The worry on his face faded, his eyes returning to a pale green. He crushed her to him in an instant. Theo kissed her desperately, running his hands along every inch of her body he could reach. She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him down until he was lying atop her, supporting his weight on his elbows.
He clutched her head in his hands and looked down at her. “I’m so sorry I didn’t get to you sooner.”
“I didn’t think you would ever find me. How did you?”
Grinning widely, he said, “The marks. They led me to you. I’ll always be able to find you.” His eyes grew serious. “Jade, I want to be with you forever. No more marriages. You’ll be mine and I’ll be yours alone. You are my heart. Do you think you could be happy staying with me forever?”
Jade could feel him holding his breath. “Theo, I wanted to tell you after The Gathering. I love you.”
His body sagged with relief and he leaned down to kiss her softly. “I love you too. More than you can know.”
Jade pushed him back. “I can’t agree to being yours alone though.”
He tensed and opened his mouth to argue.
“I can’t agree,” Jade began, “because we’ll both need to be there for someone else.”
His perplexed eyes searched her face.
Jade raised her eyebrows and placed a hand on her stomach between them.
Theo glanced down at her hand and then did a double take, looking dumfounded. Like lightning, he sat back on his knees, removing his weight from her.
Rising to her elbows, she chuckled. “You can’t hurt it by laying on me.”
Still staring slack-jawed at her stomach, he whispered, “You’re with child?” His voice broke. “My child?”
“Well, that’s a little offensive,” Jade said in an amused, admonishing tone. “Of course it’s your child.”
He blinked up at her before returning his gaze to her womb and smiled sheepishly. “I know that. I just…” He rested his large palm against her abdomen. “I never thought I’d be lucky enough to have a child.”
Easing back down to kiss her, he murmured, “I have a mate and a child? How did I ever get so lucky?”
He began laughing heartily.
“What?”
“I’ve hated my scars for as long as I can remember, but I believe I have them to thank for drawing you to me.”
“I guess you’re right.” Jade smiled at him. “Now take me home so I can finish licking them.”
Epilogue
Five months later
“Are you sure we have to do this?” Jade whined, feeling, at present, more like a whale than a woman. Clecanian births were only six months long, which meant, at this stage of pregnancy, she felt very, very uncomfortable.
Theo tilted her chin up to his face for a soft, lingering kiss. “Yes, little wife. It’s tradition.”
“But I look like a house,” she said petulantly, looking into their bedroom mirror.
Jade turned narrowing her eyes at Theo suspiciously. “Is this a real tradition or a ‘couples bath time’ tradition?”
Theo threw his head back and laughed. “A very real and very ancient tradition, my love.” He stood behind her as she studied her reflection. “You are as beautiful as ever.” He placed his hands over her large belly. “Don’t you want to know the sex of our child?”
She rolled her eyes. “Obviously I do, but I don’t understand why it has to be revealed in front of your whole family.”
She gazed at Theo in the mirror and covered his hands with her own. Jade’s moods had been swinging out of control for the last few months, and yet he always looked overjoyed to be in her bitchy presence.
Jade leaned her head against his arm and sighed. “Okay. Remind me who I’m meeting again.”
“Rhaego, Zikas, and Asivva, you already know.” He gave her neck a quick kiss before continuing. “There will be a few government officials and distant relatives that Asivva trusts as well. The only other important people you need to know are my brothers. From youngest to oldest, their names are Izor, Maxu, Luka, and Auzed.”
Jade twisted in Theo’s arms and gave him a sarcastic shake of her head. “That’s way too many alien names with odd consonants for me to remember.”
Theo chuckled lightly. “Izor the youngest is training under my other brother Auzed to be a guard in the Pearl Temple. Auzed has been the head guard of the Pearl Temple for some time now.”
“So, he’s in charge of protecting all the ladies?” she asked, raising her eyebrows suggestively.
Theo gave a smirk and admitted, “I believe the easy access to single females is one of the reasons my two brothers joined the temple guard.”
“Typical,” she teased. “What do your other brothers do?”
“Maxu was a mercenary like me but retired long ago. Luka is more secretive about the specifics of his job. I believe he works in the medical research field under Helas.”
“Did he know about the Purists?” she asked tensely, not wanting to offend Theo. Over the last few months, Theo, the Queen, and a trusted group of Theo’s mercenary friends had been investigating the underground group Xoris had told Jade about. Theo had dubbed the group Purists due to their stance on interspecies breeding.
“I can’t imagine he does. He’s a good man.”
Jade nodded, mollified. “Okay then, let’s go. Can’t keep all our party guests waiting.”
Theo took her hand and walked with her down the hallway to the open living area, where a group of people mingled. They all glanced up at Jade and Theo’s approach and grew silent.
Three large, handsome men scattered throughout the room caught her eye. They must be Theo’s brothers. The similarities were too numerous to be coincidental.
The largest of the three looked like a fair-haired twin of Theo. He was tall and very well built but instead of Theo’s dark hair and skin, he had light blond hair and pale skin.
Another one of Theo’s brothers waved at them
