They were gone, but they would want him to embrace this second chance at happiness instead of clinging to grief and obligation. Leaving the Patrol meant honoring their memory by choosing life over duty, love over loneliness.
He had eight hours to prepare for the biggest gamble of his life. Time to wake his family and tell them they were about to become fugitives.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Corinne returned to find Anya awake, sitting cross-legged on her bunk with a book in her lap.
“Couldn’t sleep?” She kept her voice light despite the nervous flutter in her stomach.
“I woke up when you left.” Anya studied her with those sharp blue eyes that missed nothing. “You’re wearing Selik’s shirt.”
Heat flooded her cheeks. “I needed to talk to him about something and?—”
“You don’t have to explain.” Anya closed her book and set it aside. “I’m thirteen, not stupid. I’ve read romance novels. I know what happens when adults sneak off together in the middle of the night.”
“Oh God.” She covered her face with her hands. This was not the conversation she’d anticipated having at this hour of the morning.
“It’s okay.” Anya’s voice softened. “I like him. He’s good to us, and he makes you happy. I can see it in the way you look at him.”
She lowered her hands. “You really don’t mind?”
“Why would I mind? You deserve to be happy too. Dad would want that.” Anya picked at a thread on her blanket. “I spent so long being angry when Dad married you because I thought you were trying to come between us. But you weren’t. You were just trying to be there for both of us, and I was too stubborn to see it.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” She sat down beside her stepdaughter and pulled her into a hug. “You weren’t stubborn. You were grieving and scared and that’s completely normal.”
“I know that now.” Anya leaned into the embrace. “And I know Dad loved you, even if it wasn’t the passionate romance novel kind of love. He cared about you and respected you and wanted you to be happy. Which means I should want that too.”
Tears pricked her eyes. When had this prickly, defensive girl turned into such a thoughtful young woman? Somewhere between the abduction and the rescue, between the fear and the hope, Anya had grown up.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “That means more to me than you know.”
They were sitting together in comfortable silence, when the door panel chimed and Selik slipped inside.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, taking in the grim look on his face.
“Tarak intercepted a message alerting the Council about Mikoz, but not until after it had already been sent.”
Her heart skipped a beat as she cast a worried glance at her sleeping child.
“What does that mean?”
“I heard they might want to take Mikoz back to their homeworld,” Anya said.
He nodded. “I am afraid so. Once they know about him, they will try to separate us.”
“What are we going to do?” she whispered.
“We’re going to leave and find somewhere safe where we can be a family without interference.”
“Good.” Anya nodded firmly. “Because I’m not letting anyone take him. Or either of you. We’re a family now and families stick together.”
The fierce protectiveness in her stepdaughter’s voice made her heart swell. “Yes, we are. And yes, we do. When do we leave?” she added, turning to Selik.
“We have eight hours. We are going to leave when the transport ship leaves in order to disguise our departure. You should try to get some sleep while you can.”
Anya nodded and retreated to the bedroom. “Wake me when it’s time to go.”
“I will.” She tucked the blanket around her stepdaughter, then checked on Mikoz one more time before returning to Selik. He was pacing the main room, his tail swishing agitatedly.
