Kade by Tasha Black

 

1

Aurora

Aurora Day was a rebel and a sharpshooter.

She had piloted stolen puddle jumpers and fought wild tiger-bears. At this very moment, she was the subject of an intergalactic man hunt with a price on her head.

Aurora Day liked to think she was tough as nails and twice as sharp.

But right now, she was standing still in a fragrant meadow, overlooking the blue-green moon of Clotho, utterly paralyzed by the swell of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.

Her chest ached, and her cheeks burned, and there was a prickling behind her eyelids, almost like she was going to cry.

But Aurora Day didn’t cry.

Even when the two women she known for only a handful of weeks had risked everything to save her from being captured just a few minutes ago.

Even when they could have turned her in for the million-credit reward, but decided to help her instead, for no other reason than they wanted to.

Without a second thought, they had torn apart their own clothing to make her a scarf that she could use to hide her signature, bright-red curls before anyone else could see them and recognize her.

And now, just as she was fully understanding the depth of her gratitude for these two amazing women, they were being separated.

She glanced up at the wooded ridge, where dark-haired Luna sat awkwardly astride some kind of tree-horned moose, clinging to a cradle, as a big blue alien led them into the trees toward her new destiny.

Aurora turned back to find her other new friend, Phoebe, jogging up to her.

“I don’t know if I can do this without you and Luna,” Phoebe said softly, wrapping her arm around Aurora.

Aurora hugged her back, wishing they could hold on just a little longer.

But the adoption process was over. All that was left was for them to meet their assigned babies and be escorted to their new homes. Now that it was right in front of them, it had taken on a reality that was more than a little intimidating. Especially given the fact that the babies were the last of the Imberian race, and after a lengthy legal battle, only a select group of women had been entrusted with the responsibility of their care and raising.

It was a lot.

As far as Aurora knew, Phoebe was some sort of farm-girl back home. Every new aspect of the intake process with the adoption agency had been a daunting adventure for her, and she had leaned hard on Aurora and Luna to help her navigate it.

What Phoebe probably didn’t realize was that helping her get comfortable with those new things had distracted Aurora from her own fears.

Now that their new lives were upon them, she wasn’t so sure she could do this without her friends either.

A burly green warrior with a chubby green baby in his arms approached them. He was clearly one of the Invicta warriors assigned to present the babies and escort them safely to their new homes. The Invicta were kind of the whole reason the babies were the last of their race, so Aurora figured it was the least they could do.

“What ho, ladies,” called the warrior with a big, friendly grin. “Atlas wants his mama to find her new home right away, so she can give him some supper.”

The baby chuckled and squeaked out some nonsense syllables of apparent agreement.

Phoebe’s eyes got as big as saucers.

Aurora resisted the impulse to laugh. How was Phoebe intimidated by that? The big green guy and Phoebe’s chunky new son were about the most wholesome, welcoming sight Aurora had ever seen.

Nothing at all like the fierce, golden warrior who was now standing just a few meters away with Aurora’s fussy new daughter.

Sure, he was stunningly gorgeous, but he also looked like he was going to attack her if she so much as tried to pass the time of day with her baby.

And the baby… it was so loud. What if it never stopped crying?

Aurora was starting to think maybe she wasn’t really cut out to be a mom, even to a cheerful baby like Phoebe’s.

What had she gotten herself into?

“Are you going to be okay?” Phoebe asked suddenly, as if reading her thoughts.

“Of course,” Aurora said, forcing a smile. “If you get too lonely out there, just send up a flare or something. We’ll get settled in and then find each other again. I’m sure.”

But as her eyes took in the vastness of the verdant moon laid out below them, she wasn’t quite as sure as she had tried to sound.