Savage Seed by Ivy Sparks

Epilogue

Leslie

There was quitea stir at the star port when we arrived several days later. The security guards initially thought they were under attack by savage natives, but I luckily calmed everyone down and explained who I was.

With no identification to speak of, we settled on the six of us waiting outside the border while the star port management summoned my father.

He arrived barely ten minutes later. Flanked by two of his own security guards, he rushed through the desert sand that ran alongside the star port, running straight toward me, his eyes wide, his arms outstretched.

I’d been holding Kade’s hand while we waited. Once he saw my father approaching and it was clear we were all safe, he let go.

I looked up at him, but he only smiled, mouthing, “Go.”

And so I did, rushing at my father with a vigor that nearly matched his own. The thought crossed my mind to jump into his arms the way I had so many times as a child. But it was clear right away the last few weeks had been hard on him. He looked haggard and worn, his clothes hanging loosely off his body from the weight he’d lost.

“Dad,” I said, stopping short just in front of him. He put his hands up to my face, but didn’t touch me. Not yet. He looked me up and down, saying my name over and over, almost as if he was convincing himself I was real and really there.

“I’m here, Dad,” I said. “I’m safe. I’m okay.”

He laughed, and it was a pure and wonderful sound. Finally he did put his hands on my face, and that was all I could take. I wrapped him in the mightiest hug a girl could give her dad.

After a long hug and more than a few tears, we separated. Looking over my shoulder, I waved for Kade and my new friends to approach. They did, slowly, with spears lowered. Dad’s security guards, two men I knew a little bit, moved their hands toward the pistols on their belts. I called each out by name, offering a smile and reassurance that their guns wouldn’t be needed.

“Dad,” I said once we were all gathered. “I want you to meet my friends. They’re the ones who took me in. Protected me, and helped get me back home to you.”

I was careful with my words, having had a couple of days to consider them. I’d told my father very little in our brief conversation over the radio; the emphasis was on letting him know I was alive and in one piece. Much of what I was about to tell him was going to come as a shock.

“And Dad,” I continued, reaching my hand out and to Kade. Kade accepted my hand, allowing me to tug him forward until he stood next to me. “This is Kade. Kade is… Well, he is special. To me.”

“Special?” my father asked, glaring up at the much taller alien in front of him. “Special how?” He raised one eyebrow, but kept both eyes firmly on Kade.

“I know this is weird, Dad. And maybe even hard for you to believe or understand. But Kade is my mate. My fated mate.”

“Fated—” he spat out. He suddenly bent over, coughing. I took a step toward him, but he held up a stern hand. “I’m fine,” he assured me.

“Dad, are you sure?”

“Yeah,” he said, straightening himself up. “Truth is, I haven’t slept much since your shuttle crashed. Or eaten.”

“But I called!”

“I know,” he said. “And that helped. Well, it helped a little. I’ve just been worried sick is all.” He looked again at Kade and put his hands on his hips.

“You saved my little girl?” he asked, taking a comically tough-guy-Dad tone, as if he were interviewing my prom date.

“I did, sir,” Kade said. I raised one eyebrow, impressed with how he was handling himself. Sir? “And I have to agree with Leslie, sir. We are fated mates.”

“She told you about her mother?” my father asked without hesitation. I actually gulped in surprise at how quickly he’d brought her up.

Kade looked a little shaken by the unexpected question, but there was no way I was going to leave him alone to field it. “Dad, listen.”

He turned to me and suddenly squinted at my glowing necklace. “Well, I’ll be damned. I thought that thing was just about dead. But look at it… shining as bright as it ever has.”

“It’s because we’re in love, Dad,” I said. “And like I said… Fated mates. I know Mom leaving you was shitty—”

“Leslie!” he said, shocked at my language. Add that to the list of ways I had changed, I guess.

I put my hand over my mouth, but smiled. For his part, Dad wasn’t angry, smiling back at me and shaking his head with amusement.

“Sorry,” I went on. “Like I was saying, I was just as mad at Mom as you were. Maybe even madder than you were. And regardless of how it happened, she definitely could have handled the whole situation a lot better.”

I paused. “But now, having met Kade… after spending all this time with him… Dad, there’s just something different about him. And us. And our connection. It’s impossible to explain, but now that I’ve experienced it… Felt it…” The words escaped me, and I stopped talking, hoping he could somehow understand.

“Damn,” he said under his breath. “You know…” He raised his head to look at me again. “Your friend Ava said the same goddamn thing.”

“What?” I cried, grabbing Dad by the arms. “Ava? Is she alive?”

His eyes widened, but a big smile formed. “That’s right, isn’t it? You had no way of knowing. Yes, she’s alive. She contacted me just a couple of days ago. Seems like she had a similar experience.”

I was overjoyed at the news, and couldn’t wait to find her and compare notes. “Did… Did anyone else make it back?”

