, letting her set the pace.
The kiss was tender rather than passionate, two people finding momentary peace in each other's warmth. When they broke apart, she rested her forehead against his, breathing soft against his skin.
"Stay?" she asked, the word barely audible.
"Yeah." His voice came out rougher than intended. "I'll stay."
She settled against his chest, her head finding the hollow of his shoulder with natural ease. He felt the tension slowly leaving her muscles as exhaustion finally claimed her.
He didn't move, didn't want to wake her. Her breathing slowed, deeper now. She trusted him enough to actually sleep. That meant something.
His comm unit chimed softly. T'Raal ignored it, unwilling to disturb Reese's sleep. The comm chimed again, a different tone—the specific frequency reserved for his imperial contact. He tensed.
Moving carefully to avoid waking Reese, he reached into his pants pocket. The encrypted signal pulsed softly, waiting for acknowledgment.
He accepted the connection with a gesture, voice low.
"Yeah?"
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important." Emperor Daaynal's voice was unmistakable as it filled the small quarters.
T'Raal's heart lurched. Of all the people who might call at this hour, the Emperor was not who he’d expected.
"Your Majesty," he said. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"I find myself unable to sleep, and our previous conversation left me with questions I'd like to explore further." Daaynal paused. "Is this a convenient time?"
T'Raal looked down at the woman sleeping peacefully in his arms, her trust written in every relaxed line of her body.
"I can talk," he said finally.
"That signal you used during our meeting... it brought back memories. Old ones. Of someone I served with. Someone extraordinary." There was a pause on the line. "M'Aarni was the finest warrior I ever knew. Brilliant, fearless, completely devoted to protecting others. You have her eyes, you know."
"You remember her eyes?"
"I remember everything about her." Daaynal's voice grew softer. "She saved my life more times than I could count. I trusted her above all others."
