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Epilogue

Epilogue

K

ristin

“All done?”

Rachel asked, coming into the room designated as the new forensic lab. It was down the hall from Rachel’s space in the medical section of Base 3. Kiel and a few others worked with me daily to study evidence collected from the underground fortress. Almost every day, we returned there and mapped the labyrinth of tunnels. We found more evidence of the Hive every trip. Worse, we knew they weren’t gone. We hadn’t won. They’d just moved on. Every Base on The Colony had been alerted to the problem and Prime Nial had designated additional battleships to patrol the space between The Colony and Hive controlled space.

Everyone’s goal was to find Krael, to bring him to justice before he devised any new evil plans.

It had been a full month since I’d arrived, since the warriors went missing. Three weeks since my claiming. My hand drifted to the collar, now blue to match my clothing and my mates’ collars. Once upon a time, I’d thought to tease Tyran by wearing orange or red or black. Any other color.

But the buzz of contentment he sent my way every time he or Hunt saw me wearing Zakar family colors killed the urge. Their happiness was my favorite drug.

While Tyran and Hunt weren’t thrilled with me being anywhere but at their sides, they recognized after they’d been rescued that stifling me wasn’t going to make me happy. Tyran had been right, the match meant I had to be myself, which was an independent woman. If they’d wanted a doormat, the Interstellar Brides Program would have given them one.

I nodded, turned off the light at my workstation. Rachel hooked arms with me and led me down the hall. “Good, our mates are waiting for us.”

We were to meet them in the communal dining area. I was eager to see them, to tell them my news. I’d sworn Doctor Surnen to secrecy, but he was practically glowing, so I knew he wouldn’t last long.

There hadn’t been a baby on The Colony, well, ever.

“Do they know?” she asked.

I nodded to an Atlan we passed, then glanced at Rachel. “I don’t know how they can’t. The dang collars don’t allow any secrets.”

“A woman should tell her men she’s having their baby on her own time, not because they’re damn mind readers.”

I’d thrown up in the lab the day before and Rachel had been the one to make me consider the possibility that I wasn’t sick, but pregnant. As soon as the thought entered my head, I knew it to be true.

I was hornier than ever—not that I’d told her that—and my breasts were tender. Sensitive. My mates still liked to tie me up and have their way with me. I loved it—of course they knew that, too—but they were proud of me for using my abilities to help The Colony. Just as Rachel had. And that acceptance was the last thing I’d needed. Everything inside me clicked into place and I’d never been happier, more content. I was so happy that I’d started waiting for the other shoe to drop.

No one could be this happy. It didn’t seem possible. I was still half afraid that this was all just a dream and I was going to wake up.

Things were too perfect. I could be assertive at work and submissive behind closed doors. I just had to wonder once they found out about the baby if they’d treat me differently. I didn’t want them to stop dominating me in bed. Their alpha attitudes made me so hot I lost my mind. I was half afraid they wouldn’t spank me, or fuck me, for fear of hurting me or our unborn child. I’d heard of men like that on Earth. Once their woman was pregnant, it freaked them out. Turned them off.

I’d die. I’d come to count on the heat constantly blazing from my mates’ eyes.

We entered the dining room. A number of warriors were in groups, eating and chatting. But my eyes were drawn only to my mates. They stood, along with Maxim and Ryston, at our arrival. While they nodded at Rachel, my mates only had eyes for me as well.

“Have something you want to tell us?” Hunt asked.

I looked to Rachel, who was being pulled into Ryston’s arms as Maxim kissed the top of her head.

“Mind readers.” She laughed, rolled her eyes, then gave her attention to her mates.

Hunt took me by the arm, led me out of the room and down the hall. “Where are we going? I thought we were having dinner with the others.”

Tyran scooped me up into his arms, held me close. “I think there’s something you want to tell us. Something small, but getting bigger by the minute.”

I saw the heat in his gaze, the love, felt both blast me through the collar. I was glad he held me, for Hunt’s emotional assault was powerful.

“Oh,” I gasped, tugged at the collar. “You already know?” A shadow of disappointment hovered. I’d wanted to surprise them. I really, really did.

“Say it,” Tyran said.

I looked to him, then glanced at Hunt, who stood in front of us, his gaze blazing with just as much love and heat. I was sheltered between them.

“We’re having a baby.”

Hunt whooped for joy, surprising warriors who passed.

I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. “This doesn’t mean I won’t be working, or that you’ll be carrying me like this everywhere for the next nine months,” I grumbled.

Tyran carried me in the direction of our quarters with Hunt walking alongside. “We will not hold you back, mate. But you must not take risks.”

Hunt scowled. “I will discuss this with Kiel. We will double her guard.”

Tyran nodded. “Good. I will speak with the governor and cut back her hours.”

“You’ll do no such thing!” I smacked Tyran on the shoulder and Hunt on the chest, stretching to reach him. “Women work and have babies all the time.” When they both grinned, the joke was up. “You two are terrible.”

I’d fought long and hard for my independence. I probably would rest more as I got bigger. I had no idea just how big a Prillon baby might be, but based on my mates, I was guessing a healthy ten pound bundle of joy wasn’t an unlikely outcome.

Hunt reached over and brushed his finger along my cheek. “You know we just want you to be safe.”

“I know. I’m careful.”

“You better be.” Tyran practically growled, but I felt the swirl of contentment between all three of us. This was what I’d wanted when I walked into the testing center all those months ago. Men who loved me, protected me, respected me. Made me whole, just as I did for them. And a baby? That was my bonus prize.

“But I don’t want you to be too careful,” I insisted, and let my hardcore lust for my mates blast them through the collars. Tyran’s step faltered, but he recovered quickly.

“Don’t worry. This doesn’t mean we won’t tie you to the bed and have our way with you.”

My sensitive nipples hardened. They knew how much I liked that, submitting and giving myself to them, just as they gave every part of themselves to me in return.

“Yes, please,” I replied.

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