The two of them had been arguing right up until the moment the pain meds kicked in but when Jodi had started to quiet down, Vorn had drawn up a chair and settled himself beside her, arms crossed over his broad chest.
He looked like a sentry keeping guard over a sleeping princess, Vicky couldn’t help thinking. It was clear nothing bad was going to happen while he and Liosh were on guard so she felt all right to leave the room.
“What happened to your face?” Kat asked, apparently noticing for the first time when Vicky turned to face her. “And did Chainor get my message?”
Vicky put up a hand to her face and winced when she touched the still-tender furrows the alien’s long claws had dug in the flesh of her cheek and the side of her neck. Liv, who had been at the Med Center when she came in, had shaken her head when she cleaned them out and muttered something about how Vicky had been extremely lucky the Varian hadn’t severed her jugular.
“I got scratched by a Varian who came after the T’lix-Kruthe. And what message?” she asked.
“You what?” Kat exclaimed. “Oh my God—they came back after you again? I’m so sorry, doll!”
“It’s okay,” Vicky said steadily. “My house is completely wrecked but my daughters are okay and that’s all that matters. But what message did you mean?”
“Oh, the message that you didn’t hate him for being an M-Switch,” Kat said, shaking her head. “I know I promised to tell him myself, but then almost the minute we got into the shuttle to go home, Lizabeth went into labor. So I’m afraid you and Chainor and everything else just flew right out of my head. I didn’t remember until the twins were delivered safe and sound that I was supposed to tell him how you felt about him, but I didn’t want to leave Lizabeth.
“So I grabbed the first warrior I saw—which happened to be our pilot on the way down—and told him to go find Chainor and tell him how you felt. He and his friend went on the run to find him and that was the last I knew of it until I saw you standing there in the Med Center corridor. I hope that was okay?” She looked at Vicky uncertainly.
“It’s fine, though I don’t know if he got the message,” Vicky said. “We’re supposed to talk some more later, once everyone is patched up. But it’s a good thing you sent those warriors down to Chain—between the three of them they killed all the Varians who had invaded my house and saved me and my daughters—and there were a lot of those lizard-looking bastards.” She shivered, remembering the hoard of aliens who had descended on her house.
“Oh my God!” Kat put a hand to her mouth. “The Goddess must have had a hand in this,” she murmured. “She knew Chainor would need help and she sent it. I’m so glad you and your girls are okay.”
“Me too.” Vicky put a hand to her head. “To tell you the truth, I still feel a little dazed. So much has happened in such a short time.”
“No kidding!” Kat exclaimed. “Look—I can tell you’re tired. Do you want to just go lay down someplace?”
“Well—” Vicky began but just then a tall, handsome Kindred who looked to be about Chain’s age stepped out into the hallway.
“Oh, Lady Kat,” he said in a low voice. “There you are—Lizabeth’s been asking for you.”
“Hello, Lone.” Kat smiled at him and then turned to Vicky. “This is Lizabeth’s husband, Lone that I was telling you about. Lone, this is my friend, Vicky.”
“Nice to meet you and I hear congratulations are in order,” Vicky said, shaking his hand and smiling.
“Yes. My beautiful mate just gave birth to two perfect sons.” Lone was beaming with pride. “Would you like to see them?”
“Well, sure—if it won’t disturb Lizabeth,” Vicky said uncertainly. She remembered feeling disoriented and horribly tired after the two times she’d given birth but maybe the Kindred medical technology made the experience a lot less traumatic.
“She won’t mind if you just stop in for a minute,” Lone assured her. “Come in.” And he led them into a cozy-looking maternity room where Lizabeth was propped up in bed and holding two sleeping babies—one with black hair and one with light blond fuzz on its little head.
“Oh, they’re beautiful!” Vicky cooed as she looked at the little angels. “Look at their sweet little faces—you must be so proud.”
“We are.” Lizabeth looked tired but not as horribly exhausted as Vicky remembered feeling after her daughters’ births. “And Lone here is fit to burst, I think,” she added, smiling up at her husband.
“I could burst with pride,” he admitted, smiling as he stroked a strand of hair away from his wife’s forehead. “But how can I help it? I have a beautiful, brave, wonderful mate who’s given me the finest twin sons anyone ever saw. Of course I’m proud!”
Kat laughed delightedly and Vicky smiled too as Lone and Lizabeth exchanged loving glances. She couldn’t help thinking what a happy and devoted couple they were, despite their obvious age difference. Lone was looking at Lizabeth as though she was his whole world—as though he couldn’t imagine his life without her.
I’ve never had anyone look at me like that, she thought wistfully as she watched them. Kevin certainly hadn’t. Though to be fair, she didn’t think her ex had it in him to be as loving and devoted as these Kindred males obviously were with their wives.
After admiring the babies a little more, she and Kat left the happy couple, promising to visit again later.
Kat closed the door softly behind them and turned to Vicky.
“Well, I think you can see why you and Chainor
