Zayd
Epilogue
Thereisnothingmorerelaxing than watching my mates frolic and crash into the ocean while I sit on the back porch of our little beach house. Sutton has offered to teach me how to swim, but I have yet to take him up on it.
Swimming is not a skill Throkyn’s have ever had to master. And, frankly, the idea of it is completely absurd. I grew up on a planet without large bodies of water. I have explored the vast expanse of space, where there are at least stars and planets to see. I can do without an ocean voyage where there is nothing but water for miles and miles, and all it wants to do is kill you.
I am perfectly happy, sitting in the shade of the grass roof until Layla and Sutton wear themselves out, collapse in bed, so I can proceed to wear myself out pleasing them.
However, it appears that is not how today will end when, to my complete shock, Kydax and Ellie-Mae walk along the beach in our direction.
“Oh, my God!” Layla squeals and runs toward them as I step off the porch and take careful, measured strides through the shifting sand to which my legs have not yet grown accustomed.
Sutton joins me as Ellie-Mae runs to meet Layla with a full-bodied hug as they fall into the sand, giggling wildly.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Layla says, struggling to catch her breath as they stand. “I thought we’d never see you again. And I just hated the last picture we left you with.” Layla blushes a deep blood red.
“That’s one of the reasons I insisted on coming. I—we both,” Ellie-Mae wraps her arms around Kydax’s waist, “wanted you to know that there are no hard feelings.”
“Of course not,” Layla says, coming to stand between Sutton and me.
“I am guessing that is not the only reason you are here,” I say, reading the concern in Kydax’s wrinkled brow.
“Come inside,” Sutton offers. “Might be better if we all sit down to talk about whatever serious shit has brought you here.”
“Yes. That would be best,” Kydax agrees, and he and Ellie-Mae follow us back to our home.
“This place is so cute,” Ellie-Mae says as Layla invites our guests to sit on the smaller of the two wicker sofas, lined with soft, brightly colored cushions.
Sutton, Layla, and I sit across from them on the larger, matching sofa.
“It must feel like you’re on a permanent vacation,” Ellie-Mae says, looking around at the exposed tropical wood structure and the nets of fresh fruits and vegetables hanging from the kitchen ceiling.
“Most of the time, it’s paradise,” Layla tells her. “Until you go to the market on the wrong day and a slaver tries snatching you off the street.”
“That happened?” Ellie-Mae clutches her chest.
“It won’t happen again.” Sutton’s pride in protecting our mate thrums along the bond.
“You killed the guy?” Ellie-Mae gasps. “You weren’t arrested?”
Earth had not been the most lawful of planets when we left, but murder in the market streets would not have been ignored in the same way it is here. There still would have been an arrest and an investigation for Strykr to decide if the act was justified.
“Things are different here,” Sutton explains. “It’s not entirely lawless, but if your actions are witnessed and considered justified by those witnesses, then there’s no need to involve the law.”
Ellie-Mae shakes her head in disbelief. “So, it’s like the wild west out here.”
“Pretty much.” Layla shrugs.
After a moment, after Ellie-Mae comes out of her stunned silence, she elbows Kydax in the side and whispers, “You have to tell them.”
“What is going on, Kydax?” I ask.
“After you left, things started going wrong. The alphas you arrested refused to speak with us, and the omegas… Every single one of them insisted that they had willingly gone with those alphas.”
“What?” Sutton sits forward. “But we know that’s not true. After what happened to us.” He gestures between himself and Layla, and our bond freezes with his panic.
“Strykr confronted the alphas with this information, and they claimed he was not one of theirs.”