He shook his head bleakly. “I’m afraid not. I’ve only heard from Ava.”

My father turned back to Kade. “All right, son, listen. I’m not sure about this ‘fated mate’ stuff. But I know my Leslie… and I trust her to have good judgment. So if she says you’re okay, then you’re okay with me as well.” He put out his hand, and Kade shook it.

“I’m eternally grateful for what you’ve done,” he said to Kade. “Saving my daughter’s life, looking out for her, and bringing her home. If there’s ever anything I can do for you, just ask.”

“Stop killing my planet,” Kade said. He was stone faced and didn’t relinquish his grip on my father’s hand.

I’d been afraid of this—afraid of what Kade might say or do when he met up with more “outsiders.” Humans. After his initial diplomacy, probably only because this man was my father, here it was.

My dad stared at him, and I could see the prepared speech of a man used to defending his mining tactics begin to unspool from his tongue.

It was time for me to step in. With a gentle touch, I put my hand on Kade’s, removing it from my father’s. I whispered his name softly, and he broke his stare with my father to look down at me.

“Let me,” I said to him. Kade nodded and took a half step backward.

Turning back to my father, I told him everything Kade’s father had told me. About how the crystals aged, and how the young ones had to be left alone. I explained how we could identify the aged ones, and how they not only could be safely mined, but were likely the most valuable.

“We need to spread the word, Dad. We can’t just come onto their planet, take all of its resources, then fly on to the next. If we do this right, it can be a long partnership where everyone benefits.”

“Leslie,” he said, stretching out his arms. “That’s all well and good. For our mine. If what you say is true, we can start right away. But there are a lot of other mine owners out there. I have no control over what they do.”

“Maybe not control,” I went on. “But you do have influence. You could take this information to the council. Convince them to set some rules. Maybe you can even run some scientific surveys beforehand, to take with you to show that what you’re telling them is true.”

My father looked at me, then back up at Kade. Sighing, he threw up his hands. “I said if there’s anything I could do, just ask. And you have.” Turning back to me, he took my hands and said, “I’ll do everything I can. You have my word.”

I glanced over my shoulder. Kade didn’t look completely convinced, but he nodded just the same. Like his father, mine was a man with a certain kind of honor. I knew he would try to do the right thing.

“Two more things, Dad,” I said. I reached out once again for Kade’s hand, pulling him toward me. I knew this would be news to Kade too. It had been news to me, only this morning. “First… I’m pregnant.”

Kade’s eyes were wide with apparent shock as he looked at me, looked down at my stomach, then back at my eyes. “You are?”

I laughed, though I wasn’t sure yet if he’d be happy with the news. “I only figured it out a few hours ago. I did some math, and… Well, that was my first suspicion. And when I woke up this morning, I also felt pretty nauseous, so…”

Kade swept me up into his arms, spinning around with my legs dangling in the air. “My mate carries our child!” He halted and set me down gently, holding my hand as if I needed the support. “Sorry, I should be more careful with you now.”

I pouted at him and poked his nose. “I’m not suddenly made of glass, you know.” Then I turned my attention to my father, unsure how he’d take the news.

Dad’s eyes grew wide and his jaw went slack. “Good Lord, honey,” he said softly. “What have you been up to out in the desert?”

I laughed heartily, insanely relieved at my father’s reaction. Then he did the most amazing thing. Brushing past me, he wrapped his arms around Kade in a massive man-hug. Kade looked momentarily stunned, then patted my father awkwardly on his back.

“Does that mean he’s coming with us to the star port?” Dad asked once they had separated.

“That’s the other thing,” I began. “He’s not coming back with me. I’m going back with him.”

Dad opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. But he didn’t seem able to find any words. I figured that would happen, so I continued, “That doesn’t mean you won’t be seeing me. You’ll be seeing me a lot, in fact. Kade and I are going to help with the mine, and of course… I want your grandchild to get to know you.”

Dad remained silent, his tearful eyes leaving me unsure of how he was taking this news. Finally, he said, “You know what, Leslie? That would be nice. I couldn’t ask for more for my little girl.” He pulled me into a big hug, then stretched his arm to include Kade in on it.

Kade commented, his mouth muffled by my dad’s shoulder, “Your father likes to hug.”

Dad and I both laughed, and as Dad pulled away, he said, “And you better get used to it.”

Kade smiled, and I rested my head on his shoulder. There were a lot of new things to get used to, but none of them were bad.

I’d finally made a life for myself that I could be happy with. I had a new family. A new purpose. Hope.

Finally, all was as it should be.

THE END

* * *

Looking for your next read?

They won’t release me until I breed with the alien beast… But will our mating transform me entirely, inside and out?

Tap or click here to read today! »

Want more of Leslie and Kade? Subscribe to Ivy’s newsletter to get a free exclusive bonus scene!

Tap or click here to get your FREE chapter! »