Page 49 of The Rebel and the Rogue

I climbed from bed and used the shower tube—emptying my balls again—and ran a fucking ReGen wand over my head to ease the throbbing. It surprised me Ivy had yet to return, to come in and tell me off with that sharp tongue of hers or push me onto the bed and use me for her needs.

Her mission was complete. She’d found Gerian Eozara, the secret lab, even, fuck, Cerberus, avenged the death of her fellow fighters. It would take a while to get over the hatred toward Cerberus, but I had his death to remember, to know justice was served for what happened to Rhord, to all of us. And Gerian would be dead as well, the Coalition executing those who harmed their own. We all had Ivy to thank for rooting him out. For ending it all.

She’d not only worked her way into my heart, but she’d worked her way into the legion itself. She was like us. Gods, she belonged here, not only with me but with all of Astra Legion. She might not be born on Rogue 5, but she was one of us.

And she was mine. She would come to understand how it would be. She would stop questioning, stop pushing for more than I could give. It seemed she didn’t understand how much I loved her, no matter how many times we fucked, how often I showed her with my body. And that was the problem that I would fix now.

I would tell her how I felt. Show her again. And again. Until she believed me.

I dressed, left my quarters in search of Ivy.

I followed the scents of food and the sounds of voices to the dining hall. When I entered, there were about twenty or so eating their morning meal. I scanned the space. No Ivy. I did see Astra, who was smiling.

Smiling. What. The. Fuck?

I stalked over to her, dropped into an empty chair.

“What’s the matter?” I asked. I rarely saw our leader’s mouth turned up in amusement, let alone a full-on grin.

“What do you mean?” she asked. She glanced to Barek, who sat beside her as usual. What wasn’t usual was the way he was looking at her. I was used to him watching her closely, fiercely. Now his gaze held the same possessiveness as always, but a… tenderness.

I scratched my head, wondering if I still had alcohol in my blood.

“You’re smiling,” I told her, then pointed at Barek. “What the fuck’s got into you?”

He tipped his head back and laughed. My mouth fell open.

“Nothing’s gotten into me, but I got into her.” He looked to Astra and stroked her hair.

I couldn’t believe it, but Astra actually blushed, her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink.

I glanced around the room at the others, no one paying us any attention, as if the moon base hadn’t shifted off its axis.

I leaned forward, rubbed my temples. “Will you please fucking tell me what’s going on? Why you’re so damned happy all of a sudden? It can’t be because Gerian Eozara is in the brig. Is there an update about Cerberus?”

“Gerian is dead,” Astra said plainly. “Jillela will take over Cerberus. I’m sure of it. And I’m happy because of this.”

She yanked the collar of her shirt to the side, and I saw the marks.

Barek’s mark.

I stared. Then stared more at the red flesh.

He’d been in love with her for years. Decades. He’d never once touched her. As far as I knew, they’d never spoken of how they felt. How their love was unrequited.

Until now.

Until the antidote.

“It works.” The words fell from my lips as I thought them.

“It works,” Astra repeated.

“It sure as fuck does. Astra might be leader of the legion, but she’s mine. Marked and claimed.”

“Holy fuck,” I whispered, then stood. My chair slid across the floor. My hands went to my hips. “You’re telling me the antidote works? That we have it, the serum that will save us?”

Barek nodded but didn’t look away from Astra.

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