her arms. The little boy dove into them with an excited squeal as he kicked his legs against her side. “Sit down for a second, lady. You’re making me dizzy.”
“Sorry.” Claudia collapsed in the spot Maggie abandoned with a relieved sigh. “Teething is utter bullshit. I know Finch was hoping we could try for a baby sometime this next year, but yikes, I’m thinking it’s going to be at least two before I have the capacity to deal with another one.”
“Your son is adorable.” Nova smiled at the picture he created with his chubby legs and feet kicking to a beat only he seemed to hear. “That dimple is to die for.”
“Thank you.” A sad look passed over Claudia’s face. “He reminds me more and more of my brother every single day. They have the same smile. Max is actually my nephew—” Her words stopped as a ringing tone came from the door.
“Were you expecting anyone, Pops?” Maggie asked as she walked toward the opening. “Was Val or Andi planning on coming by?”
“Not that I know of,” Poppy answered with a frown as she climbed to her feet with her baby cuddled to her chest. “Find out who it is while I go put the baby down, okay?”
Chapter Thirty-One
“His visit could be completely innocent,” Tamin suggested as they stood outside the door to Wheaton and Poppy’s apartment.
“What reason would he have to visit the wives, much less one that would require him to send their guard away?” Axis growled, his body shaking as adrenaline ran through it. His heart was beating so hard he was unsure how it was managing to stay in his chest, and he felt sick to his stomach. Krilis had led them on a merry chase from one end of the ship to another before the men found out he was with the wives. The guard that Wheaton had at the door for Poppy’s safety had relayed Krilis’s whereabouts before ending his shift early at the recommendation of the elder councilor.
“None,” Tamin conceded with a wince. “Combined with the implications of his order, this does not sit well.”
“What’s the plan?” Paine’s eyes were locked on the closed door that was separating most of them from their wives, himself and Rowe included. They’d run into him on their way past the med center in their search for the elder. “We do have a plan, right?”
“We’re going to get our wives,” Axis growled, flashing his fangs in anger at the loss of control he had over the situation. The fact that he had no idea what was going on the other side of the divider made him want to rage. Were the women hurt? Scared? Was Nova okay? Did she know he was coming for her? “That’s the plan.”
“What has happened?!” Wheaton called as he ran up to where they were congregating outside the apartment that he shared with his female. “I received a message that said there was an emergency with Poppy but nothing else.”
“I received the same concerning my wife as well,” Dathrow panted as he came running full speed from the opposite direction. “Why are you out here?”
“Because Krilis is—” The words froze in his throat at the sound of a blast coming from inside the apartment.
Axis’s heart stopped at the sound.
“Poppy!” The yell came from Wheaton as the sounds of crying infants rose on the other side. His friend wasted no time swiping his hand across the pad next to the door, triggering it to open.
The moment it had slid open even a crack, multiple hands were pushing it the rest of the way as the men hurried the mechanism along. Axis, Wheaton, and Dathrow stumbled through the opening in their hurry to get to their brides.
What he saw was complete chaos.
Krilis was lying on the floor, clutching his leg below the knee, while Nova stood in front of him with her blaster aimed. Max, Claudia’s small son, was screaming hysterically where Maggie held him tucked in a far corner. The other two infants in the room were echoing his cries of distress with wails of their own.
“Oh my God!” Poppy cried, running up to Wheaton, clutching their daughter in her arms.
“Dath!” Pixie sobbed, her face wet with tears as she moved unsteadily towards her own husband with their infant cradled tight. “I thought he was going to kill us.”
Axis immediately secured Krilis, who sat on the floor rocking back and forth, cursing the woman who still had him in her sights.
“What happened, bright