Page 48 of The Commanders' Mate

Duh. I’d never thought of that. Everyone went everywhere. Atlan women for Prillon warriors. Prillon women for Atlans. I knew there were other races as well, but I wondered if an Atlan woman was ever mated to a human. Since Chloe had told me she was actually mated to Seth Mills, a human, I’d begun to wonder about that as well.

So much to learn. I hoped I would have time to study everything. But for now, I could sit and smile and play cards with these beautiful young ladies.

“Of course. I’d be honored.” I walked to the crate and one of them found a makeshift chair for me so I would not have to sit on the cold freighter’s floor. I took a seat and looked around with a smile seeing a beautiful little girl sitting on one of the older girl’s laps. The teenager was Prillon, with copper-colored hair and eyes and gorgeous golden skin just like Ronan’s.

She smiled at me, as did the toddler. She was so young and small and perfectly content sitting on the young lady’s lap. So innocent.

I would not be the one to frighten any of them.

“You’re going to have to teach me how to play this game. I’ve never played it before.” I looked at the cards on the table, shocked to discover they looked exactly like a standard deck of playing cards from Earth. Shaking off the déjà vu, I turned and looked at each of the women in turn. There were six, and they were all smiling like they’d just won the lottery. “And please, tell me your names. It will take me a while to learn them all, so please forgive me if I don’t remember right away.”

The girl holding the child grinned. “I’m Kamara. This is Commander Chloe’s daughter, Dara.”

I held out my hand. “I’m Erica. Pleasure to meet you.”

Kamara beamed proudly as I shook her hand, but it didn’t last long, little Dara shoved her hand between ours until it was a three-way shake. Impatient and bold. Just like her mother.

“Dara, where are your manners, love? Wait your turn.” That warm, doting voice came out of the shadows, and I turned to find a human man standing there with a golden, Prillon mating collar around his neck.

“You must be Captain Seth Mills,” I said, smiling to see whom I guessed was his son, Christopher, on his hip as the man stepped forward and nodded.

The little boy had black hair, just like his sister. But instead of Dara’s bright green eyes, his were golden, as was his skin. He was very obviously half Prillon, and I assumed that as the primary male, Seth had claimed his rights to have the first child, giving Dorian the second.

I thought of the Chloe I knew allowing that and decided I had to be wrong. I just couldn’t see her following with that custom.

These children were gifts of Fate, and I wanted some of my own. “Your children are beautiful.”

His smile was genuine and the love in his eyes was, too. But I was confused. “Shouldn’t you be—you know—somewhere else?” I didn’t want to scare the children, but I was curious. “You’re a captain, right? Why did Commander Karter put you back here with the children?”

Seth’s smile faded, but it was replaced with understanding, not anger. “I run ReCon. I’m not a pilot. Dorian and Chloe are both excellent pilots. I’m best at close quarters fighting.”

He twisted his torso so I could see the stash of weapons he had attached to his lower back and thighs, and I understood. If things went badly, he was doing double duty: staying with his kids so Chloe and Dorian could fly, and serving as last line of defense of the mates and children. He’d die to protect them, especially with his own little ones here. But I understood the honor and trust my mate and the other mated males had placed in him to protect what was most precious to them.

“I see.” And I did. I made sure to add an extra nod of acknowledgment in his direction. I understood more than he was saying.

Dara crawled down from Kamara’s lap as she was dealing all of us four cards. There were two more women at the table now. As Lady Karter, I was, it seemed, something of a celebrity.

Dara pulled on her father’s pant leg and he grinned down, scooping her up into his opposite arm, and out of her brother’s reach. His chubby little fingers were already reaching for her long, black hair. “Daddy smashes them. Don’t you, Daddy?” Her voice was all toddler, but I understood every word and peace filled me as she nuzzled her little head under his chin.

“That’s right, baby girl. Your daddy is more a smash and grab kind of guy.” He kissed the top of her head and looked back to me. “I’m not into lining up in formation and getting shot at.”

Kamara pushed four cards across the makeshift table and smiled. “This is Commander Phan’s favorite Earth game.”

I picked up my four cards and looked them over. Pretty standard crap hand. One jack of spades, a seven of diamonds, three of hearts, and a joker. “Okay. What is it?”

“Do you know how to play Go Fish?”

I nearly burst out laughing, until I saw that Kamara was very, very serious. “Yes, I do, as a matter of fact. That’s Commander Phan’s favorite game?”

“Yes. With joker’s wild.” Her smile faded for a moment. “Do you know what a joker is?”

I laughed out loud, the sound happy and free and empty of tension. Many eyes were pulled in our direction, and I let them look. I was Lady Karter and these were my people. And right now, they desperately needed to laugh.

Three games later, Dara was on my lap, Christopher on Kamara’s and we had a mix of boys and girls playing the game. I’d also learned that Chloe’s idea of going fishing was not exactly standard practice on Earth.

If one had to “Go Fish” they had to do a physical feat of strength, or grace, before they were allowed to draw another card. Which meant push-ups, sit-ups, running in place, or showing off a magic trick or dance move. Most of the girls danced. Most of the boys showed off, and even Christopher, who could toddle around on unsteady feet, decided to get in on the action.

That set everyone to laughing, adults and kids alike, and the little hero was a total ham, bouncing up and down on his chunky baby thighs and swinging his arms like he was at a dance party.

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