The Healer's Hellion - Miranda Bridges Page 0,48

I watch as the other women huddle together, and I can’t help but notice there are less of them returning. It appears as if some of them decided to stay with the Dravians. However, Teresa is not among them. Nope. She’s glaring at me from across the way.

“Where are we?” Camille asks, looking at the expanse of the large field.

“On the outskirts of your city,” Braxton says. “We know the humans will eventually be aware of our presence, but we didn’t want for them to swarm the females when we arrived. It will take some time for them to locate us considering they have no way to detect our shuttles. The women should be able to make the trek back to their homes safely.”

“That’s considerate,” she says with a smile. “I give the Dravian abduction a five out of five star rating.”

I want to share in her amusement, but I feel on the verge of puking. Or crying. Perhaps both. I knew that leaving Braxton would be hard, but this is almost unbearable.

“Can I talk to you for a moment?”

I jerk my head at the sound of Camille addressing me, a look of honest confusion on my face. What does she need to talk to me about?

“Okay.”

She leads me a fair distance away from the others with Braxton’s gaze following me like a tractor beam. When we stop, she takes my hands in hers and waits.

A pitiful wail pours from my throat, and Camille immediately throws her arms around me. Through much fumbling of my lips and a torrential rain of tears and sobs, I tell her everything. From the death of my parents to my powers manifesting due to my alien DNA. When I reach the parts about Braxton, I cry even harder, if that’s possible.

Camille doesn’t interrupt, not once. She just hugs me all the tighter and makes soothing noises as I reveal to her how I told Braxton about my traumatic past and how he still found me beautiful and worthy despite it all. And how that has me seeing myself as beautiful, not just in appearance but overall. It’s the first time since my attack that I’ve been able to look at myself and not feel ashamed.

And finally I tell her about how brokenhearted I am to leave Braxton and that I’m in love with him but that I don’t want to leave her. When she finally does talk, I’m a bundle of snot and hiccups.

“Skylar, you have found someone and can make a new life for yourself. I’m not enough of a reason for you to deny yourself that joy.”

“But you’re my family,” I argue.

“Yes, but you have a chance to create a family. You shouldn’t give that up for me.” She pulls back, taking my shoulders in hand. “Look, coming back here will not be good for you. I have a family, my education, and a full life to get back to. You have memories of a better time. Being here without your parents will be difficult, and as much as I want to be there for you, I won’t be able to twenty-four seven. With Braxton, you can have a family and make new memories.”

“He wants children,” I say flatly.

“Oh. Well, I can see how that could suck at first, but if he truly loves you, that won’t be an issue.”

“What if I go away with him and he doesn’t?” I hang my head, hating everything about this conversation. “What if it’s a giant mistake?”

“Then he needs to bring you back to me.”

I give her a watery smile. “It’s that simple, huh?”

“It is to me.” She hugs me again, this time tighter than before. “I’ll miss you, and I can’t believe I’m letting you go, but I want you to be happy, and if you stay, you’ll grieve not only for your parents but for Braxton as well. You’ve already lost so much, so don’t lose him too.”

“I’ll be losing my sister.”

“You’ll never lose me. I’ll just be a galaxy away,” she says with a grin.

A laugh escapes me despite the emotional hurricane bombarding me. “When you put it like that, it doesn’t sound good.”

“I know.”

A cacophony of voices hits the air, multiplying rapidly. Immediately I search Braxton’s face for a clue as to what’s going on. However, his gaze is not on me.

It’s on a group of Dravians that are exiting an unfamiliar shuttle.

Chapter 14

“What in the world?” I say, and Camille nods in agreement.

There are more of them here on Earth?