Page 70 of Human Reform
Heat rushed to my cheeks.“I did.Didn’t I?”
“Do you believe that?”The intensity in his gaze made my pulse quicken.
“I do,” I whispered.“I think I knew it from the moment we met, even if I was too stubborn to admit it.”
His lips curled into that genuine smile that turned my insides to liquid.“I knew it, too.When you defied me by trying to escape, and I caught you in my arms before you fell.”
I laughed.“Romantic.”
“It was,” he insisted, pulling me flush against him.“It meant you were brave and strong.My equal.”
His mouth descended on mine, and I melted into him, my arms winding around his neck.The kiss was passionate but tender, filled with promise and possibility.When we finally broke our kiss, I was breathless.
“So, what now?”I asked, resting my forehead against his chest.
I felt his chuckle rumble through him.“Now we live, Alora.Together.”
The simple declaration filled me with a joy so fierce it bordered on pain.After years of isolation and guilt, I’d found not just redemption but love in the most unlikely place imaginable.
As Daxon pulled me in for another kiss, I thought perhaps that’s exactly how happiness worked.It found you when you were busy looking for something else entirely.
THIRTY
DAXON
Something shookme from the deepest sleep I’d had in days.My consciousness fought to break through the fog, my instincts immediately heightening to assess for threats.
“Daxon.Daxon, wake up.”
Alora’s voice.Her hand gripped my arm, shaking me with surprising strength.I blinked hard, forcing my vision to focus in the darkness of our bedroom.
“What’s wrong?”I asked, my voice rough with sleep.Then I saw her face—her eyes wide, one hand pressed against her swollen belly, the other still gripping my arm.
“It’s time,” she said, a mixture of excitement and fear in her voice.
Time?Time for what?Then it hit me with the force of a tactical assault.
“The baby?”I bolted upright, suddenly wide awake.“You’re sure?”
“Unless your child is practicing hand-to-hand combat in my uterus, yes, I’m sure.”Her breathing hitched as another contraction swept through her.“Been timing them.Getting closer together.”
I leapt from our bed, suddenly aware of my complete nakedness, and nearly tripped over my own feet in my haste to get dressed.Alora laughed—actually laughed—despite her discomfort.
“Watch yourself.I need you in one piece.”
I yanked on my black boxers and then grabbed my tactical pants from where I’d draped them over a chair the night before.My hands were trembling.I, who had faced down Nescot battle squadrons without flinching, was shaking like a new recruit on his first patrol.
“I already messaged Olivia and Aeon,” she said, watching me struggle with my pants with undisguised amusement.“They’re preparing the medical bay delivery room.”
I pulled my fitted black T-shirt over my head, not bothering to smooth it down.“How are you feeling?Are you in pain?Should I carry you?How far apart are your contractions?”
Her gray eyes softened with affection.“Pretty sure I can still walk, but I’m not saying no to your arm for support.”
I knelt before her, taking her hands in mine.Nine months.Nine months of watching her body change and feeling our child move beneath my palms.Nine months of planning and preparing and worrying.And now it was happening.
“I love you,” I said, the words still a revelation every time they passed my lips.A year ago, I didn’t even comprehend what love was.Now it flooded every cell of my being.“Both of you.”
“I know.”She squeezed my hands.“Now get my bag before your offspring gets impatient.”
