Page 37 of Vawn
“It means they need to kiss.” I winked at my daughter.
“Oh, kissy, kissy.” Enif clapped her hands. “Yes, Genj wikes you. Always as-kes how you are.”
Utahn’s cheeks were tinged pink as he handed my daughter and me our flowers. “We have a ceremony to attend. Let’s go.”
I followed my best friend and daughter down the hall. We stood outside the main room until each of us received our cue. Enif tossed her flowers well and had many of our guests gushing over her. When Utahn walked down the aisle, he locked eyes with Genj. The two of them stared at each other until my best friend reached the front of the room and had to stand in his assigned spot beside my daughter.
Ojo stepped out from behind a curtain, using his walking assist device. Dressed in a full white suit, with his hair slicked back, he looked both handsome and sexy. I couldn’t wait until we had a chance to complete the ceremony by ourselves.
When I caught his gaze, his eyes widened, and a slow smile spread across his lips. My cheeks warmed, as if I was seeing him for the first time all over again.
I walked down the aisle and met him at the front, joining my hands with his and ready to join our hearts.
While I had not expected to find a mate the weekend I went to visit my brothers, I couldn’t imagine not having Ojo in my life now. Although we did have one night of amazing sex the first time we’d met, we’d gotten to know each other slowly, and from a few planets apart. So, when I did see him face-to-face, I already felt like I knew him quite well. And, no matter what the future held for us, I knew we’d be doing it together, with our family and friends by our side.
Chapter Eighteen
Ojokun
“Okay, now turn and burn.” I watched on the screen as Ilam, my first trainee, began to decelerate, initiating a fake stall before rolling the jet. Seconds passed before he slammed on the thrusters, as I’d taught him, then took off in the opposite direction. Perfect. My heart swelled with pride. I’d made the right decision.
After my accident, I’d left Eurebly for Orez with Vawn. He’d taken care of me while I recovered, and I made sure he took care of himself while carrying our baby. And I grew comfortable living with him. So much so, I had no desire to return to Eurebly. I no longer wanted to risk my life as a space racer but wanted to enjoy it as a husband and father.
That didn’t mean I wanted to leave the racer life behind completely.
“Okay, now bring ’er back. We have a grand opening to attend.” I studied Ilam’s course as he rolled the jet around before coming in to land.
It was kind of funny and unexpected as to how I became his trainer. As my union ceremony to Vawn had drawn closer and closer, changes happened in our lives at a quick rate. The biggest change was when Utahn decided he was going to move out and live in the empty apartment above his bakery. After the union, instead of mated bliss, Vawn became depressed that his friend lived so far away. Not planets but enough of a distance after they’d shared a house for a few years. So, I used my savings from being a racer to buy a house on Orez only a block from Utahn. Word quickly spread, after we’d moved, that the racer was there to stay. That’s when Ilam started to hang out at the bakery, doing odd favors for Utahn, with the hopes of running into me. The first time I walked in with Vawn and Enif, he ran out without saying a word. But, the second time, I’d gone in by myself.
Ilam hadn’t said anything more than hello, but Utahn had explained to me that the young man dreamed to be a space racer.
“You want me to teach you a few things?” I’d asked. I hadn’t expected him to pass out in response. It was quite the start to our arrangement.
After many sessions in a simulator I’d booked through the spaceport, and then in an old jet I’d leased out, I knew Ilam was more than ready to try out for a spot on any space racer team. I actually hoped he’d take my place on ORIXA, which hadn’t yet been filled, as all tryouts and races were put on hiatus until the investigation into my accident was wrapped up. But I didn’t want to get Ilam’s hopes up.
When he met me on the platform, after landing the jet, I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and guided him toward the newly built training school at the spaceport. “You ready to meet the rest of ORIXA and some of my other fellow racers?”
He gave a nervous chuckle. “I’ll try not to pass out this time.”
I squeezed his shoulder. “Well, you’d better get used to them all. You’re going to be flying with some of them soon and racing against the others. I’m sure of it.”
Ilam pulled into himself as I opened the door for him. “You give me too much credit. I’m not that good.”
“Ah, but you are.” I playfully slapped his back. “You’re better than I was when I tried out.”
As soon as I saw my mate, I hobbled over to him, still needing the support of the walking assist device, and kissed him before lifting Enif up into my arms.
“How’d he do?” Vawn asked.
“My time with him is over.” I glanced behind me to find my trainee trying to blend into the wall rather than sticking by me so I could introduce him to the other people in the building. “But fitting in with the others is going to take a lot of time.”
Vawn smiled warmly at the young man. “I’m sure being around the other racers will bring him out of his shell. Look how far he’s come since you started working with him.”
“They’d better treat him well, or I’ll fly to Eurebly myself and kick all their asses.” I rubbed Vawn’s belly. “Speaking of kicking, how’s our baby been today?”
“Really quiet.” His hands met mine as dread filled my gut. “I mean, I can still feel them moving, but they’re not using my insides as a playground today.”
“Okay.” I hoped that meant our baby was coming soon, and not that there was a problem. I’d had too many nightmares recently about bad things happening to our baby and/or Vawn. “If you feel off in any way, let me know. I will take you to a medical facility right away. All this can wait.”
