“What the drek happened on that planet?”
Lisa, Taelon, Ami, Marcus, and Seth all laughed.
Five months later, Lisa smiled as she strode down a long corridor on the Kandovar. Once more, she carried baby Abby in a sling. But this time Abby faced away from her. Her little legs poked out the bottom, kicking idly while she chewed on the dinosaur-shaped teether clipped to the sling.
They had been on Taelon’s ship for four months now and were well on their way to Lasara. Weekly chats with Taelon’s family had gone a long way toward easing her fears regarding her acceptance on their planet. All were eager to meet her in person and couldn’t wait to hold the new baby.
Lisa hoped the anticipation of that would help ease their sorrow over Ami’s opting to remain on Earth. That remained a touchy subject. But none had been able to ignore her concern for her daughter, so most of the anger and hurt had faded.
Ami was the only girl in the family. The only daughter, the only sister. It was clear they adored her and doted on her and couldn’t imagine not being able to do so anymore.
Taelon had warned Lisa repeatedly that his parents and brothers would likely transfer all of that protective energy to her and the baby once they reached Lasara.
Lisa didn’t mind. She missed having a family. And she had always wanted siblings.
“Not like these,” Taelon had said with a laugh when she’d mentioned as much. “My brothers can be a handful.”
That was okay. She’d take them. Especially since they really seemed to have accepted her without qualms. Whenever she and Taelon spoke with them, remarkably without any long delays, they were always warm and friendly and fun to talk to. And his brothers appeared to be prone to mischief and teasing, so she could easily believe they were a handful.
Eliana, one of Seth’s Immortal Guardians, and Ganix, a male Lasaran, swung around a corner and strode toward her. Ganix wore a dark gray uniform that indicated he was part of the engineering crew. Eliana wore all black and looked every bit the warrior she was despite her diminutive height. The hilts of two shoto swords peeked over her shoulders. And two daggers were strapped to her slender thighs.
Eliana was smiling and talking earnestly while Ganix shook his head and maintained a careful distance between them.
Taelon hadn’t been exaggerating when he had described the no-touch rule. As far as she could tell, male Lasarans didn’t even brush arms with the females on board.
Needless to say, Lisa and Taelon had drawn a lot of stares during the first month of their voyage because they freely—and frequently—expressed their affection for each other openly.
Eliana glanced up and spotted her. “Hi, Lisa!” she called, tossing her a jaunty wave.
Lisa grinned and waved back.
Eliana was one of five Immortal Guardian females Seth had assigned to guard the ten gifted ones who had volunteered to be the first to travel to Lasara in search of lifemates. As powerful as Immortal Guardians were, Lisa suspected one could have easily fulfilled the duty. But Taelon’s parents had offered to invoke the Sectas’ aid in studying the virus that infected immortals and see if they could find a cure that would allow immortals to live an ordinary human life once more if they so desired.
As Eliana and Ganix drew near, Ganix stopped and bowed. “Your Highness.”
Lisa didn’t think she would ever be comfortable with that title. “Hi, Ganix,” she responded with a smile. “Hi, Eliana.”
Ganix’s curious teal eyes fastened on Abby.
Lisa stopped. “Would you like to say hi to Abby?”
He nodded. “Hello, Princess Abby.” He even offered her a bow.
Abby chortled and kicked her legs harder, then flung a hand out toward him and gripped a fistful of his dark hair.
“Oops!” Lisa hastily disengaged her daughter’s grip. “Sorry about that.”
He straightened with a smile. “Prince Taelon is right. She is strong.”
“Very much so.” Especially when she didn’t want her diaper changed. “Would you like to hold her?” Most of the men and women on-board had never seen, let alone held, a baby.
He kept his hands at his sides. “Touching an unbonded female is forbidden.”
Lisa had heard the same many times and always ignored it. “Surely that only applies to females who are of childbearing age. Not children.”
He looked uncertain but steadfastly kept his distance.
“Oh no,” Eliana exclaimed with false dismay. “The crazy Earth woman doesn’t know the rules.” Taking Ganix’s hand, she moved it close to Abby.
Abby instantly wrapped