Page 32 of Errik

She hoped she could turn things around on New Vaxx.

“Am I allowed to work?” she blurted before she could think better of it. Errik might not have been raised in wealth, but he was a wealthy male now. In all likelihood, she wouldn’t need to earn any money to contribute to their household. But she didn’t like the idea of just sitting around and staring at the pretty sculptures and paintings all day while he went off to warrior training or whatever job he had.

Errik stiffened and pulled back to stare down at her. “Work? Why would you…” He paused and took a deep breath, seeming to reconsider what he’d been about to say. “I am a wealthy male. There is no need for you to work.”

“But what if I want to? I need to feel fulfilled, and I don’t think I’ll get that if I don’t at least have a volunteer job. Something to give me meaning beyond… beyond what we have. Please don’t take offense. Please don’t think that I mean you are not enough.”

She tried not to think about what would happen if she got pregnant quickly. That might derail any career plans. She assumed he would expect her to stay home with their children, and while she thought that was what she wanted too, eventually, she still needed something outside the home. Even just a few hours a week doing meaningful work and spending time in the company of others.

Errik remained silent for so long that she feared she had inadvertently offended him. But his visage finally softened, and he gave a brief nod as a thoughtful look filled his green eyes. “Even though I am wealthy, I still want to work. I was planning to join a unit of warriors soon, attend daily warrior training, and perhaps help patrol Starzzia and the surrounding forest. I believe my reason for joining a new unit of warriors is the same as your reason for wanting to work or volunteer outside the home. I need a sense of purpose.” He ran a hand down her back and kissed the top of her head. “So, my answer is yes. Yes, Holly, you are permitted to work outside the home. However, there are conditions.”

“Conditions?”

“I would prefer that you find something nearby. As I’ve already told you, there are several shopping and business districts within walking distance. And I must approve of the route you take to and from your job. There will be no shortcuts through the forest or paths too close to the tree line, especially if you are returning home after dark. Although, if you are ever out that late, I will most likely escort you home myself.”

“I thought Starzzia was a safe city.”

“From what I have been told, it’s virtually a crime-free city, but mountain beasts occasionally venture too close during nighttime. Remember, I only arrived here two days before I departed for Earth to retrieve you. I want time to assess the safety of the settlement myself before I allow you to roam too far away on your own. Your safety means everything to me, my darling mate.”

Well. When he put it that way, she couldn’t find too much fault with his overprotectiveness. Somehow, she’d forgotten that he hadn’t lived here since the founding of the city. How strange that they were both basically moving into this large house at the same time. Once again, she realized that she didn’t know how he’d spent the last few months. All she knew was that he’d managed to earn a fortune shortly after the end of the war against the Irrcons.

“Why didn’t you settle on New Vaxx right after the war ended?” she asked. “I mean… how did you spend the last three months? It’s my understanding that the war ended three months ago. Then your people immediately settled on New Vaxx. But you didn’t. Why?” She peered up at him, holding her breath as she prayed the answer wasn’t too dark. The fact that he hadn’t openly revealed how he’d earned his wealth made her suspect he either wasn’t proud of it or he’d done something a bit shady. Like interstellar smuggling.

“The war was brutal,” he began as the haunted, faraway look entered his eyes. “I’ve always felt restless and as though I didn’t quite belong among my people. Among Vaxxlians, it’s unusual for a child to grow up in an orphanage. Distant relatives are usually willing to raise any orphan in their family. But all my relatives were dead.”

Her throat burned as she absorbed all that he said. She grasped his hand, squeezed it, and gave him an encouraging look, hoping he would continue.

“Despite my… personal struggles, I did my duty and I fought in the war. I killed hundreds of Irrcons in battle, most in hand-to-hand combat after forcibly boarding their vessels. As you probably know, after Vaxxlia was destroyed, my people quickly slaughtered the remaining Irrcons. Some managed to flee the sector, but most are dead. And suddenly, I found myself… feeling lost. Empty. And more restless and out of place than ever. I couldn’t travel to New Vaxx just then. So, I traveled from outpost to outpost, entering cage fights and earning a small fortune with each win. I never lost a fight, and I quickly became wealthier than I ever imagined possible.”

“Cage fights?” She suppressed a shudder. Well, that explained his scars. Once, she’d watched a documentary about the cage fights that aliens took part in on seedy outposts located in dangerous sectors. She’d had to turn the program off early when the footage became too gory.

“Yes, cage fights,” he finally said.

“Did you kill your opponents?” she asked in a whisper, though deep in her soul, she already knew the answer.

“Some. Yes.” He stared at her without blinking, as though wanting her to see just who he was, just how dark and violent he could be.

But the male she’d come to know wasn’t cruel or heartless. He was the powerful Vaxxlian warrior who’d saved her life, the male who had exchanged mating vows with her while holding her as though she were precious to him. He’d treated her with a tenderness she’d never expected from someone so formidable, kissing her gently, listening to her worries, and making sure she felt safe and cherished. She wasn’t afraid of him. Not even now, knowing what he had done in those cages.

His past didn’t erase the kindness he’d shown her. He’d been lost after the war, searching for something to fill the emptiness inside him, trying to quiet the restlessness that had plagued him since childhood. Her heart went out to him when she recalled his confession about not feeling as though he belonged among his own people. Rather than settle on New Vaxx immediately after the war, he’d kept moving, kept fighting, perhaps hoping that his next victory would heal the very wounds he was trying to outrun.

Holly understood the restless urge to keep moving. She’d spent years chasing the next adventure, the next destination, always telling herself that she wanted to explore. Perhaps she’d been running from something, too. Perhaps, like Errik, she’d been searching for a place where she really belonged.

And now, she’d finally found it. Not in the luxurious house or the magical alien city, but in the arms of the male beside her.

She reached up and cupped his cheek, gently stroking his jaw with her thumb. “I don’t think you’re a bad person, Errik. Not even for killing aliens during the cage fights. Not even for profiting from their deaths. I still feel safe with you. I still want you. I am still proud to call you my mate.”

His eyes widened. “But my hands are stained with blood. And surely the money that bought this house is tainted. If only there was a way for me to prove…”

“You don’t have to prove anything to me,” she whispered, interrupting him. “I know who you are. Right here.” She placed a hand over his heart.

His expression not only softened, but a light she’d never seen before entered his eyes. He drew her closer and nuzzled his nose against hers, his purring growls vibrating through her, proof of their growing intimacy.

“You truly don’t think I’m a monster?” he asked.

“No. You are the farthest thing from a monster. During the short time we’ve known one another, you’ve shown me more kindness and affection than any other male ever has. You’ve made me feel… settled. When I’m with you, I don’t feel that strange compulsion to run that used to send me from one town to the next.”

When he pulled back slightly, his eyes were filled with surprise. “You’ve also made me feel settled and like I no longer need to run. For the first time in forever, I want to stay in one place. I want to make a real home. With you. My sweet, darling mate.”