Stolen - Nhys Glover Page 0,94

up the storm damage.

I heard whispers that the Danan representatives at the Confederate Hub were requesting a sanctioned method of restricting Vargeez overpopulation, so another war like this one need never happen again. When the Danan species were relocated to Varga they never agreed to a situation like the one that had developed. They argued that it was up to the Confederacy to resolve the problem permanently.

My overwhelming exhaustion during that week was partly due to my pregnancy. That was confirmed shortly after we boarded the rescue ship. Oddly, Charsus was not concerned when he heard the news. Maybe he had more pressing things to worry about, like surviving the war.

But I had time to worry. And I did, allowing the dread to suck the life right out of me. If I wasn’t eaten up with worries about their safety, I was worried about what would happen after.

What if Rian or Charsus left? Sharing a body was not optimal, but I couldn’t see a way around it for them. Either they resigned themselves to sharing or one of them moved on. And I didn’t want Rian gone.

Nor did I want to lose Charsus. I had come to love him almost as much as I loved my Danans. Which was all kinds of wrong, given the podmate bond. None of it made sense.

I realized my mind had drifted from the war, yet again. It was like herding cats, trying to keep focused these days. Not that much was required of me now we’d returned to the women’s compound. My pod and I had taken ownership of one of the domes for the time being, and while they kept busy with government business, I lay around like a mindless sloth trying to get the events of my life into some kind of meaningful order.

The Victims, the five of them that survived, had no issue with Danans coming and going from the compound anymore. In fact, Hayley had found her own pod during the war and was in the process of clearing away residual pain so she could fully embrace her new lifestyle. I wouldn’t be surprised if the other women found themselves podmates as well. Destiny was an odd creature. It often required pain before it allowed joy.

So, here I was, reclining on one of the odd yellow pieces of furniture, much as I had after being rescued from the renegades. Yet another loop completed.

I could hardly recognize the woman I was back then. The innocent and superficial woman who’d felt so betrayed by scumbag Toby and been so damaged by the renegades. And I knew she would never have recognized me.

“Jenna?”

I looked up in surprise to see my pod approaching. I’d been so lost in thought I hadn’t even heard their voices in my head. Or maybe they’d been blocking me.

“Hi. You look serious. Want to let me in on whatever it is that’s bothering you?” I asked, sitting up straight and feeling the chair adjust to accommodate me.

“That’s why we’ve come. Rian and Charsus have been making some decisions,” Lain said, his blue starbursts exploding.

“Do you guys have to block me? It’s really annoying!” I exclaimed, finding an outlet for my growing fear in anger.

“We don’t want to interfere with your process. You have decisions to make,” Nial said, coming to sit beside me.

“I’m not terminating this baby. I don’t care what the Therans think, it isn’t an abomination.” I thrust out my chin and glared at each male in turn.

“Of course not. How could you think we’d suggest such a thing?” Meida exclaimed in horror, coming to sit on my other side.

He took up one of my hands and began stroking it.

“Then what? Come on. Spit it out. This is killing me,” I snarled, yanking my hand back.

I wasn’t some terminal patient in a hospital bed. I didn’t need coddling.

“Rian is staying. He’s going to take sole possession of the Theran body. And we’re okay with that,” Lain said, his voice gruff.

“Sole? But what about Charsus?”

I looked at the Theran, my heart in my throat. I didn’t want him to go.

“You are having twins,” Charsus said, his voice gentle. “My sister and I will become those hybrids. She told me they will usher in the next stage in your humanoid evolution. Our role will be to ease the new hybrids’ way with our own species.”

I stared at him with my mouth agape. “You want to become my son? Is that what you’re saying?”

I still wasn’t sure how I felt