Page 35 of Secret Twins for the Alien Dad

You must slay the King of Monsters,

Pierce his eye through with your sword,

Nerei, Nerei, you will save your Jalshagar.”

When he finishes, his cheeks color, scales growing a darker shade of blue. “Well, it goes something like that. I know I’m not much of a singer, but –"

“That was beautiful,” I say, rubbing the lacquered wood reverently. It’s probably the loveliest gift I’ve ever been given. Well, okay, it’s more for the babies, but until they’re born, I can pretend that it was meant for me. “I hope you’ll tell them that story when they are old enough.”

“Of course,” he says. “I want our child to grow up as brave and strong as its mother.”

That inspires a deep blush as I set down the box. “Not nearly as strong as you.”

He shrugs. “It’s easy to be brave when you’re seven feet tall and capable of healing from almost any wound. You’re a survivor, Myra, and I admire that about you.”

“Stop,” I say, my face burning with enough heat to bring the ambient temperature in the room up a degree or two.

He smirks. “If you say so.” But then, his expression sobers. “There was another reason why I came, though. We need to figure out who really took that comm-pad.”

Reality smacks me in the face. I was so caught up in the loveliness of this pseudo-date that I almost forgot why I’m in Mairg in the first place.

“Right, well, it’s not just that. Brev is gonna be pissed that I ran out on him, regardless of if you find the missing pad. I owe him for getting me out of Armstrong, and he never lets me forget what he paid for my ticket.”

He reaches across the table to take my hand. “You don’t have to worry about that. I can handle it.”

I snort. “I think I’m gonna be worried no matter what.”

“True.” He gently retracts his hand. “To handle it, though, I have to go back to Glimner. I'm not sure how long it'll take, but I promise you that I'll come back as soon as I can.”

My breath catches, just a little. Things have been… nice… with Zair around. As much as I love Eva, she’s busy trying to keep her own head above water, and I can’t be an extra burden on her. But Zair is different. He’s looking after me in a way no one else has before.

But if he leaves, a part of me screams that he’s not coming back. That part, though, is the ache of old scars from past betrayals. I try to remind myself that Zair spent months looking for me, rented an apartment so that he can stay close, and has been doing everything in his power to help me and the babies.

I trust him. He hasn’t given me any reason not to. If he says he’ll come back as soon as he can, then I’m going to choose to believe that he’s telling the truth. Hopefully, this won’t bite me in the ass.

I force a smile and get to my feet. “I understand. Thank you for… for everything.” Between my belly and the fact that he’s sitting down, the hug is awkward, but it’s also incredibly comforting. His muscles shift under his skin as he tightens his hold on me.

I could spend the rest of my life in his warm embrace, but he has to get ready to go, so instead, I see him to the door. As I watch him walk off in the evening air, I hope that this isn’t the last time that I get to see him.

18

ZAIR

The train ride back to Glimner doesn't exactly fill me with hope for clearing Myra’s name. I’ve already exhausted my best efforts months ago. With zero leads, I may be heading back just to hit the same walls again and again.

Leaving Myra took some mental convincing, too. As a Kaleidian warrior, I’m not supposed to be bothered by such domestic concerns. But our bond tugs at my heart with each mile the train takes me away from her. From them. After all the work it took just to find her, I can’t stand to be away.

My stomach sinks like a lovesick boy, bringing my mind to her belly and our babies.

I'm so worried, I can’t sit still in the train car. The entire ride has me pacing with a fear I can’t name buzzing inside me. More than anything, I hope she doesn’t go into labor without me.

When she kissed me goodbye, I put on a brave face. She shouldn't have to worry if I can clear her name. If I’m able. So even though I've nothing to go on, I know it's up to me to make the impossible happen.

I hit the pavement a few hours later, greeted by the sound of slot machines and streetwise pimps. Glimner hasn’t changed in my absence. It's still the same haggard drunk who doesn’t know when to quit. It’s me that’s different. I’m a man on a mission, and I can’t say that I don’tgetit now. All the times my mother said I should grow up, told me to stop playing around. I get it.

You have to have something to fight for. Myra and our babies are that thing for me, tugging at my heartstrings from many miles apart. It has put a lot of fight in me. While I don’t know what to expect, or what I could hope to find, the fight in me will move me through. No matter how many walls I hit. My comm finds me in the middle of my thoughts, and my hopes rise as I answer.

“Skalt,” I answer.Please let this be something.

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