Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 171288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
“Oh, honey…” Penny put a hand on his broad shoulder. “I didn’t even know you were feeling that way. Why did you hide it from me?”
“I was ashamed.” V’rex looked down. “All these years, I’ve been so fucking ashamed of the Kru’ell One part of my heritage and I felt like I didn’t deserve this.” He touched the small flowers reverently with the tips of his fingers. “But maybe the Goddess thinks otherwise.”
“Of course she does—you’re going to make a wonderful father!” Penny kissed him on the cheek. “Absolutely amazing.”
“And you’re going to make a wonderful mother.” He grinned at her suddenly. “Remember that conversation you had with Lady Bright Coat when we were having dinner with her and Chieftain Swift Tail and she said she couldn’t wait to have a litter?”
Penny giggled.
“How could I forget? And then she asked if you and I had had a litter yet! And I told her that wasn’t how it worked with us ‘flat-faces.’”
“I think it’s time we gave her and Swift Tail a call,” V’rex said gravely. “Let her know you’re having a litter after all.” He grinned. “Three babies! Two sons and a daughter—truly we are blessed!”
“The Goddess is good,” Liv murmured, smiling at them both. “Now, we’ll want to monitor you closely. The Kindred are used to multiple births but we always like to keep an eye on—”
“Doctor Liv! Doctor Liv!” a human nurse with her blue-streaked hair in a ponytail looked into the exam room excitedly. “I’m so sorry to bother you when you’re with a patient,” she exclaimed. “But you’re the only doctor on the floor and I have two new patients who can’t wait.”
“What? Who is it?” Liv frowned.
“Commander Rive and his wife, Y’lla,” the nurse said excitedly. “Apparently the anomaly they were stuck in finally let them go. They just got back from the Yown System and they both need looking over.”
“Oh my!” Liv put a hand to her heart. “Will you excuse me, please?” she said to Penny and V’rex. “I really need to see them.”
“Oh, I want to come see them too, as soon as you’re finished with them,” Penny exclaimed. “I’m so glad they got home safely! I was afraid they’d be stuck in that time-suck forever!”
“Those were the shipmates you traveled to the Yown System with in the first place?” V’rex guessed, raising his eyebrows.
Penny nodded. “They got stuck in a kind of, uh, awkward position. I’m just so glad they got free. But—oh!” She put a hand to her mouth, her eyes going wide.
“What? What is it, doll?” Kat asked, looking concerned.
“Yes, what’s wrong, sweetheart? Did you feel one of the babies move?” V’rex put a hand on her belly gently, a worried look on his face.
Penny shook her head.
“No, it’s too early for that yet—I only just found out I’m pregnant. I had an awful thought, though.”
“What is it?” Kat asked at the same time V’rex demanded,
“What?”
“Well, if the time bubble that had caught Commander Rive and Y’lla has moved on, you don’t suppose the anomaly that’s holding the Glorious Leader and the Eye of Ten’gu has moved too, do you?” Penny asked, looking at V’rex.
“No, I really doubt it.” He shook his head decisively. “It’s a super-slow bubble—remember? It’s not going anywhere for the next several millennia.”
“I hope you’re right.” Penny bit her lip. “I hated that we just had to leave the Eye there. It was so obviously evil. And what if it wakes up?”
“It can’t, sweetheart—it’s stuck in the shadow of the Hell’s Gate Station, remember?” V’rex reminded her. “Because of the way the station orbits around the Yown System’s sun, one side of it is always in light and the other is always in shadow. It’s tidally locked—there’s no way a single ray of sunshine can touch the Eye. Believe me, it’s safe.”
“Of course. Thank you, V’rex.” Penny nodded. “You’re right, of course. There’s no way it could wake up—not without any direct sunlight to wake it.”
“Stop thinking about the Eye, anyway,” V’rex told her. “It’s old news. Right now, we have a family to plan for. Two boys and a girl. And we’ll teach all of them to barter and pirate and pick pockets!”
He was grinning as he said it and Penny gave him a little shove.
“V’rex! You’ll make Kat think you’re serious and you want to raise our kids as criminals!”
“Your friend knows I’m joking.” V’rex gathered her into his arms and rose suddenly, lifting Penny into the air and cradling her close to his broad chest. “What I’m not joking about, little girl, is taking very good care of you,” he rumbled, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. “Come on now—let’s go home.”
Penny giggled and asked Kat to tell Commander Rive and Y’lla that she would check on them later. She had an idea of exactly how V’rex wanted to “take care” of her and she thought her old shipmates would understand.