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“Fan out and search,” he told the men. “She can’t have gone far on foot.”
I stayed near Kian as we followed Vala’s trail into a rocky ravine. My nerves jangled with each step. She had to be all right.
Suddenly I spotted a dark shape crumpled at the base of a cliff ahead. My heart seized. I spurred Willow into a canter, riding hard towards it. Kian and the others raced after me.
As I drew closer, the shape resolved into Vala’s motionless body. No! I reined Willow in and practically fell out of the saddle in my haste to reach her. Kian was at my side in an instant, his strong hands grasping my arms to steady me.
Together we dropped to our knees beside Vala. My fingers trembled as I pressed them to her neck, feeling for a pulse. To my vast relief, it beat steady against my fingertips. Vala was alive, just unconscious.
Kian carefully turned Vala over, examining her. “Looks like she slipped climbing. No serious injuries.”
I nearly sobbed with relief. Around us, the other Surlons gave shouts of joy. Vala was going to be all right. We had found her in time.
As Kian gently lifted Vala up to carry her, I saw a figure approaching from the shadows. It was Turok. Vala’s disappearance must have worried the whole village.
The elder’s gaze moved from Vala’s limp form to me. His eyes widened slightly in surprise.
“You helped find her.” It was a statement, not a question.
“I did. Though we all searched together.”
Turok studied me for a long moment. Then, slowly, he inclined his head in acknowledgment.
“You have proven yourself worthy this night, Kate.”
With that, he turned and made his way back to prepare the village for Vala’s return.
I stared after him in wonder. After so long distrusting me, so reluctant to accept my bond with his sheriff, had witnessing my determination to save Vala finally won his respect?
A gentle hand on my shoulder made me turn. Kian regarded me with deep affection.
“You were right to come,” he said simply. “I won’t underestimate you again.”
I smiled up at him.
***
I sat beside Kian beneath the blanket of twinkling stars, the cool night air gently caressing my skin. He had one arm wrapped around me, his hand resting protectively on my swollen belly. For a time, we simply gazed up at the heavens in contented silence.
Finally, I broke the quiet between us. “Kian, do you remember when we first met, after my ship crashed here?”
He chuckled softly. “How could I forget? I thought you were the strangest creature when we pulled you from the wreckage.”
I playfully nudged him with my elbow. “Gee, thanks,” I said, pretending to be offended. We both laughed together.
Then I grew more solemn. “Back then, all I could think about was repairing my communications system and finding a way off this planet. I felt like such an outsider.”
Kian’s expression became serious as well. He knew I was leading towards something important.
“But now...” I continued, “Surlon has become my home. Our village, our people - they’re my family now.”
I pulled my comm device from a pouch on my belt. Kian’s eyes followed my movements closely. With a flick of my thumb, I powered it on. The screen glowed brightly in the darkness.
“It’s been fully operational for weeks now,” I told him. “I finally got the last components working again. But I haven’t actually used it to transmit or receive any messages.”
Kian raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Why not?”
I deactivated the device again and slipped it back into my pouch. “Because I have no need to. This is where I belong now, with you.”
