“Did I do something wrong?” Ellie-Mae asks, looking up at Kydax with wide eyes.
“Of course not, Kitten. Please, return to our domicile. I will explain later.” Kydax leans down and places a gentle kiss on her forehead.
Ellie-Mae smiles and waves one final goodbye.
“Finish cleaning yourselves up. We cannot keep Strykr waiting,” Kydax says coldly before turning to give us privacy.
When we finish putting ourselves back together, we join Kydax on what starts as a silent walk toward the shuttle bay.
“You never did care for the Accord, Zayd,” Kydax says to break the silence. “But this is not how I imagined you would break it.”
“I never intended to break it. I never expected any of this to happen.” I had always hated that the Accord required us to forego our instinct to hunt for our omegas.
There were times I considered joining the rogue alphas like the one who attacked Sutton and Layla. It was always the love for my pack that kept me here. “I know this does not make sense to you,” I tell Kydax, “but I am sure this is the right course for my life. No matter where I go, you will always be my brother, Kydax. I will remember you.” I show him the new bead thread in my ky’ute.
“And I you,” Kydax says and shows me a new bead he has added to his.
I knew it would be difficult to say goodbye, but saying goodbye to my best friend will be a scar on my heart and haunt me for the rest of my life.
Chapter 28
Layla
Thefearandanxietyof leaving Earth and everything and everyone I know behind is completely overshadowed by the sensation of space travel.
Zayd strapped Sutton and me into our seats for takeoff. The thrust of the engines forced gravity onto my bones like a ton of bricks. But ever since we exited the atmosphere, all I have been able to do is sit and stare, slack-jawed at the planet we left behind and the vast, star-speckled nothingness ahead of us.
“It is safe to walk around the ship now,” Zayd says, unbuckling his own harness. “The cabin gravity is stable. However, your limbs may feel a bit heavy as your body adjusts.”
Sutton unbuckles and stands next to Zayd. They don’t move, I guess, waiting for me to join them.
I click the latch on my buckle and slough it off. When I move to stand, I feel a pull like the ship is taking off again.
Sutton smiles and takes my hand. “It’s like after riding a really big roller coaster or swimming in the ocean. Your body remembers the motion too well.” Knowing Sutton feels it too eases my concern, and I force my muscles to move at my command.
“What now?” I ask, standing with them.
Their confident presence reassures me that we did the right thing, leaving Earth. I can’t imagine my life without them or with only one of them. It is supposed to be the three of us. We just need to figure out how to become one.
“I can tell you, I don’t think I’ll be eating anytime soon,” Sutton says, holding his stomach.
“How long is it supposed to take to get to this new planet?” I ask, stroking Sutton’s dark hair, then kissing his cheek.
His smile tells me my touch eases his discomfort.
“Drink this.” Zayd hands Sutton a shot glass of clear liquid he takes from a replicator set into the wall behind the captain’s chair.
Sutton holds up his hand to refuse it. “I don’t think alcohol—”
“It will help with the nausea. Trust me.” Zayd palms the back of Sutton’s head and holds the glass to his lips. “Drink.” The gesture is stern but kind.
After Sutton finishes the shot, the male’s eyes stay locked on each other. Their faces so close it wouldn’t take but a slight tilt of their heads for their lips to touch.
Part of me wants to pull them apart. Thankfully, I realize, very quickly, that it’s an old part that only wants to remember Sutton as my husband. He still is my husband, but he’s also my mate. One of two. I think.
The more I examine the way Sutton and Zayd look at each other, the more I wonder if I am theirs or if they are… something else.
“Layla, baby, are you okay?” Sutton asks, and Zayd catches the tear running down my cheek with the soft pad of his black-clawed finger.
