Page 22 of The Rebel and the Rogue

“What?” I turned toward the small voic

e and discovered two little ones staring up at me with wide, curious eyes and absolutely no fear. The little girl was about five—assuming these Rogue 5 hybrids aged the same way human children did—and who I assumed was her younger brother, perhaps three. Close in age. Their dark brown hair, copper-toned skin and slightly angular features reminded me of the Prillon warriors I’d battled with in the Coalition Fleet. Prillon hybrids perhaps? Whatever they were, they were adorable, and so were the tiny fangs just visible when she smiled at me. A big, open, trusting smile. Prillon with fangs. What a ruthless combination, and yet in such adorable little packages.

So innocent. With fangs. God, I was obsessed with the stupid fangs.

“Why don’t you have your armband on?” she repeated.

I cleared my throat and looked at Zenos for guidance. What was I supposed to say? I’d been too busy having sex to keep track of it? It got lost when the big hybrid Forsian seated across from me took me from behind? Yeah, neither of those would work. Zenos raised a brow and stuffed another bite of food into his mouth. Really helpful.

“Well, I forgot it in my room,” I said finally, offering her a small smile. There wasn’t much opportunity to hang out with kids in the Coalition. Sure, some lived on the big battleships with their families, but I hadn’t really had contact with any of them. I’d been on the smaller crafts, just fighters waiting or being sent to battle. On Earth none of my friends had had kids yet, and I’d been an only child. I didn’t dislike children, I just hadn’t had much contact with them. Out of sight, out of mind, pretty much.

She smiled and pulled her little brother by the arm, tucking him in closer to her side. He went, without complaint, which was damn adorable. “I’m Scylla and my brother is Nero.”

“Nice to meet you both. I’m Ivy.”

She nodded as if this was not new information, as if word of me had spread even to the preschool crowd.

“My mother says you are mated to Zenos now.” She rocked back and forth on her heels, her eager face glowing with excitement. I had no idea what to say, but she kept talking. I looked about the room, wondered who her mother was. Why was she letting her kids come up to a stranger? Were there no worries here within Astra? It seemed not. Zenos didn’t worry, he kept shoveling in the food. “He is my favorite when we play giants and pirates. He makes the best noises.” Her face lit up with glee, and she clapped her hands together.

“Who?”

“Zenos. The best giant of them all.”

“What?” Giants and pirates? Zenos?

A loud roar came from Zenos, and I startled, so shocked, the sound bouncing off the walls of the room like a cannon blast. Like a giant.

My ass hit the floor, the kiddos laughed like I was the funniest thing they’d ever seen and Zenos stood over all of us looking a bit too satisfied with himself, arms crossed over his chest. Grinning.

I looked around quickly, but the other Astra adults in the room grinned or ignored us completely, as if this was a common scene. Zenos played with kids. Kids went up to strangers. I wasn’t a stranger, I was with Zenos. And he wasn’t just a big, brawny guy from Rogue 5 that liked to push my buttons and fuck me hard. He was also a huge softy. Who knew? Definitely not me.

I hadn’t been prepared for that roar. I’d been too comfortable, too relaxed, which could have been the result of multiple orgasms. Now I was on the floor looking like an idiot—and my backside needed a good rubbing. I’d have to be prepared for that next time, to not let my guard down so much. The roar or any kind of enemy. I was too complacent, which made me scowl. Rattled, I messed with my hair, which was so fifteen-year-old-girl behavior. Another reason I didn’t leave it down. Frustrated, I gathered the long strands and swept the mess up over my shoulder to the front.

Scylla gasped. “Oh! Can I touch them?”

“What?” I asked… again. My hair? We all had hair, mine wasn’t anything special. But God, could I say anything else to the small child but what?

Zenos’s playful grin had faded, and he looked at the two children with a grave expression.

“Ivy does not understand our ways yet, little one, but as you can see, she is a very strong warrior.”

His words sank in, making me feel warm and tingly and far too happy. Zenos thought I was strong, even with my ass on the floor? He didn’t even know the truth yet, the truth about my past, my injuries, the scars he said were special, what I’d done to survive…

“Can I? Can I touch them?” Scylla’s eyes glowed, and she practically danced and wiggled around like she was either overexcited or had to pee.

Touch what? I looked up to Zenos for help as Nero climbed into my lap and parked there on my thighs as if I were his mother and he belonged in my lap. Like he was mine.

It was as if I was sitting with him at story time at the library or something. It was a swift and ridiculous idea. A dangerous, dangerous thought, that one. He wasn’t mine, and this definitely wasn’t preschool hour. I looked around again, searching for their parents. Rescue me!

“Oh, um… okay,” I said when no one stepped forward.

Completely at a loss as the tiny boy cuddled into me with a contented sigh, I looked from Nero to his dancing sister to the male staring down at me with a look in his eyes I’d never seen before. Gentle. Tender.

Proud.

“She wants to touch your scars, Ivy,” Zenos said. “As I told you, they are a mark of honor and strength within Astra Legion. If you doubted me, you can believe a small child, hmm? Only the strongest among us survive with such scars. The most trusted. The bravest. The protectors among us.”

My scars? “You were serious? Really? But they’re on my back. She can’t even see…”

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