Soon,he promised himself.I’ll find out soon.
Athtar met them at the landing pad with hearty shoulder slap that almost knocked him off his feet.
“You’re late,” the big Elginar rumbled, setting him back down with a thump. “Faith has been checking the scanners every hour.”
“We hit a debris field near the Pasfal relay. Nothing serious.”
“Nothing serious, he says.” Athtar’s massive blue hand landed on Doren’s shoulder, squeezing hard enough to bruise. “This is what I get for being friends with a smuggler. ‘Nothing serious’ could mean anything from a minor delay to a running battle with pirates.”
“There were no pirates this time.”
“This time.”
Emma had already descended the ramp with Ari in her arms, and Faith was hurrying across the pad to meet her. Doren watched the two women embrace—careful of the sleeping toddler between them—and felt a familiar warmth spread through his chest.
Six months ago, he’d made a deal with the Empire because he couldn’t protect the people he loved on his own. He’d expected to spend every moment chafing against Imperial restrictions, counting the days until he could find a way to escape. Instead, he’d discovered something unexpected.
It wasn’t just about protection anymore. It was about belonging.
Faith’s children came running from the house—three small bodies of various sizes hurtling towards them with the boundless energy of youth. Ari woke up at the commotion, her dark eyes blinking open, and immediately began squirming to get down and join the chaos.
“Let her go,” Athtar advised, his deep voice warm with amusement. “She’ll never forgive you if you keep her from the others.”
Emma set Ari on her feet, and the silver-skinned toddler immediately toddled towards the other children with a determined expression that reminded Doren painfully of her mother. Not her biological mother—they still knew nothing about Ari’s origins beyond what the outpost had revealed—but Emma. The woman who had claimed this child from the moment she’d found her, who had fought pirates and fled Grorn and stared down Imperial bureaucrats to keep her safe.
Her mother in every way that matters.
“Come,” Athtar said, slapping Doren’s back hard enough to make him stumble. “Faith has prepared dinner, and if we’re late, she’ll blame me somehow. She always does.”
“How is that my problem?”
“Everything is your problem when you’re mated, my friend. You’ll learn.”
Mated. The word should have made him uncomfortable. Six months ago, it would have sent him running for the nearest exit. But now, watching Emma laugh at something Faith had said, her face lit with genuine joy...
Now it just felt like truth.
Dinner waschaos in the best possible way.
Athtar and Faith’s home was large by Sherae standards, built to accommodate a growing family and frequent visitors. The main room opened onto a terrace overlooking the ocean, and the table had been extended to seat everyone—adults, children, and one very messy toddler who kept attempting to share her food with anyone who came within reach.
“No, sweetheart.” Emma gently redirected Ari’s hand before she could deposit a handful of mashed vegetables in Doren’s lap. “That’s for eating, not sharing.”
Ari’s expression suggested she found this rule deeply unreasonable.
“She has opinions,” Faith observed, her intelligent eyes crinkling with amusement behind her glasses. “Strong ones. I wonder where she gets that from.”
“Certainly not from me,” Doren said dryly.
“Certainly not.” Emma’s tone matched his, but her eyes were warm when they met his across the table. “You’re famously easygoing and agreeable.”
“I am. Ask anyone.”
“I am anyone, and I’m telling you?—”
“Children,” Athtar interrupted, his deep voice cutting through their banter. “Behave, or I’ll separate you.”
“You couldn’t if you tried,” Doren shot back, but he was grinning.
